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+------- Thread: Dreams | Maevie (/showthread.php?tid=827)
Dreams | Maevie - Benji Laurence - 01-04-2026
"It's honestly not your fault," Benji said with a slight shrug as he led Maevie across the grounds and out towards the gate where broom lessons used to take place. "You'd have learned last year if the Headmistress hadn't canceled Quidditch." And since it wasn't coming back this year either, Benji had taken it upon himself to teach his younger housemate the basics of riding a broom.
When the sport did return, Benji wanted his house ready and gnashing at the bit for that trophy. He'd never acted as Quidditch Captain before, but it seemed the task was left to him. Self-appointed. What could be better?
Maevie had approached him earlier in the week with a letter from her mother. Apparently, the woman - who was a muggle, naturally, since Maevie was muggleborn - had asked him to keep an eye out for her daughter, since all of her trust had been lost in the adults that were running this joint. And as her main house prefect - Alice didn't need to know that - her mother had entrusted him. A stellar choice if his opinion was asked, and he'd ceremoniously shoved the letter in his pocket with a wry grin, stating that he was now the boss of the second year.
Maevie had taken it all in stride with a grin and a shrug. Perfect.
He knew he liked this kid.
"You've got your broom?" A shitty school broom. He'd have to ask Julia if she could spare the funds to buy Maevie a proper one for Christmas. Not that he was convinced her own parents couldn't, but if they wanted her supervised, surely they didn't want her zipping around thirty feet in the air as bludgers shot after her.
He tossed his on the ground, indicating for her to do the same. "Hold your hand above it," he said, nodding to her, "and say 'up'. Firmly."
It was the first test whether the girl was going to be a Quidditch star one day. If she couldn't even make her broom obey, they had bigger problems in store.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Maevie Golding - 01-10-2026
The first time she had heard of Quidditch was last year's announcement of its cancellation on opening day.
Amidst the overwhelming excitement that had buzzed through her in torrents, Maevie's mind hadn't slowed down enough to question what that even was. Later on she'd heard people talk about it though. She had listened to complaints about the Headmistress's decision, had read reports on games in the Daily Prophet, had pestered her peers with endless questions.
Naturally, by now, she knew what all the fuzz was about, even though she'd never actually seen a game. Just the thought made her flutter with excitement though. Sometimes she got lucky and someone left their copy of Seeker Weekly on the Hufflepuff table after the owls were through and she'd eagerly browse through its pages, fantasizing about one day getting to witness the sport herself. Maybe even play.
When Benji had suggested to teach her how to fly, it hadn't taken even a second for her to agree. She had almost shouted her agreement at him, jumping up and down in immediate exhilaration.
She'd been skipping half the way down from the castle, school broom over her shoulder. "Got it!", she trilled when Benji asked about it, coming to a halt next to him. Watching him throw his broom to the ground, Maevie did the same with hers, hand mirroring his as he held it out over the unassuming looking thing.
How did they know they'd grabbed the right one anyway? What if someone accidentally reached for the ordinary sweeper, got to the pitch to take off with the rest and then just remained stuck to the ground? Did that ever happen?
Thoughts running like an endless river, Maevie almost missed her friend's next instruction. She gave her head a quick shake, bracing herself with a highly concentrated expression and said--
"Up!"
The broom rose, slowly, as though a bit hesitant. But her command had been enough and her hand closed around the handle, followed by a squeal of delight, feet dancing in place excitedly. "What now!", she demanded towards Benji, ready to burst with how ecstatic she felt. "Can I fly now? Does that mean it accepted me? Is it like it is with wands? Did it choose me? Oh my god, I can't wait to race back to the castle! Do you think we'd get in big trouble if they caught us fly to the highest tower? Maybe there's a spell on these to keep us away, or something like an alarm system that would alert someone."
Her eyes were glued to the broom in her hands, wide with wonder as all the possibilities stretched out before her.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Benji Laurence - 01-12-2026
"Atta girl!" Benji praised her when the broom obediently rose into Maevie's hand, if not a bit hesitant. Brooms were funny that way - sometimes they listened, and other times they didn't. At least this one, shitty as it was, didn't give little Maevie a hard time.
