5
With the weekend rolling in, Evangeline felt well-rested after her pathetic emotional meltdown the other day. She knew better than to let her emotions dictate what she did. Making such rash decisions definitely wouldn’t aid her in being successful at Hogwarts.
Now, though, with all of her schoolwork made up, she prepared herself for a trip to the Forbidden Forest. It was something she never expected to do, especially not for educational gain, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit excited with the promise of some adventure. Plus, doing some research of her own was something she’d always wanted to do. Perhaps with some close-up interaction with the Onyx Hippogriff, she could write a book of her own?
The air was crisp, but not too cold outside the school. Students were enjoying the day, walking to and from Hogsmead with hot chocolates and other treats. Many practiced spells in the courtyard, taking advantage of the outdoor space while the weather was good. It wouldn’t be too hard sneaking into the forest - at least, she hoped- with everyone traveling around her.
The forest still had an overwhelming aura of danger, but it was easier to push the fear away during the daytime. Dappled sunlight was strewn across the forest floor, illuminating patches of grass and shrubs. Birds were chirping in the treetops, and if Evangeline didn’t know any better, she would’ve let her guard down. The forest was serene, pretty.
She did her best to remember the way to the hippogriff’s clearing, but the forest did a swell just at turning her around. After nearly forty minutes, she recognized the large bush and open space beyond. Just as she had hoped, the onyx hippogriff was lazily digging through the dirt, likely scavenging for some small creature to eat.
Evangeline took a breath, not allowing herself to hesitate. If she did, her feet would walk right back to the school before she could give it a second thought. The hippogriff snapped his head up from the ground, standing at attention as she pushed through the brushery.
She knew the animal was beautiful, but up close, it was more than Evangeline expected. His coat was in surprisingly good condition, and the feathers of his wings resembled those of a raven, shimmering blue and green at the right angle. The creature looked cautious but made no more to attack.
“I see you took my advice,” Evangeline nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a voice from behind her. The Hippogriff also seemed less than pleased, spooking and backing up a few steps.
She turned trying to locate whoever had intruded. She wasn’t surprised to see Sebastian leaning against a nearby tree, smug as always. “Are you following me?” Evangeline tried to cover up her still-racing heart with an edge of aggression. She wasn’t sure if it worked.
“Of course not,” Sebastian scoffed, pushing off the tree trunk with a foot. “I was just taking a stroll and stumbled across you and your ‘research.’”
“You were taking a stroll in the Forbidden Forest?”
“It is one of my common activities.”
Evangeline rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the beast. It eyed the pair of them, assessing the possibility of a threat. Evangeline pushed past her awareness of Sebastian watching her, trying to remember everything she knew about Hippogriffs. They were proud creatures and valued respect above most other things. As omnivores, they mostly feed on berries, greenery, and small mammals. However, they were more than capable of killing a witch or wizard if the situation demanded it. Evangeline just hoped the creature wouldn’t classify this interaction as a threat worth taking out.
She buried the twinge of fear in her stomach, taking a few steps toward the hippogriff before taking a deep bow. She refused to look up, only praying the creature wasn’t preparing to attack. To her relief, half a minute passed without incident. Only then did she take a cautious glance up.
It was odd to see such a magnificent -dangerous- beast bowing his head to her. The very thought was exhilarating, and it was impossible for Evangeline to keep a smile off her face.
The Hippogriff snorted seconds later, shaking its head and turning away from her as if having enough human interaction for one day. Her body felt droopy from the adrenaline wearing off, but despite her shaky legs, the smile on her face grew.
She turned to face Sebastian -who was still leaned against the tree, a smug look on his face- and had to stop herself from skipping to him in pure glee.
“Did you see that?!” She was beaming. This feeling of pure, light joy hadn't been present in her life for quite some time, now. “That was incredible I mean- I never imagined that this-” she made her way toward the dirt path, turning when she didn't hear Sebastian’s footsteps. “Are you coming?”
He seemed to startle out of some peculiar trance, blinking away his thoughts and nearly leaping to follow her. He seemed pleased as well, though she couldn't tell if it was because of the Hippogriff or because she was making a fool of herself, blabbing excited nonsense. She honestly didn't care which one it was.