Author's Note: I have a busy day Tuesday, so I'm posting a little early. Before we get started, thank you to all of you have Favorited or Followed this story. I hope you continue to enjoy, and I would love to hear from you so don't be afraid to review. Secondly, expect more frank talk of sex throughout the rest of the fic. Lastly, prepare your "Poor George" now…
Disclaimer: It all belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling.
Epiphany: Chapter 4
To say that George was at sixes and sevens would be an understatement. He'd lain awake most of the night, reliving that mortifying conversation. His first thought was no, of course he wasn't going to shag Luna Lovegood. She was his baby sister's best mate, for Merlin's sake! He was pretty sure there was some rule about that somewhere. And it wasn't like he was attracted to Luna, was he? George had trouble looking at her objectively. He'd known her since she was an odd and grubby little girl who was perpetually barefoot. She'd grown up pretty, he reckoned.
No. No. That was all there was to it. He, George Fabian Weasley, could not possibly shag Luna Whatever-Her-Middle-Name-Was Lovegood. Now, how was he to let her down easily?
George had no idea where to begin. He didn't even know who to turn to. Lee would just take the piss. Ron was definitely out. Bill was a gamble—he probably knew what to do, but he'd take the piss before dispensing advice. In this confused state, George found himself standing on Percy's doorstep early Saturday morning.
It was times like these that George was glad to have so many older brothers.
Yet, it was Audrey who opened the door.
"Have you any idea what time it is?" She was wearing a pink dressing gown over what looked like Percy's pajama shirt that hung nearly to her knees.
A sense a déjà vu came over George.
"I need advice," he blurted. "And before I open the shop in an hour."
"Percy's in the shower." She wandered away, tying her dressing gown. "He just got back from his run, and let me tell you there is no time of day I like better than just following Percy's shower after his Saturday morning run. This had better be good."
Bloody hell, George really was the only person on Earth not getting laid. Well, him and Luna Lovegood presumably.
Audrey flopped face down onto the sofa without offering George tea. Apparently, the early hour and disruption of her plans severely diminished Audrey's ability to play hostess. Meanwhile, George had pulled on his work robes before he'd even properly dried off and hurried out the door. He was a might peckish and could do with a bowl of cereal at the very least. Then again, it was his brother's flat, why was he standing on ceremony?
George was just rifling through the cabinets—leave it to Percy to only have granola on hand—when he heard the bathroom door open.
"Put your pants on, Percy," Audrey called. "Your brother's here."
There was a beat of silence, then, "Bloody hell!"
No more than five, maybe seven minutes tops, passed while Percy dressed. It felt more like an eternity. George did not have the time to spare. Sure, Verity could prep the shop for opening, but Saturday mornings were always a crush. If George wasn't there by the time the doors opened, Verity was going to quit on him. Again. She was the best damn shop girl he had, so George kept offering her more money to come back. Dammit, but she'd be partner at this rate. And to make this blasted morning worse, he was shoveling handfuls of granola into his mouth and Audrey was giving him the evil eye.
"Alright, George, to what do I owe this honor?" Percy asked as he walked out of the bedroom fully dressed with his hair combed and watch on his wrist.
No time for small talk.
"Luna Lovegood wants to have sex with me."
"What?!" Audrey shot up on the couch.
"You heard me! I'm not saying it again."
"And-and how do you feel about this?" Percy asked, shoving his glasses up his nose.
"Feel? I don't even know. How am I supposed to feel?"
"Honored?" Audrey suggested. "Desired?"
George thought about it a moment, then, "Not bloody likely."
"How do you know this?" Percy asked. He sank onto the sofa as if his long legs no longer wished to support him.
"She bloody well told me."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. In front of Ginny and Harry and Ron and Hermione, no less. Oh, and she's a virgin."
"Really?" Percy shook his head. "But why you?"
"Well, mostly because Neville effing Longbottom has a girlfriend."
