Aya first met Miki in the little rowboat that carried them across the lake. She was still getting used to the entire idea of magic, and this girl wouldn't stop talking about flying on brooms, and how her family made brooms, and how next summer her big brother would start teaching her how to find the best wood for the handle and how to select twigs.
The only type of broom Aya had ever used had been a Swiffer Sweeper. It had had a little nozzle that let out cleaning fluid when you pressed a button. She did not think this information would add much to the conversation, so when Miki asked her if she played Quidditch, she said, "Haven't yet."
--
Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had their flying lessons together. Aya stood next to a shaking Onoda, another one of the Gryffindor muggleborns like her. Sometimes she wanted to punch him for being a wimp, but then at other times it felt like he was the only one who understood what she was going through, so it seemed like a bad idea.
Across from them, Aya could see Miki. Since that first school day, Aya had only seen her in their shared Herbology lessons, and in the greenhouses it was hard to strike up a conversation that wasn't about passing the trowel. Aya couldn't tell if Miki remembered her from the rowboat or not; Miki seemed to be equally friendly with everyone. Aya remembered her, though. It would be hard to forget that enthusiasm.
One of the Ravenclaws was going on about how experienced he was at flying. Aya glared at him. He was annoying, and with each word he spouted she could see Onoda get more and more frightened.
"Pull yourself together," she hissed, pinching him.
He yelped, but his knees no longer knocked against each other.
The professor came then and gave them their instructions. The broom leapt up into Aya's hand, as if it knew how much Aya had needed that to happen. She cast a surreptitious look at Miki to see if she had seen. Miki had her own broom in her hand. She saw Aya looking over at her and gave a bright smile.
Aya looked away and busied herself with getting onto the broom.
When she kicked off it was like she had finally solved a math problem she'd been working on for months, since that liaison officer had visited her home with the Hogwarts letter. The answer, she realized, was that she now belonged in the air.
--
First-years were not allowed to join the Quidditch team. First-years were not even allowed their own brooms.
So Aya snuck into broom shed every weekend and took each Gryffindor team broom for a joyride.
--
Then she got bolder and tried out the Hufflepuff team's brooms. There was a particularly nice Cleansweep she grew fond of. It nearly purred under her touch.
--
Obviously she had to try out the Slytherin team's brooms as well. There was a Nimbus she had been eyeing during the last Slytherin-Gryffindor match, where one of the Slytherin chasers had done some neat tricks.
Surely she could figure out how it was done with a few tries?
--
The Ravenclaw broom shed was the last one Aya had left to visit. She whispered the unlocking charm she'd learnt for this purpose and nearly screamed when she heard a giggle.
"Aya, right?" Miki said, stepping out from a shadow formed by a copse of trees.
Aya hid her hands behind her back. "I was just, um." She looked off to the side, squinting. "Checking something."
"Uh huh," Miki said. "I've seen you sneaking down here for the past three months."
Aya blinked in surprise. Had it really been three months? Maybe four.
"Oh," she said.
"You've gotten very good," Miki said. "At flying, not at sneaking around."
Aya could feel a mortifying blush climb up her face. "Thank you," she said. "I really want to... I really want to be on the team next year," she added in a rush.
Miki's usually bright eyes were dark and serious. "They don't usually take twelve-year olds, not when they've got bigger players."
In her mind, Aya knew this. But hearing it said was crushing in a whole new way.
"Hey," Miki said, stepping closer. "I didn't mean to make you sad! You just have to work harder."
"But I'm already doing things I'm not supposed to do," Aya said. "I don't think I can get away with sneaking away week nights too."
Miki practically sparkled at her, her smile wide, her eyes shining. "Then I'll help you!" She started counting off her fingers. "I can make you a training regimen, and I can get permission to use the brooms, and talk to my brother for advice, and oh!" She clapped her hands. "This summer! You won't have a broom, or anywhere to fly, and I can help with that!"
Aya stared at her. "Why?" she asked.
"Why do I want to help?" Miki asked. At Aya's dumbfounded nod, she laughed. "Because I think we should be friends! And you looked so lost the day we came to Hogwarts, I wanted to look out for you." She beamed. "But then it didn't look like you needed my help anymore. But now you do?" Miki tapped a finger to her chin. "It doesn't matter. I think we're going to have a lot of fun!"
"Well," Aya said, still feeling bowled over. "Well, alright."
The little bit of hope Aya had been carrying around with her since her first flying lesson blossomed into something more tangible. If anyone could make something happen through sheer effort and enthusiasm, it was this girl, Aya thought.
She and Miki walked into the shed, heads bowed towards each other as they whispered grand plans of how they would take the Quidditch world by storm.
