Disclaimer: Although it's understandably hard to believe, I am not J.K Rowling. :)
A/N: J, I think the answer to your riddle is tomorrow? Am I right?
Enjoy xx
Previously:
"Go on then Lils. I'll seal up the passage behind me."
I step into the darkness of the passage, turning towards the light to face James. He goes to walk in but the door slams shut.
Then I'm alone. In the pitch-black.
Trapped.
Instinctively, I reach for my wand and pull it out of my pocket, lighting it hurriedly. "Lumos."
The ghostly light illuminates the stone walls and a shudder runs through me.
"Lily?" It's then that I hear James' voice, muffled and quiet. "Merlin, Lily, are you alright? Lily?"
"James..." My voice is quiet, and I'm suddenly breathless. "James...I can't...I can't get out!"
"I think it's stuck. Hang on Lily..." He's obviously fighting to keep his voice steady and it's then that it really hits me: I'm stuck.
If I stood on my tip-toes, my head would hit the top of the passage, and if I stretched out my arms out, my hands would be pressed up against the wall. A thud startles me, and I drop my wand, hearing it clatter, groaning as the light goes out. So now it's dark.
My breath is coming in ragged gasps now, and my head's spinning. They're not moving, not at all, but I swear the walls are closing in. I know that they're not, but why else would the pressure be overwhelming, so crushing? I crouch down, arms over my head, trying to make myself smaller, trying to make more space, trying to draw breath. It's weird, breathing is suddenly difficult, like my lungs are being compressed.
The door to the passage opens, I hear it creak, and James is there, picking up my wand, holding my hand, leading me out of the passage. I'm relieved to find that I can breathe properly again, gasping for sweet, pure oxygen, falling to my knees and he's scanning me, looking for injuries, but there aren't any. I'm fine.
I'm out.
"I'm okay." I get out, and it's true. I'm out. "Really, James. I'm okay."
"You have claustrophobia." It's not a question; he looks concerned, kneeling down next to me on the floor.
I nod, slightly embarrassed, and stare at the floor. " Is that any better, Lils?"
"Yeah. I just don't like small spaces. I'm fine."
"He frowns down at the rapidly closing passage. "Huh. So we won't go down that way then." I let out a feeble giggle.
Taking my hand, James pulls me up, and we walk down the corridor, him watching the map, me still breathing deeply.
"Do you want to go outside?"
"Yes please." I nod, relieved, and he leads me down the stone steps, past the greenhouses, out into the grounds, his hand warm in mine, sending tingles running up and down my arm. The wind on my face is calming, and I smile as my hair's blown out of my face, following where James is taking me mindlessly. It's only when we approach the broom cupboard near to the Quidditch stands that I tug on his arm.
"James, where are we going?"
"Flying." He grins.
"But, James, I can't...I mean, I don't-"
"I know that you can't fly very well, I've never seen you out here, but there's a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff tomorrow, and I'm the Seeker and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so I can fly. I'll help you."
"It's just-"
"I know you don't like accepting help, but-"
"James, LISTEN! I've never been on a broom."
His jaw drops. "Ever?"
"Nope."
"But...but...how?" He looks aghast.
"I missed the flying lesson in first year because I was sick, and I never really got the chance. Alice is scared of heights, and Marlene doesn't care about Quidditch or flying, or anything, really, so I never learnt, and I never got on a broom."
"I would've have taught you!"
"Well, I didn't exactly like you until now, did I, so I wasn't going to ask you, was I?"
"You like me now, huh? I finally did it! Hogwarts, Lily Evans has admitted she likes me, in a normal conversation, not under duress!" He announces in a triumphant voice, and I roll my eyes. "Let's get on with it then."
Smirking, he yanks out a shiny broom, twigs clipped and handle polished. "This baby is mine. A Silver Arrow."
"That means nothing to me, you know that?"
He sighs. "It's only the best broom in the business. Ok, come on then."
I step nervously towards him and James rolls his eyes. "Right, Lils, do you trust me?"
"To get rid of a Boggart? Yes. To annoy the hell out of me? Yes. To win the Quidditch Cup? Yes. But to keep me alive while hovering on a flimsy plank of wood? Not so much."
"This will make you feel better after earlier, I promise. Sirius-well...come on, Lils!"
"But what if-"
"Lily, shut up and get on the plank of wood."
I have to suppress a grin at that, and I walk over to where's he's standing with the broom. "Where do I-"
"You'll go at the front and I'll sit behind you."
I sit down where he points and then suddenly start to panic.
"But don't you have to go at the front to...you know, steer?"
"Yeah, but having two people on the broom will make it heavier, so we won't be going as fast as I usually would, so it'll be easier to steer."
"Still, why do I have to go at the front?"
"So..." He takes a deep breath, and then replies patiently. "So that you don't fall off the end."
"Fall off? How fast are we going to be going?"
"You'll see."
Before I can protest, he hops onto the back of the broom, wraps his arm around me, grabs the handle and kicks off from the ground. I fall backwards into him, before straightening myself up and looking down nervously, but we're only about a foot off the ground.
"Did you mean to do that?"
"Yep."
He leans forwards.
Then we're flying, soaring up and around and down. The wind's battering my face relentlessly, and the tip of my nose is ice-cold. Tears are forced to my eyes from the strong wind, and I'm laughing. Slowing down, James leans forward and speaks in my ear.
"Do you want me to slow down?"
"No! Go faster!" I laugh, and he obliges, diving towards the ground and pulling up at the last second; circling the stands and flying forwards then stopping in mid-air so that I fall into him, giggling.
I've never felt more free.
Toodle pip,
She-who-loves-fanfiction xx