"Hm, well, you being second choice does make sense."
"Cheers, wanker," George muttered.
"And you don't want to have sex with her, correct?" Percy asked.
"To think—you were Head Boy."
"Why not?" Audrey asked.
"What do you mean?" George demanded. "She's my little sister's best mate."
"There's a rule about that, I'm sure of it," Percy said.
"You said Ginny was there," Audrey said. "What did she say about all of this?"
For a moment, George stared at Audrey as he thought back to the conversation. Ginny had been uncharacteristically quiet on the subject. However, Luna had said that Ginny advised her on who to choose. Did that mean Ginny already knew that Luna would proposition George? Bloody hell, did that mean Ginny approved?
George shoved that thought back into its box, marked it as untouchable, and buried it under a handful of other traumas never to be visited again.
"Just tell me how to let her down gently, and then we can forget all about this conversation," George snapped.
"I think you should go through with it," Audrey said.
George gaped. "Percy, tell your girlfriend she's barking."
"Why do you think that?" Percy asked her instead.
"Luna was a few years behind me, but we were in the same House. I know people think she's mad, or at best dozy, but she isn't. Luna has very sound reasoning for what she believes and does. Just because you may not agree, doesn't change that. If Luna wants to lose her virginity to George, then she must have put a lot of thought into it."
For one moment, George considered that maybe he really should be honored by Luna's request and should give her the consideration of at least thinking it over. Then he decided that Audrey was obviously a raving lunatic. She was shagging Percy of all people!
"Yes, well, we are forgetting that I'm not bloody attracted to her," George huffed.
"Why not?" Audrey asked. "She's a pretty girl. Not your type obviously, but still pretty."
"What does that mean?" George asked. "I don't have a 'type'."
Audrey looked at him as if he'd just grown a second head out of the side of his neck. This whole conversation had been a complete bust. George should have known no good would come of seeking advice from Percy.
"Maybe you should talk to Ginny," Audrey snapped. She stood up and marched to the bedroom without another word.
oOo
Angelina popped into existence just outside the gates of Hogwarts. It was a bright, sunny summer day, though not all that warm. She was glad for the cardigan she'd thrown on over her vest before leaving camp that morning. It was her day off from training. The first match was that coming Saturday against Italy, and she felt her chances of being picked for the final team were pretty good.
"Hello!" Adrian stood by the gate. He waved shortly, then ran his hand through his black hair.
He was wearing Muggle jeans and a white button down with the tales hanging out. It was the most casual Angelina had seen Adrian, and the look suited him well. At his side sat a dog with a wispy coat of white covered in what looked like ginger freckles, and thick ears like mufflers. He whined, his tail thumping against the hard packed earth, but never left Adrian's side.
He reminded Angelina of George.
"I was surprised to get your owl," Adrian said, stuffing one hand into his jean's pocket.
Angelina's lips tucked up in the corners, one eyebrow cocked. "Was it a good surprise, or bad?"
"That's yet to be determined, isn't it?" He smiled boyishly.
It had not escaped Angelina's notice that Adrian Pucey was more complicated than he let on. He was more awkward than his dashing good looks suggested, and there was a hint of recklessness that his manners camouflaged. They were the same age, and yet Adrian's outward polish made him seem older, more capable. It was these cracks, these small hints at his inner self, that reminded Angelina that he was just as young as she was, and just as unsure of himself.
The dog whined, and they both laughed. With an easy smile and fluid muscles, Adrian bent to scratch him behind the ears. Angelina took a deep breath. Adrian's many layers might intrigue her, but it was his utter fitness, and undeniable kissing skills, that turned her knees week.
"What's his name?" Angelina asked. Yes, think about the dog, you slag. "Is he an English setter?"
"Yes," Adrian replied and fondled the dog's ears. "This is Merlin. Make your curtsey."
