After the meeting, Oliver told Dumbledore that he wanted to say something
for both teachers at the memorial service. Then went back to his rooms to
think about what he was going to say. He decided to concentrate on what he
was going to say for Snape first, since that was going to be the most
difficult for him. He really didn't want to lie in front of the whole
school, but that might be unavoidable if he was going to say something kind
and respectful. He thought long and hard, but the words just wouldn't come.
He felt awful about the fact that he couldn't come up with anything nice to
say, but Oliver had never liked Snape when he was a student and had never
made an effort to get to know him as a colleague.
Wednesday morning arrived, and though even though the memorial service was that afternoon, Oliver still didn't know what he was going to say. He went to breakfast with a sense of growing nervousness. What was he going to do? He couldn't just get up and talk in front of the whole school with no preparation whatsoever. Adrianna must have noticed that something was wrong, because halfway through breakfast she turned to him.
"Oliver, you're a lot quieter than usual this morning. Is something the matter?"
"I'm just worried about what I'm going to say today. There are plenty of nice things to say about Hagrid, but I can't think of anything to say for Snape. All that I can think of are the times when I was a student in his class and he kept taking points from Gryffindor for no good reason and criticizing everyone's work. And he never made me feel overly welcome when I became a teacher here."
"Well, you never made an effort to get to know him as a person. You let your negative perceptions as a student get in the way. He was a great professor, you know. Sure he was strict, but I bet you learned a lot in his classes. He loved his subject, he had a thorough knowledge of it, and he was able to put that knowledge in terms that the students could understand. Plus there's the fact that he was able supply those working against Voldemort with a wealth of knowledge once he decided to leave the inner circle of death eaters. He was really a decent person."
Oliver knew that Adrianna was right, but he still wasn't any closer to knowing what he was going to say.
Lunch came and went and before Oliver knew it, it was time for the memorial service. He still didn't know what he was going to say, and the nervousness that had been steadily growing inside him made him feel nauseated. He and the other teachers wore plain black robes for the occasion. He was the last person to enter as they walked in together and sat in the front of the Great Hall. The house tables and benches had been stacked against the back wall, and hundreds of chairs had been set up in their place. The student body was already seated in these chairs and watched as the teachers sat in the front and Dumbledore walked up the steps to the raised platform and addressed the school.
"We are here today to remember the lives of Rubeus Hagrid and Severus Snape, professors who were murdered by Lord Voldemort. Each teacher made their own invaluable contributions to this school, and both will be sorely missed. Many of you have expressed your wishes to honor their memories, and so this is your time to share your reflections so that we can all share in the grieving process. Those teachers who would like to say something will go first, and then students who have prepared something will have a chance to speak."
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and Professor Sprout began the ceremony with a thoughtful, heartfelt poem that brought tears to the eyes of most of the people in the room. Adrianna, who was sitting to his left, laced her fingers through his and wiped a tear from her cheek with her free hand. One by one the teachers stood in front of the school and shared very emotional memories and reflections. Professor Trelawney upset many people by saying that she had seen the tragedy in her crystal ball before it happened and regretted not saying something, but that it was not her responsibility to change the future just because she could see it. The more Oliver heard from Trelawney, the more his dislike grew for her. Adrianna went just before Oliver. She took a sheet of parchment with her and read a beautifully written letter addressed to the deceased, describing the brief but close friendship she had shared with both of them. She got through the letter without her voice breaking, but tears rolled down her cheeks as she read and she made no effort to wipe them away. Finally, all of the other teachers had spoken and it was Oliver's turn.
Still uncertain of what he was about to say, Oliver walked up on stage and looked out at all of the students. He thought that he would have become more nervous on stage, but suddenly the words came and he felt at ease and began to talk.
"I had the privilege of knowing both Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid not just as colleagues, but also as teachers. Both men were great people, and I will not soon forget either of them. Hagrid was the most considerate, caring person I knew. He always went out of his way to help others. He loved his position as our Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He had a fascination with magical creatures, and he used this fascination to make his classes interesting for his students. I will never forget my first class with him as a seventh year. Not only did he have Hippogriffs for the lesson, he taught us how to approach them and even how to ride them. It was the best Care of Magical Creatures lesson I ever had."
"I have to confess that I never liked Snape when I was a student. He assigned more homework than any other teacher, and he expected perfection from each of his students. But later I realized that he pushed his students so hard because he wanted them to really learn about potions. He knew how important it was for a potion to be brewed properly if it was to be effective, which was why he graded so harshly. When I became a teacher here, I learned that Snape was really a decent person with a thorough knowledge of his subject, and that he was a great professor because he put his knowledge into terms that his students understood. He was also willing to give of his time and talents to help others, even when it meant great personal risk to himself. Although I would have never imagined saying this when I was a student, I will truly miss Severus Snape. Both teachers will live on in my memory."
Oliver finished speaking and returned to his seat, very relieved that he had been able to say what he wanted to say without getting tongue-tied or choked up. Many of the students had been moved to tears by what he said. He supposed that he'd hit close to home by relating his experiences as a student to the present.
After Oliver had spoken, a handful of students went up to the platform one at a time and spoke. Ginny Weasley shared an especially emotional remembrance of Hagrid, and a couple of Slytherins talked about what a wonderful teacher Snape was. When they had finished, Dumbledore gave a short concluding speech.
"Both Hagrid and Snape have made a lasting impression on this school and though they are gone, they are not forgotten. They will live on through the student that decides to study dragons in Romania, or the young person who tries to create a potion to cure insanity at the Center for Research at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Let their noble behavior be an example to you to always do what is right, even if it may cost you dearly."
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and the teachers exited after him with the students right behind them.
Things began to resume a sense of normalcy over the next couple of days as classes resumed. Even though there were only two days of classes that week, Oliver was very glad when the weekend arrived. He and Adrianna discussed their plans at dinner on Friday evening.
"What do you feel like doing this weekend? Do you want to go out somewhere or would you rather just relax here?" he asked her.
"I'd love to get away from the school for awhile. Actually, I have a couple of ideas for things we could do."
"Let's hear then," Oliver prodded.
"Well, I thought it might be nice to take Seamus out for a drink since he's just started teaching here, as a sort of welcome party. We could get a bunch of teachers together and go as a group. And, I was talking to Flynnie today and we thought it would be fun if we go on a double date. If we decided to do that it would have to be Saturday night."
"That sounds like fun. Why don't we take Seamus down to the Three Broomsticks tonight then if he doesn't already have plans?"
"Alright, and then we'll have all day Sunday for some time to relax together."
"Well, not exactly," Oliver said, which made Adrianna's smile fade slightly. "I promised my mum and dad that I'd visit them this weekend. I haven't seen them in ages. I didn't even go home during the Christmas holiday. And when word got out about what happened here, they insisted on me coming home so that they can see for themselves that I'm alright."
