Chapter 13: New Friends

Willow was indeed released the next day, after being given the all clear from Madam Pomfrey.

Her friend Isabella took helped her back to the common room, and on the way they talked about what had happened the day before.

"You should have seen Sirius' face," Isabella told her, "He was furious, he looked like he wanted to kill someone, but he was so gentle with you."

Willow smiled and shrugged lightly.

"He's a good guy," she said.

Isabella giggled.

"A good guy who fancies you," she teased.

Willow merely raised an eyebrow at this.

"I don't think so," she told her, "Since when has Sirius Black every fancied anyone, or have you noticed him going on actual dates while the rest of the school were asleep?"

Isabella shrugged, unbothered by this small fact.

"I still says he fancies you," she said – stubbornly Willow thought. "I mean, James Potter hasn't dated anyone since he started liking Lily Evans, and now look at them, practically attached at the hip."

"Yes," Willow agreed, "But James has fancied her since third year, Sirius, on the other hand, hasn't fancied anyone since he arrived."

Isabella merely smiled, smugly.

"Well, like they say," she said, "Better late than never."

Willow just rolled her eyes before turning and saying the password to the fat lady, who swung open to let them in.

Willow had barely stepped through the portrait hole when there was a cry of joy and something heavy collided with her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

From behind her, Isabella laughed.

"Let her breathe, you two." She said.

The arms released her and Willow blinked to see both Lacretia and Mary stood before her. Lacretia was grinning and Mary was biting her lip in worry.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked, "Do you feel alright?"

Willow smiled.

"I'm fine, Mary," she said. "Madam Pomfrey would hardly let me out of the Hospital Wing if I wasn't."

"True," agreed Lacretia, grinning at her. "What do you say to a bit of flying later, weather's really nice."

Willow nodded.

"I'll just grab my broom." She said.

Two minutes later and Willow returned her broom in hand. Lacretia was also holding her broom while both Isabella and Mary clutched a book.

Meeting together, all four of them headed out of the common room and down towards the ground. They reached the Quidditch pitch to find it already occupied by the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Three people sat in the stands. The girl with long, dark red hair waved to them as they approached.

"Hello Willow," Lily said smiling at them. "I take it your better?"

Willow nodded.

"Loads, thank you."

Lily smiled and moved up the bench so that they could sit down. From beside her Remus and Peter leaned forwards and waved, Willow waved back before turning to face Lily.

"Where's Sirius?" she asked. "I thought he was a Quidditch fanatic."

From beside her she heard Isabella giggle as she asked this question, but ignored it.

"One of James' beaters is ill, so James agreed to let Sirius sub for them." Lily told her.

Willow glanced up at the sky just as a bludger flew overhead, seconds later a beaters bat connected with it, sending it flying back to where it had come from. Willow glanced at the person holding the beaters bat to find Sirius sat on a broom, his face a mask of concentration as he flew around the pitch, keeping an eye on the bludger.

"He's not bad," Willow commented. "Do you think James will let him sub if the beaters not well?"

Lily shrugged.

"I think Sirius hopes so," Remus replied instead. "I know he defiantly wants to be in the air if we're against Slytherin in the final."

"I reckon Hufflepuff have got a fair chance this year," Mary commented, from where her nose was buried in a book. "They've got some really good new players."

"And how would you know that?" Isabella asked intrigued, looking at her friend.

Mary didn't reply, but there was a faint blush across her cheeks.

"Well, it looks like they're finishing up," Lily said, rising to her feet.

The others also rose.

"See you later?" Lily asked as she, Remus and Peter made to head down towards the pitch.

Willow nodded and watched them go before turning to Mary and Isabella who had re-seated themselves again.

"You guys staying?" she asked.

Both nodded and Willow turned to Lacretia to find that she was already in the air.

"Race you round the Quidditch pitch!" she cried, before zooming forwards.

Willow laughed and climbed onto her broom, kicking off hard from the ground; she zoomed into the air and hurtled after Lacretia.

She caught up with her in seconds.

The two flew round the pitch, neck and neck most of the way, Willow encouraging her broom to go faster, as they reached the invisible finish line – the place they had started – Willow managed to urge her broom on, passing Lacretia and winning the race.

