Stellar | ENG

chapter 4

After lunch was over I was walking with my friends towards the Gryffindor Common Room when someone touched my shoulder.
"Hey Rose, right?" when I turned around I saw Adrian with a smile and breathlessness, ~he must have been running to catch up with me~ I thought.
"Yeah, it's me" ~seriously Rose? Any answer would have been better than that.~
"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked after catching his breath.
"Sure" I replied, still smiling, before turning to my friends and saying "you guys go ahead", they nodded and made their way back to the Common Room.
I looked away from my friends and back at Adrian.
"Tell me about it" ~stop embarrassing yourself, why are you acting like this?~
"I simply wanted to apologise for this morning, give you this back-" he said handing me my herbology book "-and introduce myself. Adrian Pucey." and so saying he offered me his hand.
"Rose Kenns," I said, shaking his hand.
"Ah, and I believe this is yours," I said handing him his book.
"Thank you," he said not taking his eyes off me.
Again I felt time stop, everything around us freezing. It was just me and him.
"Hey, hey, hey. Look who we have here! My best friend and my little cousin!" said a smiling Bianca. I can't describe my emotions at that moment: I was happy that Bianca considered me her best friend, because I considered her one of the dearest too, but at the same time I was angry, why every time that happens someone has to interrupt?
"Hands off Pucey" said Bianca grabbing me by the arm and dragging me away.
~Actually she can put as many hands as she wants. Stop it Rose, what are you saying?~
"Bye Rose, see you around" he said smiling and waving his hand in greeting. I gave him a smile and could almost swear I heard him whisper an 'at least I hope so'.
"Okay, what were you doing with my cousin?" said Bianca stopping and turning to me.
"Nothing Bi, he was just giving me back my herbology book," I said a little bored and a little amused.
"And he had your book in herbology why?" said a mix of curiosity and annoyance in her voice.
"We bumped into each other this morning and accidentally took each other's books," I said amused by the confused and doubtful expressions he was giving me.
"MMMM" she said a little annoyed " and, do you like him?" she asked curious and scared.
"I just met him Bi" I said to reassure my friend. Inside me I knew very well that it wasn't true. I definitely couldn't say that I liked him, but I knew for sure that I was attracted to him.
"Are you sure sure?" she asked even more tense than before.
"Yesssss" I said smiling at her, hoping I wouldn't come off as a bad liar.
"Phew" she sighed relieved. "You know my cousin and I have almost always shared everything, our families being very close. I love him a lot, he's like a brother to me, but sharing everything is really stressful. You're one of the few things I don't have to share with him" and saying so he hugged me.
Guilt began to seep into my stomach, I wasn't with Adrian or anything, but I couldn't deny that I was attracted to him.
"Do you want me to stop talking to him?" as I asked her this question, a pang penetrated my heart. ~No, Bianca is more important~ I kept repeating in my head.
"No, you can be friends with him if you want. As long as you're not his girlfriend or  prefer him over me ," she said pulling away from my embrace and smiling at me.
As much as I would like to be with him, he probably doesn't feel anything like I do. ~Being friends is more than fine~ I thought to myself.