"I can't believe it!" Draco slammed his hand down on the tabletop. "How dare she give you detention when you were the one that helped her!"

Valentine had been telling her friends about what had happened the night before. She'd debated not saying anything but they'd probably end up hearing it eventually. In this way, she could gauge their reactions and make sure they weren't going to do anything stupid on her behalf. However, Draco was the only one who seemed truly. furious. Truth be told, the others were little stuck on the dragon-related part.

Valentine sent a scathing glare at McGonagall sitting at the staff table.

"It's because Potter's involved." She growled under her breath, clenching her fist around her spoon hard enough to bend it. "You should have seen the look on his smug, grubby little face."

"Let me deal with Potter." Draco sneered already half out of his seat.

"Are you completely stupid?" Valentine hissed, snatching his arm. "McGonagall will know why and you'll just get me in more bloody trouble."

Draco seemed to struggle for a second before begrudgingly dropping back into his seat.

"I'm afraid there's no way to get out of the detention." Olivia frowned. "It'll probably be best to just go through with it."

"Keeping dragons as pets is like, one of the most illegal things you can do!" Liam shook his head in disbelief.

"Why would Hagrid call it 'Norbert'?" Leah mused. "I mean, it's like the dumbest name ever. If I had a baby dragon I'd name it something awesome. Like Marion or Philis!"

"Can you not hear yourself?" Blaze rolled his eyes.

"What do you think they'll do with it?" Asked Liam.

"Well, surely they won't keep it on the grounds." Said Olivia.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Draco sneered. "If it's still here tomorrow then I'm telling my father. He can have it removed immediately."

"Well, at least it's still a baby, you know?" Said Liam. "It's probably not going to do too much damage at the moment. And if they're moving it, it would have to be before it started growing."

"Where did he even get a dragon in the first place?" Blaze's brows furrowed.

"Who knows?" Draco scoffed. "He could have just scooped the damn thing out of the garbage."

"Well, as long as they take it from the school and put it somewhere it won't hurt anyone and no one can hurt it, that's what matters, right?" Asked Olivia.

"Aweeee!" Leah nuzzled the other girl's head.

"You are seriously too pure." Blaze rolled his eyes.

"It's just that...well, even if it's a dragon, it's still a baby." Olivia blushed and looked down at her lap. "It should probably be raised by other dragons."

"Yeah, not by some half-blooded groundskeeper." Liam snorted.

"I'm sure it'll be just fine." Leah patted Olivia's arm comfortingly. "And if it comes to it, I'll protect that baby with my bare hands."

"It would probably burn them down to stumps." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, please do protect that baby with your bare hands." Blaze said eagerly.

-----Pretending to Hate-----

Valentine followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione from a safe distance as the three nervously trudged after Filch. He was escorting them to their shared detention and Valentine was on high alert.

I did it again. Sure, the information I got the other night was valuable but it's not going to seem like anything if I slip up tonight. One wrong move and I could blow everything. This isn't just about me. Sure, if my secret was found out and spread then I would be disowned by the Malfoy's. I would lose my friends and what little family I had. But that compared to the millions of lives at stake if Voldemort came back into power? My problems are nothing in comparison to the bigger picture.

As they stepped out of the castle gates Valentine peeked up at the sky litter with endless stars. If Voldemort came back and this time he won, that many people would suffer.

"A pity they let the old punishments die. There was time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Filch sighed, a look of nostalgia on his wrinkled features as he led them out on to the green. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest."

Lovely. And extremely ethically questionable. They snuck out after lights out to talk to Hagrid and now out detention is with him? And inside a dangerous forest filled with beasts? Who's idea was this? I'll definitely have to take this one up with Dumbledore.

Valentine caught Harry glancing back over at her.

She glared hatefully and walked faster to barge her shoulder into his as she stormed past.

When they reached Hagrid's, they found him stepping down out of his hut, holding a crossbow and sniffling tears away.

"A sorry lot this, Hagrid." Said Filch, who then noticed Hagrid's red eyes. "Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?"

"Norbert's gone." Hagrid sucked in a deep shaking breath. "Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

Olivia will be happy to hear that.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Hermione frowned. "He'll be with his own kind."

"Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania?" Hagrid insisted, tearfully. "What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all."

Valentine felt a stab of pity for him. If she hadn't caught him with the dragon, maybe it wouldn't have been taken immediately, but would that have been the right thing to do? Hagrid would have only grown more attached to it and it to him. And it may have been just a baby but babies grow. It didn't have a place in a school.

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man." Filch simply rolled his eyes scoffed at him. "You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you."

"Are you insane?" Valentine piped up, blazing glare in her eyes. "Students aren't allowed in the forest. That's why it's called Forbidden. You do know what that means, don't you? Would you like that in a sentence? Perhaps a dictionary description?"

Flich curled his lip at her but as cut off from spitting an insult when a long howl echoed from the depths of the forest.

"Don't worry." Filch then grinned darkly instead with yellow teeth. "It was only a werewolf. Nighty night."

