Disclaimer: I own nothing from JK Rowling's Potterverse.
R&R: The more you rate and review, the quicker I edit the later chapters. Speaking of editing, I catch myself a lot while re-reading so please excuse my typos. I appreciate all the love you babies have been giving
Enjoy,
Dee.
The sweltering weather didn't falter. Even in the dungeons of the magnificent castle, Marlene had taken her seat beside Mary the back of her neck damp with sweat as she held the weight of her ponytail off her neck and fanned herself helplessly with a scrap piece of parchment she folded twice. Several other students mirrored her own actions, complaining about the blistering heat of the end of summer. The drought, she had noted, caused the usual lush Hogwarts grounds to crackle and threaten to turn a thirsty golden color from the lack of rain.
She was a fickle creature.
She wasn't one for the skirts that clenched most of the waists of teenage girls at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her loose fitting dark gray slacks hung from her boney hips, held up by a belt and cuffed just above her ankles. She wore flats, flats with large copper buckles on the toes and scuff marks adoring their sides. There was a spark of femininity to her. It shined out from the dragon shaped earrings on her lobes, gawdy rings over her fingers, and winged eyeliner. Her blond waves spilled down her back, and overflowed her shoulders creating a curtain of gold around her heart shaped face all the while half of her lion's mane was pulled back from her face and securely clipped at the back of her head. The button up blouse showed her bare neck and upper chest, but left much to the imagination as it wasn't cut in a lowly fashion. Marlene was highly individual, she slipped through the normal conformity and standards in the ocean of teenage girls, which was just a way to say she was no different than the next. As all teenagers did, she strove for independence and uniqueness hoping one day she would amount to something extraordinary.
She twirled the quill in her fingers, over and over eyes shifting against the pages of the text book in front of her. The students of the classroom buzzed with details of their summer vacations, all with something to say sparking a sense positivity to the New Year, forgetting all their worries and woes back at home. Parents knew that at Hogwarts their children were safe, at Hogwarts they were at least protected. An inky black haired girl took her seat beside the blonde far too involved in her scanning of her textbook, all too familiar of who had slumped into the seat beside her, and listened to the exasperated sigh leave the girl's thin lips.
"You lazy sod! Just stop!", there was a flash of red and gold, the red more distinguished before a stack of books slammed onto the table. Both girls rolled their heads to one another and exchanged a knowing glance before looking towards the redhead who was pointing an accusing finger. Her Head Girl badge twinkled from it's new home on the chest sweater and red waves of hair spilled over her shoulders in anger as she moved round the table to take her seat. Lily Evans was dressed from head to toe with a pristine and polished look. Even the black leather shoes shined brightly from her feet. Her legs were covered in black tights, the traditional knee length pressed skirt clenched her waist, her white blouse's sleeves rolled to her elbows, the Gryffindor sweater vest completing her appearance. Lily Evans was a sight for tidiness, with a clean and crisp image. Her soft red waves fell in a deep part, cascading over her shoulders and dropped herself into her seat. Even in the sweltering heat, she was well put together, despite the sweat accumulating around her hairline. Marlene couldn't help but admire the girl's polished appearance.
Mary leaned closely past Marlene and blew out a long breath in example, "Breath, Lily." Her shoulder length tight curls bounced about her face as she gave a quick solemn nod before sitting back. Mary's appearance mirrored their redheaded companion's in a less then pristine manner. Her mane of curls were pushed back with a red and gold wire headband, her Hogwarts Uniform was neatly pressed and ironed, but she wore a pair of white socks folded below her ankle opposed to the traditional tights, a pair of muggle fashionable converse sneakers on her feet with stars and moons drawn across the toes. Mary was a comfortable medium between her rebellious friend and traditional friend's appearance. It made sense she often acted the mediator between the two, sharing traits with both her friends. Mary MacDonald was the glue that held their friendship of three together.
Lily shot the dark haired girl a wicked look before shaking her head of hair over her shoulder, glaring at the boy behind her. Their presence changed the entire atmosphere of the classroom. A couple whoops and hollers sounded in the class, laughs and jaunty quips directed to the three boys who took their seat, much to Lily's dismay, directly behind them. Marlene shifted in her seat and turned to face the three boys piling into their seats, grins on their faces, eating up the attention from their pleasing crowd of classmates. She regarded the three boys warmly and directed her smile to one in particular. The one in which Lily reacted to like a dog foaming at the mouth. Her clean manicured fingers were digging into the pages of her book, not hiding her incessant elbowing to her friend's side.
