Bloom Again /James Potter/ ❁book 2❁

❁Chapter 13❁

[Again, my break isn't over...I just really wanted to write (i probs shouldn't tho lmao)]

Chapter 13

Bea didn't know if it was happiness or relief she was feeling to have all of her friends back, it was as though a knot pulled over her heart had slackened and soon fallen away for her to feel something other than pain and loneliness.

She needed her friends, and she was more than glad that they understood just how she felt and how she would need to be alone sometimes and how it hurt her, even more, when they felt terribly awkward around her. Beau had talked to them previously and only told her that day just before she left him, and when she demanded he tell her what he said, he merely smirked.

Of course, Beau didn't really want Bea to know just how much he cared about her because it was a whole lot regardless of his constant teasing. She was the closest friend he had in Hogwarts and was becoming his best friend easily and he was already one of her best friends if she was being honest - she really couldn't see her life without him, and she didn't want to.

Classes had just ended but she made no attempts to go and Beau had visited her gallery for just a few minutes, only leaving after her when he said he had a girl he wanted to "woo."

"She's milking it at this point, it happened in summer." Bea couldn't deny her curiosity at the conversation some girls were having just a table over in the library. She was hardly paying attention to the book in front of her, and when her friends had stopped her wondering if she wanted some company she merely shook her head with a small smile painting her lips.

She really didn't want to bother anyone or force her friends into thinking they needed to uphold a conversation when she hardly felt like talking herself.

"That's a terrible thing to say," one of the girls snapped quietly, eyeing her friends in what seemed to be part disbelief and part horror.

"Oh shush, Isla," the previous speaker snorted, "she's going out with one of the fittest boys in school and she's not even doing anything...just sulking."

"Not to mention," the other piped in, "that she's got that new boy wrapped around her finger."

"You're horrible, both of you stop it!" Isla, the girl with anger in her eyes spoke lowly. Bea knew that the girl hadn't seen her, and the fear had crept over her spine when they mentioned the new boy.

They were talking about her.

"She's probably fucking the new boy behind James Potter's back!" the second speaker giggled, "course that'd be stupid."

"It would be stupid because she's been through fucking trauma and you two are being heartless!" Isla snapped. Bea had turned her head so that she didn't seem noticeable, none of the three girls had turned in her direction to stare at her, or knew she was there and it terrified her.

Was this what everyone thought? That she was faking how she felt?

"All I'm saying is-"

"Lucy, there's nothing you could say that would make this situation better," Isla had said, and Bea knew from the anger and the sound of her voice. She had hardly seen the girls before, Isla, she was sure was in her Herbology class...or maybe Potions but she couldn't remember correctly. The other two she had seen walking around and at dinner but that seemed to be it, they weren't the most familiar.

But that didn't stop her pounding heart and sweaty hands.

"Oh, shut it, Isla," Lucy huffed, "all I'm saying is that James could do so much better."

"I disagree," Isla said, "Bea is the nicest girl in this school."

"Fucking hell, are you fucking her too?" the other girl said, and her and Lucy bursted out laughing, "seriously Isla, why are you defending her so much?!"