The branches creaked against the darkening sky. Despite being able to see the lake to her left, Sariah glanced behind her; it was called the Forbidden forest for a reason. This could be attributed to the multiple dangerous creatures that dwelled there but Sariah was more worried about getting caught by one of the Ravenclaw prefects, who now patrolled the forest's edge after classes. It was easy enough to avoid the tripwire-like charm they'd placed, as long as you convinced a senior student to waterproof your boots every couple of weeks. The prefects' caterwauling charm didn't extend across the lake's water. It was their mistake and her salvation.

She pushed her black hair over her shoulder and followed the forest around lake's rocky edge. The Oak Clearing was the worst kept secret of Hogwarts. Every muggle-born knew that if you walked for long enough, eventually the trees would thin and you'd be rewarded with sweet, blessed signal. After another ten minutes of avoiding spider-webs and roots that loomed out of the ground, she finally arrived. A massive white oak arced into the air at the head of the clearing, shimmering ever-so-slightly in the dismal afternoon light. The tree had been charmed to act as an antenna by a Ravenclaw student who - legend had it - had created the signal to plagiarize essays for her Muggle Studies N.E.W.T.S. Sariah sent a silent prayer to the girl's ingenuity and powered on her phone's screen: it was showing three measly bars of signal.

Tree branches and boulders had been dragged about to form haphazard seats. She sat down on her usual smooth boulder and felt herself relax. In her five years of schooling, this was the place she felt most at home. The castle was hectic: a mess of students, ghosts, and portraits that would strike up conversations when you were just trying to get to class. The only person she'd ever seen with a map was James Potter from the year above her, and he'd laughed when she'd asked where he'd bought it.

She peeled her gloves off, exposing her hands to the biting cold, opened Netflix and began downloading the latest episode of Archer. It would take a dismal ten minutes to load. She'd been at Hogwarts for nearly four months now, and it was nearing Christmas. To be a movie aficionado, and find yourself banned from cinemas from September to December? It was a terrible curse. She was aching to finally watch Marvel's Infinity War - Part One. The loading circle spun idly on her screen. After a moment of hesitation, she sent Jerome a text. He never seemed to reply anymore. A wall of un-replied messages sat on her side of the screen. Sariah wrapped her scarf around her neck, the yellow and black stripes reminding her more a bumble-bee than a badger.

She stared at the tree branches whispering in the wind above her head and reflected on her grades. A Hufflepuff student who couldn't grow plants... Sariah sighed. It was the joke of the century. She had as much of a green thumb as a can of insecticide. Her other grades were slipping further below average with every passing week, besides Muggle Studies that is: but being muggle-born herself, there wasn't much merit in holding that title. She tapped her phone's screen impatiently; it would be good to escape reality for a while.

The Oak Clearing was where people found themselves Skyping their family or trying to keep up with their non-magical friends on Facebook, and it showed; Discarded chocolate frog packets scattered the clearing, as well as some more familiar packages. The clearing was deserted today -- everyone was packing eagerly for the holidays. She had finished packing almost a week ago.

She pulled a packet of wine gums out of her robes. Her parents had been sending her a packet every week, strapped to the leg of an owl, as well as a freshly charged set phone of batteries, of course. She'd written to them begging for more batteries during her first year. Only realizing after she'd unpacked that there were no power plugs in the dormitory or in the entire castle, for that matter. She now had five batteries stockpiled, sending the dead ones in the post for her parents to recharge. Though, they'd threatened to stop sending them if her grades didn't improve. Sariah bit angrily into a grape wine gum.

A sudden cracking of branches caused her to look up. To her astonishment, she saw Scorpius Malfoy sprinting toward her. Without so much as making eye contact, he ran past her, deeper into the undergrowth.

Only seconds later, she heard the wailing siren that guarded the forest's edge. Scorpius must've set it off. She cursed him for his foolishness: Archer would never get a chance to finish downloading now. More crashing footsteps came from the lakeside. The prefects. Sariah gulped. If she was caught in the forest again, they'd definitely write to her parents.

She turned and ran into the depths of the forest, intent on avoiding capture. As if on cue, sleet began to pelt down from the skies. The wind snapped at her long dreadlocks. They streamed out behind her, slapping at her back as she ran.

Tree after tree blurred by. Her shoes splashed through puddles, quickly becoming plastered in mud. Just when she thought her lungs were about to burst, an overhang nestled between a tree's roots came into view. Branches and fallen leaves had fallen atop the massive roots, forming a makeshift shelter. She ducked beneath it. Holding her breath, she watched as the prefects ran past.

Sariah glanced around the alcove, shocked to realize she wasn't alone: Scorpius Malfoy was huddled in the shadows beside her.  

A/N: This is my first attempt at a fanfiction. I hope you're enjoying it - please let me know how you think it's going! <3