And Then Love Conquered

Portkey Ultimatum

The buzz of morning traveled through the great hall—I paid it no mind as I bit into some toast and re-read my essay on vanishing spells. I was just into the fifth paragraph when the tell-tale sound of wings and hooting indicated the arrival of the post. I knew my parents were on holiday and would not be traveling with their owl, so I kept my head down, focused on the words I'd written months ago.

"Mum sent us sweets," I heard Ron say through a mouthful of whatever he'd recently stuffed into the never-ending cavern he called a mouth.

"If you eat any more 'sweets', your teeth are going to be nothing more than tributes to all the sugary snacks you couldn't live without," I mumbled.

"What's eating you?" Ron sounded affronted.

I sighed. "This essay. It just isn't...right."

"Come off it, Hermione," Harry laughed. "You know as well as I do you'll have the top mark. Plus, you're the only one who's actually started it."

I gasped, my eyes darting up from the parchment. "You haven't started your essay? Either of you?"

Ron shrugged, his expression slightly guilty.

"Honestly, you two! I'm not writing this for you. Do you know how many inches she's requiring for this? You'll never—"

"—Hermione, what's that owl doing?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Ronald. You are going to fail transfiguration! Your mum and dad will kill you, and you'll never be able to get a well-paying job at the Ministry and—" I had every intention of finishing my lecture, but Ron was right. An owl circled above me, seeking my attention. My breath hitched as my heart seemed to grow sprinter's legs and take off.

With a beautiful blending of tan, dark brown, and black feathers; eyes I swore could pierce the soul, and a predatory air in its flight, there was no doubt who'd sent this creature to me. I hid my cringe as best I could as the familiar bird continued to circle above me.

"I've seen that bird around here before. An eagle owl, that is," Ron gazed up at the creature, his eyes squinting as they always did when he was trying to piece information together. "Expensive birds."

In my haste to get rid of the owl, and protect me from further scrutiny, I snatched a bit of meat from my plate and held it in the air.

With deadly precision, the owl dove for the food.

"Bloody bird's a kill shot. Lucky for you, Hermione."

"He's fine. His beak didn't even touch me."

"Just who's bird is that anyway?"

"You've seen him deliver me mail for years, Ronald. He obviously has some type of affiliation with me," I shook my head.

"Yeah, but you don't own an owl, Hermione. You have Crookshanks," Harry pointed out.

"A right monster, that one," Ron muttered.

"Honestly, Ronald," I huffed, taking the note from the owl's leg. "Cats are natural hunters. Did us some good when that rat of yours turned out to be You Know Who's impotent sidekick."

I opened the letter, scanning the contents for far longer than necessary. There were only six words and a lone letter for a signature on the piece of parchment, but I read them multiple times. Those six words held so much promise, but required much more lying and secrets.

Finally, I looked up from the parchment and scanned the Slytherin table for him. He sat at the end, his mouth quirked into a half smile. And, just like that, a swarm of butterflies made their presence known in my stomach.