Several weeks later, the four friends receive the news of Buckbeak's execution from a much devastated Hagrid. Melanie's friends blamed Malfoy, and so too did she, but only partially.

In her opinion, the blame was divided upon three people: Draco, who stupidly insulted a Hippogriff, his father, who was rash with his decision to kill poor Buckbeak, and Hagrid, who shouldn't have presented such a dangerous creature without proper backup.

But the past didn't matter, it never did to her, only the present, and presently, Buckbeak was to be executed and Hagrid needed all the support he could get.

Now however, Melanie was seated by Lavender Brown in History of Magic, taught by the ghastly professor Binns, which was, indeed, a ghost. Harry and Ron had scored a desk together. Hermione, coming in two minutes later than Melanie, was seated at the very front next to Neville, and Draco and Pike were snickering to each other, making fun of who knew what. The rest of the class was quite full.

"And then"- Lavender continued, only to be shushed for the third time by the professor, but that didn't stop her. "And then, I told her he wouldn't be a good match, but she didn't listen, and now…" Lavender resumes her pointless dribble, Melanie feeling like a near-to-erupting volcano.

Melanie wasn't easily annoyed, so for Lavender to succeed in doing so was saying something. She tapped her finger impatiently on the desk, clenching her jaw in an attempt to stay calm, but no.
"Lavender! Please stop talking." She whisper-yells to her, Brown looking at her wide-eyed.
"That's enough!" The professor shouts, startling most students and awakening the ones sleeping. "I have had enough! Miss Redwing, switch with Mister Pike. Now please." He commanded.

Though being yelled at was the last thing Melanie needed, she was more than relieved to be leaving Lavender's side, only to realize she had to share a seat with Malfoy, again. She didn't mind him most of the time, but that wasn't that time, he was still partially responsible for Buckbeak's doom and Hagrid's sorrow.

She could hear Pike grumbling as they crossed paths, mentally wishing him good luck for having to seat with the intolerable Brown.

Draco sees her coming and can't help but slightly panic. Ever since their library talk, it's been hard for him to get her out of his head. If she'd ever be in his sight, he'd catch himself staring, just observing. She was always smiling, always so bright. It was strange, for him at least, but then again, it always had been this way, so what changed? He hadn't the faintest idea.

She slides down beside him. They speak in whispers. "Stirring up trouble, Redwing?" He asks sarcastically, oblivious to her current state. He was joking, but she didn't see it that way, she was too down, and still fuming from Brown.
"Please keep quiet, Draco." She says tiredly. She was annoyed, obviously, but he could see now, there was more than just that. She was upset, really upset, and it bothered him.
"The hell is the matter with you this time?" He asked coldly, with a hint of concern she couldn't help picking up on.

She turns to him, and studies him for a moment. "You really don't know?" She asks sternly. He's taken aback by her attitude, getting the sense that he was to blame for whatever angered her.
"Know what, Redwing?" He asked back, truly curious. It was barely visible, but he could tell he'd fed into her anger.
"They're executing Buckbeak, Draco." She says irritably, like it was obvious. Seriously? This was what bothered her.

He knew, of course, but it was just another animal in his opinion. "You mean that stupid"- He stops mid-sentence when she cut him off harshly.
"It's not just about the bloody bird!" She whisper-yells, shocking Draco in the process, he didn't think he'd ever seen her this upset.

She checked to see if the professor had noticed her accidental yelling, he didn't. "It's about Hagrid. You have no idea how devastated he is." She continued, on the brink of tears, he noticed and couldn't help the pinch in his heart. She took a calming breath. "But then again," She turns to the board. "I don't expect you to care." That last sentence had smacked him on the face. Coming from her, it really hurt.

He was in conflict. He shouldn't care what she says or what she thought of him, but he did, and it was driving him mad. He hated being the reason for how upset she was, absolutely loathed it. He felt the untamable need to fix things for reasons he did not know of. He thinks long and hard about his decision, but he's made his mind up. He would probably regret it later, but, right now, it didn't matter.

