Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

AN: No beta or even spellchecker ... All the gruesome and stupid mistakes are, sadly, mine.

Some of you may find this idea a bit squicky. There's nothing graphic, not even a kiss but the title should say it all.

Therius: Free (Greek)

Little Harry was fascinated by horses. He'd seen them once on TV while he was cleaning and he'd gotten into terrible trouble because he'd stopped and watched in awe.

He'd gone to school the next week after being off 'sick' - read: locked in his cupboard and he'd headed straight for the library and looked up everything he could find dealing with horses. He'd devoured every book he found for weeks on end and he'd gained the attention of the librarian but it turned out to be a good thing. She'd told him that there was a stable close to the school and maybe when he was older he could volunteer.

Harry didn't want to wait that long though so he'd gone as soon as he could and asked if he could help. The owners had been wary of letting someone so young as Harry's eight years around such massive and powerful animals and had offered to give him a tour.

The stables were meant for boarders or racing horses but the owners told Harry that they had bought the place especially for the land. They took care of a herd of wild horses. They didn't feel right keeping such a young boy around unpredictable horses.

One trip through the stalls quickly changed their minds about accepting Harry. The horses took an instant liking to Harry, even Therius who was yet to be broken for riding.

Harry never knew how he did it but he managed to convince his relatives to let him volunteer at the ranch. Harry worked at the ranch until he turned 11 and the strange letters started coming.

Magic, such an odd yet wondrous thing. Harry loved learning it but he still missed the ranch and the horses. He could sit for hours and watch the wild horses run the hills or sit in the stables and talk to Therius whose owner had handed over rights to Harry after nothing worked in breaking him. Harry was the only one who could get close to Therius and Harry himself never rode the horses. They were creature that were meant to be free.

It would be the night of Harry's detention in the forest that Harry would meet his new fascination - the centaurs.

This fascination would lead him through the years, integrating him into their culture for Harry never treated them with even an ounce of scorn. He looked upon them with awe and they rewarded him for it.

Harry wiggled himself into their lands and into their hearts ... one heart in particular.

Bane had never met a human like Harry. No human, especially not a wizard had ever treated them as equals. The long bearded one from the castle said they were equals but even he looked down on them - treated them as something less but Bane could see that in Harry's eyes he believed they were above him. Free creatures who should never lower themselves and allow others to look down on them.

It was this reason more than any other that Bane, the centaur, fell in love with the human wizard Harry Potter ... Harry would realize in later years that he loved Bane as well - but not yet.

Fin