"Wow, you'd better go and see them then. I bet they miss you a lot, and I'm sure they're worried about you."
Right after dinner, Oliver and Adrianna caught up with Seamus and asked him if he'd like to go to the Three Broomsticks with them. He accepted their invitation and seemed very grateful that they'd asked him to go with them. They agreed to meet in the entrance hall at eight o'clock. Oliver went back to his rooms and talked to his mum via the fireplace for a while about going to visit that Sunday.
When he got to the entrance hall at eight, he saw that Adrianna had been busy finding more teachers to go and had managed to round up Fleur Delacour, Eva Hathor, and Elizabeth Vector. The six of them set out for Hogsmeade bundled up in their heavy winter cloaks and scarves.
They had a very enjoyable time at the Three Broomsticks drinking and talking and getting to know Seamus better. Oliver loved listening to the myriad of accents. In addition to his own Scottish accent there was Adrianna's American accent, Seamus' Irish accent, Fleur's French accent, and the English accents of both Eva and Elizabeth. It contributed to the already animated conversation.
After several hours of enjoying themselves at the pub, the group walked back to Hogwarts, laughing and carrying on the whole way back.
The next morning after breakfast, Oliver was in his rooms trying to find a pair of muggle-style khaki pants to wear with his black turtleneck sweater. He finally located them hanging in the very back of his closet, pulled them on, and went to meet Adrianna in her rooms. She greeted him at the door with a smile. She had her hair in French braids. She was wearing big silver hoop earrings, flared jeans with tan colored embroidery near the bottom of the legs and a light blue shirt with loose, flowing sleeves. She saw what he was wearing and frowned.
"While I think that turtleneck looks very sexy on you, you're going to be too warm if you wear it. You should change," she said.
"What? But it's freezing outside!"
"Just trust me here. Wear a shirt with short sleeves."
Oliver went back to his rooms, pulled a black polo shirt out of one of his drawers and quickly changed into it before returning to Adrianna's rooms. The door was already open this time, and as he walked in he saw Adrianna putting the final touches on her makeup. She stood up and grabbed an empty Smirnoff Ice bottle from her dresser.
"This is our portkey to meet Flynnie and Alex," she explained. "We'll leave in about five minutes. Have a seat." She sat on the couch with the portkey, and Oliver sat down right next to her. He put his hand on the portkey just below hers.
"So what are we doing today, anyhow?" he asked.
"Going to Disney World."
"What's that?"
Adrianna looked at him as though he were from another planet. "You've seriously never heard of Disney World?" she asked incredulously.
"Nope. I'm a pure-blood wizard who never took muggle studies, remember?"
She shook her head in disbelief. "You were a deprived child."
Just then, he felt the familiar jerk behind his navel as the portkey transported them to sunny Florida, where they would meet Flynnie and Alex for their double date.
It was about 11:00 am when Oliver and Adrianna met up with Alex and Flynnie in front of a large, blue five-story building in Downtown Disney. Adrianna and Flynnie greeted each other with a hug, and then Flynnie shook hands with Oliver while Adrianna shook Alex's hand.
"I don't think you two have met yet. Oliver, this is Alex. Alex, Oliver," Adrianna said in introduction.
"Pleasure to meet you," said Oliver and Alex at the same time as they shook hands.
"That's a gorgeous necklace," Flynnie admired, looking at Adrianna's peridot and aquamarine pendant.
"Thanks. Oliver gave it to me for Christmas."
"I think Disney Quest should be opening any minute now. Do you guys want to get in line for tickets?" asked Alex.
"Nah. Why don't we save time and money and just apparate inside after they start letting people in?" suggested Flynnie.
"Adrianna can't apparate," said Oliver.
"Yes I can," Adrianna replied quickly.
Oliver looked at her skeptically. "Since when?"
"Since I passed my apparition test on Thursday."
"I thought you afraid to apparate."
"I was, but I realized that apparating can be a useful and possibly lifesaving skill."
"Why didn't you tell me you passed?" asked Oliver, feeling a little left out.
Adrianna shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind with everything else that was going on."
"Well good, then we can apparate as soon as you two have finished with your lovers' quarrel," teased Flynnie with a grin. "See you inside!" And she was gone.
Within moments Alex, Oliver and Adrianna joined Flynnie inside Disney Quest.
The group walked into something called a cyberlator, which had a big video screen on one wall and took them from one floor to the next. Oliver had never seen anything like it in his life. The first attraction that they went to was called CyberSpace Mountain. While they were waiting in line, Alex explained that they would be able to design their own roller coaster and then ride it in a pitch and roll simulator.
Oliver had never ridden a roller coaster and he had no idea what a simulator was, but everyone else looked excited about it so he supposed it would be fun. He stepped up to the console and designed his roller coaster with tons of loops, corkscrews and jumps, then stepped up to the simulator and rode his creation. He stepped out of the simulator feeling a bit nauseated.
"Is that what all roller coasters are like?" he asked, holding his stomach.
"That probably had more twists and turns than most roller coasters. If you could handle that, you can handle any roller coaster," Flynnie replied.
Adrianna slipped her hand into his and, and the four of them left the virtual coaster to get in line for the next attraction; the Virtual Jungle Cruise. Oliver tried to hide the fact that he was feeling a little off- color while they were standing in line, but Adrianna noticed.
"Are you alright, Oliver?" she asked. "You look like you're going to be sick."
"I'm fine," he lied. He didn't want to admit that a muggle contraption had made him ill, but more than that he didn't want to ruin the fun for everyone else.
"Are you sure you don't want to sit down somewhere for a few minutes?" asked Alex.
"No, really, I'm fine," Oliver insisted.
They made their way to the front of the line, and each of them received a paddle as they got into an inflatable raft. There was a big projection screen in front of them. Their ride began on a virtual river in a virtual Disney World, but they quickly left that behind as they traveled backwards through time. Their progress on the screen responded to how they paddled the raft. They steered around rocks and paddled through rapids, and even got sprayed with water on occasion. They even went over a waterfall. Finally, the ride ended.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Oliver exclaimed as they exited the raft.
"Yes, it was a blast," Adrianna agreed with a chuckle. "What's next on the agenda?"
"Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters," Flynnie replied with a grin.
"What's that?"
"It's like bumper cars, only you can shoot nerf balls at the other people and make them spin in circles."
"Really? I love bumper cars!" Adrianna exclaimed.
Oliver had no idea what bumper cars were and had never even heard of a nerf ball before. He guessed he would just have to wait and find out.
"So what did you guys have in mind for the rest of the day?" Adrianna asked Flynnie and Alex as they waited in line for the Astroblasters.
