A/N: One thing I didn't consider when taking the plot in this direction was how much trickier it is to write centaur dialogue than human. I won't say I disliked the challenge, but the thoughtfulness that went into each line slowed me up noticeably. I'm glad that, after this chapter, I don't have any other centaur interactions planned.


Malfoy was already gone when Hermione woke the next morning. Her heavy mind jolted in a slight panic as she sat up in her sleeping bag. How much time until their meeting with the centaurs? They still hadn't discussed how they wanted to approach this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—did they even have enough time to prepare? Oh Merlin, am I already late? But then her logical brain caught up with her worst-case ramblings and she realized the forest outside her tent was just starting to lighten with the dawn.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione reached her arms above her head in a wonderful stretch, feeling physically lighter than she had since the expedition had started. She grabbed her notebook and pen, wand, and water bottle and crawled to the tent flap, slipping out into the cool morning and making her way to the main tent.

She shuffled in through the entrance and spotted Malfoy at the tea station preparing his morning brew. He looked up as she made her way over, still rubbing sleep from her eyes and intent on pouring herself a large mug.

"Morning, Granger," he nodded. "Sleep alright?"

Oh, chitchat before caffeinating. Starting the challenges early today, I see.

Deciding it was in her best interest to play nicely, Hermione tried for a pleasant tone. "Surprisingly—" Her voice came out like a gravel pit and she quickly cleared her throat. Malfoy snorted. "Surprisingly well, thank you," she continued as if nothing had happened, though she did send a small glare his way. "And you?"

"Mm, took a little while to get there but no real complaints." He had put down his tea at the dining table and went to fix himself a plate. Hermione followed.

"That's good," she said absently as her mind picked out the best assortment of food to set her up for the day's adventures.

They settled down across from one another and she was grateful for the few minutes of silence while they both tucked into breakfast. When she had woken up a little more thoroughly, Hermione leaned back in her seat and took another sip of tea.

"Today's really important," she said quietly. Malfoy looked up from his plate.

"I know."

They were silent for a minute longer before Malfoy asked, "Nervous?"

Hermione laughed lowly. Nervous didn't even come close. "That's one word for it," she said. "My brain keeps supplying me with new additions to my list of things that might go wrong." She shook her head. "I mean… where do we even start, Malfoy?"

"Right." He sat up straighter, considering. "Well, let's start with the basics. What are we hoping to learn from them?" He started ticking off with his fingers. "We know centaurs and merfolk have an ancestral connection. Do the populations keep in touch? How has their relationship shifted over time?"

Hermione nodded and opened her notebook to a fresh page, taking notes as he spoke.

He raised a second finger and continued. "We should probably try to get a stronger understanding of merfolk history outside of what has been documented. How do they feel about humans—wizards and muggles, why not—and other beings? We know them to be relatively solitary, but is that by choice or by necessity?" Malfoy leaned back in his chair as he mulled that over.

"Right," Hermione said, tapping her pen against her lip. "We'll also want to learn what we can about their cultural intricacies—behaviors, hierarchies, ways to communicate respect… and of course, the language itself." She finished capturing her thoughts and looked sideways at Malfoy, steeling herself for the still-foreign task of genuinely requesting his input. "What do we know about their language?"

He took it in stride. "Mermish appears to be the common tongue across studied populations—and I use the word 'studied' lightly—but there's a good chance there are distinctive regional dialects," he began. "What we heard from the merpeople after the second Triwizard task, that's an auditory representation of the vocalization techniques of the language. But they hold sway over how they're heard: merfolk in multiple regions have been documented speaking to other beings in captivating song, sometimes in the local language, other times sounding closer to the music made by whales. There's question as to whether they can communicate with any being or just—"

Malfoy blinked as his brain seemed to put something together.

"Granger," he said urgently, leaning forward, and she jumped a bit at the shift. "You were down there with them in fourth year! Were they singing? What did they sound like?"

His eyes were wide in a look Hermione imagined she had worn quite often in her Hogwarts days. She smiled indulgently.

