AN:
I'll answer all reviews for this chapter and last next update.
Hope you enjoy!
Despite her extraordinary show in temper last evening, the excitement and exhaustion due to the first day of classes led most of her fellow peers into either ignoring, for the moment, or forgetting entirely her explosive display; those who still remembered cast her wary glances, and almost the entire body of Hogwarts seemed to give her a wider berth than per usual whenever anyone came across her path.
It was nothing she wasn't used to, and nothing she couldn't handle; so it was in good humor that she listened to Devon's enthusiastic telling of her morning of ancient runes, having spent the majority of their lunch slot explaining muggle concepts to Theo whose Muggle Studies class was after lunch and already his would-be Professor had a reputation for a severity that rivaled Snape's.
After Devon had finished bemoaning the Professor whom had assigned her half-a-dozen assignments to be turned in next week, she inquired as to the Arithmancy class Lillian and Blaise had attended that morning.
"It was mildly challenging." Lillian informed, the subject itself was relatively easy to grasp, it was their Professor whom had made her brain turnover, creating more complex problems for her to work on when he had realized everything else he assigned she solved quickly, quick enough, anyways, to draw his attention.
"What is Arithmancy, exactly?"
"A little like the practice of divination—" Lillian responded as Blaise trailed the path towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest a little bit ahead of them, solitary, but close enough to hear both the girls' conversation, and Draco's from where he spoke animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were laughing. "—Except instead of palms and leaves, one studies the magical properties of numbers to perhaps predict the future."
"Sounds…not as interesting as Divination, to be honest."
Lillian offered a one-shouldered shrug, "It isn't for everyone, just as some aren't gifted with the Sight in the practice of Divination, some aren't able to formulate numbers into an appropriate equation to predict future occurrences."
Before anything else could be said on the matter, Hagrid, who was waiting for his class of Gryffindors and Slytherins at the door of his hut, called out to his lumbering students, impatient to start in lieu of his excitement to teach. "C'mon, now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up!"
"What do you think he has got in store for us?" Devon wondered, vividly recalling the dead polecat swinging from the half-giant's hand at breakfast.
Lillian gave their Professor a speculative gaze, "Something interesting…something new…something another Professor would not permit us to do."
Devon's brows rose, "Something dangerous?"
"Only if one is foolish enough to not listen to instruction," Lillian assured, knowing that even in Hagrid's excited haste that he wouldn't ever put students at risk without great caution.
Hagrid counted heads before grinning and leading them off around the edge of the trees lining his little hut, and, after a five minute stroll, they each found themselves outside a kind of paddock, though nothing appeared to be there.
Draco had migrated away from Crabbe and Goyle, and towards his cousin, Blaise already there, standing behind the two because he could clearly see above their shorter stature.
"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called, and everyone stepped closer, "That's it – make sure yeh can see – now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books –"
"How?" Someone from Gryffindor called out; most would have thought it would be Draco who had asked the somewhat abrasive question, but it wasn't, and that was because Lillian had known how to handle the disastrous thing the moment they had received them.
"Eh?" Hagrid wondered, confused.
"How do we open our books?" Someone else repeated from within Slytherin House, their voice cold and belittling.
"Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Asked Hagrid, crestfallen.
Lillian took note of how most students had either stuffed their books within tight bags or belted them shut, and rolled her eyes, speaking up with a fond stroke of her own book's purring body, "Stroke their spines." She informed aloofly, ignoring the way everyone balked, choosing instead to meet the impressed Hagrid's wide-eyed stare with a soft, quietly encouraging grin of her own.
Everyone did as directed and Hagrid continued on, not as enthusiastic as before, but not completely downtrodden. "Righ' then, so, so yeh've got yer books an'… an'…now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. SO I'll go an get 'em. Hang on…" Hagrid strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.
"Merlin, this place is going to the dogs," Draco called loudly, spoiling for a fight because he had been riled since the night before with no suitable outlet to express himself, and knowing Harry Potter was more than a little defensive of the Half-Giant. Lillian couldn't begrudge her cousin the attempt at reprieve, not when he could turn destructive if not suitably exhausted. "That oaf teaching classes."
"Shut up Malfoy," Harry hissed.
"My father'll have a fit when I tell him—"
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Harry snapped, moving forward confidently and as though he would put his fist in Draco's mouth to quiet him; Harry drawing his strength from the clear divide in houses and the line of lions at his back.
"He thinks he's something terribly bad, doesn't he?" Devon mused somewhat disdainfully, and Lillian couldn't help but to agree. The little swagger to Harry's step as he approached Draco bespoke a burgeoning ego that would truly make the other boy as insufferable as her cousin could be if he wasn't careful.
