Breakfast the next morning was hell. Gryffindor's began to notice the missing points and when they discovered who had lost them Bella and Harry were shunned. As Bella plopped down in her seat she locked eyes with Cedric and he gave her a small smile and a salute which she returned with a chuckle.
"Who's that?" Freya asked, eyeing the older boy.
"Cedric." Bella replied.
"Cedric Diggory?" Emily asked excitedly.
"Yeah?" Bella asked questioningly.
"He's a fourth year Bella!" She squealed.
"Why were you smiling at a fourth year?" Hermione asked. "Why was the fourth year smiling at you?"
"He has a name you know." Bella stated taking a bite of her toast.
"That doesn't answer our questions." Freya replied.
"Well, I ran into him the day classes started back, like literally ran right into his back." Bella chuckled as the girls gasped. "He caught me before I fell and he introduced himself and that was really it. Then the day I was in the library, the day Malfoy stole my textbook, he spoke to me again. Asked if Malfoy was giving me grief then told me to tell him if he was."
Her friends all gaped at her as she spoke.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Emily asked.
"I don't know actually." Bella said.
"Well we want to know everything from now on!" Hermione squealed.
"What are you ladies gossiping about this morning?" Seamus asked as he dropped into the seat across from Bella.
"Oh just about how gorgeous some of the boys at this school are." Emily commented.
Bella choked on the piece of toast she had been eating while Seamus chuckled. While she was coughing McGonagall stepped up behind her and dropped a sheet of parchment atop her plate. Bella wheezed out a thank you as she examined the parchment; her detention summons.
Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall at midnight for your detention.
Professor.
Bella could have strangled Malfoy. Just because he had to go and stick his big nose in other people's business now she was being punished for it. She did break the rules and she knew that but she still blamed Malfoy for it.
"Is that about your detention?" Seamus asked.
"Unfortunately." Bella replied, shoving the parchment into her pocket. Seamus sent her a sad smile as she grumbled about the injustice of it all.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur and before she knew it, her and Harry were descending the steps in the Entrance Hall to meet Filch and, unfortunately, Malfoy. They traipsed out into the chilly night air and when Bella saw Hagrid up ahead she couldn't help but smile.
"You might be smiling now lass, but you won't be when you hear where you're headed. You're off into the forest tonight." Filch said.
"The forest!" Draco exclaimed.
"That's what he said." Bella stated.
"I know what he said." Draco snapped.
"Hurry up now, come on, lots to do." Hagrid's voice called over their bickering.
"I'll be back at dawn, if you last that long." Filch sneered cruelly as he stalked back to the castle, leaving a trembling Malfoy in his wake.
"Scared, Draco?" Bella mocked quietly, Draco sneered at her before turning away.
"What are we doing in the forest Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"We're looking for a unicorn that's bin hurt. See that silver stuff there." Hagrid pointed to what looked like a puddle of silver paint just inside the forest. "That's it's blood. This one's only bin hurt a little. Found a dead one a few days ago."
Bella paled at his words. If something in these woods was hurting and killing unicorns, what was to stop it turning its wrath on them.
"Scared, Bella?" Draco mocked in her ear and she elbowed him in the ribs. He let out a soft grunt of pain as he held his injured ribs.
"Bella, you'll come with me and Harry, you'll go with Malfoy." Hagrid directed.
"I want Fang." Draco stated.
"Fine. But he won't be much use to you." Hagrid replied as he handed Fang's leash to Draco.
With an apologetic look back at Harry, Bella and Hagrid headed left into the dark forest. Bella was shivering, through fear or the cold she wasn't quite sure, thinking about what she wouldn't give to be snuggled up with Seamus and her blanket right now. They walked in silence for a few paces, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. This continued until they stopped dead in their tracks, an ear-piercing shriek getting closer behind them followed by a booming bark. Draco ran out from the thick trees and collapsed to his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"What happened?" Hagrid questioned worriedly.
"Found the unicorn... back there... dead... drinking blood." Draco panted as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Stay here." Hagrid warned the pair as he set off in the direction Draco had come, taking Fang with him.
Bella stood watching as Draco's breathing slowly returned to normal. He slumped down against a tree trunk and raised his knees to his chest. Bella crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blond boy.
"What now?!" He asked.
"You just left him there! It could have been anything in those woods and you just left my best friend to die!" She fumed.
"What did you expect me to do?" He asked exasperated.
"Hmm I don't know." She raised her finger to her chin as if in thought. "Bring him with you!" She yelled at him as he put his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry okay!" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "It freaked me out and I ran, happy now?"
Bella could only stare as Draco ran his hands through his normally pristine hair and stood to his feet, dusting the dirt from his trousers. Something rustled the leaves on the trees behind them and the pair jumped in fright; Draco turned towards the sound, slowly edging himself in front of Bella. The trees rustled again and he took an instinctive step back which brought him flush with Bella but they didn't dare move. The crunch of the leaves on the ground was deafening in the darkness as the tension built around them. Draco reached his hand back and grasped Bella's behind him, she gasped quietly but didn't remove her hand from his, she was frozen in fear. The crunch came closer and they could see the faint outline of a man in the trees. Draco raised his wand but before a word could roll off his tongue the heavy footfalls of Hagrid could be heard and the man in the trees scampered away. Bella and Draco sprang apart just as Harry and Hagrid came into view.
"Oh Harry, you're alright." Bella breathed as she hugged his middle.
Harry wrapped his arms around her smaller frame tightly and she melted into his embrace, her worry dwindling.
"Come on you lot, let's get you back to school."
They pulled apart and followed quickly after Hagrid, Bella keeping as far away as she could from Draco. Hagrid walked them to the Entrance Hall and without a word Draco took off towards the dungeons. Bella watched him go, feeling more confused than she ever had in her life. He had protected her in the forest, and she didn't know how she felt about that.
They bid Hagrid a good night and walked as fast as their tired legs would carry them to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady had fallen asleep and was unamused at being awoken, glaring at the pair as they trudged into the common room.
They bid good night at the top of the stairs and Bella creeped as quietly as she could into her dorm, careful not to wake the others. This had been the longest and most confusing day Bella had ever had and she couldn't have been happier to fall into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
