"Absolutely not."
"You've come this far, don't chicken out."
"James, there is no way."
"Lily. Get on the broomstick."
"You've got to be out of your mind if you think I'm getting on that thing."
…I can't believe I am sitting on a broomstick with James bloody Potter.
"I've got it Lily, don't worry," James assured her. He reached his arms around her and grabbed onto the front of the broomstick. "But you have to promise me you'll open your eyes."
"I'm not promising anything," Lily said curtly. "You got me on the broomstick, don't push your luck,"
James laughed and Lily felt his chest rise and fall on her back. "Okay here we go…"
Lily felt her feet slowly leave the ground. She quietly squealed.
James laughed again. "Don't worry Lily," James repeated. "You're safe, I'm not going to let you fall,"
"Tell me that when we're back on the ground," Lily said, eyes still firmly shut.
James sighed. "How are you going to know if you're more than an inch off the ground if you don't open your eyes?"
Damnit. Come on Lily, you are braver than this. And he promised that he wouldn't let you fall…
Lily slowly opened her eyes, becoming more rigid by the second.
"Oh my…oh my…" Lily said in a small voice, pushing herself back up against James' front in fear. They were definitely more than an inch off the ground.
"Are you ready?" James asked.
"No," Lily answered.
James then took the liberty of not only flying up but also forward.
Lily gripped hard around the broomstick.
"How the bloody hell do you do this every day?" Lily muttered.
"Just relax," James said. "If you are confident you won't fall they you'll actually enjoy it,"
And James was right. Lily took a deep breath and relaxed herself. James flew them over the quidditch field and Lily was amazed to see things from this point of view: she was usually just a bystander in the crowd.
"If you do a bloody loop I swear I will risk expulsion and curse you into the next century," Lily said.
"You're enjoying it that much then?" James asked sarcastically.
Lily took a deep breath. "It actually is quite amazing," she said.
"I hoped you'd like it," James said not able to control himself from adding, "it makes it great for dropping water balloons. They never see it coming,"
Lily surprised not just James but herself by laughing. "I'd appreciate if I was not a victim of your next attack,"
"I'll consider it," James said.
And now I am on a broom joking with James Potter…
"Have you ever fallen?" Lily quickly asked.
"I recall you seeing me crash into the stands last week," James said
"Yes, but that wasn't your fault…and that was crashing not falling," Lily said.
"I think I fell third year," James said. "And I remember you were there for that one too,"
Lily suddenly remembered. He had been bothering her so much that morning. Telling her he saved her a special seat so she could watch him play. He arranged it so she had to sit there and then put a sticking spell on her seat so she had to stay for the whole game.
"Ah yes," Lily said. "I didn't have much of a choice did I?"
"Well you must have seen my fall then," James retorted.
Lily searched her memories of the rest of that day. "Was it because of the quaffle?" she asked.
"Yeah," James said. "Hit me square in the chest and knocked me straight off my broom." Lily gripped the broom tighter. "Don't worry, there won't be any quaffles flying by now,"
"Good thing Dumbledore was there to stop your fall," Lily said.
"I'm surprised you remembered," James said coyly.
"Well it's hard to forget something when you are stuck to a seat and forced to watch it," Lily shot back.
"Well how else would I have gotten you to go?" James asked amusedly.
"You could have tried not being an arrogant prick the two years prior," Lily said.
"I'm trying that out now," James said. "So far it seems to be working,"
Lily had no response.
"Whoa there missy," Becca said. "James Potter, James Potter, got you to fly on his broomstick with him?"
"Why is it that when you say that it seems to have such an obscene undertone?" Lily asked.
"Answer the question!" Alice jumped in.
"Enough with the interrogation! Yes, I am the one who told you I did so you can stop asking again and again!"
"Way to go Potter," Becca said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily demanded.
"Don't pretend you aren't setting your sights on our star seeker and infamous James Potter who has had his sights set on you for years. The whole school knows it too!"
