Hogsmeade weekend for the students at Hogwarts arrived slowly, sluggishly. And Adrian was glad for something to finally look forward to.
He apparated to the village, exhaled harshly as the unforgiving Scottish chill hit him. He drew out his wand, cast a Warming Charm on his person, then started trudging down the path.
Hermione was already at the little park, bundled to the nines against the cold. She waved lightly as he neared her, her eyes crinkling where they peeked out from between the cap pulled low over forehead and the scarf wrapped over the lower part of her face.
Adrian raised a hand in greeting as he continued to walk towards her. There was no war, not right then. And if he had lesser restraint he might have jogged up to her, smiling wide and free.
"Finally," she exclaimed, grabbing one of his hands and tugging him closer.
Adrian teased out a stray curl that was straining to escape the confines of her cap. "Miss me that terribly, did you?"
She attempted to, rather poorly, blow the curl away from her face. "You would have missed me because I had half a mind to head over to the pub. It's far too cold to be out here."
He pulled her gloved hand to his lips, pressed a brief kiss to it, smiled. "Thank you for enduring the weather for my sake. Fortunately for us, London isn't freezing over."
Hermione threw a glance around the near-empty park. "So London's still on our schedule?"
Adrian stepped closer to her, cupped her face with his free hand. "I will have you back here before anyone realizes you've left the village."
She smiled lightly, stepped into his space and wrapped her arms around his middle.
He enveloped her in his arms, relished her warmth.
"What are we waiting for?" she mumbled into his chest.
He hugged her tighter, disapparated them away.
London was fortunately warmer.
Hermione removed her cap, draped her scarf more loosely around her neck.
Adrian sneaked in for a quick kiss while her face was still deliciously flushed from the cold. They kissed until they were hot, and her face was flushed for a different reason.
"Where are we going?" she asked, readjusting her scarf again because his hands wandered.
"We have an appointment at Twilfitt and Tatting's," he announced, offering her his arm.
She froze, and her eyes jumped to his, slightly alarmed. "Why?"
He gently pulled her hands away from her scarf and took over the task of settling it around her neck. "Twilfitt and Tatting's is an apparel shop."
"I know what it is," she huffed.
He paused briefly. "Then, there's your answer." He nodded satisfactorily at the scarf around her neck.
She furrowed her brows. "Why do we have an appointment at an apparel shop?"
Adrian reached a hand towards her neck, lightly fingered the chain of the necklace that peeked out from her collar. "It's tradition for a young woman to be gifted a set of fancy, formal robes when she comes of age," he said, then smiled wryly. "Admittedly, we missed your birthday. So I've decided to make it up to you at the first opportunity. Ergo, Twilfitt and Tatting's."
Hermione shifted on her feet, followed his action and touched the necklace as well. "I thought the piece of jewellery was tradition."
"It is, and I'm certain there are more traditions I'm forgetting," Adrian said. "But for today, you shall have to be content with the robes," he added, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow.
She tugged at his arm. "You don't have to get me anything. I told you I love the necklace." She had, in fact, told him it was too much. He wasn't in the habit of taking back gifts.
"I don't have to, I want to," he assured her. "You'll have to choose, of course. But they're a fine establishment, and I'm certain you'll find something to your liking."
For much of the remainder of their walk, Hermione attempted to talk him out of getting her another birthday gift.
Adrian insisted on at least having a look around the shop. And if nothing caught her eye, they would walk out of there empty-handed. He really hoped they wouldn't, however.
Madam Tatting, bless her, was a seasoned saleswoman. Sensing both Hermione's hesitation and Adrian's inexperience, she patiently guided them through the shop in search of the perfect set of robes.
Soon enough, Adrian took as a small step back as Hermione started to browse through the shop's collection more eagerly. Finding himself a seat then, he took great pleasure in watching Hermione try out one set of robes after another. She stepped out timidly from the changing room each time, smiling shyly at Madam Tattling's free-flowing praise. It was oddly domestic and strangely thrilling as Hermione's eyes sought out his every time, wordlessly seeking his approval as she presented herself to him.
Not that he was much help in helping her make a selection. Not when his mind strayed to suggestive daydreams of her donning and then doffing the various robes for him, right before his eyes, without the barrier of the changing room between them.
Hermione finally narrowed down her options to a set of robes she was enchanted by, then wavered with the reason that it was far too expensive.
