Daring To Fall PV Avis Greymond Finished

As laughter filled the air around them he steadied himself on the broomstick adjusting to the unfamiliar balance, feelings of immense gratitude washing through him as his smile continued in a cheeky smirk, "Yeah next time you have a bright idea like that again maybe think twice. But hey you can't fault your methods so far a one hundred percent success rate is an impressive statistic. Just maybe don't list me as a reference if you're looking for new clients." Joking like this filled him with such simple joy, ever since his birthday he had been promising to live more and enjoy the subtleties of life but now he truly felt like he was doing it.

Face shifting from playful to genuine he met her eyes his own dazzling as the golden flecks met the last dwindling rays of sunset illuminating the dark hazel with speckles of light. "In all seriousness though, thank you. I never thought I'd be up this high and in truth if you hadn't pushed me I don't know if I ever would have. Before today I was resigned to thinking I'd never fly and here I am, unstable and no real clue how to get down but I did it." Avis had leapt off the spectator stand and performed a near identical mirroring of his fall only on purpose. It was so clear that she had grown up with a broom in her hand and he couldn't help but wonder if one day he would resemble something similar. Perhaps with her as a teacher he might.

Face reddening a little at the question that welled in his throat he steeled his nerve, sometimes it was ok to ask for help, "I don't suppose you would be willing to show me some more of the ropes, perhaps I could help with herbology in return?" Nerves beginning to remuddle his mind he found himself unable to stop the tangent of rambles that was becoming common place in his interactions, "It's just that you're a natural at flying and if I ask anyone in my year they'll just be bastards about it and I really can't be arsed with that. Plus you know you should really apply for the Ravenclaw quidditch team especially if you used to train with your brother. Did he study here, does he?" Tongue tripping over itself to get the words out he apologised slowly taking a breath as he did, "I'm babbling again, sorry."

There was a light laughter after as he felt himself naturally take a hand off his broom to brush the hair out of his eyes and more than anything as a form of distraction. Matthew hadn't even noticed at first that he was now sitting up straight on his broom both hands having naturally come off to comfort himself. So when he inevitably the look of fear his eyes conjured made them look as if they were about to pop out of his head and hands slammed back down gripping at the wood for dear life. Just because he knew he could fall and still save himself didn't mean he had any intention to.

Avis chuckled at Matthew's response. "I don't even think I thought once," she said with a sheepish smile, "Best keep that success rate at 100% and avoid pushing people off high places for awhile."

Laughing with someone after a near death experience was something Avis could get used to... not exactly that she wanted to, but there was something intoxicating about bonding over a dance with danger, even if she had just been the one watching and praying to Merlin that he'd be alright.

As the last rays of the sun spread weakly over the October sky, Avis noted the sparkle in Matthew's eyes, not only from the unique gold flecks scattered across his iris, but from the joy that was practically bursting out of his chest. His expression dimmed a bit and Avis' laughter died down as he began to speak again. Something about the phrase he'd just said sparked something in her memory and a moment of sad fondness crossed her face before she shook it off. Da always used to say it took a push from the right person sometimes to accomplish something great.

Avis looked up as an embarrassed blush rose lightly on Matthew's cheeks. She waited patiently through his ramble before smiling. She did the same thing when she was nervous or unfocused. Words tended to just tumble out sometimes.

"No need to apologize," she said happily, "I'd love to show you a few things if you're keen! And I do need all the help I can get with that class," she grimaced, suddenly thinking of the homework she needed to get back to. "Sounds like you have some ninnies in your class. They won't suspect a thing after I'm done with you! And yeah... I wish. Mam won't let me try out until second year. She says it's too dangerous, but sometimes I think what she doesn't know won't kill her. Besides, I've only got two years left to play with Will. He's a sixth year. A beater for Ravenclaw," she added, not realizing Matthew would probably not know what a beater was unless he'd been to a few Quidditch matches. If any opportunity was provided to talk about her brother, she'd take it. Avis would never admit it, but she practically worshipped the boy.

Noticing her new student's natural comfortability on his broom, she nodded her head in his direction before nerves forced him to grip the handle hastily. "Seems like you're pretty much a natural already," she chirped optimistically. "If it helps, I always got told to focus on a point in the distance rather than look at the handle in front of me to help balance a bit better. Here," Avis continued, sitting up on her broom and casually swinging a leg below her. "I can be your point in the distance and your first task at the Avis Greymond flight school will be to fly to me without wobbling," she instructed, floating backwards as she spoke, the sound of her voice getting farther and farther away. After a few meters, she stopped and waved at Matthew. "C'mon! Give it a go!" she called. Might as well fit a quick lesson in before it got too dark.

