FIC: 'Kinship' for lookfar Recipient:lookfar Author:alwaysasnapefan Title: Kinship Rating: NC-17 Pairings: Rubeus Hagrid/Firenze Word Count: 4,857 Warnings: Minor, for one part of it (Rubeus is 16 in that section). Category: Romance, first time, hurt/comfort, friendship. Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not to me. I made no money by writing this. Summary: Rubeus is not only a human, he is also a giant. Firenze can't help what he dreams, though, and eventually his dreams become a reality. Author's Notes: I tried to incorporate all of your additional likes, as well as a couple of things you'll recognize. Hope you like it!
Kinship
Firenze had always been the most forthcoming of the centaurs. Rubeus deeply, deeply respected the centaurs—anything less and he'd be a right fool, he knew that right enough. Every centaur was special, of course, but the most special was undoubtedly Firenze.
There was something about the lightness of the coat, the lightness of the soft, blonde hair and the blue, blue eyes that had Rubeus thinking to himself late at night. Something that made him feel as if there was a bit of alright in the world, and all because of one brave, brave centaur.
Really, Firenze had never been what you'd expect as far as personality. He never said it, but Rubeus could tell he had a deep fascination with humans. It was an admirable thing to see, considering how centaurs could get about the humans and all, but it was an ultimately damning thing, and Firenze eventually found himself disowned by the herd.
In the brighter days, when they were younger, when Rubeus had been freshly expelled and moved into his lonely hut on the grounds, Firenze had ventured closer and closer to him on his regular walks through the forest. Firenze had been a lovely child, all bright-eyed and intense. Most centaurs were, well, a bit out of it. They kept their eyes on the stars and ignored humans, for the most part. But never Firenze.
"Hello," said Rubeus after about a week of seeing the small centaur. Firenze bolted away after a moment's hesitation, and Rubeus felt undeniably lonely again. He had sat down on a large rock and sniffled a bit, wiping his dripping nose on his sleeve. What he hadn't known at the time was that Firenze had been watching him from behind a bush, feeling a connection to the human boy—well, not quite human, that much he could tell. A bit big to be a normal student.
Firenze had seen students come through for detentions, and they were much smaller than this relatively-monstrous being. Firenze felt a pang in his heart at the boy's loneliness. He was no stranger to loneliness himself. His mother had died before he could remember, and his father hadn't lasted much longer. Firenze lived with his mother's brother and his family, but the other foals snubbed him in private. Salorei, one of his female cousins, made fun of him sometimes.
Firenze couldn't help it if he was a bit scrawny! But she was relentless, constantly putting him down. Sometimes, he had to take these walks he took just to retain his sanity.
His next time on one such walk marked the first time he ever spoke to a human. That human (well, not-quite-human), was Rubeus, of course. It was the first human he'd ever seen and thought, wow, this person is here of his own accord. He had to respect the brave, brave not-quite-human.
***
"Why are you so big?"
The boy shot him a wounded look and sort of wrapped his arms around himself.
"No, no," said Firenze, stepping a bit closer, "I only meant that you are not the size of a regular human."
The boy's eyes darted around for a moment as if he were going to disclose a secret. "Well, I espect that's because I'm no' really completely human. I'm half giant as well."
Firenze's blue eyes widened. "How . . . did they mate?" he asked, and Rubeus blushed deeply.
"I espect I don't really wan' to know," he said, looking a bit green.
"Mating is a beautiful thing," said Firenze heatedly.
"Won' tell you otherwise, then," Rubeus said wisely, "bu' me parents is my parents, yeh know?"
"I barely remember my parents," said Firenze, stepping closer yet until he was right at the half-giant's side.
"I remember my da'," said Rubeus softly. "So, yeh're an orphan too?" he asked tightly.
Firenze nodded. "I live with the family of the brother of my mother," he said.
"I live at the castle," said Rubeus. "I'm the new keeper of the keys."
"Oh," said Firenze, "I had no idea you would be so . . . ."
"Big?" said Rubeus sadly.
"Young," said Firenze.
"Yeah, well . . . that's a long story, an' one I don' care to tell yet."
"Every creature is entitled to their secrets. By the way, my name is Firenze."
