Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.

Sins of Angels: Really quick, I want to thank all reviewers for taking time to write suggestions and what they think of the story. Greatly appreciated! Also, on weekdays it'll take me a bit longer to update because I have to spend eight hours at a prison they mistakenly labeled a school, so I apologize in advance if I can't exactly update as fast as I have been. Enjoy!

Chapter 14 – The Prize

Lily got up, checking her clock. It was ten and she had just enough time to get to breakfast and eat. As she got dressed, she caught sight of a single broom circling the Quiddich pitch. She smiled to herself as she thought about how happy James was about the practice today. She smiled yet again at the thought of her own broom, tucked safely in her trunk. Granted, she hadn't exactly passed flying with flying colors (no pun intended), but nevertheless, she immensely enjoyed the wind rustling through her hair. For some reason, she was unusually happy this morning. She passed it off as not having anything traumatic happen to her last night for the first time in a week and smiled yet again. She opened her trunk and, after littering the floor with books and clothes, found her broom. She took it out, smiling at the thought that it was from her brother, one of the few things that survived the Death Eater's destructive path. She gripped the handle firmly and walked out, deciding not to try a crash course in re-learning to fly by jumping out of her window. She spun down the halls and greeted everyone she met, happily humming to herself. Every so often, she'd chant "One, two, three," and attempt to remember how to waltz, but it all stopped as soon as she heard someone coming, in an attempt to avoid being seen. She entered the Great Hall, broom in hand and smiling. Sirius gave her a look of pity, which puzzled her for a moment, but she happily shrugged it off. The only part about yesterday that she didn't like was the fact that her dress got torn from sidling along the wall. That and her necklace had disappeared. It was probably still in the Room of Requirement, so she decided she'd get it later. She sat down, carefully laying her broom in front of her, and reached over to bite into a piece of toast.

"Hi, Evans," Sirius said, running a nervous hand through his hair from across the table. Lily looked at him, somewhat perplexed at his sudden desire to talk to her. However, she motioned for him to sit down, which he did. "Have you seen James?"

Lily nodded and held up a finger until she finished chewing and swallowed. "Well, yeah. He's flying outside at the Quiddich Pitch. Don't you have practice today?"

Sirius shook his head. "It's tomorrow."

Lily looked out the window at the grounds. "I'll go tell him as soon as I finish my toast. He seems to be having fun."

"Yeah," Sirius said and decided to leave before he said something that he shouldn't. "Okay, since you're doing that, I guess…I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Lily said and beamed at him. This seemed to rattle him more as he got up, walked a few steps, stopped, turned around, then turned around again and left. Lily laughed quietly, not wanting anyone to hear, because she didn't see any reason to start something today.

She finished her breakfast and grabbed her broom, going out on the grounds. She mounted it in back of the changing rooms, well out of the line of sight of James. She was determined to get a loose grip on the fundamental aspects of flying before doing it when another human being was present. She kicked off and hovered, just as she had done in her first year. She then leaned forward, making it go down. Her feet touched the ground again and she remembered why she hated flying. It was a bit unstable and a bit uncontrollable. If Potter and Black can do it, she'll be damned if she failed. She kicked off again, only this time soaring up and turning to see James in the process of a dive. She gasped as he pulled out at the last minute and grabbed the snitch. He noticed her and flew over, holding the struggling ball in his hand.

"Evans!" he said, smiling. There was something odd about his smile, though. It was one of a person who thinks they should smile, not one of a person who did it out of happiness. It looked like it hurt. "Fancy you, sitting on a broom. A Cleansweep, no less! I'm impressed, Evans. Come out for a bit of flying, have you?"

"I came out because I discovered your practice isn't until tomorrow, and I thought I may have to remind you of that, Captain," Lily said, smiling. James smiled his same sad smile as before. "Say, Potter, are you okay?"

"Fine, why do you ask?" James lied.

"It's just, well, nothing, I guess."

James shook his head. He held out the snitch. "How about a race? Whoever catches this first wins?"

Lily pouted. "You have a very big and completely unfair advantage," she pointed out. Then she brightened up and smiled at him. "But what do I win?"

"Well…I don't know, what do you want to win?"

Lily looked up at the clouds in thought. "I think I should win a day when the great James Potter does whatever I say!"

