Time in a Bottle (A James Potter Love Story)

Chapter 3

"So I'm supposed to just sit on it? And it's supposed to hold me in the air?" Aurelia pointed at the rickety old broom on the ground next to her. Sirius snickered and James ran over to a spot next to her.

He tossed his broom on the ground and looked at the girl in excitement. "Yes, isn't it wonderful?"

The young witch shrugged before holding her hand out over the broom. "I guess I'll try it." The professor walked up and down the first years, stopping when Peter struggled to get his broom in the air.

"Up?" She posed it as a question, still unsure about it all. James laughed making Aurelia furrow her brows. The broom moved slightly off the ground before falling limply back to the grass.

"You have to be more strong about it. Feel it in you." James hand hit his heart as he smiled at Aurelia. His hand hovered over the broom and he called "Up!" The broom shot straight up into his hand like it was second nature.

Aurelia readied herself, more sure about the ability of the old piece of wood. "Up!" She shouted. Her eyes widened when it flew up into her hand. "Wow." She whispered as she examined the broom.

"Just wait," Sirius smirked from the opposite side with his broom in hand. Remus had been sick so Aurelia sent him to Madame Pomfrey earlier that morning. Peter still struggled to get the broom up, but eventually managed to do it. Aurelia clapped and gave him a smile of encouragement, causing the boy to blush.

The professor gave instructions on how to mount the broom, and Aurelia grew nervous again. Sirius, confident in his abilities walked over to help Peter. James was about to mount his own broom when he looked over to Aurelia. "Alright mate?" She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, but he could see the conflict in her face.

As he was about to speak and offer help, she cut him off. "How about you go first? So I can see how it's done? I'd hate to fall trying to do this." James moved closer to her, showing how to safely mount the broom and hover in the air. With a fierce determination, she put her leg over the broom. Her eyes closed tightly, ready for a harsh impact. Slowly, her feet left the ground. James had lowered his broom and held his hands out in case she fell.

"Rellie! Open your eyes!" He shouted in front of everyone.

The young witch opened them slightly and looked down. She was hovering almost half a meter above the ground. "I did it! James I really did it!" She exclaimed in joy and beamed down at James. The boy grinned before hopping back on his own broom.

As soon as the teacher gave them permission to try out some flying in the air close by, James took off. "Try and catch me Rellie!"

"That's not fair! You've done this before!" She whined before looking down at the broom. Her hands gripped at the handle and Sirius floated over to her.

"Lean forward to go forward faster. It's all in the body, think and move where you want to go and the broom will follow and to br—."

Aurelia heard all she needed to know. At least all that she thought she needed to know. She leaned forward and searched the sky for James as she moved quickly through the air. The Potter boy looked back and noticed Aurelia flying towards him at a quick speed, so he decided to have some more fun. He turned his broom straight up in the air, the wind whipping his hair back. Aurelia narrowed her eyes and flew after him. Sirius, who realized she didn't know how to brake started panicking. "Rellie!" He flew around trying to figure out where the two were going. Slowly he made his way up to try and catch her on her way down. The professor had paid no mind to the silly students. She was too busy helping another who had fallen off their broom.

"Potter! You arrogant toe-rag! Come back down before someone gets hurt!" Lily called up from the ground. She had flown briefly, but wasn't too interested in it, choosing to land. James didn't listen to her, and kept flying upward with Aurelia right on his tail. Both 11 year olds laughing heartily.

Without warning, James abruptly shot downward at a faster speed. He sent her a devilish smirk as he passed her. Aurelia scoffed and followed after. As the grass below them grew closer, she realized her mistake. "James!" She shouted. "James I don't know how to brake!" The boy didn't hear her over the sounds of the wind and his own laughter. Sirius shot forward to try and catch her. James slowed down a little ways before hovering over the ground. "James watch out!" Aurelia shouted. He finally turned around and froze.

"Pull it back!" James braced himself to try and catch her. Aurelia clamped her eyes shut and pulled back on the broom, slowing it down rapidly. She was absolutely positive she would hit the ground.

However, she was wrong. When she stopped moving, she didn't feel the hard earth below her. The brunette peaked an eye open and realized she was face to face with James Potter. "Am I dead?" She whispered.

He laughed and shook his head, "Almost but no. I thought we both would be dead for a second there."

She looked at him, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Well in that case," she stuck her hand out and tapped his shoulder. "I got you!"

Together they flew down next to Peter laughing. Sirius joined shortly after howling in laughter. "That was bloody wicked! Did you see that?!" He hopped off his broom and grabbed Peter's shoulders, shaking them in excitement. "They were like pew" one of his hands flying through the air and then flying back down "and then woahhhh" and then he gripped at his hair, "and then she almost hit the ground and I thought she was a goner! It would have probably been my fault since I didn't tell her how to stop."

James hopped off his broom, and offered his hand to help Aurelia off of hers. He carried both of their brooms back to the stand as they walked side by side. "That was brilliant! You should try out for the quidditch team with me next year! Of course, you'd need your own broom and some more lessons..." he trailed off into a rant.

Aurelia slowed her steps, "What's quidditch?"

James practically slid to a stop, his shoes creating little indents in the dirt. He turned slowly with his jaw wide open. "You don't know what quidditch is?" Aurelia looked at him as if he were crazy and shook her head. He hung up the brooms and threw his arm around her shoulders. "Looks like we have a lot of work to do, but no worries, you will be good and ready to try out by next year."

Lily came up to them and stood in their path with her arms crossed. Anger flared in her eyes. "Do you know how dangerous that was you twat?!"

James removed his arm from Aurelia and ran his hand through his hair and grinned. "Worried for me Lily flower?"

The redhead frowned and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Aurelia looked in between the two before slowly backing up to the rest of her friends. "No, I was worried about Aurelia! She could have hurt herself because you were behaving like a fool!" He frowned and looked over to said witch. She was holding her stomach and laughing while Sirius and Peter were recreating the incident.

"She's alright though, and I would have caught her." He muttered. James shook off the negative feeling and smirked at the redhead. "Did you see my flying though?" Lily groaned and rolled her eyes, choosing to walk away instead of argue. For a moment he felt dejected, but when he headed towards his friends, the feeling faded. Soon his smile turned into laughter as he joined in the antics. "So Rellie, your first quidditch lesson will be on Saturday."

Aurelia wiped away the tears as her laughter died, "Aye aye captain." She gave him a mock salute before chasing after Sirius.