From the Ashes We Grow
Date: October 25th, 2025
Time: 7pm.
It was fall at Hogwarts again! That means the leaves were falling to the ground, nestling against the soft grass that spread endlessly across the entire grounds of Hogwarts, spooky activities were being plotted from almost every student at the school, and Halloween was right around the corner. Halloween was one of the many holidays that Kyra actually enjoyed. Dressing up and getting candy, what kind of kid wouldn’t enjoy such a holiday? The candy wasn’t what attracted the young Slytherin girl to the holiday itself. It was the scary stories, endless marathons of muggle horror movies, which Kyra oddly loved. But above all else, there was something about the vibe that brought out complete bliss from Kyra.
The castle itself had a way of bringing out the holiday spirit for all, by allowing spooky decorations to be propped up throughout. The creativity stretched from hall to hall, kids playing jokes on one another and just enjoying their time as kids. But on this specific night, Kyra had zero interest in being festive. Instead, she was heading for the Quidditch pitch. Not to practice that sport, but to help train their agility on a broom without being a one of the racing tracks. There was always some way to train for the races, even if she wasn’t on the track, Kyra felt she needed a balance of comfortability on their broom while moving extremely fast at the same time.
Once she escaped the holiday themed horror within the main castle, Kyra paced herself the whole way to the pitch, where she would do their best to keep up with training, especially since she was on the Broom Racing team. The very first race she joined was not pretty, to say the least. Kyra ended up on the ground a lot longer than in the air. In her eyes, this was not acceptable, it even had her thinking of quitting the team at one point, but she reminded herself that quitting was not in their blood. Their parents may not have been alive to see her grow, but Kyra’s grandparents were all she had, and there was no way that failure would be allowed.
As Kyra finally made it to the pitch, she looked around the entire area, hoping that she would be the only one there and to their luck, the Quidditch Pitch was empty. The students must have been far too busy with decorating and enjoying the holiday to practice, so this was the perfect time to get the ball rolling, as some would say. ”This is it, Kyra, no more failing your teammates.” She muttered quietly under their breath. She gripped the broom tightly with their right hand, staring out at the vastness of the Quidditch Pitch. Kyra really didn’t understand how big it was until she was actually on the field. Regardless, she stood ready to begin their training.
@Charlotte Winfield
Don't be a fool for the devil, darling.
From the Ashes We Grow
|  |
| xxx | Lottie used to hate the Fall. Back at home, when the leaves shriveled up and the sky turned a gloomy shade of gray that spread across the valley and cast pale light over the distant hills, Lottie would spend all her time inside. Her sister called it "seasonal depression", but she couldn't say she felt depressed necessarily. Depression required something greater than the tug of boredom that pulled at her insides and glued her to her bed. She'd sleep, mostly. Or read. Or stare at the ceiling of her bedroom and wait until warm sunlight dappled across the floral wallpaper and signaled to her that the dreary season had found a brief reprieve. She used to hate those autumn days. Now, she found herself addicted to them. Over the past month, she had watched from her dorm windows as the clusters of tall trees dotting the mountainside slowly turned brilliant shades of red and orange and yellow. She'd spend hours after class studying under a shedding beech tree, wrapped in so much wool she could hardly feel the cold. When she wasn't studying, she was wandering, kicking up leaves and running her hands along the rain-slick concrete railing leading off to Hogsmeade. Or she was flying. Usually, she was flying. Today was no different, an early rise slowly pieced together over the course of a groggy hour and followed by a brief breakfast. Once she was fairly content with her daily preparations, she plucked up her broom from her dorm and set off to the Training Pitch. Her long corduroy jacket was buttoned firmly above her jeans, but slivers of chilly air managed to squeeze through the cracks and make the hairs on her arms stand up. She shivered gently as she made her way through the leaf-littered grounds and entered onto the Training Pitch. To her slight dismay, she found that there was one other person present, a Slytherin girl with hair dark as night and a look of private determination glimmering in her eyes. Lottie exhaled slowly, watching a plume of white smoke drift into the air and disperse. She carefully slotted her broom between her legs and lifted off the ground. | xxx |
 | ✒ ──────────────────────────── •
From the Ashes We Grow |  |
| ✦"You better start walking. Love takes miles."✦ STA 8 │ EVA 8 │ STR 6 │ WIS 6 │ ARC 6 │ ACC 7 |
From the Ashes We Grow
Date: October 25th, 2025
Time: 7pm.
And she was off! Kyra zoomed forward with the air brushing against their face while flying low to start with. The multi-colored leaves scrambled around as Kyra cruised low, eyes straight ahead, and determination to become a better asset to the Broom Racing team. After proving less than useful in their last matchup, Kyra felt the need to practice more than ever not only for their own benefit, but to make sure Slytherin would stand out more than they have been as of late.
With the Autumn air blasting against their face, Kyra finally made it towards the end of the Training Pitch and turned around to get ready for another speed run. But before she began to fly off, Kyra spotted someone in the distance with a broom in hand. ”Hmm.” was all that escaped their lips, while watching the newcomer slot the broom between their legs. It seemed as if Kyra was intrigued by the stranger and their ambition to fly as well, so the young Slytherin dipped forward and flew off in an instant.
The broom dashed forward with Kyra locked in on the person in the distance. She was used to flying alone for the most part, but Kyra felt that more progression could be done with a partner who would possibly push each other to get better, even if they weren’t in the same sport. There was always room for improvement, especially for Kyra who seemed to have trouble getting ahead in their respective races. It was rather embarrassing and Kyra wanted nothing more than to change that.
