Disclaimer: Not JKR, just like to play with her ideas

- - - X - - -

James and Remus arrived barely at eight, and everyone was already settled in. Lupin gave Lily an apologetic grin as he passed her; Lily gave him a small smile in return and nodded. To James, on the other hand, she shot an angry glare as he approached to stand next to her.

James gave Lily a sideways glance as he stood beside her. Subconsciously, he started ruffling his hair as he returned his look to the Prefects.

"Alright, well tonight we are here to discuss the Halloween Ball," James told them.

The Prefects nodded. James shot another glance at Lily, who was beginning to look annoyed. James suspected that it was because he was ruffling his hair, and dropped his arm quickly. He was about to speak when Lily beat him to it.

"We have to come up with a theme."

The room fell silent as the students lapsed into thought – although James suspected that half of them had simply zoned out. James himself rejected several on the basis that Lily would most probably castrate him. After what seemed an eternity, James stumbled across an acceptable idea.

"How about a Muggle theme?" he suggested, looking at Lily for support. But this had caused Lily to raise her eyebrows.

"What do you mean with Muggle Theme? Muggle dances also have themes, you know," she said as she walked away from him, retraining herself from slapping him on his head.

She walked towards Alexis, who was sitting on one of the tables located by the fireplace. Alexis smiled at Lily as she joined her. But as Lily was too busy giving James a cold look to notice her gesture, Alexis figured that she ought to rescue James.

"How about dressing up in Muggle attire?" piped up Alexis.

Lily's face had gone from wanting to kill, to thoughtful. She looked at the Prefects.

"Ok, so Muggle attire? But we still need a Theme."

"How about something different? Instead of having a typical theme, we have a more significant theme?" suggested 6th year Hufflepuff Prefect, Alvin Abbott.

"What do you have in mind, Alvin?" asked Corbin Cho, a 6th year Ravenclaw Prefect.

Alvin looked at the whole room. "How about some outer house interaction?" he addressed everyone, but held a longer look at the Slytherin Prefects, especially the 7th years, Severus Snape, and Adriana Long.

It was no surprise that the Slytherin Prefects looked as if they had been told to eat Flobberworms.

"Why would we want to ask anyone from other houses? And isn't it our choice who we ask?" Snape challenged, arguing for the sake of argument. He looked mildly pleased to note James' scowl.

"It's a theme," Lily replied flatly. "And besides - what's so repulsive about some inter house mingling?" she asked, looking at Snape's dark eyes.

Why Lily was so nice to Severus Snape was beyond James – and this just frustrated James so much more. He wanted to walk out from the meeting but knew that if he did, Lily would murder him, throw him out from the highest tower, and then jump on his torso, just in case he'd survived. James returned his attention to the meeting.

"Well, Lily, you can't really tell someone who to take to a dance, that's a personal decision. And some may have a significant other within their own house," the greasy git was saying. For some strange and inexplicable reason, James pictured Snape and Lily married, and shuddered. Having a greasy haired boy, with Lily's green eyes. James shook that detestable vision from his head, and forced his attention back to the meeting.

"Well those who may have a relationship within their own house can still go with them. I don't think we are ordering them to leave them and go with someone else. We are just suggesting that for those single souls, they should definitely ask someone from another house," explained Aurora.

The Prefects seemed to like the idea. There were nods of approval and positive murmurs. Severus Snape still didn't look convinced, but did not push the subject further. But Adriana apparently didn't understand and asked.

" So we have to take someone from another house?"

Both Lily and James answered this, James rather impatiently.

"Yes."

Lily smiled. "If there's no more questions, fifth years please start you patrolling, and the rest of you are dismissed!"

Everyone got up and either went to talk to Lily, or left the room. It was no surprise to see the Slytherins looking anxious to get out of the Heads Dorm.

James started looking for Remus, and he found him walking over to talk to Lily.

James grabbed his arm. "Remus, we got to talk."

Remus smiled at him. "Going to ask me to the Ball, are you Prongs?" he asked, smirking. This caused James to smack him on the head.

"Gross, Moony. You're not my type anyway," joked James. And this time it was Remus turn to smack James on the head.

"Lets go to my room. It's important," James urged.

- - - X - - -

James escorted Remus to his dorm. He closed the door behind them. Remus sat on James' bed. For some odd reason James started staring at the door.

"What's bugging you James?" asked Remus as he watched James continue stare at his bedroom door with a thoughtful look on his face.

James turned his gaze from his door to Remus, who was analyzing his expression. James appeared lost, restless, and somewhat desperate. Suddenly, he knew what may be bugging James.

"It has something to do with Lily, doesn't it?"

James nodded, kicking the side of his bed – a move he regretted immediately once his foot started throbbing in pain. This just added to James frustration. He sat down next to Remus, and started rubbing his eyes.

