18 Jun 2018, 04:12
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
The pitch was quiet on a Sunday evening, which was surprising considering that it seemed like there was some sort of class or practice going on at all hours on the weekend. Perhaps she'd get kicked off later, but for the moment, she was taking advantage of a big space where she could fly and not have to worry about bumping into anyone else. She was getting better on a broom, trying to practice enough that she might stand a chance of making it onto her house team before she graduated, but still wasn't quite there yet. She was sure that having to dodge people would make her a better flier in the long run, and she wouldn't mind the extra skill practice normally, but having a whole field to herself was not something she could pass up.
The school broom was in rough shape, but it was good enough for a few laps around the field. She kicked off quickly, loving the feeling of the wind rushing through her air as she rocketed upwards. She'd learned her lesson about leaving her hair loose while flying, but it felt just as nice when it was braided down her back. She rode around the pitch clockwise for a couple of times, before turning and going in the other direction. It was so much nicer when there was no one else around! A little lonely though. Not that she wanted someone else taking up her nice field, but someone to fly with would be nice.
As if someone was granting her wishes, she caught sight of someone on the field. She didn't recognize them at a glance, but that hardly mattered. As long as they wanted to fly with her. She guided her broom down to where they were. "Hey! Want to play catch? Someone left a ball just over there," she asked, hoping they would say yes. What could be a better way to spent a Sunday evening?
The school broom was in rough shape, but it was good enough for a few laps around the field. She kicked off quickly, loving the feeling of the wind rushing through her air as she rocketed upwards. She'd learned her lesson about leaving her hair loose while flying, but it felt just as nice when it was braided down her back. She rode around the pitch clockwise for a couple of times, before turning and going in the other direction. It was so much nicer when there was no one else around! A little lonely though. Not that she wanted someone else taking up her nice field, but someone to fly with would be nice.
As if someone was granting her wishes, she caught sight of someone on the field. She didn't recognize them at a glance, but that hardly mattered. As long as they wanted to fly with her. She guided her broom down to where they were. "Hey! Want to play catch? Someone left a ball just over there," she asked, hoping they would say yes. What could be a better way to spent a Sunday evening?
18 Jun 2018, 04:26
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
Lucy clutched her broom tightly. Too tightly. In fact, her knuckles were turning white as she walked to the middle of the pitch. She was determined to get this flying thing down. For the umpteenth time, she mentally berated her parents for not having a broom at home that she could practice on growing up. It was different for the students that were completely Muggle-born, but for a half-blood like herself, there weren't any excuses. People would expect her to be competent at flying, and she knew that no amount of reading could improve her skill.
The school broom vibrated in her hand, coasting along parallel to the ground. She was merely guiding it with her hand. It seemed almost eager to get off the ground, which was unusual. These brooms were known for being downright lazy. She didn't want to go to the practice fields because other people - better than her - usually frequented there. No one would expect someone to be on the Quidditch pitch on a Sunday evening. Despite the fact that they didn't have classes today, Lucy still wore her school robes. She preferred the uniform over having to worry about what people might think about her clothes.
Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice called out to her. "Hey! Want to play catch? Someone left a ball just over there." Lucy looked up, just above eye level, to see a girl with windblown braided brown hair sitting as comfortably on a broom as Lucy could sit on a chair. She raised her eyebrows, eyeing her skill with envy. She had come out here to practice flying, but she supposed that it could wait. She never turned down companionship. Plus, she hadn't played good old-fashioned catch in ages!
She slowly lowered the broom to the ground and jogged over to the ball, picking it up and tossing it to the girl. "Sure!" she called cheerfully, watching the ball sail towards the girl. It seemed as if it would fall a little short, so if the girl didn't dismount or move to catch it, it would land on the ground again. Oops. Bad form. "I love catch! My name's Lucy, by the way. Lucy O'Sullivan." She always tacked on her last name since she knew there were several first-years named Lucy.
"What's your name?" she asked as she walked nearer to the girl, her broom still lying on the ground. It didn't occur to her once that Rowan might have been suggesting they play catch on the broomsticks. It was outside of Lucy's concept of reality due to her lack of skill and overall awareness in general.
