It was a few days later, Lee was working at the shop but he seemed a lot more distracted. He was putting products in the wrong places and staring off into space. Just like he acted when he was helping Adelaine work through her sexual harassment.
"So, is something wrong?" George asked.
Lee shrugged and said, "No."
"We know you're lying."
He sighed, took out the ring that Adelaine had given back to him and put it on the table in front of them.
"Isn't this Adelaine's engagement ring?" George asked.
"Was," Lee corrected, sadly.
"We take it your reunion didn't go well." Fred said, standing next to his brother.
Lee sighed and said, "It was going quite well actually until we started snogging."
"Did she not enjoy the snog?"
Lee shook his head and said, "She was enjoying it, trust me." He clearly remembered her letting a few soft moans escape her beautiful lips especially when he was rubbing the skin under her shirt.
"Then why did she give you back your ring?"
"I realize now that what I said may have pushed a button."
"What did you say?"
"I said that I couldn't wait until we're married so we can actually make love for real instead of just snogging passionately."
Fred and George nodded.
"Then she accused me of not being the same guy that suggested we tone down the displays of affection back in our sixth year after she was sexually harassed."
George thought for a moment and said, "Maybe that comment made her think of those incidents."
"How is it that single one that thought of that?" Fred smirked at his twin.
George smacked his twin on the arm.
"You know that's probably not a bad assumption, George," Lee said, pocketing the ring.
There was still hope.
It was a few days later, Adelaine was called into McGonagall's office.
"Hello, Ms. Romero."
"Hello professor."
"Please sit."
Adelaine sat down.
"So, it looks like you have a letter from the Ministry."
Adelaine looked up at the headmistress and asked. "I do?"
"Yes," she said handing her the letter.
Adelaine opened the letter.
It was summoning her to the courts a few days after Christmas to testify against Jeremy. She needed closure and she was getting it or at least hopefully. She could face him in court after almost two years. It took them long enough after she reported it.
"Ms. Romero?" McGonagall asked.
Adelaine looked up at the Deputy Headmistress and asked, "Yes?"
"Everything okay?"
"I need to go to court to testify."
"Testify?"
Adelaine gulped and said. "I was sexually harassed when I interned at the Prophet the summer before sixth year."
McGonagall gasped and asked. "Did you tell your parents?"
"I did."
"What about Mr. Jordan did he know?"
"Yes, he did. As did Cedric and George and Angelina and Alicia and I practically yelled it out to Fred who had the crazy idea that I had been cheating on Lee with Cedric."
McGonagall nodded and Adelaine was excused.
She needed Lee to be there to support her so she needed to go over to the shop and swallow her pride.
Lately, there's been this girl who's comes into the shop and innocently flirts with Lee. He didn't flirt back even though he didn't exactly know if him and Adelaine were still together.
It few days into Christmas holidays Adelaine was going through the Leaky Cauldron. She was in no hurry so she stopped for a Butterbeer.
"Adelaine!"
She turned to see Angie running towards her frantically.
"You have to come to the shop!"
Adelaine had been planning on going on to the shop anyway.
"A girl has been flirting with Lee and she's about to make a move."
Adelaine's eyes darkened nobody flirts with her precious Lee and gets away with it.
Angie tugged at Adelaine's arm eagerly and dragged her towards the shop but she didn't need to be dragged to the store.
Adelaine stormed up Lee's office without a greeting to the twins.
"Showtime!" Fred exclaimed.
Adelaine barreled through Lee's office door to see nothing suspicious.
"Where is she?" Adelaine growled.
Lee looked up at her and asked, "Where's who?"
"Don't you dare act innocent with me, I know you too well, Lee."
He smirked at her impishly and said. "Larisa, that's her name of the girl who's been flirting with me. She's not my type she was blonde and you know I have a thing for brainy brunettes and besides she told me that Fred and George told her to flirt with me whenever she came in the shop so Angie could tell you she was flirting with me."
"Do Fred and George know that you know this was a setup?" Adelaine asked.
Lee shook his head and replied."No, besides if they did I wouldn't be able to see that you do actually care if a girl was flirting with me."
"Of course, I care. Merlin, I feel stupid for falling for one of their ploys," Adelaine sighed, sitting on the edge of Lee's desk.
"You're not stupid, love."
Adelaine looked up at him shocked.
"I'm sorry I'm just so used to calling you that. I can go back to calling you Lainey or even further Adelaine or even further Romero." he said, sitting next to her their hands brushing up against each other intentionally.
In response Adelaine laced their fingers, smiled and said. "You can call me that, I realize I may have overreacted at your comment. I still get a bit touchy when it comes to that subject."
"So, George was right?" Lee asked.
"Right about what?"
"The reason that you blew up at me that you were still touchy about your sexual harassment."
"Yes, I am. Though I can't deny that I've gotten tired of seeing you just shirtless. I'm just scared," Adelaine said hopping up from his desk and standing up.
Lee smirked at her, rested his hand on her hip and said. "There's nothing wrong with being scared especially after your history even though you know I will be gentle with you when you are ready."
"I never thought I would hear those words come out of a former Gryffindor's mouth." Adelaine giggled her hazel eyes sparkling in amusement.
"Merlin, I could listen to your laugh all day especially when your eyes sparkle like that," Lee sighed.
"I have you wrapped around my finger even we're supposed to be fighting. I'm good," she giggled, again turning around Lee's other hand landing squarely on her other hip.
"You sure do, love."
Adelaine smiled at him and said, "I was on my way to see you anyway."
"You were?"
Adelaine nodded and said. "I got a letter from the Ministry about testifying against Jeremy. So, I might have closure."
"That's great, love."
She smiled up at her boyfriend and asked, "Will you be there for support?"
