Author's note: I got some very interesting reviews last chapter that I wanted to address before I begin this new chapter, as I thought answering would help frame the story. If you're not at all interested, please feel free to skip ahead past the line break.
Fringie7: Why don't Remus and Sirius recognize him as a "mini-James with Lily's eyes," especially now that he's clean?
Simple answer to that is that by being taken out of a 'normal' environment, he has developed in a way James or Book-Harry would not have. Harry Potter was always described as being short and scrawny. I feel this is a result of malnourishment and being raised in a closet (James was described as being tall in the Mirror of Erised). I also imagine in the books, he and James probably gained endurance muscles from playing quidditch, but it would be lean muscles on the torso and inner thighs. James had short messy hair and glasses - plus being from an indoor-culture in rainy England of all places, he was probably also quite pale.
Heron is not these things. Heron was raised outside with a more than adequate diet. I like to think of him as being a little over 183 cm/6 ft. He exercised constantly just by living there with no concept of modern luxuries. He runs with werewolves, and is able to keep up! This chapter also does have a mirror scene so you can see for yourself, and I just changed the cover image to show a picture of Heron I drew for all you lovely people. Also as a side, I personally think a lot of the "oh, you look like your dad, but you have your mum's eyes" comes from people projecting onto Harry. His parents died very young (early 20's), and people probably want to retain some bit of them through Harry. This I hope this helps answers your question.
Alice:Heron seems a little stupid at the moment (as in, not intelligent), I know he's smart, so could you maybe just show more of his "wild, forest intelligence"?
You're right - Heron is not stupid at all, and I'm sorry he came across that way to you! It all depends on context. There are certain skills and classes he will excel in to master levels. Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures are the top ones here. For the moment now, he's in a strange place with strange people and strange technology he's never seen or heard about. Normal forest creatures don't know about bathtubs. The werewolves from civilized areas would know, but it wouldn't be something they sit around discussing. I once read a memoir of a child soldier from Africa. The first time he came to America, the host family he was staying with turned on hot water for a bath and this baffled him. He asked where the man was pumping hot water into the house. Did he live in the basement, pumping water for the entire apartment building? It wasn't a dumb question to him, but would be considered very stupid to someone who has had hot water their entire life. I based a lot of Heron's actions on that idea. We'll begin seeing more of his intelligence the more he gets comfortable.
Disclaimer: I do not own a fair amount of the characters depicted in this story, although I will claim a few as my own. I hope you enjoy my takes on those both canon and original.
Language Key:
"English"
"Avantas" – This is the language all creatures use to communicate with each other
"This is stupid."
Firenze sighed and explained something in English to the other adults, before turning back to the teenager. "It's not stupid, Heron. Headmaster Dumbledore is interested in finding out your magical capabilities – how powerful you are, since you don't know any spells. All young witches and wizards must do the same thing before they enter Hogwarts," the centaur said, eyeing his nephew. The young man just glared back.
"That's not stupid. This is stupid." Heron turned his glare from Firenze to the offending piece of wood in his hands. The adults thrust it into his hands and commanded he 'do magic' with it. Didn't they understand using an aid like this stick would only hinder him? Magic should be felt. It should be pulled from the air – the ground – the wilderness that exists inside every one of them; not forced through the tip of some carved tool with only a passing resemblance to nature anymore. No wonder humans weren't as powerful as they once were. They relied too heavily on crutches.
Lord Tepes once told Heron a story of a great and powerful man named Mryddin, a man of incredible power. He founded a council of people from the magical community, designed to protect humanity from dangerous forces. He advised a great and mighty king of legends. Supposedly even in human magical circles, he was considered a big deal. Heron seriously doubted such a noble and ancient man was hindered by a wand.
He shook a long fringe of hair out of his bright green eyes and sighed. "Can't I just…show them?" Apparently his water show in the pool hadn't been enough to prove himself. They clearly saw he was magical, but they insisted it might be 'accidental'. How someone could accidentally use magic was beyond him. All magic was a matter of willpower. You had to will it to make it happen.