"I guess puberty hits us all a little bit differently." Lillian replied dryly, Devon let out an indelicate snort, and even Blaise's mouth twitch bemusedly as the three ignored the scene of Draco turning Harry's brief bravado into a quivering scare.
Lillian didn't much appreciate Draco's taunting of something he couldn't ever understand, that of a Dementor's kiss, but Lillian knew it was one of the only things guaranteed to take the Chosen One down a few notches, just as she knew that every taunt out of Draco's mouth hurt him as much as it hurt Harry, even if no one else could see it – the way Draco had to acknowledge the impact of Dementors on Lillian in order to draw mental anguish from Potter.
"Ooooh!" Lavender Brown squealed, breaking the tension between the House princes, pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock in obvious delight.
"Holy crap!" Devon croaked.
Lillian looked and was admittedly enraptured, already inching a few steps forward, as though to get a better look at what was already so easily displayed.
Trotting towards them were a dozen of the most beautiful creatures Lillian had ever seen. They had bodies, hind legs, and tails similar to that of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what appeared to be giant eagles. Their steel-colored beaks were sharp and cruel, and each had the most brilliantly large orange-fire eyes. The talons on their front longs were easily half-a-foot long and absolutely lethal.
Each of the creatures had a thick collar around its neck, a collar which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all were held in the vast expanse of Hagrid's hands, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"Gee up, there!" The half-giant roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Lillian's agreement was easily visible within the wispy swirls of silver within her alive gaze. Their coats were gleaming, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.
"So," Hagrid began, eyes alight when he noticed the look of enrapture in the young Miss Black's gaze. "If yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"
Lillian shifted to step forward but Draco was suddenly there, wrapping a tense hand around her forearm to keep her immobile; obviously wary of the large and intimidating beasts who would probably have little qualms with ripping apart his petite cousin with steel beaks and vicious talons.
Lillian's inability to move, however, meant that the Gryffindor Trio were the ones to move first.
"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid informed, "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."
"Jesus, he wants us to touch them?" Devon demanded breathlessly; admittedly scared, and every right to be.
"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move, it's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."
Lillian stifled a snort of humor at that, earning an incredulous look from Draco and Devon, though Blaise's golden eyes looked upon her from behind with an almost fond air about him.
"Right – who wants ter go first?" Most of the class moved further back in answer. Even the Golden Trio appeared to have their own misgivings; especially considering the fact that the Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered, restrained to the ground and under the control of another being.
Lillian gave an experimental tug on Draco's grip around her and when it didn't give, she quietly resigned herself to being nothing more than an observer for the remaining duration of Hagrid's lesson.
"No one?" Hagrid near begged.
"I'll do it," Harry piped up, ignoring the obvious surprise of the Gryffindors around him, one of the Parvati girls whispering something in a manner that struck Lillian odd – something had obviously happened in whichever class the Lion students had attended prior to lunch.
Lillian ignored whatever happened next, tuned everything else out as she let her eyes roam the Hippogriffs, keeping a peripheral awareness of Harry and the Hippogriff Buckbeak, noting the way Harry nervously bowed, told to back away when the Hippogriff appeared to have no intention of returning courtesy when it went to its' knees before the young wizard.
Lillian noted that the other Hippogriffs seemed riled by the display of respect between brethren and boy, could see the others become more agitated as Buckbeak permitted Harry to pet him; and then Hagrid lifted Harry upon Buckbeak's back and the other Hippogriffs looked downright furious, obviously itching to be back into the sky as Buckbeak took off, faster than any bird of flight Lillian had ever seen before.
"Whoa," Devon breathed as everyone watched Harry be whisked away until he were nothing more than a speck in the sky. Then she laughed, "Unicorns, Hippogriffs, Trolls, and fairies; what else does the world of magic have for me?"
"You've yet to meet the centaurs," Lillian told her friend, smirking at the way the curly-haired brunette gaped at her. "Or the werewolves, though consider yourself lucky on that front, most are foul beasts bent on tearing villages apart at the seams."
Before Devon could dredge up a response, Hagrid was whistling a tune that had Buckbeak landing before the class, letting Harry dismount before jogging away with his polecat reward for excellent behavior; everyone applauding Harry and murmuring excitedly about when they got to mount the 'Horse Birds'.
Lillian frowned when she noticed Crabbe and Goyle murmuring in Draco's ears; words whispered that had her cousin clenching his jaw, words spoken with idiotic mischief in the pudgy duo's eyes.
"Draco," Lillian suddenly called out, a soft warning in her address that Draco deemed fit to ignore.
"This can't be all that difficult!" Draco suddenly spoke out, letting her go and breaking from the group of students as Harry rushed, all adrenaline-high grins and flushed cheeks to his friends. "It must have been easy!"
