Closed Testing The Waters

[Charlie Madison]

It was difficult, for Charlie, to really feel comfortable anywhere at Hogwarts right now. Her only real friend didn't see anything wrong with hanging out with that slimeball Mervyn, and she couldn't just spend all her time with her little sister. But with Frankie gone, Charlie didn't really have anyone else. Well. For the most part. And so she was... not waiting, as much as just casually loitering near the Quidditch pitch. Charlie had kept her distance from Odette over the holidays, wanting to let the older girl settle into their home peacefully, but she couldn't help but be curious about the newest member of their home. She had watched the Quidditch game, knowing that Odette was the captain, and had been pleasantly surprised to really enjoy it. Assuming it made sense the older girl would spend a lot of time at the pitch, Charlie had taken to just wandering down out of curiosity occasionally, just to see if Odette was around. And today, after a few failed attempts, she was. Seeing Odette on the ground with a container of balls, Charlie hesitated a moment before approaching. "Hey." She said slowly, hands in her pockets. "I saw your game, sucks you lost. You were awesome."

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette had been miserable after the game. She loved being captain, but one part she could do without was the constant sense of responsibility for every bad thing happening to the team. Every loss, every downfall, felt like it was on her shoulders. If she had picked a better team, a better strategy, or if she had simply played better herself, things could have been different. She knew by now that only one thing could help make her feel better, and that was more practice. Not a team practice, not yet, but just one for her by herself. If she could improve her aim, she could take out the other team's seeker during the next match and win the match easily. She had gotten sidetracked during this last match, and it was embarrassing how angry she had gotten at the Hufflepuff beater for hitting her. Odette needed to do better than that.

She had taken some tennis balls to the Quidditch pitch, as well as her broom and her bat. They weren't perfect substitutes for bludgers, but they would do in a pinch. She put her broom down for now, wanting to focus on her aim first. She emptied the container, intending to use it as the target to hit the balls into. Then she heard a voice, and turned her head to see Charlie Madison. It was strange, seeing the girl at school, and she immediately put her guard up. She still had the impression the younger girl wasn't thrilled to have Odette living in her house, and she wondered if she was here to tell her as much. But then she focused on what the girl was actually saying, and relaxed a little. "Thanks." She said, though she couldn't really accept the compliment. "Not awesome enough, though. Or we wouldn't have lost." She shrugged, seeing that as a fact. "What brings you here?"

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie shrugged at Odette's comment. She had been surprised that Slytherin had lost, truth be told, but that didn't change her opinion about how well they had played. "You were still awesome." She said slowly, glancing around the pitch. Charlie shrugged at Odette's question. Had Odette been anyone else, Charlie would have made up some lie about just going for a walk, but Odette was part of her family now, and Charlie wanted to be on good terms with her, unlike just about anyone else in her life. "Looking for you." She said with a shrug, hands in her pockets. "Wanted to say hi."

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette was struck by how little she knew the girl standing with her on the pitch, despite having lived in her home during the break. She had expected the worst of her, for her to seek her out to say something bad or to tell Odette she wasn't welcome. But instead, Charlie told her she had been awesome at flying, and then admitted she had come out here to look for her. Odette was stunned for a moment, and couldn't deny being touched by the gesture. A smile tugged at her lips, and she waved slightly at the younger girl. "Well, hi." She joked. Then allowed her smile to become bigger. "I'm glad you're seeking me out, I was a little worried you would... I don't know, mind me being there." She wondered if she should have said it so directly, but Odette kind of had enough of dancing around certain subjects. Her mother had never been direct with her, and it had been difficult for Odette to be direct as a result of that. "You don't play, right?" She asked, gesturing to the nearby hoops. "But do you want to hit stuff?" She didn't know Charlie that well, but it sounded like something she might enjoy doing.

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie smirked slightly at Odette's joke, relieved that the older girl didn't seem unhappy about being approached. She was surprised by Odette's next comment though, and shrugged. "I don't mind you being there. Long as you're not a jerk to anyone, you're cool. Sorry if Emily's been bothering you though. She finds it really hard to keep her nose out of other people's business." Charlie loved her sister deeply, but Emily could be a handful at times, and she had worried a bit about the girl bothering Odette while she was trying to settle in at their home. Charlie shook her head in response to Odette's question, eyes widening slightly when the older girl offered her a chance to join in. "Uh, sure..." Charlie laughed nervously, walking closer. "I dunno how to do this, really, though."

