Closed Eat Your Heart Out, Holyhead Harpies PV June Selwyn

Dear @June Selwyn,

May 14, 2022

xxxxxxxxMaggie soared back down to the earth with a grin, tossing her dark hair out of her face and raking her fingers through the messy strands as they came to rest over her forehead and upon her temples. Feather-light touches, all effective in making Maggie feel like the coolest person in the entire world. "So, yeah, basically something like that?" Maggie grinned and held the broomstick out towards June once more. "I'm sure you've got this in the bag. Just remember to take it slow, because if you go too fast at your level of experience you're probably gonna fall. Sorry. And keep those turns tight so you don't sail off while making wide arcs."

Lots of advice. All critical and important for the success of this 'mission'. To learn how to fly, June needed to truly let herself go. She needed to let herself soar. Obviously, like, being careful, of course. Soar by being careful. Let go but also, like, be super careful because Maggie really didn't feel like hauling ass to the hospital wing. At least not right now.

Maggie stepped back to admire her pupil, arms folded over her chest. "You know, maybe, if this works out, you could do a sport. Maybe not Quidditch, because that's my thing, but maybe broom racing? I'm sure the Vipers would love to have another fast flyer on the team," June showed a surprising amount of promise when it came to speed. Obviously, she'd need to be careful not to go too fast and overestimate her lack of experience, so Maggie wouldn't hype her up too terribly much, but she'd give her just enough to work with. To leap off of as a jumping off point.

Tight turns, understood." June saluted Maggie as she got back on her broom. "Don't worry, I won't go any faster than I did before." Probably.

"Do you really think so?" June swung her leg over the broom, letting herself hover as she thought. "Hmm... Broom racing. Well, I'm too busy with revisions for end-of-terms right now, so maybe next year. We'll see."

June poised herself to take off. "Alright, here we go! Attempt number two, with tighter turns." And with that, she kicked off.

Up, up, up, all the way to the altitude Maggie had just been at. This was much better. More terrifying too, yes, but more liberating. Right, tighter turns.

June began to visualize her pattern in the sky. She wasn't exactly sure what the pattern was, or was supposed to be, but along she went, tucking herself in as she swerved left and right, feeling the wind push on her skin as she dove and soared. This was very, very fun.

June looked down and yelled towards Maggie. "I'm going to try and go a bit faster now!" She was unsure if her friend could hear her from so far away, but June certainly couldn't make out anything she might have said back. June began to speed across the sky, just simple laps for the time being, but pushing the broom more than she had been. The wind stung her eyes and they began to water a bit, blurring June's vision slightly. She let go of the broom with her left hand for a moment to wipe her eyes. That was a mistake.

What June didn't realize until too late was that the removal of her hand would shift the balance of the broom. She began to veer off to the right a bit. June tugged at her broom to correct her course. That was also a mistake.

June's tug ended up being more of a forceful pull, and as she wasn't braced for it, June ended up pulling the broom right out from under her legs.

Uh oh.

June felt herself plummet to the ground, the streak of the falling broom right beside her. Was this it? Was she going to die? She couldn't die, she had just started to make friends. No, she'd be fine, right? Quidditch players had fallen from this height before, right? June felt her breaths become heavy and ragged as she screamed.

And then everything went black.

Dear reader,

May 14, 2022

xxxxxxxxOkay, so, Maggie did notice June going a bit high. Sorry, a lot high. June was soaring far above her initial height, and was attempting the zig-zagging motions that Maggie often partook in. Maggie let her soar for a few moments, but that just wasn't something she could reasonably sit by and watch. If June fell, Maggie would feel guilt something fierce, and she'd have to live with the fact that she let her best friend fall so far.

Sure, Maggie had fallen the same height during Quidditch, but she was in full safety gear and supervised by older students and teachers alike. June and Maggie were faced with an impossible situation, here. Nobody was around, as Maggie didn't want to get in trouble for trying to set up an impromptu flight lesson on the pitch; but if June fell, she might break a bone. Or worse, something might permanently shatter or snap and Maggie would be single-handedly responsible for the breaking of June Selwyn.

"Okay, uh, time to come down!" The wind whipped her words away like leaves falling from the boughs of autumn trees, carrying with it the concern that Maggie was attempting to convey to June.

Everything that either of the two girls were attempting to say was whirled away. June's words never reached Maggie, and vice versa. Quite unfortunate, if one did say so herself. "Can you hear me? June? June, come on, you have to come down!"

Maggie watched in horror as June jerked the broom out from under herself. The Silver Arrow sailed forward a few meters, then, due to the lack of rider and direction, began to plummet. Concern wasn't cast onto the broomstick, however, and Maggie darted forward towards where June was headed.

What was she planning to do? Hadn't the faintest idea. Obviously, she couldn't catch June, but she could sure try. "June! June?" With a panicked wobble in her voice, Maggie yanked her wand out of her robe pocket and braced herself, palms sweaty. "Uh--alohamora! No, no, no, um... damn it, wingardium leviosa!" The wand thrummed in her grasp and sparked at the end. Wand movement! Yeah, had to use the proper wand movement! "Wingardium leviosa!"

For once, as she shuffled forward in tears to fuss over her friend, crumpled on the ground, Maggie Hawkins wished she'd done her homework.

INTERACTIONS | @June Selwyn