Hagrid's Tale

'Where are we going, Dean?' Cas asked, following Dean down the marble staircase.

'Outside,' said Dean. 'I thought it might be nice to take a walk in the snow.'

Cas frowned. 'We're not supposed to be outside after dark.'

'Really? I thought you were allowed.'

'Well, I am, but only if I have to.'

'You won't get in trouble, don't worry,' Dean reassured. 'It's okay to do things you like, just for fun sometimes, you know?'

Cas nodded uncertainly, but kept following Dean. Once outside, though, his face relaxed and he breathed in the smell of the snow.

Dean stared at him for a moment, watching the flakes drift into his dark hair. He reluctantly kept walking, bringing Cas with him. They walked in silence for a while, leaving their footprints in the snow as they walked around the castle. The few flickering lights from the castle windows were enough to light their way.

Cas was the first to speak. 'I've always loved the snow,' he said, crouching down and running his hand through the fresh, sparkling powder, the Whomping Willow just visible in the distance, shivering in the cold.

'Mhm,' Dean said, heart in his throat.

'Is something wrong?' Cas asked, noticing his nerves.

'No, no,' Dean said hastily. 'I just - I just - '

'Dean, what is it?' Cas asked in alarm.

Dean shook his head and took a deep breath, his heart hammering ever faster. 'I wanted to ask you - um - well -'

'Dean,' Cas said, 'it's all right. Take your time.'

Dean bit his lip. Cas's voice soothed him, and Cas's amazingly blue eyes watched him expectantly. 'Okay, okay…' Dean looked down at his feet. 'Cas, I really like you. God, I sound like such a dork, but I really want you to go out with me.' Dean cleared his throat. 'Tu veux être mon petit-copain?'

Cas stared at him, stunned.

'Was - was that okay? Did I say it wrong?' Dean said anxiously. 'That's how Fleur told me to say it-'

'No, that's correct,' Cas said, not taking his eyes off Dean.

Dean exhaled. 'I just think you're amazing, and really talented and smart. You have great hair, and I really like the way you fly, and I like your smile. Are you gonna let me keep talking or are you gonna say something?' Dean said nervously.

'You… want to be with me?' Cas said slowly.

'Well… yeah…'

'Why?'

'For all the reasons I just said?'

'I don't understand.'

Dean shuffled his feet in the cold. 'Do you need to? Isn't the question whether or not you want to be with me?'

Cas chewed a fingernail.

'So - so do you?' Dean prompted.

Cas looked away, then back again. 'Oui.'

Relief flooded through Dean. 'You do? Really?'

Cas nodded.

Dean puffed out a breath, then grinned widely. 'Wow, awesome.' Dean took a step closer to Cas, but Cas stepped back again.

'I'm -I'm not ready for - that - yet,' he mumbled. He hesitated, then grabbed both Dean's hands and squeezed them tightly. 'Is this all right for now?'

'Yeah,' Dean breathed. 'Yeah, of course it is. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.' Dean gently lifted up one of Cas's hands and kissed it lightly. 'How's that?'

Cas nodded, blushing.

'Do you want to keep walking?' Dean asked.

'All right.' Cas kept hold of one of Dean's hands while they walked.

'Are you okay?' Dean asked at Cas's continued silence.

Cas nodded. 'I - I didn't think you felt the same, that's all.'

'Really? I thought I was making it kind of obvious.'

'My social skills aren't very good,' Cas admitted.

'Well, we can work on that,' Dean grinned.

They walked a lap of the lake, holding hands all the while. On the way back around, Dean noticed lights on in Hagrid's cabin and grinned.

'Look!' he said, nudging Cas. 'Hagrid's back, do you want to go see him?'

Cas's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. 'Come.'

They hurried over, noticing three sets of footprints leading ahead of them. Once at the door, however, Cas let go of Dean's hand and gave him a regretful look.

'It's okay,' Dean whispered reassuringly, before knocking on the door. 'Hagrid, it's us, let us in,' he called as loudly as he dared.

