Chapter 6 - Two Unexpected Invitations
After lessons that day, Lily was walking back to Gryffindor tower. She was blissfully happy. She was going to the ball with James. It sounded extremely strange to say that. If someone last year had told her that she would go to the Christmas Ball with James Potter, she would have demanded they go to St. Mungo's hospital. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Peter appear at her shoulder, until he called her name,
"Lily?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Peter. I was just thinking about something,"
"Lily, I was wondering something," he began nervously
"Go on," she told him encouragingly
"Err- d'you wanna goball wimme?"
"Sorry?"
"Do you, um, do you, um, want to go to the ball with me?" Lily was shocked. She had never had any Marauder other than James make any kind of move on her. She knew full well that it was on James' orders that they had never pranked her. She assumed that Peter was a better friend than that. After all, James would have probably said something about asking her to the ball to the other Marauders.
"Oh Peter, I'm sorry. I can't. I'm already going with James,"
"Oh right, yeah, um, sure, um, bye." And he sped off without looking back at her. Surprised, Lily went back to the tower.
XXXXXXXXX
Lily hadn't eaten that evening yet, but most other people had finished. She went towards the Great Hall, but didn't notice Malfoy, and a crowd of Slytherins follow her. As she walked along a corridor, fairly close to Gryffindor tower, Malfoy cornered her. "So Lily, looking forward to going to the ball with me?" he asked with a smirk
"No, I'm looking forward to going with James," she said defiantly, emphasising James' name. Malfoy paled and hesitated but then grinned at her and said
"No Lily, you filthy mudblood, you are coming with me an then afterwards, we can go back to your room and." He pressed her against the wall and whispered exactly what he wanted to do with her in her room. She tried to slap him, but he was holding her arms to tightly. So she screamed, praying that someone would hear her, but no one did.
"No one's coming Lily. Don't try and fight it. You're with me, and you're never leaving," He took out his wand, "Imper-
"Accio," cried a loud familiar voice. Lily felt herself being pulled of the floor, away from Malfoy, over the top of the watching Slytherins, straight into James' arms. After throwing a few hexes at the crowd, he took her hand and led her back to Gryffindor tower. He held her to him as she explained what had happened. By the end, James was fuming. She had seen him angry with the Slytherins before but never this angry. "Oh, they'll get theirs," she heard him mutter dangerously. Trying to lighten the mood she said with a smile
"You're always there to save the day aren't you, James?" He chuckled weakly
"Have you eaten yet. I was just going down to the hall,"
"No," she said, "I was going there as well, but they've stopped serving now."
"No problem, we'll go to the kitchens," Distracted slightly, Lily asked
"You'll show me where the kitchens are?"
"Lils, I'll show you where everything is," he said, grinning. He took her hand again, and they left the common room. Once outside, James began to loosen his grip, but Lily tightened hers. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and they went down to the kitchens together.
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"Potter, Evans, I need to see you both at the end of the lesson." It was a couple of days after Malfoy's "invitation" and both of them were in transfiguration. At the end of the lesson, they approached the front of the class.
"Ah yes, now, as I'm sure you are aware, it is Hogwarts tradition, that the Head Boy and Girl open the dancing with their partners," Lily paled. She had never really danced before, except at muggle parties, and she didn't think that this would be similar. She looked at James, who looked utterly relaxed.
"Now," continued Professor McGonnagel, "I will need to know who you are each taking to the ball,"
"We're going together," said James. McGonnagel looked up, obviously surprised.
"Really?" They both nodded
"Well I never thought I'd see the day," she muttered, "so, Albus was right, again." They left the classroom and Lily looked up at James,
"Can you dance?" He looked at her, surprised
"Yeah, we get invited to a lot of these Balls at the ministry, so I got taught from a young age,"
"Oh right," she said, coolly. James realised she thought he was being arrogant again, so he quickly added
"But those things are really boring, not like this one. At the ministry, the next youngest person is about 50, but for some reason Mum and Dad won't let me and Sirius stay at home. I can't think why." She laughed and he sighed, relieved
"Don't worry Lils, it's easy. If I can do it, you definitely can." Feeling slightly less nervous, Lily began to seriously look forward to the ball.
