Chapter Three: A Curious Golden Owl
It was a cold, snowy November day. End-of-term exams were quickly approaching. Holding a steamy mug of hot cocoa in one hand and a book in the other, Hermione immersed herself in the advanced arithmancy theories while waiting for her friends to finish Quidditch practice.
Since both Head Students were from Gryffindor this year, the common room was charmed to take on a scarlet and gold theme as well. Hermione fell in love with the room the moment she stepped into it. It was warm and cozy and reminded her very much of the Gryffindor common room, only it was a bit smaller, a bit more elegant and a lot less noisy. She found it a convenient substitute of the library and was very thankful for the privilege bestowed upon her.
She was also thankful that after much debate, the faculty finally chose Harry to be her counterpart. She was the unanimous choice for Head Girl, as no other female student in her year came close. However, Harry had some tight competitions, namely Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin. Both had grades only slightly lower than Harry, and several faculty members (namely Snape) insisted that it simply wouldn't do to have both Head Students picked from the same house.
Eventually, Dumbledore put an end to the dispute by saying that Head Students should be chosen solely based on merits, not by the house they came from. Therefore much to McGonagoll's delight, Harry was finally chosen as Head Boy along with Hermione as Head Girl.
They proved to be an efficient and harmonious team, having worked alongside one another since their first year at Hogwarts. All in all, this has been a very good year for Hermione, if not for the threats of Voldemort looming over their heads.
A tapping noise on the window disturbed Hermione from her reading. A little startled, she looked up and then quickly opened the window with a flick of her wand. A large golden owl swooped in, accompanied by an icy blast of snowflakes.
Hermione closed the window with another muttered charm and held out her arm. The large male owl landed gracefully and dropped a small package in her lap. He tilted his head, looking at her expectingly.
"Thank you." She smiled and patted his wings softly, dusting off the snowflakes, before opening her package, which was wrapped in a white scarf.
Inside, Hermione found a small box of expensive dark chocolates, with a note attached. Two words were written across the white parchment in a flowing, elegant script:
Thank you.
The note was unsigned.
Pleasantly surprised but puzzled, Hermione read the note over twice, before turning her gaze to the owl, who stayed by her side and was leisurely smoothing his shiny golden feathers with his beak.
"I suppose you won't be able to tell me who this is from, huh?" Hermione asked softly, scooping him up into her arms for a closer inspection. As she suspected, there was nothing on the owl to identify the owner. Maybe he was one of the school owls?
He was an unusually beautiful animal for sure. His feathers were of a pale, shiny golden color, and he had silvery gray eyes that reminded her of the mist that covered the lake whenever it rained. She ran her hand down his warm body, absently stroking his spine, and he leaned into her touch with a soft, pleased hoot.
"Not in a hurry to leave, hmm?" She chuckled, cradling him more comfortably against her chest, "Mind to keep me company for a while then, little love? I need a break anyway."
As if understanding her words, the large owl rested his head against her chest, mindful not to scratch her jumper with his sharp talons, and obediently allowed her to pat him.
The swinging of the portrait abruptly broke the peace in the room. Harry and Ron appeared at the entrance, walking in while holding a loud conversation. The golden owl's head snapped up and his feathers bristled. He gave a sharp, agitated hoot, flapping his wings.
"Shh... It's okay." Hermione immediately cooed and held him closer, stroking his chin, in an attempt to calm him down.
"Hey Mione, whose owl is this?" Ron asked, sitting down on the sofa next to her. Harry joined them on her other side.
"I don't know. He was tapping on the window and delivered this to me..." Hermione pointed to the box of chocolate and the note.
Harry raised a brow as he read the note: "A secret admirer? Wow, Hermione!"
"Oh please, it's probably from one of those fifth years I tutored last week. Some people know when to show a little gratitude, unlike some other people." She gave both of them a pointed look.
"Oh, I show appreciation too." Ron said cheerfully, reaching for the box of chocolate, "In fact, I'm going to bravely risk rotten teeth right now to help you... OW!"
The large owl suddenly swung his sharp talons at the unsuspecting redhead, leaving a long, bloody scratch on his arm.
"Ouch, ouch!" Ron yelped in pain, holding his wounded arm, "Why you little..." He reached out, intent on snatching the animal away from Hermione's lap.
"Back off, Ron!" Hermione batted away his hands, cradling the owl against her chest protectively.
"He's dangerous, Hermione. And he's probably diseased too!"
The owl made a piqued noise, glaring at Ron with his silvery eyes, and Harry laughed: "Actually, serves you right for stealing Mione's chocolate, Ron."
He reached out to pat the golden owl, but to his surprise, the owl dodged his hand. He tucked himself under Hermione's arm, from where he glanced up at the boys haughtily. If he were human, the expression in his eyes could be described as utter contempt.
"Seems like he only favors you, Mione." Harry said with slight disappointment in his voice.
"Yup, looks that way." Hermione replied cheerfully, stroking the owl's soft feathers affectionately.
Ron snorted: "Blasted hormone driven bird. In fact, I bet you he's actually some perverted animagus in his late forties. Bald, moldy, ugly and-"
"Oh please Ron.You said the same thing about Crookshanks." Hermione rolled her eyes exasperately, "Just face it, my animals don't like you."
"He's your animal? Since when?"
"Since now." Hermione stood up, "And, if you will excuse me, I want to introduce him to Crookshanks and maybe find something for him to nib on before I let him into the snow again."
Ron stared at her back as she carried the owl up to her room, who was comfortably and obediently nested in her arms.
"Blimy Harry, did you see that?"
"What?"
"The bloody bird! He was smirking at me!"
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Disclaimer: Please see first chapter
A/N: Work sucks. I want pudding.