Fang barked behind the door and they heard shuffling and scraping from inside.

The door opened, briefly bathing them in candlelight before Hagrid's huge form blocked the doorway.

'Not you two an' all,' he said gruffly. 'Come in, come in.'

They went in, Hagrid closing the doorway, and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting at the table.

'Hey, guys,' said Dean. 'What's going on?'

'Hagrid's been trying to recruit the giants,' Ron explained. 'He's been up in the Alps with Madame Maxime.'

'Oh cool! How'd it go?' Dean said, happily helping himself to a cup of tea, passing Cas one as he did so.

'Not well,' Hagrid said darkly, holding a large steak to his face.

'What happened?' Dean said in alarm.

'I can heal that,' said Castiel, pulling out his wand.

Hagrid waved him away. 'Won' work. Giant's blood an' all.'

Cas put down his wand, but rested it on the seat next to him rather than putting it away in his robes.

'Anyway, where was I?'

'The Death Eaters,' said Harry.

'Righ', righ'.

'Yeah, a couple of 'em were visitin' ev'ry day, bringin' gifts ter the Gurg-'

'That means chief,' Dean whispered to Cas.

'-an' he weren't dangling them upside down.'

'How d'you know they were Death Eaters?' Ron asked.

'Because I recognised one of 'em,' Hagrid growled. 'Macnair, remember him? Bloke they sent ter kill Buckbeak? Maniac, he is. Likes killin' as much as Golgomath; no wonder they were gettin' on so well.'

'So Macnair's persuaded the giants to join You-Know-Who?' Hermione said desperately.

'Hold yer Hippogriffs, I haven' finished me story yet!' said Hagrid indignantly. 'Me an' Olympe talked it over an' we agreed that jus' 'cause the Gurg looked like favourin' You-Know-Who didn' mean all of 'em would. We had ter try an' persuade some o' the others, the ones who hadn' wanted Golgomath as Gurg.'

'How could you tell which ones they were?' asked Ron.

'Well, they were the ones bein' beaten to a pulp, weren' they?' Hagrid said patiently.

'Of course,' Dean said, nodding sagely.

'The ones with any sense were keepin' well outta Golgomath's way, hidin' out in caves roun' the gully jus' like we were. So we decided we'd go pokin' around some o' the caves by night an' see if we couldn' persuade a few o' them.'

'You went poking around in dark caves looking for giants?' said Ron, with awed respect in his voice.

'Well, it wasn't giants who worried us most,' said Hagrid. 'We were more concerned abou' the Death Eaters. Dumbledore had told us before we wen' not ter tangle with 'em if we could avoid it, an' the trouble was they knew we was around - 'spect Golgomath told 'em abou' us. At night, when the giants were sleepin' an' we wanted ter be creepin' inter caves, Macnair and the other one were sneakin' round the mountains lookin' fer us. I was hard put to stop Olympe jumpin' out at 'em,' said Hagrid, the corners of his mouth lifting his wild beard, 'she was rarin' ter attack 'em… fiery, yeh know… 'spect it's the French in her…'

Dean nudged Cas gently, drawing a smile out of him.

'So, what happened? Did you ever get near any of the other giants?'

'What? Oh… oh, yeah, we did. Yeah, on the third night after the last Gurg was killed we crept outta the cave we'd bin hidin' in an' headed back down inter the gully, keepin' our eyes peeled fer the Death Eaters. Got inside a few o' the caves, no go - then, in about the sixth one, we found three giants hidin'.'

'Cave must've been cramped,' said Ron.

'Wasn' room ter swing a Kneazle,' said Hagrid.

'Didn't they attack you when they saw you?' Hermione asked.

