Disclaimer: Harry Potter- all persons, things, animals, and blah blah that
J.K. Rowling created isn't mine.. Only Clara, Dana, Hazel and Alice and all
other people you don't recognize.. (
Last chapter: Preparations for the Yule Ball and the girls come down to meet the boys..
One warning: A bit of sour language in the upcoming chapters, be warned. And it wouldn't be the same if the vulgar words weren't used..
ON TO THE STORY!
.. And after a while, three beautiful angels stepped out to meet them.
Lily was covered by Dana and Clara, who'd appeared together at the top of the staircase. Sirius, James and Remus' attention went to them, but only to one particular girl.
James thought she looked beautiful in that dress. An angel, a nightingale, a sweet beautiful melody. He could compare her to a lot of things all day. 'Green really brings out her eyes. It's her best color.'
Remus sent a shy smile to Clara, who returned it and inwardly he sighed with happiness. She was so pretty and kind, who wouldn't fall n love with her? 'Shit, the 'l' word! I thought about it! Oh no...' Remus thought frantically.
Sirius was speechless, and this was a moment to remember, it was once in a blue moon that Sirius Orion Black had nothing witty to comment.
Sirius' mind worked furiously, as Dana's taunting smile infuriated him and made him smile, too, at the same time. He blurted out what was on the tip of his tongue without thinking. "Bloody hell. What in the shit happened to you three?"
The smiles on the girls' faces disappeared and Dana sputtered. "What's that suppose to mean?"
Sirius opened his mouth to answer when Remus pushed him out of the way. "What he means to say is, you three look-"
Lily smiled. "Fantastic?"
Clara giggled. "Amazing?"
Dana laughed. "Remarkable?"
They were going so fast that the boys couldn't keep up. But those were what the three Marauders were thinking about them right now.
"Spectacular?" Clara ran a hand over her dress robes.
"Pretty?" Dana twirled a strand of her hair.
"Stupendous?" Lily licked her lips seductively and giggled at the boys' horrified expressions.
"Gorgeous?" Clara spun around and laughed at the Marauders' wide eyes, watching her skirt flow out.
"Beautiful?" The three of them put their arms around each other and spoke in unison, giving them their best smiles.
James regained use of his voice after losing the ability to speak in the shock of seeing Lily all dressed up and beautiful. "Now we're talking! Lily Flower, promise me a dance or two later?"
The redhead smiled at him, the same smile she reserved especially for James. "Sure, James, I'll ask Severus if he doesn't mind. And, you three don't look so bad either."
It was true; James was in midnight blue robes that hung loosely over his muscular frame, while Sirius went with the traditional black, and Remus had robes made in a silvery, dark grey color that brought out his stormy eyes.
The two cousins grimaced at the mention of the greasy Slytherin's name, but the boys were too busy expressing their feelings for that act of sweetness to actually hear their enemy's name come out from Lily's mouth and being described as her date.
Sirius gagged. "How sick is that, eh Remus?"
Dana silenced him with one of her famous death glares. "I think it's sweet, and so does Clara."
Clara laughed and checked her watch. "Hey, it's 7:20, let's go down already. Or at least, Lily, Dana and I are going to go now. Unless you want to come with us?"
The boys shared knowing looks and nodded. James offered his arm to Lily, who giggled and leaned to him, whispering, "Thanks for escorting me."
"Anytime, Lily Flower."
They went ahead of their friends. The walk to the Great Hall was quiet, and all the while Lily thought, 'He still has the power to make my knees tremble! I wonder if Severus would be able to do that..'
She closed her eyes and inhaled his cologne, 'Mmm..Hugo Boss,' Lily thought.
James watched Lily close her eyes and take in his scent. He chuckled lightly, not too loud so that Lily wouldn't hear. Her auburn hair gave off a distinct aura that reminded James of a halo when put in the dim light of the torches. He reached for her hand.
