Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Round 8
Team: Chudley Cannons
Position: Chaser 3
Prompt: Write about being nervous to take an opportunity or next step.
Optional Prompts: 1. (color) baby blue; 5. (dialogue) "Everything in my life has led to this moment."; 8. (song) Everything Changes - Waitress
Lily held her breath as Scorpius swung onto the broom, straddling it with his legs. "Come on!"
"Why am I even doing this?" Lily asked herself. She licked her lips nervously.
Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "It's going to be worth it," he answered.
Lily sighed heavily and took the broom he was offering. She held it tightly in her hands, swinging one trembling leg over. "We'll never survive," she said.
"Nonsense! You're only saying that because you haven't flown."
"My point exactly." She looked down at the broom, and memories of a grinning woman flooded her mind.
Lily watched as her mother dove, narrowly dodging the Bludger. She rocked up on her toes, craning her neck to see past the sea of people in front of her. Her father cheered and, bending down, smeared two streaks of green paint onto her cheeks with his hands. Lily beamed up at her father, then returned to watching the game.
"Ginny! Ginny!" the crowd chanted, the noise reverberating around the dome stadium. The camera was trained on the famous Chaser, centering in on her stoic face. Ginny Potter passed the Quaffle from hand to hand as she darted across the field. She pivoted quickly to the right and hurled the Quaffle through the hoop.
A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd as Ginny did a little victory dance. Lily hooted and yelled along with the rest of the spectators, her heart bursting with happiness for her mother.
A sudden whiz of black, a Bludger shot toward Ginny, crashing against her head with a sickening crunch. Lily screamed as her mother was knocked off her broom, landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.
Silence befell the stadium as the spectators held their breath in anticipation. Lily's father pushed through the crowd, his eyes wild with terror. Big, fat tears began to stream down from Lily's horrified eyes, and she buried her face in her father's chest.
They burst through the throng of people and rushed to the small swarm surrounding Ginny. "Move! Move out of the way!" Lily's father yelled. Most people instantly recognized him and stepped aside.
Lily peeked out through her fingers and instantly regretted it.
Ginny lay there, unmoving, her neck—already hinting black and blue from bruises—bent abnormally. Lily's father dropped to his knees, letting Lily slip from his arms. He buried his face in Ginny's bright red hair, his sobs ringing out clearly. The baby blue eyes that Lily had inherited were still open, staring up at the arena that had betrayed her.
Lily hugged her father's arm, looking upon her dead mother and emitting small, muffled wails. Ginny Weasley, the great legend, had died. All because of Quidditch.
And she knew that, in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.
"You okay, Lily?" Scorpius asked, pulling Lily out of her memory. "Do you still want to do this?" The concern in his voice made her heart melt.
"I'm fine," she said firmly in a tone that left no space for further discussion.
He nodded. "I still can't believe this is your first time on a broom," he muttered. He looked over at her incredulously. "I should have thought about this more."
Lily swallowed, trying to get rid of the huge lump in her throat. "I'll be fine," she repeated. "Just tell me what to do, and I'll be fine."
"Okay. Now that you're on the broom, say 'Up!' Make sure you lean forward. It'll give you better control," Scorpius said.
Lily knew all of this. Her mother had taught her. Of course, she had, having been a Quidditch star, but Lily had never put it to use. Now, for the first time in so many years, she would fly.
"Yes! That's it, Lils!" Ginny shouted. A three-year-old Lily gave her mother a toothy grin. She shot forward suddenly, and Ginny flew quickly to stop her. They landed in a laughing heap.
"I wove fwying, Mommy!" Lily declared. "I'm going to be a Widditch staw!"
"Quidditch, darling. Quidditch," Gi said, smiling. "You'll be a wonderful flyer!"
"Can I wearn mowe?" Lily asked eagerly. She bounced on her the tips of her toes. "Pwease, Mommy?"
"Of course, Lils," Ginny's lips curled into a large grin. "Now, to catch the Quaffle…"
Lily felt two warm hands on her hips. She flinched and turned around. "You're not in the correct position," Scorpius said, his face slightly red.
Lily scooted forward a bit, leaning more. "Is that better?" She could feel his breath on her neck.
"Yeah." Scorpius returned back to his broom, brushing his white-blond hair away from his eyes. He glanced at Lily one last time. "Ready?"
