“Right class, I want you to position yourselves on the left-hand side of your broomsticks and…”
“WAIT, wait for us,” Susan cried racing across the training field with Leanne in hot pursuit, the latter still pulling on her loaned robe and a tie in her hand.
Madam Hooch raised an eyebrow. “Miss Bones, Miss Moon, I was unsure if you would be joining us after the commotion you both caused. Good thing I brought a couple of extra brooms just in case. Join the end of the line please.”
Susan gave their Flying instructor a thumbs-up as she doubled over panting heavily after sprinting full speed to make it to her first Flying lesson in time.
“Sorry Madam Hooch. Susan absolutely insisted she wasn’t going to miss her first Flying lesson. I had barely got my senses back and she had already thrown on her robes and was pelting for the door of Hagrid’s hut,” Leanne wheezed, taking deep breaths between almost every word.
“I can see that,” Madam Hooch said scathingly as she scrutinised the unkempt nature of both girls. “If either of you come to one of my lessons looking so scruffy again, I will be deducting points from Hufflepuff, understood?”
“Yes, Madam Hooch,” Leanne replied with a curtsy before pulling Susan away so that she didn’t cost their house points by infuriating their teacher further.
“Now, where was I. Oh yes, position yourself on the left-hand side of your broomsticks, then reach out with your right hand and say, with feeling, up. Not until I feel you have mastered command of your broom will you be allowed to even attempt to fly it. If you need any inspiration, watch Scoti,” Madam Hooch instructed.
Limestone looked down the line of students to see Scoti at the head, who, without even a command, saw her broom shoot into her outstretched right hand. Limestone wished it could be that easy. Honestly, Limestone wasn’t sure if she wanted it to be that easy but she had now realised that she was going to have to fly a broomstick at some point and thus there was no point prolonging the inevitable.
Limestone reached out with her right hand. “UP,” she commanded.
Nothing happened. Hermione next to her wasn’t having much more luck although Harry on the other side of Hermione had somehow succeeded on his first try, the lucky git, Limestone thought as she returned to her own broom.
“UP,” she said forcefully for the second time.
Still nothing, Hermione’s broom was now at least moving whilst Susan had managed to get her broom halfway of the ground.
“UP,” Limestone tried for the third time.
Not even a flicker.
“Give it a bit more feeling Miss Pie. Well done Miss Bones. Excellent work Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy. I suppose that is one way to get your broom up Mr Weasley,” Madam Hooch commented.
“UP,” Limestone tried for the fourth time.
The broom refused to budge from the ground. By now a third of the class had their brooms in their hands and over two thirds had their brooms at least halfway of the ground.
Limestone’s frustration was beginning to get the better of her. “Listen here you bucking piece of firewood. I don’t want to learn to fly and you don’t want to listen to me but if you don’t start listening to me, I’m going to have a very nice and toasty fire this evening in my dorm,” she said with a stomp of her right hoof.
Illuminous Green lines shot out along the broomstick.
“Uh oh,” Limestone muttered under her breath as a tree shot out of the ground and sent her hurtling into the sky. “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK,” she screamed hanging onto a branch for dear life until eventually the tree stopped growing.
Ever so slowly Limestone opened her eyes and looked down. She regretted her decision immediately as she realised just how far the ground was away from her. On the plus side, her broom had finally listened to her command.
“Awesome, she really can grow trees instantly!” Susan quipped, looking up from where she had taken evasive action to avoid being caught in the tree as well.
“Miss Pie, just stay where you are and don’t panic. I will be up to help you…” Madam Hooch began before turning her attention elsewhere. “Mr Longbottom, just what do you think you are doing? Get back down here this instant!”
Limestone could not see from her position in the tree as a commotion erupted from below.
“What’s going on down there?” Limestone yelled, not daring to move from where she was currently gripping what had been her broom and what was now part of a very large tree.
And then she saw a boy on a broomstick heading straight for her.
“I am never trying to fly again,” Limestone grumbled to herself as the boy crashed into her and sent them both tumbling out of the tree.
*
Limestone groaned as something hard slammed into her ribs.
“See, absolutely fine,” a voice she recognised only to well pierced the fog that clouded her mind.
“She’s barely conscious, her head is covered in blood, and her arm is hanging by a thread. Not to mention the kick to the ribs you just gave her. I’d hardly call that “absolutely fine”, another voice criticised.
“Pfft, I’ve already bandaged her head wound, now to solve one and three. Wakey wakey, Limey.”
Pain suddenly coursed through Limestone’s body and she awakened with a jolt.
“BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK,” she screamed, head, ribs and, most of all, left shoulder pounding.
“Could that not have waited until we got her into the infirmary?” Hermione’s voice scolded again in the background.
“Oh, most definitely but this was more fun for me,” Kendra openly admitted.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t…” Limestone’s cheeks started to go red again. “Why are you topless?”
“Wow, you can blush through your fur? I think you just broke the cuteness meter Limey,” Kendra teased mercilessly.
