Chapter 598 - Frank Conversation’s Ⅳ (2/2)
”Well, that is a matter of personal opinion, Miss Prince,” James snarked back. ”Now if that is all, Prefect Prince, I really do have to finish my homework, thank you.”
Rowan's face stiffens as something like hurt flashes across her expression before her gaze becomes frigid. ”It would appear that I was mistaken, Mr. Potter,” Rowan flatly said. ”It shall not happen again.” Not waiting for a response, she shoves her things into her book bag not caring if the ink spilled or not, before departing from the table.
So, irritated by the situation that had just occurred Rowan did not hear Madam Pince call out to her as Rowan stormed out of the library ”Stupid, arrogant, toe rag!” Rowan fumed in her mind, before coming to an abrupt halt in the middle of the stone hallway. Just why was she so irked by James's actions? It simply did not make sense; it is though as she had been the one who had been betrayed.
Not wanting to dwell anymore on the subject, Rowan rubs her face tiredly and moves to walk away, when she feels someone grab her by the elbow. She immediately breaks the grip and barely stops herself from throwing a fist at her pursuer as her fist halts just a hair's length away from James Potter's face.
”Potter?” Rowan said in surprise and wariness as she slowly lowered her fist. ”What were you thinking?! You know that I could have easily broken your nose-.”
Rowan pauses at seeing James's surprised expression and sighs tiredly as she closes her eyes for just the briefest of seconds. ”Of course, you don't remember,” Rowan bitterly said, before opening her eyes back up again. ”Potter, at this juncture in time, and considering the situation that almost just occurred might I recommend you ask some questions about those around you or any past relationship you might have had.”
”We dated?!” James sputtered in clear disbelief.
The tips of Rowan's ears turn pink as she snaps back, ”No, you dunderhead! It's a figure of speech!”
James almost sighs in relief but stops himself at seeing the glare from Rowan Prince. ”Right, I will take that into consideration,” James replied not able to stop himself from formally replying to her.
Rowan flashes James an assessing glance, before shaking her head and looking outside onto the green Hogwarts lawns. ”It is not my intention to interfere nor be a busybody, Potter,” Rowan stiffly said. ”But I do not like seeing my friends hurting, and Peter is a good friend of mine. I would greatly appreciate it if you at least were polite to him and minded your tongue. I understand that you have no memories of him, and even dislike him, but to him, you are a dear and precious friend.”
James studies the Slytherin female Prefect, before replying, ”You are being sincere, aren't you?”
”Of course, I am, you dolt,” Rowan finally snapped having lost the last shred of patience she had. There was just something about the present James Potter that just got under her skin!
”I can do that much,” James answered much to his own surprise. It was as though his body would comply with the request even without his awareness. And not that he would ever admit it, but after the incident on Sunday, he realized that he needed to take a step back and distance himself. Despite knowing that this was not his world, and was a mirror world, he had been treating the world as it were his own. And that was an error in judgement because it simply was not.
Not glancing back at James, Rowan whirls away and says over her shoulder, 'See that you keep your word, Potter,” before darting away and not awaiting a response.
Baffled a bit by his own body's reaction, James sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, before returning the library. He had left his bookbag and things back at the library and had for some unknown reason found himself compelled to run after the Slytherin. It was strange and utterly baffling, but even known he had a strange warm feeling in his chest. It was not that of like, but almost of gratitude or joy even.
Clearing his mind of such strange thoughts even for him, James hurries back to the library only to receive a dirty glare from Madam Pince. Either way he had an essay to finish up. And no matter, how much he hated to admit it, he had forgotten almost half of what he had learned for History of Magic. On the bright side, Master Strauss was a fantastic professor, who truly made History of Magic interesting. Even Sirius was enthralled by the subject, and Sirius had the attention span of a dog!