Hi there, this is my first story. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this story accept what is mine.

* The Masquerade

Chapter One: The Notice

Lily woke up one morning, ready to have the best day ever with her friends, Katie and Jo. They were going to Hogsmeade today to look at the latest fashions. A tall, slender red-haired 16 year old girl climbed out of bed. Lily looked at her self in the mirror. She had always gotten compliments about her beauty but she never saw any to really be seen.

Yeah right, the just took pity on me, I bet.

Lily carefully walked over to the other red head's bed and blew into her ear. After running back to her bed, she heard a couple of well chosen swear words and just had to laugh. Katie jumped up and yelled, "Why do you do that to me every morning! How come you don't wake up Jo that way, just for once?!"

"But Jo would hit me.and you don't" Lily laughed.

"I guess I'm just special then, huh?" Katie said sleepily.

"Wha are you guys yappin' 'bout?" Jo called from her bed. Her blonder hair was all messed up. "I was havin' a really good dream!"

"About who?"

"For me to know and you to find out!" Jo said, annoyed.

"About a certain boy?" Lily inquired.

"No." Jo said, blushing.

"Let me guess..Snape?" Katie teased.

"Ewwww! Hell No!"

"Hmmm, Professor Dumbledore?" Lily asked.

"No!"

"I know! Remus!" Katie practically screamed.

Jo said nothing. Katie and Lily both laughed, knowing that they had guessed right. Jo sighed and got back into bed and pulled the covers over her head. "Shut up." She said simply. The girls could tell that she was hurt so they stopped laughing and swore that they would tell no one.

"Well, since you both know who I like, who do you two like?" Jo asked from under the covers.

"No one." Lily muttered, knowing that they would get the truth out of her somehow, no matter what she did.

"You like that Ravenclaw, don't you?" Jo asked.

Lily shrugged. She stood up, took her robes from the drawers and said "I am going to go take a shower now. Meet you guys at breakfast!"

"Okay" was the reply.

Jo and Katie quickly got dressed and went downstairs to get some breakfast. They were greeted by the Marauders trying to trigger a trip-line that when you walked over it you would be splashed by pink hair dye.

"Maybe you should try putting it in the Slytherin Common room next time. Then you wouldn't get hurt by people who know the password." Katie told them.

"Aw, Come on Katie! We were just trying to have some fun!" Sirius came over and wrapped his arm around her. "We would never hurt you!"

"And everybody else?" Jo asked Sirius.

"Too bad for them!"

Katie pushed Sirius's arm off and walked down to the great hall, Jo by her side, thinking.

I guess he will always do that and never change.but he so cute whe-Get a grip Katie Faith! Since when did ever like anyone? Come on; think about the Hogsmeade trip today! Yeah! Fashion Mayhem!

Jo, who was walking beside her, had different thoughts running around her head.

What would happen if we, by accident, ran into the Marauders today at Hogsmeade.? Boy, would Katie get mad or what! She totally doesn't dig any of them, she hates Sirius. I don't think she likes Remus. Peter, she says, is disgusting and Potters ego is too big for her! Hmmm...Oh! Breakfast! *

Lily had just been coming out of the shower when she looked at her watch on the nightstand. It was 7:56.

"Oh my god! I am going to be so late!"

She casted a quick drying spell and pulled on her robes. She was just almost to the entrance when.

WHAM!

"POTTER!!"

Lily got up, ran all the way down to the great hall, slid through a crack in the door and plopped down into her seat. Then she noticed everybody looking at her. She looked at her friends but they were to busy laughing. She grabbed her cup and looked at her reflection. Her hair was entirely hot pink.

"Potter? Can you tell me what happened?" Lily asked in her nice, but wrathful, voice.

"Nice look! Going for the grunge look I see!" James replied.

Lily tried to cast a spell that would fix her hair, but all it did was turn blue.

"Somebody, Please! Explain this." Lily said aggravated.

"It wears off after 24 hours, but we can change it to any color we like. Sorry Lil'" Remus said.

"Fine then but make a reasonably color please!" Lily asked.

"Fine." James replied.

"Thank you." Lily said. "What color is it now?"

"Red."

Lily said nothing. She just turned around so her back was to the Marauders and started a casual conversation about the Hogsmeade trip to Jo, who was sitting next to her.

"Bright red."

Lily turned to Remus again. "Remus, be a doll and put it back to the way it was." She asked Remus nicely, but Remus easily could see that she had her wand out and behind her back.

"Okay, but don't curse me 'cause it wasn't my idea!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

"Cambio DetrĂ¡s!"

"There, Back to normal!" Remus stated.

And it was true. Lily's hair turned back to the deep red that she had all her life.

"Thank you Remus" she sighed and began to eat. But then Professor Dumbledore

"Ladies and Gentleman." Dumbledore announced, "I would like to tell you about the Masquerade we are to have on Halloween this year. You may come alone or with a partner, but you must wear a mask at all times. The ball will start at 6 o'clock and will end at 11 o'clock. Everyone is invited. Thank you." He sat back down.

"Oh my gosh!" All three girls screamed at once. Then immediately started talking about what they were going to wear. The boys just grimaced.

"Oh my gosh!" Sirius imitated in his girly voice that he used when ever some one talked about a ball or dance of some kind. He started talking everyone's ears off by talking about this and that. "And maybe I should get my hair cut and my nails done, and then we can all go shopping!"

"Or not!" James said.

"Hey! Don't interrupt me!"

"Oops."

On the other end of the table, Jo and Katie just got into an argument about what color was in for fall when Lily stood up.

"Comon'! We have to get to class"

The girls quickly got up and walked to their first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. They wanted to get good seats because the teacher was a cutie! His name was Professor Movado and he was the nicest guy ever. He was straight out of Hogwarts so he was really young.

They got the front seats and took out their books. The Marauders came dashing in just before the bell rang and the Professor walked in.

**

Hey there! I hope you liked it! Please Read and Review and tell me what you thought about it and if I should continue! Thank you!

*~*Celesta*~*

Directions:

Review Button (scroll down!)