Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Take Me On A Broom Ride
Lily Evans was the type of girl who grew up dreaming of a perfect life – she'd have a loving family, loyal friends, good grades, decent looks, and perhaps maybe a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet. So it was safe to say that her life was far from the perfect she had imagined it to be. Her parents had been killed by Voldemort a couple months back and her sister hated her. With her flaming red hair contrasting with her green eyes, Lily didn't think she was attractive at all. Her past relationships had all been unfortunate failures.
The only parts about her life that she liked were her friends, her grades, Hogwarts, and, although she would never dream of telling him, a little someone called James Potter.
She knew that James Potter had pursued her for years. Hell, the whole school knew, but she couldn't fathom why. She was Lily Evans, and he was James Potter; that was all to it. But of course, she just had to fall for that damn Potter charm. Bugger.
Once they entered seventh year and became Head Boy and Girl, he had stopped asking her out. Since Lily wasn't sure if she was ready to enter a relationship, she was quite relieved, but at the same time, upset. His constant proposals secretly flattered her and assured her that he was still interested. Now, although they had slowly started to become good friends, it disappointed her to think that he had probably given up and moved on to the rest of the female population at Hogwarts.
That's why it came as a great surprise to Lily when he approached her after Potions class one day, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
"Hey, Lily," he said, one hand fidgeting with the pocket of his trousers and the other running through his messy mop of black hair. "Can I talk to you alone for a bit?"
Alice Prewett, Lily's best friend, nudged her and gave her a knowing wink. "Probably just Heads business," Lily muttered to her as Alice raised an eyebrow and skipped away, calling, "Don't have too much fun, Lily dear!" over her shoulder.
James led her to a partially deserted corridor. "So," he began nonchalantly, still walking down the hall, "Next week is a Hogsmeade weekend."
"I know," Lily deadpanned. "We planned them all, remember?"
"Right," James smirked, his confidence slowly coming back to him. "Well, you see, there's this girl I really want to go with. Except… you know, I haven't asked her out in a while, and I'm not really sure how to do it so that she'll say yes."
"Really?" Lily tried to keep her voice casual but it instead came out as a tiny squeak. Both anticipation and dread spread through her. "And… and who might this girl be?"
Their gazes locked. James's big hazel eyes, undeniably filled with hope, looked at her when he answered in a firm tone, "You."
She stopped short. She averted her eyes, determined to keep them away from his. Fighting an internal battle, she attempted to comprehend the millions of thoughts racing through her mind.
He asked you out, oh Merlin, he asked you out!
But I don't want him to ask me out!
Yes, you do, you're in love with the bloody guy!
I am not in love with him! It's just a little fancy. And I don't know if I can handle a relationship right now.
It's just a date. Give the bloke a chance!
"Lily?" James asked worriedly, his forehead creasing.
Lily was pulled out of her reverie. "Y-yes?"
"Is that a, uh, yes to my question?" He flashed the lopsided grin that made most girls fall to their knees.
Lily hesitated again and tried to ignore the nagging voice inside of her head. "James, I – no. No, sorry. I'm so sorry, I have to – I have to go…" She turned around and ran down the corridor they came from. James stood completely still, his gaze remaining right where Lily had been a few seconds ago. He didn't notice the single tear trailing down Lily's face when she looked back at him before turning the corner.
"You asked her out again, didn't you?" Sirius asked a very dejected-looking James during dinner in the Great Hall.
James nodded once.
Sirius hesitated and punched James lightly on the shoulder. "It's alright, mate, she'll… she'll come around."
"I really thought she was going to say yes this time," James confessed to the other Marauders. "She… well, there was a lot of hesitation."
"That means you're getting to her," Remus assured, and Peter nodded vigorously.
"Well, yeah, I guess. I suppose I should –" But James was suddenly cut off by Alice, who was running towards him.
"Hey, James," she panted. "Have you seen Lily? I haven't seen her since… well, since you took her away after Potions," she finished, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What did you do?"
James sighed. "She's probably moping around in her room." He got up from the table. "Though I haven't the faintest idea why she would be," he muttered to no one in particular. "You'd think I'd be the one sulking and refusing to come down to dinner." He began making his way out of the Hall, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you guys later."
