29 May 2023, 11:15
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"You have to say it with feeling. You have to be
thinking about wanting to fly the broom."
Their first week had been quite busy. Part from learning how to find their way around the castle through the many hallways, corridors, stairs and towers – and making new friends of course – they had begun practicing the transfiguration formula, reading about ancient Wizarding history, learning the fundamentals of spell casting and the safety regarding potion making, amongst other things.
However, they had yet to have their first Broom Flying Lesson, and Madison had promised Simon that she would give him a private lesson of sorts, learning him a few tips and tricks. Her father had apparently been a skilled Quidditch player for the Hufflepuff team when he went to school and Madison seemed to have inherited his interest.
They had to be careful not to get caught though. They had found out that this particular day and time the Gryffindor Quidditch team was going to practice on the Pitch. That meant that there was a great chance that the shed, keeping all of the school's brooms, was unlocked for about an hour. But it was not without feelings of guilt. He struggled with his conscience because he knew that they were not allowed to, but at the same time, it was not like they were going to lift off and take the brooms flying around the castle. More like practicing the basics, preparing him for the first lesson. After all, Simon took school seriously, but it was a lie to say that this little mischief did not intrigue him.
After class, Simon went to the Ravenclaw Common room to drop off his school bag. He told Zach and Cassian that he would meet with them later and headed for the school grounds where he would meet Madison. When he got closer to the broom shed, he spotted her blond hair and yellow-detailed school uniform.
"Hey", said Simon and looked over Madison's shoulder to the door of the shed with a smile of anticipation. "So? Are we lucky or not? Is it unlocked?"
Interacting with @Madison Bennett
Mentioning @Zach Zaphiere @Cassian Clarke
Last edited by Simon Tilia on 8 Jun 2023, 14:43, edited 5 times in total.
29 May 2023, 11:47
✦ Broom Flying Practice
Madison had found this week busy but also really fun!! She'd learnt so much from all her classes and had enjoyed spending time with Simon. She'd explored the castle and taken cinnamon and vanilla buns from the kitchen without getting caught.
After classes had finished, Madison headed to the broom shed and found that it was unlocked, she knew that meant a Quidditch team had a practice so they'd be able to use the brooms for a bit. She had taken off her cloak earlier and was looking in the broom shed when she heard a voice she recognised as Simon.
"Hey. So? Are we lucky or not? Is it unlocked?" he had asked her. She turned around and smiled "We sure are, the Gryffindor team must be having a practice. We won't be flying anywhere, well you may not at least, but I'll teach you the basics for sure", Madison said.
She handed Simon a broom, grabbed one herself and stepped onto the grassed courtyard with him. She places her broom on the floor and smiles "right, first thing is easy, you're going to stick your hand over the broom and say up, like this" Madison says. She sticks her hand over her broom, says "up" and the broom comes up right into her hand. "Remember, you have to say it with feeling, you have to be thinking about wanting to fly the broom, otherwise it will just stay on the ground, or hit you in the nose like it did to my brother when he tried to fly with me over the summer. I told my dad about it and he couldn't stop laughing" Madison said with a giggle. Whilst she was holding the broom, her scar started to hurt again but she tried to not think about it. She knew what it was reacting to but she just tried to ignore it, she knew what it wanted to do but she couldn't do it, not after what happened last time she tried.
After classes had finished, Madison headed to the broom shed and found that it was unlocked, she knew that meant a Quidditch team had a practice so they'd be able to use the brooms for a bit. She had taken off her cloak earlier and was looking in the broom shed when she heard a voice she recognised as Simon.
"Hey. So? Are we lucky or not? Is it unlocked?" he had asked her. She turned around and smiled "We sure are, the Gryffindor team must be having a practice. We won't be flying anywhere, well you may not at least, but I'll teach you the basics for sure", Madison said.
