ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ғᴀᴋᴇ → ᴊᴀᴍᴇs ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

↳ 23: PECULIAR

Roses for my girl. Hogsmeade after breakfast?

— J.P.

A WEEK HAS PASSED SINCE the holiday breaks were over and the third year and older students were excited once more as it was, evidently, another Hogsmeade weekend. Freya woke up with a smile on her face, especially after seeing a bouquet of roses by her bedstand and a note from James.

          "Another one, huh?" Lily tried to sound happy for Freya but her voice only sounded so bitter. She was currently fixing her bed, already dressed up for the day, being the diligent student she was.

          Truthfully, Freya was not at all liking the things happening with her and Lily's friendship — especially since she's been thinking differently of the red head ever since she started to grew feelings for James. She hated how she was evidently hurting her. If only she would just fess up, it would all be over, Freya thought.

          But, would it be? Would she really be still strong enough to let James go? Freya shook her head and smiled softly, "Sorry, Lily. I know you wanted us to take it down a notch but it's not like I can force him to stop spoiling me."

         "Why don't you tell him that it bothers me?" asked Lily, frowning slightly.

          Freya rose an eyebrow and smirked, "Why don't you?"

          Lily's cheeks blushed red that she tried to cover up with frowning deeper, "Why are you seemingly trying to push me to your boyfriend? Seeing as he used to fancy me, you should be the one neglecting it."

          Freya only shrugged. "Maybe that's how I'll know he has truly moved on from you, I guess?"

          And suddenly, a spark of small hope glinted in Lily's eyes. "Why? Do you not think he's devoted to you?"

          "I know he's devoted." said Freya. "But I don't know if his heart completely is." And it was the truth. James was devoted to her as an act. But she knew his heart wasn't. And it bothered her a lot.

           "Hmm, that's . . . peculiar?" Lily said, uncertainty in tone. She made a face before shaking her head. "Anyway, we should head for breakfast."

          Freya nodded and got out her bed to start the day.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"WHERE'S THE NECKLACE I GAVE you?" James asked, raising an eyebrow as Freya arrived by the west entrance of the castle — as told by James — wearing a patterned sweater. It was January but the after math of Winter could still be felt and sweaters were still in the market.

          Freya rolled her eyes and fished out the necklace that was hidden inside her sweater. "Here, your highness."

          "Well, don't hide it then," James said, rolling his eyes. "You're supposed to wear it like a sign that you belong to me."

          "Well, you're incredibly sassy and hot headed this past week." Freya commented, smirking. "Tell me, is it that time of the month?"

         "Hilarious, Frey." James grunted before grabbing Freya's hand and literally dragging her next to him.

         Freya looked up at James and couldn't help but chuckle in amusement — with the way his eyebrows were scrunched, he looked utterly adorable. She looked at Remus, who was standing in front of them with Sirius and Peter, and asked, "What's got his wand in a twist?"

         Remus grinned. "I don't know, ask him." But he definitely knew. And he was definitely amused by it.

         "Alright, what's the matter, hun?" Freya turned her gaze upwards again and rose an eyebrow, the amused expression still on her face.

         "I feel like you aren't proud that you're wearing the necklace I gave you." James said with a frown, his gaze looking down to meet Freya's eyes.

          As Freya looked incredulously at James, there was silence. And then Remus spoke, "Okay, we'll be off now. It clearly looks like you have huge matters to discuss." Remus was obviously being sarcastic. "We'll just see the pair of you at the Three Broomsticks later, yeah?"

          James gave a cut nod. Remus then pulled Sirius and Peter to start walking outside the castle. Sirius, however, looked back once at Freya with an expression the lass couldn't quite comprehend, before turning around and walking away.

          Now they were left alone, Freya removed her hand from James' hold and crossed her arms. She looked at James, eyebrows risen, and said, "You are seriously taking this acting thing way to seriously." Yet, she couldn't deny she was enjoying his attention. But, of course, Freya wouldn't admit that.

          James rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever."

         He started walking out the entrance. Freya stared at him and couldn't help but shake her head and laugh with amusement at the way James Potter stomped away like a child. She started walking — well, kind of jogging — to catch up with James. And when she did so, she wrapped a hand around his elbow and said, "So, I was thinking we'd go to Honeydukes."

         James still seemed bothered by the whole necklace thing, but nevertheless, asked. "Why?"

         Freya bit her lip. She actually didn't want to go there. But leaving out the information she knew felt like treachery to James so, she insisted on telling. "Because, Lily mentioned she'll be there first with Mary. And of course, Lily would go bonkers seeing you all cute over me like you did when you acted with Henry around."

         James' eyebrows scrunched, his face looked annoyed suddenly. "Why can't we just go somewhere we actually want to?"

         "Well, we wouldn't want to waste the day without making any progress with Lily or Sirius, right?" Freya asked. "We'll be with Sirius and the others by lunch anyway, so we could at least do something with Lily."

         Yet, the truth was, Freya didn't want to have to have Lily or Sirius around to be sweet and intimate with James. But, she also didn't want for James to notice it. Because she didn't want James to feel that she was being selfish and only thinking of herself.

         James was silent, his face etched with annoyance, and all of the sudden he stopped walking, causing Freya to jerk back at the sudden stop. She looked at him in question, "James?"

         "You know what?" he spoke in the air and then looked at her. "Yeah, let's do go to Honeydukes."