He'd remembered in his first year that Penny Upton hadn't been able to get her broom - any of the six she'd tried - to obey her 'up', no matter how firm she barked. Some people weren't meant for broom riding - which was unfortunate for Penny because she really could have used that broom when she got trapped in the Astronomy tower in second year and the former Deputy Headmaster had go up after her.
She'd never lived down the nickname 'Penny Pick-Me-Up' when the old man had hauled her down the grand staircase over his shoulder.
"What now!"
Oh right! They were doing something. Having got lost in his train of thought, Benji grinned, ready to give his next instructions.
"Well -"
"Can I fly now? Does that mean it accepted me?"
"Um -"
"Is it like it is with wands? Did it choose me?"
Well, hell if he knew how it worked but -
"Oh my god, I can't wait to race back to the castle! Do you think we'd get in big trouble if they caught us fly to the highest tower?"
"Probably but -"
"Maybe there's a spell on these to keep us away, or something like an alarm system that would alert someone."
Those were a lot of words, and they were coming quickly, but Benji knew he wasn't even there anymore. It was just Maevie and her broom. The girl's eyes as large as the moon, taking in every inch of the old battered thing, and the boy couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. She'd make a great flier if not Quidditch player one day, and he was all the more certain now he'd find a way to get her a top-notch ride.
"So," he started and waited a moment to ensure she didn't have more questions first. When he seemed in the clear, he continued. "Your broom obeying is a good sign, for sure. It doesn't really work like wands. If one broom accepts you, pretty much any other will. I think they can sense if you're going to be a competent flier or not." He didn't know really and was probably blowing steam, but it sounded right.
"Anyway, let's hold off on flying near the highest tower until we know you can at least hover, yeah?" He grinned, reaching out to ruffle the top of her hair. "Now," he demonstrated by swinging a leg over the broom. "Just hop on and slowly lift your legs up and see how well you can just float there a moment."
Easy peasy. As long as she didn't lean forward to make the damn thing take off, she'd be fine.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Maevie Golding - 01-19-2026
Maevie nodded enthusiastically along as Benji explained how the brooms worked, still running her gaze over the one in her hands.
So it did sort of meant she'd proven herself if the obedience to her command meant they'd all accept her now. A competent flier is what Benji said and the words rushed right into her chest, swelling to a happy little ball of pride, even for this small act of managing to get her broom up.
Having no magical blood in her family meant she hadn't know about any of it until only a year ago while others, the ones with wizarding families, had spent their entire lives knowing what she had only learned of bit by bit.
There still were these moments in which a classmate mentioned something Maevie had never heard of before and when she asked, it was often they'd scoff at her in amusement. She didn't care when they did though, some of them regarding her with a strange sort of animosity she didn't quite understand. But as long as she got her answer, she was happy.
"Anyway, let's hold off on flying near the highest tower until we know you can at least hover, yeah?"
She nodded another time. Hovering, yes. That sounded like a reasonable next step.
Giggling excitedly, she grinned at Benji, flattening her hair he had ruffled up. Maybe next time they'd fly up to the towers.
Her eyes followed his movements of swinging a leg over his broom, mirroring him a second later. It felt a bit strange, admittedly. Like a game she would play with her friends, each a broom between their legs, running back and forth in the courtyard pretending to fly high above the city's rooftops. Playing witches when she'd been one all along.
What a concept.
It felt wrong to just pull her legs away from the ground though, going against everything that made sense. She'd surely crash like an idiot, smashing her knees and hands and face.
But Maevie rose onto her tiptoes, creating a bit more room between herself and the earth below in case the worst did happen, and slowly bent her knees, pulling her feet from the ground.
And then she hovered.
Her face split into the widest smile she could manage, laughter bubbling from her lips. "Look!", she exclaimed in between breaths, eyes glued to the ground still, hands gripping the handle of her broom. "I'M FLYING, BENJI!" Another cascade of ecstatic laughter rolled from her mouth.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Benji Laurence - 01-22-2026
"I'M FLYING, BENJI!"
Well.
She was hovering. And that was a good start! Benji was never one to dissuade someone with actualities when their face was as full of joy as Maevie's was. That was for Slytherins to do, and they were plenty good at it.
