- Day 73 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Owl

- The Emotion Challenge: Angry

- Defense Against the Dark Arts Class - Episkey: Write about a minor issue in a relationship. A difference of opinions, or a minor fight, for example. It can not be a major problem like problem must be fixed by the end of the story. / Prompt used: (word) fist

Pairings/Characters: Callidora/Harfang

Word Count: 653


Ruffled Feathers

I tried so hard to act nice like a lady, you taught me that it was good to be crazy.

"Longbottom!" shrieked Callidora as she rocketed through the house at breakneck speed. Harfang rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, looking away from his work. His girlfriend only addressed him by his surname when she was exceptionally angry with him. "Where are you?!"

"In the dining room, darling," Harfang replied, sarcastically drawling out the endearment. He pushed the parchment away, wondering how long this was going to take. His younger sister had sent him her Herbology homework from Hogwarts by post, asking for his opinion on her essay. Herbology had always been high on his list of interests.

Callidora burst through the doors of the dining room, glaring at him angrily. She was clenching her fist, and Harfang could see a scrunched up envelope in her palm. "You used Willow again, didn't you?"

Harfang groaned. Willow was Callidora's snow white owl, a gift from her mother, and Harfang was under absolutely no obligation to use her. No-one was allowed to touch Willow, and Harfang abided by those rules. It simply wasn't worth Callidora's wrath. "No, Calli," he replied. "I wouldn't use your owl, and I never have done."

"Well, where is she?" Callidora shrieked. "I need to post this to Mother!" she threw the balled up letter at Harfang, and it bounced off the side of his head before landing on the floor. Her flashing eyes landed on the Herbology essay in front of him. "How was that delivered?" she demanded to know.

"A Hogwarts owl. About ten inches tall, a little on the hefty side, with grey and black feathers. Nothing like wondrous Willow."

"Don't get smart with me, Longbottom!" Callidora hissed.

"I didn't use your stupid owl, okay?" he snapped. This wasn't the first time that they had engaged in this exact same argument, and frankly, Harfang was fed up of it. He did everything right within his relationship, he listened to all of Callidora's extensive, well laid-out rules. 'Don't use Willow' was at the top of that list, and Harfang always respected that wish, just like he respected all of his girlfriend's wishes.

More often than not, he found himself wishing he hadn't gotten himself involved with a member of the Black family. The women of that family were renowned for their tempers, and Harfang was more than paying for his choice in women.

"Well where is she?"

A sudden, familiar screeching sounded from just outside the window. Harfang stood up from his seat and unlatched the window, staring out into the darkness. A little way away, coming in from the distance, he could see a bright, opal-coloured speck flying towards him.

Willow hopped through the open window a few moments later, landing daintily on the table and messing up Harfang's papers. She dropped a dead mouse on the table, ruffled her feathers and clucked her beak impatiently at Callidora, clearly expecting a treat for her hard work.

Callidora's face softened, and she stroked Willow's feathers with her forefinger gently.

"I suppose you forgot to shut the door to the barn again, perhaps?" Harfang asked, nodding to the mouse. Willow never hunted for food when she was delivering a letter, so she had clearly gone out on her own accord.

Callidora pursed her lips, and shoved Harfang playfully. "No," she muttered, avoiding eye contact. "She must have slipped out when you went down to get that essay."

Harfang rolled his eyes and laughed, before pulling Callidora onto his lap and pressing a kiss to her temple. Even though Harfang could distinctly remember latching the barn door on his way out, he knew that Callidora would never admit that she was wrong.

And her stubbornness was just one of the things he loved most about her, even if it did grind on his nerves from time to time.