The school broom vibrated in her hand, coasting along parallel to the ground. She was merely guiding it with her hand. It seemed almost eager to get off the ground, which was unusual. These brooms were known for being downright lazy. She didn't want to go to the practice fields because other people - better than her - usually frequented there. No one would expect someone to be on the Quidditch pitch on a Sunday evening. Despite the fact that they didn't have classes today, Lucy still wore her school robes. She preferred the uniform over having to worry about what people might think about her clothes.
Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice called out to her. "Hey! Want to play catch? Someone left a ball just over there." Lucy looked up, just above eye level, to see a girl with windblown braided brown hair sitting as comfortably on a broom as Lucy could sit on a chair. She raised her eyebrows, eyeing her skill with envy. She had come out here to practice flying, but she supposed that it could wait. She never turned down companionship. Plus, she hadn't played good old-fashioned catch in ages!
She slowly lowered the broom to the ground and jogged over to the ball, picking it up and tossing it to the girl. "Sure!" she called cheerfully, watching the ball sail towards the girl. It seemed as if it would fall a little short, so if the girl didn't dismount or move to catch it, it would land on the ground again. Oops. Bad form. "I love catch! My name's Lucy, by the way. Lucy O'Sullivan." She always tacked on her last name since she knew there were several first-years named Lucy.
"What's your name?" she asked as she walked nearer to the girl, her broom still lying on the ground. It didn't occur to her once that Rowan might have been suggesting they play catch on the broomsticks. It was outside of Lucy's concept of reality due to her lack of skill and overall awareness in general.
19 Jun 2018, 02:59
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
What a better way to spend a practice session than playing catch with someone else? It was basically killing two birds with one stone - she could get some good flying practice in, and she could potentially find herself someone else to hang out with. And the girl seemed willing enough. Perfect! Rowan hovered in the air as the girl ran to grab the ball from where she had pointed to. It was tossed in Rowan's direction, but fell a little short when she didn't move quickly enough. An easy enough catch if she was on the ground, but the whole point of this was flying practice. She quickly dropped to the ground, grabbing the ball and pushing herself back up into the air.
"I love catch! My name's Lucy, by the way. Lucy O'Sullivan." Rowan grinned at the enthusiasm the girl had. "I'm Rowan. Nice to meet you. And thanks for playing with me. It's a bit lonely out here today." Not that she really minded, but practicing by yourself was less effective, and this girl had shown up at the perfect time. It couldn't have worked out better if she'd actually tried to schedule something. She waited for the girl to get on her broomstick so they could get this game going, but the girl was walking towards her rather than her broom, leaving Rowan just awkwardly waiting. "Wait, aren't you going to fly?" she had to ask. "It'll be really strange if I'm up here and you're down there, plus you won't get any practice yourself." Maybe Lucy just didn't want to show Rowan up with her flying skills. The Gryffindor honestly wouldn't have been surprised. There were some seriously talented fliers around Hogwarts.
"I love catch! My name's Lucy, by the way. Lucy O'Sullivan." Rowan grinned at the enthusiasm the girl had. "I'm Rowan. Nice to meet you. And thanks for playing with me. It's a bit lonely out here today." Not that she really minded, but practicing by yourself was less effective, and this girl had shown up at the perfect time. It couldn't have worked out better if she'd actually tried to schedule something. She waited for the girl to get on her broomstick so they could get this game going, but the girl was walking towards her rather than her broom, leaving Rowan just awkwardly waiting. "Wait, aren't you going to fly?" she had to ask. "It'll be really strange if I'm up here and you're down there, plus you won't get any practice yourself." Maybe Lucy just didn't want to show Rowan up with her flying skills. The Gryffindor honestly wouldn't have been surprised. There were some seriously talented fliers around Hogwarts.
19 Jun 2018, 21:06
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
"Wait, aren't you going to fly?" inquired the Gryffindor girl, and Lucy froze. Her mind rapidly put together the clues of the interaction that she had previously failed to pick up on and her eyes widened. "Fly?" she squeaked, casting a panicked glance at her broom. Of course - Rowan had meant that they should play catch in the air. Anyone that was competent on a broomstick would be able to accomplish this feat, and those that were perhaps a bit more skilled might even enjoy it. Lucy did not belong in either of those categories.
However, she had already agreed to play catch. Plus, she didn't want some Gryffindor girl to think that Hufflepuffs were a lily-livered house like she had heard some Gryffindors say when they thought she couldn't hear. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. She placed her right hand over her broom and croaked out, "Up." The broom slowly, lazily, flew into her hand. It recognized her reluctance and responded with a similar reaction.
