ᴛᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴇ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ [D.Malfoy, 18+]

II: Summer of '94

June 13th, 1994

The Search for Sirius Black Continues! The Ministry In A Frenzy To Find Serial Killer!

"Ow, Gisella, that stings!"

"Oh, quit your crying. This is nothing compared to what you put Remus through."

"Me?! It was Buckbeak!"

"If you don't stop opening that goddamn mouth of yours, I swear I will sew your lips shut!" There was a brief moment of silence, Gisela letting out a sigh of relief. Silence had never been so beautiful. "Diana, go fetch me some wormwood."

"Sure." Diantha stood up from her seat, careful to not knock any of her mother's ingredients that were balanced on top of one another on the small wooden table. Her mother was hunched over a man's arm, carefully inspecting the numerous cuts that lined his arm like tattoos. "Do you need anything, Mr. Black?"

"Oh please, darling, call me Sirius." The worn man smiled, waving his good hand in the air. "There's no need for formalities when we're practically family." Sirius winced just as her mother, Gisella, poured some green liquid against one of his wounds. He scowled down at her but immediately looked away just as she peered up at him. Diantha sent him a sympathetic smile before walking towards the door.

"Oh, actually. Do you mind feeding Buckbeak? I wouldn't want him eating your chickens." Diantha nodded, opening the door but not before hearing her mother's scowled answer.

"If that blasted bird eats one of my hens, we'll be having hippogriff soup tonight!" Sirius gasped, beginning to argue with her mother just as Diantha closed the door.

Sirius and Gisella had been close friends since their years at Hogwarts. Her mother had been an out-spoken and brash Hufflepuff which led to her delinquency with Sirius at an early age. Thankfully, Professor Lupin had been there to get them out of trouble. The three had become extremely close — because of their shared abilities as an Animagus. So it wasn't a surprise when Diantha found both Sirius and Professor Lupin at their home when the school year ended. They had both told them what had transpired between them in the forest; their interactions with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, how Harry had saved them, and that Peter Pettigrew had gotten away. Diantha remembered the look of fury that raced across her mother's features.

Gisella Corvo hated Peter Pettigrew. Because of him, her best friend Lily Potter had perished.

"Buckbeak! Lunchtime!" Diantha shouted, waiting by the edge of the forest line. Their home was nestled in the countryside surrounded by fields of wheat and corn stalks. A small forest and lake circled them making it a perfect hideaway for the hippogriff. She waited a few more minutes before letting out a whistle. Almost immediately, she heard the sound of beating wings above her as she looked up seeing the hippogriff fly above her before landing a few feet away from her. The large creature flapped its wings at her, proudly keeping its head held high. Diantha bowed to it, remembering Hagrid's brief lesson, and waited until she saw a glimpse of the hippogriff copying her action. She smiled, standing upright and beckoning for it to follow her.

They crossed through the fields, every now and then, Diantha feeling the hippogriff nudge her shoulder. "I know, I know. I'm walking as fast as I can." She giggled, patting the creature on its beak. Closer to the house, a little barn had been built just for her mother and against one of the exterior walls was a rack with dead rabbits hanging off of it. "Arlo must've hunted these recently."

She grabbed them all, by their legs, and started to toss each one of them up into the air. Buckbeak easily jumped, catching them one by one and scarfed them down easily. The hippogriff let out a squawk as Diantha smiled towards it, extending her hand. It met her outstretched hand, pressing its warm fur against her palm. Her smile softened, stroking its neck before nestling her face into it. The setting Sun had made Buckbeak's fur soft like velvet. She could hear its heartbeat but moreso, she could feel Buckbeak's sorrow.