Talon Black and the Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter 21 Christmas

~A few days later~

Talon woke up Christmas morning not knowing what day it was. Well, until she glanced at the foot of her bed and saw a pile of brightly wrapped presents. She scooted down next to them and picked up the one that was the closest. She knew who it was from immediately from the dreadful wrapping job. Her best friend, Blue. She tore into the package and pulled out a new red leather bound sketchbook, quills and ink, and some of those muggle ball point pens. Talon thought she had felt something else at the bottom so she stuck her hand back inside and pulled out something soft wrapped in tissue paper and a note. The note read, "Hey baby I miss you and your stupid face so much. You know how my mom is about stuff so I had to hide your REAL present underneath the stuff she got you. Hope it fits. Oh and as soon as you graduate you're coming over and you aren't leaving. See you soon. All of my luv, Blue

Suddenly frightened at what was inside the tissue paper, Talon laid it down on her bed before she began pulling back the layers. I am going to strangle her when I see her. It was a skimpy black lingerie set that Talon promptly shoved in the bottom of her trunk. She really has finally lost it.

She finished opening her presents and ended up with one of Mrs. Weasley's infamous sweaters, a bag of her favorite blood lollies with a note that said, "You're disgusting :)" from Charlie, a book on advanced transfiguration from Professor McGonagall, and thick gray scarf from Elaine. Utterly satisfied with her presents, Talon got up to put them away when she stubbed her toe on a box that was laying in the floor. After cursing and rubbing her injured digit she knelt down and lifted the lid off to find a gray kitten curled up in the bottom.

Talon's excited squealing woke up the poor thing and it gazed at Talon with eyes like molten gold. She gently picked it up and cradled it against her chest. "Oh you sweet precious little thing where did you come from?"

In answer, the kitten jumped down and looked at the box it was just in and meowed once.

Talon knelt down and inside was a scrap of paper. "I do hope you pick a wondrous name for her. "

There was no name signed but the hand writing was identical to the headmaster's. Strange how he seems to know most everything. I've wanted a cat for ages.

Talon let her new companion roam around her dormitory while she got dressed and tried to come up with a name for her. She wiggled into her usual black leggings and stuck her head through her new sweater. Then, she scooped up her little cat from the floor and held her up at eye level. "You shall be called Manon."

Seemingly satisfied, Manon sat on Talon's shoulder and nestled into her mane of dark hair.

Talon exited her dormitory and through the common room ready to eat breakfast with her new little friend, only to find Charlie Weasley lounging up against the wall. Charlie and Talon had begun spending more time together after their first real conversation and she was grateful for him and his friendship. She hadn't felt like she needed to have any "real friends" other than Blue but now that she had Charlie she couldn't help but wonder how she had been content for so long. It felt like a lonely hole in her heart had been filled by the goofy red head that was now striding towards her.

"Happy Christmas, Talon! Did you get your present?"

"Hey Charlie happy Christmas. Yeah I got it, thanks. Tell your mum that I'm in love with my sweater. I was gonna go ahead and start on the candy but one of my other presents caught my attention."

As if on cue, Manon stuck her fuzzy head out of Talon's hair and assessed Charlie. And after deciding that he wasn't a threat to her master, she ducked back behind Talon's hair and went back to sleep.