Competition/Challenge Block
Written for/Stacked with: The Houses Competition (Year 8); Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4)
THC: Slytherin - Astronomy; Standard ([Character] Scorpius Malfoy; [Location] Frozen Pond)

MC4A:

Word Count: 1,300

Beta: Dhrish; Ash K;

Soaring on Ice

It had been a long time since his mom was able to watch Scorpius ice skate at their home. It was always a special occasion when his parents walked with him to the pond, their skates draped around their shoulders as they trudged through the snow. Scorpius loved how the icy pond always looked with the untouched snow surrounding it, making the pond look as if it were a glass window looking into the very earth below. It was also a special place for him because it was where his mother had first taught him and his father how to ice skate.

The pond that resided in the back lots of Malfoy Manor wasn't solid enough to skate on until late winter when the cold weather became too much to handle for his mother to endure anymore. So that family pastime came to an abrupt end when Scorpius was ten.

Scorpius managed to talk his parents into going with him when there was a break in the snowy weather one day. It was his thirteenth birthday, which fell on the winter solstice. The afternoon was bright and sunny with spotted clouds lazing around, but the air was crisp and the cold prickled against their cheeks and nose. Wisps of smoke puffed from their breath, but Scorpius was determined to show his parents the new moves he'd been practicing.

His mother moved slowly, his father aiding her journey through the snow and clearing a path as they walked with a couple of clever spells from his wand. Scorpius trudged ahead, arriving at the pond's bank first to look over the untouched face of the shimmering ice for a moment before turning to clear the bench of snow and dry it with his own magic. He sat down to charm his boots to form skates, forgetting his actual pair in the excitement of his mother agreeing to come with.

It took some convincing from his mother for his father to agree, but Scorpius was able to sign up for skating lessons with Muggles when she could no longer teach him, and he had been gaining more skills on the ice ever since. He had even made a friend who happened to be his partner during team lessons. With this, Scorpius started participating in competitions and had won a bronze medal the previous year. This time he was aiming for gold, and he had the move lineup that should be able to ace the first place spot at his next competition in the new year.

This was what he wanted to show off today. Adjusting his gloves to cover the sleeves of his coat, Scorpius stood so his mother could take his spot. Stretching his legs some, he waited for his parents to get comfortable while he loosened up. Once she settled, his mother signed for him to have his warmth charm recast on his skate tights and jacket so he wouldn't catch a chill. He half-rolled his eyes at the mother-henning, but he complied for his father to recast it.

"Thank you," Scorpius signed, his hands moving fluidly in front of him as he mouthed the words. "You ready to watch?"

He'd been deaf since he was born, so he navigated the world differently than most. Some would say it was a gift, not having sound be a distraction to interfere with his concentration and hobbies. Though he could easily be lost in the moment, it made it immensely more difficult to skate to music, yet somehow he was able to manage performing between the aid of light cues during the performance and a lot of practice.

"Go and soar on nature's glass, starlight," his mother responded.

His father sat beside her, offering his own words of encouragement before draping an arm around her and pulling her close. Scorpius nodded and carefully tread over to the pond's edge. He surveyed the ice for any potential risk before stepping out onto it. Staying by the edge, Scorpius slowly pushed himself out toward the center, scanning the pond for cracks or weak points. Though by now he knew it would be safe, there was always that minor underlying risk his mother drilled into him the first time they stepped onto this very pond.

"Never grow comfortable with an uncontrollable source," she'd say. "Caution must always be exercised."

Satisfied with his safety check, Scorpius took a couple lazy laps to break the ice in a little bit before he moved to the far side of the pond opposite of his parents. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill his lungs and allowing it to relax him. Shaking out his arms, he tapped his skates on the ice out of habit before launching out into his choreographed routine. There were no light cues this time; instead, he focused on the movements of his body and the motion of the skates under him sliding across the icy pond, marking them for the first time that season.

He started with a fast spin, delicately slowing down as he spread out his arms and went into a crouch, ending it with a backward exit and into a jump spin, sticking the landing perfectly. Scorpius was in his element now, not even noticing his parents clapping for him and waving. He did another jump, managing a three-turn spin in mid-air before landing splendidly. He was building up to the finale, hoping to pull off a strong finish that would surely secure the gold. He was so immersed in what he was doing he barely noticed that his skates felt a little off. He was too determined to finish to want to stop and inspect them. Too used to having actual skates on rather than magicked ones on his boots.

He had a good amount of speed now. Picking up on it, he soared into the air, feeling himself spin three times, landing only to immediately jump again into a two-point spin. He landed and jumped a third time into a single spin…

When he landed, he was supposed to fall into a crouching spin, slowly rising up while still spinning before he fanned out into a bow. Instead, he felt his foot hit the pond's solid surface with no skate. It promptly slipped away and had him land on his bottom.

Stunned, Scorpius simply blinked a couple of times while sliding a few centimeters on the ice with his spandex-like leggings. His father darted for him, skidding to a halt on his own skates and making a pile of ice shavings next to them as he knelt beside him, asking if he was hurt.

His mother in the distance was deeply concerned as well but remained standing by the bench. Scorpius assured his father he was fine with a nod, replaying what he was doing in his head to deduce when his focus on his magic was lost to keep the skates intact. He giggled at the realization that he was really lost in the moment to the point where his own magic was affected. The giggles turned into a laugh, and he had to clutch the growing stitch in his side to try and quell it.

"What's funny?" his father asked, scanning Scorpius for injury again.

He got up with his father's help, slowly walking on the slippery ice with him as he approached his mother to explain.

"It's just funny I was so focused on my performance it messed up my magic," he said, still smiling broadly. "Nothing beats the real thing."

His mother smiled, understanding immediately. Once they were certain that Scorpius was not hurt, they walked on the cleared path back home, watching as the clouds above clustered together and snow flurries started lazily dancing in the sky above them.