When Love Grows With Time

Chapter One: The Gold Forest

19th August 2008.

It was quite late on one August evening when a figure Apparated in the brushes not too far away from a road. The cracking sound of someone Apparating was lost in the din of passing vehicles. As usual, the Muggles were not too observant about things thatwere goingabout the world. No one noticed the figure clothed in dark blue disappearing into the forest.

Harry Potter was walking in the woods. He absently noted the evening sun rays that managed to penetrate between the trees, and the light adorned the summer ground with various odd and beautiful patterns. The wizard with the pair of brilliant emerald eyes forced his attention towards the path ahead - a path that would lead him to his retreat. Harry was going to the lodge that Albus Dumbledore had given him - the old wizard had insisted that he no longer needed it but was too fond of the structure to abandon it completely. Therefore, that evening, after a frustrating day at his workplace - a rather dusty and woody-smelling room which he shared with an old, decrepit wizard to make wands - Harry was thinking that it was probably the best place for him to brood, clear his mind, and perhaps, get some inspiration from the surroundings.

Ever since his sixth year, Harry had developed a skill that had enabled him to be stealthy, and it had turned into a habit. He was walking silently even when he knew that skulking inside the forest was unnecessary. He smiled when his eyes rested on the small building. He would come here with his partner every weekend, for this place was able to guarantee them the absolute privacy, without being too worried about Harry's friends finding out about their relationship. He had opened the door just slightly when he heard sounds from inside the lodge.

What on earth? Harry pushed the door wider. He was relieved that it did not creak. It would not be the first time that forest animals had managed to get inside the lodge, magically protected or not. He prayed fervently that no matter what animal was inside, it would not be a grumpy adder. Then again, better an adder than a hive of bees; at least he would be able to negotiate with the reptile with his gift as a Parselmouth. He peered into the room cautiously.

All at once his emotions - his moodiness, his frustrations about not getting a design of a wand right, his amusement upon hearing that Ron had gotten Hermione pregnant again, his helplessness and indecisiveness whether he should spend the December holidays with the Weasley brood - all of that vanished when he saw his lover making love to another man. And to make things worse, the man was someone whom had broken his heart a long time ago, when he was in his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Draco.... Harry could not breathe. He stared as his partner hovered above the Potions Master and panted as he filled the body beneath him. Draco.... The name echoed in the vastness of his mind.

Harry Potter took several steps backwards before whirling around and transforming into a black wolf. Now, more than anything else, he just wanted to run and never look back.

-oOoOOxOOoOo-

He read the note in his hand one last time.

Draco, I'm sorry, but I have to leave. Take care of yourself.

- Harry.-

Harry stared at it in helplessness. He had wanted to write that he had seen Draco with Snape, but for some reason, his fingers had refused to write the words. All he had managed to write were the two pathetic statements. He was still in shock; he could not believe that of all people, Draco had cheated him with his ex-lover. Harry had loved them, and without any reservations. Is love so foreign and alien a concept to Slytherins? Harry thought bitterly.

He placed the note on Draco's working desk, grabbed hold of his trunk and Hedwig's cage, then stepped out of the house. He walked towards the empty and silent road. What do I do? Where do I go? I can't go back to my own house - he'd find me there. If he takes the effort to search for me. Harry stopped by the roadside, and without pausing to consider his actions, he raised his wand arm. About ten breaths later, there was a loud bang, and a brilliant purple double-decker bus had materialized in the distance. Its tires screeched loudly as it came to a stop.

A liveried bus conductor jumped down to the ground. His cheerful whistling sounded incredibly loud in Harry's ear, and it made him slightly nervous. The conductor's face brightened when he saw that it was Harry and the raven-haired wizard was quickly ushered into the vehicle. Harry seated himself on an unoccupied bunk, and held Hedwig's cage protectively. Stan Shunpike hauled Harry's loaded trunk onto the bed, grunting loudly at the weight.

"Where to, Harry?" Stan asked.

"A place where I can heal," Harry replied, although he knew that there wasn't such a place. Amazingly, the conductor nodded his head and called out to the driver to get the bus moving.

"The ride will cost you twenty-six Sickles. If you want the additional things then it'd be thirty." Harry paid the money, and stared at Stan's back. He was unable to believe that such a place did exist.

"The Gold Forest is quite a peaceful place," spoke a voice behind him.

Harry swiveled his head, and found a wizard with a pair of gentle and understanding blue eyes studying him intently. The stranger had close-cropped auburn hair and he wore a high-collared tunic. The wizard stood, then clung onto a rail desperately when the Knight Bus started suddenly. After a minute or so, the wizard quickly walked towards Harry's bed, and sat on the edge of it. "Kristopher Meadow, is who I am."

Harry eyed the wizard cautiously, but he still offered his hand, and Kristopher shook it. "Harry Potter."

