(Disclaimer: I own nothing

(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)

Chapter Twenty Six

"I need to know. The prophecies say it twill be true but I doubt it so. How shall I know for sure?" He sat before his prized thirteen. A man stood up. He stood erect and proud full of confidence.

"The Seer will know, master, we must find the Seer," said the man. He whom they call Lord Voldemort rose.

"Precisely, we must find the Seer. And how shall we execute this task?" he asked. The other man bowed. "Yes, Requillo?"

"We must get someone from Hogwarts to assist us, someone close to the boy," he replied. Voldemort nodded.

"Indeed. Very well thought out." The Dark Lord closed his eyes with a small smile playing on his lips. "Leave me," he said softly. The thirteen Death Eaters rose at once and in order walked out of the room. "I'll get you, James Potter, I'll do whatever it takes."

"I guess we should go down for breakfast," he told her. She looked up with a smile and nodded. He took her hand and helped her up. They left the Gryffindor common room to walk down the halls. His arm was casually on her waist and hers on his. Then Andrea and four of her other friends were walking down the hall from the opposite direction.

"James!" she exclaimed with a smile. Her eyes drifted to his arm around Lily's waist and her smile faltered noticeably. "And Lily," she finished dully. The group of giggly girls lost their giggles as they stood to watch James and Lily walk by.

When the group was out of earshot, Lily laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen them lose their laughter before when around you!" James groaned and rolled his eyes heavenward.

"It gets rather annoying, I'm glad for the peace and quiet. When so many girls are after you, there's only one time there's a silence, when you're asleep," he told her. Lily punched his shoulder with another laugh.

"Well aren't you Mr. Modest!"

He put up his hands in defense. "I'm just telling it like it is!" It was now her turn to roll her eyes. He put his arm around her waist again and held her close. In turn, she leaned her head against his chest. Then they saw two people coming down the hall.

He shivered. "You made me into a living Popsicle. Thank you ever so much, Hallie dearest," Sirius said giving Hallie a sweet but mocking smile. She reflected the one he gave her.

"And you're ever so welcome." She swung an arm over his shoulder. "Now, I'd like to know you're behind me 100%."

He put his arm around her shoulders as well and sighed but grinned at her. "Of course I am. I must admit, you're a very cunning young lady," he said in a dignified voice.

She smacked the back of his head and laughed. "Don't make fun of me."

There was a short pause. "So how about Friday night? Is Friday night okay with you?"

She looked up at him with a scheming smile. "Wonderful. It's perfect."

James shared a meaningful look with Lily and waved Sirius and Hallie over. Sirius shared a meaningful look with Hallie and waved back at his friend. "Er – hi, guys," he said with a smile. He seemed to be trying to hold back his laughter, which made Hallie, burst into giggles. She clasped a hand over her mouth and waved. Then she rushed away in a seed walk.

"Er – is she – is she…?" asked James.

Sirius grinned charmingly. "Of course she's not. She's a maniac witch, remember?"

At this, Lily punched his shoulder with a smirk. "But someone seems to like her," she said softly.

He blushed a bit and rolled his eyes. "I don't. Now, how are you two?" he asked. It was Lily's turn to blush and James, with a smile, averted his eyes.

"We have to go now, Sirius, you understand don't you?" asked James still looking away.

With a nod, the boy grinned and puckered up his lips. "Of course I do!" Then he ducked Lily's slap and ran off cackling with laughter and making kissing noises. Lily rolled her eyes and looked up at James.

"I sincerely am concerned about that boy's sanity," she muttered putting a strand of hair behind her ear. James laughed and put his arm around her.

The rest of the day pretty much was like a regular day and the boys sat around in the common room late that night after everyone had gone up to sleep. Remus sat half asleep on the couch. "That was great! It was the best!" yelled Peter with a broad smile.

Sirius elbowed him and said, "Tone it down a bit, Wormtail." Peter gave him a look.

"Wormtail?" he asked. "Care to explain?" The boy folded his arms across his chest with an eyebrow raised.

"Umm…no, not really," was the reply. James grinned and rolled his eyes averting his gaze towards Remus who was stretched out on the couch, fast asleep. Sirius' and Peter's bickers were slowly increasing in loudness. He grabbed a pillow from behind him on the armchair before the fire and hit them both upon their heads with it. "Ow!"

"Be quiet, Remus is sleeping," James told them both. The other boys looked to Remus and Sirius' face broke out into a mischievous smile. The boy sucked in a deep breath and opened his mouth ready to yell but Peter hit him in the stomach with his wand.

"Didn't you heard? Remus is sleeping!" he exclaimed. Sirius' exhale became laughter which he put a hand over his mouth to muffle his chuckles. James sighed and used a spell to levitate them back to their dormitory as to leave Remus in peace.

Remus opened his eyes as soon as he saw that the others had left. Quiet as a mouse, he went up the steps and to the girls' dormitory where he found Lydia waiting for him. He took her hand and they went down the steps. She put her head against his shoulder. "Aren't you tired?" she asked softly.

With a grin he said, "No, not really, you're forgetting those three hours of sleep I got during double classes of History of Magic." Lydia laughed and hugged him.

"You're too cute for your own good."

"I know."

Remus walked from her dormitory back to his with a silly smile upon his face and almost walked straight into someone sitting at the top of the steps leading up to the boy's dormitory. "Hi, Remus," said James looking up at him from his perch on the step.