"Firenze! Well that name's righ' beautiful!" he said, almost in awe, coming out of his slump.
"What's your name, half-giant?"
"Rubeus," he said, scrunching his face softly as if he didn't like it much. "Most people call me by me surname, which is Hagrid."
"I like Rubeus," said Firenze. "It is soft and pleasant on the ears. Rubeus."
"I espect I'll see yeh around, then?" said Rubeus hopefully.
"We have an understanding between the two of us that I would not want to see go to waste."
He scrunched up his face again, as if in confusion, "Is that a yes?"
Firenze laughed softly, a sort of melodic sound that Rubeus had a feeling he could become addicted to. "Yes, Rubeus. I will see you around." He patted the large hand and went on his way again.
***
"It's raining," said Firenze.
Rubeus shrugged. "Had ter see yeh, didn't I?" He smiled softly, eyes full of such joy that Firenze was tempted to smile back at him. "Plus, the rain's no' so bad, yeh know. Feeds the plants and the trees, and even feeds me," he said and tilted his head back in such an uninhibited way that Firenze was in awe.
"I suppose you have a point," said Firenze, and, looking about to make sure no one was around to see, he grasped one of Rubeus's large hands, thinking that, if he were lucky, some of the uninhibited love for life Rubeus displayed might rub off on him. Though, he truly doubted it. They were very different. Firenze knew his race was superior in every way.
***
Knowing his race was superior was not enough to keep him from developing an . . . infatuation, of sorts. There was something about the way the boy lumbered around, taller than some of the treetops, and oh so happy. He took everything in stride. He begun carrying around a cross bow for self-defense as well as hunting, and was quite good with it too, the centaur observed.
As for how Rubeus felt about Firenze, he wasn't rightly sure. He liked him well enough, but on top of that, he was also awed and intimidated in turns. Firenze was beautiful. He was both beast and man. Both aspects, the beast and the man, were both lovely and alluring. And Rubeus was both beast and man too, only he didn't have what you'd call actual fur or anything.
***
The centaur asked him to walk with him for a bit, and they went deep into the forest, deeper than Rubeus had ever been before. It was dark, and since Rubeus didn't have the pink umbrella with him, he clutched at Firenze's hand tightly, uncertain. It gave Firenze the feeling of a rush of power over the young not-quite-human.
The forest was oddly quiet, and a bit darker than it should have been, Firenze thought. They made their way to a small circle of trees. Rubeus got on his knees to pick a flower. He handed it to Firenze. It was impossible to tell who kissed the other first, but all of a sudden, Rubeus was on the ground, naked, belly up in the ultimate show of animal submission.
With no need for preparation, the centaur was pressing into the human, and, oh, it was amazing. Amazing!
Firenze awoke with a cry, orgasming hard onto the cool, cool grass.
Quickly, he looked around, hoping no one was near enough to have noticed. He flushed in the darkness, watching his own semen glint on the grass in the light of the moon. He sighed and tried to get back to sleep, hoping that this time, he wouldn't wake up having dreamt of large, large not-quite-humans submitting to him in the perfect manner—he shivered, then stamped his hoof once. That sort of thinking would not do.
***
Firenze began to notice that the scent of sweat on a male centaur turned him on. It turned him on almost like the scent of a female was supposed to. He began going even further away from the others to relieve himself. He felt alone. It was bad enough he'd been scrawny and a little odd. Now he was after the males as well? Well . . . being after a male was not half as bad as being after a not-quite-but-almost-human!
Not only was Rubeus part human, he was part giant. Part giant. Giants were one of the dumbest, most uncivilized creatures in existence. And, yes, he had noticed that Rubeus was not the smartest guy around. But, he did have a certain wisdom about souls and personalities and feelings that Firenze almost envied. Rubeus was admittedly wonderful, in his own rite.
"What's with that goofy smile?" asked Salorei.
Firenze frowned. "I am not smiling," he said, and brushed past her. He continued thinking of Rubeus.
***
Rubeus received a visit from Professor Dumbledore, like he did every week, and assured him he was fine. Shortly after, the gamekeeper showed up at the door to his hut.
"Hello, Ogg," he said with a large smile.
"Hello, Rubeus," said Ogg.
