Disclaimer: I own nothing – it's all J. K. Rowling's – bar Maia and a few centaurs.
A/N: Thanks very much for the encouragement, SLL and Water Goddess 19 - it was lovely to receive some reviews :)
Deathly silence flooded the corridor outside Professor Dumbledore's office. Draco Malfoy, guarded on either side by a centaur, one stout and tawny, the other dark and imposing, stood waiting to be summoned into the office. The centaurs were taking care to avoid even acknowledging his presence, so he had long abandoned any attempt at conversation. They had been waiting like that for what felt like an hour, maybe more, and he was beginning to grow impatient.
Draco had never been known for his patience. If he wanted something, he made sure he got it, even if he had to work damn hard to get it. Why, then, should he have to wait for it? Manipulative too, he could bide his time if he knew that by doing so he could achieve his goal. But it wasn't natural for him. He would grow irritable, tetchy; he had never really managed to master the virtue.
The silence seemed to be swallowing him up. He began to fidget restlessly, until he felt it was either move or explode. He flew to the window, exhaling with relief. He honestly didn't understand why the centaurs had to remain with him. He accepted that his trip to the Forbidden Forest might earn him a visit to the headmaster, but why were the centaur guards necessary? He would have told them not to bother, but he knew he would get no response. It had been the same way since they'd escorted him from the forest. They'd told him to "follow," and to "keep up", but from then on refused to respond to anything he tried to say. They had practically ignored his existence the entire time.
A third centaur had galloped ahead early on to speak with Dumbledore in advance of the escort party, and was presumably the reason for the delay in being summoned. What is taking them so long? Judging by the looks they had given him in the forest, looks that could have rivalled that of Medusa, they were going to make sure he was in a lot of trouble. His thoughts turned back to the mysterious girl he had met there, and he glanced over to the two centaurs. Looking at them, he felt slightly disgusted that she should consider these creatures her family. They were so brutish, so bestial, so unrefined.
The more he thought about it, the less he understood. He'd had so little chance to talk to her.
The gargoyle slid to the side, an entrance opening up behind it, and Draco looked at it for a moment, expecting someone to emerge. When no-one appeared, he realised it was probably his cue to go up into the office. He wondered, irritably, whether the old codger did things like this purposefully to annoy him. He threw a fleeting glimpse in the direction of his stony guards, and strode purposefully up the moving stairs and into Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, Mr Malfoy, we were wondering when you would join us."
Even his tone was annoying, and Draco couldn't even see his face yet.
"Take a seat," he said, a smile sounding in his voice.
Walking over to sit opposite him, Draco saw the pale, dappled centaur from the forest standing in the corner of the room. It was watching him intently, and he felt a little unnerved by its merciless stare.
"As you can see, Eoin wishes to remain with us during our conversation." He glanced over at the centaur, eyes gleaming beneath his half moon spectacles.
"As I said, Dumbledore, it's not that I don't trust you, but I have a duty to protect her."
"I understand, Eoin. Let's just hope that young Mr Malfoy here is not inconvenienced by your presence." The centaur looked like he couldn't care less whether he was inconvenienced or not, and was biting back a retort. Dumbledore smiled at Draco and continued in his usual cheerful tone. "So, I'm sure you know why you're here."
"...because I went into the Forbidden Forest? I'm sorry, but sometimes I need to –"
"Certainly, entering the Forbidden Forest is prohibited," he interrupted, "and you will be duly punished, but that is not why we are here. We have a more pressing issue to deal with; the girl you found living in the forest." He paused to study Draco's reaction, who was looking slightly puzzled. "Does this surprise you?"
"Well, yes, actually." He began to sound a little defensive, wondering what he was about to be accused of. "I was with her barely any time at all. I didn't lay a finger on her! The centaurs saw she was fine when they took me away."
Dumbledore held up a hand to stop him, shaking his head. "No, no, Mr Malfoy, we know she is unharmed. You need not be alarmed; we are not accusing you of anything." He smiled reassuringly at Draco. Unfortunately, the smile completely failed to put him at ease. He couldn't help but remain suspicious. He wouldn't put it past the centaurs, or perhaps even the headmaster himself, to frame him. "It is merely unfortunate that you have seen her at all," he continued. "She has, until now, remained totally undiscovered by witches and wizards. Even I was kept in ignorance of her existence. Although I was aware they were keeping something from me, the centaurs guarded their secret well."
Draco watched as the old wizard eyed the centaur from beneath raised brows. It bowed its head, avoiding his piercing gaze, almost as if it were embarrassed.
"I am sure you noticed that she is a rather remarkable creature." Dumbledore mused.
Draco recalled the markings on her softly glowing skin, and her ability to heal a wound completely with no wand, no spells – nothing. He nodded.
