A/N – Well, this story has taken a turn I certainly didn't expect. Just to let you know this story is not taking any we learned in GoF into effect, because now that this book is out, this series is null and void. But I don't care. So anyway, I am getting tired of this series, and it's moving off the beaten path. This part will star my characters that I created, Bonnie and Adrian. Will Harry Potter ever make an entrance, we shall never know, maybe he will, maybe he won't. This plot is driving my crazy, but anyway, on with the show
They appeared into the center of town. This wasn't as big of a deal as a month ago when the other group of strangers came in, for wizards and witches came and went in Hogsmade every day of the year. Ginny, after she had finished dusting herself off turned to her daughter.
"You sure you know where she lives?"
"Positive mum, our muggle studies class visited her home more then once last term. Prof. Finnegan was probably my favorite teacher. It's right over there." She motioned to a small building at the end of the street where she could see two figured sitting out front. The small posse made their way over. It wasn't long before Bonnie could tell it was Adrian Finnegan and a small girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen who were there. They stood up when they saw it was obvious the group was coming that way. Bonnie could tell the girl was about as tall as Charlie, and with red hair as well. If you didn't know any difference, you might think they were twins. Charlie and the girl she meant. Adrian whispered something to the girl and she hurried into the house. He didn't recognize any of the group that was coming towards him, only Bonnie. Bonnie Fraser. He had had a crush on her since he was in his second year. Ever since he had accidentally walked in on her group of friends on the train. She was also in Gryffindor, but a year younger then him, and even though they saw each other all the time, he had never been able to have a pleasant conversation with her. Every time he had the opportunity he splotched it up somehow, or insulted her in some way or another. For all he knew she hated him for it.
Bonnie saw the strange girl walk into the building and her eyes met his. She quickly looked away, making sure he didn't see her blush. She wouldn't let him have that pleasure. They didn't get along, and that was an understatement. If he knew she liked him, she wouldn't ever be able to live it down. Nobody knew, not ever her best friends at school. The whole school admired him, and everyone got along with him fine, except for Bonnie. She never could understand why. For some reason, he was just mean to her. At least now he graduated, and she wouldn't have to put up with him ever again. Only have to make it though this evening, and that's all.
"Hello, may I help you?"
"Yes, we are looking for Mrs. Finnegan, is she in?" Her Uncle George asked, glancing up at the second floor of the building.
"She's out right now, but will be back soon, if you want to come upstairs." They followed him through the door and up a set of stairs to the second landing. Adrian wondered who these visitors were. His mother didn't receive many social calls, unless they were about work. He wondered if it had anything to do with Ron and his family. Surly they can't be from the ministry, not with children. Hopefully mother will be home shortly, he thought as they sat in the parlor glancing back and forth to each other. Every time he would look at Bonnie she would turn and look another direction. After about fifteen minutes, Charlie was beginning to be getting restless.
"Bonnie, why don't you go show Charlie and Bryce some of the places in Hogsmade" Ginny suggested.
"Yes" Both Charlie and Bryce jumped up. That sounded like a great idea to them.
"I'll go with them," Adrian suggested. Bonnie glared at him, obviously this wasn't want she wanted, but it was what he wanted, a perfect time to talk to her without anyone else interrupting.
They walked down the streets in silence, with Charlie and Bryce running ahead of them. She wouldn't even glance at him.
"So I'm Adrian" He stopped and stuck out his hand like he was introducing himself to her for the first time.
"I know who you are," she hissed at him, not even glancing his direction.
" I know I just thought that we might want to start over, you know, be civil to each other."
"What ever gave you the idea that I would want to be friends with you" She mentally slapped herself when she said this. Where did it come from, saying this was like sinking to his level? For god's sake Bonnie, the guy who you have adored is suddenly being nice to you and you're harsh back, what has ever gotten into you.
"Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to" Suddenly he was feeling really cocky. "But can I have a favor first?"
