It was your first day back from the Christmas holiday and you found a note on your desk. You picked it up and noticed a K inside of a circle written on the outside of the envelope. You opened it up and removed the letter from within.
*Meet me at the Hogs Head Inn this Saturday afternoon at 4.*
Badeea was sitting on her bed with a sketchbook, drawing. "Did you get a letter about meeting at the Hogs Head Inn this weekend, Badeea?" you asked.
"Yes, although I'm wondering what strength Ben and Merula think I have that will be able to help them" she replied.
"I wonder who else will be there" you said. Just then Tulip entered the room. "Tulip, did you get a letter about meeting at the Hogs Head Inn this weekend?"
"Nope, but Ben and Merula met with me, Tonks, Andre, and Jae just before we left for the holiday."
You wanted to do whatever you could to help Ben and Merula as well as avenge Rowan, but you were nervous about what you would be asked to do. You walked to your desk and grabbed your Talking Tablet.
*Did you get a letter about meeting at the Hogs Head Inn this weekend?* You tapped the tablet three times and waited for Talbott's response.
*Yes, I'm assuming this means you did too?*
*Yes, Badeea and I both got them.* You were still nervous about the meeting, but knowing Talbott would be there with you made you feel infinitely better.
Saturday arrived and you, Talbott, and Badeea walked together into Hogsmeade. When you arrived, you saw Merula and Ben up ahead walking into the Hogs Head Inn. The three of you followed behind and then joined them at table in the corner.
"Thanks for meeting us" said Ben.
"Enough chit chat, Copper. We need the three of you to do some reconnaissance."
"Reconnaissance?" you asked.
"Yes" said Ben.
"We have some ideas where the vault might be hidden, but we want the three of you to do some research, check out potential locations, and see what you find. We also want a map of the possible locations and anything around them that could pose a problem."
"That seems fair" said Talbott. You were surprised that he seemed to be going along with their plan so easily, you thought he would try and find a way to avoid being a part of the group activities.
"We'll let you figure out the details, but let us know when you have the map ready" said Merula.
"Ok, we will" said Talbott.
"Thanks" said Ben and then he and Merula left. You, Talbott, and Badeea stayed behind.
"I'm surprised you agreed so quickly, Talbott" you said.
"I think we got a pretty good deal. What they are asking us to do is a lot less dangerous than what they are asking some of the others to do" he replied.
"I guess so" you said.
"I'll volunteer to draw the map" said Badeea.
"Haha, of course you do!" you laughed and smiled at Badeea.
"I assumed you would" said Talbott. "That just leaves the research and the actual reconnaissance. I've spent a lot of time around the castle grounds and I know the area well, I'll do the reconnaissance." You knew that Talbott actually meant he would spend time flying in his animagus form to check the locations out, but didn't want to say it in front of Badeea. "Kendra, can you do the research and look up the locations Ben and Merula give us?
"Sure, Tal" you replied and you gave him a little smile.
"Ok, that's settles it. Maybe the three of us could meet in a month or two, after Kendra has done her research and I've checked out the locations, then you can start on the map, Badeea."
"Sounds good to me, just let me know when you want to meet and I'll have a canvas ready" said Badeea. "Do you guys mind if I leave now, I wanted to try and paint the sunset tonight."
"Not at all, Badeea, have fun!" you said. Badeea smiled at the two of you and left.
"Want to go to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer?" asked Talbott.
"Are you asking me on a date, bird boy?" you asked with a smirk.
"Only if you say yes."
"Then yes" you said and you planted a kiss on Talbott's cheek. The two of you left the Hogs Head Inn and walked down to the Three Broomsticks.
***
January turned to February and Valentine's Day was approaching. This was going to be your third Valentine's Day with Talbott and you were excited.
"I wonder what Hogwarts will be doing for Valentine's Day this year?" you asked as you and Talbott walked to your divination class.
"I don't know, but I thought we could just do our own thing" said Talbott. "Your company is the only company I need." You smiled and blushed in response.
"Talbott, mate, can I ask you a question?" Andre said as he ran to catch up with the two of you.
"I think you just did" replied Talbott with a smirk.
"It's about Skye" Andre said quietly hoping you wouldn't hear.
"Skye?" you asked.
"She's on the quidditch team with me."
"I know who she is, Andre. She's in the room next to mine."
"Maybe I'll just catch you after your class, besides, I have to get to practice soon" Andre said and quickly darted down the hallway.
"What was that about?" you asked.
"Andre has a crush on Skye, I think he wants to ask her to be his date for Valentine's Day."
"That's cute. It's a match made in quidditch heaven!"
***
After your divination class, you met Penny, Tonks, and Tulip in the courtyard.
"Did you hear that Barnaby asked Chiara to be his Valentine?" said Penny. "I know she's in Hufflepuff, but I don't know her all that well."
"You... Penny... the most popular witch at Hogwarts, doesn't know someone that well. I find that hard to believe!" you laughed.
"She's just so quiet and spends a lot of time alone."
"She's a werewolf..." said Tonks.
"What?" you and Penny exclaimed.
"Yeah, I caught her out on the castle grounds a few nights before the last full moon, she was giving her wolfsbane potion to a guy named Remus. He was kind of cute, actually, for a werewolf."
"Wait, I have so many questions" said Penny. "One, how do you know she is a werewolf? She could have just been making the potion for him. And two, did you just say that you thought someone was cute?"
"I caught up with her after she gave him the potion and confronted her. She told me that it was hers, but that he needed it more. I actually helped her get ingredients from Snape so she could make more for herself before the full moon."
"Snape just gave you the ingredients?" asked Penny incredulously.
"Let's just say, what Snape doesn't know, won't hurt him" Tonks said with a smirk.
"So this guy?" you said. "Tell us about him."
"I don't really know anything about him. He's quite a bit older, maybe 10 years or so. He went to Hogwarts, I know that."
"Tonks has a crush on someone!" said Penny excitedly.
"I didn't say that. I just thought he was cute in a brooding werewolf kind of way," said Tonks. "Plus, I'm not really the relationship type."
"Well, speaking of crushes" said Penny.
"Um, I think you were the one talking about crushes, Penny" you laughed.
"Maybe I was, but guess who has a new one?" Penny asked.
"You!" you and Tonks said together.
Penny smiled then said "yes I do, and I'm thinking about asking him to be my Valentine."
"That's right, girl. Don't wait for some guy to ask you, go out and get what you want!" said Tonks.
"So who is it?" you asked.
"Well you know I love watching quidditch..." Penny started.
"Not face paint kid" you laughed.
"No, not him..." Penny's cheeks started flushing bright red. "Murphy."
"Awww, Murphy's great" you said. "You should definitely ask him out, I bet the two of you have loads in common."
The three of you continued to talk about boys and Valentine's Day until it was time for dinner.
***
Even though it was just going to be you and Talbott, you still asked Andre to make you a dress for Valentine's Day. That morning he dropped it off and you were blown away by how gorgeous it was. It was a dark blue, floor length dress covered in silver stars. That evening you arrived in the owlery to see that Talbott had already laid out a picnic on the floor. Your blanket was spread out and covered with loads of twinkling candles along with a picnic basket. Talbott was wearing a suit with a dark blue jacket, similar to what he wore on your first date, but with a dark blue tie covered in silver stars that matched your dress. You looked at him and smiled.
"Gattina.... wow... you've never looked more beautiful" he said as he walked over to meet you.
"Thank you, Talbott" you said. Talbott grabbed you by the waist and kissed you passionately. After the kiss, he took you by the hand and led you to the blanket. The two of you sat down next to each other and Talbott kissed you again, this time sweetly on the cheek. "I'm so lucky to have you as my boyfriend."
"No, I'm the lucky one."
The two of you shared dinner and dessert and talked while watching the sunset from the owlery windows. When it finally started to get dark, you stood up and walked over to Chouette's perch. You reached behind your owl and grabbed a small box. You returned to the blanket and handed the box to Talbott. "Happy Valentine's Day, bird boy" you said. Talbott opened the box and inside was a bracelet. "The beads are Sicilian lava stone and there is a swan carved into the silver piece."
Talbott looked at you and smiled, "thank you, gattina." He slipped the bracelet on his wrist and then turned to grab a small box of his own. He handed you the box and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, Kendra." You opened the box to find a small brown feather with a golden clasp. "It's one of my eagle feathers" he said and he took the feather from the box, reached for your necklace, and attached it next to the key he had given you the previous year. He leaned back to look at you but you leaned forward and kissed him. The two of you spent the rest of the evening cuddling, watching the stars, and kissing. It was the simplest Valentine's Day you had spent with Talbott, but it was also the most special.
***
It was a Saturday morning in late March and you woke up to find a message from Talbott on your Talking Tablet.
*Tell Badeea to meet us in the artifact room this afternoon*
You erased Talbott's message and wrote *ok* then tapped three times. Badeea wasn't in your room, but you had a pretty good idea where she was. She had been working on a painting of the Black Lake every weekend for the last month, so you got dressed and headed down to the lake to find her.
"Hi, Badeea!" you said when you found her on the shore.
"Hello, Kendra" she replied.
"Talbott wants to meet this afternoon in the artifact room, I think he wants to start on the map."
"That's sounds good. I should be finished with my painting before lunch, so I'll grab a fresh canvas and meet you there."
"Perfect, thanks, Badeea."
That afternoon the three of you met and you started discussing the various possible locations you had been researching. Talbott told you and Badeea about what he saw while doing his reconnaissance and what he thought could potentially be of importance. After the two of you had finished talking, Badeea started working on the map. When she had her first sketches complete, Talbott suggested that the three of you keep doing your individual parts in the hopes that you would be ready to hand things over to Ben and Merula by the end of the school year.
***
The next couple of months passed by quickly. You, Talbott, and Badeea met one last time at the end of May and then handed everything you had worked on over to Ben and Merula. You weren't sure when they were planning on finding the vault and breaking the curse, but you didn't exactly want to participate in something so dangerous.
The last day of the school year arrived and you were finding it especially tough. It was the anniversary of Rowan's death and you couldn't stop crying. All you really wanted was for Talbott to hold you tightly in his arms. You grabbed your Talking Tablet and sent him a message.
*Meet me in the owlery tonight at 7*
You arrived at the owlery at half six and grabbed your and Talbott's hidden blanket. You laid it out on the ground and took a seat. Your owl, Chouette, flew down and landed on the blanket next to you. "You better not poop on the blanket, Chouette" you laughed. You pet your owl for a few minutes, then returned her to her perch. You grabbed two bird biscuits from your pocket and fed one to your owl and the second to Talbott's eagle owl, Bubo. After they finished their treats, you sat back down on the blanket waiting for Talbott to arrive.
A few minutes later Talbott entered the owlery. He saw the look on your face and asked "Are you ok, gattina?"
"I've been thinking about Rowan a lot today. It's the anniversary of her death... I really miss her."
Talbott made his way over to the blanket and sat down next to you. "I miss her too" he said then he put his arm around your shoulders. "I know you told me what happened that night, but you never told me why you were there."
You took a deep breath, then started to tell him "Bill told me and Charlie that Ben had found the vault portrait that Rakepick was looking for. He mentioned that he, Ben, and Merula were going to meet with her later that evening to hand over the portrait and to ask her about how she intended to use it to break the curse. Later that afternoon, when I told Rowan, she was concerned that Ben and Bill might get caught up in the whole curse breaking thing. I told her that Bill would look after Ben and that we could meet them after they had already handed over the portrait. Rowan wanted to talk them out of doing something dangerous. When we found them, Rakepick was still there. We didn't know what was about to happen."
"You shouldn't have gone" Talbott said with a protective tone.
"Maybe not, but how could we have known that Rakepick was evil back then?"
"I never trusted her."
"I know you didn't, but honestly, Rowan just wanted to talk Ben and Bill out of doing something stupid. We really thought Rakepick would try to use them to break into the vault sometime later, not attack them... us... that evening."
"I don't like thinking about you in dangerous situations, especially when I'm not there to protect you" Talbott said, his voice getting a bit more stern.
"It's not your job to protect me."
"But I want to. Why do you think I had you do the research on the vault location? To keep you in the library and away from danger."
"But you're not always going to be there Talbott, that's the point."
"No it's not. The point is, you shouldn't have put yourself in such a dangerous situation."
"It wasn't supposed to be a dangerous situation. Do you really think I would have gone if I thought something bad was going to happen?"
"But it was dangerous. You could have died."
"ROWAN DID DIE!" you yelled. "I can't believe you."
"What? I'm just trying to look out for you."
"No, you're blaming me for going. You think I knew it was dangerous and went anyway."
"Look, Kendra... I... I just don't want you going into this cursed vault. I don't want what happened to Rowan to happen to you."
"I was never planning on going into any cursed vault. I just want to help my friends... And trying to hide me away from the world isn't going to keep me safe, Talbott."
"No... It's not... I just don't want you to knowingly put yourself in dangerous situations."
"You keep saying that, but I didn't know. Rowan's death is not my fault."
"I never said it was, look..." Talbott dropped his gaze to the floor and he started playing with a feather on the ground. "Maybe we need time to cool off..." You looked at him. He slowly lifted his head and his amber eyes met with yours, "I think we should take a break."
You narrowed your eyes at Talbott, "fine." You stood up and stormed out of the owlery. You practically ran back to the castle, you were so angry. When you made it to your room, the reality of what happened finally hit you. I can't believe Talbott just broke up with me. UGH. I'm so mad! You threw yourself onto your bed and then the tears started streaming down your face. How could he... I mean... he's so.... and I...
***
The following morning you started packing your belongings in your trunk. You were upset about your fight with Talbott and tried to replay everything the two of you had said to each other. As you started packing up the items from your desk, you noticed your Talking Tablet, grabbed it, and sat on the edge of your bed. You started to write.
*Talbott...* you stopped and tried to think of what to you wanted to say. *Maybe we should...* You shook your head and erased the writing on the tablet.
*Talbott, I'm sorry...* You stopped writing and erased the tablet again.
*Talbott...* You were too upset to think straight. Maybe it was too soon, maybe you needed more time to think. You threw the tablet in the trunk with the rest of your possessions and closed the lid. Maybe he'd realize he was being crazy and apologize over the summer. Maybe he would tell you that he missed you too much and wanted to get back together. Maybe...
***
It was the middle of July and you were sitting on your bed at home, petting Pluto. You stared at your Talking Tablet, it had been sitting on your desk collecting dust ever since you returned. Talbott hadn't sent you any messages, nor had he sent you any owls. A few times you thought about writing a message to Talbott only to change your mind moments later. Next to the tablet was a letter from Penny. You picked it up and reread it. She wanted you to come visit her, it was her way to distract you from the breakup with Talbott. You grabbed a blank piece of parchment and a quill and wrote:
*Penny, my parents said yes! I'll be taking the 10 am train this Saturday to come and visit. I can't wait to see you! -Kendra*
You put the letter in an envelope and addressed it to Penny. You went downstairs and found your family owl, Archimedes, on his perch. You fed him a biscuit and then handed him the letter. He took it in his beak and flew out the open kitchen window.
That weekend you took the train to meet Penny. You stayed with her for a week and it did wonders for your soul. The two of you walked along the river, Penny showed you new potions she had been working on, and the two of you baked and ate way too many cakes and cookies. For that one week, your summer wasn't miserable.
***
Published draft, I'll continue to make small updates on this chapter.