Firenze smiled in good nature; although, the strain around his eyes showed the teen was testing even his vast patience. "I already told you, Heron. This is just how the wizarding world does it. You'll only cause more trouble if you refuse." Such arguments had been reiterated by the two for the last 10 minutes. "Would you please, please just try?"
Grumbling, Heron looked down at the wand in his hand suspiciously. "Fine." He could tell his uncle was getting annoyed. He might as well get it over with. "I just wave it around and magic happens, right?" He asked as he started flicking the wand around, pointing at different things and making different shapes in the air. Nothing seemed to be happening. His hand felt warm where it grasped the polished wood, but that might be because of his own body heat. "Wow. So much magic." The sarcasm was thick.
"Try one of the other wands, Heron." His uncle sounded frustrated, but at least Heron was trying now…Or, at least, he was pretending to try.
The teenager put the wand down on the table in front of him with a grunt, picking up a darker, gnarly wand. He flicked the end of it and sighed when it did nothing. He didn't expect it to. He shot a pointed look at Firenze and the other adults, muttering the word "stupid" under his breath. He wasn't sure what this would accomplish. Firenze told him wands were meant to be unique to the individual. If that was true, why was he using a set of training wands that hundreds of students probably used before him?
He dropped the second wand and picked up the third. Maybe part of the problem wasn't in the wands themselves, but in him. All the little students who came before him believed the wands would work. They believed they were magic because something amazing would come from the tip of some man-handled nature. They didn't feel skepticism and disdain for the practice. If they could do it…shouldn't he be able to as well? It would almost be an insult if he couldn't. He flexed his fingers anxiously around the wood.
Scrunching up his eyes in thought, he flicked the tip out, trying to believe his magic might actually manifest from the tip. There was a low hum and Heron felt the warm rush of summer breeze by him before a tiny puff of red and silver coloured light burst forth from the tip of the wand. Heron jumped back in surprise before grinning up at Firenze. "I did it!" he exclaimed, happy despite his earlier reluctance. "Not quite what I expected to be, but it is something." He played with the wand a bit more. None of it was impressive. Small pops of color and light. A part of the desk in front of him grew a bit squishy. Some sand ran from the tip. "I have no idea what I'm doing…But, I think I'm getting the hang of this."
Firenze chuckled, shaking his head at the low level displays. This was hardly going to result in an accurate reading of Heron's magic. He turned to say something to Dumbledore. The man made a motion with his wand, said something, and the tip lit up. It glowed with a soft and steady golden light.
"Heron, he wants you to perform the Lumos spell, which casts light. Do the motion the Headmaster did and try your best to say 'Lu-mos'," the centaur said, turning back to his nephew. "Do you think you can manage that? That may give them a better reading of what your spell levels should be about. Usually they find this out through observation over the course of seven years, but you're a special case."
Off to the side, the beta had set up some magical device. It was a box with a horn and crystal attached to the top, pointing at the wild teenager. As he played with the wand in his hand, the crystal shifted and changed colors. Not that the crystal showed a whole spectrum. It was mostly showing variants of red, at the moment. He assumed this was the way the humans checked magical cores. He wondered what the color red meant. Probably something impressive. Heron didn't like to brag…But he was considered quite magically gifted.
Turning his attention back to the Alpha, he watched the man recreate the motion accompanying the light spell. Slowly, Heron began trying to replicate it. "L-Luuumooos," he said carefully. He focused on drawing the image out in his head, of his wand igniting. It felt as if pushing images and feeling – belief and pure will power – was the best way to make these wands work. As he crafted a strong image in his head, the wand's tip suddenly burst into a blinding white light, filling the room before it popped and extinguished. It all happened in mere seconds, leaving dark spots dancing in Heron's green eyes.
When the youth regained his vision, he turned to look questioningly at the adults. That was not what he expected. The Alpha Dumbledore managed a strong, steady light. Why had his exploded like that? It didn't seem as if he would get an answer. The other humans were staring in shock. Heron then turned his gaze towards the tool near the beta, but it still showed a steady red. Nothing seemed to change in his readings.
