Disclaimer: I own nothing. Pretty depressing, but still very true.

Author's Note: Hey. This a new story of mine that I've been planning for about two months. Here's some info. about it. . .

Summary: When it came to being an international quidditch player extraordinaire, James Potter had it down. . .until one annoying, red-headed Lily Evans came along and stole the extraordinaire position from him. In return, James stole her heart.

Estimated number of chapters: 28-30

Extra: This story will not only focus on the romance between Lily and James, but also a lot about quidditch. If you don't know a whole lot about quidditch, it might be good to know a few websites that give some info. about the game. Even though quite a lot of research on quidditch has been done (and will continue to be done), I don't know everything about quidditch, that's very true, but I'll try to keep everything as accurate as possible. But, there will be some stuff from quidditch that I'll need to alter or just didn't get enough info. to actually make accurate.

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Chapter One

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"You're retiring?"

George Calaway, one of the Tutshill Tornadoes chasers nodded,"Yes, I've decided to retire."

"But, why?" James Potter asked, also one of the chasers. "You're one of the best chasers around! The team needs you." The rest of the Tutshill Tornadoes players spoke up in agreement.

George only held up a hand to quiet them, before looking around the quidditch pitch fondly. "I'm also one of the oldest chaser's around. I think it's time to let someone else have a go at playing on the Tutshill Tornadoes team, don't you? There's plenty of younger chap's who can replace me. Manning told me about one fellow from the Falmouth Falcons who can score six goals in under seven minutes. Seven minutes! I can hardly score any goals now with this arm of mine. . ." George unconciously shifted his left arm a bit.

"Aw, come on, George! We don't want some git from the Falmouth Falcons! And you can score just fine-" Stanley Mumps, one of the team beaters was cut off by George.

"I've already resigned from the team, Stanley. I'm making it public in a few hours." He said firmly. The January sky above them was gray, the sun completely blocked out. "This team will do just fine, I know it." There seemed to be more protest from the team, but George just held up his hand. There was silence for a few minutes. George squinted up at the sky, before sighing. "I've had a great time on this team over the years. It has to be the best team around. Remember '75?" George smiled,"That was a good year, wasn't it?"

Carl Harrison, the team keeper, nodded,"Oh, yeah. No losses. We were really rolling that year."

James, all of a sudden, smirked,"Only because that was the year I joined the team. Before, you guys were a bunch of losers." That earned him a couple shoves in the shoulder.

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"Let's make a toast! To George!" Manning, the Tutshill Tornadoes manager/coach, called over the crowd. Many "To George" 's followed along with the clink of glasses.

George nodded with a smile to the crowd surrounding him before leaning over to kiss his wife, Anna, on the cheek. This was George's retirement party. Many, many round tables were scattered all around the Tutshill Tornadoes quidditch pitch, holding at least a hundred guests from family to friends to Ministry officials. The day was January 15th. The weather was nice, although a bit chilly.

At George's table sat the rest of the team, Manning, and George's wife and children. Zachary Harris, one of the beaters, laughed,"Hey, remember last year at one of our practices when the team hid Edwin's broom and everyone said George had sold it off to some fan after our game the day before? Edwin just about murdered George!" The table laughed loudly.

"Or what about the time when George fell asleep on his broomstick after a real late practice, remember?" James asked, pausing to laugh a bit. The rest of the team laughed. "And- ha- the snitch flew straight into his face!"

Amongst the laughter, George shook his head, a grin on his face,"I was tired. It was eleven at night for Merlin's sake! Besides, the fall from the broom wasn't too wonderful." The laughter grew even louder.

After a few moments, after the laughter had toned down a bit and everyone's attention was turned back to their dinner, Morris Wright, another beater, spoke,"So, everyone's trying out for the World Cup this year, yeah?"

There was numerous "Hell yeah" 's and "Of course" 's.

Edwin spoke,"I heard that the Chudley Cannons have a pretty good seeker who's trying out as well. What was his name?. . .Fred. . .Fred Wicker! You might have some competition, Stanley."

Manning leaned over and slapped Stanley on the back, almost making him choke on his biscuit. "Eh, I've heard of him too; he isn't that good. Besides, no one can do better than Mumps here! Fastest reflexes on the Eurpean continent, I tell you!"

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Two days later, James and Edwin were walking towards the locker rooms just after a late afternoon practice.

"Who do you reckon Manning's going choose to join the team?" Edwin asked.

James seemed to have a slight frown on his face as he looked around the pitch,"I don't know. Hope he chooses someone good. I don't know how everything's going to work out, you know? With George, us three chasers worked good together. We knew where to go, when to pass the quaffle, everything."

"Yeah, I have a feeling we'll have some trouble at the beganing. With him new and all. Along with trying to get into the way we work together."

"I just hope Manning doesn't choose that former Falmouth player. He's a real arse from what I could see at last years game between us and them." James said squinted around the empty stands.

