Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda... I own nothing but the prevoisly mentioned... don't sue.

Author's Note: Aye! I'm so sory guys! Its been forever since I've posted a new chapter! This, like the last, is more of a filler chapter, not as important as some of the others, yet you still gotta look for forshadowing in them! I hope you like it!

Chapter Seventeen

First Real Birthday

Thorn woke up at her regular time and crawled out from her nest of reptiles, leaving Fang and Sparkie to sleep in peace. When she was clothed she walked into the kitchen, where Severus was reading the paper.

After about an hour Fang and Sparkie were up. "You have to get going soon," Severus mentioned as he took a drink from his goblet. "As I said yesterday, you'll arrive near to nine."

Thorn nodded. "Yes, I'll be taking Shadow again, and Fang will fly by my side. I just hope that he doesn't need to rest. If anything to slow us down happens, I'll send Sparkie ahead."

Severus nodded and not even five minutes later he and Thorn were in the yard with shadow, getting her ready for the trip. "As I've said before, be careful."

Thorn nodded as she mounted the pegacorn and said, "I will." Then, turning to Fang, she hissed, "Are you ready?"

The dragon nodded and replied, "As long as Sparkie's gonna help me!"

Sparkie smiled, "I will, its okay."

Thorn wrapped one arm over Severus's shoulder from where she was and he put one of his around her side. "Happy Birthday, Thorn." he said.

She smirked. "Thank you." Then she thought to Shadow, Let's go.

She neighed and raised her wings. Next to her Fang and Sparkie each got prepared to take off as well. She ran a few yards and brought her wings down and was airborne. Thorn looked behind to see Fang and Sparkie not far off. As she's said before, dragons were fast learners. Soon he was flying as if he'd flown all his life. "How're you feeling, Fang?" Thorn called over the wind.

"Excellent!" He roared back. Sparkie began to fly circles around them, showing off his speed. They flew the whole way without worry. When they were no longer above the trees they flew into the clouds. Sparkie and Fang continually raced each other to the nearest clump of cumulus or cirrus. Sparkie always won, but Fang wouldn't give up.

"There's Maken's house," Thorn called to the reptiles. Sparkie was running from Fang as the dragon tried to catch up. Then they both went into a dive, racing to the house.

Shadow threw back her head and joined them in the game. Her wings beat rapidly, her feet tucked close to her body as to not slow her down, and her head strait with her body. Thorn wrapped her hands securely in her mane and pressed herself against the pegacorn's body.

Soon she had over taken Fang and was gaining on Sparkie. The blue and red form turned to a blue and red blur as he saw his closest followers. As they got closer to the ground Thorn saw the Woods and Severus standing outside the house.

Just as Sparkie was about to hit the ground he pulled up and glided a foot from the ground, landing at Severus's feet. He threw himself onto the Potions Master's leg and hugged him. Severus sighed but smiled down to the little reptile, Jamie giggled, Gary laughed loudly, and Maken said, rather uneasily because he was talking to a teacher as if he were a family friend, "I'm sorry you live with him."

Thorn and Shadow landed not long afterwards. She trotted up to the others and Thorn dismounted as they reached them. "Thorn!" Maken said as he ran to meet her. Maken was a rather hands on friend and he looked as if he were trying not to hug her. "Happy birthday! So, where's Fang?"

"Thanks. He's right there," his Slytherin friend said as she pointed to the sky and Fang landed next to her.

Maken's eyes widened and he took a startled step backwards. Yet before he could back up all the way Thorn grabbed his arm and pulled him forwards again. "He's gotten quite big, hasn't he?"

Maken nodded, still speechless. Thorn's nails slowly slid from his skin and she stepped behind him as he and Fang faced each other. "Hey," Maken said quietly, Fang lowered his head, his violet eyes meeting Maken's grey ones. "D'you remember me?"

When Fang nodded Maken seemed taken aback. "He... He understood me!"