Kristopher inclined his head politely. "This is the first time you are going there, I assume?"

"Yes."

Kristopher gave him a thoughtful look. "How did you come to know about the place?"

Harry looked back at the wizard and felt uncomfortable suddenly. "Er, actually, I didn't even know that it existed, until now."

Kristopher Meadow raised his eyebrows. "What? Do you mean that it had just popped out of your mouth?" the wizard asked incredulously.

Harry nodded. Kristopher's deep blue eyes twinkled with mirth, but suddenly, his expression became serious.

"Well, people don't usually come on their own accord. What I'm trying to say is, no one comes unless he or she had been referred to or invited by someone who runs the community," Kristopher said carefully. "But since you intend to go there and heal yourself - never mind. I'll escort you. I am returning from a shopping errand by the person you should meet before you settle in. If she trusts you, you can stay." Kristopher peered out the window briefly. "It'll be a long ride, so I suggest you nap for a bit." Then the wizard rose to his feet and carefully made his way to his own bedstead.

Harry watched Kristopher for several seconds. He lay down on the stiff mattress and closed his eyes. Harry felt a little less dubious and apprehensive after hearing the wizard speak - Kristopher reminded him of Remus. He decided, for the moment, that he could trust the wizard. However, he hoped that he would be prepared if Kristopher had led a secret double life, as had Remus Lupin. Although, he doubted Kristopher suffered from lycanthropy. Harry grew drowsier even as he mulled about the stranger, and he fell asleep ten minutes later.

His sleep was restless, however. A sense of unhappiness had intruded on him throughout, and a huge part of him was immensely relieved when someone had begun to shake his shoulder lightly. He blinked his eyes owlishly - Stan was shaking him.

"Gold Forest's next," the conductor informed him and he went on to rouse Kristopher.

Harry raked his tousled hair back with his fingers, while his other hand curled around the base of Hedwig's cage to keep it steady. His snowy owl watched him with unblinking amber eyes. Harry had the feeling that she was somewhat curious about his course of actions. A loud screech filled his ears as the Knight Bus stopped.

Kristopher waved at him to proceed - the wizard was struggling with several heavy bags. Harry went ahead, and looked at his surroundings with great interest.

"Have a nice vacation!" Stan's cheerful voice faded away into the night as the Knight Bus disappeared. Harry stood staring at the empty road for several seconds before he became aware that someone was calling his name. He had completely forgotten about Kristopher.

"Please follow me," the other wizard said, and headed into the forest.

Harry paused to cast a Lightening spell on his trunk before he walked in the direction that Kristopher had taken. A sense of uneasiness started to develop in him. He was following a stranger into the woods where the ground had no trace of a well-used path. Then he realized that his doubts were unfounded, as a widely opened gate waited for them in the distance. As they approached it, Harry saw to his surprise that there was a horde of fairies playing twinkling, little harps. It was as though they were proclaiming his arrival.

Beyond the gate was a broad trail, and the path led the two of them to a pearly-white park bench. A woman hunched over a thick book occupied it. She had long, black and curly hair that covered her back entirely. In what was probably a habitual gesture, she curled one of her long locks around her right forefinger as she read. As the two wizards approached her, she looked up from her book, and the first thing that Harry noticed was her calm expression.

"Kristopher," the woman greeted softly, and smiled gently at the wizard beside Harry.

"Elmira." Again, Harry noticed that Kristopher inclined his head the same way he had done earlier. The woman, Elmira, rose to her feet and approached Harry.

"Who is this?" she asked, her eyes full of curiosity as she studied Harry.

"This is Harry Potter, Elmira," Kristopher introduced. "Harry, this is Elmira, the owner of this area." Kristopher turned back to the woman. "I have to get the groceries to Damien quickly."

"All right, Kris."

Kristopher hurried off beyond the park bench. Harry saw that Elmira had an almost fond smile on her face as she watched the figure. Then her eyes flickered, and she turned back to Harry. Her gaze was somewhat penetrating, and suddenly, he felt a little vulnerable.

"So, Mister Potter. Why are you here?" Elmira asked softly.

"Please, call me Harry," he said quickly.

"I will, if you call me Elm," the witch said with a slight smile. "Come, sit down for a while."

Harry came forward and set Hedwig's cage on the table. As Elmira came to join him, he noticed that his pet and the witch were staring at each other. Minutes passed, and then Hedwig hooted softly while Elmira nodded her head.

"This place is closed to strangers, Harry, so only a few people are aware of its existence. Hence, before I allow you to enter the heart of the woods, I need to know why you have left your routine life to come here. This place is usually for emotional and spiritual healing, and it will be wrong for you and me if the best place you ought to be in is Saint Mungo's Hospital." The woman smiled crookedly, and Harry returned her grin. The witch had a very calming presence and Harry felt as though he could tell her everything. However, there was something more pressing that he had to inform her first.

