Youngblood {Year 3, Book 1}

= Chapter 12 =

"Don't let him get to your head." Vivid said, slamming her books by Aspen, startling her.

"Who?" Aspen asked stupidly.

"Who else do you think? A certain Mr. Malfoy." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, I just can't get it out of my head. Why would he do something like that... Buckbeak is innocent. He was the real jerk in the situation." Aspen sighed.

"Okay, true. But... just talk to him. You two are really cute together." Vivid giggled as Aspen looked up, shocked.

"H-How do you know..." Aspen trailed off due to Vivid's abundant laughter.

"Everyone knows." She replied as Aspen got up from her library spot, her face completely flushed. "Talk to him!"

"I'll think on it." She mumbled to herself, pulling her robes on, as she exited the library.

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"Lillian, wait!" Aspen said, half annoyed when her friend kept walking, up the lush, green hill overlooking Hagrid's hut, ignoring her. She sighed, grabbing Lillian by the arm to stop her.

"What do you want, Aspen?" Lillian said, turning away from Aspen, obviously annoyed.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said about Cedric, he seems like a nice guy and I think you two are cute together." Aspen swallowed down the words painfully, putting on a cheeky, bashful smile.

"You really mean it?" Lillian said, her face immediately lighting up.

"Yeah... yeah I do."

"I've got some sweets back at the dorm... want to grab some with me?" Lillian asked, hopeful.

Before Aspen could respond, she was cut off by four peculiarly annoying Gryffindors.

"So... Aspen, what happened to you and Draco?" Dove asked, her normal, bright and happy expression changed by a stark and bitter one.

"N-Nothing." Aspen exhaled.

"Aspen, did something happen?" Lillian asked, her face also showing she was bummed that her friend didn't tell her. 

"Ow!" Ron screamed, dropping his hideous pet rat, Scabbers.

"Scabbers!" Hermione yelped, watching Ron chase after him.

Aspen and Lillian sighed, then ran after him, followed by Dove, Harry, and Hermione. Ron's long strides were no match for the two Slytherin girl, who easily fell behind with Dove and Harry, though Hermione had sprinted to catch up with the ginger head.

"Ron, wait up." Dove panted, stopping as they reached where Scabbers had stopped, watching Ron grab him right in front of a deadly tree - the Whomping Willow. 

"Harry, you do realize what tree this is?" Aspen asked, shocked that her voice sounded more terrified than it should have.

"That's not good. Ron, run!" Harry screamed. Ron, realizing he was a good ten paces in front of everyone began to turn back to the group, only to be stopped in his tracks by a large, black hound.

"Harry, girls, run!" Ron shouted, his voice frantic. Everyone spun on their heels toward what Ron's gaze was set upon.  

"It's the Grim!"