"You didn't hear? The fellow you called a real arse got a chaser position on the Pride of Portree." Edwin stated, shifting his broom in his hand.

"I didn't hear that!" James replied in surprise before giving a triumphant look,"Thank Merlin he won't be on this team. I think I'd resign. You know what he called me after I took the quaffle from him once? A mudblood-lover! If that doesn't tell you he's a supporter of Voldermort- sorry-" James said as Edwin's made a pained expression at the word "Voldermort"," I don't know what could!"

Edwin sighed,"I've heard that just about all of the players on the Falmouth Falcons are supporters of You-Know-Who."

"And what a concidence too," James started,"that rumors are that the beater and manager of the Pride of Portree are also supporters of Voldermort."

"Oh, let's face it, James. Supports of. . .him are everywhere. You can't get away from You-Know-Who. Not even on the quidditch pitch. A lot of players are even resigning to become aurors. . .I've even thought about it a few times. . ."

James looked over at Edwin in surprise,"You have? But, why? I mean, becoming an auror is good and all, but playing on a professional quidditch team- well, what's better?"

"James, sometimes quidditch- quidditch isn't everything."

"I know that, but it does get you away from some of the madness going on in the world right now." He sighed before slowly breaking out in a smirk. He obviously was uncomfortable with the darkened topic. "Not to mention, we get all the, ahem, lovely fans, eh?" He nudged Edwin slyly.

Edwin grinned and nodded in agreement,"Yes, that is a good point, Potter." As James laughed, Edwin gazed at a lone figure in the stands. He returned James' nudging gesture. ". . .apparently, one of our lovely fans was here to cheer us on during practice.

"What?" James asked, following Edwin's line of vision. His eyes squinted and he pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose. There was a small figure who he had not noticed- until now- sitting in the stands, watching them. The figure appeared to be a woman. James couldn't make out much of her except for red hair that stood out greatly. He lopsidely grinned,"Oh, I see now. What did I tell you, Kirk? We get all the lovely fans."

Edwin kept his gaze on the woman,"I wonder how she got in the pitch. None of the fans or reporters are allowed in."

James shrugged. "Who cares? She looks pretty. . .nice."

"What if she's a death eater here to kill us?"

"What if she's just a lovely fan who wanted to watch us wonderful blokes practice?"

"What if she's not?"

"What if she is?"

The two paused and watched as Manning's form appeared in the stands and he continued on his way towards the woman.

"Ooh. Look's like she's busted." James stated.

Manning sat down next to the woman. They seemed to be speaking.

"It doesn't look like she's busted, does it?" Edwin stated, curious.

"Maybe Manning finds her too attractive to kick out and decided to ask her out or something." James said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Edwin's face scrunched up. "Ugh. Manning's, what? Fifty-something? The woman doesn't even look thirty."

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"See you, James!" Morris called as they exited the locker room.

"Same to you!" James called back. He soon apparated with a "pop" to just outside his flat (there was a anti-apparating charm in his actually flat so no one could apparate in there. No one usually being reporter's or fans). He apparated straight into a crowd of reporters just waiting for him to return from practice.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Mr. Potter, what is your opinion of George Calaway's retirement?"

James pushed through the crowd. He flashed a lopsided grin to camera's he passed.

"Mr. Potter, are you aware of ever-growing number of players quitting their teams and joining auror training? Are you going to do so?"

"Mr. Potter" turned to his reporter. "I am aware of that, yes. And no, at this time, I'm staying right where I am."

"Why is this, Mr. Potter?" Someone else asked. "Is it because you are afraid to fight? Or is quidditch something you are not willing to let go-"

James scowled furiously. "I am not afraid to fight. Quidditch just happens to be something that gets me away from all the madness going on. I am not a coward." He pushed further through the crowd.

A small boy standing next to a teenage girl, tugged at James' shirt,"Mr. Potter, sir! Mr. Potter, sir! Will you sign my quaffle?" James' previous scowl quickly disappeared as he turned towards the boy and the teenage girl. "Of course. What do you want me to write?" He asked, sending a grin to the boy.

The boy looked like he was about to pee in his pants from excitement. "Just- Just "James Potter", sir!" He said holding out a shaking quill and quaffle for James.

James smiled and signed the quaffle and handed it back to the boy before patting him on the head. James turned to began pushing through the crowd again but was stopped by the teenage girl. "Would you mind signing my picture?" She asked shyly, holding a quill out.

James flashed her a grin before taking her picture (which- surprise, surprise- was a picture of himself on his broomstick, holding a quaffle and grinning back at himself), "Sure. . .do you have a quill or-"

"You can borrow mine, sir!" The boy he had just signed the quaffle for held out his quill again.

James took it,"Thanks." He was about to what she wanted it to say but just decided to sign "To a beautiful girl. With love, James Potter" and handed it back to the girl. She read it and turned red before smiling. "Thank you." She said.

James nodded with a smile before beganing his shove through the sea of reporter's and fans again.

