the kiss list, adrian pucey
𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐

chapter thirteen, ONLY SEVEN MINUTES LEFT

✧ ━━━ · ✦ · ━━━ ✧

     BIANCA STILL VERY MUCH DID NOT LIKE parties, nor did she like Halloween. Like the other parties she had been to, she was starting to regret ever coming to the Slytherin annual October 31st one.

     As soon as she repeated the password, and the three of them stepped into the Slytherin common room - or as Angelina put it "The Serpent's Den"  ─ it felt as though all eyes were on them.

     Which they more or less were.

     The music still pumped as loud as before, but the chatter had died down massively. Some Slytherins had remained unbothered or simply hadn't noticed, and continued dancing, drinking, socializing, and whatnot, but many stopped for a second, to stare and scowl at the three Gryffindors that had just entered.

     There were a few yells along the line of: "What's youse doin' down 'ere?", or "How'd they get in?" and a few telling them to "Piss off" rather aggressively.

     Bianca glanced around the room. A few people she recognized; most of them didn't even go to the school for all she knew.

     People began whispering between each other, little remarks about the newcomers although the music remained almost deafening. A few making eye contact with Bianca for a split second, before turning to a friend and commenting something about her or rather.

     Bianca didn't know whether she was meant to speak, walk out, or be on the bolder side of life and strut into the middle of the room and start dancing like she owned the place. She decided that was too far.

     Most of the room quickly went back to whatever they were doing, not bothering to address the three girls: "what's the point?" most of them thought. Most of the guys let it go due to the fact each of the 'intruders' as such, were hot, and that that 'made up for them being Gryffindors'.

     "Bianca!" the three girls turned to the voice. Miles Bletchley was striding towards them ─ well more towards Bianca ─ skipping up a few steps. "You came!"

     "Yeah," Bianca's more embarrassed and awkward kind of expression, melted into a smile at the sight of Miles. Finally, someone she knew. She felt he almost saved her from what could have been her decision to speak, walk out, or dance like nobody was watching. "I felt, why not?"

     He smiled back, admiring her, "you look great."

     "Thank you, Miles. I could say the same." she complimented him.

     Miles was attractive. Anyone could see that. No one seemed to appreciate him as anything more than that since he had a rep that didn't quite fit with his actual personality. Bianca saw more than the loose white tee, outlining his build, and dusty black jeans that fitted him so well. His hair was parted like always: flopped over to his right; a few curls loosely hanging down, just below his eyebrow.

     He gave her an appreciative smile, before reverting his glance to the two girls, standing behind her, waiting for what, to them, felt like an uncomfortable encounter to end. Katie had her right leg crossed over her left, swaying slightly and Angelina was twiddling with the golden bangle on her right wrist.

     Bianca noticed him questioning why they were there with the look he was giving them, "oh, yeah sorry. I know it was technically not my place to, but I really couldn't face this alone," she gestured to the crowds of people before them; a few glancing back to the three Gryffindors now and then.

     "No, no, that's okay. I get it," he nodded his head, understandingly. "Well the guys are over here, so," he pointed behind him, before leading them to a corner off to the front-right hand corner of the room, where three leather sofas were arranged. Lucian, Marcus, and a girl called Esmerelda Bulstrode packed together on one nearest the wall. Miles throwing himself beside Cassius, who was squashed up beside Terrence; Adrian on the other side.

     They all sort of gave a greeting wave and just as Bianca was about to perch herself next to Katie, who had just sat down beside Graham, Angelina sitting on the other side, Adrian removed his feet, which were once resting on the part of the couch she was going to sit, staring at her, directly in her eyes. He didn't break the contact as he slid his legs back towards him, before throwing his right leg over his left, to rest on it. He proceeded to through his head back, finally drawing his eyes away from her own.

     Adrian didn't necessarily want to do this, you see, as his eyes hadn't left Bianca since he watched her walk into the party, after hearing the disturbingly loud, distinctive sound of the stone entrance, sliding open. He watched how her dress fit so perfectly and how her house colours complimented her skin tone so well. How her hair fell, resting on her shoulders, and how she walked so effortlessly in such high heels and how he couldn't even comprehend doing the same. He considered her breathtaking - he wasn't the only one - and was almost awestruck. But she didn't need to know that.

     There was no sort of gawky silence between the relatively large group - the screeching music prevented that ─ and yet Bianca felt awkward. Maybe that was because she herself wasn't speaking to anyone and Adrian was the only other one not speaking either. Katie was muttering something to Graham. Miles had broken into conversation with Cassius and Terrence. Bianca didn't know what the others were doing.

