Willow Tree //DNF Hogwarts//

°-《CHAPTER 44》-°

~◇~◇~DREAMS POV~◇~◇~

It's been around a week since we did that whole meet up at the park and George has been hanging out with us almost every day now!

Well, except for the occasional study sessions he does on Tuesday and Thursday to make sure he's up to date with everything that could possibly be happening. But, I'm fine with not seeing George three, maybe more, days a week.

We still get to see eachother at lunch and break and sometimes in our classes like Charms. We handed in our poster thingy on Tuesday and we're supposed to be getting them back next week. I'm sure we did alright though, we finished ours really early on so we even had time to make it look all pretty! And George even did some of his fancy drawings again!

George is a really great artist, one of his secret talents, besides his incredible power to control magic and memorise a whole History of Magic textbook, that he doesn't show off too often. So when he does draw, it's really cool because he doesn't do it often. I think it might be because of his perfectionist side; wanting to make the drawing look great at all times, even including the sketch that's not even meant to look pretty.

Right now, we were all going outside to where George and Karl would normally meet up. It kind of became our new hangout spot. And on the days when it was too cold to be outside, we would just go to the Great Hall and bunk there for awhile until we left to run our own errands.

We all sat down around the tree and dropped our bags at the foot of it before getting into a circle beside the tree with our lunches that Karl and Sapnap bought for us this morning.

Whilst we all ate our patisseries and snacks, we were all chatting smoothly to one another. Normally in pairs or trios, sometimes who whole group if we all just join in on a conversation. Right now, Tommy, Punz, Ranboo and... well, Tubbo was there just not really talking as always, but still taking part in the conversation in other ways like gestures and head tilts. Skeppy and Bad were talking to eachother sweetly, resting Bad's head on Skeppy's shoulder calmy chatting about something wholesome like always. And then Karl and Sapnap were basically doing the same, but without the resting on shoulders and stuff. It's honestly sad seeing them act like this infront of us. I get that it's probably hard to tell some of your closest friends about you having a serious relationship with one of them but I really want them to feel comfortable around us to just act normal and not like their under pressure all the time. And then... right. That left George and I. We were really talk so to speak, we were kind of just staring at everyone else talking and listening in on their conversations.

"So... how's life?" George spoke, ending the some what uncomfortable silence between us. "Oh, c'mon. You don't need to ask me that! Why are you so awkward?" I asked with a laugh. "I don't know! What do you want me to say? Isn't it your job to be talking to almost everyone all the time? You rarely ever shut you mouth for goodness sake!" George exclaimed whilst giggling.

I sighed and lent my head on my hand, looking at George, "If only it were that easy..." I said, looking down and playing with the frosted grass with my spare hand. "What do you mean?" George asked with confusion. "If I could talk to everyone all the time, imagine how efficient I could be! I could ask that girl in my form, Pheobe, a person that loves gossip, and I'd have all the gossip. And then I'd make a business selling gossip for- whatever. And I'd be rich!" I said excitedly, grinning at George like a mad man. "Well... good luck with that then. I thought you didn't like gossip?" Geofge said, tilting his head as he carried on from where I was picking at the grass. "Yeah, but imagine how successful I would be! It would be epic!"

I fell forward and rapped an arm around his neck and held my other hand so I had him in a loose headlock kind of stance. George laughed and shoved my cheek away, "That's so stupid! Why don't you do something with the magic you've learned at Hogwarts? Imagine all the cool things you could do then." George said gazing off through the withered tree branches and at the bright winter sun. I layed my head down onto his thigh and looked up at the clouds passing by above us, "Go on." I said looking at George, him not doing the same back at me. "Well... you know how I love potions and writing... I could make my own potions book. And if it becomes really popular, they might even use it as a compulsory textbook right here at Hogwarts for future students! Wouldn't that be cool?" George said, looking down at me and stroking my hair softly as I focused on the clouds and grey skies.

*SNAP*

I hummed in response and sat up again quickly, looking at to where a thin layer of woods were.

"W-what was that?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"What do you mean? I didn't hear anything..?" Sapnap said looking confusingly at me and back at the woods.

"I-It's fine. Probably nothing anyway..."

I tried to relax my pounding heart beat as I looked around the group to see if anyone else was looking stressed. No one. Not even George.

*CRUNCH*

There it was again.

That same sound of rustling leaves brushing against eachother.

My heart rate increased as I stared at the woods, my eyes quickly scanning the trees for any movement or sound of life.

"Are you sure you guys didn't hear anything?" I asked, feeling a cold breeze brush over my neck, tainting my exposed skin.

"Dream, are you ok? Have you been getting enough sleep?" Bad asked, looking at my with a heartfelt feeling on his face.

I nodded and looked back at the woods, listening for a moment longer.

1...

2...

3...

Nothing.

I darted my eyes towards George who was also staring at the woods farrowing his eyebrows in worry.

When he looked back at me, he placed a hand on mine and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hey, it's going to be OK."

He smiled sweetly at me, but with a serious tone as if he were making a promise, "Nothings going to hurt you. Not while we're all here to protect you. I promise"

I felt my body warm at his words as I flopped my head onto his chest as he cradled it gently, the throbbing in my head punching me harder each time it hit.

"Hey, guys, lunch is almost over. We should head out now." Punz said, sparing a glance at everyone in the group before almost everyone stood up and swung their bags over their shoulders, leaving George and I seemingly, 'alone.'

"Dream? We need to go to Astronomy now. Get up." George said as I slowly got my self up from where I was sat, my legs aching as they hadn't been used in a while.

"I'll catch up. You go ahead."

George frowned but nodded anyways, "OK, be safe."

I ignored his request and walked straight over to the edges of the woods before looking down at where the light green, soft grass, turned into a horrible dead brown shade, litterd with rotten leaves and a fowl stench.

I looked back once more at my deserted bag and the sad willow trees arms trying to pull me back into the safer space of land. The school grounds.

Looking back at the task of hand, I looked fowrds into the darkness of the almost silent woods before swallowing down an impossible gulp, breathing in and out.

In and out.

In and out..

In and out...

*CRUNCH*

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Hello!!
Hope you guys are all doing well!
This is probs one of my longer chapters woah 0_o

Ngl this chapter literally gave me shivers writing it.

Thank you so much guys for the support! We are SO close to 1000 views and it's absolutely crazy that we've made it this far! <3

Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!

Love you lots,
BYE!

~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~