Skate them away PV Amelia G. Fin

𝓐melia, to Ruth, seemed taken aback by the fact that she had wanted a do-over. Surely the Slytherin hadn't expected her to pack up her gear and leave? The idea was a little too enticing, and the mere thought of it floated back into her mind, only for Ruth to hastily shove it away again. "What, what?" Ruth asked, confused as her smile faltered. But the girl before had sped along, eagerly agreeing to try again.

"Nice to meet you, Amelia," she replied, nodding slightly. Well, the introductions were now over. "And I'm sure your mother's tricks would work wonders, if we keep trying." Ruth turned to face the icy lake once again. "Not everyone can get it in one go. We shouldn't give up." She gave the other a thumbs up, throwing a lopsided grin in her direction.

She listened to Amelia's suggestion, her eyes following the girl as she sat down and began to touch her blades together. Ruth nodded thoughtfully. "I think it'd be a good idea to learn how to stop if we're going to start," she admitted, sitting slongside Amelia and copying her movements. It took some trouble tilting her right skate whilst propping up her left, but once she got the shape she grinned to herself, clasping her hands together. "Now that that's done, we shall try again," she declared. That's right. Ruth hadn't meant to say "shall we", rather "we shall", the mere swapping of words changing her statement enitrely. Rather than asking Amelia on whether they would like another go, she was going for it, and so was Amelia.

Without waiting for the other's input, Ruth rolled around and hoisted herself back on her feet, the snow allowing for steady footing as she adjusted the lining and tongue. She took another deep breath as she stared down at the ice. Just do it. How had Amelia done it again?

Ruth hobbled onto the ice, breathing air through her teeth in harsh gasps as the blades wobbled underneath her. Never had she ever felt more out of balance than when ice skating. Quickly, she bended her knees and leaned forwards, sliding both her skates to form a 'V' (and this was much easier to do that a 'T', thank goodness) before tentatively kicking off.

A few metres into the ice and Ruth decided it was now a good time to try stopping, her arms stretched out and bent hesitantly as she steadied her right leg before stopping her sole against the boot of her left shoe. To her surprise, the deceleration process wasn't half bad at all and she was able to halt with ease.

She let out a sigh of relief, then craned her neck cautiously around her to gauge where Amelia was. "Try not to crash into me again!" She called out. How Amelia had even managed to do so the first time would be something Ruth wondered about for a while. I mean, two students. One big lake. What were the chances?

Amelia couldn't read Ruth's expression when she sat down on the snow and demonstrated, but she sure hoped that expression didn't mean she seemed ridiculous. It did seem like Ruth accepted her suggestion, though— she even sat down and copied Amelia's position, even though it took a significant amount of time longer. Well, if Amelia looked ridiculous now, at least she wasn't alone in this.

But too quickly, too suddenly, Ruth was already on the ice again, ready to test their luck, after expressing her wish to do that clearly. Why was Amelia surprised, really? And yet, Amelia's eyes widened out of shock and fear combined, her jaw dropped. Was she really ready to try again? Oh, no, not yet. Amelia could feel the cold air infiltrating her lungs, along with fear rooting in her. What if they'd clash again?!

However, before she could even fully register it, Ruth was already gliding on the ice, rather majestically for a beginner; or perhaps it was the magical scenery that made it seem that way. She managed to stop, in full control, using the exact movement Amelia had shown her earlier. Amelia managed to stand up with wobbling legs on the ice, and decided to follow Ruth, even when the girl called out her former actions and asked of Amelia to be more careful this time. Her confidence dropped a bit, and her heart was racing, but if Ruth could, Amelia could too. Amelia repeated that declaration in her head, forcing herself to believe it. She could do it, she definitely could it.

Taking deep breaths and counting them, Amelia started gliding slowly, trying to keep her shaking legs straight. This time, though, she didn't look at her legs or her progress; instead, she locked her eyes on the only figure aside from herself on the lake— Ruth. She will not make the same mistake again.

Slowly, way more slowly than Ruth's pace, Amelia managed to get close to Ruth. She barely even needed to stop herself, there was no speed to restrain. All she needed to do was to steady herself, and that she did with the same stopping movement as Ruth.

At last, she realized she was standing right next to Ruth, drifting aside every now and then to keep her balance. "I did it," she whispered to herself, then, when her cold, misty breath disappeared, she said more loudly: "We did it!"

