Slytherins, Kisses and Other Disasters
Copyright© 2026 by Caroline Stanton
Chapter 23: The Courage to Ask
The sun had disappeared behind the hills by the time Adrian and Georgina reached the outskirts of Hogwarts.
They had taken their time coming back from Hogsmeade. Neither had suggested hurrying, and when the road offered a choice between the shorter route and a winding path beside the lake, Adrian had pointed out the latter with an almost comically innocent expression.
Georgina had laughed and taken his hand. Now the castle rose before them, its illuminated windows glowing against the deepening blue of the evening sky. The grounds were quiet, apart from the occasional distant voices of students returning from the village.
Georgina was carrying her coat over one arm. She had put it on twice during their walk, then taken it off again when she’d grown warm. Adrian had offered to carry it, but she’d declined, pointing out that she was perfectly capable of managing a coat. He hadn’t argued. That was another thing she liked about him. He didn’t treat her as though she were made of glass. They were approaching the covered walkway leading towards the entrance courtyard when Adrian spoke.
“Georgina?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I tell you something?”
She glanced at him.
“Course.”
He looked unusually serious.
“Something I probably should have told you earlier.”
Georgina felt a little flutter of uncertainty.
“All right.”
Adrian hesitated. Then stopped walking. Georgina turned towards him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He gave a small, nervous laugh.
“Well, nothing bad.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not filling me with confidence here, Selwyn.”
He smiled.
“Sorry.”
She waited. Adrian looked at their joined hands. Then at her.
“You asked me earlier why I hadn’t asked you out before.”
Georgina remembered what she’d confessed to Adrian in the tearoom and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t really answer.”
“No.”
Adrian took a breath.
“The truth is, I’ve wanted to ask you out for quite a while.”
Georgina stared at him.
“What?”
“Quite a while.”
“How long?”
Adrian looked faintly embarrassed.
“Since last year, actually.”
Georgina’s mouth fell open.
“Last year?”
“Yes.”
She stared.
“You’re taking the piss.”
He shook his head.
“I’m not.”
“Adrian!”
He laughed nervously.
“I know.”
“Last year?”
“Yes, Georgina.”
She released his hand and planted both hands on her hips.
“Then why the bloody hell didn’t you?”
Adrian looked at her for a moment. Then sighed.
“Because I was afraid you’d say no.”
Georgina blinked.
“What?”
He gave a rueful smile.
“Not particularly heroic, is it?”
She stared at him. Adrian continued.
“You’re not exactly an easy girl to approach.”
Georgina’s expression changed.
“Oh.”
He noticed immediately.
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
She looked away.
“It’s all right.”
“Georgina.”
She shrugged.
“I know what people think of me.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Please let me finish.”
She looked at him. He took another breath.
“I knew you were attractive. I’d thought so for ages. But you always seemed so confident. You and Victoria and Draconia were practically inseparable, and whenever a boy tried to flirt with one of you, the other two looked ready to tear him apart.”
Georgina couldn’t help laughing.
“Well...”
“Exactly.”
She shook her head.
“Bloody hell.”
“And I thought...”
He hesitated. Georgina waited.
“I thought you’d laugh at me.”
Her smile disappeared. Adrian looked down briefly.
“Or tell me to piss off. Or ask why on earth you would want to go out with me.”
Georgina stared.
“Adrian...”
He gave a small shrug.
“I suppose I was afraid of making a fool of myself.”
For a moment, she said nothing. Then she whispered, “You thought I’d reject you?” Adrian looked at her.
“Yes.”
Georgina shook her head slowly.
“Oh, Merlin.”
He smiled uncertainly.
“What?”
She looked away. Then laughed. But there was no amusement in it.
“That’s just bloody wonderful.”
Adrian frowned.
“Georgina?”
She turned back towards him.
“Do you know what Vic and I used to talk about?”
He shook his head.
“We used to wonder what was wrong with us.”
His expression softened. Georgina continued.
“Every bloody year, we’d watch other girls get asked to Hogsmeade. We’d see them getting flowers, holding hands, going to dances. Draco had boys practically queuing up.”
She gave a shaky laugh.
“And there we were. Two great big Quidditch Beaters nobody wanted.”
“Georgina—”
“We thought we were ugly.”
Adrian went still. She swallowed.
“Not all the time. We weren’t sitting around crying about it every day. We had our friends, and Quidditch, and plenty of other things to do.”
She looked down.
“But sometimes...”
Her voice grew quieter.
“Sometimes it hurt.”
Adrian didn’t interrupt. Georgina took a breath.
“And all that time, you thought I was attractive?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“And you wanted to ask me out?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him. Then covered her face with both hands.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Adrian looked stricken.
“I’m sorry.”
She lowered her hands.
“No!”
He blinked.
“No?”
She shook her head.
“Don’t apologise.”
“But—”
“Adrian, you idiot.”
She laughed, although her eyes had begun to shine.
“We were both scared of exactly the same bloody thing.”
He stared at her. Then, slowly, he smiled.
“I suppose we were.”
Georgina shook her head again.
“Six years.”
“Well, five and a bit.”
“Don’t be clever.”
He laughed softly. She looked at him. Then her expression softened.
“All those times I thought nobody wanted me...”
Adrian’s smile faded.
“Georgina.”
She swallowed.
“And you were right there.”
“I was.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away impatiently.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Hey.”
She laughed shakily.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t.”
She looked up at him. He smiled gently.
“Please don’t apologise for that.”
Georgina stared at him for a moment. Then she stepped forward and put her arms around him. Adrian embraced her immediately. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, closed her eyes, and held him tightly. For a while, neither spoke. Then Georgina murmured, “You really are a bloody idiot.” Adrian laughed softly.
