Ever After
Chapter 3- The Night Of The Ball
James sat glumly in the library on the night of the ball. He doubted he could find the girl of his dreams during one ball; worse, a masquerade ball. He was so busy moping that he didn't notice his father pad silently into the room.
As James stared at the fireplace, a book was dropped onto his lap. James yelled and started.
"It is me, James," Godric said, soothingly.
"You scared me, father," James replied.
Godric sat in the opposite armchair and looked kindly at his son.
"Have you ever heard of 'Amour Fidelis'?" Godric asked.
"No."
"Well," Godric started, "You know how the wand chooses the person. Well, when two soul mate's wands touch, it is called 'Amour Fidelis'."
"Really? Does that mean you want me to touch wands with everyone at the ball?" James asked worriedly.
"No, my boy. Just a bit of fact."
He ruffled James' already messy hair and exited the room, leaving behind a confused James.
*~*~*~*~*~*
After dinner, Lily cautiously approached her stepmother. She was just exiting the dining room when Lily stopped her.
"Uh…Baroness Evans?" Lily spoke timidly.
"Yes, Lily?" Salazarlina replied impatiently.
"What will I wear to the ball?"
Salazarlina's eyes bulged and her whole face went red.
"How did you find out about the ball?" she exploded.
Lily flinched back in terror.
"And what makes you think that you are going?" she sneered, losing a bit of anger.
"But I thought all the noble ladies of the house were to go?" Lily replied, her temper rising.
"Well…let's see…" Salazarlina drawled, as she put an arm around Lily.
Salazarlina led Lily down a few corridors. She stopped in the middle of one particular corridor and spun Lily around to look into her face.
"No," Salazarlina whispered as she shoved Lily into a storeroom and locked the door. "You didn't think I would let you go, did you? Hahaha!"
Salazarlina cackled as she walked to her room. There, Petunia was fully dressed and was waiting for the servants to bring the make-up.
"Dear daughter. The only way for you to attend the ball is to have a wand and magical powers. Unfortunately you have none of these. So, me being a dark witch, I will cast a spell that will give you very weak, temporary powers. Oh and here is an old wand," Salazarlina said and handed Petunia a wand. "Now stand still," she ordered, "Veneficus."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily recognised the storeroom. It contained linen and had only one window, which faced the driveway. The only light in the room was the moonlight streaming through the small arched window. Lily paced the small room to control her temper. She could hear the servants rushing back and forth, gathering make-up, hair accessories and clothes for Petunia and Salazarlina. Lily sat down and began to cry the rest of her anger out.
A couple of hours later, Lily heard Petunia and Salazarlina clanging down the front steps. Petunia was in an extremely tight navy blue dress that contained many frills at the hems of the skirt, wrists and neckline. Salazarlina wore a black dress with equally as many frills except tighter that Petunia's. They both wore elaborately decorated masks that they held at the end of a stick.
Lily plopped down onto a pile of soft towels and sighed in melancholy. The only party that she had been invited to and she was locked in a linen storeroom. Lily cried again until she could not shed another tear.
*~*~*~*~*~*
James licked his very dry lips. He had kissed more than forty-three different hands and there were about sixty more hands to kiss. He was extremely bored. He had not seen one girl he liked. He was also sick for being winked at, giggled at and smiled at.
"Lady Petunia Evans!" bellowed the Herald.
A scrawny girl of about eighteen with a big nose and beady eyes held out her bony hand to be kissed. James pressed his lips to her hand and winced. Luckily, no one noticed.
'This is going to be a very long night," James thought sadly.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily saw a flash of light through her eyelids. She opened her eyes and there stood a plump middle aged woman wearing a long yellow dress and a black hat.
"W-who are you?" Lily asked, strangely calm.
The lady only replied by waving her wand and saying "Specto Praeteritus Recordatio."
Lily reflectively closed her eyes and was a spectator in memories of her mother and this lady name Helga. Helga was a witch and Lily's godmother. She saw that Helga does magic and she saw a man of about thirty. He said that Lily definitely has magic. As quickly as the memories came, they disappeared.