"We thought we'd hang out here until around five, then go out for dinner and then come back to Downtown Disney for the nine o'clock Cirque du soleil," Alex replied.
"That sounds cool. Where are we going for dinner?"
"It's a surprise. But I can guarantee you'll love it," Flynnie replied.
They made it to the front of the line. Each car held two people, so Adrianna and Oliver climbed into one and Flynnie and Alex climbed into another. Adrianna quickly showed him how the car worked before the ride began. She showed him the gas pedal and explained that it was what made the car go, and that you used the steering wheel to control its direction. She also showed him how to fire the nerf balls and told him that she would drive while his mission was to fire on Alex and Flynnie.
The ride started, and Adrianna ran over nerf balls to collect them while Oliver fired at the pink starbursts on the front and sides of Flynnie and Alex's car. He learned that he didn't have very good aim, while Flynnie, who was the shooter for her car, had excellent aim. At least half of Oliver's shots missed their target, but he and Adrianna kept spinning in circles. Near the end of the ride, Alex and Flynnie managed to corner Oliver and Adrianna, firing upon them mercilessly and causing them to spin nonstop. Oliver gave up trying to return fire and was very glad indeed when the ride ended. He was so dizzy as he emerged from the car that he very nearly fell over. He put an arm around Adrianna's shoulders, more to steady himself than anything else.
"Did you have fun?" Flynnie asked Oliver and Adrianna with an amused look on her face, holding Alex's hand.
Adrianna was laughing. "I loved it, even if you did kick our butts. Can we go on again?"
"I don't know if I can handle going on that ride again," said Oliver. The room was still spinning around him.
"Awww sweetheart what's the matter?" Adrianna asked, looking at him with concern.
"I feel really dizzy. I think I need to sit down," Oliver replied.
"When was the last time you had something to eat?" asked Flynnie.
"At breakfast, around eight this morning."
Flynnie glanced at her wristwatch. "You probably need to eat. It's already three o'clock. Adrianna, can you get him a soft pretzel and some water?"
Adrianna left the group and returned about fifteen minutes later with the requested items, plus a pretzel and some lemonade for herself. Oliver ate the pretzel and sipped the water while he rested.
"Feeling better?" asked Flynnie after he'd finished the pretzel.
"Yeah much better, thanks."
"Good thing I'm a nurse," Flynnie said with a wink as she stood up. "Wanna go on the Astroblasters again?"
"Sure," Oliver replied.
The four of them went and got in line for the Astroblasters again. "Why don't we mix things up a bit this time?" asked Adrianna. "We could go guys against girls."
"That's a great idea!" Alex exclaimed.
"Yeah but you'd better watch out, 'cause you know that we can beat you any day," Flynnie warned playfully.
"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it," Oliver countered.
This time when they reached the front of the line, Adrianna and Flynnie got into a car together as Oliver paired up with Alex.
"Would you rather drive or shoot?" asked Alex.
"Well I shot the last time and I was awful at it, so why don't I try driving?" suggested Oliver.
"Fine by me. Looks like Flynnie's gonna be shooting at us, so be prepared to spin. Try to run over the nerf balls."
The ride began, and while the guys put up a good fight, they were no match for the girls. Adrianna was running over the nerf balls and picking them up as fast as Flynnie could fire them. When the ride ended, the girls got out and high-fived each other.
"Good work, partner," said Adrianna.
"Are you boys alright? Is the room spinning? Do you need assistance?" teased Flynnie.
"I think I need some assistance. Can you lead me by the hand?" Alex asked Flynnie. She smiled and held his hand.
"How much time do we have left here?" asked Adrianna, who never wore a watch.
"About a half hour. It's not enough time to go on another ride," Flynnie replied.
"Why don't we play some arcade games?" suggested Alex.
They killed time by playing video games for about 45 minutes, and then decided that they were ready to leave for dinner.
The four of them left Disney Quest, and Flynnie led them a short distance through Downtown Disney to Bongo's Cuban Café. It was a beautiful Spanish- style building with a huge pineapple in the middle of it. The inside of the restaurant was even more impressive than the outside. There was Latin dance music playing loudly, the bar stools were shaped like bongo drums, and there were colorful murals painted on the walls. There was even a waterfall inside. Oliver could tell just by the expression on Adrianna's face that she loved it immediately.
They were seated at a table for four on the second story balcony. They ordered drinks, and then waited for their handsome Latino waiter to return so that they could place their order.
"So Alex, what do you do?" asked Oliver as they were waiting.
"I'm the History of Magic professor at the Salem Witches' Institute. How about you?"
"I'm the flying instructor and quidditch coach at Hogwarts. Did you go to Salem with Flynnie and Adrianna?"
"Oh no, I went to Forestvale Academy. I only ended up at Salem because they gave me a great job offer. But I'm very glad I ended up there, because that's how I met Flynnie. She's the school nurse."
Oliver looked at Alex and Flynnie sitting together on the other side of the table. It was uncanny how alike they looked. Both were fair skinned with blonde hair. But it was more than that. They were so much alike that even their faces looked similar. "You know, you two could pass as brother and sister," Oliver remarked.
"Yes we know. We get a lot of dirty looks from people when we kiss in public," Flynnie replied.
The waiter returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to place their order.
"Yes, I'll have the arroz con pollo," said Alex.
"I'd like chicharrones de pollo, please," requested Flynnie.
"Could I have arroz con pollo also?" asked Oliver. The waiter nodded and jotted down his order.
"Me trae los camarones al ajillo, por favor," said Adrianna.
The waiter looked up at her. He seemed surprised that she was able to speak Spanish. "Claro, señorita," he replied with a smile before he left to fill their order.
They continued to chat after the waiter left with their order. While they were waiting for their dinner, Oliver noticed a slightly older couple walking in with a bunch of photographers not far behind.
"Wow, that would be really annoying to have all of those people following you around all of the time," observed Oliver. "I wonder who they are."
"That's Gloria and Emilio Estefan. They're the owners of this restaurant and they're pretty famous in the muggle world," Adrianna replied."
"Good thing quidditch isn't that popular here in the US or we'd have camera crews following us around like that, too," Flynnie said to Adrianna. "It was pretty bad the first week or two after we won the World Cup, but it died down relatively quickly."
"What do you mean quidditch isn't popular here?" asked Oliver. "How can it not be?"
"There's another sport that's even more popular called Quodpot. There are eleven players on each team instead of seven. The quod is like a quaffle, only it's modified so that it will explode during the course of the game, but when is anyone's guess. The game is very fast-paced because no one wants the quod to explode in their hands. To score, a team must throw the quod into a cauldron filled with a potion that will temporarily prevent the quod from exploding," Alex explained.