"Well, after Viktor brought me to the surface, I had this faint tune spinning 'round my head, and Harry had told me how beautiful the song in the champion's egg had been when he'd listened to it in the bath—" she ignored Malfoy's derisive snort "—and I didn't think I'd really ever get the chance to hear Mermish song again, so as we were swimming to the shore, I… decided to dip back down a moment and listen for it."

"And?"

"Oh, I couldn't hear them at all," she huffed. "Harry told me later that he could only hear the music near the deepest part of the lake, I should've known, but I just never would've forgiven myself for not trying."

"I seem to recall they had to carry you out of the lake," he smirked. "Don't tell me it was because you were researching?"

"Er, yes, well I suppose I hadn't really thought it all the way through. Viktor was rather beside himself thinking I'd up and drowned on him after his big rescue. He thought I must be weak from the residual effects of the stasis." She shrugged. "I didn't bother correcting him."

Malfoy chuckled. "I'll tell you what, Granger, no part of me is surprised." Then he shook his head, his expression turning solemn as he caught her eye again. "They let a 14-year-old compete in the Triwizard Tournament."

"I know!" she laughed incredulously, palms slapping the tabletop. "Sometimes this world still absolutely astounds me."

Hermione tensed as soon as the words left her mouth. This world, she had said. Our world. A world that the man in front of her had insisted she didn't belong in for six long years. Did he still see it as his world, which she had simply managed to find her way into?

But Malfoy didn't react to her declaration. He had that same disbelieving smile on his face, sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was a moment of friendly normalcy, she realized. Weird.

"I was always trying to listen for the mersong from the Slytherin dorms," he admitted after a stretch of silence. "I knew I'd probably never see one, but I figured if I had any chance of encounter, it would be through sound. I wasted more hours than I can count that way."

Hermione let out a wistful sigh. "A part of me always envied you lot, living under the lake with the view to prove it," she admitted. "But be honest—was it dreadfully bleak?"

Malfoy opened his mouth to respond when Hermione's water bottle started glowing from its place on the table. She shot him an apologetic smile and held the bottle so they could both see.

Truly spectacular! Right up to the Granger standard, eh? Take (respect)full advantage of the situation—I've the utmost faith in you both!

Malfoy scoffed a laugh and Hermione felt her face flush. Surely Malfoy hadn't needed any reminders of her insufferable work ethic.

"Merlin, Granger," he chuckled, and she gave a tight smile as she braced herself for the inevitable swot comment. "Is he always so… unbearably buoyant?"

Hermione felt her smile and her shoulders relax at the same time. "He is rather a lot," she said fondly, taking a sip of her water and clearing the message. "But he doesn't micromanage and I always feel supported. Seems like a fair trade." She shrugged. "Plus, his little encouragements actually work. I've found them to be surprisingly effective at increasing my enthusiasm levels."

She looked up and realized Malfoy was staring at her with an expression she'd never seen before. She fought off the instinct to tense up under his scrutiny as she looked back.

"I cannot believe I'm not going to witness this today!" Hermione jumped at the outburst, her heart pounding for an entirely different reason than it had been just moments before. David was striding toward them, a hand dramatically clutching his chest. She laughed as he flopped into the chair next to Malfoy, who looked on, amused, as the man draped his upper body across the table with a long sigh.

"Will you tell me everything?" he asked from under heavy arms, his eyes moving back and forth between them. "If I find a pensieve we can use, will you show me your memories?" He sighed again and twisted his body even further, his hair winding around his neck as he craned it unnaturally to maintain eye contact. Even Malfoy couldn't help laughing as David said seriously, "You should know I'm 100% willing to be shrunk into a pocket."

"Coming off a little desperate there, mate," Malfoy said lightly as he stood and began collecting their dishes. "Granger, see if you can't fix him before we head out for this apparently remarkable opportunity."

David let out a wail and Hermione shot Malfoy a venomous glare, but he was already walking away. Smirking, no doubt. She turned back to the absolute wreck of a wizard sprawled in front of her.

"I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now," she said with a sigh. "I am sorry you can't come." He let out a small hmph and unwound his self-made human knot until his chin rested on his crossed arms. Then, huffing another sigh, he met her eyes and sat up fully.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever see what I saw yesterday," he said solemnly. Then he seemed to reconsider. "Well, maybe in my wildest dream," he amended. "But that was…" he leaned forward and grabbed Hermione's hand where it rested on the table. Her heart juddered at the sudden contact. "You know how extraordinary that was, right?"

