New Beginnings 4

AN: Thank you to my alphas and beta for all your help! I hope you enjoy the lesson! Snarky

Oliver and Percy had just finished their early Sunday breakfast in a sparse Great Hall. Oliver glanced around for Hermione, who wasn't in her normal spot, and turned towards Percy confused. "Have you seen Hermione? I could have sworn that I saw her when we came in."

Percy dipped his head as he finished his Pumpkin Juice. "Yes. I saw her leave about five minutes ago with a bounce in her step." Oliver froze. "What is wrong?"

"Was she reading the broom catalog that I gave her last night when we got back to the common room?" Percy affirmed his fears. "Dògan!"

"Oliver!"

"Oh piss off, Perce! Now I need to change the plan a bit" Oliver got up annoyed. Percy scrambled to follow Oliver with a slightly confused face, which Oliver noticed. "I was planning on showing her the Heather field after the lesson but looks like I will have to do it before the lesson."

"Why?"

"Why Perce? I will tell you why. Hermione is too pumped up for the lesson. I need her to calm down before we start. Last night, I noticed that my scent of the heather calmed her down. I need them to do it again."

"Ah… like you had me smell my sweater that my Mum made for me to calm me down."

"Exactly! Yes I want her to be confident to fly the broom but I don't need her zooming off before she is ready. She has a two fears that overlap each other. Yes, she has a fear for flying. BUT…" Oliver paused for a second before continuing to walk, which allowed Percy to catch up. "That was before she realized that she had actual control over the broomstick. Now, I am grateful that her self-confidence is building, but her fear of heights will kick in, and paralyze her if she rockets out of control."

"Oh, I got you now."

They just reached the broom closet and Oliver turned to Percy, who was slightly hunched over catching his breath. "Go see where Hermione is sitting in the pitch and flag her down to us. I am going to grab our two brooms and have Hermione carry hers to the field. She has to get used to the feel of the broomstick."

Oliver went into the broom shed while Percy jogged into the pitch and found Hermione sitting giddily on the bench. Ah, I see what Oliver means. That won't be good. Percy waved her down to the ground.

Hermione bounced her way down to Percy and looked around for Oliver. "Where is he?"

"Right here, wee lass." Hermione turned in the direction of Oliver's voice. She saw him walking towards them with two brooms in each hand. "Are you ready?"

"YES!"

"Okay, we are going to do something else first, Hermione. I am going to show you the Heather field, okay?"

Hermione's head bobbed excitedly.

"Alright then, hold the broom and get used to the feel of it." Oliver handed Hermione her broom. "Now follow me!"

Hermione was too excited to be nervous about holding the broom as they walked to the other side of the pitch and went out a different door. Oliver heard Hermione gasp in delight. Before them was a large field of Highland Heather, a well-known flower in Scotland. Oliver turned to see that Hermione had her eyes closed, but her smile was from ear to ear.

"Hermione, keep your eyes closed. I want you to do me a favor. Take a deep breath. Smell the heather."

The boys watched the transformation of a tense and giddy Hermione to the Hermione they knew. Percy couldn't believe how her body tension just melted away, and her facial expression relaxed into one of serenity. Percy shot a slightly shocked glance at Oliver, which he caught and just raised his eyebrow saying, I told you. Percy just shook his head in amazement and decided to take a seat on one of the benches just inside the pitch. I'll leave Oliver to his work.

Oliver slowly changed his happy face to a slightly more serious one as Hermione opened her eyes. She noticed that he was ready to start his lesson. She gave him the signal that she was good to go.

"Alright, Hermione, we need to head back into the pitch. Percy is already there, reading a book I presume."

Hermione turned around, and slowly walked back into the playing field with Oliver following her.

"Let's start." Oliver clapped his hands together as Hermione turned to face him. "How does the broom feel to you?"

Hermione had a slight startled look on her face because she had forgotten that she was even holding one. "It feels like a broom at home, except I can feel some magic flowing through it."

"Oh and how does the broom at home work? It doesn't have magic?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, there is no magic in the muggle ones. We have to make the broom move itself. We have to move our arms to make the broom sweep the ground like this." Hermione did the sweeping motion with the broom.

Oliver dipped his head in understanding. "You do realize that flying with a broom is the same way. You have to tell it what to do."

"Really?" Hermione interrupted.

"Yes, wee lass. We either lean our body to go the direction we want or telepathically speak to it until your fear seeps through."

"Hmm…, I never thought about it that way. You did say last night that it knows when someone is frightened, like a horse does."

"What?"

"What?"

"A horse can sense fear from its rider? Have you ridden before?"

"Yes and yes. Why?"

"If you can ride a horse with no problem, then you should be able to ride a broom as well."

Hermione thought about it for a few minutes and started to smile. "Yes, I can! Oh Oliver!"

Hermione gave him a big hug.

