♥️ 𝒥𝒾𝓁𝓎 ♥️

【James is the star chaser. But he'd be nothing without her...】

(Entry for Wizards Got Talent- 1st place winner)

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It was no secret that James Potter could fly. In fact, he was arguably the best flyer in Hogwarts; having been the star chaser for an impressive six years with three of the quidditch cups under his belt from that duration. Some people even went as far as saying he was the best captain Hogwarts had seen in decades. He had interest from quidditch teams all over the country, eager to sign him to their teams before he left from his final year, and he had girls flocking to him and asking him his secret. Most of the time he would just tell them it was just excessive practice but he knew there was a much deeper routed answer. And that answer was Lily Evans...

(First year)

"I'm telling you Kenneth Druly should not be on the first team. He'll ruin Puddlemere in the heats before we can even get to the knockouts! They're much better with someone like Cassandra Finch!"
An eleven year old James Potter was adamant and stubborn as he put forward his case to a scowling and wholeheartedly disagreeing Lily Evans one sunny day in May 1971.

"Kenneth Druly has been carrying the whole team for the best part of the season and it would be unfair to bench him now, he's done too much for the team!" Lily Evans snapped back, her red hair flaming around her shoulders, acting as some sort of warning to those who dared cross her.

"But it's not about 'fair'! It's about who plays best! And Finch has been playing much better than Druly since she got off the second team!" James' usually bright hazel eyes were reduced to slits as he watched his debate opponent shake her head vigorously from the seat next to him in the transfiguration classroom.

"Exactly!" She cried, "she was on the second team! Druly was never on the second team, he went straight to the first and he's been going strong ever since!"

"But he's been on the first team for six years! He's getting on a bit really- he's twenty eight- most quidditch players never surpass twenty five! The oldest I've seen was thirty one and even then he was a legend and Kenneth Druly is most definitely not a legend!"

"And you're telling me Cassandra Finch is a legend?" Lily put a challenging hand on her hip before deciding she looked a little bit too obnoxious and rested on folding her arms instead.

"She may well could be! We'll never know if she's not put on the first bloody team!"

Lily could be seen shaking her head. Fixing James with an ever so mocking look that made him feel a little like a fool. Which of course he wasn't a fool- he was James Potter- but Lily Evans made him feel as though he must be (a fool).

"I don't buy it. Cassandra is only on the team so they don't look sexist against the Harpies."

James gasped melodramatically, reaching up to pull at the raven curls that sat atop his head.
"Are you kidding me?! Puddlemere has a female keeper! And in case you didn't know their last captain was a woman and she's the best captain they've had in fifty years. Aisling McGirr was world class- in fact that's not just a figure of speech she played in the first team for Ireland!"

"Oh please!" She scoffed, laughing sardonically, "Aisling may have been a good captain but that doesn't excuse the fact that Finch is only on the second team to keep the press off their backs about the lack of females in the second team- in which she is the only one!"

At this James hesitated, almost agreeing and letting the matter drop. But he didn't. He was James Potter after all and he didn't lose arguments. Especially not to girls that had only learnt about quidditch less than a year ago.

"Finch deserves her place! Puddlemere's manager is one of the strictest in the country- he's not going to cast someone without talent!"

Lily watched him for a moment; seemingly deciding if it was even worth it to continue this argument with the boy to her left. Eventually the knowledge that he would live in ignorance his whole life fulled her decision to reply:
"But isn't it convenient she's good looking too? You don't think he cast her to get good PR and a new mistress? After all, Higgins has had scandals in the past?"

This left James positively flummoxed. He was halfway through composing a reply when the ring of their Professor's voice filled the room and closed the argument for them.
"POTTER! EVANS! Enough! Hush now!"

It was just as well Professor McGonogall stopped him when she did because after being left to think about it he realised that Lily was indeed right. He would never admit it to her however. Not in a million years...

