under the shadow of a tree

PART I: CHAPTER 5

Ben was late. Rey tapped her fingers over her crossed legs impatiently. He said he was getting Hogwart’s supplies today but that he would be back before dusk so they could continue practicing magic.

She wouldn’t normally mind, but their evenings together were numbered.

Just a few precious days.

Rey sighed looking at the sun slowly disappearing behind the mountains. Maybe she could practice alone while she waited. She had never attempted it on her own, but she wouldn’t have a choice from now on. Ben had told her he would be back for Christmas, but she didn’t want to wait for his return to keep practicing. With each time she practiced, Rey felt a little less scared of herself.

Still, she was nervous. The last time had gone fine; she hadn’t burned the house down. But that didn’t mean that it would go well every time from now on, did it?

Rey looked around again. No sign of Ben yet. She shuddered when a cold breeze played with the little hairs on her neck.

Just a warm-up.

She sat in the cool grass, leaning against the tree trunk, and closed her eyes. Her chest rose as she inhaled and fell as she exhaled deeply, clearing her head and focusing on her senses, as Ben had taught her. Rey counted ten deep breaths before she felt it all around her. The little bugs buzzing in the dirt, the wind playing with the yellowish tree leaves, birds tucking their broods to sleep.

And, twirling in her fingers, sparkly, bright magic. Rey inhaled carefully and smiled. Oh, there were so many things she could do.

She wondered if she could direct it to something specific, like the pond. Nothing aggressive, maybe a few waves. Rey extended both hands in the air, trying to direct the golden shimmering mirage to perform as she wanted.

But the energy resisted leaving her palms. She frowned, trying to make it bend to her will. For a moment, it seemed to have worked. Rey twirled her hands in the air, trying to shift the water, to defy gravity.

“REY!”

The scream startled her and magic flowed violently through her, altering a series of things around her. She opened her eyes to a still wall of water twice her height towering in front of her. Branches snapped over her head and the violent cold wind pushed the baby hairs out of her face. But none of these things scared her as much as what was standing in front of her.

Ben. His eyes blown wide open, filled with fear.

Was he afraid… of her?

Everything went still for a moment.

The sudden loud sound of a branch cracking right above Ben’s head alerted Rey but his eyes were fixated only on her. Ben opened his mouth to scream a warning at her about the wall of water and moved a hand forward but all her senses were focused on the now fast falling branch.

Rey stood up, turning her hands towards Ben, causing the ice-cold wall of water to come crashing over her. Nearly suffocating under the sheer weight of it, Rey opened her eyes, determined but shaky dripping arms extended in front of her still, and blinked in desperation, trying to clear her vision. Ben, Ben, Ben.

Ben was standing in the same spot, eyes just as wide as before, but now filled with shock looking up. The tree branch was hanging suspended in the air, a few feet over his head.