A/N: I'm back

"The forbidden forest?" Harry asked. His fingers rubbed a page of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration nervously. "The only thing I know is that it's forbidden."

Nott snorted. His lips twisted in an almost sneer. "Brilliant observation, Potter."

Harry stared at the other boy and shrugged. "You asked what I know."

"Don't listen to all that nonsense about the horrors of the forest. It's fun for those of us who belong to the darkness." Nott's excitement caressed his voice and made his eyes wide and shiny. But what did he mean by 'belonging' to the darkness? "I'm thinking that you cannot be as light and airy as everyone says."

"I don't believe that a house decides your destiny." Harry's shoulders slumped forward. He hoped it didn't. His mind traveled to the times when his Uncle claimed that his soul was rotting with the darkness that killed his parents. When he was younger, that comment hadn't made much sense. How could a car accident turn someone evil? But now, he thought he understood. He had heard whispers that Voldemort had left something dark within him. They were convinced that was why he had ended up in Slytherin.

"Guess you'll have to find that out for yourself." Nott tapped his fingers against the tabletop. He seemed nervous and uncomfortable. "Would you like to go on an adventure?" Nott's voice still sounded a bit wary, and he constantly looked around with his dark eyes. He seemed to be waiting for something to jump out.
"An adventure?" Harry attempted to hide the excitement in his voice. He hadn't really been included in anything since he'd come to Hogwarts. Maybe Theodore really did want to be friends.

Theodore leaned forward and his voice dropped to a low whisper, "I saw Quirrel wandering into the forbidden forest, last night. He held a purple bag of some sort in his hands. And when he came back out, it was gone."

Harry flushed with excitement. He was glad he wasn't the only one who found the Defense professor to be suspicious. Harry, mimicking the other boy's hunched over position, muttered, "but what could he possibly leave in the forest?" His scar tingled at the thought of his last encounter with Quirrel.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." The other nodded and gripped the strap of his bag tightly. "Meet me tonight by the astronomy tower after curfew." And without another word, he left.
-

'Secrets will forever hinder you'. The soft words bumped and slid against the ridges inside of his brain. Harry's hands cradled a small, steaming cup of tea. He sat, quite uncomfortably, in Snape's living quarters. The man sat across from him. His eyes prodded deep into Harry's soul. His face was twisted with anger and his nostrils flared. Harry tried to swallow around his tongue. It throbbed. He had quickly tried the tea, and burnt himself, halfway through Snape telling him of such an outcome.

Harry was shaking. What they had found in the forest had been next to horrific. The mangled body of a Unicorn had greeted their entrance to the forest. Theodore had fled at the sight muttering something about needing to firecall his mother. When Harry had left the forest, he had found something almost as horrifying as the uniform. He had been ushered down into the dark dungeon by a stiff, guiding hand. Snape had grumbled about the 'golden boy ignoring the rules'. Harry was nauseous with nervousness. This had been the second time his head of house had caught him roaming about after curfew. He couldn't get on his good side if he kept breaking the rules. Harry screwed his eyes shut. Stupid.

"Nothing to say?" The Professor hissed, setting his own teacup onto the table.

Harry looked down into the dark pool of tea. He had much to say but he refused to utter a word around the man. He craved something from his Professor. He had genuinely hoped to find a warm haven at Hogwarts. But what he found left a sickly bitter taste in his mouth. He pressed his back into the soft couch. He wanted to escape but his body refused.

Snape looked irritated. His hand twitched next to his thigh like he was going to reach over and slap Harry. Harry took in the dark surroundings, the warm fireplace, and the well-read books casting dubious shadows from their cases.

"Why were you out past curfew?" The man spoke again, his voice a harsh whisper.

Harry could feel the man's displeasure rolling out of his robes. It shot across the floor and wrapped around his ankles, leaving the young Slytherin motionless. The man likely wouldn't leave him alone without an adequate explanation. He was trapped. He wanted to make the man… Proud? Harry really couldn't say. He was eleven and trapped by a dark eyed gaze.

"I can't sleep," Harry whispered, almost horrified to admit it. A part of him believed the man only wanted to exploit his problems. The other part was ready to spill his insides onto the floor in a great show. It had been the reason last time. He hoped it would be sufficient this time around.

The man raised one eyebrow, as if urging the boy to finish his excuse because surely, that wasn't it.

"It was a nightmare made me go out there. I was running, or I'm always running. I have this dream a lot." His hand crept to the back of his neck and he rubbed it anxiously. He took three quick breaths before continuing. "I run so far and for so long that my legs twinge. I get too hot and breathing becomes difficult. I start to…" Harry stopped, and placed his cup on the table, carefully, making sure not to spill a drop. He rubbed his knees. He needed to watch himself. "I always wake up outside." Again, he felt the fracture of his thoughts. His mind licked the fissure in his story. It would be better than what the real reason.

"Does anything else happen in these nightmares of yours, Mr. Potter?" The man seemed almost bored with the conversation. His head titled to the side as if almost nodding off.

Harry's feet knocked together nervously. It made a quick thumping noise. The Professor looked down his nose at the noise. Harry stopped. "There's always a bright green light and screaming. It's a woman, y'know… She's screaming and I always try to run to her because I want… I want to help her. Sometimes the screaming stops and she tells me that it is okay and that she loves me. Other times, the screaming stops but it becomes very cold. As though she's no longer there." Harry wrapped his arms around his body. Even though he was recounting the story, he could almost feel the cold chill of her silence in that moment.

