Chapter Four:

Harvesting was commonly done several times before the Moon Festival. There were only a handful of occasions when Moon Flowers were in full-bloom; often it fell under the guidance of a full moon. Through the ancients, their stories revealed that magical aura is naturally connected to the moon and reaches its peak when the moon is in its fullest.

Yearly, all entrants for binding were tasked to do the picking. These were the ones available for marriage. During the festival, they will ask for a blessing to be bound. Not all pleas are answered; therefore, not everyone who wished to wed will be granted permission. This is why the unmarried youth were also encouraged to participate as well for a chance to finally be bound.

"Hey old man!" Theo called over his shoulder with a feral smirk. He currently led a group of four deeper into the forest. Draco was a few paces behind him; a red-head named Ron a little further back while the green-eyed brunette was lagging far behind. "Can't you keep up?"

Harry grunted as a reply while he attempted to lunge over a particularly large tree root. This was worse than his sparring sessions with Evan. They were always in the confines of the castle when they trained; never were they outside the walls. The red-head saw his difficulty and took pity.

"Don't mind him, mate" Ron gingerly said, offering his hand to Harry before the man completely fell into a ditch. Emerald eyes looked up at him gratefully.

"Thanks" Harry muttered with a huff. His arm strained as he struggled to hold on. The red-head took pity on him and pulled him up with little effort. He flashed the man a smile of embarrassment. "I'm not really much for the forest."

"Theo's just being an arse 'cause your living with his fiancé!" Ron laughed throatily before wiping a bit of sweat that formed on his brow. He patted Harry on the back good-naturedly. "I'm Ron by the way" He introduced, reaching out his hand once more for a handshake.

After dinner the previous night, Lucius had offered Harry a room to stay in. Though reluctant, the brunette finally agreed after much persuasion from Narcissa and much to frustration of Theo. Draco didn't raise an opinion but he did give Harry a shy smile as they retired to their rooms.

"Harry" The brunette shook the hand firmly. "Nice to meet you" He greeted, returning the smile. His body was still too weak to try any magic. According to the books, it was best he wait for it to return. And if his theory was correct, he might be able to apparate home during the full moon.

All he needed to do was wait and may be learn a bit about the natives a bit more. He wasn't sure who had jurisdiction over this village. One thing he was sure about was that it wasn't under Gryffindor. Maybe it was under Ravenclaw? Or Hufflepuff?

Ron released a throaty laugh. "You're mighty respectful aren't you?" He said with a grin as they struggle to catch up with Draco and Theo. Harry laughed with the red-head. "So how old are you anyway? You can't possibly older than us by much"

The question took Harry by surprise. So far, no one has asked him any personal questions yet—just the name was enough. "I actually just turned twenty-one a few months back." He said with a chuckle. "But people say I look a lot younger"

"Woah! I scrawny guy like you is twenty-one?" Ron looked a bit appalled but he quickly recovered from it. He even teased Harry good-naturedly. They were moving in a steady pace now. "You must be joshing me! You don't look a day over nineteen at best!"

"Yeah. I get that a lot." Harry jested back. Somehow Ron's companionship had helped him a great deal. It was easier to keep up with someone guiding you. "Especially when I you see me with my older twin brother. He is the athletic one between the two of us. I'm the book-ish twin."

"I've got twin brothers myself. They're the pranksters in the family." Ron nodded in agreement. He knew these woods just as well as he knew the back of his hand—every root, ditch and tree; he'd grown up in it after all! "I'm turning seventeen in a couple of moons myself. A bit late for marrying age here in these parts but I was waiting for my bride to finally turn sixteen!"

Harry would have laughed if he wasn't in another riff. It was obvious that the forest recognized his magical signature; he felt the wards shift dramatically since they entered this morning. It was trying to draw him in with an annoying buzzing at the back of his head.

"Mate?" Ron's voice drifted back into his ears. It snapped him back to reality. This was the present and he was currently attempting to wrestle-free from the vines. He was tempted to spell the blasted crops away but his books from the castle suggested that it was a bad idea. He chocked a response.

