A/N: Okay, so this is dedicated to my friend Adelaide, because she said I needed to write more happy things. I don't necessarily think that she meant for me to write fluff, but just something happy. So here is my shot at happy. I'm not to happy with it myself, and the ending isn't what I wanted it to be, but what can I say, nothing ever turns out the way we want it to. Besides, I haven't posted anything in ages.
Summary: Lily said that she would do anything to feel the 'wind beneath her wings,' but did she really mean to have flying lessons with the one and only Mr Potter, and somehow end up with an aching shoulder in the hospital wing? L/J fluff (oneshot)
One Blow Too Many
otherwise known as…
Oh, Quaffle
'Lil, close you eyes and hold out your hands.'
Lily did so and felt a smooth roundish shape being placed on her palms. She opened her eyes to find a finely polished broomstick staring back at her. She swore that they were live things with feelings. She started shaking her head immediately.
'No Ali, I can't, you know how much I hate these things!' she started to argue, but Alice ushered her away from the corridor to the steps leading to the quidditch change rooms.
'Lil, you promised, remember?'
'Actually, are you sure you aren't talking of that time when Malfoy's hex went via my head and I started doing crazy things? Because I said things that I didn't mean then.'
'No Lily Evans, I'm talking of last night in the astronomy tower when you said you'd do anything to "feel the wind beneath you're wings."'
'Aha! But I didn't promise now did I?' Lily said turning back. Alice grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
'You did. I said, "anything?" and you said, "I promise you Alice I would do anything,"' Alice confirmed with exaggerated arms. Lily shook her head again seeing their destination advancing.
'But I was off my head. Potter fed me some spiked juice!' she tried desperately.
'Nice try hon, but you don't win the cookies,' Alice said while steering Lily into the rooms.
Lily looked at the thing in her hands and grimaced. She and broomsticks didn't have a nice history. Lets just say that Lily and a broomstick equalled at least a night in the hospital wing, no jokes.
James Potter was standing at the front of the rooms his broom slung over one shoulder. The rest of the team were scattered, sitting here and there, waiting for something to start.
'Bout time Alice, we were all waiting for our star chaser to enter,' Frank Longbottom said. Alice blushed, but then focused on her captain.
'Ready when you are,' she said clapping her hands excitedly. James grinned back.
'Now, you lot have to be on special behaviour. We have a minor among us who needs to learn how to fly. Since that I'm the only one who can do things properly round here, I'll be teaching her while you guys train your buts off. Understood?'
There were groans, but slowly the team filed out the door. Lily stood awkwardly at the back, hyperventilating at the fact that Potter, of all people would be teaching her to fly.
'Coming Evans, or are you just trying to remember how to get on the broom?' he asked, smiling at her discomfort. She just flicked her hair and headed outside.
When they got out there, the team was flying high, weaving in and out with a quaffle in their hands.
'Okay,' he said, taking the broom from Lily's hands and placing it on the ground.
'Just say up.'
Lily glowered at him.
'I know very well how to ride a broom James, I just need to sharpen those skills.'
James just smiled. Lily groaned and looked down at the broom.
'Up,' she told it. The broom wriggled uncomfortably on the ground. James stifled a laugh. Lily sighed frustrated.
'Up!' she insisted. This time the broom went up so fast it knocked Lily in the face.
She covered her injured part with her hands, feeling the spice in the back of her eyes as her nose fizzed.
'Lily?' James asked, concerned.
'I'm fine,' Lily said removing her hands, 'just fizzing… stinging… eyes.'
James nodded as Lily made wild gestures before removing the tears that had not fallen from her face.
'But of course,' he insisted, and while she was not looking, he merely gestured to the broom and it slowly rose.
He looked around the pitch.
'Since we have the choice of going above or below the team, I think we should take the latter, because getting up there may prove to be a problem,' he said indicating to the Gryffindor team that had now become blurs high about them. 'So,' he continued, 'I think you should kick off so you can end up about here.' He drew a line with his finger about a foot above his head.
Lily gulped blankly at him, then swung herself onto the broom. She then turned and looked back to James.
'If you need help, just ask,' he said with a smirk.
Lily huffed clearly irritated, and blew a piece of hair from her eyes. She gently placed her foot on the ground as her first attempt as a kick off. The broom went nowhere.