"I don't know, it depends on what the favor is?" She finally looked over at him. He was so adorably cute it wasn't even funny. He wasn't too tall, but wasn't too short either with Light ash blonde hair, and dark chocolate eyes. She felt herself melting inside just watching him. What was he doing? He wasn't even sure what he was doing. He knew what he wanted to do, but he wasn't sure if he had the courage. Quickly, before common sense took over he leaned over the kissed her on the lips. She drew back in shock. That was the last thing she expected him to do.
"What was that for" she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"I don't know, oh I don't know. I'm sorry Bonnie, I should have never assumed. I know you hate me" He turned and hurried off before she had time to answer.
"Adrian, wait" she called after him. He stopped and waiting patiently for her to reach him. She stopped maybe a few feet in front of him. Suddenly she reached towards him. He pulled back like he expected her to slap him. Instead she just pulled a leaf out of his hair.
"What was that for?"
"I just pulled this out of your hair" she held up a leaf "It has been driving me crazy for the last five minutes." He cocked his head to one side and stared at her confused.
"I expected you to slap me"
"Slap you, why?"
"Because if I were you, I would have slapped me"
"Do you want me to slap you?"
"No, not really"
"Okay then, why did you bring it up?"
"I don't know, listen I'm sorry about back there, it was inappropriate, totally uncalled for, and to you of all people"
"What about me?" she glared back at him, going back to her usually I hate you look. Damn Adrian, why can't you do anything right? Just once, can't you say something nice to her just once, you like her right? So be nice to her, say you like her eyes or something.
"I love you" quickly shot out of his mouth before he knew what happened.
"What?" she felt her jaw drop to the ground. "Are you talking to me?"
"Who else would I be talking to, we are alone."
"Okay, I am very confused right now" Quickly she sat down on a rock that was behind her. He sat down on another rock facing here.
"Lets see, now can I put this without making myself look like an idiot. The reason I have acted so bad towards you, given you the impression that I hate you, is ever since I saw you that first day of my second year I was infatuated with you." Bonnie just stared at him.
"Okay, so let me get this straight. The reason you were so bloody mean to me was because you liked me. Well then, that's an interesting way of doing it. I'll have to try it sometimes." She stood up. "You are a bloody bastard," she yelled, slapping him and then turning and running towards the forbidden forest. Adrian jumped up and was about to start after her when he heard someone call his name behind him. Turning around was his mother and Ron.
"Mother, there you are. You have some visitors," He said, deciding to forget about Bonnie for the time being. She was sixteen; she could take care of herself. She knew the way to Hogwarts if she needed to go there. It was probably better if he didn't go after her. Maybe he really had screwed up everything. Maybe he shouldn't have told her how he felt. Don't tell yourself that Adrian, at least now she doesn't think you hate her, she only hates you, and she hated you before anyway. You don't even know if she liked you to begin with.
"Adrian, Adrian" his mother broke his concentration, "Who are the visitors?"
"Mrs. Fraser and a man I didn't recognize"
"Ginny" Ron whispered. "I wonder who the other person is though?"
"Lets go find out then, Adrian, come on then"
"Mother, I have to get" he turned to where Charlie and Bryce were before and then were gone "Oh, nothing."
Charlie, Bryce, George and Ginny were just about to get up and leave when they heard the door slam downstairs and footsteps hurry up the stairs close by. The door to the apartment opens and three voices are heard in the foyer.
"They are in the study Mum"
"I think I will go check on Miranda and Fiona" they heard a male voice say
"Ron, she is your sister," a female voice commented back.
"We just talked this afternoon."
"Ron, go"
"All right" Footsteps came towards the room they were in and a shadow blackened the doorway.
"Ron" George said, staring at the brother he thought he at lost who was standing in the doorway. Ron stared at him for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out who it was.
"George? Oh my god, it's you"
"Yep, it's me. And its you. I thought I'd never see you again." They hugged.
"So why did you come back?" Ron asked, turning to face his younger sister.
"Well, I…we…didn't leave on the best of terms earlier."
"I know"
"I was just surprised you know, took me by surprise and all that. Didn't have time to register."
" Of Course, come I'll introduce you to my wife" Ginny started follow him, when she stopped suddenly and turned to face Adrian,
"Where is Bonnie?"
