The month of September waned into October and Lily and James were kept
busy. Lily had her hands tied balancing homework and Head duties. This not
only included the dance, but she had prefects to organize, Hogsmede trips
to plan and head up, Quidditch to monitor and midnight rounds. James had an
added strain to his schedule being the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, he had
training several times a week, which he also had to organize, supervise and
participate in.
On October 31st after lunch when the halls were buzzing with rumors of the Halloween ball, James and Lily were both working up a storm. James had been put in charge of decorating the Great Hall for the evening's event. Lily walked around snapping at Prefects to get busy, and was busy herself rechecking lists and preparing the music for the evening. James was tangled in a great mess of silk streamers when Mundungus Fletcher, a sixth year prefect walked up to Lily and kissed her cheek. James strained to overhear what he said to her.
"Calm down Lils," he smiled at her, "Everything will look and sound as beautiful as you,"
James and Lily rolled thier eyes.
"Oh Mundungus, do call me Lily won't you, not Lils, it sounds so, i don't know...." she trailed.
"Are you ready for this evening?" he asked her ignoring what she had said, "I am so happy that you are going with me, I must be the luckiest wizard here at Hogwarts, except for James Potter,"
"What about him?" She asked looking up sharply from her clipboard. James to paused and looked towards Mundungus who had his back to James.
"Well he gets to LIVE with you Lily, so surly he is the luckiest,"
Lily scowled at him, "Will I see you at seven then?" she said looking back down at her clipboard.
"You will," he smiled, kissed her cheek softly and was gone.
James glared after him. Was this Lily's date?
"Hey Evans," James shouted across the hall.
Lily met his eyes,
"Is Fletcher your date?" he questioned.
"Yes he is," she said stoutly before marching out of the hall as well.
James sat down in his heap of streamers. Mundungus Fletcher was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and flew along side James as a chaser. He let out a sigh and began sorting out streamers once more.
An hour before the dance was scheduled to begin Lily finally finished the last touches on the dj set up and ran from the Great Hall to get ready. She skipped the Head Dorm and made her way to the Gryffindor tower where she met her friends in her old dorm. Alice was curling her hair with her wand while Jill was dousing herself in makeup.
"Where's Favia?" Lily asked sitting down on her old bed gingerly.
"Out," Alice replied quickly, looking a Jill harshly.
Lily furrowed her eyebrows and swallowed,
"Okay then."
"Let's see your dress!" Jill cried happily staring at Lily.
Lily smiled and closed her eyes. She'd become so apt to Charms she could do simple onces at will. She thought hard about her dress sitting in her closet in the room that lay so close to James. 'Don't get distracted,' her mind told herself. Lily forced herself to think only of the dress and before she knew it it was in her hands.
"Oh Lily it's beautiful!" Jill shrieked reaching out to touch the sheer black material that Lily had in her hands.
"How do you do that?" Alice wondered shaking her head walking towards Lily.
"I don't know," Lily blushed.
"Well let's see it on you then!" Alice said after a moment.
Lily took off her cloak and uniform hastily and pulled the beautiful dress she'd picked up in Hogsmede over her head. It fit her wonderfully, showing off all of her curves. The two girls stared at her as Lily reached up and undid the clip holding her hair out of her face letting the red waves fall past her shoulders.
"Ooo leave you're hair like that!" Jill squealed.
"Ha" Lily laughed, "I couldn't leave it like this!"
She looked into the mirror above the fireplace.
"You know it really does look nice," the mirror said restlessly.
Lily looked at herself from every angle and decided it did look nice. She sat down with a smile and began to put on her shoes.
"I'm assuming you are going with Frank, Alice?" Lily called out to her friend who soon emerged from the bathroom wearing a long purple dress.
"How'd you guess?" she grinned as she pointed her wand to her head and muttered a quick spell. Her hair came to life and knotted itself sophisticatedly at the back of her head.
Jill emerged from the bathroom seconds later wearing a stunning red frilly dress. Her blonde hair had been styled to perfection and was shinning in the moonlight from the window.
