the kiss list, adrian pucey
𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐

chapter twenty-one, THE KITCHENS

✧ ━━━ · ✦ · ━━━ ✧

     MICHAEL JACKSON'S, "ROCK WITH YOU", was initially released on November third of 1979, as his second single from Jackson's fifth solo studio album 'Off the Wall.' Adrian would know, he has it on vinyl.

     His love for Michael Jackson had never gone unnoticed. He was never particularly familiar with Muggle music, hence why he had had to spend his free time researching Bianca's favourite artists. His parents were blood supremacists and they hoped their son would be the same. All Muggle items, any muggle mentions, or anything even remotely muggle related ─ unless necessary ─ were not tolerated in the Pucey household, which is why he kept his record player, and his collection of Jackson's vinyl, along with a few Wizard artists' works at Hogwarts, stowed away in his dorm room, so his parents could never find them.

     He had discovered Michael Jackson in the window of a shop in London, on route to Diagon Alley. Adrian had always desperately wanted to explore the adventurous roads of England's capital. See the historic sights, ride the London eye, climb the monument ─ things he knew he could never do. Kings Cross Station was about as closest he could get.

     It was a small, quaint shop off the side of Oxford Street. The window was stacked high with vintage and current vinyl and CDs. Adrian and his father had only passed by, and the young twelve-year-old boy spotted it through the glass, from a short distance. Fighting his curiosities, Adrian didn't dare ask his father to go in; god forbid they mixed with muggles, let alone supported a small business.

     Adrian however didn't let it go, nor did he forget. The following year, on their annual trip to Diagon Alley to purchase his new books, Quidditch supplies and if needed, new robes, he made sure to bring along a few pounds his father owned - he didn't consider it stealing, however - guessing how much he needed. It didn't take much for his mother to be distracted, giving him enough time to sneak into the same shop, and purchase 'Off the Wall' ─ the album was called as he soon found out ─ hiding it in his robes until he arrived home, where he packed it in his trunk, knowing Graham Montague owned a record player and had always brought it to school.

     Adrian quickly discovered a love for Michael Jackson and ended up packing his parent's Wizard version of a record player in his trunk the following year, of which they never got back, and was currently bestowed under Adrian's bed in his dorm room. He spent his time during Muggle studies researching music and began collecting multiple vinyls. He had once turned to asking Muggleborns, one being Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw that he sat next to in Herbology, for any places he could purchase more without being caught by his parents, assuming they'd burn them or something irrational like that. Boot told him Filch, the caretaker and a squib ─ someone who was non-magical but still had at least one magic parent ─ had a store in his office. Adrian was quick to take a trip, late one night, using the Doubling Charm to create copies of 1982's 'Thriller' and 1987's 'Bad' that he took back to his dorm, hiding them once again from Marcus Flint, who had pretty much the same views as his parents.

     So Adrian's love for Michael Jackson was born, and lived on, thriving at times like these, when his favourite songs would be played at parties, accompanied by a girl, who appreciated them just as much as he did.

     Bianca was reluctant to dancing with Adrian at a party, surrounded by people, one being Malcolm Preece, who she imagined wasn't far from them right now, but she didn't have much of a choice, when the Slytherin dragged her onto the dance floor, forcing her anyway.

     The stench of sweat only worsened as Bianca followed closely behind Adrian. She had already been knocked into three times in the two or so meters they had walked.

     Adrian had stopped pretty much center of the dance floor, just as the chorus was approaching; the boy was already singing along.

"Share that beat of love"

     Bianca couldn't help but chuckle to herself as the lyrics continued, and Adrian shut his eyes, well into the song, in his own world that is Michael Jackson.

"I want to rock with you, all night."

     Bianca noticed that he was singing it just the same way he did during their seven minutes locked in a tight, hidden closest on Halloween night and it seemed such a long time ago.

"Rock the night away."

      Adrian hadn't given up on trying to get Bianca to sing along. He still saw the song as 'theirs' and knowing she appreciated the artist just as much as he did - even though she never had admitted it - made him even more hopeful and desperate that she would give in, and dance with him.

"Out on the floor,
There ain't nobody there but us."

     Bianca hoped these lyrics were true, seen as she still knew Malcolm Preece was somewhere near. Bianca wouldn't hate a conversation with the Hufflepuff, but dancing with Adrian Pucey didn't seem to be the perfect situation for a reunion.

     Adrian had never been happier to see Bianca sigh and give in. The two were now dancing, almost in sync, to the roaring music, and she didn't even hate it.

     Adrian couldn't draw his eyes away from the blonde Gryffindor. If it weren't for the drunken singing of some Hufflepuffs, practically screaming in his ear, he would have believed that they were dancing just the two of them. What pained him the most, was not that those same tipsy students were singing the lyrics wrong, but that that was not true, and they were not the only two people dancing, in their own sweet, little world.

     Bianca had been shoved a few times, but that was only because everyone around her was too drunk to regard anyone else's personal space, and Bianca didn't expect them to either. She had been to enough parties to know that your personal space, is everyone else's too. But there was something a little different when her body collided with another. It wasn't a light push, but more of a harsh crash, of which she quickly turned around, at the same time the other body did too.

     "Sorry-"

     "I'm sorry-"

     As Bianca rotated to apologize, she was met with a pair of soft brown eyes, looking down at her own. Maybe the universe wasn't being her friend today.

     "Bianca?" the boy spoke, freezing in his position, whilst everyone around them danced, including his own friends. Adrian too was fixed to a stand, like he was glued to the floor, that he was unable to move his feet at all. He had recognized the boy from not long before, when Bianca was so desperate not to talk to the same Hufflepuff, that she would rather flirt with Adrian himself, which three months ago, disgusted her. "Bianca Larsson?" he asked again.

     The girl couldn't do any more than nod her head, confirming, still considering what she should do ─ this wasn't her plan.

     "Hi! I haven't spoken to you for like," he trailed off, trying to find an answer.

     "Five years?" she offered, with a half-smile, "Yeah, hi Malcolm."

     "How you been?" he asked, not really aware that he was starting a conversation in the middle of a busy dance floor at his own welcoming party.

     "I've been alright." she shrugged, her smile becoming more comfortable. "I didn't know you went away. How was Washington?"

     "It was great!" he grinned, "Good to be back though. I thought you and your parents were going out there as well?"

     "They decided against it."

     Adrian was tempted to walk away. He didn't exactly know why he was still stood, suspended, watching their conversation unfold.

     "You look great!" Malcolm said, earning him an appreciative smile from Bianca.

     "Thank you. You do too."

     "I didn't think parties were your thing, but then again, I haven't spoken to you in half a decade."

     "Oh no, they're most definitely not," she chuckled.

     "Why are you here then? It's not because of me, is it?" Malcolm teased, with a smirk.

     "Don't flatter yourself, Preece." she said, "I'm just here with my dormmates and I guess I'm warming up to the whole 'party' thing."

     "Right," he laughed. Malcolm's eyes wandered over to Adrian, who was now rocking slightly, waiting for the conversation to end, not to be brought into it. "You gonna introduce me to your associate?" he looked back to Bianca.

     "Oh," she turned slightly open, so Adrian was no longer hidden behind her, "This is my," her words lagged slightly, unsure of what to say, "Friend, Adrian," she said finally, stretching out her arm to the Slytherin, who was now leaning over to shake Malcolm's hand.

     Adrian tried to catch Bianca's eyes after he admitted to them being friends, just so she could see the smug look he would give her. Adrian wasn't sure whether she meant that, or whether she needed a word to call him because 'frenemy' isn't something she would introduce someone as.

     "Adrian. It's nice to meet you," Malcolm met him halfway so they shook hands. "I've seen you out on the field. You're good," Malcolm said, referring back to when he had played Slytherin in a Quidditch match before he went away.

     Bianca remembered how skilled he had been, back when they were friends and even when they started Hogwarts. Bianca believed, that if they had stayed close friends, she might just have gone to more games to support him. She ended up only seeing him once or twice, to begin with. She wondered whether he had played when he was out in the States, or whether he had sacrificed his position the second he decided to leave for a year. Bianca hoped that wasn't true; she remembered how much Malcolm enjoyed playing Quidditch.

     "Thank you," Adrian said, "You too."

     "Hey, Bianca. Why don't we catch up?" Malcolm returned to the girl.

     "That sounds great," she smiled in return, and she began following him out of the dancing flock.

     Adrian didn't know if that meant him too. He thought that surely if Malcolm didn't want Adrian there, he would have said, 'you and I', not 'we'. He trailed behind nonetheless, just to see.

     "Did you just friend zone me?" Adrian chuckled, meeting her at her side.

     "Oh shut up," she whacked her arm out, hitting him in the chest, preventing him from going any further.

     Adrian walked into her arm and made a hard stop. He now knew she did not want him accompanying her, and he highly doubted that Malcolm kid did either. So, seen as it was Malcolm's party, he respected the Hufflepuff's wishes and watched Bianca walk away, out of the crowds and out of view.

