After the party and the 'breakup', if that's what it was, Lily and Scorpius had left the topic of Lysander alone. Lily only told the girls the basics but refused to go into detail. Some of the girls had insisted on hearing the whole story, but Lola made them shut up. Jace had asked one question about her night, and had said nothing more about it.
"I can't believe that you are just doing that now!" Lola exclaimed. "Potions starts in less than twenty minutes, and that essay is due today!"
They were all at breakfast, and Jace was rushing to write a Potions essay that he'd been putting off. Lily was trying not to laugh as she drank her pumpkin juice.
"Just shut up, Dirty! I can do this!" Jace assured, talking as quickly as he was writing.
"Here comes the mail," Christian mentioned.
Lily didn't look up, but instead focused on eating. But since she didn't pay attention to the owls, she didn't see the three that dropped the letters in front of her. Lily ran a hand through her hair, paid the Daily Prophet owl, and looked at the letters. One from Teddy, one from her dad, and one from . . .
"Again?" Lily sighed.
"Another note from Lysander?" Lola asked.
Lily nodded, and avoided looking at the Ravenclaw table. She knew Lysander was looking at her. He'd been sending her notes every day since the party. And like always, Lily tore the note in half and avoided his gaze. "I'm waiting for him to quit," she said with a sigh.
"He will eventually," Jace assured.
"Who are the other letters from?" Lola asked.
"Teddy and my dad," Lily answered. But she didn't read the letters. Instead she picked up the Daily Prophet and flipped through the pages. One caught her attention. "Hey, guys, look at this."
"DEMENTORS IN AZKABAN AGAIN?
By Rita Skeeter
News has gotten out that problems have arisen inside the prison of Azkaban, and that security is getting shaky. An Auror on guard was attacked two days ago by a crazed inmate. No word was given as to how the man escaped his cell. Head Auror, Harry Potter, assures that the criminal was put into a tighter cell, and that nothing like this will happen again. But how can we trust this man when he couldn't even tell us that security was down? Now, rumor has it that there is talk of bringing back Dementors to keep the prisoners in line and in their cells. But shouldn't the people get a say in this? What do you think, faithful readers?"
Lily folded up the paper and dropped it onto the table. "What a bitch," she muttered to herself.
"What's up?" Jace asked.
"Rita Skeeter's ramping up to another smear campaign," Lily explained.
"Who this time?" Lola inquired.
"My dad," Lily replied. She picked up the letter from her father.
"Dear Lily,
I heard from a colleague of mine that a fight broke out between you and your brother James on Halloween. Honestly, I'm getting a bit tired of hearing about these fights. I'm sure I once told you that if you couldn't say something nice, then to say nothing at all. Please try to take this advice. I know your brother can be a bit proud, but you just have to ignore it. And if I hear about another fight between you and one of your brothers, then you are all in big trouble. Got it? I'm writing to your brothers too. Be good, Princess.
Love,
Daddy"
Lily crumpled up the letter in her fist and then dropped it into an empty class. Then she lit it on fire, which slowly died as the paper burnt.
"Who was that from?" Lola asked as she looked at the burning paper.
"Dad," Lily said shortly. She grabbed Teddy's letter.
"Dear Lil,
Sorry I haven't written to you in awhile. The baby's fine, and so is Victoire. Her check up went well. We've decided to wait and just tell everyone at Christmas, so keep the secret until then, kay? Oh, and I asked Victoire about the kid that you mentioned in your last letter, Duncan Chapman. She said that she didn't know him, but she also doesn't work on that floor. But if you would like to visit him over Christmas break, she'd gladly take you to work with her. And speaking of Christmas, what do you want for a gift? With my mind so boggled by the whole baby thing, I can't really think of what to get as gifts for people. Please help me and let me know what you want.
Love ya sis,
Teddy"
Lily smiled at this letter. She'd have to write a reply during her break today. But, what did she want for Christmas?
"Done!" Jace exclaimed, holding his paper up high in pride. "My crappy explanation Girding Potions is complete! Time for a piece of victory toast."
