My Number One
Lily Evans sat alone in the Great Hall for breakfast. Her three closest, best friends, James, Sirius, and Remus were no where to be found.
James was off with the new "chick of the week." Chrissy from Hufflepuff. Personally I think all Hufflepuffs are a bunch of idiots who care about how they look. James had gone out with just about the entire female population of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A pang hit Lily's heart yet again. James never asked if SHE liked him. She figured he must have thought they were too good of friends. But that didn't stop Lily from liking him. Ever since he found her crying in the corner of a hallway and stopped to see what was wrong. He found Lily crying on the floor and immediately sat down next to her and pulled her close so she could lean on him. She explained all about how her mother owled to say her father had died.........and she wasn't invited to the funeral.
He was probably the most caring, loving, kind person she'd ever met, well, maybe except for Remus. He was there to help her bring her Transfiguration grade up from abysmal to passing. And after Narcissa Helucia told her she was uglier than a hag with her shining red hair and sparkling green eyes, he was the one that held her face to face with him and told her to never forget that in his eyes, she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met.
Sirius was the bad-boy of the gang. Always blowing up the slytherin common room, then when they ask for the culprit, he walks up smiling like an idiot. He's probably the craziest guy she's ever seen, but she still loved him so much. He could always make her laugh and was always protective over her when Snape would show up. He wasn't as overly protective as James though. James probably thought she was weak, she thought bitterly. But Sirius was her next door neighbor, she coudl climb out her bedroom window and fall right into his. He knew so much about her. (he knew a lot of things she didn't think her parents even knew...*hint hint*)
Poor Remus was "sick" again. Yes, Lily knew by now, I mean it is their 7th year. Remus was the one that you could really sit down and talk to for hours, just about nothing. You know that saying like "have you ever had a friend that was so close, and so caring, and so nice, that you could go sit with them on a porch swing for hours, not saying a word, then get up and leave thinking that that was the best conversation you've ever had." That was Remus in a nutshell. He was so much like an older brother. He was always understanding and he'd always try to look on the bright side and tell you one of the better things you get out of life when you think that the world has just ended.
Well is these three were so god damn caring, WHERE THE HELL WERE THEY NOW!
Lily was in a full-out crisis. They had just anounced on the bulliten board that there would be a Chistmas Ball, muggle clothing was to be worn. (gowns and suits) Partners were to be brought. She hated this kind of thing. Her sister always told her she looked horrendus in anything she wore. She could always find a date, thats not a problem, its just that so many people always asked her. She WAS one of the prettiest girls at Hogwarts, no matter what Narcissa or her sister said. But she didn't know half the guys, and she always depended on James, Sirius, and Remus to give her the 411 on each guy. 4 guys had already asked her but no Sirius or James or Remus anywhere.
**********
While eating, a note was passed around saying that there would be open Kareokee. She was an okay singer, well she really didn't know what her voice sounded like to other people. She only knew what it was like in her head.
She thought this was the perfect chance to dedicate a song to James and sing it. It would explain all about how she loved him so much and he never noticed and she'd do anything for him. Perfect! But she couldn't go with him, that would ruin it. No, but that guy from Ravenclaw isn't that bad. Yes, she dicided, I'll go with that guy, Mike Foreman. They were on a name to name basis, you know, the *occasional* "hey" in the hallway.
She walked up to Mike at the Ravenclaw table and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and practically flew off his seat in suprise. The prettiest girl in school doesn't usually come tapping on his shoulder. But, hey, he wasn't objecting to it, so carry on.
"Yes?" asked Mike.
"Umm....hi Mike, ummm, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the Christmas ball with me?" Lily practically studdered.
Mike's eyes flew wide open at the end of the question. "Oh Lily im really sorry, I'd love to go but I'm already going with someone." Said Mike, looking as though he really did mean it, damn that girl that he asked earlier.
"Oh, well, okay, I was just guessing, well, alright, see you later!" Lily tried to make it as though she wasn't very dissapointed.
**************
Suddenly Sirius walked through the large oak doors into the Great Hall. So happy to see someone she enjoyed spending company with, Lily practically sprinted across the room and pulled him into the hugest hug he'd ever expirienced.
"Sirius, I'm so glad to see you! Oh, I've been having to much of a crisis. Oh thank god your here!"
"Lily what's wrong?" Asked Sirius, in that caring voice not many people could get out of him. She felt very privaleged that he cared that much.
"Oh, nothing life threatening, but 4 people have asked me to the ball! I don't even know who they are!"
"So....if I had four people asking me to a ball in about.....*he checked his watch* ...........10 minutes after it's announced i wouldn't mind too greatly!?!?"