     Miles' chuckles quickly died down and he stood up, "Drinks anyone?"

     "That'll be great," Angelina beamed.

     "I single that." Katie chimed.

     He turned to Bianca, her legs now crossed more comfortably and her back leaning further into the couch in a more relaxed state, "Bi?" he asked.

     "Yeah, Bianca. Want a drink?" Adrian teased, as he smirked over from across from her. There was a snort from Terrence; the two of them reminiscing the past outcomes of Bianca Larsson drinking.

     "I'm good thank you, Miles." she smiled sweetly, but once he had nodded and walked away to wherever the refreshments were, her smile turned into a stone-cold, resting-bitch kind of look once she had turned back to face Adrian, who now, once again, hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

     "So, what made you come?" he taunted.

     "Dunno," she shrugged. "Thought it might be fun. But then again, I must have forgotten you'd be here."

     There were a few snorts of laughter that came from Terrence and Lucian, both of which they tried to cover up.

     "Funny," he said sarcastically.

     Bianca smiled at him caustically, before turning to Katie and Angelina, who all broke out into small talk until Miles returned, three drinks in hand.

     He passed the two girls their drinks and restituted to his previous seat, his own drink grasped in his left hand, "So. What do you guys want to do? Anything in particular?"

     "I saw a closest off of the corridor over there," Graham smirked, "Seven minutes in heaven anyone?"

     "What are we? Third-year delinquents?" Bianca laughed, "Well I know Adrian is, but I at least assumed the rest of you were all right."

     "Oh come on, Larsson. It'll be fun." Adrian ignored her previous insult and encouraged her with an irritating grin.

     "The girls are outnumbered," she said matter of factly.

     "Then not everyone will play," he replied. Neither of them broke eye contact.

     "Alright everyone," Terrence had taken his cap off his head after everyone agreed to play (Lucian and Marcus decided against the game and disappeared with two fifth-year Slytherins, leaving the other eight ─ the girls still outnumbered by one), "Drop something in."

     He offered the hat around the group, everyone placing something of their own in ─ Bianca slid her silver ring off of her middle finger, Katie unclipping her hooped earrings, and Angelina taking off her golden bangle.

     There were a few cheers as a slightly sweaty Esmerelda Bulstrode and Terrence Higgs returned from the hidden closet. Both of them had puffy, red lips and the boy's shirt had its top four buttons undone - they weren't when the two left.

     Katie had to face seven minutes with Graham the first time around and she had returned with a smirk that was still there. The two of them hadn't taken their eyes off of each other since Esme and Terrence chose their objects.

     Bianca thought it was a very unlikely couple.

     Soon it was time to pick another item. Adrian opted to go next.

     He leaned over the coffee table, reaching for the cap that Angelina was now holding. He smirked at Bianca before picking out ─ at random ─ a small, dainty ring, encrusted with delicate diamonds.

     Bianca's mouth drooped slightly and she closed her eyes for just a second, hoping to wake up from whatever nightmare she had fallen into.

     "Come on love," Adrian offered his hand, his smirk not leaving his face, "A game's a game."

     She grunted and reluctantly took his hand and he assisted her up.

     As she walked past Adrian, she turned back to the two girls, mouthing the words: "Help me" before they were out of sight.

     Cassius guided the two of them to a slim, little corridor that came off of the corner area that they were all sitting.

     "Have fun. But not too much," he winked at Bianca, who went in first; Adrian following her not long after.

     The closest was small. Very small. There was little light and that was coming from the open door and the party that was still raving on on Halloween night not too far away. The shelves that lined the space, were piled high with who knows what ─ books, spare robes and without a doubt, a few unwanted guests with eight legs; Bianca could feel the webs as she walked in.

     The closest was far from heaven.

𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕

     "Oh great." she sighed, as Cassius shut the door behind them until the tiny room was more or less pitch black. She could still see his figure's outline and his face was dimly lit. She could feel his body shove up to hers, as he had no more room to move, now the door was closed.

     "What? You afraid of the dark or something?" he laughed.

     "No." she replied sternly, but continued to pull out her wand from a loop that was stitched in her dress, "Lumos." A burst of light radiated from the tip of her wand.

     "Well that doesn't do much for your case," he teased.

     The first few seconds went by slowly as ever. Bianca was constantly glancing down at her watch, of which she was counting seven minutes from when they walked in.