"Bonnie is with you?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, she was outside with your son before?" Ginny replied.
"Are you accusing my son?" Hermione snapped back, suddenly getting very defensive.
"Bonnie is in the forest" Adrian spoke up.
"What?" All four of the adults said, turning to face him.
"We were talking, got into a argument, she called me a name, slapped me, and ran off into the forest."
"Into the forest, Adrian, why didn't you go after her?"
"Because she called me a bloody bastard, that's why mum," Adrian said, sitting down and putting his head in his hands.
"Adrian, I'm sorry, I forgot you two don't get along do you?" Hermione sat down beside her son and put her arm around him. Being his mother she knew the whole situation between the two of them. Plus working at Hogwarts and having Bonnie in her class she knew what was up. She saw how she looked at her son.
"I really don't care who likes and who doesn't like who, what I would like is to find my daughter before nightfall" Ginny said, interrupting.
"I'll stay and watch Charlie and Bryce while you go look," Adrian said, peaking through his hands.
"No you won't, Miranda can do that," His mother said, changing her tone. "You're the one who got her into this mess, and you're the one who is going to get her out of it. Plus you're the only one who knows his way around the forest.
"Oh right" Right then he wished he hasn't based his 7th yr study on the care of magical creatures, especially those in the Forbidden forest.
So in a bit, after then had all found their cloak's and wands the four adults, which included Adrian, George, Ron, and Hermione set off to find Bonnie.
Bonnie unfortunately was in a horrible mess. Running away, shocked by what Adrian had just said, she ran and ran, not watching where she was going. She had never been in the forbidden forest before, always obeying the rules and staying as far out of it as possible. It wasn't long till she was very lost. Luckily for her, unlike her uncle who had gotten lost in this same forest a little more then thirty years ago it wasn't Blizarding out, but it was raining. Not hard so that she couldn't see where she was going, but hard enough so that everything was wet and slippery and that she was soaking wet. Also unlike her uncle, she did have her wand, so that if so needed she could defend herself. Suddenly she got an amazing idea, what if she climbed a tree and tried to find one of the towers of Hogwarts, then maybe she could find her way there and then make her way back to Hogsmade in the morning. She found a climbable tree and started up, trying her best to keep her footing. Reaching the top and turning to the north she saw a turret of a castle in the distance. That must be Hogwarts, it was the only castle she could see, and she wasn't that far from Hogsmade, or at least she didn't think she was. Slowly making the down the tree, she was almost down to the ground when she slipped on the last branch, and stumbled to the ground, landing on her ankle. A shot of pain went up her leg. Please let it be all right she whispered as she tried to stand, but luck wasn't on her side, as she tripped and fell down to the ground again. She would never make it in this kind of condition, and prayed someone would soon find her, and it wouldn't be something like a troll, or a werewolf. Sheltering herself from the rain, she curled up in a ball and fell asleep.
The four people who were searching for her were thinking the same thing, only that they found her before something else. After reaching Hogwarts they split up into two groups. Adrian and Ron going together, and Hermione and George going in the other direction.
"De ja vu " George said to Hermione as they set off.
"Yeah, I know, only at least this time it's not raining." She commented back. They walked for miles, not finding sign of anyone, not even a bent branch. Soon the sun started to come up and they trudged back towards Hogsmade, dejected. They hoped Ron and Adrian had better luck.
The other two trudged off in the other direction, soon finding themselves engulfed in the woods. "She was here," Adrian suddenly said, surprising Ron.
"How do you know?"
"Right here" he pointed to the ground.
"Umm, okay" Ron agreed, not really seeing anything different with the ground, but was sure Adrian knew what he was doing.
"Oh my god, a Gifflewink" he cried, dashing off with Ron huffing behind him.
Bonnie thought she was having a dream when she felt someone wet touch her foot. "No Daggle, not now, I just took you on a walk earlier today" she mumbled, kicking her foot. The wetness didn't go away. "I thought I said" she opened her eyes and screamed, seeing the hideous creature stuck on her foot. It was as big as maybe a small dog; only it looked like a slug.