"What do you feel about homosexual pairings?" he inquired politely. Elmira looked blank. "I'm gay. Will it cause you or the people here any problems?"

"Heavens - no!" the witch exclaimed. Then she looked at him thoughtfully. "I hope the reason that you are here is not because you want to find a cure so that you can become ... ah ... straight."

"No!" It was his turn to exclaim. "I'm quite happy with who I am." Harry took a deep breath. "It's just that -" The image that shocked him earlier flashed in his mind and he shook his head violently. "I caught my partner cheating on me," he said quietly. "He doesn't know that I'd seen him ... so I left."

"You might be mistaken, Harry," Elmira said calmly. She was twining a lock of her hair around her finger again. "It could be someone who had drunk some Polyjuice Potion to look like him."

"That has occurred to me. But only three persons knew about the lodge: the original owner of the lodge, my partner and I. My ex-lover doesn't know ab- "

"I beg your pardon?" Elmira interrupted. Her eyes were wide with horror. "Dear Merlin! Do you mean to say that...?" her voice trailed off. Harry could only nod unhappily. "Oh dear."

"I need some time to think about this - whether I should return to him and forgive him. But a part of me doesn't want to," Harry said, a little angrily.

"Sometimes, it's better to forgive and forget. But there are some things that are just too impossible to be forgiven," She agreed and her face took on a distant expression. "Well, I think you need to rest here, for a while at least. Why don't you come with me?" And then in an almost shy tone, she asked, "Can I carry your owl? If she permits it."

Harry let his snowy owl out, transferred Hedwig into the hands of the witch, and then followed Elmira as she led him deeper into the wooded area. They passed under a huge archway made of tree trunks intertwined together, and Harry stared at the rows and rows of huge tents. Party-lights hovered over the entire area; it looked like a scene out of a carnival. There was a huge dome-shaped tent in the centre, and Elmira quickly informed him that the particular tent was mainly used as a communal area for meals, dances and so forth. She took him past three rows of tents before they met Kristopher again.

"Just the person I need," Elmira said brightly. "Kris, could Harry sleep in your tent tonight? I can't offer mine, since Magewind's children are camping in it. It'll be a little too crowded with another adult. Tomorrow, we can hunt a suitable tent for Harry."

Kristopher looked surprised, but recovered quickly. He inclined his head again, and Harry wondered if it was a habitual gesture, or if it was some kind of a practice. Elmira and Kristopher stared deeply into each other's eyes for a minute before Elmira placed Hedwig on Kristopher's broad shoulder.

"Good night, Harry, Kris. I'll see the two of you in the morning." Elmira left with a jaunty wave, and walked back into the direction from where they had come.

Harry gave a sidelong glance at Kristopher and shivered upon seeing the wizard's fiery gaze. Then Harry witnessed what was probably uncharacteristic of the wizard; Kristopher sighed. "My tent is on the extreme left of the seventh row. So, follow me."

I feel as though I'm a Quaffle being passed back and forth, Harry thought with amusement.

-oOoOOxOOoOo-

It was quite late in the afternoon the next day when Elmira finally found the perfect tent for him - a tent on the extreme left of the twelfth row. Harry gazed about the interior of the tent, and felt somewhat bewildered. The outer canvas was a neutral gray in color, so Harry had not expected anything out of the ordinary. It was quite a shock to find that the tent was fully equipped with bed, dresser, mirror, living room and more. The toilet and bathing area were located outside the tent, although it was linked by a small, canvas-covered passageway from the inside.

"I can't be staying here for free, right?" Harry asked, his voice sounding a little strained. He watched as Elmira and Kristopher exchanged a bemused look.

"It does not look at all luxurious to me," Elmira said dubiously.

"Kris! Kristopher!" a young voice called out enthusiastically.

Kristopher ducked under the tent flap and went outside, while Harry and Elmira looked on with curiosity. Harry saw a young boy carrying a wooden flute jumping up and down in excitement. A broad smile appeared on Kristopher's face and he patted the boy several times on the shoulder in an effort to calm the young child.

"Come on, Kris! Dad, Mum, Magewind, Lovemint, and Cloudy are performing in the hall! But they need a flutist!"

"All right, all right, Henry. Calm down." Kristopher took the wooden flute from the boy's fingers and brought it to his lips. He blew a soft tune, and together with the young child, they headed for the great tent.

"Kristopher came here about two years ago. He performs for us and he's the man responsible for making sure that we have enough supplies. At first, he came here so that he could forget his past, but days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months," Elmira said softly. "He felt that it was wrong of him to continue to be dependent on the people here. So he works, and I've assigned him to you."

It took several minutes for her words to sink in. "What do you mean?" Harry asked her.

