Marylebone, Muggle London.

When Severa returned to the flat, it was quiet. Nicole's shoes were still by the door, letting her know that she was still here, but Ben's were gone. The stillness in the air made her feel a bit uneasy. It was never quiet when Nicole was home. The few wards that Severa had cast on the flat when she first moved in let her know that Nicole was safe.

Feeling her shoulders ease just a little, Severa moved slowly, taking off her shoes and hanging up her coat. A glance into the kitchen showed it had been cleaned up. The pot was gone, and a new liner was put into the bin. Walking down the hall, Severa came to Nicole's door, which was shut tightly but she could hear the slight rummaging from within. She raised her hand to knock before hesitating, with a sigh, she lowered her hand. Instead, she returned to her room and changed into something more comfortable: long pants and a shirt. They were simple and black, just the way she liked. She definitely preferred her simple clothing compared to what she'd been wearing.

She flicked her hand towards her window, her fingers moving in an upwards motion as the window opened, letting in a cold breeze that made her curtains flutter. The rain fell again, moving from a slight sprinkle to a hard torrent. She let her hair down and rubbed her head where it was starting to ache. She pulled her new books out of her bag and set them on her desk. She was eager to finally be able to sit down and look through them properly. But first, she glanced towards her door. First, she needed to deal with the whole Nicole issue.

Leaving her room, she returned to Nicole's door and knocked. She rubbed her fingers together as she waited for the door to open. There was some shuffling before it opened. Nicole stood in front of her, face blank, but Severa could see the flicker of regret in her eyes before it disappeared behind that wall she knew Nicole hid behind.

Nicole didn't speak so Severa made the first move.

"Hey," she started quietly feeling a bit nervous.

Nicole leaned against her door, "Hi."

Both girls were quiet before, "So you're back then?" Nicole said, looking Severa up and down.

Severa hummed, "Yeah," She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was difficult for her to work into words about how she felt, and it was even harder for her to apologise. "Look, Nicole, I-" She broke off with a frustrated sigh. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes glancing around and not settling on the girl across from her.

Nicole didn't say anything; she just stood there with her arms crossed and her eyebrow raised. Severa was half sure that in a moment the girl's foot would start tapping impatiently.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I acted. I was a right git, and there was a better way to deal with the frustration I felt. And," Severa fidgeted before straightening up and looking Nicole in the eyes "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that or barged into your room."

"Hm," Nicole's lips pursed before she sighed heavily, her arms unfolding as the tension left her. Instead of the defensive girl she usually was, there stood a meek Nicole, which felt wrong. Nicole was and always will be, a self-assured, proud, with a mouth on her that would make those high society ladies blush, for her to be anything but was unsettling.

"I'm sorry too," Nicole muttered, not meeting Severa's eyes. "I should've been more careful, and not have gotten carried away." Nicole started fiddling away with something in her hand, a bag of trail mix that Severa had failed to see before.

Nicole was a bit of a stress eater, and Severa knew for a fact that the bag had been unopened before she left. From the way Nicole was squeezing it, she could tell it was only half full, if not less.

Severa nodded, unsure what to do or say next. Thankfully, a loud crash spared her from figuring it out.

Both girls jumped—Nicole with a startled curse, Severa with a sharp, instinctive motion.

"What the fuck?!" Nicole yelped, eyes wide as she whirled toward the noise.

Severa was already moving. In one fluid motion, her wand slipped from her sleeve into her hand, her body tense as another thud echoed from down the hall. Without a word, she started toward her room, wand raised, Nicole trailing close behind.

Severa lifted a hand, signaling Nicole to stop. A silent gesture, a warning. She pressed her senses outward, searching for her wards—still intact, not a whisper of danger. Her brow furrowed. If the wards hadn't been triggered, then who the hell was making such a ruckus in her room?

Heart steadying, she took a slow breath and stepped through the doorway, wand raised, ready to strike—

Only to freeze.

Not a who, but a what.

An owl.

Having crash landed on her desk, scattering parchment, books, and ink across the floor.

The owl—a beast of a thing, all sharp talons and piercing amber eyes—righted itself with an indignant shake, ruffling its massive wings before fixing her with a stare so intense it nearly made her step back.

Its tufted ears twitched as it let out a deep, reverberating hoot, as if thoroughly unimpressed with the landing it had just botched.

With a flap of its wings it moved from her desk and perched itself on the back of her chair, its great amber eyes fixed on Severa with an intensity that made her feel as though it could see straight through her. Its massive wings were folded neatly at its sides, each feather perfectly arranged, the mottled brown and black pattern with streaks of gold giving it the look of a creature sculpted from shadow and earth. A pair of sharp, ear-like tufts crowned its head, shifting slightly as it observed her, silent but assessing.

It wasn't just large—it was imposing, an undeniable presence in the room, regal in a way that demanded respect without a single sound. When it finally blinked, slow and deliberate, Severa had the distinct impression that it had come to some quiet conclusion about her, though what that was, she couldn't say.

Then, with an elegant stretch of its wings, it let out a soft, rumbling hoot—low, thoughtful, as if sharing a secret with the air itself.

