Fatality

Chapter 12

Adria

The Gryffindor room has already become a place for wild activities when I enter. Several people are shouting together, Ron Weasley has a hold of a banner and waves it aggressively and I spot a couple kissing in the corner. In the back of my stomach I feel a familiar pain. The whole atmosphere is starting to make me a bit claustrophobic without anyone to guide me along.

"Adria!" Someone yells. I turn to search for their face but I can't in the mass.

"Adria! What a great play out there!" Dean Thomas lightly smacks my back. There is a murmur of agreement rippling among the students.

"We beat Slytherin!" Another calls from atop the couch, the cushions are splayed about. Everyone shouts in approval. I start to recede, regretting my 'I can party too' goal.

I suck in a bit of air when someone's arm collides my shoulder. It my automatic response to mutter a sorry.

"Sorry." They mumble back, "just lookin' for a bit of smuggled firewhisky." He looks about the table and curses.

"Callum?" I say before realizing how stupid I sound.

"And you've known me for how long?" He says while still searching around.

"Sorry I just... Why are you looking for firewhisky?" I shake my head.

"That's easy." He grabs a bottle with a smug look and shrugs. "Not only does it taste good, but it also makes people happy."

"Or depressed, depending on your reaction." I cross my arms.

"I don't need a lesson, mother. I'm capable of taking care of myself." Callum tips the bottle back a bit and makes his way over to the windows.

"Whatever." But I am sputtering to myself.

"Everyone is going to be in no mood for Hogsmeade tomorrow." A voice states over the thunder of wild students.

A deeper voice responds. "Don't worry 'Mione. No one is unhappy for Hogsmeade. Think of the candy!"

Hermione comes into view with Ron Weasley, who seems to have discarded his banner from earlier. Hermione's dark eyes roll but oblivious Ron doesn't seem to notice at all.

"Hermione!" I wave her over. She politely smiles. "Would you mind going out shopping for dresses tomorrow? If you don't have one. You are invited to Slughorn's party right?" I had just assumed she was invited with her prefect status and all.

"Sure. I don't have good dress robes." She admits and shrugs.

I nod silently.

Good thing Hermione was feeling talkative. "How people can be so foolish." She points to a pair of students trying candies that made them make animal noises. But you can tell she was saying it lightly. It strikes me that she isn't as stuck up as I first thought. I wonder if people think of me the same way.

She continues. "You should've seen the other teams face. All thanks to you guys I suppose. I saw one particular student livid. One of the best things of the year so far. Draco Malfoy was furious but was sort of... Well quiet this time and-"

"Draco Malfoy?" I lean against the table to let people who were dancing through.

"Yes. It's funny, if there was one person who has been free from most of his wrath it's you." Hermione says absently.

"No I'm not." I shake my head and recall finding him a few days earlier. 'Always do what someone says?' But that isn't too bad. It's not like someone hasn't told me that before.

"His father is locked up now." Hermione lowers her voice, her eyes a bit downcast. "Good thing my father is a dentist?" She smiles.

"Yeah." I say weakly. I know what that was like, not being able to have a parent around.

"Oh." Hermione almost slaps herself, "I heard your parents... I mean..."

"It's fine." It was, really. I try not to think about it a lot, it helps most of the time.

"Hermione!" Harry Potter waves his arms over the crowd.

"Harry what are you doing?" She marches over. I feel a small twitch of jealousy. Imagine being the best friend of the boy who lived. I sit on the perch of the window near Finn, finally finding him. Callum was leaning against the stone of the fireplace.

"Adria." Finn greets me warmly. "You did wonderful." He places a swift kiss on my cheek.

"I would be in the hospital wing if it wasn't for you." I lean back.

He shrugs but his cheeks were a bit pink.

My mouth feels like cotton so I grabbed a drink that was next to Callum. As I lower it to my lips a burning sensation passed through my mouth, feeling like lapping flames. I cough and Callum starts laughing hysterically.

"You're cruel! You didn't tell me what that was!" I sputter.

"You didn't give me the time." I glare at him and he laughs again. "Alright I wouldn't have told of anyways."

I kick at his foot. "I'm going upstairs, I've had enough for tonight."

*

The air is chilly and the earth was beginning to be blanketed by white snow. My boots make a squishing sound as I depart from the train to Hogsmeade.

"Quite chilly." Hermione comments.

"Where's Harry and Ron?" I ask her. I pull my hat down so my ears don't get colder.

"Not sure. But if I had to guess they're going to Honeydukes any moment now." Her cheeks are pink from the cold.

"Good thing it wasn't this cold at the match." I remark and Hermione swings the door open to Gladrags Wizardwear shop. The door let out a soft jingle. There are dresses set out on the back left so we both made our way to it. There are ridiculous socks on a shelf that caught my eye. I was about to point them out to Hermione but she is already browsing.

"I don't think I'm very good at this." I admit.

"Same here. But if you look awhile there might be something."

And it did take a while, a good portion of our time at Hogsmeade in fact. But Hermione and I both carry bags and a satisfied expression.

"I'm exhausted." She laughs faintly.

"That should be qualified as an exercise. Hey, is that Blaise?" I watch a student recede away from us, he strutted at a fast pace.

"I think so, why?"

"Can you hold this?" I give her my bag and before she can utter another question I'm racing off.