“I know.”
“So am I.”
“Possibly.”
She gave him a gentle thump on the back.
“Cheeky sod.”
He laughed again. Georgina smiled against his shoulder. Then her voice became very quiet.
“I’m glad you finally asked.”
Adrian held her a little closer.
“So am I.”
They remained together for a long moment. When Georgina finally drew back, Adrian didn’t immediately release her. His hands rested lightly at her waist, and hers remained on his shoulders. They looked at each other. Georgina was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing. She could see the faint freckles across Adrian’s nose, the way his dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and the nervousness that had returned to his expression. He smiled.
“Can I confess something else?”
Georgina laughed softly.
“Merlin, what now?”
“I nearly didn’t ask you this week, either.”
Her eyes widened.
“Adrian!”
“I know.”
“Bloody hell!”
He grinned.
“Marcus was the one who finally convinced me.”
Georgina blinked.
“Marcus?”
“Yes.”
She stared.
“But he asked me out too!”
Adrian winced.
“Yes. That was rather unfortunate.”
Georgina laughed.
“Oh, you two are unbelievable!”
Adrian laughed with her.
“Apparently he’d been thinking about asking you for a while as well.”
She shook her head.
“Two boys.”
Adrian smiled.
“What?”
“Two boys wanted to ask me out, and I spent six years thinking nobody would ever bother.”
Her laughter faded. She looked at him with an expression so open and vulnerable that Adrian felt his chest tighten.
“I wish I’d known.”
He nodded.
“So do I.”
Georgina looked down briefly. Then back at him.
“But...”
“I’m glad it was you.”
Adrian stared.
“Really?”
She laughed softly.
“Really.”
His smile widened.
“Thank you.”
Georgina shook her head affectionately.
“You’re welcome, you daft sod.”
A cool breeze moved through the trees beside the walkway. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted. Adrian brushed a loose strand of brown hair away from Georgina’s face. She went very still. It was such a gentle gesture. His fingers barely touched her cheek. Yet Georgina felt her heart begin to pound. Adrian looked at her. She looked back. Neither spoke. Then he moved a little closer. Georgina’s breath caught. She knew what he was about to do.
Or rather, what he wanted to do. His gaze flickered briefly towards her lips, then returned to her eyes. He leaned towards her. Slowly. Carefully. Georgina didn’t move. She could feel the warmth of his breath now. He was only a few centimetres away. And then he stopped. He didn’t close the remaining distance. Didn’t pull her towards him. Didn’t assume that because she’d held his hand, embraced him, or accepted another date, she necessarily wanted to be kissed. He simply waited.
His hands remained gentle at her waist. His eyes searched hers. The question was unmistakable. And the answer was entirely hers to give. Georgina looked at him. For six years, she’d wondered what it would feel like to have a boy want to kiss her. Now she knew. And the most wonderful part wasn’t merely that Adrian wanted to. It was that he was giving her the choice. She could step away. She could laugh and tell him it was too soon.
Or she could move those last few centimetres herself. Georgina’s lips curved into a small, trembling smile.
“Adrian,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
She glanced at his mouth. Then back at his eyes. And for one extraordinary moment, the girl who could face a charging Bludger without flinching discovered that closing a distance of three centimetres required more courage. She took a breath. Then made her choice. She kisses him. Clumsy at first, but then desperate. Six years of waiting, she’s willing to enjoy every second of this. Georgina closed the distance. Her lips met Adrian’s rather awkwardly.
She had leaned forward a little too quickly, and their noses bumped. Adrian made a small, surprised sound, and Georgina instinctively drew back.
“Oh, fuck.”
Adrian blinked. Then smiled.
“Are you all right?”
Georgina stared at him, mortified.
“I’ve never done that before.”
His expression softened.
“Neither have I.”
She blinked.
“Really?”
“Really.”
For some reason, that made everything better. Georgina began to laugh. Adrian laughed too, and suddenly the terrible, wonderful tension between them became something they could share.
“Well,” she said, “that was bloody graceful.”
“I thought it went rather well.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“Only when necessary.”
She grinned. Then looked at his mouth again. Her smile softened.
“Adrian?”
“Yes?”
“Can we try that again?”
“I’d like that.”
This time, Georgina moved more slowly. She tilted her head slightly, closed her eyes, and kissed him. And this time, it was wonderful. Adrian’s arms settled around her, and Georgina slipped hers over his shoulders. The kiss was gentle and a little uncertain, but neither of them hurried to end it. When they finally separated, Georgina opened her eyes. Adrian was smiling. She stared at him. Then whispered, “Oh.” He laughed softly.
“Oh?”
She nodded.
“Oh.”
Her cheeks were burning. Her heart was hammering. And she was suddenly, gloriously aware that she wanted to do it again. So she did. She kissed him a third time, without asking. Adrian responded immediately, holding her a little closer. Georgina had imagined her first kiss hundreds of times. In some versions, she’d been wonderfully composed. In others, the boy had swept her into his arms, or she’d delivered some devastatingly clever remark before kissing him.
None of those imaginings had prepared her for the reality. She wasn’t composed. She couldn’t think of a clever remark. She was simply Georgina Goyle, standing beneath a covered walkway with her arms around a boy who liked her, kissing him because she wanted to. And after six years of waiting, she wasn’t particularly interested in stopping. When they broke apart again, Adrian rested his forehead lightly against hers.
“Georgina,” he murmured.
“Yeah?”
He smiled.
“You’re rather enthusiastic.”
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.