Lily stayed in the hospital wing, finishing her lessons there.
Seymour the duck kept her company while everyone was in classes, and Munguldus
and James brought her news of the prefects' meetings, Jackie and Arabella the
latest gossip, Sirius and Remus of their latest pranks, Rafe about news of the
Quidditch team (and time to time they would work out a few new strategies, he
said it was quieter in the hospital wing). The day before Christmas vacation,
Lily silently and secretly returned to her dormitory to pack.
Sirius had given her everything to take care of Seymour, and said
that he was always available to duck-sit. She chose her most modest things to
wear, knowing Claire wanted her to be a prowling seductress, a minx, even. She
was going to get rid of Severus Snape, once and for all.
Meanwhile, in a dormitory not too far away, James Potter was
planning the exact same thing.
"Men? Ladies? This Christmas holiday will NOT be the
usual kind. We are going to break up Severus Snape's every desire about Lily,
convince Claire that that was her fault, and ultimately find Lily a new guy,
because we know Claire won't give up." James announced to his group. The
replacement Marauders (Remus was out, full moon, and Peter wussed out) were
Jackie and Arabella, and Sirius was rubbing his hands together with a very
dangerous glint in his eye.
Arabella and Jackie led them to the London hotel where Lily and
Claire were deciding on what to do for an engagement ball, and that's when
James got an idea.
"Mrs. Evans! Mrs. EVANS!! Oy! Mrs. Claire Dubois-Evans!!!" James
cooed in a high-pitched Southern accent from across the marble lobby.
Claire turned. She fit Lily's description, rather on the chubby
side, two two many facelifts, bright, expensive clothing, and blonde hair that
was obviously fake.
"Hi there, Mrs. Evans! I am J.J. Pottare, party planner
extraordinaire, and this is my crew. Gary Stu, Mary Ellis, and Jackie-Lyn.
We're Americans.. We heard about your desperate need for a party planner, and
here we be!!" James said, continuing the accent and dancing around in a circle.
"Hi, I'm Jackie-Lyn." Jackie said with a voice developed in
California. She waggled a few fingers in the air, showing off her beautifully
polished plastic rings.
"I'se be Gary Stu." Sirius said, playing with invisible
suspenders. He had a low-pitched accent formed deep in the soul of Alabama. He
spat invisible tobacco in the other direction.
"I, Madame Aevans, am Mary Ellis." Arabella said, turning up her
nose in the air, pretending (with a horrible accent) she was French. She
adjusted her beret in a very snooty fashion.
"We are here to help! How old is your sister?" James asked as
Lily approached. He hoped the disguises would work.
Claire blushed and took the compliment lightly. "She's my
stepdaughter. She's fifteen, just this past September."
Lily looked horrified. She knew she recognized these people, but
their voices, and their looks.. Maybe it was right, everyone in this world has
a twin somewhere and in some form.
"If you leave everything to me, my team and your stepdaughter,
we'll have a fantabulous ball!" James said.
"Why, thank you, J.J. You have figured out all of our problems."
Claire said. It was amazing how easy it is to push over that kind of rich.
"Well, Madame Aevans, come vith me." Arabella said snootily. "I
am Marie Eyyes, or in Engles, Mary Ellis."
"May I call you Marie?" Lily asked timidly.
"NO! It is Marie Eyyes and that it shall remain." Arabella
snapped. "Let us go select your dresses."
"Gary Stu will select the food." Sirius said, making Lily look at
him. Who would be so vain that they would refer to themselves in the third
person? These people sure were some characters.
"And we will plan the whole substance of the ball, kay, kay,
Lillian?" James asked, flapping his arms about. "You just give us your guest
list and we'll edit it."
"We can go over it later.. My name is Lily." She said, still in
shock, when Arabella led her away.
"Jackie, you go fetch the guest list Claire has." James ordered,
no longer in need for an accent. "Sirius, whatever you want to do with the
food- Do it.. But be civilized. No buffalo wings."
"You take all the fun out of things, boss." He said, saluting James.
James looked over the new list. Previously it had been only
Slytherins and people Claire had invited. Now it included James, Remus, Sirius,
Peter, Jackie, Arabella, Rafe, Munguldus, Helen and Ronan. Those were special
invitations, saying just to mingle and lay low.
James had gone over what the orchestra was going to play (at
about ten thirteen they were to play Midnight Sonata), what people were
to wear (the them was ducks and tiaras.. You had to wear a little of both to
get in), the decorations were in place, the food prepared in the kitchens, and
Mister Snape would be arriving presently.