Lily's eyes sprung open. James was surprised and pleased when their hands made contact with each other. It felt so complete and Lily's hand fit so perfectly into his, like they were a molded statue that was split in half. She smiled at him shyly and he grinned back.
She loved his lopsided grin. He replaced his left hand with his right and put his free arm around her shoulders.
"James! What are you doing?"
"Nothing, just resting my arm, honestly," James took on a mock hurting voice.
Lily slapped him playfully. "And since when did I become your armrest?"
"Since now."
They lapsed into silence as they passed through the barely filled corridors of Hogwarts. James went back to thinking. He started having a conversation with himself.
'She's so pretty tonight! Well, she's always pretty but tonight more so!'
'Potter, shut up and just snog her!'
'Since when did I have mind conversations with myself? Never mind, don't answer that. It's fun!'
'The question is, Potter, do you like her or not in the way she likes you?'
'You seriously want my answer? A while ago, when Sirius mentioned that-'
'None of that. I know already, I'm just your other side, Potter! You thought that Lily's "infatuation" was flattering and that crap. And when Alice came and started flirting-'
'Hey, hey, hey! Why're you telling me the story? I'm the one telling the story here! And when Alice came and started flirting, I was just thinking that I didn't like her THAT way...'
'I have a feeling you're going to change your mind about that, Potter!'
'That's cause I'm about to, dummy.'
'I sort of like feel weird sometimes when she comes near me or speaks to me or makes fun of me, something no one gets away with...'
'It could be like that. Maybe you're just dumb enough not to realize that that's exactly what you feel when you find a girl hot!'
'But I think it may be different this time! Really!'
'But what if she does get hurt, if she becomes one of my girlfriends? Like Sirius said?'
'I don't know, I guess I'll have to risk it, then?'
'You're seriously asking me that?'
'Yeah! What's wrong with it?'
'Shut up, Potter. Oh, we're in the Great Hall!'
'Fun talking to you! Come back soon!'
'Stupid arse! We share the same mind!'
'Oh! Right...'
"James?" A light hand rested on his shoulder.
"Hrm?" James looked at Lily, who was smirking at him.
"I'll just go to my date now, okay?" she asked in that innocent voice of hers.
James asked, "Yeah, but hang on a minute. I don't reckon you ever told me who was taking you to the Ball?"
Lily gestured over the crowd, but it was too thick to see. She moved a little space away from him in her anticipation of his reaction to what she was about to say.
James laughed. "What? Is it someone that horrible that you're actually afraid of what I might do or say?"
She laughed nervously in return. "A little. Anyway, I'm going to meet Severus now."
Lily was about to worm her way out of the throng of people and to Snape when James grabbed her arm a little too roughly.
"Say what?! Severus, as in Severus Snape, the slimy Slytherin git who always picks on me?"
Lily nodded slightly. "It's not a common name, is it? James, don't be mad. He's nice, if you get to know him. And can you please let go of my arm?" she added.
James fumed with anger. 'One, two, three, I'm going to make it to ten, four five, six, keep thinking ten!.........'
"Ok, if you need me, Sirius, Remus or Peter, just come anytime, all right? And I swear, if he touches you or hurt you or any thing of the like...'
Lily grinned foolishly at his over protectiveness. "You'll what? James, don't worry! I promise I'll go to you in case I need anything! It's not like I'm your girlfriend or anything, I'm just like a sister to you, right?"
Lily didn't realize she said the last part rather bitterly and left the messy haired, bespectacled boy gaping and pondering over what she had just said in her wake.
She looked up and started searching for the tall and gangly Slytherin; when she spotted him, rather, he spotted her, Snape waved her over.
"Lily! You look beautiful tonight! Not that you don't look beautiful every day but tonight, you're prettier!" Severus rambled.
Lily laughed at his consciousness. "Severus, don't be nervous! It's just me, Lily Evans, the girl with the fire-engine hair!"
He smiled at her and Lily couldn't help but smile back. "Exactly why I'm nervous!"
