Crappy title, deal with it.

Ch. 6 "Quidditch"

I sighed. Could you blame me? There I was, stuck in the Hospital Wing, all by myself, while the first Quidditch game of the season was going on right outside my window. But it's not like I could see it; the window was tiny and dirty, with crisscrossing bars covering the outside. For protection, I guess. Right, like some crazed maniac would climb up the side of the castle and break into the Hospital Wing, which was like 5,000 feet up, screaming and waving a plastic knife. Now there's something I would sell tickets for.

I vaguely hear the sound of the commentator of the week in the background, hollering at the Slytherin team. His name's Josh Virtue, he's a sixth year Ravenclaw, and he has one of the biggest mouths in the school. He and another sixth year, Adam Dimsle, trade places every other game. Adam has a big mouth too. Looks like both their talents are in good use. Those things are deadly.

I can also hear fans cheering. They sure are loud. One fourth of the stands in green, three fourths in red. That's what I'd see if I wasn't bound to my stupid hospital bed. They all suddenly scream. The thick glass blocks out the noise, but I bet if I was there, I'd have to plug my fingers in my ears. I bet they're all waving their little flags and banners too. If I was there, at the game, I bet someone would flap their flag in my face. But I wouldn't mind. My eyes would be fixed on the players, where the real suspense is.

They're still screaming. Louder than before. I bet someone saw the Snitch. I bet it was James. He's a real good seeker. One of the best. His body's made for it—tall, lean, and quick. And the muscles don't hurt it one bit, either.

Still the screaming goes on. It's deafening. I'm now waiting for the glass to explode. I bet they're all jumping up and down, too. They're not that good at retaining their enthusiasm. I clench my teeth. Everyone's at the game. Even Madame Hart went to the game. Even Veronica went to the game. But I made her. The fresh air is doing her good. Her tight schedule of homework and daily visits to me left no room at all for the outdoors, and there is no doubt in my mind that she forgot what sunlight looked like.

"He's going for it!" I hear Josh Virtue scream. He's so loud that I can actually hear him. I groan and throw myself against my pillows. I have to get my mind off the game. I see an off-white spot on the wall. I stare at it. Just as the off-white color begins to bleed into the pure whiteness of the rest of the wall, my head starts to hurt. My eyes begin to water as the spot begins to disappear all together. For my own personal safety I lift my gaze from the spot and force myself to look at something else. I look at the ceiling, and what do you know! There are a BUNCH of off-white spots up there! I wonder how many spots are on one ceiling tile. I begin to count. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three… I'm making myself crazy.

Without a second thought I threw back my covers and hopped out of bed. Well, okay, carefully stepped might be a bit more accurate. I shoved my robes over my hospital gown and tied it together, making sure the pale blue gown didn't show, and I set off for the pitch. Insane, I know, but I was going mental, and if I didn't at least see the last few minutes of the game, I would never forgive myself.

I hobbled through the main door and down the corridor, taking extra care as I tackled the stairs. I was not about to trip down three flights of stairs with a broken ankle. Uh uh, no way. I am not about to miss the first game of the season.

Through the Great Hall I went, then out a side door and cut through the eastern grounds. I was a bit wobbly on the grass, but I didn't care. I saw the tip of one of the tall golden goal posts over a couple of trees, and it just dawned on me that I was standing in the middle of the Hogwarts grounds, totally exposed, when I was suppose to be mending in the Hospital Wing.

I froze.

Duck for cover, duck for cover…

A sudden noise, like a gunshot, startles me. It is the sound of one thousand people cheering at the top of their lungs at the exact same time. My heartbeat quickens and I blink stupidly. The stands are shaking and it sounds like a heard of buffalo are approaching. I was going to hide under the bleachers but with the slight chance that I might be crushed, I reconsider. Trees are much safer.

"HE CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Virtue shrieks. "HE CAUGHT THE BLOODY SNITCH! TAKE THAT YOU BUNCH OF BLOODY BASTARDS! RIGHT IN THE FACE!"

I am so confused, but my insides are jumping. Who caught it? Did we win? Did James catch it? I peek around the tree I was hiding behind and I try to get a glimpse of the field. The players are flying towards the ground. The Slytherins are scowling and shooting Dirty Looks at the Gryffindors and my stomach does a back flip. We won? Yes!

I catch a look at our team. Their smiles are so big they look fake. They're all crowding around one player who flies down last, and he's holding his fist in the air, which clutches the Golden Snitch. James.

Even I can't help but smile. The mood is so chipper you can't help but smile. I do a little air punch with my fist and peek around the tree again. Students and teachers are starting to file out and I snap around. I press my back to the trunk of the tree and I will the branches to lean down and cover me. Fortunately, they're all too distracted with the outcome of the game to notice a crippled girl hiding behind a tree. I bask in my fortune.

