The emporium was filled to the ceiling with owls and even falcons of all sizes trapped in cramped cages. The birds squaked, tweeted, and hooted excitedly with the hopes of being freed.

Draco and Narcissa walked in, ducking nearly to the floor to avoid the hanging cages of fluttering owls.

A tall female employee strutted up to Narcissa and Draco. She had scraggly black hair that rested beneath her strong jaw. The young woman wore a leather apron with deep pockets and the occasional tool and duster peeking out. She smiled lazily. Premature wrinkles decorated her golden brown eyes. Slightly visible, barely healed cuts sliced diagonally across her face.

"Hello, young man," she said, her voice loud and clear. "Why do you enter this ragged, unkempt shack?" She was dramatic, and she extended her arms as if she was in a terribly overacted play.

"Um, I wanted an owl," Draco whispered in almost a question.

The young woman grinned. "I would never had guessed. Feel free to wander this quaint shop."

Narcissa made her way to a large cage with and even larger owl cramped inside.

"Oh," the young woman began pointing to the floor, "Watch those dirt piles. I haven't quite finished cleaning."

Narcissa nodded, but her attention was fixed on the owl.

"Hey, boy," the young woman said.

Draco pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"

"No, I'm talking to an invisible friend named Fleamont." She stifled a laugh as she noticed Draco's confused expression? "Excuse me, I'm not that weird. Come here," she teased, a smile dancing on her lips. "I've got something to show you."

"What is it?" Draco timidly asked.

"An owl, of course! What else is there?" she said, grinning excitedly. She motioned for Draco for him to come join her. He walked up to the young woman as she reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out a ring of rusted keys and dangled it close to Draco's face. He was taken aback by her playful manner. She selected one, the smallest, and stuck it in a glistening keyhole of the barred cage ahead of her. She reached in and pulled out a stocky owl. She turned around and held it close to Draco. "You may pet her, she's nice. Don't get too attached though."

"Why?"

"It looks like your mother has fallen arse-over-tits with another," the woman responded.

Draco turned around and saw Narcissa reaching in between the bars of the cage to pet a fluffy grey owl. It was nice to see her this happy. Rare, but wonderful.

He returned his attention to his owl. He reached out and stroked her smooth feathery forehead. The owl nuzzled his his hand, putting strong pressure.

The young woman watched Draco in wonder. Respect swirled in her shimmering eyes. "You're good with animals aren't you?" she asked Draco, her voice barely audible over the loud squawking of birds. "The owls seem to really like you."

Draco shrugged. "We don't have any pets at home. The only animals I have ever seen were the birds outside and the owls delivering the mail. I never trusted myself to have one even though I really wanted one," he answered. He spoke quietly as if he was ashamed to disappoint the young woman.

She bent down to get eye level with Draco. She asked, "You don't have much confidence in yourself, do you?"

"I just don't enjoy the company of those people who just adore themselves," Draco shyly admitted.

The young woman nodded. "Ahh, I see. That's the stereotypical Gryffindor, I suppose. I'm sure I act like one, and you haven't ran away once!" She laughed and lightly punched Draco on the arm. She pursed her lips before speaking again. "I have many flaws. I can't deny I'm obnoxious. But I've got worse flaws than that I can't ever avoid for the life of me. Hidden and stored away...until accidentally revealed. You seem like a decent kid, and I don't want anything to happen to you like what happened to me. Speak your mind, but don't end up harming yourself in the long run."

Draco nodded, absorbing her advise.

The owl hopped to the young woman's arm, cooing joyfully as it tried to get closer to Draco.

"He's so cute," said Draco, as he patted the owl's feathery brown forehead.

"She," the young woman quickly corrected, standing back up to full height. "I found her half-dead, lying in my yard. I assume she was in the middle of delivering a letter and crashed or something. I took her in and healed her. Wish I could do the same to myself, though."

"Wait, why?" Draco asked curiously, looking the young woman in the eyes.

