home (reader at hogwarts)

forty six

at three thirty, that very same thursday you find yourself making your way down to the fields for your first ever flying lesson. the slytherins and gryffindors have the lesson together and so you know this will be a good time to mix with the trio a little more. you also can't help but wonder how you'll fly, if your broom will even lift off of the ground.

the crowd of first years walks down a slope and you notice that all the green ties have collected on one sides and the gryffindors stay on theirs. the separation, rivalry and isolation of the two houses is evident and clear as day. how were you going to manage being allies with both?

trust me, i know. severus had said, describing how bad it was when the slytherins had suspected him because of his friendship with lily evans.

your father knew first hand just how difficult it was to keep a balance.

one day you'll have to choose. serena had said to you at breakfast, and you can't help but ponder about the look in her eye when you insisted you'd choose slytherin. did she believe you?

someone bumps into you as you near the pitch. you turn around with a scowl before you recognise malfoy. his face is apologetic enough, you couldn't expect a verbal apology from the prince of slytherin.

"hey snape." he says, "you excited for the flying lesson?"

you can't lie. you are absolutely terrified. you'd managed a couple test runs on the broom minerva gave you, in the back garden of severus' living quarters but ultimately, anything could go wrong in front of your class.

"bit nervous." you laugh, looking away.

"why? neva' ridden a broom before?" he asks, tugging at your sleeve to get you to face him.

you do. "no i have. i just don't want to mess up in front of everyone."

ron's voice is in your head. you won't make a fool of yourself.

"well, just do what i do. you'll see, you'll be fine."

of course, do what malfoy does and you're sure to succeed: said no one ever.

"okay, thanks draco."

you scurry back towards serena and she smiles as you near her. you look down at her hand.

"the ring is blinding me." you grin, looking down at the gold band wrapped around her right ring finger. "it's really nice."

"you should see the ones i have at home. this is nothing."

you don't think it was meant to sound snobbish. but, the slytherins had a knack for bragging without realising.

"you didn't get mail today?" she asks you and you shake your head.

"why would i?" you laugh. "my dad's here."

"oh." she giggles. "yeah, sorry i forgot."

"i really didn't like what they did to neville at breakfast." you grumble but serena tuts.

"it was just a bit of fun." she waves dismissively. "anyways, mcgonagall came saved him, didn't she?"

"that doesn't make it alright." you mutter, glad she didn't hear.

next thing you know, you're standing on the quidditch field and madam hooch, your flying teacher has finally arrived.

with eyes like a hawk and fantastically wind swept short, grey hair, madam hooch stood in the middle and demanded everyone's attention.

"well, what are you all waiting for? pick a broom and stand by it." you stand beside a broom stick, in between daphne and gregory.

"hold your dominant hand over it and command, firmly, UP!" the class do as she says.

you eyes are clenched shut as you feel the sting of the wood against your palm immediately. all that extra practice had come to good use and your broom was one of the few which rose upon first command.

draco's had and so had harry's. no surprise to you of course.

you had to wait for the rest of the class but surely enough, they had a broom each in their hands.

now, it was time to mount them. madam hooch gave the class clear and concise instruction, but your eyes stayed focused on the one person who'd fail to follow them.

neville.

the class kick off and neville begins to rise higher than the rest of the group. madam hooch yells at him.

"mr. longbottom get down this instant!" you roll your eyes and start to trail him with your own broom, just below him.

"how is shouting going to help, professor?" you ask.

she then proceeds to demand you get down as well.

you didn't mean to lose your temper, but the screaming was getting a bit much and you were trying to concentrate on flying.

you weren't a natural. not like harry was.

is.

will be.

"neville, just hold on." you say, watching his broom try to buck him off. "don't let go."

"i'll try!" he whimpers. the broomstick does one last jerk and you fly underneath him, getting him to land on your broom just behind you.

"oh, thank you!" he says, clinging to your shoulders.

"anytime." you smile, knowing you just stopped him from breaking his wrist. you step off and he clambers off with you, falling onto his knees.

at first you think he slipped, and so you urge him to get up. you tell him he's safe on the ground before-

neville retches and lets out a stomachfull of vomit all over the ground. madam hooch shoos the first years away and you cringe, taking refuge next to pansy.

"disgusting." she winges. you nod, it really was.

"i'd better take mr. longbottom to the infirmary. flying sickness is a common thing with a first year class like this- now, all of you stay on the ground until i'm back or you'll be expelled before you can say quidditch."

draco's snarling voice sounds after madam hooch has left earshot with a whimpering neville.

"what's this?" he laughs, and you spot neville's remembrall in his hand. "and did you see the look on his face when breakfast decided to make a reappearance! the fat lump-"

"shut it, malfoy!"

parvati sticks up for neville. you glance at her braid and wish just for a second, that you could do it as well as she did her own.

"oh," pansy fakes a gasp. "never thought you'd fancy a vomiting fat baby, parvati!"

you notice the way parvati glares at you, and you realise pansy's elbow is resting on your shoulder. you shrug it off.

"malfoy, leave his remebrall." you say, holding a hand out. "it's not yours."

"it's not yours either." draco grumbles, retracting his hand. "and besides, he left it there for anyone to find. i think i just might keep it."

"give it here, malfoy."

the class turns to face the boy who lived, with a determined look on his face.

his voice was quite but it silenced the whole class.

"now."