The foolish grin faded away from the boy's face. "Er – hi, James. What're you doing up this early?" he asked.

James with a small smile on his face replied, "You took the words right from my mouth." Remus looked up at the ceiling. "Where did you go?"

"To the French restaurant in Hogsmead."

"Have fun?"

Remus looked at him with another grin. "You could say that." Rolling his eyes, James stood and pushed the other boy into the room before him.

"Get in there, you."

Lily sat at the breakfast table with her friends. "The Winter dance is coming up!" squealed Andrea, coming up to them. Gwen looked at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Whoopee."

This received a glare from the other girl. "So, who do you guys want to go with," she asked taking a seat next to Lydia. The girl gave her a look. "Oh yeah, I forgot, you're already hooked. I guess that takes Remus off the bachelor list. Too bad too." Andrea shot a look at the boy down the table and grinned playfully at Lydia who had a raised eyebrow. "You know I'm just kidding you!" She then turned to Lily. "How about you, Miss Popular? How many guys have asked you already?"

Lily blushed. "Be quiet, Andrea, it was just announced this morning."

Hallie smiled. "She's going with James."

The bright smile Andrea wore faded a bit. "Oh really?"

"He hasn't asked me yet, Hallie," said Lily in a low voice.

The girl laughed. "Yet? Did I hear you say yet?" Another laugh came from the coal black headed girl. "You know you like him."

"As a friend! I like him as a friend!" was the reply.

Andrea and Hallie shared a meaningful look. "She likes him."

"So what about you, Hallie, who're you going with?" Andrea asked her. It was Lily's turn to smile. Gwen grinned evilly.

"Oh I know who you should go with," the girl said. Lydia looked at her expectantly. "Sirius!" Hallie choked with indignation.

"Well, if you would say that and call yourself my friend –"

"She's just kidding," said Lydia, but there was a gleam in her eyes and she and Gwen shared a look.

Andrea, after a while, left and went further down the table for gossip.

"Molly," was Arthur's simple reply. James grinned.

Sirius said, "Of course, he and Molly are destined." Arthur swung a smack at him playfully and with a laugh, the boy ducked.

The older boy looked at James. "How about you? Are you going with Lily?" he asked with a small smile. James blushed and looked down the table where she was talking with her friends.

"Er – no," he replied.

Remus looked at him in shock and Peter bit down on his lip to suppress a chuckle. "But I thought that you --" James silenced him with a look. "Oh – um – right. How about you, Sirius? Who're you going to ask?"

Now Peter laughed. "I don't think it's a matter of Sirius asking anyone because it's the matter of if they'll go with him or not," he said. Sirius glared at him with mock hurt. The boy lunged at the smaller one who laughed and backed off. Arthur laughed with them and stood up when Molly came over.

"I'll see you guys later, all right?" he said and went away with Molly.

"Are you saying I can't get a date?" Sirius asked Peter with a glare. The boy rolled his eyes.

"I was kidding, you're like, Mr. Popular." Remus held up a hand.

"Wait one second," he said with a glance at James who nodded and grinned. "I don't think you can get a date for the Winter Dance." Sirius crossed his arms over his chest.

"Name the girl and I'll get her to go with me."

Remus laughed. "Well aren't you Mr. Modest?"

"In one condition," Sirius continued.

James said, "Name it."

"I want a new supply of fifty filibuster fireworks and fifty dung bombs," the boy said with a wide smile. Peter rolled his eyes.

"You're such a kid," said he.

James agreed and Remus said, "It's a deal."

Sirius looked around. "So now all I have to do is get a girl to go with me to the dance."

James shook his head and beamed. "Not just any girl, my friend, but the girl. And we're choosing her." Sirius looked overly confident.

"Go right ahead."

Peter and Remus and James huddled and in one second separated with broad and mischievous grins upon their faces. "You have to get Hallie Forester to go with you."

Sirius' grin fell from his face almost immediately. "Hallie – Hallie Forester? Black headed, major attitude, prank pulling, Sirius hating Hallie Forester?" he asked with a squeak in his voice at the end.

The other boys laughed and James said, "The one and only."

"Goodie." He paused for a few moments. "Wait, you guys never said what you want in return if I don't get her to go with me."

Peter chuckled. "If? My, my, Sirius, you're still confident about this?" Sirius looked down the table at the girl who was laughing with Lily, Lydia, and Gwen.

"I never said that."

"We don't want anything much, Sirius, but if you lose, we get to dress you up as a girl, dress and all, and make you go a day like that around school," said Remus who was beaming.

"WHAT?!" he yelled. Almost everyone in the room became silent. He looked around and smiled sheepishly. "I just found out James is going to ask Lily to the Winter Dance is all," he said into the silence. James blushed a deep crimson and shot a glare at the boy. The room erupted into excited talk once again. Sirius laughed. "Just kidding!" And then the talk softened a bit for their piece of gossip was ruined. He leaned in to the others. "That's not fair," he whispered fiercely.

"Oh, but it is," said James looking at the boy evilly. "You made the deal, and we cast the Wizard's Dealing Charm on you already. The bet is on."

With another look down the table, Sirius muffled a groan and put his head in his hands in defeat. "Goodbye dignity and hello pretty dress…"

(Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to get posted and so long to write and I'm so sorry it's so short but I'm gonna get on with the next chapter right now. Thank you to Fred lover 4-evr, Harry's Hunny, and The Crest of Dreams! I loved reading your reviews! Here's the next chapter and I'm so sorry for the wait again!)