Magic? || Years 1-5

Visiting Snuffles: Year 4

She took her seat, leaning back as she waited for the ten minutes to pass.

Malfoy had been sitting for quite a bit longer than her, looking very bored and very annoyed.

"Scheming another interview so you can go ruin more people's lives?" She asked sarcastically, her heart twinging.

"I've already told you!" He snarled furiously. "Time and time again, and yet you still won't listen! I never told Skeeter anything."

She raised an eyebrow, "Working so hard to keep it a secret and then suddenly taking every risk doesn't seem like someone trying to protect a relationship. Why should I even consider believing you?"

"Because, I -- " He broke off, looking utterly defeated and frustrated out of his mind. "You know what, River, never mind. You go on believing what you want, you clearly don't want to stay friends."

"I wasn't the one who ratted us out to the Daily Prophet," She snarled back.

"And I wasn't the one who gave back a gift!" He hissed furiously.

Her fingers went to where her ring usually was and her eyes darkened as she looked away, "I was -- "

"Telling me that I had no chance of getting you back, I realized," He drawled angrily. "Do me a favor, River, and leave me alone."

She sunk down, suddenly feeling very small in her chair.

The ten minutes passed and she dumped in her ginger roots, managing to coax her potion into a darkish shade of orange while Malfoy managed to get his a perfect amber. If he was pleased she couldn't tell, the fierce scowl on his face marring it.

When the bell rang she left as quickly as she could, head down and shoulders hunched.

"You okay?" Hermione asked softly, having caught up with her.

"I'm fine," Amisty replied quickly, looking over her shoulder and quickening her pace as the Slytherins drew near.

"Are you sure?" Hermione pressed, not looking at all convinced.

"Annoyed out of my mind, but fine," Amisty lied.

For the first time, it seemed to work.

-=+=-

At noon they left the castle for Hogsmeade. For the first time that year, the weather wasn't frigid and they were able to carry their cloaks instead of huddling in them.

All of the food they had gotten for Sirius was packed away in Harry's bag, carefully snuck out of the castle under Filch's nose.

After a quick visit to Gladrags Wizardwear to buy Dobby a few pairs of increasingly obnoxious socks, they walked down High Street toward the outskirts of the village. The cabins there were spread apart, their gardens wide and messy and colorful.

Once they reached the end of the road they were greeted by a large shaggy dog holding a bundle of newspapers.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry grinned as they got closer.

Sirius sniffed his bag and his tail wagged before he turned tail and padded off toward a weed-covered stretch of ground. It was a slow, tiring walk and Amisty had half the mind to ask Hermione to transform her just to make the trek that littlest bit easier.

It felt like it took an hour for them where Sirius was leading them, and by the time they trudged into the cave Amisty had to be physically restrained by Harry to keep from flopping to the ground.

Buckbeak was there, his orange eye staring at them mistrustingly. She bowed lowly, waiting anxiously for him to bow back so she could sit down on the ground and soak in the cold from the stone.