(Second year)

"Good match Prongs! You made chasing look easy out there!" Sirius Black slapped his best friend on the back proudly as they made their way back in from James' first ever match.

"Cheers mate. To be honest I thought that Davison's game was a bit sloppy anyway, probably why we got past him so easy. Hufflepuff really need a new keeper."

Remus Lupin, another friend of James nodded in agreement while Peter Pettigrew- the final member of the quartet was quick to agree as well.

"I mean, Crews is probably the only player on that team worth the time of day!" James continued, now almost in the castle doors. It was only then that he spotted a familiar character just about to take a seat underneath the oak tree by the lake.

"Excuse me a minute boys- I think we need a detour."

Sirius followed James' line of sight and grinned, "this'll be good then."

"Oi Evans!"

Lily didn't turn.

"Evans!"

Nothing.

"Lily Jacquline Evans!"

This time her attention was caught and she whipped her red hair round to glare at the group of boys.

"How did you know my middle name?" She grimaced at the reminder she even possessed the monstrosity of a title.

"Lucky guess!" Replied Sirius.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Replied James.

"It's on your Charms notebook." Replied Remus.

Peter just shrugged.

Lily just shook her head, dismissing the boy's cluster of speech and reminding herself to interrogate them about it later.
"What do you want?"

James laughed mirthfully, his hazel eyes alight with mischief and irksome laughter.
"Did you catch the game?"

"Why? Do you want me to stroke your ego like everyone else in this school? Not going to happen!"
Even underneath her thick blanket of millions upon millions of freckles it was still easy to see her cheeks burning red from anger.

"Did you see the game or not Evans?" Sirius rolled his eyes easily, seemingly un-phased by the apparent nuclear bomb that was brewing in Lily's chest.

"Yes! I saw the bloody game! Now leave me alone I'm meeting Sev here!"

Peter grinned with the anticipation of what he knew was about to unfold.

"Oh Sev?! Why ever didn't you say? We must stay and hang out seeing and me and him are such besties!" James drawled sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air in an extravagant gesture.

"Get lost Potter." Lily sneered, her tone was perilous, much too frightening for a twelve year old.

James ignored her, just as equally uncaring to Lily's attempts at scaring them as Sirius was.
"In what light was the game then Evans? Seen as your such a master? The only one that foresaw Kenneth Druly for the player that he is. Let's hear your take on the game Miss I-know-everything?!"

For a moment James was worried he'd upset her for she took much longer to reply than he had anticipated.

"Your dodges were predictable. You might as well have given them a script of your movements. It's a miracle you were playing Hufflepuff. If it was Ravenclaw then you'd have been cooked!" And with that she stormed off, leaving James speechless.
And as if her words didn't sting enough she shot him them one last glare and announced, "I'll find somewhere else to meet Severus!"

(Third year)

Lily's words stung him all the way through second year. He could still hear them ringing whenever he played a match, telling him to do better.

And so he did.

And by the time they reached third year James was perhaps one of the best dodgers in the school. He always had something new to tryout and it almost always seemed to work.
So by the mid season playoffs James was the best goal scorer in Gryffindor.

"That play was one of the most creative things I've seen in a while, Potter! It payed off well!"

"Congratulations on the game, Potter!"

"Nice one James!"

"You've got the season record for goal scoring!"

James smiled and shook hands with all the girls and boys willing to congratulate him on Gryffindor's win over Slytherin. The common room was crowded with fans throwing a party for the team but James was only looking for one girl. To annoy her, ask her out or both he wasn't yet sure but he knew he wanted to find her.

She was never hard to find. Her striking red hair licked her back like a cloak of flames and made her stand out in a crowd like a dragon in a colony of mice.
She was perched on the edge of an armchair in the corner of the common room, wearing an odd look on her face. Her eyes were glazed over and her usual bright smile was faltering.

"Evans?"

Lily said nothing but didn't object when he sat down next to her (James wasn't even sure she knew he was there).