     "You know looking at your watch every few seconds won't make the time go by any faster."

     "How do you know that?" she glanced back at the clock face, "It's already been thirty seconds."

     He let out a little huff, "Pfft. That's just been you complaining."

     His voice echoed slightly against the drum riff that just rippled through the closest's door and bounced off of the walls around the rest of the common room. A guitar then came in, followed by a base.

     "Ah," Adrian smiled, recognizing the tune the guitar was so effortlessly playing before violins joined in - of which he mimed playing one with his hands.

"girl, close your eyes,
let that rhythm get into you."

     His voice was annoyingly adorable, but the fact he was out of tune and slightly out of time, made Bianca grimace.

     "Stop." her expression showed slight disgust, but that just fueled him to continue.

"don't try to fight it
there ain't nothing that you can do."

𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆.

     He now started with hand gestures, shaking his finger, "Your voice is terrible." she crossed her own arms. He ignored her.

"relax your mind
lay back and groove with mine."

     "Michael's got it right." he nodded his head, pursing his lips together and moving his head to the beat of Michael Jackson's 'Rock with you'.

"you gotta feel that heat
and we can ride the boogie.
share that beat of love."

     He edged closer to her, rubbing his arm up against hers, "Come on Larsson. Dance with Adrian."

"i want to rock with you."

     "You're so irritating."

     "All night," he sang along to the backing vocals, with a smirk.

     "Adrian stop." her voice was almost stern, but he ignored her and continued, swaying and clicking here and there, still to the beat.

"dance you into day."

     "Sunlight," he continued to mime the backing vocals as well as singing the lead itself; the pitch even higher, making Bianca grimace once more at his failed attempt to reach the notes that Michael Jackson so famously can.

     "Please stop." she tried again.

     "Ah, it's a shame we're in here. I would have killed it on the dance floor."

"I want to rock with you
rock the night away."

     She looked him up and down, frowning at his attempt to dance along with the music, "Oh yeah. I'm sure the girls would have loved that." she said sarcastically.

     "I know right," he smirked.

"out on the floor
there ain't nobody there but us."

     He looked at her and how she was stood. Her arms crossed out of frustration; her foot tapping anxiously on the floor and not to the beat of the music deliberately, but just wanting all of this to be over; and how her head was constantly staring at the closest door.

     "Also staring at the door all the time won't make one of them open it any sooner." she looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"girl when you dance
there's a magic that must be love."

     "I think you should just dance with me," he shrugged.

     "I don't agree." she smiled at him caustically.

"just take it slow
'cause we got so far to go."

𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔.

     "Fitting," Adrian thought to himself. 

     "Look, if it makes you feel any better, by the time the song is over, we'll only have what, a minute and a half left. So just enjoy the song. Especially if we're not going to make out," he said.

"share that beat of love."

     She finally looked up at him and gave him a look to say, "no, we are most definitely not making out," and if looks could kill, Adrian would have heaved over onto the floor, lifeless.

     "Fine," she let out a sigh and began quietly humming the song.

"i want to rock with you.
dance you into day."

     He noticed her slightly singing some of the words, "See, it's a good song?" he nodded encouragingly.

"i want to rock with you.
rock the night away."

     "I never said it wasn't. Of course, it's a good song," she admitted.

"and when the groove is dead and gone
you know that love survives."

     "Oh, do we have something in common Larsson?"

     "It's Michael Jackson. I don't live under a rock. We're not similar." she said bluntly.

"so we can rock forever,
i want to rock with you."

𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔.

     "Still something we both like," he muttered under his breath.

"i want to groove with you."

     She started to sing a little more and Adrian's head bounced in time with the music and he edged slightly closer to her, but she seemed not to have noticed.

"i want to rock with you girl."

     He sang slightly louder on this line.

"dance the night away."

     Bianca had closed her eyes and began swaying lightly, enjoying just listening to the instrumental of the music. Adrian had stopped singing and was just admiring her. How her body moved in time. How her grin was growing as the song continued. How he managed to make her dance, even if it took persistence and his own awful dance moves and terrible voice. She looked like she was enjoying the music.

"i want to rock-rock the night away."

𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔.

     The tune faded to an end and another song took its place. One of which, neither of them had heard. You could still hear the beat coming from behind the door, but there was a silence that fell over them. No song to sing along to. No insults about Adrian's awful voice. Just the two of them.

