Chapter 2
“James!” greeted Molly, “How wonderful to see you dear, would you like some tea?”
“Good Morning Molly,” replied James, handing her a basket of fruits, “I would love some tea, but I’m only on my hour break at the office before Bones comes looking for me. I don’t mean to intrude but is Ginny around?”
She bounded over to him, taking the basket from his hands and patting his arm in thanks, “That’s no problem, she’s flying out back again, Merlin knows she’s been bored out of her mind lately.”
James hummed, “I can imagine.”
“Arthur and I were hesitant at first,” she continued, fixing up some juice and cookies for him to bring to their backyard, “What would people say if we had the Head Auror teaching our youngest and only daughter how to play chaser.”
He chuckled, pulling out two shrunken brooms from his robes, “Ah yes, that is quite the image.”
Molly smiled, “I suppose so, but my girl has never been happier. As much as I want her to be quite the lovely lady growing up, I know she takes after her brothers much more than I want to admit, and teaching her household spells could only do so much for her boredom.”
“She really is a fireball,” James agreed, “I know for certain she’s bound for greatness.”
“Flatterer,” she teased, “I don’t know how to thank you enough, if you and Lily ever need someone to watch Harry sometime, feel free to drop him over with us. I believe he and Ron had become friends.”
James nodded, sneakily munching on one of the packed cookies, “I’m glad, although I wished they didn’t have to fight a mountain troll together for it to happen.”
Molly sighed, bustling from one end of the kitchen to another, “I’d expect shenanigans like that from Fred and George, but not Ron. It terrifies me even more for when Ginny would go. You know how she is.”
“Yes,” James agreed, making his way to the back door, “But she could handle it.”
Walking through the arch of the doorframe, he spotted a blur of red flying in lazy circles in the sky. James watched Ginny for a moment, observing the way she swerved her broom and took advantage of the wind.
“You’re doing great sweetie,” he shouted, placing the basket of food down on the ground.
Ginny turned to him, a massive smile adorning her flushed face. She quickly flew down toward him, skidding to a stop before engulfing his middle in a hug. She had grown a few inches since he last saw her, and now stood around his stomach level.
“Uncle James!” she laughed, breathing from her exertion. James ruffled her hair and squeezed around her shoulder.
“Hey Ginny,” he greeted, handing her one of his brooms, “I hope you didn’t miss me too much.”
“I’ve been bored out of my mind,” she moaned helplessly, “I tried to play with the roosters and for some reason they all just ran away from me.”
“Well those roosters are missing out,” he replied, hopping on his broom. He watched her mimic his movements before shooting up toward the sky, “Maybe they’re jealous you can fly and they can’t.”
Ginny laughed, her hair billowing behind her, “That’s true.”
“They’ll be even more jealous when I teach you this next trick,” he whispered conspiratorially, “It’s called the Potter special for now, I’ve taught Harry the trick, and I know for sure it works for chasers too.”
Ginny turned pink at the prospect of learning a trick that only she and Harry would know, but nodded determinedly at James.
James grinned, “It’s like doing a wronski feint, but with the quaffle in hand.”
“Don’t tell your mother I taught you this,” he pulled his wand from his hostler to conjure three quidditch hoops for them to use at the edge of the pitch.
“You know I have no idea how to start explaining things,” he added, “But I know you pick up well from watching so just do whatever I do okay?”
“Okay,” she giggled.
James conjured a quaffle in his hands before pocketing his wand once more. Like lightning, he flew in a straight line a few feet higher than the goal posts. When he was directly above them, he flew in a steep vertical dive, and when he was a few inches from the ground, he pulled the tip of his broom upward without stopping, using the force of the swerve to drive the ball toward the hoop.
“Woo!” Ginny cheered, clapping merrily from the spot he left her. Her eyes were lit with determination and eagerness.
James gilded back to Ginny, ball in hand, a satisfied smirk on his face. “It takes a bit to get that last part right but I'm sure you’d have no problem doing that. You’d be a good seeker as well if you wanted to.”
Ginny snorted, tying her hair in a low ponytail, “You’d never forgive me if I took after Harry and decided I liked seeking more. I love the chase too much.”
“And thank Merlin for that,” James sighed in relief, “Sirius would’ve never let me live it down.”
He took out his wand to cast cushioning charms on the ground beneath the goal posts, turning to Ginny, “I’d rather not take any chances with your mum, I don’t fancy telling Harry that he couldn’t see Ron for the summer because I injured his sister. Or tell you that you can’t see Harry anymore.”
“Hey!” Ginny protested, rubbing her palm over her warming cheeks, “I wouldn’t care!”
“Really?” his eyebrows rose, “Don’t worry I approve of him for you.”
“Stop it old man,” she chided, hands on her hips, “We’re too young and he doesn’t even know I’m a girl.”
James gasped, “I’m not old! What would your father say!”
“You’re crazy,” she replied, smiling. Ginny quickly stole the quaffle from his hands, before shooting towards the goal posts, only to do exactly what James had done a few minutes earlier.
“I’m….” James stuttered, jaw hanging slack, “Remind me why I still try to teach you things?”