"And Briar is still undefeated!" she cried, turning her broom round to grin at Lacretia who pulled up beside her.

"Nice technique!"

Both Willow and Lacretia looked down to see five people stood on the pitch. Grinning as she recognised them, Willow headed down into a dive towards them, Lacretia followed them.

Deciding it would be rather funny to scare them, Willow leaned forwards on her broom, hurtling towards them, she saw the look of surprise pass across both James and Sirius' face and heard Peter give a startled squeak before she pulled up on her broom, flying above them and circled them once, laughing. Both Remus and Lily also smiled in amusement.

"Merlin," James Potter said, looking at her as he straightened his glasses. "I honestly thought you were going to fly into us."

Willow laughed and took her hands off her broom, hovering beside them.

"Scaredy-cat." She teased.

James retaliated to that comment by doing the mature thing of sticking his tongue out causing Willow to grin.

"Nice piece of flying," Sirius told her, he too was grinning. "Where'd you learn to fly like that?"

Willow shrugged.

"Always been able to do it," she replied. "Dad says I get it off my mum, says she was one of the best flyers he'd ever seen. He was convinced she could have played Quidditch professionally, but she wanted to be a healer."

Sirius nodded while James eyed her.

"What's your mums name?" he asked.

Willow grinned.

"Temperance White." She said.

James let out a low whistle and even Sirius, Remus and Peter looked impressed. Lily, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with joy, which was odd as Willow had the feeling that she wasn't rather that big of a Quidditch fan.

"Ooo!" Lily cried, looking excited. "Professor Slughorn mentioned your mum, said she was one of the best potions brewers he'd ever seen, taught him quite a few things."

Willow smiled tightly at this, it was ironic really. The thing that her mother had excelled in had bought about her death.

"Not only she was an excellent potions brewer," Lily continued, "but Professor Flitwick spoke highly of her as well, used her as an example in charms club once. She was also an excellent Head Girl, Professor McGonagall mentioned her in a Head's meeting."

Willow nodded.

"I know," she said. "Professor McGonagall was in her fourth year when my Mum attended Hogwarts."

Sirius laughed from beside her.

"Imagine, McGonagall at Hogwarts."

James too smirked while Lily rolled her eyes, turning back towards Willow.

"Do you think your mother would give me advice?" she asked. "I'm really interested in becoming a healer."

Willow blinked taken aback and glanced at Lacretia only to find that she had, conveniently, disappeared.

"Well?"

Willow turned to see Lily looking at her anxiously; she immediately felt her stomach squirm.

"Well, I – I – um, well," she chewed her lip. "I don't think so." She said.

"Oh." Lily's face dropped.

"Not because she wouldn't want too," Willow hastened to add, "It's just, well, I suppose it's a bit hard to give advice when you're dead, unless of course you're a ghost, in which case, it'd be easy, but she's not a ghost. She died when I was one." She added lamely at the horrified look that had swept across Lily's face.

"Oh, Willow!" she cried, clamping her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry," she apologised. "I didn't mean too, I just… oh, and here I've been going on about how great your mother was, you must think me a total dolt."

Willow shook her head.

"Of course not, Lily," she said. "It's not like you knew, I mean it's not something I usually bring up in conversation."

"It'd be a right downer if you did." Sirius commented lightly causing Willow to turn and smile at him, understanding what he was trying to do.

"Don't worry about it, Lily," she said. "We all make mistakes; the thing is to learn from them."

James nodded from beside them.

"She's right you know," he told Lily. "I learnt that when I pulled my first prank and got caught, and I learnt from my mistake. Made sure no-one was looking the next time."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter while Peter teetered nervously. Remus shook his head smiling while Willow tried to stifle her laughter with her hand, and even Lily cracked a smile at this.

"Well," James said moments later, once they had all calmed down. "Shall we head back towards the castle; I do believe that lunch is almost upon us."

"Why yes, good fellow," Sirius said, pretending to be an old-fashioned posh person, "I do believe we shall."

With that he linked arms with James and the two began to walk towards the castle, practically skipping while Remus, Peter, Lily and Willow followed behind. Lily linking one of her arms through Willow's as they walked.