The beta was also looking at the red crystal; his eyebrows knit together in confusion. Slowly, the man looked up and spotted Heron watching him. His mouth pulled down in a sneer. "It…he…I do not…" The man gestured at the crystal in disdain. His tone was filled with disbelief. However, his ire was not shared by the others. As he spat foul words, the shock on Moony and Sirius' faces slowly faded and they both smiled. It seemed that they, at least, thought Heron did something right.
Alpha Dumbledore thoughtfully eyed Heron, steepling his fingers together. The youth again felt an odd chill run over him before he shook his head and focused on what the Alpha was saying. He murmured something to his beta. The man was tense, disagreeable to whatever commands he was being given. But as was only right, he couldn't refuse the stronger man and eventually relented. The dark man tipped his head forward in acquiescence, but his eyes didn't leave Heron.
The teen could only watch the proceedings with confusion. He looked up at his uncle, hoping for some clue. "What in the world did I do?" Heron asked before glancing down at the wand still in his hand. "I only did what I was told…"
"Yes, I know," Firenze said, smiling. "The red means your magic levels aren't very high…Beta Severus Snape believes you are purposely hiding your true power so that you can use it to attack later. He felt your magic in the bath. The others are simply happy you can use a wand when you apply yourself; although, you will need to work on control. Dumbledore…is reserving judgment."
"…My magic levels aren't high?!" Heron knew he squawked, but couldn't help it. Out of all the ridiculous things he had ever heard. "Is red supposed to be…" He trailed off for a moment, thinking about how he wanted to phrase his question before he did. "What is the normal progression of color? Where is red on the scale?"
The centaur looked amused, but also a little uncomfortable with his nephew's line of questioning. "Ah…Well…If the quartz stays clear, there is no magic detected." Heron nodded. "If there is black, it is the lowest possible amount that can be detected. Then brown….And then red."
"Third lowest?!" Heron's mouth dropped open indignantly.
"Ah…Yes…Well…Anyway…Now that they have a reading on your magical core and signature, we're on to the next step." Firenze was doing his best to extricate himself from the situation. He was just the messenger, after all. "Besides, if you try hard in all your classes, I'm sure you will be able to redeem yourself. Like I mentioned earlier, they usually find out students' abilities over the course of 7 years. You are just a special case."
Heron heaved a long suffering sigh before he shrugged. "Fine, fine…Red, my ass…," he groused. "But, on to the next test, I suppose?" He was getting a little tired of all this testing – especially since it was now obvious not all tests were accurate or yielded results in his favor. He realized the importance of it all…Alpha Nevier didn't let random wolves into the pack. They had to prove themselves. However…The tests they were asking him to partake in were weird. They didn't seem to want him to fight or prove he could be useful in battle. They weren't testing his tactical knowledge. He knew from Firenze a school was meant to teach students, so a lack of knowledge coming in was probably standard. Yet…the teenager didn't understand how any of it proved to Alpha Dumbledore or the other adults that he was safe.
First, there was the bath. He supposed he could sort of understand. If what Firenze said was true about their hygiene, he definitely counted as being filthy. It also gave them a chance to force him into the uniform all students seemed to wear, restricting though it was. He tugged on the collar around his neck. Constricting black leggings, a crisp white tunic, a leather belt…There was also a black robe with a Hogwarts symbol, which wasn't so bad by itself, but the humans insisted he wear the other stuff underneath it. Then there was the horrible matter of what Firenze called a 'tie'. Heron called it for what it was – a decorative noose. By itself, it was somewhat pretty to look at. It somewhat resembled a snake with a circlet in its mouth. Black, gold, silver, and bronze made a pretty striped pattern. Yet, as soon as it was around his neck, it became a torture device.
