So, here's the next chapter. It's not that much, but at least I'm able to write on (finally!)
Rupert's honey: Thank you.
Mistyqueen: Thank you.
TriGemini: Oh yes, Adrian thought very hard on the present (now he needs to think of something even better for Christmas …)
Paixamouretchocolat: Thank you.
Slag: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story so far!
Angelina-fan: Thank you!
NotJustLikeAnybodyElse: Aww, thank you! I think I've just grown a few inches!
Knockout2: Thank you!
Nikki: The baby, well… it is closer than you think!
Angelface04: Well, Olli will have to wait a bit before he has another 'real' appearance.
Slymon: I hope this doesn't count as 'too long' since the last update…tries to update more regular again
Tiarwen: Thank you thank you thank you thank you….
Akura.b.w.f: To be true I've never thought of that pairing at all….does there exist anything about it?
Bratski: Yes, it definitely is:)
Rkom1147: Of course there's a next chapter. (well, here it is already) and there will also be more chapters coming…
Chapter 13
Visitors
Adrian looked out of the window in his office and watched the first snowflakes of the winter falling silently while he thought about the past weeks. The start of the season had been as good as he could have wished for. So far, the Ballycastle Bats had won each game.
Angelina and Julia had of course accompanied him to all the matches and Julia had – just as it was expected with her family background – liked Quidditch immediately.
After the first game Angelina had congratulated Oliver as well as thanked him for his assistance in the birthday present. Julia had stayed at Adrian's side, eyeing the other man suspiciously, watching his every move as he talked to her sister.
Adrian was brought back from his thoughts when the door to his office opened and someone entered.
"I hate December! Why has it to be so cold?" Camille asked Adrian and smiled sweetly at him.
"Camille, what do you want here?" Adrian asked and to judge by his voice he was anything but pleased with seeing her.
"Oh Adrian, is that a way to greet a friend?"
Adrian didn't reply but merely raised his eyebrows at her when she came forward and took of her hat and gloves before she sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"I came to give you a friendly advice." Camille said and smiled her sicken sweet smile at him.
"I can't remember having asked you for advice in anything."
"See, and still here I am, offering it to you." Camille said and stroke her hand over her skirt as though to smooth some imaginary wrinkles.
"What do you want Camille?"
"Oh Adrian, I don't want anything. How can you think so ill of me? As I said, I came to help you. There have some very unpleasant truths about your wife come to my notice."
"And what truths might that be?" Adrian asked in a tired voice, hoping she would leave soon.
"I've learned that she has been a stripper and a prostitute while she lived in Argentina. Did you know that? No, of course not. You would never endanger your families reputation by marrying a cheap whore." She looked at him from underneath her lashes before she continued.
"And so I decided to come here and tell you the truth about her. It's always better to here this from a friend than… lets say read it in the newspaper one morning, don't you agree with me? Under the given circumstances I think even your dear grandmother will agree to a divorce – or better yet, an annulment of this marriage. Just imagine the scandal should anyone find out about your wife's former…profession."
Adrian narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him and slowly lifted himself up from his seat, his hands resting on the desk.
"Leave. And stay away from my wife and my family. I won't let you continue telling lies about Angelina."
Adrian's voice wasn't showing any signs of his anger and thus Camille didn't think of believing his threats at all. But she did understand that Adrian was not going to get rid of his wife so easily. This bitch must have cursed him or something, for there was no other explanation for Adrian to choose her over Camille.
"Why would you want to stay married to her? What could she possibly possess that I don't have twice as much of? Or do you just enjoy having your personal whore?" Camille asked furiously, every sign of her smile gone from her face. But Adrian still stayed absolutely calm, only his eyes narrowed more when he spoke.
"Camille you couldn't compete with her if your life depended on it. Angelina has dignity, intellect and most of all a heart. To make it short, she has everything you lack. And you would do better to leave my office this instant. Go and spread your venom somewhere else!"
"That's not all there is. There is another reason why you hold onto her."
"None you would ever understand and now leave or I'll have you removed from this stadium."
This time Camille did as she was told and left but not without promising herself to get her will, one way or another.
When the door closed behind her Adrian sat down and tried to repress his anger. But the fates seemed to think he could need some more visitors today. Or at least one more visitor.
"What have you done to Camille? I swear I've never seen her almost running somewhere."
"If you have pity with her, how about you marry her. She would be the perfect wife as my mother so often told me." Adrian greeted Marcus when his old captain walked into his office.
"No, thank you, I know less cruel ways of ending my life."
"Why are you here?" Adrian asked, wanting his solitude back as soon as possible.
"I came to remind you of the dinner next weekend."
"Still not found a way around that one?" Adrian now asked with something like a smile on his face while Marcus glared at him.
"No, my parents made sure that this tradition would not die with them. So, remember eight o'clock." When he saw the look on Adrian's face he stopped.
"You aren't thinking of staying away, are you? You have to come. And if you only do it for your wife. Think of all the amusing stories we could tell her."
"That is exactly one of the reasons I don't want to come. I remember very well when Higgs brought his wife for the first time to your annual dinner."
Marcus grinned and leaned back in the chair.
"Ah, sweet memories… Does your wife already know about your fifth year? Or rather that one special day in your fifth year; when you saw Johnson kissing one of those Weasels and drank so much fire whisky that you threw up in the end? We had never guessed how hard your crush on her was. But I have to admit, even better than seeing you lying there on your bed murmuring some unintelligible words was knowing that the Weasels had to serve detention because Montague had told Snape they had put something into your drink at dinner and that that was the reason you had thrown up."
Adrian's eyes had narrowed more and more while Marcus retold that old story.
"She will never hear about this!"
"Ah, come on, I'm sure she'd like it."
"You won't. Or I will tell anyone of that 'incident' in your first seventh year…" At this Marcus's grin vanished and both knew that no one would ever tell Angelina about this.
"Are you sure that your wife is even able to have children?"
"Good evening mother." Adrian replied as he entered the house.
"I tell you, had you married Camille, she would for sure be already pregnant by now."
"Mother, please…"
"Your Cousin Maitland and his wife, Felicienne, are expecting a child in about six months. And you know what it'll mean if they have a boy!"
Adrian wasn't really listening anymore as he climbed the stairs. He walked towards his bedroom and opened the door. The first thought that came to his mind was 'such heavenly silence!'. But then he saw Angelina lying in bed.
"Are you unwell?" he asked and came to her side of the bed.
"It's nothing serious. Just a cold, the flu at most." Angelina said and smiled tiredly at him.
"Nothing a few days' rest won't heal."
Adrian frowned at this and felt Angelina's forehead.
"I'm going to have a doctor looking at you tomorrow." He decided and stroke over her hair.
"That's not necessary." Angelina assured him but Adrian's mind was already set.
"I would feel better if a doctor saw you and you won't leave the bed until he told you it's alright to."
Angelina shook her head and rolled her eyes at this exaggerated protectiveness.
"Promise me." Adrian urged.
"I promise." Angelina replied, way too tired to argue now and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.