"What about you Lily who are you going with?" Alice asked.
Lily finished doing up the straps to her shoes before answering,
"Mundungus..."
"FLETCHER?" Jill and Alice cried together, "That sixth year chaser?"
Lily nodded with a small smile, "He asked me when we were discussing music possibilities for tonight,"
"Good, that means we can all hang together, Frank likes Mundungus and so does James," Jill smiled.
"James?" Lily asked.
"I am going to the dance with him," Jill replied looking over at her and sitting down to put on her own shoes.
"Going with James Potter?" she asked reverently, "To the ball?"
"Yes Lily, just because you hate him doesn't mean I do," Jill sniffed.
"I know," Lily said quietly.
Jill stared at her for a few more minutes before she stood up.
"Well girls, let's go meet our dates!"
James was pacing the corridor outside the Great Hall. He glanced at his watch; beside him Mundungus and Frank were fidgeting. Why was he so nervous? True he had never dated Jill Mclouski before, but he knew her well. Was it really her he was nervous for? Giggles filled the end of the hall and James looked up eagerly with the other boys. His date Jill, was dressed to kill in a tight red dress, she smiled at him, but he looked past her at Lily, who looked stunning in a seamless black dress and her hair worn down naturally. She looked just as her name said a natural Lily blowing in the wind.
"Hey," James whispered kissing Jill's heavily powdered cheek, and looking threw her hair at Lily and Mundungus. Mundungus was leaning against the wall talking and smiling and Lily was clasping her hands together and looking at the floor a slight blush rising in her cheeks. James felt his heart skip a beat.
"Have you seen Sirius?" Jill asked him pulling him back into reality.
"No why?" James asked, but Jill silenced him as Lily walked by making her way into the dance.
After a few hours of having Mundungus press his pelvis towards Lily, she'd finally let a younger girl cut in and sat down on a chair at the side. Lily glanced around and noticed Alice swaying slowly with Frank, their arms entangled around each other, and staring at each other with so much affection. She searched the room for Jill and James, a pang of jealousy ringing through her. Finaly she spotted Jill's red gown but was shocked to see that Jill wasn't resting her head on James but rather Remus Lupin. Through the masses of people swaying together here and there Lily noticed James sitting by himself against the wall on the other side of the Hall. He seemed wrapped up in thought, but looked up after a moment and locked eyes with Lily, a smile plying on his lips. Lily felt her heart in her ears as she began to smile back, but a couple strode in front of her blocking her view. She shouted for them to move, and by the time the listened James had disappeared from his place across the hall. Lily let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" James asked her as he sat down next to her.
"James!" she smiled happily.
"I think that's the most excited you've ever said my name," he smiled, "Drink?"
"Allow me," she said closing her eyes and concentrating on two cups of punch.
They came suddenly whizzing from the shadow.
"Thanks," James laughed, "So shouldn't you be out there Evans, enjoying your dance?"
"I was until Mundungus started rubbing his pelvis on me, how come you're not with Jill?"
"Meh, she wanted to dance with Remus, been talking about how cute he is all night."
Lily laughed sipping her punch. James grinned lopsidedly. A new slow song began playing, and on cue the lights went down low.
"So didn't do bad did I? with the decorations?" he asked.
"They are wonderful James, really," Lily said still smiling at him.
"Evans, would you like to dance with me?" James asked cautiously.
Lily let out a laugh, "Is James Potter the Great asking Lily Evans the Bookworm to dance?"
"No, James Potter the Head Boy is asking Lily Evans the very Beautiful Head Girl to dance,"
"How is that any different?" Lily asked putting her cup down and James stood up.
"Oh it is," he smiled reaching down for her hand, "Come on,"
"James, I don't know, I'd rather-" but she was cut off as James pulled her arm making her twirl right into his chest.
"Where did you learn how to dance?" she cried, as he spun her back out and then pulled her close.
"My mother taught me, said it would come in handy one day," James smiled as he clasped Lily's small hand in his big one and placed his other hand around her waist, "She said it would impress a girl someday,"
"I think she might have been right." Lily laughed.
