Prodigal Witch

Wake up time!

Draco was half-asleep a little before eleven o'clock Monday night. He was pressed up against Hermione with Marcus at his back. Marcus had an arm tossed over Draco and Draco moved to do the same to Hermione. Something strange got in his way though. Something substantial was sitting atop Hermione's rib cage.

"What the fuck?" Draco muttered, his sleepy mind rapidly trying to get up to full speed.

"What is it?" Theo mumbled from the other side of Hermione.

"Lumos," Adrian said from next to Theo.

Soft light filled the bed and they could see a massive red bird comfortably nesting on Hermione's torso.

"What the bloody hell?!?" Draco exclaimed, confused and startled by the creature on his witch. He raised his hand to push it off Hermione, but Marcus caught his wrist in the air.

"Wait," Marcus said quietly. "Don't scare it."

"What if it's hurting her?" Draco contested.

"I don't think it is," Theo said, sitting up. "Turn up the light, Ades."

The light got brighter and the bird was easier to see.

"It's Fawkes," Draco gasped. "What is he doing?"

"Remember what Lovegood said about other elemental creatures?" Marcus said. "The Phoenix uses elemental fire magic. Maybe he can reach her."

They all looked at the small, sleeping witch, but she seemed the same.

"Can you reach her, Fawkes?" Adrian asked the bird, hopefully. Fawkes squawked, but none of them knew what that meant.

"I don't think Fawkes would hurt her," Theo added.

They all watched the Phoenix while it did nothing. It just sat on Hermione, occasionally ruffling his feathers. At one point, it looked to be sleeping.

"Well, we don't all need to be awake to watch a bird sleep," Draco grumbled around one o'clock in the morning.

"Let's do hour long shifts then," Adrian offered. "I'll start and in an hour, I'll wake Theo. Then he can wake Draco, and Draco, you can wake Marcus."

"Sounds good," Draco said, flopping down against his pillow.

Adrian sat awake and read a book to stay awake. Just as his hour was over and he nudged Theo awake, Fawkes moved. The two wizards watched the Phoenix hop off Hermione's torso and perch next to her head. Fawkes began chirping to her, pausing at times as if he were having a two-way conversation.

Adrian and Theo didn't want to move or speak, so they sat quietly; still as stone. If Fawkes was talking to Hermione, they didn't want to disturb the conversation in any way. Finally, he was silent, the communication seemingly over. Fawkes leaned over and rubbed his head against her forehead. He paused for a moment and the wizards saw drops of liquid fall onto her head. Theo gasped involuntarily. Phoenix tears. Those were a powerful substance.

Then Fawkes was upright. He hopped down to the foot of the bed and began grooming his wings, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Did you find her? Did you talk to her?" Theo pressed.

Fawkes looked at him and squawked again. The wizards felt this sound was more of an affirmation this time, but did admit they could be hearing what they wanted to hear. All of a sudden, the Phoenix was gone into the darkness of the room. Adrian recast his Lumos out into the dark space, but there was no sign of the large bird. If it weren't for the long tail feather he left, there would be no evidence of his visit.