'Probably woulda done if they'd bin in any condition,' said Hagrid, 'but they was badly hurt, all three o' them; Golgomath's lot had beaten them unconscious; they'd woken up an' crawled inter the nearest shelter they could find. Anyway, one o' them had a bit of English, an' he translated fer the others, an what we had ter say didn' seem ter go down too badly. So we kep' goin' back, visitin' the wounded… I reckon we had abou' six or seven o' them convinced at one poin'.'

'Six or seven?' Ron said eagerly. 'Well that's not too bad - are they going to come over here and start fighting You-Know-Who with us?'

But Castiel said, 'What do you mean "at one point", Hagrid?'

Hagrid looked at him sadly.

'Golgomath's lot raided the caves. The ones that survived didn' wan' nothin' ter do with us after that.'

'So… so there aren't any giants coming?' said Ron, looking disappointed.

'Nope,' said Hagrid, heaving a deep sigh, 'but we did wha' we meant ter do, we gave 'em Dumbledore's message an' some o' them heard it an' I 'spect some o' them'll remember it. Jus' maybe, them that don' want ter stay around Golgomath'll move outta the mountains, an' there's a chance they'll remember Dumbledore's friendly to 'em… could be they'll come.'

Snow was filling up the windows now, and Cas stared out at it.

'Hagrid?' Hermione said quietly after a while.

'Mmm?'

'Did you… was there any sign of… did you hear anything about your… your...mother while you were up there?'

Hagrid's unobscured eye rested on Hermione, who looked rather scared.

'I'm sorry… I… forget it-'

'Dead,' Hagrid grunted. 'Died years told me.'

'Oh… I'm… I'm really sorry,' Hermione said in a small voice.

'No need,' he said shortly. 'Can't remember her much. Wasn' a great mother.'

They were silent again until Ron said, 'But you still haven't told us how you got in this state,' gesturing at his bloodstained face.

'Or why you're back so late,' Harry added. 'Sirius told us Madame Maxime came back weeks ago-'

'Who attacked you?' said Ron.

'I haven' bin attacked!' said Hagrid. 'I-'

But the rest of his words were drowned in a sudden outbreak of rapping on the door. Hermione gasped; her mug slipped through her fingers and smashed on the floor; Fang yelped. They all stared at the window beside the door. The shadow of somebody small and squat rippled across the thin curtain.

'It's her!' Ron whispered.

'Get under here!' Harry said quickly, seizing the Invisibility Cloak.

'We won't all fit!' said Hermione.

'We're allowed out at night!' Dean hissed. 'Go, hurry up!'

Ron tore around the table and dived under the Cloak with Harry and Hermione.

Hagrid looked thoroughly confused, Fang barked madly at the door, and Dean shoved the extra mugs under the cushion in Fang's basket.

Dean turned to Cas. 'Don't panic,' he whispered. 'We're allowed to be here. You're not in trouble.'

Cas nodded, but fear was clear on his face.

Fang was now leaping at the door; Hagrid pushed him out of the way with his foot and pulled it open.

Umbridge was standing in the doorway wearing her green tweed cloak and matching hat with earflaps. Lips pursed, she leaned back to see Hagrid's face; she barely reached his navel.

'So,' she said slowly and loudly, as though speaking to somebody deaf. 'You're Hagrid, are you?'

Without waiting for an answer, she strolled into the room. 'Get away,' she snapped, waving her handbag at Fang, who had bounded up to her and was attempting to lick her face.

'Er - I don't mean to be rude, but who the ruddy hell are you?'

'My name is Dolores Umbridge.'

Her eyes swept the cabin and landed on Cas and Dean. 'What are you two doing out here?' she asked incredulously.

'We're allowed,' Dean said. 'We have notes.'

'Dolores Umbridge?' said Hagrid. 'I thought you were one o' them Ministry - don't you work for Fudge?'

'I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, yes. I am now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher-'

'Tha's brave of yeh,' said Hagrid, 'there's not many'd take that job any more.'

'- and Hogwarts High Inquisitor. Let me see these notes,' she said to Cas and Dean.