"Well, I haven't had very much practice," Lucy admitted, figuring that she should warn the girl before she mounted her broom. "I'm afraid I'm not very good." She awkwardly swung one leg over the broom, pausing to hitch up her school robes so that she could straddle the thing more comfortably. She bent her knees and jumped off the ground as she had been instructed to do in her Flying course. However, she forgot the key component of levelling out the handle as she raised into the air. In fact, she raised the stick of the broom to an even steeper angle as she jumped. This was a mistake.
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIEEHHHHHHHHHH!" Lucy shrieked, rocketing straight into the sky at a speed that she once thought was impossible on a school broom. Though it wasn't as fast as some of the newer models, it was much too fast for a novice like Lucy. Her only thought was stopping the rapid ascent. She leaned forward with all of her weight, tipping the handle of the broom toward the ground-- too far. In half a second, her problem changed from shooting straight up to rocketing directly toward the ground. Too breathless to scream this time, Lucy felt the distinct feeling of her stomach being left behind in the air somewhere near the peak of her ascent.
As she hurtled toward the ground - and, unfortunately, Rowan - she leaned back with all of her might. Luckily for her, it was harder to pull a broom handle level than it was to push it down, so she managed to level out about four meters off the ground. She continued to lightly pull up until she halted in the air, arms trembling and face as white as new snow. She turned her wide eyes on Rowan, still mute from the terrifying and potentially deadly experience.
However, she had already agreed to play catch. Plus, she didn't want some Gryffindor girl to think that Hufflepuffs were a lily-livered house like she had heard some Gryffindors say when they thought she couldn't hear. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. She placed her right hand over her broom and croaked out, "Up." The broom slowly, lazily, flew into her hand. It recognized her reluctance and responded with a similar reaction.
"Well, I haven't had very much practice," Lucy admitted, figuring that she should warn the girl before she mounted her broom. "I'm afraid I'm not very good." She awkwardly swung one leg over the broom, pausing to hitch up her school robes so that she could straddle the thing more comfortably. She bent her knees and jumped off the ground as she had been instructed to do in her Flying course. However, she forgot the key component of levelling out the handle as she raised into the air. In fact, she raised the stick of the broom to an even steeper angle as she jumped. This was a mistake.
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIEEHHHHHHHHHH!" Lucy shrieked, rocketing straight into the sky at a speed that she once thought was impossible on a school broom. Though it wasn't as fast as some of the newer models, it was much too fast for a novice like Lucy. Her only thought was stopping the rapid ascent. She leaned forward with all of her weight, tipping the handle of the broom toward the ground-- too far. In half a second, her problem changed from shooting straight up to rocketing directly toward the ground. Too breathless to scream this time, Lucy felt the distinct feeling of her stomach being left behind in the air somewhere near the peak of her ascent.
As she hurtled toward the ground - and, unfortunately, Rowan - she leaned back with all of her might. Luckily for her, it was harder to pull a broom handle level than it was to push it down, so she managed to level out about four meters off the ground. She continued to lightly pull up until she halted in the air, arms trembling and face as white as new snow. She turned her wide eyes on Rowan, still mute from the terrifying and potentially deadly experience.
21 Jun 2018, 03:21
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
For the briefest moment, Rowan actually thought that the girl was planning on playing catch from the ground. She wasn't sure how she could possibly have come to that conclusion, considering the fact that they were on the Quidditch pitch of all places, but it honest-to-goodness looked that way. So she had to ask, because she was really keen on getting some flying practice in. And based on the Lucy's reaction, she'd not thought about doing it on brooms. "Of course," Rowan said, frowning in her confusion. "Didn't you come out here to get some flying practice?" Maybe she thought it was a good place for a picnic? Though she had brought a broom...
She hovered in the air as Lucy got her broom, looking a little reluctant. Or was that nervousness? Rowan had no idea, but she knew the girl didn't look overly enthused about flying. "That's okay, that's what practice is for, isn't it?" she said, hoping to get some enthusiasm from the other girl. She got awkwardly on the broom, and instead of soaring up to where Rowan was, launched herself into the air like one of those muggle rockets that Theo liked to talk about sometimes.
