The next chapter in this light-hearted story.

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Lily huffed impatiently as she tried to mount her broom.

"Why can't the bloody broom stay in place!" she shrieked. She had been trying to mount her broom for the past hour. Sirius had agreed to help her, despite the threats James had given him.

"Lily-flower, calm down. Be one with the broom," Sirius joked. Lily turned to him and swore loudly. He took this as his signal to back away. She took a deep breath and tried to mount it again.

While things with Lily were going peachy, things with James weren't going any better...

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"Now James, don't get your knickers in a knot. It's all about concentration," Remus said calmly to his best friend, who's head was banging on the table in the Gryffindor common room.

"Yes, yes concentration. I don't see how anyone can stand this for more than ten minutes." James rubbed his eyes, tiredly. He was studying, of course. He didn't know how Lily did it. It was incredibly boring.

"Come on, James. It's easy. Focus on your goal! What's your goal?" Remus said in a chipper voice, grinning at James.

"Study. For. Test. Study. For. Test," James muttered, mechanically. Sheesh, this studying stuff isn't all it's cracked up to be. He turned towards Remus a look of hatred in his eyes.

"I can't do this," James whined. "I physically can't."

"What about that bet you made, huh? Gonna quit on that?" Remus asked, reminding him of the peril he faced if he didn't win this.

James swore loudly.

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After three hours, Lily finally managed to mount on her broom. Sirius took this as a major accomplishment, and wanted to go celebrate with Firewhisky.

"No, Sirius. We can't go celebrate now, I just got on my broom. How long do you think it would take for me to get off, go celebrate, and then get back on?!"

Sirius considered this for a moment and widened his eyes. "Okay, We have to stay here. For the sake and sanity of both of us."

Lily grinned and kicked off a little from the ground. If James could see me now.

Sirius brought his broom and mounted it in a quick four seconds. Lily scowled, jealously.

"Show-off," she muttered. Sirius put on his best gentleman face. "After you," he said, politely as he motioned towards the empty field. She ignored him and shot up about ten feet. Wow. So this is what it felt like to fly. No wonder people loved it so much. It felt...free. Lily smiled in spite of herself. In a second, Sirius was up with her, showing her how to do all the technical stuff of flying. Where to go, how to catch a quaffle, that sort of stuff.

Take that, James. Lily thought.

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Four hours later, Lily was trudging off the Quidditch field, exhausted. What work it took to play the game!

She maneuvered herself past people, ignoring their mutterings. She knew she looked horrible. A mess. Muddy, tired, and disgusting.

Finally she made it up to the portrait hole.

"Fizzing Whizbees," Lily spat.

"Sorry, dear. Password's been changed," said the Fat Lady.

"In the course of ONE day!?" Lily asked, outraged. She muttered furiously under her breath, kicking the wall with one foot, angrily. She then sighed and slide down the stone wall, rubbing her foot. Ow. That hurt.

James casually came out of the portrait hole. "Why, Lily darling how long have you been sitting here?"

"Haha, James. Quit the act. I'm not in the mood," Lily said, sullenly.

"Did Lily-flower get on her broom today?"

"Yes, as a matter a fact, I did. I sat there and went up and Sirius taught me all the good moves," Lily bragged, head high. "How'd studying go? I bet you didn't get one thing done."

James, having the ego he has, couldn't admit that to Lily. "Why Lily, you ask me any question, I'll give you the answer. Just not now, as I have to get back to my studies."

Lily stuck her tongue playfully out at Potter as he stalked into the common room, saying the password as he went. Lily scrambled up to get to the common room and winked at Sirius who was just going in, too.

James narrowed his eyes at Sirius, after seeing Lily wink. Was something going on between them? Sirius ignored James and made polite conversation with Lily. She laughed at something he said. A fire erupted in James' chest. Why was he acting this way?

I don't like Lily. This is ridiculous. Let them flirt all they want. Whatever. It makes no difference to me.

Lily looked at James' surly face and was happy about it.

Whattt? Other people's pain shouldn't cause me triumph. But James looks jealous. Wait! Why do I care if he looks jealous...? I shouldn't...

She casually flirted with Sirius.

Oh God. Whoops. Why am I flirting with him?

There was a battle going on between James and himself. Little did he know that Lily was having the same battle. She laughed a little more at Sirius' jokes. Lily unceremoniously excused herself and hopped up to the dormitories, bright red hair bouncing with every step.

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Not a real intense chapter. Uh-oh...what's going on with James and Lily? What will happen? You'll have to read the next chapter to find out!