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, still holding his gaze. She did know how extraordinary all of this was, and she was doing everything in her power to compartmentalize that knowledge until after said extraordinary meeting was over. Act on it now, dwell on it later. She shuddered as echoes of a past mantra bubbled to the surface of her mind.

"Are you one of those people who's just exceptional at everything they do?" David had relinquished her hand and was now looking at her thoughtfully, leaning his chin on one fist. "I bet you are. Exhilarating to be around, you lot, and humbling."

"Ah, don't let her fool you, David," Malfoy said, clapping the man on the shoulder as he returned to his seat. "She's absolute rubbish at flying."

"But yes," Hermione added sweetly, flashing Malfoy a cheeky smile. "I am quite good at just about everything else."

"And you!" David turned his attention to Malfoy. "All quiet and unassuming and then BAM! Coming in with that… that accent out of nowhere? You sounded…" his eyes shifted out of focus for several seconds. Malfoy started fidgeting. "It was like your voice was grown from the earth," David said finally. "Hints of the old tongues, of course, but so much more deeply rooted." He sighed. "Absolutely beautiful."

Malfoy cleared his throat, looking as uncomfortable as David's genuine attention had made Hermione feel only moments before, but the other man didn't seem to notice.

"We're having a party tonight," he said, sitting up quickly. "To celebrate the magnitude of whatever the fuck is happening here. Depending on when you lot get back," (he failed to hide another heavy sigh) "we'll probably already have gotten started. Isn't that right, Goody?" The last part was directed over Hermione's shoulder and she turned to see Luna shuffling toward them.

"Oh, I'm glad you're still here!" Luna said through a yawn. "Some days off I sleep right into the afternoon without even realizing it." She dropped into the chair next to Hermione and laid her head on her friend's shoulder, looking up to meet her eyes. "You're healing," she said quietly with a gentle smile. Hermione couldn't help but smile back.

The four chatted a bit longer and Hermione found herself leaning comfortably into the natural camaraderie. This must be what it's like to have friends who share your interests, she thought pleasantly before shaking her head. It was just too bizarre, seeing Malfoy like this. Like a person? her mind suggested helpfully. She pointedly ignored it.

Around eleven, Hermione and Malfoy said their goodbyes (David threw himself on the ground and clung to Malfoy's leg for a good minute before they were able to pry him off) and walked back to their tent to prepare for their meeting, packed lunches in hand.

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

They didn't wait long once they'd arrived at the clearing. Both Hermione and Malfoy assumed deferential postures, though Hermione stood straighter today and held Unn's gaze as she walked toward them.

"Be at ease," she said, welcoming them with a single palm facing upward. Hermione felt some of her tension drip down her arms as she lowered them, and she saw Malfoy relax his stance beside her. "We will walk, for a time, and I will offer what guidance I will on your quest."

"Your council is deeply appreciated," Hermione said fervently. "I truly believe our mission to be a noble one, and we are both honored that you trust us with your knowledge and insight to reestablish a connection with our surrounding communities."

"We recognize that we will never be able to repay this gift," Malfoy added, "and for that we are even more humbled. Thank you."

Unn nodded to each of them. "Come."

She led them across the clearing and into the trees with sure, even steps, keeping her gaze on the invisible path ahead. Hermione quickly determined that they were heading in the opposite direction of yesterday's wanderings—small mercies from the universe. A little more tension dissipated down her spine.

After a minute or two of walking in silence, breathing in the forest and finding peace in the present despite the past (no big deal), Hermione spoke to the venerated centaur who had offered to help her with her research. (No big deal.)

"It is our understanding," she began, "that centaurs and merfolk share a common ancestor from a distant time."

"Yes," Unn said simply.

"Does your history tell of a time when your civilizations dwelt together?"

"Our histories are not like yours," the centaur replied. "We have always been seekers of the future, and therefore most of what has been carried forward is just that: foretellings that came to pass, guidance on the reading of stars, and predictions that have yet to be realized. Events and relations are referred to in the context of greater communications with the universe. There was a time when we were deeply connected to our brethren of the depths, but it has been long since that age."

