Chapter Eight
They walked silently a ways, both were eager to return as quickly as possible, but cautious of attracting the attention of anymore unwanted creatures. Draco felt physically tired from the ordeal, while his mind raced trying to sort out everything that happened. He cursed himself for losing control in front of Potter. His Father often berated him for letting his emotions rule him. A Malfoy had to be cool and always in control. So whenever something went wrong, or astray from his plans, Draco couldn't handle it. When he first realized that something wasn't going his way, it would start as an irritation. When the situation didn't change, it would quickly grow into frustration. That would then turn into anger, which inevitably lead to him acting out irrationally. 'Like kissing your worst enemy.' Draco wasn't quite ready to deal with that, so instead he thought about the Lethifold and how it had come to find itself in the Forbidden Forest. He refused to believe that Voldemort could have sent it. It just didn't fit into the plan, or what Draco had deduced to be the plan. The only likely reason for befriending Potter that Draco could see would be to gather information on what Dumbledore and his followers were up to.
So far, Draco hadn't been living up to his part of the plan. This night had been a disaster. He'd wanted to be alone with the Gryffindor and while that had happened, anything else had been doomed since the moment Snape said they would be going into the Forbidden Forest. Originally he wanted the chance to feel Potter out ('Feel Potter out...' Well, he'd done that hadn't he? Draco shuddered. 'Uhrg, concentrate!') to see exactly where he stood with him, and how much work it was going to take to change his mind. After that he'd hoped to somehow plant the first few seeds of trust, to show that he'd changed. To do that, he would eventually have to convince Potter that he wanted nothing to do with the Dark Lord. Not an easy task, considering he'd never hidden his views on muggle-borns before.
Draco's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the other boy's gaze on him. He looked back and raised an eyebrow.
Harry stared back a while longer before finally asking, "Back there, why did you try to save me?"
'Why indeed,' wondered Draco. 'Because the Dark Lord might have killed me if you died, before he had a chance at you.' Of course Draco didn't say that. He thought a moment, searching for the right words that would gain the wanted response. "Because some things are more important than petty rivalries." Draco paused for effect, "Like winning a war."
Harry stopped in his tracks. He grabbed Draco's arm as he stepped ahead of him, turning him around. "What do you mean by that?"
Something like his old sneer crossed over features, in disgust over his next words. "Like it or not, even I know you're the wizarding world's last and only hope against You-Know-Who."
"Surely you of all people have nothing to fear from Voldemort." To Harry's surprise Draco didn't even flinch at the use of the Dark Lord's name.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Oh, come off it Malfoy! I know all about your dad being a Death Eater."
"And how exactly would you know that?"
Harry's face became very grim and his eyes seemed to cloud over slightly. "You forget, last year I was captured by them. He was there."
Draco was pale with shock. "If you're so sure of that, then why hasn't the ministry arrested him?" He tried to keep the fear he felt from his voice.
"Because the ministry is still denying Voldemort's return," Harry's voice was cold, "Believe me Malfoy, if the ministry ever wizens up, I would gladly see Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban. Along with anyone else willing to follow him."
Draco didn't need it spelled out that Harry was speaking of him. He thought about his reply and finally decided that sometimes truth was the best lie. "I may be many things Potter, but I am not evil. Or a madman. And I would have to be to want to follow him. As for my father, whatever he may or may not be, I am not him." '...No matter how hard I've tried to be."
The sound of hooves hitting the earth trodden ground interrupted them. Something rustled beyond the bushes and trees before them and the steady thumping drew closer. Suddenly a centaur emerged from the woods. His long white-blond hair fluttered across his shoulders as he skidded to a halt in front of the boys.
"Harry Potter? You've chosen a most ominous time to venture into the woods once more."
Draco turned from the great centaur to Harry. "Potter, you know... him?"
"Yeah," Harry replied not bothering to look back at Draco, "That's Firenze. We met that time in the Forbidden Forest in our first year."
"A most fortuitous encounter, but one I had hoped not to repeat," the centaur replied in a deep somber voice.
It towered over Harry's short frame, as he took a step closer. "Firenze, what's going on?"
"I sense dark magic on the winds, Harry Potter. There is much danger for you here."
"What kind of danger?" barked Draco, bored by the centaur's senseless banter.
Firenze turned his head and studied Draco, as though noticing him for the first time. "A magic not wrought by beasts, but something much more sinister."
"Terrific, that was very helpful," Draco replied sarcastically. Firenze continued to stare at Draco and approached him. Draco stepped back nervously. The centaur seemed to be sniffing the air around him. Draco gulped as the creature leaned over, to peer closer at him.
After a moment, he straightened and backed away smiling. "Aw, I see."
"See? See what?"
Firenze smiled widely at Draco and spread his arms. "You have nothing to fear here, cousin. All creatures born of magic are welcomed into the forest."
Draco tried to speak, but all he could manage was a croaked, "What?"
Firenze just continued to smile. Harry watched them both with a look of bewilderment that matched Draco's. Finally he broke the silence and asked, "Firenze, can you help us find the path?"
"Of course, just follow my tracks from whence I have come." The smile disappeared and worry lines replaced it. "But do travel wary. Another of your kind was snatched away only moments ago."
"Another of our kind?" Harry repeated slowly.
"Snape! What's happened? Where is he? Who's taken him?" Draco asked in flurry of questions.
"Faceless men swathed in the grey tones of an approaching storm. Thunder did crackle around them, such was their fury. I dared not venture closer."
There was a grim, deathly quiet tone to Harry's voice, that Draco did not like at all, when he spoke, "I understand."
Draco looked between the centaur and Harry irritably. "Is that another gift of yours Potter? You understand Centaur-speak as well as Parseltongue? Because so far I have not understood one utterance from that blithering creature!"
"Malfoy, be quiet!" Harry's voice was quiet, but sharp and caught Draco by surprise. "Where did they take him?"
"I am truly sorry, for I cannot say."
"Are they still here?"
Draco was startled to see how pale Harry had become.
"No, but I still sense danger for you here."
"Right. One more question. When Snape left with them, was he standing?"
"Yes."
Draco noticed the color returning to Harry's cheeks, but whether that was from relief or anger he wasn't sure. He took the opportunity to speak, "Who are 'they'?"
"The eaters of death," Firenze answered for Harry.
"You mean Death-Eaters? Here? That's impossible." But despite Draco's protests he felt a sudden chill along his back and he found himself looking wildly around the forest.
"Don't bother, Malfoy." Harry's voice sounded deadened and tired. "We have to get back to the school. Thank you, Firenze."
"Anytime, Harry Potter. Let us hope that circumstances will be more pleasant in our next encounter."
Harry nodded, then started walking towards the way the centaur had appeared. Before Draco could follow, the centaur stopped beside him and nodded. "Farewell, cousin. Know that you will always be welcome among the centaurs."
Draco stared after the strange creature as it trotted away. He shook his head, then noticing he was alone, quickly sprinted the opposite direction to catch up with Harry.
* * *