"Hey! What the-?" said Lily, confused. "Who threw that?"

She turned around on the bench she was sitting on in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table. Honestly, could no one just eat in peace?

"Potter!" she yelled.

"What Evans?" came the laughing reply.

"I know you threw that paper ball at me. Why? And apologize while you're at it," Lily said sharply, hands on hips, hips cocked, eyes glaring.

"What paper ball?" he asked, shaking from trying to suppress laughter.

"This one!" Lily said, exasperated, and showed him the offending paper.

"Oh, that," he said, and continued shaking.

"Well?"

"Wanna go to the Christmas Ball with me?" he asked.

"You've got a lot of nerve Potter," Lily replied, giving him "the look".

"Is that a yes?" he asked, excited and hopeful.

"It's a no. Throwing crap at me isn't helping your cause," and with that, Lily spun away to walk to her first class of the day, Transfiguration. She was a little early, but McGonagall was already sitting at her desk in the front of the classroom.

"Um, Professor?" Lily asked, walking up to her.

"Yes dear?" McGonagall said, looking up at the approaching girl.

"May I borrow a lizard to practice transfiguring it into the umbrella? I worked on it, honest, but it could use just a few more minutes," Lily said earnestly.

"Why of course, dear. They're right over there," McGonagall replied, pointing to the side of the room. Who was she to refuse a student extra practice?

"Thank you Professor."

Lily walked over to the cabinet and selected a lizard to practice on. She walked back to her usual desk, set down the lizard and her books, and pulled out her wand. She took a deep breath, then muttered the incantation, pointing at the lizard. Nothing happened. Another deep breath, and she repeated the spell, this time with more confidence and forcefulness in her voice, willing the lizard into the umbrella. It worked. Lily smiled.

Suddenly, the door opened up. James Potter walked in, swaggering as if he owned the whole castle.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily asked, annoyed, when he stopped at her desk.

"I came in for extra practice, too," he said, sitting down.

"Then go get your own lizard," Lily retorted, focusing her attention back on the umbrella in front of her. She took a breath, and muttered the counter-spell. The handle of the umbrella became a lizard tail, but it was still an umbrella. She sighed, frustrated.

"You need to will it to take the shape you want," said Potter.

"I know that, Potter," Lily said through clenched teeth. "I know how to do it. I don't need your help."

"Whatever."

Lily pointed her wand at the umbrella and muttered the spell again, willing with her whole soul that the umbrella would be a lizard. Thank Merlin, it worked this time. Looking at Potter, who still hadn't moved from his seat opposite her, she smirked.

"I told you I didn't need help," she said.

"That was very good. Can you do it on the first try?"

"Yes," she snapped. "Of course I can. Watch."

She pointed her wand at the lizard, uttered a few words, and the lizard became a water pitcher. Lily smiled.

"Anyway..." said Potter, intruding on her proud moment. "I was wondering if you would please go with me to the Christmas Ball?"

"Potter, we've been over this before. I've said no the past gazillion times. Now won't be any different. You could have any girl in the school. Go ask one of your fan girls. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to go with you."

"Yeah, but I want to go with you. If you say no again, I'll just go by myself."

"By yourself?" she was confused. What was his deal?

"Yeah. I don't want some other girl. Especially one who will cling to me and fall all over me all night. And probably for weeks afterwards, too. I like you. You have dignity, respect, honor, pride, and you're really pretty, and I really like you, and I want to go to the Ball-"

"Oh shut up, Potter. I'll go with you. On one condition," she added, at the crazed, excited look coming into his eyes.

"Name any condition you like," James said, practically bouncing in his chair.

"You said I have dignity and honor. Don't try to...do anything that might be considered...inappropriate. Understand?"

"I don't think so. Could you be more specific?"

"No trying to touch me if I don't want you to. No trying to force me into anything. Or I will hex you into the next century. Now do you understand? Hands to yourself, basically. Holding hands is okay, but don't try anything. Got it?"

"Absolutely. I would never try to take advantage of you!" he responded, still bouncing.

"Okay. And no spreading rumors about us. Don't go shouting it off the North Tower. Don't tell Sirius or Remus or Peter. I want it to be a surprise. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll try." He really wanted to go shout about Lily's acceptance of him from the North Tower, but her wish was his command, after all. "I'll lock myself in my room if I have to in order to keep quiet. I promise!!"

"Good," Lily said, satisfied with his word. She turned back to the forgotten pitcher.