Loving Dawn {ON HOLD}

Chapter 6

hiiii

i've been really lazy and not wanting to type a lot.

so sorry.

the picture is Dawn.

okay.

read the chapter now.

*~*~*

I was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as we set off for out first-ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harry and I walked beside them in silence as we went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when I spotted three-only-too-familiar backs ahead of us that I realized we must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.

"Oh no. Malfoy's here. There's gonna be trouble," I whispered to Harry.

He nodded in agreement.

Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling.

Hagrid was waiting for the class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient  to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" He called as we approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, I thought Hagrid was going to lead us into the forest; Harry and I have had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last us a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, we found ourselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" He called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Malfoy.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated.

He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he appeared to have bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some had belted their book shut; Others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

I hadn't done anything to mine.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

I raised a hand shakily. He turned to me and smiled.

"Well, Dawn, tell 'em!"

"You have to stroke them," I said quietly, grabbing my book.

It tried to snap at me, but I ran a finger down the spine and the book shivered then fell pen and lay quiet in my hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess?"

"I-I guessed?"

No one heard me.

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to me.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Malfoy, if you don't shut up, I'm going to punch you again," I said quietly, at the same time Harry told him to 'shut up'.