With Adrian's permission, the dog bounded forward, wiggling all over as Angelina leaned forward to pet him. Merlin was a ball of tail-wagging, paw-prancing joy that had Angelina laughing. The dog's big tongue swiped sloppily across her cheek, making Angelina rear back just in time to catch Adrian's looking down her top. Heat coiled low in her belly, sending spiky tingles to every nerve ending. Angelina fought to keep her cool, clearing her throat and smirking when their eyes met. Color flooded his cheeks.
"I'm—ah…" Adrian coughed, his eyes shooting skyward. "I'm surprised your sister didn't tell you about Merlin in any of her letters."
"Sadly, my sisters are cat people, but you don't want to talk about them."
"I might, cat people are the worst." He still wouldn't look at her.
"Don't let McGonagall hear you say that, or it'll be the sack for you."
"There is that risk, yes. She hisses every time Merlin comes around."
Surprised laughter burst out of Angelina. "Professor McGonagall does not hiss."
"No." Adrian grinned, sneaking a look at Angelina from the corner of his eye. "That would be well below her dignity, but she has forbidden him from the Great Hall. Is there anyway we can pretend—"
"That you weren't being all pervy and checking out the girls?" Angelina finished, pointing to her breasts.
Adrian closed his eyes, his flush returning tenfold. "Yes, that."
"Absolutely not!"
"Then let me make up for it." He took a deep breath, and blew it out slowly. Something in his posture changed just the smallest degree and he was suddenly the composed gentleman again. Offering his arm, Adrian smiled blandly. "Shall we?"
It was a remarkable transformation, but Angelina wanted the naughty boy back. He was easier to relate to than the polished veneer of the gentleman, though he had his advantages. Actually, Angelina rather thought she wanted to ruffle the gentleman's feathers, see if she could provoke that lustful gaze again. She didn't know what it said about her, but she wanted to be respected and to be desired. Was there some middle ground where she could be both?
Ignoring his very proper elbow, Angelina grabbed his hand instead and waited, eyebrows raised, to see what his reaction would be. She wasn't disappointed. Carefully, Adrian's fingers wrapped around hers and squeezed. He called the dog, who rushed ahead of them through the gates, then tugged on Angelina's hand as they started the long walk up the castle.
"You seem comfortable with dogs," he commented, eyes on Merlin as he dodged from one dandelion clump to the next. "For the sister of cat people, that is."
Angelina laughed. "We're talking about dogs again?"
"Was there something else you wanted to talk about?" His voice was hoarse, his eyes flashing at her for a moment before returning to the path before him.
"Not at all." Angelina couldn't suppress a grin. "If you must know, we had a dog when I was small, until my parents divorced. Seraphina is my half-sister, you know?"
"The fact that you have different last names did tip me off." He smiled, and what could have been a sarcastic jab became light teasing. "Still, she looks like you."
"My other sister, Josephina, will be coming to Hogwarts this year. Sera should have started in '97, but Mum and Richard took the girls to Jamaica before school started, to wait out the war."
The mention of the war cast a pall over the two of them as the front door of Hogwarts came into view. The pebbles of the drive crunched under their feet, but the pair were silent. Angelina regretted bringing it up. She'd sought out Adrian as an escape, but here they walked in heavy silence, smothered under the weight of the war. From where Angelina was standing, it didn't seem as if there would ever be a time when the loss and pain of those years didn't tarnish everything.
Adrian turned to her at the steps that lead into the castle, a haunted look in his hazel eyes. Gently, he brushed his fingertips across her forehead as if pushing a stray hair aside. "I'm glad your family were safe."
"What have you planned for us today?" She touched the spot where his fingers had been.