There was something intoxicatingly invigorating about someone else's belief in a person. It made the hardest things in the world seem possible and turned fear into determination and despite her youth Avis wielded belief naturally. The way she flew was so casually graceful it seemed like it came as expectedly as breathing. Whether her mother agreed or not he knew in that moment that she wouldn't let it stop her from playing quidditch or ever stop her leaving the ground far below.

Steadying himself in a comfortable position he focused on the advice she had provided letting the surrounding world fall away as he focused on her while she slowly retreated backwards. Matthew had never been particularly good at shutting off his brain but he was a master at shutting out the world around him. Whenever he was overwhelmed he would lose himself in the protective walls of his mind where no one could reach. Closing himself off he heard his steady breathing like a calming rhythm reverberating around his skull.

When the world started to fall away he felt himself tune in to the very core of himself. He could feel the rushing patter of his heart as adrenaline forced blood to rush every part of his body, feeling that rush to the clutching fingers that ran over the rounded polished wood. Matthew could feel the cool October air turning colder as the sun disappeared and smell the fresh pine of the nearby forestry. It was as if nature itself was showing him the very beauty of each individual part to quell his worry. Eyes locked on his guide he began to slowly lean forward listening as the gentle rush of air brushed against his hair and clothes sending them billowing into the wind.

His progress was far from steady and he was much slower in making it that he liked to but holding Avis' stare was working. Matthew's focus became driven in simply making it to his target no longer caught up in the worries of the surrounding world. All that mattered was getting to the focal point. When he finally arrived he took a breath raising back up to sitting and laughed gleefully. "It worked. I wasn't scared about falling I just somehow knew it would be fine.", exclaiming with all the relief of an entire year of failures.

Tentatively he found his fingers urging him to release the wrought grip and listening to his intuition he did finger by finger letting it take the time needed. Then with the final one left he raised himself and lay his hands on his thighs eyes shut to remain inward where he knew he was safe. The panic on his face was still evident but he was fighting to resist the urge to adhere to it's wishes. Eyes still held shut he spoke hurriedly in pace with a twinge of desperation in his tone, "This is stressful, I need you to distract me, tell me about your brother or what position you'd like to play in Quidditch? I personally always operate on the opinion that what my dads don't know won't hurt them, kind of like today... No wait not meant to be talking about falling, calm thoughts. I'm fine."

Matthew's eyes were locked on hers as he inched forward slowly but making progress all the same. His hands gripped the wooden handle so tightly his knuckles were beginning to turn white, but Avis kept her gaze connected to his, desperately trying to encourage him with nothing but a look. She was nervous that even an encouraging shout would knock him off the damn thing, but the strange calmness that had crept into her emotions ever since she stepped into Matthew's presence kept her confidence in him level and she hoped he could feel it.

They both let out a shaky breath of relief when he finally reached, Avis' more involuntary as she hadn't even realized she was holding air in. She grinned at his words of confidence.

"See? Braver than you thought," she replied and watched him gradually warm up to the learned comfortability of being on a broom. Avis couldn't remember ever not being around brooms. It was such a natural part of the Wizarding World. She figured she might feel the same way about heights if it hadn't been bred out of her at such a young age. There was so much about the Muggle world she hadn't even begun to think about and now, after meeting someone who'd grown up in that environment, she had questions bursting out of her brain... which was convenient when Matthew asked for a distraction, his eyes squeezed shut and panic flaring back onto his face. Her face softened with sympathy and the girl flew a bit closer, hoping her presence could somehow steady the boy's nerves. Avis smiled when he finally peeled the last of his fingers off the broom handle and laid them shakily on his thighs.

"Alright, distractions..." she said slowly, "Well, my brother's name is Will. He's brilliant, really. He's just so... cool, I dunno. I want to be just like him! He's got so much natural swagger on a broom, 'specially as a Beater. I hope I can be that cool some day, but I've always wanted to be a Chaser, I think. My dives aren't good enough yet to try for Seeker and Mam says I've got too much of a temper to be a Beater. She's right, I suppose. Don't think I've got enough patience to be a Keeper, either," Avis rambled, almost completely forgetting Matthew's nervousness. She shot him a quick glance to make sure he was hanging on alright. Maybe if she got him talking as well, he'd shake off some of the stress. "Anyways, enough about me. You said dads, as in plural? You've got more than one? Do you have a favorite?" Avis wondered out loud, hoping her impulsive questions hadn't struck a nerve. Sometimes it was risky asking people about their parents. She knew she usually went quiet if anyone ever asked about Da, but she was desperately trying to open up more. She hoped Matthew's dads would provide good distraction for him.

