Authors note: you guys have then had to wait this long for a chapter in a little while. But like I said before my sister getting married and my beta was busy with matters that don't concern you so complain if you want but it really won't do you any good besides the chapter's posted now, so just enjoy it and pray that my computer doesn't break down again.

Disclaimer apart from a few select characters namely Tori, Olivia, Samantha, and the ice Queen Isabella nothing belongs to me so without further ado I present to you...

Chapter Ten

Dating, Dancing and Other Disasters

Written by Empathicallychosen

"True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever-growing process. It develops after you've gone through many ups and downs, when you've suffered together, cried together, laughed together." -- Ricardo Montalban

(o)(o)(o)

The Halloween ball was only two days away and much to everyone's surprise Peter was the only Marauder with a date. Isabella had asked him so that she would be close enough to spy on James. Remus was still debating whether or not he was willing to go. The full moon was a few days earlier and he was still very sore. Besides he wasn't sure he was willing to put himself out there for rejection. Sirius had not yet decided which of the girls who had asked him he was going to go with and every time James tried to approach Lily he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Everyone was sitting in the common room exhausted after a very long day. During Charms Hermione nearly broke a dozen eardrums when Snape thought it would be amusing to "accidentally" behead Crockshanks. Luckily, Professor Flitwick was able to perform an emergency head surgery and Snape was given three weeks worth of detention.

Remus was sitting in one of the good armchairs in front of the fire reading a book to Hermione. Harry and Ron were in the center of the room playing with some of James's old toy soldiers and Lily and James were sitting at a table in the far corner of the room working on Lily's Transfiguration homework. Peter and Sirius were sitting a few feet away playing a game of wizard chess. After a few minutes Ron and Harry got very bored and started looking for something else to do. They went over to James but all he wanted to do was stare at Lily. They listened to the story for a few minutes but they had already heard it twice. Finally they approached Peter and Sirius.

"What's that," asked Ron innocently pointing to the chessboard.

"It's called wizards' chess," Sirius informed him as he captured Peter's knight.

"Ooh can we play," Harry asked eagerly.

"No," snapped Peter angrily as Sirius's queen ravaged another one of Peter's important chessmen.

"Why not?"

"Peter and I are in the middle the game right now Ron and you don't know how to play it yet," Sirius replied patiently.

"Besides," said Lily coming up behind Harry. "It's time for you three to go to bed."

"Do we have to," Hermione whined.

"Yes you have to, and you better put those lips away I would hate to have to call the tickle monster," said James matter-of-factly.

In response Harry stared defiantly at James. As of recently Lily noticed Harry was beginning to test his boundaries with his cousin. Each time James really surprised Lily. After all James didn't have much experience with small children and had been an extremely self-absorbed individual for a very long time. Although Lily was a younger sibling, she had plenty of experience babysitting the neighbor children and had been fully prepared to step in but James never needed her to. Every time Harry had challenged them James had handled it perfectly. As James tickled Harry mercilessly, Lily couldn't help but stare.

"Okay, okay I'll go to bed but no more tickle monster," Harry conceded at last.

"What," James asked as Harry and Ron scurried up the stairs.

"It's just I -- never mind -- it's nothing," Lily stammered quickly.

James shrugged and headed up the stairs after Harry and Ron. He knew he really didn't need to go up to the dormitory because Remus and Sirius had already gone up there with them, but Lily was clearly embarrassed and James thought it was the right thing to do. By the time James reached the dormitory, Harry and Ron were already in their enormous four-poster beds listening to Remus tell them another bedtime story. As if on cue Lily entered the boy's dormitory just as Remus shut the storybook.

"Hello Lily. Here for a late-night snogging session with Prongs, are we?" Sirius asked playfully.

"Only in his dreams, I just came in to say goodnight," she said walking over to Harry's bed and smoothing out his covers, because she knew how much he liked it when she did that.

"Lily," Harry asked as she turned to leave.

Lily turned and walked back to the bed, "Yes."

"Will you go to the big dance with James," Harry asked sleepily.

"HARRY," shouted James horror-stricken.

Harry jumped.

"I can ask Lily out by myself. In fact I have," said James not daring to look the girl in the eye.