"I admit that I'm acting a little high-handed, but Kristopher is the best wizard around to help you unburden," she said with a small, apologetic smile. "I think the two of you can be good friends. Sometimes, you need a friend who understands how you feel without sex becoming a problem."

That confused Harry a little. "But Kristopher is not gay, right?"

"Yes, he is not," Elmira agreed. "But he is able to understand - that's what matters." She looked around the tent. "Harry, where's your pet?"

"I let Hedwig off this morning," Harry said, and alarm started to creep into his system when he saw the stricken expression on her face.

"Oh dear."

"What's wrong?" Harry demanded.

"Have I reminded you to tell her to stay away from the northernmost forest? No? Oh dear."

"What's dangerous about the northern part?"

"There is a huge population of very ferocious ravens. All of the birds were cursed by some crazy warlock who held grudges with the trees of this forest. This happened about two centuries ago." Elmira stepped out of the tent and walked briskly toward a grove of oak trees that flanked the left side of the 'camping ground'. Harry ran after her.

"As I understand it," she continued, "a yew tree had fallen on him because he was torturing a young wolf cub to become a more powerful warlock. Since the spell he was working on his sacrifice was interrupted, his magical powers were decreased. However, he was still powerful enough to cast a curse, and a flock of ravens had come down and had finished the young wolf off." Her deep brown eyes brightened as she stared up at the branches of an oak tree. "Gray, please find Hedwig."

A second later, a huge eagle owl swooped down from a fat branch before it soared away to look for the missing snowy owl. Harry's heart pounded as he stared at the markings on its wing feathers. No, it couldn't be. Draco's eagle owl had been missing for nearly six months. It was probably dead.

"He's an amazing owl, he really is," Elmira said fondly. "You would have thought that a bird like him would be too proud to run errands for you, but he's sweet, and stodgy. He does get a little indignant every now and then, but he's adorable and reliable as well. Too bad he's not mine. Personally, I prefer cats. Do you want to meet them, Harry?"

-oOoOOxOOoOo-

Harry and Kristopher were inside Harry's tent, and both of them were treating Hedwig's injured leg. Harry's owl had indeed flown into the dangerous part of the forest, and the descendants of the cursed flock of ravens Elmira had mentioned had chased the snowy owl until Gray, the eagle owl, intercepted them. Both of the owls had received injuries, and in the end, it was up to the humans to get rid of the ravens, since the rapacious flock had followed Hedwig and Gray right into the company of wizarding folks. The peaceful air three evenings before had been shattered with panicked shouts and the air had buzzed with spells. As a result, about twenty ravens had dropped like stones onto the tents. Some of the shelters were damaged quite badly, but Harry thought that it was luckier still that none of the children were hurt by the sudden bombing.

"The wound in her leg has closed up, which is good," Kristopher said to him, and Harry sighed in relief. "But please, white lady, do not stress yourself with frequent launches," the wizard said to the owl as he bandaged her leg. Harry took Hedwig in his arms after Kristopher was finished. It felt good to feel his owl purr, and Harry treated her with a hearty scratch on the throat.

"Have you eaten your dinner, Harry?"

Harry looked up at the wizard, who was wiping his hands on a clean towel. "No," he answered.

"Wait here then, and I'll bring you some food." Kristopher was gone before Harry could stop him. There was a strange kind of tension in the air, and Harry suspected that he was going to have to talk about Draco and Snape that night. He pressed his cheek against Hedwig's, and planted a soft kiss on her head. The feathers on her crown tickled his nose, and he sneezed slightly.

"Do you want to take a nap, Hedwig?" he asked his owl. Hedwig bobbed her head up and down in response. He stood up, walked over to Hedwig's wooden perch by the entrance of the tent, and gently transferred her to it. He caressed her for a long time. Then the aroma of barbecued chicken hit his nostrils, and it made his stomach grumble loudly in approval.

He heard a scratching sound, and Kristopher came in holding a tray laden with chicken wings, a bowl of salad, mango pudding, and a jug of pumpkin juice. The wizard set the tray down on an unoccupied ottoman. It was dinner for two. They washed their hands before they sat around the rectangular piece of furniture to eat their meal.

Inconsequential talk accompanied the meal, and by the end of dinner, Harry found that he rather enjoyed Kristopher's company. There were no falsities in the man's words or actions, and Harry was finally relaxed enough to be able to confide to the blue-eyed wizard.

"Most of us here, have suffered the same way you did," Kristopher said quietly after Harry had told him what had happened between him and Snape, and the incident that had made him left the Wizarding World in a rush. However, he had kept Draco's identity a secret, and Kristopher seemed to have understood why Harry had chosen not to describe Draco. "I think we were fortunate enough that we weren't too involved in the Second War. Except for Elmira, Casey and a couple of others. Even though it has been a decade, surprisingly, horrifying thoughts of the Dark Lord still haunt their minds." Kristopher sighed pensively. "Maybe it's because their loved ones were Death Eaters."