All four of the maraudering group of friends seemed to have made a pact not to cut their hair that summer. James Potter's normally wind struck mess of a hairstyle was framing his face, although still in an untidy fashion, his bangs pushed back onto his forehead with his thick framed glasses. He wore a sloppy Gryffindor attire, his tie loosely struggling to hold in the knot he had tied it in, his shirt riddled with wrinkles and creases. James Potter was the very embodiment of what Lily Evans despised. He was loud, cluttered, unruly, untidy, and unsophisticated in his reign as one of Hogwarts highly regarded young men. He was a lot of terrible things, but his horrible qualities seemed to only outweigh in the eyes of Lily Evans. For where he was arrogant he was generous, where he was a prankster he was tactful and methodic, where he was a bully he was standing against pureblood cultured biggots. In the big picture, James was painfully immature and thoughtless but his heart was pure and there was an admirable unfathomable loyalty to him that was utterly rare.
"Have you heard anything about the new Defense Professor?" Lily spun her thick red hair into a rope over her shoulder and looked to either side of her, clearly inviting a fresh conversation into the midst.
"I saw him last night," James head appeared over Marlene's shoulder, between her and Lily, "At the feast." He was leaning over the table, belly to the wood. Marlene turned her head toward the boy and gave a warm smile. Lily side glanced one, twice with narrowing eyes and her lips formed a tight line. Clearing her throat, Marlene stared forward and opened the front of her textbook.
"Nice summer, James?" Marlene didn't turn her head. She could feel Lily's eager questioning glances, or she knew her well enough to know Lily wasn't going to make it obvious that she demanded an explanation. Lily was, best explained, as intense. She was the top of her class and strived for greatness, it didn't come easy. She was dedicated. In all things, really, Marlene mused as she pursed her lips to fight her growing coy smile.
"Good, thanks!" James grinned wildly looking between the girls.
"Your parents ought to be right proud of you." she nodded towards the winking badge, much to Lily's dismay, finally daring to acknowledge his title as Head Boy.
"Dad's proud," James nodded, drumming his fingers over the marred wooden surface, "Mum thinks Dumbledore's barmy."
"Dumbledore is right barmy." Lily popped in, though not joining their conversation directly as she looked to Mary, "I can't believe he would make this inconsiderate, immature, intolerable, big headed git Head Boy –" She hadn't been able to contain herself, she turned in her seat, nearly nose to nose with James, unable to keep her thoughts to herself. Lily had always had a way of putting her foot in her mouth, "—Why would you even want to be Head Boy? Doesn't it go against everything you stand for?"
"Au contraire, Miss Evans." James slid his belly against the table and grinned in his usual lopsided way, "It gives me a chance to help all my mates out of all the trouble we're going to get into. Last year, you know."
There it was. Marlene nearly winced at the words. Everyone was repeating them. Last year, like it was some grand milestone. It was, she understood that. She knew it was, but she knew she wasn't alone in the growing fear in the pit of her stomach. Hogwarts was safe, Hogwarts meant she could still hold onto the last piece of innocence she had left. Once they walked from Hogwarts, they had to make the decision. It was the tale old complexity of fight or flight.
"Oh hell, Potter. If you aren't going to take your responsibilities seriously now then just give it up." Lily's lips tightened into a thin line as she tried to hide her hopefulness as he feigned consideration to her statement. He began to tickle the underside of his chin, littered with an unshaven shadow and pursed his lips.
"Give it up?" he echoed as he raised his eyes to the ceiling as if considering it. Marlene stirred in her thoughts and glanced between Lily and James, her coy smile lifting again at the corners of her mouth. His face contorted, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "No bloody way! It's seventh year, I'm not giving up my last chance to be a reigning dictator over Hogwarts."
