Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, objects or spells that
have anything to do with the Harry Potter world.
Okay, this chapter was quite hard to write, but I've handwritten the next one as well. The next chapter is NOT going to be the chapter that I thought of before. Thank you to Laura, Panda10s, Frozen-Petal, LilyE and Izzy for the reviews! Please review this chapter and tell me if you would like an email when I update. What's Pirate Day? I don't know I just like Pirates. BTW: The next chapter has a few swear words in it.
Chapter 8 ~ The St Valentine's Day Ball
James was in his dorm getting ready for the ball. He combed his hair and tried to make it lay flat. It didn't
work, his hair still looked messy. Remus was giving him some tips. "Don't boast about yourself, don't make
idiotic comments, don't eat like a pig, and don't purposely mess up your hair."
James grinned. "Anything I can do then?"
"Do talk to Lily sensibly, do dance with Lily," James groaned "and do act like a gentleman."
"Are you implying that I am not actually a gentleman?"
"Yep."
"Come on, we don't want to be late." They followed Sirius down to the common room, where Remus left to go
and meet Reeni. Lily and Laura came downstairs together. Laura approached Sirius. "You were right about
the suit, you look handsome." Sirius grinned. Laura was right; he did look good in anything. Several girls
were giving Laura envious looks. Sirius complimented Laura and they left for the Great Hall. James looked at
Lily. He thought she looked more beautiful than usual - if that was possible. "You look beautiful."
Lily blushed. "You don't look too bad yourself." James smiled and offered Lily his arm. She took it and they
walked down to the hall. Instead of the usual house tables there were lots of small tables for two people.
James pulled out a chair for Lily and she sat down. He sat down opposite her. He remembered what Remus
had said about talking sensibly. "How are your family?"
Lily looked a little surprised. "Fine thanks. Apart from Petunia." Lily pulled a disgusted face.
"Erm, Petunia?"
"Oh, sorry James. Petunia's my sister. She's horrible; she thinks that I'm some sort of freak just because I'm
a witch. Have you got any brothers or sisters?"
"No, I'm an only child."
"Are your parents nice?" She asked him.
"Yeah, They've had Sirius living with us in the holidays since he was sixteen." He looked down at the menu.
"You want to order?"
James grinned at Lily. "You know me too well."
Lily shook her head. "I don't know hardly anything about you." She ordered an Italian chicken and rice dish.
James ordered the same. "So, what do you want to know about me?"
Lily sipped some of her red wine. "What's your favourite thing to do in your spare time apart form Quidditch?"
James frowned and thought hard. "I like going swimming. How about you?"
"I like swimming, but my favourite hobby is playing my flute."
"Wow, you play the flute?"
Lily looked at him quizzically. "Yeah, I'm Grade 5. I used to be in a band, but I had to quit when I came to
Hogwarts."
James decided to admit the truth. "Erm, what's a flute?"
Lily grinned. "A musical instrument. You play it sideways, it's silver with lots of keys."
"You'll have to show me one day."
They finished their meals and ordered desert. Lily ordered Strawberries without cream (yum!), James ordered
Strawberry ice cream. They carried on talking and eating. After a while people were getting up around them
and Lily grinned. "Time to see how bad your dancing is James!" James reluctantly stood up. They started to
dance and James wasn't doing too badly. "I used to have dancing lessons." Lily said.
"I've never had a single dancing lesson, apart from my dad trying to teach me."
"Is your dad a good dancer then?" Lily asked.
James hooted with laughter. "No, he's rubbish. Probably why I'm so useless."
Lily took pity on him. "You're not that bad."
James looked doubtful. They danced for a few hours and James was really enjoying himself. Lily seemed to be
enjoying herself too. They talked as they danced. James found out more about Lily and she realised that he
could be really good company sometimes. James was relieved that he hadn't made any stupid comments and
pleased that he had actually made Lily laugh. "James - it's too hot in here. Can we go outside?" They walked
out of the Great Hall and outside. They found a bench next to a rose bush. For a few moments they sat in
silence. "Lily, there's something I need to tell you." James broke the silence. She turned to look at him.
"Go ahead."
James cleared his throat. "Well, I know you think that I'm just trying to annoy you when I ask you out, but
it's not like that." Lily looked at him. He seemed rather nervous and he didn't have his usual grin plastered
across his face. He continued. "Ever since First Year I've wanted to go out with you. At first I just fancied
you, but last year and especially this year, I - well - I." He cut off. His face was red with embarrassment. "I
think I'm in love with you." He finished.
Lily looked at him uncertainly. "I - In love?" She stuttered.
"Yes, I love the way you laugh, the way you dance, the way you yell, the way you get angry, the way you walk,
the way you work. I love everything about you." James had finally said what he had needed to say for a long
time. He had poured out his heart, his true feelings - he had laid himself bare. Lily was shocked. She knew
that James cared about her, but she hadn't realised that he loved her. Before the sixth and seventh year he
had played pranks on her all the time, which was probably why she had thought he was joking about going out
with her. She didn't know what she felt about him, she just felt confused. "James....I don't know what to
say. I thought you were joking before. I honestly did." Lily was lost for words and the silence fell once more.
She could feel the tension and the awkwardness of the situation. "James, I'm sorry. I don't love you." She
knew she was hurting him and it made her feel awful. He was a friend, maybe even a close friend. He had
given her his heart and she was throwing it back in his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of chapter 8! Has Lily made a big, confused mistake? Is James more than a friend to her? How will James feel? Read on to find out! I need an incentive to type, so please Review this chapter!
