Disclaimer: This is all fiction. Mostly everything belongs to J.K. Rowling!

A/N: I noticed in chapter 2 that I had two different titles. Sorry about that. I'll fix it when I have some time…

Chapter 3

The Flying Lesson

By FreiMe

Thanks very much to my beta reader, Michaela!!

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            After lunch we finished our lunch, Becca and I headed for Divination class. I began to feel dizzy from the smell coming from the classroom as I climbed the ladder.

            Becca and I were the first to arrive. I saw Professor Retfore sitting at a table in the shadows gazing at what looked like a crystal ball. She was muttering furiously to herself. I always did think that woman was a little…psycho.

            After the rest of the class filed in and took seats at the several tables spread throughout the room, Professor Retfore came out of the dark shadows and began to speak.

            "Welcome, my children, welcome back. I have decided to start you off the year with something simple," she paused and gazed around the room at all the students, "palm reading." Palm reading isn't that bad, I guess. After all, anything is better then crystal ball gazing.

            "If you all followed my instructions, you will have observed the planets over the summer. Who is gifted enough to tell me which planet is brightest, and what this means?" Professor Retfore said in a misty voice. I slowly raised my hand into the air.

            "Yes, Miss Evans?" Professor Retfore said resting her eyes upon me.

            "Er – Venus is brightest right now, which means," I glanced at James involuntarily, "that l-love is in the air."

            Professor Retfore gazed at me unblinkingly, and smiled. "This is a child who is gifted in the magic of Divination!" she said dramatically. Me…gifted…in Divination? Heck, I don't even like Divination!

            "Miss Evans," Professor Retfore continued, walking over to the table Becca and I were sitting at, "you may have first pick of a partner for palm reading because of your wonderful answer."

            "Er – okay then, Bec-,"

            "It must be a male dear," Professor Retfore said, guessing that I was about to pick Becca.

            "James," I said immediately without even hesitating. The whole class was silent, including Professor Retfore. I turned as red as my hair. I hadn't exactly meant to say that…

            James looked up from the table in the corner where he was sitting with Sirius.

            "Did someone call?" he said in a bored voice, not bothering to hide the fact that he wasn't paying attention because he was busy playing Exploding Snap on the table with Sirius.

           "Miss Evans has chosen you to be her palm reader, Mr. Potter," said Professor Retfore. James looked at me and winked in his arrogant little way. I blushed and turned away, mentally kicking myself for being such a complete idiot.

            Once everyone had partnered up (Becca had actually chosen Sirius!) James walked over and plopped down in the seat Becca had been minutes before. I was fidgeting with my hands and I couldn't stop. Not wanting James to notice, I put them under the table in my lap.

            "Evans, I can't read your palm if you have your hands in your lap," James said casually as he flipped to the right page in our Divination text book.

            "Oh – right," I said putting my hands back onto the table.

            "Alright, I guess we can start then. I'll read your palm first," James said happily as he put the book down and grinned at me. Apparently, he wasn't as nervous as I was.

            "So, Lily, you just couldn't resist me, could you?" James said arrogantly, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

            I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you bet," I said sarcastically.

            "I knew it…Alright give me your palm then," James said.

            I reluctantly put my hand out onto the table. James took it and began examining it. "Wow, your hand is soft," he said nonchalantly, still gazing down at my palm.

            "Erm – thanks?" I said awkwardly.

           Professor Retfore walked by and gasped loudly so that the whole class could hear. "Ah, now I know who Venus was foretelling. I sense love in the air, right at this very table," she said in her fake misty voice.

            James and I gaped at her, and then stared at each other. We were both silent for the rest of the class.

            As soon as we were dismissed, I raced over to the ladder, speedily climbed down it, and raced back to the Head's Dormitory. I didn't want to have to deal with anyone taunting me about Professor Retfore's little…er…prediction-thing.

            Predictably, the one time I was trying to get away from James, he just happened to waltz right in. James stopped upon seeing me and grinned. "Lily Evans, my soul mate," he said casually.

            I sighed and turned away. "Look can we just forget about that stupid prediction?" I pleaded hopefully. "Sure Evans," James answered offhandedly as he plopped down on the couch.

* * * * *

            You're not going to believe this, but James and I had one of those really long conversations…again. For some reason, I just like talking to him. I like spending time with James. The bad thing is I can't admit to enjoying time with James because everyone else in the school thinks I hate him. Well, I kinda do, but I kinda don't. Ugh, I don't know!

