Stay in Touch
New POV
As I stepped off the train I was already looking around for a young stark blond haired man. “Dad !?” I called out shifting my grip on my carpet bag that would fall open if you didn’t hold the clasp just right.
“Daaaad!!?”
I looked around at all the wizarding families, trying to ignore the warm smiles and greetings. “DAD!!?” I called out one more time and huffed.No sign of him in the sea of ugly Christmas sweaters, presents, and suitcases. I chewed the inside of my cheek, scanning the crowd again.” . My face flushed from the cold as I waited for an opening to pass through platform 9 ¾. I gripped the carpet bag and ran at the brick wall projecting through it. I should’ve expected he’d be causing a scene. I cringed, trying not to let the sting of embarrassment show on my face as I watched Lev curse out a ticket man for not knowing what platform 9 ¾ was. “OI!! DAD!” I raced up to him.
He suddenly had a big grin on his frosty face and exhaled a cloud of white. “Keegan! Tere yeh are!” My dad wrapped me in a side hug “let’s get out of here, did ye get any of ta letters i sent ya?”
I looked up at him and shook my head as we slipped past the stuffy crowd of people out into the snowy London streets. “No, I didn’t know you sent any,” I could tell he was confused. “Maybe if you actually had an address-,” I started but not before Dad grumbled as he put me in a headlock and gave me a noogie.
“Oi shut it. I have meh ways,” Dad grinned as I tried to fight him off. He let go of me and lit a cigarette, and blew the smoke away from me. I shoved my hands in the charity shop jacket that made up most of my winter wardrobe, rolling my eyes, not caring that my hair got messed up.
“Obviously,” I muttered looking down as Dad nudged my shoulder.
“How am I supposed to keep in touch with you then? Pigeons?" Dad took a long drag.
“Owls actually,” I replied, rubbing my neck.
Dad kept a steady hand on my shoulder but paused in his tracks before shaking his head exasperated. “Owls?”
I nodded with a small Mhmm. I heard him mumble something along the lines of this doesn’t make any sense and I raised my brows.
“In my day we just used something called the post.” He flicked his lighter on and off as we walked. Where? I had no idea. We turned the corner after a few blocks of catching up and window shopping to a fire escape ladder. I gave my dad a look and he shrugged. “You’ll love it,”
“That’s what you said about the loft with the hole in the roof,” I retorted. “In case you didn’t remember that, because I distinctly remember that.”
“Up yeh go,” he said, ignoring what I said. I climbed up after him. The room was barely a room. A Christmas tree was in place of a lamp and bookshelves and storage were the walls and a pull out futon for a bed.
Sitting down with his coat still on he mumbled, “Where the hell do ye even get an owl?”.
“Diagon alley.” The schools had owls for students to use, but I really wanted my own something. Everything from cloaks to my cauldron was from second hand stores or the lost and found, and a personal owl could be better trusted anyways.
It felt like Dad could mind read as I saw his face fall slightly before shaking it off and smiling at me. “Well then. Next week, we’ll get yeh an owl, so we can stay in touch.”
To my utmost surprise Dad kept his promise for once and the day before christmas we were searching the streets for the entrance to diagon alley. “What is with wizards and brick walls?” He grumbled as we came up to a cobblestone wall, the entrance to the alley.
It was possibly even busier than kings cross station during a rush hour. We made our way to the magical menagerie with the help of a very nice lady. The screeching of the owls also pointed us in the right direction.
I pressed myself closer to Dad as he wrapped an arm around me as I nervously entered the shop. My dad went off to talk to the owners, and I broke off to look at all of the owls. Only one spotted my eye, a smallish tawny owl with a soft curious looking face, at least to me. It was a beautiful shade of golden brown, black and white. The owl stared at me intently and flew startlingly as I ducked, the bird landed and perched on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and laughed, she was perfect. I turned to my dad. “This one, I want this one.” Dad looked back at the old lady with a look I swear that said please let that one be somewhat of a reasonable price.
“Ah yes, a Tawny owl, she’ll be 10 galleons.”
Dad gave her a confused look. He only had a few quid and pounds on hand and he looked at me.
“Wizard money,” I told him.
“Wizard money,” Dad huffed, as if the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Ya don’t have any do ye?” He asked.
I shook my head and he gave me a look halfway between defeat and exasperation. “‘Course not,” he mumbled, running a hand through his light blond hair tapping his hand on the counter. “Brillant.”
“It’s…it’s fine Dad-really I don’t need her the schools got owls," I finally admitted looking down fidgeting with the frayed end of my sweater.
“Oi, shut it. I have meh ways,” Dad gave me a noogie and the owl quickly flapped away.
I wacked him away. “You scared her off Dad.”
My dad just rolled his eyes sighing and put a hand on his shoulder. “Though yeh said ye didn’t care about it that much.”
As things calmed down, the owl perched back on my head. “My she really likes you,” the shop owner beamed. Dad went out and lit a cigarette. I huffed, narrowing my brows as he leaned against the shop and I followed him out. Twenty-nine is too young to be dying of lung cancer, you know. I thought you said you quit anyways.”
“And twelve years old is too young ta be telling meh what to do, kid.” Dad replied, looking to the side.
I kicked some of the snow on the road and shoved my hands in my pockets as I watched others with owl cages, loads of presents, and candies and my expression went sour and Dad offered his cig. I gave him a “seriously?” look and leaned against him.
“Sorry kid,” Dad ran his hands through my hair.