Thorn smirked and nodded, "Yes, he's started understanding some of our language. Of course, he'll never completely understand, but he'll know a lot."

Maken chuckled and said, "That'll come in handy." Then he turned to Thorn and said, "Anyway, c'mon inside! Say hi to everyone else! Mom's been so happy to have you over again!"

Thorn smiled slightly and said, "Alright." She and Maken began to walk back to the house, Fang and Shadow following behind. Sparkie detached himself from Severus's leg and flew to Thorn's shoulder.

Jamie Wood came running to them and embraced Thorn tightly. Thorn held her back lightly. "It's good to have you back!" she said as she let Thorn go. "It seems like it's been ages!"

Maken sighed, "Mum, it's only been a year."

Jamie smiled warmly, "Well, it seems like so much more. Maken, dear, why don't you show Thorn the addition we made to the back?"

He nodded and said, "C'mon! It's so cool!" He grabbed Thorn's wrist and ran to the back, Fang and Shadow followed. Sparkie flew after them.

She didn't even try to get away from Maken; she knew that when something made him happy you couldn't get out of his grasp. Sparkie always said that that was one of the many reasons that he pitied who ever became his girlfriend.

As soon as they got there Thorn noticed the new area. In the center of the grass field was an ovular area cut off by a fence. Inside the fence was a small Quidditch pitch. There was a trunk that was shaking violently at the entrance to the field. Thorn figured that there were Quidditch balls in there.

Maken smiled ecstatically. "Isn't it cool!?" He continued to pull her forwards and into the fenced off area. Finally letting her wrist go, he said, "Dad put this enchantment on it so the snitch and bludgers won't get out. It's bloody awesome that he works in the gaming department of the Ministry. Ludo Bagman helped us get this all here. Oliver is gonna be so happy when he gets home!"

Thorn smirked as Fang, Sparkie, and Shadow flew into the pitch as well. "Didn't Oliver become Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team last year?"

Maken nodded, "Yeah, he couldn't stop talking about it! He was driving the others insane! Alicia Spinet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell were out of their minds, and the Weasley twins wanted to stuff him into a broom closet somewhere. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they did." He shrugged and said, "Anyway, yeah, I can't wait for Oliver to get back! He'll be back a week before school starts."

Thorn nodded, "Well, I'll come up again, probably just a few days before school. I think Celestial might be back by then too."

"Cool," Maken said as he looked fondly over the Quidditch field in his backyard. "Well," he said a little while later with a sigh, "We should get back. Cade should be here soon."

"Is Melissa accompanying him again?" Thorn asked calmly as she and Maken made their way towards the gate.

Maken nodded. "Yep. I'm not sure, but from what I've heard from Cade, he really likes her."

Sparkie snickered and said, "That was obvious last time he came."

As they reached the house Tyler Roran's green pickup began to drive away, leaving Cade and Melissa to walk to the house. Much to Maken's and Sparkie's pleasure, the two preteens were holding hands, their fingers laced.

"He's got it commin' good!" Maken said with a laugh. Sparkie nodded vigorously, and, for the first time in his life, flew to Maken's shoulder as the he sprinted to the pair.

"The only thing," Fang growled to Thorn, whom turned to look at him, "That he'll join Maken in is mocking others like Cade and Melissa."

Thorn nodded, "And that's the only thing that he'll ever join him in."

Fang chuckled, "At least until he gets over his jealousy issue."

She smirked, "Whenever that may be. He does need to stop thinking that Maken's a threat to him"

The dragon shrugged. In the distance Cade was holding one hand above Maken's head as he tightly gripped Melissa's. Maken was on the ground rolling in laughter, and Melissa had a few clumps of hair floating around her head, obviously an invisible Sparkie's doing.

When the group finally reached them Sparkie had released the muggle girl's hair and was laughing on Maken's shoulder. Maken, too, was cracking up. Both Cade and Melissa were beat red and seemed annoyed. "That was NOT funny, Maken!" Cade practically shouted.

