The Weasley met your eyes easily, smirking as she stepped forward.
"I've got some girls waiting just outside the limit, but they can't cross in unless we want to be answering to Dumbledore about what exactly we're doing here, so we've gotta get our princess here out via other means."
Part said, she looked towards Hagrid, who blinked, before realizing her part.
"Well, there are a few options. First-"
You listened as Hagrid laid the options out for your group.
Going through the castle just sounded goddamn stupid.
It had all the trouble you'd possibly had coming here, multiplied by the fact that you were now four people.
It was out near instantly, and you glared at Charlie when she snickered.
The Lake, on the other hand, was somewhat more reasonable. Remote, you'd be on brooms, so none on the ground would be able to get to you, and it was a somewhat straight shot. The only problem…
"I'm really bad at flying." You said, bluntly. There was no use in trying to hide the fact or shying away from it. Smok crossed her arms and looked away.
"I could fly you." She stated firmly. You looked over at her clear lack of wings before raising an eyebrow. She flushed. "I just… don't feel like it."
Charlie, who was listening in, stepped forward, a hand coming down onto your shoulder, before lingering; she rubbed it back and forth, squeezing at different parts.
"You could always sit on my lap." She offered, leaning in just a bit so that her breasts pressed against the back of your neck.
You stepped away and made a show of shivering in disgust before turning and glaring at the amused redhead.
She raised her hands in a placating gesture.
"Or not. I understand if heights still scare you. Brooms are scary things."
You glared a bit longer at the patronization before turning back to Hagrid, who continued.
The Road…
It was a bad idea, all things considered, but it was too visible for your taste. Too much risk to stumble across someone randomly.
Which left-
"The forest," Ruby said, smiling. This was the option she seemed the most comfortable with. It made sense, too. If you were taller than literally everyone else and twice as wide, you'd be more comfortable in dangerous places as well.
You nodded.
"It seems like the best choice. You know the way?"
Ruby nodded.
"I guess I'll let my people know to be ready on the other side of the forest," Charlie said, stepping past you to leave temporarily. You dodged the grasping hand, aimed low. You weren't interested in whatever she was trying to do.
She stepped out the door, wand coming out. You heard talking as she did.
That left you, Smok, and Ruby temporarily. The half-giantess was busy gathering the supplies needed and stuffing all of it into a large sack, which left-
You felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking to the left, you caught a glimpse of the clawed hand that had you, before you were spun around.
.
--------------->
.
"What-" You began, only to be cut off by Smok lunging forward, lips capturing your own. There was no romance to the kiss, and you were skeptical of exactly how much experience she had.
Smok didn't kiss like it was a mutual sport; instead, she mashed her lips against your own, violently wriggling her tongue as if fighting for dominance. You were too stunned to mount a proper offensive before she pulled back, panting slightly, a bridge of saliva connecting the two of you only briefly before falling. Her eyes were heavy.
"You are mine, Herman Granger. Do not forget that, lest I have to teach it to you." She let go, turning away as she shivered once more.
As she did, Hagrid finished packing, and Charlie came back in smiling once more. As everyone got ready to go, your eyes were stuck on Smok's back, as a fire grew within you.
The fire of competition.
You were no one's servant. You just had to teach her that fact.
-x-X-x-
You had been in the Forbidden Forest before.
That was with Nora, and was guided by her somewhat questionable skills of navigation.
Travelling with Ruby, Smok, and Charlie was a much different experience.
For one, the noises of the forest were oddly muted, but rather than it feeling like they were being stalked, it felt as if most of the denizens of the area felt that you were the threat.
Which, honestly, is fair.
You didn't know how willing you would be to attack, and/or otherwise inconvenience a group of four strong, including two wizards, a High Drake, and a Half-Giantess.
It felt a little bit like a Dungeons and Dragons game, to be honest. A fighter, two magic users, and a Druid.
You eyed Smok speculatively.
Maybe not a Druid, Dragonborn rogue maybe?
You'd play with the thought later.
Still, the point was, tromping through the forest at this point felt less like a dangerous journey, and more along the lines of a Night Hike. It was actually somewhat pleasant, your jacket keeping you just warm enough, and the Forbidden Forest having no bugs at all. The stars, when you could see them through the thick foliage, were shining bright and actually quite pretty.
All in all, this couldn't be considered a negative experience.
It's just…
The company you kept made it so that it was… interesting, to say the least.
"I am cold."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! What kind of imbecile is not sure of their own temperature? Knave."
"I mean, you were the one who asked so…"
"I made a statement!"
"Are you sure?"
Veronica's older sister was, evidently, a bit of a shit stirrer.