"That's entirely up to you…I thought maybe you wouldn't want to fly…"
There was never a time Angelina didn't want to fly, if she were honest. Her dad had taught her to fly a broomstick early, but after the divorce it became a rare treat. Once she was at Hogwarts, with no bickering, controlling adults hovering over her, Angelina escaped to the broom shed at every possibility. Taking to the open skies gave her such a rush. Once she was in the air, it was as if all her worldly concerns slipped away. It called to her now, promising distraction in its wide open space and gusting winds, but Angelina didn't want to fly with Adrian. Not today at least.
"Show me your favorite place in the castle," Angelina said impetuously, skipping up the steps ahead of Adrian.
"Now or then?"
"You choose."
They entered the Great Hall, which was empty and cavernous. Angelina had never seen Hogwarts like this before, devoid of students. There was a silence in the building that it never knew during the school year, not even in the small hours of the morning when all should be sleeping. Of course, more than once, she'd been out of bounds with the twins, so she knew that there was almost always somebody in the Castle lurking about even when they shouldn't be.
"My goodness," Angelina said, looking up at the tall ceilings that seemed even larger than she remembered. Her voice echoed slightly. "You'd think it would seem smaller now, wouldn't you?"
"But it doesn't," Adrian agreed, his hand alighted on the small of her back. "It looms as large in real life as it does in our imaginations."
One corner of Angelina's mouth turned up, her eyebrow incredulous. "Are you a secret poet?"
"There is no such thing as a Slytherin poet."
The words were said dryly, but Adrian's cheeks flared with color. He was closer now, near enough that Angelina could make out the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. Feeling bold, Angelina stood on tiptoe (oh, she liked the novelty of a taller man), and kissed him.
"This way," Adrian rasped, his eyes still closed. "Before Filch catches us."
Angelina laughed. "You're a professor, what do you care about Filch?"
"Yes, that may be, and perhaps when I'm forty I won't worry about Filch catching me in the Great Hall with a girl. Until then…"
Grabbing her hand, Adrian pulled her along to the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor, the dog's nails clicking against the stone floor as he trotted beside them. Angelina had helped with the post-battle clean up on the grounds of Hogwarts, and she'd been in the Great Hall last summer just before term began, but this was her first journey into the heart of the castle since the war ended. There wasn't a single sign that just a year ago, these halls lay in ruins, the walls blackened by soot and scorch marks, the paintings empty or smashed. It looked just as it had on Angelina's first day of class as an eleven-year-old, and yet completely different.
"Are we going to your classroom?" Angelina asked. It struck her that maybe Adrian was taking her to his office and her heart beat a little faster.
"The place where I spend my days being hexed by first and second years? Hardly."
Ahead of them, Merlin skidded to a halt, his hackles up and a low growl emanating from his chest.
"Meow!"
A mangy, dust-colored body slinked into sight.
"Bloody hell," Adrian muttered. He tapped his wand against the knob of a nearby door, which swung open. "In here!"
Angelina giggled as she let herself be pulled into a darkened room, the door clicking shut behind her. "You really are afraid of Filch."
She had her back against the door, Adrian's tall form looming over her. He raked his hand through his hair, looking very irritated, and incredibly sexy. Angelina snagged his shirt, pulling him closer.
"The man treats me like student tracking mud on his floor," he murmured, leaning his arm against the door above her head.
"I'm sure he wants nothing more than to give you a month of cleaning toilet bowls."
Reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, Angelina kissed him. There was the added thrill of sneaking around the school to spike the desire coiling in her belly. It was that old forbidden feeling she used to get when Quidditch ended and she'd mess around with some bloke who fancied her more than she fancied him.
Adrian's hands settled on her hips, his thumbs brushing slow circles against her through her jeans. It was a slow seduction that left Angelina breathless, tingly, and wishing there weren't so many clothes between her skin and his fingers. Still holding him close, Angelina toyed with the opening of his shirt, her fingers brushing over warm skin and eliciting a groan from the both of them. Emboldened, Adrian's hand traveled up her front, only to have his quest was interrupted by a low whine and a cold nose being crammed between their bodies.
Laughing, Angelina patted Merlin's head.