Elemental Magic was one of the purest forms in the world. They cannot be altered, tampered or changed in any way. It protected itself well, casting wards and incapacitating magic within what it thought of was sacred territory; hence the reason why Moon Flowers were harvested by hand. They passed the barrier not long ago.

"Back here. Vines. Foot." Harry managed to choke out as he attempted to pry his captured foot from the aggressive greens. This was harder than it seemed. He often walked through the forest of Gryffindor before, at least the part with was within the castle walls, and never had he been attacked by anything. Perhaps it was because those forests regocnized him as part of the royal family.

This was a difficult situation.

"Here, use this!" Ron called out, throwing a knife to Harry. The blade was well-aimed, severing a few centimeters of the brunette's fringe just before embedding on the bark behind him. The boy was too slow too react. If he had moved even an inch, the sharp edge would have cut him.

Harry laughed a nervous laugh before pulling the tool away from its nestling place. "Thanks uhm… Ron" He managed to say from behind shaking teeth. That was close, too close than he would have liked. Slowly but surely, he began cutting at the vein trapping his leg. He felt the tinge of magic ripple up his hand as the tree responded to him.

"Let go of my leg and I promise to stop." He whispered, stroking the hard wood with his back turned to Ron. Not everyone talked to plants, he wasn't sure if the red-head would understand what he was doing. For now, he didn't want to break anymore of this village's customs. "I know it hurts but you left me no choice. Please let go of my leg."

This time the ancient tree heard him and carefully the knot around his ankles loosened. He smiled triumphantly before turning back to his companion.

"You cut it?" Ron's inquiry came from not so far away. The boy had managed to stay exactly where he was, a couple of meters away. Harry gaped at the realization. The knife was thrown that far away? It was a difficult feet to master. Slowly he shook his head.

"Didn't need to cut it" He said gently, motioning to the unmarred roots which had previously held him captive. "Skinny leg and bony ankles aren't really the best buggers to hold on to." He said in jest, hoping that the other would simply nod it off. Thankfully Ron did. "Slipped right out"

The pair continued to walk in relative silence with a couple more mishaps happening to Harry. He got bruised knuckles, sore ankles and a gash on the side of his arm before Ron took pity and asked to a rest stop. Draco and Theo were no where in sight. They were probably deeper into the forest now as Ron explained.

"Sorry for being a big bother" Harry finally sighed in as they sat on two big boulders. "You're probably mighty pissed now, aren't you? Stuck here baby-watching me." He shifted from one side to another as Ron tied the last know on the make-shift bandage. It was a ripped seam from the brunette's shirt, well Draco's shirt which was a bit loose.

"Nah" Ron replied good-heartedly, securing the loose ends with a sticky substance. In a matter of seconds the mysterious liquid solidified, making the bandages look more authentic. "There ya go, should last us the night before we need to send you back to Pomfrey in the morning."

Harry said thanks for the ninth time that evening. They sad a good distance from the edge of the forest where they began. They could no longer see the opening from here. It was heavily covered with several kinds of trees, plants and flowers. So far no creature has yet crossed their path. Harry looked down at the hardened shell coating his arm.

"What is it?" He asked speculatively, touching the slightly warm casing with a finger. It was a peculiar material, definitely enchanted but with which specific properties baffled him. It was something which had never crossed his path before. Curiosity sparkled within him; the fatigue momentarily forgotten along with his aching muscles.

"Special concoction by my special lady" Ron explained with a smile, bringing out the small round corked purple bottle from his hand. "Created it herself two years back when I started participating in the harvesting; came back with a bloody leg in a poorly made splint, nearly lost my life that day too. She gave me this little bottle which she sent with her love."

Ron put the bottle back into his pouch before continuing. "—told my brother it was for injuries, knowing how accident prone I am, and said to cast my leg the following day. Coats the muscle in a warm cocoon and helps it heal without much help. Something about blood and the body's natural immune system… don't know much about that gibberish. I'm a wizard, ya know? Don't do much of that muggle medicine thing. Her stuff's only good for first air though."