Adrian ushered her away with a young saleswoman to have her measurements noted anyway, and by the time she returned, he asked for the set to be delivered to her at Hogwarts and the cost to be put on his tab.
Hermione came back slightly flustered and surprisingly did not raise any objection at all to his initiative. And they quickly left the shop after.
They spent the rest of their time walking and talking, consuming their to-go plate of fish fingers and chips while they meandered through forgetful streets, dropping into a bookshop that was on their path.
Hermione ranted at length about Potter cheating in Potions, and narrowed her eyes at Adrian's recommendation about taking advantage Potter's newfound Potions proficiency for herself. She detailed every Slug Club meeting she attended, which was all of them that were held, and sniggered at his comments about the supposed potential of the other Slug Club students. She groaned about Weasley getting on her nerves (again), and they detoured to a quiet park where he introduced her to the immensely versatile Oppugno Jinx. She fretted about her increasing N.E.W.T workload, and when she glared at him for suggesting she drop a subject or several, he kissed her and teased her long enough to make her forget the N.E. altogether.
Adrian watched, his heart warm and full, as Hermione attempted to fix her hair from the effect of his wandering hand. He was struck with a sudden rush of gratitude for her dissatisfaction with her Runes essay. Because it meant that in spite of the war, they were okay. The war hadn't taken it all from those at the castle, hadn't taken it all from her.
Which was why he was less verbose, far vaguer about his everyday life. He would not take away her peace of mind. And he resolved to shield her from the war, from the conversations they needed to have, for as long as he could.
At the end of their outing, as Adrian prepared to apparate them back to Hogsmeade, Hermione shyly confessed that the saleswoman at Twilfitt and Tatting's tried to sell her lingerie.
Adrian, eyes sparkling as they bore into hers, leaned closer to her face. "I'm certain Twilfitt and Tatting's is still open," he murmured against her lips, suddenly imagining her parading before him as she did at the shop. Only that time, she was not in robes.
She laughed softly, cheeks colouring a deeper red as she dropped her gaze down to his chest. "Maybe next time."
Their bliss shattered the second they apparated to Hogsmeade, where a piercing scream rang through the air.
Adrian's first instinct was to grab Hermione and disapparate right back, but she was already running towards the cries of distress. And he was forced to follow in her steps.
Katie Bell was convulsing and screaming on the ground. Her friend, he couldn't recall her name, was nearly as hysterical trying to calm her down. Potter and Weasley were, unsurprisingly, already at the site of the trouble.
Moving closer, Adrian knelt carefully on the ground next to Bell, ran his wand over her. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded at Bell's friend.
She cried rather incoherently about a package on the ground nearby, even as she attempted to soothe Bell.
Cursed. For a moment, Adrian stared dismally at Bell. He didn't know enough about Healing to help her, and the bite of the helplessness was harsher than the freezing chill in the air. Was he willing to try a stasis and risk worsening her condition? He swore under his breath. "Step back!" he yelled then.
Potter and Weasley stopped trying to hold Bell down, looked up at him with mild confusion. Hermione pulled back Bell's friend lightly.
And Adrian leaned down to Bell. "Weasley, get Professor Snape. As fast as you can," he ordered as he bound Bell's arms and legs to hold her still.
Weasley looked like he was going to protest.
Adrian hoisted Bell up in his arms, snarled to him. "While she's alive, Weasley!"
Weasley closed his mouth, started dashing up to the castle.
Adrian turned to Potter, nodded to the package on the ground. "Guard that for Snape. Don't touch it. Don't cast near it. Don't tamper with it." Potter looked at him, his eyes wide and knowing, nodded.
He finally turned to Hermione, gestured to Bell's friend. "See her back to the castle. Keep your wand handy. I'll see you soon."
Hermione pulled out her wand.
And Adrian, with Bell in his arms, started sprinting towards the castle. Or rather he ran as fast as his legs would carry him plus Bell's weight.
He briefly considered apparating them directly to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Adrian despised the hospital. He couldn't stand the pungent odours and the bleak walls, but they provided an invaluable service and were excellent at what they did. Maybe Bell's condition was as serious as he suspected, and she would be better off being taken to Artefact Accidents. Or maybe her state wasn't as dire as he dreaded, and his overreaction could be passed off as the paranoia of war.
But he didn't know how she would react to the apparition. Besides, considering the distance, her plight, and that time was of the essence, he needed to get her to Madam Pomfrey or Professor Snape. Preferably both.
