Caoilfhionn ducked as the large eagle owl swooped through the open window and into the tower. It landed, wings outstretched, on the old, wooden post next to her. Caoilfhionn admired the proud owl's majestic entrance and noted the arrogant glint in its' eye as if it were daring the other owls in the tower to better it's smooth landing but she had to suppress a smile as she noticed it stagger backwards with the weight of the parcel it had strapped around it's leg. There was a sudden flurry of movement as the owl flapped its' wings to regain its' balance.

"Here, let me," offered Caoilfhionn. She leant forward to un-strap the heavy package from around the bird's leg to allow it to move but the owl struck out a jagged talon and scratched the back of her freckled hand before she touched it.

"Ouch!" complained Caoilfhionn, holding her arm. The bird's claw had left a raw, red mark across the back of her hand.

"Stupid feather brain! I was only trying to help you!" Caoilfhionn shooed the owl away and sat further back on the stone window seat clutching her wand in case the bird tried anything. From her position by the window, Caoilfhionn could clearly see the forbidden forest looking even more mysterious underneath the grey skies which were constantly threatening to rain. Far above her head a rumble of thunder supported the full cloud's decision to storm. The sudden noise provoked a few owls, which had been hunting in the forest, to return to the safety of Hogwart's tower. Caoilfhionn had to duck again as several birds arrived over her head. Among them a familiar tawny owl landed on the seat beside her. Archimedes looked rather pleased with himself as he dropped the dead shrew on the stone window sill and protectively covered it with his claw. His owner stroked his feathered head before he snatched back his lunch and flew up into the tower to claim a nice warm spot away from the other owls so he could enjoy his meal. Caoilfhionn watched in fascination as her friend ascended into the darkness.

"Wish I could fly," she mused as he left her.

"That's what brooms are for, idiot," came a familiar drawl from the tower's entrance. Caoilfhionn looked up to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall, his eagle owl perched proudly on his arm, the package in his hands.

"Shut up ferret," she snapped. At this, the boy let slip look of annoyance which twisted his features before resuming his usual cool composure.

"Whatever," he said. Caoilfhionn felt bad. She knew he hated the custom nickname ever since the very public incident with Mad Eye and immediately regretted using it.

"Sorry," she apologised. He shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "It's been a rough week." She patted her arm meaningfully and Draco threw her a rare sympathetic glance.

"I know the feeling," he said, raking his fingers through his hair. For the first time since he'd arrived, Caoilfhionn noticed how tired and drawn the boy looked. He was paler than usual and large, dark circles rimmed his eyes.

"So, how are you?" She asked. It was no secret between them the task Draco Malfoy had been given was immense. Caoilfhionn had been there when the Dark Lord had summoned his followers to the study in Malfoy Manor and had given Draco his duty. She had witnessed his cries of pain as the Dark Mark had been etched into his skin and she knew how not only his life, but how the lives of those he loved depended on him fulfilling the task. It had been a horrible moment when she had first heard what it was the Dark Lord had instructed him to do. A painful knot in her stomach had formed and she had felt light-headed and scared. However, though Caoilfhionn may have liked to pretend that she had experienced these feelings out of compassion for Draco Malfoy, she could not deny that they most likely had something to do with the knowledge that she was next. After Malfoy had been led from the room by his mother, Caoilfhionn had been left alone with her master. She remembered how he had turned slowly from where he stood by the fireplace to face her. Completely backlit, he had moved swiftly like a ghostly silhouette to stand by her side as he whispered his instructions in her ear.

"Kill Draco Malfoy."

Caoilfhionn looked up at the tall slytherin by the door and shuddered. There was no way she was capable of committing a murder, regardless of who it was for. But in some ways she was more fortunate than Draco. He had been ordered to kill their headmaster whereas she only had to kill Draco if he failed in his task. Though it made her feel ashamed to think such blasphemous thoughts, Caoilfhionn hoped Draco would be able to commit his atrocious crime.

While she had been pondering their fate, Draco had silently crossed the tower to sit by her side and Caoilfhionn slid over in her seat to give him more room. He carefully began to untie the strings that bound his gift aware of the girl's watchful eye. Underneath the brown parcel paper was a small box with a silver ring in it and a note. Draco took out the ring and smiled, turning it round in his fingers. It was a simple ring with only three small emeralds on its' side.

"My grandfather's," he explained, pocketing it. He turned over the small piece of paper that had been lying at the bottom of the box cushioned with silk lining. It had an address on it. Draco's smile froze as he took note of the address but Caoilfhionn hardly had any time at all to read it as it too was placed in his robe's pocket. The two sat in silence for a while, Draco stroking his pet and Caoilfhionn sat crossed legged, staring out the window. She wished the sharp pains in her arm would disappear; she was fed up of pretending they didn't hurt. Alone in the tower with Draco, she realised he was most likely experiencing the same uncomfortable feelings as her with regards to the tattoo they both bore. Letting her facade slip for a moment, she drew a sharp intake of breath and clutched her forearm.

"Son of a...!" she cursed in pain. Caoilfhionn rolled up her robe sleeve to her elbow and glared at the raw Dark Mark. The mark itself was raised and the skin around it was red from where it had rubbed against the material. Draco glanced down and frowned at the mark.

"Still hurts?" he asked in response to her pained expression. "Mine too." He too pulled back his robe to reveal the sore Dark Mark. They both stared hard at the marks. Caoilfhionn supposed Draco felt proud but she felt a mixture of emotions staring down at the ugly tattoo on her arm. She felt a sense of community, knowing she belonged to a group and felt closer to Draco as although they weren't exactly friends, they were faced with the same situation. The Dark Mark also represented her safety, for a little while at least. Her father had recently been sent to Azkaban for infiltrating top secret information from the Ministry to the Death Eaters and so she felt protected against the Dark Lord's wrath by putting herself under his direction. But unlike Malfoy, she also felt ashamed. She dared not show anyone but those who already knew the Dark Mark. She was thought of as quiet and a little bit shy by her classmates and so disliked the idea of the mark drawing her any sort of attention, especially a bad reputation. She lowered her sleeve and kept her eyes on the floor for a long moment.

"Sometimes, I just wish..." began Draco, but he let his sentence filter off unfinished.

"Me too..." sympathised Caoilfhionn, completely understanding how he felt.