the kiss list, adrian pucey
𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐

chapter two, FIRST NIGHT AFFAIRS

✧ ━━━ · ✦ · ━━━ ✧

     BIANCA LARSSON HATED PARTIES. A LOT. She hated the idea of people in a cramped space, practically dancing on top of each other, sweaty and disgusting and she hated how it gave teens an excuse to drink and get wasted.

     So when Leo brought up the suggestion that the two of them should attend the annual 'room of requirements first night back get together' she immediately declined.

     "No. Definitely not," she said, almost sounding like Professor McGonagall.

     "Oh come on, it'll be fun," Leo whined as he served himself some Brussel sprouts, causing Bianca to grimace even more. Disgusting vegetables and a party? What's wrong with this kid?

     Leo was by all means not that socializing type. But when you are best friends with Bianca, studying 24/7 can become very tiring and mentally draining. He loved his only friend, but she sometimes was a bit of a "Fun Sponge" as he called it.

     "No, it will most definitely not be Leo." she too began serving herself some Roast Dinner from the welcome feast before them, "and since when did you so desperately want to go to something like a party?"

     "Since we never go to them?" he shrugged, trying his best to convince her to let them go. Because he most certainly wouldn't go without her.

     "And? That's a good thing. I'm a Muggleborn and you're a Halfblood, we're not exactly top of the school hierarchy."

     "What school hierarchy? You of all people hate discrimination."

     "That doesn't mean it doesn't exist," she stabbed a runner bean with her fork.

     "Harry Potter's a Halfblood." Leo muttered under his breath, still sulking.

     "He also won us the house cup," she took a bit out of the bean, and let the fork hang on the end of her fingers, as she chewed. "What's your point?"

     "My point is, is that not all of the party is going to be made up of Marcus Flints. So I don't see your problem with us going." he continued to argue his way into this party.

     "My problem is, is that, no, the party is not going to be made up of 'Marcus Flints' but that doesn't mean that all his 'Snake mates' aren't going to be there and they're just as bad Leo. And don't forget that Flint is friends with Adr-"

      "Adrian Pucey, I know." Leo sighed and rolled his eyes at Bianca's constant mentions of the boy. Every conversation always seemed to roll back to him.

     "What's that supposed to mean?"

     "Just because Pucey is going to be at this party, does not mean that we can't go. This 'feud' or whatever you two have going on is pathetic and you need to grow up if you can't even be in the same room as some kid that just annoys you because it's extremely selfish of you if your best friend is asking you to go."

     Bianca honestly felt terrible. Leo was completely right. She felt guilty because she had never noticed how right he was. But she knew Leo too well.

     "So, what's her name? Or his? Could be a guy," she smirked.

Leo's face blushed bright pink, "W-what do you mean?"

     "Well, you've never been this desperate to go to a party unless someone you fancy is going and I assume you want to impress him or her by turning up."

     He huffed at how well she knew him because of how quick she was to work it out. But his frown soon turned back to a smile as he blushed and began telling Bianca all about Alicia Spinnet.

➼

     THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENTS WAS A SECRET room, within the Hogwarts Castle, that only appears when a person is in great need of it. Bianca questioned who was in 'great need' of a party but here the two of them were, scanning the room, evaluating what to do next. The music was so loud that it made her skin tingle and her lungs feel like mush. The bass of the trashy music that was playing thumped in time with her heartbeat as though they were one. She could smell the sweat radiating off of the crowd of people, mixed with the refreshing scent of body odor and alcohol. Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. She couldn't make out any words, but laughter rang in her ears and wouldn't seem to stop.

     After Leo had talked to her about the Gryffindor chaser for about ten minutes during the feast earlier that same day, Bianca eventually gave in and agreed to go to this party, just so Leo could get the chance to at least talk to the girl. Whether he would spark up the courage and actually do so, Bianca wasn't so sure.

     "So, where's your girl?" she asked him and he subtly pointed to an average height girl with olive-toned skin and hair that came to her shoulders. Bianca recognized her to be a friend of her dormmates Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson; they too were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was pretty, Bianca thought. "Go get her." she smiled.

