Taking Flight closed

Anna slowly guided her broom downwards, carfeful not to go too fast. She heard Evianna talk about her home life and play quidditch with her cousins. Anna imagined what it would be like if she played quidditch with her family. Her father would teach her how to fly and how to overcome her fear of heights. She imagined what it would be like if her mother approved of the wizarding world and let them fly high into the air flying in circles and showing off their skills. 

Anna’s feet touched the grass and she got off the broom letting go of her fantasy world. Her legs were still shaking and she almost fell on top of Evianna but regained balance before she fell on the poor girl again. The other girl followed them down, commenting on the changing weather. Anna had not noticed, since she was about to break her tiny body from flying, but it seemed that dark clouds had formed over their heads. Little cold droplets of rain landed on her face and her robes and she saw other students gathering their supplies and running inside. 

“My name is Evianna Wilson, I don’t believe i got yours.” 

Anna looked at Evianna. “I’m Anna Blair. Sorry again for, uh, running into you.” She said, her cheeks flushing red. 

Evianna laughed and shook Anna's hand. "Don't worry about it! If you'd like, I can try to help you with your flying. Maybe even teach you both how to play Quidditch!" she said, looking up at the other girl with a grin.

A clap of thunder broke above the girl's heads, making all three jump. Evianna smiled. She was certifiably soaked now. We should all get inside before we're struck by lightning. Besides, I've got a Transfiguration essay I'm supposed to write. It was nice meeting you!"

Waving at the others, Evianna threw her cloak over her head and raced back toward the castle, slipping on mud and wet clods of grass. Once inside, she stood against the wall, panting, breathless, and excited with the prospect of making her first friends at Hogwarts. On her way back to the Ravenclaw Common room, she had time to think.

Being up in the air again made her want to play Quidditch, but being too young for the official Ravenclaw team meant just one thing: organizing a pickup Quidditch game, just like the football players back home. Grinning like a fool, she skipped off toward the West Tower, ready to take flight with an actual Quaffle in her hands and someone else in front of the goalposts.

“My name is Evianna Wilson, I don’t believe i got yours.”

“I’m Anna Blair. Sorry again for, uh, running into you.”

"Don't worry about it! If you'd like, I can try to help you with your flying. Maybe even teach you both how to play Quidditch!"

"Mardella Bram," She chimed in belatedly, and stuck her own hand out for a shake - which was a bit strange in retrospect, but it seemed Hogwarts' pupils really liked their handshakes. "A Gryff, A Claw, and A Puff. We'd just need a Slytherin and we'd be able to make a team of chasers!"

"We should all get inside before we're struck by lightning. Besides, I've got a Transfiguration essay I'm supposed to write. It was nice meeting you!"

Mardella tugged her black robe off to drape it over her head, holding the rapidly dampening fabric up with one hand and the school broom in the other. "Yeah, you're right - see you!" She called out through the rain as Evianna ran off up the slope towards the castle. "I guess I've got to run to the broom cupboard first." She groaned aloud to Anna, feeling her tights begin to stick wetly to her legs and the material of her skirt get heavy with rainwater. "School broom." Mardella gestured helplessly, with a little jut of her chin towards the broomstick in her hand.

"Mardella Bram"

The rain seemed to have picked up while the girls were introducing themselves, and Anna hadn't noticed her clothes had gotten heavier from soaking in the water. 

"Don't worry about it! If you'd like, I can try to help you with your flying. Maybe even teach you both how to play Quidditch!"

Anna looked at the girl with a bit of confusion. Me? Playing Quidditch? Anna chuckled to herself. She imagined herself in a stadium in front of the whole school flying on a broom stick several feet off the ground trying to catch a ball or however one would play Quidditch. Anna jumped at the sound of thunder cracking above their heads, snapping her out of her imagination. 
For some reason, the thought that being taught how to play this strange sport seemed quite fun, considering all of the trouble she caused. 
"That would be fun!" she grinned at the girl. 
Soon, Evianna ran back inside to take shelter from the rain. Anna was about to head inside herself until Mardella pointed out that she needed to return her broom back to it's cupboard. "I'll come with," she said gesturing at her school broom. 
As they ran the the broom cupboard, Anna couldn't help but smile like an idiot at the thought of her playing such a dangerous sport. "How exciting." She said to herself.