Then, after he dressed, the adults led him to another white room (at least 2 staircases and several corridors away from the bath room). It was…plain. That was the nicest way to put it, after coming from a room with a mosaic siren and a pool with gold and jewelled tubes in it. There was a strong astringent smell in the air of the new room filled with white cots. The smell reminded Heron of witch hazel and white willow bark. It initially put him on edge. Those herbs were usually used in healing. Even though Firenze told him that the beta – Severus Snape – and some witch named Poppy Pomfrey would be examining his physical fitness and health, the smells which usually accompanied the injured or sick did not put him at ease.
Yet…Firenze was right, again. Poppy Pomfrey seemed kind. She bustled about Heron and the room, tossing commands. All the adults followed her demands, even the Alpha and the Beta. It showed very quickly where she placed on the dominance hierarchy. The youth would have to remember that. She was someone to be respected, probably an expert and mentor in her field. He guessed from the smell her expertise had to do with healing; although, the starkness of the room didn't seem that rejuvenating to him.
Firenze mentioned earlier the beta was interested in collecting samples from him, as if he were some overgrown plant or potion ingredient. Apparently, it had something to do with the question of 'Is Heron really human?', and 'Is there was a way of manufacturing an Avantas language potion?'. He didn't relish the idea of getting poked or prodded by an already overzealous man with anger issues. Yet, he tried to let Poppy Pomfrey and beta Severus Snape do their jobs. They did everything Firenze warned and more. They stabbed him with sharp metal sticks, drawing blood. They cut his hair with two daggers sewn together in the middle (though he only allowed them to trim it). They opened his mouth and stuck things inside. Then, they shone light into his ears and eyes, hit his knee with a squishy axe, measured him, weighed him…All the while, there were magical lights dancing around him as they waved their magic sticks - wands, trying to find out something only these lights would tell them.
In his head, he chanted his uncle's words, 'Whatever you do, do not attack them. Whatever you do, do not attack them. Whatever you do …" It was by far the most uncomfortable experience in his life. Being sat on by a baby dragon was more pleasant – and he would know.
Eventually, with that task finished, he was led to the large stone room where he now found himself. His thoughts on what had happened so were interrupted as Firenze spoke.
"Well," the centaur began,"That was the end of your tests for today. The next step from here will be my departure." He held up a hand at the stricken face his nephew flashed him. "As much as I would like to stay, I will only hinder you. While I am familiar with the human world, I am not from it. If I were to stay, you would cling to me and never grow into the young man I know you can be. I expect great things from you." He glanced up at the ceiling, as if the man could read the stars from inside. More likely, he had it all mapped in his head and was viewing a memory of what was. "You know as well as I that centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold. We consider it shameful to work alongside humans, and be treated as less than equals…"
Heron frowned, nodding slowly. The conversation shifted so suddenly, he wasn't sure what point was about to be made. However, he knew well enough to listen when his uncle used that tone.
The corners of Firenze's eyes crinkled with happiness, though he did not lower his face from its upturned position towards the heavens. "Your future was set on a new trajectory the day your mother left you in the Forest. While Mars still hovers over you watching, Venus and Mercury wait behind closed doors." He looked down and the centaur's smile widened as he stared at the confused youth. "It makes me optimistic about your future. Even your loudest naysayers now watch the stars in anticipation for what is to come. The darkness once lurking as a creature beneath the Forest's branches prepares itself to fight in the face of the Sun. The sun and the night…The two cannot exist in the same space. You will find this out soon enough…I hope the day will come again, as it always does."
The teenager nodded slowly, trying to work out his uncle's words. He knew astronomy and some divination. Mars hanging overhead was not a great symbol to having looming. It worried him that no one ever spoke of the danger to him before. Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents…The universe didn't care. They were of no more significance than the scurrying of ants, and are unaffected by planetary movements. That meant he played a role in something much bigger than he initially realized. Although…It really shouldn't come as a big surprise to him. The fact of the matter was the Forest wanted something from him, and the Fates were now in the process of moving him around as they pleased. Normal unicorns, werewolves, dragons weren't pushed into attending human school…into leaving their homes.
And what was that about Venus and Mercury? Or the sun and the night?
