Warnings: none
Spoilers: Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness, and 20 random facts about Justin Finch-Fletchley, both by thanfiction (.net/u/1550595/).
Other: Characters belong to Rowling, their portrayal belongs to Thanfiction. Plot is mine. Written for Friend's Day.
Riding Lessons
Hannah glared up from the boggy ground where she had landed. Although winded, she had avoided any injury. However, she wasn't particularly impressed by the boys' helpless laughter.
"You could at least try to look concerned" she grumbled, starting to stand up. Justin dismounted and offered her his hand, pulling his face into an intensely worried expression. Ernie was less successful; the guffaws stopped, but he was still grinning broadly as he looked down from the back of the large horse he was riding.
"A thousand apologies, my lady. I trust you have not come to any harm?" Justin's apparently serious tone concealed a teasing undertone, as much at himself – in the exaggeration of his normal good manners and crisp speech – as at his friend. It worked, as Hannah smiled and forgot the grumpiness that had never been more than half serious from the start.
"I'm all right, just a bit shaken".
"That's good. You'd better mount again then."
To Hannah's astonishment, Ernie seemed completely serious, and Justin was nodding in agreement.
"Mount again? I just fell off!" The fall had shaken her quite a bit, and the mare Justin had picked for her looked a lot less calm than she had that morning in the stables.
"Exactly." Seeing her baffled look, Justin hastened to explain. "The longer you put it off, the more nervous you'll be. Unless you're actually hurt, it's best to just get straight on again if you fall."
Still nervous but determined, Hannah gingerly remounted, hoping devoutly that she would stay in the saddle this time.
…
A couple of hours later, the three teenagers sat in front of a roaring fire, drinking tea. Smiling at the boys, Hannah said "Thank you for teaching me how to ride, it was great!"
Ernie grinned. "Aye, 'tis grand. Glad you liked it. And you're more than welcome, that's what friends are for."
"Great? Would that include the fall?" Justin was straight-faced, but his eyes were glinting mischievously.
"Hmph! I still haven't forgiven you for laughing at me" Hannah retorted, pretending to be offended.
Justin and Ernie seemed to have read each other's minds as they spoke together.
"Hannah, that's what friends are for!"
She kept her glare up a few seconds, then all three burst into laughter, that filled the room with the sound of friendship.