"Lily?... Jac?"

She turned to fix James with a murderous look.

"What?"

"Why're you in a huff? We won!"

She looked at him with a complicated stare; somewhere between pondering committing homicide and throwing her arms around his neck and weeping.
She chose neither, however, and settled on something less drastic:
"I know but Sev didn't. And he always gets odd when we beat him."

James' eyes widened in disbelief, "this is what you're sulking like a moron about?"

Lily glared but nodded slowly.

"Why? It's not Snivellous' place to be angry at you! You're not even in the team! And neither is he so unless he wants to correct the issue himself tell him to stop being such a girl!"

She laughed acerbically, looking away from him and instead staring out the window to the fading light of sundown; the abendrot still glowing over the horizon in orange and purple hues.

"I'm serious, Evans. You could take him in a fight if you wanted to so don't let that slimeball get to you, okay?"

Lily was quiet for a moment before pushing off on her knees and nodding, "okay."

James grinned as she set off into the party, he'd almost forgotten to ask her about the game.
He needn't have worried, however, because before he could catch up with her she'd already doubled back and was on front of him once more.
"Your teamwork is appalling by the way. You can't just play the hero and not let anyone else do their job."

"Oh..." it was safe to say James had never heard such advice before. Ever since he was born he'd been showered with praise and affection. Being told something like that was enough to knock him completely speechless.

"Yeah. I'd work on reducing your rather large head if you can. It'd way you down awfully on the pitch!" Then she was gone, leaving James with an ambivalence he'd never experienced before towards the redheaded beauty.

(Fourth year)

Fourth year mainly consisted of a deep routed conflict between Lily Evans and James Potter. The rest of the year group watched with great interest as their relationship developed into a fierce rivalry; but not only that...
Besides from the verbal ping-pong that had blossomed there was a new element to the dynamic they had.

James had taken a shine to asking out Lily on dates wherever they went.

In the corridors, in the grounds, in the quidditch stands, in the common room, the greenhouses, the divination tower, the Great Hall, the forest, the lake and just about every nook and cranny of the castle. It was impossible for her to escape his frivolous attempts to impress her.

Whether it was flying upside down, sitting atop a rather tall tree, catching a snitch, stealing from the kitchens, hexing Slytherins or simply just clever wordplay nothing he did seemed to grab her attention.

And yet James wasn't really all that sure he wanted it. Of course he'd seen a new side to Lily that night in the common room last year but it was still hard to tell what that was. So he decided to compensate for his confusion by confusing Lily equally as much.

But still -just like he had done last year- James couldn't shake the criticism she had given him.

And so, once again, he fixed it.

He was still the star chaser of the school but now he had learned the importance of passing, of making better decisions that wouldn't impact the team negatively. He'd tried his best to stop -as Lily quite rightly put it as- 'playing the hero'.

And he'd come to realise that you don't need to be the hero to enjoy playing, and now he loved the game more than ever.

And the added bonus fourth year brought was the now overwhelming interest the female residents of Hogwarts seemed to show him.
But as welcome as the attention was there was still only one girl he'd like to impress...

"Jac!" James called as he spotted the orange spark of fire from the stands, book in hand and a scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Don't call me that!" She hissed back as he flew over to her. Taking a break from the practice.

"Come to watch me play?" He winked at her coquettishly.

"No, I've come to see Marlene play. If you weren't too far up your own arse you'd notice she's the new chaser!" Lily replied, fixing him with a look not unlike Professor McGonagall when she was -in Sirius' words- 'on the war path'.

"Fucking hell Evans, I was joking!" He chuckled superciliously at her before meeting her eyes with an acerbic smirk.
"But I forgot, didnt I? You can't take a joke!"

"What makes you say that?" She snapped in reply, trying to hide her glimmer of offence.

"Because you currently look like you'd rather enjoy ripping my spinal cord out from my throat!"

