Two months later...

"AND, AT LAST, WE HAVE REACHED THE FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON!"

Sirius' loud voice boomed out over the Quidditch pitch followed by the whoops and cheers from the crowd outside.

I looked at the floor, butterflies battling nervously in my stomach and my Silver Arrow 5000 clasped tightly in my fist. I was stood in one of the Gryffindor stands and above the ceiling I could hear the hollers and chants of my house mates all waiting for the match to begin.

"IT'S THE ONE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!" came Padfoot's voice again, "SLYTHERIN!" A huge roar of approval issued from the opposite side of the pitch, accompanied by boos from overhead, "VERSUS... GRYFFINDOR!"

Although I knew the green-clad section across from me would be seething, I couldn't hear even the slightest hiss over the screams that issued above. Those damn butterflies started playing havoc in my belly and I ruffled my hair nervously.

This was the one match that mattered.

Lucius Malfoy played as Chaser on the Slytherin team and, ever since we had been selected to play for our houses in second year, we had marked each other. He was tough - no doubt about it - but there was just one small problem for him: my ego.

Don't think I still have an ego problem or anything, it's no longer (I believe) a 'problem'. It's just my ego will not allow someone who I detest with the heat of the flames that feed the fires of Hell - deep breath - to beat me. Simple as that. So, for the past five years of Slytherin versus Gryffindor, my ego has been perfectly content. But each year it starts to get restless...

"MAY I NOW, PROUDLY, PRESENT THE TEAMS!" The familiar voice brought me crashing fast down to reality and I felt the sudden pumping of blood in my ears.

"Okay, team!" I turned to the six other faces behind me, "This is it - the big game. Now, we've done great this year and I am," I paused to search for the words as I looked into each pair of eyes, "I am so proud to have spent my last year at Hogwarts captaining you all. Each one of you has proved yourself to be a fine Quidditch player in your own right. But, more importantly, you have proved yourselves to be the best goddamn team in this school!

Am I right?" I yelled, pointing at them all forcefully.

"YEAH!" came the bellow back at me, fists punching the air.

"Are we gonna win?"

"YEAH!"

"Are you ready?

"YEEEEEEAAAAAAH!"

"Let's go then!" I mounted my broom, kicking my leg over the handle and then zooming out to the roar of the crowd.

"AND HERE COMES THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM! LONGBOTTOM - NICHOLSON - LEE - PATIL - BELL - WOOD AAAAAAAAND POTTER!!!"

We burst out of the stand, scarlet robes billowing and the bright sun burning down onto our backs. The crowd was going wild as we made a rapid circuit of the stadium, zooming high above pitch - caught in a fleeting memory between verdant green grass and the clear azure of the sky.

Concluding this swooping circle, the team settled into position and I flew forward to shake the hand of Slytherin's seeker, Slyvia Zabini, a slight blonde girl with piercing golden eyes that burned like the rays of the sun itself in her bloodless face. Her cold hand was slack in mine, her gaze penetrated my own in a silent battle of nerves.

Madam Hooch kicked open the crate that held the four balls on the ground below - I saw the flitting Golden Snitch dash out and then spin off into the air, the two Bludgers rose high above all the players and lay in wait for the game to start. The red quaffle was caught in the crook of the Quidditch mistress' arm.

Raising the glittering silver whistle to her lips, Hooch glanced left - right - and then a shrill shriek issued from her mouth.

The game had begun!

I dashed forward, urging my broom on, as the scarlet ball was tossed into the air. Around me a flurry of activity - beaters already whacking at the attacking bludgers, seekers zooming high above in search for the snitch, my fellow chasers spacing out.

As if in slow motion, I watched the quaffle rise in the air and then fall gracefully down, down, down. My hand - half-unconsciously - reached out and grabbed it before Zabini even got a look in.

And then I was off... I swerved through the defending chasers, passing to Frank Longbottom who had to duck an oncoming bludger before throwing it in a curved arc to Ahmed Patil, a tall Asian boy with corn-rows (often done in extravagant patterns that could only be magical). Ahmed, finding himself faced with both the Slytherin beaters, swerved, ducked and launched the ball at me.

