AN: Hi everyone! I think everyone's been waiting pretty desperately for this chapter based on the messages ;) Also, to the people who have messaged and/or reviewed to say they started reading this back in the day – I just want to say thanks for being patient with me! Hope it's living up to the wait!
Saturday came by quickly. I was thankful Mary had thought about our dresses the week before, because based on the activity on the floors below us, some girls were scrambling. We hadn't even bothered trying to get dates (though Lily was, of course, going with James), so we took our time getting ready.
For the first time that I could remember, Mary and Lily let me do my own make-up. Mindful of the simple colors and lines of my dress, I brushed a light, shimmery rose-gold over my eyelids and lined them in brown before coating my eyelashes in a thin layer of mascara. Mary came back and made me add extra lining to the outside corners of my eyes, but I trusted her judgement. I also borrowed a pretty pink lipstick from Lily, and let Mary brush the barest tint of gold to my cheeks.
Mary, of course, went with bolder make-up than I, and Lily met us both in the middle ground.
We slipped into the dresses and strappy shoes, spinning to test our dancing abilities with the skirts, and then moved on to the last step: hair. In a surprisingly modest move, Mary let her curls hang down naturally to cover part of the bare skin on her back. We did use some of her hair products to keep the blonde curls sleek and shiny, but since her hair was naturally so beautiful we didn't need to do much of anything.
For Lily, we pinned back the sides and charmed it into a facsimile of a tiny rose where the two sides met, leaving the rest of her hair loose. I let them decide on my hair, keeping my eyes closed until they were done. It was pulled back, pinned into a relaxed knot of sorts at the back of my head. They'd even managed to work a little bit of body into my normally straight hair. Mary tweaked a few strands around my face for a finishing touch.
With a smile, and linked arms, we headed down the stairs. Neither Lily nor Mary realized how big this was for me: for the first time I could remember, my ankle was bare for others to see.
Lily had asked the boys to meet us at the Great Hall, not in the common room, for the sake of a "grand entrance." Our heels clipped eerily down the halls, but the sound of other students heading to the ball as well comforted us.
My breath was taken away by the Great Hall before I even noticed the people that were already there. Thousands of candles flickered pale white light high above our heads, and strands of crystals that glistened like snow draped along the walls. Even the ceiling cooperated, twinkling with stars and snowflakes instead of clouds. So distracted was I by the ambiance, I wasn't even aware we had reached the boys until suddenly a warm hand was tugging mine away from the crook of Lily's arm.
"Genre," Remus breathed. "You look stunning."
I smiled, hesitantly. Was he just saying that?
"Five sickles," Mary said somewhere to my side. "Pay up."
"That's not fair," Peter grumbled. "You knew what she was going to look like."
I would have turned to them and demanded an explanation, but Remus's hand twitched against mine, the briefest squeeze of humor, and I finally looked up to meet his eyes. The breath caught in my throat. I nibbled uncertainly at my lower lip. Remus looked as unstable as I felt. Neither of us knew what to do.
"Punch?" I squeaked finally, wanting to get away from the watching eyes of our friends so I could settle down and stop acting like this meant something crazy.
"Sure," Remus agreed. He looked over my head at the others. "Anyone else want a drink?"
"No, no," James said airily, "you kids run along now. Be home by midnight and don't do anything Padfoot wouldn't do!"
Remus grinned, walking towards the tables and pulling me along with him. He was dressed in his regular robes, though they looked to have been cleaned and pressed (the stain from Monday's potion was finally gone). The boys, true to form, hadn't cared to dress up as much as us girls. It didn't matter; I suspect had Remus gone all out, I wouldn't have any words left in my mouth. Not that I was exactly sharing any now.
Remus's thumb rubbed back and forth along the back of my hand while we waited in line for punch. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.
"This is okay, isn't it?" he asked, lifting our hands briefly.
"Nothing I haven't done to you before," I forced myself to say. Remus grinned a little nervously and I found myself mirroring it back.
"What was the bet this time?" I asked, gesturing to where our friends were catcalling across the hall. As an afterthought, I added, "You lot have a gambling problem, you know."