Severus offered her arm to her, and Lily was reminded the way James held out his arm for her only a few minutes ago. She linked her arm happily through his and together, they walked into the Great Hall.
Dumbledore and the staff certainly lived up to the past Balls they'd had before, the Prefects only helped a little. The four House tables had disappeared and were replaced with small round tables that could fit eight people, but Lily didn't doubt that they would expand should any one wish to join a full table. There were twelve huge Christmas trees, six on each side, with different ornaments. There were bubbles with little faeries inside, gold balls with sweets, candy canes, magically enlarged so people could take a bite and lots more. The hovering candles in the Hogwarts ceiling were changed to mistletoe, and lots of couples kept going under them. The bewitched ceiling had snow lightly falling, and it landed on people, too, except it gave no coldness, but a warm, tickling sensation. The staff's table was decorated with holly, ivy and the like of Christmas decorations.
"Lily," Severus nudged Lily out of her wondering, "look up!"
She did so and to her astonishment, Severus had managed to lead them directly under mistletoe. Lily started worrying; would Severus kiss her on her lips or her cheek?
He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. Lily closed her eyes and inhaled his cologne, just as she had done to James a while ago.
She was furious with herself; 'Lily, stop thinking about James. You're with Severus, for Merlin's sake!'
She felt Severus' moist lips kiss her cheek and she inwardly sighed with relief. For a while there, Lily thought he was serious on kissing her in the lips, and she surely didn't want her first kiss to be from the Slytherin, no offense to Severus.
After he pulled away, Lily felt awkward, and she said softly, "Thank you, Severus, let's go find a table."
Coincidentally, the table she and Severus sat at were soon joined by James and Aretha, Sirius and Marianne and Remus and Clarissa.
"Hello, Lily! Hello, Marianne! Hello, Clarissa!" Aretha chirped perkily. Lily shared an annoyed glance with her fellow Prefect, Clarissa Dunt and they both looked away, fighting to keep their laughter inside.
"Oh, hi, Aretha!" Marianne mocked the chirpy Gryffindor and the three girls, being Lily, Clarissa and Marianne, burst out in giggles. Aretha looked confused.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing," Clarissa made to brush something away, "Just saw Dumbledore tuck his beard away."
Aretha laughed fakely and gave a huge, simpering smile. "How funny that must've been!"
Lily leaned in to Severus and whispered in his ear, making him turn red, or as red as possible for his sallowed skin to turn into. "How dumb could this girl get? James has to have better taste or else he'll turn into a virtual cheerleader!"
He chuckled and whispered back, his breath tickling the back of her neck. "Trust Potter to get stupid girls, unlike me."
Lily blushed and kissed Severus' cheek. He, too, turned crimson again and smiled at Lily. She'd no idea why she did that, but she mentally slapped her face for it. 'Lils, don't egg him on anymore than necessary!'
"So, James, remind me, what did happen the last time an unwanted person joined us?" said Sirius, staring fixedly at Severus, who was turning white.
Lily groaned and held Severus' hand. "Severus, I'm so sorry those two prats are out to get you. Don't mind them."
He smiled gently, ignoring James' reminiscing of what they did to Malfoy, making the Slytherin's robes transparent for all to see his Bugs Bunny boxers. "They bug me everyday, and when you've been tolerating them for the past five years, you kind of grow immunity to it."
Before she could reply, or James could continue with his sad little story, Dumbledore stood up.
"Students! Welcome to the Yule Ball! It is my pleasure to congratulate the prefects, Head Boy and Girl and our caretaker, Mr. Pringle, for taking care of our decorations. It is also my pleasure to say that a rather popular band of Wizard-kind has kindly consented to entertain us. Let me present to you, The Weird Sisters!"
A round of applause catcalls and hooting went through the Great Hall. After while, the students' excitement simmered down.
"I would like to say, the staff and I hope this one night of excitement can sustain your yearnings for fun (at this, he looked directly at the Marauders, who chuckled and waved at him). May I ask the Head Boy and Girl to open the first dance? And after that, the two Prefects of each House to join them?"
