Lily Potter and the Potions Professor
Chapter 15: Something Amiss
"Lily!" called Hagrid from across the courtyard. "Lily!"
Lily turned and saw the form of her enormous friend beckoning her to him. She waved and detoured in his direction.
"How are you Hagrid?" she said as she reached him.
"I'm alright, but I've got a bit of sad news," he replied gloomily.
"What is it?" asked Lily anxiously.
"It's nothin' ter fret about," Hagrid reassured her and she relaxed a little. "It's about Fido."
"He's not sick is he?" asked Lily as she noticed Hagrid's eyes becoming moist.
"No, no, he's fine," said Hagrid. "But he's gone back ter the forest."
"What? Why? He's too little," exclaimed Lily wondering what on earth could've possessed Hagrid to allow a helpless little creature like Fido to fend for himself in the scary forest.
"He'll be ok," said Hagrid who was really fighting back the tears now. "He's with his mother."
"Oh," said Lily in relief although, like Hagrid, the news which should have been very welcomed made her a little disappointed. She had been looking forward to helping Hagrid raise the baby unicorn.
"One of the centaurs told me that the unicorns were all very sad because they'd lost one of their foals and then I told 'im about Fido," recounted Hagrid. "So I went and got Fido and took 'im along ter the herd and they were all overjoyed ter see 'im and I had ter let 'im go back to 'em."
Lily reached up and patted Hagrid's elbow in an attempt to comfort him.
"At least he's back with his family now," she said. "It's for the best."
"I know it is," said Hagrid. "But it was still hard to say goodbye ter 'im."
"How are the squid going anyway?" asked Lily trying to change the subject to something a bit more cheerful.
"Oh they're great," replied Hagrid brightening at the thought of them. "You should really come down and have a look one day before class. They're all growing and changin' colours. They really are marvellous for non-magic creatures."
Lily smiled and nodded but shifted uneasily on her feet as the guilt of not having gone to Hagrid's just for a visit since she'd returned to school set in.
"Anyway," continued Hagrid oblivious to Lily's shame. "I better get back to it. I'll see you around Lily."
"Bye, Hagrid," she answered and watched him wander off back towards the grounds.
"I hope you two aren't up to anything," said a quiet voice from directly behind Lily that made her jump.
She turned around and saw who she'd immediately known it was; Malfoy.
"You scared me," she said although she was grinning. "What do you mean up to something?"
"I just think you should be careful around...him," he replied as his eyes wandered in the direction of Hagrid's departing back.
Lily followed his gaze and then turned back to look at his face.
"Hagrid?" she asked in bewilderment.
"Yes, Hagrid," he said returning his eyes to her. "He keeps a lot of dangerous creatures. Creatures that I don't think even he can control."
"Don't be ridiculous. There is no one I'd trust more than Hagrid," she reassured him. "I've never felt threatened around him or the creatures he keeps." She was a little surprised at how defensive she'd become.
"Very well," replied Malfoy stiffly and Lily thought that she sensed a bit of jealousy in his tone before he softened it. "I just want to know that you're safe."
"I'm fine," she told him but couldn't help smiling because he cared.
He returned the smile and then turned to leave as the courtyard began to fill with other students.
Lily watched him until he was out of sight and she was still smiling at the thought of him when someone said her name, snapping her out of it.
"What were you thinking about?" said Rose grinning in a knowing way. "Not a boy was it?"
"No," said Lily immediately, trying to cover but only confirming Rose's theory.
"It was, wasn't it?" cried Rose excitedly before giggling. "Lily's in love!"
"Quiet!" urged Lily. "I am not."
"Yes, you are, I saw that look on your face," pursued Rose, still as loudly as ever.
"Keep it down," said Lily sternly as a few students around them began to look in their direction. "I'm not in love."
"I think you are Lily Luna Potter and I'm going to find out who with," Rose teased before grinning immenselyand joining a group of friends heading to their next class.
Lily stood there glued to the spot and fuming at herself. Now Rose knew that something was going on. Now Rose knew that Lily was in love. In love? Was she? Was Lily Potter in love with Draco Malfoy? She supposed that she was but now the question that came to her pushed all thoughts of Rose out of her head; was Draco in love with Lily?