Professor's Snape's eyes widened and some unrecognizable emotion flickered through them like a dying light bulb. The man cleared his throat. "Despite the oddity of your particular case, I will not allow your indiscretion to go unpunished. Do not begin to think that I will permit you to break the rules like some spoiled brat. Detention for the rest of the week starting tomorrow after dinner."

Harry stood, his back straightened in a manor teeming with defiance. He wanted to smirk at his own intelligence. Then, as if pricked by a pin, he deflated. He had lied to the person he wanted to impress. He felt the lying had been necessary but wondered if he had somehow made a mistake. "All right," he mumbled after a deciding moment. His Professor examined him with an eyebrow raised. Harry grouched, mentally, about how worthless their conversation had been. He could have told Hedwig if he had wanted a better response.

The man stood in a great whirl of robes and inky locks. "Wait here," Professor Snape commanded and stalked back into another room.
Harry glanced down at the table. The teacup he had used sat mostly full. He imagined all of the other children who had sat in the same place, with the same cup pressed to their lips. His shoulders slumped forward.

The man came back, a small vial in his hand. The dark eyes peered down at him, searching deeply for something, as if he was a specimen under a microscope.
"For your nightmares." He said. His tone was curt. He seemed angry once again, but Harry couldn't figure out why.

When Harry reached out to grab the vile, Snape gripped his wrist painfully. "If I find that you have been lying to me about the events of tonight, you will find yourself in a very unfortunate position. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Harry whispered.

"You are dismissed."

-
Harry slipped down the corridor. He had to find Theodore. He hadn't seen the other all day. Suddenly, he was yanked into a nearby classroom. The door shut behind him.

"Potter." A voice whispered and the painful grip disappeared.

"Theodore?" Harry frowned, "Where have you been?"

The weedy boy looked frazzled. There were dark circles under his eyes. "Researching." He gestured to a single book placed open on the table. The room was empty and seemed to have been for years. Theodore's robes were lying across a chair and his tie was thrown on the floor. Nott walked over to the opened book and flipped through the pages.

"Did you talk to your mother?" Harry asked, remembering what the other had said during the night.

Theodore turned, looking a bit like an owl with his eyes wide open. "What?"

"You said you would firecall your mother when you left." Harry said as he stepped a tiny bit away from the other.

"Oh. I, uh, did." He frowned and turned back to the book. "I didn't mean to leave you by yourself last night. I saw Professor Snape coming towards the forest but I needed to get to the library before I lost my train of thought." His finger slid down a dusty page as he searched each line of text.

Harry stepped closer and stood next to the other. He peered down at the book but found he couldn't read a single word on the page. "What language is that?"

"French," he murmured.

"Where did you get that?" The book seemed ancient and Nott handled it very carefully.

"Someone owed my father a favor." He muttered. His finger paused on a word. "Here it is. Le Sang de Licorne, or Unicorn's blood, when ingested can give immortality to even those closest to death. If you so choose to drink the sacred unicorn blood, beware. Those who drink it shall live a cursed life."

"But what does that mean? Someone drank the blood of that Unicorn to make themselves immortal?" Harry wondered and reached out towards the book.

Nott gripped Harry's wrist. "Yes, Potter. But do not touch the book. The side effects are a bit… Unpleasant." Nott showed him the palm of his free hand. Black
splotches marked his pale skin. "Now," he said, loosening his painful hold on the other, "this pales in comparison to what would happen to someone of impure blood."

"Impure blood?" He had heard that a few times around the common room but he couldn't quite figure out what that meant.

"Yes, you are a half-blood. Born to a pureblood father and a mudblood mother. I am, however, a pure-blood." He smiled but it seemed tinged with something dark. "I suppose your fame makes up a bit for your blood status. If I found you unworthy, I wouldn't be speaking to you."

That left a bitter taste in Harry's mouth. "What an honor," Harry groused. "If you were looking for someone more of your stature maybe you should hang out with Malfoy instead."

Theodore shifted uncomfortably and rolled his shoulders. "I apologize. I have not had many companions and I do not know how to treat you." The other looked away.

"It's okay," Harry breathed. "I haven't had many friends either. I'm sure we'll figure it out."

The taller one turned, dark eyes shining, "Good."

"Why did you want me to help you?" The question had been bothering Harry all day.

"I feel your power. I know how great it is. Others are afraid of you, they know that some You-Know-Who's powers lie within you and that scares them. I know that you will be a very worthy ally. My father always says to make sure you are always with the one who will go the farthest." He shut the book and held it against his chest. "The teachers think your magic is wild because you are young but I know it will only grow. I've read about this type of thing before. Once you learn to control your power, you'll be the most powerful player. As for Malfoy, we are at a crossroads with a few of our views at the moment."

The look in Theodore's eyes was almost unbearable. Harry could feel how nervous and power hungry the other was. Harry didn't want to lose his only friend.
Harry wasn't powerful. He was out of control, just like everyone said. He couldn't control his emotions. During his detention, Snape had made a comment about his Father. Harry, angry beyond measure, exploded a few of the vials around the classroom. Snape was horrified and assigned him another week of detention but he called it "a way to learn to control your pathetic emotions".

"What would happen to me?" Harry asked, eyeing the book carefully.

"Ah, your skin would rot off." Theodore smirked.