SPLITAPARTS: lessons in love ✔️

The Shrieking Shack - Part Two

"Actually, I was rescued Dee! Can you believe it! Was pretty amazing," Sirius said. "This huge dark brown hippogriff—so dark that she looked black against the night sky—came out of nowhere dove in and plucked me out of the icy water, I didn't know what the hell was going on at first.

She broke my wrist though when she dropped me on the beach though. Then, she sort of collapsed herself, wheezing and coughing.

In the morning, I saw that she wasn't black at all, but a dark brown—well, she wasn't all brown—her head had the whitest feathers...white as a cloud. Most beautiful creature I had ever seen, well, next to you," he said. "Reminded me of a Bald Eagle, which of course, reminded me of you and I sat on the beach and bawled my eyes out for hours. Then I watched her get up wearily and stare out at the ocean and take off for the skies and then swoop down several times and I wondered, what the hell is she doing? And you know, she returned with a fish. A big one! Well, I transformed into Padfoot and ate nearly the entire thing! Then I saw that she was watching me and I realized that I hadn't saved any for her. I felt awful, so I went hunting for rats for her. Wasn't easy though, hunting, I was limping all over the place."

She smiled and chuckled.

"I think she almost drowned trying to get us both out of the water. I know I almost did. I have to believe that she was an animagus," he said. "I owe her a life-debt."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "Hippogriffs can't swim."

Cassie nodded and grimaced, remembering. "Let me see? Your wrist--let me see it?"

"Oh, it's fine. All healed up. Basic first aid they taught us in Auror's school—nothing to worry about."

"Let me see anyway." She quickly grabbed his wrist and he winced and yelped. "Oh yeah, it's good and healed. You need a good wand for that, right—here, use mine and take care of it. I'm going to look around. I mean it, fix it or you'll never play the piano again."

"What if your wand won't work for me?" The thought of sitting at a piano again made him smile.

"It will—"

"How do you know?"

"Mister Olivander gave me his assurances. You are my splitapart, aren't you?"

"And what if I take off with it," he dared to ask.

She shrugged her shoulders, tilted her head and then smiled. "Oopsie?"

He was instantly reminded of the little girl he once knew and had fallen so hard for and he realized that he sill loved her and more importantly, that she still loved him. She held the wand out to him but he shook his head. "Dee—as tempted as I am, I can't. It would only implicate you."

"So what? Take the damned wand, Sirius. I'm already under surveillance. Anyway, it's just to heal your wrist. If I did it, the best I could do would be something like, healio la wristie. Sammy's the healer in the family. Not me."

"Oh damn it, really? You're being watched!" He rushed to a window and peered outside toward the skies from behind a tattered curtain.

"Don't worry. I've gotten really good at dodging them—really pisses Moody off--I think he's tired of covering for me, although I don't think he's really trying that hard you know to find you—he's retiring soon, thankfully."

Sirius barked a hearty laughed. "Oh, I can imagine--he always did have a soft spot for you."

"Yeah, for you too. Now, quit stalling and take the damned wand already!"

He then looked at her unsure of what he thought he heard her say. "Hang on. Did you really just say, healio la wristie?"

She giggled, "I did, yes."