Chapter 6
The compartment was packed with Dom, Emily, Albus, Ben, Scorpius, and I. Gage joined us for about half an hour before heading back to the compartment he'd previously been in. After he left, space became a bit more available, but still a tad cramped.
"Don't you guys have to go patrol the train or something?" Al asked about two hours into the journey, eyeing the three of us Prefects with confusion.
Scorpius smirked, "I managed to convince your cousin that the seventh years deserved a break this time round."
I rolled my eyes as Albus expressed his great surprise at anyone being able to convince me of anything.
"I figured it was easier to just agree than start a fight when we have the entire year to kill each other," I said lightly. Al eyed me skeptically, not completely buying my attempts to act naturally. "I'm going to go stretch my legs."
"I'll join you," Al smiled sweetly at me. I knew I would get questioned about my sudden attempts at joking.
And get questioned I did.
"Look, I'm trying, ok?" I snapped at my cousin as we continued down the train.
He grinned, "After all these years, you're finally putting in an honest effort. You can totally tell it's fake, but I appreciate the attempt all the same."
"I tried last year," I protested.
"No, you just ignored him, but I didn't say anything because it was better than you two fighting all the time. Much less exhausting."
"Fake it 'til you make it," I quipped. In truth, I'd never really considered how our constant sniping affected Albus. Really, I hadn't concentrated on much except my distaste for Malfoy and his crude, arrogant nature. I was giving it an honest effort now that I was forced to do so, but there was still an angry tension between us. We halted for a moment to allow some scared looking first years by.
Albus grinned. "I swear we weren't that little when we were in first year."
"Definitely not," I agreed.
We continued on our journey down the train in relative silence, pausing every now and then to allow younger students passage. We were almost to the end when we saw him. Maybe a part of me hoped I would come across him, but now that the moment was here I really wished we hadn't ventured this far. I felt Al stiffen behind me as he saw Adrian coming toward us.
"Rose!" Adrian called out, seeing us just as I had a feeling Al was about to suggest we turn back.
I smiled tightly at him as we came even with each other. "Adrian."
"Rose, wait. I was, er, hoping we could talk," he said nervously, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. With his head bowed, his eyes looking up at me hopefully, he looked exactly the same as he had the final time he'd asked me out. It was the honesty in his eyes that got me every time. I wanted to talk to him, of course, but the eyes only made that desire stronger.
"I really don't think there's anything for you to say to her," Al interrupted, stepping slightly in front of me. He was a tad shorter than Adrian, but with slightly more muscle mass to make up for it. They both played Quidditch, but Al was much more dedicated considering he was the Gryffindor captain.
Adrian looked taken aback by Al's interruption but I quickly elbowed my cousin in the side and maneuvered in front of him as he cringed from the impact.
"Sure. Let's talk," I replied, smiling unsurely. Al looked as though he was going to say something else, but I subtly stepped to the side and landed on his toe. "Albus, why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up."
I shot him a glare when he seemed to want to protest again and he backed down. Bloody overprotective cousins.
I came into the common room after returning from Hogsmeade to find Albus sitting with Emily by the fireplace. They were working on their Care of Magical Creatures homework (they were the only two who had been able to stand the subject past fourth year), but the second Emily saw me, she abandoned her work and waved me over.
"How was your date?" She asked, grinning widely. Al tried to look uninterested but I could tell he was listening.
"It was actually... Nice. He wasn't a prat at all. A perfect gentleman. He asked me out again and I said yes."
Albus coughed at my words.
I smiled at him sweetly, "Something to say, Al?"
"No. Continue sharing your wonderful date with Adrian Davies," he snapped sarcastically.
"Excuse me?"
"Look, Rose, that's his game. He plays all honest and gentlemanly to get you to trust him and then once he gets you he drops you."
"You really think I'm that kind of girl Al?"
"I-"
"No. Just because you still play the field doesn't mean guys like Adrian aren't ready for something more substantial."
"I'm a guy, Rose. I know how his mind works. You don't. And what makes you think I'm not ready for something more substantial?" He asked, frowning.
"You don't really know him all that well so you can't really judge, now can you? And seriously? All you ever do is snog girls at parties. You can't say you want to get serious and still act like a player."
"Whoa, what's with all the abuse piling on my little bro?" James asked, coming to stand behind Emily's chair.
"He's being a judgmental prat," I snapped angrily.
