Lily Chapter 16: Lily's Flying Experience, a harry potter fanfic

Lily

Chapter 16

Mr. Potter had brought along three brooms as a means of transportation back to the Potter's house. As soon as he had taken them out, Lily's stomach had started churning. Besides the fact that she couldn't fly for beans, she was terrified of heights. But she wasn't about to mention that, especially not in front of James; it would be all over the school before she
knew it. Lily just resolved to not look down and to hang on tight.

After they mounted the brooms and started soaring over London, she began to put her two resolutions in perspective: The hanging on tight part was easy, since her hands seemed to be too terrified to come off of the broom handle, but it was quite a different story to keep her eyes to the front.

They had barely been in the air for five minutes when Lily's willpower petered out to nothing, and she couldn't resist a quick peek down. At that exact moment, her nerves electrified with fear. The top of Big Ben looked as small as the dot at the end of a sentence, and the Channel was nothing but a bluish-green thread! With a frightened squeak, she lost her balance and rolled upside-down on the broomstick.

For a second or two, she hung there like a sloth, completely stuck. Then, Mr. Potter flew up beside her and (to Lily's vast amazement) took BOTH hands off of his own broomstick and maintained his balance while helping Lily upright. Murmuring a very embarrassed "thank-you" to him, she slowed her speed until she was the farthest back of the three. Luckily, James was in front of her and hadn't seen her lack of flying skill.

The trio flew on for about a half hour more until the next disaster took place. Lily was getting tired, between the constant, steady whooshing of the wind in each ear and her tight grip on the broom lessened. Yawning quietly, she rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand until she realized her terrible mistake. "Ahh! Help!" Lily's attempts at reaching
the broom handle was to no prevail. Finally, with one courageous idea, she swung her upper body forward and clutched the wood with white knuckles. "Are you okay?" James had seen it.

"Yeah," Lily raked her hair with her fingers, "I'm fine."

"Whatever you say." James turned, his back towards her once again.

"Lily? Have you ever had flying lessons?" Mr. Potter's asked.

"Um, kinda."

"Doesn't Hogwarts teach flying during the first year?"

"Yeah, but I could only straddle the broom." Lily's cheeks tinted a rosy color.

"Oh, well then, I'll just have to teach you."

"Is this really your house?"

"Yeah. Now this is the bathroom," James pointed to a room down the hall, "That's the kitchen, the living room, my dad's office, and-"

"And this's only one floor?" Lily traced the texture and makeup of the two vast marble-and-gold staircases up ahead. "Wow."

"And all the bedrooms are upstairs, plus a couple more bathrooms." He continued.

"Where's my room?" She grabbed her trunk by the handle.

"Um, you'll be taking one of the guest rooms upstairs."

The "guest room" in question looked more like a master bedroom. The hunter-green blankets were at least eight inches thick, the bed frame was of ornately carved cherrywood with magical roses in a vase on the matching bedside table. Yet another matching article, a tall chest of drawers, was nestled into an alcove in the wall to her left. Lily crossed the room to peer out the gauzily curtained window, but quickly stepped back when her fear of heights kicked in. She turned around and saw James and Mr. Potter, wearing identical anticipatory expressions, as if to say 'well? What do you think?"

"I love it," Lily declared.

Lily was wakened the next morning by an abrupt hand, shaking her back and forth.

"Five more minutes, PLEASE???!!!!" Lily begged. The warmth of her bed made Lily want to harbor there forever. She buried herself under the thickness of the blankets. Shaking her head no, Lily refused to get up.

"No-can-do. Your first flying lesson starts today. Get dressed and meet us down in the kitchen for some breakfast."

"Fine." She groaned as James closed the door on his way out. Lily brushed her hair down and dressed in Muggle clothing. She walked down the staircase carefully and sat herself down at the breakfast table. "Hi."

"Why, hello Lily." Mr. Potter bubbled cheerily as he set a plate in front of her. She looked across the table at James. He was almost through with his pancake and had already eaten his bacon and eggs. Lily glanced quickly at her food and suddenly her hunger faded away. She picked up her glass and took three sips of orange juice before wiping her
mouth with the back of her hand.

James cleared his throat as he stood. "I'm done. I'll go get the brooms out of the shed."

Mr. Potter nodded. "Are you ready for your first lessons?"

"I guess." A whirl of nervous birds circled and spun in her stomach.

"Okay, straddle the broom." James ordered, modeling the position, "Then kick off with your feet."

"Okay," Lily placed a shaking hand on the handle and hooked one leg over the opposite side. "Like this?"

"Perfect." Mr. Potter said from the air. "Now, on the count of three, try to jump into the air, bringing your feet off the ground."

"One!" She let go of the wood and brushed the sweat off her palm with her clothes.

"Two!" Lily closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on anything but the next number.

"Three!"

She bounced off the ground and flew a foot into the air.

"Hey! This isn't so bad!" She yelled up to Mr. Potter, who was giving her the 'thumbs up'
motion.

"Dad?"

"Yes, James?"

"What's that beeping sound?"

"Oh-that's my emergency caller!" He fumbled through his pocket to withdraw a blinking
object.

"What is it?" Lily was confused. It almost looked like a wand.

"The Ministry of Magic has an emergency and I've gotta get down there." Mr. Potter turned his broom to the left and shouted over his shoulder, "Behave, I'll probably be back in no time!"