Harry studied Kristopher silently. The wizard's face was tense and his deep blue eyes were filled with something like hatred. Then Kristopher shook his head slightly, and focused his eyes on Harry's face. "You know - there are no differences between a gay pairing and the heterosexual pairing when it comes down to love. We love and get hurt all the same. There aren't any exceptions."

Kristopher leaned forward and cupped Harry's chin with gentle fingers. Harry had no choice but to look into the dark sapphire eyes. "You have to make your own choices: whether you want to return to your lover and forgive him for his lack of faithfulness, or you can leave him forever, and shackle yourself to hatred, sorrow and bitterness. Or you can learn to forget him, and not be afraid to love someone else."

Harry held his breath as Kristopher's fingers started to dance along his jaw-line. "It is all up to you, Harry." Then the fingers withdrew, and Harry was finally able to breathe freely.

"So what did you choose, Kris?"

Kristopher appeared startled by his question. After a while, he smiled. "A little bit of the third one and a little bit of the first one. I forgave my wife - we got a divorce straightaway, and now, I don't restrict myself to loving just one person."

Harry frowned slightly. "Kris? I'm not sure if I understood that."

"I'm still building up my courage, Harry. In the meantime, I spend my time loving the others all around me, and somehow, I'm able to fill the emptiness in here." Kristopher laid a hand on his chest. "There's always the feeling that something is missing, but I'm willing to wait." The wizard leaned back against the ottoman and smiled dreamily. "I hadn't realized it until I came here, that love is infinite. Now, I know that I can still be happy, even if I can't find a soulmate."

"You love her, don't you? And I mean in that exclusive sort of way."

Kristopher managed to look a little sheepish. "Yes, that I do." He seemed reluctant to say anything more about Elmira, so Harry dropped the subject and turned the discussion into something that did not have anything to do with relationships. They were in the middle of a discussion about the problems of inventing charms when Kristopher snapped his mouth shut, and looked at Harry with narrowed eyes.

Surprised, and a little alarmed, Harry asked, "What's the matter?"

"Don't you have any family or friends? Have you told them where you'd be?" Kristopher smacked his palm solidly on his forehead, and then drew out his wand from his pocket. "Accio note. I must be getting old - I forgot to give this to you earlier."

A piece of paper burst into the tent through the window, and Kristopher handed it to Harry. At the first glance, the younger wizard felt that he should somehow recognize the handwriting, but he could not put a face to it.

Hello, Kris, I know this is somewhat sudden, but this is Tonks - your quirky housemate, remember? Anyway, a friend of mine is missing, and a group of my younger friends are in a panic, somewhat. I don't know if my missing friend knows about the Gold Forest. Is there a young man who looks as though he's twenty-five years old, wears a pair of gray-tinted glasses, has long, thick and messy black hair that touches his shoulders, brilliant green eyes, a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, and a somewhat broody expression, in your care? Please reply ASAP. We would like to know if he's all right.

Harry felt guilty almost immediately. Owling them had seemed so trivial at that time - he really had not expected them to be so worried about him. "Uhmmm ... I think I'd better write to them and inform them about my well-being." Kristopher only shook his head.

"Well, it's best if you get to bed as soon as you're done writing those messages. You can give the letters to me tomorrow, and I'll get a free owl to post them." Kristopher moved to go but he paused near the exit. "Harry, you told me earlier that you're starting to feel a little restless."

Harry nodded and waited for Kristopher to continue.

"Since you told me that you'd like to stay here for a couple of weeks, there is someone who can use your help and your experience in the carving of wooden materials. Darren's getting older and he could no longer work on the finer details. Perhaps, you, who work with wands, are more suitable. There is another wizard who is just as experienced, but he prefers to work with metals, as he's allergic to some species of hardwood. Furthermore, he has already returned to the wizarding world."

Harry smiled gratefully. "I'll be glad to help. I'm not someone who can stay idle for long periods. The chances of me getting into trouble are high when I'm not doing anything worthwhile. And I won't feel as though I'm a freeloader if I work here. Thanks, Kris."

"You are very welcome. So, I'll come and fetch you at eight. Is that all right?"

"Yes it is. Good night, Kris."

"Sleep well, Harry. I'll see you in the morning."

When Kristopher left, the tent was silent, broken only by the soft purrs coming from Hedwig, who was snoozing. Harry was busy digging up his writing parchment and utensils from his red-brownish trunk when something brushed against his ankle. An adorable meow reached his ears, and he looked down, to find Elmira's favorite adolescent cat, Prince, gazing up at him with brilliant yellow eyes. He also noticed that a small pouch dangled from the cat's throat.