"She went out with Adrian Davies and is planning on doing so again," Al explained, shooting his older brother a knowing look.
James stiffened. "You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I am. And believe it or not, I'm a big girl who can take care of herself, James," I said, pushing myself out of my chair angrily. "And really, you're just the same as Albus. You judge Adrian for his past but you act the exact same way. It's disgusting."
James's jaw clenched. "I'm not like that anymore, little cousin."
"What? Did the right girl finally come along?" I asked, half sarcastic and half teasing.
James's eyes flicked down to Emily briefly before he smiled slightly and answered, "Maybe."
I was shocked into silence for once. Did James really feel so strongly about Emily that he was willing to give up his playboy ways for her? Was she really going to be the one to change him?
"I have to go," Albus spoke up suddenly. He pushed his chair back from the table and shoved his books hurriedly into his bag, dropping a notebook in the process. Em leaned down to pick it up for him, frowning.
"Are you ok, Al?" She asked.
He nodded curtly. "I'm fine. I just forgot I have a thing."
He made it to the dormitory stairs before Em managed to ask if they'd finish their homework later. Al nodded curtly once more and smiled in a forced way before heading up the stairs. I frowned after my best friend and cousin, confused at his sudden change in behaviour.
Turning to James, I remembered the point I was about to make. "You know, if you can change is it such of a stretch that Adrian can? And don't just say yes because you don't like him. You don't even know him." I started to walk away before turning back to add, "And James, if I find out you or Al saw fit to have any kind of conversation with him, I will demonstrate just how capable I am of taking care of myself."
He had the decency to look slightly intimidated before turning and saying something to Emily. She smiled and I watched the two of them head to the portrait hole before continuing up to the dormitory. I knew there was something there, but neither of them would admit it. They'd been 'hanging out' for weeks now. Emily denied anything beyond friends, but they spent a lot of time in the Heads' private quarters. If something wasn't already happening, it wouldn't be long.
About a week after that, Adrian had approached me, looking slightly nervous, and asked how seriously he should take my cousins. James and Al didn't walk properly for a couple of days after that.
"Sorry," I said, smiling a bit awkwardly at Adrian as Albus departed.
He smiled back earnestly. "No worries. I get why he's overprotective. Listen, I've been a prat, Rose. I should never have said what I did before summer. It was a stupid idea and I should have known nothing would change over two months. I still love you. I'm still in love with you. I know I don't deserve it, but if you could even consider giving me a second chance, well…" He trailed off as he produced a single white daisy from behind his back. I hated roses, understandably.
He was laying the charm on way too thick, but I chalked it up to nerves. I didn't think anyone expected to see the day when Adrian Davies asked a girl to take him back. Every bone in my body screamed for me to just say yes, but my brain was a tad more rational. I really did need to consider this.
I made my way back to the compartment, turning the daisy between my fingers and biting my lip. I'd told Adrian I needed a few days to think about it, but I really didn't need the pressure of this decision on top of everything else. Oh well, suck it up. The road to happiness is obscured by thousands of decisions to be made.
I got a lot of grief on the subject once I arrived back in the compartment. Albus had, of course, spilled the beans, and the second I pushed the door open I was assaulted with questions.
Finally, I held up my hands to stop the flow. "Enough! I told him I needed to think about it, and it's really none of your concern what I decide. This is about me and Adrian, no one else."
Silence fell and I breathed a sigh of relief, falling into a seat next to Scorpius. I had far too much on my mind to think about any displeasure in this arrangement, and instead just relaxed back into the cushions and continued to twirl the daisy in circles.
"Davies even gave you a flower?"
At first I didn't realize it was Scorpius who had spoken. Emily and Albus were deep in conversation, and Dom was showing something to Ben.
"Yes," I answered defensively. I could hear the derisive tone in his voice.
"Wow. He's really laying it on thick." I turned to face him, frowning, but just as I opened my mouth, he spoke again, "He even remembered you don't like roses. I've never seen him put in that much effort before. Maybe you really have changed him, Weasley."
My frown became one of confusion instead of anger at his words. Malfoy settled back against the cushions and closed his eyes without another glance in my direction, leaving me to wonder why he was the only one who wasn't judging the situation, and how he knew I hated roses.
