"Uh – guys?"
Poppet was jolted awake and suddenly realised where she was. The floor beneath her was hard and cold. Sunlight was streaming through two very large windows. Arms were wrapped around her waist. Uh oh.
"What are you doing?"
Poppet was slowly piecing together what had happened. She had fallen asleep while they were doing their homework. Now she was here, on the common room floor, with James Potter (who was very much in a relationship) wrapped around her like some kind of limpet. The grasp around her waist was suddenly dropped and she could feel James stirring behind her.
"It's not what it looks like," Poppet sat bolt upright, looking at Roxanne, Florence and Jocelyn who were all giving the pair quizzical looks.
"It looks like you fell asleep down here while doing that essay you remembered," Roxanne informed them.
"Then it's exactly what it looks like!" James exclaimed. He was now sitting up too, blushing. His hair was stuck up at all angles and there were dark circles under her eyes. Poppet dreaded to think what she looked like. Mornings were never the best time for Poppet's self esteem. Florence shot a questioning glance at Poppet and she shrugged. "Even though it was – uh – innocent... I would appreciate it if my girlfriend didn't find out about this."
At this exact moment, Albus walked down the stairs, took once glance at James and Poppet who were still sat on the floor, and muttered "Oh Godric," to himself as he walked out of the portrait hole.
"Well... we won't tell her. But... we're not the first people to see you... Uh – Tobias, Lars and Tom are already down at breakfast," Jocelyn didn't look very happy about having to break this to James.
"Shit," James was quickly on his feet and running up to his dorm, presumably to get changed.
"Did you even get the essay done?" Florence asked, a wry smile on her face.
"Uh – no," Poppet blushed furiously. And, with that, she also went into her dorm, grabbed her bag and changed quickly into her robes. Jocelyn, Roxanne and Florence were still in the common room when she arrived back.
"He's already left. He was cursing your name," Florence informed her.
"We didn't do anything," Poppet stressed.
"Yes, but I don't think Lars, Tom and Tobias will mind embellishing a few details in order to fuck James over," Roxanne pointed out.
Poppet sighed, "I hate my life."
The four girls walked into the Great Hall, expecting the worst. Poppet winced as they opened the door. James was stood by the Ravenclaw table, his body language was defensive. Jeanette looked angry. Her friends, Emily and Aliyah, were sat next to her. Aliyah was rubbing her shoulder and Emily just stared at James with a face like thunder. Uh-oh. The girls walked further into the Great Hall. As they did so, James turned on his heels and stormed out, striding past them with rage in his eyes.
"I better follow him," Poppet grumbled and perused him, despite Florence's pleas for her to just leave it.
He was in the Entrance Hall by the time she caught up with him. The fourth time she called out to him, he whipped around.
"What?" He spat.
"D-did you break up?" Poppet choked out.
"I don't even know," James' face was flushed from anger. His hair was still messy and tangled. His chestnut eyes were dark. Poppet felt sick. "I don't know what we are anymore. She said she'd heard the rumours and didn't believe them, but now she was having second thoughts. I can't believe it."
"James, I-"
"No, don't say anything. I shouldn't have done it. I should have gone to bed the first time we woke up. You just bring out the worst in me," James brought his hands to his head and turned around, so his back was turned to Poppet. "I fucked up."
"You didn't. I encouraged you to stay," Poppet said, grabbing his arm and turning him around to face her. "I'm sorry."
"I gave up on you," James whispered, "I moved on. It's so hard for me to do that when... when you're around me. Do you know how much it hurts to look at you? To know that you're a constellation in my sky and in yours, I'm just dead star, a cold rock, a passer-by. I gave up. I moved on."
Poppet felt a tear run down her face. "You liked me?"
"I thought it was obvious," James grumbled. "But I gave up. I realised to you I was just Roxanne's annoying cousin."
"If you gave up, why did you kiss me in the store room?" Poppet asked, quietly.
"I was hoping you'd reject me again. I hoped you'd smack me, tell me I was a stupid fucking idiot for kissing you again and then I'd know I'd made the right decision by getting back with Jeanette, because there was no chance for us."
"But I didn't," Poppet said, slowly. "I kissed you back."
"That fucked me up, I won't lie," James tried to smile, but it was weak and watery.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you since New Year's Eve," Poppet took a step closer to him.
"What?" He choked.
"You're a constellation to me, too," Poppet murmured.
James took an immediate step back. "You... You have... You can't tell me this now. I have a girlfriend, Poppet. You – You have no right!"
"I don't have a right to like you?" Poppet spat.
"I'm trying to get over you. You can't tell me this now!" James had his head in his hands again.
"So suddenly my feelings don't matter?" Poppet retorted, "I'm sorry my feelings aren't convenient to you, James, but you need to wake up! I am not here to validate your relationship with your girlfriend. When you kiss me, touch me, flirt with me, joke with me, make me feel fucking loved for the first time in my stupid soap opera of a life it makes me feel things to. It's not just you who matters, James."
"I can't deal with this right now, Hastings. I finally moved on from you. I accepted the fact that you and I could never be. I realised all we'd be is friends. I like Jeanette, okay? She's nice, she's pretty, and she's funny... and now it's fucked up because you decide that you like me."
"I didn't decide to like you. I just did. It just happened. I'm sorry that it's happened but you caused this. Until you kissed me on New Year's Eve, I had never even looked at you in that way before," Poppet was crying now. Tears fell down her face, hot and fast. James stared at her with a cold expression, allowing her to break down in front of him. "I – I wish I could go back to the days when I didn't like you, James. But, I can't. Not right now. I can't just turn a switch in my brain and suddenly not like you. Feelings don't work like that."
James exhaled, "Don't cry."
"Don't tell me what to do," Poppet snapped.
