"C'mon, now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh today!" Skia followed the huge man to the edge of the forest as the others wondered what the lesson was about.
They stopped next to a strange kind of paddock and looked around for the lesson. There was nothing there.
"Everyone gather 'round the fence here! That's it, get a good view. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-" Skia took her book out and quickly whacked its spine before it could react to its new freedom.
"How?"
"Eh?" Hagrid looked at Draco Malfoy with confusion written on his broad features.
"I said," Drawled Malfoy, enunciating carefully, as if Hagrid were a young child. "How do we OPEN our books?" He took his copy out of his bag and showed how he had been forced to bind it with rope. Others took their copies out too, with varying methods on controlling the struggling book. Harry had belted it shut, along with Seamus and Lavender. Ron had used a binder clip, while Hermione had resorted to an extremely tight bag.
"Hasn'- hasn' anyone been able ter open their books?" Hagrid looked crestfallen. He was slightly cheered when Skia raised her hand, but looked glum when everyone else shook their heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em. Look-" He took Malfoy's copy and tore the rope to shreds. Malfoy, to Skia's delight, looked furious. With one meaty finger, Hagrid stroked the spine gently. The book shuddered, then surrendered and opened up.
"Shut up, albino brat," Skia said, before Malfoy could say a word. Hagrid mumbled a few words before striding off.
"How dare you insult me, mudblood? I'll have you know that my father is a very influential man and-" Skia raised a hand to stop her friends from attacking Malfoy right then and there.
"If you must know, Malfoy, I'm a pure-blood. Not to mention the fact that my mother is Falena Listal, heir to the Listal fortune. I'd say she's just as influential as your Death-Eater dad." Draco paled.
"Listal? B-but, the only Listal living is a, a va-"
"Yes, you know her from your father, don't you? In the old times, she was more favored than your dear old dad. Now, she's one of the richest pure-bloods alive. Still think I'm a mudblood?" Skia leaned in so that Draco had no chance of looking away.
"By the way, Malfoy. I don't tolerate that term. Use it in front of me and I'll send a birdie to my dear mother. I'm sure she wouldn't mind drinking a little pure blood." She was bluffing, but at least Malfoy believed it. He was pale and trembling.
"Oooooooh!" Lavender made her break eye contact with Malfoy, to see the most bizarre, beautiful animals she had ever seen.
"Hippogriffs! Beautiful, eh?" Skia agreed whole-heartedly. Hagrid began telling them the basics about the animals. Skia took it in. Barely. She was more interested in catching the eye of a splendid black hippogriff.
"Good man, Harry!" Skia just caught the hippogriff's eye when Hagrid pulled at the chains, breaking the brief contact.
She watched as Harry tamed a gray hippogriff. The creature actually allowed him to ride it, flying once around the paddock before descending.
The rest of the class took Harry's success as a good sign and clambered over the fence. Skia faced the black one and screeched a brief hello, before bowing respectfully. The hippogriff eyed her for a moment, then bowed as well.
You may ride me, it said haughtily, after rising once more. Skia nodded before swinging up.
"Er, Skia! Wait, he might not like it!" Hagrid cried before being blown over by an enormous wing beat. The hippogriff soared up into the sky, far higher than the other one.
How do you know falcon-speech?, the hippogriff inquired as they skimmed the waters of the lake. He dodged a waving tentacle and rose up in the air again to head towards the castle.
My father is a wind-speaker, she said, giving the term for any human who learned how to speak with a bird.
Wise father, to train his fledglings. The hippogriff hovered at a window, giving a glimpse of a Hinkypuck in Lupin's class, then soared back towards the frantically waving Hagrid.
"Get down here, Blackwing! Don't drop her, don't drop her!" The hippogriff, Blackwing, gave an un-hippogriff-like snort before touching down lightly on the ground.
Why is your landing better than Buckbeak, Skia asked quickly, before Hagrid could drag her away.
Buckbeak is a hot-blooded fledgling. You cannot expect him to be as skilled as I, Blackwing informed her snobbily. He trotted away to join his flock.
"I was perfectly safe, Hagrid. Blackwing gave his permission to me in hawk-speech," Skia informed the nervous game-keeper.
"Oh. Er, well, next time, yeh've got ter warn me, yeh see? Can't-" he broke off as a scream pierced the air. Flecks of blood sprayed in the air as Hagrid wrestled Buckbeak, the hippogriff that Harry had ridden, back. Malfoy was curled in the grass, blood flowing down his arm.
Skia lifted one hand to her face jerkily and touched a spot of warmth on her cheek with one trembling finger. Pulling it away, she saw the deep red color that stained her forefinger.
"Skia- help! Help me-Oh, god." Hermione was pale as she saw the blank look on her friend's face. She was staring at the blood on her finger, seemingly unaware of the blood that was smeared on one creamy cheek.