Even better, she hadn't rocketed herself off into the ether where he'd have to chase her and hope she didn't fall into the lake where the squid awaited. That thing was fast and had leapt from its depths to catch a depulso-ed chicken once.
"Great job, Marge. You're a natural." He grinned, having taken note of the apprehension before she'd lifted her feet from the ground. It was normal, especially for muggleborns when they first took on a broom - or any new magic really. It was so unfamiliar, so foreign to what they knew, that he imagined it must feel daunting to let go of your rationality and give way to the magic.
He'd been lucky in that aspect he guessed. Magic had always been around him - even if it wasn't always used for benign purposes.
"Alright, let's start out slow," he said, emphasizing the word so she really heard him. He was fast and could catch her if he needed to, but he preferred not to test his heart this afternoon. "Lean forward slightly on your broom to accelerate and pull up on the end of it to slow or stop." He demonstrated by leaning forward just a bit, moving the broom a few feet across the ground. "You go higher by pulling up - err....slower than when you try to stop...and you go lower by pointing the handle down." He grimaced for a moment. "But not straight down because then you'll dive and you only want to do that if you're already really high up..."
He stopped himself. One thing at a time. "Lean forward," he indicated, beckoning her with his hand to come closer towards him.
"And uh...try not to kill yourself doing it. Your mum's already worried."
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Maevie Golding - 01-25-2026
Hovering there motionless, a couple feet above the ground, might not be a big deal to many.
But it was a massive deal for Maevie.
It defied everything that should be possible and here she was, doing it anyway.
She wished she could run to her friends back home and tell them all about it, show them even, take them along for a ride. It wasn't possible, she knew. When that ministry man had showed up on their doorstep on her eleventh birthday, delivering a thick envelope that would change her life, he hadn't failed in letting her know -- very sternly so -- that under no circumstances was she allowed to tell any of her muggle friends.
It was alright though, she supposed. She had friends here now that knew all about magic and witches and wizards. One of them was hovering right next to her.
"Alright, let's start out slow."
Slow. That, too, sounded very logical. Maevie nodded, stomach fluttering and eyes remaining glued to the ground. Despite the excitement and delight that was learning to fly a broom, she couldn't help the slight apprehension mingling at the back of her mind. It was thrilling but it was strange.
Nodding along to Benji's instructions, Maevie tried her hardest to keep them all in order. It was a lot of things he told her, all at once, and she really hoped she didn't get them jumbled into a mess of an awaiting death trip.
Lean forward, she could do that though.
Locking out her elbows, Maevie held her breath and then tilted her upper body, slowly, until the ground underneath seemed to move backwards. Eyes widening she watched the grass pass beneath her feet, faster now and with a jolt she rocked backwards, trying to slow down.
Slow down she did, by a hundred percent, too suddenly though. The broom bucked as she pulled the handle sharply up, throwing her off in an arch.
Maevie landed with an oof, a few feet further ahead, rolling once and laying in her back. She quickly scrambled to her feet. "I'm alright!", she called immediately, brushing the dirt from her clothes and the hair from her face before she was fully upright. The last thing she needed was for Benji to think they should stop.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Benji Laurence - 01-30-2026
It was a lot, he knew, for a first timer to try and grasp all at once. The first time he'd taken to a broom, he hadn't listened to anyone's instructions (naturally), and had bolted off into the sky before he knew what he was doing. Luckily, it hadn't ended in disaster, he'd figured out his way down, but the fact that she was listening meant she was already two steps ahead.
"There you go," Benji nodded as she started forward, his own broom continuing to hover as he watched her go by. She picked up a bit of speed, nothing to worry about just yet and then -
Thud.
Well, better when she was only five feet off the ground rather than thirty. He'd watched several people fall from those heights over the years and if someone didn't catch them, the end result wasn't usually pretty.
"I'm alright!"
"Yeah you are!" he cheered her on, giving her a wry grin. "You'll have to get used to that. Falling off your broom, especially mid-game is a right of passage." He nodded for her to get back on. "How about I take control for a minute?" He drew his wand, flicking it between them as a rope appeared. It tied itself to the handle of her broom, and then the handle of his.
"Just so you can get the feel for it, yeah?" He waited until she was situated again. "Hang on tight, and don't try to steer or anything. We don't need both of us thrown off." He gave her a wink, before taking hold of his broom handle and leaned forward, shooting off quickly across the grounds and taking Maevie with him.
