Chapter 6

After countless hours of muddy, tiring and tough Quidditch training, the Gryffindor team was finally in shape for their first match with Slytherin. James, as Captain had trained the team hard, and he was actually surprised none of them bailed out on even one practice as it was only his true passion and dedication to Quidditch, that made him manage to endure the long and grueling practices.

James knew that Sirius had stuck by his side like a real best friend would, and supported him during all the tough times, whether it be about girls, Quidditch or detention. James also knew that his best friend had joined Quidditch because of one of Lily's best friends, Brittany Davies.

Although Sirius' stubbornness refused to let him admit it, James knew he was very much in love with the girl. Brittany wasn't like many other girls. She was smart, witty and one of the main differences that told her apart was her immunity to 'the Sirius Black charm'.

The team had generally played very well, and everyone was working well with each other…there was only one exception and that was his best friend and Davies. During their time in practice, Sirius and Brittany's moods hadn't improved and they had managed to avoid each other for basically the whole time. Even when they were forced to pass the Quaffle, they would each monotonously say the other's name, and half-heartedly throw the scarlet ball.

It had been like this ever since that morning in the Great Hall. Sirius had given him the details afterwards, and James thought his best friend had been too harsh. Sirius thought she would've been able to take it, and James supposed he agreed. After all, Brittany seemed so independent, so strong all the time, much like Lily. Maybe they were both wrong…maybe her inner-self was very fragile.

The point was that although some of the hatred died down, Brittany had simply refused to give Sirius a chance to apologize, and he was dearly regretting he ever said anything that day. Damn him and his pride.

It was such a shame too, because if they put their heart into it, James knew they'd be an unbeatable team. They'd also be such a cute couple…but no, they were both too thick to see the light. Now that he thought about it, they were both like Lily! She simply refused to believe that he was the one for her…

As he trudged to the Heads Tower after their last Quidditch practice before their big game tomorrow, James' thoughts whirred to Lily. He hadn't remembered smashing any mirrors lately, but all he seemed to be receiving was bad luck, and more bad luck.

After their uncomfortable little encounter in the Heads Common Room, Lily had already been a little pissed at him. Then, with Slughorn and his little assignment, things had turned bad to worse. Sure, James had been pretty ecstatic about working together with Lily, especially since it involved them brewing the Love Potion and testing it, but he was suddenly overcome with uncertainty as he tried to position himself in Lily's situation. He couldn't disregard her feelings…how would she react to the assignment?

He still remembered telling his friends and Sirius' expression had been one of awe, shock and disbelief. Remus seemed pretty composed as usual, but inside, he wondered why nothing like this ever happened to him...and another special girl. Peter squealed incessantly and it was only until he was told to shut up did he remain silent.

After Slughorn's lesson, Lily had refused to meet his eyes, or even let him within 10 feet of her. Even when they shared the same classes, she would make sure she was surrounded by many people, and wouldn't give him any opportunity to talk to her, let alone discuss the assignment.

He remembered the fury that was in her emerald eyes when once, she accidentally met his eyes. Her eyes were like jewels, cold, hard and unforgiving. It was as if she was blaming him for Slughorn's assignment. He had been pretty smug about it, but if she was this furious, he might as well ask Slughorn to change their pairings. As much as he wanted Lily to love him, the potion would only ruin their carefree attitudes they had towards one another now. Even if Lily fell head over heels for him for a short period time, James knew he wouldn't be used to seeing her like that, and she wasn't even willing!

No, James realised that the assignment wasn't going to benefit him at all. Slughorn had said it was Dumbledore's idea…but surely the Headmaster would've known that Lily's view of him wouldn't change just because he forced a love potion down her throat! In fact, the only thing it would do was make her angrier and loathe him more.

What exactly did the silver-bearded Albus Dumbledore have in mind?

He couldn't shake the thoughts out of his mind, and even though he knew it was late, he decided to go give the Headmaster a visit. Although his muscles were aching, and his bones were preparing to collapse, he needed to sort the problem out. He couldn't bear this torment Lily was giving him…the silent treatment was even worse than when she would slap him or give him a dirty.

After trudging very slowly up the flight of stairs, James halted as he wasn't sure how to proceed. This whole thing wasn't like his normal self! He should've been delighted to receive this opportunity, and now, he was prepared to give it to somebody else…another lucky man that he desperately wanted to be, but know he wouldn't.