Heron shook his head as Firenze began talking again; outlining what was to happen from now on. "You'll now be put on a probationary period. For one week, you'll be under the watchful eye of Sirius, as he can communicate with you in some form. There are some other teachers who may drop in and visit with you while Severus Snape works on your language potion. I know of at least one other professor who can transform at will into a beast." Firenze smiled a little anxiously. He realized that restrictions and his nephew didn't go well together. It was a matter the two bumped heads on in more than one occasion in the past. "Just…try to behave for the next week, Heron. If you do well and you win their trust, you will begin being taught by a fellow student. They tell me she is excellent; it is the reason they decided to have her assist you rather than one of the mentors. At least this way, you'll go into it having a friend."
Heron nodded, understanding. "I'll do my best," he said, knowing Firenze would take that as he meant it. The boy would try…But he also couldn't guarantee anything. The civilized world confused and scared him…Not that he would ever admit to feeling any anxiety. He couldn't figure out the pattern yet. What was he supposed to expect? Where would the next surprise come from? This never troubled him before. Each problem felt like a wall he had to overcome.
In the Forest, he could roll with any and everything. Angry boar charging him down? No problem. Foul blizzard predicted? He'd survive. Disputes between creature clans? Okay.
Put him in a room with a hole in the ground and tell him to take a bath? He was lost.
"Come, walk me out," Firenze said, patting the teenager on the head. "I will visit in a month when you are allowed visitors again, to see how well you are doing and check in on your studies. I know it will be a struggle at first, but I believe in you. When I come back, I fully expect you to be able to speak some English and learning human standards of basic things. Time, for example." The centaur began walking towards the door.
Heron started following but paused a moment at the device the beta set up. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that he might register at just a…a red. He looked at the beta standing near the device, but the man's eyes weren't on him; they were trailing suspiciously after Firenze. Heron took the opportunity to lean in quickly and look at the quartz. There had to be some sort of…hm…As the beta Severus Snape started to turn around, the teenager straightened, not wanting to get in trouble, and followed after his uncle with a smirk. "Uncle, wait for me!" he called out, ignoring the man looking after him.
Heron caught up with the Firenze and smiled. "So, you want me to learn about time," he said, continuing the conversation where they left off. "I know all about the seasons, equinoxes and solstices, days and nights, rotation of shadows, phases of the moon…What else could there be? You mentioned minutes. What are those?"
"Those…might be too complicated a topic to discuss while walking to the door. You have a pretty good understanding already of what makes up time, but humans use entirely different units of measure. They have seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years – which you also know some of those…But they assign sequences of numbers to them…A better way of categorizing, if you will. For example, today is September the 17th, 1997," Firenze explained, saying the month in English as there was no Avantas equivalent.
Names could be sounded out and said in the creature tongue, of course, just like the two had done with Dumbledore or Severus Snape or Poppy Pomfrey. However, the names often sounded quite different when translated into English from Avantas and meaning was easily lost. More often than not, names were assigned descriptive meanings; the problem was there was nothing descriptive about the word 'September'.
"SsssUP-tim-Ber." Heron tried saying the word aloud in English. "Sup-timber? It is now Sup-timber one-seven." He looked at Firenze and grinned, while the centaur laughed in amusement. Not too bad, if he did say so himself. When he applied himself, he could probably learn English in a month. It wouldn't be too hard, right?
The blonde shook his head. "You still have a lot to learn, but I'm sure you'll get it," he told the teenager. Looking over his shoulder, Firenze smiled at the small group following them. "Actually, I know you will. Your new mentors won't let you fail. They seem to want you to succeed as much as I do."
"How can you tell…? I mean, they are human, after all. How can you just glance at them and know their motives so clearly? I listen to Lord Tepes going over politics, or the werewolves discussing the treatment many of them received before joining the pack…Even the veela have opinions on the subject matter," Heron muttered, glancing back at Moony and Sirius. "I mean…I guess they seem nice enough. And I suppose they aren't really human either…"
"Heron, you are going to have to overcome some of your prejudices. I already told you that. It's not a good idea to paint an entire species with the same brush," Firenze chastised his nephew. "Now, I know why you think that way. I'm a creature and centaurs have long been treated as inferior by society…But as much as you might hate it, you are a human too! Some human beings aren't good people, but plenty are. Let the people here at Hogwarts show you that."