"I know, but then I decided to go with Mike Foreman from Ravenclaw. I think you might know him, Quidditch team i think? Yeah, well i asked and he turned me down. I really must be an ugly hag!"
At this she almost started to cry, she'd never been turned down before...yet again, she never did the asking.
Sirius looked greatly suprised, yet even more relieved-looking.
"Lily, Lily, Lily, now why would you want to go with him. He's much to ugly for you!" Lily blushed at the comment.
"But, seriously Lily, *he bent down on one knee as though to propose* I'd really love to have the honour of accompanying you to the Christmas Ball. Please?!" He begged at the end.
Lily thought about it (for about a second, i mean if someone did that to you would you be in a hurry to say no? would you even say no?)
"Yes! Oh Sirius thank you so much, Oh thank you!" Once he got up he had a very happy-looking Lily hugging him he had to pull her off from lack of breathing ability.
"Alright then, well, I guess I'll see you later, I have to go find Remus, you know, badger him into telling me who he wants to go with, the usual!" and with a quick peck on the cheek and a wave he walked back out the door.
*********
2 weeks later, the day before
the Christmas ball

Lily had picked out a song. it was perfect, more than perfect, she went to empty classrooms at night to practice and practice until SHE was absolutly perfect too.
She had also picked out a gown. No one had seen it yet, but it was rumoured and expected to be the prettiest one out there. She had a reputation, and I'll be damned if she didn't keep it up. It was beautiful. It went all the way to floor. It was tightly fit around the bossom, but a bit puffy, yet still silkily flowing at the bottom. It was the same shade of green as her eyes, she even added magical sparkles to match exactaly.
It had the tiniest white trim on the edges, and was completed with small heeled sparkling light green shoes. Slide ins.
She also had a sparkling green and white necklace. It looked as though there was a tiny white chain of pearls with a green saphire in the middle.
She had made sure everything was still locked in her trunk safely and then slipped into bed, to excited to wait for tomorrow. they had cancelled lessons for tomorrow because the teachers couldn't stand that the kids weren't even trying to pay attention.
************
Slipping into a peaceful dream of her and James' wedding she was awoke by what felt extremely like the softest kiss she's ever had, but when she opened her eyes, there was...........no one there?
She was almost sure it was sirius, and she felt so bad, because after tonight there probably wouldn't be a Sirius and Lily again.
She got into the shower, muttering her kareokee song to herself, careful not to be too loud, no one had heard the song either.
She stayed in her room most of the day, practicing her hair and her makeup when she realised it was 6 o clock, and the ball started at 7! "Show time!" she said to herself. she was about to get changed when someone knocked on the door. She opened it and almost fell over when she saw James in the doorway.
"Hey Lily! Okay, ummm, well im here to ask you which suit you liked the best, because I have all of the guy's opinions, but I need to know what a girl would think." he said.
He held up one hanger that had black slacks and a black jacket, complete with dark blue inner shirt. The other hanger had only a greenish color shirt. He obviously wanted to know which color. She would have said blue because it matches his eyes, but when she looked at the green again, she noticed it was the exact same color as her dress! they would match perfectly! Wait, she thought to herself, were not going together we don't have to match. But even though she knew they weren't going together, her favorite color has always been green so she simply said "Green, James."
"You sure, I mean do you like the jacket, should i wear the green, but the blue is so, but i mean, well, but,....."
"James!.....Green, James, Green." she said soothingly
"Alright, well thanks so much, I've got to be going, gotta work on this for a while." he gestured towards the top of his head, where his cute yet funny mop of hair was lying. He claimed he brushed it 3 times a day, but It was hard to tell.
"No! James your not you without the messy hair!" she said while ruffling the top of his head.
"Alright, well, thanks anyways! Gotta go, told Chrissy I'd meet her soon! See ya!" James said.
"Bye!"
Lily closed the door and looked at the clock. 6:35. Oh damn! she thought.
She slipped on her dress and had the exasperous feeling you get when when you put something on and you know you'r gonna be the best looking one out there.
The shoes came next. She had magiced them to be comfortable and nice, and thats just what they were. she slipped the necklace around her neck and turned to the mirror. She gasped. She always did whenever she saw herself in this dress. it showed her off so much, she absolutly loved it! she planned to maybe even enchant it to be white for her wedding.
She sat down infront of the mirror to do her hair and makeup. after putting her hair up in a beautiful bun with curly waves hanging down all over. she couldn't believe it was even her in the mirror. She put some magic-hair spray in so it wouldn't fall out, but she didn't get that yucky hair-spray feeling.
