Shame by roman_soldier
Chapter Notes: Lily's pride, for once, doesn't make her look like an idiot in front of everyone. She plucks up the courage to go to James' Quidditch lesson, and then ends up flirting shamelessly without realizing it.
Back in her dormitory that night, Lily sat by herself on her bed. She was looking out the far window, not quite sure where she wanted to be. Outside the sun was just about to set, so the entire dormitory was glowing with the red light that was coming into the room. No one else was in the dorm with her, and normally she would be using this time to study. But it was only the third day of school. There really wasn't anything that needed to be done right this minute. N.E.W.T.s were still two years away, after all. Actually, come to think of it, she really could be studying Potions. She had that class again tomorrow, but didn't understand what was happening. She also had no real inclination to grunge her way through the notes she had taken last year to try and catch up.
Cora and Rachel were down at the Quidditch pitch, probably falling all over James. Lily's face turned red at that thought. Stupid James. Just when he decided to tell her he didn't mind when she acted like an idiot, he goes and gets himself a girlfriend. Lily wasn't jealous though. Oh no. She just couldn't understand why someone as kind and caring as James Potter would date someone as evil and conniving as Cora Armstrong.
Elizabeth was also probably down at the pitch. Lily hadn't really spoken more than two words to her since lunch. But, since she had gone down this morning, Lily assumed she would go down tonight.
So that left Lily up on her bed, with nothing at all to do. Sometimes she wished she had a sister . . . well, a sister who acted like one anyway. One that would be available for girl talk and wouldn't leave her to go play Quidditch when she so desperately needed someone to curl her hair or do her nails. Or to eat chocolate with.
If she was really honest with herself, she would admit that she wanted to go down and be with everyone at the Quidditch pitch. But it really didn't seem worth having to speak with Potter. Lily sighed aloud. Just when everything got fixed between them, something else got in the way of their being . . . friends. Yes, Lily told herself, that's what she wanted to be with James. And that would never happen if she spent all night cooped up in her dormitory.
So, knowing that she would regret not studying her Potions later, Lily Evans grabbed her cloak off of the foot of her bed and headed out the dormitory door.
"Lily! You came!" Lily could see Elizabeth waving at her from the center of the pitch. She also noticed James, who was standing slightly off to the side with a group of first, second and third years, look around at the sound of her name. Lily put on a smile that looked slightly like a grimace, and went to join her friend.
When she got close enough, she saw that Sirius was standing next to Elizabeth. After raising her eyes in question at her friend, who rolled her eyes in return, Lily glanced around the rest of the field. There must have been thirty people that had shown up for these 'lessons'. That was mildly impressive in and of itself. What really impressed Lily, though, was that the group of younger students around James were all off of the ground. She certainly hadn't been able to do that as a first year. But maybe she had just been one of the worst in her year.
Another thing that Lily noted with interest was that Cora wasn't present. Neither was Rachel. Before she even had time to speculate on why, however, Elizabeth was handing her a school broom, winking at her.
"Actually, I really didn't come down to fly, I was just going to watch. I'm really not that good," she protested.
"Oh, you can't be too bad."
Lily whirled around as James broke into the conversation, his little group of students all talking to each other back where he had left them. He was holding what looked like a very nice broom over his shoulder.
"No, really, I just wanted to see who was here. I don't especially like to fly."
"Oh, well then, you're in just the right place. See, we're teaching people to fly," James stated slowly and clearly, as though he were speaking to a child, as though she didn't comprehend. He grabbed onto her arm and began to pull her toward the secluded end of the pitch, toward the sand under the goal hoops.
"Really Potter, I didn't even bring money to pay for . . . "
"No matter, no matter, you can just owe me for later."
Lily glared back at Sirius and Elizabeth, who were both laughing, before putting up one more feeble attempt. "What about your other students?" she said as she gestured toward the little group that was now watching their teacher fight with the newcomer. "I'm sure they . . . "
"Sirius!" James gestured with his head toward the younger students and Sirius immediately went over to them. "All taken care of," he said cockily, flashing her a smile.
Lily sighed and followed him willingly, but he still wouldn't take his hand off of her arm until they reached the other end of the pitch. They were now far enough from the rest that they would have to shout to be heard.
"Ok, Potter, why don't you teach me what you know?" Lily leaned on her broom and faced James, looking resigned to the fact that she was here until she learned how to fly.
"Is that a challenge, Evans?" James raised one eyebrow and leaned in close to her.
"Yes, it's a challenge. Besides, I can't leave here until you do, apparently, so let's get on with it," she retorted.
His eyes were sparkling as he backed away. "Fine then. Stand beside your broom. No, not like that, lay it on the ground. Yes. No, the other way."
Crouched down next to her broom, Lily looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "Wow, you are such a patient teacher."
"Yes, and you're such a fast learner," he said in a monotone. She looked up at him, pretending to be offended. "Just stand up now, and we'll start."
She did as she was told.
"Alright, beside the broom, hold out your hand, and say 'up!'"
"Up!" To James' surprise, the broom jumped right to her hand. She turned, looking at him with big innocent eyes, which only partially hid the smirk of satisfaction. "Like that?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, very good. Well then, mount the broom. Ok, nice," James watched as Lily stood ready on the ground. She looked convincingly scared.
"Alrighty then! On the count of three, kick off hard! Ready?"
"Oh, James, I'm so scared, please don't make me!"
James' voice automatically deepened. "It'll be just fine, don't even worry. I was scared a little at first too. Alright, I'll be right here. Ready?" She nodded her head uncertainly. "One, two, THREE!"
Lily kicked off strong and raced away, turning several loop-the-loops as she made her way around the pitch. All the littler kids looked up at her, laughing and pointing. After three laps, she dive-bombed right at James, pulling up right before she hit him. Climbing off the old school broom, she smiled innocently.
Then, in a high falsetto voice, with one hand at her throat, she cried, "Like that? Oh dear, strong James, please save me! I don't know if I could ever fly on a broom again! It was so terrifying! Oh my!"
James looked shocked and confused. Lily side-armed her broom at him as she walked past. He just barely caught it, dropping his own broom as he did so. That seemed to shake him out of the stupor he was in. He raced to catch up with her.
She faced him with a haughty grin on her face. "You must be a better teacher than I thought. But next time, I think I'll bring my own broom. Maybe that old thing," she indicated his broom, "can keep up with it. But I doubt it."
"Well, yes, that was . . . very good, yes! Very good! Ok, then!"
Lily laughed as he followed her back to the center of the field, bowing in acceptance of all the applause she was receiving. James just shook his head in wonderment at this girl he had fallen for.