     She had opened her eyes, to meet his and she only just realized, 'Rock with you' was no longer playing and that Adrian wasn't singing, nor dancing. The background music was nowhere near as good as Michael Jackson's.

     "I swear to Merlin if Grover Washington's 'Just the two of us' plays, I'll through myself off of the astronomy tower," Bianca said to herself. In her mind of course. Wouldn't want to give Adrian any ideas to tell the DJ or whoever was organizing the song choices for the next song request.

     "That was fun," he smirked, breaking the almost silence.

     "I guess you could say it was," she sighed. "But just to clarify, that wasn't your doing, it was Michael's." he held his hands up in defense, still smiling.

     Another moment's silence fell. Adrian was brushing his shoes up against one another and Bianca was fumbling with her fingers between her wand that was still lit.

     "I'm sorry you got stuck with me." she didn't look up, but his attention now turned away from his leather shoes, and back to her.

     "For a second there I thought you were going to apologize for bailing on me last week."

     She scoffed, "So I apologize for not getting to make out with me and you bring that up again?"

     "Well, you kissed my best friend. And beat me on the test."

     "Okay first, he kissed me." he rolled his eyes, "And second, I was always going to beat you on that test, study or not. And you managed a B anyway, it's not like you did bad," she replied. He shook his head with a smirk and she watched him for a second, "Fine. If it means that much to you, I'll apologize."

𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔.

     His eyes met hers as he pulled away from staring at his feet, "If-"

     He scoffed and looked away, throwing his head back, "There it is."

     "If," she repeated, "When we walk out of here, you tell everyone that nothing happened between us during these past seven minutes." she crossed her arms again.

     He bit his lip, "Fine." he waited for her to continue, but she didn't, "Go on then."

     "Oh no, not now. I have to wait for confirmation that they know that I would never make out with you or go anywhere near to doing something like that with someone like you."

     "Ouch. Harsh. But alright. Although how am I meant to know that you will hold up your end of the bargain?" he queried.

     "This isn't the only bet we've made, Adrian," she tilted her head, "You'll get your apology, even if I don't think you deserve it."

     "Fine."

     Another few seconds of silence, the two of them staring into what was mostly black and just about the outline of the other person.

     "What were you apologizing about before?"

     "Oh that," she looked up, "Just that I'm sorry you got stuck with me." she huffed slightly with a smile.

     "Why? Do you think I'd rather spend this with someone else? Who?" he asked slightly baffled.

     "That Esmerelda girl maybe? I don't know what goes on in your head."

     "Esme?" he scoffed in disbelief, "Nah, she's nowhere near as hot as you," he smirked.

𝒔𝒊𝒙 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔.

     "Excuse me?" she huffed.

     "What? It was a compliment." he shrugged, "Which is usually followed by a 'thank you'."

     "I'm waiting for the insult," she rolled her eyes.

     "No insult. Completely genuine." he began looking her up and down with a smirk, following the outline of her tight dress.

     "Stop undressing me with your eyes, Adrian," she said fed-up. His grin grew wider, yet he didn't stop, "Hey! My eyes are up here," she pointed to her face.

     "Who said I wanted to look at your eyes?" his smirk was as evident as ever.

     She whacked him hard around the face with a grunt, "Urgh. You're such a manwhore."

     He readjusted his shirt that had been ruffled by her 'attack' of sorts, "That's rude. And not true."

     She rolled her eyes and scoffed, before glancing back at her watch.

     "I told you looking at that all the time, won't make it go any faster."

     "Well, lucky for you, we only have forty seconds left," she said sarcastically.

     "Best six minutes, and twenty seconds of my life," he smirked. She looked up at him and he winked, causing her to let out another groan of annoyance. She knew this would be the slowest forty seconds ever.

      "Any other insults up your sleeve that you want to say now, seen as you only have half a minute left?" she asked.

     "Nah, wouldn't want to waste any with no audience here to enjoy them." he laughed to himself, obviously not earning a laugh in return, but instead the glare that Bianca gave him.

     Between taps of her feet and Adrian playing with his shirt buttons, those thirty seconds ended as the door swung open and light reentered the dusty closest. Cassius stood, drink in hand, slightly drunk, holding the doorknob keeping the door from slamming shut.

     "Alright lovebirds?" he smirked.

     Bianca had never been so pleased to see Cassius Warrington before, not after she had spent the whole Transfiguration lesson flirting with him not too long before.

     She walked past Cassius, hoping to get a breath of fresh air, but instead was met with the music getting louder and the fresh scent of body odor mixed with alcohol.

