I'M BACK!

I don't get it, it says I have 78 reviews in my stats but it only reflects 75 reviews. Oh, *shrugs* anyways…

Oh, I'm really on the verge of going insane because of school. Fortunately, I still have something to keep me almost not-out-of-my-mind – this.

Does anyone read this anymore? I dunno. Anyway, for those who do, thanks a bunch.

My schedule is so busy but I'll try to finish this story before the fifth book of Harry Potter comes out. (Apparently, some added information about James and Lily is going to be in that story, and that might well, not go too well with this one.) Anyway, I'm talking too much. It's March 24, 2003 here but I'm so tired I'm going to upload this I guess tomorrow. Or later, but either way, when you're reading this then I have already uploaded it.

So, I guess I just have to invite you to read on… don't forget to review.

all my time is froze in motion... can't i stay an hour or two or more... don't let me let you go... -- eve 6, "here's to the night"

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CHAPTER NINE: Of Dates And Cookies

"What's wrong with you?" Vince finally asked. He was sitting in the common room, trying to read, when Kiara entered and sat on the chair across him. There wasn't much anything out of the ordinary. It was only until about a few minutes later that he finally looked up from his book and talked to her. He knew something must be up for the plain reason that during those past few minutes, Kiara wasn't talking – she was just staring at the fire. That wasn't herself.

Kiara looked up from the hearth and at him. Vince thought that she would start complaining about something – he had no idea, but something – right then and there. But for a change, all she did was sigh a deep, deep, frustrated sigh.

Vince raised his shoulders and looked at her expectantly. "Why so glum?"

"I just realized…" Kiara started. But before she continued, she let out another audible sigh. "This is so miserable."

Vince, confused and getting more confused, knitted his eyebrows and asked her, "What?"

Kiara's eyes widened like she couldn't believe that one of her closest friends didn't know the reason. "My life!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air out of frustration. When she noticed that Vince was still hanging on to whatever she would say next, she leaned forward in her seat and looked at him in the eyes. "Look, Lily is obviously being wooed by Lucius Malfoy, even if she keeps on denying it," she began. This time, Vince leaned back on his seat, knowing that Kiara was back to herself, and listened to her patiently. "Toni's got Sirius," she continued. "You're going to the dance with 'someone,' whoever that is…" she trailed, getting ready for the punch line. "And I… I… I don't have a date."

Vince raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"What d'you mean, 'that's it'?"

Vince straightened up in his seat. As if suddenly interested to be in the conversation. "I – I thought you're dating that guy from Ravenclaw. What's his name?"

"Damon Highfield?" Kiara replied. She rolled her eyes and said, "I dated him." Then sighed again. "I realized I don't like him."

"Well…" Vince looked up at the ceiling trying to think of the guys that Kiara could've dated. "What about that Robert Harold you keep talking about from Hufflepuff?"

Kiara stared at him for a couple of seconds. "I don't like him," she shrugged.

Vince scratched his head. "But you were just swooning over him the other day!" he practically exclaimed. Women, they're so complicated, he thought.

"He's taking Carol Chase. That's why I realized I don't like him."

"O…kay…" Vince replied.

Kiara slouched back in her chair. "So, as I said… this is so miserable," she concluded, with a shrug.

"Where are you going?" Vince asked when Kiara suddenly stood up.

"I'm going to take a walk," she replied. "You like to come?"

"Sure," Vince accepted, grabbing his cloak that was sitting beside him.

* * * * *

Lily had been making lasagna with Mimi, a house elf in the kitchen, for the past hour and a half. They were in the last stages of cooking as they were finally done with the pasta and the sauce. They laid down the food in the glass tray and were already spreading grated cheese on top for baking.

Meanwhile, James was sitting on a chair across the table, all the while watching the two of them hustle and bustle around the kitchen. He was busy eating the mass of food that the elves had served him for the past hour and a half while he was watching the two of them.

But of course, even if he was trying to behave himself by sitting put – to Lily's satisfaction, he couldn't just sit there and do nothing – aside from eating, that is. He would probably go insane trying to keep his thoughts to himself. So, during the past hour and a half, he made a lot of questions instead. Although to Lily, he was just making a lot of noise, he believed otherwise, anyway.

One time James asked, "Doesn't it supposed to be thick? That's so thin." He was pertaining to the individual lasagna pasta that Lily made.

Lily rolled her eyes and sighed at him. "This is only the pasta, James. We're gonna make it like in the pictures, don't worry," she replied, using a tone like she was talking to a little five-year-old curious boy.