Rowan watched in horror as the girl rocketed into the air, letting out a shriek that rattled the Gryffindor's bones. If she was a better flier, maybe she could have done something to help, but she was only good at flying around, not actually doing anything else while on her broom. Catch had been a rather ambitious thing if it required flying and catching at the same time. So there was nothing she could do - nothing she dared do - as the girl soared up, and then rocketed back downwards, barely pulling up before she very nearly collided with the ground and with Rowan herself.
She stared at the girl, horrified at what had just happened. "You weren't kidding when you said that you're not very good," Rowan said, nervously. She was afraid to do much of anything, just incase the girl started taking off in one direction or the other. "Sorry, I don't mean to be mean or anything like that, but that was... something." Catch was definitely going to be a dangerous option, and Rowan didn't want to be responsible for Lucy ending up seriously injured. "Are you okay? She looked rather terrified, but generally uninjured. "Um, maybe a nice, slow fly around the pitch and a chat? Then we can play catch on the ground afterwards?" Something a little safer than what had just happened, anyway.
She hovered in the air as Lucy got her broom, looking a little reluctant. Or was that nervousness? Rowan had no idea, but she knew the girl didn't look overly enthused about flying. "That's okay, that's what practice is for, isn't it?" she said, hoping to get some enthusiasm from the other girl. She got awkwardly on the broom, and instead of soaring up to where Rowan was, launched herself into the air like one of those muggle rockets that Theo liked to talk about sometimes.
Rowan watched in horror as the girl rocketed into the air, letting out a shriek that rattled the Gryffindor's bones. If she was a better flier, maybe she could have done something to help, but she was only good at flying around, not actually doing anything else while on her broom. Catch had been a rather ambitious thing if it required flying and catching at the same time. So there was nothing she could do - nothing she dared do - as the girl soared up, and then rocketed back downwards, barely pulling up before she very nearly collided with the ground and with Rowan herself.
She stared at the girl, horrified at what had just happened. "You weren't kidding when you said that you're not very good," Rowan said, nervously. She was afraid to do much of anything, just incase the girl started taking off in one direction or the other. "Sorry, I don't mean to be mean or anything like that, but that was... something." Catch was definitely going to be a dangerous option, and Rowan didn't want to be responsible for Lucy ending up seriously injured. "Are you okay? She looked rather terrified, but generally uninjured. "Um, maybe a nice, slow fly around the pitch and a chat? Then we can play catch on the ground afterwards?" Something a little safer than what had just happened, anyway.
24 Jun 2018, 02:51
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
"You weren't kidding when you said that you're not very good. [...] Um, maybe a nice, slow fly around the pitch and a chat? Then we can play catch on the ground afterwards?"
Lucy nodded gratefully, still gripping her broom with white knuckles. "Sorry for almost knocking you off your broom," she said, looking over her shoulder at Rowan and smiling weakly. "Okay... I'm going to try and turn around and fly next to you."
Lucy cautiously leaned to her left. She pushed too hard on the handle and started slowly descending, so she pulled up again as she pulled to the left. She groaned, shook out her trembling arms, and tried again. It took at least two minutes for her to travel half a meter, but she managed to navigate her broom so that she was sitting side-by-side with Rowan in the air. "I've only flown on a broom once before. I wish I practised more when I was little, but my family didn't own one. Now I'm basically the worst flyer at Hogwarts." Her tone was light, but there was an edge of bitterness behind it. No one likes to suck at things, especially basic tasks. And flying was a basic task for a Hogwarts student. Mum and Dad could have prepared me to be more successful. Why oh why didn't I ask for a broom for Christmas? Lucy huffed in annoyance before inspiration struck.
"Say, you seem to fly pretty well. Do you think you could give me some pointers?" Lucy smiled hopefully at Rowan, her eyes slowly regaining their natural sparkle after the terrifying flying escapade. "I kind of suck." She paused and then laughed. "Okay, not kind of. I really suck. Please teach me how to suck less!"
Lucy held her breath. Obviously, this was not the sort of practice that Rowan was hoping to get in tonight. While it might help Lucy improve her own flying skills, it would not challenge Rowan in any way. Would the Gryffindor girl give up her Sunday evening to tutor an incredibly untalented flyer? Or would she reject her and fly away? Lucy's heart rate increased a bit as her plea hung in the air. She turned her face from Rowan, looking down at the field as she hovered in the air. She didn't want to pressure the girl into doing something nice - she hated forcing people to do things.