"I'm also going to guess that this whole 'getting over Lily' operation isn't going so well, is it?" asked Remus as he continued watching James, who was now staring at the floor, hands clasped together. He met Remus' eyes, and Remus was startled to see that his friend looked quite mad.

Remus watched James, torn between pity and amusement. He was obviously going through a tough time – Remus wouldn't have expected any less from Lily.

James looked down again, staring dismally at the carpet. It was navy. Lily's hair ribbon was sometimes navy. James groaned. What would it take to get her out of his thoughts?

"Remus you know how hard I've tried. But it's not working," he said imploringly, once again ruffling his hair.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "James, to be honest, what you were doing wasn't considered a honest attempt to mature. All you did was sulk around. And that's something a mature person doesn't do."

James looked at Remus helplessly. Suddenly, he leapt to his feet and began to pace. Remus stood too, approaching him and patting his back sympathetically. James shrugged him off. Remus sighed, then steered James back onto his bed. James' hands jumped to his hair, ruffling it in sheer frustration. James knew that if he didn't get his act together soon, he might never get over Lily.

Remus was standing over James, staring at his jet-black hair. James looked absolutely defeated. Remus was about to give him a final advice when James spoke.

"I want Sirius to withdraw the bet," he glanced up at Remus, a fiery glint in his eye.

Remus nodded mutely, taken aback, but also impressed: he understood why James had made that decision.

"James, your problem is that you're trying too hard. You need to relax. I can't believe I'm about to say this but, don't take it too seriously. Lily already thinks very poorly of you. Why make it worse? Treat her like you treat Emma or Alexis."

Remus smiled encouragingly as James' expression softened. Then, rather suddenly and so unexpectedly that Remus jumped, James' desk drawer began to vibrate. Frowning once more, James crossed to his desk and tugged the drawer open, producing his small, two-way mirror. Familiar grey eyes blinked back at him, and almost immediately they drew back to present the full face of Sirius Black.

"MOONY!! PRONGSIE!! I'M BORED!! WORMTAIL FELL ASLEEP ON ME!! I NEED ENTERTAINMENT!!"

Remus had joined James, peering down at the mirror. He shook his head, grinning.

"We'll be there in a moment," James deadpanned, replacing the mirror in the drawer. Glancing up once more to meet Remus' eyes, he sighed. "Moony, you're right. I'm stressing it too much. Need to show Lily the real me. Although perhaps less annoying…"

James grinned, making Remus laugh. "How about a lot less annoying?"

Laughing, they made their way out of the tower; James' mood considerably lighter than it had been in quite some time. Things were looking up.

- - - X - - -

Danielle made her way toward Professor McGonagall's office, her grimace firmly fixed in place. Who would have thought that a simple practical joke with Drooble's Best Blowing Gum could backfire so badly that McGonagall had handed her a detention? Sighing reluctantly, Danielle knocked on the appropriate door.

"Come in," Professor McGonagall called.

Danielle let herself in, immediately noticing that Professor McGonagall wasn't alone in her office. There was another boy there, cleaning the bookshelves, but he had turned when Danielle entered the room, and gave her a small smile. Returning the smile, she approached the Professor's desk.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Cyrus," Professor McGonagall greeted her primly.

"Hello, Professor." Danielle and McGonagall had been 'doing the detention thing' together for as long as Danielle could remember. Even though Danielle respected her Head of House, she never felt like she had to hold her tongue around her, and knew that she was open to speak her thoughts.

"Well Danielle. Tonight you are going to assist Mr. Rose in cleaning my bookshelves, without magic," she informed Danielle.

Danielle handed her wand to McGonagall, and helped herself to one of the dusting cloths before making her way over to where the boy was standing. Picking up one of the dusty books and running the cloth over it, she watched him curiously from the corner of her eyes. After a few minutes McGonagall broke the silence.

"Well, I trust that I can leave both of you alone. I have to go take care of something. I won't be long," she told both of them, leaving the room.

Danielle took another sideways glance at the boy standing next to her. He was rather tall, with hair the same colour as James Potters', although it wasn't at all untidy, and Danielle couldn't fail to notice he was quite good looking. She returned her attention back to the books hurriedly. As she chose another to dust it slipped through her fingers and fell to the stone floor.

Both the boy and Danielle ducked to retrieve the book when they bumped their foreheads.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry about that," apologized the boy, meeting Danielle's eyes shyly. Danielle gazed back, feeling the blush rising in her cheeks. She hated when she blushed.

"It's ok, it was my fault anyway, I get a bit clumsy," she admitted.

The boy smiled, stood up and offered his hand to Danielle. She took it as he helped her get up.

"My name is Kyle, Kyle Rose," said the boy named Kyle.

