Chapter Text
Ygritte shifted awkwardly in the uncomfortable chair in the Headmaster’s office. As per usual, it was dimly lit and the desk was overflowing the scrolls and texts and just general work that Ygritte did not envy. The only notable difference in the office from the many times she had been sent up there was her snow falcon, Crow (shut up, it’s an inside joke with her boyfriend), being present, the Headmaster transfiguring the other chair into a golden perch for the bird.
“I think you understand why we are gathered here,” Headmaster Baratheon started with a heavy sigh, nodding his head toward the Snow Falcon that was staring right back at him with fierce charcoal eyes.
Ygritte did know why, but just because she knew, didn’t mean she had to play into the Headmaster’s discussion. “I have no idea, sir.”
Stannis Baratheon gave her a dull look before sifting through some of the scrolls on his desk and finding the one he was looking for. He held it up as his evidence.
“Professor Martell-” oh, shit, Ygritte though “-has written me several reports of a particular snow falcon harassing the other owls in the Owlery.” Ygritte watched as Headmaster Baratheon picked up four scrolls tied with a piece of yarn. “Each Head of House has also written me reports of missing rats and scratched up cats. According to Professor Martell, those scratches seem to belong to talons.” Ygritte ignored the pointed look Headmaster Baratheon sent Crow’s talons.
“Sounds like a serious problem,” Ygritte mused, looking at her knees rather than her aged Headmaster’s eyes.
“It is.” There was a pause, an opportunity for Ygritte to come clean but when he was met with only silence, he continued, “I’m sure you are aware that the only approved pets allowed in Hogwarts are cats, rats, and owls. If that weren’t the case, I’d have those wolves the Starks keep running through my halls.”
“Crow didn’t do anything,” Ygritte muttered, playing with the edge of her uniform skirt. “The owls don’t like him so he can’t sleep in the owlery.”
“Be that as it may, the falcon is causing a serious issue in my already problematic school. You need to get rid of it.”
Ygritte’s head snapped up. “What? No!”
“I’m afraid there is no other option,” Headmaster Baratheon turned to his papers rather than meet her gaze. Ygritte stubbornly continued to try and hold it.
“I can’t send him back!” Ygritte was standing now, arms crossed and eyes glaring. Beside her, the snow falcon cawed in agreement.
Stannis sighed once again. “This is not up for discussion. The falcon is terrorizing the other animals and I’m going to have a lawsuit on my hands if this continues. I don’t need to be brought up by the Council of Magical Law on the account of a few missing rats.”
“Crow didn’t do it.”
“I don’t see prove to dispute it,” Stannis said tiredly.
“Where is the prove proving it?” Ygritte snarled. “This is discrimination! Under Lightfoot vs. Grover-”
“Lightfoot vs. Grover was on fair housing. This isn’t a fair housing issue. This is a school. I don't know where you find the time to quote wizarding trials but I don’t have time for this. Send the falcon home and next year bring a cat.”
“How are you so heartless?” Ygritte snapped, the falcon spreading its wide wings in a menacing stretch.
Stannis Baratheon stared down the third year with cold eyes. “Rules are meant to be followed, not bent to suit the needs of individuals.”
Ygritte narrowed her eyes. “Crow can’t fly back home.”
“And why not?” the Headmaster challenged.
“Because he’ll come right back! Hogwarts is his home and my home. You can’t kick him to the curb,” Ygritte snarled. “I can keep him in my dorm!”
“I doubt Professor Tarth or your roommates will appreciate that.”
“I can keep him in the forest,” Ygritte offered quickly.
“The Forbidden Forest is a preserve. There is a reason no one is allowed in there without Professor Martell. He keeps the Forbidden Forest safe and we cannot be adding nonindigenous species because-”
“There has to be something.” Ygritte had turned to the snow falcon in dismay. “He’s a good boy; he likes to sit on his perch and rest. The owls don’t like him so he gets cranky and lashes out, but he’s a good boy. I don’t know what happened to the rats but Crow didn’t eat ‘em.”
“I’m afraid there is nothing left to do,” Headmaster Baratheon said sternly. “Tomorrow, you may come back here and say your goodbyes but the falcon has to be gone by tomorrow night.”
With an angry glare and a murderous look, Ygritte stomped out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
As soon as the door snapped, a loud scream echoed through the Headmaster’s office followed by maniacal laughter. Stannis slammed his head onto his table. Great, she woke up Aerys.
Davos eyed the falcon as Stannis fed it some fish from the Great Lake. In the few hours Professor Martell had brought up the bird, Stannis had managed to transfigure the comfortable chair into a perch for the beast and had already gotten fish for it. If you have known Stannis for as long as Davos had, it didn’t take a genius to know what was going on.
“I imagine the girl was unhappy with the decision,” Davos spoke up. When Stannis threw him a confused look, Davos nodded to the bird that was happily nibbling at Stannis’ fingers.
