Facing Fear Head On
It was a Wednesday in early October and Minnie had no intention of trying out for the quidditch team, ever. However, Cody had begged her to stand with him while he prepped. She happily conceded with the plan to finish writing her submission for the Gazette while she watched. She figured if she finished her article about Professor Hagrid quick enough, she could work on her Defense Against The Dark Arts essay.
There was a decent crowd of Gryffindors trying out for the team. Josie looked nervous as she scanned the crowd. She had guaranteed everyone who had played before a spot, so this only left three open spots on the team. They needed a Seeker, a Beater and a Keeper.
"Your sister must be insane, trying out for Keeper and all." Cody rolled his eyes as he stood beside Minnie putting on his shoulder pads. He was trying out for beater of course, he had the correct build for it, but he wasn't very aggressive.
"What's so crazy about it?" Minnie asked, insulted that he'd insinuate her sister couldn't do it. Minnie looked over to her sister who was standing beside Jonah Reynolds who was double her size.
"She's just so tiny." Cody argued at Minnie, "I mean she can't be serious."
"She seems serious." Minnie answered watching her sister do a few warm up stretches. She had one leg extended in a lunge with both arms pulled towards the sun.
"She's going to get killed." Cody pulled his arm behind his head. "Especially being up against Jonah."
Jonah was snickering at her as she stretched. He ceased his snickers as Alice limberly stood up and pulled her leg up behind her ear.
"I'm so nervous for Lissy." Minnie admitted with slight remorse.
"Josie will pick the best player." Cody said fixing his shoulder pad for the third or fourth time. "Whether she finds them annoying or not."
Minnie did have to admit Jonah was more of a Keeper build and if anything, Alice should be trying out for seeker. Alice ceased her stretches before summoning her broomstick from the ground. She had tied a green ribbon of her uncle's near the feet rests and had painted big calligraphic words on the side of it.
"She named her broomstick the little terror." Cody said tilting his head and picking up his broomstick.
"That's my dad's nickname for her." Minnie explained. She wasn't sure why anyone found it endearing, but they certainly did.
"It's on the nose if you ask me." Cody wrinkled his nose. "Does your dad have a nickname for you?"
"Minnie."
"I mean that's not the worst nickname in the world."
"I suppose not."
"Alright you lot!" Josie called out to those in attendance, "If you are trying out, get over here. Everyone else, clear off!"
"Good luck Cody." Minnie said before making her way up to the stands. She had almost found a quiet place to watch and work when she saw someone sitting solitarily near the back row.
Warrington had a Daily Prophet on his lap as he looked over the beginning of tryouts. She plucked up her small amount of courage before deciding to see if he'd mind company. He was alone without Brenna or Smith in sight.
She wasn't planning to flirt, she wasn't sure she had the capability. She just thought the best way to deal with this ridiculous fancy was to face it head on. Her dad always said the way to get rid of your fears was to face them. Minnie wasn't quite sure her dad had ever meant it in this context.
"Mind if I sit here?" Minnie asked politely.
He looked up from the paper and extended a small smile, "Not at all."
"What are you doing here exactly?" Minnie asked putting her hands into her pockets and pulling out her notebook and pen to begin writing.
"Checking out the competition of course." Cas said with a crack of his neck and a fold of the paper. "I presume you aren't here sneaking around?"
Minnie shook her head, "No Cody and my sister are trying out, I'm here to cheer them on."
Cas nodded as his Slytherin scarf whipped through the wind, "I hope they make it."
"Really?" Minnie asked wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah, then I can kick your sister off her broom of course." He chuckled heartily but immediately stopped as he noticed Minnie's expression, "Sorry."
Minnie just shrugged. She was not in the mood to get between their feud. Her slight fancy for him was beginning to fade.
"I forget she's your sister sometimes." He admitted with a nod and a gaze towards her.
Minnie knew it wasn't just because Alice was loud and annoying. Alice was also very pretty and nimble, the complete opposite of Minnie in most ways.
Noticing Minnie's continued silence Warrington changed the subject.
"Another one went missing." He murmured before handing her a paper. She struggled to hold it open against the wind.
She read through the article. Four people were missing from Hogsmead now. The most recent was simply in his yard sitting in the sun, then gone without a trace. "Why'd they take him do you think?"
"You think someone is taking them?" Warrington inquired with a crack in his tone.
"It only makes sense." She nodded, "Teasdale's not the kind of fellow to just up and leave. He's a bit attached to his dog and his prized collection of vintage wands. This article said he left his dog and his collection behind. That collection is worth a lot of money, no one leaves that unguarded."
He coughed, "Do you know him well?"
Minnie nodded her head. "Normand Teasdale owns the Magic Neep. Nice fellow, he lives down the road from my parent's cottage."
He shrugged, "I wonder why anyone would bother him."
Minnie raised her eyebrows, "Maybe whoever took him likes food. His store supplies a lot of stuff to Hogwarts even."
"Wait a second." Warrington said before putting his paper down and grabbing a notebook from his pocket, "He has access to the food, the school food?"
Minnie nodded but looked over the notebook, "He told me so. My great Uncle Flume runs Honeydukes and they play cards sometimes."
"You must get free sweets then." Warrington smiled a little at her.