The Head Boy and Girl danced in circles for the next few songs laughing and joking with each other. James just couldn't get enough of Lily's smile. She pulled him close hooking her arms under his shoulder and placing her head on his broad chest. James seemed a bit surprised but soon his arms found a comfortable spot around her. Their perfect night seemed to want to go on forever until Lily noticed a disturbance at the back.
"What is she doing here?" Favia yelled.
"How the hell do I know?" Sirius shot back.
Mirinda Mincent stood but a few feet away.
Lily stared at her friend, who was dressed in a white gown and in the arms of Sirius Black. Lily pulled herself away from James.
"He's mine chick," Mirinda drawled, attempting to cut in between the two. Sirius pushed Favia away opening his arms for Mirinda.
"Sirius Black!" Favia bellowed, "You said you loved me,"
"Oh go back to your pathetic friends Favia, and say hello to Evans for me if her ugly face isnt buried to far into a book!" Sirius said.
Lily stood there staring at Sirius and Favia not knowing which to hate more. She gasped, and stood stark still, her stomach doing flip-flops and her heart racing.
"Evans?" James said touching her arm tenderly.
She let her head fall into her hands, "Oh god,"
"Come on lets get out of here, before Sirius sees you," James whispered pulling at her arm and leading her out of the Great Hall.
When they made it outside the Hall Lily sat down on a bench and cried into her hands.
"Why do you care for him so much Evans?" James asked, "If you don't answer me fine, but if you do at least tell me the truth."
Lily looked up at him sniffing, "I used to have a boyfriend James, and I loved him very very much, he was everything to me, he knew all my darkest secrets and he loved me just the same. He needed me just as much as I needed him, but then I had to end it. I miss him so much."
James winced at the sound of Lily loving someone else but replied,
"I am sorry that you had to end it, but what does that have to do with Sirius,"
Lily looked into his hazel eyes,
"He looked so much like Sirius, when I see him it makes me think of ...of....Tom so much,"
Why did she have to think of Voldemort at a time like this.
"Oh, so its not Sirius you love?"
"No, its," she paused, what was it she loved? "It's more the memory of my love for Tom that I miss, and that I am still holding onto,"
"Maybe if you had something else to hold onto you could let go of Tom?" James offered gazing at her meaningfully.
"James-" he cut her off,
"Come with me I have a present for you." he told her. She fallowed him all the way to the Head Dorm and into his room.
"Now just hold on I have to find It." he told her, as she sat down on his bed watching him throw around dirty school and quiddtich robes.
"Ahh here it is, Close your eyes Evans," James told her. She listened.
"James?" she asked as she heard him come closer.
"Mmm?"
"Why do you call me Evans? Don't you know my name is Lily?" she asked dumbly.
"Course I do, I just never thought to use you're name, I guess I was afraid of what you might say,"
Lily smiled, "I wont do anything I swear."
Suddenly she felt something heavy in her hands, she opened her eyes. In her hands was the Charms book she'd been meaning to buy those long weeks ago when she'd left James at the bookstore.
"James..." She breathed, "That was so sweet of you..." she stared at him, her breath catching as he kneeled on the floor in front of him.
"Lily..." he said uncertainly, "You have a beautiful name,"
She blushed,
"Lily," he began again, "I don't know how good this Tom was to you, or how much he loved you, but I want you to know that I am so in love with you right now. I know I can never replace Tom, and I don't want to but I want to have a place inside your heart. I don't know if Tom ever noticed how you can be silent, and yet say so many things, or if your eyes sent shivers down his back. I don't know if he lay in his bed awake every night thinking about you like I have, but all that I am asking is that you find a place in your heart for me Lily. I want to be with you, forever."
Lily sat there dumbstruck as tears came to her eyes, and James's.
"Oh James, can't you see there already is a spot in my heart with you in it?"
He grinned at her, and she put her book on the bed, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Lily..." he breathed, "Oh Lily..."
