thirty-eight - lost
"Ooh, that's an easy mistake made by Gryffindor's Chaser there!"
James swears at Archie dropping the Quaffle and twists his broom around, flying to intercept the Ravenclaw Chaser so his fellow team mate can try and get the ball again.
"And that's ten points to Ravenclaw!" shouts Smart, as their Chaser puts the Quaffle through the hoops, earning raucous cheers from the blue-clad end of the stadium and jeers from students decked in green. "The score stands at 90-50 to Ravenclaw, folks, so Gryffindor have got ground to make up! Looks like Potter's realised and - bloody hell! Ah, sorry Professor! That was a good shot though!"
James, incensed by the Slytherins' riling, had swerved and stolen the Quaffle from the hands of one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, bringing it into his arms with dexterity and tossing it through the hoop almost before anyone could blink.
As he shoots around the stadium, hollering words of praise to his team, he catches Lily's eye. She gives him an encouraging smile when he shakes his head the tiniest fraction, willing him not to give up. The way the points stand, if Gryffindor lose this match they depend on Hufflepuff losing their match against Slytherin in a fortnight's time to be in with any chance of winning the House Cup. If James doesn't believe in the game, no-one will.
With a push upwards, he flies towards his Seeker.
"Just find the Snitch, Dom, okay?" James tells him. "Don't worry about anything else. Jack and Mitch've got your back."
Focusing on the rest of the team, he calls, "Sevens!" to his fellow Chasers and the three of them form an arrowhead, causing the Ravenclaw who was about to score to let the Quaffle slip through their fingers. Roberta catches it deftly and passes to James, who yells, "Nice work, Bobby," over his shoulder as he turns to pitch the ball through a goal.
"It's evening out, ladies and gents," says Smart excitedly. "90-70, Ravenclaw lead! But - wait! Borthwick's making a dive! She's seen the Snitch! She's seen the Snitch!"
Pulling his broom around, James watches in horror as Dominic tails the Ravenclaw Seeker, a broom-bristle's width behind her.
"She's almost got it -!"
James yells at the Beaters to do something but one Bludger's on it's way to Bobby, one to Archie.
"Yes! She's caught the Snitch! Katy Borthwick has caught the Snitch! That's one hundred and fifty points to Ravenclaw!"
(James swears, loudly.)
After he's congratulated the other team and their Captain, and given the Gryffindors a pep talk in the changing rooms, he throws himself down moodily on the bench. For Merlin's sake.
He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall, letting out a breath, and a hand touches his shoulder lightly.
"Bloody hell, you made me jump!" he says.
"Sorry," Lily murmurs, running her fingers through his hair.
He pulls her onto his lap and buries her face in his shoulder, grunting. "Don't suppose you'd Obliviate me, would you?"
Lily laughs, trying not to let out that it's only a game.
"Come on, it wasn't that bad. You scored four of our six goals."
"Seven."
"Sorry?"
"Seven goals."
"Oh." Lily bites her lip. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
James moves his head to look at her. She brushes his hair off his forehead.
"We lost."
"I know," she tells him. "But it doesn't matter. You were amazing out there, every one of you. It was just...bad luck that Katy saw the Snitch before Dom."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, James speaks again. "We let everyone down." I let everyone down.
Lily clasps his chin in her fingers and looks him straight in the eye. "Listen to me, James Potter, you didn't let any one down. I'm so proud of you."
He tucks a curl of hair behind her ear and she leans into his touch.
"I mean it. No-one's worried about the game. And besides, us Gryffindors can get drunk and have a good time whether we win or lose." He allows her a laugh, and she smiles. "Now go and have a shower, Potter. For all our sakes."
He throws a hand to his chest. "You wound me."
Lily laughs again and kisses him. "Shower," she says.
"If you come with," he shoots back, and it takes her all of two seconds to decide.
a/n: omg tho authors can now select up to four main characters but I have no ideas ugh sobbing on the floor in simultaneous excitement and despair
also I'm sorry if the Quidditch scene sucked but I've never written one before and wanted to try it.