     It would have been less disappointing had the song not just come to an end - Michael Jackon's voice fading into nothingness, with a short second of silence for the next song choice to take its place. Adrian couldn't help but feel as though they wasted it.

     "Don't drink too much!" Adrian yelled out to her, pushing any feelings of misfortune out of the way, knowing she hadn't thought the same about just some silly song coming to an end.

     Bianca didn't turn back to say anything, but held her middle finger up in the air, high enough for him to see. Adrian chuckled dryly, shaking his head, before wandering off to try and find Cassius and Marcus, most likely drunk elsewhere.

     "I think you'd like it there," Malcolm said, flinging an arm over onto the sofa ledge, behind Bianca.

     "You think?" she grinned.

     "Yeah," he nodded enthusiastically. "The North Cascades especially. It was beautiful out there."

     Malcolm had described the highlights of his stay out in Washington state, and Bianca couldn't help but envy his travels and experiences. She wouldn't mind escaping to the other side of the planet for even just a few months to see locations like The North Cascades National Park. It was supposedly breathtakingly stunning, with turquoise lakes and some of the best hiking trails in the country. As Malcolm was describing it, it seemed to live up to the beauty she had heard of. The jealously panged a little when she realized she could have been there too.

     "Yeah, I bet," she replied. "How'd your parents like it?"

     "Oh they didn't want to come home." he chuckled. "But they thought that returning to Hogwarts was what was best for me. Any longer than a year would have been too much."

     Malcolm hadn't had access to a magical education when in the States. The closest Wizarding School was Ilvermorny, but that is located all the way out on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, which meant he had been homeschooled for a whole school year.

     "They asked about you," he said, solemnly.

     "Hmm?" she inclined her head a little, unsure of what he meant.

     "My parents. They asked about you when we got back. Wanted to know how you were doing." he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

     "That's sweet of them," she replied after a moment's thought. Her own tone with a little wistfulness.

     Bianca remembered Mr. and Mrs. Preece very well. She had of course seen them at least once a week before they both went to Hogwarts. When Bianca started school at age eleven, her parents started to work more, seen as they would only be seeing their daughter once or twice a year on Holidays. Their work however seemed to run over, and now, in her sixth year, even when she did return for holidays, they still worked. It was almost like when she started a school for Wizards and Witches, something neither of her parents was, she didn't exist.

     Her parents stop seeing Malcolm's parents, and Bianca stopped talking to Malcolm himself. She wondered how such a sweet and close bonded pair of families, became so distant in such a short space of time.

     "You know I never forgot-"

     Malcolm had leaned over just an inch, to speak again when he stopped mid-sentence. The previous song had passed, and the excitement had skyrocketed with the next.

     "We have to," he said matter of factly.

     Bianca scoffed playfully as he stood up and extended his hand, his serious face formed into a smirk of encouragement.

     One thing ten-year-olds Bianca Larsson and Malcolm Preece loved most in the world was Rick Springfield.

     The Gryffindor, at noticing the tune now playing, was hit with memories she forgot even existed. When their parents were making boring adult talk, the two of them stole her father's records and danced around the room like the children they were. Rick Springfield, an eighties legend, being their favourite and first choice to play. Malcolm loved the Muggle side of himself and his family the most at times like those.

     So when "Jessie's Girl" had become a clear melody over the terrible singing and overall noise, Bianca had to give in. Malcolm wouldn't take no for an answer; it was always his favourite track.

     Malcolm dragged her back onto the dance floor like Adrian had done not long before, depositing both his and her drinks on the coffee table. He didn't let go of her hand, not even when they were both carried away with the music. Not even when he was singing terribly, just like everyone else, to the lyrics he knew too well.

"And she's watching him with those eyes,
And she's loving him with that body, I just know it."

     As Bianca was spun under his arm, swayed left then right to the lyrics, she spotted Maxine stood to the side, Leo next to her, toasting their bottles in the air; the Hufflepuff even winked at one point. Bianca rolled her eyes and enjoyed it as the rest of the song played out.

     What she didn't notice was Adrian Pucey looking in the same direction; Graham Montague on his third beer, singing unconsciously and very out of tune, nodding his head to the beat.

"Yeah, and he's holding her in his arms late, late at night.
You know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl."

     Adrian watched the Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor dance in time with the music, and for a moment he felt jealous. It was the same way he and Bianca had danced to what he classed as 'their song'. He felt stupid because he also felt slightly betrayed. But Adrian knew she was allowed to 'own songs' with other people. Just because she and he had a song that Adrian believed was significant to them, doesn't mean she can't have the same thing with another boy.

