CHAPTER 21

Monday, October 17

Dorms

6:15pm

Eek. Heads meeting in a bit. But at least I will see James there.

Yummy James.

6:30

"LILY!"

"KATHY!"

"LILY!"

"KATHY!"

"LILY!"

"KATHY!"

And that's about it for our conversation when we're bored. Kathy left and went to do homework with Yolanda and Mon in the Library. That left me and Leslie.

6:35

"LILY!"

"LESLIE!"

"LILY!"

"LESLIE!"

"FISH!"

"DONKEY!"

"MOOSE!"

"JAMES!"

"YOU!"

"ME"

"KISSING!"

"YUM!"

Leslie and I., however, get a little more creative.

A little.

Wait a second…did I just say 'yum'? Oh crap. Not good. Only Kathy knows…and Sirius, but that's not the point. Just as I was about to ask my brain for a witty reply, Leslie shrieked.

"Yum! HAAA! YOU ACTUALLY DO LIKE HIM! HAA! I guessed that you did, but I couldn't be certain. Nits. Then Kathy told me. YAY! This is great, this is perfect. So. When are you going to get it on with loverboy?"

Kathy. Was. So. Dead.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Then I counted to ten. Leslie was hanging from the ceiling with a pie in her hand when I opened them again. Don't ask, she's a witch alright? Insane and a witch just kind of go together well.

I spoke slowly and deliberately, as she munched on the pie. Bits of it fell to the floor.

"Firstly, I don't like James." Pft.

"Second, do not call him loverboy. For while he may be a boy, I do not love him." Pft.

"And thirdly, I am not going to 'get it on' with anybody.

There, I thought I handled that quite well.

"Course not" She mocked me, wiping her fingers on my robes. I felt my temper rise.

"ARRRGHHH!!!!!!!!!"

And then we were wrestling, and she was on the floor, and I was hanging from the ceiling, and then I was under the bed, and she was laughing her head off on top of me.

She spoke again, still giggling. "Well, the whole school knows Lily. Even Dumbledore. I talked to him about it yesterday. He told me you were-"

"WHAT? YOU TALKED TO DUMBLEFORE-"

"Yeah, and some Ravenclaws-"

"WHAT? WHAT? WHATWHATWHATWHAT?" My voice rose an octave on each word.

"Do you really want me to repeat-" Then she made a strangled noise, because her wind supply was cut off. By me. My hands to be precise.

…That could have been said better.

Anyway, HOW COULD HALF THE SCHOOL KNOW!? HOW? WHY? WHEN? WHAT? FISH?

I started crying then, pathetically enough. Leslie patted my arm comfortingly, and offered me a pie. How could she do that to me? Damn Kathy. Or was it Sirius? Either way, someone was going to get hurt.

I looked down at the pie.

An apple pie.

I love apple pie. I munched on my pie while she soothed me.

"Come on Lily dear, its obvious that you like him. You have good reason to like him. He's nice and smart and funny and has yummy friends. Now, if you'd just tell him, this whole thing would be moving along a lot faster, and you'll be having babies in no time."

"WHAT?"

"Not to worry. If your afraid, I'll tell him for you, or I can pay a first year or-"

"But I don't like-"

"Arrgh!"

And then she was tickling me. Have I told you tickling is my weakness? Or, should I say, my main weakness? Anyway, I laughed and snorted, and begged and pleaded and bribed her to stop, tears running down by face, but she just said "NOT UNTIL YOU ADMIT YOU LIKE HIM!"

I lasted…let me check…exactly 45seconds before I blurted out:

"I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM, GETTOF ME YOU OAF!"

And so she did. I gasped, and crawled to my bed where I sat and glared at her. She grinned from ear to ear.

"Alright. So I like him-"

"I love him, I love him!" She mocked in a high pitched voice.

I glared some more. "As I was saying, I like him. So what?"

She rolled her eyes. "You TELL him, and then you kiss and get married and-"

"But, there's one problem. He doesn't like me!"

She opened her mouth and rolled her eyes.

"I know you think he does, and I know he used to, but not any more which sucks-"

"He does. He does, he does, he does. I know he does. EVERYONE KNOWS HE DOES! WHY CANT YOU JUST SEE THAT HE DOES?!"

"He doesn't, why would he, let me tell you every dumb thing I've done to make him-"

She pulled at her hair in frustration. "If you don't believe me, just ask him!"

I laughed nastily. "What, go up to him and say 'James, I was just wondering if you had a crush on me? Wanna go out?'"