"You've earned it," Lily said with a laugh, handing him hers.
"Thank you," he said with a laugh of his own.
"You are an idiot," Lola muttered toward him.
He just looked at her with raised brows. "I fail to see your point."
******************
Lily sat Divination and tried not to fall asleep. The air in the room was heavy and thick, Trelawney's voice was droning, and she'd just drunk an entire cup of tea in two drinks. She glanced over at Jace to see his eyes closed.
"Ok, class, now look into your partner's cup, and look at what you see," Trelawney told them.
Lily kicked Jace's leg, waking him instantly. "What'd I miss?" he asked groggily.
"We're supposed to look into each other's cups and see whatever the hell it is we're supposed to see," she told him. "Page five for symbols."
Jace yawned as he opened his book. Lily switched cups and looked at the dregs in the bottom of Jace's. "What's gunna happen to me?" he asked.
Lily's brow furrowed in confusion. She just saw a clump of dregs. She looked at her book. "Well, it's just a big clump. Maybe that means a boulder will fall on your head and kill you," she joked.
Jace laughed too. "Your's is like a ring around the bottom. I can't even make something up about it," he told her.
"Let me see the cup, my dear," Trelawney said, taking the cup from Jace. Lily instantly tensed, getting herself ready to keep from laughing. "Oh, no, this is not good," Trelawney murmured.
Jace was holding his hand to his mouth, so Lily took charge. "What is it, Professor?" she asked shakily.
"I see great danger in this cup, dear girl," she warned.
"What kind of danger?" Lily questioned.
"It's a cycle of continual suffering. Just when you think it will stop, it will start up again. Never ending," Trelawney murmured.
Jace dropped his head onto the table, his shoulders shaking visibly. Lily momentarily bit her lip. "Well, don't I have just the worst luck?" she joked lightly.
Trelawney set down the cup, and left to bother one of the other tables. Finally, both Lily and Jace began to quietly laugh.
"What a bunch of crap!" Jace said between laughs.
Once the class ended, the two went down to the common room to take a few seats on the couch. Lola joined them soon, claiming that she wanted to get a start on an essay for Ancient Ruins. Lily started on a letter to Teddy.
"Dear Teddy,
I'm glad to hear that Victoire and the baby are doing good. Tell Vic thanks, and that I'd be totally grateful if she would take me to work with her. As for a Christmas gift, I haven't really thought about what I would want as a gift. Just pick out clothes are something, I know Victoire loves doing that. Just stay away from socks.
I was wondering if Dad has said anything to you about me and the idiots lately? I got a letter from him, and he didn't sound very happy. He's making this whole fight seem like it's my fault. Like I'm the one going up and saying things to James and Albus's faces. Has he said anything?
Love you tons,
Lily"
Lily sighed and dropped her head back onto the couch. Jace looked over at her. "What's up, Lil?"
Lily glanced at him, but shook her head. "Nothing. Want to go to the Owlery with me?"
"Sure, let's go. Later, Dirty," Jace said with a smile.
"We'll see you in class, Lola," Lily told her.
"Later, Lily," Lola said, not looking up from her paper. Lily and Jace walked out of the common room.
"So who are writing?" Jace asked.
"Teddy. He wrote me this morning, so I decided to write back," Lily told him. "He wanted to know what I want for Christmas."
"Which is?" Jace inquired.
"I have no idea," Lily laughed. "I don't even really want to go home for Christmas."
"Well, I get why," Jace said, "but you usually still do. Why the hesitance now?"
Lily shrugged. "I don't know. My dad seems mad at me. I just don't want to deal with it. Especially when it's not really my fault."
"Understandable," Jace agreed. "So . . . does your dad know about Lysander?"
Lily bit her lip. "I don't think so. He hasn't said anything, and I haven't told anyone at home. Unless one of the others said something, I don't see why anyone would know."
"Are you gunna tell them?" Jace asked.
"Nope. Now that it's over, I don't see a reason to," she replied easily. She sighed. "So, what are you doing for Christmas?"