Harry touched the mysterious solid covering his arm again but said nothing. He listened to Ron's chatter quietly. A big part of him couldn't wait to learn who this interesting witch was. Especially knowing how young she was. She would be a great asset in his kingdom if he could persuade him to return with him. But that was assuming he could ever return to his kingdom. He shook his hear inwardly—he needed to return and help his brother.

"You still there mate?" Ron's voice brought him back to reality once more. It was the second time the red-head caught him with his mind in the clouds. He blushed and gave a lopsided grin in apology. "Sorry must be boring you, ya? Bit of a chatter mouth I am, you see. I can't help it. Growing up with five older brothers, it's kind of hard to be quiet. They'll pick on you if you are… I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Instead of nodding, Harry couldn't help a chuckle bubble up from his lips. "That's all right. Kinda—refreshing actually; to be honest, my home was—not a very loud place. It's kind of nice to have someone like you around to talk to. Your family must be awfully nice, aren't they?"

"Yeah" Ron nodded, shifting more comfortably on his rock. "They are. Noisy bunch of buggers though; mum always nagging, dad always jittering about the newest muggle thing-a-magigs that he can get his hands on, there's my brothers then my bratty little sister; but they aremi' family after all. I can't have them any other way."

Ron gave a round of sniggers after that while Harry found himself joining in on the jest as well. Their laughter resounded through the alcove of bended branches over them. Leaves swayed around, looking as if they were trying to laugh as well.

"Shall we get going then? The night won't last forever, ya know." With a light-hearted grumble, Harry stood then nodded before following Ron once more. "Cheer up mate, harvesting is fun once you get the hang of it!"

"Yeah… " Harry muttered. "Fun"

. . .

Serenity and calm—those were the perfect words to describe this magnificent day in Gryffindor. The sky was a tranquil color of blue, clouds barely dotting the heavens to give the sun ample space to smile brightly on the townspeople. Everyone was greeting each other peasantries, smiling and laughing. It was a far cry from the overcast atmosphere inside the castle where the king and queen were anxiously waiting.

"Master James, my King! Mistress Lily, my queen! Youngest master, his highness, Young Prince Harry is being gone—he was being pulled into a wormhole your highnesses. He is being gone!" The words of the messenger still echoed through the now eerie hall of the castle. The once warm gray stone felt cold and ashen.

The three nights ago Dominique, Prince Harry's coachman, came running through the castle doors—bloody, muddy and distraught. He brought the royal couple the gravest news they ever anticipated; the younger Prince Harry was sucked into a wormhole, his whereabouts no longer known. He left no trace when he disappeared, no marks or any sort of tell-tale sign of his destination. The king and queen feared for the worst.

The people were kept in the dark about the tragic events. Until the matter is resolved, it will remain so. King James ordered patrols to scatter across the grounds of Gryffindor. But he could not risk his seers, they were already foretelling their elder son's future; it was best to keep the crowned prince's interests first. Evan too was not informed of his younger brother's disappearance.

Lily was in Harry's chambers, holding onto a life-size Dandie Dinmont Terrier which was a very small dog with silky fur. She sat on Harry's bed, on top of the dark midnight blue sheets. The room smelled like Harry, felt like Harry because it was Harry's. It didn't help ease her grief. On top of the bedside table was parchment and a quill—Harry's writing scrawled on the paper.

Tomorrow, it said as Lily began reading the passage.

I shall look for a bride in my godfather's kingdom, the land called Slytherin. It had been many springs since my last visit. It is the farthest land from Gryffindor, beyond Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, home to what I have yet to understand. It will take me a several full-moons to reach it. It is a long time, a period in my life which I shall use for self-discovery. I am still so uncertain of what may come. So many questions have yet to be answered. So much knowledge I have yet to learn. I fear that I cannot serve my full-duties without the wisdom I have yet to earn.

"Lily?" A voice called from the slightly ajar door before she could continue reading. "Are you in Harry's room again?" The voice of her husband resounded in her mind like a calming draught.

"Yes" she barely answered, the tremors in her voice making it evident that she was about to cry, She could not hold it as James appeared before her. A apprehensive expression on his face as he crouched in front of her.