“Strike two,” Limestone growled before wincing with pain. “Oof, why is everything spinning? Wait, how the buck did I get here? Last thing I remember, I’m actually not sure. Can someone please just tell me what is going on? And why do I hurt so much? Wait, I am going to kill him. Let me at him. That bucking idiot, where is he? WHERE IS HE?” Limestone roared trying to rise to her feet only to find one of her arms in a makeshift sling. “What the?”
“Dislocated shoulder, along with a very nasty bang to the head. I used what I had available to me,” Kendra stated seriously. “You’ve likely also got a concussion and a massive headache so be a good little pony and…”
Limestone threw up her lunch all over Kendra.
“Lovely. Hey, don’t you dare fall unconscious on me again, you hear me Limey,” Kendra stated before proceeding to slap her adopted younger sister-from-another-dimension.
Limestone’s eyes shot open once more. “Yow, you slapped me. What was that for and why are you topless and covered in vomit?” she enquired looking dazed and confused. “Wait, where am I?”
Kendra rolled her eyes. Madam Hooch could not get back with that stretcher soon enough.
“And am I hallucinating or did that blonde haired brat from Slytherin just take off on a broomstick over there?”
“Harry, what do you think you are doing? You heard what Madam Hooch said and besides you don’t even know…” Limestone heard Hermione chastise her housemate. “Idiot, don’t come crying to me when you fall off and break every bone in your body.”
“BREE,” Kendra cried not taking her eyes of Limestone. “What’s going on back there?”
“Erm, nothing, nothing for you to worry…”
“GO HARRY!”
“YOU CAN DO IT HARRY!”
“Okay, so maybe several of the first years got into an argument when my back was turned. I think one stole something of another one,” Bree waffled.
“GET TO THE POINT!” Kendra demanded, her focus still on Limestone.
“One took of with the item in question before I realised what was happening and then Harry Potter went after him. Oh, thank heavens. As I stated, nothing for you to worry about. Me and Nicola have everything covered.”
“You better. You know precisely what Madam Hooch will do to us if she finds out any of the first years have been up on a broomstick.”
“Can I go back to sleep yet?” Limestone asked irritably.
“Do you want another slap?” Kendra retorted.
“No.”
“Then there’s your answer. Oh, for fucks sake. Are you quite done throwing up on me?” Kendra groused as Limestone threw up the pitiful remains of her lunch. “Damnit, any sign of that stretcher…”
“HARRY, HARRY POTTER,” Professor McGonagall’s voice suddenly echoed across the training fields.
Covered in sick and with only a bra to cover her modesty, the last thing Kendra needed right now was an inquisition by the deputy headmistress as to what had transpired. “Bree, deal with her. Throw the boy to the wolves for all I care. Just leave me in peace please,” she said curtly. She gave Limestone another slap. “What did I say about falling asleep?”
Limestone glowered at her. “Just be grateful I am seeing three of you right now otherwise I would so be retaliating to that.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have disobeyed your nurse then. And at least I gave you a warning, more than you did when you threw up on me.
“I threw up on you? I never did anything of the sort,” Limestone contested with a mixture of indignity and confusion. “Wait, why are you half naked and covered in sick?”
The sound of hurrying footsteps in the background could not have come any sooner for Kendra.
*
“I can’t believe that idiot has actually been given a place on the quidditch team,” Hermione griped for the umpteenth time.
Limestone rolled her eyes as she took another sip of vegetable soup. Right now, she was wondering if detention would have been the better option over her splitting headache and Hermione’s constant whining about how, instead of being punished by Professor McGonagall for his reckless actions, Harry had been rewarded with a position on Gryffindor’s quidditch team.
“Give it a rest Hermione,” Leanne barked. “The last thing Limestone wants right now is you whining in her ear. I bet she has got a big enough headache as it is.”
Hermione glowered at Leanne but said no more on the subject. “How you feeling anyway?”
“How do you think?” Limestone replied sarcastically. “My head feels like someone is constantly hammering at it with a pickaxe, these stitches feel weird and I’ve also got to have my left arm in a sling for up to a week! At least that numbskull Neville had the decency to come and apologise, even if he was practically pissing himself in fear as he did so,” she added grumpily.
“Wow, so you didn’t viciously maim him then?” Leanne replied in surprise.
“I wanted to but it was a little difficult in my current condition,” Limestone grumbled. “Was tempted to set Teeth on him but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the inevitable punishment so just gave him my best scowl and told him “It’s fine, don’t worry about it”. He scarpered after that.”
Leanne gave a little chuckle. “Fair enough. On the bright side, at least you got out of detention. Professor Sprout said I could go once I told her which type of dittany the four plants on the table were. It took me nearly two hours and didn’t help that one of them was actually moly!” she complained.
“It took Hermione probably a minute to distinguish which one was moly. She just examined the stems,” Limestone responded. “Although, we were told one was an imposter. Professor Sprout must have still been angry at you for fighting Susan at breakfast.”
“Thanks for letting me know what I already now know after two painstakingly long hours of research and staring at four practically identical plants,” Leanne deadpanned.
“Well at least you didn’t have to re-read that whole section on the four types of transfiguration whilst answering no fewer than five sheets of questions. My wrist is killing me,” Susan interjected.
