The couple walked in comfortable silence for the most part as they patrolled the Hogwarts grounds. Freddie kept her wand in her hand this time and was alert to any sounds, sights, or scents. Fortunately she didn't detect anything unusual as they walked the shoreline of the lake, then the fence past the Owlery. They were skirting the edge of the Forbidden Forest when Freddie got a chill.
"Winifred?" Snape asked questioningly because she had slowed to a stop. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine," she said slowly, looking around carefully. She didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. It must've been my imagination, she thought as they continued walking. She used to get creeped out just being near the Dark Forest after what happened to Daniel. Maybe that's all it is.
Just then a shriek pierced through the night air, making the hair on the back of Freddie's neck stand up. She glanced at Snape for a split second then took off running, shifting into kneazle form as she did.
"Winifred!" he shouted, running after her, but she didn't even slow down. It had been a girl's voice, she was certain of it. A young girl and whoever she was she was in trouble.
She felt a fierce protective instinct as her paws bounded over the grass so fast it felt like she was flying. The scream hadn't come from the direction of the Dark Forest but from farther along off the path past Hagrid's hut. She didn't hear the scream again but her kneazle ears functioned like radar and she could hear a whipping sound through the still of the night. The sound was familiar but she couldn't place it right away – not until she saw the Whomping Willow flailing wildly around as if something had disturbed it. She slowed down when her sensitive nose caught the scent of blood, allowing Snape to catch up with her.
"Get back," he snapped at her, his wand raised in the direction of the tree. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
She leapt behind him, but remained alert, looking for the source of the scream. With her kneazle eyesight she could see as clearly at night as she could in the day, but even with her enhanced vision she couldn't see anyone there...but she could smell someone. Someone familiar...
"Ada!" she shouted as she transformed back, her wand in hand.
"Freddie!" Ada's voice cried. "Don't hex me, please! I dropped my wand!"
"Don't hex her, Severus," Freddie said and quickly transformed back into a kneazle. She darted between the flailing branches of the willow tree, trying to pinpoint Ada's location by scent. She dodged a branch as she got closer to the trunk and leapt onto the knot on the tree that froze it, hitting it with all four paws. The tree shuddered and froze with one branch just inches from Freddie's tail. She hit the ground on all four paws and ran to where she could smell Ada's blood. Her kneazle eye picked up a glimmer of chameleon-like movement to her right and she ran to Ada's side. She transformed back to human once again and Ada grabbed her arm.
"It's alright," Freddie assured her, tapping her on top of the head with her wand. As the Disillusionment Charm lifted it became clear the tree had whacked Ada across the face. She had a cut above her left eye that was bleeding heavily. She was pressing the sleeve of her robes against it, trying to staunch the flow of blood.
"Foolish girl!" Snape snarled, snatching up Ada's wand from the trunk of the tree. "You're lucky you didn't break your wand!"
"Or your neck!" Freddie scolded. "What were you doing out here all alone?"
"It's well after curfew. Where is your headmistress? Does she know you're out of the carriage at this time of night?"
"Madame Maxime is down at Monsieur Hagrid's hut," Ada said timidly, hiding behind Freddie. "Please, please do not tell on me, Professor Snape. I only wanted to go somewhere that I could practice my Patronus Charm. Freddie showed me how to freeze the tree and I thought I could get to it quick enough, but..."
Guilt surged through Freddie as Snape's dark eyes flashed on her in the moonlight. This is all my fault, she thought miserable at the same time Snape's voice in her head said This is all your doing.
I know, she responded mentally and looked at him pleadingly. Please don't tell on her. It's all my fault.
She is a student, I have to tell her headmistress or at least Dumbledore, he responded.
No, please! She's my friend. I'll take care of it. I'll make sure she won't do anything like this again, I swear.
He narrowed his eyes at her and cut the connection between their minds. Freddie held her breath, waiting for him to yell at her or at Ada.
"You are lucky you are not a Hogwarts student, Miss Leroux," Snape said finally, his voice tight. "Therefore it is not within my realm of duties to punish you. However, if I find you out of your carriage again after curfew..."
"I won't, I swear," Ada said, relieved. "Thank you, Professor Snape."
"Thank you, Severus," Freddie said gratefully. "Now, Adalene, let's get you cleaned up."
Freddie opened her bag and began to dig through it for the bottle of dittany essence she always kept with her. The first vial she pulled out was the honeysuckle essence. The second was belladonna. The third was a small flask of Invisibility Potion she always kept with her in case of emergencies.
"Jeez, Freddie, how much stuff do you have in there?" Ada asked, sounding faintly amused but still casting anxious glances at Snape.
"Undetectable Extension Charm," Freddie explained, still searching. "I need a lot of things."
"Apparently."
"Are you a Muggle or a witch?" Snape scoffed. "Use a Summoning Spell."
Freddie made a face at him, sticking out her tongue, before pulling her wand from the pocket of her cloak.
"Accio dittany," she said firmly and the small vial flew from the depths of her bag into her hand. "Alright Ada let's get that cut taken care of."
"I need to continue my rounds," Snape said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to her. "Are you capable of ensuring Miss Leroux returns to her carriage and stays there?"
"Yes sir," she said, uncorking the vial. "I'll catch up with you when I'm finished."
"See that you do," he grunted. "Before Dumbledore returns."
"Why do you call him 'sir'?" Ada asked in a hushed tone as Snape walked away.
"Force of habit," she answered with a shrug and a slight smile. "Plus he likes it."
" Ooh là là. Trés coquin," she said in French.
"I'm not sure I know that word," Freddie admitted, wracking her brain.
"Very kinky," Ada said with a wicked grin and Freddie bit back a laugh.
"Something like that," she chuckled. "Come on, let's get that cut healed,"
She soaked the handkerchief Snape had given her with the dittany essence and gently dabbed the cut on Ada's forehead. Blood was still trickling from the wound so she held it there a moment, applying pressure.
"He's very scary at times, isn't he?" Ada said, looking past her to where Snape's figure had disappeared into the darkness.
"I've told you as much. But he can be very sweet at times too."
"I know. I am grateful he agreed not to tell Madame Maxime I was out after hours. I am not sure what she would do. Confine me to the carriage for the rest of our stay maybe... You must tell him how grateful I am and that I'm sorry."
"I will," Freddie assured her. "I'm thankful too... if it had been any other student out here, he wouldn't even have hesitated to turn them in. Beauxbatons or not. It's well within his rights as a Hogwarts professor."
"He did it for you."
"Mm-hm... There," she said, pulling the rag away from Ada's head. "Completely healed. You won't even have a scar."
"Thanks, Freddie," Ada said, relieved. She picked up her wand and used it to clean the blood from her robes.
"Promise me you won't come out here again after hours, Adalene," Freddie said seriously. "It isn't safe."
"I know," she said sheepishly. "I just really wanted a place to practice. I couldn't sleep, I was so excited about our duel tomorrow...you are still coming, yes? I've been practicing my nonverbal spells and I think my Patronus Charm is getting better."
"Yes, I'll be here. I'm off work tomorrow but I do have to go into the office during the evening hours to get started on a potion. But I'll come find you in the morning sometime – if you promise me you won't sneak out again at night," she said firmly.
"Je promets. Pinky promise," Ada swore, holding out her little finger. Freddie hooked her pinkie finger through her friend's and nodded.
"Come. I'll walk you back to your carriage."