Chapter 14: Snogging and Visiting

Emilia made her slow, thoughtful way out of the labyrinthine halls of Hogwarts away from Dumbledore and the disturbing news of her sudden power surge that had hospitalized the Beater and also had blinded Severus, her one sort of friend in Slytherin, for an hour. She had a feeling she would probably have to apologize to the sullen expression wearing boy at some point but now was not that point. She needed to spend time with Hagrid.

The half-Veela made it to the main hall after a time and was heading straight for the large front doors when she heard her name called across the hall. Her brown eyes lifted to search for the voice's owner already knowing who it was and welcoming the sound.

Remus Lupin smiled down at her as he walked closer and she noted the heavy coat he was wearing along with the Gryffindor scarf. His light brown hair looked disheveled as always but his brown eyes were no less warm. "It's good to see you up and about after Severus told Lily what happened," he greeted, "He was able to keep her from worrying too much, though, letting her know what Dumbledore had told him," he continued lightly.

"And what did Dumbledore tell Severus?" she asked, a small panic breaking her voice—she didn't want Lily to think her a monster… Remus' eyes flashed to her expression worriedly before looking up at the ceiling.

"Just something along the lines of how this sometimes happens to young witches and wizards whom haven't fully controlled their powers as of yet," he said, his voice soothing and Emilia let go of a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding but before he could ask her why her reaction was thus, she changed topics content with what Dumbledore had told Sev to tell their mutual friend.

"Why are you wearing such a heavy coat?"

"Have you not seen the weather?" Remus returned with a raised brow. When Emilia shook her head, he glanced toward the windows pointedly and she looked over her shoulder out of them, surprised she hadn't noticed the outside world before. She pulled a face before turning her back to the Gryffindor who chuckled softly. "You don't like the snow."

"It's not so much that as I thought we would have a few more days of mild weather before the winter set in," she said with a shrug. She glanced down at her skirt and light button up shirt. "I should probably change before going outside," she mumbled before turning morosely toward the dungeons.

"Why are you going outside?" he asked easily keeping stride beside her.

"I want to go visit Hagrid," she said. When he said "ah" softly in response she looked up at him. "And why were you going outside?"

He looked thoughtfully at the ceiling before meeting her brown gaze with his. "I was just going to go for a walk… but if you don't mind my company as well, I would like to come and get to know Hagrid a little better," he said with his gentle smile. She returned it, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"I'd like that," she said.

They had reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room and Emilia looked uncomfortably at Remus. "Are you supposed to be down here?" He shrugged.

"Don't worry, I will just wait out here for you," he said looking dubiously at the sconce that burned brightly with green flames.

"I won't be long," she said and he nodded as she spoke the password and walked through the wall. She stutter stepped when she saw Elliot sitting on the couch in front of the fire place snogging with some other Slytherin girl she had remembered seeing in her classes... meaning said girl was a first year like herself. Emilia blushed bright red with a grimace before turning on her heel and walking back out of the common room.

"You weren't kidding," Remus began but then looking at her his expression turned confused. "You are still wearing the same thing- "

"I know but I just figured, why get another outfit all dirty?" she asked as she brushed past him and up the stairs.

He followed a step behind her and waited a few moments before pointing out what he could only barely register in the previously greenish glow. "Your cheeks are red, Emi," he said.

She cursed the stutter but she managed, "I-I have no idea w-what you're talking about, Remus," and she continued walking briskly toward the front doors of the castle hoping that if she walked briskly enough her body temperature would rise enough to keep her warm until they reached Hagrid's. As they reached the front doors, however, and Emilia was opening the door, she felt a warm weight on her shoulders and she looked back at Remus.

He had taken his coat off revealing a rather thick sweater underneath and he looked a little shy but didn't say anything as he passed by her and walked out of the door first. She looked after him for a moment, the snow swirling in through the door. When the young boy realized she wasn't there with him, he turned about to look at her and her heart thumped. She was about to puzzle it out when she heard a harsh bark behind her and looking back she saw the Hogwarts' caretaker coming toward her shaking his fist.

