Chapter 13
(A/N) So you're still reading my fic? Wow, I'm flattered. Thanks for all the reviews! Note to one of my reviewers, "gigi": James and Lily never had a date to Hogsmeade. Sorry, If I confused you there. James and the rest of the Marauders just needed her to fix a little Animagi mishap, and, as they figured she'd never do it willingly, they had James get her to go to Hogsmeade, where they later brought her to the Shrieking Shack. Got that? Now, on with the story.
Disclaimer: Is this necessary? I own the plot.
*~*~*~*~*
Evans was an odd one, that was for sure. 'Stay away from green lights'? James shook his head and frowned in
thought. A few girls in the library giggled as he threw them a friendly glance. Lily didn't do that. She didn't giggle or blush in general, and she was never impressed by his great Transfiguration talents in class. It rather dismayed James, but part of him had to admire her for that. The non-existent part of him, that is.
*~*~*~*~*
"A muggle clothed ball?" McGonagall asked loudly.
Dumbledore beamed at her. "Yes, a rather extraordinary idea, isn't it? Remind me, wherever did you get it?"
"Some Gryffindor sixth years," McGonagall mumbled.
"Grand, really. Now our young witches and wizards can experience a night through muggle eyes. Oh yes, Minerva, a grand idea! I shall announce it at lunch."
McGonagall stared at the Headmaster. There was only one explanation for this. Only one. Albus Dumbledore had finally gone loony.
"Albus…" she started, trying to talk sense into the aloof man. "Surely- surely some students will be… less than enthusiastic to participate in such activities? Are you not forgetting that some are from families that don't have muggle clothing?"
"Oh, not to worry, Minerva. I shall take care of it all," Dumbledore said, tapping his nose knowingly.
Professor McGonagall gave a heavy sigh as the potentially insane Headmaster skipped (yes, skipped, not walked, skipped) down the staircase, whistling a cheery melody.
*~*~*~*~*
A muggle clothed ball? James thought in wonder, glancing around him.
Most of the students had the same expression as him; wonderous and curious, but nonetheless excited. Except for the Slytherins, that is. A great number of them had turned a pale, nasty, greenish color. Common knowledge of Slytherins and their "pure-blood" preferences proved to be true, as many of them showed disdain for anything related to muggles. James wondered how they would handle a muggle clothed Ball. He then thought of a sobering prospect, something very unsettling. As he himself was a "pure-blood", he didn't have much formal muggle wear.
*~*~*~*~*
Lily buried her head in her arms. Bella and Evelyn had come up with this plan. They had confronted McGonagall, who had told Dumbledore. Though no one connected her with this adjustment, she was still embarrassed all the same. There would be a limit to all magic used by the students, apparently. A few of the muggle borns were whispering excitedly to their friends, she'd noticed. Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry on what she would wear, as she, unlike some students, knew perfectly well how muggles dressed formally. But her friends didn't. Lily groaned. Now she'd have to help them decide what to wear. Great.
*~*~*~*~*
At breakfast the next morning, an owl swooped down and dropped a letter and a small parcel at Lily's table. The letter read:
'Lily Dearest,
We're so proud of you, being made a prefect and all. We hope you're having fun. However, as your ball is not due until the last week of spring break, we were hoping you would choose to spend the first week and a half at home. We understand perfectly if you'd rather not. Just in case you wish to remain at school, we decided to send a few "gifts" that you might want. I thought it might go well with the dress your grandmother gave you for Christmas. Do take a picture and send it to us (Both our way, and the magic way, please).
Love,
Mum and Dad'
Lily gave a gasp of surprise when she saw a necklace, with a tiny, delicate, lily of a pastel white on the petals and a pastel green, slender, stem, made of smooth sandstone, as a pendant. Matching hair clips came with it.
"It's almost as if they knew what I'd wear," Lily murmured, putting on the necklace. She then picked up a quill and scribbled down a hasty thanks, saying she'd go home by Tuesday.
*~*~*~*~*
Mrs. Evans clapped her hands together in delight as she had her daughter whirl around for her, wearing what she'd picked out for the Spring Ball.
"Wonderful! Your grandmother knew what she was doing when she sent this!"
Nearby, Petunia sulked. As usual, her sister was the center of all attention, all because she was a little freak.
"It's not that great," she said.
Lily paused to glance at her sister. "You know who you sound like? Potter. 'It's not that great'," she mimicked. "You should marry him. Great couple you two would make. Both of you hate me, don't you?"
Mrs. Evans pursed her lips. "Now, Lily, that wasn't very nice."
"Sorry, mum, but-"
"Alright, that's enough. Now tell me. You tell me that there's someone escorting you to the Ball? Er, James, you said his name was? What's he like? Is there anything… er, going on between you two?"
"Mother, he's only doing the Opening Dance with me! I hate him. He hates me. We're barely on a first name basis with each other."
"Now Lily-"
"Okay, okay, okay. I strongly dislike him. He strongly dislikes me. Honestly!"
"Now go on, tell me more about your Ball," Mrs. Evans nodded.