He shrugged. "Same as always, nothing. I wake up, get gifts, and then go to my grandparents' house and spend the rest of the day there," he explained.
"Sounds exciting," Lily joked.
"I've always thought so," Jace said with a laugh. "I've sometimes thought about staying here instead, but my grandparents are always looking forward to my visit, so I go home."
"That's nice of you," Lily said with a smile.
Jace blushed a little. "Well, they're old, so I figure it's the least I could do."
When the two reached the Owlery, Lily whistled softly. Regal immediately flew down, his wings still fluttering as he landed on Lily's shoulder. Lily folded up her letter and held it up to him. Regal took it in his beak. "Take this to Teddy. Make sure he gives you a snack before you fly back," she told him, stroking his wing.
Regal took off, flying out of the Owlery and disappearing in the distance. Lily turned and smiled at Jace, but when she looked at him, he was looking at the floor. "What's up?" she asked.
Jace let out a sigh as he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, there's something I've been wanting to do."
"What?" Lily asked hesitantly.
Jace's cheeks were turning completely pink. "Well, Lily, you're an awesome friend. Like, the coolest girl I know."
"Jace," Lily warned.
"And," he interrupted, "I like our friendship. In fact, I want it to stay that way."
Lily still wasn't trusting of where this was going. "But?"
"But . . . well, Lil, you're really . . . cute," he spit out.
Lily fidgeted where she stood, a little flattered, but also uncomfortable. "Thanks, Jace, but -,"
"So I've been wanting to kiss you for a few months now," Jace told her.
Now she really was uncomfortable. "Jace, you're a great friend too, and I don't want to ruin that. And after what I just went through romance is the last thing on my mind."
Jace shook his head. "No, no, I completely agree with you. That's why I was thinking we could just kiss, and I could get it out of my system. Then we can never do or speak of it again," he suggested.
Lily looked at him, unsure. "You really think that would help?"
He nodded. "If not, then I'll deal, but I do think it would help. Because, no offense, but I don't want anything romantic with you."
Lily sighed. "Well, I guess we could try that."
Jace looked at her with surprise. "Really? Great, thanks." Then he paused. "Um . . . well, I've never kissed a girl, so I'm not sure how to go about it," he trailed off.
Lily held back a giggle, not wanting to laugh at him. She stepped forward and pressed her lips against his in a simple kiss. She could feel his frozen surprise through her own lips, but then felt him slowly begin to kiss back. She pulled her lips away from his and looked at him. His face was dumbstruck, as if he couldn't believe what he'd done. Now Lily did giggle. "Feel better?"
Jace shook his head, his hair flowing around his face as he did. Then he cleared his throat. "Wow. That would have gone a lot better if you'd been bad at that," he muttered. Lily laughed again, and he grinned. "But, I do feel a bit better, yes. I think I can now focus on a conversation and not watch your lips when you talk."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Well I'm glad that's all settled then."
Jace laughed. "Not as glad as I am."
************************
"So, at tomorrow's practice, I think we're going to work on team formations again," Scorpius told the others as they sat down at dinner. Practice had just finished, and they were all showered, hungry, and ready to go to sleep.
"Guys!" Mitch exclaimed as he jogged down to the end of the table where they sat. "I've got awesome news!" He took a seat next to Adrian.
"What's up, Mitch?" Lars asked.
Mitch grinned. "You all are looking at a no longer single guy."
"The poor girl," Lily muttered.
Mitch didn't stop grinning. "Well that poor girl is your cousin."
Lily looked at Mitch with a raised brow. "Dominique?" Mitch nodded. "Oh. Well then poor you."
Mitch scoffed. "Your cousin is hot! And she's awesome!"
"So you are Dominique Weasley's boyfriend? You poor sap," Adrian laughed. The others laughed too. Dominique had gained a reputation for having very short relationships. And from the sound of it, they were always guys that the family would hate. The type of guys that her father would kill.
"You know, once she gets every good gift you have to offer, which isn't much, she's going to dump you," Dante pointed out.
Mitch shrugged. "Hey, at least I'm still getting some. More than you dicks get."