In spite of the fear Matthew's face couldn't help but begin to crook into a sly smirk as she began describing her brother. He had always wondered what it was like to grow up with siblings, it seemed for some like a built in best friend while others practically wished each other dead. Having never had much family for comparison he had always found it interesting to observe the dynamics of those around him and suddenly his mind, that was presently only capable of screaming 'don't fall', began to flash images of a younger Avis and her older beater brother racing around the skies. In his head he created the image of a pair so similar in everything but age with the same faint freckles dotting their face and dark hair. It was a calming conjuration that helped ease his wrestling mind.

Hearing the younger girls passion towards the sport was brilliant he had felt the same way about joining the duelling club his first year and she reminded him so much with her relentless drive. Hopefully she was wise enough to avoid the mistakes he made but he rather thought that to be the case plus at least she was a Ravenclaw. While they got wisdom and creativity he was stuck with ambitious privileged purists who simply made him want to learn ever hex, curse and jinx simply to spite them all. With every word his tranquillity grew like a soft bubble wrapping around him proving he was still upright and in control. Distractions it seemed had been the perfect remedy after all.

When Avis turned the tables on him he almost found himself startled right off the broom. Typically he was more careful with who he shared certain pieces of information with given the ignorance rooted in a fair amount of the student body. Clearly with his mind so focused on survival he had forgotten all his defence mechanisms. Yet there was a wonderment about the way Avis spoke that spoke not of ignorance but simply of curiosity and he found himself answering her without even thinking, "Oh em I don't really have a favourite. But for most of my life it was just me and Patrick, that's my bio dad, so I know that no matter what he would always be there. I was actually the one who set them up though, Sean used to live in the apartment across from us and he helped me when we needed it. I owe a lot to them both and Sean adopted me when they got married. So they're both my dads!"

Opening his eyes slowly to watch her reaction he offered her an awkward smile and brought his hands together to wring them together. Somehow in revealing something about himself he hadn't told many others he had forgotten all about where they were. Nervously he spoke a little quieter than usual, "I haven't really told many that, a lot of people can be rude about that kind of thing. I love them both, I guess that's all that really matters. Are you close with your mum? She sounds fiercely protective but in a loving way." Family was a dangerous topic in general and he knew for many a difficult one, truth be told his own story wasn't one he particularly liked to offer but because of that knowledge he decided not to ask about the missing element. Thus far the young crow before him had only mentioned a mother and while there were a whole plethora of reasons he could imagine for that, it was her place to make that journey in her own time with who she chose.

"Wicked, you set them up? It must be sort of fun to have two dads!" Avis laughed, realizing the boy still had his eyes clamped shut. She wondered for a moment what it was like to be so close to one's dad that he trusted you about important things like that. Maybe she'd get that sort of opportunity with her own father someday. She shook her head at the thought. This simple flight lesson was turning out to be a deep thinking session and although the conversation had been fairly light, it had been forcing her to think about things she'd been pushing deep down for a long time. She wasn't quite sure if she liked it or not. There was something about Matthew that simply let her calmly open up, even though she'd met him only a few hours before.

Speaking of which, it was pretty much dark on the Quidditch pitch by then and Avis could see a few stars starting to wink at her from above. The air had grown much colder and she shivered involuntarily as Matthew spoke.

"I understand. Well, I don't, exactly," she said awkwardly, "But Mam always taught us that love was the only thing that mattered so that's what I think, too," she finished, smiling kindly as he seemed to get a bit shy about the topic of his dads. She was desperately glad he could talk to her about something he said he usually didn't tell people, but she didn't want to look too eager. "And I suppose you could say I'm pretty close with my mam. She's very protective over the 3 of us, ever since Da...well," she sighed, the words stopping at the tip of her tongue. "...disappeared," she finally finished, reluctantly. If Matthew could open up, so could she! "But yeah, sometimes it gets a bit annoying. I can't complain though really. Our whole family's really close. She's brilliant. And she makes the best apple cakes!" Avis finished hurriedly, not wanting to spend too much time on her missing father. Her mouth watered slightly at the suggestion of apple cakes. Merlin, they truly were the best.

