Summer Writing Series Challenge (August 4)
Challenge: A Proposal...
Title: The Witness II
Word Count: 1,160
Harry was pacing around his sitting room again, his thoughts no longer on his impending date with the love of his life but upon his rather unique situation. Hedwig watched him silently, biting her lip in frustration.
"Harry, would you please stop pacing? It's setting me on edge..." she said after a moment and squirmed in her seat once again.
"Why do you keep squirming around like that?" Harry asked as he sat in the chair across from the woman who was previously his owl.
She looked up with a reddening face and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but clothes feel strange."
"Would you like me to transfigure them into something that fits a bit better?" Harry asked with a slight blush. "They are rather baggy on you..."
Hedwig sighed and nodded without a word. She closed her eyes and after Harry whispered a few words felt the clothes he'd provided her shrink to fit her body. He'd also transfigured the fabrics to a less scratchy material and she sighed in relief when she felt the smooth cotton caress her skin.
"Thank you," she whispered after she looked down at his workmanship. "You asked if I wanted to be human..." she said softly, smiling gently when his face reddened.
Harry nodded. "Athena granted your wish..."
"She has, but I never expected she'd turn me into a human," Hedwig admitted. "I wished I could talk to you and when you wished I could talk back Athena heard and granted both of our wishes."
Harry buried his face in his hands as he nodded. "Does this happen often? Turning an owl into a beautiful woman?"
"Y-you think I'm beautiful?" Hedwig asked breathlessly.
Harry looked up quickly, his face extraordinarily red. "Y-yes... well... you are... you've always been... I mean as an owl..." he stammered nervously and got out of his chair, avoiding her gaze. "I just wanted to know what was wrong with you. You've seemed off over the past few weeks," Harry explained as he went back to pacing around the room. "It seemed like you were sighing a lot, though I've never heard of an owl sighing before..."
"We do sigh, smile, and blush, just like humans do," Hedwig said quietly. "And this isn't a normal occurrence, at least from what I've heard. The last time I'd heard that Athena helped by providing a mortal with her intervention was with a clockwork owl she'd sent to a hero long ago... I just wanted to help you with her... Hermione. You seemed so nervous."
"I guess you know that I wanted to propose to her tonight then," Harry admitted with a soft chuckle. "I just can't find the words to match what I feel."
Hedwig got to her feet and crossed to the pacing Harry. "Please stop pacing... I know it helps you think but it's making me nervous."
"Sorry, you know I pace when I'm nervous or trying to think..." Harry said apologetically. "I just need to find a way to tell her how much I love her."
Hedwig winced at the words and tried her best to hide the hurt in her eyes by turning to look at the row of photographs Harry had on his mantle. "Harry, you're a charming and lovely man..." she said in a whisper as she gazed at a picture of him and her in her owl form.
"What?" Harry asked, looking up from the picture of Hermione he had in his hands.
Did I say that aloud? Blast it! Hedwig cursed to herself as she took the picture of the two of them from the mantle. She returned the photo to its proper place and turned to him. "I said that you're a charming and lovely man," she said with a blush. "You know just how stubborn I can be and Hermione's very much the same... How did you win her heart, Harry?"
"I still don't know," Harry admitted as he slumped into his favorite chair. "To this day I can't figure out what she sees in me."
"You can't mean that!" Hedwig said as she sat across from him. "Do you realize just how handsome, intelligent, caring, funny, and wonder... wonderful you are?" she said confidently then wavered into a whisper.
"I'm just me," Harry said with a shrug. "I treat people the way I want to be treated..."
Hedwig crossed to Harry and knelt beside him on the floor. "Harry, you're a truly marvelous man," she said tenderly as she turned his face to meet hers. "It's difficult to see the qualities in yourself that others do. Harry, you have so much to offer, if she's anything like me... you're her world," she added in a whisper as she inched closer to his face.
"Hedwig..." Harry said quietly as she filled the last few inches between the two of them and their lips met.
Oh, Athena, thank you for this moment... She thought blissfully before pulling away from her beloved human. "You're in love with her, Harry," Hedwig said as she quickly backed away from the stunned man in front of her. "Be yourself, your beautiful and caring self. If she says no, I'll be waiting for you..." With that, she ran to the window and ripped them open. In a flash of light, she transformed into her normal form and took to the night air, leaving one confused Harry Potter staring into the star-filled sky.
When Harry hadn't returned to his flat that night, Hedwig knew, deep in her heart, that Harry had proposed and was now at the Burrow celebrating their engagement. She landed softly on the windowsill in the Burrow's kitchen and listened to the laughter of those within. She felt her heart break when Harry walked into the room and smiled lovingly at her. She turned to leave but his voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Hey," Harry said gently as he stroked her feathers. "I'm sorry, Hedwig..."
You're happy... That's all I care about, Hedwig said silently. She nipped his finger tenderly, remembering the kiss she'd given him.
"I know you're hurt, and if Hermione wasn't in my life things might be different," Harry said gently as he stroked her soft feathers. "I do love you, Hedwig, I always have. You and Hermione are the only two who have always been there for me, I hope you will accept things the way they are..."
If she were capable of crying in this form, she would have been crying right then. You'll never lose me, Love... Hedwig vowed as she nipped his finger again.
"If you need time, I'll understand," Harry whispered as Hermione walked into the room.
Hedwig hooted and felt her heart break once again at the sight of her human rival who'd won Harry's heart in the only way that mattered. She nipped his finger again and flew into the starry sky.
I'll be back... she whispered in her mind as the Burrow disappeared behind her.
A/N: This was a unique way for me to conclude "The Witness", the original story from Wednesday July 7, 2004. As you can see, I kept the proposal intact and added Hedwig's proposal to Harry. Alas, this was a love that wasn't meant to be... *sigh* I hope you liked it! :)