Grabbing it by the tips of my fingers (I heard a snarl of anger from Slyvia behind me as her long taloned fingernails had been inches from grasping it for Slytherin). A dry, satisfied smile briefly crossed my lips as I sped rapidly away from her, I raised the quaffle and, dodging the Keeper (a third year who, in my opinion, had a nasty habit of flying forwards when on the defensive), hurled the crimson globe straight into the centre hoop.

"AND IT'S 10-0 TO GRYFFINDOR! SCORED BY POTTER, NOW THE OFFICIAL TOP SCORER OF THIS YEAR AND, I'M CURRENTLY BEING TOLD," McGonagall was excitedly whispering the Padfoot's ear, "FOR THE PAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS! GO JAMESIE!!!"

The last comment made me grin even harder as the Slytherin keeper threw the Quaffle to his team mate.

It was a magnificent game. For both sides, although I felt Gryffindor were definitely superior throughout. What an interesting thing bias is...

The game continued in a similar vein, punctuated by the odd dive by the two seekers for the snitch - each one pulling up empty handed. The score was tugged this way and that, though Slytherin never once took the lead. Each time they equalised we replied with a series of rough attacks breaking into spectacular... well, rather good goals.

The score zoomed up to 90 - 70 to Gryffindor. The crowd was chanting and cheering, heckling the opposition. Sirius' commentary was sparkling as he screamed and gasped with each deft manoeuvre.

Meanwhile I soared around the pitch, the wind in my hair and all of that, y'know. It was exhilarating, each deep, cold breath of rushing air that swooped down into my lungs like a kiss of life. My back was drenched with damp sweat and my hair fell into my eyes every now and then and stuck to my flushed cheeks.

Grabbing the Quaffle out of the air from a smooth pass of Patil's, I let my broom drop suddenly, straight down, accompanied by gasps from the Gryffindor fans. I just grinned and then sped off towards the three golden hoops as both the Slytherin beaters and the crowd struggled to work out my last move... Okay - so I have a habit of getting a bit cocky on the pitch, okay? It's not a crime! I find it hard to deny my own brilliance at times, give me some credit!

Anyway, I crossed the pitch and, signalling to the other two Chasers began to accelerate into the scoring area. The other two settled behind me into a perfect Hawkshead Attacking Formation and I couldn't help but beam - our green clad counterparts were practically miles down the pitch and only their goalkeeper, looking like he'd just swallowed a whole barrel of gillyweed.

Drawing back my arm, Frank and Ahmed spread out to cover each side from the chasing opposition, I fixed my eyes onto the Keeper. I saw his eyes dart left - right - left - right. With the strongest throw I could muster I launched the red orb straight over the head of the third year as he flailed wildly at the air.

Almost in slow motion I saw the ball heading towards the hoop... it was going to miss... it was going to miss. I grabbed my broom's handle and, the other team bearing down towards me, I willed myself forward.

"COME ON!" I yelled, half to myself, "MOVE!"

The Quaffle rebounded off the golden bar and, making possibly the quickest decision in my entire life up until that point, I drew the rear of the broom back and battered the scarlet ball back towards the hoop...

The crowd went wild.

"YEEEEEES!" I screamed, punching the air, as three sections of the stadium lept up - red, yellow and blue - and roared applause.

Before anything else could happen the two Seekers who had been hovering several feet above our heads rushed into a steep downwards dive. Lauren Lee, the slim Gryffindor Seeker, was in front, her hair whipping behind her into the Slytherin's eyes.

Both teams halted, our eyes following the downward spiral of the two Seekers, the golden Snitch glittering deliciously just a foot or two from Lauren's nose. The entire stadium jumped to their feet, desperately cheering on their Seeker.

I saw Lauren's hand dart out suddenly and she flung herself down nearly the whole length of her broom, her knees holding onto the very end. Her fingers closed tightly, knuckles whitening, over the flapping gold ball and she pulled herself up from the dive, fist high above her head to the screams of Gryffindor house and team.

