i.

Pillows were nice, they decided. They didn't provide heat like a warm rock, and they couldn't very well eat it, but it was soft, and they hadn't felt anything soft since they had left her egg. Their coils slithered and slid over over the fabric, sinking in until they were all relaxed. They let out a happy hiss before turning and wiggling their tongue out at the large human above them.

"This is nice. Will there be more pillows when I grow?"

A weird hiccuping hiss came from above, a hand reaching out to stroke their scales once.

"I'll make sure you have an endless supply of pillows, Little One. Here at Hogwarts, we always provide what is needed."

They laid their head down on one of their coils, content to lie there in the warmth and watch their silly human wave around a silly stick. Bright flashes of color followed his motions and they slowly fell asleep to thoughts of warm rocks, full bellies, and gentle stroking fingers.

ii.

Time passed quickly for them, days and nights flashing by in cuddles by a fire as hands oiled their delicate scales. And then one day while they were napping, a voice called out.

"Hello, my Little One, have you destroyed any plots for evil today?" It was the Warm One! They peeked out of the cave letting out happy hiss at the large cow laid at the feet of their Warm One.

"The Loud One tried to enter your cave so I hissed at them," they declare proudly, puffing up their scales and raising their head so that they glint elegantly in the firelight. The Warm One chuckled, a familiar hiccuping hiss that they had grown to crave.

"I'm sure you gave him a rightful scare. Now, why don't you come over and eat your dinner? We can talk more afterwards."

They hissed in excitement, rushing over to the dead cow and wrapping it in their large coils. Once they had a good grip, their coils tight, tight, tightened until a loud 'pop!' sounded. They relaxed their coils, pulling them back to reveal the cow split in half. Their jaw dropped open, cracking as it unhinged, and with one large swallow the head half of the cow was gone. They let out a happy hum, coiling into a large pile next to the Warm One. A nudge of their head pushed the hind end of the cow towards their friend.

"You should eat. You're getting smaller and whiter by the day." They let their tail move closer to the Warm One, wrapping it delicately about his shoulders. "Get out your stick and make yourself a nice warm fire, and I'll grab some of my pillows. We can nap just like we used to."

The Warm One smiles — showing off his multiple flat fangs — and does as they request, pulling his stick out of his flesh-scales. It took little effort to drag over some of their favorite pillows and push them to surround their Warm One. Then they surrounded the many pillows with their coils, resting their head in the Warm One's lap. He chuckled their favorite hiccuping hiss again, bring his hands up to stroke the top of their head.

"I'm afraid to ruin our moment, Little One, but I have a favor to ask of you."

And he sounded so lost, so broken, that they let out a whimpering hiss, tilting their head to flick their tongue gently against his face.

"Ask of it, and I will give it to you."

For he had done many things for them. The Warm One had loved them, cared for and cherished them, taught them how to hunt, how to speak, how to laugh and smile and live and love.

"I am dying."

They recoiled, shaking their head.

"No! You are still young! We have only lived a hundred and fifty years together! We should live for a thousand more!"

The Warm One brought out his silly stick again, waving it once before stepping through the air until he was even with them. His gentle hands — hands that had fed them and loved them, hands that had helped them shed their first skin — reached up to cup their nose, stroking fondly.

"Oh, Little One. I wish that I could live the rest of your life with you. But you are still young, and I am but a man — one of those beasts who are cursed with a short but brilliant life. All that I ask of you, my child, is that you stay and protect Hogwarts for me. Please, Little One."

They let out a keen, wailing for their Warm One — for they could not cry like he could, the only way to release their grief was to scream and they couldn't do that without hurting their Warm One.

"Don't leave me alone again! Father! Warm One! Friend! Family!"

They fell from the air, coiling in on themselves as they began to shake with their grief. Thudding sounded loud all around them, echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Warm One!" They turned their gaze on their friend, begging for it to not be true.

"Don't go," they whispered.

The Warm One smiled, tears like crystals falling down his cheeks.

"I must."

iii.

They didn't know how many centuries had passed in the darkness. With the Warm One left the fires, the pillows, light and laughter, joy and life. The only things that had remained with them in the cave had been the drip, drip, drip of the water and the squeaking of the mice who delivered news of their territory to them.

It's a boy. He comes.

He comes.

And then there was light. It was a bright piercing white light that hurt their eyes and had them shrieking with pain.

"Who dares to enter my cave?! Who dares to disturb my sleep?!" They roar out the words, letting them echo with their pain.

"Do you not remember me, Little One? I even brought you a snack."

And then their eyes have finished adjusting and before them stands a boy who looks just like their Warm One, a silly stick glowing in his hand as a weird looking cow lay at his feet. (And what a silly cow it was, wearing the flesh-scales of a human! Didn't it know that it had four of those arms while a human only had two?)

And hope surged through them as skeletal hands lovingly stroked their scales, reminding them of a time long ago.

And blood filled their stomach. (They were used to their meal being bony, but they weren't used to the screaming and pleas for help.)

And a voice whispered — quietly, lovingly, hauntingly — in their ear.

"Kill them all, my Little One."

And they whispered again the words that had broken their heart all those years ago.

"Ask of it, and I will give it to you."

Note 1: Some Snakes can only see infrared because they spend most of their time in the dark, while other snakes can actually see crystal clear because they spend so much time out in the sun! It really cool!

Note 2: In the magical world of Author-land I have decreed that Basilisk's have no gender for themselves. They simply are. However! They are aware that other species have genders! Hence why this is in they/them/their pronouns and yet refers to the Warm One as He.

Write from a pet's perspective about mistreatment or abandonment (of pets or people). Extra Prompts: (word) pillow, (object) stick, (restriction) no names

Falmouth Falcons, Chaser One

Word Count: 1134 without A/N