"Skia, snap out of it!" Ron shouted. Harry waved his hand in front of her face without a reaction. Something began pushing past her lips, something pale and sharp. Her pupils were huge, but were concentrated on that one red drop that slid down her finger.
Suddenly, Blackwing gave a piercing shriek, one that broke her trance. Skia wiped her finger abruptly on the grass, ripping a leaf off a bush to do the same with her cheek. The fangs withdrew and she turned back to normal, albeit, a bit paler.
"Skia-"
"Let's go up for dinner, I'm starving," She interrupted.
"Skia, are you-" Skia wheeled around with a fierce look on her face.
"Don't remind me about it! The more I'm reminded, the worse it gets. It's me who has to fight it, not you! Any interference will break my concentration on resisting it!" Hermione nodded dumbly and they headed up the castle in silence.
Skia skipped as she made her way back from dinner. The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was fun, the boggart providing a great deal of amusement. It was Friday, and they had no classes tomorrow. She definitely smelled a fun night ahead.
Bursting into the common room, she saw Fred and George already creating mayhem.
"Fred! Give me back my badge!"
"Catch it, George!"
"Oy, Lee, pass it to Fred!"
"GIVE IT BACK!" Skia watched as the usually smooth and groomed Percy struggled to reach his Head Boy badge, looking extremely ruffled.
"Hey, boys! Wanna play a game? I promise you that it'll be far more fun than stealing Percy's badge for the fiftieth time," she called. The twins turned to each other, shrugged, and dropped the badge out the window.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Percy scrambled out of the room, presumably to rescue his beloved badge.
"Sure, what's the game?"
"Yeah, baby, tell us!" Skia smiled wickedly.
"Ever play truth or dare?"
"Alright, so we've got Parvati, Lavender, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, me, Lee, and- Hermione, are you playing? No? Alright, that's it. Spin the wand to find out who gets first. And be nice, Fred, George, some people aren't as mad as we are." The two brothers smiled innocently as the wand spun slower and slower.
"Ha-ha, Skia, it's you!"
"My, oh, my, whatever shall we choose for such a lovely lady?"
"Hit me with all you've got, boys. Dare." Fred and George huddled in a little circle as they talked rapidly. Breaking up, they had identical evil grins.
"We want you-"
"To steal-"
"Snape's boxers!" they chorused. Everyone's jaw dropped. Skia only smiled lazily.
"That all? I was hoping for something challenging." She walked out of the common room for a moment. Twelve minutes later, she wandered back, nearly doubled over in laughter. "Found it."
"Well, show it to us!" George demanded.
"You sure?" Skia sniggered. Everyone shouted a yes. She took it out of her robes.
Professor McGonagall paused outside the common room. The whole room seemed to have erupted in laughter. She shrugged and moved on.
Professor Snape cursed as he searched his bathroom. He was so sure he had put it there on that stool! Pity, he would have to get a new one. It was custom-made too! Sigh….
Everyone was still snorting in laughter as the wand was spun again. It was pink. Bright pink. Not to mention the words that were embroidered in cursive on the back, Severus Snape Rockz! Potions class was going to be hard to endure with that image in mind.
Fred was the new victim, to the amusement of Skia. She dared him to pretend to kiss George, but to also let her take a picture. Fred did so, with a dramatic Hollywood kiss that had Gryffindor in gales of laughter.
The night continued, with some people heading up to bed. However, it was mostly the older Gryffindors. The 5th years and lower remained in the common room, watching Harry being forced to wear a seductive dress as his dare for 5 minutes. Even Hermione was pulled into the fun by bewitching Percy's Head Boy badge to sing a song composed by the Weasely twins.
The wand spun again turning and turning until it finally stopped in Skia's direction.
"Oh mah gawd, Ah guess Ah'm gonna do a DARE!" Skia said in a fake accent. Everyone huddled into a circle. When they all split up, it was Harry who had an evil grin. Skia raised an eyebrow. Now, what had him so happy?
"Skia, remember the 'cutie' you asked me about?" Skia thought for a moment.
"That Olver… olive…Oliver?"
"Your dare is to grab him and kiss him senseless." Skia stared at him. Slowly, a feline grin crept onto her face. She grabbed Harry and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Harry, I love you," she declared. Scanning the room, she saw that the boy in question wasn't in there.
"Wait, how's she going to do it is he's not here?" Lavender asked. Skia grinned.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to find him," she purred. She headed for the stairs that lead to the boy's dormitory. Pausing at the stairs, she looked back to see everyone staring.
"Aren't you going to watch?" There was a mad scramble.
Skia checked another door and saw the words, 6th years written in gold. Heh, she was close. Climbing another flight of stairs, she looked down for a moment. Everyone was following eagerly, sniggering amongst themselves.
