Disclaimer: everything belongs to JK Rowling, except for characters and events unrecognizable as being part of the Harry Potter series.

A/N: hey there! Sorry for the wait, I'm still having issues writing the game. So here goes, and I hope its ok…

Chapter Six

Butterflies

Lily had butterflies. Not as in the pretty, graceful ones that float through picturesque gardens. These ones were more like moths, beating up a storm in her stomach with their furious wings. As she stood in the Gryffindor changing rooms, waiting for the announcer to call them onto the pitch, Lily cursed the butterflies fiercely and tried to maintain calm.

It was the morning of her first ever Quidditch match, and suddenly, Lily had remembered just how many people attended Hogwarts. Every single one of those students (plus the many teachers) were out there in the stands, waiting to watch her fail miserably.

Shuddering, Lily covered her face with her hands.

The match was against Hufflepuff, and in the back of her mind, Lily knew she didn't really have anything to worry about. She and James had been working hard on strategy all week, and she had been training extra hard as well. Greta, Alice and Maria had played there hardest at training the night before, and Lily had successfully saved at least two out of three of their attempts each time. She was ready for this. She knew it. It was just that it was hard to maintain a cool front with a swarm of butterflies beating up a frenzy in her stomach, and her knees trembling like that.

Be calm, she told herself, wiping a sweaty palm down her robe. Be cool like and ice cube. Before she could berate herself for lame advice, the commentators voice sounded loud and clear.

"Put your hands together and welcome the Gryffindor team, captained by our very own head Boy James Potter, and what a lien up we have this year!"

"Ok, team. Time to head out. Good luck, all of you, make me proud!" James almost shouted, patting each player on the shoulder as they filed out the door. Lily watched him. He looked nervous, and the dark shadows under his eyes proved her suspicion that he hadn't been sleeping well. For some odd reason, lily cared about this. Over the past few days, she and James had been getting along, with only a few arguments (per day).

"Good luck, Lily," he whispered to her, with a quick smile as she walked past.

And Lily experienced a brief jolt in her veins. Because for once he had called her by her first name without screaming it at her like it was an insult.

"Right," she muttered to herself. "Lets kick some badger butt!"

SSSSSS

James sized up the Hufflepuff team as they stood in lines facing each other, waiting for the whistle. The captain was a slight, slender girl called Abigail Humphrey, and she was known for both her fun personality and shrewd Quidditch tactics. Tiny and blonde, with sparkling blue eyes, Abigail was extremely intelligent and an excellent beater. James had dated her for a while, and they were still good friends.

She winked at him now, and poked her tongue out.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" she taunted, grinning.

James raised an eyebrow cockily.

"Your legs aren't long enough to reach my ass," he retorted, just as the whistle blew.

Abigail threw her head back in laughter as she launched into the air.

James grinned, but at the same time, his eyes narrowed.

"Right," he said to himself. "Its show time."

SSSSS

"Aaaaand there off!" the commentator, a tiny black Ravenclaw girl, Annette Lee screamed into the magical microphone. For her lack of stature, she had an extremely penetrating voice, that reached every end of the stadium.

"And Hufflepuff have the quaffle, with Gregory aiming for a goal-oh, quick pass there to Andrews, but intercepted by Gryffindor Chaser, Maria Steele, and ladies and gentlemen, look at her go! She's on FIRE! Not literally, of course but-Omigod she scores! Hufflepuff Chaser Claude just not fats enough!"

And so it went on. From the stands, Remus and Sirius watched, one eye on the quaffle and another on where James was circling above the rest of the game, Hufflepuff Seeker, Ashen close on his tail.

"Geez, Ashen isn't letting James go, is he?" Sirius muttered, watching as James attempted to turn around only to run into Ashen, a tall blonde haired sixth-year. "Stickier than…sticky stuff."

Remus half smiled, stretching back in his chair.

"I do believe this will be a long game, gentleman. Might as well relax," he advised.

"And how do you figure that?" Peter piped up, turning to look at them, his face covered in a thin sheet of sweat.

"James won't be able to search for the snitch properly until Ashen leaves him alone. And I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon," the taller boy explained.

"Oh," Peter said. He looked down. Then-"Do you reckon it'll be over in time for lunch?"

SSSSSS

Lily swooped in between the hoops lazily. She was actually a little bored. The quaffle hadn't come anywhere near her for most of the game. Hufflepuffs chasers were really no match for Maria, Alice and Gretel.

She glanced up, shielding her eyes with her hand. James was still circling, looking for the snitch, but to little avail. She sighed. It was going to be a long game.

"And Griffindor leads the game at 60, with Hufflepuff lagging behind with only 20 points. Griffindor in possession, no surprises there. Potter and Ashen are both circling, rather like vultures actually, oh, Alice Nut of Griffindor shoots and scores, bringing them up to 70. Hufflepuff had better hope that Ashen gets the snitch before Potter. Although we all know how unlikely that is, considering Potter's history."

Lily hovered in front of the middle goal. It was strange being on the same side as James. She desperately wanted to win this game.

Come on, James, she willed silently. Get that snitch!

SSSSSSSS

Half an hour into the game, and things hadn't changed much. Griffindor were in the lead with 120 points to Hufflepuffs 30. No matter how hard Hufflepuff tried, their attack wasn't strong enough to compete with Griffindors. And when they did manage to get to the goals, Lily stopped most of their attempts short. The Chasers were becoming more and more frustrated, and so was James, as he circled around the pitch. He knew they could win this, he just had to find the snitch before Ashen, but at the rate that the younger seeker was following him, it would be difficult to keep him fooled.

James swore, and spun around suddenly. It was time to get down and dirty. He began ducking and weaving, flying straight into the middle of the game, almost knocking into a Hufflepuff chaser, and narrowly missing a bludger.

He nodded to Adrian, one of the Griffindor beaters, and with a returning grin, Adrian swung a bludger at him. James swerved narrowly out of its way, and heard a satisfying thunk as it hit Ashen's broom instead, sending him spinning of course.

James sped ahead his heart leaping as he suddenly caught sight of something small and gold flitting around near the goal posts ahead, just next to Lily. He leaned down low over his broom stick, urging it forward, just a little bit further, just one extra burst if speed and…. he had it! Just as he sped past a confused Lily James' fingers wrapped around the fluttering ball, and he let out a whoop of delight.

Lily suddenly realized what was happening, and she flung herself at him, hugging him fiercely, their brooms tangling, her legs half on his broom. And this was how they sunk to the ground, the rest of the Griffindor team speeding towards them as Lee announced that Griffindor had won the match, 270-30.

It was only when they finally reached the ground that Lily became aware of the fact that she was hugging James Potter. With a startled squeak, she dropped her arms from around his neck and stepped back, almost tripping over her broom.

"Uh, um," she stuttered, her face turning red.

James grinned slyly.

"Good game, Evans," he said, his eyes twinkling a little too knowingly.

"Uh, same to you, Potter," Lily managed, before she was suddenly engulfed in another hug as the rest of the team caught up to them.

They had won. She had hugged James. Was life ever going to be the same again?

SSSSSS

A/N: review? Tell me if u hated it, the end is crap, but I was quite happy with the rest…

JB