Adrian scoffed. "Really? I've gotten laid every night since that party," he bragged.
Lily tried not to groan. This was the downfall of being on a team full of boys. "Excuse me," she told them, "I'm going to throw up."
Tanner chuckled as she stood up. "Are we making you uncomfortable, Lu?"
Lily shook her head with a fake smile. "No, I just don't feel like listening to you guys talk about how much sex you have. Because that's a lot silence between you, virgin," she mocked.
The rest of the guys laughed and jeered as Tanner bowed his head in defeat. Lily laughed as well and walked away from them.
******************************
Lily pulled on her arm guards, the last part of her uniform to put on. Her broom was leaning against her open locker, and she was just itching to start the game. Today would be the day that the other teams would find out about the team's new addition. People were already worried about Lily's broom, but they would soon find that it wasn't just Lily with the new broom.
"All right, guys, remember," Scorpius told them. "Take out Potter, and rush Hugo Boy. Got it?"
"Got it, Captain," Lars assured.
"What you say goes, cuz," Tanner agreed.
"Got your brooms?" Scorpius asked.
"Got 'em," Adrian replied. "Just relax."
"And, Lil," Scorpius address, "I want to get a good lead first, so if you see the Snitch, don't go for it. But if you see Potter going for it, then just grab it, ok?"
"You got it, Scor," Lily told him.
"All right. Are we ready then?" Scorpius asked.
"Let me fix my laces, and then we are," Will told him.
"Hurry your ass up," Tanner joked.
"Only if you kiss it first," Will muttered.
"Excited for your first real game, Tanner?" Adrian asked with a grin.
Tanner grinned as well. "Totally. A few nerves, but I can't wait to play."
"Good attitude," Scorpius told him.
"All right," Will exclaimed, jumping up, "I'm ready! Let's do this!"
"All right, let's get out there!" Scorpius commanded.
*****************************
"And Weasley scored again!" Meredith cheered to the crowd. "That makes the score seventy to ninety, Gryffindor in the lead!"
Lily tried no to groan. They'd been playing for almost an hour, and the game was going slow. And they were losing! James had really worked on their defense, and it was hard for the Slytherin Chasers to get past them. But Lily had been right about rushing Hugo. He caught a lot less attempts when all the Chasers flew at him.
When the team had come out, Lily had thought that the Gryffindor team was going to have a heart attack at the sight of their brooms. Albus almost forgot to mount his own broom he was so distracted. But even with the added speed, the Gryffindor Chasers were on their game, intercepting passes, making excellent scores, and showing great teamwork. They'd taken a few Bludgers, but it hadn't really hurt them at all.
"Malfoy has the Quaffle, but the Gryffindor Chasers are on his tail. Malfoy's now flanked by Flint and Nott, keeping guard. Rose Weasley comes up on the left, and . . . Oh! Flint kicks Weasley away, sending her and her broom spiraling down!"
Lily glanced down to see Rose, still on her broom, spinning toward the grass.
"Malfoy gets to the goals, he throws the Quaffle and . . . makes it! Weasley misses another attempt. Ten points to Slytherin."
"Lars!" Lily heard Scorpius yell. "Drastic measures! Use the last resort!"
Lily looked over at where Scorpius was in confusion. What was the last resort?
"Looks like Malfoy's getting a little irritated, and Goyle now looks as if he's on a mission. News is that Rose Weasley won't be returning for a few more minutes. Hugo Weasley throws the Quaffle to Lucy Weasley, who weaves through Nott and Malfoy. She passes it to Potter, who brushes past Flint. He's halfway down the field, and it looks like Goyle's gearing up to hit a Bludger . . . Foul play!" Meredith complained.
A whistle blew, but Lily let out a shocked laugh. Lars hadn't been aiming to hit a Bludger, but instead snapped his bat into the side of James's head. The Quaffle dropped, as did James.
"Payback for my leg, Potter!" Dante yelled from the goals.
"Gryffindor ball!" Madam Hooch called.