And Smok proved to be a very easily available target for her needling.
The High Dragon was stomping along, a large cloak alongside numerous blankets covering her. The blankets were dragging on the forest floor behind her, and you winced, for Ruby's sake, at how much debris the fabric was picking up.
You were pretty sure you'd seen her own bed stripped clean of sheets and blankets in the hut, and you suspected, from the size of the ones Smok was wearing, that you knew where they had gone.
Charlie, on the other hand, moved in a way that could only and solely be described as a 'saunter'.
.
------------------>
.
And you were quite certain that she was walking at just the right pace to stay directly ahead of you on purpose.
Only a few feet in front of you, and swaying her hips in quite a distinctive way, you'd caught the older woman, multiple times, slowing down at random moments, nearly driving you to bump into her.
When you tried to deviate to walk a bit to the left or right, she adjusted as well, all without looking back.
Given the recent events that had happened in the Hut, you were hesitant to give her the benefit of the doubt and instead resolved to simply step carefully, so that you weren't at any sort of risk of an accident.
Finally, Ruby was walking quite a bit ahead, holding a large steel lantern in one hand and brandishing her umbrella in the other. She, interestingly, looked more at ease now that you all were in the forbidden forest, rather than her hut.
You were near the end of the pack, ostensibly to keep watch. Really, it just meant that you were an audience to all the new ways Charlie could get Smok to gasp and growl with words alone.
Still, the forest seemed to be getting thicker. You had a feeling that you weren't out of the woods yet.
…
Metaphorically.
You knew you were still in the woods.
Partially through the forest, and you'd perhaps been a bit too optimistic about your chances.
You weren't surprised about something attacking you, no, that situation remained as it had been at the start. The forest was silent of all natural sounds, with few creatures being willing to approach your group.
No, the thing that you were truly worried about was just how loud both of your companions were.
Even Ruby, who regularly tolerated comments from Malfoy, seemed to be wearing thin, patience-wise. More than once, she stopped, looking back with a grimace, as if hoping the two would notice.
And the thing was, you were relatively certain that Charlie did notice.
She just didn't give a shit.
The only thing the redhead was really focused on was winding Smok up as far as she could go. The conversation between the two of them consisted of Charlie making mild, snide comments, Smok reacting loudly and aggressively, only for Charlie to rebuff with another comment.
This woman was supposed to be a Dragon Tamer!?
Where was the taming that was happening here?
Instead of focusing on keeping Smok calm, she was instead making her as loud as possible.
You weren't worried about the forest any longer, but rather about someone who might be nearby, hearing you.
If someone had been suspicious, like Hagrid and Charlie had thought back at the camp, this seemed like the best way to let them know exactly where you were.
Worse yet, it's possible that if you were noisy enough, something in the forest might decide that even your group might be worth the risk to get the noise to stop.
Hell, you were close to being willing to do it yourself.
"But are you sure you're a High Dragon, you're not very high?"
"I can assure you that I can be as high as needed; my wings are simply resting!"
"Oh~ That's pretty impressive, we usually need special potions for that sort of thing. But are you-"
Ok, you were done.
"Could you two, please, quiet down?" You asked aloud, interrupting the next exchange loudly. You had to raise your voice, and it echoed around the forest, bouncing off trees and other things. Both of them fell silent, turning to look at you suddenly.
Ruby had stopped up ahead, but she seemed more interested in enjoying the peace while it lasted than participating in the conversation in any way.
The silence lasted just a bit longer, and you thought, naively, that maybe, just maybe, you'd gotten through to them.
And then Charlie got this look on her face.
.
------------>
.
It sent shivers down your spine.
She leaned forward, breasts hanging low. You couldn't help it as your eyes were drawn downwards for a split second. There was a faint pinkness that slipped free in the motion. You understood immediately that the slip was part of the distraction.
Her smile widened, and you knew in that moment that you couldn't stop what was coming.
"Honestly, Hermy, out of everyone here, it's you who's being the loudest. Were you trying to announce to the whole forest that you were here?" She said in a teasing tone, waving a finger about as she notably didn't bother fixing her top.
Smok, seeing the opportunity to turn this around on you, joined in.
"Indeed, servant. I thought you to be an intelligent one. Stealth and quietness are of the utmost importance in this mission."
And just like that, the arguing two were suddenly arguing against you, and you couldn't help but scowl.
You were just opening your mouth to respond when a horn sounded in the distance, and suddenly the quiet forest was filled with noise.
A heavy sound roared throughout, and it took you a moment to place what you were hearing.
It was hooves.
The thundering of hooves was now echoing in the forest. Shadows passed between the trees, and your companions stiffened, turning swiftly as you did to try to locate the sound.
