Pretty Little Bumble Bea /James Potter/ ❁book 1❁

❁Chapter 5❁

Chapter 5

"You don't need to pretend like you care about me James," Bea spoke suddenly as she took a seat across from him in the library, watching his head lift from the notes in front of him and to the girl who was trying desperately not to think of their previous encounter a few days ago, and also trying to ignore the fact that she had been avoiding him.

She even failed to show up for their study session, James waited a full half an hour before packing up his things and going back to his dorm. He didn't regret hurting that boy for her, and he would definitely have hurt the others too if she didn't stop him.

"Wha- Bumble I'm not pretending to do anything," he frowned, watching as she made no intentions of getting her things out of her bag, "I hurt them because it was the right thing to do, they were hurting you and I can't have that-"

"Why?" she snapped, trying to keep her voice low, "why can't you accept that, James? We aren't friends, you're my brother's friend and I tutor you in herbology, that's it, you don't need to look out for me as if I'm some weak, frail child."

"Bumble-"

"I wrote out everything you need to know," she whispered, pulling out multiple pieces of parchment paper and handing them over to him, "I don't mind tutoring you, but you're not my friend, James, you can't be-"

"Why not?!" he frowned, thinking before this that they were becoming at least friends, "if it's because of what I did...I'm sorry, but I don't regret it, I don't regret hurting them because I would rather have a bruised knuckle than for you to be in the hospital wing!"

"James, you're going to get us kicked out," she whispered, looking around at the lingering stares, "we aren't even in the same year, James-"

"So?!"

"James why are you so adamant that I am your friend?!" she huffed, running a frustrated hand through her hair, "is it so you can brag about saving me from bullies that I deal with every week?!"

"No-"

"Or so Sirius can wind me up yet again, or so you can go piss my brother off-"

"Why are you so opposed to us being friends?" he asked, his eyebrow raised, "is it because Remus is my best friend?"

She was silent as she sat there, a breath tumbling from her lips, and finally, she spoke, "maybe."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, James," she grumbled, rolling her eyes, "don't you realise how over protective Remus is over me?"

"So? You haven't let that bother you before!"

"I never thought I'd see the day that you were so obsessed with becoming my friend," she scoffed, shaking her head, "Tell me the truth, James, is it to keep an eye on me? Now that you have seen the side that no one sees you suddenly feel the need to protect me, you feel so sorry for the weak girl that you have no doubt.

But then I bet it's for Remus too, cause he doesn't know about this, and you shouldn't either. Maybe one day I'll stick up for myself, maybe one day their punches and their words won't matter cause I'll be able to hit back harder but fighting fire with fire doesn't put the fire out, James, the fire spreads and it hurts more people and it does more damage.

Kill people with kindness, James.

And you all wonder why I don't like your pranks."

She grabbed her things, pointing to the notes to indicate to him to read over them and without so much as a goodbye, she quickly headed out of the library, a sigh tumbling from her lips and a hand quickly running through her hair.