the girlfriend experience ━━ james potter ¹

xiii. first dates and compliments

James didn't quite understand her question. "Because this is our first date and I need to make a good first impression to be the best student I can be?"

Bronwyn froze. James didn't understand this either. Until he did. Until he noticed how her shoulders slightly caved in and how she had transferred her weight onto her other leg showing visible distress. Her forehead even creased a little.

"Oh my God."

She seemed to be pulled out of a gaze very suddenly, her eyes snapping to meet his where she immediately took note of the mischievous glint to them. "No," Bronwyn asserted.

"Oh my God," he repeated.

"Whatever you're thinking, no."

James' shoulders sagged too, but not in the same nervous demeanour that Bronwyn's just had. A grin began to show on his face. "I just pleasantly surprised you, didn't I?"

"Nothing can ever be pleasant when it's about you."

"Don't tell me flowers on the first date aren't a regular thing for your students, Ward."

Bronwyn has to admit ─ this is the first time someone has brought her flowers on their first date of the week.

Her face became strained, as she desperately tried to make her aura seem more relaxed than she was actually feeling. She lifted her chin awkwardly.

"Well then," James beamed, her body language confirming what he had suspected. "Guess this," he deliberately held the flowers higher so that the petals tickled her chin, "makes me your best student so far."

She pressed against his arm again to move them from her line of vision. "All of my students start at rock bottom," she said, her usual blunt expression returning. "I don't expect flowers or anything mildly good about their dating game at the start of the week."

Bronwyn manoeuvred the basket so that it rested in the crook of her elbow, motioning for James to follow her out of the courtyard and towards the greenhouses.

"I think you just complimented me."

Bronwyn blew a stray strand of hair out of her face with a huff, her back currently to him. "Oh heaven forbid."

"You did," James said, falling into a light skip as they entered the open stone corridor. "You said this makes me mildly good. Pretty sure good is a positive adjective, Bronwyn."

"You still need serious help."

James scampered faster so that he could stop her in her tracks so she could see his cheery shrug. "Nothing you can't fix, right?"

✧

BRONWYN LIKED TO CHANGE UP HER FIRST dates every now and then. She planned so many of them that often she got bored of going to the same place every single time. The only thing different about her date with James, however, is how much care she had put into it.

It sounds absolutely mad but Bronwyn has her reasons.

For the next week, James is paying her real money. For her advice, for her company. And, just like with every other client, Bronwyn has to be good at that. The difference with James Potter is she has to be extra good at that. Because it takes a lot more effort to smile and be pleasant with James Potter around than any other human being on planet Earth.

She's trying extra hard. Just don't tell him that.

Instead of taking James to a café, or to the Astronomy tower, Bronwyn made sure the weather was just right and decided to prepare a picnic for them to enjoy on the grounds of Hogwarts.