Dean reached into his robes, as did Cas, and passed her their pieces of parchment. Dean noticed Cas put his hand back into his pocket, and could feel his discomfort.

Umbridge examined them both, looked up at them with a raised eyebrow, then tore their notes to shreds. 'These are clearly fake,' she said.

'You can't do that!' Dean exclaimed. The only thing that kept him from leaping to his feet at that moment was Cas's knee pressed against his.

'I can and I have. I'm giving you both a week of detentions.'

Dean heard Cas gulp next to him. Cas hadn't been in detention in years, and the very thought made him tremble.

'What is that?' Umbridge asked, pointing at the broken shards of china on the floor that had been Hermione's mug.

'Oh,' said Hagrid, said Hagrid, with a most unhelpful glance towards the corner where Harry, Ron and Hermione stood hidden, 'oh, tha' was Fang. He broke a mug. So I had ter use this one instead.'

Hagrid pointed to the mug from which he was drinking, one hand still clamped over the steak pressed to his eye.

'I heard several voices,' Umbridge said quietly.

'I'm really good at impressions,' said Dean, narrowing his eyes.

'There are five sets of footprints leading to your cabin.'

'Well, I on'y just got back,' said Hagrid, waving an enormous hand at his bag. 'Maybe someone else came ter call earlier an' I missed 'em.'

'There are no footsteps leading away from your cabin door.'

'Well, I… I don' know why that'd be…' said Hagrid, tugging nervously on his beard and again glancing towards the corner where the others were hiding. 'Erm…'

Umbridge wheeled around and strode the length of the cabin, looking around carefully. She bent and peered under the bed. She opened Hagrid's cupboards and passed within inches of Harry, Ron and Hermione. After looking carefully inside the enormous cauldron Hagrid used for cooking, she wheeled around again and said, 'What has happened to you? How did you sustain such injuries?'

Hagrid hastily removed the steak from his face, which was a mistake, because the black and purple bruising all around his eye was now clearly visible, not to mention the large amount of fresh and congealed blood on his face. 'Oh, I… had a bit of an accident,' he said lamely.

'What sort of accident?'

'I - I tripped.'

'You tripped,' she repeated coolly.

'Yeah, tha's right. Over… over a friend's broomstick. I don' fly meself. Well, look at the size o' me, I don' reckon there's a broomstick that'd hold me. Friend o' mine breeds Abraxan horses, I dunno if you've ever seen 'em, big beasts, winged, yeh know, I've had a bit of a ride on one o' them an' it was-'

'Where have you been?' Umbride said, cutting through Hagrid's babbling.

'Where've I-?'

'Been, yes. Term started two months ago. Another teacher has had to cover your classes. None of your colleagues have been able to give me information as to your whereabouts. You left no address. Where have you been?'

'I- I've been away for me health,' he said.

'For your health,' said Umbridge. Her eyes travelled over Hagrid's discoloured and swollen face; blood dripping silently onto his waistcoat. 'I see.'

'Yeah,' said Hagrid, 'bit o' - o' fresh air, yeh know-'

'Yes, as gamekeeper fresh air must be so difficult to come by,' said Umbridge sweetly.

'Well - change o' scene, yeh know -'

'Mountain scenery?' said Umbridge swiftly.

'Mountains?' Hagrid repeated, clearly thinking fast. 'Nope, South o' France fer me. Bit o' sun an'... an' sea.'

'Really?' said Umbridge. 'You don't have much of a tan.'

'Yeah… well… sensitive skin,' said Hagrid, attempting a smile, though two of his front teeth were knocked out.

Umbridge looked at him coldly, then hoisted her handbag a little higher into the crook of her arm and said, 'I shall, of course, be informing the Minister of your late return.'

'Righ',' said Hagrid, nodding.

'You ought to know, too, that as High Inquisitor it is my unfortunate but necessary duty to inspect my fellow teachers. So I daresay we shall meet again soon enough. You two, back up to the castle.'

