From Ice to Air PV Robin Marie

〚 •• ✎ •• 〛

| Location: Hogwarts Grounds | Date: 25/04/26 | Word count: 464 |
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The gravel crunched beneath Frederick’s trainers as he cut across the Hogwarts grounds, his broom resting over his right shoulder. It was a Saturday morning, somewhere between a long, lazy weekend breakfast and lunchtime. The spring sun stood steady in the sky, and the landscape around the castle was beginning to show signs of a richer green, typical of this time of year. Despite the pleasant feeling of being outdoors, with the sun’s rays brushing warmly against his face, the temperature was mild, and the air carried that crisp, lingering chill, with a cool breeze that tousled the boy’s already messy hair.

Dressed in comfortable, sufficiently warm clothes, Frederick wore a mustard windbreaker over everything, zipped all the way up to protect his neck and chin, something that could easily be spotted from afar, standing out against the surroundings. His mind was half on the pitch ahead, the training field he was heading toward, and half drifting somewhere else entirely. Walking alone, he let his imagination wander freely, sometimes taking him to recent memories, other times to scenarios that existed only in his head.

He adjusted his grip on the broom, letting it tilt slightly as he walked, the handle familiar against his palm. Lately, he’d found himself out here more often than not, he thought. It had always been somewhat true, but receiving a Silver Arrow from his parents had only intensified how often he sought out open spaces. The Quidditch pitch and training grounds, especially, had become his usual spots, places to practice flying and get used to the new rhythm the broom demanded. Distracted, thinking about how good flying felt, the boy was slow to notice the figure ahead on the path.

Fred squinted slightly, his pace unconsciously quickening. There was a girl walking in the same direction, a broom in hand. Something about her seemed familiar. He shifted the broom on his shoulder and leaned forward just a bit, as if that might help him place her faster. As he closed the distance, he could see her better, even from slightly behind and then it clicked instantly. “Oh, hey!” he called, breaking into a light jog for the last few steps until he drew alongside her, a grin already spreading across his face. “Robin, right?”

He knew the girl was in her second year, which meant he didn’t run into her very often around the castle, only by coincidence or during times common to all students. Still, the memory of the Winter Games, when they’d played together on the same ice hockey team, remained vivid, making it feel as though the match had happened not long ago at all. Fred nodded ahead with his chin, gesturing down the winding path. “How’ve you been? I’m heading to the training pitch. You too?”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
| Interacting with: @Robin Marie |