Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

61

MILLIES POV

"I still don't get it."

The next day, the sweltering heart and the end of the exams meant that nearly everyone could be found in the grounds of the castle. I was sat with Lyra and Mione by the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacle lazily above the water. Our feet were dipped in the lake, our shoes and socks laying on the grass nearby.

"What could you possibly not get?" said Mione, shaking her head disbelievingly at Lyra. "We've explained five times now."

"I don't get how Hagrid's dog could do that to you!" Lyra exclaimed, gesturing towards the bandage on my arm. I covered my amused grin by straightening my back and tying my hair into a loose ponytail, the back of my neck damp with sweat.

"We told you," said Mione, leaning back on her hands and lifting her face so that the sun pored its heat onto it, "Millie made Fang jump by bursting into Hagrid's hut, and Fang panicked and scratched her. Poor thing..."

"Who? Me or Fang?"

"Fang," she said instantly, and I grinned, using my foot to splash her with a bit of water.

"Well, you're not the only one who's hurt, Millie," said Lyra, fiddling with a piece of her blonde hair and sighing. "I fell down the Entrance Hall stairs yesterday."

Mione gasped. "Oh my goodness, Lyra! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Only mentally," she said dramatically, letting out a loud groan.

I snorted. "Why? Was it in front of everyone?"

She turned her head to look at me, furrowing her eyebrows. "I don't care about that. Those people mean nothing to me. What I do care about is that Fred Weasley walked past at that exact moment!"

I burst out laughing, while Mione only rolled her eyes, smiling to herself. Lyra glared at us.

"Oh, come on, Ly," I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, but then instantly pulling away as the heat was too much. "Every time we walk past him you practically run in the opposite direction!"

"That's because I don't want him seeing me like this," said Lyra, gesturing to her school uniform and then at her hair, that had been shoved up into a messy bun.

"I think you look hot," I said, glancing at my reflection in the lake; my freckles were now very obvious, dotted across my nose from the sun; my cheeks were extremely sun-kissed, and I mentally cursed myself for not putting suncream on, knowing Mum would tell me off.

"Besides," Mione continued, fanning herself, "Fred definitely fancies you. I saw the way his eyes popped out of his head at the New Years party-"

"Lyra! Millie! Hermione!"

I peered over my shoulder to see Elwood and Austin hurrying towards us, both wearing equally wide grins. Mione and I exchanged a quick smirk, knowing what was coming.

"You'll never guess what!" Elwood half-shouted, as he and Austin dropped down onto the grass behind us. The three of us girls took our feet out of the lake and quickly turned to face them.

"What?" said Lyra, straightening up eagerly.

"Before you say anything," Austin started, raising his eyebrows happily as Elwood practically bounced up and down, "we already know we shouldn't feel happy, obviously after what happened with Black escaping and everything-"

"-Buckbeak!" Elwood interrupted the boy, seemingly too excited to keep it in any longer. "He escaped! He's free!"

"That's wonderful!" Mione exclaimed, giving me a reproving look as I sniggered.