**Trigger warnings for the end of this chapter.**

Briar POV

She'd waited a while before she rounded on me. So long, in fact, I thought I'd gotten away with it. She hadn't said anything when I'd sheepishly slipped into the open space next to her for lunch on the Saturday. Or mentioned anything all that afternoon. Sunday went by without a mention too. That is until bed time.

"So," Came the low roll of Dominique at her most inquisitive. "You and James, then?" I nearly choked on the water I'd just sipped.

"No!" I said a little too quickly, still coughing up the water.

"Please - Even my Uncle Ron could have seen the flirting going on with you two today." Dom rolled her eyes and flopped onto my bed. I sat myself down at the other end.

"He's just being kind to me," I sighed. I was trying to keep our secret. "Not many people are these days so it's nice."

"Mhmm." Dom nodded.

"Don't 'mhmm' me," I hugged my pillow into me. She stood up on her way to the bathroom to get ready for bed I presumed.

"Just let him know that if he hurts you, I'll have his bollocks." And she shut the door behind her.

Monday morning was on us in what felt like the blink of an eye. Thankfully, most people had gotten bored of staring at me during meal times. So I had a peaceful breakfast with Dominique and Fiona - a dorm mate of ours - watching the Weasley/Potter group make a scene over on the Gryffindor table. Dom tutted and sighed at them, but I smiled. It was hard not to when James was beaming ear from ear with maple syrup dripping down his face thanks to Roxie. He caught me watching him and hopped over his table - because he's James and walking around would be too normal - and plonked himself down next to me.

"Morning," His face was split in a goofy grin.

"You're sticky." Dominique tutted and edged herself away from him, even though she was sitting on the other side of the table. Poor Fiona had been shoved out the way, unintentionally, by James.

"I know," James still grinned then quickly reached over and smeared maple syrup on her face. I laughed. Fiona laughed. The first years next to Dom were smart enough to not laugh with us.

"Yeah," Dom muttered. "That is more than enough of you for my morning." She sighed and left us. Likely to go and clean herself up properly while I assumed James was just going to give a half arsed cleaning spell a go.

"Whats bitten her?" James jabbed his thumb in the direction Dom went.

"She's not a morning person." Fiona offered with a friendly smile. I like Fiona, she's a sweet, friend of the world type.

"Or much of a people person," I chimed in. "But she's your cousin, shouldn't you be telling us that kind of thing?"

"Keeps herself to herself, to be honest with you." I nodded. I could see that. I figured it was also why Dom would arrange shopping trips or cafe lunches over the summers instead of inviting us to her house to chill.

"It's time to get to class anyway," said Fiona looking down at her watch. I went to grab my bag from the floor, but James beat me to it.

"I can get it myself, you know."

"I know."

"So can I have my bag back please?"

"No."

"Um... you guys?" Fiona butt in. "We should get going."

"It's fine Ffion,"

"Fiona,"

"Yes, Fiona," He clicked his fingers like the idea was just coming to his brain. I rolled my eyes. "You head off, I'll make sure this one gets there in one peace, I promise." Fiona's eyes darted between us, uncertain. But then her fear of being late won and she left us, with a little twirl and a sigh.

"What are you playing at, Potter?" I was pissed now. He shrugged and started to help me off the bench. Which actually was a great help but I'm not about to admit that to him.

"Just humour me." He shrugged. "Besides - this thing is heavy. What do you have in there?"

"The required text books for my courses." I muttered starting to walk away without him. He jogged a little to catch up before we had even left The Great Hall.

"Yeah," He nodded. "I keep meaning to get those." I chuckled. And in the chuckle, he knew he'd won. He let himself walk a little closer to me as we left the noise of the hall behind us.

"Seriously, though," I finally found the courage to ask him again. "I thought you wanted on the DL?"

"I do, until I can speak to my parents," He nodded. His voice was soft. Like the James only I knew. "But, well, I wasn't there to hold back you hair. Or to tell you everything's going to be alright. So can you just let me carry your entire library between classes for you?"

"None of that was your fault," My own voice was quiet now. And we'd stopped walking. And we we're holding hands. And James's face was coming closer to mine. And we kissed. Briefly, but sweetly. And then it was over and we were both walking in the direction of my charms class.

This became our new normal. He would meet me after classes and walk me and my bag to my next class, or the library, or The Great Hall or the common room. Sometimes we'd study or eat together. There were a few stolen kisses, or he'd pull me close to him in the library and carry on reading his book with an arm around me. It was comforting. I guess I had been so desperate for something that was 'normal' that I didn't notice the attention we had riled up. Until I was cornered into acknowledging it on Wednesday.