Harry placed his scroll of yellowing parchment, quill and bottle of ink down on his bed, and called Prince to him. The black cat with the sword-mark shape on the space between its eyes meowed again and trotted towards him. Harry knelt and gathered it in his arms, and probed at the pouch. There was a scrap of paper neatly folded inside it. It was a message from Elmira. She had asked him if he could look after Prince for a while as she had to go out to Diagon Alley to purchase some books, and she would not be back until two days later.

Now what am I going to do? I can't very well ask Kris to take care of Prince. Harry stroked Prince's ears idly. Can I bring him along as Kris brings me to Darren? Oh well, I'll deal with it tomorrow if Darren doesn't like pets in the workroom. Right now, however, I have to write to Hermione and Mrs. Weasley and let them know that I haven't been mugged or kidnapped or anything of the sort. Merlin - I ought to send the messages early before they start putting up flyers or the like.

Harry set the cat aside, laid down on his stomach and started to write. When Prince jumped and settled immediately on his back, he was oddly reminded of Hermione's fat Crookshanks. It is strange that I miss my schooldays. Snape's face appeared in his mind, but he shoved it away instantly.

After he was done with his task, he put his things back into his trunk, but left the written messages on the dark, circular table by the dresser, and weighted them down with a handy vase. He was not feeling sleepy, so he had spent some time playing with the adorable cat and had also ensured that it had drunk a bit of milk before they all turned in.

He awoke the next morning to the very weird sensation of someone or something licking and nibbling his big toe. He yelped, jerked his foot away and saw, curled up serenely at the foot of the bunk, a smug-looking Prince. Harry felt around for his glasses, slipped them on, and checked his watch. It was nearly seven. He sat up and stretched, and Prince came forward. The feline butted and rubbed against Harry's ankles, and the wizard knew that the cat wanted a scratch.

Kristopher arrived at eight in the morning precisely, and Harry chuckled as the man suppressed a sigh as three cats started to wind around his ankles just as soon as his legs became idle.

"So, you've also been tasked to look after her cats too, I take it?" Harry asked mildly.

"What? Oh, she gave you Prince. Well, come then. All of us here are used to the cats everywhere - except in the kitchen - so Prince, and the rest of his family can come and stay in the work tent," Kristopher said. "Come on - let's get moving."

Harry walked beside Kristopher while the cats led the way. "Almost forgot - here are the letters." He handed the mail to the wizard.

"Just for your information, anytime you wish to send an owl post, especially when you can't use your own owl, go to those oak trees." Kristopher pointed his chin in the direction of the grove of trees where Elmira had beseeched Gray to rescue his pet several days ago. "Just stand under the one with a dark red ribbon tied around its trunk and ask if there are any volunteers."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry promised.

All about him, people stirred from their sleep and a few bleary-eyed folks walked about, to get ready to start the day. A couple of young children who scampered all about the area blew multicolored bubbles as they ran, and their delighted laughter filled the lazy morning air.

The cats bypassed the communal tent and sauntered over to a large, creamy-white tent. Harry stopped and looked behind him, and realized that the work tent was situated in a place that was the extreme opposite of his tent. The entrance to the white tent was wide open, and from afar, Harry could see a couple of chairs, ottomans and tables inside. The four felines sprinted to a run, dashed through the entrance, and started making themselves at home on a brightly colored rug, littered with several different colored balls of yarns.

"Darren? Are you in there?" Kristopher called, and entered.

Harry went next, and took a quick look around. He realized that the work tent was as big as the communal tent, only that it was much shorter, and that it was divided into sub-areas. Although the communal tent had a kitchen, canteen, bar, dancing area, and a stage, there were no walls to separate them. Kristopher passed through another doorway, and Harry trailed after him. Harry froze when he saw the eagle owl - the one he thought Draco had owned. There was a hand petting the huge bird, and the fingers were thin, long and graceful. The eagle owl's eyes were closed, and it was rumbling deeply in contentment. Harry's eyes drifted upwards, and saw long, silver-blonde hair draped over the right shoulder. His eyes lifted even higher, and met the pair of cool, gray eyes, which looked at him with calm detachment.

"Lucius!" Harry distantly heard Kristopher greet the wizard. "What are you doing here?" Lucius Malfoy did not reply and continued to stare at Harry unblinkingly.

The pain that was still in his heart surged suddenly, and Harry felt a pang of loss and regret. He steeled himself and did not avert his gaze. Instead, he studied Lucius's face carefully. He was as Harry had remembered him: pale, sharp-chinned, broad forehead, aquiline features. The only difference was that Lucius was looking much more serene and healthy than he had after his release from Azkaban earlier this year.

Harry saw a small movement; Lucius had withdrawn his hand from the owl's head.

"Harry Potter," Lucius said calmly.

Harry stared at Lucius for a moment before replying. "Lucius Malfoy."

"I take it that the two of you know each other?" Kristopher asked.

"Yes," Harry answered with a small nod.

"For a very, very long time," Lucius added coolly.