James only smirked at her and then went back to his seat and contented himself when the elves finally put the tray of potato chips that he asked for earlier.

Finally, Lily and Mimi put the glass tray in the oven for a while of baking.

Tired from walking around the kitchen, Lily took the time to relax and sat across the table from James. "You know if you're getting bored, you can always go ahead," she said.

"Why?" James questioned, looking up from his food. "I'm fine here," he added while munching on the potato chips.

"Does Mr. Potter want some pumpkin juice with his food?" Mimi asked as she neared him.

"Sure," James replied with a nod and a wide grin on his face. He was apparently enjoying the servings of food and drinks that the house elves were offering him.

Mimi went to get pumpkin juice while James and Lily tried to sit in contented silence waiting for the house elf to come back with the drink.

"What?" Lily asked with knitted brows, looking at James apparently just staring at her.

James shook his head and looked back down to his food. "Nothing."

"You were just looking at me."

"Is it so wrong to look at a person?" James fought back defensively.

"Now, you're not looking at me," Lily said, looking at James refusing to look back at her. But apparently, she was just making fun of him, this time.

With that, James looked up and at her. "Satisfied?" he said, while flashing a wide annoying grin.

Lily shrugged, obviously packed with a lot of how-to-annoy-James words. "Now, you're just… weird," she replied, stifling a laugh.

After a few minutes, Mimi came back with a tray of a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a couple of glasses.

"Thanks," James said, as Mimi put the tray on the table.

Mimi was about to take the pitcher to pour the contents into the glasses when Lily stood up and took the pitcher from her. "That's alright, Mimi."

"Oh, but Ms. Evans has already been kind enough to show Mimi how to cook the food for the special ball," Mimi said, trying to refuse giving the pitcher of juice to Lily.

Lily insisted as she took one of the glasses, with her free hand, from the tray. "Really, it's fine," she assured. "Tell you what, why don't you just watch the food in the oven?"

James watched at the both of them in amusement. Especially at Lily, who looked like she was patiently talking to a seven-year-old kid. He had to shake himself back to reality to keep himself from imagining her as someone so motherly and sweet.

"Okay. If Ms. Evans insists." Mimi finally agreed, before strolling to the oven to watch the food.

"Here, let me do that," James suddenly said, as he took the pitcher of juice just when Lily was about to pour it into the glasses. "I'm starting to feel a little useless around here," he added as an excuse to be a 'gentleman,' as he poured the drink into the glasses.

"Don't be. You get to taste the food first," Lily said. Just then, she smiled a mischievous grin across her face, making sure that James could see. "So, if you suddenly choke then," she shrugged, "oh well, I don't think we should be serving it during the ball."

James only smirked at her. "Ha ha," he muttered. "Very funny."

Lily giggled, fascinated that she could make fun of him again. While James could only smile at her chuckling figure, satisfied that they were talking again.

She took a sip of pumpkin juice and got hold of some potato chips – that were almost left just as crumbs – as she looked around the kitchen.

James turned his head, at the direction that Lily was gazing at, curious on what she was looking for. "Are you looking for something?" he asked.

Lily raised her eyebrows as a sign of reply. "Hey, do you want cookies?" she asked James. "I'm in the baking mood."

"As long as I won't choke on it, I'm in for that," James replied, teasing her.

"Don't worry, you won't," Lily said, as she stood up, and walked to him. "This time, you're gonna have to help me," she added as she grabbed his arm and practically dragged him across the kitchen.

* * * * *

The weather was really getting cold outside the castle. All the students who were taking a walk across the school grounds were wearing a scarf around their necks aside from layers of sweater and cloak. To emphasize the cold atmosphere, it started to snow just when Vince and Kiara stepped out of the castle.

"So, Vince…" Kiara began.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about this 'someone' you're gonna ask out to the dance," she said, as she swung her arms at her sides, to get some warmth in her body.

Vince glanced at her and chuckled. "I, well," he began, looking back down on the ground. "You know…"

"What?"

Vince anxiously ran his hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't, I don't think I wanna talk about that," he replied with a shrug. He looked straight across, avoiding her eyes. "I don't think – actually, I'm sure she doesn't feel the same."

"How can you say that?" Kiara uttered, cheerfully. "Can't you at least tell me her name?"

Before any of the two of them could say another word, a female voice yelled, "Heads up!"

Vince and Kiara looked up and watched as Cherie Walker, a Quidditch Beater of the Ravenclaw team, hit a Bludger away that was coming toward their direction. They just realized that they were already standing in the Quidditch field where the Ravenclaw team was currently practicing.

