Come Fly With Me

Written for tumblr's Jily Secret Santa, 2013

To: Mina (Wilhelmina Willoughby)

From: Jillian (EmeraldFire512)

"James, this is insane!"

"No it's not! Besides, you're doing fine!"

"Oh yeah, it's all fun and games until I fall to my death."

"Stop being so dramatic Lily. Like I would really let that happen. Now just trust me, alright?"

"…Alright."

"Excellent. Now, are you ready?"

"No."

"Lily."

"Fine. As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

It all started when James discovered that Lily didn't particularly care for Quidditch. James was appalled when he realized his girlfriend knew nothing about the sport that occupied one of the top tier spots in priorities in his life. The only logical reason for this, he decided, was that she had never properly experienced a game from the player's point of view. When he had suggested his idea, she was touched that he would have gone through so much effort for him, and she was willing to go along with it because she knew how important Quidditch was to him.

James had asked the other Marauders to help him out, forming something that vaguely resembled a modified Quidditch team. Remus played a surprisingly good keeper (Lily suspected that he had been forced into the position several times over various summers), while Peter played beater. Sirius played chaser, and James seeker. He had decided to give up his favored position in order to give Lily the full effect. Though he typically played chaser, he did have the build for a seeker and he was rather good at it. In his opinion, however, chaser was much more fun. When he had explained the line up to Lily, there was one detail he may have conveniently forgotten to mention, which returns us to the moment at hand: Lily Evans riding on the back of James Potter's broom.

"Hold on tight Lils!"

Lily did not need to be told twice, as her knuckles instantly whitened with pressure as she tightened her grip around James chest.

As soon as he felt the increase of pressure around his chest, he grinned, and shot into the sky, chuckling at the small yelp his girlfriend gave. He had decided that the best way for her to experience Quidditch was to see it through the lens of the players, and what player had a better perspective than the seeker? When he had first brought up the idea, she had thought that she would be flying on her own—but where would the fun in that be? No, it was best that she experienced the sport through his eyes, and on the back of his broom. Of course, he was still a teenage boy as well as a hardcore-Quidditch jock, so the fact that his beautiful girlfriend was currently sitting very close to him with her arms laced around his waist may have played into his decision a little bit.

"Okay Lily," he shouted over the rush of the wind, "our job is to find the snitch. You know what it looks like, right?"

"No James, I thought it was the big red ball you throw around," she replied, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "Of course I bloody well know what the snitch looks like! You almost constantly had one flying around you in the common room all of last term."

"Fair enough. Coincidently, I thought you hated me then, but you noticed that?"

"Don't push it Potter. Of course I noticed, I bloody hated you and it was one more thing I could complain about. Also, don't change the subject and focus on not crashing your broom and killing your girlfriend!"

"Duly noted," he replied with the grin whenever she referred to himself as his girlfriend, "Alright, so we need to find the Snitch. The others will be playing, and you can watch, but we need to keep our eyes open and stay out of danger long enough to catch the snitch. That's the seeker's job."

"Then we better get going," Lily responded, privately pleading to find the snitch quickly so she could get her feet back on the ground.

They began to fly, weaving between Sirius and a pursuing Peter, Lily letting out another yelp as James rolled to avoid a bludger. They fly up behind the goal posts as Remus blocked Sirius' first attempt at the hoops. James steered upwards, bringing them up above the play, giving them a clear view of the pitch. Lily looked down in wonder as she watched the other Marauders zipping around, Peter blocking Remus from saving Sirius' next shot, and watching as the quaffle soared through the left hoop. She saw Sirius retrieve it, and quickly try to take a rebound shot that was instantly blocked by Remus, who threw the quaffle across the pitch, sending Sirius hurtling after it. The game looked so different from up here. It was almost peaceful, and melodious. The players worked as a well-oiled machine—even in this highly modified version. She smiled down on pitch, and suddenly realized that she had not even noticed the rushing of air die down as they had come to a stop above the pitch. She looked inquisitively at James, who smiled at her.

"I figured you would like the view from up here," he replied sheepishly.