FILL: TEAM HIKARU NO GO, G
Other Tags: None
Word Count: 984
***
Aya first met Miki in the little rowboat that carried them across the lake. She was still getting used to the entire idea of magic, and this girl wouldn't stop talking about flying on brooms, and how her family made brooms, and how next summer her big brother would start teaching her how to find the best wood for the handle and how to select twigs.
The only type of broom Aya had ever used had been a Swiffer Sweeper. It had had a little nozzle that let out cleaning fluid when you pressed a button. She did not think this information would add much to the conversation, so when Miki asked her if she played Quidditch, she said, "Haven't yet."
--
Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had their flying lessons together. Aya stood next to a shaking Onoda, another one of the Gryffindor muggleborns like her. Sometimes she wanted to punch him for being a wimp, but then at other times it felt like he was the only one who understood what she was going through, so it seemed like a bad idea.
Across from them, Aya could see Miki. Since that first school day, Aya had only seen her in their shared Herbology lessons, and in the greenhouses it was hard to strike up a conversation that wasn't about passing the trowel. Aya couldn't tell if Miki remembered her from the rowboat or not; Miki seemed to be equally friendly with everyone. Aya remembered her, though. It would be hard to forget that enthusiasm.
One of the Ravenclaws was going on about how experienced he was at flying. Aya glared at him. He was annoying, and with each word he spouted she could see Onoda get more and more frightened.
"Pull yourself together," she hissed, pinching him.
He yelped, but his knees no longer knocked against each other.
The professor came then and gave them their instructions. The broom leapt up into Aya's hand, as if it knew how much Aya had needed that to happen. She cast a surreptitious look at Miki to see if she had seen. Miki had her own broom in her hand. She saw Aya looking over at her and gave a bright smile.
Aya looked away and busied herself with getting onto the broom.
When she kicked off it was like she had finally solved a math problem she'd been working on for months, since that liaison officer had visited her home with the Hogwarts letter. The answer, she realized, was that she now belonged in the air.
--
First-years were not allowed to join the Quidditch team. First-years were not even allowed their own brooms.
So Aya snuck into broom shed every weekend and took each Gryffindor team broom for a joyride.
--
Then she got bolder and tried out the Hufflepuff team's brooms. There was a particularly nice Cleansweep she grew fond of. It nearly purred under her touch.
--
Obviously she had to try out the Slytherin team's brooms as well. There was a Nimbus she had been eyeing during the last Slytherin-Gryffindor match, where one of the Slytherin chasers had done some neat tricks.
Surely she could figure out how it was done with a few tries?
--
The Ravenclaw broom shed was the last one Aya had left to visit. She whispered the unlocking charm she'd learnt for this purpose and nearly screamed when she heard a giggle.
"Aya, right?" Miki said, stepping out from a shadow formed by a copse of trees.
Aya hid her hands behind her back. "I was just, um." She looked off to the side, squinting. "Checking something."
"Uh huh," Miki said. "I've seen you sneaking down here for the past three months."
Aya blinked in surprise. Had it really been three months? Maybe four.
"Oh," she said.
"You've gotten very good," Miki said. "At flying, not at sneaking around."
Aya could feel a mortifying blush climb up her face. "Thank you," she said. "I really want to... I really want to be on the team next year," she added in a rush.
Miki's usually bright eyes were dark and serious. "They don't usually take twelve-year olds, not when they've got bigger players."
In her mind, Aya knew this. But hearing it said was crushing in a whole new way.
"Hey," Miki said, stepping closer. "I didn't mean to make you sad! You just have to work harder."
"But I'm already doing things I'm not supposed to do," Aya said. "I don't think I can get away with sneaking away week nights too."
Miki practically sparkled at her, her smile wide, her eyes shining. "Then I'll help you!" She started counting off her fingers. "I can make you a training regimen, and I can get permission to use the brooms, and talk to my brother for advice, and oh!" She clapped her hands. "This summer! You won't have a broom, or anywhere to fly, and I can help with that!"
Aya stared at her. "Why?" she asked.
"Why do I want to help?" Miki asked. At Aya's dumbfounded nod, she laughed. "Because I think we should be friends! And you looked so lost the day we came to Hogwarts, I wanted to look out for you." She beamed. "But then it didn't look like you needed my help anymore. But now you do?" Miki tapped a finger to her chin. "It doesn't matter. I think we're going to have a lot of fun!"
"Well," Aya said, still feeling bowled over. "Well, alright."
The little bit of hope Aya had been carrying around with her since her first flying lesson blossomed into something more tangible. If anyone could make something happen through sheer effort and enthusiasm, it was this girl, Aya thought.
She and Miki walked into the shed, heads bowed towards each other as they whispered grand plans of how they would take the Quidditch world by storm.