James Sirius Potter and I have know each other since we were born, not because we clicked and that he was my best friend and I could never live without him. It was just because his dad, Harry Potter, the boy who lived. The man who finally killed Lord Voldermort and stopped the Great War that was destroying the wizarding world. And my father Andrew where close friends, his mother Ginny Potter, his high school sweetheart and my mother Marilyn got on tolerably well to boot. We didn't spend Christmas or birthday together just the occasional dinner party, but that hadn't happened for a long time, not since I started going to school and my father got sick.
He and I are both in the same year at Hogwarts together (7th, making us all 16 going on 17) we are both in Gryffindor. We have some mutual friends but I wouldn't say we are close. But this year I think that may change, both he and I have been made head boy and head girl. We are going to share a common room together and considering we both hope to become Aurors when they leave Hogwarts so we should be in all the same classes.
Even though I was top of the class in all of my subjects and now head girl James was the one that was in the spotlight, he was constantly followed by paparazzi like the rest of the family. There are girls falling at his feet because of his looks and fame, not to mention the money in the family line.
Has our favourite party boy gone good? Will the roll of Head Boy change him? Was pasted across the front pages of Witch Weekly and all the other gossip magazines. Nothing said about the Head Girl that always tops James on every test, not that I minded. I hate being in the spotlight like his family, I was a little use to it, my mother was a famous author of school textbooks and a few cheesy romance novels that have sold well over the years so we are well off. Though nothing compared to the Potter family.
"Liliana Isobeil Wilson, will you hurry up and get ready!" Bellowed my father from the bottom of the stairs. "You know the Potter's will be here really soon and I don't want you greeting them in your pyjamas." I mutter loudly not even knowing what I was saying myself, I had completely forgotten that the Potter's were coming over to our house today. Even though it was almost dinnertime I hadn't gotten out of bed yet so hadn't any need to get changed.
"Hun, there is a pretty dress in you bathroom hanging on the door, so you better wear it." Said my mother. As the only girl in the family I was always being dressed up and much to my mothers displease I was a bit of a tomboy. She has always wanted me to be the perfect daughter in floral dresses that would win everyone over with her charm.
"Oh and sweetie, don't you dare even think about dyeing your hair because while you were sleeping I found a spell that would make that impossible." She sung out, I could here the smugness in her voice.
Naturally I have long curly deep red hair but I have always hated it since starting at Hogwarts, I magically died my hair chocolate brown. Not being conceited but I have beautiful hair; it reaches the bottom of my rib cage with natural curls that flow into ringlets at the bottom. My hair is what makes me stand out from all the other girls, while theirs go frizzy in the rain and dull and life less if they do not give it constant attention my hair is always perfect. Even on the most humid of days or in the poring rain the most that will happen is my hair will just go straight. All the girls at Hogwarts would kill for my hair, even though they have only seen it as boring simple chocolate brown it is sought after. I get quizzed on what shampoo and conditioner I use, and what spell I cast on it. Ridiculously my hair has given me enemies, the school skank Summer Smith and her followers hate me because they though I was lying when I told them that I just use normal hair products, they were, and are still to this day convinced that I am lying and just don't want to tell them how I get such amazing hair. To stop myself from standing out I normally just keep it in a messy bun, but it still looks stunning.
"Not even kidding Lilana, it you don't get out of that bed this very instant I will come up there and break your broom in half!" Screeched my mother; I have to give her credit that was just about the only thing that she could have said to get me out of bed so quickly.
"Yeah mum, I'm getting up." I mutter loudly knowing she can hear me. I make my way to my adjoining bathroom making my way to the shower. I give my hair a quick wash with my favourite strawberry hair products and drink a potion that will remove my unwanted body hair.
After getting out of the shower and wrapping a towel round myself I search around for the outfit mum had put out for me. I find it. Oh my dear freeken lord, it was a bloody ball gown. A backless black floor length gown that just by looking at it I know that it would leave nothing to imagination. It was not slutty per say, but revealing in an elegant way.
"Mum, what the freeken hell is this? I though we were just going out for dinner, not to a bloody ball!" I scream down the stairs, I know she was going to yell at me later for using that type of language but I don't care right now.
"You will watch your mouth missy, I didn't tell you what we were going to do because I know that you would freak out and make up some sort of excuse. Just put the dress on, I'll send sally up to do your hair and makeup. And don't you even try to get out of tonight or I swear to Merlin I will take away everything that you love!"
I sometimes feel bad about how I don't get excited about all this girly stuff, I mean I know I'm really lucky to have my mum and I'm certainly not immune to the amazing dress that was in font of me I just hate the way that men look at me when I get all dressed up. Like a piece of meat. My family and friends say it's because I'm beautiful but I think they just saying that because they have to. I suppose I'm sort of pretty with my curvy figure and big green eyes lined with thick lashes but I think I'm just kind of pain. Nothing but my hair is more than ordinary.
