Because You Love Me

32. Detention With Hagrid

He flashed her a sympathetic smile.  "I'm lucky I don't have your power.  There's no telling how many causalities there would be."

"I just don't want to lose him, Severus."

He walked over to his desk and sat down behind it.  "You won't.  Just take it one day at a time."

Alaina smiled.  "I knew you could make me feel better."  She leaned back in her chair.  "There's just one thing that would make me feel even better."  A mischievous look appeared on her face.

Severus studied her curiously.  "And what is that?"

"I know it sounds silly, but I just want you to hold me."

He smiled and got up from his chair.  "The couch?"

She nodded.  "Thank you."

The two of them went into the next room and cuddled together on the couch.

"So are we officially dating?" Alaina asked once they got settled.

"We are," Severus said.  "In secret, but still dating."

She sighed.  "Good."  She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes.  If she could, she would stay there in the same spot in his arms forever.

~ * ~

The mood was somber as Filch lead Malfoy, Ron, Hermione, and Harry out of the castle later that night.  Their detention was going to be served with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall insisted the caretaker escort them to him.  The night was chilly and they had dressed accordingly in warm robes.  Filch lead them out into the grounds toward Hagrid's Hut.  Neither of them knew where they were going or exactly what they were supposed to be doing.  They saw Hagrid at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.  Filch let them go and headed back to the castle.  When the four of them approached him, Hagrid seemed a little bit somber.

"Evening, Hagrid," Harry greeted him.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione."  The last name he said was no more than a grunt.  "Malfoy."

Hermione and Ron both said hello.  Malfoy remained silent, throwing dirty looks at the trio and Hagrid.

"So what are we doing tonight, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.  It was the question everybody wanted to know the answer to.

"Er, very important business, Hermione.  Found a bit of unicorn blood earlier and Dumbledore has asked me to find the beast.  It's badly injured."

"That's terrible.  Who would want to kill a unicorn?"

"No one good.  Come on now, let's go."

The youngsters followed Hagrid deep into the Forbidden Forest.  They split off into two groups.  Ron and Hermione went with Hagrid and Harry and Draco went together.  Draco demanded he have Hagrid's dog who had been trailing behind him.  He really was a brat.  They walked for what seemed like forever.

"This is ridiculous!" Malfoy exclaimed.  "You wait until my father hears about this.  This is servant stuff!"

Harry shook his head.  "If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared."

"I'm not scared, Potter," he spat.  He searched all around.  It was clear he was scared half to death.

The two of them walked a good distance into the spooky forest.  Fang, Hagrid's dog, sniffed the ground in front of them.  It wasn't until he stopped and whimpered that Harry saw it.  There in front of them was the unicorn they were looking for.  It was lying there motionless and it wasn't alone.  There was a black hooded figure bent down over top of it and it looked like the figure was drinking it's blood.  Harry's eyes widened and Malfoy's face drained of all color.  Suddenly, his scar started to hurt.  It felt like someone stabbed him in the forehead with a knife.

The figure raised it's head.  Harry could see the unicorn blood on the stranger's lips.  Malfoy screamed and ran, but Harry was frozen to the spot where he stood.  The figure came around the unicorn and headed toward him.  Harry didn't know what to do.  He started to back up, but he tripped and fell.  The figure was coming at him full force now.  He braced himself for impact, but it never came.  A creature soared over him and chased the figure away.

Slowly, Harry stood up.  It was hard to believe what his eyes were seeing.  The creature was standing in front of him.  He was half man and half horse.  He had never seen anything like it in his entire life.

"Harry Potter, you must leave.  You are known to many creatures here.  The forest is not safe at this time.  Especially for you," the creature said.

Harry gulped.  "What was that thing you saved me from?"

"A monstrous creature.  It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn.  Drinking it's blood will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death.  But it comes at a price.  From the moment the blood touches your lips you will have only half a life, a cursed life.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Who would choose such a life?"

"Can you think of no one?"

"Do you mean to say the thing that killed the unicorn, that was drinking it's blood, was Voldemort?"

The creature nodded.  "Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?"

Harry took a deep breath.  "The Sorcerer's Stone."

Suddenly Hagrid and the others appeared there with him.

"Hello, Fierenze," Hagrid said to the creature.  "How are you and the other centaurs?"

The creature before him was a centaur, Harry noted silently.

"Fine, Hagrid.  Thank you."

"I see yeh met our young Mr. Potter."

"Yes."  Fierenze looked down at Harry.  "This is where I leave you, Harry Potter.  You're safe now.  Good luck."

The centaur galloped off.

"Alright there, Harry?" Hagrid asked.

Harry gulped and nodded.  He was in no shape to answer that question verbally at the moment.  At least now he knew who had been trying to steal the stone all this time.  It wasn't Snape.  It was Voldemort.  He couldn't wait to get back to the Common Room so he could tell Ron and Hermione the information he'd just found out in private.