Lily let out a feral groan and turned back in her seat. Marlene feigned a cough to cover her laugh, exchanging a look with James before turning back in her seat, passing over the teenage boy to his right for just a moment - just a moment, she told herself, don't bloody stare. Sirius Black had begun to lean back in his chair, annoyingly prodding at Remus Lupin on the other side of James, tickling his ear with the end of his quill. His black out grown hair pushed back and out of his face, partially tucked behind one his ears with a stray lock falling over his right eye. He swept it back enough to maintain the neatly windswept style, fingers constantly bristling through his locks of hair. He wore a sinister grin on his face as he continued to have his hand slapped away. He barked out a loud laugh and continued to rock back in his chair reaching his arm around James, ruthlessly swishing the fluffy feathers at his friend. In his own enjoyment he casted a side glance at Marlene, catching her blue eyes in his grey stare. I thought we weren't going to stare, Marlene's conscience sneered in her head. His chair snapped forward onto all fours, his arm resting lazily over James' shoulder while he raised his chin to peer at the girl – a smug expression filling his haughty aristocratic features.
Mary jumped in her seat at the sound of the legs of his chair hitting the ground. She glanced at Marlene who had paused to stare at the boy, much to her nagging conscience's dismay, her eyes drawn over her shoulder to peer at the lingering stare between the two. He head leaned forward on his elbows, cupping his face while watching at the blonde, unfazed by the looks from Mary MacDonald and James Potter.
Stop looking at me like that, Marlene pressed her lips together to keep the word vomit from leaving her lips.
"Nice summer, Mckinnon?" he drummed his fingers on either side of his face.
"Fine," Marlene arched a brow.
"Heard about you and Cresswell."
"Well," Marlene turned back around in her seat looking toward the front of the class, "aren't you just a fountain of knowledge."
"Don't sweat it, he was a twat."
"Not really," Marlene shifted to tuck her head over her shoulder, "But when I do start dating twats and losers, it's all you, Black."
"Ouch," James snorted a laugh and Remus' airy chuckle could be heard accompanying his amusement. Sirius smacked the gum in his mouth loudly while considering her, he pulled it between his teeth to make a bubble before it popped. The two stared at one another for a moment longer, receiving a questioning look from both James and Remus before Marlene turned in her seat. She inhaled a shot of air into her lungs and shook the lingering animosity off her shoulders. There had been a time when she was friends, or something of the sort, with the Black sheep, but he had ruined that. Or she had, Marlene wasn't sure who was at fault in the downfall of their friendship. She had preferred to press the memories of the sixth year Hufflepuff-Gryffindor quidditch aftermath far from her mind.
"Reason?" Lily quipped not looking up from dating a piece of parchment she was preparing for notes. Marlene didn't answer, catching a steely glance from the pair of emerald green eyes that seemed to open up her soul making her confess to everything. She frowned and shook her head, she refused to fall for the Lily Evans guilt trip of spilling all her dirty secrets. Marlene and Mary were convinced Lily had some unspoken ability to calm you, scare you and force you into telling her things they might have considered a secret. Mary had linked her arm with the tall blonde and leaned her head against her shoulder whispering, "Careful, Mars. She's gonna getcha."
Lily didn't look up from her parchment as she began to write down her initial thoughts on the subject scribbled across the board of the Defense Against the Dark Arts chalkboard. A name was sprawled on the board, one which was new and muttered in whispers and gossip among the class. The letters were slanted, sloppy and barely legible: Professor Osian Dodderidge.
The shades rattled shut causing the room to fall into an unsettling darkness, steams of light pouring from the cracks of the shades, the light warm breeze whistling between slats, as a door opened and shut. The shuffling sound of a limping figure caused the students to turn their heads to gaze at their new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. The light humming of the old projector flickered on and the battered, yet ruggedly handsome, thirty some year old man made his way to the front of the classroom.
"Osian Dodderidge." one girl turned to quip to her friend in a hushed whisper, "My mum says he was fired from the Ministry last year. He worked as an auror but they thought he was too insistent on you-know-who's agenda." The two girls continued to exchange hushed whispers along with the rest of the class while Mary and Marlene exchanged a look, both waggling their eyebrows. Lily caught the reaction between her two friends at their new professor's presence and bit back the smile that crept onto her face.
"Do you two ever think about anything else?" Lily shook her head when the two exchanged looks and both chimed in unison a quick no.
"My name is Professor Dodderidge." he started over the humming of the projector, "Don't talk in my class, don't interrupt, late homework is as good as no homework and I do not allow the Daily Prophet in my classroom." He cracked a small smile at his last statement when a couple students erupted in whispers, "And I despise whispering, if you have something to say you might as well ask me."
"Are you married?" Greta Catchlove chimed from her seat surrounded in a sea of black and yellow.