"That would be correct."

"Thought so."

Lily tried her upmost best to hide her smile at his final retort.

"Right, Warren'll wring my neck if I'm out for longer then this so I'll be off?"

She nodded, "sure."

But before he disappeared she couldn't resist making one final comment:
"Oh and Potter?"

He stopped in the air and looked at her from over his shoulder in the not-so-conventional way of leaning his head back so he could see her from an upside down point of view.

"Uh-huh?"

"You're putting too much effort in decision making that you're slowing down. I've seen first years go faster than that!"

Usually Lily would enjoy his speechlessness at her critics but this time he was ready...

"I've never seen you go faster than that! How come you're never on a broom?"

"Have you ever heard the cliche 'coaches don't play'?"

James frowned at her from his upside down stance, "you're not a coach."

Then he was gone.

(Fifth year)

In truth, fifth year was where Lily Evans and James Potter's rivalry came to a climax and it wasn't pretty. Not at all.

Of course he'd taken Lily's advice and he was faster than even the seekers on a speed burst but that didn't bother him as much anymore because in fifth year things went too far...

Mudblood

That's what he called her.

Mudblood

And it was all James' fault.

He'd provoked Severus, he'd bullied him, he'd insulted him, cursed him, hexed him, he'd been a terrible person and now he was paying for it. He was paying for it in Lily's pain.

As soon as it happened he'd raced after her, pulling at the strands of his raven curls in frustration as if yanking them out would reverse the time.

He chased her as soon as his legs began working, having previously frozen in shock at the disgusting word that tumbled out of Severus Snape's mouth.

Of course as soon as Severus uttered the name he wanted instantly to take it back. But that was the thing with words: they didn't go back in. They were powerful enough to end friendships with the snap of a finger, to make them just as quickly, and now James would attempt to use them to say sorry.

This time he wouldn't endeavour to impress her by flaunting his talents or insulting someone lesser than him. This time he would just be James. He only hoped it would be enough...

He found her sitting on the ground of the fifth floor corridor, which was completely empty, it looked dystopian in that light- like a ghost town.

"Evans?" He whispered, terrified that speaking too loudly would make something worse happen.

She didn't answer.

"Jac?"

Her head was in her hands, resting on her knees and her hair cloaked her sigh.

She sniffed.

"Lily?"

This time she responded. Finally looking up with teary eyes she scowled at him, her cheeks blotched with red patches and her nose red too.
"Go away."

She didn't sound too authentic in her anger but James realised this was understandable. He didn't listen to her, though. Because he knew that's not what she really wanted.
Instead he ventured his way over to her and kneeled down to face her.
When she refused to look up at him he decided it wasn't worth trying.

"Lily, I'm sorry. I'm more than sorry. It's not just for what just happened though. I'm sorry for being an inconsiderate, arrogant, egotistical prick- don't try and shake your head at me you know I'm right. You've said as much yourself." He sighed shakily, letting out a nervous chuckle before continuing, shuffling closer to her so he could put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm a prick and I know I am. But don't they all say that acknowledgment is the first step to recovery? Anyway- I'm done being a twat. I know that's easier said than done but I can't stand hurting you anymore. I'm going to try and be less... less James Potter. And again it's not as easy as it sounds out loud but I'm hoping that this grand monologue is going to go towards by redemption."

Lily smiled sadly. Finally looking up at him with a gaze that conveyed far too many emotions to count.
Sadness, anger, frustration, tiredness and somehow- perhaps worst of all- she looked broken.

Tears slipped out of her breathtaking eyes and tumbled down her cheeks, making them resemble bleeding emeralds.

"Jac, I know you hate me but-"

"I don't hate you." She cut him off suddenly.

"You don't?"

Lily shook her head softly, "no. I never did, not really. I know you're not a bad person but James... I... I just..." she sighed with vexation as she attempted to recollect her words.
"I just, I can't deal with the way you act so hot and cold all the damn time!"

