Lynn watched the fog her breath forms in the cool air. There was still snow on the ground, a bit, but it had finally melted from the piny tops of the Forbidden Forest. It was the longest they'd gone without snow in nearly a month.
Beside her walked Dani and Aimee, both looking as ruffled as they felt, sent for by a wayward owl at seven o' clock on a Saturday. The tiny fellow had bumped hopelessly against the carriage window above Dani's bed (otherwise identifiable as a small mass of thin blankets), until she had taken pity on it and let it in.
Dearest Aimee, Lynn, and Dani,
We send you this borrowed bird of majesty with news of a positively brilliant gift. Aimee, don't bring your book. Meet us down by the Quidditch pitch. It's hard to miss, just don't walk off into the forest or anything.
From,
Your beloved twins of goodness and light: Fred and George
P.S. We've managed to wake Wood as well...let's just say we took care of alarm clock and shower when we woke him.
The letter was scribbled on what seemed to be the back of an assignment. Aimee immediately vocalized doubts at not being allowed her book, which was beginning to double as a security blanket, but was convinced to come along with the promise of a nice breakfast afterward. Dani couldn't go back to sleep anyway, so they both shook Lynn awake.
"There it is," Aimee grumbled, voice dry and arms crossed.
She nodded toward a looming gigantic stadium-like structure that neared with every step. Not much was visible over the towering outer-wall, but Lynn swore that she saw a flying figure dart up every once in a while. Each time though, it flew out of sight just as quickly, so that she blamed her tired eyes for having not seen anything at all.
At long last they arrived at an entrance in the wall. Footsteps before them in the snow had led them to it, so they were fairly sure it was the correct one. They climbed up winding stairs, only to reach the top of the rounded seating area.
"Oi! Down here!" Said a remarkably high-spirited voice for so early in the morning.
Three blue-topped heads looked down as one over the steeply sloping side to see a familiar red head. His twin stood next to him, along with a sleepy-looking Oliver who stood looking off into the clouds with his hands in his pockets.
Climbing down the steps again, Dani grumbling all the way, they continued down the hallway they had first walked into…this time walking out into the thinly snow-covered grass of the field.
The field was exactly as the Quidditch book had outlined through diagrams and written descriptions, with the three hoops at each end. Aimee noticeably perked up when she saw that the twins were standing next to several brooms and a box. She ran forward a few steps before slowing to a walk again, impatiently motioning for the other two to hurry up.
Fred and George hoisted Aimee up into the air upon her reaching them, and she yelped good-naturedly for them to put her down. Dani grumbled a bit more and made to sit on the ground, but was stopped when the twins decided to pick her up too. Her yells were considerably louder and less friendly than Aimee's, narrating such threats as several detailed variations of castration.
Lynn grimaced at Dani's language, knowing that her friend had never really taken Madame Maxime's 'Ladylike Speech' lessons to heart and thinking it lucky that they were out of earshot of anyone to do with Madame. She couldn't help smiling at Oliver as she approached.
"Good morning," She said, "Sorry they woke you."
"No…it's alright." Oliver replied with a smile, as though he were used to this sort of thing. Lynn noticed that the parts of his hair closest to the roots were still wet from the twins' version of a wakeup call.
"Alright then folks, down to business," George began as Dani and Aimee were returned to solid ground. "Have you all ever flown before."
All three girls nodded.
"About how much, would you say?" Fred asked.
"Barely at all," Aimee grumbled, tones of bitterness more than evident in her voice. "Never got to do anything more than a few rounds around the palace grounds, and then that was it."
"Just another 'lady-like form of tranz-portation'," Dani added, her practiced imitation of Maxime's accent seeming to put her in a better mood.
"Well here you can fly about as much as you want!" George said cheerfully.
His announcement was met with an enthusiastic cheer from Aimee, who immediately demanded the use of one of the spare brooms. Convincing Dani proved to be little harder, as she grumbled but was thrilled nonetheless at the prospect of experiencing something that dear Fleur hadn't.
