"Oh my, i got a 98 on this exam." Adelaide said as she looked at her potion's paper. It was a very hard exam and she really didn't have time to study due to her Brocken leg shenanigan, and she was still wearing her cast.
She then looked at Somerset and asked him: "What did you get?"
"A 100." He said smirking slightly.
"Oh, w-what?!" Adelaide replied, her heart sinking slightly. "Well, there's only a 2 points difference, same thing."
"No, no, darling, you got a 98 cause that was all you could get, but i got a 100 because that is all there was to get." Somerset told her in a joking manner as the distance between them was closed.
Adelaide stared at him, angered by his words. She quickly turned away, in order to get away from him, but she lost her balance, since she put a great deal of weight on her cast and she would have fallen if it weren't for Somerset, who grabbed her arm gently, balancing her.
"Adelaide, we need to get to the bathroom on the second floor, if you haven't forgotten about our secret meeting today with my friends." He whispered to her. "If you can that is, if you can't i can tell them-"
"You think i am that angry about my 98 percent? That i would stop living my life and forever mourn you besting me by 2 points? Please, you are so full of yourself." Adelaide snapped as she began walking to the bathroom.
"Adelaide, i didn't mean it because of your score but because of your broken leg. That's all, i didn't mean any offence. Truly."
"Let's go. I can barely stand beside you alone, you're something i can definitely never get used to."
"Oh, and why is that? Because of our rivalry? Or whatever i said last year to you?" His voice had a hint of hurt in it.
"Well, i don't know, there is a great deal of things about you that i can't really stand. Yes, there are the things you told me last year-"
"And i will forever regret it. I told you, it was in anger, the brashness of my words, and that anger was not really directed towards you but towards my own friends that like bullying and hurting others. If i could take it back, i would. I swear." He said with some desperation that made him clear his throat.
"Well, still, i was being honest with you then, and perhaps you were being honest yourself too." Adelaide replied as he shook his head frantically.
"Whatever, you are still a pain in the arse, truly. I rather not have classes with the Gryffindors, who i have befriended, because that means i will also have to put up with you. You are still arrogant and our competitive rivalry is definitely taking a lot of energy from me. But i won't quit."
"So you fear our competition?" Somerset jested.
"Oh no. As i said tired but it's not fearsome. What about you? Do you fear it?" Adelaide asked him in a mocking tone as they stood outside the bathroom door, as they stood in front of each other.
He leaned forward and said: "I don't fear our competition, as you said once; i embrace it. Competing against you is a constant adrenaline rush, Adelaide."
Adelaide just stared at him, feeling something weird in her stomach as Somerset's face had turned red slightly. Suddenly, the bathroom's door was opened by Sirius, and they jumped back.
"Oh, finally. I thought you had gotten lost and i needed to show you the way." Sirius said absentmindedly as he took in the tension between them.
"What in the bloody hell did happen with you? It's as if you've been through a war." Frank said as he gave a look to Somerset who just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, what did happen?" James said, hinting something to Somerset who just shook his head.
"Thankfully, nor Adelaide nor i had seen a war, Frank. We were just talking. Now what are you up to?" He said as he clasped his hands.
Remus and Frank only looked at each other, and shook their own heads and Adelaide felt as if she was intruding into their conversation, a silent one, that is.
"So, we took all of your mandrake leaves that we spat out last week, during the full moon, and we're going to brew the potion."
"Ok, so when are we going to do that?" Adelaide asked Sirius who told them that information.
"Now. Then next year, when there's a storm, we will drink it and boom! We're Animagis."
"We could also drink it separately or gather someday.."Peter suggested.
"Oh, no. Now that you said it, my dear parents are invited to stay with some pure-blood families in a wizarding resort. I suppose, this is another attempt to find the perfect girl for me." Sirius cringed. "Tell me, Adelaide, did you know this and perhaps, are you invited too?"
"What, no. I didn't even know such a thing. This Summer is all about muggle schedules, you know, the muggle nobility and all. My father specifically said that this Summer, he had enough of prejudiced families." Adelaide told him.
"Ugh, Regulus is becoming less and less tolerant. So i might as well as be alone in all this." Sirius replied as they exited the bathroom.
"Really? He wasn't as bad as you say before."
