Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

20

MILLIES POV

I spent the rest of the lesson practicing the 'engorgio' charm on a caterpillar I had found. The spell was very easy for me of course, due to my power, which was working especially well today because of the anger I was currently feeling towards Snape.

Snape had never been like this with any of the other Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he had wanted the job. Why did he have it in for Professor Lupin? Was it all because of Neville's Boggart? I just hoped Lupin was back soon...

The bell finally rang, and the class made there way out of the room soon after. Most of them sent me smiles, but Parkinson stuck her middle finger up at me, to which I happily returned, before she ran off to Malfoy, trailing after him like an excited puppy. Mione came out last, spotted me sitting on the floor, and hurried over.

"Mione!" I said, standing up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she replied, glancing back at the classroom door. "I'm not sure if Harry and Ron are though."

"Why?" I asked quickly. "What's wrong with them?"

"Snape kept them behind to sort out their detention," she explained, and upon seeing my confused expression, added, "Harry began shouting at Snape after you left, you know, sticking up for you and whatnot, so Snape gave him a detention too."

I shook my head, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips at her words.

"Oh, and Snape gave us homework-"

"Save your breath," I said, grinning. "I'm not doing it anyway."

Mione rolled her eyes, but it wasn't hard to miss the amusement in them.

The boys joined us soon after, in a towering rage. Harry slung his arm around me, a bit rougher than usual.

"D'you know what that dickhead is making us do?" Ron growled. He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "We've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing! Without magic! Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

"All for our girls," Harry muttered, pulling me closer and ruffling my hair playfully; yet I still didn't miss the fact that both Mione and Ron's cheeks glowed red at my boyfriend's words.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke extremely early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. For a moment I thought the roaring of the wind had woken me, but then I felt a cold breeze on the back of my neck and sat bolt upright - Peeves had been floating next to me, blowing hard in my ear.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" I hissed furiously.

Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard and zoomed backwards out of the room, cackling.

I fumbled for my alarm clock and squinted at it; it was half past four. Cursing Peeves, I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now I was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours I would be out on the Quidditch pitch, battling through that gale. I finally gave up any thoughts of more sleep, got up, dressed, picked up my Nimbus Two Thousand and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

As I opened the door, something brushed against my leg. I bent down to see Smokey rubbing his head on my white trainers. I tucked my broomstick under my arm and picked my cat up lovingly.

"Hey, bubs," I whispered, burying my face into his soft fur. "Can't sleep either?"

He purred in response, so I made my way down the stairs and into the common room, where the noise of the storm was even louder. I knew better than to think the match would be cancelled; Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles such as thunderstorms. Nevertheless, I was starting to feel apprehensive. Oliver had pointed out the three Hufflepuff chasers to me in the corridor; they were all a lot bigger than me, which would be an advantage in this weather because they were less likely to be blown off course...