Can I Get An Owl?

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor strolled up to the owlery, yawning on her way up. Today had felt extremely long and tiring. Heading up to the owlery she was going to write her letter there. She didnt know why, but the hooting of the owls and the breeze in the tower was peaceful to her. Reaching her destination, she walked inside and found a bench at the very top of the tower. Pulling out her parchment and her purple quill, she began to write in her bubble-like writing.

Dear Mum,
School is good, classes are great, the people are nice... Well you know the drill. Everything is going well. I'm just sending a quick letter to ask if i was possibly aloud an owl. I got a job at Madam Malkins, so i can afford it without you sending money, i just wanted to check to see if it was cool with you first. Because i know if i had of got one without your permission, you may have had a fit.
Let me know.

Love you lots,
Taylor
xxx

Folding up her parchment and placing it in an envelope she walked over to the school owl she had used last time. Stroking its chest with the back of one finger gently.

 

[Henric Lee]

"They're quite docile. Mind the dead rats."

Drifting out of the gloomy darkness, the voice melted into her ears. In the many shafts of wood arrayed to form the Owlery, boarded up holes still meekly allowed rays of sunlight to penetrate through and cast their glow upon the room. Amidst the hay, was a pale boy with his hands folded into his robes. Blank eyes scanned Taylor's face, and Henric Lee stood silently in the Owlery, his dark hair flowing slightly in the wind.
Smiling briefly at her, he moved forward, stalking past the owls as they hooted feebly, stirring. "I didn't expect a girl to come to the Owlery - Normally, they tend to avoid messy places like this one."

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor stopped stroking the almost silently hooting bird and glanced over to the voice. She smiled a little awkwardly. She blinked as a ray of sunlight hit her directly in the face and stepped slightly to the side as the owl she had been petting fluttered off. She scowled after realising that was the owl she was going to use to post her letter, but dismissed the situation. She scanned the boy for any signs of knowing who he was, but to no prevail. Her smile grew more confident at his next comment. "The owlery is peaceful and any girl that is afraid of mess is pathetic." She twisted her letter between her fingers, tracing the sharply folded edge of the envelope with her thumb. "What brings you to the owlery?"

 

[Henric Lee]

Henric blinked, serenly stroking an owl's back - it hooted softly as it nipped his index finger. "Bonding." He replied simply to her question, his smile still permanently affixed to his face as the owl turned it's head to let him get at an itchy spot. "It is good to know your friends." His piercing gaze set upon her eyes as he slowly continued, "As it is good to know your enemies." He turned back to the owl - another owl had come into the fray, and was irratably nudging it's companion out of the way. Henric resorted to using two hands to pet the owls, both whom seemed very farmilar with him. "There's nothing wrong with knowing animals, then, is there?" He commented mildly.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor met Henrics gaze. "I guess your right." She pondered. She clutched the letter in both hands distractedly. "Im Taylor, Taylor Mercer. First year Gryffindor." She finished firmly, she had a screaming suspision the boy was in Slytherin and she couldnt be sure he wouldnt judge her. She stepped over to stroke a sleeping snowy owl, the feathers soft under her gentle fingers.
"Animals are no different than us, apart from the fact they cannot communicate. They each have individual personalities, just like any of us do." She stated thoughtfully, watching as the owl she was stroking opened its eyes briefly before closing them again in content.

 

[Henric Lee]

"They do communicate." Henric said to general amusement, raising a hand to the owl he scratched the feathers under it's beak. It flapped it's right wing in lazy reaction. "Communication comes in many forms. Thinking speech and sound is the only one, is a very wrong thought." He turned to stare into the owl's own beady eyes, and the owl responded by hooting noisily. As if Taylor wasn't present, he removed an elaborately carved flute from a sash tied to his belt, placing it upon his lips, his dark orbs disappeared behind lids. Closing his eyes, a melody slithered out of the flute's eschew like a serpent of music, slithering across the room and alerting every owl present. In a few short seconds, he begun demonstrating a hooting sound similar to the owls, then switched to a noisy chirping rhythym. The Owls that were asleep were now wide awake, shooting annoyed hoots at the source of the music.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

Taylor thought over the boys words. "I suppose your right, yet again." Who was this guy? Her thoughts drifted as the boy began to play a flute. Looking over to the sound, she didnt realise all the owls had awoken. Looking around she smiled at the owls. The school owl she had been stroking now wide awake, she attatched the letter to its leg and watched as it flew away. Turning back to the boy, her curiosity was eating her. "Who are you?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

 

[Henric Lee]

"Lee." He said simply, finishing the music with a final whistle as he stowed the flute back under his sash behind his robes. "Henric Lee, Slytherin. I'll see you around Taylor." With that enigmatic note, he turned, his overlong cloak fluttering as a strong gale blew into the owlery, causing a furious flap of wings from the owls in there. Amidst the cascading white feathers, Henric turned sharply into the Owlery's entrance. With a flap of his black robes, he was gone.

 

[Taylor Mercer]

"Yeah, will do." Was all Taylor could manage as the mysterious Henric stalked out of the Owlery. Well, sending off that letter had been interesting at least. She thought to herself. Taking one last look up and around the space of the Owlery, she too left, hoping she would recieve word from her parents shortly.