After supervising the unloading of the train, Scorpius and I grabbed the last carriage to the Feast together in silence. This was the last time I would experience a start of term feast. This time next year I would be working in the real world. Doing what, I had no idea. All seventh years were required to meet three times with their Head of House over the year to discuss career decisions, but I had nothing to tell Professor Longbottom when the time came. The meetings were organized so that we met at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the year. I needed to come up with something to say before next week. I couldn't very well go into this meeting telling him that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after graduation. I was Rose Weasley, for Merlin's sake. I was expected to know exactly what I was doing. My dad wanted me to get some prestigious desk job in the ministry, but I couldn't say the prospect of pushing paper for the rest of my life was very enticing. However, what would my father say if I told him the things I was really considering? Mum would be supportive, of course, but Dad was always another story. He told you that he would accept you no matter what, but you knew what he would and wouldn't approve of. You never wanted to disappoint him, and that was a pressure all in its own.
I sighed, rising from the bench at the conclusion of the Feast and heading toward the Headmistress's office. Scorpius and I were to report there at the end of the dinner. We arrived at around the same time, speaking the password and stepping onto the spiral staircase together.
"Enter," Headmistress Vanhousen's voice sounded form within. My stomach clenched nervously while Scorpius continued to look perfectly at ease. It was as if this were any normal day.
We greeted the Headmistress and sat when she indicated. The meeting was relatively quick and to the point. No abuse of power, no inappropriate behaviour in the Heads' dormitory, and so forth. She told us explicitly that the dormitory was charmed to alert her of any misconduct, considering that this was a school. I found it strange that the school even allowed two teenagers of opposite sexes to live in such close proximity. Vanhousen explained that the arrangements were a reflection of the trust she had in us as adults to behave in a mature fashion. This led to the most awkward moment of the night. Should we cross the line of friendship, we were required to inform her immediately. Apparently, it happened more than one would expect, but the prospect of it happening this year was one I found quite humorous. Vanhousen had experience on her side, and ploughed right through the discomfort easily.
None of the prefects knew this, but the Headmistress chose two seventh years from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses as sort of Deputy Heads in case Scorpius or I failed to perform our duties adequately. We were required to visit our house common rooms at least once per week to make sure everything was still going well, as well as to prevent ourselves from becoming too wrapped up in our greater authority. All in all, the rules weren't too different from those of the other prefects. Easy enough. The Headmistress handed us our schedules for classes at the end of the meeting with a smile and wishes of good luck.
We made our way silently to the Heads' dormitory and spoke the password before Scorpius motioned for me to enter first. I gave him a small, awkward smile before ducking through the doorway. The common area looked the same as it had last year when I'd visited James. The fireplace housed a roaring fire, with a couch and two armchairs surrounding it along with a small table. I smiled slightly as I took it in. After six years of working toward this, I was finally here. I was Head Girl.
Scorpius headed toward the staircase on the left side of the common area which led to his bedroom while I headed for the one on the right side.
"Hey, Weasley," Scorpius said softly. I stopped with my foot on the first stair and turned my head to face him. "I know it's none of my business, but be careful with Davies. He may have never shown this much effort before, but that doesn't mean you should forgive him for breaking your heart the first time."
I had no idea what to say at first. I was completely shocked that he would even say anything about this to me. How dare he comment on my relationship? How would he know if Adrian had broken my heart or not? I'd kept myself carefully composed in the corridors for the few days left in term. It's not like he had any experience with this sort of thing, anyways. "You're right," I replied, finding my voice, "It is none of your business, Malfoy."
I set my jaw and ascended the rest of the stairs, pushed the door open, and let it snap shut behind me to punctuate my anger at his interference. We didn't even know each other. We tolerated each other for the sake of our best friend, and suddenly he thought that gave him the right to offer up his opinion on my personal life? Earlier, he'd been almost supportive of it being my decision to make, so why the sudden change in heart? No one thought I should give Adrian a second chance. No one understood. If anything it made me more determined to prove them all wrong.
Our first day as seventh years went much the same way as our first days in fifth and sixth year. In every class our teachers spent the first fifteen minutes lecturing us on the importance of this year. Our grades this year would determine the course of our lives. How we performed this year would be the example of our conduct that employers looked to when we applied for jobs. This year could make or break our chances of getting into the post-Hogwarts training programs we hoped for. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat next to Dominique as Professor Newberry, Head of Hufflepuff House, repeated these exact words to us in Transfiguration, even after we'd heard them from Professor Brom in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I could guarantee I would hear them again from Professor Longbottom in Herbology, Chang in Charms, Derrick in Potions, and so on and so forth. The cycle was never ending.
