Owl Heaven

Owl Heaven

Hermione Granger lay asleep in bed, enraptured by the mysterious land of dreams, currently dreaming of her secret love - her best friend, Harry Potter. It had been fifteen years now since she had first met Harry and later become his friend, with the latter twelve of those years having been spent walking the fine line between love and friendship, without Harry being any the wiser.

But soon, she was woken up by a loud pop - the sound of someone Apparating into her small apartment on the outskirts of north London. Hermione worked for the Ministry of Magic in London and had been living in the apartment for the last nine years - ever since she had got her job as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. It was a job that still appealed to her and as for the extra hours of hard labour that she had to put in frequently, Hermione was never one to shirk work or procrastinate - that was the forte of Ron and Harry.

Hermione was a light sleeper and so, woke up immediately on hearing the 'pop' outside her bedroom. She knew, from all the anti-Apparition wards she had placed around the apartment that it was either Harry or Ron. Only they were allowed to Apparate inside without permission.

Hermione muttered 'Lumos!' and looked at the clock on her bedstead, even as a knock and a call came from the other side of the door.

"Hermione? Are you there?" came the voice of Harry Potter - the Boy-Who-Lived, and the man who conquered Lord Voldemort, and the star seeker for Manchester United, namesake of the famous Muggle soccer club, and winners of the English Quidditch League for the ninth season in a row now.

"Yes, Harry." Hermione replied. "Just a minute."

Hermione got up and went to the door, opening it by its handle.

"Harry, what is it?" she asked sleepily. "It's two a.m. Even owls fall asleep at these times."

As she said this, Hermione noticed that Harry's face fell further. His hair was messier than usual and his eyes had black pouches underneath them that clearly elucidated his lack of sleep. His emerald-green eyes were now dulled with pain, the magnitude of which Hermione realised she could not fathom; not until she came to know of the reasons.

"Harry, what' happened?" Hermione asked him gently, taking his hand into hers.

"It's just...just about Hedwig," he replied. Hermione was more than confused at this. Harry's snow-white owl, Hedwig had died out of old age last week and this had come as a rude shock to Harry, in part since he was so overly sensitive to pain, loss and grief and more so, because, he had had Hedwig for so long.

"About Hedwig?" Hermione repeated faintly.

Harry nodded. Hermione decided they needed to talk. So she sat Harry down on the edge of her bed and said, "So, tell me about it."

Harry began, "I know Hedwig's gone but I miss her so much. You know, she was practically the first being I can remember of who did not flinch at my sight or screech at me in derision. She marked for me the day when I discovered the real myself, when I came to know the world to which I actually belonged. She was my first real birthday gift. She was my first friend who always remained by my side. She was my first pet. I can't believe that she is gone."

"It's okay, Harry." Hermione comforted him. "Every creature has to die some day or the other; it's the law of nature."

"I know," Harry replied. "But I still cannot believe it."

"I will tell you a story, Harry." Hermione said. "Once when I was five, Daddy brought home for me, a very adorable puppy. He was my first friend. I loved and cared for him like any other five-year old could. But one day, it got ran over by a bus and died. I was so sad and distraught. It was then that Daddy told me that there is this puppy heaven where all pups go to after they die and it is filled with bones and dog biscuits and anything else that a puppy might ever ask for in its life. Maybe, there is an owl heaven as well, where all owls go to, after they die and it is filled with owl treats and wonderful perches to laze on. I wouldn't bet against Hedwig being there at the moment, happily enjoying her surroundings and looking down upon you and wondering why you are so sad."

Harry smiled a watery sort of a smile at Hermione. She could see that her words had created on Harry, the comforting effect that she had hoped for.

"Thanks, Mione." Harry said, "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

Hermione smiled at Harry. She said, "Come Harry. You need to get some sleep. Do you want to stay here tonight?"

Harry nodded. He crawled under the covers of the bed and Hermione cuddled up close to him. It was like this whenever either of them, sought comfort.

