Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling; I'm never going to be her; these characters don't belong to me

A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction – I normally write Star Trek: Voyager instead! (And I can't imagine a crossover between them – yet!!) This was based on a very, very strange dream I had and maybe one day the title will make sense. (And if it doesn't I'll have to change it!)

Please read and review.... pretty please?

I'm sorry for it being so short – blame school, writer's block and a back injury preventing me from using the computer.

No idea when the next part will be out – no idea what the next part will have in it yet!

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Lily was thankful that the next morning dawned clear and sunny. She was looking forward to getting on a broomstick, and getting a chance to hopefully fly around the grounds of Hogwarts.

"We're going to be flying today," Naomi squealed as Lily sat down next to her at the breakfast table. Opposite her, Tom looked to be on the edge of his seat with excitement, while Bethany was looking rather pale.

"I know – great isn't it?" Tom enthused. "I'll give ya a race once we're up there Lily."

"You're on!" Lily accepted, not stopping to think about the trouble they could potentially get into. "Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team?"

"Yeah, I might as well," Tom replied. "You?"

Lily nodded. "I know there's virtually no chance of getting in, but it's worth trying anyway," she explained. "I'm not going to loose anything by trying out."

"Except maybe your dignity," a voice behind her sneered. "Oh, wait, you don't have any of that to start with." Lily recognised the voice as Xavier Malfoy, and her face hardened.

"Get lost Malfoy," she told him, her voice harsh. "Don't want to get embarrassed in front of your house when a girl beats you up."

Xavier just laughed. "You won't do anything. Not in front of all the teachers."

Lily glanced up to the teacher's table, and acknowledged that Xavier was right. However, she was not going to back down. Rising from the table and turning to face the boy who was only an inch taller than her, she crossed her arms, and stared him in the face. "Ya sure about that?" she questioned, her face perfectly calm.

"You wouldn't dare," Xavier replied, although his voice cracked slightly. "They'd throw you out of Hogwarts so fast that they door wouldn't even be able to hit you on the way out."

Lily tilted her head to one side, and raised her eyebrows as she contemplated the boy in front of her. Her eyes briefly flickered to the teachers, and noticing that none were looking in their direction, she quickly raised her left foot and slammed it down on Xavier's instep. His face contorted with pain.

"I'm gonna get you for that Black," he hissed, not wanting to admit to the amount of pain she had caused him. "Watch your back."

Lily sat down at the breakfast table; a mischievous smile spreading across her face which only grew in size when she saw the looks the rest of her year was giving her. Tom in particular was grinning, and looking at her in an entirely different way.

"Nice one Lily," Peter Doyle complemented. "If Xavier Malfoy is anything like the rest of his family, then he's a nasty piece of work."

"I know. I met him on the train," Lily explained, helping herself to a piece of toast. "Didn't exactly behave like a perfect gentleman then."

A warning came from further up the table. "Just be careful around the Slytherins," one of the fourth years warned them. "Voldemort may have gone, but there's still something about that house that isn't good."

"Kate's right," the girl that had helped the three girls find their way to the trophy room yesterday added. "Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been the strongest two houses, and the rivalries have always been bad. It doesn't inspire you with confidence either when the heads of the two houses can't stand each other either."

Lily recognised Caitlin McGonagall as she spoke up. "The less association we have with Slytherin the better. Mum... Professor McGonagall has all *but* made it a school rule that our two houses are not to have lessons together. That's how bad it's gotten. She said it was especially bad when Voldemort was finally brought down, and the fact that many Slytherin families were charged with being death eaters."

Lily caught onto Caitlin's mistake, and a small part of her wished that she *were* able to acknowledge her parents for who they were, even as all the reasons for changing her name came flooding back.

Alexia also heard the 'mum' part, and queried it. "Professor McGonagall's your mum?" she asked. "That must be so weird getting taught by her. I don't know if I could get taught by *my* mum."

Lily didn't miss the small, sympathetic smile that Caitlin sent her way – she had often played with the older girl whenever her 'aunt' visited her parents. She was one of only six other pupils in the school who knew of Lily's true birth – the other five all being Weasley children.

"Biologically, no, she's my aunt," Caitlin explained. "But my parents died when I was nine, and she adopted me, so in just about every respect she is my mother. I've lived here in Hogwarts for six years now."

"Children live in the castle?" Shannon Finnigan queried. "Even now?"

Caitlin grinned. "Yeah, there's about seven children living at Hogwarts at the moment," she replied. "You'll probably end up meeting them all later on in the term – they never stay in the teacher's wing."