"The whole school knows that Alice is going out with Frank!" Lily said, causing Alice to blush. "So what is the big deal with me being civil with James?"
"Because it seems to be a little more than civil…" Alice said.
"James? James! You have completely done away with calling him Potter! And you flew on his broomstick with him. Literally and possibly figuratively." Becca said.
"Remind me, why am I friends with you?" Lily said.
Alice once again had to step in on Lily's behalf. "Come on Becca. Like I said before, just give her time,"
"Time?" Lily asked. "Time for what? Would you rather me go on loathing him? It sure makes Head duties a lot easier when I don't despise the person I am working with! And thankfully he has put an effort forth as well. Not being a jerk or…"
"Or swooning over you every moment?" Becca cut in.
"Exactly!" Lily said surprising her friends. "He's finally stopped all of that! So start being happy I am not ripping my hair out and stop reading into it!"
"Sorry Lil," Becca said. "You know I've always been a fan of Potter even though you've always hated him. And even though you might have convinced yourself otherwise, don't for a minute think he still isn't head over heels for you,"
Lily walked back down the hall towards her room and thought of every thing James had ever done that made her hate him. All of the pranks that more than crossed the borders of funny and into mean. All the times he tried to entice her that ended up horribly; pushing her in the lake, displaying all of her undergarments for the whole school to see, hanging "Potter love Evans" banners around the halls on Valentine's Day, the countless pranks he played on Severus, and ultimately the way he smiled at all of those things like he owned the world.
He messed up her potions and completed his with ease, he managed to get everyone on his side with everything, he was given everything and it was never enough.
By the time Lily reached the door she was inwardly fuming. How do I know that this isn't just a façade? Is the old Potter going to pop out as soon as I accept the new Potter? He is impossible and yet everyone is unable to resist his charm.
Lily then noticed something she must have passed a thousand of times since the first day of school: the lily James had transfigured. It looked perfect, just like the first time she saw it. Lily wondered why it had lasted all that time and at that moment everything that had been bottled up inside her began to pour out. When James walked out of his room her wavering composure snapped.
She picked up the lily off the couch and threw it angrily on the ground. It miraculously remained completely unharmed, like some sort of magic had preserved it.
Lily's heart was beating rapidly out of rage, or so she thought. Her heartbeat then soared off the charts when James stared her in the eyes, bent down to pick up the lily, gently brushed her hair behind her ear, and placed the lily in her hair.
The anger she felt only moments earlier diminished completely and began to spark into something Lily never imagined possible.
-----------------------
"Absolutely not."
"You've come this far, don't chicken out."
"James, there is no way."
"Lily. Get on the broomstick."
"You've got to be out of your mind if you think I'm getting on that thing."
…I can't believe I actually got her to sit on my broomstick with me. Why does that sound slightly crude when I say it that way?
"I've got it Lily, don't worry," James assured her. He reached his arms around her and grabbed onto the front of the broomstick. "But you have to promise me you'll open your eyes."
"I'm not promising anything," Lily said curtly. "You got me on the broomstick, don't push your luck,"
I guess I really shouldn't push my luck. This is actually really amazing of her to go through with this. Kind of funny how much she is freaking out about it.
James chuckled and said, "Okay here we go…"
He lifted her slowly but knew he wanted her to experience everything, even the height.
He laughed again. "Don't worry Lily," James repeated. "You're safe, I'm not going to let you fall,"
"Tell me that when we're back on the ground," Lily said, eyes still firmly shut.
James sighed. "How are you going to know if you're more than an inch off the ground if you don't open your eyes?"
Come on Lily, just open your eyes.
He couldn't see if her eyes open, but by her tightened grip on the broom he could tell.
"Oh my…oh my…" Lily said in a small voice. He could feel her pushing herself back against him.
"Are you ready?" James asked.
"No," Lily answered.
Well that's a shocker. What's the harm, right?
He soared higher and forward so Lily could feel the wind blow against her skin; he felt her grip the broomstick; hard.