James walked up to the seventh floor corridor towards the Heads Common Room. "Holy Hippogriffs," he told the statue gloomily. The statue snorted but permitted him entry.
He walked in and turned right up the stairs to Lily's room. He knocked. There was no answer. "Uh… Lily?" he asked tentatively. There was no reply. Hesitantly, he pushed the door open. Lily was nowhere in sight.
James shook his head violently, trying to clear his head of incoherent thoughts. "I need to go for a ride," he muttered darkly. He left Lily's room and entered his own, searching for his broomstick. He rummaged through the closet – but it wasn't there. Panicking, he searched his trunk, under his bed, in the closet again… He looked up at the ceiling as if to make sure that the broom wasn't silently mocking him from above. Taking deep, calming breaths, he paused to think. Lily was gone, his broomstick was gone… His eyes widened. Finally putting two and two together, James rushed out of the Common Room and hurried down the stairs. He didn't meet anyone along the way; they were all in the Great Hall for dinner. Rushing down the Marble Staircase and into the Entrance Hall, he passed the Great Hall without a second look and went through the double doors leading to the grounds.
James neared the Quidditch Pitch and slowed to a jog. Just as he had expected, there was a figure with billowing red hair flying around slowly in the air on his broomstick. "Didn't take you as much of a flier, Evans," he called, just loud enough for her to hear him. Lily spun her head around and caught sight of James. Lowering herself to the ground, she got off the broom and looked at him uncertainly.
"Er," she began, unsure of what to say. "I'm not really a flier, you know. It's just, well, you see, I've seen you fly around to clear your head sometimes, and I thought I'd just… give it a try." She looked down at the broom. "Oh," she added, "sorry about uh, nicking your broom." She held it out to him sheepishly.
"It's no problem," James told her, looking at her carefully. She had a trail of dried tears on her cheeks, and her nose and ears were red from flying. "I just came to see if you wanted company or something. But if you don't, I can leave and you can keep flying. It's just, you know, if you want, you could always tell me about whatever's bothering you. Sometimes flying isn't enough to clear all of your thoughts. Experience, you know." Noticing her shiver, he cursed inwardly for not thinking of bringing his cloak. He hesitantly reached around her and rubbed her opposite arm, attempting to keep her warm.
Lily smiled slightly and allowed her arm to reach carefully around his waist. "No," she whispered. "You can stay. I'd like that."
James led her towards the Quidditch stands and they sat down, Lily resting her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, until Lily finally pulled away and looked up at him, a mischievous grin appearing ever so slightly on her face.
"Take me on a broom ride," she said suddenly.
"What?" James asked, taken aback.
"A broom ride," repeated Lily. "You know, where you fly the broom and I sit behind you and –"
"I know what a broom ride is," James interjected, smiling slightly. "But it's cold! You'll get cold."
"Does it look like I care?" Lily smirked, pulling James up to his feet and leading him towards the Pitch. "You were right, you see. Flying wasn't enough to clear my head, but maybe… maybe it'd help to fly with someone."
James allowed himself to be pulled on the Pitch, and when they reached the edge, he took the broom and mounted it, with Lily sitting behind him. "Hold on tight," he advised. "My idea of flying is probably a little bit more extreme than yours." With that, he kicked off from the ground and shot like a bullet into the sky, Lily's screams of terror and joy reverberating around in the air.
It was absolutely exhilarating. Lily had never felt anything like it. Flying at this speed washed all her thoughts away and temporarily alleviated her from all of her troubles. The wind blew in her face and hair, and Lily squealed with delight as James pointed his broomstick downwards and plummeted towards the ground. Lily burrowed her head in James's back and tightened her grip, noticing how good he smelled.
They slowed to a stop and hovered fifty meters above the ground. James shifted his position slightly so as to sit sideways with her while still keeping the broom steady.
"So," he breathed, excitement flooding across his face, just like it did after every time he flew. "How was that?"
Lily panted heavily. "That was, without a doubt, the best feeling that I have ever felt in my life. Thank you." She smiled at him.
"It was a pleasure flying with you, Miss Evans," James said, bowing playfully.
