Poppet,

Hello, lovely! I hope you are keeping well! I hope that this letter isn't too out of the blue but I have asked James to ask you this but he is being a very silly boy (as I am sure you are aware he can be) and won't. During the Easter Holidays, my brother Bill and his family are going on holiday and they need someone to house-sit for them in their lovely little cottage by the sea. We have agreed to do it for the first week and I thought it would be lovely if you came, as it is James' birthday that week and it would be nice for his girlfriend to be there. Let me know as soon as you can.

Love,

Ginny

PS: I can't believe you and James have been together for nearly a month!

James was reading the letter over Poppet's shoulder and let out an indignant grunt when he had finished, pushing a large piece of pancake into his mouth. Poppet beamed. A whole week in a cottage by the sea with the Potters? Did you mean heaven? Easter was only a week and a half away and Poppet couldn't wait. She had been looking forward to spending two weeks with her family but spending a week with the Potters seemed even better. Her mum and dad would be so jealous.

"I was going to ask you," James grumbled, "but mum is just so impatient. She only sent me the owl like two days ago."

"I'll write her back later," Poppet said, taking a bite of the fatty bacon that was on her plate.

"So you're coming?" James asked.

"Duh," Poppet rolled her eyes, "I couldn't miss your birthday."

James beamed, "I look forward to my present."

"You should," Poppet smirked, taking another huge mouthful of bacon. It was a Tuesday and Poppet had Herbology with James and Roxanne first period. She and James were the only ones at breakfast, currently. They'd taken to coming down earlier so they could spend some time together. It was a nice idea when it wasn't crashed by a nosy family member or friend. "So, it's your Uncle Bill's cottage? That's Dom and Louis' dad, right?"

"Yep; they're going to Romania for the two weeks to visit my Uncle Charlie, who works out there with dragons," James said, pouring himself a coffee, "and whenever they go away they like people to stay in their cottage by the sea and we obviously jump at the chance because it's a nice, free holiday."

"Don't blame you," Poppet remarked. The wind outside howled and rain splattered the windows of the Great Hall. All you could see outside was grey. "I hope the weather picks up, though."

"Yeah," James muttered, glancing out the window, "the walk to the greenhouses should be fun this morning."

Poppet groaned, "I didn't think of that."

The peace that the pair were experiencing that Tuesday morning was soon disrupted by Florence, who stormed through the doors of the Great Hall, her face like thunder. She sat down, wordlessly, and started aggressively buttering her toast. She poured herself a coffee – black, of course – and guzzled it quickly. Poppet winced. Surely that would have hurt? Flo glowered at nobody in particular while she munched on her toast.

"Uh – Flo?" James said, cautiously.

"What?" Florence snapped, her terrible glare now directed at James. Poppet glanced at James who actually looked like he feared for his life.

"You seem tense," James shrugged, exchanging a look with Poppet who just shrugged back in return.

"Men are pigs," Florence muttered, ironically shoving more food than could fit into her mouth and washing it down with another coffee.

"Very true," James was treading carefully, "but what exactly has made you decide this?"

"Does it matter?" Florence had folded her arms now and was staring James down. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Poppet and she put a reassuring hand around his waist. He relaxed slightly.

"Well – yeah," James said, quietly, "if it makes you upset then of course it matters."

Florence softened, "I had a fight with Blane. It was really dumb. I told him how I didn't want him hanging around Tobias, after you know what he said about you two... He told me I had no right to dictate who he was friends with. Then it got heated and pretty nasty and I stormed out. I was just trying to defend you guys."

Poppet sighed, "Flo, that's so sweet. But you shouldn't let Tobias wreck your relationship. He's not worth it."

"I s'pose you're right," Florence shrugged, attempting a weak smile at James and Poppet.

"I think you should go and find him and make amends before this gets even more out of hand," James suggested, calmly.