"Whoa Hermione! Calm down, we haven't mastered the broom yet."

Hermione let go of him with a slight blush. "I am sorry. I just never thought of it that way. I do miss riding a horse. Hopefully this will replace the horse aspect of my youth."

Oliver waved her off. "That is fine, but we need to slowly do it, or the fears would expound instead of disappearing. I promise to take it slow, alright?"

Hermione beamed at Oliver.

"Ready, lass?" Hermione bobbed her head. "Place your broom on the ground next to you and say 'UP!'"

Hermione carefully laid her broom down on the ground. She stood next to it and took a slow, deep breath as she raised her hand above the broomstick. "UP!" The broomstick wobbled a bit off the ground and plopped back down. Hermione shot a glance at Oliver. Oliver stood by Percy and gestured to try again.

Hermione muttered to herself, "I can do this. I can do this." She held out her hand as she thought about the scent of the heather patch. "UP!" The broom rocketed to her hand, which made her yelp in surprise. She dropped the broom and started to rub.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Oliver, it just surprised me." Hermione nervously laughed.

"Okay, pick the broom back up and get on the broom." Oliver was walking towards as she picked it up. She was ready for him when he reached her. "Let me check your grip." Oliver moved the right hand slightly more forward. "Okay, that is great. Let me get myself situated. I am going to follow you up just in case you need help of any sort."

Hermione let out a relieved sigh that she wasn't aware that she was holding.

When Oliver was ready, he looked at Hermione's face. It was still calm at the moment but he knew that could change in a split second. "Now, Hermione, gently lean forward and softly push off with your feet."

Hermione tilted slightly on the broomstick handle and then flexed her knees a tad and pushed off the ground. She slowly drifted off the pitch. Her face lit up with the realization that she could do this just like horseback riding. Hermione glanced at a smiling Oliver, who hadn't moved. Hermione's smile slipped off her face as she slipped back down to earth.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

"You didn't move?"

"Oh! I am so sorry about that. I was so happy for your slight improvement. You do realize that you now own the broom?"

"What? I do?" Hermione's eyes lit up when the realization dawned on her. "YES!" She dropped the broom and hugged Oliver again.

Oliver could hear Percy sniggering in the background. "Can it, Perce! Alright, Hermione, let's do this again together."

Hermione scrambled to get on her broom. She had a determined look on her face. Uh oh. This smells like trouble. "Shall we, lass?" Hermione bobbed her head excitedly. Oliver glanced at Percy to see if he noticed, which he did. Percy stood up at the ready.

"On three. One, two, three!"

They both went up in the air and hovered two feet off the ground. So far so good. "Let's go in a circle."

Hermione leaned forward too far, as she thought that was how she went in circles. She rocketed straight up in the sky instead. "Dògan!" Oliver shot up to help stop her broom, but she moved farther away. Hermione started to scream in panic as her fear of heights kicked in. "Hermione! Try to steer it down! Don't forget that you control the broom!"

Hermione couldn't hear him through her panicked state. She started to go down very fast; too fast for Oliver's liking. She is going to crash. Oliver whipped out his wand and yelled, "ACCIO HERMIONE!"

Hermione flew off her broom toward Oliver, and he grabbed her, and flipped her body around quickly to cradle her into his body. "Breath Hermione! Smell my sweater!" Oliver slowly drifted his broom towards the door of the heather patch. Hermione was crying hysterically into his shoulder. "Oh, my wee lass, it will be alright. Breathe in the heather. Let it soothe your senses. You are safe now. I have you back down on the ground."

"WH-WHAT?" Hermione coughed as she took a peek over his shoulder. She saw inside the pitch where the broomstick just laid there unharmed.

"You are okay. You will be fine. You will master this."

"Can we wait until Tuesday night to try again?"

"Of Course! Would you like to do it before dinner?"

Oliver felt her face move as he slowly turned around to see Percy walking over to check up on them both.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" asked Percy.

"Yeah, I am now. Thank you, Oliver. I guess I got a bit overconfident."

"It's okay. The same thing happened to Percy here."

Percy groaned at the memory, which calmed Hermione a bit when she realized that it was okay.

"Don't remind me. Thankfully you were able to catch me."

Oliver waved him off. "Anytime, buddy! Let's put these brooms away for next time."

The three of them walked toward Hermione's and picked it up off the ground.

"See Hermione, it isn't damaged, so no harm done."

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I guess." Hermione carefully placed her broom in the closet next to Oliver's.

"I am starving. Do you think that they are still serving?"

Percy looked at his watch and saw that it was 11 o'clock. "Yes, I would say so. I hope you don't turn into Ronald in the eating department." Percy and Oliver had to laugh at Hermione's pulled face.

"EW… No. I do have a bit more decorum when it comes to eating." The boys chuckled in agreement.

"Let's go!" Oliver replied with a smile. They started chatting about their families a bit more as they walked to the castle.