#a.b.

Leap Year

After waiting for Felix to open a window sash, the bird proudly marched into the room and dropped the letter on Swede’s lap.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ✽ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

i do not know when this feathery lump of pure malice will deign to deliver this letter, so i hope it has found you in good health, aliquid dulce.

oh, i have not forgotten that you wanted to meet me to return a bad christmas present i gave you, but unfortunately the potions textbook will not read itself in advance on its own.

anyways, according to my schedule, i will have a couple of free hours on february 14th. and of course i am definitely not suggesting this particular date because many students are whispering about you and i was curious about what all the fuss was about.

meet me at three broomsticks at six? ;)

patiently waiting for your decision,

A.B.

p.s. do not give Tato any treats if she has been naughty!

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ✽ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

The screech tore through Felix' dreams like a well-aimed curse. He was already teetering close to the edge, but the sound sent such a violent jolt through him that the tall Swede plummeted off the mattress onto the wooden floor with an unceremonious thud.

He groaned, face pressed against the cool planks, limbs tangled in his blanket. "Vad i hela…?" he muttered, his voice thick with sleep, as he struggled in a half-conscious slur to untangle himself.

Lucky for him, the seventh years no longer had bunk beds like the younger students did. Felix still missed the top bunk sometimes - no matter how many times he'd rolled right off it in the morning, much to Alsius' chagrin. More than once, his best friend had been forced to patch him up before breakfast, sighing long-sufferingly about the limits of a wizard's durability.

Another ear-piercing scrape echoed through the dormitory, and Felix winced, finally pinpointing the source of his torment. His bleary gaze landed on the window, where a familiar, feathered menace was currently dragging her claws down the glass with sadistic precision.

Felix stared.

The owl stared back.

"…Why," he whispered, voice still hoarse from sleep, "why would you do that?"

With a groggy sigh, Felix pushed himself up, rubbing at his face before stumbling over to the window, fumbling with the latch. The moment the sash lifted, Tato marched inside like she owned the place, dropping a letter straight into his lap. Felix swore the owl huffed at him, as if personally offended by how long he had taken.

A good thing Mademoiselle wasn't around, he thought. His own owl would have thrown an absolute fit at the intrusion.

Felix sighed, rubbing the lingering sting from his ears as he sat back on the bed, his free hand already working at the seal. That sound was going to haunt him for days. He read the letter quickly, lips quirking slightly at the last line.

So, A.B. was finally free, then.

His gaze flicked back toward Tato, who was still standing there, waiting. Expectant. He exhaled through his nose and rubbed a hand through his dishevelled hair before murmuring, "You heard that? Your Mama said no treats for you."

Tato blinked.

Felix raised a brow.

Tato hooted.

Felix sighed and reached for his quill.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Dear A.B.,

Your owl has found me in excellent health, though my ears may never recover. A commendable tactic - truly - if you ever wish to bring a man to his knees at dawn.

As for your generous invitation, how could I say no? I was beginning to think you’d keep dodging me until next Christmas. Six o'clock at The Three Broomsticks, then! :)

Looking forward to it,

Felix

P.S. No treats for Tato? A shame. She's looking at me like she might eat my quill instead.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

-a.b.

PERSONAL/SAPPY POST WARNING

It has been 4 years, but who counts anymore when you've known and loved someone for as long as we have. Messy children living messy lives and skipping school together to watch lesser-known indie films in our basements. Knees touching, thoughts buzzing, we loved to hate ourselves for being so cliche as to fall in love with our best friends while we were screaming lyrics to songs we shared instead of the truth of our feelings. Time moved the slowest when we were apart.

A dynamic duo sharing secret smiles and touches behind closed doors. Anonymous notes, art, and mixtapes hidden in mailboxes and in school desks that we never spoke of out loud. A testament to the fact that we both knew the anonymity was just a game that we played. How intense a child's fear could be of speaking something into existence.

Lost and learning the countless lessons in life that we taught each other through tears, and eventually miles. How strange it is to find what most search for, only to be too afraid to allow that knowledge to guide you to and through immeasurable happiness. To find it and let it go, losing your breath along with it.