Maken took a deep breath after a rather violent bit of laughter, and said, "No, no, you're right." He snorted as a new laugh appeared and said, "It was HILARIOUS!"

Sparkie was practically dying on Maken's shoulder, one of his little claws on his chest, trying to regulate his breathing, while the other three were tightly gripping Maken's red tank top.

Melissa ran a hand through her hair and looked up to Thorn, her face still a deep crimson. "Oh, hi Thorn!" She said, her voice a bit higher then it had been. "How've you been?"

The Slytherin shrugged, "Fine. How have you two been?" Cade and Melissa turned even darker red, if that was possible, and Thorn said, "It's a good thing that Mel," she emphasized on Cade's nickname for her, "Doesn't attend Hogwarts. I wouldn't want Severus to have to patrol the rose bushes." She loved inheriting Severus's snide comments.

And, of course, this one sent Maken and Sparkie into a seizure, and Thorn received angry and embarrassed glares from Cade and Melissa. After the lizard and Gryffindor stopped laughing they went into the house. Fang and Shadow stayed behind in the field.

"Ah! Cade! Melissa," Mr. Wood said as he placed an arm around each of them. By how scarlet their faces were Thorn figured that Gary was another of the doubtless many whom mocked them. She could also grasp that from the look on Maken's face, his eyes bright, grin even larger then it had been.

"This is gonna be good!" she heard him whisper to Sparkie. The lizard snickered and the two of them watched Gary Wood intently.

"How're my two love-birds today?" he chuckled loudly as Cade and Melissa shrank in embarrassment and wandered to the table, where Severus and Jamie were sitting. They sat next to each other and kept their eyes downcast, not meeting the gaze of anyone else.

Maken snorted with laughter and Sparkie nearly fell off of his shoulder. Severus chuckled and Thorn smirked as she sat down next to him. "Miss Harris, I presume?" he muttered.

She nodded, "The one and only."

When Maken finally joined them at the table he was still laughing and kept saying stuff like, "Love-birds," and, "Rose bushes." Sparkie cracking up every time he said something.

Cade glared up to him, and, finally regaining his voice, he said, "Stuff it, Maken..."

"So, Severus," Gary said as he waved his wand and made a chair appear. Sitting in it, he continued, "How has your summer been? Anything interesting, aside from Fang, happen?"

The Potion's professor shook his head, "No, our summer has been rather uneventful. The school year, however, is going to be more interesting. Fang and the others will be staying in the forest. The trees will conceal him, true enough, yet I'm concerned how the centaurs will take to him."

Thorn nodded, "Luckily I didn't run into any last year, but I have a feeling that it is inevitable that I will this one. They do not mind creatures that are native to their trees, but a dragon might be thought of as a threat."

Gary nodded, "Indeed it would."

There was a short silence as Jamie brought in small sandwiches. Then she said, "Cade, why don't you introduce your friend to Professor Snape."

Cade looked up to her, his eyes pleading, but when she gave no indication to having been joking, he sighed and said, "Ahem... uh, well, yeah. Mel...issa, this is Professor Snape. He teaches Potions."

Severus smirked and Maken, who had suppressed a laugh at Cade's close catch, said, "Maybe he should brew you two a love potion. After how this day's going you're gonna need it!"

Thorn smirked again though she knew that Severus would not make a love potion for anyone, regardless of who they were. Sparkie was laughing his hardest yet, and was now trying to keep air in his lungs.

"Maken," Gary said as he suppressed a laugh of his own, "Why don't you go get Thorn her gift?"

Cade suddenly looked up from the table, his eyes wide, yet still thankful for the change of subject. "Gift?" he said, startled, "Wait, is it your birthday?" he asked Thorn. When she nodded he ran one of his hands through his spiked hair, "Oh crap! I forgot! I'm sorry!"