"You may leave Miss Catchlove." He didn't look up from sorting through his papers. Marlene and Mary exchanged glances. The blonde girl didn't get up from her seat and Dodderidge finally raised his eyes to look at the girl as if to ask her what she was waiting for.
As she got up and began to pack her things into her bag, the man erected himself to stand up straight, "If anyone else is going to treat this class as a joke they can join Miss Catchlove. You're going to need to learn defense against the dark arts in order to survive. Whether or not you believe the Daily Prophet's propaganda, one day you are going to come face to face with someone who will have an advantage over you. Because a person who is practicing the dark arts automatically has the upper hand, and it's my job to prepare you all to learn how to fight that without getting hurt, or dead. Your seventh years, don't waste my time and act your ages because there is a storm outside. Next year your parents won't be able to send you to Hogwarts for protection, you lot are going to have to do that yourselves."
The door slammed shut as Greta Catchlove made her exit. Dodderidge cleared his throat and made his way from his desk to the projector. Marlene's lips curled into a satisfied smile at the realization for the first time in her Hogwarts education they were going to have a good professor in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
He laughed lightly, shaking his head. Blonde hair sprawling over his forehead. The yellow and black tie hung loosely from his neck and his brown eyes lit with amusement as Otto Bagman enthusiastically waved his arms in description of something. Dirk's cheeks balled into a wide grin and Marlene shifted her eyes away when he dared a glance toward her. She hadn't given him much of explanation, given the lack of owls she received from him over the summer holiday Marlene assumed he was still bitter. She didn't blame him, he was allowed to be.
"Awkward?" Mary leaned toward Marlene pursing her lips into a smile.
She turned shooting her a wicked stare before folding her arms with a loud agitated grunt. Mary laughed under her breath and glanced along the length of the table, "This is going to be a fun class."
"Right," Marlene snorted glancing again toward Dirk nearly across from her in the adjacent second elongated table of the greenhouse, "Nothing says fun like plants and an ex-boyfriend."
"And Sirius," Mary smirked watching the boy stumble into the greenhouse from the doors at the end of the table.
"What?" Marlene snapped her head toward where Mary was watching Sirius Black and Peter Petiigrew were playfully shoving one another already making a beeline for the Gryffindor stretch of students. The houses mingled, yet always felt comfort in numbers. Even across from Marlene and Mary, there was a shy boy in their year who also wore the colors of red and gold.
"Tell me quick," Mary spun in her seat on the bench.
"No," Marlene glared before dropping her shoulders and crossing her arms, "There's nothing to tell."
"You have a thing," Mary quickened glancing over her shoulder.
"I do not."
"If you don't have a thing, then why is he—"
Sirius dropped his books beside Marlene.
"—sitting there," Mary finished leaning close to Marlene in a whisper.
The blonde girl blew an exasperated sigh between puffed cheeks and glanced long toward the smugly smirking Mary. The bench shifted under the weight of Sirius and Peter as they took their seats. She refused to look to her left, bringing her arm up to shield her view as she rested her cheek on her hand. She lifted her eyes to the swarm of Hufflepuff's, Dirk met Marlene's eyes and the two quickly shot their eyes from one another. In her avoidance, she caught Greta mouthing across the table to Sirius that she'd saved him a seat.
How cute, Marlene jolted her blue eyes downward. No, she would not be jealous of Greta Catchlove.
"You know what's funny," Mary quipped as she didn't look up from organizing her things, "You two look a lot alike."
"Have I told you how annoyingly observant you are?" Marlene feigned a sardonic smile.
"I'm going to be a writer for the Prophet one day, I have an eye for detail," Mary defended with a wide grin.
"We don't," the blonde retreated back to the original remark.
"You do," Mary laughed, "I'm going to call her Marlene Two."
"You're not funny."
"I'm hilarious, one day you'll see when I illustrate the funnies."
"Clearly you are going to be a top reporter, Mare," Marlene rolled her eyes. She jolted suddenly feeling Sirius nudge her with his shoulder, she tucked her chin over her shoulder to peer at the boy. He pursed his lips into a smirk and lowered a lid in a sly wink before turning back to Peter. Marlene clenched her jaw to fight back the smile, the horror, whatever it was that rose to flush her cheeks as she turned to glance back to Mary. Her ever watchful eyes alit with amusement as she grinned toward her textbook.