The brunet looked down at his bare feet in shame. He knew he had to get over it. He just…"I'm…uncomfortable and feel like a newborn colt here. I don't want people to laugh at me or treat me like I'm an idiot. What if they are all just pretending to be nice and then turn on me when you're gone? If their society treats non-humans badly, what will they do to me since I was raised by them? I'm…unconventional by their standards. I mean, look at my damn feet! I refused to put those weird things they gave me as I was changing on. Severus Snape keeps glaring at me, and I get a weird feeling when Headmentor Dumbledore looks at me." He paused and looked over his shoulder at the couple behind them. "I…I suppose Sirius and Moony seemed sincere…"
"I'll tell you what. Stay a month, and I'll take you home with me when I come next time if they turn on you while I'm gone," Firenze said. "If time and familiarity don't make you feel more comfortable, then you shouldn't be forced to stay here…Even if that is what the Fates are asking of you."
Heron snorted. He never thought he would hear a centaur talking about doing something against what Fate or the stars wanted. "Fiiiiiiine," he said, drawing out his words in a sigh familiar to all teenagers everywhere. "I bet you already know what's going to happen. I'm going to come out of all this shooting flowers out of a wand, proclaiming how much I love humans, aren't I? You already saw it in the stars. Is that my Venus?"
Firenze choked back a laugh. "Your words. Not mine."
The door exiting Hogwarts loomed ahead as they stepped down the last staircase. It seemed to come too quickly for Heron. He rested his hand on his uncle's shoulder and gave a squeeze, hoping to convey all his feelings. It wasn't just anxiety he felt at being in a new location…he would miss all the familiar faces too. "Tell my mum and aunts I love them…And I know the centaurs avoid the werewolves, but I would appreciate it if Alpha Nevier was sent word of how I was settling in. Tell him I miss the pups…Oh! And Lord Tepes will need to know of my absence…Queenie probably would too. Oh, and maybe-" He stopped abruptly as Firenze interrupted.
"I get it. I will send word to the entire Forest for you, if I must. Now, give me a hug." He held out his arms and pulled the younger man into an embrace. The two held each other for a moment. As they did, some of the tension melted from Heron's shoulders. Fate wouldn't have pushed him in this direction if he couldn't handle it. His family believed in him, and he needed to believe in himself. He wouldn't let this venture outside of his home take his self-confidence.
Puffing up his chest with air, the teenager let go and stepped back, green eyes sparkling. "Go on, get out of here." He nodded at the Forest which could be seen outside the open doors. "You have your messages to deliver," he joked. "Besides, the sooner you leave, the sooner I can see you again. When is one…month?...from now?"
Firenze held his hands up in mirthful defeat. "30 days from now. The next full moon. If this is September, the next month is October," the centaur said.
"Sup-timber…Ahkt-O-ber…" Heron sounded out the months, rolling the words in his mouth. "Alright. I will see you then. Take care, please."
The centaur nodded, turned, and then…That was it. Firenze was gone with hardly a look backwards. Heron watched him retreat behind the foliage, back into that comforting green embrace. After he could no longer see the palomino's tail, he heaved a huge sigh and turned to look at the waiting couple. Moony and Sirius. Sirius and Moony. His new caretakers…At least, for the week while the beta brewed whatever he needed to. Sirius already transformed into a big black dog while Heron and Firenze said their goodbyes. That made the teenager smile.
"I guess I'm all yours for the next week, huh?" he asked the dog sitting by his mate's feet.
Sirius stood and cautiously moved next to Heron's side, his tail moving in a low wag. "Yeah, guess so. But…I also wanted you to know…" The dog seemed to struggle with his words and leaned heavily on Moony. The man gave his mate an annoyed look, but seemed to realize from Heron's face something important was being said. "I wasn't eavesdropping, but I heard the last part of what you said to Firenze – about telling everyone goodbye for you. I wanted you to know that…well, while you have a family in the forest, maybe you can find a family here too. I lost my family years ago. Moony and Dumbledore helped me find one again."