We finished the day with far too much homework, and on top of it, Scorpius and I still needed to finalize this month's patrol schedule. We had to patrol for the first couple of nights until the schedule was out, so the sooner we got it done the better. To that end, I collected the calendar with its invisible signatures and sat in front of the fireplace to get started. I had only revealed the names on the calendar when Scorpius walked in.
"Seriously? You're starting on that already?" He asked once he recognized the parchment in front of me.
"The sooner we get it done, the better."
"Oh, come off it, Rose. It's the first day."
"All the more reason to get this done. We already have a ton of homework and it'll only get worse from here, Malfoy. Let's get this over with so we don't have to add patrols to our schedule. Aren't you the one who was in favour of the 'next generation' doing all the work?" I asked, really wishing I could raise an eyebrow at that moment.
He grinned, "Ok, fine. You got me there, Weasley. Let's get this over with."
We made it through with minimal arguing, which surprised me, and we both went our separate ways to post the schedules in the common rooms. The Headmistress had given us the locations and passwords to be used only for patrol postings. Scorpius took Slytherin and Hufflepuff, claiming he wouldn't be able to figure out the answer to the riddle required for entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.
I entered the Ravenclaw common room first, heading straight for the notice board. I took care not to draw too much attention to myself, but word must have spread twice as fast as it normally did, because I turned around and almost ran straight into Adrian.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said as I jumped slightly. I put a hand to my forehead in an attempt to calm myself a bit.
"Adrian. I said I needed a few days-"
"I know. But does that mean I can't say hi?"
I smiled, "I guess not."
"So, sharing a dormitory with Malfoy. How's that going?" He asked.
I laughed easily, "It's actually not too bad yet."
"Well I guess it's only been one night."
I smiled, not sure what to say to that. We chatted for a few more minutes about classes and Quidditch before I took my leave. It was nice talking to Adrian again, but I did have a busy night tonight.
"You going to the party tonight?" He called out as I started to back away.
"What party?"
"The start of term party? The one that happens every year?"
Understanding clicked in and I shook my head. The start of term party was a relatively new tradition at Hogwarts. Unofficially, it was for fifth to seventh years and took place in the Room of Requirement. The students of Hogwarts would be forever grateful to Professor Longbottom for devoting spare time in his first two years of teaching to fixing the Room of Requirement. After the Fiendfyre incident during the war, McGonagall was sure the Room was beyond repair, and the teachers agreed it would be best if the Room were left alone, given all that had occurred within its walls. However, Professor Longbottom found a way to restore at least some of its function after the former Headmistress's retirement. No one was quite sure why he was so keen to fix it. Perhaps because it saved so many students from the horrors of Hogwarts during the War, he viewed it as a sort of haven. Perhaps he just wanted to prove he could.
Either way, the room was now somewhat rehabilitated. It had fixed dimensions, unable to morph to its occupants' desired size, but would still obey simple requests pertaining to its perception. For instance, the Room would conceal itself and become soundproof if asked. A teacher could walk by and have no idea students were inside, perhaps having a party, for instance. It was something we were forever indebted to the Professor for, though it couldn't be said aloud, lest he feel an obligation to enlighten the other teachers. I'm sure they knew, of course, but as long as they weren't directly told and had no actual proof, it was a happy little unspoken secret. As long as it caused little to no havoc, Vanhousen conveniently overlooked its existence.
"I can't. I have to patrol tonight."
"Oh, come on, Red, live a little. I'm sure Malfoy will be there. He hasn't missed one yet, and this is our last!"
"Well, he can go if he likes, but I take my responsibilities seriously."
Adrian let it go and I went on my way to the Gryffindor common room. It was strange being back there again. Even after only one night away, I felt like an intruder.
"Rose!" Dom's voice sounded cheerfully behind me as I stabbed a tack through the patrol schedule. "What are you wearing tonight?"
I would have been confused if Adrian hadn't just brought it up. "I can't go, Dom. I have to patrol tonight."
My cousin immediately deflated. "But it's our last start of the year bash! You have to come! I'm sure you can bully some fifth year into doing it for you."
I rolled my eyes at her. "I am not abusing my power like that, Dom."
"Good thing Scor and I already did it for you, then," Al's nonchalant voice came from behind me.