Harry's eyes narrowed - he did not like the tone of Malfoy's voice and unconsciously moved his hand over the small, elongated pocket along his thigh.

"Darren is not here, Kristopher. He had left about fifteen minutes ago, saying that his daughter-in-law's about to give birth."

"Oh. I was going to introduce Harry to him."

"I see. Darren can make use of his talents," Lucius said.

"Why are you here? I thought you have already returned to your mansion." Kristopher gave him a piqued look.

"I sold it and acquired a new house. There are a few renovations going on, so I thought I would return here and wait until the house is ready," Lucius replied and frowned slightly. His eyes were not focused on Harry or Kristopher, but rather at a point behind them. A brown owl appeared and dropped an envelope at Kristopher before flying away.

While Kristopher bent over to pick his mail and read it, Harry continued to stare at Lucius, who stared back at him. Then Lucius changed his stance, flung his long, white gold hair back over his shoulder, and gave Harry an oddly seductive look.

Harry could not stop the blood from rising to his cheeks. Although Lucius was probably not aware that he had dated Draco for several years, the wizard had known that Harry had a liking for other men. He was the first person to sprinkle salt into Harry's bleeding heart when it had come to his knowledge that Severus Snape had merely toyed with the younger wizard's feelings. That, however, had landed him into the Aurors' trap and for the second time in his life, Lucius Malfoy had been hauled into Azkaban.

The silence was broken when Kristopher let out an explosive sigh.

Harry turned to his friend and looked at the wizard inquiringly.

"Elmira needs me. I hate to ask this of you, Harry, but could you take care of the other three cats for me?"

"Sure," Harry replied, but his voice held some dubiousness.

"Lucius, your tent is still available so make yourself at home. Is that why you left Gray here?"

"Yes. And thank you. I already have made my myself at home," Lucius answered, and then he smiled.

Harry's throat went dry and a strange feeling blossomed in his stomach. He was shocked at himself, but he had thought Lucius's smile was cheeky, and truthfully, Harry had found it incredibly charming.

Harry Potter, you are still in shock, and overly disappointed that Draco had cheated on you, so you know you aren't thinking straight and Lucius Malfoy's smile is not becoming, a voice said drily in his mind. This is Draco's father for Merlin's sake.

"You're still the aristocratic wizard when you first came here, Lucius," Kristopher said, also smiling. He turned to Harry. "Well, I have to go. I'm sure the two of you have plenty of things to talk. By the way, do you want anything, Harry?"

"Well, since you're going to Diagon Alley, just give the letters to Fred and George of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," Harry said after a moment of thought. "Be prepared to be interrogated if they're not too busy with customers, though. Just tell them that I'm fine and nothing has happened to me. Inform them that I'm here to do some soul-searching and to find things to inspire me."

"All right. " Kristopher exited from the tent, and left Harry and Lucius inside. They watched each other warily.

Gods, what am I standing here for? Harry shook his head slightly and turned away.

"Are you running away, Mister Potter?"

Harry stopped. "Whatever for, Lucius Malfoy? I didn't run from Voldemort, so why should I run from you?" he asked sarcastically, and glanced over his shoulder. The older wizard had resumed petting his owl. "I am merely walking away so that I can have my breakfast."

"Ah." Lucius then cooed to the eagle owl, and Gray transferred itself from the perch to his wrist. Harry could not help but wonder just how much strain the older wizard was enduring - Hedwig, although smaller than an eagle owl, was still quite heavy. Lucius walked past Harry, and the scent of lemon and mint filled Harry's nostrils. "Well? Aren't you going to the hall?" The wizard's inquiry prompted Harry to move, and they exited from the working tent with four cats trailing behind them.

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Harry and Darren Bricks had hit it off quite well. It had helped that the stocky old wizard was in high spirits (he was finally a grandfather) when they were introduced, and on Harry's eighth day in Gold Forest, he had started to work with the artist. It was a rather pleasant experience working with Darren - the wizard was as enthusiastic in his work as Arthur Weasley was in experimenting with Muggle things. In a peculiar way, Harry had sensed as though he was an apprentice, but he did not mind it much. He had smiled to himself - Hermione would surely laugh at him if he ever confessed to her that he actually liked to learn now.

It was now Harry's fourth day working with the old crafter, and right after lunch, he had set off for the 'artists' tent', as Darren had fondly called it. When he entered the working area, he realized that something was different. He remained in the lounge area, tilted his head to one side and listened intently. After a while, he realized what it was. Although there were sounds of activity from behind the partition - there were people walking back and forth, and soft talking - there was no music. That was unusual since Darren and two other wizards loved to listen to the radio as they worked.

Harry walked forward and gathered the curtain that screened the workroom, and the first thing that caught his eye was Lucius's pale gold hair. The wizard was sitting on a comfortable armchair, and he was holding a thick rod in one hand and a wand in the other.