For the makeup she applied some sparkling green eye shadow over a white eye liner. She also applied a pretty pink lip-stick, almost glossy. She looked absolutely spledid. She stood infront of the mirror for one last look. She stared for about 30 seconds before thinking "somethign missing!"
she finially thought about it for a while and thought "aha! exactaly!"
She conjured up a white lily out of this air and placed it in with her bun. There! Perfect!
She got ready to descend the stairs. It was 6:45. no one would have left yet. She could make her entrence now. She told Sirius she would meet him in the common room.
She opened the door with a small creak. Her dorm was about halfway up, so she slowly made her way down. head held high, she got to about the last 10 steps when she was just barely visible (people in the common room oculd see her shoes) when someone wispered just loud enough for everyone (including lily) to hear "she's here everyone, she's coming."
As she was able to see the common room, it was as if all eyes were on her. So many ooohs and ahhhhs were heard it was as though the whole room was in conversation about how pretty she looked standing right there. She turned her head so she could look around the room. Aha, there's James. Oh he looks so handsom in that green shirt and suit. he was lookign strait at her (who wasn't?) but this stare had some kind of intensity, a kind of longing. She almost wanted to go over there and tell him everything but she stopped herself, she wasn't going to spoil it yet.
She felt hands on her waist and abruptly turned to face Sirius, he was very handsom too she thought. Almost the same as James, but he has a Shining dark red shirt on. It kind of matched her hair she thought smiling. He pulled her into a sweet kiss, then pulled away wispering in her ear "do you have the sensation that all eyes are on us?"
"Sirius you prat, look at the room!"
He turned and was pleasently shocked to see the whole house of griffindor staring intensly at him. He almost flinched when James did a little signal and shake of his head. he almost looked dissappointed....as though he had lost something he may have really loved.
***********For all the readers out there......I have something in the story that hasn't yet been explained. See, James really does like Lily, but is too afraid she doesn't feel for him. he's loved her for, well, ever he guessed. He made Sirius ask Lily to make sure she didn't go and fall for someone else too soon. he swore he'd tell her tonight. When Sirius looked at James in the story, and James was signaling, it was that Sirius was only pretending to love Lily, and to cut down on the smooch smooch here. Sirius had amost really fallen in love with Lily, and that would have screwed up everything. They were just friends, and thats how it would stay. he knew how important it was to James, and he wasn't about to screw it up, no siree.*********
"Well there you have it!" he said quietly still staring. After about 10 seconds he realised what was going on and he told Lily that they should start heading down.
After a 3-5 minute walk down to the great hall she saw everyone from all the other house's. Almost the same amount of ooohs and ahhhhs filled the hall. Even the slitherin guys were forgetting to be cruel and mean. While walking through the croud Lucius Malfoy turned her towards him and tried to give her a kiss when she suddenly shoved him to the ground with a quite impressive amount of stregth and muttered "Back off!" before continuing her way.
The Ball/Dance (i forget which one i started out with by now) went along quite smoothly. Sirius danced with Lily in the begining but then she took a turn to dance with Remus for a while. You know, just as friends. She even danced with Peter once, but after realising he was about as horrible at dancing as he was at his school work she excused herself after that dance. A few more danced with Sirius and she realised it was time to sing, the Ball was almost ending.
She wispered to Sirius that she was going to go sing now, and then, to confuse him even more that he was before, she muttered a soft "I'm sorry Sirius, im so sorry." before leaving. He woudl have run after her but soemthign told him to leave her at that.
She went to go talkt o the announcer guy for abotu 5 minutes before she unsteadily walked onto stage. The announcer announced (no....really?) that this song was dedicated to a special someone who woudl be announced at the closing of the song.
Everyone cheered loudly but then shushed when the band started playing.
She sang:
What is love, cuz baby I don't know,
I got a funny feeling in my heart.
If this is love, It feels like butterflies,
So tell me baby is this how it starts.
I know i've never felt like this before,
your like a drug you got me want'in more,
I've got to let you know...
I've got to leeeet you know
Your....your my number one,
I'll do anything for you,
Catch you right from the sky
even hold back the tide for you. baby baby
Your..your my number one,
You are no other love,
I put the radio on and it's always playin our song.

Tell me what, what have i gotta do,
Cuz i wanna land claim on you.
To make you mine,
For now and for all time,
So tell me baby what i gotta do.....yeah
I know i've never felt like this before,
Your like a drug you got me want'in more,
i've got to let you know,
i've got to leeet you know ooooooo
Your....your my number one,
I'll do anything for you,
Catch you right from the sky
even hold back the tide for you. baby baby
Your..your my number one,
You are no other love,
I put the radio on and it's always playin our song. (ending the song there)

"this is for you.............."
