Hi, sorry it took so long but you know life is busy. I would just like to say that I don't appreciate certain reviews... if you want to read a story that is updated more frequently I'm sure you'll find one on this site somewhere. I can't promise it will be any good but...
I have a life and don't appreciate rude reviews demanding that I update. I don't care if it's been more that two weeks, stop hounding me. Some of you are really polite about asking me to update (this isn't directed at you). This is to the people who think it is appropriate to review four times on the same chapter, just because I'm taking longer than you want. I have other commitments; you might not like it but I have a very busy schedule with my work commitments. You're lucky I'm still writing at all... I don't really have time to do it but I'm making time. I don't appreciate being told that I have no excuse unless I'm coming back with 15 chapters... seriously, you aren't paying for this story so quit being so demanding. I'll write when I write - if you don't like it go read someone else's story and annoy them instead.
I'm sure you don't mean to annoy me but please respect that I have other commitments. IB x
Chapter 24:
QUIDDITCH
The rest of the school had gathered together in the stands surrounding the Quidditch pitch. Lily sat with Remus and Kate on the Gryffindor side. "Where's Peter?" Lily asked over the top of her book.
Remus leant over Kate to answer her, "he's in the library."
"He's working awfully hard recently," Lily sighed, "do you think he's ok?"
"Do you think he can be ok?" Kate replied, "his girlfriend's dead."
"I know… but…" Lily sighed, "I just wish we could help."
"I don't think he wants our help," Remus frowned. The crowd cheered as James put the quaffle through one of the goal hoops. Lily clapped automatically, barely noticing what was happening in the match.
"What about you and James?" Kate asked, "What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing's going on," Lily sighed, "we're just friends."
"Pretty close friends," Kate commented.
"Yeah, really close," Remus added. "You do know he still likes you, right?"
"Yeah…" Lily closed her book, "I like him too."
"You do?" Remus almost laughed.
"Yeah," she looked over towards where James was flying towards the goal post.
"Whoever would have guessed that Lily Evans would ever fall for James Potter," Remus grinned, "so does this mean that you're going to go out with him?"
"No…" Lily replied. "He wants me to get to know him."
"That's sounds like James," Remus grinned. He didn't take his eyes off of James as he darted towards the post.
James was only several metres away from the goal when a bludger can out of nowhere and knocked him off his broom. Lily stopped speaking in the middle of her sentence, "He wants me to –" She screamed as she watched him fall, "JAMES!"
She ran through the crowd in the stand until she made it down the stairs onto the pitch. There was already a small crowd gathered around him on the floor; the Gryffindor team, Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey were among some of those around him. Lily had tears running down her face as she made her way to the front of the crowd. Madam Pomfrey and Madam Hooch were talking in hushed voiced, "There's no way he's finishing the match," Pomfrey was saying.
Hooch nodded, "I agree. You take him to the hospital wing and we'll finish the match."
"We can't play without our captain," Sirius frowned.
"Sure you can," James said from his crumpled position on the floor; his bones splayed at all the wrong angles, "and what's more you're going to win."
Lily reached forward and took his hand, "are you ok?"
"Just grand love," James winced.
"I'm coming with you to the hospital wing," Lily told him quietly.
An hour later, James sat in the hospital wing with Lily, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Lils," James replied. "How do you think the match is going?"
"No idea," Lily replied, "I'm sure they'll win…"
"They better," James frowned, "we've got to win this match."
"You say that every match," Lily grinned.
"That's because it's always true," James smiled. "I refuse to let Slytherin get the cup."
Lily smiled, "why do you hate the Slytherins so much?"
"What do you mean?" James asked.
"What is it?" Lily asked, "what is it about them? I mean… they're not all death eaters… not yet."
"It's what they stand for," James answered. "Their arrogance… their selfishness… their inherent ability to put themselves before everyone else…"
"But we're all like that," Lily replied, "we're all selfish…"
"Are we?" James frowned, "I don't think you are…"
"I am…" Lily whispered.
The doors to the hospital wing burst open and a muddy group of teenagers ran in. "James, we won!" Sirius shouted.
"What was the…" James began.
"Well, here's the thing James," Alice started to explain.
James raised his hand, "we didn't get enough points? We're still behind Slytherin?"
"Well no," Marlene tried, "we're drawing with them…"
"So we better get practicing… it's going to be really close…" James thought out loud, "their team is pretty solid. Vanity has a strong team this year."
"We know James," Ava laughed.
"I'm just saying. Mitchum is a fantastic keeper Ava so we're going to be hard pressed to get the Quaffle passed him. Ali, Vanity might look slow but she's gotten a lot quicker in the last year. She's got some serious skill and she's getting really good at giving false signals; feinting and whatnot."
Alice laughed, "I'm not worried."
"The chasers have been together for ages so they work well together; Stewart is speedy, Bigham is vicious and Bryant comes across all sweet and innocent but she's really not."
"Si, didn't you kiss her once?" Marlene asked humorously.
"NO!" Sirius stood up abruptly and began making retching gestures, "I would never kiss a Slytherin."
"Sirius, I don't care who you've kissed. Ericson is suicidal – he'll risk it all to win – he's been known to cheat," James continued. "And I have absolutely no idea about their new beater… to be honest I don't even know who it is."
"I heard it was Avery," Lily said quietly.
"That's all we need; a deatheater on the pitch," James sighed.
I could tell you what's coming next but CBA. x