Disclaimer: I don't own JK Rowlings world, otherwise this would not be a fanfiction.

Summary: Where would a Gryffindor be if not in mortal peril?

Chapter Eight. A Gryffindor's Prerogative

They had travelled all day mostly in silence. Now however Godric had trapped and prepared a rabbit for their dinner.

"Thankyou, Godric," Leonis muttered taking the clumsy wooden plate into his hands. His hands and stomach was already hungrily appraising the fresh meat. Godric doubted the boy had ever had a decent meal before.

"You can't keep calling me Godric, Leonis," Godric had said when Leonis address him for the hundredth time using his first name.

Leonis, who had scrambled to the other side of the fire, looked up from his small plate, his middle finger in his mouth as he sucked on the tender juices of the meat Godric had prepared. "Why not?"

"One does not call their father by their first name," Godric replied sternly. "You may certainly not call me Godric."

"But it is your name," Leonis pointed out shoving another piece of rabbit in his mouth unceremoniously. Godric chose to ignore the table manners or lack of thereof.

"Aye, it is. But I am your father." Godric tilted his head to the side watching for Leonis' reaction on the other side of the fire. "And it is considered very rude."

Leonis' head bobbed the auburn gold sheen accentuating the golden colour of his skin. "Then what do I call you?"

It was a reasonable enough question. "Father shall do," Godric replied in his low baritone voice. "Or Pappa… I don't particularly mind."

Leonis screwed up his nose and licked his fingers clean again. "But that wouldn't sound right."

Godric laughed. "How should it sound?" he inquired his bright eyes shining in his mirth.

"It should sound right," Leonis piped not missing a beat to consider his answer. "It should feel right…"

'

'

'

Leonis sat up uncomfortably on his battered and bruised body. The fight for freedom was far from over for him. The punishment his body obtained during his last attempt had not taught him his lesson. His mother had always said he was a stubborn fool.

Godric was asleep.

Leonis eyed the chains about his ankle in annoyance. Godric had patiently explained although he had forgiven him, he was still to be punished. The older wizard had even taken his dirk off him, which could be a problem if he was planning to escape.

With very careful and studied movements Leonis slid around on his backside to research the chains before making an attempt. His mind wandered back to the conversation that Godric had started the earlier in the evening and felt a stirring of guilt.

Leonis stirred himself shaking his head and glanced over the fire. Godric was still asleep. Fast asleep in fact. Now that the wizard seemed confident that he could not escape his clutches he had seemed to have loosened his guard.

Leonis clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a giggle and proceeded to silently work with the chain. He was a thief he had experience with situations like this. Godric had made his second escape attempt all too easy.

The chains he soon worked open with a piece of wire he had successfully smuggled into the hem of his trousers. Just in case. For emergencies just like this one.

Leonis stood stealthily and made his way around the fire where Godric was sleeping. He had seen the wizard placing the dirk inside his own boots.

Leonis fell onto his hands and knees and crawled slowly as he could towards Godric's boots. With his light fingers he pulled the blade easily from the boot.

Godric started in his sleep…

Leonis froze in fright. But a moment later Godric's breathing became steady once more.

Leonis stifled and laugh and placed the blade carefully into the top part of his jerkin. He pivoted and slinked back into the darkness. He learnt from his unsuccessful adventure the pervious night. This time he used all his acquired skill to move with extreme caution and in absolute silence so not to alert Godric of his plan.

He waited until he moved quite a distance from the camp before he turned and ran into the darkening night…

'

'

'

Godric woke in the early morning with the dreadful feeling that something was not right. He rubbed his eyes which felt like sand and then very carefully sat up and surveyed the camp. All was peaceful. He blinked slowly and realised what was wrong. He cast his eyes once more around at the camp and then swore…

Leonis was gone.

With a flurry of movement Godric jumped from his bedroll. Muttering and cursing under his breath the wizard flicked his wand to pack camp efficiently. He dosed the fire and collected his things before mounting Tiny.

He lay his wand on the palm of his hand and cast a simple 'point me' spell. Well it wasn't a simple point me spell as he individualised it as his old father had taught him as a boy…

He swore when he caught up to his rascally son he'll… What?

Godric sighed heavily. He had hated striking Leonis especially since it was only early days in the tentative relationship. He had never hit Meagan and never contemplated touching little Luther. His own father had struck Godric serval times in his childhood. Godric grimaced, as the youngest of seven sons he had been a torment for his aging father and with no mother… Lord Garryd Gryffindor had been a hard man. A warrior but never the father.

Godric kicked Tiny into a steady gallop and followed the directions of his spell. Leonis had a head start but he knew he had the advantage of magic.

'

'

'

Leonis continued on foot wondering in a haze of semi reality. He had not realised how tired the days of travel had made him. His feet started to drag but he forced himself to continue on, knowing that to stop during the night or the next day would only shorten his lead. He thought it was best to assume the wizard knew how to track and was well aware of his insufficient efforts to hide his trail. Beside who knew what magic tricks the wizard was capable of?

