Finding their way through the Forbidden Forest proved much more difficult than the two first-year boys had imagined, even in the daylight. Trevor was long gone and they could only count on themselves in order to find the toad again.

Because of the fact that they were constantly running after Neville's pet before, trying hard not to lose him, they didn't really get a chance to take in the sights and the smells of the forest until Professor Snape (and the risk of him catching them) was gone.

Draco didn't really know what to make of the infamous forest. They were surrounded by trees on all sides, their sizes and shapes getting more and more unusual the further they went into the forest. It was all rather eerie; Draco couldn't help but feel a tang of fear in the back of his mind.

Neville, on the other hand, looked like an excited puppy. The chubby boy was talking nonstop, commenting on every single interesting plant and tree that he could see.

"Woah, this is amazing!" Neville gasped, eyeing something that looked quite familiar to Draco.

"Aren't those simply blackberries?" the blond boy asked.

Neville shook his head violently. "Oh, they might seem like simply blackberries at first glance," he explained happily. "But if you look closer, you will see that they're quite the opposite."

Draco couldn't really tell why those blackberries would be of any interest to them.

Seeing this, Neville continued his explanation. "These are quite special. Found only in magical forests. If you drink juice from a specific amount of them, they're thought to improve your mood and health."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "What if you drink juice from the wrong amount?" he asked.

"If you drink too little, you just feel sick," the chubby boy said. "But if you drink too much, you get blackberries growing out of your ears for a week. That's why they aren't that popular."

"What's the right amount?"

Neville shrugged. "I don't really remember. Probably better if we don't try to make any juice though."

Draco found himself agreeing. The image of berries growing out of his ears was quite disturbing. "How do you know all this?" the blond boy asked.

"Oh, you could say that plants, especially magical ones, are my hobby. I like them a lot," the other boy said with a smile.

After a moment, Draco found himself following his housemate, who seemed to know where he was going.

"Do you know where you're going?" he asked.

Neville glanced at him curiously. "Mostly yes, I'm following Trevor's path."

Draco was silent for a moment. He really didn't want to look stupid, but there was simply nothing to follow. "How do you know where your toad went? There's nothing that I can see."

"There is a slight disturbance in the grass and in the plants Trevor went through. I'm just following it," Neville said as he analyzed another plant.

Draco decided not to ask any more questions and just pretend that he understood. The other boy seemed to be particularly talented when it came to these sorts of things and Draco was left to simply follow and trust the boy's lead.

After a few more minutes, the boys seemed to finally reach their destination. Both of them stopped, listening carefully to the sounds that were coming from somewhere nearby.

"It's Trevor," Neville said. "He's… eating," the boy said in confusion.

The pair got closer to a big clearing from where the sound was coming from. Hidden behind a bush, they tried to glance at what was in front of them.

Draco, to his frustration, couldn't see anything. But by the look on his friend's face, he could tell that Neville was more lucky. Or maybe not, cause the boy looked absolutely terrified.

"What's going on? Is it Snape again?" he asked, taking a wild guess at what could potentially scare someone so much.

Neville shook his pale head silently. "It's way worse…" he whispered, "it's a girl."

Draco's eyebrows went as high as they possibly could. "A girl?" he repeated.

His chubby companion nodded. "A girl…"

"What is she doing?" Draco asked.

Neville gulped, his forehead covered in sweat. "She's… giving Trevor snacks and petting him," he said in a scandalized voice.

With his housemate still frozen in shock, Draco took the opportunity to also take a look at the girl. She was sitting on a yellow checkered blanket, with a basket near her right hand and Trevor, happily munching on something, near her left side. Draco didn't recognize the girl, but she seemed to be a Hufflepuff first-year.

Draco found himself giggling. "Neville, I think you were invited to a date," he said, looking at the other boy with a smile. Draco didn't really know what a date was supposed to look like, but it would be probably something like this. His cousin told him enough about her favourite romance novels for Draco to kind of get the general idea.

Neville was still frozen. "A date?" he mouthed. "Oh no…"

Draco patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, you just have to talk to her, maybe she's nice and you'll be friends," he said.

Neville looked defeated. "That's what I get for wanting an adventure…"

"Hello?" they heard a girlish voice and flinched. "Is anyone there? Is that you Neville?"

Neville glanced at Draco, panic evident in his eyes. "Oh no, what do I do?" he asked.

Draco gave him a smile. "Just go there and have fun. At the very least you'll get some free food, I think she wants to have a picnic with you."

"Draco, but my hands!" the boy whispered in panic.

Draco looked at the other boy's hands and grimaced. They were very visibly dirty from all the plant and ground touching that the boy did earlier.

"Help!" Neville whispered, the boys running out of time.

"I know a spell but I don't know if it will work, it should help you clean your hands," Draco offered.

Neville nodded quickly. "Try it, please."

Draco took out his wand and with all the concentration he could muster, waved it in front of his friend's dirty hands. "Scourgify!" he cast and to their astonishment, it worked almost perfectly.

"Thank you!" Neville beamed and with an encouraging pat on the back from Draco, he emerged from the bush to the girl's happy squeal.

Draco decided that his work here was done and, not wanting to eavesdrop on his friend's date, he sneakily walked back the way they came from.

After almost half an hour of walking, Draco decided that he was utterly lost in the Forbidden Forest. He tried his best to follow their earlier route, but it proved to be impossible without his companion.

His stomach rumbled and he found himself jealous of his chubby friend, probably enjoying some nice picnic food. Draco sighed. I should've just invited myself to the picnic, even if that would be rude.

As the boy slowly lost all hope of ever finding food and Hogwarts again, his musings were interrupted by a cold, harsh voice.

"Who is there?" the voice asked loudly.

Fortunately for Draco, it was a cold voice that he knew quite well. "Umm, it's just me, Draco, uncle," he said with no small bit of embarrassment.

To his relieved smile, the tall form of Severus Snape revealed itself from the shadows and his favourite uncle eyed him with some concern and worry.

"What exactly are you doing in the Forbidden Forest, Draco? Do you not yet understand the meaning of the word forbidden? Did your brain get shrinked because you hang out with your housemates too much?"

Draco didn't care that his uncle was insulting him. The boy simply went in for a hug, relieved that he at least won't be dying anytime soon.

"Err…" his uncle's anger seemed to have been forgotten already. "Let's get you back to the castle, you foolish child."