Keeping silent, I let her drag us off to Professor Snape's office.

"You two, wait out here. And don't. Move." She warned, pointing her finger besides the door to his office. "I'll say when to come in."

Then she stormed in, slamming the door behind her.

"You idiot!" I hissed at Draco, shoving him away from me.

"It's not my fault! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, putting his hands up.

"Oh yes it is! You, and your stupid antics to meddle in everyone's business! You just can't lay low for a day! You drive me crazy! Snape is going to be furious with us!" I said, on the verge of tears.

"Vanice, I'm sorry." Draco mumbled, reaching out to pat my back.

The door slammed open before he could and McGonagall walked out, giving us a look.

"Both of you, in. Now." She snapped.

Making a face I stomped in, avoiding Snape's gaze. I managed to see that Archidia was leaning against his chair but I had sat in mine and looked down before I could see anything else. Draco had walked in slower, taking his place in the chair besides mine, scooting a bit away.

McGonagall closed the door and stood at the doorway, arms crossed.

"Well?" She said, waiting for either Professor Snape or one us to speak.

"Professor McGonagall tells us that you two were aimlessly wandering the halls." Archidia began.

Draco looked up annoyed.

"We have a good reason! Harry Potter has a dr-"

"Stop with this rubbish! There is no dragon!" McGonagall interrupted.

"Minerva, please." Snape said, rubbing his temples. "As far as I can comprehend, they did in fact break school rules. Disappointed as I may be, a punishment is necessary. What, perchance, do you propose?"

"Detentions. For both of them. I've already taken fifty house points from them, and-"

Archidia gasped.

"Fifty? Why so many?!"

Clearing her throat, McGonagall eyed me.

"Twenty each for rule breaking, and ten more from Miss Crypton, for her cheek. And as I was saying, detentions for both of them."

Mustering all the courage I had, I glanced up at Snape, waiting to see his reaction.

"Very well Minerva. Detentions for both of them."

He said it calmly, as if trying to end this conversation.

"That's all? No lecture? If these were my Gryffindor students, I would strictly discipline them, but then again if they were my students this would never happen-"

"Minerva, I suggest watching your tongue. Might I quickly remind you of the Weasley twins, and also, due to the fact that they are not your students, you do not get to have the pleasure of hearing me lecture them, on my own time. Now it is late, and I would like to go to bed, as I would think all of you desire."

Hiding my smile, I looked back down, hoping that would clear the old bat out of here.

"Severus, mind yourself of your students."

And with that she promptly left, closing the door and leaving us.

"This isn't fair!" Draco said once we were sure she was gone.

I snapped my head up and stared at Draco with anger.

"Fair!? Draco do you want to know what's unfair? Having to deal with you, having to deal with this stupid detention, all because of you!" I yelled, forgetting where I was. "I didn't have to be with you! You caused this, all on me!"

A hand on my shoulder immediately quieted me down, and tears threatened to leak again.

"Vanice, dear I'm sorry. We don't blame you, honestly." Archidia said softly, giving me a gentle hug.

"Minerva has the nerve to try and tell

me how to run my House." Snape muttered. "She's lucky I obliged to her terms."

"I hate her." I hissed, standing up. "I'm heading back to bed. Draco, I suggest you don't walk back with me, or you'll wake up by Hagrid's stupid hut."

Opening the door, I walked out, not looking back and walking straight to the Common Room.

The following morning, at breakfast, Draco nor I said a word to each other. I admit, I might have overreacted, but I don't like going back on my word.

"Oh Vanice, I'm sorry." Lydia had said once I had told her.

Owls began to fly in and notes were delivered to both of us:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock this Saturday. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

"Great. Eleven o'clock." I heard Draco mutter.

More sooner that later, Saturday came by, and as I was getting ready to leave, Draco talked to me for the first time since we were caught.

"Vanice, I really am sorry. Honest." He said, looking down.

Sighing, I looked at him and gave him a weak smile.

"It's alright."

We reached the entrance hall, and thinking we were leaving immediately, began to walk out, but Filch stopped us.

"We're still waiting on three more." He snapped.

At that moment, Granger, Potter and Longbottom came down the stairway, looking gloomy and worried.

