Youngblood: Retrieval {Year 5, Book 3}

= Chapter 2 =

Professor Umbridge smiled at the children irritatingly, waiting for them to all be seated. Aspen scooted into a chair next to Lillian, almost directly behind Dove and Mya.

"Hey guys!" Lillian said leaning forward in her seat a bit.

"Hi Slytherins." Mya giggled as Aspen sighed, rolling her eyes jokingly and sitting back in her chair.

"Shhh! Class is starting!" Dove laughed, her blue eyes searching for the teacher who stood at the back of the classroom.

"Good morning children. Ordinary Wizarding Levels examinations." She flicked her wand, making a small chunk of half write her words on the board. "O W L's more commonly known as... OWL's."

"This lady knows that we can spell, right?" Aspen stifled a giggle while whispering to Lillian, who smirked and tilted her head down.

"Study hard, and you will be rewarded." Umbridge glared at Aspen, who flushed in embarrassment. "Fail to do so and the consequences may be... severe."

She waved her wand at a huge pile of books, who levitated through the classroom and dispersed to each student. Mya peered down at the book and immedietly raised her hand, seemingly disturbed by the book.

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneducational." The annoyance of a teacher spoke with such a sarcastic tongue. "You should be pleased to know that you will now be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of defensive magic, yes."

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?" Mya asked, looking down at the book.

"Using spells? Haha! I can't imagine why you would need to use defensive spells in my classroom." Umbridge smiled innocently, striding up to the small Ravenclaw girl.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way." She replied.

"What use will that be? If we're going to be attacked, it won't be 'risk-free'!" Harry exclaimed as a few students nodded.

"Students will raise their hands if they wish to speak in my class." She walked back to the front of the classroom. "It is the view of the Ministry, that a theoretical knowledge will be used to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about!"

"And how is 'theory' supposed to prepare us for what is out there?" Harry countered.

"There is nothing out there! Who do you imagine would want to attack children such as yourself?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe... Lord Voldemort."

Whispers echoed around the room as Lillian shifted around in her seat, getting a bit uncomfortable.

"Something wrong?" Aspen asked, leaning in to whisper to her.

"N-Nothing... nothing at all." Lillian shrugged, resting her head in her arms.

Aspen looked at her suspiciously, but returned her attention to the pink-dressed teacher not long after. 

"Let me make this... very plain." Umbridge grimaced in frustration. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large, once again. This...is...a...lie-"

"Its not a lie - I saw him - I fought him!" Harry spoke up.

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge screamed, almost satisfied. 

"So to you Cedric Diggory dropped dead on his own accord." Harry snarled, obviously frustrated with the ministry-obsessed teacher.

Lillian gasped silently and bit her lip, ignoring the rule to stay in her seat and fled to the bathroom. Aspen watched her go, wishing she could follow after her.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."

"He was MURDERED! Voldemort KILLED him! You must know thi-"

"ENOUGH!"

The whole class sat wide eyed at the screaming teacher, almost shaking in fear in their seats.

"Enough... see me later, Mr. Potter. My office." She smiled as if nothing happened, adding the cheerful, quick, "haha."

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"Oh look everybody! Blood Traitor's gone to comfort her unstable companion!" Draco joked, laughing as Aspen continued walking.

"Rude! How dare you walk away from us like that!" Ember giggled, jogging to keep up with Aspen and slamming her into the wall.

Aspen fell to the floor, her shoulder severely bruised. Dove and Mya stood, wide-eyed as they watched the two Slytherin's bother their friend.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Pansy added, sneering.

"I don't have time for this..." Aspen stumbled to get up, glaring at Draco.

"Then make time." He smirked, looking down at her and kicking her in the nose, causing her to sink further to the floor.

"Stay away from her!" Dove shouted out of pure instinct, causing the whole Slytherin Gand to turn their hate-filled eyes on her.

"Uh oh..." Mya stammered as Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy drew nearer to them.

"And what do we have here?" Ember eyed the two girls, stepping closer and leaving Draco behind to watch Aspen.

Dove and Aspen locked eyes. Aspen winked, and mouthed, 'thanks', before side-swiping Draco's legs from under him with her own, bolting away. Draco landed on his stomach, snarling at her and grasping his sore jaw, which he impacted when he fell. Dove and Mya easily got away, racing back to their common rooms.

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"Lillian?" Aspen whispered, drawing closer to the loud sobs and cries. "Lillian, I'm so sorry."

"I-It's no-not your fa-fault." Lillian sniffed, grabbing another tissue and wiping her nose.

Lillian sat on the sill of the window, scrunched in a tight ball with her head tucked in her knees, only lifting it when she heard Aspen walk up next to her. Aspen enveloped her in a tight hug, honestly feeling sorry for her best friend. Lillian had gotten better over summer break, but obviously even the thought of Cedric's cold corpse could bring her to tears.

"If only I'd know that stupid teacher-" Aspen started, grumbling angrily.

"Do y-you believe Ha-Harry?" Lillian asked, looking back down sadly. "Do you believe that Voldemort actually -"

Lillian couldn't even force herself to say it. The poor girl began to sob heavily and pressed her eyes to her knees once again.

"I... I do. I don't think that Harry would lie about something like that." Aspen admitted, grabbing another tissue for Lillian.

"Thanks." Lillian added, her crying now at a minimum as she wiped her puffy, still teary eyes.

"Of course. I'm always here for you; always and to the end."

---------------

"Bloody hell! Draco hold still." Pansy mumbled, holding ice to Draco's jaw, who kept flinching and pulling away.

"Pansy, can we have a second?" Ember interrupted, glaring at Draco as Pansy nodded reluctantly, walking away.

"What?" Draco snapped.

"Nothing. Just came to say that I'm honestly impressed. I didn't think you had the guts to oppress Aspen like that - just saying that you two were-" Ember smirked.

"Yes - are you actually surprised though?" Draco scowled back at her as Ember picked up the ice and pressed it to his jaw.

He looked up at her and gave her a narcissistic smirk. She looked down at him and raised a brow, gazing into his grey eyes unfeelingly. They began to lean forward until their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss. Draco smirked into the kiss, resting his hand at Ember's waist as her's tangled in his pale blonde hair. The kiss lasted a good while, only breaking when they were desperate for air.

"Goodnight, Draco." Ember smirked, shoving the ice bag, which now turned to cold water into his chest before walking off to the girl's dorm.