She handed Simon a broom, grabbed one herself and stepped onto the grassed courtyard with him. She places her broom on the floor and smiles "right, first thing is easy, you're going to stick your hand over the broom and say up, like this" Madison says. She sticks her hand over her broom, says "up" and the broom comes up right into her hand. "Remember, you have to say it with feeling, you have to be thinking about wanting to fly the broom, otherwise it will just stay on the ground, or hit you in the nose like it did to my brother when he tried to fly with me over the summer. I told my dad about it and he couldn't stop laughing" Madison said with a giggle. Whilst she was holding the broom, her scar started to hurt again but she tried to not think about it. She knew what it was reacting to but she just tried to ignore it, she knew what it wanted to do but she couldn't do it, not after what happened last time she tried.
'Don't be afraid to shine, even if the rest of the world have turned their lights off' Sta - 7 | Eva - 6| Str - 6| Wis - 9| Arc - 5| Acc - 7 |
30 May 2023, 07:23
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"Right, first thing is easy, you're going to stick your hand over the broom and say up, like this", Madison explained, held her hand over the broom and said: "Up." The broom instantly took off from the ground and ended up in her hand. It was like magnetism.
Surely, it looked easy enough. But what if it wasn't? What if he struggled to even get the broom in his hand? Then he would get really frustrated. At this point, however, he felt quite relaxed around Madison. He felt as if he had nothing to prove to her, and when it came to broom flying – well, that was already her sport, he thought. He was never going to compete with that.
"I'll do my best", said Simon and placed the broom on the ground in front of him.
"Remember", continued Madison. "You have to say it with feeling, you have to be thinking about wanting to fly the broom, otherwise it will just stay on the ground, or hit you in the nose like it did to my brother when he tried to fly with me over the summer. I told my dad about it and he couldn't stop laughing."
"Well, then I guess I better see to that you don't end up laughing", he said jokingly and cleared his throat.
He held his hand over the broom, concentrated for a moment and thought of Madison's instructions. 'You have to think about wanting to fly the broom'. I want to fly, he told himself. I'm going to sit on that broom.
With a determined voice he said: "Up". He broom twitched on the ground, clearly reacting to his command, but did not lift. That was good enough for a first try, he thought. Now that he knew that he could interact with the broom, he commanded it once again, even more determined: "Up!"
The broom lifted and when the shaft met the hand of his palm, he instinctively grabbed it, looking at Madison with a proud smile.
Interacting with [/mention]Madison Bennett[/mention]
30 May 2023, 13:23
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"Well, then I guess I better see to that you don't end up laughing", he said jokingly and cleared his throat.
Madison giggled and watched Simon try to get his broom up but it didn't work. She watched him try again and when it went up into his hand she smiled and nodded her head, "you did it!! Right, now that the broom is in your hand, put one leg over it so that the broom is between your legs and make sure your head isn't facing the back of the broom but the front" she says with a giggle as she mounts her broom.
"Once you've done that, push off the ground slightly with your feet, hover for a few seconds, and then lean forward to come back down, like this" she says, pushing off the ground lightly with her feet, hovering for a few seconds with her back straight, before leaning forward and landing firmly on the ground again, back into the position she was in before.
"It's ok to feel a bit nervous, but soon, you could be flying around like those Quidditch players are, we could maybe even fly brooms around the school grounds together, or I can take you on mine, once my dad sends it over since it's still at home, mum wouldn't let me bring it" she says with a sigh, stepping back over so her feet are on the same side as she watches Simon "remember, think about what you want to do, if you do that, the broom will listen, if you don't, well let's just say the broom will do as it wants to" she says with another giggle.
Interacting with @Simon Tilia
Madison giggled and watched Simon try to get his broom up but it didn't work. She watched him try again and when it went up into his hand she smiled and nodded her head, "you did it!! Right, now that the broom is in your hand, put one leg over it so that the broom is between your legs and make sure your head isn't facing the back of the broom but the front" she says with a giggle as she mounts her broom.
"Once you've done that, push off the ground slightly with your feet, hover for a few seconds, and then lean forward to come back down, like this" she says, pushing off the ground lightly with her feet, hovering for a few seconds with her back straight, before leaning forward and landing firmly on the ground again, back into the position she was in before.
