"That's it. Come on, now. Come closer." Hagrid grumbled as all the third years attending Care Of Magical Creatures huddled together.
"Less talking, if you don't mind. I got a real treat for you today." He said as the students arrived at his hut, carrying a monster book that had almost ripped the faces off of them when they tried to open it.
"A great lesson. So follow me." He gestured as he walked towards the woods behind his hut, the students following, almost running to keep up with his giant strides.
---------------
"Where do you bet he's taking us?" Dove said, tripping over her oversized robes, falling into Harry's arms and blushing.
"Watch your step." Harry laughed.
"I bet its some magical creature, since... you know, that's the class." Hermione answered sarcastically.
"Pfft! I hope its something cool enough to take your heads off and save me from your annoying voices." Ember mumbled as she brushed by, loud enough for them all to hear.
"I think it'll be something cute, like a crup or puffskein." Mya said, skipping alongside Eleana.
"Nah, it'll be cool and dangerous, like a phoenix or kneazle." Eleana commented.
---------------
"Right, you lot. Less chattering." Hagrid said, blocking the creature from view of the students. "Form a group over there and open your books to page 49."
"Exactly how do we do that?" Aspen asked, staring down at the dangerous monster book in her hands.
"Just stroke the spine, of course." He said, looking as if everyone knew.
The students mumbled to each other as they tickled and rubbed the spine of the book, causing it to become docile for the students to open and learn from it.
"Goodness me." He said, watching as some of the fellow students struggled with this feat.
"Don't be such a wimp, McClain." Aspen purred, smirking as her arch nemesis held the book out like she was afraid to touch it.
Ember looked as if she would explode from anger. "Doesn't look like you're doing much better."
Aspen smirked, stroked the spine, and watched as the book opened submissively. Ember's face turned pure red as she attempted success with her own book and failed.
"I think they're funny." Eleana said, stroking her book's spine extra, making sure it was happy.
"Oh, yeah. Terribly funny." Ember commented sarcastically as she finally got her book to open.
"Bloody hell. God, this place is going to the dogs." Aspen laughed, her cute English accent coming out.
"Wait until Father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes." Draco sneered beside her, looking strait at Harry.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said, stepping through the crowd.
Draco cocked an eyebrow looking dead strait into Harry's eyes. He hooted, practically dropping his book bag onto Crabbe. Then, he stopped, his face plagued with fear.
"D-dementor! Dementor!" He yelled, pointing behind Harry.
Harry spun around quickly, horror etched his expressions. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Malfoy had been pranking him. Harry turned back around to face Draco, face full of anger. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Lillian, and Aspen had flipped the hoods of their cloaks up, acting as if they were dementors. Harry's face flushed bright pink, embarrassed.
"Just ignore him." Dove said, pulling Harry away from the Slytherins and forcing herself not to look at Aspen with disappointment.
"You're supposed to stroke it." Hermione said, instructing Eleana to help her open the book.
"Yeah." She replied as it gently popped open.
'Rawawk! Rrawk!'
The sound of heavy hooves and massive claws in the dirt grew louder as the students turned to see a massive beast, part eagle, part horse. It was a towering creature, close to the griffin, but had the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse.
"Isn't he beautiful? Say hello to Buckbeak." Hagrid said, gesturing to the looming creature, throwing a dead ferret towards Buckbeak for him to eat.
"Hagrid, exactly what is that?" Lillian asked.
"That, Lillian, is a hippogriff. First thing you wanna know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may be the last thing you ever do." He said as some students wrote his words down in a journal, taking notes.
"Now, who'd like to come and say hello?" Hagrid asked, frowning as the whole class stepped back - except for two.
"Well then, Harry and Dove, come on now." He said, instructing them to move forward slowly, as they did so.
"Now... you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite. So... step up. Give him a nice bow."
Harry and Dove walked slowly up to the large hippogryph, presenting a low bow.
"Just make your bow. Nice and low."
They waited in that position for what seemed like a couple hours, but, in reality, was only mere seconds. Buckbeak sniffed the air wildly, his eyes filled with caution as he backed up, swinging his front feet in the air aggressively.
"Back off, Harry, Dove. Back off." Hagrid whispered as the students stumbled back, almost landing on each other.
"Keep still." He whispered again, tossing another dead ferret at Buckbeak. "Keep still."
Buckbeak calmed down as he approached the bowing students once more. Draco sneered, pushing through the crowd, taking a big bite out of his green apple. The hippogriff lowered itself towards the ground, taking a bow position.
"Well done, Harry and Dove. Well done." Hagrid said, patting the Gryffindors on the back.
"Here, you big brute, you." He said, tossing Buckbeak yet another ferret.
Tentatively, Harry and Dove reached out, laying their hands on Buckbeak's sharp, dangerous. The class began to clap as Harry and Dove smile at the hippogriff.
"Look at that! I reckon he might let yeh ride 'im" Hagrid smiled as Dove and Harry's smiled dropped.