She smirked, "It's quite alright, Cade."

Maken, still laughing, walked into his bedroom and came back out with a box wrapped in green paper. Sparkie settled himself on Severus's shoulder, trying to regain himself. The Potions Master didn't seem too happy about the lizard clinging to his robes, but he resisted the urge to flick him off and watched as Maken set the present in front of Thorn.

She tore the paper from it and opened the brown box. Inside was a book, the cover a rich black and gold lettering spelling out, Hebridean Black: A Guide. She flipped through the pages, looking over the pictures. They were excellent in detail. "Thank you, this shall come in very handy."

Maken grinned, "I thought that it would, with Fang and all."

Thorn nodded. "Indeed."

Maken smiled, "Why don't we go outside? It's a nice day."

Cade and Melissa nodded and stood. Thorn followed swiftly after, Sparkie, stomach painful from his continuous laughter, flew to her shoulder. Giving a curt nod to Severus and getting one in return, she walked out into the field.

She smirked as she set foot outdoors. Melissa was giggling as wolf Maken ran from husky Cade. Sparkie, now that the teasing was over, stayed with Thorn as she walked to the muggle.

"That's so cool!" Melissa was saying as she reached her.

"What?" Thorn asked mildly, "The idea of Cade killing Maken?" Sparkie snickered.

Melissa shook her head, laughing, "No, the idea of them changing into animals! That's amazing!"

Thorn nodded, "Yes, but it takes a lot of practice, and effort."

Melissa, for the first time in five minuets, looked to her, "Can you change into an animal, too?"

Thorn nodded, "Yes, I can." With that she morphed into her black tiger form and looked up to Melissa. Sparkie climbed to her back as Fang and Shadow flew to them.

Melissa smiled and brought her hand out, as if preparing to touch Thorn's huge head, but when Sparkie's eyes narrowed and he flexed his claws she pulled it back. "Oh, my God, I wish I could do that..."

"THORN!" Both girls turned to the howl from Maken to see the white wolf sprinting away from the charcoal husky. In one swift bound he leapt over Thorn's large body and turned to take refuge behind her. "Help!"

Thorn looked back to him and then turned to see Cade trotting up, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, panting. Wolves could run much faster then domesticated dogs, luckily for Maken.

When the dog reached them he said, "Move, Thorn!" Of course, it was in a playful attitude.

Maken shook his canine head vigorously, "No! Don't! He'll hurt me!" Maken grinned over the large felines back to Cade.

Thorn stayed where she was and rolled her eyes. When Cade noticed that she wasn't going to move, he backed up, his tail high, and prepared to pounce.

Springing from the grass he leapt clean over her, yet as he was doing so, Maken had crawled underneath her and was on the opposite side of his friend again. Melissa laughed.

"Damn you, Maken!" he growled.

The snowy wolf smiled. "Haha."

Thorn changed back and watched as Maken and Cade did the same. Cade, still looking rather annoyed, began to walk towards Maken, who, in turn, darted behind Thorn again, a small, cocky smile on his face, giving Cade the 'just try to hurt me now!' look. Sparkie glared at him, but did nothing else.

Cade scowled and walked over to Melissa instead. The muggle was giving him a very flirtatious smile, something neither Sparkie nor Maken missed. Both of them snickered inaudibly as Cade turned a light shade of pink and smiled back.

Maken turned to Thorn and raised his eyebrows. She nodded in turn and both began to walk off towards the stream, Fang and Shadow by their sides, and Sparkie in the air above them.

"Hey!" Cade called a few minutes later, "Wait for us!"

Maken snickered and said, "Too busy staring at each other to notice."

Sparkie nodded vigorously and looked behind them as Cade and Melissa came up. "Why didn't you wait?" Cade asked as he fell into step in between Maken and Shadow. Melissa was next to him.

"Well..." Maken said quietly, probably making sure that he had time to sprint off. "We didn't want to... interrupt." He grinned to his pointy-haired friend.