Lily nodded, closing her eyes and breathing deeply for a moment. "Up!" she said, and the broom jerked into motion. She almost screamed as she was lifted into the air, holding onto the broom as if her life depended on it.
Scorpius rose slowly with ease and flew over to Lily. "Isn't it amazing?"
Slowly, but surely, Lily felt a deep sense of belonging. It felt right to be in the air, to be flying, to be on a broom at last. A huge, exhilarated smile took over her face. "Fantastic," she breathed softly in response.
"Come on, I'll show you how to turn."
Scorpius carefully instructed her until her skills were satisfactory. By the time they were finished, she was able to turn, dive (though it was a slow process), and increase and decrease her speed.
As the sun was starting to set, a gleaming, red half-circle in the sky, Lily sighed. "It's getting late, Scorpius."
"It's even better at night."
"If you say so."
Scorpius looked at her, his eyes almost pleading. "I promise, it will be worth it."
It had been almost two hours since they had started flying. The sun had long since disappeared, leaving the black night to take over. Scorpius kept insisting that they were getting closer.
Lily's energy was drained, her legs and arms drooping. She was fighting hard to barely keep her eyes open, the cold air nipping at her cheeks acting as her only alarm. She blinked and stared at Scorpius, whose gaze was fixed on a speck of orange that seemed to be growing larger.
"That's it," Scorpius said suddenly. He pointed to the orange, which was starting to look like flames. "We've arrived."
"Are you sure?" Lily asked.
He nodded firmly. "Dive now," he said as he shot forward. Lily followed him, wobbling slightly. He jerked into a stop as they neared the ground. Landing gently, he swung off his broom and walked over to Lily. "Just plant your feet down on the ground firmly. That's it." He held out a hand, helping her get off.
They left their brooms beside a tree. Scorpius held a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. "They're probably sleeping."
"The dragons?" Lily hissed.
A playful smile found its way onto Scorpius's face. "You'll see."
They crept through the clearing, Lily following Scorpius silently. Scorpius came to a stop in front of a large willow tree. "Close your eyes," he whispered. Lily did so hesitantly.
He grasped her hand tightly and led her through the low branches of the tree.
"Open."
Lily nearly gasped when she did.
"Dragons."
She was entranced by the sight before her.
Scorpius nodded. "Aren't they beautiful?"
And beautiful they were. Breathtakingly beautiful.
A huge, towering dragon was curled around her baby, blowing fire gently with her nostrils on the young whelp. Her baby-blue scales glinted in the light, shadows dancing on them. The whelp was nuzzled against its mother, golden eyes blinking sleepily.
Lily realized, with a small pang, that she'd finally have something else to remember when she saw the color of her own eyes. She wouldn't forget her mother—she didn't think she ever would—but now she would have this moment as well. "Everything in my life has led to this moment," she whispered to herself, and she could see her mother again, but not as she was in her dying moments. No, she could see Ginny Potter as she was on the broom—ferociously alive, her eyes gleaming with fervor.
That was how she would remember baby blue, Lily decided. The dragon and her mother playing—those would be enough. That was all she needed.
The mother dragon roared loudly, a column of flames erupting out of her mouth. Her jaws were open in a lazy yawn, displaying her sharp, pearly teeth. The whelp whimpered, and the mother dragon nudged it with her head, getting up and flapping her wings. The whelp got up on shaking legs reluctantly and followed its mother, stalking off into the distance.
"How?" was all Lily could manage to say.
"My dad. After the war, he wandered around a lot until he met your uncle Charlie. He's helped out on the reserve ever since." Scorpius stared at her intently, waiting for a reply.
"I love it. You're amazing, Scorpius. Really." She hugged him tightly. Scorpius returned the embrace, his arms winding around her waist, his chin pressed against her hair.
He pulled away after a minute that seemed to stretch on forever. His gaze was fixed on her eyes, and Lily felt her cheeks redden.
"Thank you. For all of this," she said.
Scorpius nodded.
"And the flying. You made me finally find what was missing in me." She grabbed his hand, holding it tightly in her own, welcoming the warmth it brought her. Leaning her head onto his shoulder, she looked up into his grey eyes. They were more beautiful than the dragons.
He had been right. It was worth it.
In the blink of an eye, everything had changed, but this time, Lily looked forward to what would come after.