A Study in Emerald: Silver Linings
(100 PROMPTS)
Summary: "People don't get pauses like these very often. Some people never receive them at all...I did." Kagome looked at Draco, her cheeks flushed as she smiled up at him, the cold air was nipping painfully at her nose, but she didn't care. If there had been a clock nearby, it would have stopped. Occasionally, there were minutes that got extra seconds. Moments so precious the universe stretches to make additional room for them...these moments were hers.
Anime/Book/Movie: InuYasha/Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco/Kagome
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Rated: M for Mature Content
R.I.P – Alan Rickman
(Severus Snape)
Remember
The Half-Blood Prince
~ALWAYS~
-x-x-x-
(6. Owl)
Looking out from her window, Kagome took in the snow as she watched Christmas fall all around the shrine. "Mum?" She stepped out of her room and made her way down the hall. A fog of hazy violet smoke leaked from beneath the closed door of her mother's Zen room. She stopped in front of the room and leaned on the wall before it.
"Come in, Kagome."
Of course, her mother would know that she was there. Pushing off the wall, she entered the room and stepped through the billows of smoke. "Mum, you've been at this for hours; what are you trying to see?"
"...it's not what I'm trying to see, Kagome, it's what I'm trying to make sense of. I dreamt last night of a hurricane, shrouded in darkness. Violent winds, chaotic and destructive, tearing through the shrine. I watched as the shrine was shattered, catching my reflection against a pane of glass, alongside which ivy is growing. I'm covered in a black cloak in my reflection, the hood of it drawn up around my hair. There in my left hand, I held a fig; in my right hand, a skull. As the dream came to a close, I could hear the screech of an owl pierce through the vail of pandemonium taking place around me."
"What does it mean?"
Rai frowned, glancing down at her hands; she smiled, "nothing good, I'm sure. However, it's Christmas, and I can worry about unraveling this mystery another day."
Moving to the candles in her room, she put the black flames out and placed a lid overtop the simmering cauldron that was letting off the violet smokey fog. Rai stepped up beside her daughter before guiding her from the room and down the steps where a gorgeous fir was lit up with twinkling lights and magically moving ornaments. Beneath the fir were intricately decorated gifts, some from family, some from ministry friends.
"Kagome, love, could you get the window?"
Turning to look at the window, Kagome frowned before running over and unlocking it. As she pushed the window open, a stunning Eagle Owl swept inside, giving her only just enough time to move out of the way. Her mother walked up to the feathery creature and smiled endearingly at the bird. "A friend of yours?"
'Well, it does look familiar.' Kagome looked curiously at the Owl before her eyes were drawn to the package gripped tightly by its talons. It was a long package, not too wide, about the length of a wand box if she were to guess. Carefully taking the package from the owl, she smiled at the embossed M on the top. "Draco...mn," she looked to a table where a small package lay discarded.
"Is this the boy whom you'd prepared to send that gift to? Since his familiar is here, you ought to go ahead and send it."
"AH! Yeah, I should... but," looking the owl over, it cooed softly. Kagome grinned and brought her hand up to pet owl tenderly on the head. Watching its eyes close in gratification, she pulled her hand away and focused her attention back on the gift in her hand.
"Will you open it, or are you planning to stare at it all day?" Settling on the settee, Rai waved a hand over a kettle and cup, the steam rising as the hot water poured magically into the porcelain.
"I'll open it! I was just... " shaking her head, she pulled on the strings and unraveled the paper. Pulling open the box, her eyes widened at the quill and inkwell. It was an ornate silver inkwell, one of which design looked to date back to the Victorian era. While she was certain that it couldn't possibly be that old, she was sure it was a costly gift. The feather quill, on the other hand. Unbinding it from the velvet mesh, she lifted the quill and held it close to the owl who'd brought her gift to her. "Is this yours?" She smiled when it brushed its head gently into the back of her hand.
"A curious gift. He's a friend?" Eyeing the intricate M on the box, Rai raised a brow. "This Draco, would happen to be the Malfoy heir?"
"Y-yeah. Draco Malfoy, he's in my year."
"Draco Malfoy...well, let us hope that between his parents, he takes after his mother."
Her mind wandered to Draco's expression after reading his mothers' letter, the look on his face, how happy it had made him. "I think he really looks up to his mother. He certainly cares a lot about her!"
"Of course, Narcissa is a wonderful witch, among the brightest and most beautiful that I've come to know. She is also very protective. Keep that in mind, Kagome. She will not be so easily impressed by any girl after her sons' heart."
'Mom talks like she knows her. I guess she could have met her...' thinking about what her mom said, Kagome frowned, "Draco and I are just friends," she nodded, "that's okay, right?"
"Of course, now... how about you get our feathered guest a treat and then..." pointedly looking at the gift that lay alone on the tableside. Rai didn't need to say anything more as her daughter placed the quill down and took off into the kitchen. Picking up the quill, she took in the small detailing along the hollowed tip, the engraved snake that very nearly escaped her eye. "How very Slytherin of you, Draco. I should like to meet you if this friendship evolves into something more." She placed the feather down carefully in the box it'd come in and jolted at a piercing screech. Eyes flashing to the memory of her dream when she heard her daughter call from the hall. Relaxing only just...
"I'm coming. I'm coming!" Kagome ran back into the living room and placed a small tray of treats down for the owl. Watching it eat as she took the box from the small tableside. "You think it's a good gift?"
"Kagome, love... what is it that you like about this gift?" Motioning her hand over the quill and inkwell.
"...I like that..." she blushed, "well, that it came from Draco, I guess. I didn't think he'd send one, so..."
"Does the cost of the gift mean anything to you?"
"Well, no..." she tightened the string around the package, making sure it was secured, "but Draco isn't me."
"That he isn't. However, I have a feeling he will most certainly adore your gift."
Not as sure as her mother was, Kagome let the Owl in front of her fly to the package and tightened its talons securely around the strings. "You'll make sure it gets to him, yes?"
It cooed as if to calm her worries. Spreading its wings wide, it began flapping them before taking off back home. A hand settled atop Kagome's head, turning, she met her mother's knowing eyes. What did she know? Honestly, Kagome couldn't begin to imagine what her mother saw, but that she wasn't worried, Kagome felt herself relaxing. Picking the owl feather quill back up, she let a small warmth settle on her cheeks. Snitches were fluttering chaotically in her stomach.
-x-x-x-
Me: What is this? An update? No, that can't be right. Hm... you must be mistaken. If you review, I may be left with no choice but to believe you. In fact, if you review...I may have to respond with ANOTHER CHAPTER! Oh...but that's if I REALLY updated, you know?