DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, the series, or anything besides the story line. All rights go to JK Rowling.
A/N: This story takes place during the Marauder Era in sixth year. James is Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team at this point and Sirius is on the team, along with Frank Longbottom, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, and Marlene McKinnon. James and Lily are not friends, but they are not enemies.
On The Team
A Jily drabble from sixth year.
"You really don't think that I can handle a broom, Potter?" Lily Evans scoffed at the lanky boy in front of her, his arms folded across his chest and a condescending look plastered on his face.
"Well, if first year was any indication," he laughed, "then yes. I do not think that you can handle a broom, Evans."
"You'll regret this, Potter. I'll make sure of it." Lily stormed off in the direction opposite James Potter and Sirius Black. Sirius had given up on trying to hold back his laughter since the foolish argument had started. He placed a hand on James' shoulder as the laughter shook his body.
"Ooooooh, you better watch out, Prongs." Sirius mockingly warned him, "Your little Lily-Flower is all upset now."
"Potter really said that?" Marlene shot up from her original sitting position in anger as Lily told her about his weak insults.
"Yeah, the prat. He thinks that I can't fly because he saw me fall off a broom, once during first year!"
"I say you show him better," Alice had her face set in a look of pure determination. She hated when people made assumptions about her and her friends, it always threw her naturally sweet nature to the side and set off an unattainable storm against the git who dare cross her.
"How?" Lily looked to her friends, though she was a good flyer, she still didn't own her own broom. She was just as angry that James laughed at her when she showed up for the Quidditch tryouts, but she couldn't just 'show him better' by hopping on a broom. He'd get off too easy for such a childish insult if she just went off and showed him that she could, in fact, handle a broom quite well.
"Well," Alice started, "Frank is still on the team, so he knows when the pitch is open. What if you challenged Potter to a pick-up game and shove in his face how good you are?"
From there, a note was written to the darling James Potter explaining the circumstances of the match and that if he turned down the proposal, it would simply be seen as a forfeit and Lily being right.
"What the hell?" Sirius echoed as James finished reading off the note that had flown into their dorm. "The bird had got to be kidding, right?" He was laughing at Lily's proposal, not even considering that she might be good.
"I don't know.." James' eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration as he read over the note in his head again. "You don't think that I actually upset her, do you?" A flash of worry made it across his face as he thought of pissing her off... again.
"I think you definitely did, mate." Remus Lupin patted James on the back as he shook his head at James' complete obliviousness to the nature of women.
"Oh, gee, thanks, Moony. Make me feel real good about it." James shot a glare at his friend.
"Not my fault you're a prat, mate." Remus smiled in spite of James' bitter mood and laughed.
"Should I tell her I'm sorry and offer to schedule a tryout for her?" James looked to Remus for help and by the look on his friend's face, he knew that was the completely wrong move.
"No. Do not do that. I repeat, do not. She'll think that you pity her. Just do the match, let her prove herself, she just wants you to see that she's more than you give her credit for, Prongs."
"Six years and you'd think that I had a better understanding of her already, but apparently, I'm just as helpless as always."
"Well, what else would you be?" Sirius snickered, resulting in getting whacked in the head by James.
"Ready boys?" Lily taunted as Frank, Sirius, and James approached her, Alice, and Marlene.
"Always," Sirius winked as he picked up Lily's hand and kissed the back of it, bowing down. She slapped him.
"You sure you want to do this, Evans?" James teased, "You can always back out while you still have your dignity." He smirked as she glowed red and turned to the center of the Quidditch pitch.
"Let's go!" She growled as she mounted her broom hastily. I'll show him. I'll make the wanker regret his assumptions. He'll never doubt me again. No. I have got this.
The six teens zoomed into the air, Alice and Frank playing the keeper position and the other four as chasers. They opted to exclude the bludgers and snitch from the game as it would only be more work to put away at the end.
James stared awestruck at Lily as she quickly obtained the quaffle and sped off towards the goal posts. When did Evans get good at Quidditch? He shook his head to clear it and started to pursue her. She easily threw him off with a dive and a quick turn in the opposite direction and continued to score three consecutive goals.
"How's your dignity, Potter" She jeered as she flew past him, off to make yet another goal.
After two hours, the teens dismounted their brooms and landed in the center of the pitch. Lily's team beat James' at 260 to 190. It was a little close for her liking, but she still swelled with pride at her victory. She had taken down a team of three Gryffindor players and with a considerably large lead, too.
"When did you get good, Evans?" Sirius still couldn't believe that she hadn't tampered with the quaffle at some point, ensuring a win.
"I've always been good, Black." Lily shot back at him, but she found that she couldn't even hold back laughter at that statement. She was horrible during her first year, but after spending a couple weeks every Summer at the McKinnon residence, she learned to play, and play good.
"So, does this mean that she's on the team, James?" Marlene asked him. She crossed her fingers behind her back. Marlene was tired of being the only girl on the team and even though the boys were nice to her, she always felt a bit discluded. It would be great to have one of her best friends on the team to keep her company.
"Umm, yeah, I guess." James blushed as he confirmed Marlenes hopes.
"You guess? Need me to go back up there and remind you of the outcome of this little match we just concluded, Potter?" Lily teased.
"No." James smirked, "I just don't think you'll meet the requirements."
"Requirements? What requirements? I just proved my skills, no?" Lily was angry that he was making this so hard. she was good at Quidditch! She could handle a game! She shot a meaningful glare at him, but his smirk didn't waver.
"I require my teammates to call me James." He raised his eyebrows in challenge to her and her eyes widened.
"What?" She couldn't hide the disbelief in her tone as she gaped at his stupid 'requirement'.
"I'd be glad to have you on the team, love, but you have to call me James. Think you can handle it?" He concealed his laughter at her obvious reluctance and nearly choked when she abided by his rules.
"Yes, James, I think I can handle it." Sirius cursed under his breath and Lily watched with a distasteful expression as Sirius slipped him a galleon. "You really did this all for a galleon? I hate you, Potter!" Lily whipped around and started to make her way towards the broom sheds.
"The name is James, Lily!" She stopped in her tracks as he used her first name, something that he never dare do before. He ran up to her and held out his hand.
"Welcome to the team, yeah?" He had his usual lopsided smile on his lips and Lily couldn't help but to notice how cute it was.
"You are such a prat." Lily stared at him.
"I know," he leaned up next to her ear and chuckled as she tensed. He whispered, "But you love me anyways, Lily."
James pressed a kiss to her cheek and when he stepped back a looked at her, he eyes were huge and her face was blood-red. She stood there in shock as her brain raced against itself. She couldn't will herself to react, even though she wanted to.
Her head battled with her heart until her heart finally overcame. She lunged at him, pressing her lips to his in a frenzy. He didn't react right away and soon after, she pulled back.
"See ya at practice, Capt'n." She mock saluted him and ran off towards the castle, her nerves alive with excitement.