Heron took a long look at Sirius before looking at Moony. He couldn't help letting his smile widen. "…Maybe you're right." He crouched down and pet the dog's head, being sure to hit the best scratching spots behind the ears. "Now come show me where I am supposed to stay this next week, okay?"
"Sure." The big dog nodded and his tongue lolled out happily. He turned and barked at the werewolf by his side before he started heading up a set of stairs, presumably to their quarters. What else could Heron do but shrug at Moony and follow? The older man, unable to talk to the teenager, simply smiled and gestured the teenager to go up the stairs before him.
They probably looked like an odd set. Big grim-like dog followed by a barefoot student with the werewolf professor wearily following behind. It made Heron laugh to think about. Students were starting to emerge and eyed the trio oddly, which prompted Moony to follow closer behind, silently urging the wild youth to hurry. Already, speculative whispers were beginning to circulate between the by-passers. The group had been really lucky avoiding any children thus far, but it seemed their luck was running out. Heron would no doubt be the talk of the school later today.
Moony said something to his mate, but the dog just laughed. "We'll be there when we get there!" Sirius glanced back at Heron and winked. "Too bad you couldn't have been spotted when you were just wearing your breeches, eh? All the girls would have been after you. You're…what 15, 16, 17?"
"I consider myself almost 16 autumns old, yes." Heron celebrated his day of birth as the day he arrived in the Forest. It made it easier, as no one knew quite how old he was when he arrived. They only knew on which day he arrived, as it was when the veil between worlds was thinnest.
Sirius nodded. "15, going on 16," he said before somehow managing to wag his eyebrows. "I was quite a looker in my age too. I bet before long you'll have tons of propositions from curious individuals. You're the new kid. That alone generates interest."
The teenager nodded slowly. He wasn't naïve by a longshot, but he was surprised by Sirius' words for some reason. "You're talking sexually, aren't you? Is such common here? I always heard humans were sexually repressed."
That caused the dog to choke for some reason, coughing unpleasantly. "I…um…Well, I suppose I…? We, um, are? Uh…I probably shouldn't have said anything…Oh, look! Our chambers!" He looked back at his werewolf mate with a pleading look as the trio approached a wide painting of a stag lying in a field of flowers. Lilies, by the looks of it.
Moony said something and the stag moved, slowly standing up as two other deer – a doe and her fawn this time – entered the painting. The portrait swung inward as the family bounded off into the distance together, and a door was revealed.
As the trio stepped inside, Heron took in as much as he could. The entrance way seemed to lead to a common lounge room, much like Lord Tepes' nappali...Only warmer. Everything was in shades of warm cream and natural wood. Crimson acted as a contrast color, bringing playful pops of vibrancy throughout the interior. Gold somehow acted as an accent bringing it all together. It made Heron feel…comfortable here. There were chairs and couches around a fire pit…Wait, no, a fireplace. A big window took up one whole wall and looked out over the lake, which was nice. Pressed against the window was a large table with paper and various odds and ends. Oddly enough no cots were to be seen; however, there were still three more doors branching off of this room.
"Welcome to our humble abode," Sirius said as he moved to jump up on a couch cushion. He nodded to the door to his right. "That is our bedroom. I wouldn't go in there. Moony likes his privacy." He nodded to the two doors to the left. "That's the bathroom and there is your bedroom. The headmaster just spoke to Hogwarts and had it added on for us. That way, you can sleep comfortably while you are here. Why don't you go check the place out?"
The teenager nodded. He wasn't thrilled by the idea of seeing a bathroom again so soon, so he decided to check out the bedroom. He slowly approached the door and turned the handle on it. Almost all the rooms so far were hidden with magic, so it surprised him that there was nothing on this one. It was just a door. Yet, it led to a place he knew would quickly become one of his favourites in the entire castle.
