"Grawp, this is the color red." I levitated the wheelbarrow about ten feet in the sir so he knew what I was talking about. "Red."

Grawp stared at the wheelbarrow for a moment with his small greenish-brown eyes. Then he turned to the sudden twittering of a bird. I watched as he waited a moment before he raised his arms up to slam his hands together. A small triumphant grin appeared on his round face, and he lowered his hands towards me. When he unclasped his hands I could see a large splotch and feathers on his palms.

"Red!" he said happily.

"Well you're not wrong," I said. I lowered the wheelbarrow to the ground. "There are many things that are red. Like blood." I gestured to the splatter on his hands. "Or like that flower." I pointed to a large red plant growing a few feet away.

Grawp turned to the flower and promptly started trying to yank it from the ground.

I settled down on a tree stump and watched as he struggled with the plant; it let out a low hiss and its roots started to spread in a rapid pace to anchor itself. Grawp was an interesting giant, not like I've met any before. He was young which meant his mind could still be molded. He was Hagrid's little half-brother, "little" being used loosely. From what Hagrid had said, the other giants were not treating him too nicely, which honestly was nothing unusual with giants. I had read that they were not the nicest creatures on the planet. So Hagrid took pity on him and brought him back to the Forbidden Forest.

I glanced over my shoulder when I heard footsteps, heavy and light. Why were people in the forest? After a moment, I recognized Hagrid's voice booming through the gloom. Then two voices I never thought I'd hear in the Forest: Hermione's and Harry's. Before too long, the mismatched trio appeared from the foggy trees.

"'Ello, Talis," Hagrid greeted.

"Hey, Hagrid." I smiled at the two students. "Harry, Hermione."

Hermione did not return the greeting like usual; her wide eyes were focused on the giant still struggling with the plant. It seemed like her knees were weak with fear, and I quickly stood up and walked to her side. "It'll be okay, Hermione," I said calmly. "He's just an overgrown kid."

"O-Overgrown?"

"You'll be fine," I promised. Hagrid walked past us towards his brother. Harry stared at the giant for a moment longer then turned his brilliant gaze to me. "I promise." I gently patted her arm in a comforting way before following Hagrid over to Grawp. "I don't think that plant wants to be uprooted," I said to the giant.

"Red!" he roared, tugging harder.

I shook my head but smiled. "Grawp! Look! Red!"

"Red?"

I waved my wand and transfigured a nearby boulder into a bright red rubber ball. Grawp immediate forgot about the plant, which hissed in annoyance before slithering away on its many roots, and reached for the ball.

"Red!"

"Ya taught 'im the color red?" Hagrid smiled down at me.

"He's a bright boy," I said. "Word association is the best way to teach a child anything."

Hagrid beamed down at me. "I knew yeh would be a great help."

Hermione and Harry appeared at my side. I could feel Hermione trembling as she stared at the giant, whom was now trying to smash the ball between his large hands. "Are you sure he's safe, Talis?" she whispered.

I nodded, glancing down at her. "He's just a little kid, Hermione. Just a very tall little kid. He has a crude thirst for knowledge, but that's just in his nature." I looked over her head at my boyfriend. "He doesn't mean any harm."

"Ta!"

"Yes, Grawp?"

"Red!"

I left Hermione and Harry by the stump and walked over to the giant. He held out the ball when I was close. "That's right, Grawp." I smiled up at him. "Now watch this." I muttered under my breath. The redness of the ball faded a little before changing to a new color. "Blue."

"Bue."

"Blah-ew."

"Bue!"

"Eh." I shrugged. "Close enough. He has a bit of trouble with his ells," I said to Hagrid, "but he'll get it eventually."

Suddenly Grawp let out a yell and the ball went flying. He stomped his feet, then marched over to Hermione and Harry.

"GRAWPY!"

"If he grabs you, don't struggle!" I yelled.

My prediction came true.

With a grunt, Grawp reached down and grabbed Hermione around her middle. She let out a cry as he lifted her into the air. Harry stared in alarm before throwing a rock at Grawp's thick leg.

"No! Stop." I rushed over. "Don't hurt him. He doesn't understand. Grawp!"

The giant's hazel eyes looked past Hermione to me. "Ta!"

I took a deep breath to compose myself before addressing the situation. "Grawp, this is Hermy. Hermy. Her-mee."

"Her-mee?"

"That's right. She's a friend." I heard the swish of fabric and knew Harry had withdrawn his wand. I waved my hand at him. "Don't," I muttered to him. "You'll just upset him and make it worse." I could feel Harry's glare heat up the side of my face, but I ignore him. I knew I upset him but at the moment it was Hermione I was concerned about. "Grawp, is this how we treat friends?"

Grawp stared down at me.

"No, it's not. Hermy does not like being picked up. Put her down." I pointed at Hermione then the forest floor. "We do not pick up friends like that."

Grawp remained still as stone for a moment. "Her-mee." He set Hermione down on the ground, probably a bit rougher than he intended, but she seemed relatively okay.

"Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm fine. Just feel a little squeezed."