"Oh Helga!" cried Lily, embracing her godmother.
"My dear goddaughter. It has been a while since I have seen you," Helga replied in a soothing voice, "but we will catch up later. You are going to that ball. Teleporto!"
Helga and Lily disappeared from the storeroom and reappeared in the darkness of the Royal Palaces' wall. Music and light streamed from the largest room.
"But what will I wear?" Lily asked sadly.
Helga raised her wand and said "Accio Dress. Accio Wand. Accio Shoes!"
A few seconds passed, when suddenly a silvery bit of material dropped into Helga's arms. Next came a rod of wood just like Helga's, and then a pair of dainty slippers made of glass.
"Switchus," Helga muttered, waving her wand at Lily.
Lily felt her warm skirt and shirt replaced by soft and silky material. Also, her leather shoes were replaced by strangely flexible, cold, glass slippers.
"You look wonderful dear. Now, I have to see if you can do enough magic. Point this wand at your hair, think about the hairstyle you want and mutter 'Stylio'," Helga informed.
Lily picked up the wand. It seemed to vibrate when she first held it. She pointed to her hair, thought for a moment and muttered 'Stylio'. (A/N- I'm not revealing what she looks like yet. =P)
"Now Lily. This only lasts until midnight. This," she said, placing a glass bottle on the ground, "will take you back to the storeroom when you grab it. It is called a Portkey. Here is your cloak and mask."
Helga handed her a light, silver cloak and a silver mask that stayed in place by itself. Helga shooed Lily towards the gate.
"Have fun!" Helga called before disappearing in a flash of light.
Lily calmly strode into the gate and into the building at the base of the stairs, her shoes clinking on the stone paving. There, the red carpet started.
"Name, please," asked a kind, old man.
Lily pushed back her hood. She thought of her full name that Salazarlina and Petunia didn't know.
"Lady Lilyanna," Lily responded calmly.
"You are the most beautiful yet, Lady Lilyanna. Could you please summon this pencil, please?" he replied.
"Accio Pencil," Lily affirmed waving her wand and remembering the spell Helga used.
The pencil flew into Lily's beautifully manicured left hand. The old man smiled and called into a connecting room. Out stepped a young man who, Lily guessed, was probably a courtier. Lily remembered her father telling her that courtiers kept 'escortless' ladies company at parties and balls. This young man had dark hair and eyes and was quite handsome.
"I am Remus Lupin," the man introduced, kissing her soft right hand after he took her cloak.
"I am Lady Lilyanna," Lily replied as Remus led her up the stairs and to the herald. He was a pudgy man with a smiling red face and crisp uniform.
"This is Lady Lilyanna," Remus informed the herald.
"I am afraid the ball has started, so you'll have to be introduced at their Majesties thrones," the herald informed happily.
"Very well," Lily calmly replied.
The ballroom was beautifully decorated with every colour of the rainbow. There were moving ice sculptures at the refreshment table and candles floating near the ceiling. There were streamers and ribbons everywhere. The room was full of ladies and courtiers dressed in elaborate and colourful clothes. Everyone was talking since the dancing hadn't started yet. Remus and the herald led her towards the King and Queen of England.
*~*~*~*~*~*
James was very bored. He kept being surrounded by women whose names he had forgotten, not that they minded.
'How could this get any worse!' James thought desperately.
"James," someone whispered.
James turned to see a tall man with black hair and eyes, grinning behind him.
"Sirius. Thank God you're here. Let's walk," James greeted enthusiastically.
"Sorry Jamesee boy. We can walk later. There is another guest."
James' stomach dropped.
'It has just gotten worse,' James pondered glumly.
James slowly plodded towards his parents' throne, not caring to look at the lady who had just arrived. James stood at the base of the steps to the thrones and waited for the herald. James tiredly stared at one of he windows, his shoulders drooping dramatically. He heard the herald approach but still didn't turn to look at the lady.
"May I present," the herald said proudly, "Lady Lilyanna."