Twisting round on the broom, Ahmed, Frank and I zoomed up towards her joined by the other three team mates and we all crashed into a fourteen armed hug as we sank slowly to the pitch.

"WE'VE WON! WE DID IT! WE WON!" We shrieked deliriously. Our feet touched the ground and we sprang apart as the crowd flooded onto the pitch. Looking around, semi-dazed, I saw a hundred of so bodies rushing towards us.

"JAMES!" came a familiar voice from somewhere and Lily appeared, a Gryffindor scarf wrapped round her neck and her hair shining a burnt red against the crimson wool. I beamed and, dropping my precious broomstick to the ground, swept her up into my arms. Her arms tightened round my waist as I spun her round and round, in a dizzy, flame coloured whirlpool.

"WE DID IT, LIL! WE DID IT!" I laughed, pulling her closer to my chest. She grinned widely and wove her fingers into my hair - despite the state it was in - and kissed me firmly on the mouth, sweet and searing.

"Congratulations, captain," she murmured against my cheek as we pulled back, "Don't you need to go and get your trophy?"

"Nah," I whispered, "Who needs a big shiny cup when I have you!"

"James Potter," she kissed me again, slightly biting on my lower lip, "Go and get the damn trophy!" She swatted at my shoulder as I returned her softly to the ground and passed my broom to her from by my feet.

"Hold me broom, love."

I dashed towards the teachers stand and running through a crowd of pats on the back and clapping, I hurried up the steps to join the rest of the Gryffindor team.

"Ah, James!" Professor Dumbledore smiled and gave me a brief, knowing wink that made the rest of the team snigger at my red face. The headmaster turned to the crowd, now gathered on the pitch.

"Pupils of Hogwarts!" began the old wizard, "after a most sensational match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, it gives me great pleasure to present this trophy to the Gryffindor captain and Head Boy, in his seventh and final year, to James Potter!"

Stepping forward, I took the cups' two handle from Dumbledore, the Hogwarts crest entwined with capital 'Q' and broomstick. For a few seconds I gazed at it and then turned and raised it high above my head, with the widest smile ever on my face as the crowd whooped and hollered, clapping like maniacs as I passed it to Lauren on the left and applauded each member of the team in turn.

"And that," proclaimed Dumbledore, "is that! Now I order you to return to you Common rooms. I'm sure the Gryffindors have a wonderful secret party prepared already that most certainly will not keep them up all night!"

Bursting into the Common Room, still in our Quidditch kit and probably smelling like God-knows-what, the whole tower was filled with raucous singing. Tables were buckling under pints of Butterbeer and plates of food graciously provided by the kitchen's house elves.

Everyone was recounting the game and joking about the Slytherin side, although to be fair, they did put up a good fight.

I was sat on one of the squashy red couches in front of the fireplace with the four Marauders and many other pupils scattered across chairs and the rug. Occasionally I glanced over at Lily who was dancing wildly with some of the seventh year girls; she looked as though she was having fun so I left her to it.

For nearly two hours I sat there on the sofa talking animatedly with everyone until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Turning round I saw Lily had finished dancing and, saying nothing, she beckoned me away from my seat.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I stood up to several wolf whistles and a lot of nudging from Sirius and Peter, "I'll be right back."

"Oh no, you won't!" said Lily, taking my hand in hers and led me away, to where everyone was dancing, as I looked back at the guys and shrugged nonchalantly but with a sanguine smirk on my face at their half-shocked, half-amused faces.

"James is getting lucky!" yelled Peter behind me, causing a burst of loud laughter from the others with him.

"Are you really?" teased Lily as she wrapped her arms around me, "Getting lucky - I wasn't consulted on that one..."

I grinned down at her and then, catching one of her arms, spun her round in time to the music. She raised an eyebrow and then leaning in to whisper in my ear said, quite casually, "I kinda like this uniform thing, y'know."

"You serious?"

"Ooh, yes. Very serious."

"You got a uniform fetish or something?" I chuckled.