I smiled encouragingly at her. "Sorry about that. He's a bit rambunctious." I turned back to the giant. "Thank you for putting her down. Now this is Harry. He's another friend. Don't pick him up," I added hastily as a giant hand reached down.

Grawp hesitated but did not try to pick up Harry. "Bue!" He smiled down at me, revealing his crooked teeth, before charging off into the trees to find his ball.

"Thank yeh, Talis. He needed a friend." Hagrid stared after his brother for a moment. "An' he's startin' ter know colors! Tha's won'erful."

"It's no problem, Hagrid." I turned to the two students. "Are you sure you're okay, Hermione?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine."

I smiled lightyl. "Good. He doesn't know his own strength," I said. "Nearly popped my head off when I first met him. But he soon foudn out some people bite, and I found out ginat flesh does not taste appetizing. I don't recommend taste-testing though," I added with a small chucke.

Hagrid joined in with a hearty chuckle before heading into the trees. Hermione hurried after him, but Harry hung back. I could tell he was still upset with me. "You want to say something to me?"

"Stop treating me like a little kid," he ground out. "I could have helped Hermione."

"With what? A spell?" I stared at the younger teenager. "Grawp's strength is immense. If you had pissed him off by hexing him, then Hermione would be a bloody mess on the floor. There are some ways to help others without whipping your wand out. Words do work," I growled.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "At least I could have tried."

"Giant skin is impervious to most spells and hexes," I said, "or were you not paying attention that day in the Room of Requirement?" I didn't wait for an answer. Instead, I grabbed the shoulder of his sweater and pushed him in the direction that Hagrid and Hermione were walking. "Go. The forest is a dangerous place."

Harry shot me a stinging glare but hurried ahead to catch up with our friends.

I growled under my breath, forcing myself to calm down. If Harry continued to act like an immature brat, he is going to get someone killed. I shook my head in annoyance.

It didn't take long until I was walking with the small group.

We walked through the trees in silence for a while, letting the sounds of the forest surround us.

Then I heard it.

The sound of hoof beats.

"Hagrid," I warned quietly.

The half-giant stopped and fitted an arrow into his crossbow. Harry and Hermione withdrew their wands from their pockets. I tried to remain calm, though my heritage simmered right below the surface.

"I thought that we had told you, Hagrid, that you are no longer welcome here."

The deep voice seemed to echo around us for a moment. A centaur with long black hair and a chestnut body appeared from the foggy forest. I bit back a snarl.

"How are yeh, Magorian?"

Several more centaurs strolled out of the trees and fanned themselves out on either of Magorian's sides. All were armed with long bows and arrows.

"So, we agreed, I believe, what we would do if this human showed his face in the forest again?" That was Bane, a centaur with black hair and a black body. He had a certain gleam of malice in his eyes that immediately put me on edge. I knew the centaurs were not the friendliest of creatures, probably right up there next to giants, but now they are not even referring to Hagrid by name. What has happened to make the herd hate him so much?

"'This human' now, am I?" asked Hagrid. "Jus' fer stoppin' all of yeh from committin' murder?"

What? Murder?

"You ought not to have interfered, Hagrid," Magorian said. "Our ways are not yours, nor are our laws. Firenze betrayed and dishonored us."

They tried to kill Firenze? I knew he had been kicked out of his herd, but I did not know they had tried to take his life. I had been too polite to ask whenever I saw the centaur cantering around the forest of his new classroom and home.

"He's done nothin' except help Albus Dumbledore -"

"Firenze has entered into servitude to human," a gray centaur muttered.

"Servitude! He's doing Dumbledore a favor -"

"He is peddling our knowledge and secrets among humans," Magorian said quietly. "There shall be no return after such a disgrace."

"If yeh say so." Hagrid shrugged his heavy shoulders. "I think yeh're makin' a big mistake -"

"As are you, human," Bane said, "coming back into our forest when we warned you -"

Hagrid's face grew red with anger. "I'll have less of 'our' forest, if it's all the same to yeh. It's not up to yeh who comes and goes in here -"

"No more is it up to you," Magorian interrupted. "I shall let you pass today because you are accompanied by oyur young -"

Bane snorted loudly. "They are not his young! Students, Magorian, from the school! Their heads may already be filled with Firenze's teachings."

"The slaughter of foals is a terrible crime. . . We do not touch the innocent."

"What about this one, the wolf?" a bay centaur asked.

I curled my lip in a small snarl. "We all know I am allowed to be in this forest," I growled. "I have not touched a single hair on your hides, nor have I attacked anything without necessity. Let us pass."

Magorian stared at me for a few moments. I narrowed my eyes. That seemed to unnerve at least two of the centaurs; they were reaching for their bows. I silently dared them to try. I would allow my heritage to surface within moments.

"You shall pass today, Hagrid, wolf. Henceforth, stay away from this place. Hagrid, you forfeited your friendship with the herd when you helped the traitor Firenze escape."

"I won' be kept outta the fores' by a bunch of mules like you," Hagrid said loudly. I snarled and let my claw replace my human nails.