James rolled his eyes and pulled her into a hug and for the second time she found herself crying into James' chest. She shuddered under the weight of her sadness and she drank in his smell. Clean linen and soap. She didn't even need a vial of Amortentia to know what it would smell like to her.
"You're so stubborn, Hastings," James said, softly, "I think you need to work on that."
She laughed through her sobs. "At least I'm not an asshole."
"Hey!" James said, fake offence tickling his voice. "Would you just look at us? Aren't we a sight to behold?"
Poppet sniffed, "I wish I could tell you this is the first time this weekend that I've cried about you."
James stiffened. "Don't – don't cry over me."
"It's a bit late for that," Poppet pulled away from his arms and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robes. She hiccupped and he looked at her, an expression that Poppet couldn't read on his face. He glanced at his watch.
"We better get to lessons. What do you have?" He asked.
"C-Charms," Poppet sniffed.
"I have Ancient Runes. I'll see you at break. Don't cry anymore," he leaned in and gave her a swift peck on the lips and then walked off. Poppet watched him go, biting her lip.
"Woah."
A voice behind Poppet made her turn around very quickly on her heels. Stood in an archway was a girl called Lauren who was a Ravenclaw seventh year. Poppet knew of her because she was very friendly with Dominique Weasley. And she was also in the same house as Jeanette. Why, Merlin? Why do you do these things to me? Lauren was tall with brown hair that today was tied up in a high ponytail. She looked at Poppet from under her fringe, a look of disbelief on her face.
"There's a chance you didn't see that, right?" Poppet said, slowly.
Lauren shook her head. Poppet gulped. "I saw it. I heard shouting. I assumed it was you two, after James stormed out at breakfast. I came to find out the truth. And I saw it. I saw him kiss you."
"Lauren –"
"So it's true then? You are sleeping with James?" She looked smug. Uh oh.
"No. It's not true. He kissed me because I was upset. It wasn't really even a kiss. It was more of a peck. It meant nothing. He's just my – my best friend..." Poppet choked out the last three words.
"Dom is my best friend and I don't kiss her," Lauren remarked.
"Look, Lauren. I know you're friendly with Jeanette but I – I am not sleeping with James. I promise. I know it looks bad but – but he was just calming me down. I thought I had ruined his relationship and I was upset. Please, let him speak to Jeanette before you tell her anything-"
Lauren paused for a moment. She looked as if she was weighing up all the options in her mind. Poppet urged her to make the right decision. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. I won't tell Jeanette anything. But I want something in return."
Poppet shot her a quizzical look. "Uh – sure?"
"Adam Pentland is in your house and year, correct?" Poppet rolled her eyes. Was Lauren honestly going to ask her to set her up with Adam?
"Yep, he is," Poppet confirmed.
"The other week in the library he borrowed my quill and never gave it back. Can you please get it back for me? It's so annoying when someone takes your best quill," Lauren huffed.
"Oh! Yes, of course! I'll talk to him in Charms," Poppet enthused.
"Thanks," Lauren smiled, "I hope you sort things with James and Jeanette."
And with that, she walked off. The corridors were starting to fill with people making their way from breakfast to lessons now. Poppet decided she needed to probably get a move on otherwise she'd probably be late. She made her way quickly to the Charms corridor.
"Okay, Poppet Hastings, you have some explaining to do," Roxanne exclaimed as they left Charms and made their way towards the common room for a free period. "What is going on with you and my cousin?"
"I – I –"
"I won't be mad," Roxanne said, calmly, "I don't like seeing you upset."
"I like him," Poppet conceded.
"I knew it," Roxanne said, almost under her breath, "And he likes you, I suppose?"
"He's confused," Poppet sighed. "As am I. He gives me very mixed messages. One minute he's all over me like a rash, the next he's yelling at me for having feelings."
"Boys," Roxanne scowled, "I think he'd be mad not to want you, Pops."
"Thanks, Rox," Poppet smiled.
"Just promise me something... You won't run off with him and just abandon me and Flo and Jocelyn... like Jeanette did?" Roxanne almost looked upset. She looked at Poppet with expectant eyes.
"I – I won't," Poppet promised. She didn't even know if she and James would ever be together at this rate. He'd left things at a very awkward place.
The pair moved the conversation forward and were about to walk through the portrait hole when they were interrupted. Jeanette Fields was storming down the corridor, followed by her friends, Emily and Aliyah. She looked angry. Poppet felt her stomach do a somersault.
"Poppet!" Jeanette called out, "I need to have a word with you."
"Don't leave," Poppet whispered to Roxanne and Roxanne nodded solemnly and positioned herself next to Poppet, facing Jeanette.
"I just want you to know that James is my boyfriend. I know there have been some rumours and, if I know my James at all, I think they're all a bunch of lies," Jeanette said. "However, you two are a little friendly. I just want you to know that I have my eye on you."
"So you're still together?" Roxanne quipped.
"Of course we are," Jeanette snapped. "Are we clear, Poppet?"
Poppet nodded. "I'm sorry."
"If the rumours aren't true, you should have nothing to worry about," Jeanette smiled a little too sweetly and she walked up the stairs, away from the portrait hole with Emily and Aliyah linked to each one of her arms.
Poppet felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to spill over. Roxanne uttered the password and they hopped into the common room which was, thankfully, empty. Roxanne gave her a big hug, crushing her ribs slightly. Poppet didn't mind. In fact, she was kind of glad.
"Clearly she doesn't know her James very well," Roxanne snorted.
Poppet sighed. Why did her life have to be this way?
AN: I'm not going to say a word. Heheheh. All I will say is thank you to Guest reviewer "rambkowalczyk", thank you for your speculations/comments on the story. I love feedback, so thank you so much!