Dean started at suddenly being addressed and got to his feet, Cas doing the same.

Umbridge turned sharply and marched back to the door.

'You're inspectin' us?' Hagrid echoed blankly, staring after her.

'Oh, yes,' said Umbridge, looking back at him with her hand on the door handle. 'The Ministry is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers, Hagrid. Goodnight.'

Umbridge opened the door and made sure Dean and Cas were following her before closing the door again.

Dean and Cas trailed behind her, not daring to speak. Cas grabbed Dean's hand, and Dean could feel him shivering.

'It's gonna be all right,' Dean whispered. 'Just hang in there, I've got you.'

Cas nodded stiffly.

Umbridge walked them all the way up to Ravenclaw Tower and waited a few minutes after Cas went inside before escorting Dean to Gryffindor Tower.

Dean gave the password to the Fat Lady, but on his way past, he whispered to her, 'Knock when she's gone, it's an emergency.'

The portrait hole closed, but Dean waited behind it with bated breath. Finally, he heard a gentle knock from the Fat Lady, and he shot back out again. 'Thanks,' he called to the Fat Lady, and sprinted almost all the way back to the bronze door knocker concealing Ravenclaw Tower. He knocked on the door, and the knocker said, 'The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?'

'What?' Dean said, breathless and clutching a stitch. 'Whatever, Cas, are you in there? Open the door!'

The door cracked open and Cas stumbled out, clutching his jar. It was glowing bright white and shaking violently in Cas's hand. Cas himself was barely holding it together, and Dean knew without Cas saying anything that he would never make it all the way down to the Whomping Willow.

'Come on,' Dean said. 'The prefects' bathroom is close by.'

Cas struggled to move, but he managed to get all the way to the door next to the statue of a wizard wearing his gloves on the wrong hand, and said, 'Pine fresh', to it.

Once inside, Dean helped Cas into the huge, sunken pool, and Cas finally let go of the jar.

Dean shielded his eyes, and heard things cracking and crumbling around them. When it was finally over, Dean opened his eyes to see that Cas had curled up in a ball.

Dean went around repairing the cracks in the walls of the pool, and in the taps, then knelt down beside Cas.

'Hey, are you awake?' Dean murmured.

'Yes,' came Cas's hoarse voice. He uncurled, then sat against the wall. His eyes and nose were red.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble,' Dean said, brushing Cas's hair out of his face.

'It's not your fault. We had notes, it should have been fine.'

The jar was still glowing faintly, but Cas picked it up and tucked it back into his pocket.

'Don't be scared, I'm gonna be right in those detentions with you. It doesn't hurt that much.'

Cas nodded, lip wobbling. He reached inside his robes and pulled out his necklace, then closed his eyes. 'It's been a long day,' he said. 'I want to go to bed.'

'Okay, let's get you back upstairs.'

Cas said nothing more on the way, and sighed when they reached the eagle-shaped door knocker.

'The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?' it repeated.

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly in no mood for riddles.

Dean thought for a moment. It was easier to think, now that he wasn't desperate to get to Cas. 'Footsteps,' he said.

Cas stared at him as the door opened.

'What?' said Dean.

'I don't think you get enough credit for how smart you are.'

Dean felt his face warm.

Cas sighed again and wrapped his arm around Dean's neck.

It took a moment for Dean to react, surprised by Cas's touch, but he hugged Cas back, feeling how skinny Cas was under his fingers.

'Goodnight, Dean,' Cas whispered, before pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

'Yeah… 'night,' Dean said faintly, as Cas closed the door, rubbing his cheek where Cas had kissed it.

When he returned to the common room, he noticed John and Sherlock curled up asleep on the sofa together. When he walked in, John cracked open one eye and gave Dean a questioning look.

Dean gave John a discreet thumbs up and got a faint smile in return.

It had indeed been a long day, but Dean fell asleep warm and happy.

Welcome back everyone! Thanks to Morgan Tara Befan for the review! See you again soon :)