A question about Matthew's mum almost made it out of her mouth next, but she stopped herself. He had made no mention of her and so she realized she would probably sound rude trying to pry. Instead, she switched subjects. "Bollocks, it's cold. You reckon we should head in? You'll have to learn how to land eventually. Now's a good a time as ever," she joked, trying to keep her voice light and stress free. Landing could be tricky sometimes, but if one kept a good slow consistent speed, it wouldn't be a problem. She thought back to a few rough landings in her past and grimaced involuntarily. This... could be hard, but judging by the comfortability Matthew looked to be gaining on his Nimbus, she figured he'd be alright... hopefully.

Avis' homelife almost seemed completely perfect, she had siblings who clearly were devoted to each other if her relationship with Will was anything to go by and a mum that not only adored them but instilled in them loving morals. It was no wonder the young girl was so incredible growing up surrounded by so much love but that didn't stop the hurt from learning of her burden. Matthew knew the weight of growing up without a parent and although each had lost the opposite figure he felt her pain. The young snake wasn't sure what disappeared meant exactly but he found himself looking up at the first glowing stars that were beginning to appear and wishing on them to bring him home. Given they couldn't bring his back he felt they owed him at least that.

Smiling with her as she spoke of her mothers baking he laughed slightly and said, "Well both my dad's are crap bakers so you'll have to steal me one sometime! Sean can cook but after a failed attempt to bake a birthday cake that almost set the flat on fire we decided to put a ban on baking!" It was one of the funniest memories he had with his stepfather despite the potential deathly outcome and he couldn't help but glow with the reminder of it. Watching as the girl began to shiver slightly he agreed with her and despite every fibre of his being adamantly rejecting the idea of riding the death trap directly towards the ground he found himself leaning forward and directing it down.

As it turned out his body got to grips with the feeling quite quickly, he supposed the desperate need to be off the broom outweighed the potential worry of splatting on the ground. Flying together taking time he was beyond thankful for the lesson and every time the girl looked back to check on him he found himself remembering to smile, remembering to enjoy the moment for what it was. Matthew was no natural and he wouldn't likely be playing for a Quidditch team any time in the future but he had conquered his struggles in a positive way. Not to mention that he had made a new friend, that was always a gift beyond compare.

When they eventually got low enough to begin dismounting he realised he had no idea how to actually get off of a broom given he had never successfully gotten on one until today. The act itself seemed simple enough but injuring himself wasn't the way he wanted to end his first lesson so drawing his wand he pointed towards the ground and following the learned wand movement cast, "Spongify" on the patch of ground below him and watched as solid ground began to shift softening in structure. Flying may not have been his speciality but his wand was practically an extension of himself and he cast magic like he was born to, which he supposed he was.

With his preventative measures in place he shifted uncomfortably along the broom until he was in a position where he could swing his leg over and sit upon it side on. The position reminded him of a scene from 'The Wizard of Oz' and he laughed at the thought of riding a broom in such a nonsensical position, hadn't they asked any real wizards for advice. Yet that was the constant curse of the muggle world, his world, they would never get to experience any of this and he was powerless to do anything about it. Leaping softly from the broom he hit the ground that's gentled earth cushioned his descent.

Returning his gaze to the teacher of the hour he smiled wildly more surprised than relieved that he had managed to perform his first landing so successfully. First years didn't exactly have access to that kind of magic so his mind feared in what it would have been like had this moment happened any earlier. Grabbing his broom and running up to meet her he started to walk towards the outer stadium as they talked, "Thank you for everything today. I was serious about the Herbology if you need help, I owe you. More than that though thank you for being there. I didn't think I'd ever fly and I'm not promising I will again but I can." In the darkening stadium he found himself lowering his voice slightly with twinges of sadness colouring his voice like it held the burdens of grief, "Also it's not my place but I'm sorry about your father. I hope you find him one day, no one deserves to grow up without a parent."

Mentioning @Avis Greymond

Avis watched as Matthew extended his wand and mentioned a quick "Spongify" before coming to a stop on his broom and dismounting it like she imagined a lady in a dress would climb off a horse. She´d seen Muggles do it in her village every so often and she giggled involuntarily but remained in awe of his quick thinking when it came to the softening spell. She herself would probably have just taken the tumble, which was most likely why she´d had an unfortunate history of injuries with her method of diving into everything head first (sometimes literally). Avis took a mental note to use that spell in the future when she needed a quick emergency landing plan... as soon as she learned it.