"It's ok to feel a bit nervous, but soon, you could be flying around like those Quidditch players are, we could maybe even fly brooms around the school grounds together, or I can take you on mine, once my dad sends it over since it's still at home, mum wouldn't let me bring it" she says with a sigh, stepping back over so her feet are on the same side as she watches Simon "remember, think about what you want to do, if you do that, the broom will listen, if you don't, well let's just say the broom will do as it wants to" she says with another giggle.
Interacting with @Simon Tilia
'Don't be afraid to shine, even if the rest of the world have turned their lights off' Sta - 7 | Eva - 6| Str - 6| Wis - 9| Arc - 5| Acc - 7 |
30 May 2023, 16:01
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"Put one leg over it so that the broom is between your legs and make sure your head isn't facing the back of the broom but the front." Madison giggled.
"Ha-ha. Funny", said Simon in a tone of sarcasm and smirked. He mounted the broom, holding it firmly in his hands. Simon had only sat on a hovering broom once, and only for a couple of second. That was with his father's permission and under his supervision because in general, his father did neither like or use brooms as a mean of transportation.
Madison continued her instructions and showed him how it was done. She really is a good teacher, he thought. Simon had a particular admiration for natural leaders, or those with leader skills, because he believed that he could learn much from them.
"... Remember, think about what you want to do, if you do that, the broom will listen, if you don't, well let's just say the broom will do as it wants to."
"Okay then", said Simon, making himself ready. "So if I think about lifting off..."
He bent his knees a little bit, making sure he was already in a sitting position on the broom and with the shaft tightly squeezed between his thighs (which he remembered his father telling him was particularly important for boys before lifting off). Then he pressed his feet to the grass and kicked off from the ground. With another twitch from the broom (it was almost as if it activated itself like an electric kick scooter), it lifted him up in the air. Simon wobbled a little from side to side before gaining his balance.
"Wow." He looked at Madison, eyes full of enthusiasm. Simon was not going to waste his time. His eagerness took over (as so often happened) and he put his body weight to the front, making the broom go forward and gliding over the grass before he leaned back a little bit and steered the shaft to the right. The steering was quite slow, especially at this speed, making his U-turn a bit longer than he had planned – but the feeling of flying a broom was amazing.
Hovering under the supervision of his father was one thing, but actually flying on his own was another. He reckoned this was similar to what his sister Clara had felt when she drove off in a car for the first time after getting her driver's license.
Interacting with @Madison Bennett
Last edited by Simon Tilia on 31 May 2023, 05:56, edited 4 times in total.
30 May 2023, 16:26
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"Ha-ha. Funny", said Simon in a tone of sarcasm and smirked.
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be then?" Madison says with a giggle. She mounts her broom again and lifts off into the air, zooming past him and doing U-Turns much faster and smoother. She loops over Simon in a circle and glides until she turns around and faces him, sitting on her broom with her arms folded and her face with a smirk across it. "I thought I told you to lean forward and land, after hovering for a bit, I honestly don't understand you boys sometimes" she says, shaking her head with a giggle. After that moment, she felt her scar hurting so badly, she leaned forward and landed, putting the broom away hurriedly and searching for the cream she used on her hand. She searched but realised, she left it in her robes, luckily though, she remembered a spell her dad taught her and conjured up a glass of cold water. She sat with it on the ground and placed her left hand into it, instantly feeling relief as it cooled her hand down. As she was doing so, a million thoughts ran through her head, Oh no, what if Simon thinks I'm strange, crap I'm gonna have to tell him about the scar, what if he walks away because of it, he'll think I'm a total maniac and weirdo she thinks to herself as she keeps her hand in the glass a little while longer.
