miles from comfort

[Victoria Chase]

With the cool and crisp breeze of the evening, Victoria was certain that ending the night without enjoying it was going to be a sin. At first she thought she could perhaps sit on the middle of the quidditch pitch alone, whilst looking up and thinking about the vast universe. Then again she thought, how could she enjoy just that? That kind of pleasure was too simple for her liking and Vee always loved a challenge to begin with. She thrived on them whenever she was bored and currently she was terribly bored, so a challenge had to be there to at least keep her moving. Right after a few minutes a light bulb illuminated and the most unfitting thing entered Vee's mind. How about flying under the stars with one of Hogwarts' most uncomfortable brooms? She never flew in Hogwarts without supervision, though she did back at home but only for a few minutes. The experience had to be done, so just after eating 2 apples for dinner, she discreetly made her way to the already-isolated pitch with the fresh breeze that was still perfect for a fly.

First she went to the broom closet of Hogwarts which in her opinion, supplied the worst brooms one could ever have. They were old and worn out and Victoria always wanted the best when it came to her activities. Nevertheless she pushed it open and was not surprised it was still unlocked and went inside the dimness. There were many to choose from, but she chose one in particular that still looked decent, but there were obviously scratch marks on its wooden part and the shine it once had faded to a tired color. Shrugging, she dragged it with her outside of the closet and slammed the door shut. She flinched when it did and looked around to see if any witness was here. Fortunately there were none and she was able to exhale a gulp of air in relief. Anyone who was here to witness Victoria Chase borrowing a worn out broom from the closet would most likely think they were in a dreamlike state. It was definitely not in her character to be using a broom, especially a slightly old one at that. Then again, not all people knew she loved watching professional Quidditch games. It was a guilty pleasure she simply could not get rid of.

To test her first year skills, she placed the broom down on the grassy land of the Pitch. This was not going to take so long, since she already had enough control of her magic to at least summon the broom to her hand. Besides, she knew she did not need to mount the broom so suddenly and she had all the time to at least regain her skills she once acquired through her Flying lessons. With a confident smirk, she hovered her palm on the broom and took a deep breath. "Up." The broom stirred and lifted perhaps 3 inches from the ground before dropping back again. The smirk faded and was replaced by another look which indicated her minor frustration. "Up!" She said this time, louder, and the broom did just the same thing. Vee tried for at least four more times before finally giving up and picking up the broom irritably. She could just swing her leg over it anyway. However the fact that it did not follow her commands disturbed her. How could a fourth year like her be a failure in this simple command? "HMPH. Stupid broom."
​

 

[Lucas Chase]

Watching others eat while the Ravenclaw was bored, that was one of the most disgusting things he had ever witnessed. Letting out a sigh, Lucas Xavier looked around the Great Hall to see his big sister leaving. Not really knowing where she was heading off to, Lucas decided that he was going to follow her and see what she was up to. It was natural to see siblings together or separate, but one following the other? Now that was interesting. At least he was out of that great hall with several other unworthy people. For now, he just had to shake off the title of being the little brother to the former Head Boy, Benjamin. It'd be a miracle to see the two get along on a civil level. But, Lucas was still so young, and the age gap didn't help a single bit. Lucas bravely walked out onto the lawns, while it was dim outside. Close to curfew, perhaps, but the Ravenclaw surely didn't care about the rules. After all, he really didn't like this place. He would have preferred to remain at home, or go to another school. Why in New Zealand? Why not in Europe? It would have done some good to have him there, above all else. Lucas almost pouted as he thought about it, but he quickly wiped that look from his features.

While out on the lawns, he thought he heard that familiar voice of Victoria Chase, coming from the Quidditch pitch. He thought, 'There's no way in hell she'd be over there!' Then it occurred to him. Who'd ever suspect that Gryffindor to ever be around the Quidditch pitch? It was perfect. Lucas, on the other hand, was good at flying. He had perfect lessons within flying. Perhaps, one could say that he was the best Ravenclaw in his class. As soon as he arrived to the pitch, his eyes rested on his sister who was calling a broom stupid. He couldn't contain the laughter that flowed from his throat and out his lips. "Oh, Vee, what are you doing out here? I thought that attempting to fly wouldn't be in your favor." The youngest brother walked over to the storage where he found himself a moderately decent broom. He surely rode better at home, but this was Hogwarts. Hogwarts was so much less than home. He rested the broom on the ground and he held his hand over it. He ordered in a firm, commanding voice, "Up!" The broom wiggled as though in protest before soaring into his hand. He looked at his older sister and then a smirk crossed his lips. Was she failing at this command, or was it another object of flying?​