"What relationship do you maintain with them now?"

"Our herd is far separated from merfolk-inhabited waters. We have not met with our cousins in many generations." Hermione's heart sunk a little at that. "But still we remain connected to them," Unn continued, "and able to reach them when we seek that connection."

"So you keep in touch, then?" Hermione clarified, and Unn nodded. "How?"

The centaur looked at Hermione over her shoulder and Hermione felt her cheeks heat up as she realized how casually she'd addressed her, but Unn didn't seem to mind.

"If the stars allow it, I will show you tonight."

Hermione almost stopped in her tracks, unconsciously reaching out to grab Malfoy's arm in her excitement. He jumped a little at the contact and looked at her; she quickly let go, her face flushing even warmer with a shiny new flavor of embarrassment.

Malfoy recovered quickly. "It would be our privilege," he said respectfully, his voice tugging at Hermione's focus as David's description floated through her mind: like it was grown from the earth. She shook herself (definitely not a shiver) and re-centered her attention.

"As far as we're aware, merfolk appear to be solitary—living amongst themselves but far removed from other magical beings."

"They are territorial and autonomous," Unn confirmed. "What need have they of allies in other realms?"

Hermione was silent for a long moment, almost positive the question was rhetorical, before settling on a thoughtful, "Indeed." After another, shorter pause, she continued. "And what of enemies? Are there any beings that their populations see in that light?"

Unn slowed to a stop, turning to face them. "Not as such," she said. "But they are particularly wary of humans—magical and non-magical alike. As are we all." She looked between them with what appeared to be a sort of detached curiosity, her head tilted slightly. "The brutality of your species is known by all and experienced by most," she said, then locked eyes with Malfoy and gave a short nod. "Surely you do not fault their lack of trust in your kind."

Hermione saw him stiffen beside her, but his voice stayed calm and respectful and earth-grown, goddammit. "Not in the slightest," he said.

Unn's gaze narrowed, then shifted to Hermione and back to Malfoy again. "Come," she said suddenly, turning to continue along their path. "We are close."

Hermione glanced at Malfoy who shrugged, wide-eyed, and shook his head. She shrugged back and started off after Unn.

They didn't speak again until they reached a new clearing, this one more intimidating than the one Hermione had bared her soul in the day before. Several large trees twisted up from the ground, gnarled branches hanging low with the weight of their knots, and the groundcover grew high and wild.

"This place is one of truth," Unn said. "The truth is often interwoven, darkness with light, beauty with pain. If you are open to it, you may find answers here beyond what you seek."

Hermione didn't really know what to say to that. She wasn't sure she was ready for another deep exploration into her psyche, but the idea of attaining bonus knowledge held a strong sway. Just let it happen, she thought, breathing out through her nose as she closed her eyes and let her feet wander where they would.

Back where she'd left him, Malfoy cleared his throat. "When the time comes," he said, "we wish to approach this relationship with as much respect as possible. Since so little is known to us of merfolk customs beyond the basics of their chieftain societies, we would be grateful to learn of any behaviors that would help us communicate our deference."

"You have bowed easily to others before," Hermione heard Unn say cryptically, and from the way her voice carried in the cool air, it seemed the centaur was also ambling around the clearing. "But contrived reverence will not help you now."

Hermione deliberately continued her blind circuit of the glen, letting her fingers brush the wildflowers as she went and allowing Malfoy some semblance of privacy in this direct commentary on his past.

"How might we bow to them on land?" she posited. "Or are we meant to meet them beneath the waves?" Her eyes drifted open as she let her feet guide her meandering path, swaying slightly as her hands wove through tall grass. "And, for that matter, just how territorial are they?"

Unn gave a small smile at that. "You have brought the moon daughter with you again today," she said, almost fondly. "She is most welcome; I thank her for helping you deepen your connection."

What a polite way to say I've stopped being overtly respectful, Hermione mused.

"Merfolk are protective of their communities. If a potential threat approaches their domain, they will not hesitate to defend it. However, it is rare that they extend that territorialism to the entire body of water in which they reside." Unn paused, then continued. "It is also entirely unlikely that you will have any interaction with them above the surface. If you meet them, it will be in their realm."

