A Silver Shot in the Sky PV Lark & Nat

The morning buzz had never been a particularly enjoyable experience to Natalia. While the shuffling feet and rustling feathers weren't necessarily annoying, they also pointedly reminded the young Ravenclaw that she practically had no life beyond the castle walls—not one that mattered, anyway. Since the beginning of the school year, she had never really gotten an owl from her father nor her sisters, and honestly, why would she? Her sisters had never been fond of her, and her father was likely far too busy with his little 'rockstars' to find the time.

And Aunt Delphine is a muggle, she thought bitterly, pushing through the doors leading to the Great Hall and narrowly dodging a student swathed in yellow and waving a piece of parchment over his messy head. She turned on her heel to follow the item in his grasp, curiously eyeing the haphazard scrawl, before completing her rotation to face the Ravenclaw table. Aunt Delphine has dogs, not owls, doesn't she? She likely wouldn't know what to even do with one.

A bitter huff slipped past her lips, and she made a beeline for the closest vacant spot, but before she could jam her long legs into the seat, she heard a voice calling her name. When she noticed that it was Ruthie, she quickly made her way over, picking out a seat next to the duo and offering them both a small smile and a greeting.

"How do you do?" As she managed to tuck her legs underneath the table, she picked out a low stack of pancakes from the breakfast selection and started to dig in... before stopping at the sound of wings fluttering closer and closer. She looked up just in time to see an owl carrying something impossibly long in its talons. When she realized its trajectory, Talia quickly made a scramble for her pancakes, pulling the plate to herself to avoid it being squished by the thicker portion of the parcel.

There was a moment of silence as a pained look flashed behind the faceted blues of Talia's eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had come, drowning in seafoam before anybody could catch it. Instead of focusing on the raw, gaping something that burned in her chest, she turned her attention to the shape of the parcel that clearly came for Ru, finding the defined, thicker end particularly familiar.

By the time her gaze rose to eye her friend, the last tendrils of sadness had completely receded, leaving only a shimmering excitement in their piercing wake. There was a palpable tension in the air, a breath of anticipation, and while Talia wasn't exactly the most socially-skilled person in the world, she knew better than to break it by wording out what the parcel contained—no, that honor belonged to the recipient and only the recipient. "Ru... is this what I think it is?"

@Ruthie Greer | @Lark Flaer

@Ruthie Greer and @Natalia Draig

After the Valentine's Tea party, Lark had taken to wandering from the dorms to class and back by herself. How much things seemed to have change from the first couple months at Hogwarts. She had missed all her friends that surrounded her halfway through the year.. Now she felt as if they had either moved on or were too busy and she wasn't one to bug them. In fact not talking to James recently had been eating at her more than she would ever admit, especially aloud. One companion she always was looking forward to spending time with was still by her side thankfully, Ruthie. Prodding her fork into the slices of fruit that sat on her plate, Lark felt her stomach flop over on itself. Typically receiving some well marked assignments would have put her in a chipper mood but the gnawing feeling of guilt as well as longing at the memories of that fateful sleepover night in the Common Room... Lark had found herself in a sour mood. Grumbling as she cut up the pieces of melon smaller and smaller on her plate, Lark tried to bury any form of sadness looming over her. It wasn't until she felt someone slide in next to her that the silver haired girl was realized of the fact she was in the Great Hall surrounded by others at her table, a fellow Ravenclaw had sat across from her who had been staring at her a look of worry slapped across their face.

"Anything good today?"

"Hey!" Pulling herself away from terrorizing the pieces of melon, Lark gave her friend a smile and nudged her slightly. "I had a grilled cheese if that helps at all!" She hadn't really finished it... but Hogwarts food was always tasty and compared to the random meals her mother made at home, when she actually did cook, any meal was far better in her eyes.

Lark looked up as Ruthie called over to another Ravenclaw that sat at the table. She had seen her around but wasn't sure that they had ever formally met. Offering a friendly smile to the girl as she joined the two of them, "Afternoon!" Lark murmured suddenly feeling shy. "I'm.. er I'm Lark-" Mustering a bit of courage to ask the newcomer and Ru had their days had been going so far the familiar sound of the daily owls entering the Great Hall captured her train of thought. Darby appeared to be carrying something... "Oh.." Lark breathed her eyes immediately sparkling with curiosity. What could that be?! It looked like a pretty hefty parcel.