Only Hagrid seemed to immediately understand what she was hearing, and the low curse under her breath didn't provide you with any comfort.
"Centaurs." She said grimly, frown firmly in place.
"Centaur?" Echoed Smok, while Charlie just frowned, now looking more professional than she had in the entire rest of the time you'd known her. Her wand was in one hand, and in the other, the whip she'd wielded against you.
Hagrid was much the same, her back stiff, and her knuckles white around the handle of her umbrella. You would have questioned what exactly the pink bit of wood and fabric was going to do to help you here, but you'd had enough experience with magic that it shooing fireballs or lasers wouldn't surprise you.
The sound neared further, and with Smok's question unanswered, you found it in yourself to ask again, even as you gripped your own wand as if it would protect you.
Your notable lack of practice with many offensive spells suddenly hit you and left you feeling unprepared.
"Centaurs?" you asked again, echoing Smok.
Hagrid grunted, even as she tracked the shadows that now circled you. There was the sound of calls now, loud, inhuman, more than anything, and the pounding of hooves against the soft loam of the forest was more defined.
You couldn't count properly, but there seemed to be at least thirty, maybe forty, that you could see. You weren't willing to be on the number, though, with the way they seemed to blend in and out of the shadows of the forest.
"Half-Horse, Half-Human looking folk. Nice enough on good terms, those being arranged meeting and careful conversations."
Your mind snagged on the human-looking part, but you ignored it.
"And this, could we perhaps get through this with a nice conversation?"
Hagrid shifted uneasily.
"We are, technically, on their land. Without permission." She said haltingly.
"Meaning?"
She blinked and looked away guiltily. More towards the actions the group had taken, than the news she was about to tell you.
"The last meeting was, specifically, bout the consequences and importance of respectin' their territory."
Oh.
That explained the curse, didn't it?
The hooves came close, and finally, forms broke the trees.
Ruby's description was accurate. Horses with the torsos of people came out of the woods, carrying bows, swords, and spears. They were moving fast enough to blur, but you could make out horse ears on their heads, and their well-defined bodies, both parts rippling with muscle.
They also, in a method that seemed typical to the wizarding world, seemed to be made up entirely of women.
If there were any male riders in the midst, you didn't see them.
As the circle closed tighter, it eventually slowed until you were well and properly surrounded by Centaur women. They stopped, some brandishing their weapons threateningly, others simply glaring darkly. Their clothing seemed to be a mix of refashioned plants and cloth, with some hides mixed in, and most seemed to only wear enough to support their chests.
Everyone seemed unhappy, and cast in the dull light of Ruby's lantern, it made quite the intimidating sight.
After a moment, one stepped forward.
"Ruby."
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----------->
.
Somehow, the bear-skin-wearing woman made the name sound like a threat, and the growl coming from her was distinctly inhuman.
"Bane. You're looking good."
Ruby's nervous compliment didn't seem to have the effect she wanted, as the now-named Bane pawed the ground with a hoof, seemingly shaking with rage.
"There was an agreement, Ruby. You weren't to intrude on our land. You know what the consequences are to be."
Her hands were twitching towards the rather gnarly-looking broadsword strapped to the side of her lower body, and the flex stretched the scars across her body in a grotesque fashion.
Ruby chuckled, even as the three of you shifted closer, Smok looking, properly fearful of the situation.
"Now Bane-"
"NO…"
The words tore out of the centaur's throat, sounding beastly.
She growled and reached for her blade properly this time.
"There are consequences to your actions. Ruby. Humans, you always expect to be able to talk your way out of everything. No…"
She unsheathed the blade.
"You all die here, as a warning to your castle, to keep to the agreements."
The others stamped their hooves, sounding like a mix of applause and a Warcry, and the sound of bowstrings being drawn filled the clearing.
You held your wand in front of you and desperately tried to review the steps to the Protego charm in your head. Charlie looked Grim, and Smok shifted to hide behind you.
Then-
"Excuse me."
.
-------------->
.
Another centaur trotted forward, this one the opposite of Bane in nearly every way. Where Bane was angry, she was calm. Where Bane was hard, she looked soft. Where Bane was scarred, her flesh was unmarred.
Her clothing, as well, was oddly fashioned compared to the rest, and each step sent a movement through her barely confined breasts.
She moved to stand beside Bane, and it seemed her presence held some weight, as the arrows were lowered at her entrance.
Bane growled, but it was more annoyance than anger, and she gave the other a side-eye.
"Fiora. The law is clear."
The white-clad Centaur merely nodded.
