the kiss list, adrian pucey
𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐

chapter seven
number 16: JEREMY STRETTON

✧ ━━━ · ✦ · ━━━ ✧

     IT HAD BEEN FIVE DAYS SINCE BIANCA HAD kissed Katie Bell and she had had no further luck since. She had told Leo that she was waiting for another perfect opportunity because she needed it to be as natural as possible. After all, those are the rules. But when no such chances came around after nearly a week, Bianca was beginning to think it was just luck that she managed to kiss Katie and that the opportunity was handed to her on a silver platter. All she had to do was wait until the bottle landed on her and it did; it was a game of chance. Still, she had kissed one more person than Adrian had anticipated she would have done already, so there are some positives.

     It was mid-September and Autumn days fall by as fast as the leaves from the trees. The sun rises and sets as if on fast-forward; like there is some divine hurry to reach the winter. Though the sun is still bright, still brilliant in the sky, it is cooler even on the days that lack clouds. The grounds were flooded with seas of radiant reds, dazzling golds, and luminous oranges. The leaves crunched from beneath with every step and swirl around on the ground in the wind, like a choreographed dance.

     The great hall was as lively as ever and as afternoon fell, the numbers increased as students began filing in to spend a few hours after school time to catch up on homework and studying. It was nowhere near as peaceful as the library, but Bianca didn't mind seen as she had no homework or studying to do. In fact, she wanted Leo's advice for her next 'target'.

     "It's only been five days, Bi. You have six months." Leo reassured her for the second time as he continued to try and concentrate on the homework in front of him. Bianca wasn't helping.

     "Six months seems longer than it actually is Lee, and I can't just sit around waiting forever. The whole point is that I'm the one that makes the moves and right now, I'm not exactly doing so well."

     "I'm sure Pucey's surprised you even managed one," he said bluntly, not looking up from his parchment.

     She groaned, slightly offended and bored, and slumped over onto the desk, letting her head collapse onto the desk.

     "Oh come on, Bi. You're doing well," he noticed her attitude and clear boredom. Bianca wasn't sure whether he actually meant that or whether he was just trying to make her feel better. She scooped herself up and flattened out her hair that had gone slightly frizzy. "Look at the book. I know you said you don't need a plan or whatever, but, seen as you're clearly very bored and apparently jobless and I need some peace and quiet over here, just have a look over the list again. Maybe you'll come up with something." he suggested. She could tell he was getting irritated at this point, but she didn't understand why he didn't just go to the library; he'd most certainly find peace there.

     She opened Adrian's "stalker book" (yes, she still referred to it like that), making sure it was out of view from any prying eyes around her. She admired his scruffy handwriting and the little smudges of ink that he had been too careless to avoid or get rid of. She hated how every time she looked at the pages and pictures, she wasn't thinking about whoever's picture it was or how she could cross them off, but that she was thinking of him. She hated it. He was like an invasive parasite that she couldn't shake.

     She looked over to the table at the far end of the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She didn't even know why she wanted to, but she couldn't seem to stop herself and concentrate on the importance of what was in front of her. Instead, she continued to search for him, and eventually, her eyes found the Slytherin, laughing away. She hated how attractive he looked when he laughed. Maybe it was because she was so insecure of her own, that she despised how he didn't even have to think about it; it was perfect anyway. Except, that's not what she hated the most. But in fact who he was laughing with.

     Her eyes followed his where she found herself looking at a familiar, average height Hufflepuff, with emerald eyes and silky brown hair. Bianca immediately looked away and re-opened the book, flicking through the pages aggressively, until she found the right one. Tamsin Applebee: number fifteen.

     She precipitously stood up, causing Leo to accidentally ruin the word he was writing and she stormed towards the Serpent's table. Her eyes didn't leave Adrian, as he continued to flirt with the girl. What annoyed her the most was that, not only was he ruining any chance she had from kissing the Hufflepuff, but that he was forcefully laughing away. Forcefully flirting back. Forcing any kind of smile at the girl. Bianca almost felt sorry for Tamsin because she knew Adrian was just trying to get back at her for doing so well on her first night, so early on into the game.

     She reached the table and as soon as he noticed her expression, he sat up straighter and smirked in her direction, "Could I talk to you for a minute please Adrian?" she ground her teeth together and forced her own smile.

     He looked at Tamsin and she nodded sweetly, "Uh sure." he said, not losing the proud smirk for a second.

     He stood up and followed her out of the loud hall and out of sight, where she aggressively pulled him into a thinner corridor off of the side of the main one. His grin grew when the two found themselves pressed awfully close together and Bianca could feel his breath on her face, "Bit cozy Larsson?" he leered.

     She smiled sarcastically before stepping back slightly where there was still room to expand the distance between them. "So, how can I help you?" he asked.

     "Why were you flirting with Tamsin Applebee?" she asked.

     He chuckled to himself, "Is that against the rules?"

     "Of course it is," she said, her anger building at how he was behaving.

     "I don't remember saying I couldn't flirt with anyone on the list." he protested.

     "That's completely unfair and you know it," she complained. He stared at her, admiring her features and reading her face. When he didn't reply, her frustration skyrocketed. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" he scoffed in amusement at how his plan to wind her up, was going so well, "You were so mortified that I managed one so early on, you decided to play dirty."

     "So what if I did? You like a challenge don't you Larsson?" he sneered.

     She gritted her teeth, once again, trying so desperately not to punch the smirk off of his face. Instead, she scoffed, took a deep breath, and walked away, leaving Adrian, still beaming with pride, leaning against a wall in a hidden corridor.

     She needed to get a move on.

➼

     BIANCA HAD BEEN A PREFECT SINCE HER fifth year and nothing made her prouder than the thought that Professor McGonagall trusted her with the responsibilities that a prefect had to take on. Adrian Pucey had also been selected for Slytherin the same year as her and although in her last year in the position she had never had to suffer late-night petrol with the boy, she still hated how he too was chosen.

     She would usually spend her evenings listening to Percy Weasley drool on about Penelope Clearwater and although that sounded utterly riveting, Bianca also knew that two prefects, happened to be two of the boys from her list: Cedric Diggory and Jeremy Stretton. Tamsin Applebee was the other Hufflepuff representative along with Cedric, but Bianca knew it was too soon after she was 'swooned' by Pucey to try that.

     Cedric was also one that she was not experienced enough to try this soon into the bet. She had barely any flirting skills and was most certainly not born with the natural talent of the art of flirting, unlike Adrian and Cedric was possibly the most attractive and popular guy in the school. She needed more time to work on that one, so Cedric was out of the equation.

     There left Jeremy Stretton. He was a chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and wasn't too bad from what Bianca had experienced. What she had experienced, however, was year two Jeremy: twelve-year-old Jeremy. They had been partnered for a herbology assignment and he seemed like a nice kid. But four years have passed since then and Bianca had no doubt that he was the kinda guy to make out with any girl when he got the chance. And although she couldn't think of anything worse, she was kind of hoping that is exactly what he was like.

     So when Bianca showed up for her prefect duty that same night, determined to kiss the boy and make Adrian regret ever talking to Tamsin, she made sure that she would be paired with him for the evening patrol duty. Obviously, she wasn't going to be able to, unless she took action.

     "Hey, Percy," she pulled the redhead aside, "Could I possibly do patrol with Jeremy tonight? We have a herbology assignment to discuss and it's a big percentage of our grades." she queried, hoping and praying he wouldn't question it.

     "Uh, okay, sure, if it's that important." he agreed, dismissing her and she silently celebrated before following him to the group of prefects that had now formed in the hallway.

     "Okay, so usual pairs tonight, apart from Larsson and Stretton?" Percy inclined his head towards Jeremy, expecting him to know exactly what he was talking about. The Ravenclaw furrowed his eyebrows slightly, wondering why he wouldn't be spending his patrol with Penelope, "Your assignment?" the redhead prompted.

     He looked over at Bianca who was biting her nails, almost flirtatiously and that's all it took for him to nod in the Gryffindor boy's direction. Bianca knew that the only reason Jeremy didn't question it, is because he was hoping that he could have a little more fun with Bianca than he ever would have done with Penelope. She was by all means grossed out, but what she thought was an awkward attempt at seducing the chaser, had actually worked, so she just hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she imagines.

     She was paying too much attention to Jeremy that she didn't even notice the Slytherin boy, glaring at her from a distance. He knew exactly what she was doing.

     "Actually, could I possibly switch as well?" Adrian asked Percy, causing Bianca to finally realize what he was doing and she shot her head in his direction. She gave him a look as if to say 'don't do it' but he immediately ignored her and turned back to the other Gryffindor prefect, "Tamsin and I have a project due next week that would be easier if we could spend the time tonight to confer a few ideas we had?"

     Bianca's jaw dropped slightly. She couldn't believe him. Sure, she was doing more or less the same thing, but she wasn't breaking any rules. Her blood began to boil as the brunette Hufflepuff edged closer to Adrian, smiling. They most definitely did not have any project, so she was confused as to why Tamsin didn't question it either. Jeremy didn't, so maybe she just wanted to snog Adrian where she knew no one would see. Either way, it was way out of order.

     "As long as it doesn't distract you from your duties, then fine; Pucey and Applebee, you can pair for tonight. You'll be on the fifth floor." he turned away from them, "Diggory, you and Wynch can do the third floor. Penelope and I will do the fourth. And Stretton and Larrson, the dungeons. Everyone else, nothing different." Percy dismissed everyone and soon, Bianca was alone, wandering the eerie dungeons, with Jeremy Stretton.

     Much to Bianca's surprise, flirting with the boy wasn't as difficult as it previously seemed. All she was doing was strolling alongside him, listening to him drone on and on about Quidditch, nodding every few minutes subconsciously, and then smiling and laughing at everything he did. She hadn't taken in anything he had said to her in the last thirty minutes and she simply let her sub-conscience do the work for her, as she stared at the ground, following the cracks in the stone. Adrian's night wasn't much different: he walked why she talked. He too wasn't even paying attention.

     "So, what's this assignment that we have to discuss?" he smirked, changing the subject unexpectedly.

     "That was just an excuse to walk with you," she said amorously.

     "Why? You think I'm cute?" he grinned.

     He wasn't exactly unattractive, and even Bianca could admit that not a lot of guys could pull off long hair like Jeremy seems to. And she could easily see why the girls were drawn to him, but his 'skillful' ability to boast and brag, made his personality extremely unattractive.

     "I guess you could say that you're not bad to look at." she gave him the same grin that he was giving her, only, at her reply, his grew wider.

     "You know, I was kind of confused why you wanted to walk with me, but honestly I'm glad you lied to Percy; Penelope is next-level boredom to patrol with."

     She chuckled, "Don't get me started on Percy. I'm sure he's worse. All he ever talks about is-"

     "Penelope." he finished her sentence with a laugh. "All she ever talks about is him."

     She followed, laughing as well, "Bet they're having fun right now." she said and he laughed, nodding in agreement; he was quite clearly, amused.

     Bianca was beginning to think that maybe Jeremy wasn't so bad.

     "I thought that prefect duty would be more fun than what it turned out to be," he explained, moving onto his next topic. "But this is the most fun I've had."

     "Why, did you think that patrolling the dungeons for overwhelmed first years out of bed would be a sexy and riveting experience?" she asked, knowing that is exactly what he thought. 'Aren't Ravenclaws meant to be smart?' she thought.

     "Well," he paused, "Yeah." he ended it with a laugh.

      Maybe he was that bad.

     "I'm sure you thought that the corridors at midnight were the perfect place for a makeout session?" she queried, slightly anxious for the trap she was setting herself in.

    "How did you know?" he snickered.

     They had reached the end of the corridor down in the dungeons, where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was. She recognized the path to the potions classroom and Professor Snape's office. They stopped at the wall and Bianca could smell a fusion of Jeremy's strong cologne and the dampness from the lake above.

     Bianca couldn't quite believe what she was planning on saying next, but she knew she had to. For the bet. For the bet. "Had any luck?" she asked, still maintaining her best flirtatious attitude whilst gagging internally.

     She hadn't seen him smirk as much as he did now, "At least not yet."

     He was inches away from her, and she was in no way excited about whatever was about to happen ─ which Bianca knew had to happen ─ but for some reason, her breath hitched, and his smirk grew.

     And here we go.