Love Gone Mad

“You ready, love?” George Weasley asked while taking Adara’s hand in his.

Adara inhaled deeply, set her shoulders back, and nodded up at George.

“This is it,” Adara thought to herself as George pushed open the Great Hall doors with his free hand.

Adara expected a sea of turning heads staring in her direction. She expected gasps, scowls, and the dropping of jaws at the sight of Adara Malfoy holding George Weasley’s hand and accompanying a group Gryffindors to their house table for dinner. However, she received the opposite attention. No one gave any mind to Adara’s actions. The shock of her relationship with George Weasley had apparently and thankfully subsided.

George Weasley stood at Adara’s side, patiently waiting for her to take a seat next to his brother, Ron, before sitting down on the opposite side of Adara at the Gryffindor house table. Adara looked around the table, receiving a few questioning looks from other Gryffindors, and admired the charming table décor which was similar to the ones on the Slytherin table. The only difference consisted of color and the house emblem.

“Are you overwhelmed?” George whispered into Adara’s ear when noticing her tensed facial expression.

“A little,” Adara uttered back, smiling weakly at George, who poured her a glass of pumpkin juice, his presence eased her nerves.

“But I’ll get used to it,” Adara continued, her confidence began to return and she winked at George, and then began to chat with Ginny Weasley who sat across the table from her.

A grin tugged at the corner of George’s mouth and he took a sip of his pumpkin juice, secretly eyeing Adara from behind the bronze goblet.

“That‘s her,” Harry Potter spoke up, his emerald eyes narrowed behind his circular glasses.

Adara followed Harry’s line of sight and her gaze landed upon a stubby middle aged woman seated at the end of staff table.

Dolores Umbridge’s rounded facial features gave her a “toad-like” appearance and she was clothed in an excessive amount of the color pink. Her short brunette hair was perfectly styled, not a stand of hair was out of place.

“I wonder what her favorite color is,” Fred jokingly whispered, letting out a low chuckle. His twin nodded in agreement.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore approached the owl adorned podium, clearing his throat which gained him the attention of the Hogwarts students.

“Before your dinner is served, I’d like to welcome our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge.”

Dolores Umbridge perched her lips and daintily waved at the sea of faces in front of her. Adara noticed Professor Snape’s posture stiffen at the mention of his most desired teaching position at Hogwarts being snatched from him once again.

“I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing the professor good luck,” Dumbledore announced. As he finished, silence swept over the hall and the elderly wizard began to speak once more, “Our caretaker Mr. Filch as asked me to remind you--”

Suddenly, the headmaster was interrupted by a highly, pitched cough produced by the new Defense against the Dark arts professor. The Hogwarts students watched Umbridge slip out of her seat and make her way to the edge of the raised platform, overlooking the four house tables.

“Thank you headmaster for those kind words of welcome,” Dolores Umbridge spoke, a wave of awkwardness filled the room due to her act of interrupting Albus Dumbledore, “And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me.”

“She‘s mental. Who does she see smiling?” Ron muttered, causing Adara to quietly laugh beside him.

"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," Dolores Umbridge chirped, a crooked smile plastered on her round face.

"That's likely," Fred and George spoke sarcastically. All who heard the twins had to muffle their laughter.

"The ministry of magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be a vital importance," Umbridge continued, the tone of her voice becoming more serious as she paced the platform.

"Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school," Dolores Umbridge looked back at the current Hogwarts headmaster, both exchanging a nod.

"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." Umbridge concluded her speech with a giggle and glided back to her seat behind the staff table.

A soft applause filled the Great Hall, each student changing bewildered looks at one another.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, that really was most illuminating," Albus Dumbledore forcibly complimented, clapped his hands, and the usual buffet of food appeared on each table.

"Illuminating?" Ron Weasley sneered, looking at his friends who sat around him at the Gryffindor table, "What a load of waffle!"