     "But I don't want to leave you-"

     "I'll be fine, honestly. What's the worst thing that could happen?" she insisted as she winked and pushed him in the girl's direction. Bianca could actually think of multiple things that could go wrong in the next hour: Marcus Flint could humiliate her like Carrie was in that teen-horror she and Leo watched in summer. Her drink could get spiked. Adrian Pucey could exist.

     Luckily for her, the last one was very much true and as someone tapped her on the shoulder, she was now beginning to regret coming to this party. Leo's love life could wait.

     "Ah, Miss Larsson, didn't think parties were your scene?" The music may be deafening, but Adrian's voice was too familiar to Bianca to not make it out.

     She turned around to face him. He towered over her and his build was a lot bigger than hers. He was dressed in casual jeans and a white shirt, the top three buttons undone. She hated to admit to herself how actually quite handsome he looked until she remembered who he was. "They're not. Just being a good friend."

     "Can I offer you a drink?" he smirked.

     "You can't." she crossed her arms and began scanning the room once again to try and find someone else she could go and talk to, to escape the boy trying to offer her a drink.

     "Oh come on, just one." he held up a cup, filled with god knows what, Bianca thought; his own drink in his free hand.

     "I'm not stupid, Pucey." she spat.

     "Really? Oh." he played dumb and paused for a moment as he stared at her, who was glaring at the crowds of people dancing. "So, how are you enjoying your, I assume, first-party?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

     "Well, I've been here all of thirty seconds, the only thing I can smell is men's body fluids and I'm talking to you. You do the math."

     "Ouch, harsh. You know parties really aren't that bad. Are you sure I can't offer you a drink?"

     She turned to him and he turned too, "I'm sure."

     "You know you look quite good tonight, Bianca," he paused and she stared into his eyes. Some things are just too good to be true, she thought. For one he complimented her and two, he would never call her by her first name, "Maybe you should eat some makeup, so you can be pretty on the inside too."

     There it is.

     The music seemed to have gotten louder and Bianca could think of a million places she would rather be. She could smell the stickiness of the alcohol that had now ended up on the floor and she had counted around seven couples, in secluded corners, making out. This was exactly the reason she didn't want to come.

     She had almost been too distracted by the disgust she felt for the atmosphere in the room, that she had forgotten the thing that disgusted her most in this world, who was still hanging around beside her, "you're not going to insult me back?" he yelled over the thumping music.

     "Oh I would love to but I'm afraid I won't do as well as nature did." she too had to raise her voice just so he could hear her over the song that was currently playing.

     "That was good," he yelled, impressed by her snarky comment, "Although, you and I both know, nature did pretty well on the looks front."

     "That's what you think." she searched around the room and to her dismay, her one friend was still preoccupied with the Gryffindor chaser. She was happy for him of course, as she watched the two laugh, but she no longer wanted to be around the Slytherin one. "I'm leaving," she shouted.

     "Oh, I'm flattered, except, I hate to point out the obvious, but unless you weren't such a bitch all the time, people would actually like you. But seeing as you are, I don't really know where you plan on going." he wailed over the beat of the music and took another sip from his cup, which Bianca dreaded to think what was inside.

     "Anywhere but here." she scoffed and braved her way towards the crowd, in hopes to find someone she could hold a conversation with, for the remainder of Leo's conversation with Alicia. She needed to get more friends, she thought to herself.

     "At least have a drink. I think you should let loose, have fun." she heard the same voice still yelling in her direction.

     She turned her head to look at him, standing away from the crowd, his hair flopping over his perfectly chiseled face, wet with sweat, but not too much to disgust Bianca enough to find him unattractive. She yelled back, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you're an expert on my life and how I should live it. Please continue while I take notes."

     He laughed and whilst shaking his head, turned away from her to join his group of friends in a far-off corner. She watched as he walked away and she too continued her dangerously risky venture into her idea of hell: a crowd of perspiring teenagers, drunkenly dancing and singing. Her final destination ─ the drinks bar.

     Oh, and that's all she remembers.