"Yes, it is, Bane, so I ask why you are not adhering to it."
This seemed to offend the other greatly, and she reared back, the effect quite dramatic when one is part horse.
When her hooves were back on the ground, she snorted, stomping once, before replying.
"I am. Cease speaking in Riddles, sister."
The other smiled, although her eyes still did not open.
"Even if they have broken the law, as per the agreement, they are allowed to face trial before execution."
Bane blinked, as if this hadn't occurred, before shaking her head.
"That law is meant for our kind."
"And yet, the word of it does not mention Centaur or Wizard."
That caused a bit of a stir, and murmurs filled the clearing.
The martial of the two seemed conflicted, biting her lip and glaring at the ground as she thought. For a moment, you worried that she was just going to say to hell with it and attack anyway. When she looked up, you braced yourself for her answer.
Raising her drawn blade to the crowd, she jumped up onto her hind legs, gaining height, before roaring out to the crowd.
"THEY FACE THE TRIAL!"
The responding roar was deafening.
All the while, the White Centaur trotted towards you, her eyes still closed. Despite that, she navigated closer until she was standing directly in front of your group.
"Greetings, travellers. You've picked an unfortunate night to cross this forest."
Her head tilted upward, as if looking. There was something in her smile then.
"Luckily for you, Venus is bright tonight. I am Fiora, do not make my choice in helping you a poor one."
-x-X-x-
The group of you, Smok included, were herded, which felt like a bit of irony, which your minders evidently felt as well, given their humorous attitude towards it, away from the clearing, and off further into the woods. A questioning look towards Ruby and Charlie went unanswered, and both seemed to follow along, rather grimly, without complaint.
You did the same. You'd always had good luck trusting in authority figures, and you didn't expect that to stop this time. So you followed without much trouble, tucking your wand away into your sleeve, rather than its holster.
A bit more dangerous, but you were wary of them trying to strip you of weapons, so you figured it was safer there.
Smok, in the duration of the walk towards wherever they were taking you, seemed to have regained some of her earlier confidence. That seemed to take the form of her growling at most centaurs that strayed too close, all the while keeping withing a foot of you. She crowded the blankets around her as if they were a cloak, rather than being there to warm her.
The centaurs, for their part, actually were not very pushy in guarding you. They used the shaft of their spars to nudge you in the right direction, but otherwise kept their distance most of the time and said nothing. You caught a few, particularly the blonde one, glance towards you, but otherwise, there was no interaction.
In little time, you made it to what looked like their camp. Or at least, one of them.
There were several tents scattered around, alongside many fires. More cantaurs milled around them, but it seemed only the elderly or sick had stayed behind.
Once into camp, you and the others were herded into a center area, where the rest joined you. Some sat down, while others stood watch. Bane and Fiora headed towards a rather elderly looking female Centaur, who was lying near the fire. You noted she seemed to be missing both an arm and a leg, but both still greeted her with deep bows.
There was a hushed conversation before they stood and began dashing about the camp. As activity seemed to pick up, you deemed it a good time to turn and ask what was going on.
Taking a few steps towards Hagrid, you opened your mouth to speak, when-
Crack!
The butt of a spear tapped down into the ground beside you.
One of the guards had trotted up, and as you attempted to approach the older woman, she had intercepted and was now staring down at you with a firm but calm expression.
"There will be no contact between the older prisoners and the young. Go back to the girl, boy. She will defend you should anything happen."
There was something faintly patronizing about the way she'd worded that, but, at Ruby's subtle nod, you assented and went back to Smok, who quickly stepped closer again.
"Servant." She whispered, looking around wildly. "What is your plan to get your master out of here?"
You thought for a moment before responding.
"We escape."
Smok's eyes bulged a bit.
"That is not a plan!"
Before you could explain the intricacies of your totally in existence plan, Fiora and Bane came together once more, and the larger of the two banged her sheath against a spare shield, gathering the attention of the clearing.
"The trial has been declared. These four-" She pointed at you all, "-have been found trespassing on our land! They have chosen to have a trial, rather than face summary judgment."
There was a cacophony of boos and cheers before settling once more. Fiora, this time, stepped forward.
"First, the defendant's champion will be decided. Elder Tres will decide."
The elderly centaur from before, supported by two others, stepped forward. She approached the group until she was within ten feet, before staring for a bit. The old woman, and she was truly the oldest woman you'd seen, was missing a tooth, and, evidently, an eye, to go alongside her arm and leg. Still, the one she had remaining seemed to work just fine, as it scanned over you all.
A moment passed, and then another.
Finally, after what felt like nearly ten minutes of silence, she let out a raspy cough before raising a hand.
