Lucius walked into the forest in the direction Lily stormed off. Unsure how to find her, Lucius gave into the siren's call that was her aura. As he traveled his pace quickened and the trail led into a clearing. As he felt her nearness, he slowed down and peered through the trees, there Lily was sitting surrounded by three figures. From his perspcetive, Lucius couldn't discern their identities, so he tried to move around to see them. But the more he moved the more they seemed to disappear into the background.
"Wood nymphs," Lucius muttered with disgust. "I thought there were none here. Blast!"
Lucius stepped into the clearing towards Lily and her companions who looked up startled.
"Who intrudes into our hollow?!" one of the nymphs gasped.
"A foul aura radiates from him, he is a master of Dark Arts!" another nymph reported.
"We must protect our mistress!" the last screamed.
All three advanced angrily at Lucius, who was deciding whether or not to pull his wand. Meanwhile, Lily looked on, amused by the spectacle.
"Friends of yours?" Lucius asked.
"Sort of," Lily replied nonchalantly. As if there were not three incredibly dangerous, yet spectacularly beautiful nymphs advancing on someone she called her friend.
"Mind calling them off?" Lucius asked, his hand hovering over his wand.
"Hmm." Lily hummed.
"LILY!!" Lucius yelled. Sure, he could take them with minimal damages to himself, but who knew how many were lurking in the area, prepared to retaliate. And Lily wouldn't take it well, and that would mean his master would not take it well.
"Pear, Acorn, Pine, this is Lucius Malfoy. He's an . acquaintance of mine. He hasn't come to hurt me, though I appreciate your loyalty. I expect he's come to find me," Lily explained.
"Heh, that's right, my dear acquaintance," Lucius smiled wickedly.
Lily laughed, "Lucius I'd like you to meet my new friends. They are wood nymphs," Lily said.
"Friends? We are not worthy to be your friends," Pear said meekly.
"We are merely hand-maidens to your glory," Acorn added.
"I still do not trust him," Pine said. "Dark wizards are never up to anything good. Ever."
"Looks like I found the prickly one of the bunch," Lucius joked. "So, what are you three doing here? I didn't think there were any of your kind in this area."
"This hollow is an ancient resting place for the spirits of our kind. We returned here only to serve our mistress," Pear explained.
"How do you intend to do that? She's going to Hogwarts, you can't be there unless you were a teacher or a student," Lucius challenged.
"We are already enrolled," Pine scowled. "Not that it is any of your business."
"Did you get letters?" Lucius asked disbelievingly.
"Our kind is not without influence. Do you think us a savage culture, that we can not arrange things in the 'real' world," Pine rebuffed.
"You know, I don't think I like you. Besides everyone will know you are wood nymphs and that will make it more evident that Lily is what she is," Lucius replied.
"Not necessarily," Acorn piped up.
"What do you mean?" Lucius stared at her piercingly.
"Our lady, if she so chooses, can change the appearance or make-up of nature. Because of this, she may change us to reflect what appearance she desires," Pear explained.
"I've never heard of that," Lucius mused.
"That would be because you are a simpleton," Pine hissed.
Lily finally decided to put in her two cents, "Pine be civil. Lucius, as you can see, I've got some new friends. They will need names of course, and I don't know what to make them look like, but it will work out. It's good to know I won't be alone."
"You wouldn't have been alone," Lucius protested.
"If I am not in Slytherin, I understand that you may not want to talk to me. It would be bad for your status. James explained to me the everlasting feud between your houses," Lily said quietly.
"Wherever you end up, you won't be alone. If not because of us because of those other . acquaintances of yours," Lucius smiled.
"Thanks," Lily said gratefully. "Now, do you have any ideas for names? I'd ask you to keep their identities to yourself, but I guess I can't tell you to keep it from Tom."
"Tom? On a first name basis are we?" Lucius said coyly.
Lily swatted at him, "No, it's just Voldemort is too ominous a name, it's so impersonal," Lily explained.
"As for names, how about Alexus, Jennifer, and I'm-a-really-mean-person-so- you-may-want-to-run-before-I-bite-your-head-off-and-torture-you-with-the- sound-of-my-voice," Lucius suggested innocently.
Pine scowled at him, "You know, maybe you should have taken your own advice."
She lept on him and turned into a pine tree, planting her roots around him to keep him still.
Lucius looked to Lily and gasped, "A little help here. I can't really breathe."
"Too bad for you," Lily said and started to walk off.
Acorn and Pear remained where they were, staring at Lucius.
"Uh, mistress, I think he is turning into a plum." Acorn said.
"Pine, fun is over, he didn't mean anything by it," Lily coaxed.
The pine tree slowly regained the form of a wood nymph who stomped off sulking.
"I think you hurt her feelings," Lily said.
"Oh no!!" Lucius said, hitting his head with his palm.
"It's not that big of a deal." Lily said staring at him uncertainly.
"I was supposed to bring you back forever ago! I am officially dead," Lucius said.
"Let's not get any later feeling sorry for ourselves," Lily chastised. "We'll just have to have something to show for the overtime."
"Like what?" Lucius said hopefully.
"Like my new friends, or some new part to my powers, or something like that," Lily suggested.
"Acorn, Pear do you mind?" Lucius asked.
"Mind going to see a dark lord? Oh no, why should they?" Pine asked sarcastically from the tree she was hanging upside-down in.
"We can go," Acorn said nervously, "If that is what mistress desires."
"Could you? He won't hurt you, I promise," Lily said confidently.
Acorn and Pear marched off with Lucius leading the way, followed by Pine who was stalking them in the trees.
If something is going to happen to them, I want to be there to help, Pine thought to herself.