Go It Alone

For the first time ever Christine was to enter the carriage without her sister's presence. Whilst it was true that they'd never sat together apart from Christine's first trip it still felt strange to enter the carriage without at least seeing her sister somewhere within. Something which she would have to get used to for her own final three years at Beauxbatons.

She held back from boarding until the last possible minute hoping against hope Stephanie would turn up to say goodbye. Couldn't she apparate here and then go back to her boring job in Cheval? Apparently not as she felt her father nudge her shoulder. "She said she wouldn't be able to come," he reminded her. "Now go before those horses take off without you."

Christine smiled up at her father and hugged him goodbye. "They will never depart without me. I feed them apples. Goodbye dear papa. I love you." She turned and then stepped up into the carriage. There were few seats left and Christine quickly surmised she would have to share. "Excuse me," she said to the first person with a vacant spot next to them, "would you mind awfully if a sit next to you?"

Malachi loved flying in the carriage. It was so peaceful above the clouds and much unlike flying a broom, he didn't have to worry about wind in the covered carriage. Also, he had become acquainted with the winged horses, or at least he'd like to believe he had, which made the experience all the more special.

He was used to sitting in a seat alone. Not because he didn't have friends, but because he didn't quite fancy talking during the trip but would rather meditate. However, this year it appeared the load was a bit larger than the ones from the years prior and Malachi found himself being asked to share a seat.

His somber brown eyes looked up to see a familiar face and he smiled gently with recognition. "Hello Fraulein," He responded. He wasn't incredibly close to the fancy speaking fifth year girl, but he quite enjoyed Christine's company whenever he did interact with her. "But of course not!" He uttered, and then grabbed his carry on bag to move it out of the way for her to take a seat next to him.

"Thank you ever so much Malachi," she said as she sat in the place he'd kindly vacated and placed her bag on her lap. "I almost did not recognise you," she remarked, "with your change of hair colour. It looks lovely." She refrained from saying she liked it better dark than the red it had been for fear of sounding rude. Christine hated people to think bad of her.

The carriage was beginning to move and Christine braced herself for the moment when it would fly up into the air. "I always detest this part," she remarked. "It gives the sensation of my stomach becoming detached from the rest of me. My broom never has that effect on me." She ceased from speaking in order to be able to hold her breath up until the moment she knew they were finally in the air and flying toward the school.

Malachi smiled and nodded. He might've not wanted company on the flight initially, but Christine's good manners were so refreshing he almost didn't mind at all.

His hand raised to his hair which was brought into question. He had nearly forgotten about the cut and color he had before he packed to leave for Beauxbatons. "Ah, danke Fraulein," He replied, blushing slightly. "I thought I could use a change and luckily Mama was willing to help. I do hope my hair is cut straight, though. She's a lovely sculptor but hair isn't usually her medium," Malachi relayed, his words cutting off with a gasp of air as suddenly the carriage jolted. That could only mean one thing; they had taken off.

Malachi smiled gently, detecting discomfort in his friend and desiring to sooth any unrest. "I find it quite exciting, actually. Like a small rush of adrenaline. However, this is the best I get to flying. I've never been good on a broomstick," He conversed, hoping that conversation would work as a distraction from the pressure change. "But you! You are on the Quidditch team! Are you not? How spectacular!" He was truly envious of those gifted with athletics. He, himself, had trouble carrying all the textbooks he was required to have for class and often was rendered breathless after climbing a flight of steps. He'd never make it on the Quidditch team and was better off watching on the sidelines.

Christine gave his hair a closer look and shook her head. "If it is uneven then it is barely noticeable," she replied. And it was the truth. Christine hadn't noticed before he'd said anything. Her closer study did confirm his fear but that was only because he told her more or less what to look for. "I would love to be able to learn how to sculpt," she said with a sigh. "The closest I have ever been to learning is pottery but it is not quite the same is it?"

She did feel so much more relaxed now they were in the air. "I think of riding a broom as like riding a horse." Not an activity she had the opportunity to indulge in but Christine still maintained that was what broom flying was like. "Yes I am," she said with a smile. "And I have much improved since my first year. To be honest I little imagined I would be successful when I first tried out. I was only a first year with one flying lesson behind me." It really was truly amazing considering how badly she had done in that tryout but perhaps Professor Bowen had seen the potential within her.

Malachi smiled gently as Christine examined his head and diagnosed that the haircut looked even. He didn't take her for a girl to say things only to be polite. She seemed honest to the point to him and so he trusted her say and relaxed a little.

"My mama does work with clay but her favorite thing is to gather a bunch of scrap objects, junk if you will, and make it into something grand and beautiful," Malachi relayed. It was a lower budget form of art and very easily abstract, which was Gertrude's favorite form of art to do, but he had seen her once carve stone into a realistic woman. He figured that's what Christine meant by 'learn how to sculpt.' "I think it is not too late to learn it now. Perhaps, if it is both convenient and to your liking, you could pay me a visit and my mama could show you a few things. We could try it together, if you'd like," Malachi offered. There were few people he held close, but he was always open to spending time with new people. That's how friends were made, after all.

Malachi leaned against the window, his eyes examining the ground which was so small beneath them now. "You quite like horses, don't you?" Malachi replied, recalling the last time he had really talked to Christine in which she had visited the winged horses and together they fed them apples. "I've never ridden one. A horse, I mean." He wasn't sure if it was a common hobby for Christine. It would explain her fascination with horses and other horse like creatures.

"Perhaps you have a natural talent for Quidditch," Malachi offered, genuinely. "I've seen you play. You're quite good, but then again, I don't know too much about the sport," Malachi confessed. He liked going to matches for something to do, but there were many aspects of it that just didn't interest him. He was a gentle boy and didn't like hurting people, which happened in sports.

Christine listened to Malachi's description of what his mother did in the world of art with great interest. "It must be a wonderful thing indeed to be able to do that," she said. "I once tried to do a patchwork quilt out of old scraps of material but unfortunately it is very hard to come by in my family. Most of them tend to give away their old clothes rather than cut them up for rags." Her eyes brightened at his offer and she nodded eagerly. "Oh that would be splendid. To be able to watch a real artist in action would be a great privilege
indeed."

A smile came over her face and she nodded. "Oh yes. They are such noble beasts. Both the winged and the non-winged varieties. I almost regret not taking on Magical Creatures as a subject. I hear you get to meet unicorns." She sighed. "But unfortunately there are all the other animals you have to look at and study which were of no interest to me at all." Christine gave him a empathetic look. "Neither have I. Celeste, a girl I know back home, is always bragging about her horse and the ribbons she wins. I am sure she mostly speaks of it in my presence so that she has something to show off about. I am sure it is because she is jealous of my superior acting ability."

She spread her hands out in a gesture of modesty which possibly did not truly exist. "I believe that flying is like riding a horse. That is what helped me. The hitting of the bludgers with a bat though now that took much longer. I do not like hitting other players but I find that if I aim the bludger just in front of them it will put them off without hitting them." Though in reality she gave no thought as to where in the vicinity of the opposing team she was hitting the bludger. Not in the heat of the moment.