[On Hiatus] It Was Meant to Be (A James and Lily Story)

Chapter 40

James used the end of his billowing Quidditch robes to wipe the sweat off of his forehead before his fellow teammates engulfed him.

They had won the match. Barely. The final score was 220-80, only after Chris had narrowly spotted the Snitch.

Keeper Lucas Thompson was the first to reach him, pulling him in for a quick shoulder bump. Lina was ecstatic, her brown hair flying behind her as she threw her arms around his neck. James chuckled as Lina whispered a questionable comment about a particular Slytherin Captain. Next was Sirius, who refused to show any emotion unless absolutely necessary. James knew his brother, though, and he could see how the corners of his mouth were just barely upturned. James ruffled Sirius' hair; a punishable offence had it been done under different circumstances. However, Sirius just glowered and lightly punched James' shoulder in a show of solidarity. Anya walked up to him, shyly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, but James wouldn't have any of that. He hugged the younger girl so tight that Anya squeaked from surprise, her face flushing deep red when he let go of her. Isaac and Chris came up to him at last and thunked his back. James smiled gratefully at his Seeker, glad to put an end to the exhausting match.

James looked over to the Slytherin side of the pitch and noticed their Captain, Monroe, glaring at him with distaste. James ignored him, a feeling of pure joy thrumming through his veins.

These were the Slytherins that had hurt Lily. They had hurt him too, but he was more concerned about Lily. While he knew that beating the Slytherins in a school match of Quidditch was nothing special, it made James feel as if he had control over some aspect. He couldn't get Dumbledore to expel the students, but he could make them feel like shit after losing to Gryffindor.

And it was a brutal match. James could feel a bruise blossoming on his jaw, where the end of a broomstick had jammed into him. His shoulder ached where he had almost hit the edge of a goalpost and had to swing himself around to avoid dislocating his limb dangerously. Isaac's ankle had an ugly purple welt on it where a Bludger had struck him. Chris was supporting him as Isaac limped over to the bench to have a quick sip of water.

The stands began to swarm towards the Pitch, a blur of maroon and gold streaking past him. He saw Anya smile brightly at her group of friends while Madam Pomfrey began to fuss over Isaac's ankle. Chris was talking animatedly to an unfamiliar brunette, who James assumed was the Hufflepuff he was taking to Hogsmeade.

Within minutes, Peter and Remus joined them. Peter's cheeks were bright red from the cold while Remus tugged his hat lower over his ears. James seized both of his friends into a warm hug.

"Great game, Prongs," Remus remarked.

James snorted, grabbing Remus' rucksack from his shoulder. He opened it and found a small textbook, the page marked with a small slip of parchment. James raised the book to Remus, an eyebrow quirked.

"Moony, I know you too well."

Remus blushed, pawing the book out of James' hands and snatching his bag from his friend.

"Prongs, you were awesome! Did you see how you stole the Quaffle from right under Monroe's nose? Oh! And how you avoided that Bludger aimed towards you was just fantastic! And..." Peter gushed on, his brown eyes alight with glee.

James nodded along politely, knowing that Peter would go on about the match unless someone stopped him.

"Hey, have you seen Lily?" he interrupted Peter, his eyes roving over the rest of the stands as they emptied.

Peter nodded. "She's in the library. A Charms essay to finish."

James mumbled a quick Thanks to Peter before he pushed his way past the crowd of people surrounding them. Someone tugged on his sleeve, and he turned around, finding Sirius right in front of him.