When I blew out my birthday candles, the Marauders were what I wished for ... That was a bad birthday ;D
"...and I must insist you come in disguise!" He (Dumbledore) winked happily and the hall erupted in chatter.
Sirius was grinning as he ate his food, seeing the numerous girls who were trying to catch his eye, hoping that they could ignore the no date rule for the ball. Peter was also looking happy, not having to face the prospect of having to find a date. Needless to say James and Remus were not completely happy with this arrangement.
"So James who do you want to take?" Sirius said knowingly and raising his eyebrows suggestively, unfortunately the whole effect was ruined by his mouth which was stuffed with food.
"Padfoot shut your mouth, on both accounts" James said meaningfully, glancing at Lily who was sitting next to him. He sighed internally in relief that she hadn't appeared to notice Sirius' comment. "What about you Moony, any thoughts on which lucky lady you're going to want to dance with at the ball?" Remus blushed lightly and shook his head muttering something non-committal. The hall was buzzing with discussions and plans to go dress shopping on the next Hogsmeade trip. People were asking others to save a dance for them. Necks extended for glances at other house tables, eyes met and heads bobbed up and down and left and right silently conveying messages to their friends, some younger students resorting to mouthing their agreements.
The professors were surveying the scene before them, the happy faces, the sad ones, intrigued, down-hearted, disappointed, cheerful, excited and any other emotion it was possible to see. Professor Dumbledore smiled at his students, most of whom he had watched growing up before his eyes. He noted for the dancing which students to put together. He saw a flash of vibrant red hair contrasting the black messy mope behind it and his smile widened. Lily Evans and James Potter, Dumbledore thought that whatever spell he cast to arrange the students into dancing partners, they would end up together. Oh yes they would end up together. Sitting on his left Minerva McGonagall's lip twitched and made a faint smile.
"They would be good together, wouldn't they?" McGonagall said voicing Dumbledore's thoughts.
"Indeed Minerva, it seems inevitable, at least I've always thought so." He smiled kindly.
"Do you think they'll ever realise?" she said questioningly.
"Well Mr Potter has certainly realised, whether Miss Evans has... I think she's warming to the idea. But as she learns more of their relationship before the accident there is always the worry that she will hold back her feelings, but alas Minerva – we must always hope." He smiled kindly at her she nodded her head slightly in agreement.
"Now Albus, are you sure that a ball is the best idea?"
"Oh yes, very sure, with the war going on, it will be very important to keep the students' sprits up. And everyone loves a good ball especially with the excitement of dressing up. Especially in masks." His eyes twinkled with joy.
As September passed the excitement of the ball slowly died down as the school's gossip mill going again. Students had already gone out and broken up, more of this was happening as October started as people wanted to be free of any guilt they might have by dancing with someone else at the upcoming ball. Lily was sitting in the Gryffindor common room gazing out of one of the large windows at the rain spitting against the glass. What was she doing? She was thinking. Lily did a lot of thinking these days, she was still unable to remember anything from her Hogwarts years which really annoyed her. She was finally starting to recognize the people who greeted her in the hallways, finally starting to recognize the names of people who were talked about in her friends' stories. She had even had a few guys asking her out in the past few weeks, she had turned them all down but they still asked. She didn't know why but it felt wrong whenever she considered it. She felt almost ... guilty... as if she were betraying someone. Who that someone is, was what she was trying to figure out.
The common room around her was fairly empty, the majority of students had gone elsewhere; to the dormitories and to the library to start on the mounding homework the teachers had set while it was still early enough in the year for them to concentrate. The portrait hole opened and a messy haired boy walked in holding a picnic hamper. His hazel eyes looked around the common room lazily taking in the people seated around. His eyes were drawn back to the window seat and he started walking forward automatically. He focused on the red haired figure who was gazing out of the rain drizzled window. Lily Evans. She had her knees drawn up to her chest with her elbow leaning on one knee and her chin resting upon her palm. The dark haired boy walked up to Lily and sat opposite her, setting the hamper down on the floor.
"Hey," James Potter said gently stopping himself from saying anything else that might prove to be potentially embarrassing. He frowned his forehead creasing, he got no sign of recognition from Lily. "Lily? Are you okay?" still no response. "Flower y'allright?" He tapped her gently on her arm. She jerked her head up in surprise and breathed out when she saw James.