Hermione and Malfoy shared a glance across the clearing. It had been the most likely scenario in their planning as well (assuming they were able to interact with the merfolk at all), but hearing it from Unn somehow made the prospect much more real.

"Best not to appear threatening when we get there, then," Malfoy said finally. He straightened slightly. "You mentioned something about bowing?"

Unn nodded. "A low bow of deep respect," she said, modeling the action, and Hermione's breath caught at the implications of this centaur trusting them enough to assume such a vulnerable pose. "But you are suspended in the water, your feet held as a tail. The tail arcs backward and ends over your head, displaying trust and esteem." Unn looked at Malfoy again. "Your body must give way to deference, in its entirety, or they will… reject you."

Hermione's feet had taken her to Malfoy's side. "We will use this knowledge well," she said. "It is our wish to demonstrate the utmost respect in our interactions."

"All the more so if they deign to speak with us directly," Malfoy added, and Hermione could hear the tentative excitement in his voice. "Do you by chance know much of their language, and how they are able to communicate with other beings?"

Unn let her gaze shift out of focus as a small smile graced her face. "Our brethren have long found delight in trickery," she supplied. "They taught themselves the art of imitation in the early ages, amusing themselves with trivial deceptions and subtle misdirections. Yet over time their imitations became ingrained and their knowledge grew, and what began as diversion developed into talent—a keen knack for tongues, beast and being alike. Their language, borne of the quiet dark, sings sweetly through the waves. Yet its beauty dies at the surface. You will not find commonality in your human roots. You must learn the language of the depths."

Malfoy had started wandering now, eyes closed thoughtfully as he moved around the clearing.

"They will see into your ways, as I have," Unn said, her eyes following Malfoy's path. "It may be that they find a kindred spirit in you, who carries nectar on his tongue." Hermione saw Malfoy's lips twitch into a smirk. "Though beware they do not presume you a trickster," the centaur continued. "The tale of travelers lured to their deaths is not an idle one." She met Hermione's gaze. "Mischief aside, they have no love for your kind."

Hermione nodded as her feet began moving once more. This time she kept her eyes open, fighting off the urge to close them by imagining just how much of a mood-killer it would be to bump into Malfoy as they both ambled blindly through a forest glen. After completing another circuit and realizing Malfoy wasn't about to start talking any time soon, she asked her final question.

"The colony we seek to know," she began, "they rule the Black Lake, which shares surrounding land with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Hermione waited, but when the centaur made no acknowledgment, she continued.

"For a long while they held an affinity with the school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who was one of the few of wizard-kind who spoke Mermish. It is unknown whether he learned by independent study, or from representatives of the merfolk themselves. To have hope of establishing a new relationship of good will with their population, it would benefit us to know what we can of the Black Lake colony. Is there anything you can tell us?"

Unn had stopped, her head thrown backward to take in the evening sky—when did it become evening?—above them. For several long minutes, no one said a word, and Hermione resolutely ignored the desire to fidget. She did sneak a glance over at Malfoy, but he was still making his way slowly around the glen, eyes closed and one hand skimming through the growth that came up above his knees. Finally, Unn returned her attention to the earthly plane.

"The stars are open tonight," she said. "Come. I have one more place to show you."

This time the trio only walked for a couple of minutes before reaching their destination: a small pond, its surface a mirror in the growing darkness.

"You asked to know how we communicate with our brethren," Unn said, walking to the water's edge. "As with all things, the stars guide us, and the waters connect us." She swept an arm to indicate the pond. "If you are willing and they amenable, I can show you a glimpse of who they are, and show them the same of you."

Hermione's heart stuttered in her chest. These centaurs were, by Unn's own admittance, far separated from merfolk-inhabited waters. What magic would allow them to see past land and lake and into the depths of a different realm? She looked behind her at Malfoy and saw that he was nearly quivering with excitement as he nodded his assent. That makes two of us, she thought, reaching for his arm and bringing him closer to the water's edge.

"We would welcome the opportunity," Hermione said quietly.

Unn nodded and turned to face the pond, lowering herself gracefully to her knees. "Join me," she said, and Hermione and Malfoy knelt.