"You're not helping," Adrian complained to the dog, his body still leaning against Angelina's. "I should have left you to Mrs. Norris's tender mercies."
"So, where are we?" Angelina asked, resting her hand on his shoulder.
Pulling back, Adrian flicked his wand at a wall sconce that flared to life, revealing what looked like a storeroom. Boxes were stacked all over the place, a few chairs with ripped seats or broken legs. Another flick, and the boxes moved aside to reveal three long windows with deep sills gilded by sunlight.
"Nearly every Defense professor left something behind in their haste to leave Hogwarts, and this is where it was all crammed for safekeeping." Adrian moved to the windows. "There's an entire box marked 'turbans'."
Moving to his side, Angelina saw a courtyard below. It was a small square with rose arbors and urns of flowers everywhere. In one corner was a table and chairs, in another a fountain. It was beautiful, but unfamiliar. Hogwarts had a secret garden? She wondered if Fred and George knew about it. They always seemed familiar with every nook and cranny of the Castle.
"Why bring me here?" Angelina asked.
"You asked to see my favorite place in the castle."
"Some musty, old, forgotten room?"
"Perfect for hiding." He stood framed by one window, a hand braced against the wall.
"Obviously. Did you bring a lot of girls up here?"
Adrian grinned, but shook his head. "You seriously overestimate my prowess with the opposite sex."
"So if you weren't off for a secret snog, what were you hiding from?" Angelina asked, sitting on the window ledge, her thigh pressed against his.
"Other Slytherins, mostly."
That was another of those curious cracks in Adrian's veneer. For somebody who was on the career path to Head of Slytherin House, he didn't seem to care for them. With a flare of that old Gryffindor pride, Angelina could easily understand hating Slytherin. Still, with cozy memories of her own House and the life-long friends she'd made there, Angelina felt sorry for Adrian.
Cocking her head to one side, Angelina asked, "Were you lonely?"
"Sometimes, but I would come up here to meet David and it was like…a clubhouse."
There was a sadness in Adrian's voice when he spoke of his friend. Angelina could remember hearing about David Smythe's death on Potterwatch. She hadn't known the Hufflepuff boy beyond Herbology, but it was shocking to hear a classmate listed amongst the dead. Something else clicked in Angelina's mind. Adrian scoffed at her insinuation that he must have snogged a lot of girls, and he was sneaking off to meet a bloke during school, and he always seemed reserved with her…
"Were you and David a couple?"
Adrian laughed, shaking his head. "We were just friends. I mean, I know how it sounds, but mostly we were just practicing Defense. I wanted to be an Auror, actually, and David was nearly as brilliant as I was."
Angelina looked around, noticing the telltale scorch marks on the walls.
"We were surprisingly alike, David and I," Adrian continued. "Both from privileged families…Honestly, for all my parents taught that blood status was meaningless, David was the first Muggle-born I truly knew."
"You said you wanted to be an Auror, and yet you're a professor," Angelina said. She didn't want to talk about Adrian's dead friend today. Maybe that was a sign that her feelings for this man were shallow, or maybe she was just callous. Or maybe she just didn't want one more person to look to her for strength.
"The Battle of Ministry happened right before graduation," Adrian said with a wry smile. "The Aurors weren't keen to recruit a pureblood Slytherin at the time."
Angelina gaped at him, indignation burning in her chest. "That's not right! If you had the marks, you deserved the chance to prove yourself."
"See, I think that is why I ended up in Slytherin, and not Gryffindor. Where you see injustice, I merely see practicality. I wouldn't have gambled on me if I had been in Head Auror Robard's place."
"Surely they would have taken you after the Battle of Hogwarts."
"Probably, but I think I can do more good here."
"A do-gooder Slytherin?" Angelina scoffed, one eyebrow arched.
"Well, I do get paid quite well, and there is the free room and board."
"Ah, that's more like it."