Florence agreed and made her way out of the Great Hall. James and Poppet decided that they'd finished with breakfast and got up and left as well, making their way back to the common room as they still had half an hour before lessons were due to start. This was the beauty of having an early breakfast. On their way, they passed Roxanne, Jocelyn, Albus and Rose who were chatting loudly. They smiled and waved at them as they passed, not wanting to interrupt their animated discussions and hopped through the portrait hole and into the common room. It was empty, as everyone was at breakfast. This was a regular occurrence in Poppet and James' weekdays now. They had half an hour of time alone before the bell rudely interrupted their moments together.

"We have Defence today, right?" Poppet asked, rifling through her back to try and find her timetable, "I always confuse this Tuesday for next Tuesday."

"Yeah, it's not until after lunch though. I have Muggle Studies fourth, double Herbology first and Defence fifth," James said, relaxing back into a comfy chair and shutting his eyes for a moment. Poppet watched him with great confusion.

"Oi, sleepy," she smacked his arm playfully, "I don't think it's a good idea to get too comfortable."

"And when has you not thinking something is a good idea ever stopped me before?" James' eyes were still closed but a smirk was emerging on his lips.

Poppet rolled her eyes, "I think you should listen to me. I'm pretty smart."

"You're funny, Hastings," James said, dryly.

"You're an ass, Potter," Poppet pushed his arm and his eyes snapped open, gleaming at her playfully.

"Yet, you're still my girlfriend," he remarked, "so I must be doing something right."

Poppet had rolled her eyes so much in the past ten minutes that she was sure that if she did it again, they'd get stuck up there. James caught her eye roll and grabbed her wrists, pulling her down next to him, so their noses were inches apart. He kissed her, slowly and softly. It wasn't a very long kiss, in fear of being walked in on. Poppet pulled away from him and breathed: "That, James Potter, is what you're doing right."

The pair walked to Herbology together, their fingers laced lazily together as they went. They met Roxanne by the Great Hall and she scowled as she saw their fingers intertwined. Poppet smiled sheepishly at her and Roxanne sighed, trying her hardest to ignore the fact that one of her best friends was dating her cousin. Herbology was boring, as per usual, and Poppet spent her time staring out of the window and daydreaming about her week by the sea with the Potters. She could picture it now: the sun, the salty water making her hair go wavy, delicious home-cooked Potter meals and a whole week in the company of James. She let her mind run away with her, not listening to one word that Professor Longbottom was saying.

The first three weeks of her relationship with James had been so easy. It was no effort for them at all to act like a couple. To be honest, it was just the same as it always had been but with more touching and more kissing. Poppet was happy. She felt as though she was distributing her time well between her friends and James, not making anyone feel too left out. She was just excited and optimistic and every positive emotion that you could possibly think of. Life was good.

Guilty that she hadn't been listening, Poppet skulked out of Herbology with James and Roxanne who were having a very heated discussion about how one should spend their seventeenth birthday. James was under the surprising impression that one didn't need alcohol and loud music to have fun. Instead, all he wanted was his family and a Chinese-themed feast. Poppet backed him up, saying her seventeenth was a quiet, family affair. Roxanne was already planning her summer seventeenth extravaganza which would involve marquees, bucket loads of alcohol and music so loud that you may need a hearing aid after you were done. The rain was still heavy and they made a quick dash from the greenhouses to the inside of the castle.

"You're quiet, Hastings," James noticed. She hadn't really spoken a word since they left Herbology. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much," Poppet said, thoughtfully, "I'm just thinking about how nice my life is at the moment."

"Are you about to get all mushy and girly on me?" James suddenly looked mildly panicked. Roxanne looked mildly disgruntled.

"No," Poppet shot him a playful glare, "I'm just happy. That's allowed, right?"

James laughed, "I'll allow it - especially as I strive to make you as happy as possible." He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. Roxanne looked like she was about to throw up.

"Do you want to see what I had for breakfast?" Roxanne asked, sarcastically, "because I'm about to show you."

"Alright, alright," James dropped his arm from around Poppet's shoulder. "For your sake, I'll pretend she isn't my girlfriend."

Roxanne smiled at her cousin, "thanks."

James declared he had to go to the library and that he wouldn't be long. He told the two girls that there was no need for them to come with him, as he was only picking up a Muggle Studies textbook that he'd forgotten to take out. He pecked Poppet on the lips as they parted ways in the corridor. Roxanne made a disgusted face as he walked away, turning to Poppet.