James grinned. "Okay. That works for me."

"Well, what will you win?"

"I don't know. Pick something."

"That's hardly fair! I had to pick my prize!"

James turned his back to her and shrugged. "The odds are kind of against you in either case, so I figure it's only fair that you decide what I win."

"Um…I'll let you come with me as I find my necklace!" Lily said, jokingly, smiling in the hope that he'll understand that she was joking. However, without even turning around, he agreed hurriedly.

Her necklace, you idiot! he thought furiously. That bastard still has her necklace! How could you forget? He was waving it as if it was the bloody house cup!

"Potter, are you actually taking me up on my joke?"

James turned his head slightly. "Of course. I figure that's a fair prize."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Just fine," James replied, but he turned around before doing so. "Ready?" he asked. He opened his hand and the snitch flew out. Lily followed it with her eyes, carefully watching for the glint of gold. She shot forward as she saw it in front of her. James was circling the pitch, keeping an eye on Lily as well as the snitch. He was making his third circle when he heard a voice he never wanted to hear again since last night.

"Oh, Jamesey! Look! I brought our friends to watch!" Bellatrix called from the Slytherin stand as James passed below. He glanced at them, counting five figures. He suddenly shot at them from across the field, stopping a mere foot away from Bellatrix, who didn't even flinch.

"What the hell do you want?" James growled. Snape sneered at him.

"Why, Potter, I just wanted to ask Evans if she enjoyed herself last night."

James took out his wand. "You will say nothing to her about what happened," James growled, staring at all of them in turn. Malfoy laughed.

"Still haven't told her, have you?"

James didn't answer. Bellatrix laughed loudly at him.

"You haven't told her?" she said, smiling in a way that made James cringe. "Well, that's not nice. I'd like to know if I nearly screwed someone like Snape."

"Won't she wonder where this went to?" Snape asked, ignoring Bellatrix's comment and dropping the necklace from his fist. On it was a pearl entrapped in a silver heart. James lunged for it but nearly crashed into the row of seats behind them. Bellatrix let out another bound of laughter.

"Give it to me, Snivellus," James said menacingly.

"Or what, Jamesey? No, I think we'll keep it for a while. At least until our favorite Head Girl asks for it. Then we'd give it to her and explain why we have it!" she finished, smiling madly. Snape slipped it in his pocket and they all slowly went down the stairs, leaving James to his thoughts, perhaps the worst punishment they could have given him.

"Potter! I got it!" Lily yelled happily. She looked around and zoomed towards James. "Look!" she commanded, smiling widely. "I got it! I guess I win! We don't have to do that business with the prizes if you don't want to."

James shook his head. "No, you won it. You deserve your prize."

Lily looked around. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Oh…I thought that it was hiding behind the seats here. You won. So I guess you'll want to do it Monday then?"

"Yeah," Lily said, smiling. James smiled again, but he did it so badly that Lily's smile vanished. She was sure his mouth should have cried out in agony, by the looks of how much the smile hurt him. He noticed that she wasn't buying his false happiness.

"Well, that's great! You might even replace me."

Lily laughed. "Oh, okay, sure, Potter. I can really see that happening. The only reason I caught it was because I sneaked around the corner and nearly ran into it. Anyway, we should get going. It's nearly lunch time."

James looked down to see the five Slytherins exit. Bellatrix looked up and him and sneered, her face clearly visible to him even at this height. His head shot up in a smile. "Tell you what, Evans. If you make it to the great hall before me, you can have this whole weekend during which I'll do whatever you say, within reason."

Lily smiled and turned to the school. "Okay. When do we start?"

After another quick glance at the bottom of the stairs, James saw that all five of them had stopped to look up at them. His head shot up again as he said, "We start…now!"

Lily smiled and zoomed towards the school. James, however raised his wand slowly, making sure the watching Slytherins didn't notice.

"Accio Lily's necklace!" he commanded, pointing at Snape's hand. The necklace zoomed towards him as Snape clutched his bleeding hand. Bellatrix was laughing at him and Malfoy was glaring at James. Turning his broom to the school as well, he went as fast as he could, trying to catch up to Lily. As he burst through the doors, out of breath, he looked at the Gryffindor table, where Lily was sitting next to Remus and had stood up, her hands crossed at her chest and a big smile on her lips.