TOGETHER (A HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY) 4

46

MILLIE'S POV:

"Please, Mione, I don't want to go!" I whined childishly, as she practically dragged me across the snow-covered grounds towards Hagrid's cabin. "I was so cold in Herbology, I mean, I couldn't even see out the bloody windows because of the condensation, I can't do Care of Magical Creatures in this weather, it's ridiculous, they should've cancelled all the classes today-"

"Millie, it's the third week back of lessons," Mione said in a firm voice, though she was grinning as she spoke. "I'm not letting you skip just yet..." I groaned, pulling my cloak around me as much as possible, though I still shivered uselessly.

When the two of us arrived at Hagrid's cabin - with me still complaining and Mione still reprimanding me - we found an elderly witch with closely cropped grey hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at us, and my head snapped up in disbelief as I struggled towards her through the thick snow.

"We're trying!" I shouted back with a small scoff, ignoring Mione's elbow as she nudged me warningly. "Who's she?" I asked Ron as we reached him, pulling my sleeves further over my hands.

"Dunno," he answered, before turning his face up to look at the new Professor. "Who're you?" he asked loudly. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly, "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" I repeated, staring at her.

"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.

Unpleasant laughter reached my ears. I turned; Malfoy, Parkinson and other Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"What did I say? I said they should've cancelled out-door classes today," I muttered angrily underneath my breath, kicking the freezing snow with my foot. I was in a foul mood already this morning, probably due to the weather, and having a Care of Magical Creatures lesson outside in it with Slytherins and without Hagrid was not about to help that. On top of that, because of my annoyance, my fingers kept tingling with the indication of the fiery power inside of me wanting to break free, and I kept having to desperately rub the uncomfortable feeling away on my robes, as though the tips of my fingers had been pricked by hundreds of tiny stinging nettles.

I had just stepped forward again and opened my mouth to point out to Professor Grubbly-Plank that actually Hagrid was not a plant, and therefore could not be indisposed, when a hand pulled me back by my skirt into them, and, with a horrid wave of rage, I turned and raised my knuckles, but his reflexes were too fast.

His fist was clenched around my forearm in an instant; he pulled so that I stumbled slightly into him, our faces barely inches apart.

I glared up at him, heat rising to my cheeks in embarrassment.

"That was cute," Harry mumbled, unamused as he released me. "Try again."

I stepped back, shooting him a cold look, before turning away. I was not in the mood for his antics. A month later and we had yet to move past our ridiculous flirting, flirting in which he still seemed to be doing to every girl under Hogwarts' roof. To him, it seemed I was nothing more than one of his fan girls, whilst to me, he was genuinely the most perfect boy I had ever met.

"Someone's feeling joyous today," Harry taunted, jerking his head up at Ron, who grinned. I ignored him, my arms crossed tightly with my fingers buried deep into the creases of my arms, trying shakingly to kill off the irritable tingles. Miraculously, I even managed to ignore him as he draped a comforting arm round my shoulders, though, somehow, my hands stopped stinging, and I found myself leaning closer into him instinctively, my breathing slowing as his vanilla-scent filled my nostrils. "Don't worry, Mills," he muttered into my ear, his warm breath against my neck comforting me even more as I relaxed into his arms, "these Skrewts should warm us up nicely...even if it is by running away when they chase us...or exploding so Hagrid's cabin catches fire..."