Chapter 16: The Card Masque
Lily:
The week passed and I was still fuming at Sirius. He tried in vain to corner me in the common room, but I had the advantage of being small.
"Lily, talk to me," he pleaded.
"No," I said. I ducked under his arm, which was supposed to be keeping me from leaving the room. He lowered it and I jumped over it, letting me out of the Common Room. I bolted down to the Entrance Hall, where people were just starting to come to dinner.
"Lily! Wait up! I have to talk to you!" Shouted a voice from behind me. However, it wasn't Sirius, it was James.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"An explanation."
"That's out of the question. And another thing? Why should I have to explain to you what's wrong? You shouldn't care about me, James. Just like everyone else."
"I know what your problem is," he said, looking at me steadily. "You're afraid. You are downright scared. The only thing I don't know is what about? You have friends who love you, a huge opportunity to become somthing, yet you are the most unhappy, miserable person I have ever met. Why?"
"That's just it. I'm scared. For the first time in my life, I have friends who love me, I have the opportunity to be something," I explained. He looked puzzled, so I elaborated. "I'm scared because it's to surreal, it's almost as though it's not happening to me."
"Come with us to the Masque. Me and Sirius."
"Sirius and I," I corrected him.
"Whatever. I cornered Cat and made her swear she'd come with us. It'll be fun."
"Did she tell you what we were doing?"
"No, she wouldn't budge," James said.
"Good for her. Where has she got to by the way?" I asked looking around.
"She's having a float with Lacompte on the lighter charm," he explained. "Though she should have just gone to you for help, you can to it better than Lacompte."
"Stroke of luck," I said.
"Lily, you did it on the first try."
"James, you do everything on the first try in Transfiguration."
"That's different."
"How," I asked innocently. "Mr. Potter?"
"Don't call me that Lily," he warned. Ever since our first Transfiguration class, I would tease him by calling him 'Mr. Potter'. I thought it was funny because he practically taught the class. He, however, thought I was purposely annoying him, and I was.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter!" I shouted. I laughed, while smoke poured out of his ears.
"Lily, you are impossible!" he shouted. He started to chase me around the Entrance Hall. A few of the older students thought it was funny. We were eleven and they thought we were 'cute'.
"Every time I see you two there is more and more proof you will end up together," said Sirius. Cat laughed. He had come down from the tower with Cat. I gave Cat a look that plainly said, 'one word and you're dead'. Sirius got a death stare and I started to roll up my sleeves.
"Sirius, you are really in for it now," I said. Apparently, he knew it, too. He bolted into the Great Hall where there were all sorts of teachers to stop me from hurting him. "Clever," I muttered and followed James into the Great Hall.
* * * *
The Ball came quickly enough. I had decided on being a Medieval Princess. Cat was going as Sirius and he was going as her. James hadn't told me what he was going as, so I didn't ask. We were going to meet in the Common Room before hand at seven thirty. I had set the time because it gave us time to do some homework and get ready. I had asked my mom to make me the costume. When it had arrived at breakfast the day of the Ball, I ran up stairs, followed closely by Cat. It was wrapped in brown paper and there was a note tapped to it. It read:
Dear Lily,
I was so happy to get your letter. I'm glad that you are doing well. Are you coming home for Christmas? Petunia says hi, I think. Your father and I are very happy for you, no matter what Petunia does. She made a new friend at Stonewall named Marge and Petunia seems to like her older brother.
Here's the costume you asked for. I was happy to make it for you. I hope you like it. Send me another letter giving me the juicy details of the ball. Good Luck in the costume competition.
Love,
Mommy
"Lily, your mom is so cool. So, open your costume," urged Cat. I opened it and it was exactly what I had pictured in my mind. It had a tight, dark red bodice with black embroidery that laced up the front in black cord. Under the bodice was a white silk shirt that had lace that peeked up through the top and long sleeves that were tied in cords of red and black at mid upper arm, my elbow, and mid lower arm. The skirt was a full, floor length that had a lot of petticoats of red and black gauze, but was tiny at the waist. The underskirt was black silk and it had a red silk overskirt that opened towards the bottom to show the black underskirt. The whole thing had black braiding around the bottom. To top it off was a red hairnet with black beads, a chain belt that had two crosses at the end and a black cloak lined with the same red silk as the overskirt. There was a box in the package, and I saw a pair of very dainty, 'princess' heeled shoes. They were black and had red beads on them, the opposite of the hairnet. (A/N: I know that since she has red hair it'll clash, but lets say her hair turns darker in the winter, k? Great.)