As the young Slytherin began to close the distance between herself and the stranger ahead, it turned out that the stranger was not a stranger at all. It was Charlotte Winfield, another Slytherin! They never really spoke much, but that was about to change because Kyra was already attempting to pull up beside Lottie in mid-air. ”Hey! It’s nice to see someone else trying to hone their skills on a broom out here. Name’s Kyra Banuelos, you may have heard of me before.” She looked over, speaking to Charlotte, while controlling the broom the best she could.
@Charlotte Winfield
Don't be a fool for the devil, darling.
From the Ashes We Grow
| |
| xxx | Lottie loved the way flying felt. The way the air curled through her hair and tickled her nose, beating her face until tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and made her nose bright pink. It was euphoric in a way that nothing could match. It made her wonder how she had managed so many years without a broom. Perhaps magic wasn’t all bad. She had soared about half a lap before an unfamiliar voice broke her out of her daze. She slowed slightly, losing control for a brief moment and nearly spiraling into the stadium side before regaining hold and turning slightly to see who had pulled up beside her. It was the girl from before, with the hair like night. Lottie was confused into brief silence before replying. “Er- right. Broom racing, yes?” Lottie wasn’t entirely familiar with the the other sports teams, but she read the paper often enough to recognize a few faces. Names were much harder with for her, especially when flying several dozen feet above the ground at quick speed. She couldn't recall the exact details of a Kyra Banuelos, but nontheless she nodded politely. "I'm Lottie. Goodness, you're fast." Lottie swerved a bit, attempting to keep up with the girl at her side. Her position required quick movements and sharp reflexes, but she rarely had to race from one end of the pitch to the next. That was where this strange girl had a leg-up. She never would have imagined it would take so much stamina just to stay atop a flying broomstick, yet here she was. | xxx |
| ✒ ──────────────────────────── •
From the Ashes We Grow | |
| ✦"You better start walking. Love takes miles."✦ STA 8 │ EVA 8 │ STR 6 │ WIS 6 │ ARC 6 │ ACC 7 |
From the Ashes We Grow
Date: October 25th, 2025
Time: 7pm.
There was absolutely nothing like flying a broom. The excitement, the thrill, the intensity of being so far above the ground with only a broom to keep you safe. That was the reason Kyra Banuelos found herself joining the Broom Racing team. Not only was it a great opportunity to meet others within the same House, but it also gave the young female a sense of direction, as if she found the one thing that would literally guide her through their time at Hogwarts. It wasn’t the spells, potions, or even friends that intrigued her. It was the thrill of being involved in something bigger than just school.
As Kyra and Charlotte began to speak to one another while staying afloat in mid-air, a warm smile appeared with a red tint stretching across their face. ”Lottie, huh? That’s a pretty name!” Kyra responded happily, but she quickly pulled away, zipping forward in a quick dash to display what kind of speed she really had. Regardless, Kyra leaned back just enough to allow herself to slow down and glide next to Charlotte once more. ”Speed is nice, but being able to control it is a whole different level of hard!” She admitted, while bringing the broom to a steady pace with Lottie’s.
The sun continued to shine down on the duo as they continued around the track at a slow pace, and Kyra was honestly having more fun just cruising around, than she would pushing her limits alone. Having Charlotte around made things more comfortable for Kyra, causing her to feel a bit more at home than usual. She didn’t find herself making conversation much, but with Lottie and her having something in common, made it super easy for her to feel as such. ”How about you, though? Any commitment to sports, or do you just enjoy flying?” She asked curiously, pulling to the left slightly as they both began to make the long turn around the Training Pitch.
@Charlotte Winfield
Don't be a fool for the devil, darling.
From the Ashes We Grow
| |
| xxx | Lottie glanced up at the mid-morning sky, watching as soft rays of sun managed to squeeze their way through the clouds and beat down on her face. She imagined this would be the only scrap of warm light they'd get all day, so she closed her eyes and soaked it in. Moments like these, when her skin prickled with goosebumps from headwind and the ground felt so far away reminded her of those summers with her brother, right before he graduated. He would take her out to the fields behind their house and the two of them would take turns flying in circles until supper. She wondered, now, if she would ever go back. The moments of brilliant nostalgia that ran through her so abruptly it ached made her long for nothing more but to return to a simpler time. But now, knowing that both her brother and sister had been unhappy, that their mother had been wrong, she wasn't so sure. And, if she went back, she wouldn't be able to meet people like this. So suddenly and with such familiarity, as if being a Hogwarts student and sharing a house meant the two were friends by association. She wouldn't go back if it meant being alone, which it did. Lost in her thoughts, she nearly veered off again. She caught herself just in time, and just as Kyra made a comment about control. Glancing to the side awkwardly, Lottie replied, "I'm usually better than... this. I just have a lot on my mind." Her mastery of Quidditch was limited to the goal, though she had developed a fairly quick reaction time and a knack for anticipating where the quaffle would be next. It was mostly just a matter of staying on her broom long enough to block in time. "I'm on the quidditch team. First string keeper." The title still caused Lottie to burst with pride. Her heart soared at the meager concept of being good enough at something to be first, to enter onto the pride alongside her teammates and face the other team with certainty that she belonged. It was the opposite of being back in Cambridge, and constantly feeling that bite of alienation that accompanied being somewhat different from her siblings. Although it seemed, in recent years, that she wasn't so different after all. "I enjoy flying, too. I suppose they go hand-in-hand, right?" | xxx |
| ✒ ──────────────────────────── •
From the Ashes We Grow | |
| ✦"You better start walking. Love takes miles."✦ STA 8 │ EVA 8 │ STR 6 │ WIS 6 │ ARC 6 │ ACC 7 |