"Mr. Potter, are you going to try out for the World Cup this year?"

"James! Will you sign my shirt!"

"Potter! What do you think about the new Nimbus 500? Is it smoother than the Nimbus 300?"

"Of course it is." James replied to the reporter, who instantly began scribble down in her writing pad.

"James! I love you!"

James only pushed onwards, aware of the "I love you" 's and "Will you marry me?" 's and other extreme statements fans were calling to him. He didn't mind the attention one bit, in fact, James thoroughly enjoyed the attention, but when it came to extreme things like "Can you sign my knickers" and such, he was slightly weirded out (not that he'd mind signing someone's knickers).

"Mr. Potter, do you have any comments over your upcoming game with the Wigtown Wanderers? Do you think the Tutshill Tornadoes will do well, even without Calaway there?"

James finally shoved his way towards his door. Just as he touched his door knob, a women's hand flew to his face and before he could even comprehend it, she was kissing him.

Ah, this was the life. Play quidditch by day, kiss women by night.

James pulled away, let out a chuckle, gave a wink to the woman (who winked back), and hastily opened his flat door, walked in and just as hastily, closed it. He was lefted with the muffled murmur of the crowd outside his door and the silence of his flat. James was use to the murmur of reporter's and fans. He knew they'd leave within fifteen minutes. They always left just after fifteen minutes, for some reason.

And they did.

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"Rambler, pass the damn quaffle!" James yelled, as he along with Edwin, waited for the reserve chaser, Gregory Rambler, to pass the quaffle. It had been a week since George's retirement party and there was still no word over who would become the next chaser on the team. Manning wouldn't say a word.

The only thing for certain right then was that Gregory Rambler definitely didn't work with the two other chasers on the team. And neither did the two other chasers on the team work with Gregory. It was problem they had to deal with until the new chaser would arrive. Or, at least, they hoped the problem would be resolved after the new chaser arrived. Edwin and James, or actually, the whole team was worried that the new chaser just wouldn't know how to work with the rest of the team. That he, especially, wouldn't be able to work with the two chasers.

Rambler hastily tossed the ball to James, aiming too low, making the quaffle not land in James' outstretched hands but in the hands of someone else.

"Bloody hell, Rambler-" Kirk started to say, but stopped as he gazed down at the person who had caught the quaffle. He, along with the rest of the team, stopped their broomstick's short.

This person was not on a broomstick. They were standing on the perfectly solid grass below, next to Coach Manning.

James glided to a stop next to Edwin, smirking as he watched the two on the ground. "It looks like Manning did ask our lovely fan out." Edwin stifled a laugh as Manning signaled for the team to head to the ground.

Next to Manning was the women they saw in the stands a few days ago. The one with red hair. She was holding the quaffle in an outstretched hand.

As James and Edwin got closer, they could tell that that wasn't a women they saw in the stands a few days ago, not really. She was more of a girl than anything. The girl was obviously very young. Probably not even nineteen.

Soon, everyone had landed in a circle around the girl and Manning. The girl, no matter how young she looked, was quite pretty. There was a slight smile on her face as her eyes gazed at each of the players.

"Manning sure does know who to date, no matter how young they are, doesn't he?" Edwin murmured to James. The two stifled a laugh; Morris and Stanley overheard them and stifled a laugh, yet looked slightly curious at the word "date".

Manning cleared his throat as the girl shifted the quaffle under her left arm. "Team, I've been working hard this past week to find a new chaser for the team. One that would work best with the team. And. . .I've found one."

The team raised an eyebrow. "Who, coach?" Stanley asked.

Manning's eyes drifted to the girl standing next to him. "Tutshill Tornadoes, meet Lily Evans. Your new chaser."

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Author's Note: There it is. Hope someone out there liked it: )

Here's a list of all seven players on the Tutshill Tornadoes, in case anyone was confused:

Seeker- Stanley Mumps

Beaters-Morris Wright, Zackary Harris

Chasers-James Potter, Edwin Kirk, George Calaway (a former chaser, now retired), Gregory Rambler (the reserve chaser), and Lily Evans (the new chaser, taking over George's spot)

Keeper-Carl Harrison

I have a website made that has a whole bunch of info. on my fan fiction stories and future original stories. It also has a page dedicated just for this story. It has character and team biography's, not to mention just some tidbit's about the story. You might want to check it out. Go to my account page/profile and it will have my website address at the top somewhere. It might not be up yet since I just added it and sometimes it takes a while for it to be added to my profile.

Lastly, I will be making another new story called "The New Professor" or something close to that this weekend, if I can (God, I am going to be so swamped with updates, LoL). I thought of the idea a couple of days ago and just have to write it. And I have not forgotten about Just the Girl. I will update that, maybe this weekend, maybe next weekend. I'm a bit stumped on how to start it, so. . .yeah.

Thanks everyone who has read this first chapter!

Toodles,

Eye Heart Music