In its mouth was a letter, the owl looked at her, waiting impatiently for Severa to take it.

Putting her wand away, Severa moved forward to take the letter. Nicole peeked into the room from around the door frame.

"Is that a bloody owl!?" She asked, stepping further into the room and looking around at the mess the bird had made.

Severa hummed softly, running a finger over the elegant cursive of her name on the front of the letter.

Severa Snape

Flipping it over, she carefully broke the seal, revealing thick, expensive parchment with a faint, familiar scent—spiced, warm, and unmistakable. Her eyes widened slightly. Oh, he works quickly, she thought.

She took a few steps to the side, turning away from the owl as she unfolded the letter.

Ms. Severa Snape,

I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of writing to you sooner rather than later. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance today, and I sincerely hope you'll grant me the opportunity to do so again. It has been some time since I've enjoyed such an invigorating conversation.

Given what came to light during our discussion, I find myself most interested in the prospect of a partnership—of sorts. And, of course, in learning more about you.

I look forward to your reply, but should none come, I trust I'll see you soon at the café in the coming weeks. There are still new pastries I must introduce you to.

Sincerely,

Fleamont Potter

P.S

"You bloody bastard!"

Severa blinked, glancing up from the letter just in time to see Nicole nursing a reddened finger, scowling at the owl in question—now pecking triumphantly at a spilled bag of trail mix on the floor.

Scrawled hastily at the bottom of the letter was one final note.

Watch out for Altair's bite, he can be a bit of a menace when he wants something.

Severa snorted. "You don't say," she muttered amused.

Nicole shot her a glare, still cradling her hand. "You think this is funny?" she grumbled, side-eyeing the owl—Altair—who had fully claimed the spilled trail mix, snapping up nuts and dried fruit with practiced precision.

"A little," Severa admitted, folding the letter with a smirk.

Nicole huffed. "Of course you do." She cast another wary glance at the massive bird, who had now settled into a satisfied preen, seemingly unbothered by his own destruction. "And who the hell is writing you fancy letters?" She waggled her brows. "Got yourself a secret admirer?"

Severa rolled her eyes, and moved to set the letter on her desk "It's just business," she said smoothly, though the way her fingers briefly tightened around the parchment betrayed her thoughts.

Nicole squinted at her, clearly unconvinced, but let it go. Instead, she pointed at the owl. "So, what do we do with this thing?"

Severa glanced at Altair, who with a flap of his wings moved from the floor to the back of her chair again. The owl blinked at her expectantly, head tilting ever so slightly, as if waiting to hear what she would say,

"Well," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "first, we get him off my chair before he claims it as his throne."

Nicole snorted. "Good luck with that."

Severa took a step forward, fully prepared to shoo the owl away—but the moment she got close, Altair flared his wings ever so slightly, puffing up with an air of regal indignation. Severa stopped, raising a brow. "Really?"

The owl hooted—a short, almost mocking sound. A sound that clearly said "I'd like to see you try."

Nicole burst into laughter. "Oh, he owns you now. That's your life, sorry."

Severa exhaled slowly. "You're insufferable."

"You love me," Nicole said beaming.

"Debatable." Severa turned back to Altair, who had now decided that one of her books—a freshly purchased one, no less—made a fine perch.

Her fingers twitched. She was going to read that.

Severa crossed her arms. "Alright, Altair," she drawled, "you've made your entrance, ransacked my desk, bitten my friend, and stolen my book." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you quite done?"

Altair blinked slowly, then, with the grace of a king bestowing mercy, hopped down onto the desk. He looked back at her as if to say "Are you happy now?"

Severa felt her eyebrow tick; the blasted bird was mocking her, she could bloody feel it.

Nicole, sucking her bitten finger, peaked around Severa to look at the bird. "Is he yours?"

Severa shook her head. "No. He belongs to…. an acquaintance" She eyed Altair warily, who had started inspecting her books again, talons tapping lightly against the desk.

Nicole's brows shot up, a smirk forming on her lips. "Oooo, a male friend?" she teased, poking at Severa's shoulder.

Rolling her eyes, "No, an acquaintance. For a job." She said.

In a way it was true, Fleamont Potter was a job.

Severa waved her wand, tidying up the mess the owl had made. Scattered parchment fluttered back into a neat pile on her desk, books straightened themselves before returning to their proper places, and the spilled ink lifted from the carpet, flowing smoothly back into its pot. With a final flick, her quill settled beside it, as if nothing had ever been disturbed.

"God, I love watching you do magic," Nicole said looking around in a wonder, watching as a book flew through the air and landed on its shelf.

Severa hummed absentmindedly, "Yes, I suppose it can be rather fascinating."

She heard Nicole scoff but she was too busy staring at the owl to take note. Severa knew the owl wouldn't leave until she either dismissed him or gave him a letter to return. And she couldn't exactly write him a letter with Nicole in the room, which meant the owl was staying–for now.

The owl in question was preening his feathers, ignoring Severa completely.

You're a little prat, aren't you? She thought amusedly.