There was nothing better, nothing like it. James loved flying. He couldn't even think of how you could describe it to someone who didn't know how. He couldn't think of any better way to explain it than to tell people to try it for themselves.

"Ready?" James asked looking down at their shaky third-year seeker.

Her name was Lola. Like the song, James thought, and grinned. Lola looked up at him and managed a little smile. "Um, yeah. I'm ready."

"You'll be fine."

James led his team out onto the soft grass, amidst the bellowing cheers coming from the crowd. "Up," James commanded to his broom, and swooped up high into the air, doing warm-up twirls and loops. He sped round the stadium twisting in and out of the towers of screaming Griffindors. There also seemed to be quite a cry for the Griffindor team coming from the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs. Slytherin weren't much liked; it had to be said.

James just loved flying. Almost as much as he loved… No, he wasn't going to think about her. Not on the first quidditch match of the season. Of the year. James felt the wind sweep past him and let it cool down his nerves. He closed his eyes and flew upside down. Not to show off, as he knew many people thought, but to calm himself. Relax himself, ready for the game. He'd read in a book once that you had to be at one with the wind to be a true quidditch player. James had at the time thought it to be a load of bullshit, but it was actually rather good at calming the nerves.

The broom uprighted itself and James flew up to Sirius steadying himself next to his best friend. "Stay by me," he told Sirius in his own team-leader commando way.

"You got it chief," Sirius mocked, saluting him.

James grinned. "Tell Jezzie to stay near the new seeker. It's Lola's first quidditch match, she's bound to be nervous. I don't want her hit in her first match."

Sirius nodded and flew over to Jezzie, the other Griffindor beater. James flew down to where the quaffle was being held. James was very pleased with himself. He hadn't thought of Lily much at all that day. He knew as well as everyone else in the school how important this first match was. Of course, they usually won anyway, but James had learned never to expect anything. Something new could always happen.

Lily…

Crap. James shook his head and tried to get Lily out, but before he had time to recover, the whistle had been blown, the quaffle had been thrown and Slytherin had caught it. James sped up into the air and followed closely behind Killa, who had the quaffle. He signalled to Sirius and a bludger was thrown at Killa. James swooped in quickly and grabbed the quaffle. He flew like lightning down to the opposite end of the pitch. He threw the quaffle to another chaser, Porkey, and Porkey threw it into a hoop. Slytherin's keeper wasn't even close to it. Porkey and James slapped hands. "Nice one, Potter," Porkey said quickly, then flew in to get the quaffle again.

One hesitation. One lapse in time. One brief moment and James found himself being the target of a very angry bludger. He swore loudly and dived, just in time to dodge it. Concentrate! James told himself angrily. Where had the quaffle gone? Oh, it was right at the other end of the pitch! James hovered over to the middle, ready for when the quaffle came back down. It did, after Slytherin had scored a goal. James looked over at the scoreboard. It read: Griffindor 10 – 10 Slytherin. They were drawing. Well, that could be quickly changed.

Porkey and Johnson threw the quaffle back and forth, getting it down to James. Johnson threw it to James, and he caught it… Just.

James sped down to the hoops. But he didn't even see the bludger coming. Luckily, Sirius managed to knock it out the way before serious damage could be brought upon his leader. James threw the quaffle back to Johnson, who scored in a hoop. "What's up with you, man? I can't protect you from the bludgers all the time," Sirius said quickly, then went off to help Jezzie.

But James had barely heard him. Lola had spotted the snitch. James flew around wildly. Lily, Lily… Where was the quaffle? Ah yes, we've just scored a goal. Lovely. Lily, Lily, Lily… Shit, now Slytherin have scored a goal! TWO goals! Lily, oh Lily…

James looked over at the scoreboard. Griffindor 20 – 40 Slytherin. Oh dear. This was not good. As long as Lola caught the snitch it would be ok. Lola and the Slytherin seeker, a fifth year named Jack, were battling it out chasing he snitch all over the pitch. Snitch rhymes with pitch, James thought stupidly. He grinned, then stopped, realising he wasn't being very useful.

The quaffle was suddenly thrown at James without warning and he didn't catch it. A Slytherin behind him caught it and sped away scoring another goal. Now they were down 50-20.

James' team members kept giving him strange looks, but there was no way James could finish the game now. All he could think about was Lily. Her beautiful red flowing hair and her contradicting witchy green sparkly eyes.

Lola caught the snitch.

The crowd roared. The team laughed. Lola grinned broadly. James hung his head and went to the ground to land. True, they had won. But James had been rubbish. He'd let Porkey and Johnson down most of all. He bet they were feeling kind of bad.

James changed his robes, had a quick shower, then left the quidditch stadium trying to avoid everyone. Obviously, that's quite hard when you are the most popular guy in school. Even if he had been rubbish in the quidditch match, everyone still loved him.

James just smiled at a few people and tried to walk away quickly.

Lily walked up to James.

Lily? …

…Crap.

"Great game, James!" Lily said smiling her brilliant smile. They began walking together up to the castle.

James looked around her. No friends with her. Great.

"Oh, I wasn't that good," James said truthfully. "I sucked. Admit it."

Lily paused for a moment, finding the words. "Well, I wouldn't say you completely sucked. It's the first game James! No one's expecting you to be brilliant! It was probably just because it's been a while since you played or something."

James didn't tell Lily that he had practised almost every week in the holidays with his brothers and sisters.

James smiled at Lily. Lily smiled at James. James' heart melted. "So, what you doing now?" Lily asked. James looked at his watch.

"Dunno. Guess I'd better get some homework done," James answered.

"Well, you wanna meet up and we'll do it together?"

James' heart skipped a beat. "What, you mean like, together?"

Lily laughed. "Sure! Shall I meet you in the library in…15 minutes?"

"Sure…" said James.

Lily grinned and ran off to find her friends. James stopped walking abruptly and someone from behind crashed into him knocking them both to the ground.

"Ow!" James exclaimed, rubbing his head. He sat up and turned round. Remus was lying almost on top of him. James pushed him off and stood up.

"Oh, sorry mate," said Remus, grabbing his bag and standing up. "I was running to catch up with you. Guess I didn't see you."

"S'alright. So, what did you want?"

Remus paused before saying quickly, "Are you alright?"

James was slightly shocked, and then, trying to answer without hesitation, "Yeah, thanks. Why?"

Remus gave him a look. "You just seemed really out of it today, that's all."

James shrugged and they started walking again. "Just had other things on my mind, that's all."

"Other things of, perhaps, the opposite gender?"

James pushed him. "Shove off."

Remus laughed and put up his hands defensively. "Alright, alright. But that's what it is, isn't it?" James didn't answer. "If it wasn't, you wouldn't be so denfensive and secretive about it, would you?" James thought about it. The guy had a point.

"Look, it's not a girl, ok? I was just thinking so much about how much I didn't wanna screw up, that I screwed up. Ok? Satisfied?"

Remus grinned but said nothing. "So, it's a girl, yes?"

James couldn't help laughing.