"Pray, my darling, tell me what makes your heart cry so?" He asked gently; bring his tanned calloused fingers to cover Lily's shivering ones. The queen barely realized that her hands were shaking and her body was quivering with anxiety.

"James" she sobbed, letting the strangled sound escape her throat. "—my baby… my poor baby. Gone." It was the only broken phrases she could utter before completely collapsing into tears, wrapping her arms around her husband's broad shoulders—clinging to him like a lifeline.

"My youngest son, my baby, Harry is missing" she wailed quietly onto his shoulder, wetting his sleeves with tears that streaked her face. The length of her body shook and trembled with emotions. "My bady is gone. Harry is gone. I tried, James. I tried… I tried to track him but I couldn't. I was blocked. My mind couldn't reach him. I tried to very hard. I called and called and called out for him, James—Harry is gone. My poor baby is gone."

The king could do nothing by hold his wife tenderly in a loose embrace as she clung to him. She uttered hysterical twaddle; repetitive, useless and sometimes in audible words but he let her continued. He cooed her until she was quiet before whispering the words "I know" softly into her ear.

"But we will find him" He assured her, gripping into her almost painfully for a second. "Harry is not dead. I believe he is alive, Lily. I can still feel part of him. It is week but that can be due to a lot of things. He may just be too far away… Lily, please keep hope that our son will return."

Lily nodded weakly in his arms—worn out from the crying, the stress and the worry which was clouding her usually sound judgment. She was a queen first than a mother and sometimes she forgot that. She was raised with this knowledge but the sadness in her heart still yearned for her lost son.

"Sleep now Lily" James whispered to her tenderly. He held her closer, lifting her up with ease onto his chest. The toy she had on her lap fell towards the floor. It tumbled down her skirt and below the mattress."On the morrow, we shall hear news from the patrols. Harry will be found. I promise."

"Okay." Lily murmured against his jaw in response. "Love you, James"

"I love you too, Lily, my love. Now sleep for me darling. I can sense how fatigued your body is, how tired you mind is and how sadness is ebbing away at you loving heart. Sleep darling. We will find him."

As the queen was lifted into James' arms, the piece of parchment which she held was forgotten. Her grip loosened and it fell to the floor, floating for a few seconds before landing on the ground. It landed beside the small dog she previously clutched in hand. The latter part of Harry's notes remain unread.

I do not know what awaits me on my travels. Perhaps I shall see the enlightenment which I seek. Perhaps I shall find the bride who my mind will accept and my heart will cherish. But alas, I do not hold any heightened hopes for my destined one. My title as prince, as honorable as it is, is a heavy burden to carry for any woman. I fear they will not see me as 'Harry', and love me as I am, but solely see the younger prince of Gryffindor in front of them. I wish to find someone who will cast royalties a side and stand with me not behind me—a bride unafraid to speak her opinions, unafraid to challenge my decisions and go against my action when I am at fault. I, too, need someone to keep me leveled with reality as I will do so for my brother.

. . .

"—but my lady is a clever one, she invented the thing bandaging your arm, remember? She not yet my fiancée though. I plan on asking her on before the great harvest. I'm pretty sure that she's expecting my proposal any time now. We have an understanding already, you see? Sort of like a mutual infatuation since we were children. I guess both are parents were already itching for us to tie the knot but, hey, some things need time, ya?"

It was like this for the past hour—hour and a half—Harry really couldn't keep track anymore. His entire body was aching, his throat was a bit sore and his wounds were beginning to sting. He and Ron had caught up Theo and Draco minutes ago in a small densely covered part of the forest were several kinds and types of plants were breeding.

Ron, who welcomed the new formed friendship with Harry, was chattering away about his lady for the good part of their stay. He had talked about his family from the boulders until they reached their current location. Harry was happy for the distraction which kept his thoughts from straying to the drastic changes in magic surrounding him.

Ron was the friendliest face among his three present companions. Draco was seriously picking moon flowers from nearby root crops and Theo was showing of his skills in the trees above. Ever so often he would call for Draco to look up and catch a gentle glowing bubble with held a few perfectly ripe moon flowers.