Remus scooped punch into two goblets, releasing my hand to hand me the drink I'd requested. I took it, wishing I'd suggested something else-dancing maybe. I didn't know how to dance, really, but at least then we'd still be touching.
As if reading my thoughts, Remus pressed his hand flat against my lower back, leading me away from the punch table so we were out of the crowd of students. Nearby, Slughorn and Sprout waltzed around a group of first years.
"Sorry," Remus said. He couldn't seem to keep the smile off his face. "It was a bit crowded over there."
"Just a bit," I agreed. Heat seemed to be staining my cheeks in a permanent blush. Mary shouldn't have bothered with that goldish blush – it was probably lost against the natural red.
"They, ah," Remus cleared his throat. "They were betting on how long it would take before one of us made a move." He cleared his throat again, shifting his feet a little.
I barked a laugh, caught by surprise. "Oh, Merlin," I told him, "I thought I was being so subtle. I'm so sorry if I've made you uncomfortable-"
"Made me uncomfortable?" Remus interrupted, his eyes rounding. Apparently, it was my turn to startle him. "Genre, you could have jumped me in the middle of Transfigurations and it wouldn't have made me uncomfortable-"
I laughed again. The tension and uncertainty eased away. I could see Remus's shoulders relaxing also.
"You could've said so," I told him. Then, in a burst of honesty, I admitted the truth: "Though it might not have mattered."
"Why's that?" Remus asked. His hand caught mine again, loathe to leave it be.
"It's just," I looked around and then leaned closer so I could whisper, "with my extracurriculars. I'm afraid someone might…"
"Get hurt?" Remus asked drily. He deposited his cup on a nearby short table, and then took mine to place beside his. With grace that shouldn't have surprised me (but did), he scooped me and began leading me around the dance floor. The catcalls from across the hall increased significantly. Remus rolled his eyes. "They haven't got anything better to do."
I didn't reply. Butterflies were exploding in my stomach, each of them signifying something different: I was going to trip on my feet, or what if I danced poorly and Remus decided he didn't like me? And what if, in my spout of honesty, I'd planted the idea in his head and he would decide I was right and this was a bit of a risk?
"I talked to Dumbledore," Remus continued, "and after this year I'll have my own extracurriculars."
"Twice the risk?" I said after a brief spin when I was facing him again. I let my hand fall onto his shoulder, tweaking one of the curls that hung tantalizingly close to my fingers on the back of his neck.
"Twice the reward," he grinned at me.
I would have joined our friends again after the dance - I wasn't sure what else to do, and it's not like Remus and I could have a heart-to-heart in the middle of the Great Hall with flurries of students rushing about like mad. I could see them, across the hall, talking with Daisy from Hufflepuff and Alice from the year below us. Remus had a different idea.
I'm not sure exactly how he maneuvered it, but I found myself standing in a nook created by the cascading crystals and shimmering strands that had been put up as decorations. My back was to the wall, pressing lightly against the even stone. Remus hovered in front of me, looking a little anxious again. He glanced at my lips.
In a spurt of boldness, because let's face it, I lacked the pertinent experience (except for several boring moments with Finn), I reached forward with both hands and tugged Remus toward me by his robe. He let himself be led, grinning down into my face. I stood on tip-toe, stretching my neck up…
Remus's lips pressed to mine, soft and a little wet, but firm and sweet. And oh, Merlin, this is what kisses were supposed to be, I realized faintly in the back of my head. The butterflies were back in my stomach. Tingles were spreading through every vein in my body. When Remus pulled back a little for a quick breather, I pressed forward. No way was I ever going to let this stop - the fireworks, and the way his body felt so warm and firm, pressed so close to me. Remus seemed to agree. One of his hands cupped the back of my head. The other slipped around my waist, tugging me even closer until we could have been one body. If my hands weren't still tangled in the fabric at his chest, and if I thought I could let go without collapsing, I would have wrapped my arms around him also.
A throat cleared behind Remus. We jerked apart, gasping for breath.