Danielle smiled.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Danielle Cyrus." She noticed that they were still holding hands, and she decided to shake his hand. Kyle beamed at her, and Danielle found that much to her horror she was blushing again.

"You have a twin sister don't you?" Kyle asked.

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, I do, Gabrielle," she told him, as they returned to dusting the books.

"I'm guessing you're a Gryffindor?" Kyle asked as he too returned to cleaning the remaining books.

Danielle laughed: the tie around her neck was a dead giveaway but she decided to play along. "Yes. And I'm guessing you're a Ravenclaw?" She stole a glance at him, unable to get past the fact that he was very handsome.

Kyle smiled. "Correct,"

"You have a sister in Ravenclaw don't you? Aurora, fifth year?" he asked as he got a book from Danielle's' side, and brushed her hand with his. She smiled.

"She is," Danielle agreed. "You talk to her?" she asked as she faced him.

Kyle grinned. "As a matter of fact I do. I've helped her out on some Transfiguration homework she had. She's quite bright," he admitted as he went to the cupboard to get another towel.

Danielle rolled her eyes, feeling slightly annoyed. Kyle joined her at the other bookshelves.

"Fancy her much?" she asked, trying to sound careless.

"No – your sister is a very smart girl, but I'm not interested like that. I kind of like her sister."

They looked at each other, Kyle's eyes questioning. He suddenly blinked, frowning. Danielle's eyes, a lovely light green, had just darkened in colour.

At the same moment, Danielle too was marveling over the colour of Kyle's eyes, which happened to be an unusual shade of grey. The colour was unusual in that they weren't a cold, distant grey, but a warm, friendly type of gray. Danielle's stomach fluttered madly.

McGonagall, who had always possessed a remarkable gift for timing, returned. "You may go, Rose and Cyrus," she said as she looked at her clean bookshelves. Both Kyle and Danielle retrieved their wands from her desk and bid the Professor goodnight.

"Would you mind if I walked you to the Gryffindor common Room? After all my dormitory is also in the same floor," Kyle asked rather shyly, as he smiled at her.

"Sure why not?" Danielle replied easily, and they both started walking down the hallway together.

"So, Kyle, why were you in detention?"

Kyle smirked. "Well, I fell asleep in Transfiguration, but it wasn't really my fault. I stayed up late finishing that essay for Binns," he finished as they began to climb the stairs.

"That's it? Weak! I find to keep yourself awake you have to do something to keep yourself awake. Like putting gum in someone's hair. That's what landed me in detention this fine afternoon," Danielle admitted proudly as she took the lead, locating a shortcut that she had discovered back in fifth year.

"So, I'm guessing that you are a regular in detention?" he asked, making Danielle laugh.

"Well, not so frequent. James and his gang hold the record. My sister and I usually get away with it. Mainly because we're smarter," Danielle confided. This time it was Kyle's turn to laugh.

"Wow you're modest. But how can I tell you apart from your sister?" he asked. They had arrived to The Fat Lady portrait.

"Well, Mr. Rose, you can't. We are identical, after all. But only one of us can say we served detention with you," she said flirtatiously, neglecting to mention Gabrielle's blue eyes as she tilted her head one side and bit her lip.

Kyle smiled, and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"And only one can say they received a kiss from me," he grinned, making Danielle smile

"Good Night Mr. Rose," she said as she gave The Fat Lady the password.

She turned around and saw that Kyle was still standing there. She sent him a wink and entered the Gryffindor Tower. Kyle was still there, smiling…

- - - X - - -

James and Remus had arrived at the Seventh Year Boy's dorm to find Peter asleep on his bed. Across the room, Sirius lay with his head and upper torso hanging upside down from his own bed. Unfortunately for Sirius, the entrance of James and Remus startled him, and he swore as he slipped and landed on his head.

"Good one, Padfoot," grinned James as he watched Sirius get up.

Remus perched on the edge of his own bed, while James took a seat beside Sirius. Sirius looked between the two expectantly.

"So how was the meeting?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"We can't really tell you, Padfoot. This Prefect meeting was confidential," Remus told him apologetically.

James looked at Remus.

"It is?" he asked. The meeting had been James' first; he hadn't known that the information was confidential, but he supposed it made sense.

"Yes, and I know that Padfoot knew that already, too," Remus said severely. "All we can say is we're planning a dance."

Sirius grinned. "A dance, huh? Have you come up with a theme?" he asked, glancing between James, who was watching a Quidditch poster, and Remus, who was searching for his pajamas. Both avoided the question.

"I'm going to guess that piece of information is also confidential," guessed Sirius. As Remus disappeared into the bathroom, James nodded subtly.

All of a sudden, James remembered he had important business to discuss with Sirius.

"Padfoot, we have to talk about that bet you made with Lily," James said seriously meeting Sirius' eyes.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Prongs, I assure you that I'm keeping a close eye on your lovely Lily-kins," he told him reassuringly.