"Right then." Hagrid stood and wiped at his eyes, gesturing for a large dog to follow them. "Fang. Let's go."

The forest was dense, and like it's namesake would suggest, very dark. It didn't take long until Valentine could no longer see the school through the trees.

Hagrid led them, lantern in hand. Their only source of light was the lanterns he and Ron carried. It was clearly not enough, even for Ron, the others had to keep their eyes out for raised roots and rocks or risk tripping.

Valentine was surprised by how easily she maneuvered through the forest. The dark she could handle. The terrain was something new. Either way, she kept an eye on what the others had to step around and over.

Hagrid, of course, had no issue with the obstacle that was the forest floor. His huge steps seemed to bypass every tripping hazard completely.

The others were completely silent and Valentine wasn't about to speak up for no reason. They seemed far more distracted by the swirling mist and keeping up with Hagrid without falling on their faces to say anything. Valentine was fairly certain they preferred her silent anyway. If she had proven anything, it was that she had nothing kind to say.

Fang didn't seem nearly as hesitant of her. He followed by her side, peeking up at her every so often.

Hagrid led them up to the base of a gnarled tree. He knelt and dipped his fingers in a reflective silver puddle.

Is this why we're out here?

Hagrid stood and Harry eyed his finger.

"Hagrid, what's that?" He asked nervously.

"Unicorn blood," Valentine answered before Hagrid could.

They all turned to look at her but she ignored them.

Let's just stay quiet from here on in, shall we? Good idea.

"It's what we're here for." Hagrid nodded morosely. "I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something..."

At that moment, Valentine, Harry, and Hagrid seemed to catch sight of the same figure out in the trees. It was fairly small, moving fast and almost immediately darted out of their view.

What the hell is that?

Valentine fought the urge to grabbed them all and run.

"...So, it's our job to find the poor beast." Hagrid moved on. He didn't seem nearly as disturbed as Harry. "Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me."

"Okay." Ron whimpered.

"Harry, you'll go with Lestrange. And take Fang with you since he seems to like her so much."

They all looked down at the dog pressing a wet nose against her hand.

Valentine scoffed and took a brisk step away, but didn't give a verbal objection. This was actually quite ideal, this way she could keep an eye on Potter personally.

Before the group parted ways, Ron handed his lantern to Harry and the three Gryffindor's seemed to wish each silent bids of good luck. Ron and Hermione, in particular, seemed to pity Harry his companion.

"Let's go, Potter," Valentine muttered bitterly, stomping off into the dark without him.

She heard him scramble after her and could see the demented shapes the lantern light painted, filtered through the trees.

She hoped to get through this without having to psychologically scar him more than he already was. That kind of thing tended to happen to the people around her.

Fang padded up to her side, now they were in a smaller group she noticed that he wasn't a particularly brave dog. Every shadow and snapped twig made his dark eyes dart about, but he was at her side regardless. She could have compared him to any of her friends.

"Would you slow down?" Harry hissed, as he stepped around a small ditch.

"Try walking faster." Valentine kept the same pace.

The fast this was over with, the faster Harry would be safe back in his common room. She just hoped he would actually stay there this time.

"We should stay together." Harry huffed, and quickened his steps to reach her side.

Valentine just shot him a dissatisfied glare and looked back out at the mist.

"And would you stop doing that?" Harry sighed exasperatedly.

"Doing what, Potter?" Valentine snapped at him.

"Glaring at me all the time, like I've done something to personally offend you."

Valentine stopped in her tracks and turned to him with an aggressive growl.

"I don't take orders from the likes of you Potter." She hissed as if his name was poison, shoving him away from her.

"I'm not telling you to take orders." Harry stepped forward. "I'm just trying to figure out what your problem is. I've never done anything to your or Malfoy or your other friends."

"Our problems are none of your damn business." She sneered darkly.

"Well, they kind of are since it's me you're always going after!" Harry wasn't going to back down.

"Don't flatter yourself!" Valentine hissed. "We've got better things to do."

"Tell that to your cousin!"

"Leave my cousin out of this!" Valentine shoved him again and this time he fell, tripping over a rock and nearly dropping the lantern.

Valentine leaned down towards him, face painted ghoulishly in the faint light.

"Just stay out of my way, or I'll leave you here to rot and in a month they'll find your bloody corpse amongst the trees, mangled beyond recognition, picked at by birds, bugs and whatever else in this damn place has a taste for human flesh. Then you can say goodbye to your petty title because from then on you'll only be known as The Boy Pissed Me Off!"

Fang whimpered at her feral snarled.

She hoped that would scare him into keeping his mouth shut, so they wouldn't have to keep this up all night. So, she turned away from him with an irritated huff and started off back into the darkness.

"Let's get this crap over with."

"If I didn't know better, Lestrange, I'd say you were scared."

You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?

Valentine froze in her tracks. She threw a glance over her shoulder at the glaring Harry pulling himself to his feet.

She let her snarl twist into a smirk. It was the kind of smirk that could have been received as kind if it wasn't for the murderous glint in her eyes.