"How the bloody hell do you do this every day?" Lily muttered.
"Just relax," James said. "If you are confident you won't fall they you'll actually enjoy it,"
He was amazed that she actually seemed to relax. Maybe if I do a loop she will…
"If you do a bloody loop I swear I will risk expulsion and curse you into the next century," Lily said.
"You're enjoying it that much then?" James asked sarcastically, wondering if she could read his mind.
Lily took a deep breath. "It actually is quite amazing," she said.
I knew it. I knew it.
"I hoped you'd like it," James said not able to control himself from adding, "it makes it great for dropping water balloons. They never see it coming,"
Why did I say that? Why can't I ever censor myself…wait-is she laughing?
"I'd appreciate if I was not a victim of your next attack," Lily said
"I'll consider it," James replied, astounded.
That was most certainly a laugh.
"Have you ever fallen?" Lily quickly asked.
"I recall you seeing me crash into the stands last week," James said
"Yes, but that wasn't your fault…and that was crashing not falling," Lily said.
"I think I fell third year," James said. "And I remember you were there for that one too," When I put that spell on your seat…
"Ah yes," Lily said. "I didn't have much of a choice did I?"
James inwardly cringed at his younger, if possible, even more immature self.
"Well you must have seen my fall then," James retorted.
"Was it because of the quaffle?" she asked.
"Yeah," James said, trying not to remember in too much detail. "Hit me square in the chest and knocked me straight off my broom." He felt Lily grip the broom tighter. "Don't worry, there won't be any quaffles flying by now,"
"Good thing Dumbledore was there to stop your fall," Lily said.
"I'm surprised you remembered," James said coyly.
"Well it's hard to forget something when you are stuck to a seat and forced to watch it," Lily shot back.
That actually was quite a brilliant spell.
"Well how else would I have gotten you to go?" James asked amusedly.
"You could have tried not being an arrogant prick the two years prior," Lily said.
"I'm trying that out now," James said. "So far it seems to be working," I hope.
James, amazed by his maturity, decided to skip out on a prank in order to finish his potions homework. He knew he should have worked on it when Lily had offered her assistance but he was just too excited to sneak off to Hogsmeade with The Marauders that night so he put it off yet again.
It was a lovely day outside and James wished he could go back in time to the morning and be flying on his broom with Lily again. He heard a few shouts from underneath his window so he peered out and had a look.
There were a few Slytherins running scared and covered in some sort of goo. James then heard the familiar laugh of his best mate.
"Good one Padfoot!" James yelled down to him. Remus and Peter then came into his view. "Nice job mates,"
"How's the potions homework going?" Remus yelled up.
"It's going," James said. "Hopefully almost finished."
"How was time with your lady love this morning?" Sirius yelled up.
James then, in remembering their conversation that morning, disappeared from the window.
"Aw come on Prongs, I was only joking-hey!" Sirius yelled.
"We discussed the art of water balloon dropping," James said looking back down at his now soaked friend. Remus and Peter were in stitches laughing.
James finished his potions homework in record speed and happily put it away. He would go find his friends and find some way to add some havoc into everyone's life today. He then heard someone, that someone assumingly being Lily, walk into the common room attached to his. He leapt from his desk and opened his door.
When James walked out of his room he smiled at Lily and then became slightly nervous because the look on her face was close to that of someone who had just completely snapped.
He was completely baffled and only assumed she was mad at him but couldn't imagine why. He saw her pick up the lily off the couch, the one he had left there since the first week of school, and watched her throw it angrily onto the ground. James was amazed by his own magic; when it forcefully hit the ground it miraculously remained completely unharmed.
James could practically hear her heart beat soaring from across the room. He stared in her eyes and by some impulse unbeknownst to him, bent down to pick up the lily. He then gently brushed her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger, and placed the lily in her hair.
The anger on her face diminished completely and began to spark into something different. James couldn't recall ever seeing that look on her face before and he dared to hope it was the look he had been dreaming of for seven years.
