Don't you guys just hate New Year resolutions? They never seem to go anywhere. ;)
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While the two born again wizards mused with one another on the death of the most evil Dark Lord their world had seen in centuries, Galadriel stirred in her sleep. The Lady of Light was troubled, not by the darkness that lurked on the horizon but by something else. To her and her husband, Celeborn, the souls of all elves shone like burning suns in the gloom of the coming Age. She knew that no elves resided in Fangorn yet two souls of a brightness that rivalled the most Powerful of the Elven Lords had suddenly appeared in the middle of that ancient wood. When Galadriel reached out to touch those souls, she hit a barrier that repelled her with such force she awoke with a terrible start. Disturbed, the Lady retreated back into her sleep, knowing that Celeborn would want to council with others on the matter when she told him of the occurrence. Such beautiful light those two souls shone with.
Valar protect those bright souls from the darkness in Fangorn, she prayed before dreams claimed her once more.
***
After talking for sometime, the two little wizards found out the facts of their situation. Draco was shaking slightly but could in fact move around, albeit slowly. Both could perform wandless magic though they would have to take turns when performing tasks such as building a shelter or making clothes and the like. Harry was the stronger of the two and bigger by an inch or so. Since Harry had been healthy when the spell took them, all heavy magic such as defense and offense spells would fall to him for the first few days. Summoning some food and cooking utensils had been easy enough for Harry. After which Harry had built a small fire pit with rocks from the stream. Casting a version of the Bluebell Flame had been simple and soon the smell of cooking bacon and eggs filled the clearing. As the hours moved on, the air chilled slightly and the shafts of sunlight faded. Instructing Harry to bring him all the moss and dry leaves he could find, Draco had cast a charm. Where the big pile of moss had been now lay a giant green blanket that felt like the finest wool to the touch. Banking the fire for the night and making sure the Tutela spell was in effect, the two tired little boys snuggled down for the night. And the cares of the old world slipped off their minds with ease.
The two did not know it but the physiology of their new bodies compelled them to feel at home, to feel safe surrounded by these ancient trees and the strange new stars that whispered to them of comfort and home. And for once they did not fight against the feeling of safety.
***
Draco was warm and comfortable. Well, as much as he could be on hard dirt. Stupid Potter had forgotten a cushioning charm. It was such a foreign sensation he had to struggle for a moment to remember the events that led up to him being warm and comfortable. Shifting slightly Draco felt something wrapped around his middle. Looking over his shoulder he found that the green eyed midget had plastered himself along Draco's back. Ignoring the fact that they seemed strangely (under the circumstances) at ease with one another's nudity, they seemed to have survived the night no worse for wear. Thank Merlin Draco knew how to conjure raw food stuffs or they probably would have been eating leaves and twigs if it had been left to Potter. After a good meal and surprisingly deep sleep, Draco felt refreshed and much stronger than he had yesterday.
Wiggling his way out of Potter's sleepy embrace he stood and stretched his tiny body, free for once from aches and pains. He felt strangely renewed, as if he had been sick for a long time and had finally gotten his strength back. Walking over to the stream Draco splashed his face with the cool liquid and knelt for a moment, staring at the face that was reflected. With the exception of the pointed ears and random scars he'd gained in his teenage years, he looked almost exactly as he had when he when he was five.
Looking around at the clearing, Draco took in details he'd been too tired to take in yesterday. It wasn't sun up yet. Everything had that pale grey tinge of pre-dawn to it and the morning birds had yet to awake. The clearing was little more than a hollow ten feet across and ten wide carpeted with grass nearly as green as Harry's eyes. The trees that leaned over the little glade would have been giants even if the young men had retained their original height of six feet. The bark was dark and gnarled. Draco could almost imagine that there were smiling faces in the trunks, as disturbing as that thought was. The small stream running through came from the east and was only about two feet deep. Near the edge of the glade it widened and deepened to form a pool. On the opposite side of the pool the side of the hollow steepened to form a shelf of earth that smelled like it was covered in some kind of herb…probably mint by the smell of it.
The fire and the utensils Potter had conjured last night had disappeared once they were unneeded. Draco had thought they would be staying in the clearing for at least a week or so but with the intrusion of a foreign mind last night it most likely wasn't to be. At least he could create some basic items. Hopefully the magic of an adult wizard wouldn't overwhelm this small body of his. To start with he shot a Permanence and Renewing charm on the moss blanket he had made last night. Just in time too if the slightly deteriorating, mossy condition of the cloth was any indication. Draco glanced at the mussed head of black hair peeking out of the blanket and grinned. As amusing as it would be to have Potter traveling around bare arsed, Draco didn't think his eyes would survive the horror. With that thought in mind, Draco got to work.
***
Harry was aware of a few things as he slipped out of sleep. He was warm, even though he was in the shade and snuggled in what seemed like a down quilt. It almost felt like he was on a mattress but Harry knew he hadn't cast a Cushioning spell last night. The smell of tea, coffee and biscuits mixed with that of herbs, while the low murmur of Malfoy's voice casting filled the air. Sleepily Harry opened his eyes. The scene before him was quite strange.
