Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

27

MILLIES POV

The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect I hoped. Harry didn't bring Sirius Black up again, and neither did Ron or Mione. Elwood and I went to the library the next day, where I told him about Buckbeak. Elwood was particularly fond of Magical Creatures, and instantly agreed to help, so we sat down at a table, laden with books that might help prepare a defence for the Hippogriff. The two of us slowly turned the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when we ran across something relevant.

"Here's something," I said excitedly, sitting up. "There was a case in 1722...but the Hippogriff was convicted - urgh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting..."

Elwood shrieked so loudly when I showed him the picture of the headless creature that he fell off his chair. I burst out laughing, helping him up.

"You're such a git," Elwood grumbled shakily, sitting back down. "You know I hate things like that." He lifted the book he was reading over his face so that I couldn't speak to him.

I snorted. "Come on, El, you know you love me - speaking of love..." I reached forward and lifted the book from his hands, "...how was Hogsmeade with Lyra Medina?"

Lyra and I had made a plan together which involved Lyra asking Elwood to Hogsmeade, where they would 'coincidentally' bump into Austin Hampton, who Lyra made sure would be in Zonkos at three o'clock.

Elwood's cheeks turned pink. "You were right - it was actually quite fun. Lyra and I - well, we - we met up with a boy called Austin-"

"-Hampton?" I finished for him, pretending to act clueless. "That Ravenclaw boy?" Elwood nodded slowly. "Quite handsome, don't you think?"

"No!" he said, so quickly that I raised my eyebrows at him. "I mean - w-why would you ask me that?"

I shrugged. "Dunno - I talk about how I find Harry handsome all the time. This isn't any different, is it?"

Elwood hesitated. "But - Harry's your boyfriend - you don't, you know, like like Austin, too?"

"'Course I don't," I said, giggling. "Just saying how nice I think he is. I reckon you would get on with him-"

"We did get along, actually," Elwood said, his lips curving into a small smile. "Hogsmeade was fun."

"I knew you would," I whispered to myself happily, grinning.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said in a sing-song voice, winking at my friend. He frowned, but thankfully turned his attention back to the book on the table.

"This might help, look-" Elwood pointed at a page, "-a Manticore savaged someone in 1926, and they let the Manticore off - oh - no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it...can't blame them, mind you..."

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, only increasing the excitement for the New Years party. Thick streamers of mistletoe (you can imagine how happy Harry was about that, but I never gave in when he tried to kiss me, however, in revenge of making me wait before he asked me to be his girlfriend) were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armour and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.

On Christmas morning, I was woken by Mione throwing her pillow at me.

"Millie! Presents!"

I propped myself onto my elbows, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of my bed, where a heap of parcels had appeared. Mione, Lavender, and Parvati were already ripping the paper off their own presents.