The spotlight shone on the Weird Sisters, who just walked onto the small platform set up right in front of the alleviated staff's table. "Hello Hogwarts! We're the Weird Sisters, and we're here to rock you! For our opening song, it's a slow one: Leaving on a Jet Plane."
A blushing Arthur Weasley led an equally red Molly Winchester to the centre of the dance floor, their necks very red from the attention that was surely centered upon them from the students.
I'm ... I'm ...
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die
So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
I'm. . .
Dumbledore signaled the Prefects to join them and Lily and James stood up, Lily smiling nervously and James, a cheeky grin lighting up his handsome features. If Lily took the time to look back at their table, she would've seen her date scowling ferociously at them as their hands made contact with each other.
Slowly, James led her to the dance floor, staying in a not so secluded area. He pulled her close to him; resting both of his hands on her waists, where Lily tingled slightly. She smiled adoringly up at James, she couldn't help it, and she put her arms around his neck, leaving them to hang off in a very seductive manner, unconsciously.
"So. . ." James started. "Are you still mad at me for looking out for you?"
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I'll tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Lily took a while to listen to the song before answering. "No, I realize I shouldn't've blown up at you like that. Sorry?"
It was James' turn to ponder over the song.
Every place I go, I think of you
Every song I sing, I sing for you
When I come back I'll wear your wedding ring
He formed a playful pout, and pretended to be in deep thought. "Of course, Lily Flower, I can never stay mad at you when you're looking like that!" (A/n: Westlife, anyone?)
Lily smiled, quickly erasing her sad, puppy-dog eyes. "Ah, I knew I had power over you!"
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
They smiled serenely at each other. Lily wished she could rest her head on his firm chest, and James heard her sigh longingly.
"You can, you know."
She blinked. "Huh?"
James chuckled, "You know, lean your head on my shoulder?"
Lily nodded appreciatively and put her head on the suggested body part. They moved in time to the music, with Lily trying not to fall asleep right then and there.
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times that I won't have to say ...
All this time, James was having another of his conversations with his head.
'Potter, as I've said earlier, snog her now! There's your big chance!'
'Shut up! That'd be wrong. . . and besides, why would I want to make ickle Snapey-Poo jealous?' countered his other side sarcastically.
'We wouldn't want that now, would we, Potter?'
'Of course not!'
'If that's the case, well, then. . .'
James tilted Lily's head with his free hand that he'd removed from her waist. She looked confusedly up at him, with an expression clearly saying, 'What?'
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snape glaring daggers at him and this egged James on.
"James?" Lily queried, looking at him in an odd way. He turned to her and smiled, leaning in closer and closer to her face.
So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me Hold me like you'll never let me go
Lily sucked in her breath, a million thoughts running through her brain. James still moved in closer, his arms now supporting her back and her hands bringing his neck closer to him.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Closer.and closer.Lily was fidgeting inside with anticipation and foreboding. . . James' breath was playing on her face. . .
Don't know when I'll be back again
James closed his brown eyes, Lily took note, and followed suit, closing her emerald eyes that later, their son would inherit.
Their lips met in a soft, light kiss. (A/n: I don't want to say 'a surge of electricity went through the both of them as they kissed', coz I think that line's been way over used. . .)
Oh, babe, I hate to go. . .
It was what you say, the softest kiss ever to be kissed. A confusing yet accurate sentence. Lily was about to pull away when James decided to deepen it. His hands roamed over the small of her back and she fussed with his hair, after catching on to the idea.
I'm leaving on a jet plane. . .
After while they pulled apart and gazed into the other's eyes. Lily brought a hand to her lips and turned on her heel, knowing for sure Severus had seen the kiss. She ran to the girl's room, and Clara and Dana had spotted her, catching up to her.
James was left standing there, and after taking in what happened in a few minutes, he strode back to his table, with his friends looking oddly at him, a waiting Aretha and a fiercely angered Snape, with only one thought going through his head:
'Lily. . .'