Sure enough, Snape (who had cleaned himself up considerably)
arrived with a small entourage of Slytherins, with a present under his arm and
bags waiting behind him.
"SEVVY!!" James cooed in his southern accent. The entire time his
hair had been tamed and he had a high-pitched voice and a very thin mustache.
Snape looked taken aback.
"I'm the party planner and welcome to the Founding Four Six-Star Hotel!"
He called. "I am J.J. Pottare, and this is Gary Stu, Jackie-Lyn and presently
Marie Eyyes (you can call her Mary Ellis) will be coming downstairs with that
blushing fiancée of yours!"
Snape was still confused. Jackie's normally long brown hair was
clipped short and framing her face, and Sirius's hair was oiled and slicked
back. Jackie wore vinyl-cloth clothing and Sirius dressed like a tobacco
farmer.
"And, Sevvy, dahling, who are these fine people?" James asked as
J.J.
"I am Sir Lucius Malfoy." Said Malfoy with a very unusual air of
politeness. He bowed.
"I am alikin' that Sir!" Jackie said, batting her eyes.
"I am Goyle, this is Crabbe." Said Goyle. They both bowed
awkwardly, and Malfoy scowled.
"I am Avery, milady.." Avery said, sweeping his finest bow out
and taking her hand, kissing the top of her palm. Jackie pasted a very fake
smile on and tried not to wince or cough from Avery's fumes.
"Missy Lily will be down asoon. Why don't ya'll sit down and we
have a nice chat?" Sirius asked, walking like a penguin over to the nearest
chair.
"Now ya'll know what the theme is? You gots to wear a crown and a
small duck somewhere. Missy Lily loves that kind of things- Especially being
spoiled and treated like a princess.. Master Sevvy, why don't you call her
princess every now and then? It sure would score you points." James cooed.
Jackie gave him a questioning look.
"Uh.. Sure?" Snape said, still confused. But he looked up at the
staircase and saw Lily at the head of the stairs.
Her dress was white and long and shimmering, with a matching long
robe. Her hair was spread out on her shoulders, and she did not look ready for
a party.
"Good day to you, Master Snape." She said quietly as she passed
them. "I hope you are enjoying your Yule holiday."
"I am now." He murmured. Sirius gagged.
Malfoy was getting wide-eyed at Arabella. "I am Marie Eyyes.."
She said silently, looking like the best part-Veela she could be.
Lily's head was raised high, and she slipped into a room with
Arabella following her, one that not even James could get into- The Ladies'
Room.
There were to be two balls. The first was the ball of ducks and
tiaras, introductions to rich people and families, and basically boring. The
second one Snape had to decide whether Lily was worthy of him, and Claire had
to decide if he was rich enough, if his title was big enough, if he had enough
richer connections. Between that time they were to be chaperoned and have their
entourages around them at all times, but they were supposed to be together for
twelve hours of the day.
Mr. and Mrs. Snape came to dinner that night. Mrs. Snape looked
like Arabella, with black hair and a scowl stuck on her face. Mr. Snape was a
sharper, larger version of Severus, looking approvingly of his future
daughter-in-law. Beauty, brains, and quiet. BBQ.. You know what that spells?!
Never mind.
Lily barely ate that night. She enjoyed Jackie-Lyn's senseless
chatter, and Mary Ellis's arrogant aloofness. Gary Stu was quite amusing, but
words could not describe J.J. Familiar, somehow, but there was something
there... Pain when she smiled at someone else, when she truly laughed,
something about him was.. Never mind.
"Lillian, darling, where ever did you get that magnificent
locket? Rubies, gold.. Quite pretty chain. Is that a lion I see?" Mrs. Snape
asked, sounding (for the first time) sincere.
"I don't know how it got there, it's just been there for a week
or two. I can't really see it." Lily admitted.
"Mother, dear, her name is Lily." Snape hissed across the table.
"I know, but Lillian is the name of a girl. She is not quite a
woman yet, Sevvy-wevvy." His mother answered, pinching his yellowy cheek.
Jackie giggled enough so that Arabella felt she didn't need to.
"Well, ya'll, ready for the ball tomorrow evenin'?" James asked
animatedly. Mr. Snape gave him an odd look.
"Of course we're ready- Society is always ready, Mr. Pottare."
Mrs. Snape said. Lily nodded and sipped her soup.
"You guys like ducks?" Sirius said, then clamped his hand over
his mouth.