Minnie smiled but curiously wondered what he was writing, "Not always, I haven't much of a sweet tooth. Are you working on the Unforgivable Curses essay for Professor Temperance?"
He shook his head before stuffing the notebook back into his pocket, "No, but I probably should be. Not the easiest subject to write about."
Minnie nodded, the Unforgivable Curses did sort of loom over her family like a dark shroud. She knew what the torture curse had done to her Grandma Alice. They went to visit her several times a year, she didn't really know who anyone was.
"I've got plenty of information about it all personally." Warrington said with a cross of his arms and a slight shiver. "Dad's got horror stories. Sure your parents do too."
Minnie felt her forehead wrinkle thinking about it. She'd never considered that before.
A whistle interrupted what was turning into horrible curiosity. Minnie turned her head to look out on the pitch as the two players trying out for Keeper entered the air.
Minnie had never felt more pride than watching her sister absolutely kill it. Alice was officially set as the Gryffindor Keeper.
Cody on the other hand missed several bludgers and actually got Josie hit square in the forehead. He unfortunately would have to spend another year as the quidditch commentator.
Minnie bragged to her father about Alice later that night as she helped him in his greenhouse.
They had a standing appointment every Wednesday evening to work together before dinner in the Greenhouses. It was the one thing her and her father seemed to understand together. It also gave her a chance to just talk. Alice and her mother often overtook most conversations at home. Her friends were kind and funny, but they were so outgoing it was hard to get a word in, so it was a treat to just talk freely with someone who was practically quieter than her.
"Lissy was incredible." Minnie bragged to her father.
Her dad smiled widely as Minnie continued. He wiped a large streak of dirt from his forehead.
"You should have seen the look on Jonah's face when she flipped upside-down! She kicked the quaffle right into his head across the pitch." Minnie continued laughing at her highest tone.
"That's a girl." Her dad laughed along as he clipped a rose bud. "I can't wait to watch her play. Maybe we've got a fighting chance this year."
"You say that every year dad." Minnie reminded.
"And that means every year we've got a chance." He chuckled before finishing his clipping. "Never was much for Quidditch, playing I mean. Broke my arm the first time I rode a broomstick."
"Ouch." Minnie winced thinking about the first time she'd had flying lessons. She hadn't managed to get more than a few inches from the ground. "I guess you passed that on to me."
"Your mum can share a bit of that blame." He rolled his eyes and clapped his hands together. "Never was much on a broomstick either. She can fly fine, never broke anything, but she will tell you she's not a fan."
"Hey dad, can I talk to you about something?" Minnie asked nervously wondering if he'd answer. It had been on her mind since she'd spoken with Warrington.
He abruptly stopped cutting the thorns, "Course."
"Well," Minnie asked, "We've been studying Unforgivable Curses in Defense Against The Dark Arts and Warrington, well, he said something about his dad knowing a lot about them."
His face dropped completely as she continued.
"I figured he meant his dad had done them, but I-"
"His dad certainly knew how to use them." Her dad interrupted curtly.
Minnie felt her heartbeat quicken, it was hard to imagine kind Mr. Warrington doing something like that.
"You don't go to Askaban for nothing Min." He continued, "At least not anymore."
"Then he mentioned you and mum had dealt with them." Minnie continued.
"Y-y-yes, your mum and I have dealt with them. It's rather impossible to fight in a war like we did and not deal with them." He said with a crack of his neck. "Your mum's not dealt with it nearly as much, I doubt she's ever been cursed by one herself. With her condition, being what it is, I suspect it would kill her."
"Have you been cursed by one?"
"Unfortunately." He said before going oddly silent. She could tell by the look on his face he was uncomfortable, but he also seemed to be waiting to see if she had more to ask.
"Speaking of mum, aren't you late?" Minnie asked not wanting to press further.
"Merlin's beard I am." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch.
"It is the first Wednesday of the month after all." Minnie smirked, her parents had a standing date every month. Even when she and Alice were babies, they went out once a month to some old pub in Hogsmead. Minnie and Alice had never been there, but they'd met the owner a few times.
"And today is an important one. I can't miss." He quickly threw off his smock and began smoothing his hair.
"What's today?" Minnie asked.
Her dad smiled as wistfully as he could, "The anniversary of the day your mum finally stopped standing me up."
Minnie felt her head pull back into her chin, "Huh?"
"Long story, ask your mum sometime." He chuckled before pulling on his coat. "Do me a favor Min, grab me a few sprigs of Moly will you."
Minnie reached to a few potted Moly herbs and picked a tiny bouquet.
He took them with a smile, "Can't forget those."
Minnie always gauged her parent's relationship by the presence of Moly. Growing up, if there was Moly on the dining room table, her parents were being extra romantic or it was some kind of special occasion. Every mother's day, Minnie and Alice would be sent to fetch Moly from the field abutting their cottage and decorate the house with it.
She supposed today they were in incredibly good moods with each other.
"Do I look alright?" He asked with a smirk and wiping the dirt from his shoulder.
Minnie chuckled, "You'll do I guess."
"Don't be out too much later." He kissed her forehead, "Go get some real supper, they've got beef stew today."
Minnie nodded before cleaning herself up and heading for supper.