"Lily, it's beautiful," gasped Cat.
"I know," was all I could say. It was perfect and I loved it. It was lucky I had the dress now, because the ball was tonight and I was afraid it wouldn't come in time. The bell rang, and Cat and I scuttled off to class.
The day passed quickly, almost too quickly for my liking. Soon, the day was over, and I sat in the Common Room at a table, trying to do homework. However, it was near impossible because everyone was running around, getting ready for the Ball. When six thirty rolled around, I put away my books and took my costume out of the brown paper wrapping. I ran my fingers over the soft silk. I knew I would need help getting into this.
"Cat," I called. I knocked on the bathroom door. "I need help with my costume."
"You need help. Lily, I'm supposed to be Sirius and I'm way too short. I need help." She opened the door, and I gasped. She looked almost exactly like Sirius, except she was too short. "What are you still doing in your robes? You need to get dressed."
"I need help."
"Okay. I can wait five minutes." Cat helped me get all of my petticoats on and the black underskirt. It turned out that my mother hadn't used elastics, she had used tiny hooks. I was grateful for Cat's help, very grateful. At last, I had the skirt part on, and it was time to do the bodice. I had made the mistake of keeping on my tee shirt before, so I had to take off all the skirts to put on the under shirt. Finally, I had my costume on. It was seven fifteen. I let Cat figure out how to get taller, while I put the hairnet in. I bunched my hair up and put bobby pins in it and bewitched it to look black. I then slid the hairnet on over it. I put on some dark red lipstick that Cat had lent me, slipped on the chain belt and the shoes, and carried the cloak downstairs.
I got to the Common Room, and Sirius was there, looking perfectly like Cat, just too tall.
"Lily, you look fabulous. Where's Cat?"
"She's upstairs, trying to make herself taller," I explained. He laughed.
"Took me ten minutes to look like her and I spent an hour trying to make myself shorter." Finally, Cat came down, a little taller. She showed me the platform shoes she was wearing, and I smiled.
"Where's James?" I asked. Sirius laughed again.
"He's still getting ready. The funny thing is…" but he never got the chance to finish, because James was coming down the stairs. He was dressed as a prince with mostly black and red embroidery. "He's gonna look exactly like you," Sirius choked out. I just stood there with my mouth open.
"Fabulous," I muttered. "Just great."
"What's your problem?" asked Cat. "You two'll look cute together…" but she quickly shut up at the look I gave her.
"James," I asked. "Did you plan this?"
"No," he answered. "Did you?"
"No. Cat, Sirius, did you guys do this?" I asked, suddenly turning on them. Cat looked at the ground and Sirius stared at the ceiling, whistling. "I think we found the perpetrators," I said to James.
"Hey," said Cat. "It was Sirius' idea. He thinks you two are the cutest pair."
"Caitlin Buckley, you are in big trouble," said Sirius.
"You two are the ones in trouble. However, we're going to be late, and we have to sign in at the doors."
"Lily, Cat, you guys got your cards?" asked Sirius.
"Yeah," said Cat, grinning.
"No, I don't think I'll be dancing tonight," I said.
"Don't worry guys, I have her card," said Cat.
"Haven't you done enough?" I asked.
"Nope."
"Caitlin you are getting the whipping of a lifetime tonight. Right now, though, we have to go."
"Hey you're a poet and you didn't even know it," said Sirius.
"Yeah, and my feet show it, cause they're Longfellow's. Can we go now?"
When we got to the dance, Cat tied the card to my wrist. She tied the knot so tightly that I wouldn't be able to undo it without scissors. We signed in at the door. We told Professor Luna, who taught Astronomy, our names, year and house and entered the Great Hall. Cat, Sirius and James got all excited.
"Why are you guys so excited?" I asked.
"The One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater's are here," Cat explained. She saw my blank look. "They're a really popular band."
"Oh, kind of like the Rolling Stones?" I asked.
"Who?"
"Never mind." They were playing a really cool song. "What song is thins?" I asked Cat.
"FNT," she said.
"Fascinating new thing,
You delight me, and I know you're speakin' of me.
Fascinating new thing,
Get beside me, I want you to love me.
I'm surprised that you've never been told before,
That you're lovely, and your perfect and that somebody wants you.
Fascinating New Thing,
You seem vacant,
Want a temporary savior.