"I never really go to ask" Ron suddenly quipped from behind Harry and effectively starling the brunette who was still earnestly trying to make out the faint tint of blue which contained the moon flowers. The other gave a grunt of acknowledgement urging him to continue. "How did you get your scar?"

Harry froze. His hands grew very still and his breathing grew very deep. It took him a moment before he could answer. "Which scar?" He asked, feigning naivety. He turned to Ron, flashing the most innocent expression he could muster.

"That scar" Ron confirmed, pointing to the lighting bolt scar just below Harry's fringe on the right side of his forehead. By this time, the boy had also managed to capture Draco's attention. It made the blonde head turn to look at them suspiciously, raising an eyebrow before returning to work—though, he kept a meticulous eye on them under his bangs. "How did you get it?"

"An accident" Harry replied in a voice which implied that he did not wish to continue. He regained his momentum in looking for the blasted blue tinted anything! The scar meant much more to him than anyone on the outside knew. The scar meant that we would serve under his brother. But Ron was stubborn and persistent.

"What accident? Did you fall down a tree? Stairs maybe? Or a broom?"

Harry shook his head and flashed Ron an apathetic look. "It was a dueling accident when I was seven. I lapsed in concentration, forgot my foot works, lost my balance and had a miscalculated judgment. The scar is a mark of my weakness."

For a moment, everything was quiet; time seemed to trickle away.

"Was is spells then? A fist fight?" Ron efficiently broke the dragging silence with befell them. Draco was partially doing his work and partially listening in on the conversation. He too was interested about the strange brunette's background. Harry found the boy's innocent curiosity amusing so he entertained the questions.

"Swords actually" Harry said nonchalantly, tossing the answer to Ron in good jest. Theo had swooped to the ground just in time to catch Draco staring dreamily over the foreign man and hear the brunette's last two words. He cut in before Ron could utter the next question.

"So you know how to fight, eh Harry?" His voice was bordered with venom as he unclasped the rope around his waist. This was the man who was trying to steal his fiancé away and he would not just sit on the sidelines watching it happen. The show off! Declaring in front of Draco that he would wield weaponry! He can ply arms better than any old man!

"Theo!" He could hear Draco's protesting in the background but his mind was too clouded with envy. How dare this man! That scrawny man is not worthy of the blonde's affections—only he is! He gritted his teeth when the brunette cast mock surprise—ohh the man was expecting it. "What in Merlin's great beard are jabbering about?"

He turned to Draco in with the pleasantest face he could muster. "Draco, love, I'm doing nothing of bad nature… I am simply trying to make amends for my earlier behavior towards are friend here—" he shot Harry a quick look "—and I do believe that he quite enjoys a bit of brutish battle. So what do you say, old man, fancy giving me a spin?"

Harry stood frozen on the spot, unsure of what to do. Fighting Theo would risk his identity but not righting the boy could mean all sorts of disrespect as well. He was challenged to a duel and as he was brought up—that was never a wise decision.

'Think Harry' he told himself. 'There are two kinds of duels; one which physical sword fighting and the other using magic and spells. Theo wants the sword fight and that entails the use of your upper arms. You're injured. You're in no condition for a fair fight! There! That's it.'

He coughed before saying "I'm afraid I must bid thee great apologies, Theo. My recent injury prevents me from participating in such straining acts. I fear I must recover first, especially if a good man like you want a level and honest fight; am I right in my assumptions?" Okay, so he added the last part just to spite the teen. He couldn't help it really, it was just too bullocks of fun.

From his positions across the area, he could see the boy's ears glowing red and teeth gritting behind closed lips. "Very well, Harry. Perhaps on the morrow then? A night is surely sufficient enough to rid you of your sore muscles." He tried to speak as evenly as he could, hiding the irritation from his tone. "I suppose your old muscles can't take the strain, ya?"

It was Harry's turn to fume but he hid it well. Instead he put on the face which was usually reserved for the most annoying diplomats during castle functions. It was a close lipped smile which evidently covered his eyes. Theo was even more pissed at the lack of a retort.

