Sharp white teeth crunched through a fragile spine and feeling the hot rush of blood Draco resisted the urge to gorge on the fine meat between his jaws. The last pulse of the wood mouse's heart thumped against his tongue, they were big creatures these Forbidden Forest mice and the weight made his head trail almost to the ground. Huffing through a little black nose he tossed his head and on tip toes dragged the still warm body back towards the school.

He'd learned the secret ways within his first few months here, having trained for his animagus long before he reached Hogwarts it was easy to wander when he was stressed at night or just bored in the white ferret form. Once for a week after he'd almost been caught by Filch he'd rolled in charcoal before venturing out, until Pansy had asked why he was so dirty in the morning.

Eyeing the crack in the wall that he had squeezed out of in the first place he huffed in disappointment and ditched the mouse in the snow, pivoting he grabbed it and dragged it through the wall backwards chittering under his breath in outrage at over fed mice. It was a tight squeeze, he wasn't exactly the scrawniest ferret and he certainly had picked the fattest mouse in the forest.

She deserved the effort though, and he didn't mind going to it for her.

Once within the building he was assaulted by the soft wheat smell, and crackle of soft clean straw under his paws. Hungry eyes watched him from the walls but they knew better than to chase him, he would not make a good meal, and besides; he was protected here.

She was beautiful, soft white feathers gleaming in the moonlight streaming in through the window, black speckles dashed across her wings and bright amber eyes watching him half lidded in sleepy awareness. He imagined her eyes brightened when she saw him. Plucking up the last of his energy he carried the fat mouse across the floor and placed it at her talons.

With a satisfied little chatter he sat back and licked the last of the blood from his whiskers, and watched as she swallowed it down. He remembered the days when she'd screeched at him and batted him half way across the tower with her wings, refused the bits of bacon he'd stolen from the kitchen for her, the mice and sausages. Now she was less reserved, he had learned to be careful with her and she had come to know him as a friend.

As soon as she was finished he slunk forward and curled up at her feet, swiftly the calming preening of her beak in his fur lulled him to sleep.

He still wondered why he bothered, he'd bring her more mice later in the week he knew, but it was there secret. At least affection was safe in her eyes, she would never tell her master of his enemies love. He wondered how long that would be enough.