(Keeping it this ending until i have enough galleons to buy the owl T-T)

As I stepped off the train I was already looking around for a young stark blond haired man. “Dad !?” I called out shifting my grip on my carpet bag that would fall open if you didn’t hold the clasp just right.
“Daaaad!!?”
I looked around at all the wizarding families, trying to ignore the warm smiles and greetings. “DAD!!?” I called out one more time and huffed.No sign of him in the sea of ugly Christmas sweaters, presents, and suitcases. I chewed the inside of my cheek, scanning the crowd again.” . My face flushed from the cold as I waited for an opening to pass through platform 9 ¾. I gripped the carpet bag and ran at the brick wall projecting through it. I should’ve expected he’d be causing a scene. I cringed, trying not to let the sting of embarrassment show on my face as I watched Lev curse out a ticket man for not knowing what platform 9 ¾ was. “OI!! DAD!” I raced up to him.
He suddenly had a big grin on his frosty face and exhaled a cloud of white. “Keegan! Tere yeh are!” My dad wrapped me in a side hug “let’s get out of here, did ye get any of ta letters i sent ya?”
I looked up at him and shook my head as we slipped past the stuffy crowd of people out into the snowy London streets. “No, I didn’t know you sent any,” I could tell he was confused. “Maybe if you actually had an address-,” I started but not before Dad grumbled as he put me in a headlock and gave me a noogie.
“Oi shut it. I have meh ways,” Dad grinned as I tried to fight him off. He let go of me and lit a cigarette, and blew the smoke away from me. I shoved my hands in the charity shop jacket that made up most of my winter wardrobe, rolling my eyes, not caring that my hair got messed up.
“Obviously,” I muttered looking down as Dad nudged my shoulder.
“How am I supposed to keep in touch with you then? Pigeons?" Dad took a long drag.
“Owls actually,” I replied, rubbing my neck.
Dad kept a steady hand on my shoulder but paused in his tracks before shaking his head exasperated. “Owls?”
I nodded with a small Mhmm. I heard him mumble something along the lines of this doesn’t make any sense and I raised my brows.
“In my day we just used something called the post.” He flicked his lighter on and off as we walked. Where? I had no idea. We turned the corner after a few blocks of catching up and window shopping to a fire escape ladder. I gave my dad a look and he shrugged. “You’ll love it,”
“That’s what you said about the loft with the hole in the roof,” I retorted. “In case you didn’t remember that, because I distinctly remember that.”
“Up yeh go,” he said, ignoring what I said. I climbed up after him. The room was barely a room. A Christmas tree was in place of a lamp and bookshelves and storage were the walls and a pull out futon for a bed.
Sitting down with his coat still on he mumbled, “Where the hell do ye even get an owl?”.
“Diagon alley.” The schools had owls for students to use, but I really wanted my own something. Everything from cloaks to my cauldron was from second hand stores or the lost and found, and a personal owl could be better trusted anyways.
It felt like Dad could mind read as I saw his face fall slightly before shaking it off and smiling at me. “Well then. Next week, we’ll get yeh an owl, so we can stay in touch.”
To my utmost surprise Dad kept his promise for once and the day before christmas we were searching the streets for the entrance to diagon alley. “What is with wizards and brick walls?” He grumbled as we came up to a cobblestone wall, the entrance to the alley.
It was possibly even busier than kings cross station during a rush hour. We made our way to the magical menagerie with the help of a very nice lady. The screeching of the owls also pointed us in the right direction.
I pressed myself closer to Dad as he wrapped an arm around me as I nervously entered the shop. My dad went off to talk to the owners, and I broke off to look at all of the owls. Only one spotted my eye, a smallish tawny owl with a soft curious looking face, at least to me. It was a beautiful shade of golden brown, black and white. The owl stared at me intently and flew startlingly as I ducked, the bird landed and perched on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and laughed, she was perfect. I turned to my dad. “This one, I want this one.” Dad looked back at the old lady with a look I swear that said please let that one be somewhat of a reasonable price.
“Ah yes, a Tawny owl, she’ll be 10 galleons.”
Dad gave her a confused look. He only had a few quid and pounds on hand and he looked at me.
“Wizard money,” I told him.
“Wizard money,” Dad huffed, as if the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Ya don’t have any do ye?” He asked.
I nodded and dug through my pockets trying to find the ten galleons. “Somewhere.”
“I’ll pay ya back! A kid shouldn’t have to pay for his own present-,” Dad went on.
“No it’s fine dad- honestly.” I pressed as I put the galleons on the table and the tawny owl flew and perched on my head. I grinned widely as the woman put the coins in the register and reached up to scratch the owl. “I think I’ll name her eilonwy,”


(Big thanks and shoutout to Proffessor? @Samuel Sauber and @Harlan Montgomery)

Done.