Broom of Love
Chapter One: The Malcentus Fire
The sun danced across her face. Red hair fanned out across her pillow. Her breathing was steady and peaceful, as she lye there in sleep.
She was dreaming of herself, actually. She was in a wide open field, flying high in the sunlight. Looking down, "A long way to the ground," she thought. But she noticed something else, she was riding a broom. Lily Evans ride a broom? The last time she tried to ride a broom, it didn't go well. She ended up flat on her back and the whole class laughing. She swore never to do that ever again. Yet, being up here, she felt safe? Secure? Looking around she smiled, "This is fun," she thought and laughed as some birds flew close to her.
"I wish flying was really like this," she scanned the blue sky around her, eyes stopping on a small object falling. The broom suddenly accelerated causing Lily to almost fall off; it seemed to have a mind of its own. She wrapped both hands around it and clung on while it dived down, trying to match the speed of the falling object. "It's falling so fast, can we catch it?" The broom shook, as if to answer her question.
She moved to the end and reached out, trying to grab the falling object. "I can't reach it!" She yelled over the wind around her, "Just little farther!" A bright, white light materialized, blinding her instantly.
Lily's eyes snapped open to the sun, shining brightly in her room. She sat up, looked around, and checked to make sure she was herself. This was her room and she was here, it was only a dream. "Strange," she thought, "But, what was the falling object?" A sudden knock on her door, pulled Lily out of her trance.
"Lily?"
"Yeah?" she answered, finding her voice.
"Why don't you get up now?" her mother asked.
"But…," she thought, It's my birthday! She got up, smiling, and headed downstairs.
"Lily!" someone yelled and bear hugged her really tight, "Happy Birthday!"
"Alice! Nat! What are you girls doing here?"
"What do you think?" Natalie, a girly girl, with straight brunette hair and blue eyes exclaimed, "For your birthday silly!"
"Yeah, we both wanted to come and see you," Alice, a nice girl with shorter black hair and brown eyes. They were two of Lily's best friends at Hogwarts, a wizard school that they all attended together.
"I figured a little surprise might brighten your day!" Susan, Lily's mom said, kissing her daughter's cheek.
"Thanks mom, "she said smiling. But that smile was replaced when her sister Petunia entered the room.
"What is going on out here?" she demanded. Petunia was Lily's only sibling. She was stouter than Lily's small, graceful frame, had short black hair, and reminded Lily of a cow, or maybe a pig…either fit her. They had never got along and Petunia hated Lily because she was a witch. She repeatedly called Lily and her friends "freaks" and hated how her parents doted on her sister all the time.
"It's Lily's birthday," their mom said.
"Oh," she scrutinized the three girls, "That's why those freaks are here!"
"Shove it Petunia!" Lily yelled, her temper rising, "You're just jealous because I'm a witch and you get to stay here and be a boring muggle!"
"No I'm the normal one in this household, LILY! The only person who sees you for what you really are!" she stormed off, slamming a door behind her.
"Don't listen to her, Lilyflower," Natalie said, reassuringly, "It's your birthday and today's going to be special. We're all here together, aren't we?"
Lily smiled, she was so glad she had two friends who were there for her.
"Ok enough wallowing, time for presents!" Susan said excited.
"Yeah!" the girls exclaimed dragging Lily over to the table where an assortment of packages waited to be opened.
"Open this one first," Susan handed her a rather large and long looking package that was kind of heavy.
"That's the best one, it has to be first!" Alice exclaimed, excited.
Lily, unsure, tore open the paper, only to reveal none other than a real Malcentus Fire.
"Oh!" Lily whispered, completely shocked. This was a top notch broom. It was a dark mahogany brown that was filed to be perfectly smooth. The handle was curved a little for top speed and the bristles on the back came together to form a small curl at the end. There was gold stenciling all across that shimmered in the sunlight, and the name Malcentus Fire, was written in gold lettering on the handle. This wasn't any ordinary broom. This was supposedly the fastest broom on earth. Quidditch players, professionals, all over the world hadn't been able to get their hands on one. Actually, nobody has, Lily thought. It wasn't a broom that was going to be sold to the public; it was only for experienced riders who needed the speed on the pitch. This broom was different than other brooms. You controlled most of it, but it had a mind of its own and if it's rider was in trouble or needed help in any way, the broom would respond. That's why only select people could run them, they only worked for certain people. In other words, if you got one, you were one lucky wizard.
"But, how?" Lily asked completely stunned.
"A lot of time and patience," Alice sighed, "We didn't even know if it was possible, but we all wanted you to have one."
"But I don't even play Quidditch, what would I do with this?"
"Well, we know how much you like the sport and how much it would mean to you if you actually got to play. Especially since it's our last year," Natalie smiled, "We wanted you to have the best broom there is."