Without wasting another second Lily lowered her lips onto James and kissed him passionately. As James's fingers caressed her shoulders, Lily closed her eyes and watched all of her memories of Sirius float by her. She said a secret goodbye to Sirius, and let go of his heart forever. She was holding onto to something new now, holding on as tight as she could, and that was all she needed.
On October 31st after lunch when the halls were buzzing with rumors of the Halloween ball, James and Lily were both working up a storm. James had been put in charge of decorating the Great Hall for the evening's event. Lily walked around snapping at Prefects to get busy, and was busy herself rechecking lists and preparing the music for the evening. James was tangled in a great mess of silk streamers when Mundungus Fletcher, a sixth year prefect walked up to Lily and kissed her cheek. James strained to overhear what he said to her.
"Calm down Lils," he smiled at her, "Everything will look and sound as beautiful as you,"
James and Lily rolled thier eyes.
"Oh Mundungus, do call me Lily won't you, not Lils, it sounds so, i don't know...." she trailed.
"Are you ready for this evening?" he asked her ignoring what she had said, "I am so happy that you are going with me, I must be the luckiest wizard here at Hogwarts, except for James Potter,"
"What about him?" She asked looking up sharply from her clipboard. James to paused and looked towards Mundungus who had his back to James.
"Well he gets to LIVE with you Lily, so surly he is the luckiest,"
Lily scowled at him, "Will I see you at seven then?" she said looking back down at her clipboard.
"You will," he smiled, kissed her cheek softly and was gone.
James glared after him. Was this Lily's date?
"Hey Evans," James shouted across the hall.
Lily met his eyes,
"Is Fletcher your date?" he questioned.
"Yes he is," she said stoutly before marching out of the hall as well.
James sat down in his heap of streamers. Mundungus Fletcher was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and flew along side James as a chaser. He let out a sigh and began sorting out streamers once more.
An hour before the dance was scheduled to begin Lily finally finished the last touches on the dj set up and ran from the Great Hall to get ready. She skipped the Head Dorm and made her way to the Gryffindor tower where she met her friends in her old dorm. Alice was curling her hair with her wand while Jill was dousing herself in makeup.
"Where's Favia?" Lily asked sitting down on her old bed gingerly.
"Out," Alice replied quickly, looking a Jill harshly.
Lily furrowed her eyebrows and swallowed,
"Okay then."
"Let's see your dress!" Jill cried happily staring at Lily.
Lily smiled and closed her eyes. She'd become so apt to Charms she could do simple onces at will. She thought hard about her dress sitting in her closet in the room that lay so close to James. 'Don't get distracted,' her mind told herself. Lily forced herself to think only of the dress and before she knew it it was in her hands.
"Oh Lily it's beautiful!" Jill shrieked reaching out to touch the sheer black material that Lily had in her hands.
"How do you do that?" Alice wondered shaking her head walking towards Lily.
"I don't know," Lily blushed.
"Well let's see it on you then!" Alice said after a moment.
Lily took off her cloak and uniform hastily and pulled the beautiful dress she'd picked up in Hogsmede over her head. It fit her wonderfully, showing off all of her curves. The two girls stared at her as Lily reached up and undid the clip holding her hair out of her face letting the red waves fall past her shoulders.
"Ooo leave you're hair like that!" Jill squealed.
"Ha" Lily laughed, "I couldn't leave it like this!"
She looked into the mirror above the fireplace.
"You know it really does look nice," the mirror said restlessly.
Lily looked at herself from every angle and decided it did look nice. She sat down with a smile and began to put on her shoes.
"I'm assuming you are going with Frank, Alice?" Lily called out to her friend who soon emerged from the bathroom wearing a long purple dress.
"How'd you guess?" she grinned as she pointed her wand to her head and muttered a quick spell. Her hair came to life and knotted itself sophisticatedly at the back of her head.
Jill emerged from the bathroom seconds later wearing a stunning red frilly dress. Her blonde hair had been styled to perfection and was shinning in the moonlight from the window.
"What about you Lily who are you going with?" Alice asked.
Lily finished doing up the straps to her shoes before answering,
"Mundungus..."
"FLETCHER?" Jill and Alice cried together, "That sixth year chaser?"