"They boy!" She declared, thrusting a finger at you. Smok stiffened, and you saw both Charlie and Ruby's eyes widen as well.
Ruby, in particular, stepped forward, lumbering nearly into the raised spear of her guard. The tip poked into her frown, but she didn't seem to notice. The casual disregard for her weapon seemed to make the guard in question nervous, and she flicked her tail,
The declaration seemed not to sit right with others in the clearing, as well. You saw more than a few centaurs toss odd looks at each other.
"Now wait here. 'Erman's just a student. 'S'not far to make him-"
The older centaur raised a knobbled finger, grinning that gap-toothed smile.
"It will be the boy." She said again, this time with more vehemence. There was something you didn't like in her eyes. "Venus is bright tonight, after all." Her smile was openly malicious.
.
---------->
.
It was the same thing Fiora had told you, but this time, it was announced to the entirety of the clearing. The white-furred centaur had a scary smile on her face, but your interest in it was drowned out by the loud and raucous cheering and whooping from the crowd, whose eyes had now locked onto you. Tails were flicking, and there was a lot of odd shuffling going on.
There was a nudge on your back.
Your guard was pushing you forward. A look back showed you that Smok was blocked by another from following. Reluctantly, you did step forward, feeling exposed as you did.
The Elder stepped forward, barely stable on two or three limbs, to examine you. She walked around, pausing and humming as she did.
After a full rotation, she stopped and turned back to the crowd.
"Now, the defendant shall choose his trial!"
A cheer.
"His options are-"
She turned towards the crowd, arms in the air.
"Archery. Wrestling. Jousting. Lumbering. Pulling. The Race!"
She moved along the circle, studying the faces of the cheering centaurs.
"The ancient arts of the Centaurs. The sports we have held since Chiron, and beyond! These are the trials!"
She turned.
"What is your choice, challenger?"
You still really, really didn't like the look in her eyes, but, put on the spot, you considered your options.
Looking down, you threaded your fingers together and thought.
Archery wouldn't work; you had no experience whatsoever. You didn't have the equipment, bodily wise, for jousting. Pulling was too vague. You weren't going to get into a race with someone who was half horse, and you didn't know the first thing about lumbering.
…
Did you really want to get into a wrestling match with a centaur?
That felt really stupid.
Your wand burned against your wrist.
Cheating was an option…
Either way, you didn't see any other option.
Looking up, you stated your answer.
"Wrestling."
If anything, the old woman's smile grew wider, and she nearly cackled at your words.
"The Champion has chosen wrestling!"
An array of cheers, laughter, and jeers. You got the sense that the perception of your chances wasn't great. A flush came to your cheeks at the response. You looked over to the others.
Ruby was holding up her crossbow with a frozen look of despair on her face, Charlie seemed a mix between worry and amusement, and Smok…
Smok had her arms crossed and a look of utter confidence on her face.
"I do not understand what you are all laughing at." She said evenly to her guard. "I have full faith in my servant's abilities. He is my servant after all."
Normally, the utter self-absorption would be grating, but honestly, you appreciated the vote of confidence.
You gave her a nod before turning away.
The elder continued her speech, having given plenty of time for the others to laugh.
"Should the Champion win-"
Laughter, at this point, it was getting irritating. Even Fiora, who you'd thought had been on your side in some way, shape, or form, was laughing, a hand covering her mouth delicately as her shoulders shook. Suddenly, those closed eyes seemed much more devious than they had been.
"Should the Champion win-" she restarted, "-he and his companion will go free, as a friend to the Clan until the next winter."
She paused, dramatically, looking around.
"But should they lose, the lives of the defendants, and the champion, will be in the tribes hands, be it death, or…"
She gave a creepy, perverted sounding chuckle, a noise that you did not favor coming out of her mouth. It was echoed by much of the crowd.
Funnily enough, the only one who seemed relatively unhappy with the state of events was Bane, who was standing with her arms crossed, a frown on her face. At the announcement by the elder, rather than laughing like the rest, she rolled her eyes and looked away.
Not finishing her previous statement, the Elder turned back to you.
"Do you understand the trial, Champion?"
You nodded.
She nodded back.
"You will have time to prepare, up to an hour. Converse with your comrades. I suggest you prepare yourself well. Maybe send a letter to your loved ones explaining your expected absence…" She was helped away, cackling.
Returning to the group, you met the others with an uncertain stare.
"So…."
Ruby groaned, and Charlie slapped her hand to her face.
Smok, meanwhile, put a hand on your shoulder.
"Do not lose. If you can deal with Goblins, you can deal with Centaurs."
Well, at least someone was positive.
-x-X-x-