Red string stretched across a country that was wrapped around our fingers for years before following it back to where our hearts were resting neatly together.

In 10 years of loving you, my only regret is that we couldn't find the right words during the first 6.

Thank you for every second of every day of it. I would say that I'll remind you of that again next year, but every day of every year sounds more accurate to me.

Forever your lab partner, and always your Emily.

Happy Anniversary, Baby.

A small box with the inscription "for the sweetest persimmon" is wrapped in plain dark blue paper and tied with a purple ribbon with a dried thistle flower attached under the bow.

Two identical vials and a neatly folded note can be found inside.

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hello again, smulpaj.

thanks for the pastries, the elves and i enjoyed it, but i am not writing to you to praise your baking skills. (not today at least)

by the golden color of the contents of the vials, you could already guess what kind of potion it is. if not, it is the so-called liquid luck, Felix Felicis.

one is in return for the pastries and the basket (and because i hate being in debt), the other is a gift because i feel extra generous this holiday season.

you can give your note for me to my owl or just open the window and let her out if you have nothing to say. her name is Tato and she bites.

that is all.

A.B.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ✽ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

A sudden thud to his head jolted Felix from his thoughts. "Vad i all världen…" he muttered, rubbing the spot where a small box had unceremoniously dropped, and glanced up to see a grumpy-looking owl perched on his desk, staring at him with an unimpressed expression. "Well, aren't you charming," he mumbled, still rubbing his head. "You remind me of Mademoiselle with that attitude."

His attention shifted to the small package now resting in his lap. Curious, he picked it up, turning it over in his hands. "For the sweetest persimmon?" he read aloud. Curiosity piqued, Felix carefully opened the package, but when he looked inside, his jaw fell slightly, and for a moment, he just stared. "Is that… Felix Felicis?" he murmured in disbelief. His gaze darted between the owl and the vials. "Are you sure this is for me?" he asked, pointing to himself, but the owl merely gave him an irritated squint.

Reaching into the box, Felix found the neatly folded note nestled beneath the vials and read it quickly. So, it was for him. Even after reading A.B.'s explanation, he couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Felix wasn't exactly the most skilled potioneer, but he knew enough to understand the significance of this gift. Felix Felicis takes months to brew - and now, he had two of them? "This is far too much," he murmured to himself, running a hand through his hair.

Still, it was a Christmas gift. Returning it outright would feel incredibly rude, yet keeping it left him feeling undeserving. Felix rubbed the back of his neck, sighing as he looked down at the little box. "What to do…"

The owl started to chirp impatiently, breaking his thoughts. "Right, I'm sorry-" Felix glanced at the note again, "Tato! I'm sorry." He moved to his desk to retrieve some parchment, but the owl made no effort to move. "Erm, excuse me, would you mind if I…?" Felix gestured awkwardly toward the paper beneath her, but Tato didn't flinch. "Alright, no problem," he muttered, backing away. "I'll just borrow some from Andrew then. I'm sorry." He cast the owl an awkward smile as she continued to glare at him in silent judgement.

Sitting down at the other desk, Felix tapped the quill against his chin, trying to think of a reply.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Dear A.B.,

Happy holidays to you as well! Thank you so much for the incredibly thoughtful gift - I can't tell you how surprised I was to open it. However, I must say, it feels far too generous. Felix Felicis takes such effort to brew, and I simply can't accept something so valuable.

If it's alright with you, perhaps we could meet in person so I can return it? Not that I don't trust your owl! Tato is a wonderful courier, of course - but after the, er, rather rough delivery, I think it might be safer this way.

Thank you again for thinking of me, truly. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.

Warm regards,

Felix

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Felix folded the note neatly, sealing it before hesitantly approaching Tato again. "Alright, my friend. Shall we try this again?" he asked with a small, hopeful smile, holding the letter out to her. But Tato didn't seem interested in playing nice.

She snapped at Felix' finger, earning a wince from him, before snatching the letter from his hand, and with a sharp flap of her wings, she disappeared the same way she'd arrived, leaving Felix rubbing his bitten finger.