Going Soft | JAMES SIRIUS POTTER HP NEXT GENERATION

vii || embarrassed

Annabella paced back and forth in the Ravenclaw common room, panicking inside.

Why did I invite James to study with me last night? Why did I enjoy it? And why did I open up so much to him?

Thoughts raced through her head, and she was internally debating herself on everything that happened.

"God I'm so bloody stupid why did I—" she began and was cut off by the sound of footsteps walking down the steps behind her.

"Why did you what?" A familiar voice questioned her.

Annabella turned around hesitantly to see the Olivia standing next to the stairwell she had just walked down.

"Oh!" Annabella exclaimed, surprised to see her friend. She had thought everyone went off to breakfast already. "I didn't realize you were still here."

Olivia shrugged. "I wanted to sleep in a bit so I let everyone go off to breakfast without me. I thought you went with them?"

Annabelle fiddled with her fingers. "Oh uh, no, I didn't."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling alright? You always want to go to breakfast. And you seem a bit jumpy."

"I am most certainly fine," Annabella replied, unconvincingly.

"I'd say you most certainly are not." Olivia responded. "Come on Bella, you can talk to me." She softened, and sat down on the couch, patting the space next to her.

Annabella sighed and sat down to the blonde, short haired girl.

"It's immature." She admitted. "It shouldn't have happened, but I shouldn't really be freaking out about it anyways."

"I'm sure it's not immature. You are allowed to feel however you want about whatever happened. And if it involves freaking out, that's fine too. I'm here for you to talk it out," Olivia assured her friend softly, as she could tell that whatever happened was really bothering her.

Annabella took a deep breath. She knew hanging out with James shouldn't have gotten under her skin as much as it did. But she told him so much, and she didn't even know if she could consider them friends. What if she freaked him out? Or made him uncomfortable?

"Bella," Olivia said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

A blush rose to Annabella's cheeks as she ducked her head down. "I'm sorry. It's just so stupid!" She cried.

"What's stupid?"

"I invited James to study with me last night in the Astronomy Tower."

A smirk rose to Olivia's lips but she didn't tease her about it. "What's stupid about that? Did he not show? Do I have to kick his arse or something?"

Annabella shook her head. "It wasn't like that," she said, pushing Olivia's shoulder slightly. "It wasn't a date. I could tell he needed help on the Herbology homework so I asked him during class if he wanted to meet up. But I guess I was in the kind of mood where I needed to talk to rant something—because that's practically all I did! We hardly worked on the paper, it was basically just me opening up about nonsense. God—he was probably so uncomfortable and regretted coming." Annabella rushed out, embarrassed with herself. "I feel like I just kept complaining about things that weren't even a problem and he probably hated every second of it."

Olivia frowned at the clearly upset girl beside her. "Bella, James seems like an alright guy. I highly doubt he hated it. It's okay that you needed to get things off your chest. Maybe it's a little questionable you told whatever it was to James, but that's still okay."

Annabella shook her head and covered her face with her hands. "No no no, it was so heavy. Way too much for that being like, our first actual conversation." Suddenly, she was overcome with guilt. Here Olivia was, taking time out of her morning to comfort her, when Bella spent a large portion of her evening last night moping about how her friends were never there for her. It must almost be her time of the month. That's probably why she was complaining over nothing.

"Well what were you talking about?" Olivia questioned.

Annabella shrugged. "Just kind of how I feel like I'm too annoying for anyone to like me I guess. I don't know." She admitted. "And also how I had been feeling lonely lately because you and Nat are off with each other and sometimes Tommy too, but not really me." She added. "And that's fine! It's not really a problem. I was just in a bad mood last night and it kind of all came out."

Olivia rested a hand on Annabella's shoulder. "Do you really feel that way?"

Annabella shrugged. "I did last night. It seems like whenever Tommy is hanging out with me you two always have some reason to pull him away, but I'm never asked to come with. And you and Nat are always off by yourselves, which you're dating, I understand. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's just that I don't have anyone else to hang out with when that happens. I'm not the most social person, or the easiest to get along with. I'm annoying and brash, and I butt heads with everyone."

Olivia wrapped her arms around her friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you felt that way. But you aren't annoying or brash! Why would you feel that way?"

"Same as I told him. My parents say it, so why wouldn't it be true." She confessed, and then stood up off the couch. "Well, anyways, on that note, I say we get some breakfast!" Annabella said, trying to change the subject.

Olivia frowned, noting her hurried change of subject, but said nothing. "Okay, lead the way."

A couple minutes later, after they left the Ravenclaw common room and entered the Great Hall, the two of them made their way to the Ravenclaw table.

As Annabella was about to sit down, a brown haired boy caught her eye from across the room. James waved to her with a small smile on his face upon seeing that she was with one of her friends, and hadn't been completely ditched and left behind at her dorm.

She sent a small wave back and sat down next to Olivia, her face flushing as she felt a weird feeling in her stomach.

Via elbowed Annabella with a smirk and a smile threatened to stretch across her face.

"Told you that he wasn't uncomfortable last night. If he was, he wouldn't be all smiley when you walked in the room," Olivia whispered, teasing Annabella.

"Oh shut up," Annabella laughed.

After the heavy conversation that morning, things were surprisingly looking up for Annabella White.

~~~
Let me know how you liked the chapter! So sorry I missed last weeks update. Do you think something changed between James and Annabella last night? Do you think Olivia is a good friend to Annabella? Share your thoughts!