The Doe Of The Forest

Chapter 2: Lessons from the Doe and Dragon

Draco waved goodbye to Pansy and Blaise before looking at the forest from the window. He checked around and snuck out with some food. He walked towards the outskirts of the forest and looked up. The trees looked humongous compared to him. Draco walked in. 

"Dragon!" Draco was tackled down by Venus. Draco groaned and smiled. 

"Hey, Doe." He sat up and Venus rolled off. He smiled. 

"So. Am I teaching you or are you teaching me?" Venus asked. Draco shrugged. Venus stood up. "Guess I'll be teaching you healing. Come with me! You'll be an expert at magic in no time!" Draco stood up and followed him to a clearing. He gasped. 

Hundreds and thousands of unicorns laid at the clearing, minding their own business. Some were playing, others were resting. It was like a sanctuary. The sun shone through little cracks brightly. Venus smiled and grabbed Draco's wrist. The two ran over to a unicorn. Venus passed some leather gloves to Draco before putting on his own. 

"This girl over here is pregnant at the moment. We won't be doing much. Just cleaning the foal and helping it walk. The mother will be doing most of the work. Just some soothing words to help her." Draco nodded. 

A few hours later, two twin unicorns were born. Their coats were golden and shone brightly in the sunlight, and the two had gotten the hang of walking. Draco smiled. "Anything else I can help with." Venus took out a green leaf. 

"You want to make some silver leaves of your own?" Draco nodded eagerly. The two stood up and went to the shadier spot of the sanctuary, where most of the injured unicorns were. Draco frowned at their pained expressions. Venus sat and gave Draco some bandages and a vial. 

"I want you to heal this unicorns injury. By yourself. I'll be doing the unicorn next to it so you can get the idea." Draco nodded and watched carefully as Venus dropped the blood into the vial and the unicorn's mouth. Venus wrapped the bandage around three times before tieing it off with a double knot. He nodded at Draco to do the same. 

"H-Hey... I know that you're hurt. I need you to drink your blood. Can you do that?" The unicorn gave a slight nod. Draco took some of the blood and gave it to the unicorn. He took the bandage and wrapped it around three times before cutting it with the stone that Venus passed to him. He tied it twice and smiled as the pure white unicorn started to stand. Venus smiled and signalled to look back at the unicorn before giving him some leaves. The unicorn cut a hole into its fur with its horn, and the blood dripped onto the leaf. The leaf became turned silver instantly. Venus winked and did the same for his unicorn. He stood up and smiled at Draco. 

"Great job Dragon. Are you up for some chess?" Draco nodded eagerly before standing up and the two began to play. Venus showed him some strategies and Draco finally won. 

Draco showed Venus some of the food his house-elves cooked. Venus had enjoyed it but said he preferred berries. He wasn't a full vegetarian but would stay away from meat if he could. Draco made a mental note for their next picnic. The two enjoyed their picnic and played some games of Tag and Hide-And-Seek. 

"I've got to go back for dinner. See you, Doe!"

"You too, Dragon! I'll be waiting!" Venus escorted Draco to the edge of the forest before hugging him. Draco was shocked but hugged back.

"You're the first outsider I've ever trusted. And you better have a good reason if you break it." Draco laughed. He let go before waving goodbye to Venus and running back to the Manor.

"Dragon wait!" Draco turned around. "Scorgify." Venus said, pointing his wand at Draco's robes. The dirt, mud and silver blood disappeared. Draco smiled thanks and ran off. Venus smiled and walked back to his hut. 

-2 November 1885 (Tomorrow)-

Draco tackled Venus to the forest floor. He chuckled. "Payback!" He smirked. Draco rolled next to Venus and the two looked at the sky. 

"Can you please teach me English?" Draco laughed and their lessons began once more. 

Venus looked at Draco. "We're making you a wand." Draco looked shocked. 

"Why? I mean, you can do magic without your wand but you sometimes use it. Can't you use wandless?" Draco asked. 

"I can. But from what you've told me, Hogwarts teaches us with wands. I'm going to teach you both. So if you get disarmed or if you happen to leave your wand, you aren't defenceless."

"Did you make your wand?" Venus frowned and shook his head. 

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your wand from." Venus sighed and looked at his wand. There was a line of silver leaves wrapped around it. He gave a sad smile. 

"Mahogany and willow. Unicorn hair and phoenix feather. It was my last gift from my mother and father before they gave to a squib, before leaving me here. I've fused them with the extract of the silver leaf." Draco felt guilt pang into his heart. 

"Oh... sorry." Venus led Draco back to the unicorn sanctuary. 

"I have a feeling your core would be of a unicorn... It's more than likely it's the one you healed." Draco looked around until he felt a pull. He followed it and looked at the unicorn he had healed yesterday. The unicorn beckoned for him to grab one. Draco carefully took a strand of hair and placed it into his pockets. Venus dragged him to the middle of the forest. Hundreds of trees stood before him. He gasped before he felt a pull he walked over to it. He nodded at Venus. 

"Hawthorn... Draco, bo you by any chance get... abused?" Draco's eyes widened. Venus muttered something and began walking down the path leaving Draco alone. He blinked tears away before feeling another pull. He walked towards another tree. Venus came back and handed the wood to Draco before looking at the tree in front of him. 

"Maple huh?" He wandered down the path and Draco rolled the wood in his hand.  Venus came back and began placing the three things together. He took a silver leaf and fused it. He handed the wand to Draco. 

"Go on." Draco flicked his wand out and blue wisps appeared. It slowly formed into a dragon. The dragon flew around Draco who smiled. 

"A Patronus? Y'know, that was my first accidental magic." A green doe appeared and bowed. I stood next to Venus proud and tall. There were red and silver flecks in the doe. Draco smiled. 

"It's quite pretty. I don't think I've seen a green Patronus." Venus shrugged and they started on the first year column. Draco eventually said goodbye and walked towards the Manor, wand in his hand. He placed it on his ear and went to bed.