     The two boys followed her and they all made their way back to the area in which the rest of the group was sat.

     She slumped down in between the two girls, who watched as she got comfortable once again. They couldn't see that she was just happy to be out, so why not badger her with questions.

     "So?" Katie leaned over.

     "What?" Bianca asked.

     "Did you guys give in and finally kiss?" Angelina chimed in.

     "Was it like full of lust because you guys have wanted to do it for so long?" Esmerelda had now joined in.

     "What? No." Bianca protested, disgusted by the fact that that's what they thought they were doing. "We didn't kiss, we just-"

     "-vibed to Michael Jackson." Adrian had finished her sentence, or at least a version of her sentence, as he threw himself on the sofa opposite the three girls. He had a smirk of pride on his face whilst everyone was watching, but when he felt fewer eyes were on him, he gave her a genuine smile.

     "Bro, you didn't make out?" Marcus asked (he and Lucian had returned not long before, after grinding on the two girls for a few songs), almost disappointed, as he hit Adrian in the chest.

     Adrian didn't seem that bothered and just shook his head.

     "Right then, no one else?" Terrence asked.

     No one said anything and he just assumed Bianca and Adrian were going to be the last two going into the closet for tonight.

     "Anyone wanna dance? I heard one girl say she put in a request for The Backstreet Boys." Katie grinned.

     Bianca didn't say anything but stared down at the coffee table centered around the couches. She was eyeing a stack of playing cards that she assumed were just there for when the Slytherins got bored in the common room. There were four boys here who were still 'unkissed'. She hadn't done what she came here to do, and maybe this was her chance.

     Graham followed her gaze after she didn't answer her friend. His eyes too fell on the playing cards, neatly piled on top of one another, "What, you wanna play a game of 'go fish' Bianca?" he asked with a little chuckle.

     She looked up from her slight trance, to look directly at Adrian, "How about a good, old-fashioned game of 'Suck and Blow'?" she asked.

     There were a few wolf whistles and the odd claps from the group of teenage boys.

     "I'm down," Lucian said, holding his hands up.

     "Yeah, sure, count me in." chimed in Marcus. "Lads?"

     "Fuck yeah," Cassius grinned.

     Adrian, Terrence, Graham, and Esme all too agreed.

     "You wanna play 'Suck and Blow'?" Angelina asked, leaning into Bianca's ears.

     "Well, why the fuck not?" she grinned.

     The group began arranging themselves in a circle on the sofas, the boys arguing and racing to sit between two girls, not wanting to risk kissing one of their best mates. The girls were outnumbered seven to four, which meant two boys (which ended up being Lucian and Marcus) were stuck between two guys. The two of them now saw this game as no fun.

     Bianca didn't move but just hoped the boys would come to her. Soon, Cassius squished himself between Katie and Bianca; Miles on the other side. Bianca tried to hide her smirk, as she felt Cassius press up against her. 'I'm a genius.' she said to herself.

     'Suck and Blow' is a very juvenile game, hence why the rules are so simple. Take one playing card and place it on your lips. You're meant to suck in air so it remains on your lips and you begin to go around the group, passing it to the person next to you. They have to suck the card onto their lips and pass it to the person beside them. There is, of course, the risk that the card falls, causing you to fall on the lips of the person on the other end.

     She called herself a genius because technically, she was in complete control.

     Adrian also saw why this was such a problem. As he perched beside Esme, not caring that Lucian was on the other side because now, he was too preoccupied with the fact that Bianca and Cassius were in such close proximity to each other. And with the game, they were about to play, that wasn't good. It would have never been a good thing anyway. He grew pissed pretty quickly; it was smart. He could of course not play, but he couldn't stop her from playing. His Quidditch position was falling out of his grip quicker than he realized.

     Graham grabbed a card from the center and placed it carefully on his lips. He moved onto Marcus, going clockwise and the game began.

     Marcus rolled his eyes and passed to Lucian, who moved onto Adrian. Adrian took the card in his mouth, passing it to Esme, then to Terrence, then to Katie, until Cassius had it in his mouth. Bianca thought it too soon to drop it and allowed the card to travel around the group at least twice more until she threw the game.

     Soon, it was sitting on Cassius' lips once again, and Bianca smirked at Adrian while she still had the chance before turning to fully face the boy. She leaned forward, her lips grazing the card. She sucked on it lightly, before letting go.

     And just like that, the card between their lips fell.