A/N: sorry this chapter wasn't up before but Elaine had it and I've only just been able to put it up!

Chapter 14

Lily was scared and not for the first time either. This time it was flying. She had never flown before and all week she had been worrying. They arrived at the school grounds before most of the other Gryffindors so Lily confided in Gemini.

"I'm scared Gem, what if I fail?"

"You won't! It's easy once you've learnt how to control it!"

"You're only saying that because you know how to fly!" said Lily.

"Yeah, but when I first…" began Gemini but was interrupted by someone shouting her name.

"GEMINI!" shouted Sirius.

"Hi Sirius" she replied, "how are you?"

"Very well thank you." They began to talk and Lily felt left out. Suddenly James came sidling over to her, "hi carrot-head, not scared are you?" he asked smiling sweetly.

"N-o!" she lied, hoping she looked as confident as he did.

"Yeah right!" he snorted.

"Leave her alone James!" said Remus coming over to them. She smiled, relieved that someone had stepped in to help.

The rest of the Gryffindors came shortly followed by a tall, skinny looking woman. She had on flying robes and a whistle was tied round her neck.

"Good morning Gryffindors! I am Professor Spinner-Webb and I will be teaching you how to fly. I'm sure most of you are eager to learn how to fly aided by a broomstick so I shall begin. I would like you to hold out your wand arm and say 'up.'" Everyone did as they were told and said 'up.' To Lily's surprise her broom came up straight away and her fear of flying became less. She looked over to Gemini and motioned that her broom had come up straight away. Gemini understood and gave her a thumbs up.

However, not everyone was having it as easy as Lily though, Peter had a fear of flying ever since he was young. His broom wriggled around lazily on the floor, as he tried to command it up. He didn't want to be in this class but if he was going to become friends with James Potter, he had to show some sort of bravery. After all, the sorting hat did put him in Gryffindor, the bravest house there is.

He stopped trying to make his broom fly up to his hand as he knew he would never get it to. Instead, now the class was mounting their brooms and he realised that Professor Spinner-Webb was speaking to them.

"I'll be watching, off you go you two." Peter watched as Sarah tried to fly. Her face was set in deep concentration and she managed it. Her landing was a bit rough but with practice she would become better.

Next it was James' turn. He did it perfectly first time and even said "who's the best!?" Sirius, who was standing next to him, said "I am of course!" and they burst out laughing.

"Ok class, now Evans and Pettigrew, try." Peter and Lily mounted their brooms and tried to fly off the ground. Lily managed to hover about a centimetre off the ground, then came back down again. Peter couldn't do it at all. He tried his hardest and it wasn't working. He felt himself beginning to blush under the gaze of everyone, including James. What would James think if he couldn't even get off the floor? Even that Lily, who was a muggle born, could do it. He tried one last time and finally he flew off the ground and into the air.

Professor Spinner-Webb whistle began to blow and most of his classmates began shouting for him to get down. He couldn't, he was stuck in a tree. Professor Spinner-Webb muttered something under her breath and flew off to get him out of the tree. He said "thank you" to her as they landed on the ground. His heart was beginning to beat very fast as his face reddened as he noticed everyone staring at him.

"Right, I want you to try again before the end of the lesson, Mr…" she started at Peter looking for his surname.

"P..P..Pettigrew" he stammered.

"Mr Pettigrew, I think you should sit down for a bit. Homework will be to study and practice the word 'up' like you mean it! Off you go!" she blew her whistle again and the rest of the class tried yet again. As soon as the lesson ended Lily and Gemini talked about flying.

"I can't believe I just commanded a broomstick to fly! Wow, it's so exciting!" Gem laughed at Lily's enthusiasm and said "Yeah, and it'll be even better when you get to fly on it properly. I can't wait to fly again, it's been ages! I've got the Stardust 9 but James has the…"

What James had, Lily never found out because someone came over to them and said "Hi carrot-head, hi Gemini!" That person was Kate. As usual she was with Robyn and not far behind them was Lucius Malfoy.

"Just ignore them Lils," Gemini said, trying to move Lily on and side step past the Slytherins.

"She can speak for herself can't she? Anyway, I was wondering whether carrot-head, sorry, Lily would like to be friends?" Kate said sweetly. Lily studied her for a second, she sounded genuine and Lily didn't want to have any enemies, apart from James and Sirius of course. She smiled back and said "ok Kate, let's be friends." Kate smirked and gave Robyn a significant look. Lily ignored it and began walking away arm in arm with Gemini towards Greenhouse number 3.

"Hello Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. I'm sorry I don't know your names properly yet, still! As you know, I am Professor Sprout, you're herbology teacher here at Hogwarts. I would like to start this lesson by informing you of what we will be doing today. We will be learning about Mandrakes this year but we won't be handling them until next year, unfortunately. Right, who knows what a Mandrake is?" she peered around the class expectantly. No one moved and there was an eerie silence in the greenhouse.

After a few minutes she decided to tell them. "Well, a mandrake is a plant. It has a high-pitched scream, which from and adult plant can be deadly. Mandrakes are used for curing people and animals that have been petrified. Please open your books and copy out these notes." She waved her wand up towards a blackboard and instead of the coal black it was filled with snow, white chalk.

There was a mad scramble as everyone dug around in their bags looking for Quills. James took this opportunity to talk to Sirius.

"So, Siri, I'm bored!" he said.

"Yeah, well, so am I! We've got to do something at this school so that we will be remembered forever!" Sirius replied with an evil glint in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Lily and Gemini were having a totally different conversation at the front of the room.

"What do you think of school so far?" Gemini whispered across the desk.

"A lot different from what I thought it would be like! I even nearly didn't come because I thought it was a prank from one of the boys at my last school!" replied Lily.

"Well, it's better than I thought it would be too. I've always wanted to come to Hogwarts ever since I can remember. James and Sirius didn't really mind where they went, as long as they weren't separated."

Lily smiled and said, "I'm glad they feel like that. No one would ever care enough ever say that about me!" How wrong she was, thought Gemini. They both carried on working and then headed back up towards the warmth of the castle.

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