A/N: So many new reviewers! I am just so happy, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Really. Of course, I can't help but call out to those great new reviewers and hope they'll stick with us. It really is worth the shot. And to prove it I give everyone free James Potter plushy! Yay! I know that that was everyone's life dream, so please, enjoy! And, before I begin to give out even more things (yes, I think I might even have Dumbledore plushies around, but we'll save that for another chapter…) read the chapter, I know it's different, but still, it is only a brief interlude.

Disclaimer: Lawyers, don't kill me. I am not claiming anything…at all…sob Okay! You can have the James Potter plushy back…

o o o

A Brief Interlude:

And so, as a continuation of the dramatic life of one auburn haired girl, our courageous and daring heroine will now be faced with a challenge of epic proportions: attending a ball with a cruel and vile young man, who also happens to have deplorable hygiene.

But, dearest readers, do you not wonder the how and the why of the series of unusual events that have taken hold of Ms. Lily Evans life? Truly, if we were to analyze a select few of the events that have occurred in the last two weeks of Ms. Lily Evans life, we would see a pattern that is remarkably atypical of her past actions. You will see below, for your deepest critical evaluation, a few tagged examples, all events that have recently transpired in the course of Ms. Lily Evans's existence.

Example 1 –

I turned around slowly to face him, a slight frown on my features. His hazel eyes are so deep. They are pooling whirlpools of soft brown doted with green and filled with…caring? Soft tendrils of his black hair hung lightly by his eyes. But all I saw were those hazel orbs, filled with emotions so gentle. My face inched forward ever so slightly. I felt James's hand softly brush a few stray tendrils of my dark red hair behind my ear, gently caressing my cheek. My face inched itself forward a little more.

Example 2 –

I swirled around and pointed my finger at Severus Snape, who was reading peacefully at a table, "YOU!"

Severus blinked slowly.

"YOU ARE GOING TO THE BALL WITH ME!" I ordered him.

Example 3 –

"…So I don't know what to think. He's changed a lot, yet he's still the same. And now I can't even say that I hate him. I may even like him. And that mere thought shocks me."

Example 4 –

"…But I don't want to go with Snape. I don't know who I want to go with. I don't want to go with Remus, I don't want to go with Black, I don't want to with Snape. I want to go with James."

Example 5 –

He was so close. I could feel him breathing. I wasn't thinking straight anymore. I felt my face inch forward. His eyes were just so sincere. So beautiful. His warm hand gently brushed my cheek. There was hardly any space between us. My breath caught in my throat.

The five tagged examples show a mold of increasingly abnormal behavior that has been reoccurring in Ms. Lily Evans as of late. But, of course, the above examples hold no value if they are not compared with the earlier, and if one may call it such, normal, behavior displayed by Ms. Lily Evans. This is a complex and disturbing progression that alarms even the calmest of members, and must be treated as such; with logic and reasoning. I am sure, dearest reader, that you are undoubtedly showing unprecedented curiosity for the heart of this study on our heroine's alarming conduct. To advance and further research the complexities of this matter, the research committee has taken the liberty to display several key cases that do an overall, effective, job of reflecting Ms. Lily Evans's behavior before such events as we have portrayed above in the five examples.

The case will be presented as a numbered series of notes and taped conversations, divided, for further distinction and better analysis, accordingly by the date and class they were written in. The notes in question were confiscated in their day by teachers that would prefer to remain anonymous in the study, and in that respect will refrain from mention in the study. They were generously given for examination to our researchers by Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of the Most Noble House of Gryffindor and Head of the Transfiguration Department. Her ample generosity and participation in the study is due to her recently expressed concern for the abnormal behavior pattern in Ms. Lily Evans. The taped conversations are courtesy of a young witch by the name of Rita Skeeter, who we will say, though such information is not critical, that despite her young age has shown more reporting talent that many of our contemporaries. Hopefully, at the end of this report, dearest reader, we will be able to formulate an idea in our minds as to Ms. Lily Evans most disconcerting behavior.

