YEAR 7 | Draco Malfoy

31.0 the gift

Alongside the garden that belonged to the Traver's family travelled water from the north to the south.

Their garden stretched out as far as the eye could see and while most of it was plain grass, the occasional big tree had grown so tall it could hold a treehouse.

Dew covered the grass and almost flickered in the little sunlight that the thick layer of clouds let through.

The sound of water running and being pulled into different directions was drowned out by the creak of an opened door.

A small wooden cabin that was built out of sight had a broken hinge and the door was forced to dance with the wind.

The planks that were used came from a nearby sycamore tree and lasted through the though winters and hot summers.

But even though the frame had defended its residents with great success, the cabin hadn't seen a new owl in days.

The Traver's their family owl had grown accustomed to the sound of the opening door and didn't mind having the whole place to himself either.

For the past week, the youngest member of the family made a trip to that particular cabin at least twice a day.

Claire hugged herself tightly while conquering the winter wind that seemed to pull her back with every step she took.

The shoes she was wearing slowly absorbed the dew that was resting so quietly on the blades of grass.

She reached over to the creaking door and kept it open before peeking inside.

Brown and white feathers decorated the flooring but apart from the family owl, nothing had changed and there was no foreign owl to be seen.

The family owl screeched at its owner, her second trip of the day was ruining its sleep.

"Nothing." Claire mumbled to herself.

Her dark brown hair flew with the wind and Claire could feel the frustration pumping through her veins.

She wanted to be angry at Draco but for all she knew, something could've happened.

With a sigh, she closed the door again while fighting the urge to slam it shut.

Claire turned around and began making the trip back to her house, taking as much time as she could.

From afar a dark owl lowered its wings and darted itself down to the ground, only to fly straight over the girl's head and past the dancing door that belonged to the cabin.

Without wasting a second she turned back around and reached inside, ignoring the angry owls that nipped at her fingers.

She untied the letter from the owl's neck and stuffed it between her skirt and sweater.

The happiness she felt couldn't be described and her heart was beating out of her chest while she hurried back.

Her father watched from the living room window when his daughter, for the first time in days, wore a smile on her lips.

Robert narrowed his eyes at the sight and fiercely hoped that his wife wouldn't start another argument over her antics.

He decided to disappear into his office, closing the door behind him to block out any sound.

While Claire took off her wet shoes and slid off her coat, her mother walked past.

"Back already?" Evangeline said in surprise.

Something about her tone made Claire wary because it did not sound like genuine concern or interest.

She decided to ignore her mother just like she had done for the last couple of days.