Fascinating New Thing,
Don't betray them by becoming familiar.
I'm surprised that you've never been told before,
That you're lovely, and your perfect and that somebody wants you.
I'm surprised that you've never been told before,
That you're priceless, yeah you're precious, even when you are not you."
There was a lot of guitar interlude so we went to sit down. Dumbledore stood up, and the band stopped playing. He went to the microphone.
"Welcome all to the All Hallows Eve Card Masque. The haunted house will open in ten minutes time. There is already bobbing for apples, and as you can see, the band. If you wish to sign up for the Costume Competition, please see the Head of your house. I hope you all have a fabulous time tonight. When the clock strikes Midnight, everyone take off your masks or part of your costume that'll tell who you are."
We sat for a while, until Sirius and James went to bob for apples.
"Lily?" asked Sirius. "Save me a dance?"
"Okay." He wrote his name down on my card, and went to follow James. Cat started giggling.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said.
"No, what?"
"Forget I ever said anything, okay? C'mon, let's go watch the guys make fools of themselves," she said. I followed her over to the buckets where the were bobbing for apples. Sirius was struggling to follow an apple, while James was being untied, having caught one already. I saw the water trickle down James' face, and I saw him flick his head back to get his sopping wet hair out of his face. He grinned at me.
"Want an apple?" he asked.
"Thanks," I said taking it. "Aren't they going to serve any food here?"
"They should, but it'll be late," said James. "It goes all night, remember, oh knowledgeable Lily?"
"Yes I remember, Mr. Potter." I took a bite out of the apple he had given me.
"Tabby, give me a hand over here?" asked Sirius. He hadn't gotten an apple, but he wanted to stop.
"Hold on Shaggy, I'm coming. Be right back," I smiled to James. I went over to Sirius to untie him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the haunted house is now open. We no more than three people at a time please. Form a line of ones, twos and threes please, and we will let you in group by group," a nasaly voice said out of nowhere. It sounded like those voices I used to here in the supermarket.
"C'mon guys, we have to go in the haunted house," I said. "I love being scared."
"Who's going with who, cause I'm not going alone," said Cat. "No way, no how."
"I know," said Sirius, as though he'd just though of it. Obviously they had planned it, but Cat was a much better actress. "Why don't James and Lily go and Cat and I'll go?"
"I have no problem with that," said James.
"Me neither. I do, however, have a problem with your acting skills," I laughed at his horrified look. "Please Sirius, spare me."
We got into line. We didn't have to wait very long, because it seemed no one wanted to go in less than groups of three. James and I waved good bye to Cat and Sirius as we entered the tent. The tent, it seemed, was a huge almost underground passage. It had slimy stone walls with real snakes. A teacher, Professor McGonagall came running into the tent though, before we got far enough to see anything scary.
"Everyone in here! Please come out immediately. This is an emergency, come out immediately," she shouted through the reverberating stone walls.
"Professor, what is it?" I asked, nervously clinging to James.
"All will be explained when you get back into the Great Hall," she said. I clung to James all the way out of the tunnel. I was scared, what had happened to make them stop the party? I hoped the teachers wouldn't treat us like babies and not explain everything. I looked over at James, who had an anxious look on his face.
I came out into the Great Hall and saw everyone looking scared. Dumbledore was looking anxious, though more so than James.
"Students, teachers, I have just been given some bad news from Professor Victoria Custos. We have been alerted to the fact that there is another Dark Wizard on the rise." Many people gasped. A few looked tearful. I found Cat and Sirius. Cat looked scared, like she was about to cry, and Sirius had a stony appearance on his face, I couldn't read his thoughts at all. "His name is Voldemort, and though he has just started and is not yet at the height of his powers, he is stronger than Grindewald could even dream of. He is heading up north, towards us. I urge you all not to panic, however, because you have nothing to fear while you are inside Hogwarts. It will be safe, however all Hogsmeade trips have been canceled until the situation is under control. I urge you all to get back to your dormitories and sleep. Goodnight, and sleep well."
A prefect led us back to our dormitories. I clung to James the whole way, and he made no move to stop me.
A/N: You recognize it, then chances are I don't own it. Well, well, well, Lily is getting a little flirtatious with James. And Voldie makes a guest appearance, in name only. Well, well, well indeed. R/r please, flames welcome. Oh, and the song 'FNT' is from 10 Things I hate about you. I might have misquoted because I did it by ear. Sorry. Lots of Love, ~**Twink**~