"The stars guide us," she repeated, looking upward to the heavens in a moment of reverence, "and the waters connect us." Unn moved her hand slowly over the surface of the water, naming the reflected constellations as her fingers passed them. At Hydra, her hand stopped and she shifted her gaze back to her companions. "It is time."

Without waiting for a reply, Unn dropped her middle finger to the surface of the pond. Hermione held her breath as the ripples expanded no more than a few rings before being apparently sucked into the water below. She felt Malfoy tense under her hand and realized she had tightened her grip on his wrist—ah, still holding that, am I? She relaxed her fingers as best she could in her anticipation, refusing to let go altogether. She needed to know she wasn't alone in what she was witnessing.

Minutes passed by in near silence, the only sounds coming from the forest around them. But then she heard a new sound on the edge of her senses, barely discernible in its smallness. It grew gradually louder, and before long it was music, deep and dark and rolling outward from the pond. As it came closer—for it truly felt like an approach—Hermione could make out a haunting melody that reached out and into her skin to gently soothe her spirit. Beside her, Malfoy inhaled sharply.

She recognized that tune, she realized, as the one that had flitted through her head following the second Triwizard task. It beckoned to her to close her eyes, to surrender her weariness, to be at peace in the depths of murky waters.

Hermione was jolted out of her reverie by a tug on her arm. She turned to glare at Malfoy, only to realize he wasn't where she remembered him being—or rather, Hermione wasn't where she remembered herself being. She was leaning as far over the pond as she could from her kneeling position, the ends of her hair nearly skimming the surface.

Huh, she thought through a fuzzy mind, glancing at their clasped wrists where Malfoy now held her. Good thing I hadn't let go.

"Find yourselves in the surface," Unn said from her other side, not acknowledging the near misstep. Hermione pulled herself back most of the way, leaning just far enough so she could see their faces reflected on the pond. Malfoy, having not been preparing to dive into the water only moments before, simply bent his upper body forward slightly.

"Hemera," Unn said, her eyes meeting Hermione's through the pond's reflection. Then the centaur's eyes shifted to Malfoy's and she tilted her head, considering. "Soter," she said finally, and Hermione saw his eyebrows rise in surprise.

Then the music was surrounding her again, resonating in her head and her chest and weaving itself into the tendrils of her hair. She kept her focus trained on the water, letting the melody fill her without taking her away. She felt Malfoy's hand flex on her wrist and squeezed gently back on his, hoping he understood. I'm not going anywhere.

And then a fourth face appeared in the water, pale with yellow eyes and a dark halo of hair. Hermione kept her expression neutral, channeling her shock instead into Malfoy's hand (she was apparently holding his hand now and there was just no time to feel any way about that at all) as she lowered her eyes and head into what she hoped would appear to be a bow through the lens of the pond surface. When she raised her eyes again, the being was looking at them with narrowed eyes. Then there was a flash of jagged teeth—a smile or a snarl, she couldn't be sure—and the face vanished, the melody cutting off and dissipating into the night air without resolution.

Hermione leaned back on her knees and flumped to the side, her grip sliding out of Malfoy's. He hadn't moved from his position leaning over the water's edge. She put a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. Her heartbeat was deceptively calm for how quickly her thoughts were racing.

When Unn stood, so did Hermione and Malfoy. They faced each other in silence for a while, simply sharing the moment. It was Malfoy who spoke first.

"We are forever grateful for the openness with which you have welcomed us on this day," he said in that voice, bowing his head and laying his palms over his chest. "You have honored us with your trust, your wisdom, and your indulgence. We are at your service if you ever have need."

Surprised yet pleased by the offered debt, Hermione modeled his posture. "We thank you for today, Unn," she said simply, "and I thank you for yesterday."

"You are welcome, young ones," the centaur replied. "I wish you well in your mission."

And so they parted, and Hermione and Malfoy made their way back to camp in relative silence, eating their packed lunches under the cover of treetops and stars.


A/N: Hat-tip in this chapter to a wonderful story (and author) that I absolutely fangirled over more than a decade ago, and which 100% holds up: Just Let it Happen by La. Bel. LM. Check it out on Continuing Tales!

** Update: Story is being reposted on ahhhh! s/14233344/1/Just-Let-it-Happen **