"Miss Lily, Madam Marilyn has sent me to help you get ready." Smiled Sally our house elf, she was not a slave for us mum would not have a bit of that. Sally was payed and had holidays and sick leave.
"Sure Sally just give me a sec to put the dress on." I smiled at her, I don't know how she did it but she just had this knack for making me stop complaining about anything my mother wanted me to do. I grabbed the dress off the hanger and just about moaned when I felt the material; it was amazingly soft and so fine. I jump behind the screen that is bright blue, something mum and I picked up when we were last in Paris and quickly slipped the dress on. It fit perfectly, the V at the front gave all to see a nice hit of my cleavage and my whole back down to just above my arse was on view for all to see. I had to say it; mum had picked out an amazing dress. I just hated looking this dressed up and fancy.
After about fifteen minutes Sally had finished with me, my hair was mostly down to show it off but pulled to one side so that the view of my back was not covered. I had only a small amount of makeup on but that was still to much, I hated wearing make up and rarely did. Because of this my skin had no blemishes apart from the occasional freckle but for tonight I had a light layer of foundation that and some blush that made me look like a porcelain doll, delicate and very girly. Sally had made my eyes dark so they would match the dress, the mascara, eyeliner on top and bottom lid has made my eyes look even bigger than before. The house elf finished off the look by adding a light brown eye shadow that blended the look in with the rest of my face. I had to give it to her she knew what she was doing. But I am mortified that James will see me like this, even though I have to get dressed up like this a few times a year to please my mother when we go out no one from my school has ever see me this dressed up before, he is going to laugh his head off because I look ridicules. There has to be some way I can get out of this, and maybe if I'm really lucky I can find a spell that will die my hair back to the plain brown. Even though the Potter's have seen me with red hair before I doubt they will remember, sometimes myself I forget that the muddy brown is not my natural colour. But I don't think I will ever be able to die it again till mum lifts off the charm, she really is an exceptional witch.
"Lily, come down stairs darling. The Potter's are here and we really have to get a wriggle on if we are going to get to the Ministry of Magic's annual ball." Sung mum up the stairs, I could hear faint voices of our guests down stairs. Stupid Ministry having to have a ball….SHIT! That was not just any ball, that was the ball that every person and there family that work at the ministry attend. Now not only James will see me looking stupid like this but every just about person that I know from school will be there. SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! There has to be some way I can get out of this!
"Lily!" my father yelled, clearly getting impatient. Bloody hell, there is no way that I will get out of this now! Facing the music I made my way down the stairs that led into the family room, every head turned and stared.
James POV.
What can be taking her so long, I mean it's not as though Lil's is one of those girls that spend hours every day in front of the mirror making them selves look beautiful. Caleb, my best mate next to me must have been thinking the same thing because he leaned over and whispered; "What the bloody hell is talking her so long?" I laughed and made a rude comment about checking to see if her butt looked big in the dress or something. It was common knowledge around Hogwarts that Lily was just a plain girl with good hair, not that I really understand that but my sister Lily always talks about how jealous she is of her. I don't think it's anything special, just brown and curly. Sure it is okay but nothing amazing. She was pretty enough but she always wore baggy clothes so you couldn't really see her body shape at all. Even at quidditch practise she just wears trackys and a big hoodie. Leaving her whole body to imagination.
"What do you think of her Caleb? Out of ten I mean." I ask the boy sitting next to me.
"Well maybe if she wore something that showed a bit of leg I could get you a more accurate score, but I would probably give her a six? You?" He replied.
"Yeah, same. She is a nice enough girl, I don't see why all the girls hate her?" I questioned, Caleb was about to say something when the most beautiful girl I had ever seen walked down the stairs. She had long red hair (we Potter men being a sucker of red heads) and a tiny figure while at the same time having decent sized boobs. Shit who ever this chick was she is fucking hot! I turned to Caleb, his mouth was hanging open.
"Lily darling, I don't see why you always die your hair? It looks so much better naturally." Said Marilyn (Lily's mum). If Lily had walked into the room no one was going to notice when this amazing girl was standing in front of us. I kind of feel bad for her. Never getting attention from men.
"And let you dress me up like a doll for the rest of your life? No thankyou." Replied the girl laughing a little. Wait she answered to Lily?
OH MY FUCKING GOD! THE GIRL WAS LILY?
"Lily?" Caleb asked, he must have been as shocked as I am.
"The one and only." She replied rolling her eyes. "Well that is apart from you Lu." She finished smiling at my sister who decided to she didn't want to be called Lily but liked her middle name better. So she everyone calls her Luna, but mostly Lu.
"Lily, you look amazing! How come you never told me you were a red head?" Giggled my sister running up to give her a hug. Lu was mush closer to Lily then I was. I think Lily was like Lu's big sister at Hogwarts, the person she always went to when she wanted to talk about boys and such.
Lily blushed at the compliment.