OOC: Ugh. Sorry for the lateness. Real life sucks. :X

 

[Victoria Chase]

Victoria felt the frustration simmer into a mere annoyance and she rolled her eyes mainly at herself. She was a fourth year Gryffindor that had some fair experience with brooms - back at home, she flew at times and Victoria knew she could excel at this if she just tried. But right now she was more eager to fly or at least attempt to, even if flying was not her forte at all. A hearty laugh came from behind her and she sharply turned around to face the intruder. Her eyes narrowed as she navigated through the dimness and eventually saw that it came from a young boy whom she clearly recognized. Her expression softened and she couldn't believe that Lucas Chase was out here with her, and her younger brother was laughing because of her skills - or lack, thereof. "Ugh, stalking me again are you?" She called out after him and when she realized he was going to the broom closet, she knew she was doomed. Competing with Lucas would be difficult but Vee was sure not to humiliate herself. This was her brother after all - she could say anything to him.

So, judging by Lucas' background on flying and his evident mastery with the broom, Victoria knew she was far away from his level. She frowned as he showed off how to do the up-command. Well, Victoria was definitely insecure about her own flying skills. She could feel the burn of Lucas's smirk and she turned to face him fully. "You must be really adept at flying right now. Impressing the teacher already, Lucas? Nobody likes a teacher's pet." She smirked back at him, ready for some sibling action to come along. Lucas was new to Hogwarts and so far from what Vee experienced, nobody ever fancied those people who lived up to being the groomed pet of the professors. They were sick to watch during classes! Although knowing Lucas, Vee thought he was probably one of those quiet yet insightful students. A true Ravenclaw, yet to her he still had that Slytherin streak to him. She surveyed the broom in her grip and shrugged. "This broom's not following me. I think I should just ask father to send me a new one. You know, for fun." She grinned jokingly. She was not incredibly bratty, because before she could even ask everything was served to her and the discipline in their household was firm when her parents implemented it. Nevertheless, Victoria could always try to ask for something she would rarely use anyway - such as a broom. She would to show it off, but mainly just to use up more space in her suitcase. It was better to give it to Lucas though, because for sure the younger boy would put it more into use unlike her. "What do you think? It's just a few galleons, right?"
​

 

[Lucas Chase]

Lucas gestured with his hand as if to say, 'Sure, whatever you say' when his bigger sister decided to say that he was stalking her again. He did not feel the need to comment on it, but he did feel some sort of inferiority that he could make the broom fly up to him whilst she could not. Something about that just boosted his confidence up even more, though it was at a high enough level as is. However, while he may have the upper hand in flying, she clearly had the upper level in spells. The only one that interested him was Stupefy, and well, that was the only good one they learned in their first year. How lame was this school? When Victoria stated that no one liked a teacher's pet, along with him impressing the teacher already, he rolled his eyes, and made sure that it was visible. "A teacher's pet? Please. Plus, I don't care if the students here like me or not. That's not my goal." He kicked the ground slightly as he shifted his position. He hinted slightly that he hated this school with that statement with not caring what sort of an impression he made on the other students. Then again, it could just sound like he was trying to be a big bad ass rebel, but that wasn't his style either. As long as he could eventually leave, that's all he cared about.

As soon as she said that she should get father to send her a new one, Lucas couldn't help smiling with that too. It was probably one of his first smiles, genuine smiles, since arriving here on the train. "Well, when you do ask father for one, you should ask him to get me one too. I wouldn't mind having my own broom before the others in my year." She might have been joking, but he was being a little more serious. He wanted a broom of his own, and not have to wipe down the ones that touched the asses of the mudbloods. Ew. Lucas shrugged about how much it would cost for a new broom. He did want one of his own, one that could have his name branded into the side. It would be really nice. "Shouldn't be a problem for father, either way." He didn't understand the whole money thing being his age, since he believed that his parents could get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.