(Leaving) on a jet plane. . . Aaaah. . .
Last chapter: Preparations for the Yule Ball and the girls come down to meet the boys..
One warning: A bit of sour language in the upcoming chapters, be warned. And it wouldn't be the same if the vulgar words weren't used..
ON TO THE STORY!
.. And after a while, three beautiful angels stepped out to meet them.
Lily was covered by Dana and Clara, who'd appeared together at the top of the staircase. Sirius, James and Remus' attention went to them, but only to one particular girl.
James thought she looked beautiful in that dress. An angel, a nightingale, a sweet beautiful melody. He could compare her to a lot of things all day. 'Green really brings out her eyes. It's her best color.'
Remus sent a shy smile to Clara, who returned it and inwardly he sighed with happiness. She was so pretty and kind, who wouldn't fall n love with her? 'Shit, the 'l' word! I thought about it! Oh no...' Remus thought frantically.
Sirius was speechless, and this was a moment to remember, it was once in a blue moon that Sirius Orion Black had nothing witty to comment.
Sirius' mind worked furiously, as Dana's taunting smile infuriated him and made him smile, too, at the same time. He blurted out what was on the tip of his tongue without thinking. "Bloody hell. What in the shit happened to you three?"
The smiles on the girls' faces disappeared and Dana sputtered. "What's that suppose to mean?"
Sirius opened his mouth to answer when Remus pushed him out of the way. "What he means to say is, you three look-"
Lily smiled. "Fantastic?"
Clara giggled. "Amazing?"
Dana laughed. "Remarkable?"
They were going so fast that the boys couldn't keep up. But those were what the three Marauders were thinking about them right now.
"Spectacular?" Clara ran a hand over her dress robes.
"Pretty?" Dana twirled a strand of her hair.
"Stupendous?" Lily licked her lips seductively and giggled at the boys' horrified expressions.
"Gorgeous?" Clara spun around and laughed at the Marauders' wide eyes, watching her skirt flow out.
"Beautiful?" The three of them put their arms around each other and spoke in unison, giving them their best smiles.
James regained use of his voice after losing the ability to speak in the shock of seeing Lily all dressed up and beautiful. "Now we're talking! Lily Flower, promise me a dance or two later?"
The redhead smiled at him, the same smile she reserved especially for James. "Sure, James, I'll ask Severus if he doesn't mind. And, you three don't look so bad either."
It was true; James was in midnight blue robes that hung loosely over his muscular frame, while Sirius went with the traditional black, and Remus had robes made in a silvery, dark grey color that brought out his stormy eyes.
The two cousins grimaced at the mention of the greasy Slytherin's name, but the boys were too busy expressing their feelings for that act of sweetness to actually hear their enemy's name come out from Lily's mouth and being described as her date.
Sirius gagged. "How sick is that, eh Remus?"
Dana silenced him with one of her famous death glares. "I think it's sweet, and so does Clara."
Clara laughed and checked her watch. "Hey, it's 7:20, let's go down already. Or at least, Lily, Dana and I are going to go now. Unless you want to come with us?"
The boys shared knowing looks and nodded. James offered his arm to Lily, who giggled and leaned to him, whispering, "Thanks for escorting me."
"Anytime, Lily Flower."
They went ahead of their friends. The walk to the Great Hall was quiet, and all the while Lily thought, 'He still has the power to make my knees tremble! I wonder if Severus would be able to do that..'
She closed her eyes and inhaled his cologne, 'Mmm..Hugo Boss,' Lily thought.
James watched Lily close her eyes and take in his scent. He chuckled lightly, not too loud so that Lily wouldn't hear. Her auburn hair gave off a distinct aura that reminded James of a halo when put in the dim light of the torches. He reached for her hand.
Lily's eyes sprung open. James was surprised and pleased when their hands made contact with each other. It felt so complete and Lily's hand fit so perfectly into his, like they were a molded statue that was split in half. She smiled at him shyly and he grinned back.
