Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [4]

⚡️ Chapter 35 ⚡️

The grounds were very dark – Vega and Harry walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in Hagrid's cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up and the two Gryffindors could hear Madame Maxime talking inside it as Vega reached ahead to knock on Hagrid's front door, which opened to reveal Hagrid, who looked around the place for the Invisible pair.

"You there, Harry, Vega?" Hagrid whispered into the cool air.

"We're here," Vega replied just as quietly and she followed Harry as they slipped into the cabin, pulling the Invisibility Cloak off of their heads to reveal themselves.

"What's going on, Hagrid?" Harry asked, voicing the question was in both of their heads.

"Got summat ter show yeh two," Hagrid informed them, and Vega and Harry shared a confused look with each other before looking back at the giant man.

For some reason, there was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid right now. He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair –

"Is that a comb in his hair?" Vega muttered to Harry, noticing the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.

"What are you showing us?" Harry asked warily.

Remembering what they were here for, Vega looked back at Hagrid again. She knew and respected Hagrid's love for his love of extraordinary creatures – she loved them, too, at times – but she couldn't help wondering if the skrewts had somehow laid eggs, or Hagrid had managed to buy himself another giant three-headed dog off of a stranger in a pub, or even a dragon, Merlin forbid...

"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerselves covered with that cloak," Hagrid said to the two of them a bit too casually. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it..."

"Listen, Hagrid, we can't stay long..." Harry interjected as Vega pulled the cloak around her shoulders so only her head was 'floating'. "We've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock –"

But Hagrid wasn't listening at them; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night.

Vega and Harry had no choice but to follow behind him quickly, throwing the cloak over their heads. And Vega was shocked to see that Hagrid was leading the two of them towards the Beauxbatons carriage. She shared a bewildered look between each other, having no idea what Hagrid was up to.

"Hagrid," Vega whispered loudly to catch his attention. "What are we –?"

"Shhh!" Hagrid said, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.

The three of them waited there for a few moments and then the door opened – it was Madame Maxime, and she was wearing a fine silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid, and Vega and Harry both shared another look in the dark, not sure anymore.

"Ah, 'Agrid... it is time?" Madame Maxime said.

"Bong-sewer," Hagrid greeted in response, beaming at his unexpected friend, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.

It took Vega a moment to realise that Hagrid had attempted to speak in French to Madame Maxime almost broke down laughing at his greeting but Harry clamped a hand on her mouth to silence her.

Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with Vega and Harry ran together to keep up with the two, trying to figure out where they were heading so late at night.