Chapter One

Edie's POV

The tiny winged gold ball flits around my head, teasing me as I mount my broom, an old, second hand Nimbus 2001. My hands slip on the wooden handle, my digits stiff in the cold night air, even through its the first day of spring.

I prepare myself to launch, as the snitch glints in the moonlight, before it takes off, zooming up and away from me.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." I whisper to myself, giving the ball some time to fly away, out of my sight. Ready or not, here I come.

I push off, and race around the Quidditch pitch. I search the dark sky, looking for even the slightest glimpse of gold. Eventually I find it, I spot the snitch whizzing around a few hundred metres away. I race towards it, leaning forward on my broom for minimum air resistance.

I get closer and closer, and just as I'm only a metre or so away, it zooms up and forward, just escaping my grasp. I huff, following it up into the starry sky. My broom is almost at 60° by the time I catch up to it. I'm not willing to think about how high up I am, instead I just focus on the snitch. My fingers are freezing, I'm slowly a sliding down my broom, and I'm finding it hard to grip, as I reach out, my fingers hovering over the snitch...

And then I glanced down.

Big. Mistake.

Suddenly I'm falling, sliding off my broom, my icy fingers trying to get a grip on the stick. I feel something cold pierce my arm at the elbow, and I feel warm liquid drip running down my forearm. My fingers finally give way, and I'm send plummeting down towards the ground. I scramble for my wand as the wind whips my hair into my face, but to no avail. I can see the ground coming closer, and I brace myself for impact.

This might be how I die.

There's no doubt in my mind as I speed towards the ground.

But just as I'm about to reach the ground, I hear a voice yelling.

"ARRESTO MOMENTUM!" A male voice yells, and I'm frozen to hover mere centimetres above the ground. I'm unfrozen, and I hit the ground with a light thud as I hear male footsteps running towards me.

I quickly use my good hand to pull up my hood, covering my face.

"Oh shit, are you alright?" Leif Cavey kneels down by my side, immediately spotting my arm.

"Mhm." I hum, wincing as he touches my arm. Of all people.

Leif and I are... Not friends. He's the kind of guy who gives Slytherin a bad reputation.

While some of us are busy studying, he's busy turning all the Gryffindors into first years at the Start-of-Term feast (his most recent escapade).

The Caveys are an old Wizarding family with old Wizarding prestige and money. So, naturally, he thinks he's Merlins gift to Hogwarts. Unfortunately so do most people, especially the girls, thanks to his year-round tan, square jaw, Quidditch beater's build, and dark brown eyes and hair.

Cliche as it is, I'm not most people.

He gingerly picks up my elbow, inspecting it.

"Okay. Wow, okay. You need to go to Madam Pomfrey. The foothold on your broom stabbed into your elbow pretty bad. Can you feel anything?" He mutters, almost gagging as he examines my arm.

It still feels numb, but I'm starting to feel a stinging where the puncture wound is.

I grab my wand, pointing it at my elbow.

"Vulnera Sanentur." I whisper so Leif can't recognise my voice.

The wound starts to sew itself closed, as I pul myself up and start to run away, much to Leif's surprise.

"Oh no you don't. Immobulus." He points his wand at me, the charm freezing me in place.

Shit.

"You really shouldn't be out here alone. Then again, neither should I, it is after hours." He laughs, and I'm thoroughly unamused.

"Tergeo." He points at my arm, and the dried blood disappears in flakes. "Ferula." A bandage wraps around my arm, and I have to admit it feels a lot better, but it's very painful.

"Mobulus." He finally unfreezes me, and stands up, just catching a glimpse of my face.

"Thank you." I whisper quickly, before sprinting back into the school.

I tiptoe through the hallways, eventually reaching the dungeon corridor, whispering the password "Gryffindors are Canaries". I'm yet to figure out whether the password was an inspiration for the prank, or vice versa.

Safe and sound in the Slytherin dungeon, I start to breath properly again. apart from the flickering fireplaces, the common room is almost completely dark at

run upstairs into the girls dormitories. Be it luck or nobody liking me, I have my own room, so it makes it even easier to sneak out and practice my flying.

I unlaced my black doc martens, change out of my flying clothes, a black short sleeve hoodie, camo track pants, and a white singlet complete with the Slytherin logo, instead opting for my big old 'Stitch' onesie instead.

My arm aches as I climb into the four poster bed, and there's only one thought in my head as the sounds of the lake lapping at my window lull me to sleep.

I hope on my life he didn't recognise me.

Leif's POV

It can't have been her.

That's what I keep telling myself, as I walk back to the Slytherin common room.

Before she ran off, I cought a glimpse of her face, only a glimpse, and I couldn't make out anything other than wide turquoise eyes staring back at me

Edith Wood's eyes.

But it can't have been her.

She's the good girl, straight Outstandings in every subject, never broken school rules, and as a muggle-born, the crowning jewel in the Slytherin Head of House's Slug Club.

All (except the Slug Club bit) are contributing reasons as to why I love her.