"And after that disgusting display, Lucy Weasley steps up to take the foul shot. Until Rose Weasley returns, she is the only remaining Chaser for the Gryffindor team," Meredith said with a groan.
Lily took the time to watch as Lucy zoomed toward the goals, and threw it at the goals. Dante swerved over, and kicked the ball away toward Scorpius, who in turn caught it and shot toward the opposite side of the pitch.
"It looks like the Gryffindor Beaters will need to really pick up the slack," Meredith announced. "And Rose Weasley seems to be returning to the game as James Potter is being taken off of it. But Malfoy passes the Quaffle to Flint, who in turn takes the shot . . . and he scores! That's another ten points to Slytherin."
The game continued, and Gryffindor started to lag without their captain. But they stayed strong. Marsha Finnigan took out Tanner, knocking him in the shoulder with a fast-moving Bludger. Apparently, she'd knocked loose quite a few of his arm bones, and he needed to be taken to Madam Pomfrey. Rose seemed to be ok, but Lily noticed that she was a bit slower. But as time kept going, there was no sight of the Snitch. Lily began to wonder if it really had been released. And when the game reached over two hours, she prayed that it would just come out into sight.
"And Nott makes the shot, making the game two hundred and forty to three hundred and sixty, Slytherin still in the lead," Meredith said with a sigh.
Lily ascended higher above the pitch, wanting to get a high perspective. Apparently Albus had watched her, because he was shooting up toward her . . . and the past her.
"Could it be? Albus Potter as seen the Snitch!" Meredith cheered.
Lily quickly flew up, seeing what Albus had seen once she'd turned. The small golden glint up in the clouds. She easily passed Albus, her broom surpassing his immensely. But as she got higher, the wind got rougher. It was strong enough that she could feel the strain on her broom as she kept herself straight. Looking back, Lily could see that Albus's broom wasn't having such luck. The Snitch was zigzagging across her sight, and the sun was blinding her. Lily reached out her hand, but then the Snitch dropped. Lily followed it, going into a nosedive.
"Lily Potter's getting close to the Snitch, and Albus Potter is behind her. The Snitch is diving at a fast pace."
Lily kept her hand out as she and the Snitch dropped. She feared that the Snitch would be going for the grass, but it leveled out, and began to zigzag again. Lily kept snatching at it, but only caught air. People in the stands were cheering and yelling as the two Seekers flew around the pitch. Lily kept on the Snitch, and noticed that it was heading for the stands, and she knew that she was going to crash if she kept going forward as the Snitch did. As the stands got closer, Lily leaned forward. Her palm touched the cool metal, and she closed her fingers around the Snitch. When it was safely in her hand, her body slammed into the wood paneling of the stands, sending a shockwave through her body. It stung, but she was glad to find that it was bearable.
"And Lily Potter has caught the Snitch! Slytherin wins with five hundred and ten points!" Meredith announced, not sounding very happy at all.
Lily smiled as she moved her broom to the ground. Her shoulder and head were aching from their collision with the wall. She stepped off her broom and was pulled into a hug by Scorpius. Lily felt herself blush against her will as she felt the muscles of his arm around her, and the strength in his chest.
"Great job, Princess," he whispered in her ear. She was thankful for the whisper, because the loud noise from the crowd was making her head throb. "How do you feel?"
"My head's killing me," she muttered.
"Let's get you out of this noise then," Scorpius urged. He kept his arm around her, his palm against her back as he led her toward the Slytherin locker room. She could see the rest of the guys going there as well, all of them cheering and jumping in excitement. "You took a bit of a nasty hit. Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"
She wanted to shake her head, but she was afraid it would hurt more than it already was, so she just sighed. "Maybe later. I feel gross, so I'd like to shower."
"Need help?" he teased.
Despite her blush, Lily rolled her eyes. "About as much as you do."
"Well, I don't need help, but I'd greatly appreciate it," he joked.
Lily couldn't help but smile. "Keep dreaming."
"There's the smile I was aiming for. You just won us the game, be happy!" he cheered quietly.
"I am happy. It's just taking awhile to sink in," Lily replied.
