epiphany, james potter

27.

"Lyla please." A hand tapped her shoulder for what felt like the millionth time.

"Sirius no! I'm not playing quidditch for your stupid team." Lyla rolled her eyes, one of the teams best beaters had fallen ill, and they needed someone who would fill in.

"Please Lyla." James pipes in quietly, Lyla turns her head to look at him. She gives him a look, silently begging for him to stop.

Not being able to take the begging any longer, Lyla gives in. "Fine! Whatever! I'll play one match." She specifies, "Only one match."

James and Sirius high five each other and Lyla just sighs and pushes past them.

"Be ready by 11 Black." James yells at Lyla's retreating figure, "I'll pick you up then."

Lyla ignores him and heads back to her dorm.

She tries to take a power nap, but it was worthless, she laid there for about an hour before deciding to get up.

It was almost 11 anyway, she pulled out the ugly uniform James had given her. She put it on, it was a little big, but it would do. It said Potter on the back, Lyla scowled even thinking of it.

She pulled her hair into a slicked pony and smeared some eye black onto her bare face.

Lyla grabbed her bag with extra clothes in it and exited her room, going to find James.

Lyla found James standing next to Lily, and her scowl just deepened.

Lyla decided instead of going to talk to James, she would just head to the pitch.

Lyla strolled past the two, not giving James even a glance. She slammed into Lily's shoulder, hard.

Lyla quietly smiled when she heard Lily's grunt.

The quidditch pitch was freezing. The wind blows in Lyla's long hair. It almost looked like it was gonna rain.

Lyla stalks up the stairs to locke room. She sees James and rolls her eyes, but James makes a beeline for her.

Lyla turned away from him and he comes closer, he puts his head on top of hers to rest it.

"Get off me Potter." Lyla says looking up at him.

"Potter looks good on you." James smiles and gestures to Lyla's back.

"Shut it." Lyla threatened and she started to walk away, but James grabbed her hand to pull her back.

"You're gonna do great out there." James pulled her hand close to his lips and kissed it.

Lyla tried to look angry but a small smile was creeping up on her face, she couldn't help it.

Soon enough the match had begun. Lyla was positioned near a few others, she was fairly high up.

Everything was fine at first, Lyla was blocking the bludgers from hitting James and everyone else.

Suddenly the sky got cloudy, and Lyla couldn't see anything. The next thing she knew there was a loud pop in her rib, and she could feel the sensation of falling, but everything around her was black.

Lyla didn't feel anything, not until she hit the ground. Another loud pop sounded in her head, but then it was quiet.

James had watched Lyla fall, too in shock to try and stop it. He chased her down and ran off his broom.

"Lyla!" He yelled with a shaky breath. He crouched next to her and pulled her head into his lap, careful not to hurt her.

Suddenly Lyla's eyes snapped open in confusion.

"James?" She sat up and looked around, "What happened?" She reached up to rub her head, but an aching sensation filled her lower stomach.

James noticed and tried to pick her up, Lyla winced as he did so.

Soon everyone came rushing over, fearful for Lyla.

Mcgonagall ordered the two to the hospital wing, and James practically ran with Lyla in his arms.

"James it hurts." Lyla whimpered.

"I know sweetheart." James kissed the top of her head.

Lyla fell asleep soon after that, before they were even to the hospital wing.

Lyla was soon laid in bed, James was left to pace around the bed.

James felt tears fall out of his eyes.

"This is all my fault." He whispered to himself.

All his fault.