"Hagrid! Talis! Let's go, please." Hermione's voice was almost shrill with fear.

Hagrid kept his crossbow raised but started towards the school. Hermione hid herself behind his wider body, fear making her shiver. Harry boldly stayed at my side until I gave him a small shove to get him moving. I snarled at the centaurs. "I do not need the permission of centaurs to walk among these trees. My bloodline demands the space, as does my mind." A small spark of pain in my arms barely caught my attention. "The forest will remain open to Hagrid, Grawp, and me," I said with a spit.

"Go with your companions, wolf," Bane said with a narrowed eyes. "The forest is ours, and we will drive out any who come here without permission."

I took a step forward. A centaur grabbed his bow. "We all know you are no match for my bloodline," I snarled. "I do not want to make an enemy out of you or your herd, Bane. But I will become one if you keep up this 'permission' shite. You do not own the forest." With one more spit I followed my companions.

"We know what you are keeping in the forest, Hagid!" Magorian's voice called from behind us. "And our tolerance is waning!"

"You'll tolerate him as long as he's here," Hagrid shouted back, whipping around. "It's as much his forest as it is yours! Talis, yer arms."

Harry and Hermione stopped their attempts to get Hagrid to move again to stare at me. Their eyes widened in shock. I glanced down to see what was wrong. My arms were longer than the average humans'. The tips of my fingers were grazing just past my kneecaps. Closing my eyes, I focused on calming myself. It took a moment, but then I felt the twinge of pain as the bones, muscles and flesh returned to normal. I shook them out to get rid of the last clinging pains. I must have let myself get so riled up I was starting to let my heritage take over.

"Sorry about that."

"Ruddy ol' nags, the lot of 'em," Hagrid said, turning to walk away.

"Hagrid, if the centaurs don't want humans in the forest, it doesn't seem like Harry and I can -"

"Ah, you heard what they said," Hagrid said dismissively. "They won't hurt foals - I mean, kids. Anyways, we can' let ourselves be pushed around by that lot."

"Nice try," Harry muttered to Hermione, too low for Hagrid to hear.

I sighed quietly and followed Hagrid through the trees. There was nothing else any of us could do about the centaurs acting like a bunch of stuck-up show ponies. When we left the safety of the trees, I left the trio to go back to my cabin. It had been a long day of babysitting, and I was fuckin' tired.

As I shut the door behind me, a foot stopped it.

"Yes, Harry?"

I was shoved forward by a hand. Stumbling a bit due to being caught off-guard, I nearly crashed into a chair as I found my footing. I spun around to face the angry Harry Potter. "The hell if your problem?"

"You're my problem," he growled, shutting the door with a slam. "You treat me like I'm a little kid. You're always telling me what to do! We're supposed to be partners, but all you're doing is treating me like I'm some snot-nosed first year who can't even tie their trainers!"

I narrowed my eyes at the younger teenager. "When have I ever treated you like a child?" I asked.

"Just like earlier," Harry said after a moment's hesitation. "I could have help Hermione, but you waved me off like I was a nuisance."

"I told you why I did that," I growled. "You could have seriously hurt Hermione. She could have been killed. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

"That would not have happened."

"How can you be so sure?"

"There you fuckin' go again, treating me like a child." Harry's emerald eyes blazed with rage. "You're not a teacher's assistant anymore, Talis, and I'm not one of your students you can boss around!"

"Where is all of this coming from?" I stared at him. Sure I had tried guiding his footsteps, but I never forced him to do something he didn't want. I stopped treating him like a normal student when I fell in love with him.

"It doesn't matter," Harry deflected angrily. "The point is: start treating me like an adult."

"You are fifteen years old, Harry. You are not an adult, and I will not treat you as such."

"I've seen and dealt with more shite in the past four years than you have in your lifetime!"

"You don't know what I have been through." My patience snapped. "You act like you're such a bad ass when, in reality, you are nothing but a fifteen year old boy. You don't know a damned thing." My canines pricked my bottom lip as they extended. "You don't have to deal with the stares of disgust, of hatred, every time I walk out onto the street. You don't have to deal with jobs passing you over, no matter how desperate you are, because of something that was not your fault. You don't have to worry about going to Azkaban prison for being in a relationship with an underage wizard. You think you have it so rough, Harry James Potter? Take a fuckin' stroll in my shoes."

"It's not my fault your grandparents committed bestiality and produced a dangerous bloodline, you fuckin' monster," Harry spat. "That's your problem."

I stared at him.

My heart dropped to my stomach.

A burning hurt my eyes.

"No," I finally managed to say, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. "My problem was falling in love with a person like you." I turned away from him. "Get out." I heard the doorknob click as the door was opened, but it did not shut. I spun around to face the younger teenager. His face was not as angry anymore; shame and fear could be seen in his eyes. "Get the fuck out," I spat at him. "Don't fucking come back."

"Talis, I - "

"Fuck off." I left turned away from him and walked out of the room to my bedroom. I heard the door shut hastily a few moments later.

A sniffle. Two sniffles.

A deep breath.

A roar of sheer rage and depression.

Then. . .

Total blackout.