Chapter 6 - Flying Lessons
Fortunately for James, Harold had agreed to be the one to tell Lily about the plan. James didn't have a clue how he'd have broached the subject. In his opinion, he'd already made enough of a fool of himself. Surprisingly, Lily had agreed. James had thought that Lily might have been resentful that someone from her own class would be teaching her, but to his surprise, he was wrong. Lily seemed perfectly happy with the idea. They scheduled their first lesson for the next day, Sunday afternoon and booked the pitch. The sooner they got on with it the better. James secretly believed that the team didn't stand a chance with Aiolos as seeker. He was fast, but unobservant.
So, at the appointed time of one o'clock on Sunday, straight after lunch, James left for the Quidditch field, broom over his shoulder. He was feeling nervous; he wasn't the most patient person he knew, that was Remus. But he wasn't Sirius either, and that thought gave him a little more confidence in his teaching abilities. He was so lost in his worried thoughts that he suddenly realised he'd arrived at the Quidditch pitch. He waved at Lily, who was stood waiting for him. She looked every bit as nervous as he felt. That thought was a comfort for some reason. He walked over to her and started examining her broom. It was an early model Comet, not bad, and in good condition, but if she made the team she'd probably need a new one. James decided not to tell her just yet, he wanted to see how she did on the Comet first.
She was too hesitant; James could see it as he watched her flying around. It was probably because she was muggle born; she didn't trust her broom. She controlled it fairly well, she did everything correctly, but she couldn't let go. She always flew straight, rarely dived and he was willing to bet she'd never flown upside down. There was only one thing for it; James would have to show her what a broom could do.
"Do you trust me?" He asked her when she landed (rather clumsily). It was important she trust him, before she'd trust a broomstick. "What?" She looked puzzled. "Do you trust me?" He asked again, smiling. She looked into his eyes. He held her gaze for just a second before he looked away. He hated that look; it was as though all his innermost secrets had been laid bare to her. "Yes." She answered, without hesitation. James was surprised at this. He looked at her, she was grinning. "Put your broom over there, and use mine." She did as she was told, but she came back to find James already sitting on his broom. "Sit behind me." He ordered, though not harshly. She looked at him searchingly for a second and then obeyed. She held on to his waist. James marvelled inwardly at how comfortable it felt, he'd never taken anyone else on his broom before. He did a few loops, and a corkscrew. Those were just a few simple tricks that he'd been able to do for ages, but Lily didn't seem to like them. She was screaming, loudly, James thought he was about to go deaf, and her grip on his waist was so tight he felt he was going to suffocate so he straightened up and flew in a straight line for a bit, he felt her relax.
"I thought you trusted me?" He asked, playfully. "I do, but I have a bit of a problem with being upside down. I never liked roller coasters very much." James didn't know what she was talking about, but she seemed to interpret his silence correctly and added, "It's a muggle thing." "Well, Lily, if you want to be a seeker you'll need to be able to do this stuff." "You know," she said, sounding very thoughtful all of a sudden, "I know about a hundred girls who'd love to be in my position right now." "What, training for a place on the Quidditch team, because I know about a hundred boys who'd like that too." James was confused, what did she mean? "No, I mean sat behind you with my arms round your waist." James blushed, this was news to him. "Don't be daft." He replied, knowing it sounded stupid, but not really knowing what else to say. How girls reacted to him wasn't something he contemplated often. He was okay looking, he thought, if you liked scrawny with messy hair and dark eyes. "What about you?" He couldn't believe he'd asked her that. He wished he could take it back almost immediately. Fortunately, she didn't seem to think he was serious and replied jokingly, "Nah, I prefer blondes." She laughed, he laughed too, and did a loop the loop. She screamed. He decided it was time for a dive. He rose as high as he dared; he felt Lily's arms tighten on his waist. Then he pointed the broom down and plummeted, as fast as he could, straight down. Lily wasn't screaming, she was obviously past that point in her terror. He pulled up just in time, and he was just about to tell Lily to imagine a screaming crowd as she lifted the snitch in victory when she slapped him round the back of his head. It hurt, a lot, and for a second the broom wobbled as James lost concentration. Lily grabbed at his waist again as he set them down gently on the grass. He turned to look at her, and to his astonishment, she slapped him again. All the colour had fallen out of her face, including her lips, and she was fuming. He saw that dangerous glint in her eyes; the one he'd seen when she looked at Snape before she hit him with the tickling charm. James was scared, but ventured to ask what that was for. Unfortunately, before he even opened his mouth she screamed at him,
"Don't you dare do that to me again!" And she stormed off, collecting her broomstick as she went. James followed her, broom on his shoulder, back to the castle; it was starting to get dark. He was massaging his cheek where she'd slapped him, wondering what he'd done to deserve that, and why on earth she was so afraid of flying.
When he got back to Gryffindor tower he found Lily sitting by the fire. The flames were reflected in her green eyes. It looked quite spooky. He was glad to see that the angry spark had left them, but he was startled to see the sadness that had replaced it. He moved over to her cautiously. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to risk another slap. "I'm sorry?" He said. He didn't mean it to sound like a question, but it came out like that. She didn't say anything; she just stared into the dancing flames. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but if you want to be on the team." His voice tapered away. He hoped he sounded as sincere as he felt, and he hoped he hadn't been the cause of the sadness he saw in her face, just as fervently as he'd hope he'd never cause that dangerous glint in her eye.
She smiled weakly up at him, and he grinned back. Now he knew she was ok, and she knew he was sincere. He hoped she knew he'd never do anything to hurt her, because that was the truth. He hoped she knew she could trust him.
