-Beastie- James Potter

-22-

- - -

Karmen let out a sigh as she back on her bed, the red comforter under her making the woman's body sink into it more. It had been late when she got back to her dorm room so the rest of her friends had been asleep when she came in. So in the morning, when they all woke up, the Reines had some questions for her.

"Where did you guys go?" Alice.

"Are you guys in love yet?" Lily.

"Did you kiss? Or at least snog behind Ms. Puddifoot's?" Marlene...clearly.

"Nothing happened, you guys! We talked, we made fun of guys, he even got me some of those brownie bites I really like." The curly haired woman shared with them as they had all gathered around her bed, Alice's head resting on her exposed thigh.

"That's a keeper~" Marlene singsonged under her mother even though she was sure they could all hear her. Karmen gave her a deadpan look while Lily said, "He remembered your favorite food from Ms. Puddifoot's! That's so sweet."

"No, it's not. It's...friendly. It's a very platonic thing to do when you go to Hogsmead for the first time." She explained (terribly) as she gave them a not very convincing smile.

They all looked at her for a second before the redhead asked with sincerity laced with her voice.  "Can you tell us honestly..why are you so scared of getting close to James?"

Karmen's emerald eyes dodged their eyes, looking at the walls beside them, not wanting to be pulling all this back up again after shoving it down. Letting out a sigh and looking back, she spoke, "I'm scared that this would just be a practical joke. That he doesn't really like me. And it was just a joke, see if he can make the most shut off person fall for him and then break her heart. Thats..that's why I'm scared of being close to him. That it will all be fake."

"Oh, sweetie.." The three girls scooted forward to hug her. They understood as much as they could. The other Reines knew that she had trust issues and had trouble letting people in, they had just gotten luck in first year.

"But, no matter what did or didn't happen in Hogsmead yesterday, it was just two friends going there together for the first time. Together, I mean. The first time that two of them had gone to Hogsmead when it was just them. You guys-"

"We get it, Beastie. You don't have to explain."

But they were mostly focusing on the 'no matter what did' part of her explanation.

***

"I'm telling you guys! Nothing happened with her last night! And I'm fine with that!" James exclaimed at his friends as they had been interrogating him about his night with Karmen all morning since he woke up.

The three other boys seemed really interested in what went down last time, wanting to see if he had made a move or not. They also may or may not have a small bet going whether they did something. Nothing did happen.

Well, nothing that they were thinking happened.

James, for respect of Karmen and the confidentiality between what happened last night, her crying mostly, he wouldn't tell them everything, not wanting her to be upset with him if he did.

"Oh come on, something had to have happened! It's you!" Sirius cried, flopping back onto his back as he spoke.

"Thanks for that, Padfoot. But I swear, nothing happened between us. We had a really nice time together. We went to Ms Puddifoot's, The Hogshead, other little shops where I got that stuff." He pointed to the small pile of things next to his dresser of small stuff he had brought for Karmen.

"Man, you are whipped for her." Peter said, almost giddily from his corner of the dorm.

"That maybe so but if she wants to be friends, then I can do that. Just don't want her to go back to hating me. Anything is better than that." James whispered the end bit to himself but he had a feeling they did.

Sirius looked at him, sitting up with his legs crossed before saying, a slight shake of his head, "James, she didn't hate you. She just thought you were really annoying."

He gave him a blank look for a second then said, "That doesn't really help me, Pads."

"Yes it does because it proves she only- she went out with you because she never hated you and that's...I don't know where I was going with this. Moony help." The dark haired boy said before turning to the werewolf, who sat on his bed, nibbling on some morning chocolate.

"What I think Sirius was trying to say was that she never would have gone to Hogsmead with you if she hated you before." Remus explained, knowing it was too early in the morning for Sirius to be using all of his three brain cells.

"Yeah that! Thank you, Moons." The scarred boy only give him a nod before returning to his candy.

There was a knock at the door, James moving from where he stood to answer it, only half dressed at the moment. He opened it to see Karmen standing there. The both of them stared at each other for a second, the curly haired woman trying not to look down at his chest and abs that he had gotten from Qudditch training.

"Hi-Hi." He said, clearly his throat as he leaned against the door jam with one arm up.

"Hey."

"Hi Karmen~" The other Marauders singsonged in unison when they realized who was there.

Karmen leaned her body to the left to look at them and said, "Hi boys."

"What-what-what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I just came to return this." She held out his coat, the one he had lent to her last night aince they were soaking wet but his was thicker than hers and more water repellent.

"Oh, thanks." He took it from her gently, eyes not looking away from hers, like they were drawing in with a magnet.

"Bye." She gave them all a small wave before turning and walking back down the stairs.

"Bye.." He closed the door, leaning against it with a sigh before he realized that he and Karmen weren't actually the only two people in the world and he lived with three other boys, who were in a very teasing mood.

"Hi-hi." Remus mimicked.

"What-what-what are you doing here?" Sirius mocked before they started laughing along with Peter.

"Oh shut it, you arses!"