Cade, his face red from both anger and embarrassment, looked as if he wished nothing more than to be able to wrap his hands around Maken's throat and strangle the life from him. Sparkie later admitted to having felt that same way a few times.

Maken laughed and darted to Thorn's other side again, while Melissa took Cade's hand to stop him from following suit. This made him forget his anger almost instantly and he turned to Melissa, an odd look in his eyes.

"Oh!" Maken murmured to Thorn, sure to let Cade hear him, "Here it comes! The big kiss scene!"

Sparkie snickered and watched Cade. His eye twitched! he exclaimed to Thorn, It did! Ooh he's mad now!

Thorn smirked as Cade turned from Melissa, eyes glowing dangerously. Yes he is, she concurred.

He held in his anger, however, and continued walking. Maken looked to him, then turned to Thorn and said, "Crap... He's plotting revenge..."

Sparkie's eyes suddenly glowed and he looked to the ground in thought. Thorn rolled her eyes, "Oh great, you just gave Sparkie an idea..."

Maken looked annoyed with himself, "If he tries one thing, he'll be lizard soup!"

Sparkie glared up to him and used a rude gesture; Thorn rolled her eyes again, "Sparkie!" she hissed, "Behave yourself! And no hurting Maken, not now, nor in the future!"

Sparkie went into another pout and, seeing as Thorn's pockets were too small, he darted behind her veil of midnight hair, his blue and red wings sticking out from under it. Thorn smirked to the only part of him that she could see, his tail, which was slung over her shoulder, twitching in annoyance.

Maken sighed. "Insane little bugger," he muttered. Sparkie's tail went stiff and he poked his head in between Thorn's hair and neck, giving Maken the 'If only looks could kill' glare.

The two shook their heads and walked faster to catch up to the pair ahead of them. The couple was whispering, and as soon as the Gryffindor and Slytherin got close enough they were silent.

Thorn cocked a brow. "What was that about?" she muttered to Maken.

Maken shook his head, "No clue."

"Hey, guys!" Melissa said as Thorn, Maken, Sparkie, Shadow, and Fang came up next to them, "We didn't know if you'd ever catch up!"

Cade nodded, "Yeah, we thought that perhaps you were... busy."

Thorn and Maken just stared at him, eyebrows raised, arms crossed over their chests. "Cade," Maken stated slowly, "Thorn and I are not, and will never be, more then friends. Am I understood?"

Cade nodded and sighed. "Just give up, Cade," Thorn said, "It's a fruitless battle. Maken and I do not like each other in that way. That's like me liking a brother, or him liking a sister. It's not right. Plus, the only person you're hurting is Sparkie."

They all looked to the blue and red lizard, whose head was visible through Thorn's hair again; his left eye was twitching and had a maniacal look to it. His tail was vibrating vigorously and he seemed to be shaking with anger.

"Issues, I tell you," Fang muttered. Sparkie's insane glare transferred from Cade to the dragon.

"Fang," Sparkie growled through clenched teeth, "If I were five hundred times bigger I'd kill you!"

Fang tilted his head slightly, "What? You wouldn't kill Cade for saying what he did? And you wouldn't kill Maken for being alive?"

With an angry, high pitched scream, Sparkie jumped onto Fang's long neck, wrapping his wings and tail around it. With all the strength that he could muster he tightened his grip. "If you start to have trouble breathing," Sparkie grunted, seeming like he was the one that wasn't getting enough air, "Just tell me!"

Fang glanced to the small lizard, then to Thorn, looking completely unphased by his new neckwear. When they finally reached the stream Sparkie was still attached to Fang's black neck. Everyone, save for Thorn, was laughing about it by now. "Any time now!" Sparkie huffed as they sat by the water.

Maken laughed, "Still thinks that he'll be able to take on a dragon, does he?"

Thorn slowly nodded, "Sadly, yes."