"Look around you, Potter." She stepped forward, mist curling in around her sinisterly. "All you see is darkness. My family, my life. That's all it is. Darkness. Why would I be scared?"

Harry's mouth fell limp, clear eyes clouding with confusing. How could he respond to that?

His confusion was ideal. Valentine didn't want a response. She turned from him again and continued walking on, her face resuming her typical neutral state.

They went on walking and Valentine acted as though Harry wasn't even there. After the show she's just given him, he didn't seem to mind

After a decent amount of walking in one direction, they reached a small clearing bordered by haggardly twisted roots. Valentine's heart skipped a beat in her chest.

Fang stopped in his tracks, a deep growl rumbling in his chest.

Valentine felt every hair on her body stand on end.

Oh, god. And I just have to have Potter with me.

"What is it, Fang?" Harry asked.

Then he seemed to see it as well.

Harry hissed and grabbed at his forehead, face twisted in pain.

His scar? Why would...

The dark hooded figure raised its cloaked head from the unicorn it had been feasting upon. Face hidden in shadow, only the mouth and sliver blood dripping from its lips were visible.

No. Not now.

The black figure rose from the ground, moving over its kill. It now stood to the full height of a man and continue on towards them both.

Without another thought, Valentine shoved Harry aside.

"Run, you idiot!" She all but screamed.

She pulled her wand from her robes and pointed it towards the hooded beast. Her hands shook slightly so she tightened her grip.

The figure moved closer still, and Harry hadn't moved an inch, still laying where he's fallen on the ground.

Why is he just standing there? The least I could do is let him getaway!

"Stupify!" Valentine cast but whatever it was, simply drifted to the side in a swift movement.

Then just as Valentine felt real, helplessness panic set in, she heard of the sound of approaching hooves.

There was a sudden rush of wind above her and then a centaur was standing her. It faced the hooded creature rearing up on its hind legs. The dangerous stance sent the figure flying away into the darkness of the forest, disappearing between the trees.

The centaur turned to them but looked right past Valentine to Harry.

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

"But what was that thing you saved me from?" Harry asked, stumbling to his feet and stepping forward.

"A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn." The centaur explained, gesturing the unicorn laying on the forest floor. "Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life."

"But who would choose such a life?" Harry frowned.

"Can you think of no one?" The centaur said pointedly. He speared Valentine a glance. "You can lower your wand, Valentine Lestrange."

"Can I?" Valentine challenged, though she hadn't even realised that her arm was still held rigid. She let her arm relax but kept her wand raised.

"Do you mean to say..." Harry was still thinking about what the centaur had said. "...that thing that killed the unicorn...that was drinking its blood...that was Voldemort?"

"Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?" The centaur leaned down close to him.

"The Philosopher's Stone," A glimmer of understanding lit in Harry's gaze.

A bark from Fang rung out. Valentine had forgotten all about him.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid hurried down to them.

"Hello there, Firenze." Hagrid eyed the centaur. "I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You all right there, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Perfectly fine myself, thanks for asking," Valentine grumbled.

"Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." Just as Firenze turned to leave the clearing, his eyes met with Valentine. He gave her the slightest of nods and was on his way.

What the hell was that?

-----Pretending To Hate-----

After what happened in the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid had decided that a quick exit was needed. Either way, they had found the unicorn. They'd done what they had come out to do.

Valentine didn't say another word and was the first out of the forest. And when they's reach Hagrid's hut, Valentine turned to the other members of the group, sneered and promptly left.

Then she waited in hiding. She wanted to make sure that Harry didn't decide to make any detours and was relieved to watch the three yawning as they headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. The last thing she needed was for them to go running off into more trouble.

When she was sure that all the excitement for the night was at an end, she slid out from her hiding place and headed in quite the opposite direction of the Slytherin common room.

The image of the centaur and his acknowledgement of her was still burning in her mind.

What was that? That...nod. If he hadn't shown up when he did...both Harry and I would probably be dead.

I pushed Harry out of the way. I was ready to sacrifice my own life for him. I told him to run but he didn't. Why the hell didn't he just run? He doesn't even like me. I had only just threatened to graphically murder him. That's not even the worst of it. I really did throw myself in front of Harry tonight. That doesn't exactly scream mortal enemies. I protected him, it's my job, but he doesn't know that he can't know that. The very last thing I need is for Harry Potter of all people to start questioning my motives. One moment I'm threatening to basically paint the forest with his insides and the next I'm protecting him with my life. That's definitely something he'll notice. Something we'll need to be done about this.

Valentine knocked and pushed open the door to the Head Master's office without her usual vigour.

She was too busy thinking about how she might have ruined anything to throw open the door like she typically did.

"Miss Lestrange?" Dumbledore looked up from a large book open on his desk. He set his quill back in the ink well. "How can I help you? I was under the impression you were serving a detention tonight?"

"Yes. For screwing up. But it seems I have once more screwed up again." Valentine dropped herself into her usual chair with a heavy sigh.

"My dear?" Dumbledore frowned in clear concern.

"Well, I'd like to start with the fact detentions in The Forbidden Forest are completely asinine, although