Lily nodded with a small smile, "He asked me when we were discussing music possibilities for tonight,"
"Good, that means we can all hang together, Frank likes Mundungus and so does James," Jill smiled.
"James?" Lily asked.
"I am going to the dance with him," Jill replied looking over at her and sitting down to put on her own shoes.
"Going with James Potter?" she asked reverently, "To the ball?"
"Yes Lily, just because you hate him doesn't mean I do," Jill sniffed.
"I know," Lily said quietly.
Jill stared at her for a few more minutes before she stood up.
"Well girls, let's go meet our dates!"
James was pacing the corridor outside the Great Hall. He glanced at his watch; beside him Mundungus and Frank were fidgeting. Why was he so nervous? True he had never dated Jill Mclouski before, but he knew her well. Was it really her he was nervous for? Giggles filled the end of the hall and James looked up eagerly with the other boys. His date Jill, was dressed to kill in a tight red dress, she smiled at him, but he looked past her at Lily, who looked stunning in a seamless black dress and her hair worn down naturally. She looked just as her name said a natural Lily blowing in the wind.
"Hey," James whispered kissing Jill's heavily powdered cheek, and looking threw her hair at Lily and Mundungus. Mundungus was leaning against the wall talking and smiling and Lily was clasping her hands together and looking at the floor a slight blush rising in her cheeks. James felt his heart skip a beat.
"Have you seen Sirius?" Jill asked him pulling him back into reality.
"No why?" James asked, but Jill silenced him as Lily walked by making her way into the dance.
After a few hours of having Mundungus press his pelvis towards Lily, she'd finally let a younger girl cut in and sat down on a chair at the side. Lily glanced around and noticed Alice swaying slowly with Frank, their arms entangled around each other, and staring at each other with so much affection. She searched the room for Jill and James, a pang of jealousy ringing through her. Finaly she spotted Jill's red gown but was shocked to see that Jill wasn't resting her head on James but rather Remus Lupin. Through the masses of people swaying together here and there Lily noticed James sitting by himself against the wall on the other side of the Hall. He seemed wrapped up in thought, but looked up after a moment and locked eyes with Lily, a smile plying on his lips. Lily felt her heart in her ears as she began to smile back, but a couple strode in front of her blocking her view. She shouted for them to move, and by the time the listened James had disappeared from his place across the hall. Lily let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" James asked her as he sat down next to her.
"James!" she smiled happily.
"I think that's the most excited you've ever said my name," he smiled, "Drink?"
"Allow me," she said closing her eyes and concentrating on two cups of punch.
They came suddenly whizzing from the shadow.
"Thanks," James laughed, "So shouldn't you be out there Evans, enjoying your dance?"
"I was until Mundungus started rubbing his pelvis on me, how come you're not with Jill?"
"Meh, she wanted to dance with Remus, been talking about how cute he is all night."
Lily laughed sipping her punch. James grinned lopsidedly. A new slow song began playing, and on cue the lights went down low.
"So didn't do bad did I? with the decorations?" he asked.
"They are wonderful James, really," Lily said still smiling at him.
"Evans, would you like to dance with me?" James asked cautiously.
Lily let out a laugh, "Is James Potter the Great asking Lily Evans the Bookworm to dance?"
"No, James Potter the Head Boy is asking Lily Evans the very Beautiful Head Girl to dance,"
"How is that any different?" Lily asked putting her cup down and James stood up.
"Oh it is," he smiled reaching down for her hand, "Come on,"
"James, I don't know, I'd rather-" but she was cut off as James pulled her arm making her twirl right into his chest.
"Where did you learn how to dance?" she cried, as he spun her back out and then pulled her close.
"My mother taught me, said it would come in handy one day," James smiled as he clasped Lily's small hand in his big one and placed his other hand around her waist, "She said it would impress a girl someday,"
"I think she might have been right." Lily laughed.
