And so, as Serina covered her perfectly manicured hands with soft-pink gloves downstairs in the kitchen, her fellow Slytherin had already settled in his comfortable bed upstairs.

Adam was in a plain white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, legs crossed and back against the wooden headboard. He wasn't sleeping just yet though, and instead his thumb traveled smoothly over the surface of the magical brick Willoughby had given him earlier, which lit his face in a cool, blue glow. He seemed to have adjusted to muggle life - at least the cellphone-addict part of it - rather well.

The Slytherin was vaguely aware of his Gryffindor roommate until the latter spoke up, something about ‘no changin’ your mind.’ Adam looked up, assuming he was being addressed, and found the lion boy showing his physique off to Allegra who, unsurprisingly, had snuck up on them as quiet and agile as an alley cat. He snorted at Leo’s speech. “Hey, if you two want to room that’s fine, just don’t make me sleep with Serina.” The mere thought of having to share a room with the fastidious girl showered him in genuine terror.

Perhaps, despite Leo being incredibly stupid (not that Adam was some genius either), he could join their team. The more people against the Slytherin princess, the better.

Adam considered this, eyebrows furrowing slightly at the thought, when, out of nowhere, Allegra approached his bed, got on her tip toes and, like it was the most normal and fitting thing to do at that moment, kissed him.
… WAIT—WHAT?! It took Adam a second too long to realize what was going on, and by the time he did, Allegra had already pulled away and made her exit, door slamming shut behind her.
…WHAT!?!?! The whole thing had been so brief and out-of-the-blue that Adam was almost certain he’d imagined it. Perhaps hallucinations were a side-effect of being without magic for too long?????? But Leo confirmed the reality of it with his following accusation.

“What?! Hooking—No!” Adam sat up, frowning at the door as if Willoughby’s magical handwriting was about to appear and explain how this was all secretly part of his plan.

“Oi, keep it down, will you?! SOME of us are trying to sleep!” came Serina’s voice from beyond before there was the slamming of another door down the hall.

Bewildered, Adam turned from the closed door to the Gryffindor whose surprised expression was a reflection of his own. “I’m not ‘hooking up’ with her,” he explained calmly. Where’d Leo learn this American slang anyway? “And she’s not mute.”