They stayed fairly low, just in case, but they were moving as fast as he normally did during games. "Ready to go higher?" he looked over to make sure she wasn't panicking before he took her up into the sky.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Maevie Golding - 02-01-2026
Thankfully Benji didn't give the impression of wanting to end their training session and Maevie exhaled in quiet relief. Even though he had mentioned her mother, her fall apparently wasn't enough to get him worried. Quickly she bounded back to where her broom had landed on the ground, picking it up and mounting it once more.
Falling off a broom during a game sounded a little scary, despite her eagerness to continue. The drop from just above ground hadn't been terrible but from high up in the air? That sounded downright terrifying.
But Benji was talking of it so casually that she couldn't help but dismiss the worrisome musings of a future she didn't even know would ever come true. Maybe Quidditch wouldn't come back at all, maybe she wouldn't be good enough if it did. For now, enjoying the moment of learning to fly with her friend was enough.
Carefully she eased herself back to a hovering position, nodding brightly when Benji suggested he take the lead. A rope appeared from his wand, each end tying around their brooms and connecting them.
"Hang on tight," Maevie echoed, as she tightened her grip, "no steeri--
Without warning he stot off.
A brief but chocked scream pulled from her throat as they barrelled forward, faster than she had expected but immediately pushing thrilling adrenaline into her blood. The surprise made way for excitement though and another laugh bubbled forth, spilling to be carried away by the wind.
"Higher!", she called back when Benji asked, gripping the handle even tighter with a heart that felt ready to burst with joy.
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Benji Laurence - 02-18-2026
"Higher!"
If she said so. Benji tilted the handle of his wand, and as he leaned forward they shot up into the sky. Their brooms raced, side-by-side, the wind whipping through hair and screaming in their ears.
In the moments when the boy felt lost, angry or unsure of himself, he'd always found solace in a broom. When it felt like his world was falling apart and he was questioning who he was and where he belonged, the sky had called him home. Quidditch had given him an outlet for the quiet rage that brewed behind his cheeky smile.
Benji had done a lot of dumb things since coming to Hogwarts. He'd made a lot of friends and lost them. But the adrenaline, the feeling of rising and falling had always been there. It was a high he chased - one that surpassed even the strongest potions.
"Don't let go!" he called to the girl at his side, and yanked hard to the left and then straight down. Her broom swung around and chased his as they dropped, the ground coming up fast to meet them.
Closer. Closer. Almost there....and....
He yanked up at the last moment, shooting them back up into the atmosphere. His heart pounded in his ears as he grinned at Maevie. He slowed them, circling the grassy area they'd hovered over. "Well?" he breathed, watching her expressions for the answer, "What did you think?"
RE: Dreams | Maevie - Maevie Golding - 02-22-2026
They shot up, wind whipping at her hair and clothes, stinging her eyes. Her palms hurt from the force she held her broom handle with, feet tucked in so far they almost touched her butt.
Maevie's laughter spilled like bright pearls of light as Benji pulled her along. Every bad memory, every bad thing that had ever happened to her didn't exist up here. It all simply drowned away. All that was left was the feeling of elation frizzling the edges of her mind, the joy dancing in her chest and stomach, and the grin on on her face that matched Benji's as he looked back over his shoulder.
When he took a dive, aiming for the ground below at breakneck speed, Maevie only screamed louder. Not out of fear, but with the thrill of a sudden dip, stomach dropping into a sea of adrenaline and thrill as they barrelled faster and faster, closer and closer. There was not an ounce in her that didn't trust him to pull them back up in time.
And he did, racing them skyward at the last moment, grass rustling underneath as they whooshed past.
They finally slowed, breaths fast and grins wide. Her face ached from the amount of joy pushed into her cheeks, her throat felt raw and dry. But it didn't matter when she had never felt a sensation as wild and freeing as these past few minutes.
"That was awesome!", Maevie beamed at Benji, eyes gleaming and hair a tangled mess. "That was way better than flying up to the highest tower!"
Not that that meant she didn't want to do that anymore. More so, even.
"Are you gonna show me tricks now?", she asked excitedly. "I bet you can do a flip or stand on your broom while flying."