James' hand went to his hair, and he started ruffling it - and Sirius knew that James well enough to figure that something more was wrong.

"Spit it out, then, Prongs. What's bothering you?"

"Look, Padfoot. Yes I'm a bit uneasy about this bed between you and Lily, but that's not the real problem: it's the outcome I don't like," he explained softly, before abruptly standing. He paced the room, frowning, and Sirius watched him, feeling more than a bit confused.

"Do you mean out prizes?" he asked, puzzled, before it finally dawned on him. "Wait – wait… You don't want to go out with Lily?"

James stopped his pacing and met Sirius' shocked expression evenly.

"I don't want to force her to go out with me," he confessed, once again taking a seat on Sirius' bed.

"I was just trying to help you, buddy," Sirius murmured, apologetic, clasping a hand on James' shoulder.

"Well thanks Padfoot, but I'm no longer pursuing Lily Evans. I'm done with that."

Sirius looked at his mate, and smiled. James certainly sounded decisive.

"It's your decision mate. I'll just change my reward with Lily," he reassured James.

James smiled. "Thanks mate. Thanks for looking out for me, and you know, trying."

"That's all right," Sirius told him cheerfully, slinging an arm around James' shoulders.

Remus walked out from the bathroom, eyebrows raised.

"Uh, did I miss something?" he asked mildly.

"Yeah, our little Prongsie is growing up!" said Sirius. James smiled.

Remus shook his head as he walked towards his bed.

Sirius laughed. "Oh Moony, don't get jealous! You want a hug too?" he offered, rising from the bed, arms open as he approached Remus. Remus backed away rather quickly, and Sirius followed in hot pursuit, arms still open.

"Padfoot go away!"

Sirius leapt over Peter's bed, dislodging the sleeping boy, who started awake and tumbled out of sight.

"Common Moony! Just a hug!" Sirius called as he continued to chase Remus.

James could not help but feel highly amused.

- - - X - - -

Lily was walking down the stairs, and upon spotting Sirius Black on one of the couches, approached him.

"Black! Waiting for someone?" she asked. Sirius leapt to his feet, smiling.

"Good morning to you too! My, don't you look dashing?" he grinned appreciatively, noting her makeup. Lily tossed her ponytail indignantly, sweeping her fringe to one side of her face. She looked very pretty, even if Sirius did say so himself. James was going to have a hard time getting over her, especially when she was looking more amazing than ever.

"If you're looking for Potter, I think he left couple of minutes ago. But wait - how did you get in here?" she demanded, placing one hand on her hip.

Sirius winked. "Lily, I'm a Marauder, you'd be surprised at the things I can do. And I'm not here looking for Prongs. I'm waiting for you," he finished matter-of-factly, flashing her one of his charming smiles.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Me? What do you want?" she asked, arms now resolutely folded. Sirius couldn't help but note the resignation in her voice.

"Well my dear, it's about this bet of ours. I want to change my reward," he told her, resuming his seat.

This caused Lily to frown. "And what is it that you want to change it to?" she asked suspiciously.

Sirius smiled. "Well firstly - believe it or not, it was James' request to change. He apparently didn't like the idea of forcing you to go out with him." Sirius stretched his arms, and Lily watched him, eyebrow still raised.

"Really now? Well then what do you want as your reward?" she asked, Sirius smirked.

"I want you to convince Gabrielle to go out with me," he told her, and this time it was Lily's turn to smirk.

"Ugh, Black! You're getting desperate, aren't you?" Lily teased.

Sirius shrugged. "I just want a chance," he confessed. Although still suspicious, Lily couldn't fail to notice that his facial expression did show some sincere honesty.

Lily smiled. "I'll see what I can do for you,"

Sirius stood up and smiled grimly. "Well, good luck to you. But I'm hungry. I'm going to have to run to the Great Hall. Breakfast is almost over."

He turned to leave, pausing as Lily spoke.

"Hey Black, fancy a race?"

Sirius turned to face her, amused. "Awww, dear Lily-kins, I'm afraid that I'll beat you," he told her.

Lily walked towards him. "Don't underestimate me, Black," she told him darkly, walking towards the exit.

Sirius couldn't help but to laugh. "All right, then. Hey Evans! I'll even give you a five second head start!"

- - - X - - -

Beta's Note: Hey guys, this is Lexie, LyLMystiKeLf's beta! I hope you're all enjoying the story – she works extremely hard on this!! I just wanted to point out a small fact – do you know that only one in one-hundred of you review this story? That's absolutely terrible, really. So please, go ahead and prove me wrong: review this chapter and make LyLMystiKeLf's day!

- Lexie

P.S. Let me just clarify: this is not begging for reviews. This is a nice little note to remind you all to review because she deserves it!