He laid a lazy arm over her shoulders, she hunched under the weight of his arm and the two continued to wave the flags of red and gold at every person who passed them. A gold lion was painted on her cheek, it had become a smear as she leaned against the tall boy beside her, it ran and bled against his Gryffindor quidditch shirt. Despite being Hogwarts' most, colorful, famed commentator, Sirius Black had made no shame in showing his biased opinion in team spirit. He was raising the bar pretty damn high for future commenters. They had tried to take the position from him once – he and his friends banned together in a strike and got half of the school to join. The lion hat flopped on his head as they took long strides left and right, their legs moving in unison while Marlene wrapped an arm around the high of the boy's waist.
She waved her hand held Gyrffindor banner at a couple of Hufflepuffs who eyed her suspiciously in consideration of her boyfriend, their quidditch beater, Dirk Cresswell who she had left to gloom over the defeat their house faced. He was, as always, a good sport, although disappointed over the loss of the game and he had suggested to Marlene she go celebrate when she couldn't contain her excitement over the win. They scoffed and whispered under their breath as the two jolly Gryffindors continued on their path towards the Gryffindor Common Room. It was bound to be filled with celebration. Gryffindor's landslide win placed them in the lead for the year's season, and the inter-house rivalry had caused a growing tension in the school.
The two jumped the stairs, two at a time all the while their cheery Gryffindor fight song echoing through the enchanted stairs chamber: "Red and gold! Red and gold! This is not the first time you've been told! This is battle, this is war, raise your flag for Gryffindor. Let me hear your lion roar." The two laughed and stumbled up the final bit of stairs. Grabbing the sixteen year old blonde's hand in his and placing his hand on the small of her back, Marlene allowed herself to be swept into a dance of spins and roaring laughter while they stumbled over one another's feet. In a trip, Marlene fell backwards against a door pulling Sirius with her, all in a fit of laughter. His chest shook with laughter as he moved to pull his weight off her in their stumble.
Their laughter softened to a chuckle and then to nothing more than a pair of matching smiles. Sirius released her hand, but didn't move his hand from the small of her back. Their eyes locked, stone washing over water: grey and blue. Marlene felt her breath catch, she nearly choked on it. Her heart hammered against her chest with such a force she thought it might burst from her chest. The atmosphere changed, charged with an electric and exhilarating anticipation. Sirius' dark slate eyes shifted down as Marlene pulled a corner of lip under her teeth. She could have walked away at that moment, it would have saved her a hell of a lot of conflicting feelings and changing emotions. She swallowed the hot lump of coal in her throat and her chest shook as it rose to fill the capacity of her lungs. His free hand slid up to hold the cusp of her cheek before he growled in confliction, "Fuck it."
Marlene cleared her throat as Professor Pomfrey waved a hand for her class of seventh years to continue their reading for their first assignment for the duration of the remaining time. She'd been staring blankly at her textbook, still opened to the first page of the advanced Herbology book, eight pages behind the rest of the class. She folded and unfolded the corner of the page with her slender fingers and clenched her jaw, willing the heavy knots twisting and heating deep in her belly. Her blue eyes danced to the corner of her sight, stealing a glance at Sirius as he shifted to the side her whispering something toward Peter. Her head shifted and she rested her chin over the ball of her shoulder. The pair of silver earrings hung from the high of his ear. The back of his head curled and waved in lush dark silken locks.
As if he could feel her staring at him, he turned to look at her. His amused smirk parted into a wide grin, "You've been avoiding me."
"Yes, but you're finding ways around that," Marlene's eyes flicked down to his seat.
"I'm resourceful," he laughed under his breath, "Are we going to talk about this?"
No, no, a hundred times no, Marlene gulped, "We don't need to talk about it. We don't have to do the thing."
"Oh?" Sirius lifted his brows in his whisper, "We can do anything you want."
"No, the thing," Marlene hesitated, "Where we talk about it, pretend we care, you know –"
"—the thing," he finished with a smirk.
"Yeah," Marlene's lips curled into a smile, "We can just pretend it never happened."
"What never happened?" he grinned again, "Snogging in a broom closet last year? Because that's a fond memory I'd like to hold onto."
"No," Marlene narrowed her eyes, her cheeks balling into a smile, "There will be no memories. I'm not one of your girls you take into a broom closet. That can't happen again. You get that, right?"
Mary snorted. She was eavesdropping.
"You took advantage of me," Sirius said before Marlene could shoot Mary a glare, "I was vulnerable, in good spirits and you took advantage of me."
