A week into the break, Heather was sitting in the owlery eagerly waiting for either Merlin or Lucifer to appear with a letter from Draco. She and Draco had been writing back and forth every day so far, but it had been three days since she had sent her last letter off with Lucifer, and she hadn't had a reply yet. Maybe Mr. Malfoy had found the letters she had been sending Draco? Even if she had, she finally decided, that probably wasn't the reason he wasn't answering. She had been extra careful when writing her letters. Either way, the weather was getting colder and colder, and Heather wasn't sure how much longer she could keep coming up to the owlery. Sooner or later she would have to risk the owls being seen by her friends.

Just as she was about to give up and go back into the castle, she saw the tiny dark form of her little Saw-Whet coming in from the dark clouds. Heather waited patiently as Merlin flew closer and closer, but it didn't take long for her to realize he didn't have a letter this time either.

Heather sighed as Merlin landed on her arm, expecting a few strokes.

"You know what? I'm going to take you inside. It's getting too cold for you out here, just promise me you'll be good," she spoke softly to the tiny shivering owl.

Heather took her black and gold scarf off and wrapped it around her owl as she left the other owl on their perches and walked back into the castle to find Owen.

Hannah had gone home to her parents for the break, and Heather had been avoiding Owen since he asked her out that day in the owlery with Draco, so she figured it was time she got over the awkward air between them.

As she walked through the castle with the owl on her arm, she almost ran into Chris, a young fifth year Ravenclaw.

Chris and Owen became friends instantly on the train when they were shuffled into the same car a few years back. Owen, Heather, and Hannah had become inseparable and Chris had been extremely nervous about his first year at Hogwarts, so Owen had taken it upon himself to become something of a role model for for Chris. Chris, being in Ravenclaw, and Owen in Hufflepuff, they didn't really get the opportunity talk much anymore, but Chris still looked up to the seventh year.

"Hey Chris," Heather smiled at the younger student.

"Oh hey Heather," he looked up at her in awe.

It wasn't that he particularly had a crush on her, it was just the way he was with all the older students, even the Slytherins, though he tried to avoid them at all costs.

"Oh yeah, we were just in the great Hall! he was showing me how to turn Squeakers into a goblet and back again! He said something about going to talk to Madam Hooch about extra Quidditch practices. if you're going to go look for him, can I come too?" he said with stroking Merlin.

"Sure! Do you want to hold him?" Heather asked, knowing the fifth year adored her owl. Chris was part of the reason she pampered Lucifer instead of Merlin. Chris did it for her.

When the two finally arrived at the Quidditch field, Owen was already on his broom practicing an assortment of different moves. Owen saw them and waved. Heather and Owen waved back and took a seat as they waited for him to finish up.

"Looking good!" Heather commented when they were all together.

"Thanks," Owen blushed slightly, "I assume you didn't come find me just to watch me practice, so what can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you still had that extra owl perch you had last year. It getting too cold for Merlin in the Owlery, and I ran into Chris as I was looking for you, so I said he could come along and hold her for me. If you still have the perch, could I borrow it? Just until the weather gets better, that is," Heather answered sheepishly.

Owen glanced to the small owl on the other boy's arm and noticed it was still wrapped in the gold and black scarf, "Sure, its in the trunk under my bed though, so Chris can only only go so far as the kitchens with us."

"I know," Chris pipped up, "Can I still hold Merlin though? If that's all right, Heather..."

"Actually, it would probably be easier if I just took her with me and left her in my room with the window open. Is that all right?"

"Sure thing, I have to practice my spells anyway. I'll see you later," he answered.

When the three students got to the kitchens, the two Hufflepuff students continued on as the Ravenclaw found a nice quiet place to sit.

"Did he finally manage to turn Squeakers into a goblet yet?" Heather asked as soon as Chris was out of ear shot.

"He's getting there..." Owen started to reply, "the goblet still has a tail though..."

Heather laughed, "I remember your first time trying the goblet with DJ," she poked him as she mentioned Owen's black and white fluff ball of a cat, "It still had black and white spots and fur!"

"Shut up," Owen grimaced as he recalled one of his very first attempts in Transfiguration, "it wasn't that bad," he said, trying to make it sound better than it had been.

"Oh yes it was!" Heather shot back, then hesitated, "You know, about what happened in the Owlery, you know I'm really super sorry, right?" She glanced over at Owen, who had dropped his eyes to the floor, "I mean, we grew up together, and I love you, but as a brother. You know that. And if the circumstances were different, if we hadn't grow up together and I wasn't-" she caught herself just before she was about to say 'seeing Draco,' but Owen didn't seem to notice, "then maybe we'd have a chance together, but thing are what they are," Heather stopped walking and put her hand on her friend's arm, and kissed his cheek, "I really am sorry."

Owen looked up at her for a second, then back at the ground, "It's fine, you don't have to explain, I get it. Let's just get that perch for you, and I promise I'll try not to make things weird between us."

"Alright," Heather laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

Heather and Owen walked into the boys' dorms and grabbed the extra perch. Heather quickly took the perch to her room, and then the two made their way back to the Great Hall.