"Er, won' yeh come in?" said Rubeus, smiling a bit more hesitantly when Ogg nodded and stepped into the hut. Able to see over the man's head to the hands behind his back, Rubeus gasped.
"I have a surprise for you." Suddenly, Rubeus had in the palm of his hand a little, black puppy. It curled up in his hand and he thought his heart might break at how beautiful it was. He felt tears coming on already.
"Th-thank you, Ogg," he said, sniffing once. He pulled his hand close to his chest, still staring at the sweet little thing curled up in it.
"You'll have to toilet train him, mind," said Ogg, pleased Rubeus liked the gift.
"I'll do anythin' I have to!" said Rubeus and he sniffed again lest he cry in front of the gamekeeper.
"Good boy," said Ogg, smiling up at Rubeus. He patted him on the arm and left.
***
Rubeus named the puppy Twelve A.M.
"Why Twelve A.M.?"
"Because he's black as midnight," said Rubeus, watching as the pup played with the ball, frolicking near their feet. "Twelve a.m. is midnight."
"Ah, I see," said Firenze, watching the puppy.
"It's beautiful, in't it?" said Rubeus, nearly bursting with pride. "Wet the rug today, but, oh, he'll learn."
"Yes," said Firenze. "He is beautiful. And," he added, "he'll learn."
***
Before the two of them knew it, Twelve A.M. was a full-grown dog, and pretty well toilet trained. And Firenze was still, every once in a while, dreaming of Rubeus.
But his secret didn't become a real problem until the next summer. It was particularly hot some days, and Ogg was teaching Rubeus the whereabouts of the forest more and more often now that he was getting older. Sometimes, the heat would lead the not-quite-human to go about without a shirt on. These moments made Firenze swallow very hard. Of course, centaurs were always shirtless, but, Rubeus wasn't. Rubeus was tanned, hairy, and had a well-defined physique, if covered with a bit of baby fat that Firenze also enjoyed.
Sometimes Rubeus would walk around erect, looking as if his staff were potentially painful, but he never did anything about it. Firenze frequently wondered if he knew how. One time when Rubeus ceased working to sit down and catch his breath, staring down at his own lap in awe, Firenze decided enough was enough.
"It is natural," he said softly, approaching slowly so as to be unthreatening. With a glance around, he added, "Bare yourself."
Rubeus glanced about as well, but raised himself slightly off the large rock to pull his trousers down, revealing that he wore nothing underneath. Firenze fought the urge to lick his lips. He'd rutted against things and he'd gotten his friends to release before during mating season (and vice versa), but he'd never seen anything this large before.
With one last look around, in all directions, he raised a hand to the organ. It looked red and needy. He nickered softly as he leaned in and rested his head against Rubeus's shoulder, the second hand rising to join the first. "It's simple, really," he murmured, "Just stroke it."
Rubeus was moaning gently, hips rocking slightly. His dark eyes were open wide. "Ohhh, Firenze, that's . . . that's nice," he groaned, pressing lips to Firenze's pretty blonde hair.
Firenze stroked the foreskin up over the head and then down off of it again, leaning back from Rubeus to stare at just how wide the hole in the top of it was. He imagined dipping a finger into the heat of the throbbing organ and moaned himself.
It didn't take very much longer, of which they both had to be grateful, considering how they were out in the open, but they ended up both being secretly disappointed afterward. It was great while it had lasted, though! Rubeus had practically screamed his release, soaking Firenze in his essence, it dripping down the sides of his slowly-softening cock and back down into his trousers. His cheeks were flushed beautifully.
Without even being touched, Firenze had an orgasm of his own. He groaned his release into Rubeus's shoulder, one arm wrapped around him. After a long moment, he removed himself from the not-quite-human, making his way toward the lake. He did not protest when Rubeus joined him in the swim. They were both, after all, terribly dirty, plus, he didn't want him to leave, if he were honest with himself.
It was a shame to wash the evidence of the encounter off, he thought. The sweat on Rubeus's skin had been a palpable layer of enticement for Firenze to do so much more than simply show him how to take care of himself. The smell of the release had been a thousand times more alluring. He wanted Rubeus very badly. This was not good.