The Head Boy and Girl danced in circles for the next few songs laughing and joking with each other. James just couldn't get enough of Lily's smile. She pulled him close hooking her arms under his shoulder and placing her head on his broad chest. James seemed a bit surprised but soon his arms found a comfortable spot around her. Their perfect night seemed to want to go on forever until Lily noticed a disturbance at the back.
"What is she doing here?" Favia yelled.
"How the hell do I know?" Sirius shot back.
Mirinda Mincent stood but a few feet away.
Lily stared at her friend, who was dressed in a white gown and in the arms of Sirius Black. Lily pulled herself away from James.
"He's mine chick," Mirinda drawled, attempting to cut in between the two. Sirius pushed Favia away opening his arms for Mirinda.
"Sirius Black!" Favia bellowed, "You said you loved me,"
"Oh go back to your pathetic friends Favia, and say hello to Evans for me if her ugly face isnt buried to far into a book!" Sirius said.
Lily stood there staring at Sirius and Favia not knowing which to hate more. She gasped, and stood stark still, her stomach doing flip-flops and her heart racing.
"Evans?" James said touching her arm tenderly.
She let her head fall into her hands, "Oh god,"
"Come on lets get out of here, before Sirius sees you," James whispered pulling at her arm and leading her out of the Great Hall.
When they made it outside the Hall Lily sat down on a bench and cried into her hands.
"Why do you care for him so much Evans?" James asked, "If you don't answer me fine, but if you do at least tell me the truth."
Lily looked up at him sniffing, "I used to have a boyfriend James, and I loved him very very much, he was everything to me, he knew all my darkest secrets and he loved me just the same. He needed me just as much as I needed him, but then I had to end it. I miss him so much."
James winced at the sound of Lily loving someone else but replied,
"I am sorry that you had to end it, but what does that have to do with Sirius,"
Lily looked into his hazel eyes,
"He looked so much like Sirius, when I see him it makes me think of ...of....Tom so much,"
Why did she have to think of Voldemort at a time like this.
"Oh, so its not Sirius you love?"
"No, its," she paused, what was it she loved? "It's more the memory of my love for Tom that I miss, and that I am still holding onto,"
"Maybe if you had something else to hold onto you could let go of Tom?" James offered gazing at her meaningfully.
"James-" he cut her off,
"Come with me I have a present for you." he told her. She fallowed him all the way to the Head Dorm and into his room.
"Now just hold on I have to find It." he told her, as she sat down on his bed watching him throw around dirty school and quiddtich robes.
"Ahh here it is, Close your eyes Evans," James told her. She listened.
"James?" she asked as she heard him come closer.
"Mmm?"
"Why do you call me Evans? Don't you know my name is Lily?" she asked dumbly.
"Course I do, I just never thought to use you're name, I guess I was afraid of what you might say,"
Lily smiled, "I wont do anything I swear."
Suddenly she felt something heavy in her hands, she opened her eyes. In her hands was the Charms book she'd been meaning to buy those long weeks ago when she'd left James at the bookstore.
"James..." She breathed, "That was so sweet of you..." she stared at him, her breath catching as he kneeled on the floor in front of him.
"Lily..." he said uncertainly, "You have a beautiful name,"
She blushed,
"Lily," he began again, "I don't know how good this Tom was to you, or how much he loved you, but I want you to know that I am so in love with you right now. I know I can never replace Tom, and I don't want to but I want to have a place inside your heart. I don't know if Tom ever noticed how you can be silent, and yet say so many things, or if your eyes sent shivers down his back. I don't know if he lay in his bed awake every night thinking about you like I have, but all that I am asking is that you find a place in your heart for me Lily. I want to be with you, forever."
Lily sat there dumbstruck as tears came to her eyes, and James's.
"Oh James, can't you see there already is a spot in my heart with you in it?"
He grinned at her, and she put her book on the bed, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Lily..." he breathed, "Oh Lily..."
Without wasting another second Lily lowered her lips onto James and kissed him passionately. As James's fingers caressed her shoulders, Lily closed her eyes and watched all of her memories of Sirius float by her. She said a secret goodbye to Sirius, and let go of his heart forever. She was holding onto to something new now, holding on as tight as she could, and that was all she needed.