I wait until the tidal wave of fans leaves the pitch. I watch some of the Gryffindor team members trudge their way up to the castle, smiles still plastered on their shining faces. I have an urge to pat them on the back, but decide against it. I know I should be heading back to the castle myself, before anyone notices my disappearance, but I can't bring myself to leave. The cool October breeze feels good against my face, and it feels good having my hair lifted off my neck.

I watch the tree branches sway. They move in tune slowly, rocking back and forth, with hundreds of little leaves rustling in the wind. I don't hear any more voices, and I'm pretty sure I saw everyone walk up to the castle. I wait another five minutes just to be sure, then I slowly head for the Quidditch pitch.

There's something about me and Quidditch. If I wasn't so clumsy on a broom I bet I'd be playing it. I wanted to be a seeker. The whole game rests on your shoulders. It is your job to catch the walnut-sized ball in order to win the game. That has got to be the most exhilarating feeling in the world. More exhilarating than getting seven O's on your O.W.L.s, that's for sure. I find it fascinating that James is seeker—one of the only things I look up to him for.

The pitch is a bit bumpy, with footprints and little holes. The normally bright green grass is worn and a bit brown, but I don't mind. I walk to the center of the pitch and I look up at the sky. It's nearing dusk; I can see the setting sun on the horizon. It's a beautiful yellow-orange and the clouds surrounding it are pink and purple. A long, narrow cloud lazily breezes in front of the sun, so the yellow-orange color shines through the cloud, streaking it with color. I wish I had a camera. Or at least a set of paints. I can't paint for crap but scenes like this was what first inspired me to try.

Crunch. "Lily?"

My head snaps down and swivels to my right. James is standing there, in his gold and scarlet Quidditch robes, with a gym bag thrown over his left shoulder and a water bottle in his right hand. His robes are dirty and so is his face. How do you get your face dirty if you're up in the air? Honestly.

I clear my throat. "James." I'm not exactly sure how to act around him anymore. Will he act like he did last week? Or will he act like he did every other day of my life? James made me think, and I really wasn't in the mood.

He walked up to me and shifted the gym bag on his shoulder. "Whatcha doing here?"

I blinked. "I wanted to see the game."

I expected him to scold me for leaving the Hospital Wing, but he didn't. Instead his face broke into a huge grin. His white teeth ruled out his dirty face. "How much did you see?"

"Just the end," I honestly answered. I turned my attention back to the colorful sky and closed my eyes. The breeze felt really good.

"Did you see me catch the Snitch?" I heard him ask.

I was silent for a minute. "I missed that part," I murmured.

Was it just me, or did James's cheerful mood falter a bit? "Oh," he said. "Well you should have. It was right in front of Malfoy's face but he didn't see it."

"Mm."

There was a silence. I expected James to leave, but he didn't. He just stood there. It suddenly felt cold out, and I knew the sun had finally set. "Well, make sure you come to the next one," he said finally. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "I'm a real good player," he added quirkily. He gave me a wink, then turned around and left.

I watched him leave. I watched him turn around, then walk towards the castle, without a backward glance. I watched him until he was a tiny black dot, surrounded by the green of the grounds. I watched him until I couldn't see him anymore, until his shadow was the only thing visible.

I looked back up at the sky. The sun had gone and the sky was a dusty gray. The small breeze I had once enjoyed was now a chill wind. I shivered slightly and, with one last look at where the sun had once been, I turned around and headed back to the school, bracing myself for the scolding Madame Hart was sure to give.

A/N: This chapter is a bit short, and I'm sorry. I'm just really rushed right now. This chapter might be a bit crappy, but my beta (MORGAN) was busy or whatever, so this is what you're stuck with. I know what I'm doing for the next chapter, and I can sort of promise you that it will be better, and LONGER (crossed fingers) than this one. PLUS, I have 5 days off for Easter Break, so some good must come out of that :) Break starts Wednesday.

In this fic, James is a seeker. In the movies he's a seeker, in the books he's a Chaser, or whatever. I dunno. James is always a Chaser, and I wanted him to be a seeker. So I don't want any bitchy flames saying, "James isn't a seeker he's a chaser blah blah blah," okay? Good, glad we're clear on that. I also would like to note that James's personality DID change a bit here, but hey, he's a guy, and we all know they aren't perfect. This chapter did introduce some new perspectives, though. Like, Lily's love of Quidditch, and her short attention span, and how she is starting to look at James differently. I think I also did a bit of symbolism on this chapter, what with how the sky was all pretty when he was there, and how it got all cold when he wasn't. This is MY kind of symbolism, and I like it, and it might be popping up a bit in the rest of the story. Here is what I can promise: Lily/James head stuff, filled with conversations! And also some more Marauder mentions, and maybe a bit of Lily's roommates. Review! I want at least 10. Please? But reviews will make me post faster, keep that in mind.