"Okay," Marlene smiled pursing her lips, "You took advantage and you are not that good looking."
"Maybe not that day," Sirius bared his teeth in a wide grin, "I was sweaty, it was a rainy spring day, and we just came from the quidditch pitch and you took advantage. But today, today I am very good looking."
"I did not take advantage," Marlene sighed tiredly trying not to let the laugh escape from her throat.
"Want to take advantage again?" too late, Marlene laughed and curled her hand over her mouth shaking her head looking at him as he continued, "After supper tonight?"
"No," Marlene twisted her lips to the corner of her mouth fighting the grin trying to creep to her face, his eyes traveled down her body and she quickly swatted his shoulder, "Stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" he barked out a loud laugh and rubbed his shoulder.
She clenched her jaw, her own eyes lighting with amusement before shaking her head wildly. She turned back to her book, pulling her bottom lip under her teeth, "I'm so not answering that."
"Like what, Mckinnon?" he grinned wolfishly.
"Shouldn' be surprised that yeh here."
The sound of his voice raised a genuine smile over Marlene's features. She glanced over her shoulder at the lumbering man, taking large lazy strides toward her. Marlene leaned back, her arms hooked around the fencing of the paddock. Throwing her head back to look directly upward at the Hogwarts gamekeeper who beamed brightly down at her. Marlene grinned widely toward the impressively tall man. Impressive in height almost wasn't enough to describe Rubeus Hagrid. Her brother, her father, they held an impressive height – Hagrid's was enough to make small men out of her tall family.
"It's my first day back," Marlene laughed as she hopped down from perch of fencing, "I had to say hello."
"I knew yeh did." Hagrid laughed deeply and pulled the string of game over his shoulder. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the dead ferrets. He laughed again as her grin nearly broke her face, "Yeh have ter be the only student who wants ter spend all her time with visitin' down here."
"Well, I'm a fickle thing," Marlene smiled warmly as she climbed between the fence slats. The same fence whined and cried out when Hagrid shifted to lean against it before pushing his fingers into his mouth to let out a long and loud whistle.
He was the first to come. He always had been. Marlene's cheeks indented with the flash of dimples at the heavy thud that hit the ground. A gush of wind hit her, blowing her hair behind her as the large creature folded it's wings back to lay on either side of him. Marlene bit at her lips to contain the cheek hurting smile on her face, as the hippogriff screeched loudly. He was a monochrome picture of grey and black wings, an inky back end. The contrasting white tail whipped on either side of him, his hind hooves covered in the same bright white long hairs. The loud clacking of his steal beak snapped in the air and behind him warningly as two more hippogriffs landed behind him. The hippogriff turned a pair of dark slated eyed towards her before taking a few steps forward.
"Hey old friend," Marlene smiled, Hagrid laughed loudly behind her and held a dead ferret over the fence that separated the Hogwarts herd of hippogriffs from the grounds. She took the limp body in her hands and took a step toward the approaching beast. Again he screeched loudly over his shoulder at the two hippogriff's uncomfortable distance. Hothoof was a bully, Marlene learned that her third year at Hogwarts during her first year of Care of Magical Creatures. He bleated loudly and tried to intimidate the frightened students the same way he did dominating the herd of local hippogriffs. Marlene thought Professor Kettleburn had gotten some enjoyment out of the fear the hippogriff seemed to rise in the students. He kicked a strong leg backward to sharply hit a roan colored hippogriff who tried to lunge toward Hagrid and the string of treats he held over his shoulder. The submissive hippogriff backed away quickly to wait her turn.
"Hothoof!" Hagrid bellowed loudly, muting Marlene's amused laugh, "Yeh mangy beast! Play nice, will yeh?"
Hothoof cantered toward her, cooing affectionately, his large birdlike head twisting this way and that. Formalities between the girl and beast had long passed, Marlene raised a hand run her finger just under the soft feathers of his breast and moved her fingers to scratch his swelling chest. He shook with delight and squawked quietly. As quickly as she held up the ferret by it's tail, Hothoof snapped it between his teeth. He threw his head back, chomping at the carcass before sliding it down his gullet.
She affectionately called him hers, finding a kindred spirit in the beast. He was misunderstood and hotheaded. There was a gentleness in him that attracted Marlene. The beast was harsh and cold in his exterior, quick to be the dominating lead of the herd and fight others for his place, but Marlene had come to understand him and his nature. He loved attention and thrived off the affection, Marlene pegged him as charmingly arrogant. Hothoof spun quickly in front of her, his massive size causing another stir of wind.