She looked around the hall to find James because she wanted to be looking him right in the eye to say this. He wasn't hard to find, but it was hard on her when she did. He was in the corner of the hall making out with Chrissy, oblivious to anythign else on the planet.
"This is for you................James" she wispered the end so only the people int he front could here, but the news spread like a wild fire.
She ran off the stage crying and out the oak doors. Out into the pouring rain, but she didn't care, *he* didn't even listen, she wasn't even sure if he cared about her as a friend even more! Great, she'd sure screwed it up this time. Now her dress was getting ruined and all!
But she came to a stop by a willow, her willow. She and James had their initials carved into the root. It said L. E. + J. P. BEST FRIENDS FOR EVER!
She cried even harder facing the tree, pounding her fists onto the spot where it said J.P. wishing she could just erase the carving.
*******
Back in the Hall

Everyone's eyes were on James. Most of the girls were crying sayign that that was the sweetest thing someone had ever done for someone else, and what did that soemone else do, snog off with some other chick. Most of the guys were fighting to restrain themselves from hitting James. hey, everyone wants lily now don't they!
Finially Sirius Immpatiently tapped him on the shoulder.
"Sod off Sirius!"
"I don't think thats the appropriate thing to do right now buddy!" he said practically screamign at his now bewildered looking friends, seding James sprawling to the floor. He couldn't beleive someone who really cared and loved for lily woudll do this, he had half a mind to go chase lily out the door but he knew she wasn't the one she wanted to see right now.
Chrissy ran off screaming about Lunitics! Good for her, get lost, bitch! (sorry bout that, couldn't resist)
"Guess what buddy-ol-pal?!"
"What?" asked James cowering back on the floor, and raging Sirius isn't one you want to get in the way of.
"Do the words, Im going to tell her at the Ball! Im going to tell her tonight mean any god damn thing to you!"
"What do you mean, what about it?" asked James, knowing he's talkign about Lily.
"you really screwed up big time this time you know that!"
"What did I do! what the Bloody hell did i do?!?"
"You don't realise that Lily just got up there and sang a song do you?"
"So.....so she sang, why the hell are you so mad?"
"She sang for you James! Lily loves you! and she said so at the end, but no you were too busy snogging off with Chrissy at the time to notice!"
"She......she what!" said a breathless James.
"You'd probably like to know where she is wouldn't you?"
"Sirius where is she now?" said James looking around the hall at everyone who was watching. Even the teachers seemed to be paying the closest attention.
"She ran, out the doors.........CRYING!.....into the rain..god knows where she is now......could have jumped in the lake....could be lost....and you knwo what it's all your fault.....if I wasn't your friend i wouldn't have told you becaus im still not sure you really deserve to know after what you did!" Sirius exclaimed with a grin now forming on his face.
He needn't have bothered finishing the sentence because james was alreayd tearing off his jacket and running outside after her.
Sirius screamed out after James's sprinting body...."Go get her James!"
James looked all over, by the lake, on the grounds, but he couldn't find her anywhere. He was almost at *his and lily's tree* when he heard sobbing. he looked wildly around and spotted a flash of red....aha.....remind me to write a book on why every girl should have noticable red hair he thought.
"Lily! lily, oh my god im soo sorry.....Lily...."
Lily stood up quickly and snapped her head to look at the now soaked to the skin James.
"Oh, whats it now James, come to say your sorry, because you really have no feelings for me, and you don't love me, and you probably don't want to see me again, your probably embarrassed that someone as ugly as i would like YOU!" she said screaming as though in a tantrum.
"And if thats all you have to say you can leave now because i dont want to hear it." she finished.
"No Lily, you don't understand......."
He bent down and kissed her with the softest kiss she's ever felt. It felt so familiar...the kiss, in the morning, that was.....james!
He held her close and wispered "i love you Lily. I always have, but I was too afraid you didn't feel the same way. I's so sorry, Chrissy isn't anythign to me, I love you."
"I love you too James, and i was so afraid I would never hear those words out of your mouth. I was so scared!"
"it's okay Lily, Im here, Im a little latter that I expected, but Im here, and I love you!"
And suddenly, as though a soft lightening were hitting the tree, the two looked incrediously at it and noticed that the carving that used to say L.E. + J.P BEST FRIENDS FOR EVER now was circled by a heart and read L.E. + J.P. LOVING FOR EVER.
They leaned in together and Lily wispered "too true."
END