Days passed and Lily had not gone over to James' house out of fear of what would happen if she did.

She was afraid that if she did James would ask her to the Ball, and she usually would've said no, but now, she didn't know what she would say.

Today was 2 days before Christmas, one day before the big ball.

Lily was walking down to Jon's house while trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

James, Remus, Sirius, and Jon were all having a snowball fight at Jon's house. The four of them had become friends, although James was still insanely jealous of Jon.

Lily heard voices in the backyard. Silently she went over there, and saw the four boys throwing snowballs at each other. James was chucking them at Jon, who was chucking them right back. Sirius and Remus were throwing them at each other, occasionally throwing one at James or Jon.

"Hey boys!" Lily called out happily, completely forgetting that she was avoiding James.

"Hey Flower!" Sirius called.

"Hi, Lily." Remus said.

"LILY!" Jon shouted, he came and gave her a big hug. A very big hug.

James just looked at her. Lily was wearing a tight white shirt, dark jeans and a emerald green hoodie. (A/N: I don't care if they don't dress like that in England, or if they didn't dress like that in L/J time. They do in my story)

Jon's dad came out of the house and told Jon that he needed to come inside and help clean the house. Lily snickered and hugged Jon while smirking.

"Shut up Evans."

Lily blew him a kiss before leading the Marauders out of the backyard and over to her house where they went into her room and launched themselves onto her bed. Well, James didn't, he just stood by the door leaning against frame.

"You can sit on the bed with us if you like… We don't bite…" Lily said.

"Well…" Sirius said looking at Remus.

"We don't bite." Lily said firmly rolling her eyes. James came and sat down next to Lily. "So… Who are you two going to the ball with?"

"I'm going with Trixi." Sirius stated.

"I thought you were going with Lea." Lily said confused.

"Oh, I ditched her and asked Trixi. I don't even like Lea. She's just a good kisser."

"So you like Trixi?"

"Um… maybe?"

"Right… What about you, James?"

"I haven't asked anyone…"

"Why don't you just go with what's-her-face?"

"Cause I don't wanna."

"So, you two are engaged?" Lily questioned. It was the question that had been nagging her from the day she found out.

"Yes. When we were born our parents set up our wedding. Like with Narcissa." James said slowly.

"Oh. I see. Are you gonna ask anyone?

"I dunno. Did you know Remus is going too?"

"You are?" Lily said, turning to Remus.

"Yeah. With Candi." Remus replied smiling brightly, a slightly dazed look on his face.

Lily smiled happily. "So, you're gonna go stag?" Lily asked turning towards James.

James got a terrified look on his face. "Go st-stag?"

"It's not that big of a deal… no ones gonna shove it in your face. Well, the Slytherins would but..."

"Oh. I see."

"Ok..."

"Yeah. I guess I'm going stag."

"Fun… well, sorta... Both your friends have dates, so I guess it wouldn't be that fun."

"Yeah… it'd be nice to have a date."

"Hmm. Who else is going? I mean guys."

"Uh… all the Slytherins. Except Snape. I heard him telling Bella that he wasn't gonna go." Sirius said.

"Adam Rook from Hufflepuff is." Remus said.

"Does he have a date?" Lily inquired.

"No. I talked with him yesterday. Why?" James replied.

"I wanna know if he'll take me. I mean all my friends are going… it'd be nice to go."

James looked at Sirius and Remus, the three of them exchanged a look. "Well, if you want… youcouldgowithme." James said in a rush.

"Sorry, what?" Lily asked, looking confused.

"You could go with me." James said, slightly slower, head bowed, eyes cast down.

"Oh…um. I-" Lily paused for a minute, sorting her thoughts. I want to go with James. But, it wouldn't be normal… at all…hmmm. I guess I'll go with him… I mean, I don't like him or anything, just so I can go to the ball… Yeah that's it.

The other part of Lily's brain clicked on. Keep telling yourself that, maybe it'll come true.

Shut up evil conscience thingy.

"Yeah. I'll go with you."

James stared at Lily and then passed out. Sirius and Remus cheered. Lily looked at James worriedly.

"Is he alright?"

"He's fine. Just in shock."

"And denial." Sirius added to Remus' explanation

A couple minutes later James woke up. "Did Lily really say she'd go with me?" he asked Sirius and Remus.

"Yep." They both said at the same time.

James passed out, again.

"Here. We'll go back next door. Give you two a minute. Send him over will you?"

"What? Yeah… Sure."

Lily sat on her bed, watching as James stirred. "Did you really say you'd go with me?" he asked her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, James, I did."

"And you mean it?"

"Yes. I mean it."

"YES!"

Lily laughed at James enthusiasm. "Calm down. Remus told me to send you over once you woke up. Run along! I have one night to figure out what I'm going to wear. I don't have a single set of dress robes…"

"Oh. Nobody but the Slytherins wear dress robes. Everyone else just wears muggle dresses. Apparently there's some saying that says that muggle dresses are better than wizard ones..." James rolled his eyes.

"Great! I know this incredible shop that sells dresses. But they're really dressy, I wouldn't be over dressed would I?"

"Nope. All the girls try out do the others with their dress…you'll fit right in."

"Ok. Well, you get out so I can go shopping."

"Have fun."

Lily called Trixi on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Trix?"

"Lily?"

"Yeah… so I'm going shopping. You wanna come? I have to find a dress for the ball."

