BROTHERHOOD ⟶ Harry Potter

Chapter Thirty

While Milo patched up things with his mother and was reassured that he was not a disappointment in her eyes, it didn't mean that he was free of his detention. Like his brother and the others, he received a note claiming that he had to report to detention with Filch at eleven o'clock that evening. He let out a slight groan and while he wasn't pleased, his friends seemed to be happy, if not proud of him. Fred and George were more than thrilled that he had gotten into trouble on his own, rather than in their company as if they had passed the torch along to their fellow comrade. Cedric and other Hufflepuffs couldn't deny that they enjoyed seeing the mischief side to Milo, it only made it funnier that his mother was a professor. 

"Turning into a bad boy, are you?" Katie told him during the afternoon as she sat with him in a window seat. "I wouldn't take you for one, Milo."

He couldn't help the smile that developed on his face as he watched Paden climb up his leg and settle on his knee to look outside the window. 

"You get into trouble one time and everyone won't let it go," he said with a small chuckle. "I promise, I'm not turning into a bad boy."

"But you know what they say about good boys, don't you?" Katie asked him. He glanced over at her with a curious look, unfamiliar with any saying pertaining to the topic. "They're the ones who just haven't been caught yet."

Leaning his head against the glass, Milo let out a snort before peering down at Paden. "I don't plan on getting into any more trouble so there won't be much of a chance of me getting caught. I was simply trying to help my brother out and his friends.Unfortunately, it did not turn out the way we planned."

"And what exactly were you trying to help him with?" She questioned, folding her arms across her chest.

"Uh...you know...homework and...not homework."

He didn't dare meet the girl's gaze, his terrible lying skills had returned and he didn't want to expose what Hagrid had been up to. Fortunately, it had remained quiet throughout the castle as even Draco had yet to spread the rumor about of the dragon. His mother believed it all to be a lie to get Draco into trouble and the group wanted it to keep it that way. 

"Right," Katie said in a knowing tone before turning her attention to Paden who was watching the two quietly. "Are you taking him to detention with you?"

"Oh no," Milo shook his head, " I wouldn't want to bring him along. He would be so much more comfortable in the dorms. Cedric said he would watch over him while I was gone. I created this little tiny hammock out of an old sock, he loves it. Most of the time it's hard to get him out of it. I'm thinking about adding a heating element to it as well, but I think it's just as cute to let him keep his little blanket for the time being. I made that out of an old shirt."

"You should start a line of bowtruckle merchandise by the sound of it," Katie laughed. "It sounds like you could make quite a business out of it."

Paden started chirping at the girl in an aggressive manner as he sat on Milo's knee. He apparently didn't like the idea of Milo working with any bowtruckle outside of him. Katie's eyes widened as she wondered what she had said wrong. She watched as Milo collected Paden and placed the bowtruckle into his hair before flashing her an apologetic smile in her direction.

"Sorry, he get's jealous easily. I think he believes that all my attention should be directed towards him. Ow!" 

A tiny chirp escaped from his hair before Paden disappeared behind the dark locks. 

***

As promised, shortly before eleven that evening, Milo left Paden in Cedric's care. Paden looked at Cedric after the boy left, examining the boy's hair to see if it was messy enough for him to be comfortable in. He crawled over Cedric's shoulder, small chirps here and there that tickled Cedric's ear.