The Heiress of Slytherin

A Walk in The Park

As Draco and Ivy made their way to the courtyard in the back of the castle where they were told to gather for detention, her previously perfect mood had dimmed slightly but was still shockingly upbeat considering the night ahead of them. She had even refrained from berating Draco any further about landing them in this mess. He was more grateful than curious about this, so he chose to just accept his stroke of luck.

At the designated spot, they met Harry, Neville, Hermione and Filch. The Gryffindors smiled at Ivy, who had beamed immediately upon seeing them, and much to Ivy's relief, completely ignored Draco. Perhaps she wouldn't have to be the mediator McGonagall and herself had suspected she would be after all.

They walked down a hill and through a bridge as a group, towards a little hut that sat on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest. As they walked, Ivy could hear Filch spewing some nonsense about how he missed the 'old punishments'. Rolling her eyes, Ivy leaned over to Harry, who was walking next to her and whispered:

"Do you reckon they actually had these punishments or is Filch just going barmy and mixing up his daydreams with reality?" Harry snorted with laughter, and Ivy smiled before she heard Draco scoff from her other side.

"Got something you want to share with the group, Stone, or is this only a secret for perfect Potter to hear?" Ivy rolled her eyes as dramatically as she could, trying to recall why she tolerated this idiot.

"Actually, I do have something to share with the group Malfoy," He glared at her from the side of his eyes, which widened with shock when she began pummeling him in between each of her words. "Don't. Be. A. Bloody. Prat." Draco scampered out of her reach and rubbed his arm, looking at her with an offended gaze.

Ivy just narrowed her eyes at him and looped her arm through Harry's, who was laughing loudly, pulling him ahead to walk with Neville and Hermione.

When they reached the hut, Hagrid was waiting outside of it with a massive crossbow and a large black dog. Ivy bent down and introduced herself to the dog, before scratching behind his ears and under his chin, making him nuzzle into her shoulders approvingly. She giggled as he almost pushed her over while listening in to the conversation going on above her.

Hermione and Harry were talking to Hagrid about someone named Norbert, which thought was an incredibly odd name, who had apparently moved to Romania. He seemed very upset about it, and Ivy reckoned it must have been a good friend of the large man. She straightened up and offered him her best comforting smile, craning her neck up to do so.

He smiled back down at her; they didn't run into each other often, but both felt that they greatly liked the other for some reason that they couldn't quite puzzle out.

After muttering some more words, which Ivy entirely tuned out, Filch hobbled back up to the school. Ivy turned and saw that Draco looked quite white. Perhaps she ought to have been paying attention. The group started walking towards the forest, and Ivy realised the meaning behind her friends fear.

Hagrid stopped and pointed at a pool of iridescent white liquid. "What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something. So, it's our job to find the poor beast. Neville, Hermione, you'll come with me. Ivy, Harry, Draco, you'll form another group."

Draco was shaking next to Ivy, and with a stab of sympathy, she decided to forgive him for being so annoying all the time. She reached down to grab his hand, which he squeezed back fiercely. His voice was slightly calmer when he then spoke up, "Okay. Then we get Fang!"

Hagrid narrowed his eyes slightly at the rudeness in Malfoys tone, and Ivy grimaced apologetically at him. She knew that it was just Draco trying not to sound as petrified as he was, but nobody else could be expected to know that. Hagrid caught her gaze, and softened, nodding his head. "Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."