Susan entered the room and pushed the door shut behind her.
She left it unlocked, but remained squarely in front of the door until Adrian gave her an answer.
She looked around the small space, taking in the stacks of books and the trunk Adrian had barely begun to unpack, before sitting down on the edge of his bed.
“I am not leaving,” Susan said, her expression shifting from teasing to expectant, “until you explain exactly what happened with that Trolley Witch.” Adrian remained by his trunk, keeping his posture relaxed.
He gave her the honest version: the wheel had jammed in the narrow corridor, the witch had grabbed his wrists to brace herself against the heavy cart, and the first physical contact was entirely accidental.
He did not, however, lie about the rest.
He admitted that the second grind was deliberate on her part, and he had chosen not to step back.
Susan listened without interrupting, though her expression tightened when Adrian admitted that the second grind had been deliberate.
She wanted to know whether he had encouraged the witch.
Adrian answered honestly that he had not grabbed her or pulled her back, but he had stayed exactly where he was and asked whether she still needed his help.
“And you enjoyed it,” Susan said.
Adrian saw no value in lying.
“Yes.” Susan reminded him that they had known each other for one train journey and that she had no right to be jealous.
The emphasis she placed on no right suggested that the distinction was not helping.
A sharp pink text box suddenly manifested in the centre of Adrian’s vision.
[PERVERTED MISSION] [Feel Susan Bones’s ass.] [Bonus: Touch bare skin.] [Reward: Susan Route Fragment ×3 and 30 PP.] Adrian dismissed the screen and looked back at Susan.
He moved away from the trunk and sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, rather than standing over her.
Susan watched him closely, but she did not retreat.
“Earlier on the train,” Adrian said, keeping his voice quiet, “you wanted to know whether my erection was caused by you sitting on my lap, or by Madam Malkin’s catalogue.” His hand settled on her bare knee.
“You never stayed long enough to hear the answer.” He left his hand there for several seconds.
Susan looked down at it, then back at his face, but made no attempt to remove it.
Adrian moved his hand upward, gathering the hem of her short skirt with the back of his fingers.
His palm slid smoothly beneath the fabric and settled firmly against one ass cheek through her panties.
Susan’s eyes darted up to meet his.
She immediately recognised that he had used her earlier question as an excuse.
“That does not feel accidental,” she murmured.
“The way you shifted on my lap didn’t feel accidental either,” Adrian pointed out.
Susan did not deny it.
Instead of moving away, she leaned closer to him.
She placed one hand against his shoulder, her body heat radiating through his shirt, and allowed his palm to remain exactly where it was.
Adrian squeezed her ass through the silk of her panties.
Susan’s body tightened briefly, but rather than pulling away, she pressed the cheek more firmly into his hand.
Susan’s body tightened briefly, but rather than pulling away, she pressed the cheek more firmly into his hand.
Deciding to push for the bonus, Adrian’s fingers traced the edge of her panties before slipping beneath the side of the fabric and closing around the warm, bare curve of her ass.
Susan let out a quiet breath, her grip tightening on his shoulder.
She allowed one firmer squeeze against her bare skin.
But when Adrian’s fingers began travelling further inward toward the inner curve, her hand shot down and caught his wrist.
She didn’t lecture him, and she didn’t panic.
She simply looked him in the eye.
“That is all you get tonight,” Susan said firmly.
Adrian stopped immediately, relaxing his hand.
Susan kept hold of his wrist for another moment.
When Adrian made no attempt to move, some of the tension left her grip.
She released him, stood up, and smoothed her skirt down.
As she walked toward the door, she picked up Adrian’s remaining piece of the premium chocolate from his desk, claiming it as a final tax.
She gave him one last look over her shoulder, a small smile playing on her lips, and stepped out into the corridor.
The moment the door clicked shut, the system chimed.
[MISSION COMPLETE] [Bonus condition met.] [Susan Route Fragment ×3] [30 PP] [PP Balance: 330] Adrian let out a slow breath and opened his full interface.
With the day finally over, it was time to make sure he was actually prepared for the rest of the week.
He navigated to his inventory and selected the reward he had earned in the Great Hall.
[Claim Random Common Skill Token?] “Yes.” [Skill Acquired: Steady Hands] A faint tingling travelled through Adrian’s wrists and fingertips before fading.
When he flexed his hand, nothing looked different, but every small movement felt slightly easier to control.
Next, he opened the shop.
His first walk through the castle had already involved dark paths, wet stairs and several opportunities to fall.
A small utility spell suddenly seemed far more useful than saving every point for a distant reward.
He found Minor Force Pull, which sat at a useless 1/10 fragments.
[Purchase Minor Force Pull Fragment ×9 for 90 PP?] “Yes.” [Minor Force Pull: 10/10] [Spell Unlocked: Minor Force Pull] [PP Balance: 240] Adrian drew his ash wand, pointed it at the empty chocolate wrapper Susan had left on the edge of his desk, and focused his intent.
He felt a sharp, invisible tug.
The wrapper jerked into the air, flew past his waiting hand and struck his chest before dropping into his lap.
Adrian picked it up.
His control was rough, but the spell worked.
The next morning, the Hufflepuff prefects gathered the first-years in the common room to take them through the daily residential routines.
They explained how the enchanted laundry room worked, showed them the shared baths and pointed out the main noticeboard where class routes and house events were posted.
Susan spent the morning beside Hannah and Justin, discussing their schedules and complaining about the vinegar barrel as though nothing unusual had happened.
She barely looked at Adrian until they crossed paths near the noticeboard.
Then her eyes dropped briefly to his right hand before she continued walking with the others.
During breakfast in the Great Hall, Adrian was halfway through his porridge when a small paper bird fluttered down from the enchanted ceiling and landed directly beside his bowl.
The parchment was slightly damp.
Adrian unfolded it smoothly, shielding the text from the rest of the table.
Promising junior required.
Unused classroom beside the western staircase.
Lunch break.
Bring your wand.
Do not bring Percy, Susan, or anyone interested in keeping all their eyebrows.
—F&G Adrian folded the damp parchment and slipped it between the pages of his Standard Book of Spells.
Across the hall, Fred and George were watching him from the Gryffindor table.
The moment Adrian met their eyes, George pointed toward the western staircase while Fred mimed an explosion with both hands.
Adrian returned to his porridge.
Whatever they had built, it had clearly survived the first test badly enough to require outside help.