She was lying in the grass, looking at the clouds. He approached to where she was and got in the middle of her sight.
"Hi Lil!" - he said smiling at her.
"Hi Sev" - she sounded distant.
"Are you ok?"
"Yes, everything's okay… It's just that… Well, you know how Dippet told us about the Yule Ball yesterday?" - she sat and looked at him.
"Yes…" - he sat too.
"Well, that James Potter had the guts to ask me to go to the Ball with him!"
Severus' heart ached. He wasn't sure if he wanted to keep listening.
"And…? - he asked, with a muffled voice
"I said no, of course! He is a complete dumbass, I wouldn't go out with him in a million years…"
He was completely relieved.
"So… who are you going with Sev?"
"M- me? Oh, I don't know, I don't know who to ask…" - it was a lie, he knew who he wanted to ask to the Ball. He wanted to ask the exact same person he was talking to. He just wasn't ready to ask.
"Well, hurry up or all the good girls will be gone!" - she smiled at him - "You could ask that girl from your house, Jessica, she is pretty nice"
"I- I will think about it" - he wasn't going to think about it. He wanted to ask Lily, he wouldn't ask no one else.
"I have Charms class Sev, see you later!" - she stood up and smiled before heading to the castle. He had a free hour, so he stayed there, thinking of the best way to ask Lily to the Ball.
He remained there so much time he got late to Potions class with Slughorn. His favourite class, yet Lily was more important.
"Well, if it isn't my best student!" - Slughorn said when Severus walked into the room - "Feel lucky that we hadn't started with the actual potion making Severus, and try not to get late again"
Some of the Ravenclaw students that shared Potions class with Slytherin laughed. Severus got to his sit and try listening to Slughorn, but his mind wondered off to the Yule Ball, how he would ask Lily, what would he wear.
Suddenly he listened "Now get to it everyone!". Slughorn had finished to explain how to make Draught of Living Death. That was no challenge to him, he made the whole potion in half the time and spent the rest of the class thinking about ginger hair and green eyes.
Slughorn noticed it.
"Severus, can you stay for a minute?" - he asked as the rest of the class went out.
"Sure, sir" - he replied
"I see you are a little distracted today…"
"…" - he didn't know how to reply, so he waited for Professor Slughorn to continue
"A girl, maybe?"
Severus choked.
"A girl, definitely" - Slughorn said after seeing his reaction.
"Yes sir"
"Wondering how to ask her to the Yule Ball, I guess?"
"Yes sir"
"Well, got any ideas while day dreaming in the class?" - Slughorn asked with a smile
"N- No sir, not really"
"Oh well, that's a shame. You should probably just go and tell her straight"
"Are you sure sir? I don't know how she could answer"
"I'm sure miss Evans will say yes"
"How did yo-" - he stopped realizing what he was saying - "Miss Evans, sir?"
"Yes, yes, Lily Evans. You know, that red hair girl, she goes by my office a lot, and she is really good at Potions, I'm sure you know her Severus"
"I- I think I do sir"
"Well, that's all for now, go on to your next class kid!"
Severus walked out of the class without even knowing what to think. Professor Slughorn knew… Maybe that mean Lily knew too! He couldn't live with that. Maybe it was better is he asked her…
"Hi Lily" - he smiled as he waved at her. She was sitting in the Gryffindor table, reading, alone.
"Hi Sev, how are you?" - she smiled at him too.
"Good, good, you?"
"Pretty good too, you look nervous Sev, everything alright?"
"Yes, yes… Uhm, Lily, I was just wondering, do you have anyone to go to the Yule Ball yet?"
"No, I only got asked by that James Potter, and listen to this, in Charms class yesterday his friend, Sirius Black asked me too! Pfft, like I would ever go out with any of them"
"Well, uhm, Lil… I was wondering if… uhm…" - he couldn't follow
"You were wondering if…?" - she looked at him concerned
"" - he prepared himself for the biggest no ever.
"If I would what?" - Lily asked surprised.
"I knew you probably wouldn't want to go, it was stupid from me…"
"Sev"
"… to think that you would ever want to go to the Ball with me…"
"Sev"
"… I mean, you will probably get asked by tons of other guys and you wouldn't…"
"SEVERUS!" - Lily shouted so he would hear her.
"What?" - he asked with shame.
"I would love to go to the Yule Ball with you Sev. You're my best friend and I'm not interested in Potter or Black or any other guy in our year… So go with you as friends would be really nice" - she smiled at him.
"Yes, yes… Going as friends would be nice" - he smiled to. He didn't want to go as friends, but friends was better than nothing, and he didn't have the courage to tell her otherwise.
"Ok, I see you Saturday then, I have to go to Potions class" - she stood up and started walking out the Great Hall.
"Ok, see you Lily" - he waved at her until she left, and then he ran to Slytherin's common room, he went to his room and started cheering and laughing.
Lily was going to the Yule Ball with him! It was awesome. It was great. It was… It was amazing.
On Saturday, Severus waited for Lily in the vestibule. He was nervous. He was wearing black dress robes and a red bowtie. He thought he looked ridiculous, but it was the only dress robes he had, inherited from his father. He waited for Lily, he was afraid she wouldn't come.
"Sev!" - she was running to where he was, an awfully difficult task, considering she was wearing high heels.
His heart stopped for a second. She looked beautiful. No, beautiful wasn't enough. Her red hair was waving behind her, he loved her hair loose. She was wearing a turquoise dress, which highlighted both her eyes and her hair. She was stunning.
"Hi" - he said with a big smile in his face - "You look gorgeous"
"Thank you! You look very, very nice too Sev, really handsome"
"Thanks… should we go in?"
"Sure"
They walked into the Great Hall. It was divinely decorated. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver and golden frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling.
"Wow…" - Lily whispered - "It's beautiful"
"Yes, it is" - said Severus looking more at her than the Great Hall.
The Ball had already started, and several people were dancing. Lily and Severus went for punch and then they sat on a table, alone.
They talked for a while, about classes, about their families, about everything.
Suddenly Lily asked:
"Feel like dancing?"
"I- I'm not very good at dancing"
"C'mon Sev, I'll help you through it!" - she stood up and took his hand. Oh, her hand was so soft and warm, it was the nicest feeling.
He stood up to and they went togheter into the dance floor. They were playing a fast song. Lily started moving around, jumping, cheering Severus to do the same. It wasn't that bad. He started moving around with Lily, looking at her, smiling at her, grabbing her hands and dancing in whatever way they could think of.
The music stopped suddenly, and a much slower song. Severus didn't know what to do. Lily grabbed his hands and put them on her waist, and then she put her own hands on Severus shoulders.
They revolved in the same spot, Lily steering. Severus felt like dreaming. He couldn't believe he was dancing with her, grabbing her, it was the most amazing feeling ever.
The Ball continued and Severus and Lily never stopped dancing.
Not once until the lights went on and Headmaster Dippet got near the microphone:
"Ok students, that was all for tonight. We hoped you enjoyed the Yule Ball, now please go to your common rooms. Good night everyone!"
Severus and Lily walked out of the Great Hall and he walked with her until they reached the Fat Lady's painting.
"Well, bye I guess" - Severus said.
"Yes, goodbye Sev, it was great" - Lily stood on her tiptoes (Severus was much taller than her) and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight" - she said as she entered to Gryffindor's common room.
"Goodnight" - Severus said, even if she couldn't listen, shocked and happy and smiling and feeling all sorts of emotions from that kiss.
That night Severus didn't sleep. He felt too much joy to sleep. It was the greatest night ever. It will probably become his happiest memory ever.