“Be grateful it was only one afternoon. I had to suffer for two and a half days almost nonstop until old Mrs Miser declared my writing passable yesterday,” Limestone countered.
“Damn, you must have really pissed her off,” Susan replied.
“Yeah, literally,” Limestone replied.
Susan didn’t get a chance to press the matter further as Hermione got her point in first. “Well, maybe if you lot hadn’t decided to fight with each other, be rude to Professor McGonagall and turn the training fields into a desert, all on your first day, none of you would have had to suffer. As for you Limestone, your handwriting needs the work and that is putting it politely.”
“She stole my breakfast!” Susan argued in response while pointing at Leanne.
And Professor McGonacow was rude to me first, Scoti interjected.
Leanne shrugged her shoulders. “Fair point. Still, that extra bacon was worth it,” she admitted receiving a stuck-out tongue from Susan in response.
“That’s a little harsh, especially as I am sure she only worked me so hard because Teeth pissed in her face when they first met last week.”
All eyes turned on Limestone.
“So that’s what you meant by literally,” Susan quipped. “No wonder she got you writing lines for two and a half days!”
“If all you five are going to do is stand around and bicker, then you can say your goodbyes and leave. This is the infirmary not your common room,” Madam Pomfrey suddenly said curtly as she came across to check up on one of the four students who had already managed to find themselves in the infirmary on the very first day of the new school year.
“Okay, okay, we can take a hint,” Susan replied rising from her seat. “Have a good evening and hopefully see you tomorrow in class.”
Ditto, Scoti added from the end of the bed.
“Get well soon,” Hermione and Leanne added in unison.
“And I hope you enjoy the flowers,” Lavender finished, pointing at the beautiful small collection of wildflowers she had picked from around the castle grounds for Limestone.
“Yes, they’re lovely,” Limestone admitted reluctantly before stopping her friends in their tracks. “Wait, before you go, I never got the chance to ask why Susan is wearing Kendra’s old pink dress?”
Susan tried to ignore her friend and continued to make her exit. Leanne though, was not so forgiving.
“Funny story that. We went back to our dorm with the help of a wonderful third year called Cedric after Flying lessons to change out of the horribly smelly robes Hagrid had loaned us and, well, somehow whilst Susan was in the shower, all her spare robes mysteriously disappeared. An absolute travesty, I must say,” Leanne began to explain with a clear look of guilt written across her face.
“They did not. I know you bribed Teeth and then gave all my robes to him to apparate to goodness knows where in the castle with them,” Susan contradicted, pausing in her hasty exit. “I was sure Professor McGonagall was going to deduct our house points when I turned up in this to detention but all she did was snicker when she thought I wouldn’t notice. I’m not sure what’s worse!”
“I have no idea what you mean. Me and Scoti had nothing to do with your robes disappearing. You probably just misplaced them somewhere,” Leanne clearly lied. “I’m sure they will turn up again tomorrow.”
“Oh sure, after I’ve been totally embarrassed in front of the whole school!” Susan exclaimed angrily.
“Well, you chose to go to dinner dressed in that,” Leanne retorted with a snigger.
“ENOUGH, out with the lot of you now and back to your common before curfew comes into force,” Madam Pomfrey cut in while giving her best impersonation of a dragon.
“SUSAN, you are aware that dress has a tail hole, right?” Limestone called after her friends as they bolted out of the infirmary.
Susan froze in the doorway. Fur quickly started to grow on her hands.
“Uh oh, werewolves out of the bag. Time to run,” Limestone heard Leanne utter on the other side of the door.
“I’M GOING TO TEAR THE BOTH OF YOU TO SHREDS AND FEED YOU TO THAT DAMN HELLHOUND,” Susan roared before the door slammed shut behind her.
Limestone could not help but let a smile drift across her lips along with a stifled giggle. A second later and something large, black and furry landed across her lap along with a large pile of robes.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, not him now as well,” Madam Pomfrey chastised as Teeth looked up at her imploringly. “Fine, you can stay, but off the bed.”
To her surprise, the great big dog gave his mistress’ face a large soppy lick and then leapt of the bed, curled up into a void of darkness and with a great big yawn went to sleep.
“Thanks Teeth, I love you to,” Limestone grumbled wiping the dog drool of her face as Madam Pomfrey moved Susan’s robes to the chair she had been occupying only minutes earlier.
Limestone would get them back to Susan in the morning. Right now, she wanted nothing more but to join Teeth in the land of nod.
“Oh no you don’t. First you need to take your medicine. Skele-Gro will not only help your joint repair itself quicker, it will also strengthen the joint minimising the risk of you dislocating your shoulder again in future,” Madam Pomfrey explained thrusting a beaker of smoking yellow liquid into Limestone’s chest.
“Eugh, isn’t my regenerative Earth pony magic enough?” Limestone argued.
“If you prefer, I could strap you down and force feed you it?” Madam Pomfrey said emotionlessly.
Limestone downed the beaker of foul looking liquid. It was probably the biggest mistake of her life thus far.