"Although quidditch is starting to grow in popularity, not a lot of people follow it here. After we won the World Cup, we were better known abroad than we were here. It was the foreign journalists and photographers that were interested in us and followed us everywhere. People here were happy for us of course, but there was no real fame or attention from the magical media. It was kinda nice, actually, not to be bombarded by the media when we got home," said Adrianna.
"It's like soccer and football in muggle sports. Soccer is famous throughout the rest of the world, but most Americans couldn't care less about it. We love our football, but this is just about the only country in the world where it has any popularity," said Alex.
"Oh," replied Oliver. He had no idea what either soccer or football were, but he had heard muggle born students at Hogwarts talking about their favorite soccer teams. He had heard of quodpot, but he'd never actually seen a game and hadn't realized that it was so popular in America. He had a hard time believing that anything would be more popular than quidditch.
Their food finally arrived, and unless Oliver was quite mistaken, the waiter was flirting with Adrianna in Spanish. He handed everyone else their food without a word, but when he gave Adrianna her dinner he smiled and said, "Una comida deliciosa para una dama bellísima."
Adrianna smiled back at him. "Muchas gracias, camerero."
Alex, who also spoke some Spanish, had been watching the exchange as well. "Adrianna, that guy was flirting with you and you just played along!"
"He wasn't flirting, he was being nice. Why shouldn't I be nice in return?" she replied somewhat defensively.
"Well, it's interesting how he was only being nice to you while he ignored the rest of us," Flynnie pointed out.
Adrianna suddenly looked worried. "Was he really flirting with me? Oh God, I totally didn't mean to lead him on!"
Oliver wrapped his arm around her and smiled. "Well, if he gives you any trouble he'll have to deal with me."
The four of them continued to chat while they ate their dinner, and Oliver made a point of kissing Adrianna gently on the lips when the waiter came back to ask how their dinner was.
As they finished eating, Oliver noticed that several couples were on the dance floor, moving to the rhythms of the Latin dance music that filled the restaurant. "Would you care to dance with me?" he asked Adrianna when she was finished with her dinner.
"Por supuesto," she replied, getting up from the table with him.
"I have no idea what you just said but I'll take that as a yes," he said with a grin.
"Por supuesto means of course," she explained as they began to Latin dance. Oliver had no idea how to Latin dance, but he and Adrianna didn't really care what they looked like. They were too busy having fun. Flynnie and Alex soon joined them, and they had a very enjoyable time dancing until Flynnie realized that they'd better soon leave if they wanted to make it to the Cirque du soleil on time.
The waiter brought their check and thanked them for coming. He seemed to pay extra attention to Adrianna and kissed her hand before they left. Although it bothered Oliver, he decided to just let it slide. He didn't want to make a scene, and they were leaving anyhow.
Oliver had no idea what to expect of the Cirque du Soleil, but in the end he found himself utterly amazed that muggles were capable of creating such a captivating show. He wondered how an hour and a half could have possibly passed. He'd been so immersed in the show that the time just flew by. The costumes, the lighting, the choreography, the sets and the music combined for a spectacular result that had held his attention from start to finish. Flynnie, Alex and Adrianna had all loved it as well. They talked excitedly about it as they left the theater after the show ended. They managed to separate themselves from the crowd outside and stood talking for a few minutes in the comfortably cool night air.
"Do you guys have anything else planned for tonight?" Oliver asked.
"Well, Alex and I have something planned for tonight, but it doesn't involve you two," Flynnie said with a sly grin to Oliver and Adrianna. Alex blushed slightly.
"This was really a lot of fun. We should go out on a double date again sometime," said Adrianna.
"Yea that would be great! Maybe sometime this spring when the weather gets nicer," suggested Flynnie.
"Well, I'm sure you two are anxious to get going. I'll talk to you sometime this week," said Adrianna, giving Flynnie a goodbye hug. Alex and Flynnie both gave a little wave goodbye, and then with a loud cracking noise they disapparated.
"Well, ready to go back?" Oliver asked Adrianna.
"Not just yet. Why don't we enjoy the nice weather and go for a walk?"
She slipped his hand into his, and together they walked up the loud, busy main street of Downtown Disney. Neither one of them felt the need to talk, as they were both drinking in the sights and sounds and enjoying each other's company. After walking for a while, they sat down on a bench under a palm tree and watched the people passing by. Oliver put his arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder. It was while they were sitting there that he remembered his conversation with his mother earlier that day.
"Adrianna?"
"Hmm?" she replied, shifting a bit so that she could see his face.
"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Well no, but I thought you said that you were going to visit your parents..."
"I am. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."
"Yes, I suppose so. But if I do, you've got to promise that you'll meet my parents sometime soon. You were supposed to come over New Year's until we had that fight, remember?"
"I remember. I look forward to meeting them," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I've got to warn you about my dad though. He is of the opinion that, well, what I mean is... look, you know I'm from a pure blood family, right?" asked Oliver, groping for words.
"Yes," said Adrianna, "But what's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, my mum hasn't got anything against muggle borns, but my dad... it's not like he's a death eater or anything, but he thinks that pure bloods are better than muggle borns. Please, if he says anything to you about it, don't let it get to you. He can be a bit old-fashioned sometimes..."
There was an awkward silence. "I'm ready to go back now," Adrianna said.
Oliver thought that she would be upset, but she didn't sound like she was. She pulled her Cirque du Soleil ticket stub out of her pocket and, when she was sure no muggles were looking, transfigured it into a portkey that would take them back to Hogwarts.
"Ready?" she asked.
He nodded.
"On the count of three then. "One... two... three."
There was the familiar jerk behind his navel, he was speeding through time and space, and then suddenly they were back in Adrianna's living room.
"Goodnight," Oliver said softly, leaning in and kissing Adrianna gently on the lips. When he tried to pull away, she pulled him closer and kissed him harder.
"Not leaving so soon are you?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She took hold of both of his hands and led him into her bedroom. Oliver was a bit surprised, but hey, he wasn't complaining. She fell backwards onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her. She pulled his shirt off while they made out on the bed. Oliver had never felt such a strong desire for her. He was only partial aware of what he was doing as he removed her shirt and tossed it aside. This felt so right, but at the same time there was a nagging sensation somewhere in the back of his head and try as he might to ignore it, it was still there. They were soon both in their underclothes, still making out passionately. But the nagging feeling had grown stronger. It took every ounce of willpower in Oliver's being to do what he did next.
"Stop," he said a bit breathlessly.
"Why?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes.
"Because we can't do this. We can't have sex. You said that you didn't want to sleep with anyone until you were married. Adrianna, I love you, and I'd like nothing more than to make love to you right now. But you told me that you want your wedding night to be special, and I don't want to take that away from you."
"Yes, you're right, of course" she said, starting to blush. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me..."