Melissa giggled, "I think it's cute."

Sparkie suddenly froze dead, eyes wide, and looked to Melissa. "Cute?" He muttered. Then he instantly released Fang and climbed to Thorn's shoulder. "I'm not gonna do anything that she finds... cute."

Thorn smirked and began to swish the water with her right hand. There was silence for a little while; everyone seemed to be lost in their own little world. Maken was looking fondly at the Quidditch pitch, which could be seen in the distance. Cade and Melissa kept glancing at each other, smiling. Thorn herself was looking into the water, watching as the slow moving liquid swirled around her fingers. Sparkie was sitting on Thorn's shoulder, watching the clouds go by. Then someone spoke.

"Want to go play Quidditch?" Of course it was Maken who had said this, and now he was watching his friends, awaiting their answers.

Cade took his eyes from Melissa for the first time in minutes and smiled. "Sure, we've got nothing better to do."

The auburn haired muggle nodded, "Uh, okay... But, er, what's a Quidditch?"

Without looking up from the waters surface, Thorn said, "A wizarding sport."

Yet this answer didn't seem to make any more sense to Melissa, for she merely nodded and said, "Uh, okay..."

Maken smiled. "Come on!" He leapt to his feet and pulled Thorn to hers. Cade and Melissa followed suit. Shadow and Fang stood as well and followed behind Thorn. When they reached the pitch Maken ran to the mini broom closet and pulled three comet two-sixties from it.

He handed one of the brooms to Cade and another to Thorn, which surprised even her. When he saw the slightly startled look on her face he laughed. "What? Think that I wasn't gonna let you play?"

Thorn shook her head with a smirk. "No, but you know that I'm not Quidditch's biggest fan."

Maken smiled. "True, but I know that you know that I know that you're not that bad at Quidditch." His brow furrowed as if trying to figure out if what he said had made sense.

Sparkie, too, seemed to be wondering about that. Did that make any sense to you?

Thorn smirked, "That is true." Then to Sparkie, Yes.

That's so sad... the lizard continued with a sigh.

Maken smiled. "Great! Then let's go!"

He mounted his broom and kicked off into the air. Cade followed him almost immediately. Thorn followed at a slower pace. After all, she preferred her flying animals to a broomstick. When she did get into the sky she was proven to be quite a good flyer, yet not like Maken whom was darting around like he was a bird.

He flew to the ground and tossed Thorn a small bat. "Thorn, you'll be the beater."

She caught it and gave her friend a skeptical look. "I'm a what?" She new perfectly well what a beater was, but why did she have to be the beater?

"A beater," Maken repeated, "Cade, you'll be the chaser, I'll be the keeper." He looked around, as if searching for someone else. "Well... we don't have a seeker..."

Sparkie smiled. "I'll do it!"

Yet Maken couldn't understand him, so he gave the reptile a mean look, no doubt figuring that he'd said something insulting. Sparkie shrank under the stern look.

"He wants to be the seeker," Thorn clarified.

Maken looked to her, "Oh, well, yeah, fine, but if he damages the snitch he's dead."

Sparkie rolled his eyes, "If he damages the snitch he's dead," he said in a mocking tone while he put his hands on his hips, quite unlike Maken.

Thorn smirked as Maken sighed and said, "Well, I'm releasing the balls! We'll only use one bludger. Get ready, go!"

He threw the quaffle into Cade's hands and unleashed the snitch. Then he hit the latch on one of the bludger holders and the large black ball flew into the arena.

Thorn heard Melissa cheer from the ground as she sped towards the flying mass of the bludger, which was making its way towards Sparkie, who was chasing the little golden snitch, tongue hanging from his mouth as he concentrated on his mark.

With a swift swish of her arm and the bat she smacked the bludger away from the lizard. The sudden movement startled the little guy, making him loose track on his goal.

"Crap," he muttered as he darted after it again.

