Disclaimer:I am NOT JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter.. I only own my very worn copies of the series and my other character Emma (oh, and Pippin of course!)
A/N: Thanks to my Reviewers! Please review even if it is just to say you read the chapter-no flames, though, please!
Chapter 7
Emma walked to the quidditch pitch the next afternoon. Neville was suppose to meet her for their next flying lesson.
Pippin was sauntering behind her. Luckily, since it was the afternoon and there was school tomorrow, most people were inside catching up on homework-which was why she chose now to do the lesson.
Emma grabbed two of the school brooms and headed to the pitch. She had ten minutes before Neville was suppose to be here and that was if he was on time. Emma decided to get in some flying while she waited.
She mounted her broom and took off straight up in the air. After watching the quidditch game, she felt the need to go flying. The feel of the wind against her face was exhilarating.
Like what Draco said-there is something freeing about being here, flying Emma thought.
She flew around for a few minutes and then spotted Neville waiting for her.
"Hey Neville," She said as she landed.
"Wow, I keep forgetting how good you are," He said sheepishly.
Emma just shook her head. "No, I'm not good, just comfortable. You will be too after you practice a little bit more," She reassured him.
Neville just shook his head.
Poor Neville-what he needs is a confidence boost Emma decided.
"Well, come on. This way we can finish before everyone goes to dinner," Emma said. She watched as Neville stood over his broom and commanded it to come up.
"Very good Neville!" She said happily and saw him grin at his accomplishment. "And you thought it was a fluke last time," She teased.
Neville just blushed.
"Ok, now lets mount," Emma said, and crossed her fingers that she wouldn't have to drag Neville to the Hospital wing this time.
Neville took a deep breath, and mounted his broom. "That wasn't so bad. Now, we'll kick off together but we wont go up just yet," Emma said and caught the terrified look he had. "Neville, you have to relax. The broom doesn't have a mind of its own, you have to be in control of it."
Neville looked like he wanted to call the whole thing off-again. Emma sighed. She mounted her broom and hovered in the air. "Okay Neville, I will be right here ready for you if something happens," she said. "Now, just give a little push with your feet, bending at the knees– very good, Neville!" Emma exclaimed as he gave a little push and hovered in the air.
Neville practically fell of his broom when he realized that he hadn't fallen off and flew up 100 feet. A big grin stretched across his face. "I did it-with out going to the hospital wing!" He cried cheerfully.
Emma smiled. "Very good. Do you want to keep going?" She asked. Neville nodded enthusiastically-he didn't want to quit now that he got the hang of it. "Ok, well, lets just go forward a little bit . . . not to quickly now" She added as Neville started to shoot forward.
They flew around the pitch going forward and backwards, then up and down, until Neville got the hang of it a little better. All in all, she considered it a good lesson since he only fell of his broom once and nothing was broken.
"Thanks Emma! Can you imagine what Madame Hooch's face will look like when she realizes I can fly!" Neville jumped around cheerfully.
Emma nodded and said, "It will be entertaining."
Neville talked excitedly, then said he was going back to the common room before dinner. Emma just nodded and waved as he left.
"Can I help you?" she called out.
Oliver and Cedric came out from behind the stands, looking at her with a combination of awe and sheepishness.
"I came to get some practice in since I thought no one would be here, when I bumped into Cedric," Oliver started.
"We heard people on the pitch and came to see what was happening," Cedric explained with an easy grin.
"Then we saw you and Neville and decided to stay in case someone got hurt or needed help," Oliver added. "But I guess you didn't."
Emma smiled. "Ah, I knew you cared Ollie!" She teased. The face he made when she called him Ollie caused Cedric to laugh.
"You fly really well, Emma" Cedric said. "Its amazing you taught Neville."
Emma shook her head. "Neville is wonderful-he is so enthusiastic and energetic, just a bit clumsy. He just needed to boost his confidence," Emma clarified.
"And get a better grip on the broom," Oliver pointed out.
"And learn to stay on and control it," Cedric added. "You were a wonderful teacher-certainly more patient than Hooch is."
Oliver nodded. "Are you heading back up?" he asked.
"Well, I was going to ride a bit more before dinner," Emma admitted.
As they were turning to leave, Cedric had a sudden thought. It was so sudden that Emma the jolt gave Emma a tinge of shock and she almost jumped.
"How did you know we were there? We purposely hid so that we wouldn't interrupt your lesson."
Emma smiled. There's no place you can hide from me She thought to herself.
Out loud she said, "Pippin saw you and went off to investigate. I just saw where he went is all."
"See you at dinner then, Emma" Oliver called out. They walked back to the castle and Emma heard them talking about quidditch.
After they had gotten out of sight, Emma called out, "now, what are you doing here?"
Draco came out from the shadows with a smirk on his face. "I saw Neville following you out to the pitch so I thought I would see what was going on," he drawled.
"You are a highly curious and untrusting person, aren't you?" she said.
Draco shrugged. "Runs in the family."
Emma grinned. "I thought as much." She watched Draco pick up Neville's broom and soon they were both flying around the pitch-close to the ground so that no one would see them from the castle.
"Why are you teaching that idiot to fly? He is the last person who should be allowed on a broom," Draco accused.
Emma shot him a glare. "He is no less deserving than anyone else. He just is a bit clumsy . .."
"That is my point exactly," Draco cut in.
Emma sighed. "You have such standards for everyone. Are these Malfoy Standards or Draco's standards?"
Draco looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
"Are these the standards your father has beaten into your head, or are they what you honestly think people should behave like?" She asked. She knew Draco didn't understand the difference which frustrated her to no end. Exasperated, she landed and returned her broom to the broom shed. "We should head up before people notice we are missing," and Emma headed up to the castle with Pippin at her heels.
Draco watched her walk off. What was that all about? He wondered. He didn't understand why Emma would be upset over his family. Or Neville.
Girls Draco decided, but somehow he knew that it wasn't just that.