She nodded slowly, looking at me as if I was an idiot.

"THAT, is the single most stupid thing I have ever heard in my life." Leslie opened her mouth to stop my rant, but I continued.

"When James said I was pretty in third year- this is even stupider than that. When Peter thought that the Insomnia potion was the same as the Innosmia potion, this is even stupider. When I SET my HAIR on FIRE! THIS IS EVEN STUPIDER THAN THAT!"

Kathy walked into the room as my rant was reaching its climax. She sighed, and gave Leslie a significant look. She dropped her bags on her bed then turned towards us.

"Lily, your not as ugly as you think you are. Insomnia sounds like innosmia, and both potions stop you from sleeping. And, I think you setting your hair on fire was stupider than anything Leslies ever said. "

She turned to Leslie. "She's being difficult, isn't she." Leslie moaned dramatically and flopped back onto the bed.

"This is never going to work." She groaned.

I, for one, glared. I got up and circled her menacingly.

"You. Have some explaining to do. Everyone knows I like James. Even DUMBLEDORE!"

Kathy laughed. Yes, she laughed. While I fumed, and pondered the best way to kill her. Death by knives…

"Lily, I didn't spill your secret. Sirius did."

Death by poison, death by spiders, death by high heels!

"THAT FILTHY IDIOT, THAT FLEABAG, THAT DOG! HOW COULD HE? HOW COULD HE? HE PROMISED!"

Kathy examined her fingernails, bored.

Death by angry Lily, death by transfiguration!

"Something about you not specifically forbidding that he tell anyone but James."
"I-"

Dammit. Damn, damn, damn. Screw him. Screw his family. Screw his pets and his friends. Screw his clothes, his bed, his face. Anything.

He was right.

How could I be so stupid?!

…Do you really want me to answer that?

Heads Meeting

7:40

Old Classroom

Awkward much?

I left a little late, due to the fact I was too busy fuming over Sirius' jerk-ed-ness.

As it happens, so was James.

We got there at the same time. It was kind of comical actually- we both sprinted around opposite corridors at exactly the same time, skidding to a halt and catching our breath.

Knowing we were late, we hurried to the door, and he said, "Beauty before beast."

I glared at him-

He hadn't used that line since 3rd year-hence its childishness. Whenever we were lining up for something, or waiting, and we happened to be next to each other, it would always be "beauty before beast!" and he'd push in front of me, usually pulling my hair or laughing at me. I would usually aim a kick at his rear end as he ran away, and miss when he dodged it. It all started when he overheard me explaining my favourite muggle fairy tale to Kathy-Beauty and the Beast.

James looked at me expectantly, and I realized he was waiting for me. I was so thrilled that I was no longer the beast but the beauty, that I giggled pathetically.

He smiled apologetically, and I swooned on the inside. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

Merlin Evans. Get a grip.

*

Dumbledore looked at us and smiled, eyes twinkling.

Then the rest of the students looked up and smiled. They were in a semi circle of seats pulled from the desks-this is how we had most of our prefect meetings.

Then they looked from me to James and had to stifle their laughter.

Great. The Head girl. The laughing stock of the school.

And this is crap. What if someone blabs? ANYONE COULD BLAB. I'm hoping Sirius didn't tell the Slytherins (He probably didn't- for once I'm good with the fact that Sirius doesn't think them worth his time.) Because they definitely would.

James looked confused.

"Umm.....hello?" He said, so uncertain it sounded like a question.

"Thank you for joining us, we were just about to start." Dumbledore said from his position at the front of the room. "I trust you have all had a good start to the school year. After two months of settling down, I trust you are all ready for the upcoming events."

Everyone looked at him eagerly, as we took our seats.

"For the 7th years, If you can remember back to when you were in 1st year, we held a dance. You weren't allowed to go then, but you are now. The teachers and I have been discussing the matter, and we have agreed that we should hold another dance for the older students who missed out last time."

Excited murmurs went around the room. James looked at me and smiled. Dance…I shifted uneasily in my seat.

"You will have a part in planning the dance, but the Head boy and girl will be in charge." he continued.

A few sniggers went around the room. James had his 'What's going on?' face on. Poor bloke wasn't in on the joke. Which was a good thing!

I was happy. I have always wanted to plan a ball…just not attend it. Well I guess I wouldn't mind attending if I knew I wasn't going to make a huge fool of myself.

I wondered if I could go with James, and felt butterflies in my stomach. Then despair. He has all the girls in the school to choose from. Why would he choose me? If he goes with one of my friends…I will have to murder them.