Hey, if you want to give Lucy instructions, feel free to say that "she copied" them or something to that effect. I think it would be a bit obnoxious to wait for me to reply after each instruction! But if you don't want to do that, that's okay too.
Lucy nodded gratefully, still gripping her broom with white knuckles. "Sorry for almost knocking you off your broom," she said, looking over her shoulder at Rowan and smiling weakly. "Okay... I'm going to try and turn around and fly next to you."
Lucy cautiously leaned to her left. She pushed too hard on the handle and started slowly descending, so she pulled up again as she pulled to the left. She groaned, shook out her trembling arms, and tried again. It took at least two minutes for her to travel half a meter, but she managed to navigate her broom so that she was sitting side-by-side with Rowan in the air. "I've only flown on a broom once before. I wish I practised more when I was little, but my family didn't own one. Now I'm basically the worst flyer at Hogwarts." Her tone was light, but there was an edge of bitterness behind it. No one likes to suck at things, especially basic tasks. And flying was a basic task for a Hogwarts student. Mum and Dad could have prepared me to be more successful. Why oh why didn't I ask for a broom for Christmas? Lucy huffed in annoyance before inspiration struck.
"Say, you seem to fly pretty well. Do you think you could give me some pointers?" Lucy smiled hopefully at Rowan, her eyes slowly regaining their natural sparkle after the terrifying flying escapade. "I kind of suck." She paused and then laughed. "Okay, not kind of. I really suck. Please teach me how to suck less!"
Lucy held her breath. Obviously, this was not the sort of practice that Rowan was hoping to get in tonight. While it might help Lucy improve her own flying skills, it would not challenge Rowan in any way. Would the Gryffindor girl give up her Sunday evening to tutor an incredibly untalented flyer? Or would she reject her and fly away? Lucy's heart rate increased a bit as her plea hung in the air. She turned her face from Rowan, looking down at the field as she hovered in the air. She didn't want to pressure the girl into doing something nice - she hated forcing people to do things.
Hey, if you want to give Lucy instructions, feel free to say that "she copied" them or something to that effect. I think it would be a bit obnoxious to wait for me to reply after each instruction! But if you don't want to do that, that's okay too.
24 Jun 2018, 20:16
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
When Rowan had asked the girl to play catch, this wasn't quite the way she'd thought the whole thing would go. But Lucy had made it out of her little flying adventure relatively unscathed, and she wasn't running from her broom in terror, so that was all good, right? "It's okay. I'm just glad that there was no actual crash that happened," she responded, hoping that they could go the rest of this little practice with similar luck. She was really hoping to avoid a trip to the Hospital Wing.
Lucy told her what her plan was, but seemed to be having a little difficulty with actually making it happen. She had to give the girl credit for not giving up though. Rowan wouldn't have kept trying like this. "I'm sure you're not the worst flyer," she said, though she genuinely had no idea. "Never too late to learn, right?" She caught the slightest bit of - what was that? Bitterness? - something in the Hufflepuff's voice, but wasn't sure what to make of it. And she'd only met this girl a few minutes ago, so it was hardly the time to be asking.
"Say, you seem to fly pretty well. Do you think you could give me some pointers?" Rowan looked up at Lucy, surprised. She could fly okay, but she was still pretty wobbly in general. Though compared to the Hufflepuff, maybe that looked really good. "I can try, if you want," she said, offering the girl a small smile. "I'm still figuring it out, and I've never tried to teach anyone before, but I can see what I can do to help you suck less." Plus, this girl seemed nice, and Rowan was all for more friends. And what better way than to bond over flying?
She glanced over the girl, trying to figure out where to start. "Maybe try to be more relaxed?" she said, the sentence coming out more like a question than anything else. "I know it's tricky, especially since you just almost crashed, but then your movements don't have to be so dramatic, because you have more flexibility in your body. Does that make sense?" She had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. "Yeah, like that," she said, when the girl followed her instruction. "And maybe use your core a bit more, like hold yourself stead from there." It was weird to try and explain something what she was doing with her body, and she didn't know if what she did was even right. It kept her in the air though, so must be something. "Want to try a slow lap around the pitch and see if that helps?"
