CHAPTER 5
"Up." Maeve uttered simply and the broom obeyed her command.
It softly lifted off the ground with poise and went straight into her open palm. She slowly mounted the broom and used her left heel to kick off just a slight. She no longer closed her eyes or anticipated if she's going to fall, the broom just slowly rise up bringing her body a few inches above the ground, hovering with stability.
"Very good, Ms. Whitlock. Your stance is impressive." Madam Hooch looked at her with a beaming smile before she turned to the next student.
Maeve's heart swelled at the compliment. All the secret training she spent with Eli finally paid off. She did not know why she loved flying so much, maybe it's because Eli had hypnotised her with far too many stories about quidditch and soaring above the clouds.
After the incident on the train, Maeve confronted Eli in the Slytherin common room where all he did was laugh at her face. He placed an arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair saying that she was a 'feistier copycat of me'. It's true. Most professors have told her that much as well. When she asked where he was throughout the journey on the train, his face fell. He told her he was only lounging around with other fifth years preparing talking about the quidditch season. Maeve did not pester him more and handed him the galleons.
She now waited for the other students to complete the task while being checked on by Madam Hooch. It was one of the classes that only consisted of Slytherin and Gryffindors so Tessa and Esmeralda were off with their own classes. It was in classes like this when she felt out of place. She still wondered if the sorting hat only placed her into this house purely due to her pureblood status. She clearly did not belong.
Maeve took the time to survey the row of students in front of her and somehow she was intrigued by the legend himself, Harry Potter. A shy, frail young boy no taller than she was. His round glasses hung by the edge of his nose as he commanded his own broom to his hand and it followed him obediently. His boyish grin was charming nonetheless. Maeve zoned it on his forehead that was covered by strands of dark hair. She really wanted to see if the scar was indeed in the shape of a lighting.
Her attention was caught to the boy of Potter's right, who was staring at her with pure disgust. As if it was a sin to be looking at the boy who lived. She rolled her eyes at Malfoy, but also noticed that his broom too followed his orders and his stance on the broom was as good as Eli. Malfoy boasted a few times that he was sure he would get a position as the team's Seeker next year and Maeve wanted to laugh at his face. He would need to fight her for it.
She watched Malfoy for a minute longer. The way his hair was slicked back, prim and proper. His pointy nose and his silver eyes sparkled as his friends applauded his skills. Not to mention that there were some small freckles that decorated his cold cheeks. And rings. He always wore rings even though they were clearly too big for his fingers. She wondered if it meant something to the Malfoy family because she noticed Lucius Malfoy wearing them too.
Cursing herself for watching the boy that made her life a living hell for Christmas Holidays she placed her broom back on the ground and practiced summoning it repeatedly, each time with absolute ease.
"How are you doing it without so much as a thought?" said a timid voice to her right.
She did not know who his name was but he was wearing Slytherin robes. His dark brown hair had a strip of bright green highlights that parted to the side that complemented his green eyes. He tried saying 'up' repeatedly with such anger the broom lifted up with speed that gave him a black eye.
"I think it knows you're angry. They wouldn't come to you if you said it like that." She offered.
The boy huffed, "Easy for Eli Whitlock's sister to say. You're born with Quidditch blood."
"Here let me help." Maeve walked over to his side and held his palm steady. She remembered Eli doing the same with her. She made sure his hand was straight and his fingers were relaxed. Then she proceeds to tap his shoulder beckoning him to loosen up. "Now, close your eyes and say 'up' like you're saying hi to someone, but a little bit louder."
"Okay..." he hesitated slightly but followed her instructions. "Up."
The broom was still a little too fast as it ascended but it flew directly to his hand. Maeve helped him maintain his composure.
"Wow! I haven't been able to do that since the beginning of the year!"
All of a sudden there was a loud boom and they both turned to look at Neville Longbottom on the ground, clutching his right arm close to his chest, groaning in pain. His broom was dancing in the air like a madman. Madam Hooch pointed her wand and the broom fell to the ground. She ran over to where Longbottom was and escorted him out of the field.
"Poor guy." Longbottom winced as he walked. Maeve never broke any bones before but it surely must've hurt.
"Yeah, he's actually very nice. Just a real clumsy mess sometimes."
His comment caught Maeve by surprise. She knew there were some Slytherins who were friends with Gryffindors but she never actually saw one.
"Byron Rosier." He introduced himself with a grin, "and you're Maeve Whitlock, I know."
