The Snow Fox

Welcome Third Years

"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban." Ethan read from the Daily Prophet as they were in their cabin in the Hogwarts Express.

"But that place is impenetrable." Willow stated, wringing her braids nervously. SHe had small golden clips adding specks of color in her dark brown hair.

"It was." Venus chimed in.

"So how was Malfoy's party? Any good food?"

"Ethan you only think with your stomach." Willow scolded.

Venus sighed and looked out the train window, making her friends look at each other with concerned glances. The Ravenclaw girl took a breath and explained what she and the Slytherin blonde had talked about.

"Wow girl, way to lay down the law."

"Yeah." Ethan chimed in with a full mouth, finishing his sandwich.

"But now I don't know what to do, he can't keep being jealous like this, he gets so angry...it's scary."

Willow put a finger to her chin and thought for a moment, her dark skin taking in all of the light in the carriage.

"I don't think he's jealous, maybe in some circumstances it is envy but I think it's mostly protectiveness, like a yandere."

"He'll kill anyone near me." Venus started giving her a sarcastic look. Willow had gotten into anime over the break and had added many terms to her vocabulary.

"No but he'll dislike them immensely and get angry at them for taking your attention."

"How does that even-" The train rumbled, interrupting her words as the light flickered and went out. The cabin got cold and the window fogged up. Willow clutched onto Venus' arm and Ethan backed up in the seat across from them towards the windowed corner. Venus drew her wand and held it tightly as her hands started to grow cold. All three teens felt the atmosphere change. The window began to fog with the drop in temperature and now Venus was certain it was not her. She felt her heart beat rapidly and mind go to her worst memories.

What is happening?

A shadowy figure passed by the cart door, it doubled back and paused in front of it and slowly opened the sliding door. Its fingers were black, boney and long as its head peered through. The air went still and the three felt their hearts stop with fear. Venus recognized it as a dementor and clutched her wand tighter to see if it was going to attack.

Why is it out of Azkaban?!

The dark figure hovered over Ethan, sensing his fear. It opened its ghastly mouth and lunged onto the boy. The dementor started to suck the life out of him and Willow shrieked.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silver fox sprang from Venus' wand and at the dementor, sending it away. Venus calmed her friends as the power returned and the lights turned back on. Their door slid open again to reveal a familiar blonde Slytherin who looked pale at the sight of Venus holding her wand to his throat. She stepped down when she saw it wasn't a dementor and sat back down, having Willow step in for her.

"Are you all okay? Did the Dementors get too close?""

Venus turned her head away and looked back out the window as the train began to move again. Her eyes were glitching and she couldn't bring herself to look at the boy in her state. The Dementor had caused her to lose control of her magic. She traced the frost on the window, causing more to form in its place as she wiped it away.

"We're fine Draco, we had a little scare but Venus got it away." Willow explained with a nod from Ethan.

"Glad to hear. See you at the castle." and with that he left, throwing a sad glance to the ravenette.

Willow went to put her hand on her friend's shoulder but drew back when she felt the cold rise through her fingertips.

"Venus are you ok?" Ethan asked, trying to get the girl to snap out of her blank stare.

"What? Yeah, just a little cold." She replied, eyes still staring. "I've been...fritzy with my magic since the Malfoy's party. I don't know why, it's like my emotions are out of control..."

"It's understandable." Willow said flatly, wringing her braided hair. "Your crush treats your friends like dragon dung and you just want peace."

"Crush?" Ethan repeated, confused. "You like him?"

Willow smacked him on the head. "Duh Toad Brain, keep up. For someone so smart your ridiculously blind."

Venus smiled at her curly haired friend. Over summer she had confided in her that she held a place in her heart for Ethan and Venus had been elated. Her two best friends together and in love. It was perfect. But Ethan was more blind than a niffler in a haystack, he had no idea how the brunette felt about him. To be fair, Willow had also made little to no advances over their break to tip off the boy, so Venus assumed she was simply waiting to let him make a move.