"𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮!"
"𝐘𝐨𝐮. . . 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?"
⋆✧⋆
How could eleven-year-old Harry Potter have guessed, that sitting next to a young Y/N LeBeau on the first of September...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
a/n: this chapter is really long. like, 10,000 words long. enjoy :)
Y/N felt as if she would have fallen to the floor if she wasn't holding on to Harry. The prickling sensation in her eyes grew harsher as she thought.
'They did it, They actually killed Buckbeak.'
Harry lowered his head slightly, into Y/N's shoulder. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.
"Hagrid," Harry muttered, lifting his head in alarm. Without thinking about what he was doing, he let go of his embrace with Y/N and made to turn back, but both Ron and Y/N seized his arms.
"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him..."
Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.
"How -- could -- they?" she choked. "How could they?"
"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.
They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now.
By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.
"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still -- OUCH! He bit me!"
"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute --"
"He won't -- stay -- put --"
Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.
"What's the matter with him?"
But Y/N had just seen -- stinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness -- Crookshanks. Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!" But the cat was getting nearer --
"Scabbers -- NO!"
Too late -- the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.
"Ron!" Hermione moaned.
"Ron come back!" Y/N called.
She, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.