Scorpius opened the locker room door for her, so Lily quickly stepped in. Once the door was closed, the noise from the crowd disappeared . . . and was replaced with the noise from the other boys.
"That was an awesome catch, Lu!" Dante cheered.
"Amazing!"
"Nice job taking out Potter, Lars!"
"Hey!" Scorpius called loudly. Lily flinched, so he gave her an apologetic look. But the other boys quieted down. "Everyone shut up. Lily's head's hurting after that crash. Quiet down."
"Sorry, Lu," Dante whispered.
Lily just waved it off. "It's fine," she mumbled.
Scorpius moved to step around her. "I'll walk you to the Hospital Wing when you're ready," he told her.
Lily nodded, and then moved to her locker and grabbed her clothes. Her arm hurt as she moved it, but she'd had worse, so she grabbed a towel and made her way to the girls' showers. She put aside her clothes and towel and began to pull off her sweaty clothes, and threw them into the hamper. She kept the shower short, washing off the sweat and the smell that Quidditch left on her skin and in her hair. Then she dried off and redressed, taking extra care with her arm. She threw the towel into the hamper and then walked into the locker room. The boys weren't there, letting Lily believe that they were still showering. She slipped on her shoes and tied them, and then closed her locker. She sat on a bench, waiting for Scorpius to reappear.
"Nice job, Lil," Adrian whispered as he walked in. His hair was soaked, so he'd placed a towel around his neck and kept his shirt off.
"Thanks, Adrian," she said back.
"Scorp was the last in the shower, so he might be a bit longer," Adrian warned.
Lily closed her eyes and leaned back against the lockers. "Ok."
Adrian was right, as Scorpius was the last one out, and Will and Lars had already left to check on Tanner.
"Are you ready, Princess?" Scorpius asked.
Lily pushed away from the lockers gently to sit up. "Yeah."
Scorpius held out his hand, so Lily took it. He pulled her easily, not wanting to jostle her roughly. "Then let's get you out of here. We can see how Tanner's doing, too."
"We'll be there in a few," Dante told them.
"Come on, Princess," Scorpius urged. He placed his arm around her again, keeping his palm flat on her back. With her head making her groggy and unfocused, she couldn't muster up a blush. She just felt like falling. So she dropped her head onto his shoulder. To make it easier, Scorpius moved his arm to rest around her shoulders, letting her head rest on him.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Tired," Lily mumbled.
"Let's hope you feel better, because you know there's going to be a victory party," Scorpius told her.
"I know," she sighed.
The two walked in silence the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing. When they went inside, they saw that thanks to the game, there were quite a few people there. Most of the Gryffindor team, and five others, was sitting around one bed, and Lily could see Will and Lars talking with Tanner, whose arm was completely wrapped.
"Ah, Miss Potter, what's wrong with you?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she rushed over.
"She hit her head and shoulder pretty hard in a crash," Scorpius explained.
"Well, come on over, we'll take a look." Madam Pomfrey waved Lily and Scorpius to an unoccupied bed, and Lily moved to sit on it. "All right, now which arm?"
Lily moved her right one, flinching at the sting. "This one," she muttered.
"Take off your jacket then, let's get a look," Pomfrey instructed.
Carefully, Lily slid off the sleeves of her jacket, letting it fall back onto the bed. She took a look at her arm and flinched again. "That can't be good," she heard Scorpius mumble.
"Oh, yes, we'll need to take care of that," Pomfrey told them. She got up and went off to a cabinet.
Lily took a long look at her arm. From her shoulder to her elbow, the skin was almost completely bruised. It was quite nasty. "That's gross," she muttered.
"You've got some pain tolerance, Lil," Scorpius complimented. He grabbed a chair and pulled it to the bed and sat down.
"Here we go, Miss Potter." Madam Pomfrey came back over, holding a small cup with a pale green liquid. "Drink all of this, and that bruise will disappear. It will take time, but it will leave."
"What about my head?" Lily asked as she took the cup.