"What?!" I whirled on my other cousin as Dom clapped her hands in glee.
"Well, we didn't really abuse power. We managed to round up Elaina Reilly and Simon Kingsmith. They volunteered to take the patrol tonight if you and Scor take theirs next Wednesday."
Al looked far too proud of himself. I inhaled deeply to try to stay calm. "Did it occur to you that I might not be able to take a patrol next Wednesday? Or that I might not want to?"
The smile dropped off his face. "Rose, we were just trying to help. You need to let loose a little. You've never actually been to the start of the year party before. If I recall, you took Aline's place patrolling last year. It's only fair that someone do the same for you now that we're in our last year."
"Well if I've never been to it why should I go now?"
"Because it's our last year! We need to take advantage of this, Rose. No regrets and all that nonsense."
I inhaled again, but could feel my irritation ebbing away. There was no sense fighting what was already done. "Fine. Thank you, Albus."
The grin returned to his face and Dom squealed behind me, grabbing my hand and leading me up to the seventh year girls' dormitory to find me something to wear. She completely ignored my protests, telling me that everything I owned had likely been worn at least once, and she'd brought more than enough new outfits for the both of us and Emily. Imagine our surprise when we realized that Emily also needed convincing.
"I dunno guys. I just… I don't really feel like celebrating," she told us from her spot on her four poster bed.
"Oh, come on, Em. I'm going!" I tried, while Dom surveyed our friend.
"This is about James, isn't it?" She guessed shrewdly.
"I know it's pathetic, but I just can't help it. I miss him, and it feels weird going to parties without him here."
"Oh, come off it, Em. You know he and Fred are hosting tons of parties at their 'bachelor pad'. He wouldn't want you to stay shut up here like… like Rose."
I took offence to that, but figured I could bring it up later. "Emily, if you don't come of your own free will, I will be forced to inform Albus, and I will not be responsible for the lengths he goes to. He's already probably blackmailed Elaina Reilly into taking my patrol, there's no telling how far he'll go."
It took a few more minutes before an idea occurred to me. I'd seen an oval package resting on Emily's trunk on the platform and could guess what it contained. I tried not to attract much attention to myself as Dom and Emily continued to argue. I quietly sifted through Emily's trunk, finding exactly what I was looking for just as Emily noticed.
"Rose, what are you-" She started, eyes widening as she realized what I held.
"James Potter," I spoke clearly at the mirror, grinning as my cousin's face appeared in the mirror. I knew it. I couldn't tell if this was the broken one Uncle Harry repaired or not, but James must have nicked the pair from him. "Hey, cousin. Tell your girlfriend that if I'm going to the start of the year bash, she'd better be accompanying me."
I tossed the mirror to Emily and went to stand next to Dom as she sifted through her clothes to find something she deemed appropriate. It turned out to be a burnt orange top and denim skinny jeans, which was better than I'd expected. Until she shoved black, strappy heels into my hands.
"No way. There's no way I can walk in these," I told her, startled.
She laughed. "Of course you can. Every girl can walk in heels. It just takes a couple of minutes to get used to them first. You'll be fine, trust me."
I eyed them skeptically, wishing Dom and I weren't the same size, until Emily spoke up in agreement. Her conversation with James had convinced her there was no sense moping about, thankfully. With that settled the three of us headed down to dinner. Afterward, I brought Dom and Emily back to the Heads' dorm and worked on my homework while the two of them started doing hair and make-up. I didn't understand why they needed to start so early.
"Oh, Merlin, you brought them here to get ready?" Al's voice came from behind me.
"Yeah?" I responded. "I can ask them to turn down the music if you want."
"No, it's not that, but now that you're here we're going to feel obligated to wait for you and girls take forever to get ready," he whined.
"You might feel obligated but I don't," Scorpius chimed in, heading to his room.
They ended up waiting for us anyways. After Dom and Emily finished doing whatever it was they were doing to themselves, Dom came to pull me in as well. I shot Albus a fearful look over my shoulder. Dom may have gotten me into better clothing, but I wasn't much for more than a bit of mascara. I had no idea what they were planning, but I knew I wasn't looking forward to it. In the end, Dom only put some eyeliner and eyeshadow on in addition to my usual mascara. I protested the heels once more before finding myself standing in them in front of the mirror. Well, I guess I was losing that battle. Em pulled back half of my curly hair in a clip and smiled at me in the mirror.