Lucy told her what her plan was, but seemed to be having a little difficulty with actually making it happen. She had to give the girl credit for not giving up though. Rowan wouldn't have kept trying like this. "I'm sure you're not the worst flyer," she said, though she genuinely had no idea. "Never too late to learn, right?" She caught the slightest bit of - what was that? Bitterness? - something in the Hufflepuff's voice, but wasn't sure what to make of it. And she'd only met this girl a few minutes ago, so it was hardly the time to be asking.
"Say, you seem to fly pretty well. Do you think you could give me some pointers?" Rowan looked up at Lucy, surprised. She could fly okay, but she was still pretty wobbly in general. Though compared to the Hufflepuff, maybe that looked really good. "I can try, if you want," she said, offering the girl a small smile. "I'm still figuring it out, and I've never tried to teach anyone before, but I can see what I can do to help you suck less." Plus, this girl seemed nice, and Rowan was all for more friends. And what better way than to bond over flying?
She glanced over the girl, trying to figure out where to start. "Maybe try to be more relaxed?" she said, the sentence coming out more like a question than anything else. "I know it's tricky, especially since you just almost crashed, but then your movements don't have to be so dramatic, because you have more flexibility in your body. Does that make sense?" She had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. "Yeah, like that," she said, when the girl followed her instruction. "And maybe use your core a bit more, like hold yourself stead from there." It was weird to try and explain something what she was doing with her body, and she didn't know if what she did was even right. It kept her in the air though, so must be something. "Want to try a slow lap around the pitch and see if that helps?"
24 Jun 2018, 23:27
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
Lucy fidgeted apprehensively until Rowan responded, "I can try, if you want." Lucy released some air that she hadn't realized she was holding. Up until this point, she wasn't quite sure how the evening would turn out. Now she felt confident that she might actually learn something tonight without dying. As Rowan gave her instructions, Lucy attempted to follow them. Relaxing a bit was easy enough - she could feel the tenseness in her body. However, Rowan seemed to contradict herself in the next statement when she instructed Lucy to use her core. Didn't she just say to relax? Oi, this is going to be harder than I thought, Lucy thought grimly.
Determined to get it right, she clenched her abdominal muscles as tightly as she could. This didn't seem to help since she couldn't breathe while she was flexing her muscles this hard. Realizing that this probably wasn't the goal, she took a deep breath and clenched them again, but this time in a way that still allowed her mobility and the all-important ability to breathe. Okay. Better. Lucy threw a cautious grin at the Gryffindor girl. Maybe flying wasn't so hard after all.
"Want to try a slow lap around the pitch and see if that helps?" Rowan asked, and Lucy nodded slowly. She had recovered from her previous flight enough to be game for a slow fly around the pitch. She leaned forward a bit on her broom, concentrating on leaning by using her core. To her surprise, she titled forward only slightly and progressed forward without descending. "Woah, look, I'm doing it," Lucy cried in surprise, twisting on her broom to talk to Rowan. Unfortunately, she still hadn't quite mastered the steering-without-looking skill and brought her broom directly into what would be Rowan's flight path if the girl had decided to fly forward.
Lucy managed not to overreact and jerk up or down, but her second instinct was to freeze. If Rowan flew forward, Lucy hoped the girl was skilled enough to manoeuvre around her. She sat there for a second until her brain kicked in. Move, you dolt! She slowly turned her broom and flew back into her original path, blushing furiously. "Well, I had it. I guess this is something that really takes practice, huh? Did you practice a lot growing up?" she asked as she started to slowly follow the curve of the stadium, enjoying the mild breeze as the sun dipped lower behind the tall bleachers. It was a lovely day for a ride on a broom, even if she was less than skilled in handling her broom.
Determined to get it right, she clenched her abdominal muscles as tightly as she could. This didn't seem to help since she couldn't breathe while she was flexing her muscles this hard. Realizing that this probably wasn't the goal, she took a deep breath and clenched them again, but this time in a way that still allowed her mobility and the all-important ability to breathe. Okay. Better. Lucy threw a cautious grin at the Gryffindor girl. Maybe flying wasn't so hard after all.
"Want to try a slow lap around the pitch and see if that helps?" Rowan asked, and Lucy nodded slowly. She had recovered from her previous flight enough to be game for a slow fly around the pitch. She leaned forward a bit on her broom, concentrating on leaning by using her core. To her surprise, she titled forward only slightly and progressed forward without descending. "Woah, look, I'm doing it," Lucy cried in surprise, twisting on her broom to talk to Rowan. Unfortunately, she still hadn't quite mastered the steering-without-looking skill and brought her broom directly into what would be Rowan's flight path if the girl had decided to fly forward.