A laugh erupted from the group, each hungrily filling their China plates with food.

"She's definitely something," Hermione Granger spoke up, referring to Dolores Umbridge.

"You've got that right," Fred Weasley replied, taking a bite of his dinner. "Well be sure to give the lovely, new professor a proper welcome, won't we George?"

A sly grin crept its way across George's face and he nodded at his partner-in-crime.

Adara had the unusual feeling that someone was staring at her. Her ocean blue eyes scanned the hall, looking for the culprit. She froze when she met a pair of black eyes staring straight at her. Severus Snape's black eyes. His pale face was emotionless. He just stared at Adara, eyeing her carefully. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and shifted in her seat, lowering her head.

"So, Adara, what's it like?" Hermione chimed in, smiling at her new friend.

"What do you mean?" Adara asked, looking up at Hermione, a confused look graced her porcelain skinned face.

"Being at the Gryffindor table, of course."

"Oh, that," Adara replied, smiling at Hermione, "It's...different."

Adara glanced over at the Slytherin house table, she found her friends, except for her cousin, Draco, sitting in their usual spot. She wondered if they took her absence in account or already noticed where she was.

"Hopefully, a good different," George Weasley teased, scooting closer to Adara.



"Thank you," Adara spoke in a low voice to George as she leaned up against a cold stone wall outside the Great Hall.

"For what?" George replied back, taking both Adara's hands in his own.

"For today," Adara smiled, unveiling her sparkling white teeth. "You know some very special people."

"It was my pleasure," George replied, bringing Adara's soft hands to his lips.

"I had better get going, everyone will wonder where I am," Adara reminded George, who frowned.

"Alright," George politely responded, his eyes twinkled, and he released Adara's hand from his own.

"Meet me outside the Quidditch field when you are done with practice tomorrow," Adara told George as she kissed him gently on the cheek before walking back to the Slytherin common room.

Adara stepped through the open portal to the common room and leisurely made her way down the masonry staircase, caught up in her own thoughts.

"Well, look who it is," Pansy Parkinson hissed from across the room. Adara's eyes shot over toward where the pug-faced girl was sitting and she saw that Blaise and Goyle were accompanying her.

"Don't waste your time, Parkinson," Blaise spat as he glared at Adara. "She's scum."

Adara's fist clenched as Blaise spoke; she refrained from cursing the group herself; finishing this madness.

Blaise angrily arose from his seat and made his was over to Adara, "I don't know what's going on in that thick head of yours, Adara, and I don't care anymore."

Adara's heart momentarily saddened. She was losing her friends or just losing her "so-called" friends. Blaise spat to the side, shot one more glare at Adara, and brushed past her; leaving the common room. Pansy and Goyle scurried behind him, sneering at her as they passed. Adara let out a low sigh and trudged over to one of the couches that sat in front of a welcoming fireplace. She lie down across the cold, leather sofa and stared into the fire; her mind lost from the world.

"Adara?"

Adara looked over at Deveny and Rachelle striding towards her, a thankful smile greeted her face as she watched her two best friends sit down across from her.

"Where were you at dinner?" Deveny playfully badgered, cocking an eyebrow at Adara. Rachelle sat to the side of Deveny, arms folded and beaming from ear to ear.

"I think you two both know the answer to that," Adara replied, continuing to stare at the fire, noticing how its color reminded her of something; someone. George Weasley and that fiery hair of his. She missed him already.

"So, how was it?" Rachelle said, referring to her meeting George's friends and family.
"It was odd at first, you know? I mean, how could it not be?" Adara chuckled, remembering the awkwardness and tension.

"George's friends and family are really great. I'd love for you two to meet them sometime soon." Adara smiled as she finished her sentence.

"I'm happy for you, Adara, I really am," Deveny giggled, "but people around here aren't too happy about you and George."

Adara sat up and groaned, "I know, the drama has already begun and we aren't even, you know, together." Rachelle and Deveny replied with a nod.