James was frowning now, too shocked to comment on her speech, and too confused to know what to say anyway. So instead he watched her with a solicitous gaze.

"It's like... remember that time in third year when I was upset with S-S..." she trailed off at his name. She would deal with him later.
"And you told me I shouldn't let that slimeball get to me?"

"I stand by it."

She smiled gratefully but didn't comment.
"You were so nice to me. I almost thought you were worth being kind to, but then I thought of some really good insults!"

James laughed and shook his head cheekily, moving slightly so he could sit next to Lily with his back against the wall.

"And now, back there you did... that. And it wasn't as if I didn't see it coming from the start- me and... we weren't meant to be friends anyway. But you were so different to the third year boy that told me I could take him in a fight and I just wish I could see third year James Potter more often."

It took a moment for James to reply. He knew she was right but it was an odd feeling to hear it out loud. Like when one's innocence is shattered by the information that babies don't come from storks.

"Okay. I'll bring him out more often, but just a heads up he isn't nearly as attractive as me!"

And just like that the dark cloud was lifted and they laughed.

"I can live with that." Lily smiled, resting her head on his shoulder and grinning stupidly.
"Didn't I tell you to stop playing the hero that day?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah! Yeah you did. Cheeky bitch, that plagued me for months!"

"Really?"

"Sure I was fucking vexed!"

"Don't swear!"

James blushed in embarrassment but soon realised she was kidding and they laughed again.

"You should work on your defence though." She commented after their laughter had died down.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Seriously."

"Yes miss."

(Sixth year)

There wasn't a single soul that was surprised when James was given captaincy of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Except, maybe, James Potter himself. He wasn't prepared in the slightest for the massive responsibility that was running the teams schedules and practices and working closely with the prefects to make sure practise didn't interrupt rounds.

He was in knee deep and that was before he even had his first game!

Of course he'd not just been given the job (his defensive play had gotten a lot better however). He'd earned it from years of practice and maybe, just maybe from years of Lily Evans' voice plaguing his training.

He was destined to be a good captain, maybe even a great one but if he was to be as good at the theory as he was at the practical then he needed advice...

Conducting a friendship with Lily Evans sounded much harder than it really was.
They both had a love for classic books, black & white movies and Puddlemere United. They also made for great study partners; James topped the class in Transfiguration where Lily needed extra help. Lily was incredible at Charms where as James didn't care for them. They both shared a mutual talent for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions (however they did not share the same level of love for the later subject).

All in all, Lily and James made easy company. Perhaps a little too easy...

"See this would mean that you'd have to move practise to Thursday and Saturday otherwise fourth year would be in rounds." Lily explained, a large spreadsheet of all the weeks events penned onto it- one of the many advantages of being a prefect.

"But I don't have a fourth year on my team!"

"You don't? I thought Sophia Nesbit was on the team?"

James shook his head, "she was a bitch. I can't work with her so I gave her the choice."

Lily looked intrigued, "what's the choice then?"

"Either she quits or I kick her!"

"I hope you mean off the team!..."

"Of course I mean off the team you halfwit!"

Lily's laughter was as infectious as a disease. It spread around a room like a wildfire and didn't cease until long after she did. It was the type of laugh that was genuinely nice to listen to.

"I was just making sure!"

He scoffed, "yeah well, you needn't have worried because I'm not too fond of kicking women. I wasn't really brought up an animal!"

At this Lily stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Classy."

She scowled.

"Scary." He mocked.

"Are you familiar with castration? Because I'd be more than willing to show you the basics!"

It was now James' laughter that filled the library like honey. Lily had always loved his laugh. It made him seem like a child and a man all at once.
Her heart always seemed to do something peculiar whenever he laughed like he was now.

"I think I'll take a rain-check on that one thanks, Jac," he replied once he calmed down from his chuckles.

"You really are terrible at scheduling you know?" Lily informed him.

