-1It was the week before the big school dance at Hogwarts and all of the students that could be in attendance were to spend the day learning to dance in the Great Hall.

There wasn't much unusual about the school's response to the dance. The girls, for the most part, were psyched and although they wouldn't admit it there were many boys that were excited as well. They all spent the first week after the announcement scurrying around the school desperately for a date. Most of them just didn't want to be the 'losers' that went without a date so instead they sunk to desperate and sometimes pathetic means to snag a date.

What Lily found most amusing, however, were the younger girls that were going to the dance. They were the ones that seemed almost entirely convinced that they would leave the dance with their true loves. Kind of funny how they never seem to realize that no relationships in this school last very long except for the scarce few that beat the spread.

And, of course, there were the regular apathetic bunch that grudgingly decided to go to the dance in groups with their friends. Lily was one of them, as was James. He'd realized early in his school career that the way to her was not through a dance. So rather than go with some other girl he just went with the Marauders. It was never really embarrassing for him since the only one of his friends that ever got a date was Sirius.

His current interest was in one of Lily's friends, the beautiful and tall Haley Gish. Haley could only be described as a model. She has the ordinary features brown hair and eyes set in a perfectly symmetrical face. She had a pretty face but was one that could easily be missed if one weren't to look hard enough. It wasn't until an agent had discovered her that she got recognition at school for being beautiful. And it wasn't that long after that that her long time crush Sirius Black asked her out. He seemed to get a kick out of the fact that she was about four inches taller than him.

She was normally a quiet and reserved girl. Normally, Lily thought bitterly. Currently her good friend insistently yapped away about the upcoming dance.

"So, do you think I should change the color of my robes?" Haley asked for the umpteenth time.

"You've already changed them like five times" I said quite patiently.

"Hey, you don't have to get all snappy with me."

Okay so maybe not quite patiently.

"I just can't decide between grey and blue…Oh hey, Sirius" she said with a blush.

"Hey Haley," Sirius said perfunctorily before kissing her.

"James," I said with evident surprise in my voice. "I didn't think you'd be here since you don't have a … ugh *cough*."

"A date?" he said with a laugh. "Yeah, a guess it seems kind of pointless but Sirius here" stopping to look at his currently very busy friend "thought he'd be lonely coming here all alone."

"Funnily enough that's what Haley said to me. I guess they were both just too shy to go together."

James cocked an eyebrow. "Sirius shy? Hmm," he said with obvious doubt in his voice. Before he could say anything else on the matter, Mrs. McGonagall quieted down the Great Hall by simply walking in the room.

"Now then we will need a volunteer couple to demonstrate the steps. Now which two students would make an attractive couple? How about ... Mister Black and Misses Evans? "

What!? Attractive couple?

"Come on don't be shy."

The two of us awkwardly walked towards the center of the room. I took a quick look back to see James' and Haley's reactions. Oh, Haley looks pissed. I don't think I've ever seen her so angry. And James…well, he looks kind of hot when he's angry…

"Now, Sirius put your arms on her waist" he shot a frantic look at James and I sent an apologetic one towards poor Haley. That bitch she just gave me an ugly look before looking away! It's not like I wanted to dance with her slime ball boyfriend!

McGonagall took us through the steps a few times before making us demonstrate to everyone. I've never seen James so angry at me. Why are they both blaming me?

"You know James really likes you, " Sirius said nonchalantly.

"Should you be telling me this?"

"Is this news to you? In any case he can't exactly get angry at me, he wasn't exactly subtle about it."

I said nothing. Other couples were beginning to dance too and I began plotting my escape.

"So why don't you ask him to the dance?"

That stopped me short.

"What!? Just because he likes me doesn't mean that I like him."

"No," Sirius said fairly. "But the fact that you've been looking at him the entire time you've been dancing with me must say something."

With that he twirled me into the arms of James before grabbing one of Haley's arms. While he whisked her away James turned me around by the arm so I could look at him. We were very close and I couldn't fight a small blush. He looked at me and simply held me like that for awhile before asking "do you want to dance?"

I nodded, "Sure."