"Yeah, Rachelle told me about your encounter with Blaise, the secret passageway to Honeydukes, and everything," Deveny expressed, "How exciting!"

"Speaking of Honeydukes, Rachelle," Adara teased, "Did you have a nice time with Fred?"

Rachelle nodded and replied with a laugh, "He's fantastic. When we were on our way back to the school, Fred set off a Dung Bomb at Filch," Rachelle began to laugh harder, wiping a tears from her hazel eyes, "I've never heard Filch scream like that before."

"Impressive," Deveny spoke, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

The room grew silent and the three girls sleepily watched the flames dance around the fireplace. Each escaping into their own thoughts and memories.



"Well, look who decided to show their face this morning," Adara expressed, as a radiant smile swept across her face.

Draco Malfoy looked up from his untouched plate of food and forcibly smiled at his glowing cousin. Adara sat across from Draco and sighed, realizing her cousin's condition was only worsening. She glanced down at his arm, where the Dark Mark rested beneath his school robes. She couldn't take the sight how drained and sickly her dear cousin looked.

“Sorry I haven’t been around, Adara,” Draco finally said, poking his breakfast with his fork.

“Draco, I understand,” she Adara uttered, reaching over and placing her hand on his. “I just don’t want you to forget that I am here for you.”

A smile crept across Draco’s face and he looked up at Adara.

“What?”

“I know something you don’t,” Draco teased; Adara felt relief at the sight of her cousin coming back to his usual self.

“What are you talking about?” Adara responded, raising an eyebrow at her cousin.

“You’ll find out today,” Draco smirked, “Let’s just say a certain someone approached me this morning with a question.”

Adara stared at her cousin with confusion, searching his silver blue eyes the contained no answer to his statement.

“I’ve got to get to class,” Draco announced, standing up from his seat. “Do you want to walk with me?”


“This is depressing,” Deveny whispered as her and Adara took their usual seat next to Rachelle, who had arrived to class before themselves.

“I know,” Adara admitted, looked around the newly organized and bland Defense against the Dark arts classroom. Adara glanced through the textbook labeled, Defensive Magical Theory, which was on top of each desk in the room.

Adara’s heart began to flutter as a familiar laugh reached her ears. She quickly turned around and was greeted with the sight of Fred and George Weasley.

George's eyes met Adara and he mouthed the words, "Good morning" to her before he took his seat next to his twin.

Adara smiled at George then returned the greeting. He held up a hand, signaling her to wait. Adara watched George scribble onto a loose piece of parchment then charm it to fly over to Adara. She watched the note flutter in mid air then gently land on her lap. She clenched the note in her hands and glanced at George who had turned his attention over to Fred.

Quickly, Adara opened the letter, hoping Professor Umbridge wouldn't walk by at any moment and steal the precious note from her hands.



Adara instinctively began to fix her hair and glance down at her wardrobe choice for the day. She heard George chuckle to the left of her, he obviously noticed her fixing and pampering, and she met his loving gaze.



"Umbridge is ridiculous!" Rachelle growled, as she sat with Adara and Deveny at the end of the Slytherin table for lunch.

"You will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of Defense of Magic," Deveny mimicked Dolores Umbridge as she angrily shoved a bite of her lunch into her mouth.

Rachelle and Adara laughed at Deveny's impersonation.

"I can't believe she was interrogating the other teachers today!" Rachelle expressed, "I have a feeling that Professor Trelawney is on the top of Umbridge's list to go." Rachelle's face saddened. Divination was one of the few classes that Rachelle excelled at and enjoyed the most.

"If Professor Umbridge keeps up at this rate, all of Hogwarts is going to be up in arms," Adara proclaimed as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"This is off subject," Adara continued grabbing Deveny and Rachelle's attention, "Do you know if anyone in particular talked to Draco lately?" Adara tried to remain as nonchalant as possible.