Fortunately for James, Harold had agreed to be the one to tell Lily about the plan. James didn't have a clue how he'd have broached the subject. In his opinion, he'd already made enough of a fool of himself. Surprisingly, Lily had agreed. James had thought that Lily might have been resentful that someone from her own class would be teaching her, but to his surprise, he was wrong. Lily seemed perfectly happy with the idea. They scheduled their first lesson for the next day, Sunday afternoon and booked the pitch. The sooner they got on with it the better. James secretly believed that the team didn't stand a chance with Aiolos as seeker. He was fast, but unobservant.
So, at the appointed time of one o'clock on Sunday, straight after lunch, James left for the Quidditch field, broom over his shoulder. He was feeling nervous; he wasn't the most patient person he knew, that was Remus. But he wasn't Sirius either, and that thought gave him a little more confidence in his teaching abilities. He was so lost in his worried thoughts that he suddenly realised he'd arrived at the Quidditch pitch. He waved at Lily, who was stood waiting for him. She looked every bit as nervous as he felt. That thought was a comfort for some reason. He walked over to her and started examining her broom. It was an early model Comet, not bad, and in good condition, but if she made the team she'd probably need a new one. James decided not to tell her just yet, he wanted to see how she did on the Comet first.
She was too hesitant; James could see it as he watched her flying around. It was probably because she was muggle born; she didn't trust her broom. She controlled it fairly well, she did everything correctly, but she couldn't let go. She always flew straight, rarely dived and he was willing to bet she'd never flown upside down. There was only one thing for it; James would have to show her what a broom could do.
"Do you trust me?" He asked her when she landed (rather clumsily). It was important she trust him, before she'd trust a broomstick. "What?" She looked puzzled. "Do you trust me?" He asked again, smiling. She looked into his eyes. He held her gaze for just a second before he looked away. He hated that look; it was as though all his innermost secrets had been laid bare to her. "Yes." She answered, without hesitation. James was surprised at this. He looked at her, she was grinning. "Put your broom over there, and use mine." She did as she was told, but she came back to find James already sitting on his broom. "Sit behind me." He ordered, though not harshly. She looked at him searchingly for a second and then obeyed. She held on to his waist. James marvelled inwardly at how comfortable it felt, he'd never taken anyone else on his broom before. He did a few loops, and a corkscrew. Those were just a few simple tricks that he'd been able to do for ages, but Lily didn't seem to like them. She was screaming, loudly, James thought he was about to go deaf, and her grip on his waist was so tight he felt he was going to suffocate so he straightened up and flew in a straight line for a bit, he felt her relax.
"I thought you trusted me?" He asked, playfully. "I do, but I have a bit of a problem with being upside down. I never liked roller coasters very much." James didn't know what she was talking about, but she seemed to interpret his silence correctly and added, "It's a muggle thing." "Well, Lily, if you want to be a seeker you'll need to be able to do this stuff." "You know," she said, sounding very thoughtful all of a sudden, "I know about a hundred girls who'd love to be in my position right now." "What, training for a place on the Quidditch team, because I know about a hundred boys who'd like that too." James was confused, what did she mean? "No, I mean sat behind you with my arms round your waist." James blushed, this was news to him. "Don't be daft." He replied, knowing it sounded stupid, but not really knowing what else to say. How girls reacted to him wasn't something he contemplated often. He was okay looking, he thought, if you liked scrawny with messy hair and dark eyes. "What about you?" He couldn't believe he'd asked her that. He wished he could take it back almost immediately. Fortunately, she didn't seem to think he was serious and replied jokingly, "Nah, I prefer blondes." She laughed, he laughed too, and did a loop the loop. She screamed. He decided it was time for a dive. He rose as high as he dared; he felt Lily's arms tighten on his waist. Then he pointed the broom down and plummeted, as fast as he could, straight down. Lily wasn't screaming, she was obviously past that point in her terror. He pulled up just in time, and he was just about to tell Lily to imagine a screaming crowd as she lifted the snitch in victory when she slapped him round the back of his head. It hurt, a lot, and for a second the broom wobbled as James lost concentration. Lily grabbed at his waist again as he set them down gently on the grass. He turned to look at her, and to his astonishment, she slapped him again. All the colour had fallen out of her face, including her lips, and she was fuming. He saw that dangerous glint in her eyes; the one he'd seen when she looked at Snape before she hit him with the tickling charm. James was scared, but ventured to ask what that was for. Unfortunately, before he even opened his mouth she screamed at him,
"Don't you dare do that to me again!" And she stormed off, collecting her broomstick as she went. James followed her, broom on his shoulder, back to the castle; it was starting to get dark. He was massaging his cheek where she'd slapped him, wondering what he'd done to deserve that, and why on earth she was so afraid of flying.
When he got back to Gryffindor tower he found Lily sitting by the fire. The flames were reflected in her green eyes. It looked quite spooky. He was glad to see that the angry spark had left them, but he was startled to see the sadness that had replaced it. He moved over to her cautiously. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to risk another slap. "I'm sorry?" He said. He didn't mean it to sound like a question, but it came out like that. She didn't say anything; she just stared into the dancing flames. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but if you want to be on the team." His voice tapered away. He hoped he sounded as sincere as he felt, and he hoped he hadn't been the cause of the sadness he saw in her face, just as fervently as he'd hope he'd never cause that dangerous glint in her eye.
She smiled weakly up at him, and he grinned back. Now he knew she was ok, and she knew he was sincere. He hoped she knew he'd never do anything to hurt her, because that was the truth. He hoped she knew she could trust him.