"I do," she said earnestly. As much as she may not have wanted to admit it, he was right. Watching the game in the thick of the action had been so much more thrilling than watching it from the stands. But, they still had a job to do.

"Aren't we supposed to be looking for something," she asked teasingly.

A look of realization came over James' face as he returned to reality.

"Oh yeah, right. Well, hang on and let me know if you see it!" And with that, they were off.

They flew around for another 10 minutes, surrounded by intense gameplay from the other three. They wove through the players and bludgers, searching for a tiny flying golden speck. They had a sighting once, but lost it as soon as Sirius had zipped past them. They continued in this fashion, slowly widening their search radius when suddenly, Lily saw something gold flash above the Gryffindor stands.

"James," she exclaimed, "I think I saw it!"

"Where," he asked urgently, looking around them.

"Above our house stands!" She replied breathlessly. She had seen it again, and she was sure of it this time.

"Hang on tight!" James called back as he accelerated, zooming to the stands at a sharp pace.

"There!" Lily called again, releasing one of her arms from its grip on James to point.

He spotted it, and went into a dive. They zoomed through the air, soaring ever closer to the stands. Lily was so intent on the snitch, which was fluttering three feet ahead of them, that she did not even notice the impending danger. As they drew closer she leaned forward and stretch her free arm to catch it, just as James pulled up to avoid collision with the stands. Lily, who had been leaning off to the side, felt her hand close around the snitch at the same time that she felt her body begin to slip off the broom. She shrieked, half with joy and half in surprise, as she began to fall to the stands.

Her other arm was still latched to James, and her grip on him tightened. Feeling Lily's shift on the back of his broom, James began to tilt, hoping to counter balance. His attempt was unsuccessful in steadying the pair, but it did allow them to slow enough to be able to tumble lightly into the stands, landing with a soft crash on the floor. Lily had landed first, with James toppling on top of her. He immediately rolled off of her and looked at her in panic.

"Lily, are you alright?"

To his surprise, she giggled in response, "I'm fine James. But look—I caught the snitch!"

After satisfying himself that she was, indeed, uninjured, he looked at her small fist in surprise. Then, he laughed.

"Merlin Evans, I think you'd make a fair seeker!"

She chuckled in response and rolled over so that she was on top of him. Then she lightly kissed him on the lips. As she pulled away, she could not help but laugh lightly at his expression: part bewildered and partly euphoric.

"What was that for," he managed to ask after a minute.

"For insiting on showing me your side of Quidditch," she replied lightly. "Why," she asked, suddenly panic, "was that alright?"

"Alright?!" He as asked indignantly, "Lily, it was more than alright! We've just, never done that before. I wasn't sure if you were ready"

She considered him for a moment before grinning again, "I think I was, apparently. Would you like to try again?"

"Yes, please."

With another smile, she once again lowered her head and initiated a kiss. James deepened the kiss, and she happily reciprocated. Her hand found its way to his hair, as his began to tighten around her back, pulling them closer together. They continued, hearts racing faster, Lily's hands tightening in his hair, his hands running further down her body, resting on her hips and beginning to slightly raise up her shirt…

"Are you too alright," came the panic voice of Sirius Black, interrupting their deepening bliss.

Before they could pull apart, they heard a yelp, and quickly wrenched themselves apart. They both shot up off the ground, Lily pulling down her jumper and James frantically patting down his hair, sheepishly looking at they other three Marauders, who were each standing before them, staring, mouths a gap.

"We just…" Remus began.

"Wanted to?" Peter added uncertainly.

"…Make sure you were alright." Remus finished, still staring, but beginning to recover himself and realize the acute awkwardness of the situation at hand. He glanced uncertainly at Sirius, who had yet to say anything.

"You know, 'cause you fell," added Peter lamely as he looked any where but at Lily and James.

Noticing several pairs of eyes on him, Sirius finally spoke.

"Well," he said casually, "I'm glad you two have gotten that out of the way. The sexual tension was getting ridiculous."

A/N: Merry Christmas Mina! I hope you enjoyed your LJ fluff. I certainly enjoyed writing it.