Madam Pomfrey grabbed her chin and turned her head to get a look at the left side. "Hmm. Well, there is a bit of discoloration. Probably the beginning of a bruise. That potion should also get rid of it. But if it doesn't leave by tomorrow night, then come back here."
"What about the throbbing inside my head?" Lily inquired.
"Stay here," Pomfrey told her, then she left again. Lily sighed, and brought the cup to her lips. Tilting her head, she gulped down the drink, trying not to gag at the taste.
"That's nasty," Lily complained.
"How long do you think that bruise will be there?" Scorpius asked.
"Probably through part of tomorrow. It is pretty bad," Lily said. She looked at him. "Looks like you've got a bruise as well." It was true. She could see a bruise forming on his cheek.
Scorpius scowled. "Really? Where?"
Lily reached out her hand and gently touched his cheek. "Right here." She pulled her hand back.
Scorpius touched it as well. "Does it look bad?"
"Nah. It's not that bad. Does it hurt?" Lily asked.
He shook his head. "No, I don't even feel it. I must have taken an elbow during the game," he replied.
"This should take away the headache," Madam Pomfrey told her as she held out a cup. "Drink up."
Lily took the cup and looked inside. It was a dark yellow color. Almost kind of orange. Lily quickly took the drink, and did gag. The liquid was thick and gooey, sticking in her mouth. It took her a few tries to get it down. Once her throat was empty, she began to cough. "What was that?" she demanded.
"I never said it would be good tasting," Pomfrey replied.
"Um, how is Tanner Zabini?" Scorpius asked, glancing over at his cousin.
"Mr. Zabini is fine. He'll be staying here, taking care of his arm. But he'll be just fine tomorrow," Madam Pomfrey told them. "Now, Miss Potter, just stay here a moment, until that throbbing goes away."
Scorpius stood up and looked at her. "I'm going to go talk to Tanner. I'll be back in a minute."
Lily grinned. "I'll meet you over there." Scorpius smirked and walked off to where Tanner's bed was. Lily sighed, and she looked around. From where she sat, she could see where James was. He seemed to be sleeping. Everyone around his was sitting, waiting for him to wake up probably. Around his forehead were bandages. "Um, Madam Pomfrey?"
Madam Pomfrey looked at Lily curiously. "What is it?"
Lily cleared her throat and spoke quietly. "How is James Potter?"
Madam Pomfrey glanced over at James's bed as well. "He took a nasty hit. A concussion at the least, a lot of bruising, and some external bleeding from the fall. He'll be in here for a couple of days probably," she explained. Then she was moving toward James's bed, leaving Lily sitting there. She began to take off the bandages, and once she had, everyone around his bed made some kind of noise of horror or despair. Lily wished she could see what had happened. But she turned her head and looked down at her hands. Gently, she tilted her head, but found that it wasn't painful. The throbbing seemed to have disappeared. So she slid of the bed, grabbed her jacket, and made her way over to where Tanner was. The rest of the team had shown up, so they were a bit loud.
"I can't believe you're going to miss the party," she heard Dante complain.
"I'll be at the next one," Tanner assured.
"You played an awesome game though, dude," Adrian complimented.
"Not as good as Lars," Tanner said with a laugh.
"Lars made the play of the day!" Will said with a laugh. Lily knew they were talking about taking out James.
"How are you feeling, Tanner?" Lily asked as she moved to stand between Dante and Lars.
Tanner grinned. "Not too bad." He turned his head to look at her, and then his eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, Lu! What happened?"
She soon gained the attention of the others, except for Scorpius. "Damn," Dante muttered.
"Oh, shit," Adrian whispered.
"She crashed into the stands when she caught the Snitch," Scorpius told him.
Tanner hissed in sympathy. "Damn, and I thought my arm looked bad."
"It does," Lily joked. "After all, I don't have to stay here tonight."
Tanner scoffed. "Now, that's crap. Your arm looks much worse than mine did. You couldn't even tell I had an injury."
"Yeah, you should totally be allowed out," Lars said with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, knocking some of your bones loose isn't that bad!" he said mockingly.
"Shut up," Tanner muttered with a laugh.