"Gurrof, gurrof" she cried, shaking her leg violently, but it didn't let go, but instead kept on crawling up her leg. Hearing some crashes in the bushes, and thinking it was something else to eat her, she promptly fainted. Adrian came tearing through the brush right as the Gifflewink was about her mid-thigh. Pulling out his wand, he quickly shouted some magic words, and the creature fell away and slithered, if you could call it slithering back into the ground.
"Bonnie, all you alright?" Adrian said, bending down beside her.
"I think she fainted" Ron commented, bending down right next to him. "She looks all right" He viewed her leg "No harm done, but this ankle looks a little twisted. "Come on then, We better hurry back to the town before dawn" Adrian slowly scooped down and picked her up, placing her arms around his neck, and her head on his chest. She wasn't as heavy as he expected. She didn't respond. It was a long walk back to the town, but even longer because Adrian had to go so slow as to not fall. Ron offered to take her halfway through the trip, but he declined the offer. He was fine. The town was warming up to the morning sun when they finally reached home. Everyone stayed quiet, as not to wake Bonnie. George apperated off to go and get Ginny, who had left a bit earlier to take Charlie and Bryce home to bed. Adrian laid her in his bed, and sat and watched and waited for her to wake up.
Bonnie opened her eyes and didn't know where she was. The last thing she remembered was fainting in the woods, but she wasn't in the woods anymore. She was lying in a bed, covered with blankets. It was a small room, filled with knickknacks and paraphernalia from Hogwarts and Gryffindor, pictures of the Quidditch team and the graduating class, and a diploma she couldn't read. Turning the other direction she saw the owner of the room sleeping in a chair beside her. He breathed out, and shifted directions, a small whiff of hair curling across his face. She had the urge to brush it out of the way, but she didn't want to wake him. He looked so innocent and peaceful when he slept. She kept on remembering how he had just said not twelve hours ago that he loved her. Was he really telling the truth, or just being his regular nasty self? Should she believe him? Or not? She wanted to, oh how she wanted to, more then anything else. But yet, how could it be true, he had been nothing but hateful to her for the last six years. Suddenly, before she could do anymore analyzing of the situation, he woke up. She screamed, he screamed, he jumped up, and tripped on the chair, falling on the floor, and they both started to laugh.
"Oh good, you're awake, I'll go get your mother." He turned and started for the door.
"Adrian wait" He stopped with his hand on the door handle.
"Yes?"
"Were you serious about what you said before?" He paused, thinking of what she had just asked.
"Oh that, of course, if it's one think you should know about me is that I never lie about things like that." And at that, he was gone, leaving her alone.
Her and her mother returned home later that morning to a much-worried father. It wasn't till later that week did she have the opportunity to send an owl to her best friend Tara asking her to come over since she wasn't allowed to leave the house, that being her punishment for running into the forest. Bonnie thought that almost dying was punishment enough, but her parents disagreed. Tara came later that evening by Foo powder, and they quickly sat down in Bonnie's room, being quiet hoping to avoid her parents.
"So, what was so important that you wanted to talk to me about immediately?"
"You know of Adrian Finnigan don't you?"
"Of course, Quidditch captain, head boy extraordinaire right? He is so cute; it's a pity he graduated last year."
"Yeah, you know his mother, Professor Finnigan too?"
"I know of her, she's the muggle studies Professor. What do the Finnigans have to do with anything?"
"Well you see" Bonnie moved closer to her friend. "It turns out that my uncle Ron used to be best friends with her when they were in school"
"You have an Uncle Ron?"
"Yeah, I didn't know till earlier in the week either. According to my mother he disappeared when she was in the 5th year at Hogwarts, but that's beside the point. So suddenly my uncle appears at Prof. Finnigan's house, and we go and visit him, and guess who is home for the summer?"
"Adrian"
"Right"
"Hey, isn't he the one who is always so mean to you?"
"That's him."
"So what happened, you two get into a awful fight again. Is that why you are punished?"
