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The Night before the Ball..

Maria was ecstatic for her friend. Not every girl was favoured with the attention of James Potter. She decided to waste no time and get to work. Thankfully, to her good fortune, getting Lily to agree didn't prove to be too much of a problem.

It was an all-girls night. The girls' (mainly due to Maria's urging) decided to give each other make-overs. Lily had never done this sort of thing before, and to say the least, she was very excited, but a bit apprehensive.

"Um Lily, not to be rude or anything, but.. When was the last time you tweezed your eyebrows?''

"Tweezed?'' Lily stared at Maria open-mouthed. ''No way Mar.. I don't think that's a very good idea..''

''On the contrary, I do," Maria exclaimed excitedly.

"You just close your eyes, sit back and relax''.

''Relax?'' gulped Lily.

Some time later…

"Ok Lily honey.. You can open your eyes now."

She looked up into the mirror and almost shrieked.

What she saw was a totally different person. Surely this wasn't her? Gone were the bushy eyebrows, the braces, the messed up curls. Lily Evans now had shiny straight hair, cut off to perfection and a dazzling smile. Her emerald-colored eyes shone as she took in her appearance.

''Maria Thompson.. You are the best friend ever," she whispered softly.

"I know I know,"' grinned Maria.

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The Morning of the Ball.. (Breakfast)

''Who is that girl?'' The question of everyones' lips.. Boys gaped open-mouthed in wonder.. While girls stared on jealously.

Everyones' except one James Potter. He sighed happily.. I love her.. No wait what?? What am I thinking? I love Lily Evans.. This cant be happening.. I don't love her.. I cant.. I cant fall in love with Lily Evans. This is isn't how its supposed to work. I have to make HER fall in love with ME, not the other way round.

He'd hardly gathered his thoughts, when Lily stomped up to him. Yes the Lily Evans in question wasn't very happy. In fact she looked very angry… That was the understatement of the year. She was absolutely furious.. livid. ''Who do you think you are??''

''Um.. James Potter?'' he replied with a lame attempt at humour.

Lily thought she could strangle him right then and there.

''Yes James Potter.. The Famous James Potter.. Would you be so kind as to accompany me outside?'' she said sarcastically and bitingly.

James looked at her questioningly. What had he done to get her so furious with him?

Lily thought she was being very considerate by not confronting him in the Great Hall, in the middle of all these people.. And to think he wasn't getting up already and following her out. It was the least he could do to express his gratitude.

''James..'' she repeated one more time, quietly this time, deciding it was best to withhold her anger for a while.

James stood up obediently this time, with the obviously wrong conclusion that she had come to her senses by now and was no longer angry with him, but she simply had to discuss something in private with him.

''So..'' she asked tapping her foot impatiently.

''So.. Err.. Um.. I mean is there something important we need to talk about?''

Lily decided it best to cut to the chase and get right to it.

''Did you bet on me?''

For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to say. He opened his mouth several times to try and explain, but inexplicably, his voice and much needed ''ever present charm and confidence'' had deserted him.

''I see. We're over. I thought you were-,'' she halted scathingly, not wanting to show how badly hurt she was. Before she embarrassed herself any further, she swallowed up her tears, and ran up to the Common Room.

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'''Oh God!'' James swore aloud, his hands wringing his hair in frustration. 'Now what do I do?''

It was time for a marauder meet. HIGH time. After all, it was all their fault that he'd gotten in this fix in the first place.

He strode purposefully back into the Great Hall, and stared his unsuspecting ''friends'' right out of their seats. Sirius ducked back and grabbed the dessert bowl, he anticipated, quite correctly, a long discussion.

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She was hurt and confused, and frustrated beyond belief because she didn't want to be any of those things. It was unprecedented for Lily Evans to wallow in self-pity over a guy. A guy she was stupid enough to fall in love with. A guy whose only concern were collecting girl trophies and adding her to his already overflowing ''conquered'' list.

"Urghh! How could I be so naïve and dumb as to believe James Potter of all people could be nice and decent?'' That wasn't even close to why she felt like the biggest loser in the planet. She'd actually imagined James to be in love with her. "Ha! As if that self-conceited jerk could care for anyone but himself!'' But even as she thought that, she couldn't forget how sweet and understanding and funny he'd seem all these past few weeks. She'd actually thought all her past notions of him were mere illusions and misunderstandings, entrenched on her mind, as a result of prejudice.

Oh Yes, Lily Evans was hurting, hurting bad. And she wished to God she could do something about it. She was however unfortunately, completely and irrevocably in love with James freaking Potter. And boy, how she hated him for it.

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Two hours later, they still hadn't managed to come up with an ingenuous plan on how James could sway Lily and sweep her off her feet.

''So much for my experience with girls. Why'd you have to and fall in love with her anyway?'' Sirius demanded.

''Who said anything about love?'' James said incredulously.

His ''friends'' shared annoyingly knowing looks.

"Oh God!'' he sighed with defeat, his head in his hands, ''What am I going to do?''

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