Twelvegrimmauldplace:o)
Okay, this chapter was quite hard to write, but I've handwritten the next one as well. The next chapter is NOT going to be the chapter that I thought of before. Thank you to Laura, Panda10s, Frozen-Petal, LilyE and Izzy for the reviews! Please review this chapter and tell me if you would like an email when I update. What's Pirate Day? I don't know I just like Pirates. BTW: The next chapter has a few swear words in it.
Chapter 8 ~ The St Valentine's Day Ball
James was in his dorm getting ready for the ball. He combed his hair and tried to make it lay flat. It didn't
work, his hair still looked messy. Remus was giving him some tips. "Don't boast about yourself, don't make
idiotic comments, don't eat like a pig, and don't purposely mess up your hair."
James grinned. "Anything I can do then?"
"Do talk to Lily sensibly, do dance with Lily," James groaned "and do act like a gentleman."
"Are you implying that I am not actually a gentleman?"
"Yep."
"Come on, we don't want to be late." They followed Sirius down to the common room, where Remus left to go
and meet Reeni. Lily and Laura came downstairs together. Laura approached Sirius. "You were right about
the suit, you look handsome." Sirius grinned. Laura was right; he did look good in anything. Several girls
were giving Laura envious looks. Sirius complimented Laura and they left for the Great Hall. James looked at
Lily. He thought she looked more beautiful than usual - if that was possible. "You look beautiful."
Lily blushed. "You don't look too bad yourself." James smiled and offered Lily his arm. She took it and they
walked down to the hall. Instead of the usual house tables there were lots of small tables for two people.
James pulled out a chair for Lily and she sat down. He sat down opposite her. He remembered what Remus
had said about talking sensibly. "How are your family?"
Lily looked a little surprised. "Fine thanks. Apart from Petunia." Lily pulled a disgusted face.
"Erm, Petunia?"
"Oh, sorry James. Petunia's my sister. She's horrible; she thinks that I'm some sort of freak just because I'm
a witch. Have you got any brothers or sisters?"
"No, I'm an only child."
"Are your parents nice?" She asked him.
"Yeah, They've had Sirius living with us in the holidays since he was sixteen." He looked down at the menu.
"You want to order?"
James grinned at Lily. "You know me too well."
Lily shook her head. "I don't know hardly anything about you." She ordered an Italian chicken and rice dish.
James ordered the same. "So, what do you want to know about me?"
Lily sipped some of her red wine. "What's your favourite thing to do in your spare time apart form Quidditch?"
James frowned and thought hard. "I like going swimming. How about you?"
"I like swimming, but my favourite hobby is playing my flute."
"Wow, you play the flute?"
Lily looked at him quizzically. "Yeah, I'm Grade 5. I used to be in a band, but I had to quit when I came to
Hogwarts."
James decided to admit the truth. "Erm, what's a flute?"
Lily grinned. "A musical instrument. You play it sideways, it's silver with lots of keys."
"You'll have to show me one day."
They finished their meals and ordered desert. Lily ordered Strawberries without cream (yum!), James ordered
Strawberry ice cream. They carried on talking and eating. After a while people were getting up around them
and Lily grinned. "Time to see how bad your dancing is James!" James reluctantly stood up. They started to
dance and James wasn't doing too badly. "I used to have dancing lessons." Lily said.
"I've never had a single dancing lesson, apart from my dad trying to teach me."
"Is your dad a good dancer then?" Lily asked.
James hooted with laughter. "No, he's rubbish. Probably why I'm so useless."
Lily took pity on him. "You're not that bad."
James looked doubtful. They danced for a few hours and James was really enjoying himself. Lily seemed to be
enjoying herself too. They talked as they danced. James found out more about Lily and she realised that he
could be really good company sometimes. James was relieved that he hadn't made any stupid comments and
pleased that he had actually made Lily laugh. "James - it's too hot in here. Can we go outside?" They walked
out of the Great Hall and outside. They found a bench next to a rose bush. For a few moments they sat in
silence. "Lily, there's something I need to tell you." James broke the silence. She turned to look at him.
"Go ahead."
James cleared his throat. "Well, I know you think that I'm just trying to annoy you when I ask you out, but
it's not like that." Lily looked at him. He seemed rather nervous and he didn't have his usual grin plastered
across his face. He continued. "Ever since First Year I've wanted to go out with you. At first I just fancied
you, but last year and especially this year, I - well - I." He cut off. His face was red with embarrassment. "I
think I'm in love with you." He finished.
Lily looked at him uncertainly. "I - In love?" She stuttered.
"Yes, I love the way you laugh, the way you dance, the way you yell, the way you get angry, the way you walk,
the way you work. I love everything about you." James had finally said what he had needed to say for a long
time. He had poured out his heart, his true feelings - he had laid himself bare. Lily was shocked. She knew
that James cared about her, but she hadn't realised that he loved her. Before the sixth and seventh year he
had played pranks on her all the time, which was probably why she had thought he was joking about going out
with her. She didn't know what she felt about him, she just felt confused. "James....I don't know what to
say. I thought you were joking before. I honestly did." Lily was lost for words and the silence fell once more.
She could feel the tension and the awkwardness of the situation. "James, I'm sorry. I don't love you." She
knew she was hurting him and it made her feel awful. He was a friend, maybe even a close friend. He had
given her his heart and she was throwing it back in his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of chapter 8! Has Lily made a big, confused mistake? Is James more than a friend to her? How will James feel? Read on to find out! I need an incentive to type, so please Review this chapter!
Twelvegrimmauldplace:o)