'Tell Me Pretty Lies,' by moongirlel

Chapter 19: Pride & Hippogriff

[Daylight - Taylor Swift]

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Thur. 7th October 1993 - 9:37am...

The crisp autumn air cut through our uniforms, the closer we got to the edge of the forest.

Hagrid had to push the date for our first class with him further away; due to some more "classified" orders in Hogsmeade, again.

Eventually, we did get him for Care Of Magical Creatures, and thankfully away from Professor Snape covering us - Since he began to treat those classes as extra Potion lessons.

As time passed, the weather grew warmer, and we all ended up with our robes off: in our arms, or on the floor next to the logs and toadstools we sat upon.

I jumped up onto the stone wall, swinging my legs back and forth.

Draco, Theodore and Daphne leaned on the wall next to me.

Blaise had taken himself off to join the boy I met in the wand shop, Kage, at the other side of our class. Pansy joined them.

Hagrid gathered the whole class together, clapping his hand. "I've got a special treat for ya all today!"

"But first, yer ta open the books to the page on flying beasts! Should be found in the last chapter on large animals!" He smiles widely.

"And how exactly do we do that?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes. He held up his book between his thumb and index finger, avoiding the restraint snapping from the monster book.

"Well, it's simple - Ya just stroke the spine. What have ya never seen a charmed book before, Malfoy?" Hagrid shook his head, bringing his attention to Neville and Seamus. "No! Don't open it that way! It's not a bear trap, Seamus!"

Draco and I both scoff - Both for different reasons. Him, for Hagrid's words. And I, for spotting Seamus prying his book open like a vice against a rock.

I pick my book up from my bag, pausing. I debate copying my friend's movements.

"Like this?" Theodore flipped his book around, lightly smacking the spine with his hand.

"You're supposed to stroke it, not hit it." Daphne says, petting hers.

"Stroke it," Draco emphasised, gesturing to their hand movements. "Why are you two acting like you've never stroked something before?"

Theodore's lips curl up into a smirk, and Daphne's cheeks turned red.

My jaw went slack.

The three of us slowly turn to Draco, and he takes a deep breath. "I want to pitch myself off the Astronomy tower for wording it that way."

I snort, shaking my head. I adjust my book on my lap, my eyes drifting over to Draco's hand.

He inspects the ends of his book, slowly running his fingers down the spine. He slipped two fingers beneath the buckle, parting some of the pages, and it clicked open for him easily.

I crossed my legs.

Why did I find that attractive?

Do I need help?

A shrieking cry alarmed everyone suddenly.

Hagrid then announced in a cheerful voice, "Let me all introduce ya, ta Buckbeak! Isn't he beautiful?"

Hermione rapidly flipped through her book, raising her hand. "Hagrid, what exactly is that thing?"

"That Hermione, is a Hippogriff! Very smart, and very proud creatures. You do not want ta insult a Hippogriff," He warns up, tossing a ferret towards the large creature.

"Now, who wants to come and say hello?" Hagrid asked.

My class rushed back, and I forward, pulling my hair back into a ponytail.

"Jane-" Draco attempted to grab my wrist, but I avoided his hold.

Beside me, Harry didn't move.

"Ah! The Potters!"

My brother glanced back to see how far our class stumbled away, "Brilliant." He motions for me to step in front of him, "You can go first, Jane."

"What? Are you scared of a little Mythical creature, Harry?" I tease, taking a few steps closer to Buckbeak.

"I wouldn't exactly call him little," Harry murmured, pushing up his glasses.

Buckbeak kicked the ground, trotting around in a circle, before he stopped.

"Ta gain a Hippogriff's trust, ya must show respect. Bow, and if he bows back ya can go and pet him." Hagrid explains, "And, if he doesn't... well, we'll get ta that part later."

I push my fringe out of my face, taking a step and bowing to the creature.

Buckbeak hesitantly walks towards me, calling out happily: then bows back to me.

I stand up, glancing to Hagrid who nods at me. I fix my sleeves, closing the distance between me and Buckbeak.

Lifting my hand, he snaps his beak at me, and I scoff. "Don't do that. What are you, five?" I whisper to him, gently petting his beak.

Hagrid lets out a relieved exhale, clapping his hands. The rest of the crowd followed his movements, clapping too.

"Oh, please!"

I spin around to see Draco approaching us.

His strut radiating arrogance, "Yeah! You're not dangerous at all, are you?"

"Draco-" I shake my head, stepping away from Buckbeak.

"Malfoy!" Hagrid called angrily.

"Look at this, you great ugly brute!"

Buckbeak pounced forward from the horrid insult.

I can't recall how I managed to end up on the ground, with Harry covering me. But I do remember a flash of his Gryffindor badge in my face, and Buckbeak swinging a claw towards a blur of platinum blonde overhead.

Once the shock resided, Harry pulled me off the ground, carefully plucking orange leaves from my hair (with great difficulty.)

Draco whined loudly, tossing himself back and forth against the dirt and moss. He clutched onto his arm, "It's killed me! It's killed me!"

Needless to say, my first Care Of Magical Creatures class was quite entertaining.

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