It was early dawn when Leonis found danger. His inattention had lead him into a clearing. The trees in this area were dotted around with great distances around them, long grass waved in the lazily morning breeze.

It was a grunt. It was an ugly, deep, threatening grunt, which alerted Leonis to the fact that he was not alone. He froze in his spot, panting slightly already from his racing heart. Something was in the grass. Something awful…

Leonis tried to gather his thoughts to steel himself and turn tail and run. But his mind went numb in fear and he was rooted to the spot. His lips quivered and he let out a tiny scared whimper.

He was a city dweller and had no idea how to take care of himself in the wilds. Godric he realised was right he was disadvantaged in the wilds. He needed protection.

The grass started to move ominously. The grunting grew to a crescendo. A large wild pig soon became visible.

It was a terribly ugly creature. With a thick chestnut hide, small angry eyes, long bone like tusks and nose dripping with horrid moisture.

Leonis' knees buckled. He didn't know too much about animals. But a large wild pig had been known to gore hunters or unwary travel to death.

Leonis let out a terrified cry and the pig looked up at him with its mad eyes. It seemed to squint at him. Its small pointed trotters raked the ground it lowered its tusks and bellowed. Leonis could have sworn in those moments the pig actually curled its lips at him in distaste. It seemed to study the small boy before him and decided he looked like an opportune target.

Not wishing to be maimed, or if he was lucky, killed Leonis turned tail and ran for his life. There is nothing like a spot of bothered to show you how much energy you have left. Leonis ran like he had never ran before. Behind him he could hear the grunting and snorting of the wild pig.

Leonis tripped over his feet and found himself sprawled in the long grass. He back pedalled as quickly as he could. Tears of fright were already streaming down his pale face. With shaking hands Leonis pulled out the dirk and waved it in front of him. He knew it was useless to defend himself but be damned if he was going to roll over and die.

Then the most unbelievable thing happened. A thunderous roar ripped through the fields. The pig stopped and sniffed the anger in its eyes soon turned into fear. A large frightening creature stepped into Leonis' sight.

A great cat with silky blonde fur that shone like gold in the sunlight stood proudly in the grass. Its mane hung in red waves about its large face. And its eyes which turned from the pig to the boy seemed to communicate pity. It was a cat that Leonis had only heard stories of: a lion.

The pig seemed to decide that it might as well gore the boy and then face the lion. It shrieked in its piggy roar and darted forwards.

Leonis threw his hands over his head protectively with a cry of horror.

The lion sprang forwards and darted in between the boy and the pig. It snarlingly swiped and the pig missed.

The pig darted under the belly of the lion its tusks drawing blood.

The lion whipped around with frightening speed and its great jaws clamped down on the pigs neck. Leonis heard a gargle and a snap before his shut his eyes tightly. The lion turned and threw the pig into the air. The angry boar flew through the sky and landed with a thud; and then it was still.

Leonis dared to open his eyes to stare at wonder and the now dead pig. But as soon as the lion turned to him he slapped his slender hands over his eyes and tried to retreat.

The lion moved steadily through the grass until it was standing over the top of the quivering Leonis. A warm breath tickled Leonis' neck. And the lion nudged him with his large black nose its velvet fur brushed his skin lightly. Leonis did not expect this treatment from a lion. They were supposed to be bloodthirsty creatures after all!

Leonis peeked out from his hands and came eye to eye with the great cat. The cat blinked slowly at him. Then before his eyes the lion transformed into the body of Godric Gryffindor.

"Leonis," Godric croaked. "Are you hurt?"

Leonis shook his head and covered his face once more with his hands ashamed of the silent tears that still trickled down his cheeks.

Godric wrapped his arm about Leonis quivering form then collapsed back into the grass.

For a while neither said a word. Then Leonis quite suddenly announced, "But you are hurt."

Godric merely snorted. "I'll fix myself up once you are settled."

Leonis made a valiant attempt to swallow his fear, but Godric felt his shuddering. "I thought I was going to die."

"And you could of quite easily," Godric replied knowing it was far better for the boy to understand the possible consequences of his rash actions. It was another trait he had picked up from his father.

"I was frightened," Leonis muttered, rolling over into Godric's chest and grabbing a fistful of his cloak to his face as if that could hide his fear.

"As was I," Godric replied gravely.

Leonis looked up suddenly his eyes held about him a wonder. "Of the boar?" he asked.

Godric smiled thinly. "No not of the boar."

"The lion?"

Godric laughed but his voice was devoid of any mirth. "Not the lion."

"Then what were you afraid of?"

"I was afraid that you were going to die or be seriously injured."

Leonis froze in Godric's arms. "Why would you fear a thing like that? Had I not wronged you?"

Godric ran his fingers through Leonis sweaty ginger blonde hair absently. "I can understand if you have no feelings for me. But I do have… I do care about you Leonis. I'm your father, like it or not, and my emotions can not be swayed by your wrongs."

Leonis buried his face further into Godric's robes. His mind was full of conflicting emotions and there seemed no answers. "Oh, what have I done?" he murmured. "What will become of me?"