It starts when Marley drops the Quaffle. She doesn't mean to, but a Slytherin Beater launches a Bludger her way and she loses control while swerving. James dives to catch it, neck and neck with Slytherin Chaser Yaxley. The crowd screams as the two players hurtle towards the ground.
Just as James gains the lead, Yaxley calls something out to him, the words lost on the wind. James whirls around and his hand plunges into his pocket, mahogany wood slipping out from the folds, but Yaxley takes advantage of the distraction and kicks out, his foot connecting with James's stomach. They're twenty feet from the ground and James doubles over on his broom, falling off in that split second of shock. The Gryffindor side gasps as their Captain falls, then roars with anger as his body hits the ground with a thud.
Lily is suddenly aware of the wand that presses against her side and she grasps it firmly, running down the stands as Madam Hooch blows her whistle.
Yaxley and the rest of his team lands, smirks fading as James struggles up and lunges at his attacker. The rest of Gryffindor alights and runs toward the fight, Sirius arriving at the scene before anyone else. He pushes the two boys apart, whispering urgent words into James's ear. Marley screams at a laughing Marissa Parkinson as Frank Longbottom goes head-to-head with Lestrange.
James and Yaxley are still too close to each other and Yaxley shoves at James's chest. James grabs at Yaxley's robes, both of them colliding as they snarl at each other. Sirius, unused to playing the peacemaker, simply lets them continue. Madam Hooch isn't getting to the center of the fight fast enough.
"James!" Lily runs down the length of the pitch and shoves Yaxley away from him, the Slytherin boy moving easily due to his shock at Lily's appearance. "James, stop, you might have broken something - "
"Look at that filth trying to defend you," Yaxley sneers, making a quick recovery. James's fist shoots out and connects with the Slytherin's jaw.
"James!" Lily is appalled, having expected hexes or jinxes as opposed to the open display of Muggle fighting.
"Fuck you, bastard," James spits at Yaxley, even as Madam Hooch finally arrives on the scene.
"That's quite enough! Potter, to the Hospital Wing, with two weeks of detention for such violence. The game will be postponed. Yaxley, three weeks' worth of detention."
Yaxley's smirk disappears. "Professor!"
"I will increase it to a month," she threatens. Taking note of Lily's restraining hand on James's chest, she adds, "Ms. Evans, if you'll escort Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing."
Lily nods curtly and takes James's hand, tugging insistently until he follows her. They're both silent on their way to the Wing, the clamor of the match growing fainter as they get deeper into the castle.
Lily finally turns to look at him when they get to the Hospital Wing, expression fierce as they stand in the middle of the ward. "What on earth could have prompted you to do something as stupid as turning on Yaxley in the middle of the game, not to mention punching him in the face?"
James's eyes haven't lost the fire they'd held on the pitch, and it blazes all the more strongly now. "We may not be going out yet, Evans, but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate someone calling you a Mudblood whore. Especially not a bastard like Yaxley."
Then Madam Pomfrey sweeps in between them and starts fussing over James, various potions on a tray and her wand already out. Lily just stands there, mouth open and mind whirling, and James Potter gives her one last scorching look before Madam Pomfrey pushes him onto a cot and draws the curtain around him.