"I am yet to meet her, but Eoin has told me all about her; a very intriguing girl." He paused, as if picking his words very carefully. "The centaurs have predicted that she has the power to sway the course of the war. This is the reason they protect her so fiercely. It would be disastrous to lose her to the dark forces, which is why they think it best that no-one even knows she exists."
His mind raced to process this new information. The centaurs' coldness began to make sense to him. He would be pretty pissed off too if some teenager had come along and undone years of work because he felt like taking a walk. "But now I know about her," he stated glumly, "so I'm in trouble."
"You're not in trouble." Dumbledore replied gently. "We need to ask a favour of you."
"Right, so what you mean is: I'm not in trouble as long as I do what you tell me to do."
"Think of it as you like, Mr Malfoy", he said patiently. "Eoin came to me because your appearance in the Forbidden Forest has caused them considerable disturbance. The herd might have decided to kill you - you were in their territory after all - but it seems that Maia spared you from death or capture. As she would not allow you to be harmed, Eoin managed to convince the herd to involve me, and have me decide the best way to deal with you. He suggests that you have your memory altered. Certainly a humane solution, but I refuse to resort to obliviating my students unless they leave me with no other choice. And you do have a choice, Draco." He paused as if to add emphasis to his words. "Help us to keep her existence a secret. If you accept, you must swear to us that you will tell no-one about her. No friends, and no relatives, you understand? This is of utmost importance."
The headmaster looked expectantly at him. Thinking about the situation logically, the answer was simple: no way. If the dark lord were to discover her, and to find out he had kept her from him, then there would be hell to pay. Ordinarily, he wouldn't need to give it another thought, not just for his own sake but also for that of his family. Why, then, was he so desperate to say yes? Ever since he left her in the forest, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. Without understanding why, he felt he just had to see her again. He felt, too, a contagious sense of rebellion rising within him. He had felt so hopeless, so desolate before the events of this morning, but now he had found something to distract him from the all-consuming fear that had been drowning him. If the dark lord was going to destroy his future, then why should he just accept fate and bow to his will? The dark lord would claim his life eventually, one way or another, so why not take something back while he still could?
He looked the headmaster in the eye. Should he trust him? If he was honest with himself the answer to that was pretty clear. The old man had always proved himself annoyingly good hearted. And considering the fact that he was risking an awful lot to avoid obliviating one of the most politically volatile students in Hogwarts (with Death Eater family, for heaven's sake!), it was a pretty safe bet that he wasn't trying to trick him. So he would accept. He realised straight away though that he didn't want to make things easy for the pair. He needed to find a way to turn the situation to his advantage... to find a way to get something he wanted as well... He knew what to do. He would make sure the centaurs couldn't stop him from seeing her.
He took a deep breath, and Dumbledore smiled slightly, as if anticipating good news. Was he really going to do this? He spoke before he had the chance to rethink. "I will accept, on the condition that I can continue to see her."
The centaur looked positively outraged. "I really don't think you are in a position to make demands, young wizard."
"Actually, Eoin, I think he is." The headmaster interjected, looking pointedly at him. He knew that allowing the young Malfoy to believe he had the upper hand would encourage him to comply, and having seen the look in his eyes, might also nurture a tie between the boy and girl, providing a real desire to protect her. "What harm can it do?"
Eoin looked like he was about to list a multitude of ways it could cause harm, but Dumbledore shot him a look that said not to object. He sighed and rather unwillingly said, "You can see her again. But you must swear to keep your side of the bargain."
"I swear to protect the secrecy of Maia's existence," he replied, satisfied that he was in control.
"Good," Dumbledore breathed, smiling. "I am trusting you, Draco. Please do not prove me wrong about you."
"Of course, if you do prove him wrong," added Eoin, "we will take immediate action. And if that happens, let's hope, for your sake, that it is Dumbledore who deals with you, and not us."
Draco nodded curtly. The centaur didn't frighten him one bit. He was in a far more dangerous situation than either of them appreciated, not knowing how caught up with the dark lord he already was. He was well aware of the consequences of breaking his oath. He would prefer death by centaur than the punishment he and his family would receive from the dark lord if he was discovered.
It suddenly occurred to him that Dumbledore had explained the situation without really explaining much at all. He had so many questions about Maia. He got the distinct impression that the old man was withholding information intentionally. We'll see about that. "So, where is she from? It's obvious she's not any relation to that lot," he asked as he indicated to an increasingly angry looking centaur.
"Please exercise a little respect when in my office, Mr Malfoy. I had rather thought your parents taught you the value of good manners."
"I wasn't brought up to show respect to beasts, Professor."
"Which is to their infinite discredit," he replied disdainfully. "You should give more thought to how you treat those that have spared your life." He fixed him with a sharp look, and Draco felt a twinge of something he couldn't quite name. He wouldn't be made to feel ashamed of his upbringing.
