JOKESTER ↝ K. BELL [2]

[2]

"Did you finish your essay for Herbology?" Cedric asked Newt as the two boys strolled through the school corridors, the rays of the setting sun streaming in from the stone windows turning the Scamander boy's dark hair into shades of golden brown.

"Last night," Newt said, nodding. "Decided to stay a little later in the library and finish it after you left to meet Cho."

Newt scanned his friend's face for any sign of a reaction in the mention of Cho's name, but Cedric managed to stay cool and collected, much to Newt's disappointment, as the boy was nearly getting desperate for answers. To Newt's knowledge, Cedric and Cho had a thing the entire school year before, but as the year went on, Cedric seemed less and less interested, and hadn't brought up the girl's name even once over their summer holidays. He even knew everything Clary had told him about their bet at the Quidditch World Cup, but suddenly as soon as they were back to school, it was as if the boy had done a complete turnaround, leaving their redheaded friend confused in his wake.

Not that Newt had spoken much to Clary the past couple weeks since they'd arrived, as he'd barely seen her outside of classes, or a dinner here and there when Newt joined his friends at the Gryffindor table. From what he'd heard from his twin sister, Clary and Cedric still hadn't spoken since their awkward run-in on the train, and no matter how he tried to bring it up, Cedric would always simply shrug and say that things were fine.

"And speak of the devil," Newt muttered under his breath as a flash of a blue and bronze scarf caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Cho now standing at Cedric's side, a wide smile plastered on the girl's face.

"Hello, boys," Cho said, Cedric's arm instantly reaching up to wrap around the girl's shoulders.

"Hi," Newt said, though Cho was no longer looking in his direction, instead her gaze moving back to where Cedric stood next to her.

"Newt, I'll see you back in the common room later?" Cedric asked, and Newt nodded, shoving his hands into the pocket of his black and yellow robes.

"Right, yeah," Newt said, "Later."

He watched with a small pained smile as Cho and Cedric parted ways with him, the two hurrying down the corridor in the direction the boys had just walked, and he continued his stroll, now in search of a nice alcove to sit and get a head start on his Care of Magical Creatures homework before nightfall.

When Newt finally managed to secure a space near the landing of one of the staircases, he opened his textbook, the hustle and bustle of students finishing up any late afternoon classes or study sessions, some of them on their journey down to the Great Hall for dinner, others already on their way back upstairs to their common rooms to turn in for the night all turning to background noise as he allowed himself to get lost in the world of his creatures.

In the center of the page on Newt's textbook lay a drawing of a Thestral, drawn by a magizoologist who had the unfortunate privilege to be able to see such a creature. Newt himself was unable to see them, though from the first time he'd been able to ride in the school carriages, he knew they were more than just the invisible horses all of the other students called them. His father had described them to him and Vasantha as magnificent creatures, if a bit taboo among those who chose to pretend they didn't exist. And though he knew he could wait on being able to see them, a part of him was sad to know there was a creature out there that he was unable to study for himself.

Newt jotted down notes on the Thestral onto a piece of parchment, attempting to get a rough list written down of what all he wanted to write in his essay that weekend. He wrote until he could begin to hear his stomach growl, reminding the boy that he hadn't eaten since before Transfiguration earlier that afternoon, and he began to collect his things, placing them back into his back before heading down the stairs, taking them nearly two at a time.