(p.s. not a long one but fully adrian centered & some mentions of heavy topics—please read TW's at the beginning of the book)

third person pov

' souls don't meet by accident '

The shinning moon hung bright in the darkened sky with a million little stars littering the space above the quidditch field. Practice for the Slytherin group had been going on for hours and hours, a raging Marcus Flint yelling repeatedly in an angry fit each time Rose or Theo would 'accidentally' hit him with their beater bats.

It wasn't until Rose flew down to catch Graham Montague from falling that she became harmed and pissed....very pissed.

She dropped him to the ground with a thud before quickly sliding off her broom by the goalpost and beginning to grunt while limping—frustratedly taking the arm pads off in the process.

"The hell is wrong with you Graham? Are you trying to smush her?!" Marcus Flint yelled from high above.

Theo and Draco zoomed down, dropping their brooms and simultaneously grabbing onto her arms. At the same time, Marcus flew to Graham and kept yelling with a hoarse voice.

Draco spoke to her first with worry, "He could've crushed you?!"

Theo used a free hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead while keeping her still, "What hurts Ro?"

"Blaise," Marcus yelled form the ground and pulled up Graham, "Come smack some sense into this idiot!"

Rose yanked her arms away from the both annoyingly hot men in uniforms with a bothered look as Blaise ran from Graham to her, "I'm fucking fine!"

"Rose, cut the shit" Blaise said, steadying her with a hand atop left shoulder. "Tell us"

Rose blinked at him before shoving by and continuing her journey to the nearby bench, "My ankle simply hurts!"

The three muttered while following after her, watching Rose crash down onto the wooden bench and let out a exhale to have something holding her back up.

One by one, Theo then Draco and then Blaise all crouched by her while she attempted to pull her leg up. Adrian on the other hand payed no mind to Graham being shoved up the ground by Marcus, simply flying down and making his own way to Rose.

Once successfully moving her leg, Rose stretched her left ankle out with a wince. Draco began to ask the million dollar question with a anger in his eyes, "Why the hell would you catch Montague's sorry arse?"

Graham, who was walking over in perfect condition with Marcus, called out as they neared. "I heard that Malfoy!"

"I don't give a fuck you imbecile!"

Rose reached down, smacking her ankle to attempt to numb the pain—making the three boys widen their eyes and push her hands away.

"Savior complex" Rose muttered, holding onto Theo's shoulder tightly as he gently pushed her pant leg up. "Teddy it's okay"

Draco scowled at Graham before glancing at Adrian who was only a few feet away, "Pucey! You know about injuries, right?"

Adrian nodded slightly, Draco standing and gesturing down at her urgently. Theo sucked in a sharp breath at her swollen ankle that was bright red, "I'm going to kill that boy"

"Please don't" Rose muttered, half smiling at Adrian as he bent down in Draco's place. He carefully took ahold of her leg, barely turning it to study the injury. Marcus and Graham finally reached them, both grimacing at the sight before the captain laid a harsh smack on Graham's head.

Rose ignored the bickering that instantly brewed around her. Draco jumping toward Graham, Blaise standing and yelling with him, Marcus holding Draco back while agreeing with everything he said, and Theo turning his head back to spit the most meancing words but keeping steady on the ground while his hand slid overtop the one Rose had on his shoulder—providing balance in the midst of chaos.

"We meet again Pucey" Rose directed to him overtop everyone as his eyes darted around her ankle and he frustratedly pushed the hair hanging in his sight back. "So...how are we looking doc?"

Adrian glanced up at Rose and gained a instant smile from her at the rare occurrence of his voice, "Not so well" He paused before speaking sternly and silencing everyone, "She needs to go to the hospital wing but I'll take her"

Rose groaned as yelling broke out again between her three closest friends, each debating who would take her. Thankfully, Marcus ended it all quickly with bug eyes at his slipping sanity.

"None of you will! Adrian can take her because I need at least one beater and my damn seeker to practice with Blaise!"

Draco and Theo both turned to look at her, Rose giving them approving nods but with a underlying question laying in their eyes. 'Do you trust Adrian?'

Rose smiled painfully and waved them off, "Go on—I'll be fine"

Theo reluctantly stood up, "We'll be there right when practice finishes, I swear"

"Definitely" Draco and Blaise chorused in unison before glaring at each other. After each of the team members flew back into the sky and resumed their flying, Adrian gently placed her ankle down and got to his feet.

"Well to the hospital we go"

Rose was shocked at how blank his voice and face was as she pointed a threatening finger up, "If you take me there I swear I'll gut you Pucey"

Adrian showed no reaction except letting out a rush of air, "At least let me get you some ice"

"Now that—that I can let you do!"