Soon, Anna and Mardella reached the broom cupboard and both girls put back their brooms in their correct places. This would be a perfect time to strike up a conversation. "Have you ever played Quidditch before?" Anna asked with a stupid grin stuck on her face. 

Mardella shook off a few droplets off the bristles on the end of the broom, before lining it up next to the others like it by the edges of the walls. Outside she could still hear the rain going and they still had to run all the way back to the castle before they could really say they were home and dry. Well, maybe not dry she thought wryly as she squeezed one of the ends of her pigtails and a torrent of water splashed against her shoes.

"Nah," She shook her head even as she said it. "I've listened to it on the wireless before though, a massive fan of the Berwick Brilligs! But I've..." Mardella dropped the wet braid with a wrinkle of her nose, watching as it seemed to squelch as it hit her back. Gross. "We've not actually got a broom at home," She said, turning her attention back to the blonde Hufflepuff. "What about you, have you played before? Fan of a team?"

Anna didn’t really mind her hair and clothes being soaked, though it did make everything a lot more uncomfortable. 

“Nah, I’ve listened to it on the wireless before though, a massive fan of the Berwick Brilligs!”

Anna watched as the girl squeezed water out of her braided pigtails. The Berwick what now? She suddenly realized that she doesn’t know anything about quidditch and she certainly doesn’t know any teams. 

“What about you? Have you played before? Fan of a team?”

Anna wasn’t prepared for this question. 

“Well actually, i’ve never flown a broom until today.” she said a little embarrassed. 
“And yeah, I’m a fan of the Berwick... um, Brilligs too,” she said avoiding eye contact. 
What did I just say? Her inner voice said. You... are the stupidest person I have ever met in my entire life. 
She smiled through the pain, still avoiding eye contact. It was probably obvious that she was lying from the look on her red face. 
"Um, anyways we should head back," She said looking at the downpour. "I think it's starting to get worse." As soon as the words left her mouth, a flash of lightning lit the entire grounds and thunder shook the castle grounds. Anna squealed and jumped about three feet in the air. 

Hailey gripped the broomstick shakily, feeling the rough wood between her hands. She whistled slightly under her breath.
How does this work again?
Then it suddenly came flooding back to her. Her father's face smiled up at her, and her sister, around the age of 4, flitted around on her tiny broom, her toes skimming the moist grass.
She was 5 again.
"Hold here." He pointed to a spot a few inches down the handle. "And then stick your other hand here."
The 5-year-old Hailey Jackson copied his instructions.
"Now, you'll gently kick upwards-"
His words were suddenly drowned out by her train of thought. Don't get stuck into the past people will be staring wake up you haven't fallen asleep have you, Merlin's Y-front's, everyone's going to think you're strange, WAKE UP!
She blinked and her eyes focused on the broomstick handle. In the real world. Where nothing could hurt her.

Sweat dripped down her forehead as she took a shaky breath. She wanted to go back to her dorm, and curl up with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her favourite book.
Yes, that sounded nice.
But, as a few more seconds of hesitation passed, she finally kicked, gently at first, and, when the broom didn't respond, harder. And she flew.

A gentle breeze whipped a wavy lock of hair out of her face as she soared upwards, her fingers nervously twitching as she clamped them around the broom.
Oh, please don't let me fall off!

Mardella giggled. "Yeah, Brilligs. It's okay if you don't know them, y'know." She grinned, turning back to the doorway. "Not many people do, 'cause they're a pretty new team, but don't worry, by the time I'm through with you I'll have converted you!" She teased.

She nudged the door open a crack, wrinkling her nose as cold air and stinging rain rushed in. Ideally the downpour would have let up whilst they were putting things away, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Um, anyways we should head back, I think it's starting to get worse."

Anna suggested. Mardella flinched at the bright flash that lit up the sky, blinking away spots as it receded. It looked like it had hit somewhere deep in the Forbidden Forest, but Anna was right, they should probably head inside before the storm got closer."Yeah, you're right - and dinner's probably starting soon too."

"You okay to run?" She asked, checking on the startled Hufflepuff. "I...I don't know any spells that would keep us dry." Or many spells at all. They would just have to run for it, and be quick up the path to the castle. "We'll just be quick - and be careful on our way up." It wouldn't do to slip!

Tensing at the door, she got her damp cloak over her head and ready to rush out.