Chapter 70. Buckbeak / Searching For MoonFrogs

After waiting around for a few minutes, Harry finally came back from his absconds with Buckbeak. The Gryffindor's all cheered and yelled at his return, all aside from Hermione. Still frowning and fiddling with her robes close to her chest as her eyes lingered to the ground. Hermione’s hand moved before she knew it, grasping onto Lucas’ robes for a sense of security. Instinctually she knew that Lucas would protect her from Buckbeak if he ran wild. She still vividly remembered how he, without hesitation, jumped in front of certain death to keep her safe.

Grasping at that bottle she continued to remind herself that she wasn’t supposed to know, but what else could she do with these emotions? Glaring at Lucas from time to time, her tongue felt the roof of her mouth. The new strange feeling in her mouth from the retainer she just got, she was going through all of this because she shouldn’t know. What was she hoping for when she completed her training? An apology? Or perhaps just a true discussion? Just to peel back all of his fake layers, to see him for his real self again.

As Hermione frowned in thought of the boy standing just beside her, a sudden shuffle brought her back to her senses as Malfoy casually walked over to Buckbeak. “Oh please! I bet anybody could do that! You're dangerous at all are you?” Buckbeak snapped his head to stare dead at Malfoy as he continued to stroll over to him. Buckbeak began to squawk and flap his wings, rearing his body up to attack. “Draco, NO!” Lucas yelled, running up to him, and pushing him to the ground.

After pushing Draco onto the ground behind me, I now stood face to face with the rearing Buckbeak. I held my arm out to protect my face from any taloned swings, but when I did Val slithered from under my sleeve, hissing his vitriol towards the winged beast. “Hurt him, and I’ll bite you!”  Before I could even react to Val's threat, wanting to keep him safe, Buckbeak slowed down. Letting his two front claws touch the ground again, still unhappy and unsure, but looking intently down at me. “Calm down... Back inside...” I whispered to Val, petting his head as I slowly bowed to Buckbeak.

“**u a** **e *uar*ia* of a ****e* s*****t?” Buckbeak finally spoke, more garbled than what I could understand, but surprise was felt with his words. ‘I believe they are intelligent enough to understand most human speech.’ I hoped, nay, prayed that it was the case. “I apologize for the sake of my friend.” I said, still bowing low, keeping my eyes staring at his clawed talons, holding my hand over Val to keep him appeased under my robes. Buckbeak let out a low rumble from his chest. I glanced upward to see Buckbeak lower his body to match my bow.

I stared into his eyes, leering deeply back into mine. His silver blue eyes slowly dilated before he turned his gaze to my right hand. "**ow *i* to *e." He ordered me in a tongue I could not understand, however given where his gaze now rested, I slowly raised my hand where Val's head peered out from. Val slithered back out, ringing cautiously. Buckbeak let out a small puff of air, presumably scoffing before closing his eyes. I then gently rested my open hand on his beak, Val chirped and slowly rested his head against Buckbeak’s beak. “Well done Lucas. Very well done! You got a knack for calming even Buckbeak!”

When Hagrid came over, Val slithered back down under my robes again, and Buckbeak removed his head from my hand. He stood proud, and gracefully caught a flying ferret that Hagrid tossed for Buckbeak as a treat. “If I might make a suggestion professor?” I asked, while pulling Draco up to his feet along with Pansy. “Perhaps not showcase a 5 X magical creature before the students understand the dangers these creatures carry?” I offered, Hagrid fumbling his words a bit, embarrassingly admitting that doing so was probably the right decision.

A few Slytherins laughed and giggled while I patted Draco on his back. “Are you okay?” Draco frowned while dusting off his robes. “Aside from you pushing me down? I guess.” I scoffed at him while Pansy flicked his ear. “Try not to get Lucas killed from your own mistakes.” “Oh, of course. I’m safe too, thanks for making sure.” Draco sarcastically answered back. “Alright! I’ll get Buckbeak settled away, everyone I want you to read from page 49 to the end of the chapter! When I get back I’ll answer any questions you may have!” Hagrid announced, clearing his throat a bit to push away any last sense of embarrassment from his vacant actions.

