Youngblood: Retrieval {Year 5, Book 3}

= Chapter 12 =

Draco slowly brought the golden goblet up to his lips, sipping the sweet pumpkin juice and the potion mixed inside. His gaze narrowed on Aspen, who was chatting with Dove and Mya from across the Great Hall. His eyes clouded with hate and he clenched the goblet so hard his knuckles turned white. He no longer saw her as the graceful, beautiful girl she was, but rather a menace and disgrace to the wizarding world.

He got up and stormed out, earning a smirking grin from Pansy as Ember looked away. Ember shook her head, what had she done?

Aspen's attention drew to the brooding boy racing out of the Great Hall. She sighed and shook her head with a frown.

"Well, aren't you going to go after him? He's your true love after all!" Mya sang as Dove giggled.

"No, he can wait." Aspen shrugged, glancing at Draco, then back to Mya and Dove. "But shouldn't we be getting to you-know-what class?"

"Ahhhhhhh... I see what you did there!" Dove laughed, gathering her books and walking off with her friends.

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"Alright, now would anyone like to duel before we go off into separate groups to learn different spells?" Harry asked, standing on the foot tall stage in front of the "class".

Almost everyone raised their hands, but Harry picked out Ron and Hermione - of course he did. Hermione easily stupify-ed Ron to the far side of the room, sending students bubbling over in laughter.

"You alright there?" A familiar voice asked above Aspen.

"Oh hey Fred, I didn't see you there. I'm fine, just eager to get out of class is all." Aspen shrugged, smiling up at the notorious better twin, Fred.

"You don't like class?" He responded, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No, no... just I saw Draco storm out of the Great Hall and I want to know what's up with him. It seemed like we were getting along for a bit."

"So you care for him?" Fred asked, sounding a bit jealous.

Now it was Aspen's turn to furrow her brows and look up at Fred curiously, but before she could say anything, Harry had split them into two different groups to work on spells.

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"Wasn't that cool! I finally conjured the expelliarmus spell! And I NAILED it!" Mya said happily as her and Dove walked through the corridors from the Dumbledore's Army meet.

"It was pretty cool! Did you see how far my wand flew?" Dove laughed back, only to realize seconds later that she had left her book bag in the Room of Requirements. "Oh shoot... I have to go back! I left my books in the room. Meet you in the Great Hall?"

"Of course, see you there!" Mya said and skipped off.

Dove raced through the corridors and stopped right before the Room of Requirements door opened. She checked to see if anyone was following her before she slipped through the heavy doors that sealed themselves. From around the corner, she could see Harry's shoe, so she decided to announce herself.

"Sorry, I just had to grab my books..." Her voice drained when she realized why Harry was still here.

Her fingers wrapped around the tough dragon hide of her book bag so tight that her knuckles turned white. Harry stood under the growing mistletoe in the Room of Requirements... kissing none other than Cho Chang. Once he heard Dove's voice, he pulled apart only long enough to see her fleeing form.

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"Draco? What's your problem, why do you keep persisting on ignoring me?" Aspen said, annoyed as she raced after him.

He turned the corner and continued ignoring her pleading voice. She furrowed her brows and finally ran up beside him, playfully shoving him shoulder. He turned towards her, anger embedded in his deep-set grey eyes.

"How dare you touch me like you're an equal, blood-traitor!" Draco shouted, pushing her to the ground.

"Draco, you don't have to act like this, Ember isn't around!" Aspen struggled to get up as a crowd of people surrounded them.

"What are you talking about? I'm just calling you out for what you are!" He said, swiping her leg out from under her so she fell on the ground once again when she had almost gotten up. "Stay down until I pass, pheasant."

Tears welled in Aspen's eyes as she shook her head, too emotionally weak to stand up.

"Move! Get out of my way!" Lillian's concerned voice could be heard from over Aspen's silent cries. "Oh my gosh! Aspen, are you okay? We heard you and Draco fight from all the way over in the Great Hall."

"I can't believe him! I though he had changed! But he's still just the jerk everyone sees. I can't believe I've ever trusted him!"

"Aspen! Aspen!" Ember shouted from down the hall, breathless when she came to a halt in front of Aspen.

"Are you happy? I can't believe you would do anything remotely li-" Aspen began to shout but was cut off by Ember.

"Shut up! I didn't do this! It was Pansy - and I was dragged into this." Ember scowled, hating to be anywhere close to apologizing.

Ember told how Pansy practically forced her into brewing the hate potion for Draco to drink just so that Pansy and Draco could be together without the problem of Aspen. Aspen was speechless, blankly staring at Ember.

"Well, you're scaring me - say something." Ember insisted.

"What do you want me to say? I'm going to beat her up! She can't do this and get away with it!" Aspen shook her head, beginning to walk away when Ember stopped her.

"You should know that loverboy will be with her. Just... be careful." She smiled weakly.

"Aren't I always?" Aspen smirked, looking back at Ember and Lillian before sprinting off - she knew exactly where Pansy would be.

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"Parkinson, you pug-faced bastard!" Aspen said, her bright green eyes enraged.

Draco began to charge her as Aspen looked directly at him, pity filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "Locomotor wibbly!"

Draco's legs turned jelly-like and he collapsed to the ground, grunting angrily. Aspen turned back to Pansy as Lillian and Ember entered the Slytherin Common Room, there if she needed backup.

"Awww, is someone sad that her boyfriend ran away?" Pansy mocked.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Aspen shouted back. "And how could you even consider treating him like your pet! He's not a doll that you can put strings on and command to do whatever you wish! He's a human-being, same as me - not you on the other hand, look and act more like a mutated flobberworm!"

Pansy's eyes grew wide as Aspen approached, her wand pointed at her neck. Aspen looked more threatening than usual, her eyes glowed with a burning, passionate hatred and her perfect lips were curved into a snarl.

"Now turn him back!" Aspen commanded, lowering her wand just a bit.

Pansy smirked, "I cant. He's mine now. There's no cure or reverse." Pansy took her hand and lowered Aspen's wand.

Aspen stepped back, shocked as she looked at Draco, still on the ground. He deserved so much more than this.

"I will figure out how to help him and stop you. Novis locomortor wibbly." Draco's legs formed back to normal and Aspen left, flinging the cloak of her robes behind her.

Pansy glared at Ember as Lillian left with Aspen. Ember glanced at Aspen, then at Pansy, then back at Aspen.

"Ember, you coming?" Aspen asked, the tone of her voice a tad more calm.

"Of course." Ember winked at Pansy before running after Aspen.