scars || sirius black

24 - buttercup

Blood rushed through Emmy's ears as she hung from the netting. She could hardly hear, never mind think.

The air had been knocked out of her from the quick drop but she couldn't help but let out a scream as she realised what'd happened.

Tears dripped over her cheeks as she struggled to catch hold of the rope tangled around her ankle, but it was caught tight. She'd need to be standing the right way up to unhook it.

She twisted her wand round in her trembling fingers as the crowd roared, took a deep breath and closed her eyes, blocking out the sound.

With every fibre of muscle she had in her, Emmy reached for the netting above her and started pulling herself up, grabbing the rope.

Each movement ached and sweat dripped from her forehead but she didn't care one bit, crying with relief as she dug her fingers into the wooden beams and nets around her.

With a sharp relashio the ropes disintegrated, leaving her hanging by her arms high above the Black Loch. The wind howled, pulling her towards the water, but she held strong.

Spotting a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye, she realised that she wasn't even relatively safe yet.

The muscles in her back pulled at every strength she had as she hauled herself up and onto the wooden beam that was securing the net.

Everyone in the stands were screaming, but she didn't have time to celebrate before the first pixie launched itself at her, screeching and scratching.

She cursed, prying its teeth out her arm, but more kept coming. Sharp and unrelentless.

She began to run, but she could see the end of the aerial course was only about fifteen meters away. There was no time to find another way down, she would have to jump. She took a look down at the swirling water below her through the mist of pixies, gritted her teeth and launched herself into the air.

She couldn't hear anything but the wind rushing past her as she fell.

Frigidly cold water crushed in on her as Emmy swam furiously for the surface. Her lungs felt like they were about to explode when finally, fresh air hit her face, ears popping.

The second to orientate herself was too long, as she felt slippery tendrils brushing against her legs. A wave of panic hit her and without a second thought she fired a flipendo at her attacker and it shot back, creating a riptide of water.

Not wasting a second to wipe the water out of her eyes, she began swimming towards the shore, towards where she could hear her friends yelling her name and their feet running for her across the rocky shoreline.

Suddenly there were hands dragging her out of the loch, people calling her name, as she zoned out in shock.

Lying on her back, with the start of a rainstorm drizzling over them, she gave a weak smile.

She could hear sighs of relief as she snorted with laughter. The ludicracy of the situation too much to cry about overwhelmed her as Sirius' smirking face came into focus.

He wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her to her feet and despite the fear and the cold, she felt safe again.

"You were amazing Emmy! You should have seen the way you just sprinted past that boggart!" marvelled James excitedly.

She grinned at him gratefully before flinging herself into Remus' arms. Water soaked through his jumper, but he didn't care one bit, he had his sister back.

She could hear photographs being taken by the journalists, lights flashing all around them, but she couldn't quite tell if that was because her splitting headache.