After Hagrid left the grove with Buckbeak, I sat on the ground, resting my back against the low pebbled wall. “That was brilliant!” “How’d you do that?” “Can you read through this chapter together with me?” The moment I did, a myriad of Slytherin students flocked over, each asking just as many questions as the last. I placed on my mask, ready to play the part my parents wanted, hoping my acting would help offset the rumors surrounding how well I could contain Buckbeak. “It is to be expected of a Slytherin with experience. We can take the lead in anything if we have enough experience in it.”

As all the Slytherin’s clamored around Lucas, Harry sighed as Ron spoke. “I say he had his hand smell like food to confuse Buckbeak. Wish Malfoy got what he deserved.” Ron mumbled, shaking his head at Lucas’ smarmy smile. “Just let it go. This way there won't be an injury report for Malfoy to attack Hagrid.” Hermione frowned, Harry snapping his head at Hermione in shock, before realizing that Malfoy was definitely the type to do such a thing. “I guess…”

After all of our classes were done, I studied Ancient Runes on my own near the lake. Pansy had to focus on her Divination studies, and Draco wasn’t interested in the slightest, not that I could blame him. It was a monotonous subject to say the least. Abarrane and Val played together while I used the cloud covered sky to help me read each letter carefully on my homework.

A sudden rustling behind me caught my attention. I snapped my vision to the bush and undergrowth surrounding it, watching the leaves shiver. I slowly placed my belongings down, and crept over to the bush, my wand already at the ready. Slowly pulling its branches apart, creating a window for me to see through, I locked my gaze with the same azure eyes that I had met on the train here. “Good evening Lucas…” She said in her strange calm and distant tone. I sighed while staying my wand. “What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?”

Luna slightly tilted her head, her curly blond hair flopping over her face, before she brushed it aside. “Looking for Moon Frogs…” Her gaze then moved back over to the shallow waters of the lake. It was then that I noticed she was barefoot, her tight fitting jeans hiked up to her knees as she waded through the frigid water. She bent over, using her hands to keep herself upright, while feeling around the murky waters for what she looked for. I felt my face blush at the sight of her thighs, and turned away with a scowl as I spoke. “Wouldn’t the ‘moon’ in ‘Moon Frog’ dictate that they would only be seen on a full moon?” I asked, unsure of why I was even conversing with this strange girl.

I heard the splashing of her movements pause for a moment before she finally spoke. “Do you know about Moon Frogs? Have you seen one?” I scowled again as I spoke, instinctively looking towards her in my lack of thought. “Of course not-” I bit my tongue as soon as I realized that I had stupidly almost admitted that I’d never seen the full moon in years. I then glanced at her feet to avoid any embarrassing sights again, however her deep red ankles just above the sediment filled waters showcased how cold she truly was. I cluttered around inside my robes, until I found a small vial of red liquid. “Here, drink this. It’s Pepperup. Just looking at you gives me the shivers.”

Luna waited a moment, a strange habit of hers, letting a few moments go by before she would finally take action in anything. She finally took the vial, and popped open the cork. I glanced up to see she drank it, and immediately her face looked flush. She let out a sigh, fog from her breath into the cold air. “It really is…” I scowled at her, as she gave me back the vial. “Of course it is. Why would you think it wasn’t?” She avoided my gaze, glancing around in the waters, studying what laid underneath the surface with renewed vigor. “They usually aren’t…” She answered back without so much as any emotion in her words, a matter-of-factly tone.

I shook my head, bewildered by what she was talking about. ‘Who fed her potions, and why would she take them if she thought they were lying?’ “Why do you have Pepperup on you?” She asked, I looked back at her, to see her sky blue eyes staring deeply into me. “Can you play yet!?” I suddenly heard Val yelled as he swam over to me, not noticing Luna behind the large bush. However Luna noticed his hissing, and glanced over me to see Val being brought over with the help of Abarrane’s long tendril.