For the Build the Burrow on TGS (fan: Write about someone learning to fly for the first time)
Beauxbatons, Barbegazi
Word Count: 795
"Uncle Alphard?"
Alphard glances down at the gentle tug on his robe. Five year old Sirius peers up at him with those kind, grey eyes. The older wizard smiles fondly, ruffling the boy's dark hair. "What is it?" he asks, glancing around the family gathering, wondering where Walburga and Orion are.
"Can you teach me to fly?" the boy asks. "Mother says you're the best in the family."
He grins at that. It's an exaggeration, of course, but his dear sister has always enjoyed embellishing the feats of the family, making everyone seem far more interesting than they actually are. Still, it's enough to warm his heart. "Now?"
Sirius nods, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Please? I want to be as good as you! Maybe even better! I wanna learn to fly, Uncle Alphard!" he says, the words passionate, strung together in a single, eager breath.
Alphard considers. It doesn't seem right to take this moment away from Orion. Then again, his brother-in-law has never cared much for flying in the first place. With a shrug, he takes the child's hand. "May as well," he says, guiding him along through the small crowd. "I find these gatherings quite boring anyway."
"Boring," Sirius agrees.
…
He's happy to find that Cygnus has a set of broomsticks. It saves him the trouble of having to Apparate home to gather his own. He's already had a bit of wine for the evening, and the idea of getting splinched makes him shudder.
Alphard guides Sirius along, his heart swelling with pride as the boy manages to summon the broom to his hand on his fourth try. Maybe Sirius isn't a natural, but he has so much potential. "Good," he says as Sirius mounts the broom. "Now, this is the tricky part since you're so little…"
"I'm not little! I'm five," Sirius pouts, his bottom lip poking outward.
Alphard rolls his eyes. He considers arguing but quickly realizes it will be a losing battle. "My apologies," he says dryly, an amused smile on his lips. "The point is, you have to be as careful as possible when you kick off. Your mother would kill me if we had to retrieve you from Mars."
His nephew's eyes widen at that, twinkling with boyish fascination, before softening with a darker emotion Alphard can't quite place. He shrugs it off. If Sirius wants to talk about anything, he will. There's no need to push someone, especially since the boy is as stubborn as Walburga already.
"Like this?" Sirius asks, bending his knees ever so slightly and lifting off. "Look! I'm doing it!"
Sure enough, Sirius hovers about ten feet off the ground. He clutches the broomstick for dear life, eyes wild.
Alphard lets out a chuckle. "Loosen your grip. It's like a horse, boy; you have to keep your nerves steady, or you'll get hurt."
Sirius nods. His grip loosens, but fear still wars with pride in his eyes.
"Follow me," Alphard coaches, taking a few steps back. "Guide the broom."
It takes several moments. The broom shifts this way and that, like a confused puppy who can't figure out which owner it wants to run to. Sirius overcomes it; slowly, he guides the broomstick alone. "Look, Uncle Alphard! Look!" Sirius squeals proudly, clapping his hands together.
That's all it takes. In that flicker of a moment, when Sirius' attention shifts elsewhere, the balance changes. The broomstick shifts, and Alphard feels stuck in a nightmare as he watches his nephew fall. He rushes forward, arms outstretched. By some miracle, the boy lands in his arms.
"Flying is about concentration," Alphard says, his voice harder than intended, intensified by the fear that still grips him. "Don't ever lose your focus, boy!"
Sirius sniffles, wiping his eyes. Guilt makes Alphard soften. He kneels so that he and his nephew are eye level. "I didn't mean to," Sirius sniffs.
"I know, kid. I know," Alphard sighs. "Come on. Let's see if they've brought the cake out yet."
Sirius nods, taking the older man's hand. Alphard smiles to himself as they walk back through the field, to the manor. The boy is quiet for most of the walk until they near the door. "Could I really fly all the way to Mars?"
"Nah. I was only teasing you," Alphard assures him.
"Oh," Sirius says, and there's no denying the disappointment in that single syllable.
Alphard wants to ask, but a little voice in his head tells him that it's not his place. He gives his nephew's hand a gentle squeeze, offering him a gentle smile. Maybe it isn't his place to ask, but he can still do something. He can still be there for Sirius, and he makes a vow to himself that he always will.