            Well anyway, getting back to the conversation, somehow the subject of love came up amongst the candy and Quidditch conversations. James said he wanted to date a "red-haired, green-eyed girl". I laughed at James's joke. James looked like he was serious for a moment, but then he began laughing as well. Now I don't know whether he was joking or if he was serious…

            Joking.

            Well, maybe serious.

            Maybe.

            Heck what am I saying? He was joking! And why would I care anyway?!?

            When James asked me what kind of guy I wanted, I didn't say anything. "Come on Lily you can tell me," James prodded. I pondered this for quite a while, but eventually I began telling James about how I dreamed of Prince Charming when I was little; about how we would meet in the meadow, and how he'd ask me to be his princess as he gave me a diamond ring. Don't ask why I told him. I really don't know why. He sort of forced it out of me I guess…

            As expected, James brought Quidditch up, again.

            "I don't like it," I said truthfully.

            James gaped at me. "You don't like Quidditch?! You don't like the greatest wizarding sport there ever was? I can't believe it! I won't believe what I am hearing?" James said sounding horrified.

            I grinned as I watched him. "I just think it's boring to watch! That's all," I said unconcernedly.

            James looked up at me. "Then why don't you play the sport, instead of watching it," James asked sounding exasperated.

            I paused. "I – I don't know how to – er – how to fly," I said blushing. It was rather sad. Me, not knowing how to even fly…

            It didn't help when James burst into fits of laughter.

            "You – you can't – you don't know – how to – how to fly on a broomstick?" James managed to say through fits of laughter.

            "Oh shut up Mr. I-think-I'm-better-than-you-because-I'm-a-good-Quidditch-player," I said indignantly. "It's not my fault no one ever taught me how to ride a broomstick!"

            James looked up from the area on the floor where he had collapsed in fits of laughter. His eyes grew wide as they rested on me.

            "What?" I said impatiently.

            "I could teach you how to ride one!" James said looking enthusiastic.

            Okay! "Well – I – I don't think it's a good idea. Busy…lots of school work…homework…head duties…don't have a broomstick," I mumbled on. James raised his eyebrows at me.

            "Come on Lils, you know you want me to teach you. You'd be learning from the James Potter! How about it?" James said haughtily.

            I chose to ignore his arrogance. "Well I suppose-,"

            "Excellent!" James interrupted me.

            "So when would you like to teach me how to ride a broomstick Mr. Arrogant?" I asked, attempting to sound innocent.

            James didn't seem to be bothered at the fact that I had just called him Mr. Arrogant. Maybe he had just heard it come from my mouth too many times…

            "How about – er – tomorrow afternoon?" James suggested hopefully. I pondered this thought. I had already finished all my homework for today. And I would have a couple days to complete the homework I would get assigned tomorrow…

            "Yeah, tomorrow will work for me I guess," I said in a would-be casual voice. James grinned. It looked like he was as excited on the outside as I was on the inside.

            "Alright, I'll meet you tomorrow after classes, by the door in the Entrance Hall," James said happily.

* * * * *

            As you might have guessed, my classes the next day went by unbelievably quickly. I am not sure if it was because I was looking forward to my Quidditch lesson or I was completely dreading it…

            After classes I gave Becca some excuse that I had to attend a meeting. I don't really think she believed me but luckily she didn't question me. I headed up to my bedroom, got changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and headed towards the Entrance Hall.

            I spotted James already standing by the doors to the Entrance Hall. He was holding his Nimbus 1000 and it looked like he had gotten a school broom for me. He was in his Quidditch robes and he actually looked really…well…he looked really cute. There was no point in denying it…

            "Ready to go?" James said smiling at me. Oh man, was he cute!  I mean…er…oh never mind!

            "Yeah," I said, as we walked out into the bright sunshine and down the path to the Quidditch Pitch. I was a little nervous. I had heard from different people that Quidditch wasn't exactly the safest place in the world.

            Once we had approached the field, James stopped and put the brooms down. "Alright I'll go get the crate with the Quidditch balls-," he began.

            "No!" I exclaimed, interrupting him. James gave me a surprised look. I went on. "I just want to learn how to fly today, that's it. It's bad enough I'm getting on a broom. I don't want to get knocked in the head with a bludger..."

            James laughed. "Alright, alright. We'll just go flying today," he said.

 "That's a relief!" I said, pretending to wipe my forehead. James walked over to the brooms he had thrown onto the ground and picked them up. He handed me the old school broom and then took his own in his hand.