"Not going to try?" Oliver asked Lynn, who had strayed to the edges of the group, folding her arms and standing to watch the other two try instead.
"No…think I'll just watch," She said quietly, eying the rapid progress of Aimee's twentieth lap around the pitch.
"Oh, come on," said Oliver, "Try. Once."
Lynn looked at him warily, but he stole her hand and led her to the remaining broom.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, climbing up to sit behind him.
"Of course. Just don't let go and you'll be fine."
"Let go?"
Oliver shook his head in front of her; she could've sworn he was laughing. He shoved off from the ground without further explanation, a slow ascent at first, the sky the only thing in sight. Lynn could hear Aimee whooping and yelling with delight in the background, and even Dani as well. She chanced a glance over at them and saw that the twins were passing a bright red ball between them all as they traveled the field slowly.
"Ready?" said Oliver.
Ready for what? Lynn thought as she stared at the back of his head uncomprehending.
Without any further warning, Oliver had nudged forward on the front of the handle. The broom that had previously traveled along at a steady and leisurely pace was suddenly lurching forward.
Lynn screamed and threw her arms around Oliver's stomach as her own dropped at the sudden change. She heard him chuckle lightly at her as the fly up straight into the sky, then in circles, and twisting through the clear blue skies. The cold air rushed past her face, and she narrowed her eyes to it.
"Yeah Lynn!" The tiny blonde figure of Aimee called up from below. Lynn could barely see her friend through the cold that was tearing up her eyes.
The Quidditch pitch shrank in the distance and Lynn turned forward. Oliver had flown them over the bleachers, arching over the lake and surrounding forest. The glistening waters of the Black Lake were immense and breathtaking from so high up, the treetops of the Forbidden Forest winking in the beginnings of daylight.
Lynn felt the corners of her mouth curl upward of their own accord, though her stomach was scattered with butterflies every other second with even the slightest adjustments of direction. She found the view enjoyable with her head ducked behind Oliver's back to block the wind.
She felt him glance back at her and caught something like worry on his face. He made a wide circle over the lake, she holding her breath but staring into the water, before turning back.
"Have fun you two?" Fred called up as they returned from over the bleachers.
Lynn laughing slightly. The twins had started up a two-on-two match of Quidditch with one of the girls on each team, and Aimee came whistling by.
"Oh hey!" She greeted, her usually pale face tinged with pink. "Well now that you two are back, WE CALL LYNN!"
Dani and George abruptly stopped play to fly over to the group as well at this announcement.
"That's not fair…then Oliver won't have a broom," Dani said indignantly.
"Oh don't worry about him, surely he can sprout wings!" Fred replied.
Oliver rolled his eyes.
George looked offended, "Don't call me Shirley!"
His twin looked appalled at this and they lead off into a long fight of bickering. The girls exchanged glances before heading to the ground to land. Lynn was suddenly aware of her arms still wrapped around Oliver's chest, and she cleared her throat quietly before pulling them back to herself and stepping off.
"Wasn't it awesome Lynn!" Aimee shouted, bounding over to the older girl from where she had jumped off from her own still floating broom.
Lynn turned pink at the ears, briefly, but didn't have time to answer.
"It was nice, but can we please eat now!?" Dani said, eyes impatient.
"Sure."
"Somebody alert the Doublemint twins," said Dani, walking off without them.
"Oi, you two! Time for food!" Aimee called up to the twins before walking off to the castle with Dani.
Oliver let out a short laugh at the girls' sudden departure, but didn't follow them right away. Lynn watched the twins fly right over the Quidditch pitch's entrance before looking up. By now the jolt was familiar when he caught her eye.
"Thanks for the ride," She said quickly, eyes flickering up at him before turning away.
"Any time," he said even as she was already walking away.
He looked after her retreating figure for a moment before shaking his head and running to rejoin the group's single-minded march toward breakfast.