"His friends are really making him not to give a single thought about our family's wrong ideas and they are all in such a troublesome group. I learnt that Mulciber is a great mate of his, it just pains me. Before i could say, he was lost and didn't know any better, but now, he is actively choosing these ideas. Even some part of me says that Barty Crouch himself is being affected by these ideas." Adelaide only put a comforting hand on his back.
"So let's make the potion now and i will write our names on each of our vials, then we will store it in a dark place at our room. Next year at a storm we'll drink them." James announced.
They made the potion, which was not that hard but they needed to pay extra attention since a tiny error could cause some trouble. After brewing it, Frank wrote their names on the vials and put them in a box that he titled: "Boring old books."
"Ok so next year, when there was a storm we drink them as said before but don't forget to do the incantation everyday and evening." Adelaide reminded them as she taught them the incantation. They nodded and left.
..........
"What are you going to do this Summer, Dela?" William asked her as they were spending time outside, near Hagrid's cottage. They were sitting on the grass looking at the forbidden forest.
"Well since there is more than a month or two left of the school year, i don't know for sure. I know we're going on a trip to another country but the place is not yet chosen. Elizabeth suggested Italy, Spain and France. While Victoria suggested Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Father doesn't know what to choose, but i guess he wants somewhere outside of Europe. I mean, we have been to most of the countries that Victoria and Elizabeth had suggested."
He nodded listening to her and motioning for her to continue. "But we already have chosen it to be for 16 days. We will leave for it a day after we return from Hogwarts. Afterwards, we will attend muggle social functions, since we are aristocrats in the muggle world. There is another wedding or something. I have been to far too many weddings these past few years, but who's counting." Adelaide joked.
"I still don't get how you're aristocrats in the muggle world."
"Oh, well an ancestor of mine had helped a king, in economy or something. Nevertheless, his assistance was awarded by being given a title and estate." Adelaide responded.
"Ah, i got it. But why would he even do that?" He asked. "I mean, why would a wizard care for a muggle?"
"Well, aren't they humans? They are, so we need to care if there is something wrong." Adelaide responded.
"We are also going on a trip the first two weeks. My father is taking me with him." William said as he looked down.
"Oh, well where are you going?"
"He didn't tell me, he said it's work-related, i just know we're not going abroad." He replied in a dismissive manner, clearly hiding something.
"Oh, ok."
"So, you don't have time to see me after your trip?"
"I don't know. I can't say anything now, perhaps the last weeks of Summer." Adelaide responded and he nodded.
He then pulled a delicate pearl bracelet and put it on her. Adelaide smiled at the beautiful bracelet and played with the pearls, dangling from it.
"Do you like it? Why are you not saying anything? Oh, perhaps you hate it-" his nervous words were cut off when Adelaide put her hand on his cheeks.
"I love it. It's very pretty. Really. You don't have to spoil me with gifts whenever we go out. Even if you don't buy me gifts, i would still like you. But I haven't really given you anything." She said as she thought and an idea came up to her. "But i can give you this." And with that Adelaide gave him a soft kiss on his lips.
Adelaide didn't know where she found the courage to do such a thing, but perhaps listening to Marlene and Alice's dating advice to their friends had made her brave. The kiss was sweet and short as Adelaide was the first to pull away.
"Wow." William said as they both blushed. "Can i kiss you again?" Adelaide laughed. "No need to ask."
Then he kissed her again, this time it was longer and when they parted again, they laughed nervously. They talked for a few hours and they got up and left for the castle when it was time for dinner.
"So, tell me what the hell happened that you're a blushing mess?" Mary asked as they had gotten up from dinner and stood in the orchard.
"What? I am not a blushing mess."
"Don't deny it, there is something going on." Alice said as they waited expectantly for her to continue.
"Well, i might have, um, kissed William on the lips."
Adelaide answered quietly, as they all shrieked and Adelaide frantically looked around to see of she knew any familiar faces, and like always, in her most embarrassing moments, there was James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Frank and Somerset standing nearby and by their reactions, they had definitely understood what was going on and heard everything. She looked away, pulling her friends with her and telling them to shut up as she rushed to the common room.
Sirius' eyebrows rose and James patted Somerset while Frank gave him a sad smile. Remus just whispered something to him and Somerset nodded, masking his sad expression with his usual passive one. This went unnoticed by everyone but Lily Evans, who was shocked by what she saw. Afterwards, Somerset's eyes landed on her, giving her a frantic pleading look, as id he was begging her not to say a word to anyone, especially her. Lily nodded, promising to keep it to herself and not share it with anyone.