"You will have to cover decorations, food, theme, dress, but I will be in charge of the music!" I saw visions of him dancing to 'Don't go breaking my heart'.

Not a good sign for my sanity. "So, I will leave you too it. Get planning!" And he turned and strolled out of the room.

As he left people turned to us and bombarded us with a chorus of:

"Can I do the decorations?"

"How about a ballet theme?"

"No."-Me

"Aliens?"

"NO!!!"-Me

"We should have a big cake!"

"It should be girls choice!"

"No way!!!"-Me again. I'd never have the courage to ask James.

"Can I wear a Santa suit!?"

"Wait…what? How do you know Santa, you're not muggleborn!?" –Me

"How about the seasons, as a theme"-Ed Merlocks. Of course he would have the first good idea.

"No! Underwater theme!" Lee Leages- A Hufflepuff who I now suspect is gay.

"A colour as a theme! Black and white!"

"Medieval!"

"No, Muggles!"

"David Bowie!"

"FISH!"

"AHHHH!"- Me

"Ok, leave the girl alone people, give her some breathing room!" That was Ed again. Nice guy. The prefects had somehow managed to surround me completely, and I was trapped.

They all moved back to their seats

I let out a long, slow breath, and wiped sweat from my brow.

James was grinning at me, and when I looked at him burst out laughing. I joined in grudgingly, and suddenly everyone stopped bickering and looked at us.

We looked up, and saw the people giving us such bizarre expressions, that we turned to each other again, and burst out all over again.

"I don't get it. What's so funny?" Lee, A fifth year asked. He had suggested the Fish theme.

"It's a lovers thing." Sammie from Ravenclaw said wisely. I blushed, and so did James. Just slightly pink around the ears, but it was noticeable. Huh.

Knowing this was getting us nowhere, I tried to compose myself.

"Ok guys. We neee-eeeeee!" (me snorting) "HAHA!!!" Great Lily. So much for your wonderful composure. James hadn't stopped laughing in the first place and was laughing even harder now.

I performed a quick non verbal serious spell so that I would gain composure. I cleared my throat. "Sorry about that." I said.

James sat back in his chair, looking illegally relaxed and cool. And yummy. Knowing my luck, I would probably start drooling on the dance notes.

I looked away. It took effort but I did.

"Ok, lets get planning."

Two long and painful hours later, we called it a night.

"Ok, well done everyone" James said. "We've got some good ideas happening here. Off to bed now, and remember to ask your friends for any ideas or suggestions. I'll tell you all when the next meeting is."

There were many groans and scraping of desks on floor as all our stiff bodies were forced to move. I gathered up the notes for safekeeping. Huh. Me. Safekeeping. I'd better be careful.

I waited for everyone to leave, then walked out with James.

Suddenly, he grabbed me from the back and roared.

"AHHH!!!!!!" I screamed. Then staggered around, mouth gaping.

"WHA-?

"Excellent. I've always wondered if I could do that. Now I know."

"You idiot! What a stupid thing to wonder! I've wondered far more interesting things about you-" Crap. Too late I realized what I was saying.

He raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, you have? And what may they be?"

"N-no, I didn't mean like that!" Actually, I did.

I felt blood rush to my face, and walked quickly down the corridor. He kept pace with me easily. "Well, how did you mean it?" He had a mischievous gleam in his eye. Oh dear, I knew that look. I needed a question, quick.

"Well, I can't stop wondering, how did you know that Whitney Houston song?"

He looked slightly disappointed, but grinned all the same.

"Oh that. My mum likes muggle music. No Joke! She has Whitney, Elton John, ABBA, Gloria Gaynor, Bowie, The Beatles, Michel Jackson…tons. She even has a radio!"

"Wow! Cool."

We walked in comfortable silence for a bit. I wanted to meet James' mum. Hopefully because I was his girlfriend, and/or getting married to him, and/or preg-

Lets not go that far. Lets really not.

"So, we still haven't decided on a theme. I thought the seasons was pretty good."

James laughed, "The themes decided of course. Quiddich." He said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I laughed. He looked confused.

"What?"

"…You mean you're not joking?"

"No! What makes you think I am?"

I stopped and whirled around to face him. Did I ever tell you he's yummy?

"You cannot seriously be considering having Quiddich as the theme for our Ball!"

"Not considering Lils, its decided."

"Oh no you don't."

"Oh yes I do."

And then we were kissing.

…

Well, not really. But a girl can dream, right?

A/N So… never really got to the point there, but oh well. Next chapter!

R&R