A/N: sorry it took so long to update. Don't want to keep you from reading.

Four

"Ooh, Lily, who gave you the note?"

Lily rolled her eyes. It was lunchtime and she'd taken the letter out of her bag. She snatched a look at James, but he appeared to be ignoring her, much as she had that morning.

"From James!"

Lily sighed. Great, how was she going to get out of answering now? "Yes, from James. And I haven't had the chance to look at it yet," she snapped.

"No need to snap, Lily, jeez girl, what's with you?" Sandra said sadly, looking at Lily's face for an emotion but didn't find any.

"Just let me read the letter," Lily said, grabbing at it but Serindra held it out of her reach.

"'Lily,

I'm wondering whether you have a date to the Halloween ball. But I'm too nervous to ask you, knowing as you always yell at me when I ask you out. If you do, I understand, but just think about it, please.

James'"

Golly, was Lily embarrassed. That appeared to be something that was for her eyes only, and not to be read out loud to the entire hall.

"Oops, I think that went a little astray, Prongs," Sirius said with amusement. James shook his head, thinking about the fact that that letter had been for Lily's eyes and no one else's ears.

"Are you blushing? Actually blushing?" Sirius sounded amused.

"Never you mind," James snapped.

"Ooh, you are blushing. I'm going to enjoy this one, I think." Sirius leaned back and fell off the bench. James had a hard time keeping his face straight, especially when he looked over at Lily. She seemed to be having a hard time, too.

"That was not a very smart thing to do, Padfoot," said a voice behind them, but it didn't sound annoyed, it was rather amused. James looked up.

"Hello, Lily," Sirius groaned as he stood up. "That knocked the wind out of me." He grinned slightly.

"Hello, glad to see you remembered your manners in front of a lady for once," she responded, turning it into a joke

Sirius caught on. He grinned even wider, if that were possible, and said, "Well, I tried to be more dignified, but I guess I just wasn't dignified enough."

"You know, you are impossible," Lily laughed, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to James for a minute, before class."

James looked at Sirius with concern. What had he done now?

"Well, are you coming?"

James sighed. "Yes, I'm coming," he said, getting up.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to yell at you. Not now, anyway," Lily assured him.

"For some reason, that's not very comforting," James said grinning lightly as he followed her.

"Soooo you asked me to the dance in a letter?" she asked.

James looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected that. "Well, yeah, I suppose I did," he answered slowly.

"You did?" Lily sounded sarcastic. "Right, well, how do I know that?"

James rolled his eyes. "Lily, please be nice. I can't take sarcastic remarks right now."

"Oh, you can't? Well, why didn't you say so? I'd have annoyed you sooner," Lily said sweetly. She grinned.

James groaned. He should never have told her that. Gosh, was he stupid! "I should never have said that," he said, hitting his head.

"Oh, so the lovebirds are having a heated discussion, are they?" said an unwanted female voice. Bellatrix Black was standing behind them with a smug expression on her face.

Lily blushed furiously, but she found her composer rather quickly. "Shut it, Black," she snapped.

"Ooh, apparently I hit a nerve. What a snappy remark," Bellatrix sneered. She chuckled maliciously at James, who was trying to decide whether he ought to slap her or leave her. The first choice was more tempting.

"Is James too worried over the Mudblood? Is he trying not to show it?" Bellatrix laughed evilly and turned back toward the Great Hall. James breathed in to keep himself from hitting her and started down the hall for class.

"James, please wait up!" Lily pleaded as she tried to keep up with him. "I-I wanted to thank you for sticking up for me. I could tell you were having a hard time containing yourself from hitting her."

James stopped abruptly and turned to her. "Wha-What?" he asked, shocked.

"You heard me, James Potter," Lily said sounding rather annoyed. She turned on her heel and walked toward her friends. James shook his head and walked into their next class.

A/N: please review! please!