"Well, sort of. You see, he told me that he loved me"
"WHAT?" Tara practically shouted, jumping up. "Did I just hear you correct?"
"That's what I said. I ran into the forest, so that's why I'm being punished." She looked attentively at her best friend of six years. "So what should I do?"
"Well, if Adrian Finnigan just told me that he loved me, I'd..Well I don't know what I'd do. Since he's graduated there isn't much you can do, right?"
"I know, that's why I'm confused. You see, the thing is" She paused; not knowing how to word what she was going to say next. "I think I love him too"
"WHAT?" That got an even bigger reaction then her first statement that he loved her. "But Bonnie, he has always been so mean to you. Don't tell me that you love him because of this, because if you do girl, you're crazy"
"No, it's not that, I hate him because of that. I hate his guts actually. If I had my way, he's burn in the fiery pits of hell, but yet, when I look at him, my heart does flip-flops."
"How come you've never told me this before?"
"Because, well, no one knows. He doesn't even know. How was I supposed to tell him how I feel when he expected me to hate him?" She laid her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do Tara, I'm so confused."
"Bonnie, if you want my advice, I'd tell him."
"Tell him, really?"
"Of course, we'll go right now. I'll go with you. We can take your broom."
"But my parents?"
"Tell them you are going to visit your uncle. Or not tell them at all."
"Okay, but if he laughs, this is all your fault."
The two girls arrived at Hogsmade not long after. "That's her house" Bonnie said, pointing at one of the building which they heading towards. Going up the stairs to their apartment, she knocked on the door. A strange woman opened the door, a woman Bonnie didn't recognize. "Hello, may I help you?"
"Yes, I'd like to see Adrian, is he in?" Bonnie said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"Adrian, there are two young ladies at the door for you?" she called out towards the backroom.
"Coming Miranda" they heard him call back. So this was Miranda, the woman her uncle married, and her aunt. Adrian soon came around the corner, his hair in disarray, and scorch marks on his shirt. He was carrying a large book in one hand, and his wand in the other. "No Fiona, it's not like that. Look, I'll show you the correct way to do that spell when I get back okay." He turned and saw them at the door. He looked startled, but quickly regained his composer. These were the last two 'ladies' that he had expected. "Bonnie, Tara, how umm nice to see you"
"Oh isn't he hot. You are one lucky girl Bonnie" Tara whispered, pushing her forward. Adrian and Bonnie just stared at each other.
"Listen you two, if it isn't important, I'll be right back. I have a student waiting in the other room," Adrian finally said. He turned to leave.
"Adrian, I love you" Bonnie finally blurted out, instantly regretting it. He dropped his book with a big crash and turned around.
"You better not be bloody fooling with me Bonnie Fraser, because if you are, you will regret it, trust me" He glared at her, and if she had thought he had given her evil looks before, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. She was sure he was telling the truth, and was actually afraid. She slowly backed away, till her back was to the wall. He gripped his wand so tightly in his left hand that his knuckles were turning white. "Are you fooling with me?"
"Yes…no…I mean, why would I kid about something like this?" she whispered, trying not to cry.
"To get back at me for all the horrible things I've said to you in the past."
"But no, I would never do something like that." She slowly wiped her eyes, watching for a reaction from him.
"So you're serious."
"Yes" she finally said after what seemed like eternity. Before she knew it he had covered the distance between them and had her in her arms. He was just tall enough so that she fit her head right under his. For some strange reason she had never felt more safe in her life.
A/N – Strange eh? Not what you expected eh? I like writing romance, although I am not the best at it to say the least. I was first thinking of putting Adrian with Fiona, and making her a bit older, but this seemed to work better. I don't know how well their relationship is going to work though, since they hate each other, but we shall do our best. I just got this posted, for I finished it before the eighth, but since then my time has been consumed. It took me two days to read GoF, and that was having to steal it from my sister at every chance I could, since she was the owner of the book, mine having not arrived yet. I am still waited for it. I won't settle for the American version, I must have the original from England. It was good, but I still think the Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite so far, I don't know why, it just is. The problem is that the books are getting predictable in their unpredictableness .