"C'mon Rox, don't be mad," Poppet chided. "We can't just stop being together every time you're around. You just have to get used to it."

"It's gross," Roxanne said, indignantly.

"It's not," Poppet retorted. They wandered back up to the common room together. "I'm happy to spare you the gory details but I don't want have to act differently with him around you. These kinds of things put strains on friendships, you know."

"I know," Roxanne conceded, "I just find it difficult, you know?"

"I understand," Poppet nodded, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable but at the same time, I can't pretend I'm not dating your cousin."

Roxanne nodded, solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Poppet had double Astronomy after break with Florence and Jocelyn. She hadn't seen Flo since she'd left breakfast that morning and was keen to hear her hyper-babble about her make-up with Blane that she had assumed had happened. Florence wasn't in the common room so Poppet ended up walking with Jocelyn up to the Astronomy Tower for third period. Jocelyn asked her questions about James, Poppet responded and they giggled all the way to their lesson. Jocelyn aired her concerns about the absence of Florence. Poppet assured her that Florence and Blane were probably making up for lost time and snogging each other's faces off somewhere in the castle. Tittering, the pair climbed the staircase up to the tower.

Jocelyn and Poppet had barely even sat down in their seats before Florence whooshed into the classroom, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She plonked herself down heavily in an empty seat next to Poppet in steely silence. Jocelyn and Poppet exchanged a look of concern.

"Before you ask," Florence said, coldly, "I'm not fine."

"Oh, Flo," Poppet said, sympathetically.

"Boys are so fucking stupid. You better break up with James before you get in too deep. That little fucker is only going to break your heart," Florence was surprisingly calm. Her voice sounded dead, like she'd cried herself out and now was running out of battery. It sent a chill down Poppet's spine.

"You broke up then, I take it?" Poppet asked, tentatively.

Florence snorted, "He said he needed space."

"What?"

"I'm suffocating him, apparently. I'd like to physically suffocate that little gobshite now," Florence sounded venomous. She was out for blood. "We're not officially broken up, but we're on a break. And you know how well that ends. Didn't do Ross and Rachel much good, did it?"

"Who are Ross and Rachel?" Poppet looked quizzically at Jocelyn, assuming that they were Hogwarts students that she didn't know but Jocelyn looked equally as confused.

"It doesn't matter," Florence shrugged, "I just know this is the end, even though he swears it's not. It just sucks, because he was my first for everything and now that's gone, you know? He was my first kiss, my first love, my first... well, you know... and I don't want to have any more firsts with anyone else. He was the one that made me realise that maybe Taylor Swift does know what she's talking about."

"Who's Taylor Swift?" Jocelyn asked.

"Learn some muggle culture! Understand my references!" Florence was exasperated, digging her nails into the wooden desk in front of her. Poppet was almost scared.

"Sorry, Flo. We from wizarding families are wholly ignorant. I'm sorry about you and Blane but it's not over for good. He's going to come crawling back to you, sweetheart, and you know it," Poppet smiled, taking her best friend's hands in hers and holding them very tightly.

Florence smiled weakly, "I guess so. At least it's not long until Easter. We can all hang out like, everyday!"

"Uh – yeah," Poppet thought it best not to bring up her week-long getaway with the Potter family. That might just be rubbing salt in the wound a little. Finally, Professor Bluth entered the tower, apologising profusely for being late and started up the lesson. Poppet tried to concentrate but it was so difficult. She worried about Florence. She couldn't stand to see her best friend's heart breaking in front of her. She wished she could mend it, but there are some things that even magic can't fix.

AN: Ugh. I hate this chapter. Sorry people. It's so bitty but some important stuff was thrown in amongst how gross it all was. We learnt 3 important things this chapter. 1) Poppet will be spending a week (that's 3 whole chapters!) with the Potters. 2) Poppet and James are getting along very nicely as a couple. 3) Florence is a loyal Labrador and it cost her Blane. Also, if you know where the 'Bluth' reference is from... HIT ME UP. Special love to Lauren, Emily, Aliyah and Rose as always.