A/N This is another short story that popped into my head randomly and only had about 30mins spent on it, so apologies if it's a pile of poo. Also, I don't own any of these characters, they belong to the wonderful JK Rowling (write quickly!). RR please.
'OW! Jesus, Melody, you're going to pull my hair out!'
Melody tutted impatiently at her friend. 'Look, Lil, if you want to look good you have to suffer, OK? Beauty is pain, remember that. Now hold still, I'm almost done.'
'I don't see why I have to be scalped just for some stupid Ball. It's not as though I'll even be seen!'
Melody paused tying the knots in Lily's hair, and looked at her friend seriously. 'Just because it's a masquerade ball, doesn't mean you don't need to make an effort. What about at midnight?'
Lily sighed loudly and Melody resumed her working of her friend's hair. It was all very well for Melody to talk about looking pretty - she was one of those annoying people who always looked good, even at eight in the morning with sleep in her eyes and her hair a tangled mess. Lily Evans, though by no means ugly, wasn't what she'd describe as conventionally pretty. But her long red mane and deep green eyes still seemed to draw people to her, even if she herself didn't think much of them. It certainly hadn't stopped her from being asked to the Ball. Ever since it had been announced that this year's Christmas Ball would be slightly different, the entire school had seemed to buzz with excitement, even the lower years, who couldn't go to anything other than the Feast. And Lily had been asked by no less than nine different boys if she'd go with them. She had declined them all.
But the odd thing was that, of all of them, there was one absentee she would have laid money on would have been the first to ask her. But James Potter seemed to have other ideas. Not only had he not asked her, he had stopped his usual attempts at asking her out full stop. Lily was by now so used to this that it felt as natural as breathing. For it to stop...This was just odd.
The annoying thing was that Lily had found herself dwelling on it more than she should have, and despite her best efforts, she'd felt something growing inside her. Annoyance? But that was ridiculous - all she'd wanted for the past six years was for him to stop asking her out, and it had finally happened. Why should she be annoyed?
'There!' Melody beamed. 'We're done.' She waved her wand over Lily's hair, muttered a spell under her breath, and began to untie the knots in her hair. Lily watched her reflection change in the mirror as her lightly freckled face was slowly crowned by shining curls that accentuated her cheekbones and seemed to flow down on to her slim shoulders.
'Now, just put your mask on and we're ready to go.' Melody had already fixed hers to her face and she stood watching Lily expectantly whilst she put it on. Whilst Melody's covered only her eyes, Lily's hid her nose too, exposing only her small mouth, the rest of her face obscured by a cloud of feathers and glitter. She'd especially chosen it for this feature - tonight was one night she hadn't wanted to be pestered by James Potter. Only now, she wasn't so sure of that...
The Great Hall was alive with excitement; masked people milled about them in delicate gowns and swished past in fancy dress robes. Melody appeared at her side suddenly with two goblets of ice cold pumpkin juice and as Lily felt its sweet taste she finally began to relax. For a while the two of them danced happily, the music loud and lively, and Lily had fun trying to guess who was behind all the masks. There was to be a midnight unmasking, but until then it was tradition that no one removed their mask.
Suddenly the band struck up a slow song, and the Hall was instantly coupling off. Lily was just trying to decide between the three boys who had suddenly flocked to her when she felt a hand take hers from behind and she was being led into the centre of the Hall. She tried to see the face, or what was not obscured by the mask. He had a generous mouth with a strong jawline, and the lower half of his face was split by a grin he was clearly trying to conceal. The dim glow of the candles lighting the Hall meant that all she could see of his hair was the dark outline, but as many of the boys she knew had long hair it didn't give her much of a clue. She felt his hands find her waist expertly and she placed her hands on his neck carefully, feeling somewhat selfconscious. He didn't seem to notice.
He pulled her close to him, gently, and as the song wore on she felt the surroundings fade away as she melted into him. He was a fantastic dancer and she thrilled inwardly at her luck at getting a partner like him - Melody kept giving out little yelps of pain as her partner trod on her toes repeatedly. Another song struck up, this time even slower, a ballad, and as the haunting lyrics echoed in her mind, Lily pulled him closer, so close that she could smell the scent on his neck. It awoke some memory in her - she knew this smell, juniper berries mixed with something she couldn't quite place.
They stayed that way for the next four songs, until finally the band began a livelier song, and Lily saddened a little at the thought that her dance was over, even as she scolded herself for being so stupid over some boy she didn't even recognize. He, however, had other plans, and bending his head to hers he whispered softly in her ear, 'Go for a walk?'. She nodded before she even considered it, and he took her hand and led her into the grounds.
It was cold outside, but for the first year since Lily had been a Hogwarts student it hadn't snowed. The odd thing was that she didn't feel the chill - it was as though she were lit by some inner warmth, and she marvelled at someone who could invoke such feeling in her without so much as showing their face, or even speaking to her properly. His request had been the only words he had spoken to her all night, and even then in a barely audible whisper. They walked together in silence, something Lily would ordinarily have tried to fill with hasty words, but right now it didn't feel awkward, it felt right. It felt natural.
He stopped suddenly, Lily not realising and continuing to walk on. He pulled her back by the hand he still held and suddenly his lips found hers. It was a gentle kiss and yet at the same time it was forceful, filled with longing, and she found herself responding to it. His hands found her hair and pulled her to him, and without quite knowing what she was doing she had pulled off his mask. When she opened her eyes to see him, she felt the words she had begun to say die on her lips as she realised with shock she had been kissing -
'James! James Potter! What the-' Her words were cut off by his hand clapping over her mouth, his eyes imploring her to be quiet. She aquiesced though her eyes still held anger, and he spoke rapidly as though afraid she would cut him off at any moment.
'Look, I knew there was no point in asking you to the Ball because I knew you'd just say no like you always do, so I figured maybe if you didn't know it was me you'd give me a chance, and it turns out I was right, that's why I didn't talk to you all night, even though I was dying to, I thought you might recognise my voice and I'm really sorry but this was the only thing I could think of and-'
His eyes widened in shock as he realised what was happening. Apparently possessed, Imperiused or possibly both, Lily had attached herself to his lips and was kissing him fiercely. Forcing away his confusion James responded by kissing her back with all the passion he could muster, which given his was a six-year attraction was rather considerable. Her body was pressing tightly against his and he felt the familiar stirrings in him, only this time they were right, they were allowed. He chanced removing his hands from her hair and sliding them down her body as she pressed him against the wall of the castle and was elated to find that not only was she allowing this, she was returning the favour.
If James was confused, it was nothing to how Lily was feeling. All she knew was that this couldn't be James Potter. He wasn't irritating her for once, she didn't see an irritating show off. She was seeing a handsome, sweet boy who could, on occasion, actually manage not to annoy the living snot out of her. She realised she actually had been annoyed earlier - one of her mother's cliches had been proven true. You never know what you have until it's gone. She never thought it would annoy her that he would stop the constant compliments, the continual flattery and asking her out. That was until he stopped.
And this time, she wasn't letting him stop again.