James was about to tap the door slowly, but instead, before his fingers touched it, it swung open silently. He was met by the Headmaster's curious looks.

"Ahh…Mr. Potter, I must say I wasn't expecting you at this hour. What can I do for you?"

James found it hard where to start and he began stuttering, as a few blotches of pink tinged his cheeks. Instead of looking flustered or annoyed, Dumbledore smiled at the teenage boy.

"Please, take a seat. If I remember correctly, this must be the first time you've stepped into my office without an invitation" he chuckled before continuing "has this anything to do with Miss. Evans and that assignment I gave Professor Slughorn to assign to his Potions class?"

James was surprised to say the least, and his respect for Dumbledore grew a notch higher. He continued fumbling with his hands, hoping Dumbledore would be able to understand why he had for the visit. James flopped himself on a green cushion that was resting near the fireplace. Every time he entered the office, all the furniture seemed to change!

"Sir, you can't honestly expect Lily fall in love with me because of some potion, the only thing it'll make her do is get angrier at me! You must be mistaken."

Dumbledore continued to smile knowingly, and an air of mystery surrounded him. James knew he wouldn't be able to find out much about tonight.

"I assure you James, there is no mistake…all will be revealed in due time. You will soon learn of my plans, and I'm sure you will not be disappointed. Trust me on this one."

"Can't you give me a clue, Professor? Lily doesn't seem to want to even breathe the air I breathe! I don't know when this will end, and personally, I'm pretty worried."

"Well, if Ms. Evans has a weakness, it'll be her studies. Even in the worst of situations, she will take all her work seriously, so I'll bet all my money that she will speak to you, if only reluctantly, soon. As for the clue, I wouldn't usually give you one…but since I'm convinced you're very much in love with Ms. Evans…" The Headmaster stroked his long beard, and pondered.

"Please Professor, you know I'm your favourite student" James smiled cheekily.

"Oh alright, I'll break the rules…only for you though."

"Severus Snape is paired with Missy Redding" Dumbledore said simply.

James didn't know how that related to his problem with Lily…but he didn't question the Headmaster further. He also hadn't seen Missy around since the first day, and her words about hurting him were a little disturbing. He smiled evilly when he learned that his two least favourite people were paired together. What was Dumbledore playing at? He was as mysterious as ever!

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow "Well Mr. Potter?"

"Thank you sir, I think I'll be leaving now…hopefully, I'll understand you soon enough." James found there no need to question Dumbledore further, as all he would do was confuse him.

Dumbledore smiled warmly as he departed, gesturing him to the door.

"Oh, one more thing…your patrolling of the corridors will proceed next week with Ms. Evans. Also, good luck with the Game tomorrow, I'm sure you'll give a spectacular performance, to say the least."

With that, James soon found himself back in the Heads Common Room, and after scanning the area, he was disappointed to see that Lily was nowhere to be found. He could hear the distant scratching of quills and presumed Lily was probably doing her homework again. Dumbledore hadn't been wrong to say she took her work seriously.

It had been like this after their first Potions lesson. Not only did she avoid him in the day, when they returned to the Common Room, she would also lock herself in her room and magically seal it with an unbreakable lock charm. James' heart seeped lower than it was already as he dejectedly made his way to the showers.

After his mood improved considerably with the needles of hot water, he soon fell into a deep and comfortable sleep. He had many dreams where he just held Lily and there was a peaceful silence as they stood together under the shadow of the crescent moon, enjoying each other's company.

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With a jolt, James Potter woke up and realised the sun had already risen quite high. With another jolt, he realised that today was the Quidditch Game…and if he didn't hurry, he would be late! Slipping on his robes in a rush, he quickly bolted for the stairs while trying to get his socks on.

"PRONGS! We thought you died in there or something! It's two minutes before the game and you show up now?" Sirius' face was very much outraged as he clenched his hands into fists. "Do you know how worried the team's been? I mean, the Captain now showing up somehow affects us!" Sirius screamed.

Indeed, the Gryffindor team seemed very mad at him as they made their way over to their Captain. They all seemed calmer now, and their high spirits of the game returned.

