Chapter 7: Play
"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."
Saturday, September 27th, 1977
Lily looked down at the Quidditch Pitch. James was giving directions to the crowd in front of him. There was a large number of girls crowding around James. Tarts. I bet they can't even play! I could do better than them! All because James is on the team. And captain. They think they need Quidditch to get his attention. Pity.
"Lily, get down there," Sarah said grabbing Lily's arm and dragging her down the steps. "And you better get that look out from your eyes," Sarah advised.
Lily asked, "What look?"
"The look that says you're about to kill any girl within 10 feet of James."
"I do not!" Lily protested, but when the reached the field and saw James surrounded by more girls, the 'look' returned.
"Let's go," Sarah said walking to the group of people.
"But I don't even have a broom!"
"You can borrow mine. And I'm 100% positive that James will let you borrow his if you ask," Sarah teased.
"KEEPERS OVER THERE!" James yelled and pointed to his right. Two guys, a girl, and Sirius, moved.
"Chasers over there!" James yelled again, but pointed to his left. Sarah moved to his left and Lily followed her.
"Beaters stay where you are," James called out.
The keepers tried out first, while the people trying out for chasers and beaters watched.
"Sirius is pretty good," Lily said.
"Of course he is. He's been the keeper ever since 2nd year. Except for half of last year…" Sarah replied.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"I don't know. Remember the big row they all had last year?" Lily nodded. "Well, I think it had something to do with that."
The beaters tried out next.
"What was the row about?"
"Lily, if I knew, you'd know. Lia didn't even know. But it involved Snape."
"Yeah, I remember. Snape was unbearable then. He cursed and hexed them every chance he got. But always from the back. Never from the front."
Sarah agreed, "I know."
"He hasn't backed off this year at all."
"James has."
"I noticed."
"So you do pay attention to James?" Sarah asked.
"It's not like you can miss him, with the marauders and girls hanging around him."
"True…"
"There's an unusually large amount of girls trying out. Don't you think?"
"Yes, Lily."
"Chasers!" James yelled. Lily and Sarah walked to where James was standing. He had them fly around and try to score. He also put different people together to see how well they worked together.
"Lily is really good," Sirius told James as she made a score against Riley Bristow, last year's keeper for half of the season, on Kirsten's broom.
"Yeah," James said, watching Lily. "How comes she never tried out before?"
"I dunno."
"She and Sarah work really well together."
"They are best friends, Prongs. Don't' they usually work well together?" James nodded.
When everyone was done, and James was satisfied, he gathered them all together. "Thanks for coming out. You all were great. The list of the team will be put up tomorrow, after dinner. Even if you don't make it this year, try out next year."
The group of hopeful Quidditch players dispersed. Lily and Sarah walked up to the Heads Room and collapsed on the couch.
"I hope I make it," Sarah said.
"You will. You're an awesome player."
"So are you, Lily. I'm glad you decided to try it."
"You forced me to, Sarah," Lily reminded her.
"Right. Well, I'm glad I forced you to." They laughed.
"It wasn't that bad," Lily admitted.
"What? Did you think it was going to be painful?"
"No, it just wasn't what I was expecting."
"See? New things can be fun!"
Lily laughed, "Yeah, I guess."
"You should listen to me more often," Sarah told Lily.
"What about when you told me that James wouldn't like me anymore if I punch him? He only asked me out 83 more times that day!" they both laughed. Lily inwardly kicked herself. She had called Potter James. Again.
James and Sirius walked into the room. "You guys were great," James said before going into his room.
Sirius sat down across from them. "I didn't know you could play Quidditch," he said to Lily.
"I guess I can."
"James was impressed," he told her.
Her spirits soared, but instead Lily said, "So? Am I supposed to be flattered or something?"
Sirius shook his head and left.
"You are a mean, mean girl," Sarah told her.
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Sunday, September 28th, 1977
"Let's go see if he posted it yet," Sarah said. Lily followed Sarah to the Gryffindor Common Room where, indeed, James had posted the results of the Quidditch try outs. Sarah shoved her way to the front of the crowed and read the list to the entire room. "Seeker: James Potter. (Like we didn't know that!) Keeper: Sirius Black. (Again. What did happen last year…) Beaters: Derek Amherst. (First year on the team, eh?) And Zoë Robert. (Go Zoë! I'm so proud of you!) Chasers: Me. (YAY!) Trey Colville. (Girls love Quidditch player, Trey.) And- Merlin! Lily Evans! Lily! You're a Chaser!"
"Who's reserves?" a second year asked.
"Other way now! Chasers (Reserve people): Julia Reed. (Julia! That's awesome! I didn't see you yesterday!) Daniel Haymay. (You're kind a cute…just to let you know.) Andrew Beecher. (I don't' know you. Where are you? Oh, there you are!) Beaters: Ayla Dlock. (Cute eye shadow.)"
Lane and Cassidy pulled Lily up to their dorm.
"Lily! I didn't know you were going to try out for Quidditch!"
"I wasn't. But then Sarah made me."
"That's so awesome," Cassidy said.
Lily smiled.
"You didn't try out because of James?" Lane asked.
"No! I can't even believe I made it. I didn't think I would."
"You have to be good. James wouldn't put you on the team otherwise.