After lessons that day, Lily was walking back to Gryffindor tower. She was blissfully happy. She was going to the ball with James. It sounded extremely strange to say that. If someone last year had told her that she would go to the Christmas Ball with James Potter, she would have demanded they go to St. Mungo's hospital. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Peter appear at her shoulder, until he called her name,
"Lily?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Peter. I was just thinking about something,"
"Lily, I was wondering something," he began nervously
"Go on," she told him encouragingly
"Err- d'you wanna goball wimme?"
"Sorry?"
"Do you, um, do you, um, want to go to the ball with me?" Lily was shocked. She had never had any Marauder other than James make any kind of move on her. She knew full well that it was on James' orders that they had never pranked her. She assumed that Peter was a better friend than that. After all, James would have probably said something about asking her to the ball to the other Marauders.
"Oh Peter, I'm sorry. I can't. I'm already going with James,"
"Oh right, yeah, um, sure, um, bye." And he sped off without looking back at her. Surprised, Lily went back to the tower.
XXXXXXXXX
Lily hadn't eaten that evening yet, but most other people had finished. She went towards the Great Hall, but didn't notice Malfoy, and a crowd of Slytherins follow her. As she walked along a corridor, fairly close to Gryffindor tower, Malfoy cornered her. "So Lily, looking forward to going to the ball with me?" he asked with a smirk
"No, I'm looking forward to going with James," she said defiantly, emphasising James' name. Malfoy paled and hesitated but then grinned at her and said
"No Lily, you filthy mudblood, you are coming with me an then afterwards, we can go back to your room and." He pressed her against the wall and whispered exactly what he wanted to do with her in her room. She tried to slap him, but he was holding her arms to tightly. So she screamed, praying that someone would hear her, but no one did.
"No one's coming Lily. Don't try and fight it. You're with me, and you're never leaving," He took out his wand, "Imper-
"Accio," cried a loud familiar voice. Lily felt herself being pulled of the floor, away from Malfoy, over the top of the watching Slytherins, straight into James' arms. After throwing a few hexes at the crowd, he took her hand and led her back to Gryffindor tower. He held her to him as she explained what had happened. By the end, James was fuming. She had seen him angry with the Slytherins before but never this angry. "Oh, they'll get theirs," she heard him mutter dangerously. Trying to lighten the mood she said with a smile
"You're always there to save the day aren't you, James?" He chuckled weakly
"Have you eaten yet. I was just going down to the hall,"
"No," she said, "I was going there as well, but they've stopped serving now."
"No problem, we'll go to the kitchens," Distracted slightly, Lily asked
"You'll show me where the kitchens are?"
"Lils, I'll show you where everything is," he said, grinning. He took her hand again, and they left the common room. Once outside, James began to loosen his grip, but Lily tightened hers. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and they went down to the kitchens together.
XXXXXXXX
"Potter, Evans, I need to see you both at the end of the lesson." It was a couple of days after Malfoy's "invitation" and both of them were in transfiguration. At the end of the lesson, they approached the front of the class.
"Ah yes, now, as I'm sure you are aware, it is Hogwarts tradition, that the Head Boy and Girl open the dancing with their partners," Lily paled. She had never really danced before, except at muggle parties, and she didn't think that this would be similar. She looked at James, who looked utterly relaxed.
"Now," continued Professor McGonnagel, "I will need to know who you are each taking to the ball,"
"We're going together," said James. McGonnagel looked up, obviously surprised.
"Really?" They both nodded
"Well I never thought I'd see the day," she muttered, "so, Albus was right, again." They left the classroom and Lily looked up at James,
"Can you dance?" He looked at her, surprised
"Yeah, we get invited to a lot of these Balls at the ministry, so I got taught from a young age,"
"Oh right," she said, coolly. James realised she thought he was being arrogant again, so he quickly added
"But those things are really boring, not like this one. At the ministry, the next youngest person is about 50, but for some reason Mum and Dad won't let me and Sirius stay at home. I can't think why." She laughed and he sighed, relieved
"Don't worry Lils, it's easy. If I can do it, you definitely can." Feeling slightly less nervous, Lily began to seriously look forward to the ball.