"Draco! Have you seen my owl? It's missing. Again!" shouted Harry, as he came running into the study at the Manor.
"Why on Earth would I know where your owl has gone?" scowled Draco. "Maybe it got lost."
Harry had only moved into Malfoy Manor three weeks ago. But his tawny owl, Peachy, had gone missing nearly every day since he'd arrived. He was determined to get to the bottom of things.
"You're coming with me to look for her!" Harry exclaimed, stomping his foot for good measure.
Draco sighed loudly. "Fine, just give me a minute to finish up here."
In a hidden area of the garden, a beautiful peacock was strutting with its tail feathers displayed in all their glory. That wasn't strange, it was the mating season after all. But a casual observer might have been awfully confused at the sight of the small tawny owl perched on a nearby bench hooting approvingly. The strange pair were staring at each other, seemingly taking turns trying to impress one another. At the sound of approaching footsteps, they both hurried off to hide in an alcove.
"We've looked everywhere! Where could she be?!" Harry cried out in frustration.
"She is an owl, you know," said Draco with a smirk, "They have a tendency to go flying."
"You're not helping! Why don't you go back to your bloody paperwork if you're just going to laugh at me!" Harry started to storm off in a huff.
Draco caught him by the hand and pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist and planting soothing little kisses along the side of his face.
"Shh, love. You know she'll come back." Draco whispered affectionately.
The sound of muted bird calls nearby caused them both to look up with interest.
"That's peculiar, the peacocks don't usually come this far out into the garden."
Draco walked quietly toward the sound, tugging Harry along behind him. Rounding a corner, he peeked into an alcove and stopped dead in his tracks. His mouth fell open and he glanced back at Harry, noting his irritated expression. There, on the ground in front of them, sat a peacock. It was curled protectively around a small, familiar looking, tawny owl. The peacock looked up at them and made an irritated noise. Peachy, the owl, nestled closer to it and hooted contentedly.
"Now I've seen everything," muttered Draco.
He backed away, motioning for Harry to follow him as he started back toward the Manor.
"Arrogant, snobby creature! What does she see in him anyway!" huffed Harry indignantly.
"Maybe she has good taste, just like you," teased Draco, smiling at Harry lovingly. "Why did you need her anyway?"
Harry squirmed and looked at Draco with a guilty expression.
"I was going to send her to interrupt you with a note…You've been shut up in the study working all morning…and…I was getting kind of lonely…" he mumbled, blushing beet red.
"Well, you seem to have managed to interrupt my work all on your own, haven't you then!" Draco laughed loudly. "How about some lunch?"
Harry nodded, smiling shyly, as they walked together hand in hand.