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hphmsecretsanta · 1 year

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𝐀𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Trigger warnings: mentions of death and Azkaban, Merula being stupid and Talbott being a little bit evil at first. Angst and fluff

Words: 1600

Plot: After hurting Merula's feeling in the owlery Talbott decides to help her this Christmas

Writer's note: Hi @londonhalcyon I am your pinch hitter for hphmss 😄 As I don't know how to draw 😅, here is my present as an story Talbott and Merula spending the Christmas together. Hope you like it 💜

Talbott Winger enjoyed solitude. That's what he had been telling himself for years. It's always better to pretend that everything is fine, to make ourselves believe that we like the situations the world has put us in. Somehow that makes it hurt less. That's why he hadn't put too much importance on making friends in his first years at Hogwarts, if you don't have friends it doesn't hurt when they leave. Fortunately or unfortunately for our bird-boy the Hogwarts students were very insistent when it came to helping others and over time they had torn down the walls that Talbott had put up around him to protect himself. Penny with her extroversion, Rowan with her shared love of books, Ben with his fondness for charms, Tonks and Tulip with their pranks, Chiara with her sweetness, Baddea with her curiosity… Each and every one of them had become the people Talbott loved and cherished the most in this world.

But now it was Christmas and everyone was back home with their families. He could picture his classmates sitting around the dinner table with their families. Little cousins running around, aunts and uncles asking how they were doing at school, grandmothers insisting that they should eat more because they were too thin, mothers and fathers hugging their children with pride. A pang of envy stung his heart, he wished he had his family with him at that moment too. But there was absolutely nothing he could do to make it happen.

That was why he had gone up to the owlery, that was his favourite place to be when he just wanted to forget about the rest of the world. And, though he would never admit it to anyone, where he went when he couldn't hold back the tears much longer. Leaning against the small window through which the birds were coming in, Talbott looked out at the wintry landscape of the Hogwarts grounds. It had been snowing for a whole week and everything around him was covered in a white blanket of snow. An owlet came to his side, rubbing its little head against his forearm, begging for cuddles. Talbott took it tenderly in his hands and stroked it.

-At least I'm not alone, am I, little one?- he asked the small animal.

-You can bet, you aren't - a voice spoke behind him, he didn't even have to turn around to recognise it.

-Merula, what are you doing here- he asked her resignedly, after so many years he was used to her constant teasing and knew that another insult was coming his way.

-I didn't come here to talk about my traumas with birds, if that's what you're wondering- she mockingly replied, crossing her arms.

In that position Talbott could see perfectly well the reason that had brought her to the owlery. A simple letter in a white envelope. The young animagus had always been a very perceptive boy, and it didn't take him long to connect the dots. That letter was for Merula's only remaining family, his parents. He felt another pang of envy in his heart. Mr. and Mrs. Snyde had done unimaginable evils, Merlin knew how many people they had killed! And yet they were still alive, trapped forever in Azkaban, but alive. The possibility that Merula could still talk to them, still write to them, grieved him. He could never do that to his own people again. So, though Talbott was a calm, kind-hearted boy, at that moment he could not stop the anger and hate for taking hold of him.

-A letter, it's for them, isn't it? For your parents- he surprised himself by grinning mischievously.

-It's none of your business, Winger- she replied angrily, trying to hide her embarrassment at his discovery. She went to the window and tried to call the owls to carry her letter. But Talbott was quicker.

His eagle transformations had given him more reflexes than most humans and he decided to take advantage of them. In a flash he snatched the letter from Merula despite her protests. He grabbed it with one hand and held it up to keep the witch from snatching it from him. He planned to give it back to her after he had annoyed her for a while.

-Give it back to me Winger!

-It's funny, do you think the dementors will read it to them as they hand out the presents?- he laughed at his own comment, as Merula pranced around to try and retrieve it.

-At least my parents are still alive- she exclaimed angrily.

That was enought. Talbott was known by all for his patience, he didn't mind people calling him weird behind his back, he put up with the taunts of his mates every day. Occasionally he would use his sarcasm to answer back but he had never gone something worse than that. That day Talbott had had enough. Sick of Merula being able to walk all over them without getting what he deserved. Sick of having to spend Christmas alone because people like his parents had taken his parents away from him. Sick of the villains not getting what they deserved. And that day he decided to make justice by his own hand.