Lucy managed not to overreact and jerk up or down, but her second instinct was to freeze. If Rowan flew forward, Lucy hoped the girl was skilled enough to manoeuvre around her. She sat there for a second until her brain kicked in. Move, you dolt! She slowly turned her broom and flew back into her original path, blushing furiously. "Well, I had it. I guess this is something that really takes practice, huh? Did you practice a lot growing up?" she asked as she started to slowly follow the curve of the stadium, enjoying the mild breeze as the sun dipped lower behind the tall bleachers. It was a lovely day for a ride on a broom, even if she was less than skilled in handling her broom.
25 Jun 2018, 04:02
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
Rowan didn't know a dang thing about teaching anything, let along something she wasn't particularly good at herself. Sure, she'd taught Theo how to climb trees, and when was the best time to sneak snacks from the kitchen without Mum catching them, and had helped teach him to read. But those things were different, because she knew how to do those things well when she was explaining them. Flying, something she could kind of do but was slowly realizing that her technique left much to be desired and she'd been mostly lasting on chance of late, was a whole other can of worms though.
Lucy took her instructions though, and though she looked as confused as Rowan felt as she tried to explain it, she seemed to be figuring it out. If this was working, the only way to know for sure that she had it right was to see if it could survive a lap around the pitch. "You are!" the Gryffindor cheered along side her. But perhaps they were cheering too soon, because the Hufflepuff shifted her direction to be heading directly towards Rowan. Panicking slightly, Rowan pulled back on her broom, nearly unseating herself as she tried to stop her broom, turning herself way off course from where she had been heading. So much for being a useful teacher. She shifted herself carefully, trying to get back in proper position and her broom back under her control. "Well, that was close," she said, laughing.
"It was good for a first go, though," she said, offering a smile to the Hufflepuff girl. "Try again for a lap?" It seemed logical, just to keep trying. They took off, slowly and carefully, and Lucy inquired about her history of flying. "Sort of. I've had a broom since I was eight, and both my parents played Quidditch when they were at Hogwarts and tried to teach me. But it took me forever, because it's so frustrating! I couldn't get the thing to fly when I started, so I quit pretty quickly. I only started picking it up again after I got my letter." She wished she'd tried harder, but she'd never had much patience for learning. She remembered something the girl had said, before they'd started their little lesson. "How come your family didn't have a broom? Just not interested?" She hoped it wasn't too personal of a question.
Lucy took her instructions though, and though she looked as confused as Rowan felt as she tried to explain it, she seemed to be figuring it out. If this was working, the only way to know for sure that she had it right was to see if it could survive a lap around the pitch. "You are!" the Gryffindor cheered along side her. But perhaps they were cheering too soon, because the Hufflepuff shifted her direction to be heading directly towards Rowan. Panicking slightly, Rowan pulled back on her broom, nearly unseating herself as she tried to stop her broom, turning herself way off course from where she had been heading. So much for being a useful teacher. She shifted herself carefully, trying to get back in proper position and her broom back under her control. "Well, that was close," she said, laughing.
"It was good for a first go, though," she said, offering a smile to the Hufflepuff girl. "Try again for a lap?" It seemed logical, just to keep trying. They took off, slowly and carefully, and Lucy inquired about her history of flying. "Sort of. I've had a broom since I was eight, and both my parents played Quidditch when they were at Hogwarts and tried to teach me. But it took me forever, because it's so frustrating! I couldn't get the thing to fly when I started, so I quit pretty quickly. I only started picking it up again after I got my letter." She wished she'd tried harder, but she'd never had much patience for learning. She remembered something the girl had said, before they'd started their little lesson. "How come your family didn't have a broom? Just not interested?" She hoped it wasn't too personal of a question.
25 Jun 2018, 05:39
Feel The Rush Way Up Here
Lucy sighed in relief as the two girls started to make their lap around the Quidditch Pitch. So far they had executed one turn neatly without any further mishaps - though Rowan's last-minute dodge left Lucy with a bit of adrenaline pumping in her veins. She thought back on the near mishap - Rowan's dodge wasn't the cleanest or most skilled. Perhaps this girl wasn't absolutely bored by this slow lap. It seemed that even students who grew up on brooms needed practice!
