Chapter Text
The crisp air of fall was just beginning to turn frigid when Dumbledore called all fourth through seventh years to a meeting in the Great Hall. Everyone was murmuring ideas as to the reason for this, and Talbott had a passing thought that perhaps it was related to the vaults, as it seemed Madison had roped in so many others in their year into the quest for finding them.
She had written to him over the summer, and it was more than he had hoped for. He didn’t really know what to expect when he received her first letter, but it turned out their conversation through writing was just as easy as it was face to face. It had been years since he had told anyone stories from his early childhood.
Now that school was back in session though, they seemed to talk less. They still met up here and there to eat over meals, but Madison had her heart set on beating Rakepick to the next vault.
Settling into their seats, silence fell over the congregation as Dumbledore took his place behind his podium to make his announcement. The air was thick with anticipation.
Dumbledore beamed as he informed the students that the Celestial Ball was upon them, and that a planning committee would be formed at once. The ball was to take place in three weeks, on December 1st.
Talbott’s stomach dropped. December 1st — the anniversary of his parents death. It was always one of the hardest days of the year.
When Dumbledore concluded his announcement, a wall of voices erupted into excited chatter about the upcoming event. Nearby, Talbott overheard Andre, Badeea and Tulip happily jabbering about ideas for potential ball outfits. Behind him, he could hear Barnaby yelling “Who’s ready to party?!” Then, straight ahead, at the Gryffindor table, he saw Charlie, Ben, and Rowan sitting around Madison and laughing. At that moment, Madison met Talbott’s gaze and gave him a small smile before rejoining the conversation with her housemates.
Talbott quietly slipped out unnoticed, or so he thought. Madison looked back just in time to see him walk out the large oak doors.
He headed straight to the owlery. As he climbed up the steps, he noticed the sound of footsteps following close behind. Before they could catch up to him, he morphed into his animagus form and soared quickly to the top, landing lightly on the wall to look down upon the grounds.
“That might work on most people, but eagles don’t exactly blend in with owls, Talbott,” Madison said breathlessly as she reached the top. She laughed when the eagle practically rolled his eyes in response.
A moment later, Talbott leaned back against the wall, back in his human form, a little embarrassed about his attempted escape.
“Sorry — I didn’t realize it was you. You don’t come here often.”
“Yeah, hopefully more one day. I’m saving up for an owl,” Madison smiled and shrugged. “It’s been a little while since we last talked. You’ve been hard to find this year.”
“Probably about as hard as you have,” Talbott replied, raising his eyebrows. “You’re always on the move, Madison.”
“So you’re keeping track,” she smirked, implication seeping into her voice. “That’s fair, though. I just miss our talks, and I was surprised by how quickly you bolted after the announcement. People already can’t stop talking about what they’ll wear… or who they’ll ask.”
Talbott considered her words carefully. Something inside of him brightened a smidge upon hearing that she had been thinking about their conversations too.
“Well, you know how I feel about crowds. And I don’t think I’ll be able to attend, so I didn’t see the point in sticking around,” he said, eyes shifting to the ground.
“I see… that’s too bad. Maybe I’ll be able to change your mind. I was hoping to attend the ball with a friend as my date,” Madison replied, the confidence in her voice wavering a bit. “Anyway, I have to go see what plans Penny’s already putting together for this thing. But I’d like to catch up with you soon… Gobstones Saturday? Everyone will be at the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw match, so it’ll be safe for you to come out.”
“Yeah, I suppose we can do that,” he replied with a slight smile.
Madison grinned and turned to go back down the steps. Before she reached the first step, Talbott called out without thinking.
“Wait, Madison…” he paused for a beat. “I missed our talks, too.”
And with that, Madison began her descent, and the pair’s hearts both felt a little lighter.