'James?' Lily said, determinedly looking at her hands, 'could you please give me some help?'
'Sure Lily,' he said with a huge smile on his face. 'You have to kick off the ground like you mean it, with all the anger you have, kick it like there's no tomorrow!'
So Lily kicked the ground like there was no tomorrow… but she didn't stop rising when she came to the point that James had wanted her to stop at, no she headed straight for the Gryffindor team, flying not so far above her.
And, even out of all the fear and panic that was penetrating through her small little body, Lily fell in love with flying.
Suddenly, James was beside her, a concerned look on her face. He placed his hand on hers and steered her silently towards the ground.
Lily glanced down at his hands. She couldn't help but think that they were rather nice hands, quite soft considering he played so much qidditch. No bitten fingernails, and no overly long ones either. Just right in fact. Just the ones she imagined her perfect… no she so did not just think that. Was she really about to think that James was… No! She couldn't have. The air was having a weird affect on her, that's what it was.
James brought her to a halt about three metres above the ground.
'Obviously we need a little help with our steering, right?'
James went on to explain the techniques, but Lily was only half listening, after all she had more important things to think about. Like the fact that Potter's hair wasn't all that bad, no matter how many times she had threatened to hack off his raven locks. It was quite nice, all windswept like it was. It brought out the colour of his eyes. In fact his eyes were…
'Lily?' James looked at her weirdly, snapping her out of her train of thought. 'So just fly through the rings. I'll be just here in case you need me, okay?'
Lily smiled and nodded, flying to the first large ring that floated in front of her.
She found flying quite tranquil after a while. She could understand that when Alice was stressed she grabbed her broom and flew around the pitch. In fact, it sort of let your thoughts leave you. Like some sort of wacky meditation. She could understand in a lot of ways why James wanted to fly for a living. It was just so… so…
'Lily!' she heard James urgent voice call. And as she looked down to him she caught sight of her worst nightmare. A bludger, heading for her.
She tried ducking out of the way, but she just wasn't quick enough, it hit her shoulder, and as she fell from her broom, plundering towards the ground beneath her, she heard a soft, quiet, far-away voice say: 'Oh, quaffle.' And then everything went black.
----
Lily woke to the smell of medicine wafting in the room. Bright white light burnt her vision from closed eyes, making her see a muffled red amongst the black. She felt her hand twitch, and someone squeeze it. Someone with rather large, soft hands.
She groaned as a massive throb in her shoulder reminded her of what had happened. The smells, and the crisp sheets she felt covering her body helped her add it up. She was in the hospital wing. She had been right when she said that she and a broomstick equalled a night in amongst the medicines and remedies.
She groaned again, turning her head slightly and opening her eyes. She found a pair of hazel ones looking deeply into her own and frowned as her eyes focused and she identified the person holding her hands. James Potter.
'Hey,' she said, rubbing her head and sitting up a little in her plastic bed. 'Your eyes are hazel.'
He quirked an eyebrow and smiled.
'Yeah, what colour did you think they were?' he asked.
'I don't know, chocolate brown or something,' she said closing her eyes, 'or maybe even a coffee kind of colour.'
She sighed silently letting them both fall into comfortable silence.
'You know, you're a proper quidditch player now you've had your first injury.'
Lily smiled at this, opening her eyes once more and leaning towards him.
'I hate to break it to you James, but I've been a proper quidditch player for years now,' she whispered mysteriously.
What was this? She was having fun, with James! He was making her laugh! In fact, she had noticed another thing about him, he had rather cupid bow lips, and if she just leaned in right now she could…
'Lil, are you all right?' James asked.
'Umm…' Lily said, holding her head as her world violently swayed around. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, her arm making a painful twinge.
'Ouch,' she told it, before stumbling. James caught her and held her close.
'You know, maybe you shouldn't be walking around right now, maybe you should wait for Mrs Monty to come back.'
That's when it hit her, they were alone. How come this was having such an affect on her? And since when did she have trouble breathing around James? And since when did she notice how warm his body was, and how good his arms felt around her?
She shook her head a little. Maybe it was one blow too many. But as she looked up into James' eyes she noticed something.
She hadn't just fallen in love with flying that day; she had fallen in love with James. So that's why, in the hospital wing that smelt so much of medicine, she let him lower his lips to hers. And that's why they told their family and friends that what brought them together, was one blow too many.