LPOV
I don't see why everyone was staring at me; I know I look different with makeup on. Maybe there is something wrong, I mean I didn't look in the full-length mirror when I left, I only looked at my face. Maybe this dress looks silly on me or something?
I looked round to room to see who came with the Potter's; there was Ginny, Harry, Lu, Albus and James from the close family and boy did he look good in a muggle suit. I have never noticed how good-looking he was before now. Next to him was Caleb another boy in Gryffindor.
"Soo, you said we were running late?" I asked turning to dad trying to clear the awkward silence that had settled into the room.
"Um, yes. I guess we better get a move on." He smiled back at me. "We were all planning to aparate over."
"So Lily I'm guessing since you are born later in the year you haven't got your licence yet?" Asked Ginny. This was true so I nodded. "Well then James, be a dear and take her would you?" She asked her son.
"Yeah, sure mum." James replied smiling at me. His smile just made him more handsome. I can now see why all the girls in the school have a crush on him, even though he was the biggest playboy in the world.
"So I hear I should congratulate you," I turned to James, "mum told me you got head boy."
"Yeah, the same goes for you Lily. Guess we will be sharing a dorm this year." He replied taking my arm in his. "Ready?" He asked.
I nodded in reply. Moment later I felt my body being squished through a straw.
I opened my eyes to be blinded by the flashes of hundreds of cameras. Shit, I had forgotten that this happens to James wherever he appears.
"James, look this way!"
"Whose you new girlfriend?"
"Give us a smile you too, you make such a cute couple."
And many other comments were being shouted by the hundreds of paparazzi.
"Give us a kiss."
That's when it set in; they think James and I are a couple? I look up at him in surprise; he shoots me an apologetic look then pulls me forward trying to get away from the reporters.
Once we are safely inside I pull away.
He looks upset, "hey listen I'm sorry about that, you know they follow me everywhere." James really did look sorry.
"Nah, it's okay. Not your fault at all. You have nothing to apologise for." I reply touching his arm.
"What happened?" Asked Harry looking worried.
"Got attacked on the way in. I don't even know why we ended up out there I aimed for inside?" James looked at his dad looing for an explanation.
"They must have found a way to make you aparate outside so you couldn't hide, I'll look into it tomorrow. How bad was it son?" His father replied.
"Bad, everyone tomorrow is going to think Lily is my girlfriend."
"What?" I all but yelled, those reporters were just making stuff up. "But were not?"
"Unfortunately it doesn't matter, there is going to be pictures of you two on front of every magazine tomorrow morning. I'm so sorry Lily, there is nothing we can do but wait and see how bad it is going to be. And I think it will be bad, James has been keeping out of the medias attention for the whole holidays and I think that is why they did some sort of ward to stop him from aparating straight into the building. I think this is going to be a bad one James." Harry look annoyed.
"Dad, I think it will be better if we just go home, there will be more reporters inside and it could get a whole lot worse." James then turned to me, "Lily I'm soo sorry, I'll explain everything when we get back but for now I think it is much better if we get out of here."
"James that's a good idea, I'll head back with you and then come back later and try and do damage control."
I had no idea what was going on but I was sure happy to be getting out of attending this stupid ball. James lent over and grabbed my hand sending a warm fuzzy feeling into my belly before we aparated.
JPOV
Shit this was bad. The Auror program said that if I had one more bad rep that they would consider not allowing me to apply. This is all I need.
I was just about to start talking when an owl flew through the window. I grabbed the note off its leg and gave it to dad; I don't even want to know what it says.
Dad read allowed,
"Dear Mr Potter,
Like we stated in our last communication any more bad publicity concerning you and your immature ways will force the MOM to seriously reconsider allowing you to join the Aurors program. The Ministry does not need that type of bad reputation; this is your final warning on the matter. One more slip up and you will be denied acceptance.
Wishing you well.
Yours etcetera." Dad looked angry. Shit this was the last thing I needed.
"Okay, what is this all about? Someone needs to tell me what is going on right now." Demanded Lily, I looked back at her and was once again shocked by how amazing she looked.
"Well Lily the ministry of magic has given James a final warning. If he does not pick up his game and grow up quickly he will not be allowed to apply for Aurors training. "
She still looked confused.
"Well you see because of my playboy reputation and all the photos of me partying with different girls each night have been brought to the attention of the ministry. They said that an Auror would not be able to succeed in the profession if they are as 'immature' as me. This is really bad." I said running my hand through my already messy hair.
"James, don't worry we will get this all sorted out. Let me go get Alison to come over straight away and give us advice on what to do next. Lily dear, why don't you go through to the master bedroom and have a shower. I'll get one of the house elves to pop over to yours and get you a change of clothes. You may have to stay the night if that is okay?" Said dad, I tried to look at Lily. She nodded and left the room getting the hint that we needed a little privacy.
LPOV
I can't believe what James just told me. He may not be able to go into this dream career just because he is a party boy, which is stupid. Though now that I think about it, it makes a little more sense.