"Then why are you so scared this time," asked Ron frowning.

Lily sank onto Harry's bed, "You're scared . . .of me?"

"No, of course not," snapped James turning red with embarrassment. "I'm not scared at all."

"Yeah- uh, you're scared because you love her and it will make you sad if she says no," Harry interrupted.

"SHUT UP HARRY," James snapped more humiliated than angry.

Poor Harry looked as though James had slapped him across the face. James's eyes softened momentarily but he left the room without a word. Lily knew that she should have been thinking that this was typical behavior for the arrogant Quidditch star, but much to her surprise she wasn't thinking that at all. She knew that James loved his cousin very much and knew once he had a chance to cool down he would feel very bad for having snapped at the little boy.

Sirius and Remus paused long enough only to reassure Harry that everything was fine and James wasn't really angry with him. Lily waited in the boy's dormitory for a few more minutes to give James some space and then headed down the stairs, her mind reeling with confusion. She couldn't get the young boy's declaration out of her head, 'you love her and it will make you sad if she says no.'

Did James really love her or was she just a game to him, the way James was a game to Isabella? Before Harry came along it would have seemed preposterous that James considered her anything other than a beautiful trophy, but now everything was changing. James wasn't just some stupid egoistical jock. He was gentle, kind, sensitive and a really good listener.

Lily shook her head as she sat back in a chair far away from James and tried to focus on the squabble going on between her two best friends. It was ludicrous to think that a couple of four -year-olds knew anything about love. Then again they weren't just any four-year-olds they were empaths and in the past they had known how Lily was feeling sometimes even before she did. Hoping she wasn't about to lose her nerve Lily stood up and walked over to the fireplace where James was slouching in an armchair with his arms folded.

"Er, James I don't know quite how to ask you this, but would you by any chance like to go to the dance with me," Lily asked awkwardly.

James spun his armchair around so fast it almost hit Lily in the kneecaps. He looked at her with an expression that reminded Lily immensely of a deer staring at a truck in oncoming traffic.

-- -- -- -- --

James was floating on cloud nine. He couldn't believe it. He was going out with the Lily Evans. At first when she asked he didn't know what to say. Not because he didn't want to go with Lily, but because he didn't want to go with her because she felt pity for James. When he just stared at her and she reassured him that it was something she really wanted to do, he couldn't say yes fast enough.

James quickly climbed up the stairs to his dormitory. He didn't want to give Lily a chance to change her mind. When he entered the room, he decided to try and get dressed in the dark. He didn't want to wake up Harry or Ron. James soon realized however that he had tripped over his trunk in vein. A soft sniffling noise told James that he wasn't the only one awake. Even in the dark he could tell whom it was that was crying.

"Harry," James asked thickly through the darkness.

There was a gasp of surprise and then the room suddenly got eerily quiet. James turned on the lamp beside his bed. Ron groaned a little, but thankfully he was only awake long enough to turn over and go back to sleep. Harry was curled up under the covers shaking. James cursed. Which only made Harry tremble even more. How could he let himself get so upset with Harry? He hadn't been trying to embarrass James, just to make him happy. He was beginning to notice that was a recurring theme with Harry. Silently James walked over to Harry's bed and sat down next to the bulge in his sheets and waited for Harry to say something to him. But nothing happened.

"Hey mate, how about if you come out of there?"

"No," Harry squeaked sounding both fearful and defiant at the same time.

"Please, it's okay I'm not mad at you," James replied.

"You -- you yelled at me," Harry gasped between sobs.

"I know and I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Harry sobbed even harder.

I have something very important to tell you," said James trying to sound as enticing as possible.

"What?"

James shook his head not that it made a difference.

"Nope, I'm not telling you 'til I can see your eyes," he said trying to sound as persuasive as possible.

It worked. Slowly but surely Harry straightened out and pulled the covers off himself, but only enough for his eyes to show. James laughed. Harry was certainly a clever little Marauder and charming to boot. James would have to watch out for that when Harry got older. (Assuming his future self ever got out of Azkaban of course.) He didn't really think it was possible, but there was a slight chance that Harry might end up getting into even more trouble than James did.