Oliver put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't be sorry. I just want to make sure that you won't regret anything."
She gave him a look of deep gratitude and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she said softly. She pulled back for a moment. "You'll at least stay the night, won't you?"
"Of course."
They climbed under the covers together and cuddled for awhile before falling fast asleep.
Wednesday morning arrived, and though even though the memorial service was that afternoon, Oliver still didn't know what he was going to say. He went to breakfast with a sense of growing nervousness. What was he going to do? He couldn't just get up and talk in front of the whole school with no preparation whatsoever. Adrianna must have noticed that something was wrong, because halfway through breakfast she turned to him.
"Oliver, you're a lot quieter than usual this morning. Is something the matter?"
"I'm just worried about what I'm going to say today. There are plenty of nice things to say about Hagrid, but I can't think of anything to say for Snape. All that I can think of are the times when I was a student in his class and he kept taking points from Gryffindor for no good reason and criticizing everyone's work. And he never made me feel overly welcome when I became a teacher here."
"Well, you never made an effort to get to know him as a person. You let your negative perceptions as a student get in the way. He was a great professor, you know. Sure he was strict, but I bet you learned a lot in his classes. He loved his subject, he had a thorough knowledge of it, and he was able to put that knowledge in terms that the students could understand. Plus there's the fact that he was able supply those working against Voldemort with a wealth of knowledge once he decided to leave the inner circle of death eaters. He was really a decent person."
Oliver knew that Adrianna was right, but he still wasn't any closer to knowing what he was going to say.
Lunch came and went and before Oliver knew it, it was time for the memorial service. He still didn't know what he was going to say, and the nervousness that had been steadily growing inside him made him feel nauseated. He and the other teachers wore plain black robes for the occasion. He was the last person to enter as they walked in together and sat in the front of the Great Hall. The house tables and benches had been stacked against the back wall, and hundreds of chairs had been set up in their place. The student body was already seated in these chairs and watched as the teachers sat in the front and Dumbledore walked up the steps to the raised platform and addressed the school.
"We are here today to remember the lives of Rubeus Hagrid and Severus Snape, professors who were murdered by Lord Voldemort. Each teacher made their own invaluable contributions to this school, and both will be sorely missed. Many of you have expressed your wishes to honor their memories, and so this is your time to share your reflections so that we can all share in the grieving process. Those teachers who would like to say something will go first, and then students who have prepared something will have a chance to speak."
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and Professor Sprout began the ceremony with a thoughtful, heartfelt poem that brought tears to the eyes of most of the people in the room. Adrianna, who was sitting to his left, laced her fingers through his and wiped a tear from her cheek with her free hand. One by one the teachers stood in front of the school and shared very emotional memories and reflections. Professor Trelawney upset many people by saying that she had seen the tragedy in her crystal ball before it happened and regretted not saying something, but that it was not her responsibility to change the future just because she could see it. The more Oliver heard from Trelawney, the more his dislike grew for her. Adrianna went just before Oliver. She took a sheet of parchment with her and read a beautifully written letter addressed to the deceased, describing the brief but close friendship she had shared with both of them. She got through the letter without her voice breaking, but tears rolled down her cheeks as she read and she made no effort to wipe them away. Finally, all of the other teachers had spoken and it was Oliver's turn.
Still uncertain of what he was about to say, Oliver walked up on stage and looked out at all of the students. He thought that he would have become more nervous on stage, but suddenly the words came and he felt at ease and began to talk.
"I had the privilege of knowing both Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid not just as colleagues, but also as teachers. Both men were great people, and I will not soon forget either of them. Hagrid was the most considerate, caring person I knew. He always went out of his way to help others. He loved his position as our Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He had a fascination with magical creatures, and he used this fascination to make his classes interesting for his students. I will never forget my first class with him as a seventh year. Not only did he have Hippogriffs for the lesson, he taught us how to approach them and even how to ride them. It was the best Care of Magical Creatures lesson I ever had."
"I have to confess that I never liked Snape when I was a student. He assigned more homework than any other teacher, and he expected perfection from each of his students. But later I realized that he pushed his students so hard because he wanted them to really learn about potions. He knew how important it was for a potion to be brewed properly if it was to be effective, which was why he graded so harshly. When I became a teacher here, I learned that Snape was really a decent person with a thorough knowledge of his subject, and that he was a great professor because he put his knowledge into terms that his students understood. He was also willing to give of his time and talents to help others, even when it meant great personal risk to himself. Although I would have never imagined saying this when I was a student, I will truly miss Severus Snape. Both teachers will live on in my memory."
Oliver finished speaking and returned to his seat, very relieved that he had been able to say what he wanted to say without getting tongue-tied or choked up. Many of the students had been moved to tears by what he said. He supposed that he'd hit close to home by relating his experiences as a student to the present.
After Oliver had spoken, a handful of students went up to the platform one at a time and spoke. Ginny Weasley shared an especially emotional remembrance of Hagrid, and a couple of Slytherins talked about what a wonderful teacher Snape was. When they had finished, Dumbledore gave a short concluding speech.
"Both Hagrid and Snape have made a lasting impression on this school and though they are gone, they are not forgotten. They will live on through the student that decides to study dragons in Romania, or the young person who tries to create a potion to cure insanity at the Center for Research at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Let their noble behavior be an example to you to always do what is right, even if it may cost you dearly."
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and the teachers exited after him with the students right behind them.
Things began to resume a sense of normalcy over the next couple of days as classes resumed. Even though there were only two days of classes that week, Oliver was very glad when the weekend arrived. He and Adrianna discussed their plans at dinner on Friday evening.
"What do you feel like doing this weekend? Do you want to go out somewhere or would you rather just relax here?" he asked her.
"I'd love to get away from the school for awhile. Actually, I have a couple of ideas for things we could do."
"Let's hear then," Oliver prodded.
"Well, I thought it might be nice to take Seamus out for a drink since he's just started teaching here, as a sort of welcome party. We could get a bunch of teachers together and go as a group. And, I was talking to Flynnie today and we thought it would be fun if we go on a double date. If we decided to do that it would have to be Saturday night."
"That sounds like fun. Why don't we take Seamus down to the Three Broomsticks tonight then if he doesn't already have plans?"
"Alright, and then we'll have all day Sunday for some time to relax together."
"Well, not exactly," Oliver said, which made Adrianna's smile fade slightly. "I promised my mum and dad that I'd visit them this weekend. I haven't seen them in ages. I didn't even go home during the Christmas holiday. And when word got out about what happened here, they insisted on me coming home so that they can see for themselves that I'm alright."
"Wow, you'd better go and see them then. I bet they miss you a lot, and I'm sure they're worried about you."