Lucius's face was full of concentration as he passed his wand along the length of the shiny rod. Harry saw a ribbon of hair-thin silver falling onto the surface of the stone table. Lucius turned the rod around, and repeated the procedure.

I think it is because of him that the tent is unusually quiet. Harry shrugged and crossed the room silently to the wooden desk. He only wore a simple white T-shirt and a pair of loose pants since he tended to perspire a lot while he engraved designs on the table. Harry cast a Levitating Charm on the furniture and set to work.

He had already finished engraving the major designs on the broad surface, and now he was concentrating on the lines and waves that would act as the border. It took him about three hours to finish etching the designs. He set the table down carefully before releasing the spell, and he stretched.

-oOoOOxOOoOo-

Lucius turned the rod in his hands, and carefully noted the lines he had cut earlier. Then he nodded his head in satisfaction; all the lines were straight. However, he felt that he should check them under a magnifying glass to be certain. He was about to reach for the tool when a warm hand gripped his shoulder gently. He turned around, and saw that it was Darren.

"Yes?" he asked, looking at the grinning wizard curiously.

"I'm going off to visit my grandson, Lucius. Do you mind giving Harry this?" Darren handed out a sketch. Lucius set his rod on the table before he took the drawing. "Wait until he's done - don't interrupt him now."

"All right, Dar."

"Merlin! I never thought I'd ever hear you call me that!" Darren chuckled. "I think you have been influenced by Elmira and the rest for far too long."

"Hmmm."

"Hmmm indeed. Well, I'm going now. See you tomorrow, eh?"

Lucius nodded his head and watched Darren leave the tent. He glanced at the sketch in his hand and then placed it on the desk. Quite unintentionally, his eyes rested on the man who stood before the floating table across the room. The way the younger wizard stood was so much like a painter over a painting. He had not been aware of Harry Potter's presence until he had looked up to ease the strain on his neck.

It was quite some time before Lucius realized that he had been staring at Harry for more than ten minutes. He refrained from curling his lips into a snarl, took a quick look around, and felt relieved to find Jacob and Matt - the other two wizards who were in the tent -too engrossed in their rug-weaving to notice anything. For that matter, so was Harry. The emerald-eyed wizard was working on the table with absolute concentration that it was almost scary to Lucius.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a watch; it was close to four o'clock. Lucius kept it, reached out for the magnifying glass, and resumed his interrupted task. He had finished inspecting the lines he had cut along the length of the rod and was etching rings on one end of the stick when Jacob and Matt waved at him.

Lucius took another brief rest, and since there would be no witnesses, he scrutinized Harry from his comfortable position. His eyes followed the controlled movement of Harry's arm, as the wizard drew on the surface of the table. Lucius idly wondered if anyone had ever told Harry that he had quite a graceful arm. His eyes drifted over to Harry's back, and he flushed suddenly; Lucius could easily see through the wizard's white cotton shirt. He was appalled to find Harry's back graceful as well. His fingers itched, suddenly curious to feel Harry, especially the small indent of his lower back.

He swallowed hard, and stole another glance at the occupied wizard. Merlin's beard - I haven't felt this way for quite some time that I'm almost afraid that I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. He looked down, and felt his cheeks flaming. He was glad that he had chosen to wear voluminous robes; they had concealed his erection quite well. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Finite Incantatem," someone whispered, and Lucius opened his eyes. Harry had set the table firmly on the ground and he had slipped his wand back into a pocket. Then he started to stretch.

Lucius swallowed again and licked his dry lips. He rose to his feet and lifted the piece of drawing that Darren had given him earlier. He approached Harry quietly - Harry was rotating his neck - and stopped, about two feet behind the younger man.

"It is quite ... surprising ... to find that you have become a disciplined worker," Lucius remarked in a calm voice. "A very, very nice transition from the willful boy I had first met sixteen years ago." The other wizard whirled around quickly, his green eyes wide with surprise. Lucius suppressed a smirk; Harry was like the ignorant deer that had taken too long to realize that a tiger was closing in. He considered teasing Harry further, but then a voice spoke in his mind.

"He is likely here to straighten out emotional problems - the things that come together with a relationship. Do you need to add on that burden? No one bothered you with such nonsense during your stay, so be nice."

And since when have I stopped to consider if my actions were unscrupulous? Lucius asked the voice back but he did not get any response. He focused his attention back to Harry. The younger wizard's lips were slightly parted, eyes still wide, and hair that was tousled messily when the wizard had turned abruptly.

Wordlessly, he handed the sketch to Harry, who took it with a slightly trembling hand. Lucius saw the younger wizard take a deep breath, and he raised his eyebrow when Harry gave him a wary look. It took him a lot of will to walk away, instead of acting out the myriad of thoughts that flashed in his mind.

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To be continued in Chapter Two

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