𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄:
She's a natural!
(Summer of July 1972)

QUIDDITCH THROUGH THE AGES, written by Kennilworthy Whisp, is the only book that Sirius Orion Black had read from cover to cover and had read thrice with all enthusiasm. Viviane knows it's the only book he has read willingly and probably will ever read without qualms.

Viviane had read it too, of course; the minute her Father told her that her quidditch would start over the summer, she read the copy they had in their grand library. Her Father, Daniel, took it upon himself to train her for quidditch with the help of her Uncle Alphard.

Much to Aunt Walburga's dismay, Daniel, Sirius, and Alphard share the same sport and are very passionate about it. So when Viviane started her Quidditch Training, Sirius joined her—all of them, for the sake of good sport, ignored that Sirius would be playing for Gryffindor, along with Andromeda and Narcissa.

Now, many would think her cousin, Narcissa, never plays such a rough sport, but she does. As graceful and poised as she is without a broom, she embodies that while flying too, elegant, focused, strategic, precise, and most of all, ruthless in the field—she's one of Slytherin's chasers.

Andromeda, out of the Black sisters, is the sister that can be recognized playing quidditch. Her body was built for the sport, and she embraced her athleticism with pride. Andromeda had a lean and agile frame that perfectly complemented the high-flying nature of quidditch. She has toned arms and slender fingers, yet her grip on the wooden bat is strong with formidable force. Andromeda's swiftness, brutality, and agility on her broom are like no other.

Sirius put in a lot of effort this summer. He really wants to be a beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. James wrote him a letter, which Viviane handed to him in their daily Sunday dinners, that he is trying out as one of the Gryffindor chasers.

Sirius possesses a natural athleticism that makes him an ideal quidditch player. He has a lean and wiry figure, which grants him agility and speed on his broomstick. He has a strong and sturdy build. Fierce, tactical, and sharp, and has a daring flair for the game—Viviane thinks that the Seeker positions suit him best, but, oh well.

To Viviane's luck, her body didn't need a huge adjustment to Quidditch training; she had already endured that from her ballet lessons, almost seven years of dedicated training and discipline contributed to shaping her physique, a perfect build for a seeker.

Viviane, with her lean muscles rather than bulky ones. Ballet demands powerful legwork, resulting in toned and defined muscles in the thighs and calves. A strong and toned back and shoulders allow her to execute breathtaking movements as a ballerina. She was balanced and well-proportioned, yet she lacked height.

But, she used it to her advantage; with her lightweight, she could easily twist and turn around out of being trapped or being cornered by the opponent. Her flexibility helped her with a quick escape. She's agile, and her toned arms helped her have accurate and powerful throws in the goal hoops. Her movements are swift, refined, and fueled by determination to score a goal—yet graceful at the same time, much like Narcissa.

To Viviane's surprise, she actually liked quidditch, and she must admit that she enjoys it more than Ballet. The moment she lifts off the ground and hovers on her broomstick, a surge of euphoria courses through her veins. The feeling of the air gliding through her skin creates a sense of freedom and liberation that is difficult to describe in words.

Every twist, turn, and dive ignited the senses; it was exhilarating; every manoeuvre through the sky as the speed intensified was thrilling. As soon as she is immersed in the game, she can feel her heart pound because of the fast-paced movement of the game and when she's in possession of the quaffle, excitement and rush flood through her, and then she scores.

Viviane liked the intensity of quidditch. It's the one thing where she doesn't have to hide her competitive nature. It's where she can be her authentic self. Because in the game of quidditch it brings out the best and worst in a person.

No one can match the adrenaline of a person when playing Quidditch. It was truly one of a kind.

"Just brilliant, anak!" Christine exclaims gleefully as she enthusiastically claps her hand. She sat in comfortable plush cushions and blankets spread out on the grass, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The cushions are charmed to provide the perfect level of support and comfort, ensuring she and Regulus enjoy a delightful view of the quidditch pitch.

A large canopy hovered above them, protecting them from the heat but also charmed with cooling charms–the sun, too, was quite enjoying the sight of witches and wizards playing a good game of quidditch because of how it reigned over them.

The Hawthorne Manor backyard has been cleared out and transfigured with enchanted goal hoops standing tall at each end. The ones riding a broom are speeding through the pitch in a focused and intense game of quidditch as they bask in the glory of a sunny summer—a rare weather in the high-class wizarding residential suburbs of Gloucestershire, England.