Right after dinner, Oliver and Adrianna caught up with Seamus and asked him if he'd like to go to the Three Broomsticks with them. He accepted their invitation and seemed very grateful that they'd asked him to go with them. They agreed to meet in the entrance hall at eight o'clock. Oliver went back to his rooms and talked to his mum via the fireplace for a while about going to visit that Sunday.
When he got to the entrance hall at eight, he saw that Adrianna had been busy finding more teachers to go and had managed to round up Fleur Delacour, Eva Hathor, and Elizabeth Vector. The six of them set out for Hogsmeade bundled up in their heavy winter cloaks and scarves.
They had a very enjoyable time at the Three Broomsticks drinking and talking and getting to know Seamus better. Oliver loved listening to the myriad of accents. In addition to his own Scottish accent there was Adrianna's American accent, Seamus' Irish accent, Fleur's French accent, and the English accents of both Eva and Elizabeth. It contributed to the already animated conversation.
After several hours of enjoying themselves at the pub, the group walked back to Hogwarts, laughing and carrying on the whole way back.
The next morning after breakfast, Oliver was in his rooms trying to find a pair of muggle-style khaki pants to wear with his black turtleneck sweater. He finally located them hanging in the very back of his closet, pulled them on, and went to meet Adrianna in her rooms. She greeted him at the door with a smile. She had her hair in French braids. She was wearing big silver hoop earrings, flared jeans with tan colored embroidery near the bottom of the legs and a light blue shirt with loose, flowing sleeves. She saw what he was wearing and frowned.
"While I think that turtleneck looks very sexy on you, you're going to be too warm if you wear it. You should change," she said.
"What? But it's freezing outside!"
"Just trust me here. Wear a shirt with short sleeves."
Oliver went back to his rooms, pulled a black polo shirt out of one of his drawers and quickly changed into it before returning to Adrianna's rooms. The door was already open this time, and as he walked in he saw Adrianna putting the final touches on her makeup. She stood up and grabbed an empty Smirnoff Ice bottle from her dresser.
"This is our portkey to meet Flynnie and Alex," she explained. "We'll leave in about five minutes. Have a seat." She sat on the couch with the portkey, and Oliver sat down right next to her. He put his hand on the portkey just below hers.
"So what are we doing today, anyhow?" he asked.
"Going to Disney World."
"What's that?"
Adrianna looked at him as though he were from another planet. "You've seriously never heard of Disney World?" she asked incredulously.
"Nope. I'm a pure-blood wizard who never took muggle studies, remember?"
She shook her head in disbelief. "You were a deprived child."
Just then, he felt the familiar jerk behind his navel as the portkey transported them to sunny Florida, where they would meet Flynnie and Alex for their double date.
It was about 11:00 am when Oliver and Adrianna met up with Alex and Flynnie in front of a large, blue five-story building in Downtown Disney. Adrianna and Flynnie greeted each other with a hug, and then Flynnie shook hands with Oliver while Adrianna shook Alex's hand.
"I don't think you two have met yet. Oliver, this is Alex. Alex, Oliver," Adrianna said in introduction.
"Pleasure to meet you," said Oliver and Alex at the same time as they shook hands.
"That's a gorgeous necklace," Flynnie admired, looking at Adrianna's peridot and aquamarine pendant.
"Thanks. Oliver gave it to me for Christmas."
"I think Disney Quest should be opening any minute now. Do you guys want to get in line for tickets?" asked Alex.
"Nah. Why don't we save time and money and just apparate inside after they start letting people in?" suggested Flynnie.
"Adrianna can't apparate," said Oliver.
"Yes I can," Adrianna replied quickly.
Oliver looked at her skeptically. "Since when?"
"Since I passed my apparition test on Thursday."
"I thought you afraid to apparate."
"I was, but I realized that apparating can be a useful and possibly lifesaving skill."
"Why didn't you tell me you passed?" asked Oliver, feeling a little left out.
Adrianna shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind with everything else that was going on."
"Well good, then we can apparate as soon as you two have finished with your lovers' quarrel," teased Flynnie with a grin. "See you inside!" And she was gone.
Within moments Alex, Oliver and Adrianna joined Flynnie inside Disney Quest.
The group walked into something called a cyberlator, which had a big video screen on one wall and took them from one floor to the next. Oliver had never seen anything like it in his life. The first attraction that they went to was called CyberSpace Mountain. While they were waiting in line, Alex explained that they would be able to design their own roller coaster and then ride it in a pitch and roll simulator.
Oliver had never ridden a roller coaster and he had no idea what a simulator was, but everyone else looked excited about it so he supposed it would be fun. He stepped up to the console and designed his roller coaster with tons of loops, corkscrews and jumps, then stepped up to the simulator and rode his creation. He stepped out of the simulator feeling a bit nauseated.
"Is that what all roller coasters are like?" he asked, holding his stomach.
"That probably had more twists and turns than most roller coasters. If you could handle that, you can handle any roller coaster," Flynnie replied.
Adrianna slipped her hand into his and, and the four of them left the virtual coaster to get in line for the next attraction; the Virtual Jungle Cruise. Oliver tried to hide the fact that he was feeling a little off- color while they were standing in line, but Adrianna noticed.
"Are you alright, Oliver?" she asked. "You look like you're going to be sick."
"I'm fine," he lied. He didn't want to admit that a muggle contraption had made him ill, but more than that he didn't want to ruin the fun for everyone else.
"Are you sure you don't want to sit down somewhere for a few minutes?" asked Alex.
"No, really, I'm fine," Oliver insisted.
They made their way to the front of the line, and each of them received a paddle as they got into an inflatable raft. There was a big projection screen in front of them. Their ride began on a virtual river in a virtual Disney World, but they quickly left that behind as they traveled backwards through time. Their progress on the screen responded to how they paddled the raft. They steered around rocks and paddled through rapids, and even got sprayed with water on occasion. They even went over a waterfall. Finally, the ride ended.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Oliver exclaimed as they exited the raft.
"Yes, it was a blast," Adrianna agreed with a chuckle. "What's next on the agenda?"
"Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters," Flynnie replied with a grin.
"What's that?"
"It's like bumper cars, only you can shoot nerf balls at the other people and make them spin in circles."
"Really? I love bumper cars!" Adrianna exclaimed.
Oliver had no idea what bumper cars were and had never even heard of a nerf ball before. He guessed he would just have to wait and find out.
"So what did you guys have in mind for the rest of the day?" Adrianna asked Flynnie and Alex as they waited in line for the Astroblasters.
"We thought we'd hang out here until around five, then go out for dinner and then come back to Downtown Disney for the nine o'clock Cirque du soleil," Alex replied.
"That sounds cool. Where are we going for dinner?"
"It's a surprise. But I can guarantee you'll love it," Flynnie replied.
