Periculum (Fred Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 8

My ears perked up as a distant crunch sounded in the woods. My head snapped around in the direction it came from, but there was nothing in sight.

"What?" I heard Roze's soft whisper behind me, but I only brought my index to my lips as my eyes searched the never-ending forest around us. I began to think I'd imagined the distant noise, when both Roze and Cameron perked up, hearing the noise again. It was the sound of twigs breaking, leaves crunching, branches snapping. It got louder and closer and had all of us on our feet, backing away in the other direction.

"Another trick?" Cam asked in nothing but a whisper. I shook my head, my eyes still scanning to find the threat that was obviously coming for us. It was closer now, whatever it was, it's monstrous footsteps causing the earth to shake beneath us and my heartbeat could have been heard back in England.

"Run!"

Cam and Roze turned on their heels and sprinted, all of us darting along the lakes edge. Where the forest ended, the lake began so our only option was to run in the shallow waters the fringed the lake, or risk being tangled and caught up in the branches, vines, and hazards of the forest floor.

In front of me, Roze shot a look over her shoulder, her flaming orange hair whipping into her eyes as she checked behind her. Whether she was checking to see if I was there or if she could see the beast behind us, I wouldn't know because with her widening eyes, and small scream that escaped her lips, I knew she saw what was trying to kill us first.

I couldn't help but check after that. Bared, sharp teeth met my glance. The long and ragged mane flared out from the lion's head, but a long and golden scaled dragon's tail caught my eye, the triangle point of the tail swiping at the air 15-feet above the already 8-foot giant. What was even more confusingly terrifying was the body of the monster- that of a goat. White fur reflected in the sunlight, even amongst the dirt and blood that layered its coat.

My heart launched as my footing slipped in the shallow water, forcing my eyes back in front of me. But they slammed shut in second when met with a wave of crashing water, and the sound of Roze's piercing screams.

Water filled my lungs, my body tossed in tumbles, limbs bending and folding over each other as I tried desperately not to drown. For a few seconds, my head surfaced above the rapid water. The beast stood on the shore line of the lake, its poisonous stare penetrated me as it had obviously missed out on a good meal of three teenage wizards.

My head was dunked under water once more, but the feel of a hard foot kicking me in the stomach made me loose the breath I had just caught. Darkness edged, and my lungs felt emptier of air than they had ever felt.

When that first breath filled my lungs as I breathed in the fresh air on instinct, it was the best feeling in the world, and my eyes snapped open to see the ominous grey clouds in the sky, the sounds of splashing and shouting filled my ears, and the feel of small, delicate hands clutching my arm were tight and desperate.

"Roze" I spluttered, pulling myself into a sitting position. Her eyes scanned me quickly and worriedly. When she obviously depicted I wasn't harmed, she fell back and sat on the grainy, black sand.

"Was that a bloody Chimera? Are you kidding me? Who has a Chimera prowling their school's border? What the bloody hell" she rattled, the fury radiating off her small, soaking body. Hair plastered to her pale face.

"School?" I questioned, the grogginess of my mind only just clearing after almost drowning.

Roze nodded, and just lifted her arm to point. My gaze followed, and there sat the castle that housed the Durmstrang Institute. It wasn't nearly as big as Hogwarts but could be just as old.