"What?" Mr. Snape asked, making his w very, very annunciated.
"Never mind Gary Stu, he's a little wacko upstairs." Jackie
said, tapping her forehead.
"Ohhhhhh." Mr. and Mrs. Snape chorused.
Jackie rushed into the ballroom, and stopped as the orchestra
practiced. It was beautiful.
There were two sets of spiraling stairs on either side of the
ballroom, the ceiling was both for the first and the second floor with a grand
crystal and gold chandelier (three tiers, she counted, fifty-two light bulbs)
and the banisters were made of fine wood and connected by gilded gold that
looked like a lace pattern (on the plastered walls and ceiling was the same
pattern) and the room was filled with very wide, long mirrors, highly molded
with leaves and roses. The platform for the orchestra had red velvet carpeting,
as did the staircases and the second floor (if one stood near the circling
opening to the first floor, you could bend over the railing and spit, according
to Sirius). The same gilded gold lace pattern and mirrors that filled the first
floor were also on this floor, and there were candelabras on both floors,
sending a soft glow around the room. At the end of the second night, a
beautiful, light mist was to be sent out on the ballroom floor.
"This is so beautiful.." She murmured. She closed her eyes and
slowly spun around, feeling second by second the silk and velvets flow onto
her, the tiara and jewelry on her, the music echoing in her ears. She was a
princess, and, just for that moment, she was Lily.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Came Sirius's normal voice.
"Yes." She gasped as her eyelids flew open. All of a sudden the
silks and diamonds were gone and she was plain Jackie again. "I don't know why
Lily hides from this."
"First of all, it is more than just the gilded surface. Second of
all, I wasn't talking about the ballroom." He said, saying the last part as a
whisper. His head was down and he slowly strode to her.
"Oh." Jackie whispered, nodding her head and moving backwards as
he moved towards her. She bumped into the end of the stair rail.
Sirius leaned his head in, when Arabella came running out.
Sirius jumped away from Jackie and Jackie herself tripped over a step.
Arabella raised her eyebrows at Jackie and mouthed something to
Sirius, but then began to speak normally. "There's something wrong in the
kitchens."
Sirius departed quickly and Arabella stared pointedly at Jackie,
then left. For the first time, Jackie felt that there was a guy hanging around
her because she was her. I mean, her hair was messy and flying about
everywhere, her clothes dirty and wrinkled, and he called her beautiful. It
wasn't because Lily was there, it was because for the first time, Jackie was
herself.
Jackie decided on red for that night, it brought out her hair.
Plus, it was Sirius's favorite color. She selected a floor-length red cocktail
dress, strapless and sparkly, with matching stilettos. Her room (she had
selected it) was almost exactly like the ballroom; there were mirrors, plaster,
candelabras and red velvet. Arabella rushed in again and handed her something.
"This is going to make that dress a knock-out." Arabella
whispered excitedly. She had a pair of red gloves, very shiny, and a diamond
wristlet (though Arabella later admitted it was just very clever craftwork), a
matching necklace and matching earrings. Arabella rushed out as soon as she
closed the earrings in Jackie's hands.
Jackie put those earrings on carefully, slowly added the
necklace, then the gloves, then the wristlet. When she finished pinning up her
hair (Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, just the hair and the
gloves/wristlet, but think red gloves) she looked at one of the mirrors were
there was a million of one candelabra, and she gasped.
Her lightly browned skin glowed naturally, her annoying (or so
she believed) six freckles that dotted her nose, faded into her face, her eyes,
deep brown, snapped with pleasure, her lips, a dark pink, shined under the
light of the room. Her teeth were solid and white and she flashed the mirror a
smile.
She lifted her chin and turned around slowly, catching her
reflection in several mirrors.
"Oh my god!" Arabella came in, screaming. She wore a lavender ball gown, soft and
lightly shiny." You won't believe what just happened!" She paused. "You look
great! But it's all wasted."
"WHAT?" Jackie nearly screamed. Her two years of training with
Lily kept her from breaking down and crying.
"James caught Lily from jumping off the balcony!" Arabella nearly
shrieked. "Not even Claire knows. James told Sirius and Sirius was going to
tell you, but I overheard and I got to you first." She said with almost all her
breath running out.
Jackie lost all of her princess feel. The second time of the
night she went back from royalty to Jackie.
A knock came at the door. Arabella squealed as quietly as she
could and hurried to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. "That's
Sirius." She managed to whisper.
Jackie returned to her composure. "Come in."