"What do you mean?" Deveny quickly snapped, causing suspicion to rise in Adara, who noticed Rachelle nudge Deveny with her elbow. Adara narrowed her eyes at her not-so-sneaky friends.

"What's going on?" Adara asked.

"Deveny and I are going to go study, that's what's going on," Rachelle blurted out, jumping from the table and pulling Deveny from her seat.

"What? I haven't finished eating yet," Deveny whined, reaching out for her lunch as Rachelle pulled her away.

"Oh, Adara, don't forget about Quidditch," Rachelle reminded before hurrying out of the Great Hall.

Adara stared at the empty doorway, wondering what her friends were up to, and how Rachelle knew about her meeting up with George later after Quidditch.
Something's up and Adara wasn't one for surprises.

A few hours later, after homework, and a short nap, Adara made her way across the Hogwarts grounds to the Quidditch field. She heard the sound broom sticks swooshing and zooming about the field and the loud yells from Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, as she grew closer to the arena. Adara found a spot in the grass and sat and waited for George to finish with practice.

Soon, the sounds from inside the arena settled and Adara assumed that practice was over. She saw the team leave the field and head back over to the school, all in hopes of a shower. Fred and George were the last to exist the arena, both stopped and waited outside the entry way. George's back was towards Adara, who was far enough away from him not to notice her. With stealth, Adara crossed the field and snuck up behind George. Her sparkling blue eyes met Fred's and she motioned for him not to give her surprise attack away. When the moment was perfect, Adara cried out and jumped on George's back. She laughed with joy as George shrieked then began to laugh when he realized who the culprit was.

"Hello there," Adara greeted as she rested her head on George's shoulder. She felt him grab her legs, now securely holding her up. Fred gave Adara a thumbs up and casually walked away, leaving the two alone.

"Hello," George laughed as he leaned his head over on Adara's.

"You stink," Adara giggled, playfully pinching her nose.

"That, my dear, is the pungent smell of man," George expressed, as Adara jumped off his back and stood beside him.

Adara admired how George looked in his Quidditch uniform.

"You look good too," George whispered into Adara's ear after he noticed her staring. Adara blushed and turned her head away, looking up at something in the sky.

"As you know, I am in desperate need of a shower," George announced, looking down at Adara; a grin tugged at his cheek.

"I can't protest to that," Adara replied, waving her hand in front of her face as if to be blowing away George's odor.

"You should go to your common room," George said as he walked backwards away from Adara.

"What do you mean?" Adara responded, following him.

"You will find out," George smirked, "I'll stop by when I'm done showering."

Draco's words rang through Adara's head: "You'll find out today.

"Adara, you have to come up here!" Rachelle shrieked as Adara walked through the dimly lit common room.

"Why?" Adara asked. Rachelle ran over to her, grabbed her by the wrist, and forcibly dragged her upstairs to their dormitory.

"Brace yourself," Rachelle whispered as she opened the door. Adara let out a gasp as her eyes met the scene in front of her.

White envelopes. Hundreds of them filled the dormitory. They covered the floor, the beds, the tables, and every other surface in the room. Adara noticed that on the outside of each note was a name. Her name. Adara Rose Malfoy. Written her favorite way; badly and with black ink. They were all from George.

Deveny was in the corner of the room, jumping on her bed, throwing handfuls of envelops in the air.

Adara was at a loss of words and all she would do was stare.

"Go ahead, open one," Rachelle ushered.

"Which one? There are so many," Adara uttered, still in shock, as she looked around the envelope blanketed room.

"They all probably say the same thing," Deveny blurted as she continued to jump, "Not that I read any of them."

Adara still stood in the doorway, she was afraid to walk in, for fear of crushing the precious gifts beneath her feet. She slowly bent down and picked up a familiar looking envelope that rested on top of her shoes.She swallowed a lump that grew in her throat and Rachelle and Deveny watched Adara with eager eyes. Adara gently opened the letter and read: