finished A Study In Ice pv

[quote]Zephyr was just wandering the grounds for a while, just after finishing some errands for the day. The sun was shining so bright that day enough to make him feel warm even though the wind was still cold. He liked days like this. They reminded him of home, of the fields back in Swansea, where the morning air smelled of grass and the animals were waiting to be fed.

The lake was his favorite place to be whenever he's bored or in need of some alone time. Today, he overheard that some students were trying ice skating and he'd never been on ice before. At home, he had rollerblades he used on the dirt paths around the farm. He knew the feeling of gliding forward with the wind in his hair and the ground rolling beneath him, and it was fun. But ice was a whole new thing. He didn’t know if he would even be any good.

He walked slowly to the edge of the frozen lake, keeping to the side where the ice looked thickest. The surface gleamed under the sunlight, and the few students on it moved like they were floating. Zephyr hugged his arms to his chest and leaned slightly on a nearby rock, just watching, trying not to step too close. He wasn’t one to jump into something without thinking first, and ice looked tricky.

Then he noticed her, the girl was moving gracefully as she glided around the edge. Her arms shifted naturally, and she spun and jumped without shaking or falling. She was really good. He had never seen someone move on ice like that before. On rollerblades, he could go forward and maybe try a turn, but this was smooth, almost like dancing.

He stayed where he was, keeping silent and feeling amazed. He didn’t want to get too close yet. It was not him to interrupt or call out when someone was doing something so effortlessly. Instead, he just watched. Her movements were precise and graceful, and he could only admire her from afar and in silence.

He thought of the farm where he learned to ride horses, throw hay bales, and run across fields without thinking. This girl on the ice seemed to have the same kind of natural confidence and he wondered if it came easily to her, or if she had practiced for years. Either way, it was impressive.

He didn’t move closer and just watched from a distance. He liked observing and just taking in the scene. Seeing someone move so well, he felt some sort of excitement at the thought of trying something new. But she suddenly stopped and that was the end of his enjoyment so he went to where she was and cleared his throat first. “Hi.. i saw what you did and…” he scratched the back of his nape and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed at admitting he watched her. “.. that was amazing by the way.”

@Zephyr Deakin

13.12.2025

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Maisie had just made contact with the cold stone for a few seconds, before a voice rang out, startling her. She turned in her seat, and made eye contact with a boy, standing there.

"Thank you." Maisie answered, blushing slightly. "I've been skating since I was around three."She looked him up and down, wondering why he looked so familiar. She was about to ask if they'd met, when it hit her: he was a fellow Hufflepuff first year, and she'd seen him in the common room. "You're...er.. Zephyr, right?" She searched her brains, hoping it was the right name. It would have been embarrassing if it wasn't. "I don't believe we've officially met, but I've seen you in the common room. I'm Maisie. Maisie Williams." She held out a hand. Since young, Maisie had always been taught to introduce herself with a handshake, and the habit had continued all the way to Hogwarts.

Maisie moved to the right slightly, leaving just enough space on the stone surface for another person. "Do you want to sit?" It would be rude if she was the one sitting, and he standing, so she figured they could both use a rest. A part of her wondered if he liked skating, too. If he did, they could go off for a nice round the great lake. Company was always nice. If he hadn't, Maisie wouldn't mind teaching him to skate, because she had many afternoons to spare. The other part of her debated it asking someone you'd just met for less than four minutes to skate would be too quick and straightforward. Maybe he'd be uncomfortable or think she was weird. After all, this doesn't usually happen. But it would be worth the risk, and anyhow, what was the harm in inviting someone to skate?

"Do you skate?" She asked, hoping he wasn't alarmed. "It's really fun." She added.

It was a relief that the girl didn't seem bother by his presence there and even thanked him for the compliment given. According to her story, she's been skating since she was three years old and he was honestly surprised at that knowledge. “Now, that would explain a lot why you look like you're dancing while on the ice.” Watching her a while ago encouraged him to try because she made it look so easy to move around, as if he could do the same himself, even though it's far from the truth. To him, that kind of balance doesn't just come out of nowhere, it came from years of experience and practice.

He hid his surprise when she mentioned his name, not expecting that. “Yes, I'm Zephyr.” Pleased that someone he never talked to at all remembered his name. Being recognised was strange to him, but it was also a good thing. “You got that right.” She introduced herself as Maisie and held out her hand which he didn't hesitate and shook it gently, the way his mum had taught him. “It was nice to officially meet you, Maisie.” There was one thing he was sure of while looking at her this close, they were housemates, and she had seen her around too, even in classes.

She offered him some space and after only a second of hesitation, he sat down beside her. Her question was expected, but it earned a chuckle from him out of embarrassment. “The truth? No, not on ice at least. I used rollerblades on the farm paths, but this is completely different.” He glanced at the frozen lake, feeling nervous at the thought of skating. “I’m not great at jumping straight into things.”

There was a short pause while weighing his next words, and after some time, “But I do want to learn.” He slipped his backpack off his shoulders and set it at his feet. Unzipping it, he pulled out a pair of ice skates and showed it to her. “Someone lent these to me. I thought I would at least try today. If you don’t mind.” His dimple was showing when he smiled at her again, “I wouldn’t say no to some help...?”

@Zephyr Deakin

13.12.2025

Maisie was pleased when she got the name right. It was a small thing, but it was this kind of small thing that really makes a difference. That was one of the first lessons she'd learned from the many events she had to attend. Anyway, she would be spending the next seven years with him and other eleven year olds. Might as well know some people while she's at it. Manners are very important no matter where you are.

Zephyr continued speaking, and Maisie gathered that he hadn't experience with ice-skating and she was more or less surprised. She had always thought it was a muggle sport, and more common outside her wizarding community. She was also under the impression all muggle kids-- or, kids with muggle upbringing knew how to skate. Looking back, it seems foolish to think that. After all, not everyone in the world has the same thing at the same time. Besides, it wasn't like she knew advanced magic. "Rollerblades ? You roll on blades?" Although skating was popular in the Magic World, rollerblades weren't. At least, from what Maisie knew of. When he voiced his concern, Maisie replied, "I know, it wasn't really easy when I first learnt it. I kept falling and cutting myself with the skate blades. But it'll get easier. You'll see."

They both paused for a moment, before Zephyr pulled something from his bag: skates. Maisie guessed he was going to try to skate, and sure enough, those were his words. Maisie nodded, carefully stood up, and dusted invisible particles of non-existent dust from the front of her coat. Maisie waited for him to put them on, before skating a few feet away from him."Come on, you'll love skating." She said encouragingly, a list already forming in her mind of the things she would teach. "I'll first teach you how to skate." She turned around, facing him, and adjusted her feet into the shape of a "v". "And to skate forward, you push with equal amount of power on both feet. Try skating to me."

[quote]Maisie's comment told Zephyr that the girl was not familiar with rollerblades. He wondered if she was imagining blades instead of wheels from the name itself. “Yes, it was called rollerblades in the muggle world. They’re shoes with wheels under, usually four in a line. You push off the ground with both feet, just like ice skating, but the ground is solid instead of slippery. You can go forward, turn, or even stop using the brakes on the back, but it also requires balance. The principle is the same as ice skating." He was hoping he was not making the explanation more complicated for her or more technical than it needed to be.

“It’s also fun once you get used to it.” Giving her skates a curious look, he was nervous again. "Some moves are similar, but I’ve never done anything on actual ice, so it’s new.” I just hope I don’t fall flat on my face the first time I try. Maybe if I watch her closely, I can get the hang of it. She said some encouraging words, which added to his confidence despite having doubts about his own ability to stay balanced on the blades. Smiling nervously, he nodded, “Thanks for saying it will get easier. I’ll need that encouragement.”

Seeing her standing and ready, he felt silly still sitting there, so he leaned forward and pulled the skates from his bag. He slid his feet into them and fumbled with the laces. How am I supposed to tie these properly? Was it too tight or too loose? He keeps adjusting them, unsure what was supposed to feel right. He tugged once more and hoped for the best. It's probably fine, but he was not really convinced.

Standing up, his legs shook so that he thought he would fall down, but he was on his two feet. He tried to find his balance and froze in place, arms spread at both his sides, afraid that moving too much might end him badly hurt. Maisie, that time, was already skating away from him. At her encouragement, he laughed nervously. “That’s very optimistic, assuming I’ve even put these on right.” At least she's willing to teach him the right away, he preferred learning step by step.

He watched as she turned her feet into a V shape and explained how to push evenly with both feet. When she told him to skate to her, he stared down at his skates and tried to copy the position. They didn’t look quite the same as hers, but he thought it was close enough. He pushed harder, and it worked; he slid forward slowly. “I’m actually moving!” There was pride on his face when he looked at her again.

He spoke too soon, his balance gave up on him. One skate slipped forward, and there was nothing under him. He slipped and landed squarely on his backside. "Oww!!" Groaning, he chuckled at his own failure. “Yeah… that feels about right.” His face was burning with embarrassment despite the cold. He pushed himself up using both his hands as support and slid down again. His cheeks reddened even more as he gave her a sheepish smile. "A little help here?"

@Zephyr Deakin

13.12.2025

The girl was relived as Zephyr explained what 'rollerblades' were. Thankfully, they weren't the murder weapons she had thought. "They're almost the same thing. You don't need ice with rollerblades, you just need ground." She mused. Muggles, it seemed, were smart. "Whoever thought of it must be a genius." She added.

Now standing a few feet away from him, the girl waited for him to skate towards her. She watched as his feet turned inward to form a 'v', and then move smoothly on the icy surface."Yes! You really are doing it!" She exclaimed, impressed by how quick he mastered it and she opened her mouth to say so, before he lost his balance and landed hard on her back. Maisie winced. "Are you alright?" She asked as she quickly skated towards him. She bent down slightly and held out her hand.

On a second note, she said, "How about I teach you how to get up yourself?" Getting up after falling was one of the most important lessons in any sport, and certainly one of the most life-saving. She got down quickly on her back and then rolled onto her stomach before placing her hands on the frozen lake. She got on one knee, foot flat on the surface, and pushed herself up. "See?" She said slightly out of breath, turning to him. "It's easier getting up yourself, and it's quicker and safer than someone pulling you up. You try, if it doesn't work, I'll pull you up." She stood slightly back, giving him more room.

"You did quite good before you fell." She continued with a smile. "With a bit more practice, you'll be a professional in no time."

[quote]It was a relief to know Maisie didn't look horrified by his explanation or find it funny. In fact, she said whoever thought of rollerblades must be a genius. "That's one of the cool things about muggles, they come up with clever things when they don’t have magic to rely on." Rollerblades and skates have the same idea and had to laugh at something he found amusing, “And you don’t have to worry about falling into a lake.” He told her before he could stop himself.

Knowing he was far from him and was watching him curiously, the nerves came back full force. His stomach felt weird while copying her movement. That's what probably contributed to his little incident--of hurting his bum and making a fool of himself. His back hurt, and most of all, his pride hurt more. First try, and you fall like a sack of potatoes. He mumbled to himself, while trying to look like it's no big deal to him.

When Maisie skated over, concern on her face made his ears burn. He responded too quickly as he forced a sheepish grin. “I’m alright, I think.” He shifted slightly and winced. “Mostly.” and looked at the hand she held out to him and at her face. His cheeks felt hot despite the cold air. “Sorry, I got a bit confident there.” But before he could take her offered hand, she changed her mind and told him instead that it's better to teach him how to get up for himself. For a moment, he considered that internally. "You're right, I don't want to depend on someone pulling me up every time.” With an embarrassing smile, he agreed. “That would get old pretty fast.”

He watched as she demonstrated how it's properly done. Rolling on her stomach, hands on the ice, one knee bent, then the foot. Then you have to push yourself up. Simple enough and easy to follow. "Alright, I can do that too." It’s just getting up anyway. He got up from worse things than this, thinking briefly of muddy fields and uneven ground on their farm.

He rolled onto his stomach as she did, with his palms flat against the ice. It was colder than he expected, and he sucked in a breath. “Merlin, that’s cold,” and tried to push up too fast and immediately slipped, landing back down with a soft grunt. “…Right, sorry, I should do it slowly.” His blush remained.