"Hey, Pete!" Kiara called when she saw him by the stands. Both of them walked to Peter.

"Hey, Kiara. Vince," Peter waved, greeting them back.

"Pretty rare watching another house's team practice," Kiara chirped, suddenly getting back into her usual jovial mood.

Peter smiled shyly. "Well, I'm just actually waiting for someone," he said, bobbing his head toward the girl walking up to him.

Kiara looked at Cherie walk to Peter. Suddenly, she realized that she was supposed to be miserable for not having a date for the ball. She watched as Cherie gave him a peck on the cheek and they started to walk off the field. For a moment, she was out of herself, until Vince waved a hand in front of her face.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, looking at Vince. "I'm the only person in the whole of Hogwarts who doesn't have a date!" she decided, as she walked lazily out of the field.

"What?" Vince called, as he walked after her. "No. You cannot be sure of that."

Kiara kept on walking, possibly on the verge of a nervous break down. She almost looked like she just escaped from a TV sitcom. She looked almost funny only if she wasn't so upset.

Vince stopped her and held her by the shoulders. She faced her to him and looked her in the eyes. "Kiara, do you realize you're over reacting?"

"No…"

"Kiara, if Snape gets a date then that's the time to start to panic."

With that, Kiara took a deep breath and finally calmed down. "That's right," she said. "Snape is probably moping around, too trying to get someone to go to the dance with him," she added, more of convincing herself.

Then, just as she had uttered her reassuring statement, she froze dead on her feet. Her mouth fell open and her eyes were wide in surprise – and at the same time, the expression of close to tears.

Vince turned around to see what Kiara was looking at. And then he saw the very reason why she was looking almost desperate just then.

Snape was walking towards their direction – holding the hand of a Slytherin girl for crying out loud!

"Vince!" Kiara exclaimed after Snape walked past them and a safe distance from them. Vince's eyes twitched at the said of his name. "Snape!" She wanted to shriek but it suddenly seemed like her vocal cords couldn't produce any sound. She breathed in and after which, narrowed her eyes at Vince like it was his fault she was the most miserable person on the face of Hogwarts. "Severus Snape has a date! Vince, that's like an omen!" she yelled out in the same noiseless cry.

Vince opened his mouth, trying to come up with some words of wisdom – or comfort. She always acted like this when it came to school dances, but he always panicked every single time. Especially this time. At first, only fractions of words came out of him. "Wel – uh – Kia – c'm – look," he finally succeeded in saying one complete word. "Can't you just think about this for one whole minute?"

Kiara stopped and breathed in. "Is ten seconds enough?" she calmly said, after a few moments. "I already know my life is over," she added using a tone like it was a mere matter of fact.

Vince had to roll his eyes. This time, Kiara was just being plain insane. "Okay, look, look," he began, looking her straight in the eyes. "Hey, if… if nobody asks you out to the dance then," he shrugged, "we'll go together," he suggested. But there was something in his tone that none of them had noticed. Nervousness, perhaps? Some sort of anxious restlessness – a redundant expression that could very well emphasize what he was really trying to say.

Kiara sighed. "But that's not the point, Vince," she said. "I don't want to be your pity date. Besides, you have that someone you wanna ask to the dance."

"No. It's not – it's not a pity date," Vince insisted. "We'll have fun together. We'll dance… we'll laugh… you know…"

"Vince," Kiara sighed audibly. "That's okay. I'm just being paranoid," she suggested, forcing a chuckle and a smile across her face. "Why don't you just go and ask that someone to the dance," she insisted, shrugging like it was really no big deal to her.

Some people say that sometimes, people look too far for the person who're supposedly for them; not knowing that what they're looking for's actually right in front of them. And sometimes, looking at them straight in the eyes.

Kiara flashed a look of puzzlement as she looked at her friend who was standing uneasily in his place. "Vince?" she called, as if trying to call him back to earth.

Vince ran a nervous hand through his hair, just like what he did before. And just like what he did just a while ago, he stammered – much worse this time. "Wel – I – uh –" he stuttered, not being able to look straight at her. "I'm – I'm asking you."

After that, he breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that for so long, he finally had the courage to say what he wanted to say. He looked at her, expecting some sort of reaction. But from the looks of her expressionless face, he hoped for any kind of reaction. The silence was killing him as they stood there looking at each other, not really knowing what to say next. But still, he waited.

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they say that hanging on will justify the wait... but patience and elated wisdom don't share a common phrase... -- savage garden, "promises"

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