They made it to the front of the line. Each car held two people, so Adrianna and Oliver climbed into one and Flynnie and Alex climbed into another. Adrianna quickly showed him how the car worked before the ride began. She showed him the gas pedal and explained that it was what made the car go, and that you used the steering wheel to control its direction. She also showed him how to fire the nerf balls and told him that she would drive while his mission was to fire on Alex and Flynnie.
The ride started, and Adrianna ran over nerf balls to collect them while Oliver fired at the pink starbursts on the front and sides of Flynnie and Alex's car. He learned that he didn't have very good aim, while Flynnie, who was the shooter for her car, had excellent aim. At least half of Oliver's shots missed their target, but he and Adrianna kept spinning in circles. Near the end of the ride, Alex and Flynnie managed to corner Oliver and Adrianna, firing upon them mercilessly and causing them to spin nonstop. Oliver gave up trying to return fire and was very glad indeed when the ride ended. He was so dizzy as he emerged from the car that he very nearly fell over. He put an arm around Adrianna's shoulders, more to steady himself than anything else.
"Did you have fun?" Flynnie asked Oliver and Adrianna with an amused look on her face, holding Alex's hand.
Adrianna was laughing. "I loved it, even if you did kick our butts. Can we go on again?"
"I don't know if I can handle going on that ride again," said Oliver. The room was still spinning around him.
"Awww sweetheart what's the matter?" Adrianna asked, looking at him with concern.
"I feel really dizzy. I think I need to sit down," Oliver replied.
"When was the last time you had something to eat?" asked Flynnie.
"At breakfast, around eight this morning."
Flynnie glanced at her wristwatch. "You probably need to eat. It's already three o'clock. Adrianna, can you get him a soft pretzel and some water?"
Adrianna left the group and returned about fifteen minutes later with the requested items, plus a pretzel and some lemonade for herself. Oliver ate the pretzel and sipped the water while he rested.
"Feeling better?" asked Flynnie after he'd finished the pretzel.
"Yeah much better, thanks."
"Good thing I'm a nurse," Flynnie said with a wink as she stood up. "Wanna go on the Astroblasters again?"
"Sure," Oliver replied.
The four of them went and got in line for the Astroblasters again. "Why don't we mix things up a bit this time?" asked Adrianna. "We could go guys against girls."
"That's a great idea!" Alex exclaimed.
"Yeah but you'd better watch out, 'cause you know that we can beat you any day," Flynnie warned playfully.
"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it," Oliver countered.
This time when they reached the front of the line, Adrianna and Flynnie got into a car together as Oliver paired up with Alex.
"Would you rather drive or shoot?" asked Alex.
"Well I shot the last time and I was awful at it, so why don't I try driving?" suggested Oliver.
"Fine by me. Looks like Flynnie's gonna be shooting at us, so be prepared to spin. Try to run over the nerf balls."
The ride began, and while the guys put up a good fight, they were no match for the girls. Adrianna was running over the nerf balls and picking them up as fast as Flynnie could fire them. When the ride ended, the girls got out and high-fived each other.
"Good work, partner," said Adrianna.
"Are you boys alright? Is the room spinning? Do you need assistance?" teased Flynnie.
"I think I need some assistance. Can you lead me by the hand?" Alex asked Flynnie. She smiled and held his hand.
"How much time do we have left here?" asked Adrianna, who never wore a watch.
"About a half hour. It's not enough time to go on another ride," Flynnie replied.
"Why don't we play some arcade games?" suggested Alex.
They killed time by playing video games for about 45 minutes, and then decided that they were ready to leave for dinner.
The four of them left Disney Quest, and Flynnie led them a short distance through Downtown Disney to Bongo's Cuban Café. It was a beautiful Spanish- style building with a huge pineapple in the middle of it. The inside of the restaurant was even more impressive than the outside. There was Latin dance music playing loudly, the bar stools were shaped like bongo drums, and there were colorful murals painted on the walls. There was even a waterfall inside. Oliver could tell just by the expression on Adrianna's face that she loved it immediately.
They were seated at a table for four on the second story balcony. They ordered drinks, and then waited for their handsome Latino waiter to return so that they could place their order.
"So Alex, what do you do?" asked Oliver as they were waiting.
"I'm the History of Magic professor at the Salem Witches' Institute. How about you?"
"I'm the flying instructor and quidditch coach at Hogwarts. Did you go to Salem with Flynnie and Adrianna?"
"Oh no, I went to Forestvale Academy. I only ended up at Salem because they gave me a great job offer. But I'm very glad I ended up there, because that's how I met Flynnie. She's the school nurse."
Oliver looked at Alex and Flynnie sitting together on the other side of the table. It was uncanny how alike they looked. Both were fair skinned with blonde hair. But it was more than that. They were so much alike that even their faces looked similar. "You know, you two could pass as brother and sister," Oliver remarked.
"Yes we know. We get a lot of dirty looks from people when we kiss in public," Flynnie replied.
The waiter returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to place their order.
"Yes, I'll have the arroz con pollo," said Alex.
"I'd like chicharrones de pollo, please," requested Flynnie.
"Could I have arroz con pollo also?" asked Oliver. The waiter nodded and jotted down his order.
"Me trae los camarones al ajillo, por favor," said Adrianna.
The waiter looked up at her. He seemed surprised that she was able to speak Spanish. "Claro, señorita," he replied with a smile before he left to fill their order.
They continued to chat after the waiter left with their order. While they were waiting for their dinner, Oliver noticed a slightly older couple walking in with a bunch of photographers not far behind.
"Wow, that would be really annoying to have all of those people following you around all of the time," observed Oliver. "I wonder who they are."
"That's Gloria and Emilio Estefan. They're the owners of this restaurant and they're pretty famous in the muggle world," Adrianna replied."
"Good thing quidditch isn't that popular here in the US or we'd have camera crews following us around like that, too," Flynnie said to Adrianna. "It was pretty bad the first week or two after we won the World Cup, but it died down relatively quickly."
"What do you mean quidditch isn't popular here?" asked Oliver. "How can it not be?"
"There's another sport that's even more popular called Quodpot. There are eleven players on each team instead of seven. The quod is like a quaffle, only it's modified so that it will explode during the course of the game, but when is anyone's guess. The game is very fast-paced because no one wants the quod to explode in their hands. To score, a team must throw the quod into a cauldron filled with a potion that will temporarily prevent the quod from exploding," Alex explained.
"Although quidditch is starting to grow in popularity, not a lot of people follow it here. After we won the World Cup, we were better known abroad than we were here. It was the foreign journalists and photographers that were interested in us and followed us everywhere. People here were happy for us of course, but there was no real fame or attention from the magical media. It was kinda nice, actually, not to be bombarded by the media when we got home," said Adrianna.
