When Emmeline finally finished breakfast, she stepped out into the bright light of a clear, cloudless day and moaned. If she flew she would have to fly very high in the sky so as not to be seen but if she didn't, she was sure she would say or do something mindlessly cruel. Maybe she should check if Sirius was home and find something to yell at him about but she knew that wouldn't bring her enough satisfaction. What Alice and Frank had done was pure stupidity. Emmeline didn't think of the Potters ever or at all but now she wondered why she was even in the Order of the Phoenix. They were all supposed to be helping to end a war and everyone was getting pregnant or acting an outright fool. She considered walking but didn't move. She gazed longingly at the shade of blue of the heavens above her. What a cruel world and a terrible day. She couldn't even fly around to relieve herself of the stress from the evening's news. She crossed her arms and sighed deeply.
How long had she stood staring at the sky? She was there long enough to convince herself that the tears that were forming there were because of the brightness of that blue. Her head tilted back and sniffling. She stood there long enough for Alastor to eat breakfast and Dorcas to take a bath and meet him downstairs. Long enough for Edgar to return back with a bag of pastries and fruit. Emmeline turned at a whistle, to Edgar grinning broadly, walking his big stupid walk with his big stupid long legs and monster feet. Anyone else would have hesitated but Edgar, upon getting close enough to seeing her continue to stare unsmiling, kissed her on the cheek and went inside. Emmeline stood a few moments longer and went back inside not commenting at the three of them at the table, past Gideon going down the stairs, the only person who could ignore someone even better than she and when she returned from retrieving her broom from the closet in her shared room, everyone downstairs had already had a broom ready or had found someone else's to borrow leaning against the counter or table. Dorcas blinked slowly, still seated at the table. She shook her head and stood up. Emmeline looked around.
"Let's get this over with." Dorcas said.
When Emmeline was in school, one of her nicknames was the Canary. She got it for her skill in flying, that's what most of them thought but the muggleborns in her house had given her the name. When her dorm contracted food poisoning she got sick several hours before anyone else. When it was about to rain, she would shiver involuntarily, glancing at the sky as if it had said something personally offensive to her, confusing everyone around her at first. At first, it was just a quirk they thought, until several years into school, her peers caught on. Mostly they played it as a little bit of a joke. How is our little Canary feeling today?, their tender small, bird, they'd tease. And they blamed any prickly mood on her "gift" and to ask who amongst them hadn't studied hard enough for exams when she got a little frantic but if she even coughed hard enough, there would be a line at the school healer's and the sick wing. The only person who would have known this was Sturgis Podmore who witnessed this firsthand. The first time Edgar had met Emmeline, Sturgis and she were bent over doubled at the waist, faces this close to each other in red-faced anger. It turns out they were only arguing about the merits of a model's broom speed. Sturgis had suggested both Emmeline and Edgar to Dumbledore. He didn't live in the house as he had his own and was too embarrassed that he had been the one to introduce Edgar and Emmeline, he's the one who insisted on their friendship.
Alastor was first outside and nodded at Dorcas who joined joined him. Emmeline peaked through the glass balancing their brooms and watched as they both pointed their wands at opposite ends of the street and buildings around them. Alastor motioned for them to come outside. Dorcas stood stone faced and still even as Emmeline handed her a broom. It could not be Emmeline's good fortune that she'd be able to fly in the day like this, like she was nineteen again. They all gave a look around and were in the sky.
Dorcas lagged behind. The chill of flying was bad enough but they had to fly extra high because the day was so clear. Her stomach tightened. She told herself not to look down. Flying was a necessary evil of the job but something was really bothering Emmeline and she hated that she even cared. Even before she could stop herself, she had suggested they go flying with her. Alice had told her what she'd said about the pregnancy. She knew Emmeline was scared. Dorcas had cried and Emmeline had fumed. She considered backing out until they were well in the air. Gideon for his part didn't really care either way and Edgar was munching away at an apple. Alastor had ;eaned back in his chair at the suggestion but if Dorcas was going to fly he would too. He understood what she was trying to do. Edgar had told him what Emmeline had said, how angry she'd been when she went to bed the prior evening squeezing his guts out of his arse, he'd said. Very uncomfortable. So now they were all flying because the Canary didn't take her own gift seriously enough, didn't know what it meant or didn't recognize it in real time or because it was just a coincidence. They were all flying very fast (too fast for Dorcas) and they were all flying very high and could therefore see farther. Emmeline broke away and flew in curlicues. She would fly very high and let gravity pull her and her broom and then spin out of the dip. She was very happy and watching her happy they too could enjoy being out in the fresh air and not her skulking and scolding.
Edgar's ears were filled with the sound of the rushing wind and turned to each of them keeping pace, beaming as they caught each other's eyes but Dorcas was no longer amongst them. He turned and saw a speck behind them floating in the distance. He made to call and in doing turned a little to catch what appeared to be the smoke produced by half the country on fire. A grey coat hung over the horizon. Dorcas glanced to the side and noticed someone else had stopped. She made a small gesture and sped off toward the smoke. Moments later he heard the sound of a whistle amplified as if she'd been next to him. Soon after that the others heard and Emmeline last of all. She was now the one lagging behind and it didn't bother her at all because it only meant she had farther to fly and longer to enjoy being on a broom on a beautiful day.