     Besides, Malcolm was on the list. If anything he thought she was smart for making a move. Pissed obviously, but he admired her determination to beat him in this bet they had going on.

"You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute,
I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot."

     The song continued, and Adrian continued to watch. Bianca was now dancing more naturally, more comfortably, with even more laughter.

     Graham had become more into the song with every sip he took of his almost finished bottle of beer. Every now and then he muttered to Adrian how good he thought the song was, or how drunk he was, or how much fun he was having. Adrian wasn't paying enough attention to give him a proper, verbalized answer, so nodded his head, accompanied by a few 'mhms', his eyes still fixated on Bianca. (fan behavior).

"I wish that I had Jessie's girl."

     For a second, Adrian could have sworn the words he heard Rick Springfield sing were: "I wish that I had Malcolm's girl."

     Bianca didn't think the party would ever end. Nor did she think she could get Katie and Angelina safely back to her dorm room.

     She and Malcolm had danced to not just Rick Springfield, but the dozen other songs that followed that one.

     Her feet were tired, in the best way possible, but she knew Malcolm would be the last person to go to bed that night; it was his 'welcome back' party after all.

     "You want some help getting these two back to your dorm?" Adrian said as he walked up to Bianca just as she was approaching the exit of the party. He gestured to the two girls - Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson ─ who looked as though they were about to collapse under their own body weight, bringing Bianca down with them, and crushing her under their combined body weight.

     "No, it's fine," Bianca assured, grabbing onto Katie's arm hastily, as to prevent that same thing from happening. She regained her strength and stood up straight. "Thanks anyway."

     "You sure? They're pretty drunk." Adrian chuckled.

     "I might remind you that you're a Slytherin. Percy would have my head if he knew you'd been anywhere near a Gryffindor girl's dormitory."

     Adrian held his hands up in defense, "Alright," he chuckled, "I get it. Just trying to help."

     "I know and thank you for that. Really." she replied, "I just can't let you do that."

     "I get it." he said, "Goodnight Bianca."

     She paused a moment, and half-smiled. "Goodnight Adrian."

     "Take care of yourself as well as these two," he said, as she turned around, guiding the other two to do the same.

     "Will do!" Bianca yelled back, heading out of the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room, past the barrels, and out of shot of the laugher and blaring music.

     As the three of them stumbled along the route to the Gryffindor tower, as quiet as Bianca could keep them, she was beginning to struggle to keep the two girls up straight. Their combined weight was becoming heavier and heavier with every step. She was beginning to wish that she had accepted Adrian's help. He was a chaser for his house's Quidditch team and a lot more capable than she was. Percy could have just dealt with the idea of Slytherin stepping foot there if it meant she didn't have to do this alone.

     After what felt like forever, Bianca assisted the two of them through the portrait hole ─ after a word with the fat lady in the silk dress that guarded her house common room - and with a lot of effort, up the spiral stairs to their shared dormitory.

     It didn't take long for the two chasers to fall asleep, to the point where they wouldn't be woken until their terrible hangover came knocking earlier the next morning.

     Bianca tried to sleep. Her bed was as comfortable as always and had she not gone to a party, she would have drifted into a deep slumber a long time ago. But as she lay awake, staring up into the roof of her four-poster bed, the wind blowing in from the nearby window causing the drapes to sway left and right, it was like she should be doing anything else but sleeping. She was wide awake.

     Katie's snores had now kicked in, and Bianca knew they were always worse when she had been drinking. That of course didn't help.

     Bianca couldn't even feel her eyes shutting one bit, nor did she think they ever would.

     Without another thought, she slid on a pair of soft, cushioned slippers, and snuck back out of the portrait hole, ignoring the calls of the fat lady, beckoning her back.

     She made her way back to the Hufflepuff basement, en route to the kitchens, in hopes that staying there for a little to pass the time and getting a full stomach would make her sleepy.

     Bianca had never run into someone in the kitchens. She just assumed she was one of few that went down their mid-sleep. She knew the Weasley twins had snuck out to the same place several times, but she had never passed someone returning from the kitchens, or en route to the kitchens ever before, which is why, finding someone there, was a little bit of a shock.

     "Adrian?" she inclined her head, on stepping inside, finding a boy with dark hair, perched on the table, accompanied by a half-full goblet and a collection of cakes.