"Oh no, yeh don'," Hagrid laughed, "Yeh can' be takin' Marlene for a fly e'rytime she comes ter see yeh."
Marlene looked pleadingly over her shoulder and Hagrid pointed a large finger at her, "Don' be givin' me that look. Le's not forget what happen' last year."
Marlene laughed and raised both her hands to wiggle her fingers under the hippogriffs feathers, "Sorry, stud. Looks like we won't be going flying anytime soon." She ran her fingers under his silky feathers, resting on either side of the beasts neck. He ducked his massive head and pushed his forehead to Marlene's. A light purring omitted from his throat loudly, and he quickly snipped at her shirt collar. Marlene had grown accustom to Hothoof's affections. They had made her jump at first, fearing for her limbs, imagining how Professor Kettleburn might have lost his own limbs due to an affectionate hippogriff. Now, she hardly flinched. She trusted the beast and knew she was more likely to get hurt if she jumped or moved when he snapped his beak by her shoulder or bleated his wings to rise up on his hind legs in show.
"Yeh got yerself into serious trouble las' year Marlene." Hagrid said lowly from behind her, having turned his head to make sure no one was watching, "Yeh got me inter trouble."
She winced, looked over her shoulder to catch him waving a hand as if it wasn't important, and sheepishly smiled, "Professor Kettleburn says I have a healthy fascination."
"Aye, and have yeh counted his limbs lately?" Hagris raised his caterpillar like eyebrows and the two shared a light laugh.
"Besides, it was just Professor McGonagall," Marlene frowned remembering the three weeks worth of detention she had received from her head of house. She was worried, she saw it on her face – Marlene didn't hold it against her. Writing a letter to a parent saying 'Sorry your child died while riding a half horse, half bird, winged beast' wasn't really a good way for Hogwars to maintain it's prestigious reputation in the Wizarding World. She blew a long exhale of breath before patting Hothoof lightly. Even the creature couldn't hide his disappointment she made to climb out of the paddock. Hothoof quickly snapped his beak at the back of her shirt and yanked her towards him forcefully, squawking and cooing as she tumbled in front of him.
"You big, nutter." Marlene laughed pushed his front foot away as she moved to get up. He continued to fold his foot and nudge at her, pointing his talons inward as to attempt not to pierce her with his sharp toe nails. Marlene got to her knees and tried to stand up again only to be pushed back down. Hagrid's howling laughter could be heard behind her, and most likely by all of Hogwarts. Marlene rolled over to sit on her backside and put threw her hands up.
"What?" Marlene started before putting her hands on her hips, "Huh? What do you want me to do? They said no, we can't go."
Marlene smiled fondly and folded her hands over her lap, as the hippogriff turned to snap an insect out of the air. He began to graze in a sense, the way that hippogriffs do, all while casting a steely eye toward Marlene to make sure she hadn't moved. Marlene leaned back on her hands and crossed her ankles in front of her before casting a look over her shoulder at Hagrid.
"I got ter be gettin' to some—"
"I promise I'll keep two feet on the ground," she interrupted giving him a solemn nod as he looked torn whether or not to leave the girl. Marlene held up her hand giving a two finger oath and watched as Hagrid waved both hands at her.
"Be sure yeh be gettin' back before dark, don' need that castle lot barkin' at me so early in the year." Marlene laughed as he began to walk away before casting one last glance in her direction and pointed a warning finger at her. She turned back to watch Hothoof as he snapped at the air, sometimes looking back at her with the twisting wings of giant dragonflies in his mouth. The other two who had joined their leader of the herd could be heard further into the stretch of the Forbidden Forest.
She tilted her head to consider the creature fondly. Of all the things at Hogwarts, he was the thing she'd miss the most. She wouldn't miss the inner conflictions, the misery of teenage hormones, nor the loads of homework. The comradery was nice, but Marlene knew those that were her friends would be her friends that would last a lifetime. The things above Hothoof would leave Hogwarts with her, but he would always be here. Bullying the other hippogriffs and asserting his dominance while searching for the kindness in the humans who'd earned his trust. Even her favored Professor, Kettleburn, was fond of the brute. She half wondered if he'd miss her, or if he'd eventually forget her.