Sirius had had his hair almost perfect (a middle part in his
chili-bowl), except a gelled strand got into his eyes. He was putting on his
cufflinks (silver and sapphires, James's, Jackie noted) as calmly as he could.
"Lily tried to jump tonight. James caught her." Sirius whispered.
"You look great." At that point, he began to break down and cry
Jackie led him over to sit down on her bed. She put her arm
around his shoulder and soon he was crying into her shoulders. She whispered
and cooed, "Sh, sh, it's alright now. It's alright now."
Arabella climbed out the bathroom window and snuck into the next
bedroom (James's) and met Lily and James there.
"Worked brilliantly." Arabella said, and the three congratulated
themselves. Lily had just found out that her friends were pretending to be
party planners, but she still wasn't going back downstairs.
"I better go. I know that Claire will be coming to visit me soon.
Bella, want to join me to back up my story?" She said quietly, still wearing the
robe she had worn to dinner. Arabella nodded and followed Lily out of the room.
"If I can be such a great matchmaker to other people, why can't
it work in my own love life?" James asked himself in his head as he watched
them go.
Severus Snape paced around in his room. Lucius came running in.
"She's just sick. Allergic to the shellfish we had earlier."
"How do I look?" Severus asked Lucius. Lucius brushed Severus's
tuxedo arms off, adjusted his cufflinks and handed him the present Severus had
planned to give her at dinner. It was wrapped in a two-tone silver paper, with
swirling, mesmerizing patterns.
"You're good to go. Good luck, Sev." Lucius said, regretting he
was telling his best friend this, the one that was going to marry a Mudblood.
"Thanks, Lu." Severus said, heading out the open door.
Lily heard the door open slightly and Arabella (in her disguise
and her odd new accent) came in, announcing "Master Snape".
Lily turned on her dressing room stool, trying to look as pale as
possible.
"I'm so sorry to hear you won't be coming down tonight. The party
planners are rescheduling, I believe." Severus said stuffily. He was trying his
best to be nice.
"That's nice." Lily said insincerely.
"I know, Lily, that you do not truly want to get married to
anyone right now," Severus began, but Lily had other thoughts. I do want to
get married, to get out of Claire's way. I just don't want to get married to
you. I want to marry- "But I hope, as a friend, you'll be able to accept
this gift."
At the word gift, Lily suddenly became aware of the light, thin
chain holding the heavy golden locket on her neck. She could see the tiny
rubies sparkle in the candlelight (there were two candles on either side of the
dressing table and that was it) and the gold glimmer. She turned back to him.
"I can, it is only polite." She said quietly. He handed her a
gift.
She ripped open the paper softly and slowly. Flap by flap, tape
piece by tape piece. Eventually she got down to the blue velvet box and she
folded the paper back up and put it on the marble counter next to her.
She lifted the lid of the blue velvet box (which was not very
wide, but rather long). She gasped.
"It's like a mini-Mirror of Erised. Only one person can look at
it at a time, your true desires never revealed. I wished I had gotten a bigger
one, maybe then I could give you what you want." He said. You couldn't give
me him..
The hand mirror was gold, and the handle had a vine of lilies and
leaves, gilded highly. And on the back, there was a huge lily with circlets of
vines surrounding it.
"Oh, Severus.." She murmured.
"I know, it's beautiful. It completely reminds me of the
presence you have here, a society lily."
Idiot! Lilies don't grow in society- They're all made of silk
and perfume!
"Thank you, Severus." She said formally. In her tone, she
dismissed him like a bad puppy.
"I'll see you as soon as you recover." He said. "It's not
contagious, is it?"
Allergies to shellfish being contagious? You are so naive and
gullible, Severus, you'll be eaten alive in the real world. I know you're not
at fault, but you are starting to annoy me.
Lily looked into the mirror as he left. She saw the back of a
woman in a wedding dress, her silk veil being lifted over her head. A peep of
red hair and she was leaning into a kiss, she would see her husband soon, her
left green eye winked at Lily, who nearly dropped the mirror. Lily was about to
see who her husband was going to be, what her heart truly wanted, but a knock
at the door slammed the brakes on her unreality joy ride.
"Come in." She said towards the door, placing the mirror face
down on the white marble counter.
Lilies don't grow in society- How true, yet it took you so
long to discover it. What an idiot you are, Lily. The mirror can't tell you
what your heart wants. Your heart doesn't know yet.
A/N: Sorry the other chapters
were so short, but this one is alright, right?