     The boy spun in his seat, a handful of droobles in his grasp, just as he was lifting them to his mouth. "H-hi." he stumbled, quickly putting the sweets back onto the table, and fully rotating to face her.

     "I didn't know you came here," she said, approaching him.

     "You didn't think you were the only one did you?" he chuckled.

     "No, 'course not. Just never seen anyone here before."

     "Well now you have some company," he grinned, beckoning her to join him in the corner of the room.

     Bianca had planned on staying for a little while, and to her, it was funny, because Adrian Pucey being there, wasn't going to stop that.

     The house-elves of the kitchens were no stranger to anyone that visited frequently. None of the little creatures even seemed to mind the odd student pop in at the early hours of the morn; they had all gotten used to the fact that teenagers get a tad hungry in the middle of the night.

     One or two had even served Bianca and Adrian as they sat at half-past three on a Tuesday morning, both having recently drunk two bottles of beer and were now shrinking the cake supply and lessening the sweet treats that would be served at dinner later in the day. None of the elves seemed to mind.

     Bianca thought it almost sad. They were worked so hard, she felt guilty that she had the privilege just to waltz in there at a ridiculous time and eat their food. She also felt bad that none of them seemed to have been asleep at a time like this one when she herself should have been.

     "Nah, that was your fault. You weren't looking where you were going." Adrian argued.

     "Neither were you! I'm sorry, but that was completely on you." Bianca replied.

     The two of them had moved on from the topic of chess and had ended up on the first time they met.

     "Oh whatever," he gave in, knowing she wouldn't.

     "You're not seriously going to throw that in my mouth are you?" Bianca asked when she noticed that Adrian had readied a drooble in his hand to throw at her mouth, angling it like it were a Quaffle. Her face read: 'seriously?'

     "What? It'll be fun. I throw it, you catch it." he said.

     "That's just some stupid shit they do in movies." she chuckled, placing another toffee in her mouth. It almost immediately melted at a single touch, dissolving on her tongue.

     "What?" he asked with a stop; his hand drooping a little.

     "That just happens in like every rom-com ever." she shrugged like it were clear what she was talking about.

     "What's that?"

     Bianca had said the same term the other day, but Adrian had decided not to mention it, feeling slightly stupid.

     "What, a rom-com?" she asked to confirm. He nodded. "A romantic comedy?"

     "What does that mean?" he said with his head still slightly inclined.

     "It's a genre of film." she sucked further on her toffee.

     "Oh, those things that happen in the little boxes?"

     "Televisions?" she asked with a chuckle, finding his lack of what she believed to be common knowledge, a little funnier than he did.

     "Yeah, them." he nodded his head.

     Bianca paused for just a second, tilting her head before speaking, "Adrian, have you ever seen a movie?" she asked calmly and the boy shook his head dispassionately like it wasn't that much of a problem for him. To Bianca, she felt a little sympathetic towards him. She didn't know what she would do without the comfort of a good movie. She knew she would be nowhere near as bored at Hogwarts had she had her large collection of movies. "Well what do you do when you go home?" she laughed.

     "I dunno," he said a little dumbfounded. "Practice Quidditch, study if I have to. Not much else."

     "Do you not get bored?" she asked.

     "Sometimes. Don't you?"

     "Not if I have a good movie at hand." she laughed again. "Do you not have any sort of technology?"

     "I have a record player," he said. "Stole it from my mum. Pretty sure she doesn't use it the 'non-magical way' though. And she only listens to Celestina Warbeck," his face grimaced slightly, at the horrid thought of music that was written by Wizards. Adrian didn't think music should be allowed to be written by magical folk; he just thought they ruined it.

     "You seem pretty proud to be a petty thief, Adrian," Bianca joked.

     "Yeah well, these things fall into the wrong hands. Can't have my parents playing crap like Warbeck or Stubby Boardman and The Hobgoblins," he scoffed and Bianca chuckled a little, "They need to understand that Wizards have no place in the music industry. They can leave that to the Muggles; I don't care how much they hate them."

     "I had always wondered how you knew so much about Michael Jackson."

     "Now that has a whole tale to it," he laughed.

     Adrian explained to Bianca just how he had gotten his first vinyl, how he doubled Filch's records that a Ravenclaw had tipped him off about, and about how excited he was for when he got the chance to grab a copy of Jackson's latest album "Dangerous".

     Bianca and Adrian had never had the best start, nor did they have one this year, but as she listened to him talk so passionately about something he is supposed to despise, whilst sucking on another toffee and staring at the cracks in the wall, she couldn't help but think that Adrian Pucey, wasn't that bad at all.