She listened to Rowan's family history, smiling. She recalled when her parents tried to teach her things and Lucy got frustrated before really mastering them. Sewing came to mind - she hated mending holes. Especially when she had seen her father repair an item with a wave of his wand. What was even the point of sewing something when you could completely mend it with a simple spell? Lucy didn't understand her parents sometimes.
"How come your family didn't have a broom? Just not interested?" asked Rowan, and Lucy pursed her lips in thought. Now that she thought of it, she didn't know the real reason why. Her family was a bit strange as far as magic/Muggle balance, though. Lucy settled on that as the reason. "Well, my dad is a wizard. He went to Hogwarts, but he doesn't talk about his experience much. In fact, he seems completely fine with leaving his magical roots behind him - well, for the most part. He has a job at the Ministry, but it hardly counts since he's a Muggle Relations expert. I think he just likes the simplicity of life without magic. My mum doesn't really give one flip one way or the other. She's a Muggle, y'know. She dotes on my dad, though, so we don't do a lot of magic in our house. My dad thinks it builds character to do something the Muggle way, so I'm guessing he thinks that flying places would be far too easy or something."
Lucy rolled her eyes, obviously not impressed with her dad's logic. "It didn't set me up for success, I'll tell you what. I mean, I know about the wizarding world and spells and such, but it seems like most kids here with magical parents have had a lot more actual experience than I have. It's stupid," she huffed, watching the dark green Quidditch pitch move along slowly beneath her. She noticed how high they were off the ground - had they drifted higher? - so that they were even with the third rows in the bleachers. She recalled their most recent mishaps on the brooms and realized that if something were to happen at this height, it could be very dangerous.
"Do you think we'd die if we fell from this height?" Lucy inquired, not realising how random this question could seem if someone hadn't been following the train of thought in her head. Someone might even think she was changing the subject on purpose so as to avoid talking about her family. However, this was not the case. Lucy was an open book - she'd happily talk about almost anything personal, but she was easily distracted at the same time. They were now halfway around the Quidditch pitch from their original starting point, but Lucy was too distracted by the most recent notion of 'How far could you fall before you died instantly?' to notice how far they had flown successfully without incident.
She listened to Rowan's family history, smiling. She recalled when her parents tried to teach her things and Lucy got frustrated before really mastering them. Sewing came to mind - she hated mending holes. Especially when she had seen her father repair an item with a wave of his wand. What was even the point of sewing something when you could completely mend it with a simple spell? Lucy didn't understand her parents sometimes.
"How come your family didn't have a broom? Just not interested?" asked Rowan, and Lucy pursed her lips in thought. Now that she thought of it, she didn't know the real reason why. Her family was a bit strange as far as magic/Muggle balance, though. Lucy settled on that as the reason. "Well, my dad is a wizard. He went to Hogwarts, but he doesn't talk about his experience much. In fact, he seems completely fine with leaving his magical roots behind him - well, for the most part. He has a job at the Ministry, but it hardly counts since he's a Muggle Relations expert. I think he just likes the simplicity of life without magic. My mum doesn't really give one flip one way or the other. She's a Muggle, y'know. She dotes on my dad, though, so we don't do a lot of magic in our house. My dad thinks it builds character to do something the Muggle way, so I'm guessing he thinks that flying places would be far too easy or something."
Lucy rolled her eyes, obviously not impressed with her dad's logic. "It didn't set me up for success, I'll tell you what. I mean, I know about the wizarding world and spells and such, but it seems like most kids here with magical parents have had a lot more actual experience than I have. It's stupid," she huffed, watching the dark green Quidditch pitch move along slowly beneath her. She noticed how high they were off the ground - had they drifted higher? - so that they were even with the third rows in the bleachers. She recalled their most recent mishaps on the brooms and realized that if something were to happen at this height, it could be very dangerous.
"Do you think we'd die if we fell from this height?" Lucy inquired, not realising how random this question could seem if someone hadn't been following the train of thought in her head. Someone might even think she was changing the subject on purpose so as to avoid talking about her family. However, this was not the case. Lucy was an open book - she'd happily talk about almost anything personal, but she was easily distracted at the same time. They were now halfway around the Quidditch pitch from their original starting point, but Lucy was too distracted by the most recent notion of 'How far could you fall before you died instantly?' to notice how far they had flown successfully without incident.