They smiled at each other for a moment, only to have it robbed when the dog came over and leaned against Adrian's leg. His smile faded as he fingered Merlin's ears mindlessly, completely distracted. It was this room, Angelina thought. She wondered if Adrian had come in here before now, if he thought maybe the pull of memories wouldn't affect him as strongly as they did.
"Tell me about the secret garden," Angelina said.
"It's off the teacher's lounge. Pomona keeps it up, not surprisingly. It's their sanctuary, away from the students." Adrian looked at her, his eyes troubled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here."
"Think nothing of it," Angelina said softly, touching his hand where it laid against his thigh. "None of us can really escape it, can we? The war, that is."
He shook his head. "No, I don't mean this room. I mean…I should have never asked you out in the first place. I don't think I've been fair to you."
"I thought you cared more for pragmatism than fairness."
"Not where another's feelings are concerned. I don't think I'd like some bloke treating my sisters the way I've treated you. Of course, they're older than me and would tell me to sod off, but still…"
"Adrian," Angelina said, and shook her head. "Sit down."
He did what he was told, wedging into the windowsill beside her.
"You do realize that you've been nothing but a gentleman, don't you?" Angelina asked. "Frustratingly so, at times."
"I don't want to lead you on, or give you false expectations."
"To be honest, I don't know what I expect so I think we are safe on that count."
Adrian closed his eyes, licking his lips before admitting, "I was in love. With David's younger sister, Amelia. I thought I could do this…"
What he meant by this was unclear. Maybe he was talking about visiting this room where he had happy memories of his old friend, or maybe he was talking about dating Angelina. She rather thought he meant both. The way Adrian said Amelia's name said everything Angelina needed to know about the depth of his feelings. She didn't feel jealous of this other girl, just immeasurably sad for the man beside her. While she watched, Adrian hung his head trying to regain his composure. Whinging, the dog nuzzled his master's hand.
"Where is Amelia now?" Angelina asked softly.
"Some Muggle university, I imagine. Hopefully doing a better job of getting over me than I am doing getting over her. I'm bloody tired of being brokenhearted."
The words stabbed Angelina in the chest. She knew just what he meant. With the war more than a year behind her, Angelina couldn't even remember when her heart started breaking. Maybe it was when Katie touched that damned necklace and ended up in St. Mungo's. It wasn't all at once, Angelina was sure of that. It was more like somebody had taken a chisel to her heart and chipped away small sections at a time.
Adrian looked at her. "Do you ever feel like you are just playing at being a grownup?"
"Merlin," Angelina sighed. "Yes!"
Every single day. Angelina tried so hard to know what to do for the people she loved, but what if she was wrong? She hadn't even spoken to Alicia since their row. Honestly, Angelina didn't know what to say, but she was also embarrassed. How grown up was that? Then there was George. She'd worried about him the entire time she was away at camp. Was he backsliding? Was he drinking? Did he miss her? Did she bully him too much, just like she had with Alicia? And then there was her childhood dream blown up like a bloody Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bang. Angelina loved every minute of game time, and hated every minute spent with her teammates off the pitch. Sometimes she just wanted to go back to being one of Oliver's Chasers on the Gryffindor team.
So, here she was. Hiding away with Adrian at Hogwarts on one of her few free days, rather than turning up at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. What kind of person did that make her? How weak, how disloyal, but she was just so tired. Her heart felt too shredded to face Alicia, and her shoulders too sore to bear George's weight. Angelina hated that weakness. And she hated the greediness that craved Adrian's uncomplicated company.
But of course, his company wasn't that uncomplicated, was it?
"Adrian," Angelina said, and touched his face so that he would look at her. "I don't think I'm ready for a relationship any more than you are."
He covered her hand with his.
"I'll be back with the Harpies about the same time the students return to Hogwarts. How about you and I play at being adults together until then."
"Are you sure?"
Angelina proved her certainty with a kiss.
