Chapter 3

*~*~*~*~*

"Ow."

"Not my fault."

"You're a terrible dancer."

"Not my fault."

"Sure, and it's not my fault that my toes are suffering from nerve damage."

James scoffed. "I just stepped on your feet a few times. It's not my fault."

"Yeah, it's just my feet having a magnetic attraction to yours."

"Shut up."

"Potter! Evans! No talking!" shouted McGonagall.

"You're scum, Potter, scum," Lily said, just before shutting up. James looked rather flattered.

*~*~*~*~*

"Sirius Black asked you out? Sirius Black?" Evelyn McDaniels squealed.

"Mmm," Lily murmured, bending over her Potions essay.

"Lily! You lucky witch!"

"Huh?" Lily looked up.

"Lily, you are sooo lucky! Tell me all the details! I'm fascinated."

"The only things I'm 'fascinated' in right now are wolfsbane and ginger root."

"Huh?" Evelyn wrinkled her nose. Lily rolled her eyes. Evelyn was a blonde, in more ways than one.

"Wolfsbane and ginger root!" Lily said irritably. "The two key ingredients needed in the potion we've an essay on! Which, might I add, you haven't started."

"Lay off her, Evans," a new voice said, entering through the portrait hole. Lily groaned at the familiarity of James Potter's voice. "It's only homework."

"Only?"

"And besides, I didn't come here to see you," James said, plopping down on the sofa across from Evelyn.

"Nor I you," Lily replied.

"Then, by all means of logic, go away."

"No."

"Fine. Evelyn, will you go to the ball with me?"

Evelyn gasped with pleasure. "No one else'll have you, hmm?" Lily couldn't help adding.

"No."

"Then why?"

"My business."

"Meaning yes," Lily said, rather triumphantly.

"Shut up."

"No."

"Then go away," James snapped.

"Can't you see I'm working?" Lily snapped back. Nonetheless, she shoved her essay and quill in her bag (rather huffily) and stalked away.

"Owowowowow!"

"Oh, please, I barely touched your oh-so-perfect feet."

"Potter! What have I told you about talking?"

"Not to do it," he answered dutifully, and, to Lily's observations, rather sullenly.

"Good. Now, all prefects and heads, please gather 'round."

James took a seat at the chairs that had been cleared away, in one of the remaining ones. Much to his disgust, it was across from Lily's.

"Now, as I've noticed, a great number of you can't dance." McGonagall's eyes lingered on him for a second. James flustered, while Severus snickered. "So, I will be holding more rehearsals, possibly by individual pairs." James froze.

"Potter and his mudblood girlfriend, all alone in the Great Hall," Severus hissed. James' hand shot up, out of impulse. Beneath the table, Lily kicked him in the shins. Hard.

"Severus was… er…"

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Er…" He faltered, remembering the many times Lily had caused damage to his health whenever he called attention upon her.

"Yes?"

"Severus was just telling Potter how much he wanted to demonstrate his excellent ballroom dancing skills, Professor," Lily said earnestly. A few prefects nodded in agreement, while Snape glared at her maliciously. Professors, especially this one, took Lily's word as the truth. James, meanwhile, stared at her.

"Well, alright, Severus, if you like. You can earn your house points, I suppose," McGonagall said, clearly baffled. "Go on, Severus." She waved her wand, and a waltz began playing in the background.

"Uh… Professor? Don't I need a dance partner?" Snape asked, looking for a way out.

"Go on, Evans," James said evilly, giving her a push. "You know you're dying to dance with your soul mate."