His eyes rolled before he began to walk toward the dressing rooms, mindlessly copying her actions of sliding the pads off his arms while doing so.

*

When Adrian returned with the bag of ice, he had ditched the Slytherin robe—leaving him in just the quidditch sweater and knee pads. He found Rose laying down on the bench and shouting with cheers of happiness each time Theo almost knocked Marcus or Graham off their brooms.

Adrian stopped above her, his dead look prominent as she slowly ceased her yelling and brought her hands down with a sheepish smile.

"Was wondering if you were coming back for me Adrian—can I call you Adrian?"

He nodded and gestured for her to lift her legs up. As soon as she did so, he sat down and became baffled at her dropping them onto his lap. "What happened to your infamous phobia?"

Rose sat up on her elbows with a curious eyes, "You're good, I can sense it from your aura"

Adrian blinked as he stared at her and gently placed a hand on her ankle to push the pant leg back up, "My....aura?"

"You can tell a lot about a person from theirs," She nodded proudly, happy his fingers grazing her skin felt comforting instead of sickening. "My snake taught me how to see them funnily enough"

His dead gaze left her own for only a moment as he placed the ice bag onto her swollen ankle, returning immediately after. "Nyx taught you how to read aura's?"

Rose laughed in disbelief, "You remember her name? I told that to you in like....first year during a house meeting I crashed in on I think?"

"I'm good at remembering things" Adrian's shoulders rolled back as he relaxed, "You were a little spitfire—rambling to me a mile a minute about something called mercury retrograde?"

The Black smiled with a quiet breathy laugh like the wind had been knocked out of her. Adrian studied her expression before speaking again, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just—" Rose paused and kept her unbelieving smile, "That was so long ago and gods I thought I definitely annoyed you to no end because you didn't really say anything back"

Adrian draped an arm over the bench, making her shift slightly from how intent his gaze was. "Just because I didn't say much doesn't mean I wasn't listening, I oddly enough remember everything you ever said to me"

Rose dropped her head back with a melodic laugh, "Does this mean you remember me hinting at my little crush first year?"

Adrian rolled his tongue on the inside of his cheek before he dropped his head forward slightly with a laugh. Rose gasped and brought her eyes to him again, "You do?! Gods—that's so embarrassing!"

"Well," Adrian started, pushing his hair back with a smirk as he looked up to the boys zooming above in the night sky. "You weren't exactly discreet"

"Adrian Pucey!" Rose scolded with a laugh before lifting her chin, "You should be honored!"

He focused back on Rose and leaned toward her tauntingly, "Who said I wasn't?"

"Well you never said anything!"

"You're not the easiest to approach—surrounded by your little dogs every waking minute"

His words sent her into a full fit of laughter that he couldn't help from somewhat joining in, the Black seeming to have happiness bubbling out.

After a minute she collected herself and fully sat up, placing her arm atop his on the bench. "They are not my dogs!"

Adrian raised a brow, taunting her almost. "Whatever you say Black"

*

That night after a healing potion and being coddled by Theo and Whitman, Rose fell asleep between them happily. It wasn't until Jax, Rose's owl that Whitman stole, started pecking her awake at two am did she discreetly slip out of bed and over to her desk.

Rose grumpily sat on the stool, letting the smoky owl drop a christened letter in front of her before flying back out of the dorm door. The signature on the front with her name in perfected cursive was easy to spot and the Black family crest in sparklingly wax was a dead give away.

Walburga.

The letter included many things, asking how often Rose had been weighing herself in the hospital wing, the amount of hours Rose was able to withstand in dueling Dumbledore, complaining about Rose missing a assignment in divination—which the Black heir had no idea how her grandmother knew, and many other thoughts on how Rose was failing to succeed. A major thing that stood out though was her grandmothers horror at Remus Lupin becoming a professor at Hogwarts. Walburga was adamant that Rose stayed far from the man, claiming he was an awful human being who was likely to pursue to a relationship with her.

Rose didn't understand why Walburga would think such a thing but she didn't read into it because the professor was barely able to meet her eyes every time she walked into his classroom.

With much agitation and a exhausted mind, Rose quickly wrote back with her weight and every other detail Walburga asked for, promising to stay far away from her Professor at the end. It was the most tiring experience to relentlessly try for someone who you knew would never be happy, but you couldn't stop regardless.

After, Rose grabbed a fluffy robe and slipped on some boots—uncaring how crazy she looked as she quietly left the dorm and made her way all the up to the Owlery atop the west tower.

The long trek was exhausting in every way, Rose grumbling about the brain cells Jax had to have to fly away before she could respond to the letter sent.

