(A/N): Hey Guys! And no, I shouldn't be doing work at the moment, I finished it already... The teacher's trying to set something else but his computer isn't working, so... yesssss!

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.

Leo

Thoughts whirred through my head, I panted for breath even though I was walking at a normal- well, it was a bit fast for a human actually- pace. I could hear Remus and Elaine trying to follow me but they were slowly losing me- too slow, especially with Remus in his weakened state.

Then I scented something new. Someone new. Well, not new, but they hadn't been there before.

I paused in my walking, choosing to wring my hands instead in order to placate my frayed nerves.

"Brooke." I greeted her as she approached, not looking up, nor turning around.

"Leo." She didn't sound surprised that I knew it was her, and instead moved to my side.

"We may want to move unless we want the terrible twosome to find us." I told her, hearing Elaine and Remus slowly catching up.

"Lead the way." She said, waving a hand to get me moving but I rolled my eyes, instead taking a deep breath and scooping her up into my arms and taking off at a run.

Seconds later, we were a few feet back from the edge of the Forbidden forest, shrouded by the trees from any prying eyes.

"I heard there were spiders in here..." I snorted quietly.

"Big ones." I agreed, causing her to blanch, examining the floor around us with wide, darting eyes.

"I don't like spiders..." She whispered, and I rolled my eyes before grabbing her again.

...

"I also really don't like heights." She murmured anxiously as we perched in the tree tops, and I grinned at her.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall." It felt wrong saying wrong that to her, I didn't know why...

"Strangely enough, that doesn't help." She said, a small, weak smile on her lips. "Aren't we going to miss class...?" I shrugged.

"Does it matter to you?" She thought about it for a second before also shrugging.

"Not all that much actually. You?" I shook my head.

"Not at the moment, no. Besides, I have Minnie first, she'll probably just give me a detention and move on." She raised an eyebrow at the nickname and I smirked.

"How'd she take to that nickname?" I winced slightly, and she giggled.

"Not as badly as she could have." I admitted, though, honing my senses, I could still hear everything inside the castle.

Lessons were only just now going in, we could still make it.

"If you want, you can still go..." She cut me off with a shake of her head.

"Not until you're okay." It was an odd sentiment, given our positions. Shouldn't I be the one worried about her, not the other way around?

"I'm fine Brooke, I just needed a breather." She raised an eyebrow, giving me a look that told me she knew that I was full of shit. "It was either that or punch Severus in the face." She paused for a second, biting her lip.

"Is he that Slytherin who always hangs out with your friend Lily?" I nodded an affirmative before shrugging.

"He may or may not know that I'm half-vampire." She gasped quietly, before her wide eyes narrowed into a deadly glare.

"He better not say anything or-" I smiled at her, resting a hand on her shoulder lightly.

"Don't worry, Minnie would kick his arse for me if he did."

(A/N): Yeah... So, I just had to do my new assignment for science, which is why it took me so long to write this... I have recess in ten minutes, then a double of maths afterwards, so I might write another chapter then if we still don't have work to do.

This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 30/12/22