"A little decorum, perhaps?" Flitwick suggested. He didn't look upset, though. His eyes twinkled, and he winked as he shooed us from the little nook. I wondered if the flush that spread from my cheeks all the way to my chest was from embarrassment or excitement.
I glanced at Remus to see he was flushed also. His gaze met mine and it broke the dam. We both started laughing. We were still laughing when we found our friends again.
"What trouble have you two been up to?" Sirius asked baldly, eying our flushed cheeks.
"James said to do nothing you wouldn't do," I said, striving for innocence, "so I guess the question is what trouble have you been up to?"
"Not getting caught having a good snog by professors, I can tell you that," he said. He winked at Remus. Remus, instead of getting embarrassed, tugged me to his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. I slipped mine around his, too.
"What a boring night you've had, then," Remus said.
Sirius snorted and clapped his friend on the back. James and Lily were swaying in one place close by. They looked sickeningly sweet, gazing up into each other's eyes. For once, it didn't spark a little bit of envy deep down inside me. In fact, I found myself grinning, eying Remus again. He blushed.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Sirius groaned. "Don't you two start again. I'll get stuck with Peter. Again."
I glanced at Peter whose arms were folded against his chest while he stared out at the dancing couple.
"Where did Mary go?" I asked.
Sirius shrugged nonchalantly, but I followed his gaze to see Mary chatting with a few of the younger Gryffindors. Presumably she was passing on her sage fashion wisdom, since I watched as she pulled out her wand and began altering the hem of one girl's dress. The girl looked pleased with the result.
"So, what now?" I asked.
Remus chuckled, low in his throat. "I think now we just enjoy the ball."
"If you really can't wait that long," Sirius said with a mock sigh, "I'll make your excuses. Run along, kids."
"Are you sure?" I asked, but I was already inching away and pulling Remus with me.
Remus shrugged in surrender at his friend who waved us away with flapping hands.
I didn't really have a destination in mind; all I knew was that I wanted to feel those butterflies and fireworks and tingles again. We made it to the common room which was empty but for someone's cat, and then our hands were on each other's faces, sealing our lips together. At some point we made it to a couch, falling in a heap of legs and elbows, but still kissing.
None of the stuff Cadie had warned me about years ago seemed to apply; Remus didn't let his hands wander anywhere that would make me worry, though his hands did work their way down my spine and back up my sides. I kept my hands against his back or neck, not really sure what else to do with them. I could also feel him - part of him, I mean - pressed against my thighs, though I pretended I couldn't. It was exciting, a little flattering, something I'd never experienced with John or Finn.
For the second time that night, we were interrupted with a cleared throat.
"A little decorum, perhaps?" Lily suggested in a passable imitation of Flitwick. Apparently someone had been near enough to hear that brief interlude downstairs.
Remus dropped his face into the crook of my neck, hiding from the laughter of James and Sirius.
"Next time," he mumbled against the skin where my neck and shoulder met, "we are finding somewhere private."
"Next time," I agreed, grinning up at Lily because he'd said next time. He wanted to do this again.
"Up, now," James demanded, "before you set a bad example for the firsties. People were starting to leave the ball."
"Give me a minute," Remus demanded. His breath tickled my neck. I giggled.
"I'm shocked at you both," Mary said primly. She waggled her eyebrows at me, making me snort while I tried to wiggle out from beneath Remus.
"Wormtail," Sirius said, "what do you say we shock it out of their system?"
Knowing his friends as well as he did, Remus lunged up over the back of the couch to stop Sirius and Peter, but it was too late. Cold water drenched us both. Lily stuffed her knuckles into her mouth to stop from giggling. James didn't bother.
"You're dead!" Remus growled, his hands finding Peter's wand hand and redirecting the water. Sirius dashed back, redirecting his wand as well to hit Peter.
When the younger students started trickling in after the ball, we were still being bad role models, but at least it wasn't in a compromising position: the boys chased each other around the room, splashing each other indiscriminately with water, sometimes hitting us girls as well (and not by accident). Mary and I egged them on while Lily tried to dry the furniture and straighten up after them, though I saw her soak James from behind when he was unguarded.
