Chapter 3

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The next day, Bella found herself walking between classes having the whispers about her restarting, and even first years joined in. Her eyes had blurred a few times but that didn't stop her from carrying on with her day.  She made her way to Care of Magical creatures which was by the game-keepers hut, she met with Hagrid and the rest of the students. They were going to be venturing out into the forest to pet Thesterals. "Yer, all ready then?" He  clapped his large hands and led the students into the forbidden part of school grounds. 

"Now, some o' yer migh' be able t'see 'em, others not. Can anyone tell me why?" Angelina Johnson's hand shot straight up, as she stood beside her friend, Alicia Spinnet and the Weasley Twins. "Angelina?"

"Thesterals, can only be seen by those ho have witnessed death." She said solemnly. The face of many students, fell and others were staring straight into a clear area, baffled by air. Clearly they can see the animals. 

"Ten poin's t'Gryffindor!" Hagrid praised, "Now, those who can see them, will know tha' they look like a winged horse-Pegasus if you wan' just, only skin an' bone."

Belle felt a boney structure rub up against her side, but when she turned to see what it was nothing was there. Curiously lifting her hand she glided it over where what looked like nothing was, but she could feel otherwise. A young thesteral had taken a liking to her flowing cyan hair, and stayed beside her. "Well done, Belle!" She heard Hagrid praise which caused her to jump, she had been in a trance just stroking the creature and din't realise that people had noticed until Hagrid spoke. She looked up and hr cheeks flushed pink slightly as people watched her. "If you wan' t'stroke 'em, grab some food from the buckets over 'ere and one'll come t'yer." The students all pushed to get some food, in order for them to pet the creatures, but Belle stayed put, with the thesteral by her side. 

The sun was out and it shined through the forest, which hid the dark creatures within, but the sun was soon blocked by a lean figure behind her. Belle turned her head to find one of the Weasley twins holding two apples. He held his hand out and gave her one of the apples to feed the thesteral beside her. "Thank you." 

"No worries, the other thesterals are getting crowded, do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all..Which one are you?" She said as he fed his apple to the animal. 

"Fred, your name is Belle right?" He scratched the back of his neck, "It's just I weren't sure if that was your surname." 

'Wasn't' Belle thought, her grammatical peeve taking over, but shrugged it off.

"Yeah, it's Belle, Florence is my surname."  

"Cool." 

The pair stood silently stroking the thesteral in silence, and Fred watched as Belle looked down at her moving hand. He wasn't sure if she could see the animal, but daren't ask her, as it would come across as if he was asking if she had seen death. "How's your eyes?"

"Okay, thank you." She replied shortly. 

"Do you know who did it? Set off the smoke bomb that is."

"I recognised the voice, as they kind of cussed, but I can't exactly put a name to the voice." She shrugged, 

"Oh." 

As much as Belle knew that Fred was only being thoughtful and asking how she is, she could not help but wish he stopped talking. Not really speaking to people put a toll on her, and when it came to conversing she didn't know exactly how to go by it. If things got awkward, she do nothing but apologise. That was also a side-affect to not talking to people much, apologising a lot, it can't be helped but that's just how she is to be fair. 

After a while, Belle sat down on the grass and pulled out some parchment and her writing equipment to take notes, knowing that if she didn't she would regret it later. She noted down what Hagrid had said previously and then her rendition on what the thesteral felt like, and acted when given food. She noted, the noises made and other things such as what it had eaten during the lesson. Fred sat beside her and later the thesteral also laid down just on Belle's legs. "Bloody hell, they're heavy." She groaned. 

"What?" Fred chuckled.

"The thesteral has laid down on my legs." 

"Oh."

For the rest of the lesson,  yet again was in silence, well between Belle and Fred that is, neither spoke. George watched from afar, his twin sitting beside the blue haired girl, that they first spoke to yesterday and smiled. He was happy that the girl actually had company but even happier that Fred had left him alone to be surrounded by girls from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, all of which kept commenting on his pranks and shenanigans. 'Yes! I really am the cooler twin!' He exclaimed in his head. 


After the lesson ended, Hagrid led the group out of the forest and back to the school, Fred joined his brother and the pair joked around on the way back. Belle kept to the back of the group as usual and slowed down even more when her eyes began to blur slightly. She pulled her glasses from her face and rubbed her eyes gently before placing her glasses back on when her vision was clear. She sped up in order to not be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Fortunately, Lupin was just about to shut the door, when he noticed the girl heading towards him. "Sorry, I'm late Professor." She frowned, ready for him to take house points away. 

"You're just on time, no need to apologise, Miss?"

"Florence, sir. Belle Florence."

"Very well, please take a seat." He said, and shut the door behind them. Her surname was oddly familiar, but that was probably because Dumbledore had said it the previous day. 

"Thank-you."





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