"No, just a 'James in his Quidditch robes' fetish," she grinned evilly and did that hip grindy thing. I bit down hard on my lip...

"Lil, don't..."

"Don't what? Do this?" She did it again and I nodded desperately and hid my face in her hair. "You smell kinda gross though." She wrinkled her nose.

"I guess you're right. 'Fraid the uniform's gotta go, I'll take a shower," I kissed her on the nose and her arms unravelled from me to trail a single finger down my cheek, "Wanna join me?" I teased.

"Well, if you insist..." she said and started off toward the dormitory stairs. I gawped after her. She stopped at the foot of the boys' staircase to glance back at me, that wicked smile on her face again, before very deliberately making her way up towards my dorm.

For a moment, I stood, mouth hanging open, as she disappeared up the steps. Then hormones took over and I practically bolted across the room... What do you think I am? Stupid?

Okay, before you start preaching - nothing happened. I mean, come on, we'd been seeing each other for barely two months, and although I won't deny the offer was more than tempting, I wasn't about to leap into a shower with some girl!

As I showered Lily sat outside in the dorm room. I heard her put some music on and when I came out of the bathroom, hair damp and wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans, she was sitting quite contentedly on my bed, leafing through my record collection.

"These are all wizarding groups!" she whined, scrunching her nose up.

"That would be because I'm a wizard," I said slowly, "It's not as though I even have access to Muggle music. Besides, I like my wizarding music thank you very much, Miss Evans." I snatched my records off her and tried to look offended.

"Aaw, you great prat!" She said and hugged me, lacing her fingers through mine, "I don't care if you listen to crap music. I can change that."

"I don't listen to crap music! I happen to think myself as something of a musical connoisseur, for your information. Am something of an expert, me! I have trained and honed many of my fellow Gryffindor's tastes to meet with specific guidelines that - " She kissed me, "- were devised by the Ministry - of Magic themselves - to nurture magical finesse, I'll - have you know." At each gap she kissed me again, breaking up my sentence. Apart from anything else, it was quite hard to continue without laughing.

"James, shut up."

"No, I still need to tell you about some of the rap groups secretly formed by Unspeakables in our very own Ministry... did you know that rap music was in fact created by young wizards and their homies in the back streets of Ipswich?"

Lily laughed as I grinned down at her.

"You are truly adorable, James Potter."

"I know, but tell me again, will you?" I kissed the end of her nose. A few months ago I have longed to be able to do such a simple thing as that and now it was real... almost a dream come true... I was the luckiest guy in the world as far as I was concerned. She rolled over on my bed, leaning on her elbows and smiled secretly at me.

"I'd better be going to bed, James."

"You can stay if you want." The words burst out of my mouth before I could even stop them. She looked at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion. "I- I - I mean to sleep. Just," I added quickly, seeing her brows crease, "To sleep."

For a few moments she was silent before she stood up from the bed, still clasping my fingers in her hand.

"Can I borrow a t-shirt to sleep in?"

"Top drawer on the left." I pointed, a grin cracking undetected over my face.

Letting go of my hand she seemed to glide across the room, pulling a white t-shirt from my drawer as she passed and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap! My brain thought. Are you seriously suggesting that you have enough control over your hormone levels to let her stay the night?! And what about the other guys?

Thinking rapidly I dashed downstairs to the Common Room where the party was still in full swing. I stopped to debate for a second before making my way towards Remus.

"Moony," I muttered pulling him away from the small group of people he was talking to, "I need to know a spell."

"Which one?" he mumbled through a mouthful of custard creams, wiping crumbes away from his mouth with the back of his hand.

Taking a deep breath I said quickly, "The one you and Sirius use to keep the dormitory quiet when you think no one else knows what you're up to."

For a moment he choked on his biscuit, sputtering slightly and I thumped him on the back a couple of times before he regained his composure. He stared at me, eyes wide as saucers.

"How'd you - ?"

"Oh, come of it, I'm not stupid just vaguely disturbed I'm having to ask my gay friend for it."

