Flying

Lily had never liked flying. Whether it had been in a muggle plane or on a broom stick it had always made her feel sick to her stomach when she caught sight of how far below the ground was. That's why she'd refused vehemently when James had offered her the chance to go flying with him earlier that day. She had felt a prickle of guilt when he had left the common room sporting a crest fallen look but better that then letting him know that even looking at the latest Cleansweep model made her queasy.

So it had surprised her later that night, while she was walking through the slushy snow that covered the ground, when she felt the familiar 'whoosh' of air from a broom flying overhead. The breeze it had caused sent her long red hair flying in to her face obscuring her vision.

"Watch where you're going!" She cried.

Another breeze hit her but more gently this time as the broom settled to a stop nearby. With a frustrated sigh Lily shoved the hair from in front of her eyes to find herself nearly nose to nose with James Potter. She shrieked in surprise and stumbled backwards nearly falling over in the process.

"Hey Lily." James said sheepishly twisting his hand on the broom handle nervously. He was hovering a couple feet above the ground and was smiling down at Lily bemusedly.

"Don't startle me like that!" Lily said sternly.

"Wasn't trying to. I just came down to tell you the offer still stands. If you want to come flying with me, I mean."

Lily pursed her lips eyeing the broom with distaste. "I already told you James, I don't want to go flying."

"Oh come on Evans! Why not?" He exclaimed, the broom jerking with his rather erratic movements.

"I thought we were passed being on a last name basses."

James chuckled. "What can I say? Old habits die hard. Now answer my question Lily. Why not?"

Lily felt heat rush to her cheeks. "Just, well…just because!" She replied loudly.

"You're not scared are you?" James joked, smirking deviously at her.

The heat spread across her face further.

"No you're joking!" James cried after a moment of silence had passed between the two. "You're actually scared of flying! How can you be scared of flying?"

Lily crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "Not all of us were born on a broom stick Potter!" She growled darkly as his exclamation faded into fits of laughter. "Now if you'll excuse me I'll be heading back to Gryffindor tower. You should too it's nearly curfew and as head boy you have to set an example."

As she tried to stomp away in a grand exit, James throughout a hand and wrapped it around her wrist holding her in place. "Don't be mad Lily. Please just fly with me this once and if you don't like it you'll never have to do it again."

She huffed in annoyance but turned back to face him nonetheless. "Fine, I'll humour you. If I did want to go flying with you right now how would I? You've only got one broom."

"So?" Said James "We can share mine, it won't go as fast or as high but it should still fly pretty well."

"You can't honestly think I would be that stupid would you? We could both fall off and get seriously injured! And I doubt the broom was built to hold two people. What if it can't hold both of us? And it – James! What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down this instant!"

James had an arm wrapped around Lily's waist and was using it to pull her up and on to his broom. Lily screeched in indignation, and struggled against him, but years of quidditch were on his side and his strength won out and he hauled her onto his Cleansweep. Once he had determined that she was securely on the broom he reached around her to grab the handle and they shot upwards into the air.

Lily's breath came in short gasps, and her eyes were squeezed shut as she felt the familiar comfort of the ground rushing away from her. Her back was pressed flush against James' chest and the warmth of him was startlingly different from the wind whipping into her face.

He chuckled into her ear, and she felt the hot rush of his breath as he spoke. "Open your eyes Lily."

"No!"

"Please. It's not as bad as you think."

"No! Not until were back on the ground!" She cried above the roar of the wind.

"Well that's too bad Lily, because I'm not going back down until you open your eyes. And believe me I can keep flying for a very long time."

She gulped nervously and clutched tightly to James' hands which were the only thing in front of her. "You promise if I open my eyes we'll go back down!"

"Promise." His breathy whisper sent a shiver through her.

"Fine." She took a deep breath. "I'm opening my eyes now."

Ever so slowly Lily reopened her eyes digging her nails into James's hands as she did so. Far below them Hogwarts grounds' were visible, but landmarks such as trees and bushes had become indistinguishable at their height. Beside them rose Hogwarts itself, its large rustic stone structure standing out strikingly against the night sky. In front of them the forbidden forest spread out farther then she could see, but the moon's light seemed to sheath it in an almost unearthly glow, only obscured by the odd cloud floating across the sky. Slightly off behind them the black lake lay still and undisturbed, acting as a mirror for reflecting the thousands of stars.

"It's beautiful." Lily heard herself say.

The wind whistled in Lily's ears and it blew her hair around her in wild disarray but she ignored it, instead leaning back in the embrace James' arms formed around her. Her grip on his hands slackened as she continued to stare in awe as they rushed passed the blurred images of the school.

"Still want to go back down?" James asked teasingly, turning the broom so they looped in between the school's many towers.

"Never!" Lily yelled gleefully. "This is amazing!"

They continued circling the grounds for what seemed like mere minutes to Lily, but she knew must have been much longer then she actually felt as her eyelids began to droop with exhaustion.

"Its way past curfew Lily, we better head back." James said glumly steering them back towards the entrance. They landed on the grounds softly, and with awkward steps Lily tried to regain the use of her legs. James too had stepped off the broom and was using it to lean on staring at Lily longingly.

Lily shot him a grin and twirled happily on the spot. "That was the best thing ever!"

"Told you!" James returned her grin with his one of his own.

His hazel eyes met her emerald ones which flashed with determination that made them seem to glow in the night's darkness. She stepped towards James, until they were pressed chest to chest, and gently lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. James eyes her curiously before returning the embrace by entwining his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry about earlier James. You were right, this was fun. Thanks." Before James could open his mouth to answer Lily leaned up and pressed her lips to his, silencing him. James froze in surprise before eagerly returning the kiss, pulling her tighter against him as if the nonexistent space between them pained him.

After a moment Lily pulled away from a stunned James. "Can we do this again? Tomorrow night?"

"Of course." He said dazedly.