Fortunately for Adrian, he did not have to run far.
Hagrid ran down from the other end of the next lane, hollering about Weasley telling him a girl was cursed.
Adrian handed Bell over to him, watched them disappear into the distance as he caught his breath. Pushing his hair away from his face, he turned back to the three he left behind.
Hermione, a hand around Bell's friend, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she sighted Adrian. Potter, the package wrapped in his scarf and held in his hands, furrowed his brows.
"Hagrid took her from my hands," Adrian answered their unasked question. "He's much faster than I am." He fell into step beside Hermione as they walked to the castle. He did not even consider turning around at its gates and heading back home.
Professor McGonagall and Weasley met them at the entrance hall. Bell was already at the Hospital Wing.
Professor McGonagall ordered them, barring Adrian, to her office so she could grill them on the circumstances leading up to Bell being cursed. Adrian acquiesced to carry the package to Professor Snape.
He exchanged a brief glance with Hermione, then started trekking towards the Hospital Wing. He could not linger to find out about Bell's condition beyond the little he already knew. Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape were busy at work, and he did not want to get in their way. For then, it was enough that Bell wasn't dead.
Hermione was in the entrance hall when he returned from his errand. It seemed that several other students were also loitering about the corridors, and Adrian suspected the gossip mill was hard at work.
Adrian gestured Hermione to the front doors, lead them outside the castle to a courtyard, some ways away from the blatantly watchful eyes.
"That was terribly reckless," Adrian said softly, looking out to the grounds.
Beside him, Hermione turned to look at him, furrowed her brows lightly. "I think it was terribly gallant of you."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed. "Not me. You," he said, turned to her. "Bell's screaming could have meant anything. Yet, you charged in without pause, without thought."
She twisted her lips, looked away. "She needed our help."
"We're fortunate that you and I aren't in there with her," he pointed out.
"Do you have to be so cynical?" she asked, looking back to him and frowning lightly.
"We could have run into-" a Death Eater ambush? A horde of Giants? A drove of Dementors? "-into danger. There's a war going on, Hermione," he said, beseeching. It seemed, despite his best efforts, they would talk of the war after all. "We could have run into real danger."
She placed a hand on his arm. "But we didn't," she said firmly.
Adrian pressed his lips together.
Hermione leaned closer to him, placed a quick peck on his cheek. "And I still think it was terribly gallant of you."
He huffed, turned away.
"Almost Gryffindor, I would say," she murmured, smiling lightly.
He put an arm around her, pulled her closer. "Don't get used to it," he warned, inhaled and exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm his nerves.
Then, he caught sight of Tiberius lingering hesitantly at the other end of the courtyard, looking like he was about to flee back into the castle. Adrian raised a hand to him, removing his arm from around Hermione. "My brother's here," he said in reply to the question in her eyes.
She turned around to glance briefly at Tiberius.
Adrian tugged at her hand to get her attention back on him. "I need to get going for the day. I will see you around Yule, yes?"
She smiled, nodded. "Thank you for today. For the robes, especially."
He leaned closer to her. "Perhaps, next time I can thank you for something else the saleswoman sold you?"
"Next time," she breathed in agreement.
Adrian pressed a brief kiss to her lips, watched her walk back to the castle.
Tiberius walked to him then, not quite meeting his eyes. "Sorry for ah intruding," he said, his gaze darting back to the castle. "I didn't know you were – I mean, I thought you were alone."
Adrian shook his head, indicated the path towards the gate. "How are your non-verbals coming along?"
Adrian handed over the box of sweets from London to Filch on their way out of the castle. He and Tiberius flooed from Madam Rosmerta's to the company office, where they spent the remainder of the day working on Tiberius's Occlumency and Defence skills.
Katie Bell was moved to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries the next day. Adrian wondered, not without a twinge of dismay, whether she would become another funeral in his schedule. And he tried his hardest not to think that she had been in his hands, that maybe if he had known more about Healing, been faster on his legs, she might have had a different fate.
Adrian inquired to Madam Pucey about furthering his knowledge on healing magic that very night.
She readily agreed to assist him in his endeavour, although her expression clouded over a bit as she answered. Madam Pucey was learned in some healing in accompaniment to her Mastery in Potions, something that proved to be highly useful when Augustus started returning to the house with injuries he could not explain to anyone else.
Adrian firmly reassured himself that his current situation was entirely different to what hers had been.