"It's like soccer and football in muggle sports. Soccer is famous throughout the rest of the world, but most Americans couldn't care less about it. We love our football, but this is just about the only country in the world where it has any popularity," said Alex.
"Oh," replied Oliver. He had no idea what either soccer or football were, but he had heard muggle born students at Hogwarts talking about their favorite soccer teams. He had heard of quodpot, but he'd never actually seen a game and hadn't realized that it was so popular in America. He had a hard time believing that anything would be more popular than quidditch.
Their food finally arrived, and unless Oliver was quite mistaken, the waiter was flirting with Adrianna in Spanish. He handed everyone else their food without a word, but when he gave Adrianna her dinner he smiled and said, "Una comida deliciosa para una dama bellísima."
Adrianna smiled back at him. "Muchas gracias, camerero."
Alex, who also spoke some Spanish, had been watching the exchange as well. "Adrianna, that guy was flirting with you and you just played along!"
"He wasn't flirting, he was being nice. Why shouldn't I be nice in return?" she replied somewhat defensively.
"Well, it's interesting how he was only being nice to you while he ignored the rest of us," Flynnie pointed out.
Adrianna suddenly looked worried. "Was he really flirting with me? Oh God, I totally didn't mean to lead him on!"
Oliver wrapped his arm around her and smiled. "Well, if he gives you any trouble he'll have to deal with me."
The four of them continued to chat while they ate their dinner, and Oliver made a point of kissing Adrianna gently on the lips when the waiter came back to ask how their dinner was.
As they finished eating, Oliver noticed that several couples were on the dance floor, moving to the rhythms of the Latin dance music that filled the restaurant. "Would you care to dance with me?" he asked Adrianna when she was finished with her dinner.
"Por supuesto," she replied, getting up from the table with him.
"I have no idea what you just said but I'll take that as a yes," he said with a grin.
"Por supuesto means of course," she explained as they began to Latin dance. Oliver had no idea how to Latin dance, but he and Adrianna didn't really care what they looked like. They were too busy having fun. Flynnie and Alex soon joined them, and they had a very enjoyable time dancing until Flynnie realized that they'd better soon leave if they wanted to make it to the Cirque du soleil on time.
The waiter brought their check and thanked them for coming. He seemed to pay extra attention to Adrianna and kissed her hand before they left. Although it bothered Oliver, he decided to just let it slide. He didn't want to make a scene, and they were leaving anyhow.
Oliver had no idea what to expect of the Cirque du Soleil, but in the end he found himself utterly amazed that muggles were capable of creating such a captivating show. He wondered how an hour and a half could have possibly passed. He'd been so immersed in the show that the time just flew by. The costumes, the lighting, the choreography, the sets and the music combined for a spectacular result that had held his attention from start to finish. Flynnie, Alex and Adrianna had all loved it as well. They talked excitedly about it as they left the theater after the show ended. They managed to separate themselves from the crowd outside and stood talking for a few minutes in the comfortably cool night air.
"Do you guys have anything else planned for tonight?" Oliver asked.
"Well, Alex and I have something planned for tonight, but it doesn't involve you two," Flynnie said with a sly grin to Oliver and Adrianna. Alex blushed slightly.
"This was really a lot of fun. We should go out on a double date again sometime," said Adrianna.
"Yea that would be great! Maybe sometime this spring when the weather gets nicer," suggested Flynnie.
"Well, I'm sure you two are anxious to get going. I'll talk to you sometime this week," said Adrianna, giving Flynnie a goodbye hug. Alex and Flynnie both gave a little wave goodbye, and then with a loud cracking noise they disapparated.
"Well, ready to go back?" Oliver asked Adrianna.
"Not just yet. Why don't we enjoy the nice weather and go for a walk?"
She slipped his hand into his, and together they walked up the loud, busy main street of Downtown Disney. Neither one of them felt the need to talk, as they were both drinking in the sights and sounds and enjoying each other's company. After walking for a while, they sat down on a bench under a palm tree and watched the people passing by. Oliver put his arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder. It was while they were sitting there that he remembered his conversation with his mother earlier that day.
"Adrianna?"
"Hmm?" she replied, shifting a bit so that she could see his face.
"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Well no, but I thought you said that you were going to visit your parents..."
"I am. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."
"Yes, I suppose so. But if I do, you've got to promise that you'll meet my parents sometime soon. You were supposed to come over New Year's until we had that fight, remember?"
"I remember. I look forward to meeting them," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I've got to warn you about my dad though. He is of the opinion that, well, what I mean is... look, you know I'm from a pure blood family, right?" asked Oliver, groping for words.
"Yes," said Adrianna, "But what's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, my mum hasn't got anything against muggle borns, but my dad... it's not like he's a death eater or anything, but he thinks that pure bloods are better than muggle borns. Please, if he says anything to you about it, don't let it get to you. He can be a bit old-fashioned sometimes..."
There was an awkward silence. "I'm ready to go back now," Adrianna said.
Oliver thought that she would be upset, but she didn't sound like she was. She pulled her Cirque du Soleil ticket stub out of her pocket and, when she was sure no muggles were looking, transfigured it into a portkey that would take them back to Hogwarts.
"Ready?" she asked.
He nodded.
"On the count of three then. "One... two... three."
There was the familiar jerk behind his navel, he was speeding through time and space, and then suddenly they were back in Adrianna's living room.
"Goodnight," Oliver said softly, leaning in and kissing Adrianna gently on the lips. When he tried to pull away, she pulled him closer and kissed him harder.
"Not leaving so soon are you?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She took hold of both of his hands and led him into her bedroom. Oliver was a bit surprised, but hey, he wasn't complaining. She fell backwards onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her. She pulled his shirt off while they made out on the bed. Oliver had never felt such a strong desire for her. He was only partial aware of what he was doing as he removed her shirt and tossed it aside. This felt so right, but at the same time there was a nagging sensation somewhere in the back of his head and try as he might to ignore it, it was still there. They were soon both in their underclothes, still making out passionately. But the nagging feeling had grown stronger. It took every ounce of willpower in Oliver's being to do what he did next.
"Stop," he said a bit breathlessly.
"Why?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes.
"Because we can't do this. We can't have sex. You said that you didn't want to sleep with anyone until you were married. Adrianna, I love you, and I'd like nothing more than to make love to you right now. But you told me that you want your wedding night to be special, and I don't want to take that away from you."
"Yes, you're right, of course" she said, starting to blush. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me..."
Oliver put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't be sorry. I just want to make sure that you won't regret anything."
She gave him a look of deep gratitude and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she said softly. She pulled back for a moment. "You'll at least stay the night, won't you?"
"Of course."
They climbed under the covers together and cuddled for awhile before falling fast asleep.