Insecure

Chad walked down to the Care of Magical Creatures paddock. He wasn't going to a class though. He'd often secretly come here, to talk to the animals. Well when you said it like that, is sounded stupid. He knew the animals didn't understand, but deep inside, he had a suspicion they could. It was one of Chad's biggest secrets. He was an animal lover. He hadn't told anyone, in case they teased them, and if anyone asked, he'd say he was changing them different colours. Most of the time, he could control his desire to see the animals, but on a sunny day like this, he couldn't resist.

He should've been studying for his DADA owls, but it was so sunny, and the sky was a light blue hue, his favourite colour. He'd been particularly interested in a certain black Hippogriff, he had seen, a couple of weeks ago. He slowly bowed, and it bowed back, he wasn't planning on flying it, just being able to go close enough to it to talk. 'What's your name?" he said curiously.

The hippogriffs had been testy that night. Franki had come out and slipped in, going through the proper protocol, but a silver hippogriff had charged her. She had barely made it out of the paddock, leaping over and flopping painfully on her back, before barely pulling her leg from the hippogriff's reach. The poor creature stamped and screeched. Franki had spotted the cause- some pesky crows had been pestering the hippogriffs, pecking at their shoulder blades.

Franki had headed off to try and find something to scare the crows off when she happened to glance over at the paddock. Someone had entered, and Franki spotted the silver hippogriff sneaking towards the boy, planning a sneak attack. Franki whirled around and shouted, "LOOK OUT!"

Chad turned around at the call, and sprinted, out of the corner of his eye was a silver hippogriff, "LOOK OUT!" a girl had called, and he leaped out of the paddock flat onto his chest. He got up quickly and dusted off himself as though nothing had happened.

"Oh, hi" he said, when he saw her, she was pretty, and he wasn't going to deny it. He stood up straight, and looked at her. She was a year ahead of him, but she was in Slytherin, those eyes couldn't belong in any other house.

"Thank you," he said, still shaking, "what's wrong with him? Did he try to charge you as well."

"Nice to meet you," he said hoping she put her hand out for him to kiss it, like a gentleman.

Franki jogged to the paddock to try and help if she could, but the boy had already made a successful escape. Though, she was not sure so clumsy a scramble could be called very successful.

He stood and she recognized him as Chad Taylor. Franki did not like to associate with her fellow housemates anymore than she had too, and Taylor did not strike her as a pureblood name. But if she recalled, he came from a family of means which mean, unfortunately, she had to play his little game else she further besmirch her family name.

He asked about the Hippogriff, which she found to be a safe topic. "Crows have been bothering him all morning. He's just cranky."

His words prompted an action from her, and she plastered a smile on her face, already irritated by his pretension. She held out a hand and said, "We've spoke in the common room before I believe. I'm Francesca Malfoy." Her voice was a little too sweet, like candy that had been left out.

He couldn't shake her hand, it was against his gentlemanly customs (is gentlemanly a word? XD) so instead he grabbed her hand, and kissed it delicately, "I believe we have" he said, his voice too posh to what it usually is.

"Would you like to walk with me?" he asked, he held his hand against the paddock fence line, and felt prickles and zaps every 10 seconds. "So, it's lesson time, why are you down here?" he asked in an overly suspicious tone

((Yes it is))

He kissed her hand, a pet peeve of Franki's as it was such an outdated tradition. It was a way for a man to touch a girl with his lips without working for it. She could not blame him for it, though, for he was a product of the same culture she sprouted from. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and smiled.

"Sure a walk sounds nice," Franki responded. He suddenly questioned her and she shrugged. "The Potionmaster and I don't get along." Actually, she hated Alistair d'Eath with a passion. "And I love animals."

He walked, and listened to her speak. "I don't tell anyone in case they tease me, but I love them too, and the Potions Master isn't my cup of tea either, so, would you liked to be called by your first name, or a nick name like Franki?" he thought Francesca was a bit of a mouth full.