He sighs deeply. "Fine." He says, re-attracting her undivided attention, her forehead creased in deep confusion. What did he mean? "I'll talk to my father about it. Happy?" He asks irritably, and at that, he'd reignited the glimmer in her hazel-green eyes. She smiled so brightly, like the sun had come up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but it was real. He meant it, and she believed it.

Even though she knew there was a 99.9% chance his father would disagree and nothing would change, she was still rejoiced with Draco's reply. He didn't have to say it, but he did, and it meant so, so much to her. And her reaction alone was more than worth it to him.

She felt her heart beat faster with every passing second as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Things were changing, they could both feel it. "Class dismissed!" Yelled the teacher, startling the two. Draco reached for his bag, and she for hers.

"Thank you, Draco. I mean it." She says, slinging her bag over her shoulder and there was that pinch again.
"Yeah, yeah." He replies dismissively, attempting to hide his own content. "Don't expect it to happen again." He goes back to his usual attitude, finding it hard, and gross, to continue being so 'friendly'. She chuckles lightly.
"I think you'll surprise me." She last says before walking off in a much better mood.

He stands there, just watching her leave, replaying the image of her smile over and over in his head until. "Hey! Malfoy." Blaise Zabini yells, snapping Draco out of his daze. "We're leaving." Draco follows him out the door.

Zabini was quite the mystery to those who knew him and those who didn't. No one knew much about him, and he didn't say much, giving off a vibe that said 'I don't care about anything', but he was also the only person Draco would consider calling 'friend'…almost, simply because he didn't act as stupid as most of the people around him.

Zabini had been growing suspicious of Draco lately, but kept his questions hidden until he was sure. It wasn't that he cared, just that he found it quite odd that Draco Malfoy of all people, would be, possibly, making friends, or more, with a Gryffindor.

….

"Hermione! Wait!" Melanie yelled after her furious friend, exiting Deviation's class as well. Professor Trelawney may have crossed a line, calling Hermione's soul as dry as book pages and her heart as shriveled as a maid's, it was harsh. "C'mon, Mione." Melanie followed her down the stairs and into the quart yard, struggling to catch up with the fuming Granger.

Alas, once outside and filling with fresh air, Hermione turns to her friend with a scowl still directed and the bat-eyed professor. "What?!" She shouts. Melanie's taken aback by her outburst. Here she was, trying to comfort her friend, who was giving her unnecessary attitude.
"Okay, first of all. Breathe." She said. Hermione stayed silent.
"Breathe." Melanie commanded a bit louder. Hermione rolls her eyes at her friend's persistence, but complies anyways. She inhales and exhales in an angry groan, making Melanie chuckle. "Better?" Hermione sighs.
"Significantly. I'd feel even better if I didn't have to go back to that godforsaken woman ever again."
"Oh, come now, Hermione. You're not really going to let one teacher affect your curriculum decisions? Though, it wouldn't really be that much of a problem for you, now would it?" Melanie asks mischievously. Hermione widens her eyes knowingly.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean?" She denies.
"Really?" Melanie smiles. "That's quite a beautiful neckless, Hermione. May I see it?" She requests innocently.
"Alright, Alright!" Hermione gives in.

She had been using a Time-Turner, offered to her by professor McGonagall, to take more than one class for her third year, which she had been using the whole time, and thought no one would be non-the-wiser, but she clearly underestimated her best friend.

"How long have you known?" She asked.
"A while now. Why didn't you tell me?" Melanie asked. Shame washed over Hermione's face and she looked to her feet. That was enough to answer Melanie's question. "You thought I'd make fun of you, didn't you?" She stays silent. "C'mon, Hermione. I didn't know I looked like Ron Weasley." She states, making her friend laugh, her laughing along. "You should know better than to think I'd ever judge you, Mione." Hermione looks up at her friend gratefully, now guilty for even assuming it. "So you like to know things. There's nothing wrong with that." Melanie continues in an attempt to prove her point. "In fact, it only makes you more special, and, unique. It's also one of the long list of reasons of why I love you so much." She said, bringing tears to her friend's eyes. Hermione engulfs Melanie in a tight hug, and Melanie returns it graciously.
"Thanks, Mel." Hermione whispers in her shoulder.

