Chapter 5: Flying lessons

A shrill shout wormed its way suddenly into a suspiciously peaceful dream I was having, making me jerk wide awake. My ears were stinging from all the horrid noise and I had to blink several times before the image before me started to focalize.

"Bloody hell, guys!" I mumble, clutching my head in my hands as I watch Sirius and James prancing around as if it weren't the first hour of the morning. "I'm always the one to shake your lazy asses outta bed. Did your subscription to 'Witches Weekly' finally get approved?"

My comment makes those bastards instantly stop in their tracks and start throwing me some rather unpleasant looks, while Peter's laugh fills in the silence.

"come on, man!" James snaps at6 him, "You were supposed to be on our side," making poor Peter turn a deep shade of crimson.

"Anyhoo," Sirius announces, clearing his throat "Today is a special day, which is why we four gentlemen have gathered here-"

"Your yodeling has woken us up" I interrupt, pretending to still be annoyed, yet unable to contain a small grin.

"After Mr. Lupin will accordingly sod off" he continued, almost unfazed and in just as pompous a manner as before. "We will procced to attend the first ever flying lesson. We will be soaring so high, be so magnificent, they will simply have to raise the ban. And they will do so because of our sheer unmistakable talents, not because my mother bullied Madame Hooch…"

"Your mother did what?" I ask, confused about just how casually that part was now brought up.

"To the Quiddich field!" he shouted and marched out of the room, immediately followed by an overenthusiastic Peter.

"Umm…James" I mumbles to the one person who remained behind, clearly having the mane thoughts as I was , watching Sirius leave with a pained expression.

"Yeah…he might be more conflicted about his family than we'd thought…"

"Yeah, no duh," I reply. It's obvious he wants to get away from them, yet he keeps seeking their approval and the stigma of pride is still evident, despite how horribly he complains about them.

James's POV

Despite my worry about Sirius, I can't help but feel a huge surge of excitement when Madame Hooch arrives on the field and starts dealing out technical advice for broom riding.

'Yeah I know all that', I mumble to myself, wondering how long it would take to get me on the house team.

"Hold out your hand over your broom and say 'up'"

I feel the slick wood slide right into my outstretched hand and heart pull of pride I mount it. Turing around I notice that mostly everyone has done the same, except a few boys whose brooms were still rolling around in the grass, and –well bless my soul, what an ironic situation- Lily Evans, whose broom hadn't even moved an inch and who Madame Hooch was now personally instructing.

"Stop smirking Potter!" she shouted as soon as the teacher had moved away, finally managing to help Evans, not after quite a struggle

"How do you even know I was even looking at you?" I asked with a huge smile, wondering how on earth this day was going so well and why it had taken it three weeks to arrive.

"I guessed!" she snapped, throwing me an ugly look.

"When the whistle was blown I took off into the sky, feeling he cold air rushing through my hair. Just as I was preparing to whizz off into a dive, I caught a glimpse of Sirius with a rather gloomy expression.

"You are on a frigging broomstick, black!" I snap upon reaching him. "we literally composed a song about today!"

"Yeah I just," he started before shaking his head. "Mom didn't even try to bully the coach as she'd said."

It took me a few moments to process what he'd just said.

"Wow wait, you actually wanted her to do that?" I ask, suddenly confused about who this person in front is at this point.

"What, no, course not" he mumbled, with half a voice, not even meeting my eyes. "That would make me a terrible person...a Slytherin..."

"Dude, I get it" I say in a disappointed tone, "you are from the great and most noble blah, blah, you were raised to believe everything should be handed over to you...so was I, kind of, why do you think I'm so stuck up sometimes?"

"Sometimes?" He raised his eyebrow and I shoved him playfully.

"The point is, " I continue, happy that I've managed to put a smile on his face. "We have each other's backs here, we're Gryffindors and what you are thinking is not cool...So get you head out of your arse and come play with us"

Sirius finally gave me a bigger grin and just as we were about to take off, someone shouted 'cannonball' and blasted right through both of us, almost making us fall off.

"Lupin, you maniac!" I hear Sirius shout and it suddenly hits me why he was actually upset. It wasn't for the lack of bullying, but more for the lack of caring to do even that from his mother...

Lily's POV

"Don't worry, Lils, it will soon come to you! It's not something you cannot learn..." Sev kept mumbling on, but I was barely listening. I was so angry I could barely get my book all together.

"Oh god, you should have seen stupid Potter's expressions. So high and mighty as always!"

"You really shouldn't let him get to you, he isn't worth it!" He shouted after me as I made my way through the courtyard, heading towards Charms.

"Oi Evans!" I hear a way too familiar voice as roll my eyes as I turn around. I already knew from experience that ignoring him wasn't going to make things even remotely better. "What?" I snap as he comes strutting over to me with that horrid, horrid smile.

"Leave her alone, Potter, she clearly doesn't want to talk to you" Severus says coldly, getting back an even colder look.

"Oh sod off, Snivelly, she can speak for herself!"

"Potter!" I growl menacingly, and earn a sigh from him.

"Fine...Severus can you please leave us to talk for a sec"

I plead him to do so with my eyes even though he is clearly quite reluctant, but the quicker this is over the better.

"What is it now, Potter, I have to get to class...as do you of course but no wonder you don't mind about that!"

"I'll get to the point! Remember how you said I was...hmm what's the word...indebted to you?" he mumbled, trying to seem oh, so clever, but I could see through his dumb façade; he hated owing someone indefinitely.

"How could I forget?" I reply with a sarcastic smile.

"Well I just found a way to repay your act of kindness...As I couldn't help but notice you weren't exactly...shining today at flying lesson..." the same condescending tone as before, which makes me want to hex him more than ever.

"I was perfectly fine, Potter and I don't need your help. You are not the god of flying, nor of Quiddich for that matter." I snap at him, unable to believe the nerve he has.

"How could you say that, Evans? You've broken my heart!" if I didn't know any better, I'd say, he was actually hurt…

"Listen here buddy, cause I'm not going to say it twice! Your debt is replayed the way I want it to. Now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere to be."

"Goddamn you, Lily Evans!" I hear him mutter as I get away and allow myself a victory smile.