Ron was quick to strike a jest before the pregnant silence fell again. "Woah! Keep your fiancé on the leash Draco; frisky guy ain't he? He's too energetic for he's own good; sort makes him look like a berk if I do say so. Now even he's getting Harry into trouble and the blonde hasn't even been here two full-moons!"

With that all three men laughed, except for Draco who immediately sent Ron daggers through those angry silver eyes. A series of opposing statements ensued. "Oh knackers Ron! I beg to differ! He isn't my fiancé. I haven't decided on yet! You have absofuckinglutely know nothing about what you are saying!" He blushed furiously trying to reverse the red-head's earlier statement.

"Hold it, Malfoy. I was merely trying to jest; nothing serious." Ron held out his hands in mock surrender at the fuming boy. "Lucky for ye that Theo is up clipping in the branches, aren't ya? If someone was just passing by I bet they'd really believe that you didn't want to marry the bloke! Maybe Pansy's more yer type, no?"

Draco cursed under his breath, trying to suppress the urge to strangle that freckled neck with his bare hands. Never in his life as he been so, so—frustrated! He knew Ron was right but he will not admit it aloud; before the strange man entered his life, he would have brushed off the comment like it was nothing—like it was the inevitable.

'Has my life always been to routine?'

Everyday he would wake up, visit Severous, go to the fields and share his breakfast with Pansy, be home before lunch to help with lunch, in the afternoon he would start preparing for the harvest with Theo and the others, break for dinner then into the forest if it was the full-moon. Was it always that monotonous? While he was trapped in thoughts, another conversation was happening unnoticed.

"Fiancé, you say?" Harry asked Ron with a quirked eyebrow, hoping that his charming friend would talk about it. He certainly had a strange feeling between the pair from last night's dinner and now his suspicions were about to be clarified. There was little talk about it the previous night, probably due to his intrusion, but he caught glimpses of it.

"A bit of a gag really" Ron began chattering away. "It's been going on since we were kids… you see, the lucky young blonde over there, was promised over by not one but two people when we were children; one of them being Theo. Since then it's been a race for his affections. He's supposed to finally give his decision on his sixteenth birthday and that's after the Moon Festival this year. But I don't know, seems like Theo has the upper hand as of late"

"Oh" Harry mouthed. "—and what's a Pansy?"

"Ahh!" Ron grinned like the wise lad that he is. "Pansy is the other one. She's nearly sixteen as well. In fact she was the first one to uh… let's just say propose to Draco. She came up to him one day and told him in a matter-of-fact voice. 'Draco is going to marry me when I am sixteen!' she said then the two of them were battling for Draco's attention ever since!"

"So Draco's isn't really betrothed ?" Harry was careful with his choice of words knowing fully well that 'to be promised' and 'to be betrothed' were two completely different matters.

It took Ron a few moments before nodding. "Yer right. Draco's not betrothed yet just promised for. Though, keep mind of the yet, Harry. The whole town's been anticipating his bonding with Theo for as long as I can remember! If I could play a little devil I would say that YOU were interested in courting Draco as well!"

Harry shook his head, too fast than was necessary. He really didn't mean to come off as well interested. He was merely curious, that's all. He kept telling that to himself. He was a learner; he just wanted to know such things. It was his nature—to be curious.

It was too bad for him that once again Theo only hear the latter part of their conversation.

. . .

Author's notes:

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I have been a bad Authoress. I haven't updated this in ages!

Anyhow. Nothing was too eventful in this chapter; except for Ron and Harry building a friendship, rising tension between Theo and Harry, plus if you looked really closely a few hint that Draco and Harry are getting there.

In the next chapter be ready to meet the Weasley Family, our lovable Hermione and of course Pansy. Maybe some of the familiar characters would show up in the later chapters. The Weasleys were supposed to be here but I'm at the page limit so I'll have them for the next installment.

Review if you like! I hope you had fun reading.

-Arh

On another note, please do read my other works as well;
Return to the Platform
A long way from Surrey
31 Days
Falling in Love with the Rain

June 01 2010