Flight (open)

[Larkin Prewett]

Chill winter winds cut through Larkin’s thin robes like knives, flushing her pale cheeks pink. Her auburn hair whipped behind her as Larkin jerked her battered broom into a sharp left-hand turn, shooting down the east side of the empty Quidditch pitch. She barely felt the cold. Flying was one of the few things that felt right to her these days.

Larkin tugged upwards on her broom handle, gaining altitude with ease. The terrible restlessness had returned to her, causing her to constantly distract herself with homework, Quidditch, or long treks around the castle just to keep herself sane. Once in a while, such as today, she would get lucky and find the pitch completely deserted, allowing her to fly without the distraction or observation of others. Trying to sleep was torture. She would merely lie in her bed for hours before giving up completely. She needed someone to talk to, but who could she trust? In a school so split by alliances, her own neutrality could hurt her as much as help her.

With a sigh, she dipped downwards into a steep dive. As the ground rushed up at her, Larkin wondered what would happen if she simply kept going. What if she didn’t fight it, and just let herself crash into the frozen pitch? She closed her eyes, waiting till the last possible second, and then pulled out of the dive. A perfect Wronski feint. Too bad she was only practicing.

Once again gaining altitude, Larkin gave a rare smile. She couldn't help it - the freedom was elating.

[Alaya Tiaun]

Breathing in the cool winter air, Alaya smiled enjoying the sting of the cold on her skin. Most would call her crazy for only wearing a short sleeved shirt in the middle of winter but for her, someone who did not get cold easily, it was nice. She decided to head towards the Quidditch pitch that day to practice her flying. She hadn't found time to work on her flying and there was to be a game coming up and she needed to work on her skills.

She noticed someone else in the pitch before she walked in by the sound of a broom flying. She was about to turn around and come another time but she shook her head. Why would she give up the only time she had to practice just because there was someone else there?

She mounted her broom and took off watching the other student for a moment before starting her own practice. Flying was fun but it felt unnatural to her. SHe was a creature of the forest not the sky but she needed to get better for the team.

[Larkin Prewett]

Larkin pulled her broom towards the center of the pitch just in time to see a distant figure lift off. Drifting in slow, leisurely circles around the pitch, she watched the other student. She wasn't bad, but Larkin could see from her slightly stiff posture that she wasn't completely comfortable on a broomstick.

It would be easy to meet someone out here, she realized, outside and away from crowds. The discomfort she usually felt around masses of people was gone, replaced by a simple curiosity. But she wouldn't approach the girl, not yet. She was not that brave.

Larkin idly traced patterns around the pitch as she tried to scrap up some courage.