Shosh heard Bellamy’s pleading and winced, content just to leave him be to process what she’d told him and wondering guiltily if she’d even done the right thing in telling him about Grant; she thought it was important that he know, and hear it from someone who cared about Grant rather than someone crueler, or god forbid he go up to the Owlery and be caught completely by surprise—and then there was a commotion at the doors of the Great Hall and Shosh whirled back around. Something that she couldn’t see hit Bellamy in his chest and he stumbled backwards, and Shosh, thinking it was a spell or someone trying to physically harm him, reached toward him instinctually without actually making contact.
Then she saw the flurry of brown wings flying around his head pecking at him and her mouth fell open. “Polly?” Shosh breathed in quiet disbelief, her heart swelling with recognition; Shoshana knew Grant’s owl very well, having had Polly as a constant companion on Shoshana and Grant’s regular trips beyond the castle walls for Hebrew lessons, or else her comforting, guardian-like presence on her perch in the Gryffindor Common Room. After Grant had found out Shosh had no roommates in her dorm and had a bad habit in early years of staying up all night reading and then sleeping through her earlier classes, Shosh was awoken occasionally to Polly hooting loudly at her bedside in the mornings and pulling Shosh’s bedcurtains open.
She’d had no idea animal familiars could change their human loyalties. “Polly!” Shosh said with loud enthusiasm, taking another step toward Bell and the owl and looking at the latter as she pleaded, “Please, just—the Owlery, you both have to go, I—I mean, when he’s ready, obviously…” Shosh blinked away some silly emotional tears and leaned back, taking a breath and reorienting herself. Then she looked at Bell and said, “…Bellamy, I—I know we don’t know each other very well, but…if you need a friend, or—or anything, just—you know where to find me, okay? And, um, sorry. For…you know, this.” Shosh gestured vaguely around them, where many people were still staring. She gave Bell a shrug and then turned and said loudly, to everyone else, “And what the fuck is there to stare at, people? Sheesh…” and then flounced with her head held high over to the Gryffindor table, where she sat alone at the far end and started piling breakfast food onto a plate.
“Would you just shut up?” Bellamy growled pushing Polly away from him as she flew around his head, her wings smacking him in the face with every flap. “Shut. Up.” He glared at Shosh hatefully. She might have thought she was helping, but she wasn’t and the longer Bellamy stood in the middle of the Great Hall surrounded by people who honestly didn’t give a fuck about him the more he wished he’d stayed home.
Shosh had been close with Grant and while Bellamy had seen her around whenever he visited Grant and had been passingly polite to her when he needed to be, Shosh was a little too much to handle for Bellamy. She was loud and bubbly and Bell could only handle her in small doses. He’d already reached his limit.
Polly was just as fragile as Bell, though she put on a brave face and harassed the hell out of Bell to try to make him feel better, but he saw her falter just a second when Shosh continued to rant about the owlery and how they both had to go when they were ready. He obviously wasn’t ready. Bell caught Polly and cradled her to his chest and scoffed, waiting until Shosh had turned around to abandon her in the middle of the Great Hall, muttering about insensitive Gryffiundors as he stalked away. She caused the scene she was more than capable of explaining to the Professors what all the commotion was about.