Making sure Matthew was all in one piece after his first flight, Avis leapt off her own broom as she swooped the rest of the way down towards the grassy pitch below, her feet slowing her down as she hit the ground in a run. Matthew beamed at her and she couldn´t help but to return the smile. She´d never taught anyone how to do anything before which had been her curse as a youngest sibling. Her chest swelled with pride. That had been loads of fun. She hoped he´d want to continue the lessons at some point. Maybe she´d teach him how to roll next.

Her ambitious thoughts were interrupted as her new student spoke. She grimaced at his mention of Herbology but Avis knew she needed all the help she could get. She fell into step beside him as they talked.

"I hate to admit it, but I´ll take you up on that offer. And thank you for letting me interrupt your quiet little moment in the stands. I suppose I rather came out of nowhere," she replied sheepishly, grateful that he´d simply accepted her presence after a bit of a shock. She gave him a cheeky wink when he mentioned possibly staying on the ground for now. "Just you wait. I´ll get you up there again," she said mischieviously, only for the mood to turn rather melancholy as the boy mentioned her father. It sounded as though growing up without a parent was something he´d experience before according to the sudden sadness in his voice and Avis couldn´t help herself as her curiosity once again butted itself into the conversation. "No, no. It´s alright. I hope he turns up someday too, although sometimes it´s easier to believe he´s never coming back," she said shaking her head and swallowing nervously as she prepared for another question. She hoped she didn´t sound too insensitive with her last comment. "Maybe we can save this conversation for another time, but it sounds like you know the feeling well. I hope you´ve found some sort of healing, whatever happened with your mam," Avis started carefully. She patted his shoulder in a sort of comfort and at that light touch, she suddenly saw a reflection of herself in the boy´s face. He knew, perhaps even more than she did, the pain that came with missing a part of oneself, even if it had been thoroughly replaced by a Sean or a Will. She gave him a small smile.

"Sounds as though you´ve got some great dads, even if they can´t bake," she joked although the lingering taste of grief still touched the air around them. As they walked and chatted, Avis realized that perhaps she´d learned more during this flight lesson than her student had. Opening up a bit and meeting someone who could empathize had made her heart feel a bit lighter than it had in a long time and although he might not have known, Matthew had helped her more than she´d helped him that day. She beamed up at him at the thought. "And thank you," she whispered, the thought suddenly forming into words out loud. Avis continued their walk back to the castle with a subtle skip in her steps, grateful for a new student and a new friend.

Letting the quidditch pitch fall behind them into the darkness of night, the cooling autumn air of October helped douse his skin in soothing waves while they walked together. Matthew had learned a lot in one day, particularly given his inability to make any progress before, but more so than that he had fostered what he hoped to be a new friendship. While his progress in flying had been non-existent, his progress with friendship had been arguably worse, abysmal described it rather aptly. A childhood spent almost entirely alone had not prepared him for boarding school and he found it one of the larger struggles he faced at Hogwarts.

Avis had taken some of that worry and left it floating miles above up in the air where they had soared, or stumbled in Matthew's case. Even the solemn atmosphere that lingered around their fractured families felt comforting when shared with one another, an unfortunate link but one that would likely bring them closer over time. Avis wouldn't know, perhaps he'd never tell but today had been a very part of his act of healing. Having promised her that he would stop brooding in sadness but instead live for all the experiences she could not had led him up that very tower and straight onto the wings of the young Ravenclaw.

As they walked in amiable silence the rest of the way, Matthew's thought wondered to what she might say had she heard about today. His father would lose his rag over him being pushed though with time would have erupted into howling laughter over the event, the overly protective but carefree spirit he was. But what would she have done, how would she have reacted. The sad overwhelming truth being that he couldn't know. For all his imaginations of her were silenced. They say that often the first thing you lose of a person is their voice, but Matthew never had a voice to begin with, other than the ones in old videos and recordings, distorted with light static and low quality. No matter how hard he tried he would never be able to imagine her true voice, the cadence when she spoke he thought would be light and airy like her blonde hair.

And yet unlike ever before, he was more than ever sure of one thing. While words escaped him he was consoled in the idea that at the very least, she would be and was proud.

Mentioning @Avis Greymond