Hogwarts, Giant Squids and Sirius Black

Chapter 31 (Part one)

Abigail’s POV

“You two want to hang out with us after lessons are over? It’s Friday, we can all have some fun and camp out in the Forbidden Forest,” James offered, peering through his thick glasses, which strangely enhanced his mischievous hazel eyes as he grinned at us. Sirius looked at me, awaiting my answer, to which I simply gave a shrug.

We were currently seated in front of the Black Lake, a familiar routine for us during break times. Currently James was standing in front of us, the sun shining through his dark brown hair, creating a murky halo very suited to his personality.

“Why are we camping in the forest,” I asked, glancing at the distant forest of trees, which could be seen across the lake, “and more importantly if we agreed, how would we get there?” At that question, James and Sirius shared a knowing look, sending suspicion flooding through me.

“We’re going to ignore the school rules aren’t we?”

“You could say that but technically we acknowledge their existent but choose to break them,” James corrected.

“We’re going to break the school rules then, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but it’ll be worth it, I promise,” he said rapidly, sensing the reluctance rolling off of me in waves, “there’s a secret place where we go, it’s peaceful and free of any boggarts or blast ended skrewts hanging around in the forest.”

“What’s in this secret place?”

James sent me a glare, not impressed with the amount of questions I was asking before he finally sighed in exasperation.

“It’s a clearing up on one of the highest peaks of the land the school’s on and the trees there are hollowed out sort of like a tent, yeah. And there’s a waterfall where a family of unicorns usually hang out by in the morning.”

“Who’s going,” I enquired, suppressing giggles when James’s eyebrows drew closer together. “Me, Remus, Harry, not Peter because he’s got a detention for not doing his homework on time, hopefully you and Sirius, maybe your friends and Harry.”

“Harry Davids?”

“Yeah, him.”

“Oh I didn’t know you guys were close,” Sirius chimed in.

“You invited him remember, you plimpy-eyed pile of dung.”

They bantered playfully for a while, giving me some space to think about the offer. I’ve never seen a unicorn up close before, not even in Care of Magical Creatures, because in that particular lesson, I’d been bedridden due to one of the hexes Sirius had used on me.

I really did want to see a unicorn but I’d never been out camping in the Forbidden Forest. I mean it was forbidden for a reason. But a night out in the wild, away from the chatter of everything else with only a small group of close friends and my boyfriend sounded pretty appealing. Plus I really wanted to look at those tree tents.

“Well, you two kind of owe me so yeah I’m up for it as long as we get to see the unicorns.”

A grin spread across James face as he jumped on the spot in glee, looking like Sirius’s hyperactive owl while Sirius’s face went up in flames of red as he clearly remembered that time he hexed me. “Abs, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to, you might freeze death out there,” he hesitantly said, “you were sneezing a week ago.”

“I’ll be fine,” I lied, pulling the edges of my robes closer together as inconspicuously as I could. Sirius was telling the truth, nowadays I always felt cold even if I was sitting close to a fire. It wasn’t like a physical feeling of cold; it was more mental I suppose. Like I could feel the suns warmth on my skin when it occasionally came up yet I still felt cold.