"Oi!" Was shouted down the corridor. I didn't turn to look, people shout all the time, likely wasn't for me. "I'm talking to you, whore." Well then... that probably was for me. So I turned. I was on my own this time. It was first period. James had gotten me to the library with the books I had and then gone out to use his free time in the air. I had been killing time until Dom finished Ancient Runes and then we could get some food. Then I needed a wee. Which landed me in a corridor being called a whore on my way back to the library. Happy Wednesday?

"I'm sorry," I called back. It was Polly Parkinson and a couple of her cronies. "did you want something?"

"At least it knows it's place," Parkinson smirked as she stalked over, the others just keeping up. "I said 'I'm talking to you'," She stopped just in front of me.

"Can we make it quick?" I rolled my eyes. I could feel the pulsing in the back of my mind that always lingered whenever Parkinson was around. "I've things to do."

"You need to stop taking things that don't belong to you," she snarled at me.

"I haven't actually got a clue what you're talking about, today," I sighed. Which in hind sight, was a bad idea. CRACK. She slapped me hard. My jaw stung and tears threatened, hot, behind my eyes.

"James Potter is my boyfriend." She hissed in my ear. I didn't have the 'together' in me to remind her she wasn't anymore and not cry at the same time. And I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. "He's only hanging around you because you're just a stupid whore. An easy lay. He'll be begging me to take him back soon, he always does."

"Ok," I offered with a small smile, and spun on my heels leaving Parkinson shouting behind me. What she had said had stung. But I wasn't about to give her anything in return. Something I knew I would regret at some point. But I also knew that Parkinson was relatively predictable. And at least I had my little warning system for when she was around.

James POV

It had been a long day of shovelling various piles of animal dung from various animals. Some days, I questioned my logic of 'just doing care of magical creatures' to 'fill out the timetable'. Especially on days like this where I ached all over and smelt worse than a dragon den. And I was painfully missing B. I had taken off to study before I jogged out and apologised to Hagrid for being late. Not that he minded.

"James!" Came a shout from behind as I made my way - early-ish - into The Great Hall. I turned quickly, ignoring the wrinkled noses of a group of forth years, to see my usually very put together cousin looking decidedly ruffled.

"Dom? What's wrong?" I smiled at her. "Run out of conditioner?"

"It's Briar," Her face was stony, and I'm fairly certain mine looked like I was about to throw up. "She's in the hospital wing."

"What?" I heard my voice say.

"She's fallen, you need to get there." She started pushing my shoulder in the direction of the stairs. It took a moment for my mind to process what my ears heard, but when it did, I started sprinting - not caring who or what I ran into - in the direction of the hospital wing. On the landing I could hear pain. I collided with Sam in the door way. His arms stopping me from falling.

"I'm so sorry, James," He whispered. His face was white. He was shaking. I briefly glanced down at him, but wished I hadn't. One arm and some of his shirt had been stained red.

"Sam... I-"

"Just go," Sam urged me towards the wing, pointing at the one curtained bay. "She needs you right now."

I was shaking. I didn't want to meet that curtain. I didn't want to see what was on the other side. I didn't want to know why Sam was covered in, what I am now assuming to be blood. But my legs kept walking. My heart kept beating so hard I thought it was going to burst through my chest. I saw my shaking hand reach out and grab onto the curtain. Begging my ears to be mishearing the whimpers of pain and sobs, I pulled it open slightly.

Briar was on the bed, her face contorted in pain. Madame Abbott was holding her hand. Bottles of potion sat on the bedside table. A couple I knew to be pain killers. Madame Abbott looked up and saw me. She patted Briar's hand and whispered something before walking around the bed.

"I'm sorry, Mr Potter," She smiled sadly. "Now isn't the best time, Miss Landon isn't up to visitors just yet."

"But," I started stupidly. "I need to -" she started turning me away with gentle but firm hands. "No! I need to be there with her. She's alone." I wasn't even looking at the healer. "Please, Aunt Hannah, I can't leave them alone like this." I needed her to be my parents friend right now. Not the stiff upper lipped school healer. She caved. Patted my arm and pushed me towards the bed.

"I'm going to check where the Mungo's healers are up to." She said quietly and left us. I walked over, dragging a loose chair with me and sat next to Briar. I took her hand.

"I'm here, B." I whispered against her hand. Her eyes opened and she turned her head towards me. I could see the pain in her tear stained face.

"I'm sorry, Jamie." Her voice sounded hoarse. "Ah!" She hissed and grabbed her stomach, squeezing my hand hard. I fought the urge to shout out in my own pain. It clearly was nothing to what she was feeling.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," I muttered after the pain seemed to dull slightly. She was leaning closer to me now, I leaned forward and kissed her sweaty forehead. "The healers will be here soon, they'll make everything better." She nodded against my cheek. I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt.