Closed Owlery Visits Open

He skidded to a halt just in time. Dodging past, he ran up the stairs. Slowing down as he reached the owlery, he stretched out an arm, but no owl came. He sighed : it was always like this with animals. He was always gentle towards them but most of them wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Come to think of it, it was almost the same with humans, except that he wasn’t as nice to them.

Wondering if they just weren’t responding because they were asleep, he took a step towards one of the barn owls, but it hopped away up to a higher perch. He tried again with some of the other owls, but it was the same with all of them, whenever he got near, they would move away and try to avoid him. Finally giving up, he pocketed the letter and began to walk back down the long flights of stairs. Maybe he could get someone else to send the letter for him, but he didn’t want to wait up in the cold owlery alone.

Unsure what to do, he traced the walls as he made his way down, shivering and pulling his robes around himself as a draught blew through the tower.

Elizabeth was near the bottom of the stairs when she heard faint footsteps from above. Telling Cornelius to go on ahead to do whatever he was going to do, she slowly moved up the stairs.

Perhaps it was the Hufflepuff who had ran up earlier, coming down. But that wasn't enough time to have sent off a letter if he had one. It wasn't enough time to untie a letter either unless he was quicker than she was.

A minute later, she saw him and asked, "Um...hey, do you need help with letters? Like, sending them off or untying them? I can help if you do, the owls usually like me especially when I bring treats. Maybe that would help you."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the next, and, keeping an ear open, thought about things.

Is he just exploring the castle? Is he going to get help because something's wrong? Is he delivering a letter? Is he trying to get a letter from an owl? These and other thoughts were going through her head and she finally blocked out all her thoughts.

"If you don't want me to help, I can just go back down if that's the case."

Gem blushed a little, barely noticeable, embarrassed to have caused so much trouble to this other first year so soon, but eventually said : “Would you? I wanted to send off this letter to my parents, but, erm, I... kind of can’t.” He told her, sounding a little unsure. He pulled out the letter.

“I mean, you really don’t have to, I could try again later or get someone else to help.” He was actually sure that going back later wasn’t really going to help at all, and he really wouldn’t want to bother anyone else, but still...

He glanced around, up the stairs, at the girl in front of him, at the small, high up windows, down the stairs.

Realising it was getting awkward, he quickly asked “So what’s your name? I couldn’t ask help from a random stranger,” he said, trying for a smile. “I’m Gemini, but my friends just call me Gem.” He tried to break the silence, hoping it wasn’t too obvious.

He began to look around again, just out of habit, remembering the locations of exits and entrances, something he usually did when he was nervous or bothered. Or hiding something or other. But it’s not any of that, it’s just because I’m used to it. That’s all. He told himself.