"You're going?"

"Yeah…"

"With who?"

"James."

"OH MY GOD! ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Dead. Speaking of Sirius…"

"Oh, yeah. He ditched the slut for me." Trixi sighed. "I feel so loved."

Lily laughed. "You should. So... Coming or not?"

"What do you think?"
"I'll see you in London, outside Gwening's… In 20 minutes?"

"Sounds good."

They both hung up, Lily checked her appearance and went downstairs looking for her family.

Lily's parents and Petunia were sitting in the sitting room, talking. "Hi… Am I interrupting?"

"Nope. Come sit." Her dad replied.

Lily plopped down next to Petunia. "Guess what!"

"What?" Petunia replied.

"I'm going to a ball tomorrow!"

"You are?" Her mom asked, obviously confused.

"Yeah. We were upstairs talking, and Sirius is going with Trixi, and Candi and Remus are going together, and James was going stag, and I was talking about how it'd be great to be able to go, cause you know I'm not pureblood, so I can't, anyway, James asked me, and I said yes, and James passed out, woke up, passed out again, and woke up and screamed. Point is I'm going to a big fancy Christmas Ball tomorrow and going shopping in 10 minutes with Trixi."

"What?" he dad said having caught about a word his daughter had said.

"I'll tell you later, dear. Have fun. Buy something nice, and not too expensive. You have your checkbook right?"

"Yes. I better go! Bye Mum, Dad, Nia!" Lily grabbed her jacket and went through the door.

"Now, what did she say?"

"She said…"

Lily was out on her driveway, when Sirius stopped her. She looked at him expectantly.

"You won't hurt James will you? Like this isn't some sort of sick joke, right?"

"Why would I do something like that?"

"Lily, you hate the real James. You can't stand him."

"Well… I don't hate him. While he was all un-normal I realized that what he did wasn't bad… like I realized that in a sense we all depended on him to keep us going. And when he shut down… we all did. The only thing I don't like is that he curses random people… If he'd go back to how he was, just without cursing people, I think I really wouldn't get annoyed as much. Oh crap! Sirius I'm late!"

"For what?"

"I'm going shopping with Trixi. I have to have something to wear you know."

"Tell Trixi I said hi."

"I will. And Sirius, I promise I won't do anything to James." Lily Disapperated, leaving a smiling Sirius behind her.

Lily appeared in an alley behind London's City Plaza. Brushing herself off, she stepped out, looking for Gwening's. She spotted the dress store and walked towards it.

"You're late." A voice said from behind her. Lily turned, only to find a smirking Trixi.

"I would've been on time but Sirius stopped me. He says hi by the way."

"Wait… Where'd you see Sirius?"

"He lives next door to me with Remus and James."

"He does? How come he didn't tell me? How come YOU didn't tell me?"

"I meant to."

"You meant to?"

"Well, I haven't exactly talked with you or Candi all break…"

Trixi glared at Lily. "Fine. Tell Sirius I say hi back. Why'd he wanna talk to you?"

"… He wanted to make sure I wasn't joking around when I said I'd go with James…"

"They're brothers in everything but blood." Trixi stated, smiling faintly at Sirius' concern.

"Yeah. Well, come on! The store closes in an hour! I have to find a pretty dress! I mean, I have so much to live up to, me being muggleborn and all…"

"You are with the great Trixi, you shall find a dress, and pretty one at that."

"Now I remember why I'm friends with you." Lily said, a small smirk on her lips.

"Oh, shut up."

Lily laughed. They both went through the shop picking out dresses that they thought would look good on Lily. Trixi told Lily that she was wearing a spaghetti strapped baby blue dress with white gold flowers on it. She was wearing blue heels, and white gold jewelry with the dress.

After about 50 minutes they had found the perfect dress. It was strapless, long dress, white with silver roses on the hems (Lily's middle name was Rose). She went over to the jewelry section while Trixi went to the shoe section to get the accessories.

Lily came back with a pair of small silver rose earrings, a silver bracelet with a rose pattern, and a matching necklace. The jewelry was not real silver but was imitation, since, for starters real silver would've been too expensive, and silver can kill a werewolf, and she didn't want to risk that with Remus.

Trixi found a pair of white heels with silver studs on them, they matched perfectly with the dress.

The two girls paid, just as the store was closing.

"Let's not tell Candi. Remus is going to her place, and Sirius is coming to mine. She'll be so surprised!" Trixi stated happily.

"Alright. I'll let the boys know, so Remus doesn't spill. See you tomorrow!" Lily hugged Trixi and the two of them Disapperated to their respected houses, well Lily went to James' instead of hers.

"James? Sirius? Remus?"

"Lily?" three pairs of voices echoed back to her.

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"In the kitchen, eating dinner."

Lily went into the kitchen and saw the boys eating chicken noodle soup. "Trixi and I decided that we aren't going to tell Candi. We're gonna surprise her. So don't spill."

"Can we see your dress?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"You'll see it tomorrow."

"Not until the Ball."
"I'll be ready by 6:30. The balls at 7 right? (James nodded) Yeah. Come by at 6:30 then you'll see me in it. OK?"

"Ok." All three boys said.

"Not James though. You have to wait until 6:45 when you come to get me." Lily said, smiling at James. "I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"You bet you will." Sirius said, a wicked grin stealing over his face.

"Should I be afraid?"

"Most definitely." Remus said smiling.