"What is it," Harry demanded impatiently, breaking James away from his musings.

"Lily said yes."

Harry jumped out of his bed with amazing agility and started hopping up and down in front of James.

"Does that mean you're married now," he asked excitedly.

"Not quite as I have to date her first," said James chuckling at the disappointed look on Harry's face.

Harry pouted and James made him go back to sleep. James himself wasn't in his bed five minutes when a pair of small feet approached his bed.

"Can I sleep with you there is a monster in my bed," Harry asked meekly.

James nodded and allowed Harry to get under the covers with him.

"Goodnight Daddy," said Harry in exhaustion.

James froze. Harry had called him Daddy. He was about to reprimand Harry for forgetting to call him James but stopped. They were alone in the dormitory so Harry could have called James the tooth fairy and it wouldn't have mattered.

"Goodnight Bright Eyes," James said as Harry lay asleep on his arm.

The next morning James awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the sun was streaming warmly across his face. He groaned happily and stretched. The sheets felt cool and wonderful against his skin. Slowly James opened his eyes and realized that Harry was nowhere in sight. As a matter of fact, everyone had already left. Quickly James scrambled out of bed and hurried to the Great Hall. When he arrived, he saw Harry sitting between Lily and Victoria looking extremely satisfied with himself.

He was quite astonished to find out that in the hour and a half in which Harry had been awake he had gotten Remus a date with Jasmine Proctor, the girl he had a crush on for almost a year now, and convinced Sirius to ask out Chloe Stanfields, the most clumsy and unpopular girl in school.

"So what should I wear to the dance James," asked Harry casually as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Sorry little man, but your still a little too young for dating. 'I'm going to ask Hagrid if he will watch you," James replied.

-- -- -- -- --

At a quarter past six Lily came down from the Gryffindor tower wearing a sparkling turquoise blue dress with silver sling backs and a silver mask to match. James couldn't help but gasp when he saw her. He had known she was beautiful, but he hadn't truly known how beautiful until he saw her descending the stairs in that dress with soft curls clinging to her face.

"You look spectacular," he said handing her a dozen long-steamed roses.

"I told him to get you dandelions but he wouldn't listen," said Harry pouting.

Lily laughed.

"That's okay, Harry these are nice too," she said to the little boy, who was looking as though this was the fatal flaw that was going to ruin the entire evening.

"You know James, you don't look half bad yourself," Lily added to the boys "cousin."

"I should probably have dropped the kids off, but Harry really wanted to see you in your dress. So I guess I will just have to meet you there," James informed her.

"Don't be silly I'll come to Hagrid's with you and that way we can go in together," Lily replied immediately.

"Are you sure you're dress --"

"James Potter! There is no way that I'm going to walk into the Great Hall without my date," snapped Lily playfully.

So they left the castle together and walked across the grounds with three small and terrified children at their heels.

"Are you sure about this," Hermione asked nervously for the third time.

"Don't worry, Hagrid is great. You are going to love him," said Lily wincing a little as Ron clutched her hand tightly.

When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin Hermione, Harry and Ron only got even more nervous when they saw a pair of dolphin sized galoshes and a crossbow leaning against the front door. Apparently unperturbed James tapped on the door several times and stepped back. Hermione jumped when she heard a series of frantic booming barks coming from inside the cabin. Then they heard a very deep scraggly voice say, "Back Fang, back."

Harry nearly crushed James's foot when a giant man stood on the other side of the door. His face was hidden by a long shaggy black mane so that the only thing of the man's face they could see was a pair of glinting beetle black eyes.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, this is Hagrid," said Lily calmly.

Hagrid let them in, struggling to keep a hold on an enormous black dog. Harry looked around Hagrid's cabin in complete fascination. There was only one room. Huge hams and even a few turkeys were hanging from the ceiling, a cauldron was boiling over an open fire and in the far corner sat a massive bed with a patchwork quilt tucked under the mattress. The minute Hagrid let go of the dog it headed straight for Hermione and started licking her face.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid smiling warmly at them.

The man seemed nice enough. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all, Harry thought.

"Stop it that tickles," Hermione squealed as the big dog knocked her to the floor.