"How do you know?"
"My brother is friends with your brother. And I think everyone at the ball saw you stupefy Malfoy into the pool. It was the highlight of the night."
She wanted the earth to swallow her whole, "You were there?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
She groaned out loud and Rosier chuckled. "It was purely self defence I swear. Defence against his obnoxious personality."
"Yeah, but you are still by far the bravest. None of us would have had the guts to do it. Including me." No they wouldn't but according to her father, Maeve had a really short fuse along with a hot temper that really didn't go well with Malfoy.
Rosier chatted with her some more. She found out that his father worked for the Malfoy's as well, and he was one of his right hand men. They share the hatred of the stuck up balls and small plates they call dinner. It was nice to finally have someone of the same house with the same perception. Maeve found herself enjoying his company.
"You're different than what they say about you." Rosier tilted his head slightly to examine her.
"If its Malfoy talking, you better ask him to shut up."
As if on cue Malfoy shouted across the field, grabbing everyone's attention.
"You're never going to catch me, Potter!" He was holding something in his hand as he sped through the air with Potter right beside him. He weaved, twisted and turned, getting higher and higher.
"What are they doing?" Rosier used his hand to cover up the ray of sun as they both watched.
Potter was quickly gaining speed, his arm outstretched ready to grasp Malfoy's back. They both sprinted quickly towards the hoops and back towards the castle roofs. It was high enough that their fall could result in fatal injuries. Maeve swallowed hard. She shouldn't care what happened to them, especially to the blonde stupid git. But she found herself muttering, "One of them is going to fall."
And she was right. Potter nicked the end of Malfoy's broom causing it to suddenly stop, while Malfoy's body lurched forward and he started plummeting to the ground. Everyone was screaming and shouting, even Rosier ran over to them.
Without thinking, Maeve mounted her broom and with all her might kicked off the ground. She quickly sprinted towards Malfoy's wailing body. If Eli saw how fast she was going he surely would've given her an earful for it. The air was biting into her skin, clearing the hair of her face. She thrust the back down and tipped the broom up to ascend. Just as she reached him, she braced her right arm out, catching Malfoy buy one of her wrists and stopping his fall. This was the part she didn't calculate, that Malfoy's weight combined with the gravitational force of his descend would pull her off the broom.
Maeve shrieked when she felt her legs leaving the wooden handle, but her quick reflexes taught her left hand to maintain its grip. Now both Maeve and her enemy were hanging barely on the suspended broom, dangling in midair with more that 50 feet between them and the ground.
"Are you an Idiot?!" Malfoy had the nerve to scream at her.
"No you're the idiot!! What were you thinking?!"
Maeve willed the broom to move. Her only hoped now was for it to slowly lower them down to the ground. But it dropped them a few feet without resistance and Maeve felt her stomach roll.
"Ah double fudge!" She screamed. Scratch that. The only way for them to get down safely was if someone else, preferably a teacher, flew up to save them.
She looked down at Malfoy who's face now is a shade of green. There was a layer of sweat covering his forehead and his feet now no longer flailing around. The broom dropped again a few feet in an instant and another scream tore their lips.
"Now you have nothing to say??" She glared at him.
"Just get us down will you?!"
"What do you think I'm doing? Just hanging here for fun??"
Finally the broom betrayed them both by going limp and heavy as stone. Maeve and Malfoy plummeted to the ground. Luckily there were only a few feet left. The downside now Maeve was laying on top of Draco Malfoy, possibly crushing him too.
The moment of absolute horror was when he asked, "You alright?"
Their faces were only inches away. Malfoy searched her face like he was making sure she was alright. Which was weird because she was used to seeing a scowl on his face. Maeve noticed the small cut in his hairline that trickled drops of blood.
"Whitlock?" He called again, "Are you hurt?"
"I don't think so..."
"Then get off me, you bloody oaf!"
And he's back. Not even an ounce of gratitude.
Maeve rolled over and lay beside him on the soft grass looking up at the sun that was beginning to set. Then the ray of sunshine disappeared as Madam Hooch's face came into view.
"Get up." Madam Hooch motioned for the other students to help them up. Rosier linked her arms around his shoulder and gently got her to stand.
"Both of you to the Hospital wing, now!"
Writing about their banter is quite addicting. Imagine when the childish tension turns into something more later on *wink* :) Let me know what you think! Vote and comment! Hugs and kisses, Genevieve 🌻