It is a good day for quidditch.

It's one of those times where they can ignore that they are far beyond the pureblood standards of proper etiquette and good manners; in the pitch, they aren't rigged, elite, or impeccably poised. They were just them. It's also one of those precious moments when they acknowledge each other as a family.

The Hawthornes and the Blacks often do not get to see each other eye to eye; every family has their own fair share of family problems and misunderstandings. But messing with one of them means messing with all of them.

There is one unshakeable truth that binds them together: their unwavering commitment to family. Duty to family. The phrase is probably embedded in a gold plate somewhere in one of their Gringotts vaults.

Every pureblood family is raised to prioritise family. No matter the faults. No matter how their deep hatred for each other, that's just the way it is. It's not an ordinary dynamic. No matter how Viviane and Sirius try to disconnect from their family, it seems they always come back because no matter how many times they try to deny it, they're connected and will always be connected by blood.

"Still so ruthless on the pitch, Daniel." Uncle Alphard grins as they all land on the ground, brooms on their hands. They all sport sweaty faces, flushed faces because of the heat, and breathless expressions.

Viviane's Father chuckled in response as they arrived in the seating area where Christine and Regulus were. Weeny appeared with a pop, two floating trays beside her filling with cold glasses of water, and began distributing them, "Never lost it, Al."

Christine busied herself, handing everyone their own towels to wipe off their sweat. While Regulus only looked up briefly before his attention focused back to the book he was reading. As every eleven year old is preparing for their first year of Hogwarts, Regulus is reading Hogwarts: A History, quite a mandatory read if Viviane says so herself.

"Wonderful game, kiddos. I reckon quidditch tryouts will sway to your favor." Alphard tells Viviane and Sirius. Sirius grinned while Viviane only smiled softly in response.

"You'd be a great seeker for the Slytherin team, Viv! You're a natural!" Dromeda complimented as she ruffled Viviane's hair, and Viviane just swatted Dromeda's hand away playfully. "When Lucius graduates, of course. When Montague left he gave the captain and seeker position to Lucius."

Viviane looks at her Father's reaction to what Dromeda said. She knows that her Father wants her to be the Slytherin seeker, but as Dromeda said, Lucius is the seeker for the team, "A chaser position is good, Viviane." Daniel nodded curtly towards her, and Viviane could feel like she could finally take a breath. Sensing her cousin's tension, Narcissa places a hand on Viviane's shoulder.

"You'll be an amazing chaser, Viv." Narcissa commented softly. Cissa didn't even look like she was exhausted from the game. She always easily arranged herself to be poised. "You too, Sirius, but the Seeker position fits you well."

Narcissa and Andromeda always try to include Sirius in topics of conversation because they know how he always felt like he was left out, but Sirius doesn't mind; he only cares about his cousins anyway, minus Bellatrix.

"Narcissa's right, Sirius, why don't you try out for Seeker?" Alphard asks as he sits down on the cushion and removes his quidditch gear.

Sirius shrugs, wiping off the sweat off his forehead and combing his hair with his fingers. "Gryffindor already has a seeker. Heard the beater position is open this year."

"Well, you ought to work out on those arm muscles of yours, cous." Dromeda teased as she squeezed Sirius's arms, and Sirius rolled her eyes as Dromeda laughed.

"I hope you four already told your parents about what we plan for Viviane's 12th birthday." Christine pointedly looks at Dromeda, Cissa, Sirius, and Regulus. "We already talked to them, but it's still good to ask for permission."

Sirius grumbles, "Mother wouldn't allow me." Alphard softly pats his back, "Need not worry about that Sirius, I'll talk to Walburga."

Sirius's mood lightens up, "Thanks, Uncle."

"Remember to pack three weeks worth of clothing, and be early. The portkey leaves exactly at eight in the morning." Christine diligently reminds them. Viviane's cousins responded with their own, "Yes, Auntie Christie,"

And Viviane thought she'd cherish these rare moments forever.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

━━ I am establishing a new rule that I won't update any chapters until the previous chapter I posted isn't receiving the amount of attention/hype (comments & votes) I would have preferred, so this time I know that ya'll actually want to read my updates. This might get a weekly update if I am satisfied with the feedback!

━━ Happy New Year!