Case Study of the Changing, and also, Alarming, Behavior of Ms. Lily Evans

Executed by the Research Committee, Which, Like the Teachers, Prefers to Remain Anonymous.

Ensemble of Notes I –

The following notes were written and confiscated in the Slytherin Dungeons during a Potions class. We are unable to mention the year for fear of giving away the identity of the teacher, who has, as mentioned before, expressed their wish to remain anonymous. For now it will suffice to say that this occurred before Ms. Lily Evans's seventh year.

Gemma - Bored yet, Lily?

DON'T WRITE YOUR NAME! Or MY name! How many times have I told you that? If we get caught and our names are on the notes they'll have proof that it is us and then we'll have to face all sorts of disciplinary punishments!

They write their names.

No, they don't. They write pseudonyms.

Pseudowhat?

Pseudonyms are nicknames. That way, if they do get caught, then the teacher has no proof that they wrote the notes.

So…can we have pseudonyms?

I don't care. But stop passing me notes! Do you see the way that (name of teacher deleted) is looking at me?

That is because he is in love with your amazing potion abilities.

Stop. Passing. Me. Notes.

Someone's PMSing…

We will now observe a different set of notes confiscated that same day in order to form a more general and complete picture in our minds.

Lily Potter.

Lily Evans-Potter

Mrs. Lily Evans- Potter.

Mrs. James Potter

Mr. Padfoot would like to most courteously comment to Mr. Prongs that if he writes one more combination of a certain Ms. Evans's name and his, he will jump of the astronomy tower.

Mr. Prongs points that refraining from writing another name is very tempting with the promise of Mr. Padfoot's permanent silence.

Mr. Padfoot feels very insulted.

James didn't mean that Sirius.

MR. WORMTAIL! Mr. Padfoot is shocked to see that Mr. Wormtail has once more ignored the use of pseudonyms. He would also like to threaten Mr. Wormtail that if he does it again, he will force Mr. Wormtail to jump off the astronomy tower.

Mr. Moony beseeches Mr. Padfoot to show more courtesy towards Mr. Wormtail, as Mr. Moony is of the opinion that mistakes are regrettably easy to make. Mr. Moony would further like to comment that he also finds Mr. Prongs's habit quite annoying.

Mr. Prongs is appalled that Mr. Padfoot and Mr. Moony, along with Mr. Wormtail, are so ignorant of his constant suffering at the gap that lies between him and his love. He will therefore ask the gentlemen to refrain from commenting on this most touchy issue.

Mr. and Mrs. James Potter.

Ms. Lily Evans-Potter.

James and Lily Potter.

Taped Conversation I:

The following conversation was overhead and taped in the vicinity of the Transfiguration department. We are unable to mention the year for fear of giving away the identity of the teacher, who has, as mentioned before, expressed their wish to remain anonymous. For now it will suffice to say that this occurred before Ms. Lily Evans's seventh year.

James Potter: Lily!

Lily Evans: Don't call me that!

James Potter: Um…why not? It's your name…

Lily Evans: Why yes, how very observant of you, it is indeed my name.

James Potter: Lily, I need to talk –

Lily Evans: My friends can call me Lily. Coincidences can call me Evans. You can't call

me anything.

Ensemble of Notes II:

The following set of notes was confiscated in the chamber used for Charms at that point in time. We will from now on omit the time and year, as we cannot divulge that information and such information is frivolous and not quite necessary to the furthering of our study.

Dearest Lily Flower, the fairest of all auburn haired girls and most illuminated of all green eyed maidens,

Every time I look at you my heart is set on fire, and not, as you may believe, because I have heart burn, but because every time I look at you your face, eyes, nose, eyebrows, eyelashes, lips and ears become branded into my soul.

Forever yours,

James Potter.

-

Black,

If you were not waving and grinning madly at me like a complete bloody idiot I might have believed that note was actually from Potter.

Not yours or his at all,

Lily Evans.

The note that follows was intercepted a while after the interchange of the two above notes occurred.

Sirius,

Trust me when I say that you don't look like an idiot.