“Oh,” he pulled his hand away and returned to his desk. “No, she woke up Aerys which is impressive considering the sleeping spell we put that portrait under.”
“So you are still sending it off,” Davos questioned. “Even after the knowledge of the Shadowcats incident?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Stannis frowned deeply. “The rules still stand.”
Davos didn’t even speak; he only nodded to the small plate of fish Stannis had set out for the bird. The plate for the china set Robert and Cersei had given to Stannis as a gift to congratulate him on his position.
Stannis narrowed his eyes at his longtime friend. “I know what you’re thinking-”
“Oh, really,” Davos cut off with a chuckle.
“-and, it is not like that.”
“How is it then?” Davos narrowed his eyes.
“I’m not going to have the bird starve in my office,” Stannis snapped.
“Yes, but why keep it in your office at all?” Davos shot back. “I’m sure Professor Martell wouldn’t mind keeping it in his quarters for the night. He is the Care of Magical Creatures professor. It’s his job.”
“I know how to care for a falcon,” Stannis muttered.
“And that is the problem, isn’t it,” Davos leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. “Please tell me you aren’t making this about Proudwing.”
The reaction would have been humorous if the situation wasn’t so screwy. Stannis’ head snapped up and a deep blush colored his cheeks. Whether the blush was embarrassment or shame, Davos knew he was right.
“This isn’t about Proudwing,” Stannis grunted, standing up so he could avoid Davos’ gaze.
“Of course, of course,” Davos waved off. “Because if it was about Proudwing, you’d be a lot more considerate to the girl or do you like playing the role of Robert here?”
Stannis turned around, eyes like daggers. “This is a matter of rules.”
“Back then it was a matter of rules, but if I recall correctly, you were on the opposite side of the rules.”
“I was a stupid kid,” Stannis scowled. “The decision stands.”
“Why does this have to be so black and white?” Davos asked tiredly. “Why do you have to make it personal? Robert won’t care-”
“Robert will take this as an opportunity to see things haven’t changed. Sure, he’ll ignore the fact that overall grades have risen and some of the brightest witches and wizards of our age have come out of the school since I’ve been in charge but the minute he catches a whiff that I let this beast stay, he and the witch of a wife will never let me live it down,” Stannis raged, dark shadows coming over his face as he snarled.
“Then don’t let the girl keep the bird with the owls or in the dorms,” Davos shrugged off.
“I already explained to her that she can’t keep it in the forest.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest the forest,” Davos stood up and walked around the office, toward the golden perch the falcon rested on. “Not when it has a suitable home here.”
“You want me to keep a bird in my office,” Stannis sneered.
Davos raised a single eyebrow. “I’m not the one who is using the fine china for it.”
Stannis paused before narrowing his eyes and sinking back into his seat. “This isn’t about Proudwing.”
“Sure,” Davos smiled as he watched Stannis grab a new sheet of parchment and begin writing.
“Really?” Ygritte beamed, looking between Headmaster Baratheon, Crow, and Professor Martell.
“Yes,” headmaster Baratheon drawled as he held out a scroll. “The agreement is here. The falcon-”
“Crow,” Ygritte corrected brightly.
“Crow can stay on campus as long as he stays in my office when he is not flying the grounds.”
Ygritte practically ripped the scroll from the Headmaster’s hands and she skimmed it over. “And I can visit him whenever I want?”
“As long as it is during acceptable hours and I am not busy,” Headmaster Baratheon grumbled.
“And,” Professor Martell stepped it, “since Crow is a hunter during the day, you will most likely see him on the grounds during the day and you’ll be out of Headmaster Baratheon’s way.”
“What about the missing rats?” Ygritte asked carefully, the situation almost too good to be true.
“Turns out,” Professor Martell flushed brightly, “Tommen Baratheon has extended his kinship with the cats to the Shadowcats of the Forbidden Forest. How he managed to sneak them in without any notice, I don’t know, but they are back where they belong.”
“And the talon marks on the cats?” Ygritte narrowed her eyes.
“I miss read those. They are also from the Shadowcats. Their claws are bigger than that of a regular cat and the swiping pattern is not that different from a talon scratch-”
“The point is the falcon-”
“Crow!” Ygritte grinned brilliantly.
“-didn’t do it, so he is free to stay. If you agree, you can sign the agreement and Crow will live in my office until we come up with a better arrangement.”
Ygritte didn’t even read through the whole document before signing it, thrusting it into Headmaster Baratheon’s hands and pulling him into a tight hug.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Ygritte squealed before rushing to the falcon. “Now, Crow, listen up, you have to be kind to Headmaster Baratheon, okay? You can’t mess with him like you do Snow. He’s your new roommate so be nice.”
The falcon preened as Ygritte scratched its head.
Professor Martell quickly escorted Ygritte out of Stannis office. Once the door was sealed shut, Stannis crossed the distance to where Crow was perched. Carefully, he stroked the falcon’s throat and listened to it hum agreeably.
Proudwing had liked that too.