Don't hate the player, hate the game
Lily could’ve sworn James asked her out on the daily, and yet now she waiting for it (hoping for it?), the boy was perfect platonic company? It didn’t make sense; he hadn’t made so much as a joking move on her since she’d talked with Remus and Sirius. Lily was starting to think this whole plan might not even happen – which would be good, obviously. She doesn’t want to be on a date with James Potter.
She also had no clue where Pandora was; the girl was an enigma, and she needed her desperately. Pandora had a funny habit, Lily had noticed, of disappearing when Lily was most desperate for her company. She wondered where her friend spent so much of her time – and who with. It seemed unlikely that she would willingly accompany her brother who never left Regulus’ side. Lily didn’t want her friend to be lonely, however.
It was three days later, post prefect meeting, that Lily got word of her enigmatic counterpart. A short Ravenclaw girl, by the name of Lui Chang, approached Lily and handed her a note, before leaving with a knowing smile. Lily waited until the last prefect (Remus) had left the meeting room before unwrapping the delicate paper. What Lily found on the parchment was not what she was expecting. Lily had been ready for one of Dora’s spouts of wisdom, half Gaelic half English, but all that was in front of her was a sketched arrow. It moved slightly as Lily swayed onto her toes, flickering like a flame. She took a step towards the door and the arrow seemed to…get excited? She took another step, this time away from the door, and the arrow deflated slightly, somehow. Lily was unsure how she was understanding this quick sketch on a flimsy piece of parchment better than most of her peers, but she always felt akin to Dora’s magic. Something about it enveloped Lily entirely.
The arrow led Lily to a small alcove on the second floor, above where the Slytherin dormitories were located. Lily looked around, waiting for her small friend to appear out of the shadows, and as she turned towards the wall across from her – where portraits of the four founders hung in all their glory – there Pandora stood. Her white-blonde hair was tied partially up in two bunches, held together by small clips, there were purple flowers tucked in as well, which gave the illusion that Dora was spouting wildlife from her very self; something that would not surprise Lily in the slightest. She wore a long grey skirt, which didn’t quite reach the floor, as her brown patent shoes poked out from beneath. As it was the end of the school day, her collar was undone and her Ravenclaw jumper replaced her robes. When Lily drew closer, Pandora pushed her slightly too long sleeves away from her hands to reveal the object she was holding – a small key.
“I thought you would ask, so I’ll save you the effort, leòmhann. I charmed the arrow to be attracted to this,” She held out the key for Lily to inspect; it looked so ordinary. “I wasn’t sure when I’d see you, so I gave Flùrag – à duilich! Sorry – Lui the note instead.”
“’Flùrag’?” Lily attempted.
“Means ‘little flower’. ‘S’what I call Lui; means the same as her name in Chinese – well kinda.” Dora explained. “I like having Gaelic endearments for certain persons, you know—”
“Yet you won’t tell me what mine means.” Lily interrupted.
“Another day, caraid.”
“The key.” Lily pressed.
“Yes, come.”
Pandora led her along the corridor, towards the Ravenclaw common room, where she stopped at a seemingly unremarkable wall; the only marking was a small etched bird on one of the bricks. Pandora passed the key over the mark, suddenly the wall shimmered and turned in on itself to reveal a small room – bigger than a storage cupboard but not quite the size of the smallest classroom.
Pandora passed Lily the key. “Seo, take it. It’s yours now, for if you need an escape.”
“Wha—” Lily fumbled for a response, as Dora folded the key into the palm of her hand.
“Now,” she began, conspiratorially. “Let’s begin our plan.”
The plan formed as follows: at the end of the week Hogwarts’ first Quidditch game of the year was to take place – Gryffindor against Hufflepuff – which meant the first Hogwarts party of the year. Assuming Gryffindor won, the party would take place there, in the common room. (“The lion’s den!” Pandora coined it.) There, James would predictably start his usual routine of asking her out, only this time Lily would say ‘yes’, on the condition, that James invite Regulus (who Pandora will already have convinced to make attendance.
The first game of the season always produced the largest crowd of spectators, it was impossible to recreate the same atmosphere for another game. For one, it was the new cohort of first years’ preliminary glimpse into the magic of Hogwarts Quidditch – an even more exciting event for the muggleborns.
Lily remembered her first Quidditch game as she frantically tried to keep up with the red, gold, green and black that shot across her vision. A shorter Marlene (whom she had met on the train) on one side of her shouting obscenities when someone made a wrong move.
That had been an exciting game.
Lily and Mary held tight to each other so as to not lose one another in the throngs of people scrambling for a seat in the stands. The two girls managed to squeeze their way to the blazing red of the Gryffindor area, where they found Emmeline who had been carefully guarding a seat either side of her; shooting glares at anyone who attempted to sit.
“Thanks, love.” Mary said, kissing Em’s temple, once sat. Lily wrapped her scarf tighter; the weather was turning quickly into autumn now. She looked across the stands, watching the floods of red and gold scarfs mixing with black and yellow scarfs, until her eyes found Marlene, stood waiting to enter the pitch. She waved and hollered “McKinnon!” until her friend was red in the face from the attention. Lily loved watching Marlene play. Marlene so rarely focused so much of her attention on a single thing at a given time, but she lived and breathed Quidditch. Perhaps not as loudly as her Captain did, but still just as deeply. Lily heard the announcer begin player introductions over the speakers. She watched Marlene mount her broom, and saw her eyes flicked towards where the Slytherins sat, before the whistle blew and the players took flight.
Despite seven years of spectating Quidditch games under her belt, Lily still had a hard time following the face pace of the sport in front of her. Only by the cheers or groans of her fellow Gryffindors was she able to gage how they were faring. She watched as Marlene and James, the two beaters, appear to communicate telepathically; working scarily in sync with each other to get in the way of Hufflepuff’s burly sixth year beater. Still, the real stars of any Quidditch game were always the seekers. They fluttered around the top of the pitch, waiting to strike. It was always the most exhilarating part of watching a game when the seekers would suddenly dive towards the shiny, golden endgame.
This game was lasting longer than most first games would usually; she could see the players beginning to tire. The crowd became restless – watching, waiting, for the snitch to appear. It was 15 minutes (and two goals) later that Gryffindor’s new seeker – a tiny wisp of a girl by the name of Tina Jordan – leapt for the ground. Tina’s long dark braids flew behind her the force of her dive, her hand outstretched, fumbling for the gold. Her sudden movement also alerted the other teams’ seeker. And the chase began.
The two seekers flew around, twisting and turning across the pitch. Even the other players slowed slightly to watch the chase. The whole crowd was on the edge of their seats, watching two outstretched hands clutch for gold. All of a sudden, the whistle blew signalling the end of the game. The uproar that arose from the Gryffindor stands was undoubtedly audible from the other side of Scotland.
Tina was carried out of the changing rooms a while later, on top of James’ shoulders. The whole team was chanting her name. Her face was flushed with adrenaline, pride, and embarrassment at James’ spectacle, and in her hand she clutched the golden snitch.
Sirius was suddenly in front of Lily, Remus not far behind. “Celebrations in the Gryffindor common room!” He yelled, throwing his arm around James and Tina.
The crowd shouted their agreement.
Lily looked up, and somehow caught the eyes of Pandora, who was stood behind her brother, Barty, and Regulus. Lily glanced back over at James, still with Tina on his shoulders.
And so, it began.