"You, as well, Mr. Potter," Lily grinned, attempting, but failing, to curtsy on the broom. A comfortable silence fell between them. After a while, Lily shifted uncomfortably. "So I guess you're wondering why I was out here," she said.
"Yeah," admitted James. "But you don't have to if you don't want –"
"I was thinking about my parents," Lily interrupted. "About Voldemort. About the war." She looked up at James. Her eyes grew slightly watery. "He's getting stronger, James," she whispered. "People are dying! And any day, it could be someone we know. Someone we love. And it… it just scares me, James. Because I don't want to lose anyone. I don't want to lose you."
James pulled her into him and rested his head on hers. "I'm not going anywhere, Lily," he murmured against her hair. "You're not going to lose me. And we're going to fight. We're going to fight him, and we're going to win. He can't keep this up forever. He has to die eventually."
Lily gave a watery smile, blinking back the tears that were threatening to overflow. "It just got me thinking," she continued softly. "Because you see, none of us really know how much time we've got left. It kind of makes you appreciate everyone and everything you have." She paused. "So, I guess it's about time I tell you. I – I fancy you, James."
James's eyes widened in shock. He pulled back and looked her in the eye. "What?" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yeah," Lily admitted. "For a while now, actually. I'd only realized it during our sixth year."
"Then why…" James struggled to find the right words, still taking in the shock. "Why didn't you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"I wanted to," Lily said. "Merlin, you don't know how much I wanted to. But like I said, I was scared. All of my relationships had failed. They all failed, and all because of one factor." She took a breath. "Trust." Now she looked him straight in the eye. "I trust you James, and if we want this to work, I'm going to need you to trust me too."
"Lily," he said quietly, not breaking eye contact. "Of course I trust you. I trust you more than you trust me. You know that."
Lily laughed. "Not possible."
"Prove it."
Whatever James was expecting, he most definitely did not expect this. For the second time that day, Lily's face broke into a mischievous grin, and, without warning, she leapt off the broom.
If it was possible, she felt even more exhilarated, because this time, she was free-falling. "LILY!" she heard James's frantic voice calling her name as the ground zoomed nearer and nearer. But she laughed, spread out her arms, and waited. Sure enough, there was a rush of wind and a pair of strong, muscular arms enclosed her and pulled her back up onto the broom.
James was as white as a sheet. "Are you MAD?" he panted furiously. "What the bloody HELL were you thinking? You could have died! I could have been unable to catch you!"
"I trust you," Lily said simply.
They landed softly on the ground, James still panting, looking livid but relieved. "Don't you ever, Lily Evans, EVER do that again!" He started pacing. "Oh my Merlin, oh Merlin…" he repeated over and over again, mumbling incoherently.
Lily laughed quietly again. "I'm so sorry, James," she said. "But there, you see? I trust you that much."
James stopped pacing and turned to look at her. They gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds until, quite suddenly, as if only just remembering why she had jumped in the first place, James grabbed her to him and pressed his lips roughly against hers. His hands traveled to the small of her back, where they remained protectively around her. Lily let her hands run through his messy tangled hair, savoring his scent and the feeling of being in his arms.
Finally, Lily broke away, both of them gasping for breath. "I take it back," Lily panted heavily. "That was the best feeling in the world." And she tackled him to the ground and kissed him again.
"So, Mr. Potter," Lily murmured against his lips. "I believe there is a question that is waiting to be asked."
James pulled her in closer and rested his chin on top of her head. "Lily Evans," he whispered huskily, embracing her to him. "Will you go out with me?"
"And?" Lily added.
"And will you go to Hogsmeade with me next Saturday?"
"And the one after that and the one after that?"
James pressed his lips to hers once more. "Only if the lovely Miss Evans wishes to."
"Hm," Lily pretended to ponder over the subject. "I guess that wouldn't be too bad."
And they began again. Lily smiled against his lips, thinking that this was as close to perfect as her life was going to get.
Neither of them noticed their friends watching at the end of the Pitch, nor did they notice Remus place five Galleons in Sirius's outstretched hand.
A/N: There we go, my first fanfic! Hope you guys liked it. Please review! :)
Thanks to my best friend Fi (meowdersmap) for editing!