Amelia smiled proudly at Ruth, satisfied. When Amelia looked in Ruth's green eyes, though, she recalled how she hurt the girl in front of her earlier. It was just a few minutes ago, how had Amelia forgotten this already?! Ashamed, Amelia averted her eyes to the ice, and let her smile drop.

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Ruth Fairchild| 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: The Great Lake| 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 & 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: Jan 21st, afternoon | 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒇𝒊𝒕: scarf, robes, gloves, ponytail

𝓐nxiety was such a sickly feeling.

This sickening drop of dread came from the aching of the stomach, the itching of the heart, and the shaking of the legs. The never-ending shrill from the train of thought as it loops around the tracks of the endless, endless mind.

Ruth Fairchild had somehow convinced herself to try ice skating. How she had done so, even she was unsure. To attempt an activity without adult supervision was ludicrous, but she had woken up despite herself to stand upon the snow banking the Great Lake, frost swallowing the blades of her ice skates. She had come to relieve her anxiety, but felt it spike up several inches more.

Then came Amelia Garnett. To say her presence had elevated her performance would have been distinct flattery. Yet, it was partly true. Despite the ache in her knees and the cold biting into the skin of her cheeks, Ruth was doing a lot better than she would have alone. Without Amelia, she might not have learnt to glide, or slow down, or stop. Without Amelia, she may have earned more gashes than she had with the Slytherin on top of her. Perhaps the incident was worth it after all. It had allowed them to learn from their mistakes and improve.That point was easily proven as Amelia slid close to Ruth, the two First Years side by side, staring up towards the snow-coated castle.

"We did it," Ruth agreed warmly, a hint of a smile on her face as she glanced towards Amelia. Her face was flushed, with strands of her dark hair stuck to her sun-kissed skin. Ruth mildly wondered if she looked the same. Exhausted, yet exhilarated, with adrenaline dancing in her forest-green eyes. Something in her impression must have changed, for Amelia's prideful grin slipped off her face as the Slytherin looked away. Ruth frowned. Had she done something wrong? All of a sudden, it was hard to read the emotions on Amelia's face, a cross between guilt and shame contorting her expression. The Hufflepuff had little clue as to why she was feeling that way.

Ruth cleared her throat to drive away the awkward silence that had settled upon the two girls. "How about we skate some more rounds, and I sneak you into the kitchen?" Ruth asked gently, resisting the urge to nudge Amelia should another topple resurface. "We could get some hot chocolate." Mm, hot chocolate. It sounded enticing.

Ruth was acting a little too friendly, in Amelia's opinion. Was she planning anything? Perhaps she planned to lock her in the kitchen?! The young Slytherin hadn't had a chance to go to the kitchen yet, therefore had no idea what the place even looked like. And as much as hot chocolate was tempting, the hesitant girl couldn't risk it. Although, the more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. Really, a first year locking another one in the kitchen? Being locked in a broom cupboard was much more likely; The way Amelia saw it, it was a pretty common practice amongst Hogwarts' students.

"I think I'd rather skip that, sorry," Amelia replied, staring ahead into the distance, squinting against the slight wind. She didn't bother to risk another look at Ruth, not leaving any space for doubt or changing the suggestion. Besides, her dorm seemed like a much better place to spend the rest of the day at, even if Ruth didn't intend to avenge her— the young Slytherin wasn't very fond of awkward situations, and her muscles ached for a rest.

Eventually daring to steal a sideways glance at Ruth, Amelia took a deep breath, then decided to bid goodbye properly. How would she deal with this girl later on, she had no idea. "Well, I should go now," Amelia said, looking at her companion directly at last. "See you around, yeah?"

Sitting down quickly on a safe pile of snow, Amelia detached the skates hurriedly. It felt so embarrassing, to say goodbye just to kneel in front of her and stay together for a few minutes more. She should have talked now instead of earlier, then the way she messed up the skates' laces could be excused by saying she was distracted by talking. Not that it was any better... Ugh, finally! regular boots on, skates in hand, Amelia walked as fast as she could without running back towards the castle, waving to Ruth before departing. The thick snow had slowed her down, but soon Amelia was back in the safety of the warm castle, skipping down the stairs to her common room.

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Ruth Fairchild| 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: The Great Lake| 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 & 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: Jan 21st, afternoon | 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒇𝒊𝒕: scarf, robes, gloves, ponytail