Soon enough, Harry and Ron appear, hastening towards their two friends. After making sure Hermione was well, Harry tells them of what had happened when class had ended and he went to return Hermione's crystal ball to Trelawney. Apparently, something was going down that night, at mid-night, but they barely had time to figure it out.

….

After a quick return to their dorms for changing, the four friends reunited at the quart yard, readying themselves for the heartbreaking execution of Hagrid's magnificent beast, Buckbeak.

They pass by the executioner, sharpening his blood-curling axe on their way to Hagrid's shack. "I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak! It's too horrible." Hermione exclaims, the three others agreeing completely.
"It just got worse." Ron commented, nodding in the direction of a Malfoy accompanied by Crabbe and Pike, snickering.

Hermione, without warning, lurches forward, wand aimed at the white-head. "You! You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!" She yells. Malfoy stumbles back against a giant rock, clearly fearful of the mistress of spells. Melanie rushed towards them before Hermione did something rash.
"Hermione! No!" She yells, stepping between them, she puts a forceful hand on her shoulder. "It isn't worth it." She says, and it really wasn't. Nothing would change if she hexed Draco, she'd only get into trouble for it.

Hermione glares at her friend, then at Malfoy, contemplating Melanie's words. She puts her wand down and retires to Harry and Ron, who were equally as worried and taken aback.

Draco fixes his coat, eyeing Hermione with disgust, then his eyes turn to Melanie, who was still breathing heavily from the escalated turn of events. She turns to him. "I'm sorry about that." She partially whispers. What she did now, and what she'd said before…everything about her, gave him this unquenchable thirst to at least try and prove himself to her and only her, he couldn't care less what others thought.

"I did what I said I'd do, Redwing, but"- He's cut off by her. She knew he was being discreet about it so as not to embarrass himself in front of his Gryffindor-loathing friends, so she saved him his breath.
"I know, Draco. I didn't expect it to work." She said, flashing him a humble smile as a 'thank you for trying'. He understood, grateful that she didn't hate him for failing. He really did try, but it only resulted in him getting scolded by his father for being 'pathetic' was how he put it, and though it extremely bothered him, since he'd always try to make his father proud, remembering her reaction the day he said he'd try still made it seem worth it.

Draco nodded knowingly at her with a show-off stern expression. "Crabbe. Pike. We're leaving." He beckoned, even though the three were planning to stay for the show, sick curiosity of what something would look like being executed, then again, everyone was a bit curious about such a thing.
"But"- Crabbe started.
"Let's go!" Draco cut him off. They hustled away, leaving the four friends alone.

"What was that about?" Ron asked Melanie, who sighed. She hadn't told them for several reasons, but also saw no point in attempting to hide it for much longer. They continue their walk to Hagrid.
"When we were in History of Magic, I might have lashed out a bit on Draco, you know, for Buckbeak. Anyways, he felt bad about it and told me he'd talk to his father." She explained.
"Wow, wow, wow! Go back. Draco felt bad?!" Ron exclaimed, the other two just as confused.
"I know. Shocking." She said, not really agreeing on the inside. She'd always known there was a part of Draco that felt more than just pride and mockery.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Harry asked curiously.
"Because I knew he wouldn't be able to convince his father to go back on his words, and I didn't want to give you guys false hope." She said. They understood.
"I think he was lying." Ron commented. Hermione spoke up before Melanie could.
"As much as I would love to agree with that. It's hard to lie to Melanie, even for a Malfoy."
"Agreed." Harry said.

Never have they ever succeeded in lying to or keeping something from Melanie Redwing, she was too good at reading people to fool. "You mean to tell me he just did it out of the good of his heart?! The git doesn't even have one!" Ron exclaimed, still in denial. The sentence bothered Melanie extremely.
"Just because you haven't seen it, Ronald, doesn't mean he doesn't have it." Melanie stated sternly.
"Is she being serious?!" Ron asked the other three.
"I'm afraid so." Hermione continued.
"I'm right here!" Melanie called.
"Can we please get to Hagrid without starting another fight?" Harry plead, and at that, they went on silently.

….