Not For the Faint of Heart (open)

Guest

Sophie was awake by five on a beautiful Saturday morning. Having lived her whole life on an equine ranch, she was used to waking up early to complete chores: turning the horses lose, mucking out, sorting out the feed, cleaning the barn and stables, grooming, and a myriad of other things required to keep the ranch functioning. So, though she'd been at Hogwarts a while, she still hadn't broken the habit of waking up early.

With all her homework and studying done the previous day, Sophie shrugged on a simple t-shirt, her most comfortable jeans, sneakers, and a light jacket to keep out the chill. Very quietly so as not to wake her roommate up, she exited the dorm, gathering her hair into a ponytail as she made her way to the stables. It hadn't been easy but Grampa and Gramma had managed to get permission for her to keep Phoenix at Hogwarts. She wouldn't been heartsick to be separated from her friend.

"Hey, boy!" she cooed as she held out the carrot she'd gotten from the kitchens. "How're you? That's a good boy." With a smile, she watched as the horse crunched on the snack. "We're going to try something new today. Are you up for that?" Phoenix snorted and gently pushed his head against Sophie's chest. "Take it easy," she giggled, scratching the equine behind the ears.

After spending some time talking, feeding and grooming the animal, Sophie dragged a stool, stepped up and mounted. She'd decided to go without the saddle and bridle, even removing Phoenix's halter, leaving her gripping with only her knees and hands. Clicking her tongue and squeezing her legs, they set off at a trot. She'd contemplated using the Quidditch pitch but she didn't want to get in trouble for either messing up the grass or using it without permission. That didn't give her many other options so horse and human wandered around until they found a suitable spot on the grounds.

It was a flat spacious place, perfect for what Sophie had in mind. "Here we go, Phoenix. Let's do this." Gently nudging the horse, Sophie urged him into a trot, guiding him to make a wide circle. Without a round pen - or someone to lunge Phoenix - this would be more difficult but Sophie was determined. They moved as one, Phoenix only needing the smallest of signals to know what Sophie wanted from him. After a few rounds, she brought him to a stop. Leaning down, she took off her sneakers and tossed them away. Then, she urged him into a walk. The intelligent animal followed the circle they'd gone in earlier. Very slowly and carefully, Sophie brought her legs up, keeping her balance with her flat palms on Phoenix's withers. Taking deep even breaths, she straightened out her body until she was standing upright, hands outstretched on either side of her body and a wide grin splitting her face.

Guest

Saturdays were calm days for Lana. Her weekends were started with a small swim in the lake. The water was always cool and dark and nothing like back home but she loved it. Lana had a turquoise rash guard on with some black water pants and water shoes. She was fully determined to go for a swim this morning. It was early, the sun had barely been rising and she was tired but so determined.

The girl forced herself out of the dungeons and out of the castle. When the crisp air hit her face, she was instantly awake and grateful she had woken up for her swim. She knew it would've been a regret had she not. Her cat Maui had followed her out the castle and brushed against her legs with a meow causing her to bend down and stroke his fur. He was a needy cat but that was okay because currently, he was her only friend.

She sat for a moment on the stairs, stroking him and allowing his meows to fill her ears before finally, telling him to be on his way. He knew she had to swim and he had already been fed - he just wanted attention. Lana got up and Maui ran back into the castle, likely on the hunt for some big, juicy mouse.

It was a short walk to the lake and as she dropped her towel and a dry change of clothes, she saw something out the corner of her eye, however when she turned to look, it was gone. Dipping her toes into the water, she eased her way in, the cool water soaking through to her skin before she dipped her head below and began to swim. Her eyes were open and in the darkness she could make out the looks of seaweed. She had yet to see any lake creatures. Lana's head bobbed up above the water as she made several laps out in the middle of the lake and when she was finished, she slipped below again swimming to the shore.

Slipping out the water, she changed behind a small line of trees and bagged her wet clothes before she saw a girl and a horse? Lana rubbed her eyes and looked again and decided she definitely wasn't seeing things. She watched for a moment as she slowly walked back towards the castle. However, then she saw the girl do something absolutely ridiculous. Lana let out a small gasp and called to her. "You're gonna fall! Get down!" Genuine concern filled the girl's voice as her legs carrier her closer to the girl and horse until she was sure she was close enough to get to the girl if she fell. Fear had never consumed Lana the way it currently had her consumed and she didn't even know the girl. If something were to happen, how would she ever explain this to the headmaster? Besides she didn't even know Hogwarts owned horses.

Guest

Sophie never felt freer than when she was up on Phoenix, the wind whistling in her ears, and her body moving to the rhythm of the animal she was standing on. There was nothing like the silent bond between horse and human, each flowing in perfect harmony with the other in complete and absolute trust. Phoenix trusted Sophie to care for him and Sophie trusted Phoenix to be her friend. And of course, to not let her fall. No one is a real rider until they have fallen at least ten times. The words of Grampa echoed in her mind and Sophie smiled gently.

This wasn't her first time trying out something crazy with Phoenix. Ever since she saw pictures and read that article in the magazine about trick riding, she'd been practicing everything she could. With a horse as big as Phoenix, it wasn't very hard to balance on his back, though she had fallen many times when she wasn't careful.

Thinking that she should make this even more interesting, Sophie shifted her weight until she could lift up her right leg behind her, balancing with only her left leg and her arms stretched out to the sides. With intense concentration, she raised her right leg higher. A grin grew on her lips as she kept her balance, her heart bursting with joy and excitement. If only Grampa and Gramma were here to see this!

Her elation was cut short when a voice evaded her thoughts. Later, Sophie would thank all the Lippizans in the world that she wasn't one who startled easily. If she had been one of those people who yelped and jumped at everything, she would've probably died of a broken neck. Being around horses and animals so much - especially the high strung or abused ones - taught her to maintain a cool head and calm nature at all times. The skill was put to good use when she heard the girl's call.

Not bothering to see who it was yet, Sophie put down her right leg slightly behind her left one so that it rested near Phoenix's croup. Then she applied a bit more pressure on that leg while muttering a low, "Woah there. Woah" until Phoenix slowed to a stop before lowering herself and dismounting, turning to face the girl.

"I might've fallen, with you calling out like that," Sophie said, though her tone wasn't harsh. She just wanted to let the girl know that she could've startled her off Phoenix. Surprising a person standing on a moving horse was never a good idea, but Sophie knew that the girl was just concerned.

Hoping to reassure her that she was perfectly fine, Sophie smiled and said, "This is Phoenix. And I'm Sophie. You've got nothing to worry about. I've done this kind of thing before."

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» Sophie Alyvia Heart
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