"Fine. If not from the centaurs," he said exaggeratedly, "then where is she from?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Draco's eyes flickered between the suddenly impish face of the headmaster and the stone-faced centaur, exasperated at the lack of response. He tried again. "Okay then, what is it that makes her so special, so important?"
"What do you think makes her special?"
Draco was losing patience again. Clearly the pair had contrived to keep him in the dark as much as possible. "Why won't you tell me what you know?" He demanded.
His words echoed mockingly through the silence. Dumbledore was still smiling at him. It was infuriating.
"Might I suggest that perhaps the most effective means of acquiring such personal information is to ask the person in question herself?" He looked thoroughly amused, despite the centaur looking daggers at him. He chuckled, "I am merely speculating upon methods of research, Eoin, what kind of a professor would I be if I didn't advise my students on the best ways of advancing their education?"
He looked at Draco with sparkling eyes, and spoke now with a tone of finality. "Come, I think that our meeting has come to an end. I have much to do before the day is finished. You may leave us now, Mr Malfoy."
He felt disarmed and flustered. He hadn't finished, even if Dumbledore had. "Wait a minute," he said weakly. "When am I going to get to see her again?"
"We will let you know," Dumbledore replied dismissively. He stood up, encouraging Draco to do the same, and ushered him to the door. "Rest assured, we will arrange a meeting for you." He smiled, and Draco knew there was nothing more he could do. "Good day, Mr Malfoy." And before he knew it, he was back down in the corridor with the gargoyle firmly in place behind him.
The two centaurs eyed him suspiciously as he walked down the hallway, until he turned a corner out of sight. He headed back to the Slytherin common room, head swimming with the events of the day. One thing was for certain: he wasn't attending any classes today. As he walked he considered what Dumbledore had said. Yes, he would wait. But not for long. He would see her again; he would make sure of it. And he allowed himself, for the first time in a long while, to feel the tiniest shiver of excitement.
Maia waited nervously in the clearing for the familiar sound of hooves. Kiaron and Gammas had come back from Hogwarts less than an hour ago, with the message that its headmaster would like to visit her, if she would permit him. She had been overjoyed, responding immediately, and now here she was, waiting for his imminent arrival. Overwhelmed that she was to meet her second ever wizard (Dumbledore, no less) so soon after her first, she didn't quite know what to do with herself. She was both as excited as a child on the eve of its birthday, and as frightened as a bird about to take its first flight. She had spent years dreaming of keeping human company, exploring the world outside the forest, and the realisation of her desires was only moments away. Her mind was running wild; questions flitting about like butterflies, insecurities creeping around like pernicious weeds.
The cracking sound of twigs underfoot drew her instant attention, ears and eyes sharp and alert. Growing louder with each second, she detected the steady beat of hooves accompanied by the softer footfalls of an elderly man. Time hung suspended for a fraction of a second before centaur and man appeared, side by side, out of the gloom of the forest.
She cast her eyes over his tall, thin frame, marvelling at his strange wizard's robes and the funny pieces of glass encased in wire that balanced over his nose. His skin was deeply furrowed, and his beard long and white, but she was astonished at the youth sparkling from within his eyes.
Eoin disappeared into the undergrowth, smiling knowingly. The wizard's lined face opened up, radiating kindness, and he closed the gap between them.
"Good afternoon, Maia. It is a pleasure to meet you." He said warmly, and held out a hand for her to shake. She took his old and wrinkled hand in both of hers and kissed it, eyes brimming with feeling. He was touched, unprepared for such a welcome.
"You cannot imagine how much I have longed to meet you." She whispered. "Thank you for coming."
"My dear girl," he smiled kindly, "I wouldn't have missed this for all the sweets in Honeydukes - and I have quite the sweet tooth!" His eyes twinkled and a broad smile lit up her face.
She led him to a colossal weeping willow tree, half of which draped its long tendrils into a shallow pool. Darkly coloured wild flowers adorned the ground, and little shafts of light filtered through the thick covering of trees, causing the water to glisten here and there. As if greeting an old friend, she curled her fingers around one of the feathery fronds and whispered softly to it. To Dumbledore's surprise, it began to move, twisting this way and that. It was joined by others, all curling and winding around each other, until the tree had coiled together two elaborate seats made entirely out of its wispy branches. He tested one with his hand: solid as oak.
"Remarkable." He breathed.
She offered him her arm and helped him into the chair. As he leaned into it he sensed it moulding itself around him, cocooning him in a woody embrace. She sprung agilely into her seat, curling her legs beneath her. She looked, to him, the picture of youth, framed within her willowy shelter. And it was here they sat, amongst the slender branches of the weeping willow, talking until the close of the afternoon.