The next door finally brought her to her goal, with the words 7th years in fancy script. She pushed the door open and walked in.
"Oy, you're not a guy, what're you doin' in here?" Skia winked saucily at sleepy seventh year.
"I suggest you wake up, you may never see this again." She walked over to Oliver's bed and looked down at his sprawled form.
God, he was gorgeous. Tall, but lean, with the years of Quidditch giving him wonderful muscles. This dare was going to be fun.
"Oliver, time to wake up," she cooed, being loud enough for the room to hear. Everyone snickered quietly as they watched eagerly.
"Mmph, go 'way," he mumbled. Skia stifled a laugh. Just like a boy, to want his sleep.
"Awww, you don't want your good night kiss for sweet dreams? I'm heartbroken!" Skia clutched her chest dramatically, and the room burst into laughter.
"Wha?" Oliver opened his eyes. Skia smiled as she yanked the front of his pajamas to bring her lips crashing onto his.
Oliver groaned as a voice ordered him awake. He told it to go away and tried to go back to sleep. The note in the voice changed to a seductive note, and laughter rang in his ears. He opened his eyes to tell whoever it was to piss off, and saw the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Next thing he knew, the girl was kissing him.
Her lips were warm and inviting, and before he realized it, he was tangling his hand in her thick, silky hair, deepening the kiss.
Suddenly, the girl tore away with a taunting smile on her face. Her lips were slightly swollen, her hair a bit rumpled, but she still looked amazingly sexy.
"Sweet dreams," she purred. She turned to go out the door, but paused.
"By the way, you're a good kisser, even though you were half-asleep." She blew him a kiss before walking out. Oliver gaped after her. The most gorgeous girl he had ever seen had just kissed his brains out and she just walked away telling him to have sweet dreams and that he was good kisser.
"Aw, shut up, Percy," he snarled at his sniggering roommate. He snapped his bed curtains shut and crawled back into his blankets. He had a feeling that sleep wasn't going to come easily.
Skia laughed tiredly at she finally made her way up the stairs. Hermione was dragging her Arithmancy books as she stifled a yawn. Glancing at her watch, Skia noted the time with slight surprise.
"3:00," she informed Hermione, who sent her a sleepy glare in return. "I think I've broken my record."
"Great," Hermione groaned. "Let's not try and break it again anytime soon."
Skia grinned as she muffled a yawn of her own. Fred and George had keeled over in sleep around 2, and were still snoring uproariously back in the common room.
She pounced on her pillows eagerly, cuddling the largest one, then settled down underneath the blankets. Ah, pillows. So nice to snuggle into.
"Remember to wake me," She called out. A thump hit her bed as Hermione bewitched a pillow to whack her.
"No need. I've bewitched one of your vials to crack open the moment it's dawn. Now let…me…sleep!" Skia snickered as Hermione yanked her blanket over her head.
"Whatever…" Skia hugged her pillow one last time and fell asleep.
Crack. Skia shot up and reached blindly for the vial. She cursed slightly as she realized that the vial was in her trunk. Already, the fangs retreated as the vial repaired itself. She stuck out her tongue in Hermione's direction and clambered out of bed.
Skia reached for her broom as she struggled to open the window. Stupid hinges, they were rusty and hard to get moving. She finally managed to get it open wit a last, mighty heave and she stuck her head out, savoring the fresh breeze that blew against the tower. She tossed her Firebolt out the window and jumped out after it.
Yes, a Firebolt. Remember the little thing about the Listal fortune? It came in damn handy sometimes.
The wind became a scream as she struggled to swing one leg over the handle. Over the screaming of the wind, Skia could have sworn that she could hear the screeching of a hawk. She made one last effort and pulled up inches away from the ground. With a whoop, she guided her broom upwards, towards the Forbidden Forest.
A red blot darted at her and landed precariously on the back of her broom.
Reckless, irresponsible, crazy, suicidal fledgling, Jake muttered. He was a splendid red-tailed hawk, though often irritable and suspicious. He worried about everything and was as finicky as a cat.
What were you thinking, He demanded. Jumping out a window, trying to give me a heart attack! You're the most insane fledgling I've ever met!
Jas snickered at his continued mutterings. Most people look at hawks and eagles and think that they are dignified, proud creatures who are aloof and calm. They obviously never raised Jake before.
Leave me my fun, Jakey-poo, She said. Jake nipped her sharply for the nickname and took off, satisfied that she was unharmed. He wheeled in the sky for a moment, the dove down to vanish in the trees. A herd of thestrals made way for him before they began rising slowly into the sky.
Skia marked the spot where Jake vanished and turned her broom around. She was getting a bit hungry and surely breakfast was ready by now.
I'M BAAAAACK:P Japan was cool, I saw a lot of cute Japanese boys. :P My best friend called me a Flirty McFlirty Pants. LOL, interesting name, eh:P