"Draco!" Lillian commanded, still quiet enough to where none besides those standing next to her could hear; the warning in her voice had Blaise's head snapping towards the pale-haired boy, eyes narrowed as Devon paled frightfully; fearful of what stupid stunt the Slytherin boy would do next to prove his superiority to the Potter kid.
"What does he think he's doing?" Devon hissed as they watched the boy approach the big beast.
"It had to have been easy if Potter could do it…"
Lillian suddenly scowled at the two goons Draco had dared to allow spur him into such foolish action, "You're both idiots!" She decreed before taking instinctive steps forwards.
"I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" Draco spoke directly to the Hippogriff now, "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
"DRACO!" This time, his name was shouted with a volume that caught everyone's attention, the fear threaded in her voice only discernible to a select few, thankfully, as it was a weakness she didn't usually permit to make itself known; but her cousin was such a bloody fool.
Knowing she was about to do something foolishly Gryffindor-like, she ran towards her cousin, pushing him out of the way as the hippogriff began to buck in unbridled fury, undoubtedly pissed at the slights made against him and prepared to draw pain and blood in retribution with his steel beak and sharp talons.
"Lilly!" She heard Devon call out, too late as she took her cousin's place and stared at the angry, but still incredibly beautiful beast.
"No." She ordered as Buckbeak stormed towards her, he didn't waver. "NO!" She commanded, voice empowered in a way that took the frightened and confused students aback.
The hippogriff, thoroughly startled, froze mid-buck, his head tilted as he looked down at her, front feet still in the air, wings spread in an impressive display of majestic power.
"You want my respect," She spoke calmly, and the surrounding Gryffindors were surprised by the audaciousness of a Slytherin. "You earn it."
The great beast slammed its feet to the ground, a mere six inches from her own feet and she heard many of the other students jump, even a couple of familiar voices crying out though she herself didn't flinch.
His head lowered until their eyes locked, and the stillness that overcame the forest was almost breathtaking in its etherealness.
She held the beasts fiery gaze until he looked away, his head jerking to the side before he took a step closer, turning his neck and nudging her into his side, teeth nipping at her shoulder demandingly.
A collective gasp sounded, even Hagrid seemed immeasurably surprised as Buckbeak kneeled down before her – not a bow, not a show of respect, but an offer; an offer Lillian didn't hesitate in accepting.
Without pause, she gripped onto his feathers and hoisted herself onto his lowered back, smile lifting her lips as adrenaline rushed through her like a vivid pulse, his wings twitching before he was sprinting in the same direction he had taken Harry in, wings spreading, body lifting as he took them into the air; the cries of his flock below a bellow of uniformity that spoke of unbridled encouragement.
It was the most exhilarating, most spectacular thing she had ever done before in her entire life. All of her worries melted away as if she were born in a world where pain was a dream and not a reality, where laughing was her norm and smiles were her trade. The view was bewilderingly breathtaking, the sight of the endless blue sky and the rising peaks of the mountains picturesque as the tall trees below appeared smaller than her thumb from the height in which they currently soared.
Buckbeak took no precautions with her on his back, he dove, he twisted, he rose up into the air, each unexpected move inspiring a new round of honest laughter – laughter that caught in her throat as he flew over Black Lake, hooves skimming the beautiful, dark water and causing hundreds of ripples that made the world shimmer. It was as Buckbeak was rising into the air once more that Lillian caught sight of a mermaid pod, watching from under the water's surface with sharp grins and gleaming eyes; sharing in her excitement from a different world beneath the Earth.
Lillian didn't know how long she had been with Buckbeak when it was all said and done; it could have been days for the mere minutes that it felt like. All she knew, was that as she caught sight of the rather worried Hagrid, her smile still lingered and her well-kept appearance had been completely annihilated by the incontrollable ride.
She ignored the sudden whispers as sitting students rose frantically to their feet, ignored the gaping Hagrid as hooves touched dirt and her wild, tangled hair – hair ripped from its confinement in the speedy takeoff – stilled from its dance with the wind.
Sliding off of Buckbeak, she was surprised to find that her legs felt like jelly though willfully ignored the numbing sensation as the great Beast turned his head to regard her, smug in her obvious delight, but confident that she appreciated his power so freely.
Coming around, she took his large, proud head between her hands and placed a kiss to his jaw, "Thank you, hippogriff." A soft whisper against the soft down of his skull, "That was amazing."
He pressed his head into her chest and her smile turned warm, rather gentle in a way none of her spectators had ever seen before – not even Draco, and it struck those who knew her hard, either in their guts or in their hearts.
"C-class … dismissed." Hagrid stuttered out as he approached the young Slytherin girl and his beast. "Rather impressive Miss Black."
