The Broom
Warning: Implied slash, Marcus Flint..Argus Filch, if you squint. Then again, they could just be friends.
Disclaimer: again.
The man's eyes were everywhere, Marcus thought, slightly disconcerted. The smallest drop of mud could and would bring the man running, equipped with broom, cat and scowl. The whole of the Slytherin Quidditch team lived in constant fear of Mrs Norris, although Marcus definitely preferred her to the broom. The broom was just awful: worse than Snape in a bad mood.
Talk of the devil. A cat, a broom, and a squib, or so they said. He didn't look pleased.
Marcus could pick up only a few words, but they were enough. "Filthy game... should be banned… cleaning, cleaning, cleaning… as if it's all I can do…" The rant continued as the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team sneaked away until only Marcus was left.
Marcus took a deep breath and braved the storm. "I'm sorry about that, sir." He said, quietly, almost hoping that Filch wouldn't hear him. "Do you think I could help?"
Filch glared at him, as if to ask whether Marcus was having him on, but when he saw the Slytherin's face, he seemed to change his mind. His glare softened and Marcus tentatively tried a smile.
To Marcus' great surprise, a moment of warmth seemed to pass between the Slytherin and the squib. Marcus' careful smile became a genuine one and Filch's glare vanished altogether. Marcus wondered whether the caretaker was really that bad after all.
And then the moment was gone, and the broom started to sweep up the dirt left by Marcus' housemates. Mrs Norris had vanished to find some other hapless rule-breaker somewhere.
"I'll speak to the Quidditch team," Marcus promised the broom, "and ask them if they can take a spare set of robes with them when we practise, so we don't get the castle too muddy."
Filch barely nodded. The broom completely ignored him.
Marcus walked away, dripping mud, and thinking. Oh, Filch was all well and good and probably quite nice deep down, but the broom was certainly easier to talk to. And maybe he wasn't quite so scared of the broom any more.
AN: Personification is a wonderful thing, isn't it? I do like that broom. What about you?