She loved his lopsided grin. He replaced his left hand with his right and put his free arm around her shoulders.
"James! What are you doing?"
"Nothing, just resting my arm, honestly," James took on a mock hurting voice.
Lily slapped him playfully. "And since when did I become your armrest?"
"Since now."
They lapsed into silence as they passed through the barely filled corridors of Hogwarts. James went back to thinking. He started having a conversation with himself.
'She's so pretty tonight! Well, she's always pretty but tonight more so!'
'Potter, shut up and just snog her!'
'Since when did I have mind conversations with myself? Never mind, don't answer that. It's fun!'
'The question is, Potter, do you like her or not in the way she likes you?'
'You seriously want my answer? A while ago, when Sirius mentioned that-'
'None of that. I know already, I'm just your other side, Potter! You thought that Lily's "infatuation" was flattering and that crap. And when Alice came and started flirting-'
'Hey, hey, hey! Why're you telling me the story? I'm the one telling the story here! And when Alice came and started flirting, I was just thinking that I didn't like her THAT way...'
'I have a feeling you're going to change your mind about that, Potter!'
'That's cause I'm about to, dummy.'
'I sort of like feel weird sometimes when she comes near me or speaks to me or makes fun of me, something no one gets away with...'
'It could be like that. Maybe you're just dumb enough not to realize that that's exactly what you feel when you find a girl hot!'
'But I think it may be different this time! Really!'
'But what if she does get hurt, if she becomes one of my girlfriends? Like Sirius said?'
'I don't know, I guess I'll have to risk it, then?'
'You're seriously asking me that?'
'Yeah! What's wrong with it?'
'Shut up, Potter. Oh, we're in the Great Hall!'
'Fun talking to you! Come back soon!'
'Stupid arse! We share the same mind!'
'Oh! Right...'
"James?" A light hand rested on his shoulder.
"Hrm?" James looked at Lily, who was smirking at him.
"I'll just go to my date now, okay?" she asked in that innocent voice of hers.
James asked, "Yeah, but hang on a minute. I don't reckon you ever told me who was taking you to the Ball?"
Lily gestured over the crowd, but it was too thick to see. She moved a little space away from him in her anticipation of his reaction to what she was about to say.
James laughed. "What? Is it someone that horrible that you're actually afraid of what I might do or say?"
She laughed nervously in return. "A little. Anyway, I'm going to meet Severus now."
Lily was about to worm her way out of the throng of people and to Snape when James grabbed her arm a little too roughly.
"Say what?! Severus, as in Severus Snape, the slimy Slytherin git who always picks on me?"
Lily nodded slightly. "It's not a common name, is it? James, don't be mad. He's nice, if you get to know him. And can you please let go of my arm?" she added.
James fumed with anger. 'One, two, three, I'm going to make it to ten, four five, six, keep thinking ten!.........'
"Ok, if you need me, Sirius, Remus or Peter, just come anytime, all right? And I swear, if he touches you or hurt you or any thing of the like...'
Lily grinned foolishly at his over protectiveness. "You'll what? James, don't worry! I promise I'll go to you in case I need anything! It's not like I'm your girlfriend or anything, I'm just like a sister to you, right?"
Lily didn't realize she said the last part rather bitterly and left the messy haired, bespectacled boy gaping and pondering over what she had just said in her wake.
She looked up and started searching for the tall and gangly Slytherin; when she spotted him, rather, he spotted her, Snape waved her over.
"Lily! You look beautiful tonight! Not that you don't look beautiful every day but tonight, you're prettier!" Severus rambled.
Lily laughed at his consciousness. "Severus, don't be nervous! It's just me, Lily Evans, the girl with the fire-engine hair!"
He smiled at her and Lily couldn't help but smile back. "Exactly why I'm nervous!"
Severus offered her arm to her, and Lily was reminded the way James held out his arm for her only a few minutes ago. She linked her arm happily through his and together, they walked into the Great Hall.