"I know."

"If you're going to be captain next year then you'll need to be better at that."

He nodded dismissively, "I know, keep your hair on woman!"

"It's still on!" Lily insisted, her angry blush seeping through her cheeks and making an appearance through her thick shield of freckles.

They stayed in the library long after they'd finished scheduling. Just talking and studying and laughing together- as easy as breathing...

"So Danielle McCormick?"

Lily didn't want to bring it up but suddenly the words tumbled out her lips clumsily and her face went an even deeper red.

To say she was jealous, she thought, wouldn't be the correct word. She preferred 'interested' and she settled on adding 'as a friend' in for good measure.

"What about her?"

"Aren't you two?..."

James shrugged, "Dani? I mean she's... cool, I guess?"

"I thought you two were?..." she couldn't bring herself to say it in fear of blurting out something she shouldn't.

"No! I mean... I said she's cool but she's not my type of cool if you know what I mean?"

Lily didn't know what he meant.
"What is your type of cool then?"

"Well for starters Dani doesn't know anything about quidditch..."

(Seventh year)

The final year at Hogwarts was perhaps one of James' favourites.
Being Head Boy was perhaps the biggest shock to him but having Lily to guide him through as Head Girl made the whole ordeal much less daunting. They spent many nights playing wizard's chess by the Head's Common Room fire and drinking stolen butterbeer (being Head Boy didn't mean he wasn't a marauder)!

He'd learnt how to be more of a 'third-year-James' and now he was perhaps one of the most respected students in the school. Quidditch captain, star chaser, Head Boy, marauder- James had the world at his feet.

But he didn't want the world.

He wanted Lily Evans.

She was the one that made him who he had grown to be- and she made him want to be even better.
Lily was kind, she was beautiful, she was fiery, clever, witty, and she was miles out of his league...

"It's Potter with the Quaffle... passes to McKinnon... Patterson... INTERCEPTED BY ZAFRON!"

James swore as he started his pursuit of the Slytherin chaser.
They were half an hour into the Gryffindor versus Slytherin quidditch cup final and James was determined to take this home for his team.

He'd worked on his organisation with help from Lily and his team had trained harder than ever before- they had to win this!
James thought back to the spreadsheet of plays he'd made the team memorise and searched for a play that would get them back in possession.

"TRI FOUR!" He yelled loud enough for his chasers to hear and get in a triangle position around the Slytherin chaser, stopping any potential backup or passes from Zafron's teammates.

"Zafron with the quaffle, seemingly blocked by the lions!... he attempts a pass to Boyce!..."

James saw the drop coming before Zafron even made it. Boyce had appeared directly underneath the Slytherin and had his arm outstretched.
James was ready.

As soon as the ball left Zafron's clutch James somersaulted underneath him and grabbed the Quaffle before zipping away with it.

"POTTER HAS THE QUAFFLE!"

And he scored with it.

He looked out onto the crowd to see his friends cheering for him in ear splitting yells but he was only watching one of them.

Lily was beaming at him in a smile that would melt stone. She was beautiful. A Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her neck despite it being mid June and her hair had gold glitter sprayed into it, making her shimmer in the sunlight.

He grinned back at her before speeding up at assist Marlene McKinnon in her next surge for the goal posts...

They were down 210- 360 by the time Osborne had seen the snitch. And by the time Gaiman had seen it James knew his seeker wouldn't get there on time. They had lost their keeper half an hour earlier to an illegal bludger and they'd let things considerably slip.

In order to win they needed this game by ten points for the cup. That meant they needed the snitch and one more goal.

They had about five minutes before Osborne was bound to catch the snitch, judging by the snitches behaviour during the rest of the game it was particularly persistent.

One more goal.

But it would all be for nothing without the snitch...

What should he do?

Was there a way to stop the snitch from being caught?

Yes! Yes there was!