James faced forwards but could only see his friend Remus.
"Remus. Hel…" James started but was cut off by another voice.
"Your Majesty," lilted the voice of the girl in front of him.
James was speechless, but not brainless. He kissed Lady Lilyanna's soft white hand and rudely stared at her. She was slightly shorter than he was. She had auburn hair, which looked like wavy silk, which fell around her waist. She had creamy white skin and amazing emerald eyes, which were framed by her silver mask. She wore a silvery silver dress a bit like a second skin. The dress clung loosely on her waist and torso, while clinging tightly to her shoulders. The V neckline ended just above her chest. She had large billowing sleeves, of which she carried her wand. Strangely, on her feet she wore glass slippers.
"Close that gaping mouth of yours, James," Remus laughed, shaking James' shoulder.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lily stared at the boy staring at her. He was slightly taller than her and had beautiful blue eyes. His black hair was adorably messy and he was astoundingly handsome.
"Close that gaping mouth of yours, James," Remus laughed, shaking Prince James' shoulder.
'He must be one of Prince James' friends, not a courtier," Lily thought.
"You do know that if a cold wind blows by, your face will stay like that," Lily said unconsciously.
That seemed to snap James out of his trance. He smiled and then laughed. Lily smiled to herself.
'I just made Prince James laugh,' she thought, 'congratulations me.'
"I'm leaving now," loudly announced Remus, strolling over to a tall man with black hair.
"Your Majesty…" Lily started.
"Call me James," James interrupted.
"James," Lily rolled the name over her tongue, "Shall we take a walk?"
James nodded and held out his hand. Lily grasped it and they began to slowly stroll as the dancing began. They began to tell each other about themselves. Lily carefully concealing some of her past was able to open up slowly. Lily laughed at the pranks played by James and hid friends, while James laughed at her few hilarious incidents. Sometimes Lily looked around and saw a few women glaring hatefully at her as they danced by.
"Care to dance, Lady Lilyanna?" James asked formally, bowing slightly.
"Why yes, Prince James!" Lily responded, elaborately curtsying.
James led Lily into the centre of the room and gently rested his left hand on Lily's waist while clutching Lily's left hand. Lily rested her right hand on James' shoulder and they began to dance. People's faces and clothes whirled by as Lily and James danced together all night; twirling and laughing.
Finally, they escaped onto a balcony, giggling at the other dancers. It was cool and slightly breezy. Inside, everyone was dancing and laughing. Lily frowned as she panned the room and spotted the two people that she disliked the most. Petunia and Salazarlina were scanning the room for Prince James, unaware Lily (disguised as Lady Lilyanna) was watching them.
"James," Lily asked.
"Hmmm?" James replied, not taking his eyes off her.
"Do you know a spell that produces ice?"
"Yes. Aqua Congelo," James replied, "Why?"
"Just watch."
Lily kneeled on the floor and saw Petunia and Salazarlina's skirts. Lily pointed her wand at the ground at their feet and muttered 'Aqua Congelo." A blue stream of light travelled towards the two and smooth ice formed under their feet. Lily stood up, satisfied. A giggling James greeted her.
"I can't wait to see them when they move!" exclaimed James, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
DONG
The clock struck midnight. Lily remembered what Helga had said.
DONG
"I have to go, James!" Lily cried, taking off through the crowd.
DONG
James took off after her. No one saw the Prince of England running after Lady Lilyanna.
DONG
Lily was nearly to the door of the ballroom with James in hot pursuit.
DONG
Lily made it to the front door.
DONG
Before Lily could go any further, James grabbed her wrist.
DONG
"James!" Lily cried.
"Just one kiss, Lilyanna!" James pleaded
DONG
Before she could protest, James swung Lily against his and pressed his lips against Lily's. They kissed passionately.
DONG
And they kissed some more.
DONG
They broke apart and Lily began to run, not noticing her wand dropping.
DONG
Lily sped past the old man.
DONG
Lily ran out of the gate and grabbed the bottle.
*~*~*~*~*~*