She stopped in the circular stone room, which was rather cold and draughty from none of the windows having glass in them. Rose tiredly stepped by straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles that the owls fed upon. Luckily for her Jax had a spot on the ground floor, making Rose not have to climb the winding steps to the top of the tower to angrily shove the letter to the bird who instantly flew off.

When finished she stepped out of the owlery and onto the small square space above the top step, not hesitating to take a seat and kick her feet out.

She pulled the robe tighter around her body and fished around for the cigarettes she knew had been stuffed in the pockets weeks ago before lighting one and staring up at the sky. There was something different about the wizarding and muggle world when it came to stars, the muggle world never seemed to have as much twinkling lights above them. The view at Hogwarts was spectacular too, nothing comparing to a high tower that let one feel so close to the constellations.

Thirty minutes had passed before her attention was stolen from the night and taken by Adrian Pucey climbing up the stairs a few feet down. Rose looked at him questioningly as their gazes met, surprised when he simply kept walking without a word.

"Not going to speak to me now Adrian?" Rose asked as he neared.

Adrian halted, his ring clad hand pushing the letter he held into his back pocket. "Didn't know you wanted to be spoke to"

"By you?" Rose taunted, "Always"

He sighed and grasped onto the railing with a gruff voice, "What're you doing up at three in the morning?"

"What're you doing up at three in the morning?" Rose shot back defensively.

"Insomnia," Adrian stared at her intently, "Tricky little thing"

"Hm well you're not the only one" Rose gestured him forward, "You can sit with me if you want—after sending off that letter of course"

Adrian closed their space, dropping down next to her. "It can wait"

Rose's lips twitched and she watched him settle his arms atop his long legs before she focused on the stairs instead of the sky this time—the fall below seeming so long.

Adrian glanced over to look at her heavy eyes, a moment of peaceful silence passing before he asked a question no one except the people closest to her had really dared to. "How are you?"

She blinked and glanced down at her twiddling fingers, "You're one of the first people to ask me that since the funeral"

"When someone takes their own life people tend to stray from the subject or anything as dark"

Rose turned her head to him, her face seeming to show more emotion than he had ever seen someone hold without tears. "How'd you know?"

Adrian pushed his hair back and kept studying her reaction, not wanting to cross a line. "I think everyone in the sacred twenty eight figured in a way but Walburga has done a fair job at spinning it in the papers to the rest of the world"

She scoffed slightly, their stupid image—the only thing her grandmother really cared about.

Afterwards, Rose took another heavy breath and stared back down at her rings.

"Kinda wish he left a note or something," She shrugged, "No explanation at all but it's like—whatever I guess"

Adrian nudged her shoulder gently with his own, "It's okay to miss someone even if they were bad to you"

"Who said he was bad at me?" Rose asked quietly, thankful it was so deep into the night no one could hear their conversation.

"The prettiest things have a way of being the most rotten," Adrian murmured, "We all live in glass houses"

Yeah, he was right about that.

Everything seemed so perfect about her family when truthfully it was filled with lies, treachery, deceit, scorned women, undeserved influence, abuse, neglect, and so on. The Black's just had a way of masking it all with a pretty ribbon and a lot of money, a history of dark secrets following in each one's path.

"Your dad," Rose began with a curious look, "I haven't seen him in so long but I thought he'd be at the funeral"

"He um—he left last fall" Adrian stated stiffly before using her same words purposefully, "Kinda wish he stayed but what can you do?"

The shock of the revelation was apparent on her face as she looped her arm into his with no pushback, deciding then and there to not force answers out of him.

Instead, Rose simply kept their arms together and leaned on him slightly. "Yeah—what can you do?"

Adrian lips pulled up on one side, his eyebrows raising as she turned her head up to him.

"You'll keep my secret?"

He nodded assuringly, "As long as you keep mine"

She smiled in a soft way, "You're nice to talk to you"

"Yeah right" His eyes rolled after, not believing her for a minute.

"I mean it—swear it actually" Rose affirmed, dropping her head onto his shoulder after. "Now I'm going to use you as my pillow until we've talked enough to quiet my mind"

He blinked in disbelief before taunting her in a joking manner, "You do that Rose and I'll indulge you"

————————————————————————

A/N: don't sue me i know it's short but i wanted to show the beginning of their friendship since we didn't get to see how it started in the og

—adrian pucey's number one defender right here !

—sooo Orion's death revealed...depressing i know but you'll get more answers about him next i think

—i should have the next chapter up by tonight and im so excited to focus on her and Blaise's friendship more so like i should have the first time :p

—Walburga Black hate club! sign up for free!