When he tried again, he did it with careful movement and pushed up. At first, he was shaking badly, both legs and arms. For a second, he thought he was going to fall again, but didn’t. Now standing up back on his two feet, he was still slightly shaking. “Well, if you look at that...” Sounding surprised as he looked at her, a grin appeared. "Speaking of professional, do you compete?"

@Zephyr Deakin

13.12.2025

The girl nodded in agreement, "Indeed. They do seem more resourceful than those who live with magic. And yes, you won't have to worry about falling into an icy lake" Maisie laughed. It was cold, and when she breathed, she could see her breath. It was always a fun thing to watch. One of the many wonders of winter.

Maisie watched in bated breath as he repeated her steps, letting out the air in a whoop when he succeeded in getting up. "That wasn't so hard." She smiled. "You learn really quickly." Maisie observed, moving forward towards him. To his next question, she answered after a slight pause, "Professional? Me? No, not really. It's just a hobby, really. I did do competitions a long time ago but I don't do it anymore. It's pretty intense, the competition." She played with a loose ends on her mittens. "People sabotage each other." She added. Maisie refrained from telling the different sabotages she'd witnessed. It would be interesting, but gruesome all the same. "You? Did you compete on rollerblades?"

Moving on the subject quickly, she continued, "If you know how to use rollerblades, I'd wager you know how to stop?" She was already a far distance away from him, ready to show another essential step. She hoped he wouldn't be scared, or hate her. Without warning, she accelerated, going straight towards him. Maisie was getting closer and closer, and it seemed like she wouldn't stop. When the distance between them was only a few feet, she turned her right foot inward, facing her left and forming a "T", metal upon the icy surface. She stopped just in front of him. She thanked her lucky stars she hadn't crashed into him.

"Hope I didn't scare you. I didn't know what got into me. It seemed a very fun idea just then." She babbled anxiously, hoping she didn't scare him. "But um, that's how you stop. You willing to try?" She looked at him apologetically.

[quote]Zephyr chuckled as Maisie laughed. “As someone who grew up in the muggle world, I agree with that. Muggles are cool in their own way, they know all clever things, and a whole way of life that’s uniquely theirs. Things I wouldn’t really get if I weren't born there.” He thought of the simple things on the farm, their way of life without magic, how they worked with the land, the animals, and even the weather.

Yes, I did it! Letting himself laugh at his little accomplishment. “That wasn’t too bad, right?” Not to embarrass himself further, he tried to sound as casual as possible, though his legs were still shaking slightly.

She shared her experience in an ice skating competition. So she did try it before. "You said people sabotage each other?” His eyebrows lifted. “What kind of things do they do?” He may have sounded too eager, but he couldn’t hide the interest in his voice. “And, did you ever win?” When he saw her skate a while ago, she was really good. It would be surprising to know that she made it at one point in her life.

The same question was asked of him, and if he ever competed on rollerblades, he shook his head quickly. “Me? No, not really. I never got into it that seriously. Just a hobby. I only tried learning because I was curious, but never for competitions. I’m not very good at that kind of thing anyway. But I like trying new things, even if that means falling on my bum the first time.” He gestured toward his skates.

When he saw Maisie skating straight toward him at full speed, he panicked. What??? "Hey...hey!!" She’s coming right at him! His stomach did a double flip, and without thinking, he stepped backward. He almost lost his balance and thought he was going to hit the ice again. Not again! The girl stopped just in front of him, while he raised both arms to shield himself and closed his eyes tightly.

Somehow, he managed to stay upright, with his feet planted and his knees bent slightly. Opening his eyes when nothing hit him, he blinked rapidly in shock. “You... wow, you came so fast! I thought I was about to get knocked over!” His voice laced with panic and shock. "That was neat!" Being able to stand there without falling was a small victory.

Zephyr shook his head to reassure her, “No, it’s fine! Really! I just didn’t expect it.” He glanced at her position, “That’s how you stop?” He shifted his weight and looked at the ice. Taking a deep breath, he pushed forward, and when he was at a good distance, he attempted to stop just like she did, secretly proud that he had not fallen. "Is that how it's supposed to be?"