Dumbledore and the staff certainly lived up to the past Balls they'd had before, the Prefects only helped a little. The four House tables had disappeared and were replaced with small round tables that could fit eight people, but Lily didn't doubt that they would expand should any one wish to join a full table. There were twelve huge Christmas trees, six on each side, with different ornaments. There were bubbles with little faeries inside, gold balls with sweets, candy canes, magically enlarged so people could take a bite and lots more. The hovering candles in the Hogwarts ceiling were changed to mistletoe, and lots of couples kept going under them. The bewitched ceiling had snow lightly falling, and it landed on people, too, except it gave no coldness, but a warm, tickling sensation. The staff's table was decorated with holly, ivy and the like of Christmas decorations.
"Lily," Severus nudged Lily out of her wondering, "look up!"
She did so and to her astonishment, Severus had managed to lead them directly under mistletoe. Lily started worrying; would Severus kiss her on her lips or her cheek?
He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. Lily closed her eyes and inhaled his cologne, just as she had done to James a while ago.
She was furious with herself; 'Lily, stop thinking about James. You're with Severus, for Merlin's sake!'
She felt Severus' moist lips kiss her cheek and she inwardly sighed with relief. For a while there, Lily thought he was serious on kissing her in the lips, and she surely didn't want her first kiss to be from the Slytherin, no offense to Severus.
After he pulled away, Lily felt awkward, and she said softly, "Thank you, Severus, let's go find a table."
Coincidentally, the table she and Severus sat at were soon joined by James and Aretha, Sirius and Marianne and Remus and Clarissa.
"Hello, Lily! Hello, Marianne! Hello, Clarissa!" Aretha chirped perkily. Lily shared an annoyed glance with her fellow Prefect, Clarissa Dunt and they both looked away, fighting to keep their laughter inside.
"Oh, hi, Aretha!" Marianne mocked the chirpy Gryffindor and the three girls, being Lily, Clarissa and Marianne, burst out in giggles. Aretha looked confused.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing," Clarissa made to brush something away, "Just saw Dumbledore tuck his beard away."
Aretha laughed fakely and gave a huge, simpering smile. "How funny that must've been!"
Lily leaned in to Severus and whispered in his ear, making him turn red, or as red as possible for his sallowed skin to turn into. "How dumb could this girl get? James has to have better taste or else he'll turn into a virtual cheerleader!"
He chuckled and whispered back, his breath tickling the back of her neck. "Trust Potter to get stupid girls, unlike me."
Lily blushed and kissed Severus' cheek. He, too, turned crimson again and smiled at Lily. She'd no idea why she did that, but she mentally slapped her face for it. 'Lils, don't egg him on anymore than necessary!'
"So, James, remind me, what did happen the last time an unwanted person joined us?" said Sirius, staring fixedly at Severus, who was turning white.
Lily groaned and held Severus' hand. "Severus, I'm so sorry those two prats are out to get you. Don't mind them."
He smiled gently, ignoring James' reminiscing of what they did to Malfoy, making the Slytherin's robes transparent for all to see his Bugs Bunny boxers. "They bug me everyday, and when you've been tolerating them for the past five years, you kind of grow immunity to it."
Before she could reply, or James could continue with his sad little story, Dumbledore stood up.
"Students! Welcome to the Yule Ball! It is my pleasure to congratulate the prefects, Head Boy and Girl and our caretaker, Mr. Pringle, for taking care of our decorations. It is also my pleasure to say that a rather popular band of Wizard-kind has kindly consented to entertain us. Let me present to you, The Weird Sisters!"
A round of applause catcalls and hooting went through the Great Hall. After while, the students' excitement simmered down.
"I would like to say, the staff and I hope this one night of excitement can sustain your yearnings for fun (at this, he looked directly at the Marauders, who chuckled and waved at him). May I ask the Head Boy and Girl to open the first dance? And after that, the two Prefects of each House to join them?"