Finally, the three of us stepped out of my room. Al and Scorpius were sitting on the couch, Al turning and starting in on what would surely have been a great exaggeration of his impatience starting with 'Galloping Gargoyles', but he stopped after those two words when he caught sight of us. Scorpius turned around frowning at his best friend's sudden silence, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly as he took us in.
"And this is why they take so long, mate." He grinned wolfishly, "Looking good, ladies."
I withheld a scoff, settling for shooting him a look as I stepped past him. His grin only widened.
"You know, Scorpius was totally checking you out," Dom attempted to whisper in my ear once we got to the party. The music made it a bit difficult, but she got an O for effort.
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Please. He was just being his usual self."
"And his usual self totally thinks you're hot."
I rolled my eyes again and took a drink. "Dominique, we barely get along."
"You know, your hatred for each other over the years could be interpreted as passion," she pointed out, schooling her expression into one of innocence.
I shot her one of my practiced looks and her expression sobered. She took a long drink, still eyeing me over the brim of her cup. I ignored her, turning to survey the room instead. I spotted Lily over in one corner with Hugo and a couple of their friends and my eyes widened.
"What in Merlin's name are they doing here?" I asked, coughing on the bit of liquid I'd inhaled at the sight of my little brother and cousin.
"The same thing we are, I imagine," Em replied indifferently.
"But-but- they're-"
"Fifth years, Rose."
Well that kind of ruined my semi-good mood. My little brother was old enough to go to the parties now…
"I take it you've seen our siblings, then?" Al asked me darkly. I hadn't even realized he'd come up behind me. I nodded. He seemed about as pleased with it as I did.
We stood in silence for a while longer before Dom spotted Reese Abbott by the drinks table and sent us a suggestive smile over her shoulder as she approached him. I rolled my eyes at her predictability before spotting Adrian across the room as well. Al must have spotted him, too, because he snorted in disgust. I bristled and felt the sudden urge to go over and talk to him just to spite my cousin. That was why I shouldn't drink in any amount. I was a lightweight to begin with, and my developing buzz was telling me going over to Adrian was an excellent idea. Of course, why shouldn't I listen to it?
"I'll see you later, Al," I told him breezily.
"Wait, are you actually going to talk to him?" He asked, disbelieving.
"Yes, I am."
He opened his mouth to say something more but I ignored him. I didn't realize I was completely ditching Emily, and I'm not sure if I would have cared given my anger with my cousin at the moment. Adrian smiled as he saw me coming, until I slipped through the last couple of people and he got a full look at me for the first time. His eyes bugged out of his head and I grinned.
"Wow, Red, you look…" He trailed off.
I blushed. "Er, thanks. Courtesy of Dominique."
We talked for a long while, and it felt just like it did last year. I spotted Emily and Albus laughing easily with each other in a couple of chairs, and was glad he hadn't left her to her own devices. I forgot they probably saw a lot more of each other than they usually did now that Emily was with James, so it wouldn't be that awkward for them to be left alone. Albus must have sensed me watching them, because his eyes flickered to mine. He took in the sight of me beside Adrian and his eyes narrowed slightly. I frowned back at him, finally getting the push I needed to make the decision.
"You know what," I cut Adrian off, turning to him suddenly, "I don't need a few days. I made my decision the second you asked, but I had to give myself time to think it over first."
He looked surprised, understandably, and a bit apprehensive. "Er, ok? What did you decide?"
I smiled at him. "I still love you, too, Adrian. I miss you, and I think we should give it another go."
He grinned widely and leaned in to kiss me. I smiled into the kiss, welcoming the familiarity of his lips against mine and his arms around my waist.
"Adrian, when you've got a moment for air," A voice drawled behind us. We broke apart and I blushed slightly. I turned to face Alex, Adrian's twin sister. Perfect. Alex and I had never really gotten on well. Sure, we were cordial, but there was a strange tension just beneath the surface of our pleasantries. I wasn't sure what I'd done to her, but she had always been this way. Maybe it was just her Slytherin personality coming out in full force.
"Alex," I stated by way of greeting, smiling for Adrian's benefit.
"Rose," she replied shortly, barely sparing me a glance. "I see you two wasted no time. I'm taking off, Ade."
Adrian nodded and Alex headed off, sparing me a short glare before turning away. Well, wouldn't this be fun.
A/N: Ok, so there it is! Reviews are love!