Interacting with@Simon Tilia
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be then?" Madison says with a giggle. She mounts her broom again and lifts off into the air, zooming past him and doing U-Turns much faster and smoother. She loops over Simon in a circle and glides until she turns around and faces him, sitting on her broom with her arms folded and her face with a smirk across it. "I thought I told you to lean forward and land, after hovering for a bit, I honestly don't understand you boys sometimes" she says, shaking her head with a giggle. After that moment, she felt her scar hurting so badly, she leaned forward and landed, putting the broom away hurriedly and searching for the cream she used on her hand. She searched but realised, she left it in her robes, luckily though, she remembered a spell her dad taught her and conjured up a glass of cold water. She sat with it on the ground and placed her left hand into it, instantly feeling relief as it cooled her hand down. As she was doing so, a million thoughts ran through her head, Oh no, what if Simon thinks I'm strange, crap I'm gonna have to tell him about the scar, what if he walks away because of it, he'll think I'm a total maniac and weirdo she thinks to herself as she keeps her hand in the glass a little while longer.
Interacting with@Simon Tilia
'Don't be afraid to shine, even if the rest of the world have turned their lights off' Sta - 7 | Eva - 6| Str - 6| Wis - 9| Arc - 5| Acc - 7 |
30 May 2023, 17:12
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"I thought I told you to lean forward and land, after hovering for a bit, I honestly don't understand you boys sometimes."
Simon just smiled before carefully landing on the ground. A part of him was so eager to continue flying that he almost could not wait but to go even higher up in the air and for a longer flight, but it was too risky. At least there were no windows close by, as they hid behind the wall surrounding Hogwarts, but that was still a big risk-taking in itself. Still, he fantasized about what the castle would look like from above.
Then, from all of a sudden, Madison's face shifted. She looked like she was in some kind of pain. She seemed to search her clothes for something before pulling out her wand and conjuring a glass of water.
"Wow", said Simon, genuinely impressed. "Do you master Aguamenti?"
He put his broom on the ground and walked up to her as she sat down on the ground. Madison poured the water on her hand and he could see that she had some kind of wound. But it did not look new. It was a scar. Now that he came to think about it – he had noticed how Madison scratched her hand several times during her week. Was it the scar that caused the itching?
"What is it?", he said. "What's wrong?"
Interacting with @Madison Bennett
31 May 2023, 11:18
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"Wow", said Simon, genuinely impressed. "Do you master Aguamenti?"
"Yeah I did, I mastered it when I was 7, my dad taught me how to do it and it's been pretty useful" Madison said with a small smile, wincing a bit as she takes her hand out of the water but puts it straight back in after it starts burning again.
"What is it?", he said. "What's wrong?"
Madison sighed, she knew she'd have to tell Simon what happened but what would he think of her, would he just walk away like all her other friends had done before, or would he stay with her and accept her, scar and all? Madison took a deep breath, took her hand out of the water and, after dabbing it dry, showed it to Simon
"It's my scar, I got it when I was younger, from doing something very stupid and dangerous, I regret doing it every day from then. It's shaped like the constellation Aquila, because, when I was 6 years old, I wanted to go outside and fly my broom, even though it was raining and there was a storm coming, dad had taught me to fly when it was raining and I thought I could do so. When my mum and dad weren't looking, i grabbed my broom and went outside, got on and flew up into the sky.. Madison takes a deep breath before continuing. "Not long after I got struck by something and fell to the ground. I woke up in my bedroom with no recollection of what happened, all I have is this scar" she says, turning away from Simon and putting her hand back into the water.
"It burns if I don't use my gloves when I'm flying a broom, which, me being stupid, I left them in my dorm room and didn't bring them. Mum was so angry at me for being so stupid and reckless, but Dad was just thankful I was ok. Mum was right though, I had been reckless and stupid, it took me a while to get back on and try again, but I'm glad I did because Dad said some of his old Quidditch friends want to see me play sometime" Madison said with a smile, as her cheeks turned pink. I bet Simon thinks I'm a total idiot now she thinks to herself.
Interacting with @Simon Tilia
"Yeah I did, I mastered it when I was 7, my dad taught me how to do it and it's been pretty useful" Madison said with a small smile, wincing a bit as she takes her hand out of the water but puts it straight back in after it starts burning again.
"What is it?", he said. "What's wrong?"
