Surprises and Rumours

"Oh my God! You're Ron!" The girl behind the counter shrieked.

"So I am. Can you tell me where Lain Mintek is now?"

"Lain? Why would you want Goth Girl?" Rupert's jaw clenched, his ears reddened with anger, much like his character, Ron's did.

"She's my girlfriend." He said, glaring at the girl.

"Oh. She's at lunch."

"Thanks." He said, walking out the door of the office. He walked into the cafeteria, receiving several gasps and stares. He was used to this, he got it a lot. He was surprised when no one stopped and asked him for an autograph. He spotted Lain, sitting at a table in the middle of the giant tiled room. He walked, quietly, toward the table at which she sat, surrounded by a few people he recongized, and more he didn't. Kat and Aiden smiled at him, as he silenced them by placing a finger over his lips. He put his large freckled hands over Lain's eyes.

"Guess who?" He asked, smiling widely at those at the table who didn't know he was dating Lain. They looked shell shocked, wanting to ask several questions.

"Oh, I don't know. Seth? Slim? Derek?" She named off guys who liked to play this game with her. It was only when he did what he did next she knew who he was. He lowered his lips to her ear and gently nipped on her earlobe.

"Come on, love. You should know who it is now." She pulled his hands away from her eyes and spun around.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, hugging him.

"What day is it?"

"My seventeenth birthday."

"Didn't I tell you since I could make it to your sixteenth, I'd make it to your seventeenth?"

"Yes, but what about filming? You have to finish Prince!"

"I'm off for two weeks, since they don't need me. What better way to spend two weeks than to spend them with my girl?" Lain's normal cream-white complexion turned red.

"Your girl?" Mika asked.

"You know how I went to London two summers ago? We bumped into each other." Lain explained.

"Let's go."

"Go where? I still have class."

"I haven't seen you since you turned fifteen and all you can think about is class?" Lain sighed. He had a point. With his filming, they hadn't seen each other since the summer she turned fifteen. They talked at least twice a day, on the phone, texts, e-mail. She had missed him terribly.

"Alright. I'll see you guys later, okay?" He took her by the hand and dragged her out the door, leaving whispers and rumours behind.

"How'd she manage him?" Mika asked.

"I have no idea. I didn't know then, and I still don't know." Aiden said.

"With her being what she is, I mean." Mika added.

"What is Lain, exactly?" Kat, the only one who didn't see Lain as what she was about to be called. She had changed, from how she used to be. She hadn't been what they called Goth in years.

"Goth." Mia said. Kat's vision blurred, her skin paled.

"You guys are supposed to be her friends!" She spat angrily.

"Rupert Grint. Ron freaking Weasley. I can't believe it." Mia awed

"Jealous now, are we?" Kat asked, walking away from the table.

xxXxx

"Why do they call you that?" Rupert asked, closing the door to the limo.

"Call me what?" Lain asked innocently.

"Goth Girl."

"How I used to be. Mainly rumours and stuff."

"Oh."

"I missed you." She said, crawling into his lap.

"I missed you." He answered, trailing his hand up and down her back.

"Why aren't you driving?"

"Agent."

"You're eighteen. When will he let you live?"

"No idea." He leaned his forehead against hers.

"I really, really missed you." She said, small hands finding his almost shoulder-length ginger hair.

"I missed running my fingers through your hair, I missed sitting in your lap, I missed cuddling you, I missed hugging you, I missed kissing you." She added, lightly kissing his nose.

"Did you now?" He smiled, as he leaned in to kiss her. Heat washed through Lain, settling in her centre. her normally ice blue eyes turned to an almost black blue with desire. He ran his tongue across her lips, slightly parting them. She was the one to deepen the kiss, making him growl. His lips left hers and she groaned in frustration. He left kisses of fire down her jaw line, stopping at her most sensitive skin: the skin of her pulse point, pale white, just below her ear. His lips found hers again, and they kissed passionately until Lain broke apart.

"God, I missed you."

"What do you think your parents would say to you coming back to the set with me?"

"Who cares?" She growled, kissing him again.

"Lain, I'm serious. You can stay until filming's done for Prince."

"What about school? I don't think my parents would go for it."

"You can have it e-mailed to you." he explained between kisses.

"I don't know." He batted his eyelashes, and pouted. Lain hated this. She couldn't say no to that face.

"I'll ask."

"Good. Now, where were we?"

xxXxx

"Rupet!" Lain's little sister squealed as he walked into the room.

"Hey Dina." He tossed a hand through the two-year-old's light brown curls.

"Rupet present Dina?"

"Dina! Rupert doesn't have to bring you a present every time he visits." Lain scolded, pulling her dark brown hair into a ponytail.

"Uncle Rupert brought you candy. From the set." He handed the toddler a bag. She dumped the contents on the floor, revealing the girl's favourite, Chocolate Frogs. Lain snorted.

"Uncle Rupert? Did we get married and I wasn't there?"

"Dina like Rupet! Rupet stay! Rupet marry Lain!" She said excitedly, jumping up and down.

"Maybe." He answered.

"Maybe." Lain repeated. He smiled.

xxXxx

Back at school Lain was hearing but hushed whispers as she passed. Why was she being talked about? Again? Hadn't she suffered enough?

"So Goth Girl, how much did you pay him?" Lain wheeled around to see Dylan, a football player.

"Excuse me?"

"How much to pay that kid who in those movies to come down here and play like he likes you?"

"He isn't playing."

"Sure. Right."

"I don't have to prove to you he is. I could care less if you believe me or not." She slammed her locker door shut and stomped away. What next?

Sitting in English class, was Lain. Bored and upset. None of her so-called friends believed her. Kat was the only one. She was the first one she told when she got home, she was the first one to actually meet him. She wished she could prove to the rest of them she wasn't lying.

"Lain?" Mr. Likens called her to his desk.

"Yeah."

"They need you in the office. I think it's about your boyfriend." Oh great. What's going on now? She turned on her heel and walked out of the classroom.

"Lain. Can I interview you?" It was Mila, the girl Rupert had met the day before.

"For what?" Lain was in no mood to play games with her.

"About your boyfriend."

"No! It's none of your business or anyone else's!"

"You know, I was pretty surprised when he told me that you were his girlfriend. I couldn't believe it. You date Mr. Ron Weasley?"

"Okay. Dude, he plays Ron. He is not Ron. Can't you tell the difference?"

"People see him as Ron." She countered.

"Well, that's where they fuck up. Ron is a character made up by Jo."

"Jo?"

"J.K. Rowling."

"You've met her too?"

"Yes. Not that it concerns you, but I've been to the set and have met the entire cast of Harry Potter." She had indeed, she still talked to some of them regularly. She had talked to Emma two nights ago.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Principal Perkins will see you now, dear." Ms. McEvans, the elderly secretary told her. She walked timidly into the dark colored room.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Have a seat, Lain."

"Does this have anything to do with Rupert?"

"Yes. I talked to your parents, who called about you going to London for six months. I told them it could be arranged."

"You what?"

"I told them it could be arranged. I think it would be a nice change for you. I think it would relive a lot of stress."

xxXxx

"You're all packed?" Lain's mother asked.

"For the fiftieth time, yes!"

xxXxx

"I hate flying. I hate it. I. Hate. It."

"I know, love."

"It makes me a wreck. Look! I'm shaking!" He took her in his arms and hugged her tight.

"It's okay. I promise." She snuggled up against him and slowly drifted to sleep. Before she was fully asleep, she felt his lips press against the top of her hair and hear him murmur something that sounded oddly like 'I love you.'