"You'll see," she responded. Her attention was taken off of Draco for a quick moment as she looked at something behind her.

Draco turned around.

Narcissa was angrily stomping toward them, tightly clutching her finger. It was bleeding. Scarlet blood streamed onto Narcissa's hand.

"Episkey," the young woman stated. She had pulled out a branch-like wand. It pointed directly at Narcissa's bloody finger.  The blood cleared up in an instant and the cut was healed.

"Thank you," Narcissa replied. "An owl, it..."

"Elroy?" she asked neither Narcissa or Draco responded, clueless to what she had meant. She cleared her throat, and clarified, "The Great Grey?"

Narcissa shrugged, an arched eyebrow raised. Draco through that her eyebrow may be floating if she raised it any higher.

The young woman groaned. Exasperated, she blurted out, "The big fat thing?"

The phrase immediately clicked with recognition in Narcissa's head. "Do you mean the large grey one?" she tried to translate in her soft voice, pointing a red fingernail the owl she was examining earlier.

"I really need to educate you on birds if that is how you classify them." But the young woman nodded, feeling relieved and accomplished. Getting carried away, she then added, "I forgot to mention he likes to bite. My fault. He enjoys to nibble on the yummy, tasty fingers of passerbyers as a nutritional snack. Delicious, right?"

Narcissa silently stared at the young woman, slightly aghast at her remark.

"No? Okay."

Narcissa's blue eyes fell to the woman's arm. The owl was still perched on her arm, its claws digging deep through her thin shirt and into her skin. "That must be very painful," she stated.

The young woman flinched. "No, not really," she said. She pulled back her grey shirtsleeve revealing tough, weathered flesh decorated with deep slashes, looking suspiciously like large claw marks. The skin didn't even look like it belonged to her. "I'm used to it."

Feeling left out, Draco piped in, "Is that all from the owls?"

"Almost none of it,"she informed, with a shudder. "With the...y'know, damage, I am hardly ever able to get employed, or...or...stay healthy, safe, and healed," said the young woman. The young woman glanced at Narcissa making eye contact lasting less than a second. "I'm sure you know what I am talking about."

Narcissa nodded. She looked like she wanted to help, but she backed farther away. "Draco, why don't we leave? We have many place we should be going to. Now. Pay her the galleons," she instructed.

Draco dropped ten galleons into the young woman outstretched hand. "I'm not dangerous," she protested. She weakly smiled a half smile, sadness brimming in her eyes.

"Dangerous? What does that mean?" Draco questioned his mother, ever so curious.

The woman directed the owl off of her arm, and gently pushed it into the cage. She latched the door and double-checked before soon picking it up. "Please believe me," she begged as she handed the cage to Draco, but she didn't even look at him. She stared at Narcissa, fear swimming in her eyes.

Narcissa frowned and dragged Draco away and out of the shop, grasping his wrist. She led him into a narrow alleyway between Eelopes and another bustling shop.

"Remember what I told you!" the young woman called after Draco. The door slammed shut.

Draco furiously ripped his wrist out of Narcissa grasp. "Why did you pull me out?" he bitterly snapped. "Tell me."

Narcissa crouched down. "She is a monster."

"No, she isn't," Draco said, opposing Narcissa for the first time in a long time. He shocked himself. "She was kind to me."

"She will turn on you," Narcissa whispered, her voice hoarse.

Draco narrowed his eyes. He asked, "What makes you think that?" He could never possibly imagine the owl keeper ever turning on him, or anyone in that matter. She seemed like a pleasant, loyal person.

Narcissa took a deep breath. "Draco, I don't know how to say this but, she is a werewolf, a ruthless killer."

"But she was kind to me..." Draco repeated, defeated.

Narcissa gripped his hand and led him to the swarm of witches and wizards.

Wow. I'm surprised I wrote this much. I feel like I should credit autocorrect for half of this lol!!