"I'm sorry guys, I had a really late night…and there were just some things I had to go through. I really hadn't kept track of the time…"

"Don't worry Potter; we're just glad you made it. I'm sure we'll kick the Slytherin asses today!" Brittany's words made James feel a little better, and his other team mates also provided words of encouragement.

Over the other side of the Great Hall, the Slytherin team's faces fell one by one and their moods were considerably darker. Obviously, they thought that the Gryffindor Captain was going to make a no-show, and were clearly disappointed when he chose to show up at the last minute.

After shoving down a slice of toast, James made his way to the Quidditch field, along with the other members of his team. He was filled with a burning spirit as his hand clutched his broom determinately. They would destroy the SLytherin team! However, what added to most of this high mood was when he passed Lily and her friends. James saw that Eva had nudged Lily a few times before she met his eyes.

Yes, Lily had actually met his eyes! And not even by accident! She seemed to force a smile, but it was nonetheless genuine. She shouted out good luck to the team, much like many of the other people on the table, but when all the others had gone, she had mouthed a special 'good luck' to James, which made his heart swell to a thousand times.

He was certain they would take this match easily. After making his way to the field and exchanging a few words with the team, his spirit soared, much like the other members in the team. Even Brittany and Sirius seemed to place their differences aside! Without hesitation, James mounted his broom and kicked off, enjoying the feel of the rush of wind in his hair and on his face.

"And the Quaffle is immediately snatched by Brittany Davies of Gryffindor―what a brilliant Chaser that girl is, not half-bad looking either" After receiving a glare by the closely inspecting, Professor McGonagall did the commentator, who was from Gryffindor focus back on what was happening in the game.

"And Davies passes to Black, who is flying to the goalpoasts, and he prepares to shoot, and…oh, his vision is blocked a carefully aimed bludger by the Slytherin beater." The Quaffle had sailed between the middle and left goal rings and a collective groans could be heard from the Gryffindor stands.

Sitting amongst all the eager students were Eva and Lily, who were also cheering along the team, especially Brittany.

However, for the first time in her life, Lily was also noticing what James Potter was doing on the field. As Seeker, he didn't really do much, and wasn't interesting to watch, but Lily noticed his every move all the same. She could almost picture his look of determination as he searched for the Golden Snitch.

She could see his mop of hair flying in all angles as he whooshed around the field. She wasn't really sure how to talk to him since the first day…so she had chosen the easiest path out, which was to avoid the problem altogether. She had managed that quite well, and each time she actually saw his tall figure in the corridors, her stomach would screw up with anxiety, and a twinge of guilt.

It was as if she was blaming him about the assignment that Professor Slughorn had given them. Sure, she was definitely upset about it, especially being paired up with him, but even she thought she went overboard at this treatment she gave him. The assignment was something she would find extreme difficulty in accomplishing, but if there was one thing Lily was good at, it was her studies, and she intended to keep it that way.

If this assignment was a crucial part to her studies, then she would have to cope working on it with James Potter. She wasn't an immature brat who didn't meet challenges. She would gulp down the Love Potion…even if it killed her.

After making up her mind to work out their differences soon, Lily, along with the other Gryffindor spectators, erupted into cheer as Sirius Black scored the first goal. The competition between the two houses was as strong as ever, and only one goal had been scored and it was already ten minutes into the game.

"Oh, a lucky save by Slytherin Keeper there. Bad luck Davies! Tension is thick on the field as Gryffindor still lead by ten-zero. Slytherin Chaser, Arnold Fletcher in possession of the Quaffle, and he feigns to the right…and, NO…he scores. It's neck to neck now" The commentator's voice was diminished as the Slytherin stand roared with cheers.

"Black narrowly misses the Bludger aimed at his head, passes to Davies, who passes back to him. Oh, were on fire here guys! Look at Black and Davies go! It's practically a match made in heaven. AND DAVIES SCORES!"

After another half hour of this, the score was sixty-fifty, Gryffindor leading by ten points. If James didn't find the Snitch soon, the team wouldn't be able to keep up for much longer. James noticed Brittany was panting hard as she managed to intercept the Quaffle and racing down to the goalposts. Sirius' flying speed had also noticeably slowed down.