That night, I went to bed with a smile that wouldn't go away.
I woke the next morning with a smile still on my lips. Remus had kissed me. We had kissed each other. I stayed in bed for a while, cuddled beneath the comforters, and enjoyed the warm spread of happiness. It was hard to imagine a time when I thought admitting to my fascination with Remus would bring nothing but trouble. If Remus didn't care about the risk, why should I? Making a promise to myself to not spend the rest of my life thinking about the kisses, I forced myself out of bed. After all, it's not like Remus could visit me up here. In other words, if I ever wanted to snog again, I'd have to present myself to life outside the dorm.
Lily stretched in bed also, waking as I moved around the room quietly to shower and dress.
"Mornin'" she muttered blearily, cracking her eyes open to greet me.
"Morning," I grinned back, fairly bouncing on my heels.
"Give me a minute," Lily demanded with a yawn, sitting upright in bed. "I'll go down to the Great Hall with you."
I did wait, impatiently might I add, for Lily to brush her hair and teeth and throw on a clean jumper and whatnot. When we finally escaped the dark room, because Mary was still snoring and oblivious to the world, Lily stopped me on the steps before we reached the common room.
"Are you going to tell me how it happened?" she asked. "I want to hear about it!"
"I don't know," I told her. "He just grabbed my hand and next thing I know we were in a corner snogging!"
Lily wiggled her shoulders, biting her lip and squealing quietly. "Finally! I thought the two of you would never go for it!"
"So little faith," I told her in mock sorrow.
"Or maybe after watching you both drag your feet for over a year, I figured you'd remain virgins forever," Lily said wryly.
"Lily!" I gasped. "It's not like that!" Not yet, anyway, but maybe if Remus and I decided to get serious…
"Ah," Lily sighed, "it's so good to know a good snog hasn't changed you, Genre."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Not for lack of interference from you and Mary."
We hurried down the last few steps, bantering back and forth.
The boys were all in the Great Hall eating breakfast when Lily and I arrived. Remus looked up from the bench with a grin that could make a nun faint. With a flourish, Sirius scooted down and presented me with the seat between them. I took it eagerly, nearly elbowing Sirius in my haste.
James snorted, wrapping his own arm around Lily.
"Does this mean we can finally be demonstrative?" he asked her.
"Yes," Lily rolled her eyes, "we can stop worrying about Genre's sensibilities."
James dropped the spoon in his hand and scooped Lily into the kind of kiss that people wrote stories about. Two sets of hands covered my eyes - both Remus's and Sirius's.
"You'll give her nightmares!" Sirius claimed.
"Sod off, you twits," I grumbled. But I did use the excuse to grab Remus's hand, and I refused to relinquish my grip on it. James and Lily were still at it.
"On second thought," I took Remus's hand and put it back over my eyes, "no thanks."
"Peter," Sirius said from beside me, "you might want to cover your eyes too, mate."
"No thanks," Peter said.
That, at least, was enough to break Lily and James apart. Lily flushed to the roots of her hair and grinned unapologetically at me. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Are you saying that you weren't being demonstrative before?" I asked. "Because, I have to tell you, the two of you have been nauseatingly adorable-"
"We've been nauseating?" James challenged. "What about you and Remus? I swear, it was like a chorus in both ears!"
Lily used a high-pitched voice that I assume was supposed to be me, "I don't like Remus, I'm just fascinated by him!"
James, using a growl that sounded nothing at all like Remus, said, "I don't want to date anyone, that's a bad idea. They'll hate me. She'll hate me. Oh no, someone else is interested in her! Woe is me!"
"Dead on," Sirius said beside me. His elbow met my ribs. I elbowed him back, steadfastly refusing to look at Remus.
Finally, the lot of them gave up teasing us. Probably about the same I started mimicking Lily and repeating the many things she'd said about "that smarmy toerag" in the last six years and the evolution to "what if he doesn't like the real me?", and Remus, Peter, and Sirius began sighing and saying how perfect and smart and perfect, because had anyone mentioned her perfection, Lily was. The whole time, Remus kept his hand on mine beneath the table, lacing his fingers with mine.