Catching the other girl pulling away her pancakes Lark made haste to do the same with her own half eaten meal before Darby released the package down onto the table. The weight of it.... Lark eyed the object in front of the three carefully. "Oh Ru! Open it!" Any prior dark thoughts or worry that had been swimming in her head was drained away at the look on her friend's face. She couldn't contain it herself as a large smile spread across her freckled face. Grabbing lightly at Ruthie's arm closest to her, Lark gave it a gentle shake. "C'mon!" The young girl almost bounced with joy.

For @Lark Flaer & @Natalia Draig

Natalia joined them politely as Ruthie had come to know her, while Lark introduced herself a little awkwardly. Ruthie's eyes darted across the table as she hoped her best friend would be okay with her inviting over another peer. Surely, it would settle in a moment and it did as lunch started. "A grilled cheese sounds great," Ru agreed, hoping for something good to eat before heading off to class.

But of course, that was all cut short when Darby delivered her mysterious package. Her eyes met Natalia's and the air in the moment felt thicker, as if it knew something the girls did not. When Nat asked she might be suspecting the same thing, Ru just said, "Maybe." Maybe indeed. It had been weeks since she had traded letters with the manager at Quality Quidditch Supplies and the shape of the parcel certainly looked right. And yet still there was a part of this working class girl that couldn't quite believe that this was real.

But Lark didn't give her a moment to seriously ponder it, instead insisting (rightly) that she should open it. With a smile, Lark had grabbed her arm, egging her on with a shake. "All right, all right!" Ruthie said, now stirred out of her disbelief more. "Together, then," she instructed as she reached out with her right hand and started to undo the ribbon the around the paper. There were so many knots on account of the parcel's unconventional shape, it could have been frustrating. But the anticipation of joy pulled her through.

Eventually through their collaborative efforts, the knots and paper unfolded to reveal what she had been waiting for so anxiously: a Silver Arrow. With the first gleam of the black wood, Ruthie felt her heart skip a beat. Once it was all beautifully bare on the table, she squeaked, "Oh Merlin!" and jumped up and down in place. Her arm reached out to hold on to Lark in case she was jumping too.

As she settled down, she leaned in and raised a hand over the broom, careful not to touch it quite yet. It looked so fancy, so still, so perfect. The black wood was sleek and almost glamorous; the handle smooth; and the tail slicked back and ash in color. The seat leaned in ever so slightly, but she had no doubt it would be ten times more comfortable than the Comet, which was already vastly better than the school brooms. Flying it, she knew, would be both a challenge and a joy.

"I can't believe this is here," Ruthie said, still looking down at the broom, attempting to take it in. Seeing Emma fly a Silver Arrow at the start of the year, she dreamed of this moment and never assumed it would come so quickly. It had been work, saving up, but it was worth it. "You're gonna have to help me try it out," she said looking at the girls, "Both of you." She knew Lark would be keen as she'd proven herself quite the Keeper recently, but Ru suspected Nat had an interest in Quidditch as well.

Suddenly, she wasn't quite so hungry anymore. Excitement had taken over in its stead.

The young girl smiled softly at the other girl's introduction, partly shy herself but managing a quick bob of her head in acknowledgement, causing the thick bundle of hair piled on top of her head in a haphazard bun to slightly unravel itself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lark," she responded in kind, expression impossibly gentle. "I'm Natalia."

It wasn't a particularly extravagant response, but she'd only just started branching out—she deserved a little wiggle room, she thought, and at least she hadn't run for the hills like she would have before... well, before she got sick.

As they began to undo the knots binding the wrapping paper to its parcel, Talia watched, too afraid and too self-conscious to even reach for it; after all, it had been a habit hammered into her by her sisters. She shouldn't touch anything that didn't belong to her. She should keep her hands to herself, folded in her lap, like a quiet little mouse they could look over—

At the sight of the broom, Talia audibly gasped. It was a beautiful thing, the Silver Arrow, all polished wood and slicked bristles. "Ru, how..." Her voice quickly trailed off, too distracted by the broom sitting in the middle of their table to form a complete sentence. Her throat was dry and she had to force down a swallow just to try again.

Both of you... Her blue eyes widened, startling at the offer Ruthie extended. For a moment, she simply sat there, lost for words and seriously considering it—but then she remembered what she was taught and she let out an embarrassed laugh (which sounded more apologetic than she was able to realize). "It's alright," she choked out, smiling timidly at the pair. "I can watch. I've never even been on a broom before, it wouldn't be—I wouldn't want to impose."

INTERACTIONS: @Ruthie Greer & @Lark Flaer