Chapter Twenty: The Quidditch Pitch
She knew that she would have to face James and the knowledge she held in her heart, but she didn't want to face it yet. It was simpler this way, and maybe she wouldn't have to confess it all to him before the school year ended. She stood at the cauldron through the entire potions class and as the class ended, she cast a protective spell over it. She wasn't going to let anyone slip anything in to the potion while she wasn't around. A silvery-grey protective bubble surrounded it. Lily smiled as she stored her wand and headed with the other students to the greenhouse for Herbology.
Lily's bandaged hand had caused Lily some trouble, and she was a little upset that the school had confiscated her dagger. Lily was paired with James to help her in class, though no knife work was needed. They were to de-thorn some juvenile Thorny Harpies. Lily couldn't help but laugh at James as he wrestled with a plant that had no intention on letting James remove its thorns easily. He laughed at her as she held the plant in her arms, struggling.
"Just hold it and I will try and snatch the thorns," James told her. She nodded, amused that he felt the need to actually tell her what was already obvious.
At the end of Herbology, the seventh years had their customary free period, and Lily was grateful for the chance to have a break to run back and check on the potion. She sprinted off toward the castle. James and Sirius watched her curiously.
"Well, that seemed to go well," Sirius said as he watched James pull the last of the thorns out of his arm. James shrugged.
"I wouldn't have to be working so hard to remind her about us if you guys hadn't forced her to drink a second potion. Things were going to change between us, I felt it," James said crossly.
"We said that we were sorry, James," Remus defended.
"It is just going to take some time for me to forgive," James said quietly. He started out of the greenhouse ahead of them and headed to the Quidditch pitch for practice. Remus, Sirius, and Peter joined him, following slowly.
"Are you still coming tonight?" Remus asked quietly as the four changed into their Quidditch robes. James thought about it for a moment.
"I suppose I should," James slowly as he left the changing room and headed out onto the pitch. He mounted his broom and hollered at the other players on the team as he led them around in drills.
During practices, it was not uncommon for other students to come out and watch, or at least sit in the stands. James usually ignored them, not really caring if anyone watched. He would just play and lead as he normally would. Sirius flew to his side, riding level with him.
"I don't want to alarm you, but Lily is in the stands," Sirius said to him. He was gesturing to where she sat, high in the stands, alone. She wasn't watching the pitch, but she was there in the stands, none the less. Instead, she was leaning back, her head tilted back, looking at the sapphire blue sky that was adorned with fluffy white picture clouds. The gentle breeze caught her hair a few times, causing her hair to dance around her shoulders.
"Oh," James drawled softly. He had never quite seen her in such a light, and he was even more drawn to her at that moment.
"I just thought that I would let you know, since I don't think I have even seen her down here during matches," Sirius said. Remus had pulled even with James and Sirius and was now watching Lily.
"She's not really into Quidditch," James admitted with a slight smile on his face.
She was in her uniform, her shirt loosen at the collar rather than buttoned up tight. She seemed to be basking in the warm sunlight that was shining directly on her. Lily shoes and knee socks were on the bench next to her, and she seemed to be enjoying the warmth of the sun and moments of silence that had enveloped her. Alice had started up the stands toward her, calling her name. Lily looked at Alice and had laughed soundlessly at something Alice had said. Lily was listening captivity as Alice spoke while Lily balanced her wand on a single finger distractedly. Her eyes left Alice's face momentarily and looked directly at James.
She glanced back at Alice and nodded. Lily slid her socks onto her feet and slipped her feet back into her shoes, buckling them on the sides. Lily climbed to her feet and laughed at Alice as they headed quickly down the stands. They disappeared from sight and James looked over Remus and Sirius. They shrugged and took to the skies, wanting to get as much practice in before their next class.
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