Greens of all shades made of the walls of this bedroom. It was a symphony of color, not unlike what he saw every day in the forest. The stone floors here were replaced with wood. The furnishings were also all warm woods, except for the silver shining thing hung over a storage container. Slowly, Heron made his way up to it and took a closer peek to figure out its purpose.
It wasn't silver…And it wasn't ice or water. Yet, whatever the thing was, it had to be magic. It perfectly reflected Heron's appearance back at him, with no ripples marring the surface. For the first time in his life, Heron was able to see himself clearly for what he truly looked like. He ran his hand over his features and watched his mirror image do the same. He wasn't a vain creature, but…It was somewhat amazing.
Looking back at Heron was a tall, muscled young man with some of the most brilliant green eyes he'd ever seen. His skin was darkly tanned from year after year of constant attention from the sun; even the day's previous scrub in the bath couldn't remove that. His hair was long, flowing down and over his shoulders until it reached near the end of his shoulder blades. It had a slight curl to it, and Heron knew if his hair was cut short around his face, his hair would stick up in the back and look overall untidy. At least this way, he could tie it in a braid or ponytail if he needed to.
Tucking his hair behind slightly pointed ears, the teenager tilted his head to look closer at his facial features. Sirius was right. He was attractive. He had a strong jawline and if he smiled, his teeth were white and featured sharp canines that could – and would – cut. His nose was mostly straight. He'd broken it when he was younger, and there was a slight indent on his bridge from where he took a rock to the face; however, he didn't think it was very noticeable. At least, no more than all the other bumps and bruises he had. Most of them, he could remember where he got them from. Living in the wild strengthened you – and that sometimes meant acquiring scars. Yet there was always a peculiar scar on his forehead that would sometimes burn. It never hurt too badly, but it had bled open once or twice before…He lifted his fringe and looked at the unusual lightning bolt scar.
Oh well. He shook his head and turned his attention away from the magical mirrored surface. He would have to ask Moony or Sirius about it later. For now though, he felt tired and wanted a nap before dinner. The day wasn't over, but he needed to replenish his energy.
The cot in the middle of the room was larger than he expected for a simple place to sleep, and featured an odd draping of emerald green fabric coming from four posts. Heron gently touched the velvety material and smiled at the texture. It was almost fur-like. When he moved the fabric away, he noticed his bedding was in dark leathery browns – much like his breeches had been. It touched him that Dumbledore did all this for his arrival. It seemed like a goodwill effort on the part of the humans, meant to show Heron trust and friendship would be beneficial to both sides. The idea appealed to the wild child as he slowly crawled into the coverings, not bothering to take all the human attire off. Maybe once this week was up and he acquired a potion to communicate English more effectively, he would be able to reciprocate some of those feelings of charity. If the humans made an effort to be friendly, so would he. They were in this together.
SO! What do you think? I am overall really happy with this chapter. I tried to show all the emotions coming from Heron that a normal teenager would experience in this situation – exasperation, homesickness, anxiety, frustration, and of course, that macho toughness of Heron's. He doesn't like being seen as weak, and many might consider not being in control of your emotions is a weakness.
I also dropped a lot of foreshadowing of stuff I plan to come back to in this chapter. Firenze definitely helped out with that! Can any of you guess the meaning of what he said? Some of his divination should be pretty clear, but I did my research on some of the other things. Internet cookies to whoever can get it right. There were some other things in there besides that though. Also, who else loved the painting acting as a guardian for Remus and Sirius? Even 16 years later, the Potters' deaths weigh heavy on their hearts and minds.
In the original, this chapter ended up being about something completely different and this section of it was only maybe…a page or two long? I much prefer the pacing as I'm doing now. I feel I rushed too much before. I was trying to get to the relationships, but now that I'm older, I think that you can't really appreciate the relationships until you grow and develop with the main character. Don't worry, there WILL be romance, but I want it to be organic. In the original, I think Heron was courting them within the second week. Ugh. I will tell you this though; he will be showing interest in the boys before Firenze comes back.