I smirked, forgetting I was being punished too. Draco snickered beside me.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading us outside into the cold dark night.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at us. "Oh yes... hard work and pain are the

best teachers if you ask me... It's just a pity they let the old

punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a

few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in

case they're ever needed..."

Longbottom gasped and I raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was serious or not.

"Right, off we go, and don't think of

running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

We marched off across the dark grounds, and I kept close to Draco, while Longbottom kept sniffing.

The moon was bright, but clouds kept floating in front of if, making it dim. Ahead, you could see the lighted windows of the stupid hut.

Then there was a distant shout.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

I mentally groaned, and beside us, Potter began to smile.

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that

oaf?" Filch suddenly said. "Well, think again, boy - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Longbottom let out a little moan, and I stopped dead in my path with Draco.

"The forest?" Draco repeated, and he didn't sound quite as calm as usual.

"We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

I widened my eyes and unconsciously grabbed onto Draco's sleeve.

"Oh don't worry, Crypton. I'm sure your boyfriend here will keep you safe." Potter said, giving us a glare.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I'm not her boyfriend!"

But even so, I didn't let go of his sleeve.

Hagrid came striding toward us out of the dark, a fairly large dog at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. That didn't seem good.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added

nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp going away in the darkness.

Draco turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that forest." He said.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," the Gamekeeper retorted fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yehve got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd

be copying lines or something..."

I muttered.

"That's how it is at Hogwarts," The giant growled. "Copyin' lines!

What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or Yeh'll get out."

"When my father- "

"If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off

ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

We didn't move. Draco looked at him furiously, but then dropped his

gaze, pulling me closer.

"Right then," the giant said, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous

what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow

me over here a moment."

He led us to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he

pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the

thick black trees. A light breeze began to pick up as we looked into

the forest.

"Look there," he said, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" I said, unable to keep the fear out of my voice.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"We want Fang," said Draco quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," He said. "So me, Harry, Neville an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Vanice, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right?"

I immediately took out my wand, beginning to tremble.

"Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in

trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be

careful - let's go."

The forest was black and silent. A little way into it we reached a

fork in the earth path, and Draco, Fang and I took the right while the others took the left.

"This is not an appropriate detention." I said, clinging to Draco's arm.

"You're telling me, this is stupid! A dog who is a coward, a killer animal and a dumb unicorn." Draco muttered, walking slowly.

We kept walking until we made a complete circle, bumping into the others.

"Right, we're changin' groups - Neville, you stay with me an'

Hermione, Harry, you go with Vanice an' Draco." The Gamekeeper said, taking Fang.

Not bothering to talk, we set off into the heart of the forest with Potter. I stayed very close to Draco and we kept our distance from him, hating the fact that he was leading us.

We walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick.

"My feet hurt." I whined, pouting.

What began to catch my attention was that the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the unicorn had been thrashing around close by.

There was a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an old oak.

"Look -" Potter murmured, holding out his arm to stop us from continuing to walk.

Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. Reluctantly, we inched closer.

It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead.

It was sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.

"That's so sad..." I mumbled, hugging Draco's arm and frowning.

Potter was about to send up the sparks when a slithering sound made him freeze.

A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered...

Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. We all stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

Something in my brain clicked.

Run.

"WEREWOOOOLLLLFFFF!" I let out a terrible scream and bolted - so did Draco and we pulled Potter with.

"I HATE THIS FOREST!" I screamed, heading all the way back to the hut.

Once we were out of the forest, I stopped, panting for breath and fell to my knees, pulling Draco down with me.

"I...just want...to get...to bed..." He panted, sitting up.

"Harry! Harry, are you all right?" Granger cried behind us.

"The unicorn's dead!" I told Hagrid once he was close enough. "It's in that clearing back there. I hope you're happy."

"Ge' back ter yer beds now. Go on!" He said, going back to the unicorn.

Standing up, I began to head back, not even waiting for Filch.

"Draco come on let's go." I whined, wanting to tell Snape and them what we saw, but wanting to go to bed more.

He ran to catch up and I took his arm again.

"Alright let's go."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Do you not like this story? Why are there no reviews? It's nearly done and I am planning to write the second one, mind you, reviews do keep the souls going.

•Q.O.C...

-Was this a cute moment for Draco and Vanice?

So please, R&R, F&F and Never EVER Tickle A Sleeping Dragon!