***
He didn't know when it had become an addiction, but he was certain it had, upon reflecting. He went out of the forest to peer into Rubeus's hut at least two times a week. How could he help it? The first time he'd tried it, he'd came away berating himself, having seen nothing and believing that to be a sign he shouldn't try again. But he'd gone again despite that feeling, and had seen his Rubeus stroking that large prick on his bed, looking lost in pleasure.
Even though he'd had it in his hand before, up close, the sight still made him tremble softly. Perhaps it was the fact he'd seen it before that added to his longing. Like the breeze, Rubeus was so close and yet so elusive; real and palpable, but unable to be contained.
Oh, but he'd contained him once, just that once. It had been incredible. He could never face the other centaurs if they knew what fantasies he clung to late at night, or even in the afternoon like the current moment.
It took a good five weeks before Rubeus spotted him. Just like the first time Rubeus had said hello, Firenze fled.
***
Rubeus went looking for him the next day, obviously not as embarrassed as Firenze was. Well of course not, thought Firenze, he doesn't know any better.
Eventually, Rubeus gave it up as a lost cause and went to hide in his hut. Firenze breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it solved nothing to hide like he was, but he also knew he was not prepared to face Rubeus after watching him for the past five weeks! Though, Rubeus, he was quite sure, hadn't known about the other nine times.
It was around that time that Ogg started sending Rubeus into the forest with students for their detentions, as he'd finally come of age. Rubeus took the task seriously, Twelve A.M. in his wake, a lantern in his hand, his trusty pink umbrella at his side.
Like many years later when he'd had to save Harry, Firenze had another incident of "heroism" that none of the other centaurs had found out about. And he had to save his crush.
That night, there were two students serving detention. The girl was named Chrysalis Imago, and the boy was named . . . Sherlock . . . something or other. Rubeus scratched his head, trying and failing to come up with the last name. Ah well!
The two Ravenclaws, led by Ogg, were frowning and protesting.
"We didn't do anything!" they persisted, but Ogg just shrugged.
"Tell that to Professor Flitwick," he said. "I expect you can take over from here, Rubeus? Good."
"Really, we were framed," Sherlock said once Ogg had left.
"I'll go easy on yer, then," said Rubeus with a wink.
He only made them help water his seedlings, then he sent them on back up to the castle.
"Those are nice kids," he said to Twelve A.M., tying him up outside. "Frankly, I don't rightly care whether they did it or not."
He walked back toward the house, seeing a Ravenclaw scarf on the ground. He picked it up, cleaned it up from the mud it had accumulated, and hung it near the fire to dry.
He fell asleep almost immediately after his head hit the pillow, and didn't wake up to the smell of smoke, or to the dog's barking outside. Luckily for him, Firenze realized something was wrong with the way the dog was barking, and gasped as he saw the smoking house. Channeling his magic, he drew water from the lake, which was about a mile off, and hurled it at the building. Rushing inside, he woke Rubeus, drawing him out of the hut.
"Merlin's beard, Firenze! You just saved my life," he said, staring at his still-smoldering hut and wincing. "Think I put the scarf a little too close to the fire," he said sheepishly, and Firenze gave him a furious hug. He felt more protective than ever. This stupid, loving creature depended on him, in some respects. He pressed a kiss to Rubeus's stubbly chin, all along his jaw, then, after a moment's hesitation, to his lips. He then made to back up, but a strong, large hand curved itself around his back and he found himself unable to pull away.
When they broke the kiss to catch their breath, Rubeus thanked him over and over, eyeing the house again.
"My father died in a fire," said Firenze softly, and Rubeus was holding him even closer, stroking a hand along his back, soothing him.
"I think I love you," said Rubeus, nuzzling his chest. Firenze's wide blue eyes stared right into the darkness of the forest, and he felt truly torn between two worlds as he made the decision that changed everything.
"I believe so too, Rubeus," he said. They just held each other for a bit longer.
***
The next morning marked the beginning of reconstructive work to the hut, Ogg and even Professor Dumbledore helping. Soon, it was practically good as new and though a few things were beyond repair, some items had been protected, such as every part of his bed but the footboard, which they replaced, and some of his most prized possessions.
"Is that a creature?" asked Firenze with a raised eyebrow.
"Is what a creature? Oh, this?" he bent down a bit to be eye-level with a kneazle teapot. He shook his head. "Naw, it's just a teapot, Firenze. Yeh make yer tea in it. Don' use it, though, because i's so very small. Compared to me, at leas'. Nice to look at, though. Present from Professor Dumbledore. S'ppose he don't know I hate cats. Or maybe he's tryin' ter get me more accustomated and whatnot."
"I see." Great Circe, humans were odd. Intriguing, but terribly odd.
***
Firenze came by the very next night.
"Oh, hi there, Firenze."
"Hello, Rubeus," he said pleasantly.
"Would you like some tea, then?"
"No, thank you."
"Oh, okay. Well, anything you need, you just ask."
Firenze licked his lips and shifted a bit before he began to pace.
"Firenze?"
"You're acting like nothing has changed. Why do you act as if nothing has changed?"
"What? What's changed?" he said, clearly a bit confused.
"Us. The dynamic between us."
"Oh. Yeah, the love thing . . . ." Rubeus flushed becomingly.
"Yes." Firenze sprung forward and wrapped his arms around Rubeus's neck, leaning in close. "If I asked, would you submit to me? Would you show me your belly?"
"Anythin' you want, Firenze," he said, trembling slightly in his arms.
"Let us go to the forest and mate, Rubeus. I have been wanting nothing else for years."
"Years?" he breathed in that common, slow voice of his, and Firenze just whinnied, almost a centaur war cry, grasping the not-quite-human by his giant hand to pull him up from the chair and move him toward the door.
It was exactly as in his dream, except Rubeus was not scared so much as he was nervous, and he had his trusty umbrella by his side.
They performed magic to conceal them, and, there, beneath the full moon, he watched as Rubeus laid down on the grass, looking open and submissive and everything a half-human, half-giant ought to be when faced with the splendor of a centaur. Firenze couldn't get enough. He stepped forward and sniffed, growing very hard at the smell of the earth on the not-quite-human's clothing, at the feel of the coarse hair at the top of the chest that peeped through, at the slight smell of sweat.
Rubeus's uncultured, primitive beauty was almost as much a turn-on as his manly smell. Before he knew what he was doing, he was rutting against Rubeus—with the boy's (well, he was 20 in human years now, so not a boy) clothes still on. Rubeus moaned, seemingly as shocked as Firenze was at the uninhibited behavior.
"Is this . . . okay?" panted Firenze, shifting so they rubbed crotch-to-crotch through the fabric of Rubeus's pants.
"U-unfasten me," said Rubeus softly, and Firenze pulled back only for a moment, groaning, until Rubeus freed his erection and Firenze took his place atop him again. It was raw and it was passionate, and their cries would have attracted others if they hadn't placed the spell. They came at almost the exact same time.
Staring down at the submitting Rubeus was a heady experience, and it just felt so right. He reached out a hand and Rubeus reached up to hold it. They merely stayed like that for a good while until Rubeus said a spell that cleaned their seed from them. Firenze, again, was slightly disappointed, but it just wasn't right to walk around with it covering them like that.
"We will . . . meet again?" he said slowly, hopefully.
"I'd like that," said Rubeus, fastening his trousers again. "I'd like it a lot." He crawled over to Firenze and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Goodbye, Rubeus," Firenze breathed.
"Goodbye, Firenze."
***
They didn't meet terribly often. Not for sex, at least. Maybe a couple times a month, at best. But, oh it was worth it. It wasn't until they were much older, though, that they went all the way with it, farther than they'd ever gone, save for in Firenze's dreams.
It was positively sweet and tender when it occurred.
It was during the winter, so they had convened in Rubeus's hut, as they usually did in such weather. The snow drifted prettily outside as they sat by the fire, Firenze wrapped in Rubeus's arms.
It was Rubeus who started it, kissed him softly, and he responded with enthusiasm. After a while of exploring the all-too-familiar territory of each other's mouths, Rubeus slid down onto the floor, lying down as usual. He stripped himself of his clothing carefully.
He was a large man now. He'd gained some weight and all, and now he had a rather impressive beard, bushy as his long hair and the eyebrows that canopied his lovely black eyes.
Twelve A.M. had been replaced by Collar, who was replaced by Fang, who was currently licking himself in the corner, completely ignored by the other two, and ignoring them as well.
Firenze asked him to spread his legs. Rubeus frowned slightly in confusion, but did so. Firenze concentrated on making the entrance displayed nice and open, clean, wet.
Rubeus had gasped. "W-what're yeh . . . wh-what?"
"Shh. Let me make you feel good," he said softly.
"I don' understand," said Rubeus, sounding a bit helpless, and Firenze had sighed.
"I am going to . . . push into you," he said slowly. "Oh, here."
He got to his own knees, leaning forward a bit to press a few fingers into Rubeus's entrance causing him to shudder. "Is this okay?" When his only reply was a helpless whimper, he tried three. Rubeus's whimpers, groans, and grunts had him almost as hard as the earthiness and sweat he accumulated by way of his job or, or, the smell of that fluid he leaked constantly before releasing.
"Tha's good," said Rubeus, sounding as amazed as he had been to learn how to touch his big prick.
Firenze grasped said prick in his hand, and Rubeus bucked.
"Try to hold still," murmured Firenze. "You are not as small a beast as I."
"Ohhh, Firenze."
"There is more to come," Firenze said, amused.
"M-more? How could there . . . how could there possably be m-more?"
"Like this." Then he pressed in, his left front hoof resting on Rubeus's stomach gently, his hard prick finding virtually no resistance. It was bliss!
Rubeus had never howled like that before! And, well, Firenze had never moaned like that before either. It didn't take long before Rubeus came in a flood all over himself and his beard, eyes closed in pleasure, and Firenze had no choice but to follow. He pulled out and pressed into the touch of Rubeus's hand caressing his flanks. He allowed himself to drift off to sleep in the man's hut, finding himself in the bed when he awoke and, surprisingly enough, not minding.
***
Rubeus was absolutely thrilled to become a teacher.
One of his first lessons for the fourth years was on unicorns, and there was a Hufflepuff named Amelia that the unicorn seemed to like the most. It came close and let her pet it.
"Great job!" he said, grinning.
She stayed after class a bit to say, "This class is so great, Professor Hagrid!" His chest swelled with pride. Even when Malfoy's son insulted Buckbeak and got himself injured, he had the memory of the lesson with the unicorn to hold onto. The praise of that little girl meant all the difference.
***
A few years later, Firenze became a professor too, and was kicked out because of it. Rubeus went up to his new rooms immediately to make it more homey for a creature of the forest.
"I'm so sorry, Firenze."
"They never found out my biggest secret," said Firenze, shrugging, smirking at him.
"Oh? And wha's that, then?" he said, turning to him.
"You are."
"Oh!"
And Rubeus was promptly pushed to the ground and taken.
***
"That was a righ' beautiful display they gave, Firenze, wasn't it?" said Rubeus softly, looking at the tomb.
"Indeed it was," replied Firenze. With soft hoof steps he came closer, reaching up to place a hand on one of Rubeus's shoulder blades.
"You must miss 'em all somethin' terrible."
Firenze stepped in front of him to draw his attention, staring up into his face intently. "I'll tell you a secret, Rubeus. A thousand fellow centaurs could not make up for the kinship I have found in you."
Rubeus's breath caught for a moment and he fumbled in his pocket for his large handkerchief, giving a sob and blowing his nose loudly. Firenze gently slid the polka-dotted cloth from the large fingertips, nickering softly, holding out his arms to embrace as much of the large human as he could.
"Everything changes at this point," said Firenze suddenly. "The castle will never be the same."
Rubeus returned the embrace so forcefully he made Firenze wince. "I suppose that, as long as I got kin, I'll survive."
Firenze nuzzled his cloth-covered chest when he released him. "No, Rubeus. If I have anything to do with it, you will not survive. You will flourish."
Rubeus choked down another sob. Taking his hand to lead him back to his cozy hut, Firenze handed him his handkerchief again. Firenze believed it was that moment in which he realized that they'd been all the family, all the support, they'd ever required in life, to each other. He took the handkerchief back for a moment, dabbing at his own eye. Then he held it close to his chest until Rubeus took it back again.