He tore the letter to shreds. He reduced it to pieces with his bare hands, in front of Merula's sad and helpless gaze. The witch seemed to gasp inwardly, but she did not open her mouth. She did not ask him to stop, she did not seek forgiveness for her words. She had been taught that begging and apologising were for cowards. But as soon as she saw her letters scattered on the floor and Talbott's triumphant smile, she could do nothing but weep her way out of the tower. The anger and euphoria that had brought him revenge disappeared when he saw Merula leave. He had never seen her cry before, and in that moment he realised how poorly he had acted.

-But how was I capable of doing that? - he wondered aloud to himself

The owlet he had been petting earlier climbed onto his shoulder and rubbed its head against the boy's neck, trying to cheer him up. Talbott knew that he had done something horrible and that he had to fix it. He went about retrieving the pieces of letter that were lying around the owlery, he spent an hour reading them to put the pieces back where they belonged. Finally, when the chaotic puzzle made sense, he pulled his wand out of his jacket pocket.

-Reparo- he shouted, pointing to the letter. When it was finally completely done, he picked it up and read it a couple of times.

Dear Mum and Dad, I know this letter will most likely never be delivered to you, but I needed to write it. I miss you so much, I do not care how many years have passed since you were imprisoned, I still cry because you are not with me like I cried on the first day. I am sorry, I know you did not raise me to behave this way, but I can not help it. Christmas is always the hardest time. I remember how dad and I used to play in the snow, how mum used to sing carols while watching us. Now I would do anything to take it all back and have you here with me. But there is nothing I can do, I am sorry. Your daughter, Merula Snyde

A few tears escaped Talbott's eyes as he read it. He would never have imagined Merula capable of writing something so touching, never would he have believed that the Death Eaters were capable of loving their children. He had to return that letter to Merula no matter what. He found her that afternoon in the courtyard of the clock tower. Sitting in the fountain, she was making little snowflakes come out of her wand. She heard him approaching and got up to face him.

-What are you doing here?- she asked with disdain.

-Merula, I came to apologise- he replied sincerely- I've put your letter back together, you still have time to send it to her. I'm so sorry, it was really beautiful- he offered her the piece of paper, although she refused to take it.

-I don't need your sympathy, Winger- she said and walked into the castle.

-What I did was horrible, I had no right to break it- he lowered his head in shame.

-I shouldn't have said that about your parents either. I'm sorry- she admitted.

Merula Snyde apologising? Now that was a Christmas miracle, Talbott thought to himself. Too bad no one would believe him if he told everyone about it when they came back to class.

-I know very well what my parents did- the witch continued- But that doesn't mean that they are not still my parents and that I miss them.

-I understand what you mean.

-I also know what happened to yours, no one should have to spend Christmas alone like us two- she finished with a calmness and wisdom in her words that the boy did not expect.

-Gee Merula, I never thought you'd say something like that- he said, rather surprised.

-If you tell anyone I'll destroy you, Winger- she threatened.

-There's the usual Merula- Talbott whispered , holding back his laughter.

-My mother loved to sing Christmas carols too- he smiled at her- I thought that since we're both going to spend Christmas alone, maybe it's a good idea for us to be together.

-What do you want? Sharing in Christmas traditions?- she asked jokingly.

-That was my idea- he shrugged- I've taken my father's favourite book of poems, he always read them to us at this time of year. You can teach me the carols your mother liked. The elves are preparing biscuits for the Christmas feast, we can steal some and eat them in the artifact room. What do you think?

-For the record, I'm only going because I'm intrigued to see you do something against the rules- she said as they walked together into the school.

-That's fine with me- the boy smiled.

That was the best Christmas the two of them had had in a long time. And although they continued to ignore each other during classes for the next few months, the following year Talbott found a present under the tree in the common room. On a brown card it read as follows

To Winger: This is the book with my mother's favourite carols. You have to practice a bit if you want to sing them better than you did last year this afternoon. Merula

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