"He must think you're very sweet," James said pulling the dog off by his collar.

James and Lily stayed and talk to Hagrid, leaving a few last-minute instructions, wanting to make sure that the children were comfortable before they left. It only took Harry, Ron and Hermione five minutes to warm up to Hagrid.

"We'll be back to get you after the dance," said Lily brightly.

"You lot behave yourselves now," said James sternly.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione all promised to be on their best behaviors, James took Lily by the arm and led her back to the castle.

The great hall looked amazing. Streamers made entirely out of multicolored flames danced around magical ice sculptures that refused to melt. Instead of jack-o-lanterns and black candles, the room was lit by thousands of live fairies. Lily was absolutely surprised as the evening wore on and it just seemed to be getting better and better. She didn't know if it was the atmosphere, the food or the look on Isabella Fontaine's face when she saw the two of them slow dancing, or a combination of everything that made the night absolutely perfect. All she knew was that she wanted to stay there spinning on the dance floor with James for the rest of her life.

"This is nice," said James in an offhand sort of way.

"Yeah it is," said Lily distractedly.

"What's the matter, aren't you having fun?"

"No, it's not that," she said firmly.

"Well then what is it," James inquired.

"Never mind it's nothing. I'm thirsty would you mind getting me some punch," said Lily hoping to divert his attention.

"Sure, just as soon as you tell me what's bothering you," said James.

"I'm having a really good time with you," Lily informed James sadly.

"Is that a bad thing," asked James worriedly.

Was there someone else? What if Harry had accidentally thrown off their time line?

"No, of course not!"

"Well than what?"

"I'd rather not say," said Lily secretively.

"Come on, you can tell me. Come on what is it," James said trying to sound his most charming.

"Nothing, I was just thinking of all the fun we could have had if you would have cleaned up your act sooner."

James frowned.

"Come on, let's dance, I love this song," said Lily leading James onto the dance floor.

-- -- -- -- -

Harry woke up warm and cozy in his bed in the Gryffindor tower. Which was odd because Harry knew that he had fallen asleep in Hagrid's enormous bed snuggled up under the patchwork quilt. Slowly he sat up and noticed he was all alone. Harry felt safe at Hogwarts, but he still didn't like being alone very much so he scrambled quickly out of bed and scurried downstairs. Much to his surprise Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Olivia and Victoria were all in the common room, but no one else was. Harry was very pleased to see that Peter was nowhere to be found. Peter made Harry very nervous.

"Morning sleepyhead," said James.

Harry grinned when he looked at Prongs. He was holding hands with Lily and he was happier than Harry had ever remembered him. Lily too seemed very happy. She immediately got up from her chair and gave Harry a big kiss on the cheek.

"Yuck! What did you do that for now Harry's going to die," cried Ron in disgust.

"No, he's not," said James chuckling to himself.

"Thank you for convincing me to ask your cousin to the dance Harry," said Lily as James and Ron argued about the effects of kissing a girl.

Harry didn't care if Ron thought kissing was gross. To Harry at least, Lily was not really a girl she was his mother and he loved his mother very much. When Harry looked around the room however, he lost some of his enthusiasm. While two of Harry's guardians were elated, the remaining two were not, and Harry couldn't understand it. He was too young to understand that the reason Remus was depressed was because Jasmine Proctor had not been the kind of girl Remus thought she was.

Oh well, Harry thought. Harry would have to worry about making Remus happy later, right now he had to worry about Sirius.

"Are you mad at me Siri," Harry asked timidly.

Sirius shook his head but didn't elaborate. How could he? How could he possibly explain to a four-year-old that his popularity had made the most unpopular girl in all of Hogwarts popular and then she dumped him in the middle of the dance for a bleached blonde Ravenclaw with a washboard stomach? Harry would not have been able to understand why anyone would reject his beloved godfather just like he would not be able to understand why James would be leaving Harry with Hagrid at least twice a week in the next month to pursue a world wind romance with his future bride.

At the end of chapter 10 eight more to go

next chapter monsters at midnight, its the full moon and Remus isn't the ony one going through some changes. to find out what I mean I guess you'll just have to read the next post.

For now R&R

see ya next time

EC