He cupped his hands around his month and took a deep breath- "JAQ TEN!"

Marlene McKinnon and Neil Patterson fixed him with an odd look, "we need to play fast, Potter!"

"JUST DO IT!"

He flew into his chosen position, underneath the seekers, slightly to the right of Osborne.

"What is Potter doing?"

Potter, was running a new play for the very first time. And it was named after everything it stood for.

JAQ 10

It involved playing the long game, (Just like James had done for the past seven years) and it involved using the whole team (not being the hero), it involved being fast (not as slow as the first years), it involved knowing when to dodge (not be predictable), and most of all it involved trusting your team. It was a difficult play but if it worked then they would be holding the quidditch cup in less than five minutes...

McKinnon was above him, watching for his signal, the Quaffle was in her possession and everything else was blocked out. Patterson was running circles round her, making sure the Slytherin's couldn't get to her.

"What are the lions doing?!"

James held his arm out to his right and snapped his fingers once- the signal.

Marlene dropped the Quaffle and held her breath...

It fell directly down, just like James wanted.

"The Quaffle is going to hit the seekers! That's a serious foul!"

But the Quaffle didn't hit the seekers.

It did whizz past an unsuspecting Osborne's ear, snapping him out of his concentration trance and making him jump. But before it could do any damage James rolled underneath him and grabbed the Quaffle.

Now he had one shot. And he needed to make it fast, he needed to make it before his seeker caught the snitch...

He raced up towards the hoops, blocking out the screams and yells of the stands beneath him and pretending the commentator wasn't even there.

He reached the hoops and zig zagged his way along the row, endeavouring to confuse the keeper. It didn't work.

He had one more option.

He had to make a mistake...

Being the hero wasn't always about being cool, or making the best looking goals. Sometimes it was about doing what had to be done. And so James flew up to where he was slightly higher than the hoops... then he slipped.

Of course he meant to but that wasn't for the keeper to know.
He wanted to be upside down, holding on by his legs with the Quaffle slipping from his fingers.
And so in the shock of the moment he flung himself almost off his broom.

The stands gasped... he was going to die! But they didn't know that he was exactly where he wanted to be; in his upside down he flung the Quaffle past an open mouthed keeper into the far away goal.

"HES DONE IT!... OH MY GODRIC HES GOING TO FALL!"

But he didn't fall. Of course he didn't fall. He knew he wasn't going to fall because Marlene and Paterson were waiting underneath him, pulling his back up onto his broom.

"GAIMAN HAS THE SNITCH! THE LIONS SECURE AN EXTRAORDINARY WIN!"

Screams filled the air and deafened James and his team as they soared round the stands in a victory lap; grinning at the students as they watched on with glee, jumping up and down and hugging each other in their elation.

But James, once again, was only looking for one girl...

Lily was waiting for him when he reached her on his broom, she was at the front of the stands when he arrived and wasted no time in throwing her arms around his neck.

"James you could have died!"

He shrugged, "I know. Any criticisms for me this time, Jac?"

Lily grinned, "call your safer plays after me next time. You unhinged, crazy, idiotic, mental... I love you!"
She pulled his quidditch robes to meet her and caught his lips in hers.

Her kiss was sweet and warm, it tasted of cherry lip gloss and marshmallows. Her lips were soft and comforting compared to the wind he'd been zooming into all day.

He tasted of wet grass and campfires and he was grinning like an idiot under her lips. It was perfect, simply and utterly perfect...

It was no secret that James Potter could fly. I'm fact, he was arguably the best flyer in Hogwarts. And that came with criticisms; although he only ever really listened to one person's opinion. That was the only one that really mattered.
Often people asked him how he got so good, and most of the time he would just tell them it was excessive practice, but he knew there was a much deeper routed answer. And that answer was Lily Jacqueline Evans...

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I can't quite remember where the inspiration for this idea came from but I quite like it anyway and I'm happy it won me an award which is so cool! (: