Lost Cub

Chapter Twelve

There was a giant three-headed dog in the third-floor corridor. Hunter immediately squealed -- he loved dogs, and they loved him -- and darted forward, while his friends blanched and stayed back.

Dean and Seamus emerged from the corner, looking relieved. "That thing is terrifying!" Dean whispered.

The three-headed dog sniffed as he approached and immediately let out a friendly bark. The middle head bent down and licked Hunter from head to toe. Hunter giggled and rubbed its nose.

"Uh..." Ron blinked. "We have an emergency? Remember?"

Draco shook himself; Hunter realized the boy had been looking rather dazed. "Hunter, could you get Ripper 3.0 off of the trapdoor?"

Hunter stuck his tongue out at the blond, but gently coaxed the dog's huge paw out of the way. Hermione lifted the door, revealing what looked like a black, stone chimney.

"Granger and I will go first, just in case," Draco instructed. "We do have the highest marks," he added arrogantly, making Hunter giggle.

Seamus rolled his eyes.

"You two are watching Hunter," Draco instructed. "If he gets hurt, I will fu-"

"Draco!" Hermione hissed. "There are children present!" She glanced at Hunter.

"-fluff-muffin kill you," Draco finished dangerously. Dean and Seamus paled, but Hermione, Pansy, and Hunter giggled, and Blaise and Neville laughed.

Ron choked. "Fluff-muffin?"

Draco scowled. "Blame Cassandra Tonks." Hunter giggled again.

Hermione and then Draco jumped into the hole. A moment later, there was a loud yelp, and Hermione cast, "Incendio!"

"What's going on?" Pansy exclaimed.

"It's fine now!" Draco called back, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Just Devil's Snare."

"Are you okay?" Hunter asked anxiously.

"We're fine, Hunter," Hermione replied.

"One at a time," Draco said firmly. "Hunter last, the dog might attack without him there."

Dean and Seamus exchanged glances before they and Ron jumped into the hole.

"Gryffindors," Blaise muttered. "Ladies first," he said sweetly.

Pansy slapped his arm before kissing the top of Hunter's head and leaping after the Gryffindor trio.

"Nervous?" Blaise asked Neville quietly. Neville blushed. "Jump together?"

Neville turned even redder, but he took Blaise's outstretched hand, and the two jumped into the hole.

"Bye," Hunter said sadly to the three-headed dog, kissing the middle head's nose. The dog whined loudly as he jumped after his friends.

He yelped and almost fell over when he landed on a soft plant, but someone caught him from behind and pulled him close. "It's just me, Hunter," Draco said quietly from behind him. Hunter curled into his arms.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked, noticing that everyone was gone but Seamus and Dean, who were waiting nervously in the corridor.

"Went ahead, spread out," Draco shrugged. "Granger's at the front with Weasley-"

"You can call her Hermione, Draco," Hunter said crossly as he and the blond stumbled across the room to the dark stone hallway.

"Hasn't earned it yet," Draco said innocently. Hunter pouted up at him, and Draco turned faintly pink. "Fine, I'll call her Hermione," he grumbled.