Minerva was the first to speak. "Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, both of you"

Both boys responded. "Well, what it is..."

Then, the girl cut in. "It's my fault, Professor McGonagall." Everyone turned to look at her. Minerva looked surprised. "Miss Granger?" You figured she was in the older wizard's class. Miss Granger continued. "I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead."

Minerva breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Be that as it may be...it was an extremely foolish thing to do." You noticed Harry staring intently at Severus' leg. You looked down only to notice the trousers' leg torn and a large cut on it. Severus quickly noticed and covered it up, glaring back at the poor boy. "I would have expected more rational behavior on your part, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. As for you two gentlemen I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points...will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck."

The teachers began to file out, leaving only you, Severus and Quirrell behind. The troll would quickly be taken care of.

Quirrell decided now was a good time to speak, as you looked petrified at the troll. You were as grey as a statue and it even worried Severus a touch. "Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh."

Then, it snorted and twitched.

"OH galloping gorgons!!" You screeched and tried to climb your way onto Severus' body. Both men in the room gave a slight chuckle and although Severus didn't try and deter the contact, he did usher you out of the room and towards the teachers' quarters. They were, of course, separated by gender, but as Quirrell split to his quarters, Severus continued on your walk to yours.

"D-Don't you have to go that way?" You looked towards the left.

"I would normally, but you have such a grip on my overcoat that if I were to try and walk away I'm afraid it would rip." The dark man pointed out to you. And as you looked down at your hand, you did indeed notice the tightness in which it was clenching his clothing.

You released it and paused in your step. "I apologize..."

"No need. Why are you so frightened by trolls?" Severus inquired curiously.

You didn't see a need to hide the reason from him. "When my sister and I would share a room, she would tell me there was a troll outside the window waiting for me to sleep and eat my bones. Then, when I would finally pass out from exhaustion, she would wake me up with a troll face!" You shivered at the memory. "Just cruel."

Severus smiled at the childish memory. "Cruel indeed."

"S-Severus?" You looked up at him with knitted brows in a way that made his heart pound.

"Yes, Esmeralda?" His voice was quiet again.

"What bit your leg?"