"Sorry about your broom, it's the best school one I could find," James said apologetically

"Don't worry about it," I said. I tied my hair up to keep it out of my face and then looked at James signaling him that I was ready to start.

"Okay, put each leg over one side of the broom. Yeah, that's it," he said as I stepped on either side of it. "The idea is to saddle it," James said, "so are you ready to get up in the air?"

I nodded my head nervously. "Alright, basically you're just going to sort of kick off from the ground. Don't go to high, though. Just remember not to panic and to keep calm. Don't worry, I'll stay right by you," James said seeing the look on my face.

"On the count of three then. One…two…three," James said. I slowly kicked off from the ground. It was actually really fun to fly. I felt a swooping feeling in my stomach. James grinned as he came up right next to me.

"Are you having fun?" he asked. I nodded my head vigorously. James grinned again.

After a few more minutes of flying around the pitch, James started to teach me how to do some moves. I actually learned how to do a dive! I would have never guessed I would able to do that in this lifetime…

I was having so much fun and I kept laughing my head off every time James tried to show off one of his "tricks".

James began flying towards the ground and he motioned for me to follow him. I slowly descended towards the grass.

When I landed (rather smoothly if I do say so myself) James walked over to me. "So do you want to have a go on my broom?" James asked.

"Sure! I'd love to ride a Nimbus 1000!" I said enthusiastically. I reached out my hand to take the broom from James.

James stood there awkwardly. "What?" I asked.

"Er – I meant ride on the broom…with me," James said grinning.

I stared at James and tried to not act too shocked. James continued to watch me with interest. "I just thought it would be fun if I could do some fun moves or something," James said.

I continued to think about this offer. "Well I guess so. Do you promise not to do any flips in the air?" I said.

James smiled. "I promise," he said as he saluted me.

"James I'm serious. You can't go upside down! Do you promise you won't go upside down," I said apprehensively.

"I promise I won't go upside down Lily alright?" James said exasperated.

I walked over to where James was standing. The part where I actually had to get on the same broom was really awkward. Like really, really awkward.

            I sat in front of James. "Alright are you ready?" James asked. I nodded, and he kicked off from the ground. I screamed. It wasn't really comfortable when you were feet in the air and you weren't in control of the broom…

            James was pretty good for the first few minutes; he did a couple moves that gave me butterflies in the pit of my stomach but he didn't do anything drastic. Yet…

            "Lils can I please go upside down?" James begged me. I turned my head so that I could sort of see him out of the corner of my eye.

            "James Potter if you go upside down I will kill you!" I said threateningly.

            "Oh what are you gonna do to me Lils?" James said in a fake scared voice. I was starting to get nervous.

            "James please don't go upside down! Please! I'm serious! Don't go upside down!" I said. James just laughed.

            He wrapped his arm tightly around my stomach. "JAMES NO!"

            Too late.

James had done a flip in the air with the broom. I was scared out of my wits at first, but by the third one, after I had gotten over the fact that I wasn't going to die, I realized it was actually quite fun.

            But that wasn't the point…

            "James take me back down to the ground this instant!" I screamed furiously, at the top of my lungs. From what I could see, James looked taken aback. He started descending towards the ground.

            As soon as I was back on my feet, I turned to face him and I slapped him hard across the face. "What in bloody hell what that for?" James said sounding very shocked.

            "I told you not to go upside down you stupid prat! I know you heard me because I said it about five times! You knew I didn't want to go upside but you did it anyway, you poor excuse of a man!" I screamed in his face (which currently had my handprint on one cheek…)

            I was pretty surprised with how angry I was getting with James.

            To my further fury, James started laughing!

            "Bloody hell Potter! What are you laughing at?!?" I raged at him.

            "I was just trying to have fun Lily! You know you shouldn't have worried! I mean, you were riding with me! I'm probably the best Quidditch player in the school! You should have just relaxed!" James said calmly.

            I turned as red as my hair. Red-heads were always famous for their tempers…

            "James Potter, you are the most selfish, stupid, rude, annoying, aggravating, arrogant, poor-excuse-of-a-person I have ever had the displeasure of knowing!" I screamed his face.

            I threw my broomstick hardly at him, not caring to see whether I had hurt him or not, and began storming off back up to the school. To my displeasure James caught up with me.

            "Look Lily-," he started.

            "Potter if you do not leave me alone I will hex you into the next millennium!" I yelled. James looked frightened for a moment. It would have been a funny sight if I hadn't been so angry…

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