Madison sighed, she knew she'd have to tell Simon what happened but what would he think of her, would he just walk away like all her other friends had done before, or would he stay with her and accept her, scar and all? Madison took a deep breath, took her hand out of the water and, after dabbing it dry, showed it to Simon
"It's my scar, I got it when I was younger, from doing something very stupid and dangerous, I regret doing it every day from then. It's shaped like the constellation Aquila, because, when I was 6 years old, I wanted to go outside and fly my broom, even though it was raining and there was a storm coming, dad had taught me to fly when it was raining and I thought I could do so. When my mum and dad weren't looking, i grabbed my broom and went outside, got on and flew up into the sky.. Madison takes a deep breath before continuing. "Not long after I got struck by something and fell to the ground. I woke up in my bedroom with no recollection of what happened, all I have is this scar" she says, turning away from Simon and putting her hand back into the water.
"It burns if I don't use my gloves when I'm flying a broom, which, me being stupid, I left them in my dorm room and didn't bring them. Mum was so angry at me for being so stupid and reckless, but Dad was just thankful I was ok. Mum was right though, I had been reckless and stupid, it took me a while to get back on and try again, but I'm glad I did because Dad said some of his old Quidditch friends want to see me play sometime" Madison said with a smile, as her cheeks turned pink. I bet Simon thinks I'm a total idiot now she thinks to herself.
Interacting with @Simon Tilia
'Don't be afraid to shine, even if the rest of the world have turned their lights off' Sta - 7 | Eva - 6| Str - 6| Wis - 9| Arc - 5| Acc - 7 |
31 May 2023, 16:04
✦ Broom Flying Practice
Simon listened intensely to her story. Judging by the look on her face, this was clearly something that bothered her on a deeper level that had not only with the pain itself to do.
"I-I didn't realize", said Simon, a bit shocked. "That it was that serious, I mean. I've seen how you've scratched your hand sometimes, but honestly I haven't even noticed you had a scar. So your parents allowed you to fly by yourself when you were six? Your parents seem more and more like the opposite of my parents! My dad hardly lets me do anything at all. All he see is dangers and risks. He almost didn't want me to play in our backyard after I got bit by a garden gnome. Even mom was more calm, playing the whole thing down! I mean, compared with you, a gnome bite seems pretty harmless... But what was it that struck you? And why is it still hurting? Have you been to St:Mungos hospital?"
He realized he was asking a lot of question.
"Sorry", he said and sat down beside her. He gave her a comforting smile. "If you'd like to tell me. I'm here to listen if you'd like to talk about it."
"I-I didn't realize", said Simon, a bit shocked. "That it was that serious, I mean. I've seen how you've scratched your hand sometimes, but honestly I haven't even noticed you had a scar. So your parents allowed you to fly by yourself when you were six? Your parents seem more and more like the opposite of my parents! My dad hardly lets me do anything at all. All he see is dangers and risks. He almost didn't want me to play in our backyard after I got bit by a garden gnome. Even mom was more calm, playing the whole thing down! I mean, compared with you, a gnome bite seems pretty harmless... But what was it that struck you? And why is it still hurting? Have you been to St:Mungos hospital?"
He realized he was asking a lot of question.
"Sorry", he said and sat down beside her. He gave her a comforting smile. "If you'd like to tell me. I'm here to listen if you'd like to talk about it."
31 May 2023, 16:55
✦ Broom Flying Practice
"I-I didn't realize", said Simon, a bit shocked. "That it was that serious, I mean. I've seen how you've scratched your hand sometimes, but honestly I haven't even noticed you had a scar. So your parents allowed you to fly by yourself when you were six? Your parents seem more and more like the opposite of my parents! My dad hardly lets me do anything at all. All he see is dangers and risks. He almost didn't want me to play in our backyard after I got bit by a garden gnome. Even mom was more calm, playing the whole thing down! I mean, compared with you, a gnome bite seems pretty harmless... But what was it that struck you? And why is it still hurting? Have you been to St:Mungos hospital?"