"When have I ever let you down?"
"Never, Paddy." she smiled again twirling a dreadlock around her index finger.
Lee grinned at her and said, "I still have the ring, if you want it."
Adelaine didn't respond she just tugged the dreadlock slightly and their lips connected in a sweet kiss.
"Wotcher!" a cheerful voice greeted bursting in the door almost falling down in the process.
The couple broke apart smiling at each other and Lee greeted his god-sister. "Hey Nymphadora."
She grimaced and said, "Adelaine, I hope you don't mind if I hex your boyfriend to oblivion."
"As long as I get to snog him one more time before you do," Adelaine smirked at her boyfriend.
Lee smirked back at his girlfriend and said. "You're not supposed to agree with my god-sister, love."
"Deal with it."
"Maybe Fred and George will side with me instead of ganging up on me," he pouted.
Adelaine giggled.
The three-some walked down the stairs to see Fred and George whistling innocently though they couldn't pull it off since they had smirks on their faces.
"I see you two made up?" George asked noticing Lee and Adelaine holding hands.
"Yep." Lee grinned at Adelaine.
Fred smirked and asked, "So, our plan worked?"
"Yes but now Adelaine and Dora are ganging up on me." Lee whined.
"Did you call her Nymphadora, again?" George asked, knowingly.
"No."
"Yes, he did." Dora said playfully glaring at her god-brother.
George laughed and said, "You get what you ask for, Charlie used to get hexed all the time for calling her Nymphadora."
Adelaine couldn't help but blush when George mentioned Charlie although she's very happy with Lee. Only Lee noticed his girlfriend's face which was as red as their best friend's hair.
"Before I forget, do you want your engagement ring back?" Lee grinned.
"Of course, you prat."
Lee chuckled and slipped the ring back onto her finger just like it's supposed to be.
"I'm bloody lost!" Dora exclaimed.
Lee looked up at his god-sister and said, "We'll explain over some drinks, Dora."
"Hopefully not too many drinks so you don't get too sloshed."
"But I know you enjoy taking care of me, you should've been a healer." Lee grinned at his reinstated fiancée.
"Two things wrong with that, I can only deal with taking care of people I care about and I bloody failed potions."
Lee shrugged and said, "Alright, love."
"So, drinks or what?" Dora asked.
Adelaine chuckled. Lee and Dora may playfully snipe at each other but they are so much alike. Adelaine's musings were interrupted when Lee wrapped his arm around her waist she hadn't realized they had left the shop.
"What you thinking about, love?" he asked, curiously.
She looked into his brown eyes and said, "Just how much I missed looking into you puppy dog eyes."
"And you said I was the one who was wrapped around your finger but apparently I have you wrapped around my finger as well." he grinned.
Adelaine nodded as they reached the Leaky Cauldron. They got a booth and ordered some drinks.
"So, catch me up on your relationship. The last thing I heard from mum was that you two were dating not engaged," Dora said taking a sip of her fire whiskey.
Lee wrapped his arm around Adelaine and replied. "Well, I originally proposed at a muggle baseball game that my maternal grandparents took us to while we were in America."
"What do you mean originally?"
"We had a bit of a spat a few days after his birthday when I gave him back his ring." Adelaine said, fiddling with her ring.
She really did miss wearing the ring.
"In a moment of passion, I said something I shouldn't have," Lee admitted, sheepishly.
"Like what, another girl's name?"
Lee shook his head and replied, "If I had said another girl's name, I think Adelaine would've magically castrated me plus breaking off our engagement."
"I probably would've." Adelaine giggled, leaning her head on Lee's shoulder.
"So, what did you say then?"
"I said I couldn't wait for us to be married so we could make love for real instead of just snogging very passionately which I do enjoy by the way."
Adelaine smirked at him and said, " I do too."
"Why did that upset you so much?" Dora asked.
Lee instinctively tightened his grip on his fiancée as she answered. "I interned at the Prophet the summer before my sixth year and I was sexually harassed by one of the camera men."
Dora's hair changed to a vibrant red meaning she was ticked off as she exclaimed. "That bloody bastard!"
"I know right, how dare he take advantage of my sweet Lainey."
Dora nodded.
The three of them continued talking.
By the end of the night Lee was completely sloshed. Adelaine didn't mind that he was extra affectionate but getting him back to their house would be a different story. It's a good thing she had Dora to help her walk a sloshed Lee home. They had him between them.
"Is he always this way when he's sloshed?" Dora asked.
Adelaine glanced over at her fiancé to see him leaning his head on her shoulder and replied, "Yes, he's always like this."
Dora nodded.
"You know technically this is the third time he's proposed."
"It is?"
Adelaine nodded and said, "Yeah, after the twins left in our seventh year he got slightly tipsy on some Firewhiskey from his secret stash and so nonchalantly proposed that I didn't know if he was serious."
Before Dora could respond they reached the house. Adelaine pulled out the key and opened the door.
"Our room is this way, Dora, try not trip over anything." Adelaine smirked at her fiancé's god-sister.
"You're just as bad as me sometimes." Dora said sarcastically.
Adelaine giggled and said, "I can't argue with you there."
They helped Lee up to bed, Adelaine peeled off his shirt and helped him into bed.
"Thanks, love." he hiccuped.
Adelaine replied, "You're welcome, now go to sleep I'll be back in a few."
Lee fell promptly asleep.
"So, Dora. We have an extra room if you want stay there. It's quite late."
"Thanks, so who's going to be maid of honor?"
"It's between you and Fred's girlfriend Angie."
Dora nodded. She decided to go home.
Adelaine went up to their room, changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed next to her very sloshed fiancé. He instantly draped his arms around her. She fell asleep contently.