"Thank you, Professor," She responded as the half-giant approached them, the gentle smile returned at the rather flushed cheeks that followed her polite address.
"Ah…it's just, Hagrid."
"You're a professor to me, Hagrid, so a Professor I shall call you." She countered gently.
His big beard twitched as he gave her a wide grin, "Buckbeak seems rather taken with you, I don't think I've ever seen or heard o' a hippogriff reacting in such a way to an encounter like yours."
"He's magnificent," Was all she could think to say in response, not even noticing the way in which Buckbeack's flock seemed to inch closer to her and their brother.
"Would you like to help me in taking care o' him?" Hagrid cast a surprised glance at the rest of the Hippogriffs in his hand, "Or maybe the flock in all?"
Surprised, and still rather unguarded from the bewildering ride she had just been on, she felt her surprise show as she gazed up at the large professor. "Really?"
He gave a big belly laugh, "O' course. Could always use another hand when it comes to this big oaf and his stubborn flock."
"I'd love to help Professor," She assured with a grin, delighted to have the chance at working with them each.
"Terrific!" He slammed his hands together in a proud clap, "I'll send y' a letter later, but fer now, ye' best be going."
"Thank you, Professor," Turning her gaze back to the beast still pressed against her, she grinned, "See you around, you big oaf."
He snorted in distaste at the nickname, but stepped back, letting her move towards the three Slytherins waiting for her after giving her a rather affectionate nip to her shoulder.
"Are you crazy?" Devon demanded as soon as Lillian had reached them. "You could have been killed!"
"It wasn't me I was worried about," Smile dropping, she gave her cousin an arc look. "Are you so good at pretending to be a bloody fool that you've finally managed to become one?"
He glared, "Watch it, Lillian."
"I'm not the one that almost got themselves bloody killed by listening to Crabbe and Goyle." She retorted, angry with him for his carelessness, fearful that he would lose himself to his incredibly well procured façade. She understood her cousin needing to pick a fight with Potter to release his withheld aggression, because picking a fight with the other boy was such an easy thing to do, but she did not advocate him being so foolish as to put himself at risk of death to prove a meaningless thing to someone who did not matter, not in the grand scheme of their lives.
Draco's need to prove himself better than Harry Potter in everything they did, had almost cost him his life; which was an irrefutably unacceptable risk that Lillian was not willing to see the consequences of, ever.
"How was I supposed to know the bloody beast would go crazy?" He demanded.
"Don't blame Buckbeak," She warned, already feeling a firm slice of defensiveness for the beast.
"Buckbeak? You could have been killed!" He retorted.
"I would have died saving your arse." She pointed out, bending down to pick up her bags in Draco's ensuing silence. She hadn't expected, however, to suddenly lose her balance, her legs giving out in a way that would have surely drawn blood in some manner, shape or form had it not been for the firm hands suddenly wrapped around her arms, drawing her to her feet and steadying her.
"Lillian!" Devon gasped, and she found herself suddenly looking into stormy grey eyes, pale hands grasping her face as all of Draco's ire dissipated, in its place a firm, cold collectiveness – a mask for the worry he suddenly felt.
"What happened?"
"My legs just, gave out." She answered.
"It's from the ride," Was Blaise's unaffected tone from behind her; his hands still firmly wrapped around her arms, and she realized she was standing only because of his support. "You were in the air for an hour and a half."
"Oh," She murmured, relatively surprised.
"She'll be fine Draco," Devon assured, even though her heterochromatic gaze was darkened with worry. "It's a common occurrence. Her body wasn't used to it."
"How can you be sure?" He demanded.
"Have I ever lied to you?" She countered, irritation coloring her voice as she traded with Blaise; handing him Lillian's bags – giving Draco her robes – and wrapping a steady arm around Lillian's waist as Blaise's hands slowly withdrew from her. "We'll get you back to the common room, and you'll rest." Devon ordered, her tone not to be disputed.
Lillian smirked, "Since when did you become so bossy?"
"Since my best friend became so stupid." She retorted, but Lillian could hear her friend's worry and tightened her hold around Devon's shoulder in response.
"I'm okay."
Devon let out a huff, "I know," She whispered, "But when you approached that…I…I was so scared."
"Someone's got to look out for Draco," Lillian countered, causing both girls to smile.
"What was it like?" Devon inquired softly, both girls vividly aware of the two boys following behind them, silent, watchful.
"Brilliant," Lillian said on a soft exhalation.
Devon smiled, "You should have seen the look on the Golden Trio's faces, I've never seen such bewilderment on Potter's face before. But can we please, for one second, talk about that god-awful name…Buckbeak?"
Both girls laughed, talking quietly the rest of the way to the Slytherin common room, their two silent protectors following them all the way back, eyes alert, standing tall.
Have a great week!
x