Thorn smirked and looked around to see where the bludger had gone to now. It was racing towards Maken and Cade, who were gathered around one of the goal areas. She nodded and sped up. She reached it right before it struck Cade in the side and hit it away.

"Hey, thanks!" He said as he realized what she'd done. Melissa clapped from the ground.

Maken smiled as he caught another ball that Cade tried to get into the middle ring. "Haha, Cade, you can't get past me."

Cade laughed, "Not yet I can't!"

Then a shrill screech turned all of their attention to the other side of the field. Sparkie was flying as fast as he could with the bludger on his tail. He was the only player over there, so the bludger was trying to get him. "THORN!"

She rolled her eyes and flew the length of the field as fast as she could. When she got there the bludger changed direction suddenly and came at her. She hit it away forcefully and it flew towards the ground.

"Oh shit!" she heard Cade exclaim as he saw the bludger's new path. It was headed right for the ball chest.

Sparkie shook his head, "This can't be good."

Indeed it wasn't. When the ball hit the chest it unlatched the second bludger holder, casting the second one into the air. Both of them came at Thorn and Sparkie. Her face set in concentration as she tried to avoid both of them. Sparkie was attached to her shoulder, holding a death grip to her shirt and skin. Then one of them sped towards Maken and Cade. She followed swiftly, avoiding the other one which kept making zigzag paths to her. Right as one of them was about to strike Maken she knocked it out of the air. Taking an odd spin in the air she doubled back and smashed the other one.

The bad thing about having less players, she thought to Sparkie as she stopped one from crashing into Cade's back, There aren't as many targets for the bludgers to strike.

And one bad thing about bludgers, Sparkie replied, You can never predict them like you can a human or animal, they have no reason.

Then, as if to prove his point, Thorn felt something come into contact with her back, making her fly forwards off of her broom. No you can't.

She felt the air swish by her body. She felt Sparkie unlatch his claws from her skin and take to the air and heard him call her name. She also heard Melissa scream and Maken call out, "Thorn, watch out!"

Despite her low altitude she crashed down hard. She stood, the pain that would normally flow through anyone else's body missing from hers. Luckily.

Yet the bludger that had struck her had decided to follow her down. As it came nearer she stood still, at the ready. When it got to her it came right into her stomach, where she caught it. The other was in the air still, and, when it came towards Maken, he made a very impressive airborne catch.

Though she felt no pain the air was still knocked from her lungs. She felt the unfamiliar feeling of breathlessness and took an awkward step backwards. Her head began to swim, yet soon the oxygen flowed back into her lungs and she took full realization on what was happening.

"Thorn!" About three people, and one lizard, shouted that at once. She also heard the worried roars from Fang and the unmistakable whinnies that came from Shadow, whom were both anxiously waiting outside the pit. Maken flew to her side instantly, holding the black ball tightly. "Are you okay!?"

She smirked and nodded, "Of course."

Cade shook his head in disbelief as Melissa quickly made her way over to them. "How," he asked, "Do you do that?"

Melissa nodded, just catching what he'd said. "How can you remain unhurt after that fall? I mean I could almost hear your body crack when you hit the ground!"

Thorn smiled as she and the others began to walk towards the ball chest. "It's just that it takes a lot to hurt me." She placed the bludger into its holder and let Maken through to do the same. Sparkie, who had somehow managed to catch the snitch within the few seconds after Thorn's fall, handed the little gold ball to Maken.

Cade nodded, "We could tell! I mean, hell, after that fell I wouldn't be walking."

Melissa nodded, "But we're happy that you're okay."

Maken nodded too, "Yeah, you are sure that you're okay, right?"

Thorn nodded, "I am, don't worry about me."

Just then Severus and Gary came running out, the Potions Master's robes flowing gently behind him. "Thorn!" He ran to her side instantly and took her shoulders into his hands, looking over her, "What happened? You took quite a nasty fall."