"That's not what other people think," Sarah said entering their dorm. "They just think the reason that Lily made the team is because James facies her. I'm on the team because I supposedly slept with James last night -no matter that I made it last year and the year before that. Besides it's not like I don't have you two who saw me go to my bed last night and wake up in it," she said sarcastically. She wasn't mad. In fact, she was quite amused. People always believed what they needed to hear. There had to be a reason for their failure.
Cassidy was appalled, "How could people say stuff like that?"
Sarah shrugged, "They're just mad that they didn't make it."
"You don't think he let me on the team just because…" Lily's voice trailed off.
"No," Sarah, Lane, and Cassidy said at once.
"He loves Quidditch too much. And this is his last year. He really wants that Cup again," Sarah said.
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"Sarah! Lily!" Kirsten called out as they passed the 6th year dorm.
"Yeah?" Lily asked stepping inside their room.
"Are you really a chaser?" Kirsten asked.
Lily nodded.
"And you're a chaser too?" Kirsten asked Sarah.
"Yes Kirsten. And Julia is a reserve chaser, we know," Sarah told her.
"Do you know what I heard?" Kirsten told them.
"We don't care what you heard," Sarah said.
"I bet none of it's true. I don't want to hear it. Especially if it has anything to do with Quidditch," Lily told her and left the room.
Sarah told Kirsten, "That was rude," and left.
"You're a bitch," Elisha told Kirsten.
"Look what you did," Julia told her. "Now I bet Lily'll never talk to us again. God Kirsten, think for once!"
"What did you hear though?" Rachel asked.
"That Lily is secretly dating Sirius, and Sirius got her onto the team," Kirsten told her.
"I heard that Remus is dating Sarah and Sarah threatened to break up with him if he didn't get James to put them both on the team," Rachel said.
"That's not it, you're wrong," Kirsten told her.
"You're both wrong. James is dating Sarah and Lily, but neither of them know that the other one is dating him," Elisha corrected them.
"None of that is true!" Julia said. Three pairs of eyes narrowed at her.
"How do you know?" Kirsten asked her.
"Because. Remus is dating Cassidy," Julia said.
"Oh! Her? He could surely do better," Kirsten said.
"Sirius likes Sarah, but she will not go out with him," Julia said.
"I hate her," Kirsten informed them.
"Oh please, yesterday you were going on about how you wanted to be her," Julia said.
"Things change," Kirsten said.
"Too bad you don't," Elisha muttered.
"James isn't dating Sarah. Nor did he sleep with her last night. Lily won't go out with him," Julia said.
"Oh! Sarah slept with James?" Kirsten asked, suddenly interested in what Julia was saying.
"NO! He didn't. Kirsten come back here!" Julia shouted at the figure disappearing out of their dorm.
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Wednesday, October 1st, 1977
"No, that charms essay is due tomorrow," Lily told Sarah.
"Oh great. I'll have to do it tonight," Sarah complained.
"You should really write this stuff down, Sarah," Lane told her.
"But that's what I have Lily for. Besides, I'd probably loose the parchment I wrote it on."
The owl post came in and dropped an oblong package in front of Lily.
"What is it?" Cassidy asked.
"Open it Lily," Sarah said eagerly, ignoring, for a moment, the letter in her hand.
Lily opened the package and found a Nimbus 1,000. She stared at in in awe.
"James'll go ballistic when he sees that. It's newer than his," Sarah said.
"What's newer than mine?" James asked coming up behind Lily. "You got a new broom."
"Yeah, I did," Lily replied.
"How did you get it?"
"McGonagall helped get it for me."
"I only have a 900! And Sirius too. How did you get a 1,000? It's the newest one!"
Lily shrugged. "I'm going to take it upstairs before classes," Lily said and left for her room with Sarah following her, reading her letter.
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Thursday, October 2nd, 1977
What am I doing here? I don't belong here. I can't even play that well. I'll just go tell James that I quit. Yes. I'm going to go tell him right now, Lily thought.
"You'll do no such thing MM," Sarah whispered to her. "There's a reason you're here."
Damn you Sarah! Sarah laughed beside her. Stay out Sarah! It's not fair! Stop it!
"It might not be fair, but it's dead useful. And fun."
Yeah, for you, you tart.
"Now, MM, that's my word. Don't go stealing my words."
Tart.
"Come on, let's go," Sarah said and walked out of the girls' changing room with Lily following behind reluctantly. Derek and Trey were talking with Zoë. James and Sirius came out last with the chest and they started practice.
A/N: I'm so glad you guys like it so far! And all of your reviews are awesome! I enjoy reading what you thought of it. And I know you all are waiting for Lily and James to get together…they're getting there, I promise. Closer and closer with each chapter.
"You are a mean, mean girl," Sarah told her.
"You're a bitch," Elisha told Kirsten.
I love Mean Girls! It's sooo funny, and I just had to put that in there, even if I had to break it up.
Do you guys like Lily playing Quidditch? It'll lead up to something, which I guess, could've happened if she didn't, but :shrugs: I like it anyways. I always thought, why doesn't Lily ever play Quidditch? Well, now she does! Lol.
And all of the 6th year girls (in Gryffindor) have their names for a reason...they are the names of...