"Thanks guys!" she exclaimed hugging her two best friends and then her parents.
"She is so clueless," Natalie said smirking.
"Yeah," Alice said agreeing, "We know she likes James and he obviously likes her, doing this will hopefully bring that out of her."
The summer before Lily's 7th year at Hogwarts flew by. It seemed almost like a dream. The only day that would be embedded in her mind forever, was the first day she rode her broom.
"Go! Try it out," Alice encouraged, "But please don't kill yourself!" Lily laughed at her friends as they waved. She walked out a little ways into the huge meadow, this is it. She smiled, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes she was already in the air.
"Whoa," she said looking around. This broom really knew what was going on. She hadn't even gotten on and it knew what to do.
At first, she flew straight and at a steady pace. Then she decided to experiment. She curved and dove and flew backwards; trying out everything. All of a sudden the broom stopped. Shocked she just sat there in mid air waiting for something to happen. And something did happen, the broom relaxed her. She didn't know how or why but it did. She closed her eyes and saw her dream again; the ground below, the beautiful sky, and that mysterious falling object. She opened them quick to see if she was actually reliving her dream, but the broom suddenly stopped.
"Hmm," she thought, "I think it wants my trust."
Closing her eyes again, she let this mysterious broom take her on a ride of its own.
Landing back on earth, Lily was a different person. She was one with her broom. If she was in trouble, the broom knew what to do. If she needed to score the winning goal, everything would be done till that happened. They understood each other and the trust was unbreakable.
Lily kept up a strong routine of flying every day. If she was going to make this team, she needed to be fit and ready for anything. She even practiced some chaser skills, the only position open and the one she wanted, with the girls as much as she could.
Finally, the week before school, she felt ready.
"I really think you have a good chance of making the team, Lils,"
"You think so?" she said cleaning her broom and equipment.
"Yeah I really do," they watched Lily curiously, she still hadn't figured out their plan, "How are you going to show that you can play and deserve to be on that team?"
Lily pondered this for a while, she didn't really know. "Well, I don't want to show any signs of being really good or knowing what I'm doing. I think I should go out there and just show 'em. Most of the team thinks I like Quidditch, but I'm too afraid to fly or even try. I want to show them that they were wrong and that I'm something special."
"You'll do just fine, Lily, I know it," Alice smiled at her clueless friend.
James Potter stared into the fire in a daze.
"Prongs? Hello?" Sirius Black, his most trusted mate, waved a hand in front of his face, "anybody home?"
"What?" James replied groggily looking around.
"You were zoning again," Sirius commented, "I was trying to have a meaningful conversation but you obvious cannot get Evans out of your head no matter what I say."
"Oh sorry," he stumbled, "I just haven't seen her all summer and I…really want to…"
"Obviously," Sirius commented rolling his eyes. James smirked at him. Sirius and him and had been best mates for as long as James could remember. They were always together scheming, trying to get girls (the Hogwarts players and best looking males, according to all the females except one), playing Qudditch, or just pranking anyone and everyone they could.
"Hey Padfoot," James asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think I could get Evans?" James asked, staring him down.
"Well—"
"If you started acting like a gentlemen instead of an annoying prat, then you might have a chance," Remus Lupin interrupted walking into their room. The Marauders were almost reunited for their final year of Hogwarts. "Prongs", was James because he could transfigure into a Stag, "Padfoot" was Sirius because he was a dog, "Moony" was Remus because he was a werewolf, and "Wormtail" was Peter Pettigrew because he was a rat…who was missing right now.
"Moony!" Sirius exclaimed, "How ya been?"
"Pretty good, waiting for school to start, my summer was horribly boring," Remus was the brains of the Marauders. He was also extremely book smart and helped the others scrape by numerous times.
"Did someone say school?" a small stout boy, Peter Pettirgrew, peered in, "school hogsmeade which candy and zonko's which fun!"
"Hey Wormtail, we were wondering where you were,"
"I was in the kitchen, you know James, your mother is an amazing cook," he commented.
"Yeah, that's why this one practically lives here," he motioned to Sirius.
"I thought you loved me, Jamesie?" he pouted, giving him a puppy dog face.
"I do, but you eat me out of my house when you're here!"
"I can't help it! Your mom's cooking is so good and I won't get to eat it for a long time since we'll be at school…" They all sighed, Hogwarts was their home, but it seemed only Remus enjoyed learning. The others just wanted to eat, or prank people, or play Qudditch all the time.
"Well you all will be getting your wish sooner than later," Heather Potter, James' mother walked in. She was very beautiful, had long black curly hair with sparkling hazel eyes that she shared with her son, "Time for bed, you all need your rest since we should get up at a decent time so none of you almost miss the train! Let's go!"
The boys protested, but finally gave in agreeing not to go to sleep till each of them caught up with each other.
A/N: It's my first story I hope you like it!