Thorn smirked, "I'm okay, Severus." She put her hands on his forearms to reassure him.

Gary's worried expression was replaced with a joyous one. "That's great, but whew! That was some skill you showed up there! All of you! Maken," his son smiled widely, "You did excellent! Nothing got by you did it?"

Maken shook his head, "No, Dad."

"Great!" Gary smacked his shoulder proudly, "I've got two excellent players for sons!"

Severus smirked, "Indeed. Thorn, we should be on our way home, it will be dark by the time you get there if you start now."

Thorn nodded obediently, "Alright, I'll head back now." She turned to Maken, Cade, and Melissa and said, "Well, thanks for having me over, and thanks for the gift, it will come in really handy."

He smiled, "You're welcome, I knew it would."

She smirked and climbed onto Shadow, ignoring the worried thoughts that whipped at the edge of her mind. Fang lowly growled to her as well, expressing his own thoughts. "Bye guys, I'll see you at home, Severus." Then she lowly clicked her tongue and thought to the black Pegacorn, C'mon, let's go.

Shadow spread her midnight wings and they were airborne, Sparkie flying above.

Thorn, Shadow thought no sooner then they'd been above the blanket of white cumulus and stratus, Are you okay? You fell hard! Fang and I could hear you hit!

The Slytherin nodded, Yes, I am. I do not feel pain, remember? It will be okay.

You may be immune to pain, Shadow commented, But you can still die of mortal injury, weather you feel the pain of it or not. In fact, you're painless body might be a great weakness. You will never be able to tell if you are mortally wounded, for you won't feel the pain of it.

Thorn looked musingly at the white forms around her, as if for the first time realizing this, You're right, that could indeed be a big problem. Yet Sparkie may be able to tell if something's wrong. She called Sparkie down from his heights. He immediately came to her call, a startled expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked anxiously.

Thorn shook her head in reassurance and said, "Sparkie, you're practically part of me, can you tell if something is seriously wrong?"

The little lizard seemed slightly confused, "Like, with your mind?"

She shook her head, "No, my body."

He shook his head, "Not unless it's painfully obvious, like, ya know, a huge gash across your face or a missing limb. Or if it causes some huge emotion. And if it hurts you, but that one will be hard to happen, so its unlikely."

Thorn sighed, "So, if I have internal injury and am not in pain you can't help me figure it out?" Sparkie shook his head and Thorn sighed again. "Well, let's hope that never happens."

Fang nodded, for Sparkie and Thorn had been talking in his language for his sake, "Yes, if that does happen I will hunt down the fool who harmed you and tear him limb from limb!"

Sparkie laughed, "And so will I! You know, if I'm not already dead..." Fang chuckled.

Thorn, however, wasn't even smirking. Her dark eyes were set forward, deep in thought, black orbs shining with a sudden thought. The depths to which her thoughts penetrated seemed to startle Sparkie, who could hear her musings. He climbed down in front of her on Shadow, his eyes trying to catch her gaze. He couldn't succeed. "Thorn, don't worry, no one will hurt you that bad."

She shook her head slowly, "We can't know that for sure." She sighed and smirked at Sparkie, trying to reassure him that she was okay. He didn't buy it. "It's just as Celestial had said, remember?" The Daemon lizard shook his head and Thorn continued, "That day during Christmas break. 'The future holds mystery for everyone, no one's is set for them.' She's right, yet I will not let that stop me, or scare me."

Then everything went silent, the sky turning from a bright blue to a mixture of reds and pinks. The sun was barely visible over the horizon, the clouds below and above them blocking most of the star out. After more silence the coloring of the heavens changed once again, to a benevolent navy.

When they arrived home Severus was waiting outside, holding a letter in his hands, his expression grave. Thorn walked up to him, Fang at her side, Sparkie on her shoulder, her features expressing slight curiosity. "What is it?"

He sighed, and ran a hand through his shoulder length black veil. "Nothing good for us."