Written for the "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" forum. Hope you enjoy.
Task: I would like you to write about a persons relationship with an animal.
Class: Astronomy
Word Count: 509
Title: A Wish to Fly Away
Enjoy! :)
It felt so wonderful to be riding the winds on a great and mighty creature, with its eagle wings outstretched and the muscles in the horse-like body working like a flawless machine. Sirius missed it. He'd do anything for another moment free in the sky, his arms tight around the mighty beast's head and the wind ripping through his unkempt hair. Ah, yes...
It was much better than where he was right now, living in the house he grew up in. The house he hated so much.
But it was better than where he had previously been, all the way in a different country without many means of contact but owl (which took quite some time).
Sirius stroked Buckbeak's smooth, white feathers. He was better company than the family house-elf. His head almost brushed the ceiling of the small closet and he had no space to spread his majestic wings. As if sensing the Black's thoughts, the Hippogriffs stamped his forelegs in frustration. Sirius patted him reassuringly.
"I know, I know," he muttered, his tone hinted with frustration as well. He sympathised with the creature, wanting nothing more than to get out of the goddamned house. "We can't go outside. Not yet. Soon..."
That last part was a lie. Soon. How ridiculous did that sound? They were no sooner catching Wormtail and proving the wizarding world's accusations false than they were in defeating the Dark Lord. That thought made Sirius want to stamp his feet like the beast. Buckbeak cawed in annoyance. The noise was loud and no doubt could be heard from outside the closet.
"Shush now!" the animagus scolded. "Quiet, or you'll wake my mother!"
At the mention of the screaming portrait, Buckbeak fell silent with a defeated humph! Sirius reached for an apple and held it before his beak. Careful not to take the man's fingers off, Buckbeak took the fruit and snapped down, consuming it in one bite. Sirius felt a glimmer of warmth and happiness at the sight, but it soon disappeared. This creature was the only one Sirius could and would tell his troubles to. Kreature was a blundering idiot of a house-elf, content on having his head strung up on the wall like the elves before him, and Harry... well, as much as Sirius would like to talk to him, he couldn't do so freely without drawing attention to himself in case the letter was intercepted during its delivery.
So he told the Hippogriff. Anything that was on his mind, he came down to the closet and ranted to the giant horse-eagle. He probably didn't understand any of it, but it helped Sirius to just let go of everything building inside of him. It was an escape-route inside the jail.
The man scratched the underside of Buckbeak's chin and watched the beast relish at the sensation. His amber eyes blinked, innocence written in the fiery colour. And for the first time in fourteen years, Sirius gave a true smile.
Oh, how he'd give anything to fly away on this beautiful, majestic creature...