He was growing more desperate as the seconds ticked by, and the corner of his eye was on the Slytherin Seeker, Thomas Pepin. Finally, the miraculous moment came, and he saw a flutter of gold near the Slytherin stands. Almost simultaneously, Pepin realised what he had seen, and after meeting each others gazes, they both zoomed down at an increasing speed.

Everybody seemed to realise what was happening, and all eyes were on the pair of Seekers as they flew at an alarming speed through the middle of the field. They were neck to neck, and it wasn't clear who was actually going to take the Gold ball…that crucial golden ball. This was the moment that everybody had been waiting for…the moment that would determine who would take victory. Both Seekers' faces were contorted into utmost concentration as they focused on the Snitch.

Pepin reached out for the ball, but in the last second, the Snitch flew an inch to the left…right into James' grasp. It was all over as they both pulled up after that traumatizing dive. Gryffindor had won.

"Phew! What an intense match to say the least! The last moments were clearly highlight, and what a close result that was. Though not Potter's best play, he once again proves his excellent Quidditch skills by taking the Snitch and the victory for Gryffindor!"

An enormous raucous of laughter and applaud had exploded from the Gryffindor stands as James did an honour lap of the field on his broom, clutching the Snitch who was battering its wings uselessly against James' grasp. He was relieved as he beamed at the Gryffindors. His eyes caught a mop of flaming red hair, which he immediately recognized. His thoughts went back to that morning, and he wondered if Lily would make up with him any time soon.

As he landed, the Gryffindor team group hugged, and congratulated each other. He was kissed by all the girls, and engulfed into bear hugs by all of the guys. Even Brittany and Sirius shared a rare friendly moment. They even hugged lightly…Brittany was crying from happiness.

"Party tonight, Gryffindor Common Room" Sirius had shouted to his best friend before leaving, still laughing with Brittany. Sirius' mood had certainly improved greatly. "Be there, or be square"

After the crowd had disappeared, James turned his head to the massive Quidditch field and appreciated all the glory it gave him. Quidditch was his sport…it was a special part of him, and nobody could take it away. His thought interrupted with a shy voice that came behind him.

As he turned around, a confused expression on his face as to wondering who would still be at the field, he smiled genuinely when he was met with a slightly blushing but still in every way beautiful, Lily Evans.

"Contragulations…J-James"

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A/N: Helloooo peeps! This chapter was again, pretty much pointless…but I enjoyed writing about the Quidditch! Hope it was to your liking

Alright, I just wanted to point out that Lily's change of attitude is because of her studies as she really wants to do well in the assignment. Also, she thinks she's kind of over reacted and been a bit immature. She finds this opportunity to make up with James. Don't get worked up however, they're not going to find love any time soon, even though Lily's kind of feeling something for James.

Also, I'm a bit confused as to why other people have said Rowling says that James is a Chaser. Didn't Hermione say in the first movie that Harry wouldn't make a fool of himself as Seeker because it ran in his blood and his father had played the same position? I dunno and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'll stick with James as Seeker for this story…and Sirius will remain Chaser

I'd like to thank everybody tremendously for reviewing (Yay! I'm getting reviews) I really hope you all are enjoying my story!

WhiteCamellia Thanx for all your support and comments! I'm glad you've enjoyed the stories as I've enjoyed reading your reviews tremendously! Thx heaps!

Youkaigirl64: Wow! You found my story funny…I feel so happy It's just that I've never really found my humour funny, so yeah…thanx for all your support! I'm really really glad you've enjoyed the story so far!

DancingDreamer08: Lol! The Love Potion idea actually came randomly, but I still haven't really worked out what's going to happen, oh no! But I do have a vague idea…and I think it'll surprise some of you! Thanx for your review!

Lizzi, Elizabeth: yay! Thanx for your review yeah, you're right…I should've been more subtle about James' feelings…he probably wouldn't have been lively if he found out. Thx for pointing it out. Yeah, none of the other Marauders are involved in the assignment, but I'm sure they'll be there to support their friends!

Jumpernumbernine As I've mentioned, your story is one of the best I've written! I really really loved it, everything about it was the best Thanx for reviewing my story…I feel really encouraged after reading it! Glad you're enjoying the story so far

Thanx everybody again, I look forward your comments and reviews on this chapter! Hope you all liked it

Purebliss90