Inside the cage was a small, exceptionally dainty owl. Its soft gray feathers shimmered in the sunlight, looking exactly like Lyla's own silvery hair.
"An ow-ow-owl?!" Lyla stared at the creature in utter surprise.
She pursed her lips, instinctively wanting to step closer, but she recoiled slightly when she noticed its sharp, hooked beak.
"Are you afraid of owls?" Lupin asked quickly, looking a bit startled.
"No... not really," Lyla whispered. Suppressing her irrational fear, she slowly approached the cage.
The tiny bird seemed to sense her approach. It slowly raised its head, blinking at Lyla with a pair of massive, striking blue eyes.
"It's... it's very cute," she whispered after a careful examination.
She quickly realized the owl's feather and eye colors were a perfect match for her own. Even its size was unusually petite for its species; it was easily the smallest owl she had ever seen.
"I... I can't take it." Remembering that this was meant to be a gift, Lyla quickly shook her head, frantically trying to refuse.
"It's alright." Although Lupin looked physically exhausted, his voice was warm and gentle. "A small owl really doesn't cost much."
"No, no, no... I wouldn't know how to take care of an owl," Lyla said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And I don't have any Galleons to pay you back..."
"I told you, it's a gift," Lupin repeated, clearing his throat. "And what do you mean you wouldn't know how to take care of it?"
He tilted his head. "Miss Hamilton, you must have had a post owl when you were a student at Durmstrang, didn't you?"
"Mmm..." Lyla looked thoroughly ashamed. She lowered her head, whispering, "I... I used to."
"But not long after I got it... it ran away on its own." She poked her fingers together nervously. "Only the empty cage was left behind."
"The owl... ran away on its own?" Lupin was stunned.
He remained silent for a long time, his gentle eyes lowering in thought. Finally, he pursed his lips and murmured, "I understand."
See? I already told him I wouldn't know how to take care of one... Lyla looked at the cute, blinking owl one last time before regretfully taking a few steps back.
"It's alright, Miss Hamilton. I will help you take care of it." Seeing Lyla retreat, Lupin suddenly stepped forward and firmly pressed the cage into her hands.
"Let me teach you how to properly care for an owl," he offered. His tone was serious but incredibly gentle, and his gaze was entirely sincere.
"I..." Lyla started to protest again, but Lupin cut her off.
"And Miss Hamilton, as a witch, how can you not have an owl?"
"Especially as a newly appointed professor at Hogwarts," he added reasonably. "What if someone urgently needs to contact you?"
"No... no one will ever contact me..." Lyla's pointed ears drooped sadly, and she fiddled nervously with the edge of her sleeve.
"Why wouldn't they?" Lupin blinked in surprise. "I will contact you."
"Aren't we friends?" Lupin smiled warmly. "Consider this a gift from one friend to another."
"But..." Lyla tentatively raised her head. She glanced at Lupin, whispering, "I... I don't have a gift to give you in return."
"Friends don't give gifts just to get something in return." Lupin laughed softly. "It seems, Miss Hamilton, you still have much to learn about interacting with friends."
"Did Mr. Lupin... have many friends?" Lyla asked subconsciously, tilting her head.
"Ah..." Lupin was startled. He suddenly lowered his head, a deeply bitter laugh escaping his lips. "I suppose... you could say that."
"But that's in the past, isn't it?" Lupin cleared his throat, forcing the conversation back to the present. "Give the owl a name. She will be your companion from now on."
My companion... Lyla let out a soft breath.
She still felt guilty accepting such a generous gift when she had nothing to offer in return. But faced with Lupin's unwavering kindness, she simply didn't know how to refuse.
"Go on, give her a name," Lupin urged, seeming quite insistent.
"Then... let's call her Hee-Yah," Lyla whispered softly. "My first owl was named that."
"That is a meaningful name." Lupin was silent for a few seconds before offering a reassuring smile. "And I promise you, she certainly won't run away like her predecessor."
"Mm... mm-hmm!" Lyla nodded eagerly. She carefully observed little Hee-Yah, and the tiny owl curiously tilted her head, observing her right back.
After a long, comfortable silence, Lyla suddenly looked up. "Mr. Lupin, why are you so kind to me?"
Her blunt question made Lupin pause. Why was he so kind to Miss Hamilton? Lupin genuinely didn't know how to answer that. Beyond simply following Dumbledore's instructions to look after her, what were his real reasons?
It was partially an apology, wasn't it? After all, he had accidentally lost her in a crowd and put her in immense danger in Knockturn Alley.
He subconsciously glanced at the petite witch. Was it because he viewed her as a defenseless child? If he admitted that out loud, she would probably be furious.
But that wasn't the whole truth, either. Lupin's thoughts churned. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Lyla's silver hair peeking out from her hood.
Was it because he felt she was a marginalized outcast, just like him? Lupin subconsciously felt a wave of guilt for comparing them. It was terribly impolite to project his lycanthropy onto her.
Seeing Lupin's prolonged silence, Lyla bit her lip. "It... it must be because of my Veela bloodline, right?" she asked hesitantly.
"Veela naturally emit an allure that makes others feel affectionate toward them..."
It made perfect sense to her. Besides Lord Grindelwald, almost everyone who had ever been kind to Lyla only did so because they were enchanted by her Veela heritage. Mr. Lupin must be under the same spell.
"Ah?" Lupin was entirely taken aback. He stared at her for a moment, and then suddenly burst into genuine laughter.
"Miss Lyla Hamilton," he said, shaking his head. "Please forgive my bluntness. But truthfully..."
He looked Lyla up and down with a completely clear gaze. "I really haven't felt anything of the sort."
"Charm?" He paused, trying to find the right words. "Or rather... that magical allure? I haven't felt its influence at all."
Lupin struggled to phrase it politely, but it was the honest truth. He had never felt any magical enchantment radiating from Lyla. Aside from her pointed ears and silver hair, she just seemed like a normal, highly anxious witch.
Is that... true? Listening to Lupin's serious, completely unaffected answer, Lyla's expression visibly brightened.
She pursed her lips into a genuinely happy smile. But a second later, a horrifying realization struck her.
Does Mr. Lupin mean that I actually have absolutely zero natural charm?! Lyla's face fell. Wait, should I be happy about this, or incredibly insulted?!
Looking at Miss Hamilton's rapidly shifting, highly conflicted expressions, Lupin couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He had indeed instinctively regarded Miss Hamilton as one of his own kind—a lonely outcast. But remembering her prestigious new title and the terrifying magical talent she possessed, he secretly shook his head.
He only needed to treat Miss Hamilton as a good friend. After all, his true "own kind" were long gone. They had died twelve years ago.
[75 STONES] - Unlock1 Bonus Chapter
[150 STONES] - Unlock 2 Bonus Chapters
[300 STONES] - Unlock 3 Bonus Chapters