Frozen Lily

Chapter 13 - NEVER mention the fall

I eventually got Mia's hand and pulled her. She was so slow I swear to the baby Potter. She was babbling about Will and France and some Muggle film about thongs and snogging (I know, it sounds crazy) and Will and Quidditch and Will and I just nodded and wondered about what a crazy friend I've got.
Then I felt a bit uneasy or nauseous or something. There was a prickly feeling on the back of my neck and I felt like there was another person near us. I immediately turned around and looked at the frosty path behind us and then I scrutinised the trees next to the path. It was all dark, but I could almost hear someone crunching through the fallen leaves, brushing the bark on the tree trunks, watching us. I looked forward and began speedwalking, pulling Mia with me. She looked at me questioningly and I just hurried up, until we were both running. Easy to run in a skirt.
We came to a fork in the path. One way went to Hogwarts, obviously, and the other... Maybe Hogsmeade? Normally I just follow the crowd. I paused, watching my breath mist in front of me in the cold winter air as I tried to pick between the paths. I looked at Mia, biting my lip nervously. She shrugged and closed her eyes then pointed at one path, then the other. Eventually her hand stopped and she opened her eyes.

"This one. Probably. I mean there's a 50/50 chance," she stated. So we began walking on the rightmost path. The trees became taller and darker, and it felt like they were closing in on us. Mia almost slipped once or twice on the icy parts of the gravelly path but I grabbed her arm and steadied her.

The third time she slipped, I reached out but then fell myself, landing roughly on the ground. My bare legs stung in the freezing air and I think I may have scraped a knee on the way down. I should've brought my wand, but I left it in my dorm like we were told. Stupid rule, but they made it up like 20 years ago to stop people hexing the players on their brooms. I looked at Mia and smiled halfheartedly, too paranoid that I was going to get eaten by a Cthulu to laugh about it.
We both stopped smiling and the colour drained from my face when I heard the crunching in the forest. I knew there was something just beyond the tree line, but I just thought it was my imagination.

"Up - hurry," I whispered and I stood up immediately, pulling Mia up with me. I quickly glanced at the menacing trees, trying to see through them at what's going to kill us. Mia was brushing herself off as I looked around, so when the dark figures came out of the woods I was too shocked to do anything, the breath catching in my throat, my jaw hanging open. I froze.

I'm useless, sue me.

Mia screamed as one of them barrelled into her and they both landed on the ground, before she recognised who it was and quickly changed that scream into a squeal.
"Will!"

Sure enough, the buttheads standing giggling like first years were Will, Alec, Chloe and Jess. And I was not happy to see most of them. I glared at Chloe and Jess.

"You guys suck," I said. While Mia was having a happy forgiveness cuddle with Will as they walked, I wasn't going to get angry at them yet... I was going to wait for when they least expect it, and then I was going to have my revenge.... And it will be sweet.

They just laughed at me.
I swear to tbp, why I am I even friends with them.
"Why am I even friends with you guys," I rolled my eyes as we carried on walking up the path.
"We're awesome sauce,"
"-And we have a common cause," They said in canon. I shot them a significant look at motioned at Alec. He was walking with us, not noticing anything unusual. I moved across them so I was walking next to him.

"So I believe I won a bet..." I grinned slyly.
"Well... yeaaahhh, you did..." He admitted. I grinned wider. "So I'm going to be helping you learn how to fly?" I nodded and kept grinning.
"And you've got the second bit," I prompted.
It suddenly dawned on him and he looked at me, defeated.
"Ah. Right..." He paused and looked at me.
"Grfrdrretjebst," he mumbled.
"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that." I smirked.
"Gryfyrdrrthbst,"
I looked at him.
He looked at me and sighed.
"You know this is really immature and childish and er-" he cast his mind around for excuses to get out of it.
"We had a deal, Lupin." I exclaimed, putting on a voice.
"Fine. Gryffindor are thbst."
"Didn't quite catch that last bit,"
He looked at me and then muttered 'Gryffindor are the best, happy?'
I nodded smugly. "Very."
"That's probably the only time and the only person I'd say that for," he explained.
"Very patriotic..." He nodded. "But not as patriotic as me." I smiled like the Cheshire Cat and began running up the path, leaving them all behind me.
"Hey!" He yelled, starting to run up after me. The rest of them stood there like llamas; confused. I carried on sprinting away from Alec, zigzagging up the frosty gravel. We were almost back at the school; I could just about see some of the battlements above some of the shorter trees.
Alec seemed to have materialised out of nowhere in front of me, caused me to veer sideways and slip on a patch of ice that sent me diving headfirst to eat dirt, and I was saved only by the fact Alec was herioc like the Greek God of sexy Slytherins he was and he dove to break my fall.