Malfoy was sitting on what looked like a knee high stone mushroom before the fire pit, where Bluebell Flames cooked breakfast and by heavens! there was the coffee pot. Beside the blond lay another pile of moss and leaves like the one Harry had gathered last night. A pair of twigs that looked vaguely like knitting needles looped and pulled and twisted the organic matter into the familiar form of trousers. Coming awake by degrees Harry recognized the Sticking and Permanence charms Malfoy was muttering under his breath. Malfoy was already wearing a pair of green pants, so the second pair must have been for him.
"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. Malfoy turned around and snorted.
"I don't want to be looking at your naked arse for the rest of eternity, Potter and I'm sure you don't want to be looking at mine. We'll be going around in these till I can make up more."
Harry watched the other child go back to his muttering for a moment. Getting up and walking over to the stream, Harry washed the sleep out of his eyes. Looking down, he realized the hair that had been at his shoulders as an adult now reached his waist. Sneaking a look at Malfoy it seemed the same was true with the blonde. Summoning two ties of leather Harry proceeded to braid the dark strands back away from his face. Going over to Malfoy, he tapped a pale shoulder and offered the last tie. Distractedly the other took it and also braided his hair, still concentrating on the pile of moss. Going over to the blanket Harry folded it up, set it down and returned to the fire for breakfast. Once he was done, Harry went to the stream once more and sat. The breeze was back. Once again quick and fresh, it blew the smell of water and green growing things through the clearing.
Malfoy's mutterings stopped and with a quick jerk, the other child freed the material from the twigs. Walking over to Harry he handed the trousers to the brunette. As Harry pulled them on and tied the drawstring close, Malfoy summoned another giant toadstool for Harry. Malfoy motioned for him to sit. Silver eyes stared him for a moment before they glanced at the trees.
"Did you notice it, Potter?" Malfoy asked in a quiet voice, barely audible above the rustling tree branches.
"What? Are you talking about the trees or the fact that it feels like someone's watching us? Someone probed our minds last night, but I don't think they were able to get past the barrier spell." Harry spoke back in an equally quiet voice.
"I thought I was just imagining things last night, but if you felt it too…"Malfoy trailed off, his eyes taking on a far away look.
"We should probably be careful with our magic from here on out if someone is trying to find us." Harry said, bring Malfoy back from his thoughts. Nodding quickly, Malfoy continued.
"We shouldn't stay in one place either. If we both make enough basic necessities to last the next month or so, we can forage for the rest. A Bottomless bag is easy enough to make as is Bottled Bluebell Flame. As for the trees, Potter, were you actually listening to their whispers last night or did you just catch part of it?"
Harry flushed with embarrassment. He had only caught part of the murmurings the night before but what he had caught had sent something cold skittering up his spine.
"Ignoring the fact that we're discussing talking trees right now, most of them seemed to be warning us away from the dark ones, Huorns, I think they said." Malfoy spoke on, ignoring Harry's embarrassment. "Apparently the dark trees are near a border of some sorts, so we must be very close to the edge of whatever forest we're in. If we keep moving we're sure to come across someone who can tell as where we are."
"Why not ask the trees if you trust them so much?" Harry asked sarcastically. Malfoy looked startled for a moment, then beamed at Harry. The sight made him slightly nervous. The blonde stood up suddenly and walked over to a tree, muttering under his breath. Harry gaped after him. Malfoy hadn't actually taken him seriously, had he?
***
"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" Draco cursed himself. The solution to their whereabouts had been right in front of him the whole time and it had taken Potter's sarcastic comment to make him realize that. Trotting up to a giant sycamore, Draco laid his palms against the smooth bark and closed his eyes. He knew he probably looked incredibly stupid just standing there half naked and trying to talk to a tree, if the barely audible laughter behind him was any indication but he refused to care. If his time under Voldemort's wand had taught him anything, it was that no matter how stupid you looked…whether you were trying to talk to a tree or trying not to puke your organs out…embarrassment didn't help in the end. It was a useless emotion just like so many others, Draco thought morbidly.
As the small child was consumed in memories of his time in captivity, a mind not his own brushed gently against the shields of his Occlumency. Hoping he wasn't making a mistake, Draco opened his mind. And was overwhelmed by the senses of many. Vaguely aware that he had fallen to the ground, Draco heard Potter yell in distress. Then he knew nothing but green.
***
Far away at the Misty Mountains feet a roar so loud that it shook the very stones from the cloudy peaks echoed through the air. A great tearing and trampling could be heard as the ancient Sheppard of Fangorn crashed through the silent groves of his charges, searching for the source of his pain.
***
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Enjoy! I didn't even get a migraine on this one, I was so hyped up on hot chocolate and homemade blackberry coffeecake! By the way, Huorns are Ents that became treeish or trees that became Entish, no one really knows. They are very dangerous, vengeful and less intellectual than the Ents. Basically meaning they can't talk understandably to other races like Treebeard can. Huorns can create darkness to conceal their movements and move extremely fast. They also hate anything that chops wood(Dwarves, Men, Orcs) If you want to know more, look them up on Wikipedia. Also tutela is latin for "guard". So the Tutela Spell metioned is basically a guard or guardian spell. Cheers!