Chapter 13- Astronomy Tower with Lily Mad Again... When Will They Get Together Finally!!!!! Oh and James Loves Water.......
"Do you think he's talking about the Muggle chocolate bar?" James murmured to Lily.
All of a sudden the centaur looked at them with a sober expression. "You must not be here; your lives are too precious. This forest is dangerous, its hides many dark things." He looked again to the sky. "Your time...is not now."
Lily frowned; James looked back and forth between the centaur and the sky. "Er, can you not do that looking-up-at-the-sky-saying-something-mysteriously-incoherent thing," he asked.
The centaur tried not to look thoroughly insulted. "Why are you here?"
"Look, mate," James said, "all we have to do is find this Hippogriff and we'll be out of here."
"You must leave this forest," the centaur said once again. He tilted his head upwards yet again. "Mars is-"
"Brightening. Yes, we know," James cut in.
Lily dug her nails into his shoulder, nearly making him drop her to the floor. "Don't be so rude," she rebuked him. "Maybe we should just leave-"
"No," he cut her off. "We're not leaving until we've found that Hippogriff." He turned to look at the centaur pleadingly. "Have you seen it?"
He hesitated to answer, even looking up at the sky as if for a confirmation to speak, and just when James was about to swear at him if he was going to talk more about bloody Mars, the centaur nodded.
He turned to his left and held out his arm in front of him. "I saw the creature resting back there. Keep walking north for around fifteen minutes. But I beg you," he looked them deeply in the eyes, "once you find the creature. Leave at once."
James nodded and said a grateful, "Thank you."
"I must go. My pack will wonder where I am," he said, inclining a head before walking away.
"Wait," Lily called out, "What is your name?"
The centaur turned around, white hair shining reflecting in the starlight. "Firenze," he said, before disappearing into the forest.
"Fire...enze?" James echoed with confusion, breaking the silence.
"What were you expecting, Bob?"
"Well," James turned in the direction the centaur had pointed to and started walking. "Do you think he's an arsonist in any way?
Lily rested her head back on James' shoulder. "My name's Lily and I am not a flower, am I."
James avoided a low tree branch. "Yes, but you have the characteristics of a flower."
Lily decided not to elaborate on that. "Maybe Firenze has the characteristics of fire," she shrugged.
"What, he melts skin?"
"This conversation is over," Lily declared with a sigh. "Now," she rubbed her hands together, "Back to your hair!" She whacked her hand at his tresses again. "It's just so damn HARD."
"I'll tell you what else is hard..." James muttered.
"What?"
He reddened, cursing his lack of lowering his voice in mutterings. "Um..rocks! Rocks...hard...rock hardness..."
After much walking and following Firenze's directions, they heard the sound of a squawk before them. Lily shone the wand in front of them as James climbed through the trees.