"Hey Jamie sorry I was out of it then. I'm fine, you?" she said breezily. James' forehead creased again with confusion.
"Yeah I'm fine. What you up to?"
"Thinking."
"Care to share?"
"Not really, I can't even remember what I was thinking about. What are you up to?"
"I was sent to get supplies." Lily raised an eyebrow and James gestured to the hamper in response.
"Obviously, what have you got in there then?"
"Chocolate éclairs, doughnuts, cookies, cookie dough erm I think there's some ice-cream in there to. You want to come have some?" He asked her happily.
"Jamie, in that hamper you have both cookie dough AND ice-cream, of course I'm coming to eat it!" she grinned laughing loudly. James joined in with the laughing ignoring the looks that people were giving them. He extended an arm and she grabbed his hand, James pulled her upright revelling in the feeling of her warm hand in his. He wondered how much longer he would experience this joy and fulfilment that came from the simple act of holding Lily Evans' hand. Not much longer it seemed as Lily gave his hand a gentle lingering squeeze before letting go and straightening her outfit.
She had been to the boys' dormitories before several times but she still wasn't entirely used to it. After all she could only remember knowing these people for about a month. She walked to the large room and sat on James' bed, she had started sitting on it the first time she went there. It felt natural. She didn't know why. But it did.
"Hey Lils, James" Angharad called out from where she was lying on Remus' bed. "You get the food James?" he nodded and she jumped up excitedly.
"Great now pass us the ice-cream." She grinned, she flicked her wand and transfigured her hairclip into a spoon. She did another movement with her wand and muttered under her breath causing the spoon to split into a handful of spoons. She handed one to Lily and dropped the others on James' bed-side table. Lily and Angharad sat next to each other on James's bed and cracked open the ice-cream tub.
"Yum, strawberry ice-cream my favourite!!!" Lily squealed happily.
"Oh Lil, I remembered what I wanted to tell you!" Angharad said gesturing wildly with her hands as the thought evolved in her mind.
"Oh yeah?" Lily asked curiously.
"I heard there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up like this week or next week we HAVE to go dress shopping!"
"Er why?"
"Because... the ball is coming up in less than a month! We need awesome dresses!" She said as if it were obvious.
"Oh yeah, about that do we have to dress up?"
"Of course and who knows maybe with the right dress you'll find your knight in shining armour" Angharad said teasingly waggling her eyebrows. Lily blushed almost as red as her hair but didn't notice James flushing as well, slightly from embarrassment and slightly from anger at thought of someone else being with his Lily.
"Fine, ApDafydd but you better be right about this." Lily tried to sound threateningly, but failed to do so because her voice cracked on the last syllable and both girls broke out laughing in synchronization. Remus, James and Sirius looked at them in astonishment. Remus and James were utterly confused about the laughter.
"Hey Prongs want an éclair?" Sirius asked digging through the food hamper.
"Sure, Moony you want one?" James replied.
"No thanks, I'll have a cookie though".
Food went flying through the air as it was given to the person wanting it. Lily frowned as the éclair almost landed on her hair.
"Can't you just give it to each other like normal people" Lily questioned.
"Well we could but that would be extremely boring." Sirius replied nonchalantly. "I suppose we all need to get some new dress robes too huh." He said looking at Remus and James.
"Wow that's going to be fun." James said sarcastically.
"Remmy, just to let you know the sarcastic look doesn't suit you." Angharad told him faking sweetness.
"So Rem who do you want to dance with at the ball?" Lily asked him, giggling when he blushed, "Come on, you can tell us we won't tell anyone." She said sincerely.
"Lily, I can honestly tell you this; there is not a hope in hell of me telling you who I would want to dance with, even if there was someone – which there isn't, I would not tell you got it?" He said hiding it very badly.
Sirius coughed making it sound like 'Yeah right!' and they laughed. The girls looked at him curiously butt said no more.
Hey guys, thanks for reading please review :D I'll give you cyber cookie dough for life. I was going to do some more but I needed to give it a break And I have two weeks of mock exams and I've only just finished exam number 7. That's also the er... excuse for not updating earlier so review to make my day :L
Angharad xoxo.
P.S. Do you know any good websites that I can look for awesome dresses on for Lily and the gang? Do tell ;D