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette was glad Charlie told her she didn't mind, and she was glad she had actually said it so bluntly so she could at least get a clear and honest answer on that. "I won't be a jerk." She said, though the comment made her a little uncomfortable. Had Charlie heard anything about her past? She was too young to have seen the things Odette had done in her first year, but that didn't mean people didn't talk. She decided not to ask, just in case Charlie hadn't actually heard anything. She shook her head when the girl talked about Emily. "No, it's okay. She... was really nice and welcoming." Odette glanced down at the friendship bracelet she still wore. The gesture had meant a lot to her. "She's a sweet kid." She said softly. Odette grinned when Charlie agreed to join her, and she handed over her bat. "I'll throw up a tennis ball, you try to hit it." She said with a grin. "It's not the same as flying in the air and hitting bludgers, but it's pretty satisfying."

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie was surprised at how bluntly Odette answered her question, a small laugh escaping her. "Good." She was silent a moment, before deciding it seemed safe to expand on what she had said. If Odette was in their family to stay there was no reason to keep things from her. "Em and I have lived in some bad foster homes. We've had bad housemates. You don't seem like that though." She paused. "But if we're... hesitant, that's why." Charlie knew she could be difficult to feel comfortable around, an air she had worked hard to cultivate, but those were walls she wanted to start taking down for Odette. If she didn't let the other girl in, make her feel wanted, she would be just as bad as some of the bullies at her old homes. Hearing that Odette had found Emily welcoming rather than annoying only strengthened Charlie's conviction to make more of an effort. "Yeah, Emily's good at making friends." She smiled a little, remembering how simple it had felt to become best friends when she and Emily had met. It felt a lifetime ago now, the idea that there had ever been one of them without the other unthinkable. Charlie listened as Odette explained the game, nodding as she took the bat. It seemed simple enough, and Charlie stepped back, trying to find a good angle to stand at. "Sounds good." She smiled, giving the bat an experimental swing. That was pretty satisfying.

 

[Odette Madison]

Odette listened as Charlie explained a little about her past, and Emily's. It made her sad to hear they had lived in some bad foster homes before finding Maria, and she frowned slightly. "Bad in what way?" She asked softly. "Only if you want to say." She added, knowing that she was prying. "I won't be bad to you guys at all, I promise. I'm... very grateful that you're even accepting me." She said honestly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just a stranger to you, but you've been very nice." She said, looking away. It was easy for her to believe that Emily was good at making friends, and she smiled slightly. "Ah, that's never been my strong point." She said with a small chuckle. "So I'm lucky that she's there to break the ice. Finn is sweet too." She said, looking back at Charlie. "And you seem pretty cool." She added, meaning what she said. Then she focused on the game, grinning as Charlie took the bat. She grabbed a few tennis balls and stepped back, trying to create a bit of challenge for herself and for Charlie. Then, after a moment, she threw the first ball. "Go!" She called.

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie had brought this up, but it was still difficult to resist her instinct to dodge the subject. Letting people in made her unbelievably uncomfortable, but Odette was a member of their family now, and Charlie wanted to take steps to pull those walls down. "Just... like, you know." She shrugged, trying to find the words. Even if she was going to tell Odette some things, she didn't really want to think about the details, and kept her telling vague. "Kids who take their feelings out on other people or think it's funny to mess with you, foster parents who don't care or know what to do, stuff like that. Some of the homes were okay, it wasn't all like that, but... you learn to be kind of... defensive, y'know." Charlie shrugged again and looked away, trying to ignore the crawling dread in her stomach. She knew Odette was nice, wasn't going to use this to hurt her, but it was still difficult to say out loud after so many years keeping her feelings to herself.

Charlie actually laughed slightly at Odette's comment about Emily, nodding. "Em is cool." She agreed. "Finn is too. And... you seem cool too." It was as much as Charlie was willing to express, but she hoped it was clear to the older girl that in Charlie's eyes, she was welcome in their family. It was a relief when Odette turned her attention to the game, and Charlie swung the bat a couple of times, testing the weight, nodding when Odette was ready. She swung hard at the first ball, laughing in satisfaction when her bat connected, sending it flying back across the pitch. "Nice!"