"Wait... what?" Dove asked.
"Ye heard meh." Hagrid replied, picking up the students by the collar of their neck, ignoring their feeble attempts to escape and placed them on the large creature's back. Harry in front, clutching Buckbeak's neck, and Dove behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Put you over here, just behind the wing joint. And you here, behind Harry." Hagrid mumbled. "Don't pull out any of his feathers, because he won't thank yeh' for that."
Dove's arms tightened around Harry as he held Buckbeak's neck tighter. Before they were fully settled, Hagrid slapped Buckbeak's hindquarters.
Buckbeak galloped forward, causing Harry and Dove to slide scarily back. Giant wings unfold beneath them, huge and powerful. They soared into the air, rising higher, and higher.
As they flew high above the grasslands surrounding Hogwarts Castle, Harry's grip on Buckbeak's neck loosened, as did Dove's, loosing themselves in the moment of flying. They smiled at the sight of their shadows flying over the grassy plains. Buckbeak croaked at them, circling the Whomping Willow and past Hogwarts Castle. With heart racing speed, they soared over the Black Lake, allowing Buckbeak's talon to graze the glossy surface of the dark water. Dove hugged Harry, resting her chin on his shoulder.
Hagrid whistled Buckbeak back from the paddock, watching as he beat his wings harshly, coming back to the ground and galloping around, finally halting in the middle by Hagrid.
Dove and Harry slid off, the whole class cheering... except for Draco and his 'squad', who narrowed their eyes spitefully.
"Well done, Harry, Dove and well done, Buckbeak." Hagrid said, patting the sweaty hippogriff.
Dove and Harry grin brightly as they get all sorts of 'congrats' and 'nice job' from their fellow student swarm. Draco, on the other hand, didn't think so highly of it.
"Give me a go at that thing. If Potter can do it, it must be easy. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute..." Draco started, storming through the crowd to approach Buckbeak disrespectfully.
"Malfoy! No!"
In a flash, Buckbeak rears up angrily, bringing his deadly, steely talons down on Draco's arm. Draco freezes, looking down at the slight trickle of blood running down his arm as he's knocked to the dirty ground.
"One of these days I'm going to stop saving his butt!" Aspen sighs, running out of the crowd.
"Woah, woah!" Aspen said, leaping in front of Draco, closing her eyes and bowing, calming him down for the time being.
Buckbeak looks behind her, snorting at Draco, then turning his attention back to Aspen, ducking his head.
"Thats it, no one's going to hurt you." She whispers, putting her hand up, palm towards Buckbeak's dangerous snout, her head turned away from him. Buckbeak leaned his head towards her hand, hesitating for a moment, then continuing, laying his beak on the palm of her hand.
"Away you stupid creature!" Ember shouted, tossing a rock at Buckbeak, spooking him towards the edge of the paddock. Ember smirked in victory as Aspen ignored her stupidity, turning back to Draco, who was now sprawled on the ground, squirming in pain.
"It's killed me! It's killed me!" He exclaimed.
"Calm down! It's just a scratch!" Hagrid mumbled, nervously eyeing the deep gash on Draco's limp arm glistened. "An' great work with Buckbeak, Miss Hale. Seems yeh' really picked up on teh' example."
"Thanks," Aspen smiled shyly. "He's got to be taken to the hospital wing. I'll go with you, if you like..."
"Yes... Please come." Draco groaned, clutching his right arm.
"Alright then. I'm the teacher. You all... you all just... Class dismissed!" Hagrid shouted at the class. "And when you lot get back from Christmas break, we'll pick up on hippogriffs."
Hagrid picked Draco up, his platinum blond hair flapping in the wind every time Hagrid took a step, Aspen jogging close on his heels.
"You're gonna regret this." Draco mumbled silently. "You and your bloody chicken."
---------------
Draco laid limply in the hospital bed, playing with the cloth that his right arm was wrapped with. Aspen sat in a side chair, snacking on a buttery biscuit she had grabbed from lunch at the Great Hall. That was probably the only time she'd left Draco's side.
"Dray, stop playing with that, you're going to untie it." She grumbled, not in one of her best moods.
"What's with you today?" He asked coldly.
"N-nothing." She stammered.
"Well, there's obviously something wrong if you won't even look at me!" He said, raising his voice.
Aspen sighed, defeated. "Fear."
Draco looked at her, wide eyed. "Fear?" He repeated as Aspen nodded.
"I don't know its probably bloody stupid." Aspen said, biting her lip nervously and getting up from her chair, about to leave, but was stopped by a cold, yet gentle hand on her arm.
"Do tell." He purred behind her.
"If I had all the time in the world, I would." Aspen said, turning to face Draco.
Draco bent towards her, slowly, seizing the moment. His lips collided with her's, pulling her into a passionate kiss, sending a shiver up her spine. She kissed back, the nervous feeling leaving her body. Their lips moved in sync, melting together.
"I love you, Aspen. Always have, always will." Draco admitted when they broke for air.