Gemma.

Taped Conversation II:

The following conversation was overheard and taped in the Gryffindor Common Room.

James Potter: You spend all your free time studying, Lily. Live a little!

Lily Evans: Sod off, Potter.

James Potter: Remember the old saying: live every moment as if it were your last.

Lily Evans: Otherwise known as the Procrastinating Philosophy.

Taped Conversation III:

The following conversation was overheard and taped in the hallways near the vicinity of the Great Hall.

James Potter: Oi! Lily, will you –

Lily Evans: No.

James Potter: Yes!

Lily Evans: Yes?

James Potter: YES!

Lily Evans: What?

James Potter: I was going to ask, if you would have let me finish: Lily, will you say no if you will go out with me? And you said no!

Lily Evans: I am impressed that you managed to show even the slightest resemblance to intelligence, Potter. Good job.

James Potter: But we're going out now, so you should call me James.

Lily Evans: Then again it seems that intelligence is just not your strong point. Stick to quidditch.

Ensemble of Notes III:

The following sets of notes were confiscated in the classroom employed for the Charm classes.

Dearest Lily,

Can you not see that every moment you spend apart from me tears me apart? That every breath I take without you near me is weak and lost? The silent wind that whistles through the pretty mountain lilies whispers you name in my ear. And that is when I realize that I cannot live without you.

Eternal love,

James.

-

Black,

Stop grinning like a chimpanzee; it isn't the least bit funny. And please, refrain from sending me false love letters, they make me gag.

Eternal hate,

Lily.

-

Dearest Lily,

Are thou so blind that you cannot distinguish my handwriting from that of my companion's, Sirius Black? It was I that send you that note, and what I said was true.

With all my heart,

James.

-

Potter,

To hate or not to hate, that is the question. I think I'll choose to hate.

Without any part of me,

Lily.

Taped Conversation III:

The following conversation was overheard and taped in the hallways near the vicinity of the Hospital Wing.

James Potter: Lily! I have just been diagnosed with a fatal illness and going out with you is the only thing that can cure it.

Lily Evans: Is that really the best you can come up with? You're slacking off, Potter.

James Potter: Is that a yes?

Lily Evans: I just remembered, but I happened to be diagnosed with an ailment too, just recently.

James Potter: What a coincidence!

Lily Evans: I know. It's not everyday you get diagnosed as a Potter Intolerant.

End of Gathered Data

I am sure, dearest reader, that you find yourself appalled before all this evidence. It is truly shocking that the rational and, if you may call her so, normal, Ms. Lily Evans managed to change into the Ms. Lily Evans displayed in the first five examples of this study. Clearly this is a very deep case that may involve more than we had originally thought. So with that, we find that we are unable to find a reasonable explanation, and will have to delve in deeper into the matter to do so. More information must be gathered, and hopefully, in the near future, connections will be made. Until then, dearest reader, we are unable to console you on the state of mind of the one and only Ms. Lily Evans and can only finish the report with this most relevant comment by a student who offered his name as Sirius Black, supposedly a dear friend of Lily Evans.

Sirius Black: She got kidnapped, and her evil clone that replaces her is actually here to start a world plague of deadly butterflies.

We can only hope we find a valuable explanation soon.

o o o

Hint: Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade. Hide your face so the world will never find you! (The Phantom of the Opera- Andrew Lloyd Weber).

A/N: I hope that you enjoyed this. It was different, and I have to say that I had a great time writing it. James and Lily are just such great characters…and we can't possibly forget the Mauraders ;) So, stick around, and come to the ball! The admission ticket for the ball can be paid with one satisfactory review. Which means: REVIEW! And don't forget to pick out a nice disguise! I wonder what Lily will wear…hm…:) Oh, and I also have a competition to propose: who wants to be the DJ for the ball? I am in desperate need of a song, more of a fast paced song, that would represent the Lily/James relationship. So, if any of you have any idea, please submit the song name and artist, or if you made it up yourself (in that case, great job) just say so in your admission ticket review. Thanks a bunch! Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Saturday!