Madison smiled as she saw him sit beside her and smile at her, as she gave him a sweet smile back. "It's ok, don't blame yourself for not knowing, I hadn't told you and not many people do notice the scar unless I show it to them. Yeah, my dad had been teaching me since I was 3, plus most of the time he watched me whilst I practiced, or he flew with me, it was just that one time that I was flying alone rather than with my dad. Madison giggles and takes her hand out after it stops hurting, as she looks at Simon and wraps her hand in the banadage she has "Honestly, if it was down to my mother, she'd never let me ride a broom or do anything other than sit in our library and read till my brain exploded, however, since she was so busy with my brother, my dad kinda raised my sister and I on his own, with a bit of nagging from mum every so often, I'm sorry I'm rambling. she says, taking a deep breath in and out, "my dad actually took me to St Mungos a few days after my accident and the doctors couldn't really explain the cause of it or why it was still hurting even though it healed really well. I'm not sure what struck me, I've been trying to remember back to that moment before I blacked out and I don't remember anything, just my dad snoring beside my bed in a chair as I was waking up. I went to the doctors again before the start of school and they said it may still hurt because, when I play, something in my brain puts flying with the scar I have, but I love flying, I feel so free when I fly, I told the doctor I wouldn't give it up and so he gave me special gloves that mean I can play Quidditch without being irritated by my scar" Madison says with a smile.
"Don't be sorry Simon, I think I needed someone to talk to about this, heaven knows I don't have my mum, or my brother and my sister is too young. I have dad and we talk about it sometimes, but I feel like he still feels guilty about me getting hurt, like it was his fault when it wasn't, I shouldn't have gone out in the first place anyway" Madison says, taking a deep breath in and out as she feels a few tears fall down her face and quickly wipes them away.
"I should never have done what I did, it messed everything up and my mum and brother love reminding me of such, I only stay home sometimes because of my dad and little sister Reagan, I'm the only one who stands up to mum, Dad's too scared and Reagan is too young" Madison says as she smiles at Simon and lets out a cute little giggle.
Madison smiled as she saw him sit beside her and smile at her, as she gave him a sweet smile back. "It's ok, don't blame yourself for not knowing, I hadn't told you and not many people do notice the scar unless I show it to them. Yeah, my dad had been teaching me since I was 3, plus most of the time he watched me whilst I practiced, or he flew with me, it was just that one time that I was flying alone rather than with my dad. Madison giggles and takes her hand out after it stops hurting, as she looks at Simon and wraps her hand in the banadage she has "Honestly, if it was down to my mother, she'd never let me ride a broom or do anything other than sit in our library and read till my brain exploded, however, since she was so busy with my brother, my dad kinda raised my sister and I on his own, with a bit of nagging from mum every so often, I'm sorry I'm rambling. she says, taking a deep breath in and out, "my dad actually took me to St Mungos a few days after my accident and the doctors couldn't really explain the cause of it or why it was still hurting even though it healed really well. I'm not sure what struck me, I've been trying to remember back to that moment before I blacked out and I don't remember anything, just my dad snoring beside my bed in a chair as I was waking up. I went to the doctors again before the start of school and they said it may still hurt because, when I play, something in my brain puts flying with the scar I have, but I love flying, I feel so free when I fly, I told the doctor I wouldn't give it up and so he gave me special gloves that mean I can play Quidditch without being irritated by my scar" Madison says with a smile.
"Don't be sorry Simon, I think I needed someone to talk to about this, heaven knows I don't have my mum, or my brother and my sister is too young. I have dad and we talk about it sometimes, but I feel like he still feels guilty about me getting hurt, like it was his fault when it wasn't, I shouldn't have gone out in the first place anyway" Madison says, taking a deep breath in and out as she feels a few tears fall down her face and quickly wipes them away.
"I should never have done what I did, it messed everything up and my mum and brother love reminding me of such, I only stay home sometimes because of my dad and little sister Reagan, I'm the only one who stands up to mum, Dad's too scared and Reagan is too young" Madison says as she smiles at Simon and lets out a cute little giggle.
'Don't be afraid to shine, even if the rest of the world have turned their lights off' Sta - 7 | Eva - 6| Str - 6| Wis - 9| Arc - 5| Acc - 7 |