The spotlight shone on the Weird Sisters, who just walked onto the small platform set up right in front of the alleviated staff's table. "Hello Hogwarts! We're the Weird Sisters, and we're here to rock you! For our opening song, it's a slow one: Leaving on a Jet Plane."
A blushing Arthur Weasley led an equally red Molly Winchester to the centre of the dance floor, their necks very red from the attention that was surely centered upon them from the students.
I'm ... I'm ...
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die
So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
I'm. . .
Dumbledore signaled the Prefects to join them and Lily and James stood up, Lily smiling nervously and James, a cheeky grin lighting up his handsome features. If Lily took the time to look back at their table, she would've seen her date scowling ferociously at them as their hands made contact with each other.
Slowly, James led her to the dance floor, staying in a not so secluded area. He pulled her close to him; resting both of his hands on her waists, where Lily tingled slightly. She smiled adoringly up at James, she couldn't help it, and she put her arms around his neck, leaving them to hang off in a very seductive manner, unconsciously.
"So. . ." James started. "Are you still mad at me for looking out for you?"
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I'll tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Lily took a while to listen to the song before answering. "No, I realize I shouldn't've blown up at you like that. Sorry?"
It was James' turn to ponder over the song.
Every place I go, I think of you
Every song I sing, I sing for you
When I come back I'll wear your wedding ring
He formed a playful pout, and pretended to be in deep thought. "Of course, Lily Flower, I can never stay mad at you when you're looking like that!" (A/n: Westlife, anyone?)
Lily smiled, quickly erasing her sad, puppy-dog eyes. "Ah, I knew I had power over you!"
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
They smiled serenely at each other. Lily wished she could rest her head on his firm chest, and James heard her sigh longingly.
"You can, you know."
She blinked. "Huh?"
James chuckled, "You know, lean your head on my shoulder?"
Lily nodded appreciatively and put her head on the suggested body part. They moved in time to the music, with Lily trying not to fall asleep right then and there.
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times that I won't have to say ...
All this time, James was having another of his conversations with his head.
'Potter, as I've said earlier, snog her now! There's your big chance!'
'Shut up! That'd be wrong. . . and besides, why would I want to make ickle Snapey-Poo jealous?' countered his other side sarcastically.
'We wouldn't want that now, would we, Potter?'
'Of course not!'
'If that's the case, well, then. . .'
James tilted Lily's head with his free hand that he'd removed from her waist. She looked confusedly up at him, with an expression clearly saying, 'What?'
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snape glaring daggers at him and this egged James on.
"James?" Lily queried, looking at him in an odd way. He turned to her and smiled, leaning in closer and closer to her face.
So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me Hold me like you'll never let me go
Lily sucked in her breath, a million thoughts running through her brain. James still moved in closer, his arms now supporting her back and her hands bringing his neck closer to him.
Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Closer.and closer.Lily was fidgeting inside with anticipation and foreboding. . . James' breath was playing on her face. . .
Don't know when I'll be back again
James closed his brown eyes, Lily took note, and followed suit, closing her emerald eyes that later, their son would inherit.
Their lips met in a soft, light kiss. (A/n: I don't want to say 'a surge of electricity went through the both of them as they kissed', coz I think that line's been way over used. . .)
Oh, babe, I hate to go. . .
It was what you say, the softest kiss ever to be kissed. A confusing yet accurate sentence. Lily was about to pull away when James decided to deepen it. His hands roamed over the small of her back and she fussed with his hair, after catching on to the idea.
I'm leaving on a jet plane. . .
After while they pulled apart and gazed into the other's eyes. Lily brought a hand to her lips and turned on her heel, knowing for sure Severus had seen the kiss. She ran to the girl's room, and Clara and Dana had spotted her, catching up to her.
James was left standing there, and after taking in what happened in a few minutes, he strode back to his table, with his friends looking oddly at him, a waiting Aretha and a fiercely angered Snape, with only one thought going through his head:
'Lily. . .'
(Leaving) on a jet plane. . . Aaaah. . .