She slipped quickly out with a squeak and closed the door behind her before thrusting her arms into the coat sleeves and buttoning it up as she scrambled down the steps amazingly not losing her footing on the icy stairs. "Let's go!" she exclaimed as she passed Remus, grasping the sleeve of his sweater and pulling him to run after her. They ran, slipping and sliding all the way and both felt the embarrassment of the past few minutes melt away as they laughed at the ridiculousness of their trek down the small hill to Hagrid's front door, which they proceeded to slam into because of the momentum at their last meeting with ice.

It wasn't two seconds after before they heard Hagrid's big feet tromping to the door and Fang's barking. They tried to stand up straight when his grizzly bearded face appeared at the doorway but their laughter hadn't quit just yet. Hagrid smiled as he recognized Emilia.

"Emilia! It's great ter see ya," he boomed ushering the two gasping youths into his cabin. Fang lumbered over and started to lick Emilia's face and she was finally able to wrench her body into a more upright position.

"Ah! Fang!" Emilia laughed pushing the massive dog away from her face before scratching him behind the ears and looking up rather red-faced at the half-Giant. "How are you, Hagrid?" she asked breathlessly as he watched the two kids for a little longer before shuffling over to the tea pot that had just begun to whistle.

"I've bin well enough, thank ya very much. Now whose yer friend?" he asked gesturing with his trash can lid sized hand.

"This is Remus Lupin," she said touching her friend's arm. "Remus, meet Rubeus Hagrid, Game Keeper of Hogwarts," she introduced before bowing her silvery head to give Fang's head a kiss before scratching behind his ears a little more.

"Nice ter meet ya, Remus," Hagrid said, reaching his hand out to grasp the hand Remus had offered and shaking his whole arm.

"And you, Hagrid," Remus responded following Emilia's lead.

The giant's eyes crinkled in a smile as he poured tea for each of them. "So why did ya pick terday of all days to come ter see me?" Hagrid asked looking at Emilia before taking a swig of his tea.

Emilia looked down at the overly large mug between her hands, feeling the heat seep into her hands, wondering if she should tell him what had happened. "You can tell me," he said gently tapping her head with one of his fingers. Looking up at him and his beetle black eyes, she smiled tightly before relating the events of Saturday after the Quidditch match. She stopped suddenly before telling them both what Dumbledore had said of her above average powers—even by advanced wizarding measures.

"Eh, your magic is probably just learning ter settle. It tikes some a little longer than others," Hagrid said with a confident nod before finishing his tea and offering them some biscuits which Emilia politely declined, her father's related experiences with the half-giants hard scones her only basis. Remus took one however and she stifled a smile behind her mug when he gnawed at it.

Hagrid then started talking about dragons, having just finished reading a book about Hungarian Horntails and he debated the pros and cons of the Hungarian compared to the Chinese Fireball while Remus tried to eat his biscuit and Emilia tried not to laugh while petting Fang who had taken up position leaning against her legs that dangled from the tall chair.

A few hours later, she felt completely relaxed and felt that she could take on the rest of the school week. Remus had slipped the biscuit to Fang while Hagrid had been rummaging for a picture of some dragons that a friend of his had taken a few months earlier in Romania. "Well, I'd say it's about time fer us to be getting' up ter dinner," Hagrid announced, standing from the table and throwing his hairy coat onto his arms and gesturing for the two kids to do the same, Remus having taken off the overly large sweater just an hour into the visit. Once they were as bundled as they were going to get, they walked out into the snowy world, the snow having started to fall again after a mere hour of reprieve.

The young half-Veela had a sudden chill as soon as Hagrid closed the door to his hut and she glanced slowly over her shoulder toward the forest. She felt a vague sense of déjà vu as her gaze turned back to land on Remus who had been smiling at her but at her expression it started to fade into concern.

"Hagrid," she said her voice cracking as she looked up at him and his gaze was serious as it trained on the forest for a moment before he picked her up without a word. "Keep up, Remus," he said tightly and though the young boy swallowed hard he nodded with determined eyes looking briefly at the clouded sky before taking a hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket so he could stay close and use Hagrid as a make-shift snow plow to make the travel a little easier on him.

The darkness under the trees started to swirl with movement and Hagrid started to run.

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Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And what's this? Mongrels? Yeah, I didn't forget about them. Mwahahaha.

Casidhe