A bell rang in the Great Hall, reminding them of the time, and the last few mouthfuls of breakfast were gulped down as the years each headed for their respective lessons. As the first years made their way out to the grounds, Bethany was slowly turning green.

"Have you never flown before?" Lily asked her friend, who just shook her head. "Don't worry – it's not as bad as you think. I've been flying since I was a little girl."

They reached the grassy stretch where there were already twenty brooms lying on the ground. Lily tried to hide the smile that broke out on her face as she saw their instructor – the man who had introduced her father to Quidditch. Fortunately, her friends didn't say anything about her enthusiasm, obviously attributing it to the flying lesson instead of the joy at seeing her 'Uncle Oliver.' Lily only wished that she could have had a few minutes alone with him to enquire about his family – his wife was teaching Ancient Runes and their two small daughters were at Hogwarts with them. Maybe she'd get a chance at the end, although she didn't want to gain a reputation as a teacher's pet. Lily sighed inwardly. Obviously if she wanted to find out anything in the castle she would have to write letters to the various people. She could clearly see any and all potential free time slowly slipping away...

"Ok," Professor Wood's voice brought her out of the deep recess of her mind. "Now that everyone's here, we can start. I am Professor Wood, and I'm the flying instructor and Quidditch coach here at Hogwarts."

There was a giggling from a cluster of Hufflepuff girls, and one shyly put her hand up.

"Yes – I'm sorry, I don't know your name," the professor apologised, nodding towards the girl.

"Marla Gibsome," the blonde told him, almost coyly. "Are you the Oliver Wood who used to be the keeper for Puddlemere United?"

"Yes," Oliver admitted, almost snapping, as his previous career as a professional Quidditch player was not the topic that he wanted them to be discussing. It had been brought up by his classes ever since he had taken the teaching job, and he pitied Harry, knowing that the younger man's interrogations by his fans would be a hundred times worse than anything Oliver had to suffer. "Now how many of you have flown before?"

Lily noticed as she put her hand up that she was in the minority.

"Right," Oliver declared. "Then I apologise in advance for boring you these first few lessons. However, I would still like for you to pay attention because you never know, you might learn something new, which I hope so."

Unfortunately, Lily's concentration soon drifted off as she ran mechanically through the basic actions of broomstick riding. Her parent's friends had often joked that she had flown before she had walked, and it was clear that she had inherited her dad's talent for flying.

"You coming?" Tom's voice startled her out of her daydreams, and she looked blankly at him.

"What?"

"To talk to Professor Wood about trying out for the Quidditch teams," Tom reminded her.

"Yeah, sure," Lily replied, noticing that she'd managed to put her broom away whilst in her trance and returned with her friends to where they had started the lesson.

"Okay, for homework, I'd like you to read and note the first chapter on "Broomstick Management,"" Oliver told them, noticing several faces fall at the mention of homework. Obviously they had expected to just turn up for the lessons each week and disappear. "And I'll see you next lesson."

"Come on then," Tom told her, pulling on the sleeve of her robes.

"Yes, can I help you?" Oliver asked, smiling at the two children.

"Um, we want to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Tom informed him. "I'm Tom Paris and this is Lily Black."

"Okay then," the older man replied. "That's great – we don't normally get many first years trying out, so you two will be welcome. Have you had any experience of Quidditch?"

"Yeah, I play with my brother and sisters," Tom declared.

Oliver looked at him. "Paris – you're Robert and Molly's brother aren't you? And you had an another older sister – what was her name? India... Imogen...."

"Isobel," Tom supplied. "Yeah."

Oliver pointed to him. "Of course. If you're anything like your siblings you should have a good chance. And Miss..."

"Black, Lily Black," she reminded him, hoping that he wouldn't slip up. If he did, then at least she'd only have to confess all to Tom but she hoped that she wouldn't have to reveal her true parentage only two days into the term.

"Ah, yes you'll have to excuse me Miss Black," Oliver apologised, although his dark eyes were dancing. "My memory's been going ever since my two girls!"

Lily giggled, thinking of his two young, cute daughters. "That's okay Professor."

"So, any experience of Quidditch?"

"I've played a bit with my dad and his friends," Lily told him, telling herself that it was the truth; the Chuddley Cannons had been her dad's friends.

Oliver grinned; he knew what she meant. "I'll contact you both nearer the trials," he informed them. "But for now I suggest you get to your next lesson, while I go and relieve my wife of the girls."

"Thank you Professor," Lily told him, as she and Tom headed towards the greenhouses for herbology.