But whatever he tried, Harry couldn't sleep that night. He felt the urgent need to address another important issue. Finally, he made up his mind and woke Hermione again.

"Harry, what is it now?" Hermione asked, yawning widely.

"Hermione, there is something else that I want to tell you about." Harry said haltingly.

"What, Harry?" Hermione said. "Couldn't it wait till the morning?"

"Um, no," Harry answered. "It's about the last letter that Hedwig ever delivered to me."

With that, he removed from his trouser pockets, a letter which looked like it had been handled quite a lot and read millions of times.

Hermione took it with trembling hands and read even though she already knew what was penned inside-

Dear Harry,

I don't know why I keep writing these letters to you when I know I never send them, and they lie with all the other similar letters that I have written to you over the days. Maybe it is because writing these letters helps me to clear my mind whenever the passion with which I feel for you becomes too overwhelming. Maybe it is because of something else.

But the truth, Harry, is that I love you. I always have ever since that fateful night when we met Sirius for the first time, ever since I realised how much love and compassion you have in your heart, from the manner in which you let Pettigrew go even though he was the person responsible for your parents' death. It was then that I realised I love you, Harry and since then, that love has only grown stronger.

The only thing is that I am sure you don't feel the same way about me and never will. In all probability, it will remain a dream for me.

Your secret lover,

Hermione.

Hermione looked down at the letter and then up to Harry. She gazed at him in a fearful way with wide eyes. Harry though, was impassive.

"Harry-" she began but he cut her off.

"Why didn't you tell me before, Mione?" His voice did not sound angry.

"I don't know, Harry." Hermione began explaining. "Maybe it was because I was afraid of your rejection and also of what this could mean for our friendship. Anyway, I'll understand if you say I cannot be your friend anymore after this-"

She went on blabbering even as Harry said to her quietly, "Mione, I love you too."

"-And it's okay if you wouldn't want to see me again. What!" Hermione's eyes flew open at Harry's pronouncement.

"I love you too, Mione." Harry said, inching closer to her, looking her in the eye, beholding her gaze. "I realised it the very same night when we flew together on Buckbeak. You were so afraid, and I only wanted to hold you and make you feel safe and secure. And that love has intensified with the passage of years."

With that, Harry's lips captured Hermione's and they kissed for the first time. It was a chaste kiss, but even then, they felt a sudden surge of electricity course through them in the time for which their lips were joined.

Finally, after they broke off the kiss, Hermione said, "We need to go to sleep now, Harry. Both of us have to appear at our respective workplaces tomorrow. We can talk more about this when we wake up, alright."

Harry nodded and they cuddled up close to each other, bound by the revelations the night had brought upon them.

"So," Harry asked after they close together for some time, enjoying the warmth that the other's presence radiated to their own forms. "How did Hedwig get hold of that letter if you didn't intend to send it?"

"I don't know." Hermione replied. "Now that I try to remember, I had finished the letter and was about to put it away when I heard Hedwig come in through the window. I petted her for a while and then went out of the room to get some owl treats for her. When I came back, I found that she was already gone and I couldn't find the letter afterwards. Later, I became too busy to pay any heed to what had really happened."

"I think she somehow sensed our feelings and wanted to bring us together." Hermione said. "I think Hedwig wanted to make sure that you weren't alone after she was gone."

Hermione nodded and kissed Harry on the lips. He kissed her back and it turned into quite a lengthy one at that. When they broke off, Hermione saw a strange sparkle in Harry's eyes, something that she hadn't recognised before - unconditional love and lust, all for her.

Harry said, "Mione, do you think Hedwig is watching us from up there in Owl Heaven?"

"Sure, Harry." Hermione replied. "I am sure she is."

"I love you, Mione." Harry said.

"I love you too, Harry." Hermione replied.

And with that, they slept away their first night as a couple, and it was the first of many more nights to come.

The End