"Well, there's not much to tell. The Great Hall is beautifully decorated, though. Um, after the Opening dance, I have a dance with Sirius Black, one of Potter's friends. He's better than James is, though. Sirius promised about a dozen other girls a dance, too, so after him, I'll be quite the wallflower."
"Not if I can help it," her mother said firmly. "It's time for a change, Lily dear. My friend Iris, she's good with make-up and hair, really. She did Petunia, and look! She's been dating a nice man for almost two months now!"
"You're right mum," Lily murmured, glancing at her sister again. "She did do a good job on Petunia. She looks like a horse instead of a mule now."
"Lily!"
"Sorry, mum."
"It's alright, dear," Mrs. Evans said fondly. "Now, about you. You're a bit… plain. You already have a classic face, so now all we've got to do is bring a little personality into you. You have a 'classic beauty', as they call it…"
*~*~*~*~*
James chewed his lip.
Evans had seen… faces in his soul. Faces of what? And of what significance? She obviously thought that it was important. And earlier in the Common Rooms… 'If Sybil makes any predictions, I would recommend to listen,' she had said. Sybil Trelawney? She was a flaky Ravenclaw fifth year who made false predictions, everyone knew that. So why had Lily told him to listen? It made no sense at all. James shook his head. He rolled off his bed and took out his trunk, getting out The Book. It was time to restudy the Prophecy of the Ninth Page again.
*~*~*~*~*
Albus Dumbledore sighed wearily.
Lily Evans had truly read his mind. Into one of the deepest chambers of life. And he knew perfectly what she had heard. Voices. He chuckled slightly. The girl must have been confused to hear voices instead of thoughts. She was most definitely the one in the Prophecy. After all, no one could actually hear those voices unless they were a powerful Seer. He himself couldn't hear those voices, but he knew they were there. Just waiting to be heard. It wasn't a problem that she had heard the voices. But if she really listened to them. Which voices had she heard? Or had she heard them all?
Dumbledore sighed again, this time out of pity. Pity. That was what Dippet had felt for Riddle. But Tom hadn't heard voices. Lily had. Perhaps Lily had heard the good voices. But there was an equal chance she had heard the evil. Yes, Albus Dumbledore pitied Lily Evans. She was a good student, but she was also very young, too young to have such choices forced onto her. But he wouldn't show her pity. Pity was a weakening factor. Riddle would not show her pity or mercy if he met her. He would show her power. He, Albus Dumbledore, had pity to show, but he wouldn't show it. Riddle had no pity to show. He had the power to show mercy, though.
*~*~*~*~*
Lily tried to rack up a memory of what she had heard in Dumbledore's mind. Many voices. They were trying to persuade her to… what exactly were they persuading her to do?
Some had sounded comforting, and familiar. Others had been cold and harsh. But both kinds of voices had told her to "choose". Choose what, exactly?
*~*~*~*~*
Lily Evans was the one in the Prophecy.
James now knew this for a fact. And he also knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it if Voldemort was after her.
James laughed bitterly out loud. If? If Voldemort was after her? That was pretty ridiculous. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if Voldemort was after her at that very second. She was safe at Hogwarts, for sure.
Facts hit him like a rock in the stomach. Lily wasn't at Hogwarts. She was at home. 'Home' would be the easiest place for Voldemort to strike. But he wouldn't. That much James knew. Why? He had no idea. But he did know that she would still be safe at her 'home'. Until how long? Until she felt safe. That was when Voldemort would strike. When she felt the safest.
"Why do I know all this?" James asked out loud. "She should know this." But then, she didn't come from a wizard family. If she did, she would have known about the Prophecy. She would have a better idea of what was after her.
"Why do I suddenly care about Evans' welfare?"
'Because you have a heart. Thank you.'
James nearly jumped. That wasn't his voice in his mind. It was Evans'.
*~*~*~*~*
Lily flicked a wisp of stray hair away from her face.
She had somehow been able to hear someone without trying. Voices. She was hearing voices. And she was talking back.
"I'm going insane," Lily murmured. There had been something familiar about the voice. It had wondered why it cared about her welfare. She had heard the voice somewhere. Almost every day in her life, it felt.
'Evans'. The voice had called her 'Evans'. The only people that would call her Evans were professors and Potter. Potter…
*~*~*~*~*
"Hey, Prongsie-boy."
James looked up suddenly to see Sirius. "Uh, hi?"
"What're you reading?"
"What? This?"
"Yeah. It looks older and dustier than all the books in the Restricted Section of the library combined," Sirius said.
"It's… Uh… Something I checked out a few days ago…" James lied.
"Sure, whatever. McGonagall wants to see you about the Ball, you know. In the Great Hall."
"Great."
*~*~*~*~*
(A/N) Not too long.
To Come: Once again, everyone begins to think more and more. Lily comes back to Hogwarts beautiful (cliché, I know). James fights a few… er, thoughts about Lily's new found beauty. McGonagall gets paranoid, fretting about the Ball (Not a really big part of the chapter). It's going to be a bit short, as I want the Ball to have it's own chappie.