Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 10

"A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming. You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest. A sorry lot this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?"

"Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony." Hagrid says as he blows his nose into his sleeve.

Alex offers an awkward tight lipped smile and pats him on the back gently, "It's okay?"

"Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." Hermione says trying to cheer him up.

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

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you."

"The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are..." A howl sounds in the distance, "Werewolves!" Draco exclaims.

Alex rolls her eyes at the Slytherin, "Boo!" She chuckles when he jumps and shoots her a glare, Ron slowly pushes her away before Malfoy can send any jinxes or hexes her way.

"There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that...Nighty-night."

"Right. Let's go." Hagrid calls.

Hagrid stops the group and touches a slimy substance, "Hagrid, what's that?"

"What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something. So, it's our job to find the poor beast."

He glances at the five in front of him, "Hermione, you'll come with me, Ron you go with Alex and Harry, you'll go with Malfoy."

Malfoy's mouth widens in shock, "Fine! Then I get Fang!"

"Okay, just so you know, he's a bloody coward."

Hagrid leads Hermione one way while the others split off into groups, "Its dark, this lamp is doing nothing."

"Lumos." Alex whispers.

"How'd you do that?"

She shrugs and lifts her wand up for both of them, "Granny taught me," She glances down at her shoes, "I used to be afraid of the dark." She admits quietly.

Feeling a burst of confidence he grabs her hand, "I'll protect you." He declares.

Ron jumps with a startled yelp and hides behind Alex as a spider hurries past them on a fallen down tree, "My saviour." She says sarcastically.

Ron offers a sheepish smile as she stands beside her again, "This poor unicorn." As she talks her hair changes into a bright white like a unicorn colour, "Oops."

"I still think that's cool."

She looks down hoping her hair isn't changing pink as it does when she blushes, "I can't always help it, sometimes it has a mind of its own."

The pair snap their heads towards one direction when they hear screaming, suddenly Fang and Draco come running past them, "Harry?"

"Malfoy!"

He stops and turns to look at them just as Hagrid and Hermione approach, "I finally know why he wasn't even considered for Gryffindor."

"I've always known."

~~~~~

"You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?"

Harry nods, "But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself, he wants the Stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. H-He'll come back."

Ron gulps and looks around at his friends, "But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?"

Harry sighs, "I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight."

"And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final!" Ron exclaims throwing his hands into the air.

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?" Alex asks, "Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."