"And which spell - ?"

"The silencing charm, just for my bed. No other... ahem, spells please."

"Are you and Lily - ?"

"NO!" I exclaimed a little loudly than needed causing several people to look around at our muted conversation. "No, she's just staying the night, okay?"

"Okay it's silencio , indicate the hangings."

"Thanks mate!" I clapped him on the shoulder and turned to sprint back upstairs.

"Oh, James!" He called after me, "Just in case the spell's tutela omnis !"

My face flamed crimson as I saw him wink at me before returning to the throngs of the party. Unconsciously my right hand formed a fist and I tried to use my lazor vision to burn a hole in the back of his head. It took a while to realise that I did not really have lazor vision, which I guess for Remus was probably a blessing.

Stomping back into my room, I saw Lily had already climbed into my bed. Under my sheets. Oh no...

Taking another of many deep breaths I walked over, closing the dorm door behind me. Lily looked up from my copy of Quidditch Through The Ages she'd been reading.

"Hey, where'd you go?" She said.

"Just had to check something quickly with Remus." I stammered.

She sat up, dropping my book on the bedside table. "James, honey, are you okay?" She looked concerned. I nodded. "Are you gonna sleep in those jeans?" She wrinkled her nose slightly.

"Erm... um... well, no. But I don't really have proper sleeping stuff."

She got up flinging the sheets and eiderdown back and stood up, exposing her pale legs and brightly painted toenails. I swallowed.

"I think you're tired, sweetheart. Come here." Lily pulled me to her and reached up her hands to remove my glasses. She placed them onto of the green leather Quidditch book, the frames folded neatly together. To my surprise to curled her fingers under the hem of my t-shirt and in one movement pulled it off my head. I gaped at her and she suddenly stopped as if she realised something important.

Looking up at me, she smoothed her hand down from my collarbone to cross my abdomen and then round to the small of my back. Her hand was cool but my skin seemed to burn where she'd touch it. I grabbed her lips with mine, kissing her, pulling her closer to place her other hand on me. I could feel her warmth through my thin t-shirt on her back. She undid the button on my jeans and I felt her hesitate as she pushed them down to my hip bones.

Breaking the kiss I tipped her face to me, "Just to sleep." I whispered and she nodded back, smiling gently.

I took the remainder of my clothes off myself and crawled into my bed next to Lily. A swish-and-flick shut the curtains around my bed. I curled my arms around Lily's small frame.

"Do remember last time we did this?" I murmured, "In the Head Student's Lounge?"

"Uh huh," she mumbled, her face snuggled half into my shoulder and half into my pillow.

"I had no idea where to put my hands! I reckoned you'd have slapped me!"

"Oh definitely and I'll slap you in a minute if you don't let me sleep."

I lay in the darkness quietly for a few moments. I was still wide awake and buzzing from Quidditch.

"Lily?" I whispered.

"She's asleep."

"No, sh – you're not!"

"Potter....!"

A/N

Well, that was an odd chapter I thought. But I wanted to try writing a Quidditch match... Hmm, the next one will be better. I'm thinking planning for the Leavers Ball, mock exams, more on family life for the duo and (drum roll).... lots of fluff! Yay!

Thank you as always to my loyal reviewers and all the people who have put me on Author Alert – I love you!!! Please keep reviewing!

child-of-scorpio: I got your review literally ten minutes after I posted the damn thing! I nearly fell out my chair! Thank you so much – your review made me laugh (once I had recovered from the near fall... it's a long way down)

Hannah7: I haven't heard from you for aaaaaages! Are you okay?! Thank you as always and I need more Falling pretty please!! Haha!

Six83: Maybe... just maybe... you'll find out a bit about James' mother... but it's only a maybe(!)

Shoved Offspoon

Spikora

brettley

Fanciful Sovereign

Writergirl709

Polkat: Am not weird. You're weird... Pornish Pixies, I ask you....

Captain Oblivious: More L/J goodness for you (it's up there in case you missed it)! One thing – glomp? What's that? It sounds fun – I wanna join in!

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