the kiss list, adrian pucey
𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐

chapter ten
number 9: MAXINE O'FLAHERTY

✧ ━━━ · ✦ · ━━━ ✧

     BIANCA WOKE UP WITH A RATHER BIG yawn to the aching in the crook of her neck. She opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the rays of sun seeping through the windows of the hospital wing. She lifted her head off of her shoulder and squinted her eyes a few times to wake herself up. She was leaning back into a chair, her arms crossed over her chest and her legs on top of one another stretched out in front of her.

     She sat up, with another yawn, and looked to her left to see Adrian Pucey, peacefully sleeping and slightly snoring in a comfortable position in the hospital wing bed beside her; a greasy napkin on the table, where three sausages once were.

     'I slept here?' Bianca thought to herself.

      She glanced to the steel alarm clock, resting on its two legs, besides Adrian, on his bedside.

     8:37 am.

     She had lessons in less than half an hour. She hasn't showered. Hasn't eaten (her currently growling stomach reminded her of that). She hadn't got her books for the lessons she had that day. And she had spent the night with Adrian Pucey, going against her Prefect duties and her morals.

     "Miss Larsson?" she heard a quaint voice speak, causing Bianca to whip her head up in surprise, to soon stare up at Madam Pomfrey. She sat up straighter once she realized she was in the presence of a member of staff, "What are you doing here?"

     She looked at the nurse, then at the boy, and eventually back to the nurse, who was standing over her, waiting for an answer, "Uhh. I uh-" she stumbled on her words, waiting for deceit to come to her mind, "Came uh t-to visit! Just briefly." she smiled.

     "Did you want him to be asleep?" she queried.

     Bianca looked back at the boy, who was in fact, still asleep through it all, making her cover-up story, awfully creepy.

     "No?" she asked, questioning her own words that she had just told the nurse, "Well, I haven't got long until lessons, so I should probably get going." she slowly nodded her head.

     "Yes, you probably should." Madam Pomfrey agreed. "Mr. Pucey will be out most likely at the start of next week, but you can visit your boyfriend on weekends. It's not a bad break, but visiting during school hours is not permitted, Miss Larsson."

     Bianca paused for a moment at the sound of someone referring to Adrian as 'her boyfriend'. She shuddered slightly but didn't find herself correcting the nurse before her. She couldn't tell whether it was because she couldn't be bothered altering what the woman had said, or whether it was something else. Bianca opted for a blunt reply instead.

     "Right. Sorry."

     She began roughly searching for her bag. She noticed the woman, wander out of her view, assuming she was attending to another patient. After tidying her robes as best she could, she grabbed her stuff and almost fled the hospital wing, and began walking as fast as she could manage to the Gryffindor tower.

     As she picked up her pace to a run, she patted down her robes, making sure she hadn't left anything behind; she couldn't bring herself to return, especially after Madam Pomfrey basically told her not to. That, and Adrian could have woken up in the thirty seconds she had been gone.

Wand: yes.
Favourite quill: yes.
Essential and random, spare lipgloss: yes.
An unknown, rough piece of scrap parchment: yes?

     She pulled out the mysterious, folded, what seemed to be, note, and slowed herself as she unfurled it. The handwriting was instantly detectable:

     She scoffed almost immediately.

     'Who does he think I am?' She asked herself. Although she knew the answer: his own personal owl. A suck-up. A nice person. Which technically, she was all those things. She hated him though, so fish and chips were out of the question.

     Although, as she approached the fat lady, she was completely unknown as to whether Adrian Pucey deserved anything from tonight's feast or what she was going to tell Percy.

➼

     THE ASTRONOMY TOWER IS THE TALLEST in Hogwarts. It lies almost directly above the front doors of the castle and the tower is surrounded by a parapet. It is tall enough to have a perfect view of the starry sky.

     Bianca found herself here a lot. A way to let go of the rest of the world, even for an hour. As a prefect, she hated breaking any kind of rule, but being out of bed, for a getaway sunset, she always seemed to find it easy to let this one slide.

     She didn't have any duties to fulfill tonight and thank Merlin for that. She had avoided Percy all day and had successfully managed not to engage in any type of conversation. She knew she couldn't even pass him in the hallway without the risk that he might bring up the fact that she never met him where she said she would, because low and behold, she fell asleep with Adrian Pucey in the hospital wing (somewhere she shouldn't even have been patrolling). She did in fact manage to dodge the prying needs of the redhead, but she knew she couldn't hide forever. That's something for tomorrow, so she decided tonight was a good one to return to the tower.

     Leo still didn't know that Bianca had slept in the ward all night and when her dormmates Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson questioned it, she made up some bullshit story about 'falling asleep in the library'. Bianca didn't even think you could; Madam Pince was stricter than most, but they bought it seen as Bianca spent most of her time there anyway. A long night reading until she ended up asleep, the book still resting in her hands: believable.

     She would stop by the kitchens on her way there (yet another rule break), blanket in hand, and sneak up the endless stairs, to her escape, hidden at the highest point of the castle. She'd watch the blend of sundown, melt into a blue canvas. She enjoyed watching the sequin-silver stars that scattered and illuminated the atramentous curtain of sky, come into vision when the light of the sun had disappeared.

     The astronomy tower obviously wasn't a secret. Students had classes up there to study, well, astronomy of course. It was, in fact, Bianca's favourite subject of them all.

     Lessons occurred at night when the sparkles of the stars were at their brightest. Except, they finished before seven, leaving enough time for students to complete homework and get to bed at a reasonable hour. In October, in Scotland, it gets dark quicker than any other time of year. Because of lessons, Bianca made sure she didn't get caught and planned her nightly visits well. Because no one would be there.

     So when she arrived, later that night, around eight-thirty, she was slightly surprised and almost disappointed that someone had beaten her to it.

     "Oh shit sorry. I didn't think anyone else came here," the girl apologized, as she noticed Bianca walk out onto the tower's balcony, sipping her flask of tea. The girl began to pack up her confectionary, crackers, cheese, and any other goodies she too had pinched from the stores, down by the Hufflepuff common room, into a checkered blanket.

     "Oh no, it's okay. I can go." Bianca insisted, smiling through her slight balk.

     It was when the girl, lowered back onto the backs of her legs after kneeling up, that her face came into the bright moonlight: Maxine O'Flaherty. Hufflepuff.

     She was the kind of girl that was too good for any of the guys at this school. Gorgeous of course and surprisingly, not a complete and utter bitch. You know that girl that always has to reject guys that ask her out, but she always does it in the nicest way possible? That was Maxine. Not to mention that Bianca thought she was one of the only girls with common sense at Hogwarts and the best player on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

     Also probably good to mention, Bianca was in love with her in second year. Well, at least she knows now that she was back then. She didn't think she could ever love a girl like that when she was twelve and maybe it was because when she hit puberty, she was only ever approached by guys. And a lot at that.

     The two had talked, but not much in the last two years. Bianca was pretty sure that Maxine had completely forgotten about her, and to be honest, Bianca had forgotten Maxine too. They didn't have a lot of classes together and Bianca didn't play Quidditch, so the two didn't have much in common, apart from the joint disgust for most guys at the school, despite Bianca being much more open and active about it.

     "Wait, Bianca?" the girl said, forming a pleased grin on her face.

     "Maxine?" Bianca asked after nodding her head slightly, even though she knew it was her. The shiny chocolate brown locks, that faded into hazelnut ends. Her beautiful green eyes, that made anyone feel better.

     "Yeah, oh my god. Come, sit down," Maxine patted the space on the bare blanket next to her and she readjusted her own seating position, now she knew she had company.

     "So you come here a lot too huh?" Bianca asked, getting comfortable next to the girl, crossing her legs, and continuing to sip her tea.

     "Occasionally," she nodded with a sweet smile and she plopped a small grape into her mouth casually. "I see you went to the kitchens too." she chuckled, gesturing to the napkin that Bianca had wrapped three pumpkin pasties in snugly. "Didn't think anyone liked them," Maxine stated after the Gryffindor had unwrapped the pies.

     "Neither did I until I tried one," Bianca laughed, "I assume that means that you don't want one?" she asked, offering one of the pasties to the Hufflepuff, who grimaced slightly and shook her head, causing Bianca to laugh once more.

     As the moon rose higher and higher, the girls laughed for longer than either of them planned to spend there.

     "Tell me about it," Bianca huffed, "they're too dense to even realize they are being misogynistic! I mean how thick can you be?!" she almost yelled. Maxine laughed in return.

     The Hufflepuff groaned as the two continued to complain about the boys that made up the student body at Hogwarts. "Malcolm Preece, my potions partner, once asked me if periods were even real." her face went from laugher, to extremely bothered. Malcolm was her own teammate.

     "Oh wow," Bianca rolled her eyes. "I mean, some guys at this school-"

     "You mean all," the brunette corrected her.

     Bianca laughed before continuing, "are just completely senseless. I don't even know how some of them ended up here. Surely you have to have some brain cells to be accepted."

     Maxine's laugh echoed out of the tower, and her head fell back slightly, her shoulders lifting to her ears. She quickly collected herself, "ugh it feels so good to have someone that understands why I end up rejected so many guys: they're all complete imbeciles. I mean, yeah, I put them down nicely, but that's only because they are too thick to understand 'no' when I say it harshly!"

     "I know! I will never understand why some girls actually end up dating one." Bianca huffed in amusement, but also in slight relief that she had finally someone she could relate to and talk to, that felt the same way she did about boyfriends and stupid quidditch jocks.

     A comfortable silence fell, where the two of them found themselves staring up at the night sky, as eleven o'clock came around. It was chilly, but with a blanket resting on both of the girls' shoulders and the apparent warmth that the glow of the stars gave off, they weren't cold.

     Bianca admired how the stars lit up the sky like snowflakes in the night, yet appear still, like an old photograph. She smiled, feeling the wind blow through her hair. She watched how the stars would move and how the galaxies tumble and dart.

     She didn't seem to notice the girl beside her, admiring not the stars, but her own features. Her golden locks and how they fell so perfectly over the tassels of the blanket, the wind breathing in and out, over and under. She could only see Bianca's peripheral vision, as the girl was so amazed by the starry scene before them, but that was enough for Maxine to appreciate Bianca's hazel eyes. She wasn't ogling at the girl, but simply silently marveling at her being.

     Bianca didn't look away, but kept her eyes on the painting-like sky, "Hey, what time is-"

     She didn't have enough time to finish asking for the time of day, as Maxine had gently caressed her cheek, turning it away from the blue canvas of stars and towards her and the Hufflepuff connected their lips. There were no intense fireworks or explosions, but Bianca's stomach still did a sort of turn and she felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach. Not fireworks, but sparklers.

     Maxine's lips were soft and rosey. The kiss was gentle. It wasn't desperate, or uncomfortable, it was sweet. Meaning, Bianca soon returned and kissed back. Not because of the list, because she actually hadn't once thought about the bet since she got here. Not until Maxine's lips, touched hers. But because she wanted to, and it felt right.

     There was always an honest smile within those lips, Bianca had thought.

     But then it felt wrong.

     The list. She had others to kiss too. She wasn't at all using Maxine, but that's exactly what it would look like.

     Maxine then pulled away and the two of them stared at each other for a moment. Soon two smiles were present on both of their faces.

     The Hufflepuff was going to apologize for not asking for any type of consent, seen as she was pretty sure Bianca was straight, but when she saw the Gryffindor smile, she decided against it.

     Bianca didn't need an apology, nor did she want one.

     Let's just say, Bianca didn't think she was straight now. Or at least in the first place.

     There was another minute of silence. Not awkward, just no noise; just the rustling of far-off trees, as the wind flew through them.

     Bianca contemplated confessing.

     'This feels wrong.' she said to herself. In her mind of course. Her mind was now racing. But soon, it stopped. 'She deserves to know.'

     "Hey, Max?" Bianca said tentatively. The girl on the other end didn't say anything but offered a comforting 'mhm?'. "I have to admit something." there was guilt in her tone.

     "Oh god, what is it?" Maxine asked, concerned. Bianca's tone made it out like she had done something awful and now they had kissed, once, the Gryffindor just assumed she could confide in Maxine and confess everything. Which wasn't the case.

     "You know Adrian Pucey?" she asked.

     "The Slytherin chaser?" the girl, who played as beater herself, replied.

     "Mhm . . . So there's sort of this bet." Bianca started. She scratched the back of her neck.

     "Yeah...?" Maxine said, dragging out the word.

     "Where, he um . . . he..." she stuttered, nervously. Guilt was literally blocking her vocal pipes.

     "Spit it out, Bi." the Hufflepuff said.

     "HesortofbetmethatIcouldn'tkisstwenty-onestudentsinsixmonths." she spat out in one quick blur, offering a sheepish smile at the end of her sentence.

     "And you agreed to this?" Maxine asked, slightly shocked.

     "Kinda?" Bianca shrugged with another embarrassing sort of grin.

     "Lemme guess," Maxine's shoulders dropped with relief, "I'm on it?" Bianca nodded diffidently. "And you told me because you felt bad?" she asked, but now she was smiling with hilarity.

     "Uh-huh," Bianca said, still with guilt in her eyes and voice.

     "Well don't. Thank you for telling me actually. That was sweet," Maxine smiled. Her lips pursed in a way that made all of Bianca's doubts and worries, slowly fade away. Her once remorseful, weak smile, became a happy grin. "That honestly sounds kind of fun, gross, but fun. Obviously, Adrian's a complete douche, but I can already tell why you agreed."

     "You can?" Bianca asked surprised.

     "Yeah. You wanted to prove to him you can do it." she nudged Bianca playfully, suggesting that Maxine herself, believed she could.

     Bianca's smile became the widest it had been. Finally, someone knew why she was doing what she did. Leo was very supportive of course, but he was a straight male and had a girl on the horizon anyway. Maxine was in the same boat as Bianca. Well, maybe not a kiss list kind of boat, but she knew what it felt like to hate guys as much as she did.

     "You're welcome by the way," Max said sarcastically, but also with slight pride in her voice. "From what I understand, you just crossed another one-off?"

     "That is correct, so thank you, Max. It's greatly appreciated." Bianca grinned, grabbing a cracker off of a napkin and placing it in her mouth.

     "So, tell me: who are you kissing next? I want to know everything."

     Bianca had enjoyed her night with Maxine so much, she had forgotten the wishes that were written in the letter, which was still neatly tucked away in her robes.