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Chapter 16
The ball
As predicted the girls took forever to get changed and ready. The boys sat in their chairs, they were nervous and kept glancing at the clock. Finally six o'clock came and the girls emerged. Katie was wearing a bright pink dress robe with tinkerbell on the corner. She had made her hair sleek and shiny and was wearing it up with tiny little jewels in it. She had light make up on which made her dark eyes look really big. She looked amazing.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Katie twirling around for them to see. James whistled whilst Sirius looked gobsmacked. He kept opening and closing his mouth but he didn't say anything. "You don't' like it? I'll go and change it then" Katie looked crestfallen and she headed back up the stairs.
"Wait! You look absolutely amazing, don't change it!" said Sirius, finally managing to get some words out. Katie cheered up at that and waited for Lily and Vicky who were taking ages.
Vicky came down next. She was wearing her pure white dress robes, the ones she had bought in Hogsmeade. It suited her figure and she looked really happy. She blushed as Remus came towards her and waited anxiously for his verdict.
"Hmm, I guess it'll do" started Remus but then burst out laughing at Vicky's hurt look. "I'm only joking! You look fantastic!" she hit him for laughing then took his arm and they left the common room together as the perfect couple.
Last came Lily. She had deep red dress robes on and her hair was straight but had little curls that fell about her shoulders. When she walked she took delicate steps like a ballerina. James was very nervous. He had butterflies in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't believe that Lily looked so beautiful. He was the luckiest wizard in the whole world.
"Hi James, are you ready?" she asked.
"Yeah, let's go" he said and held out his arm for her, she took it and they left together. Sirius and Katie left Gryffindor tower together but soon split off to meet their dates.
Sirius was nervous about tonight. He had told Kate that he would meet her outside the portrait of Todd Copper, a wizard who had worked in St. Mungo's hospital and was the best from 1492-1653. He whistled a tune and as he turned the last corner he stopped in his tracks. There in front of him was Kate, but not the Kate he knew. She was dressed in a light purple robe, which suited her complexion and had put on very little make up, which was a change from the load she usually had on. She took in her expression with satisfaction as he walked towards her.
"Hi, you look gorgeous" he said.
"Thanks, so do you" and they left for the ball.
All the tables had been pushed aside and there was lots of food on them. When Sirius entered with Kate there was a hushed silence and everyone started whispering about them. Kate looked hurt and was about to leave but Sirius grabbed her wrist and told her to ignore them.
"Hey Sirius, why didn't you tell us you were coming with her?" James asked Sirius.
"I wanted it to be a surprise" Sirius shrugged.
"It's a surprise all right!" James muttered and went off with Lily.
"Do you want to dance?" Sirius asked Kate, looking at the dance floor. There were no particularly bad dancers on the floor but there were some incredibly good ones. Robyn Howe, Kate's friend may be a Slytherin and really evil but she really was a fantastic dancer.
"Sure! I love dancing!" said Kate and they danced to the weird sisters with everyone else.
James looked around and saw Andrew Wood surrounded by a mad crowd of girls and was trying to escape and Rita Skeeter in the corner with her quill and parchment, obviously writing about the couples, she'd have a field day with Sirius and Kate. Aries was there with his friend Gilderoy Lockhart with their fair share of girls boasting about some troll they'd fought in the forbidden forest. Lily was looking at the couples too. There was Sirius and Kate, a very unusual couple and Remus and Vicky who were made for each other. Lily thought about James, he was nice but she didn't see them as a couple.
Over to their right was Katie. She was staring at Sirius and Kate. Why had he chosen her? She was getting very jealous now, but not realising it. She thought back to this morning when Dumbledore had announced the ball. She was sure that Sirius was going to ask her but then Chris turned up and they got on well so she said yes to him. She was beginning to wonder whether she'd've had a better time with Sirius. She turned away from Sirius and Kate in disgust and looked at Chris. He was preoccupied and kept nervously looking at Lily and he quickly noticed Katie looking at him so he stopped.
"Are you having fun?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, do you want to dance now?" Katie replied.
"I'm not a very good dancer so don't laugh," he warned. They got up and went to the dance floor. He wasn't kidding when he said he couldn't dance she thought. Oh well!
Sirius had never been so pleased with himself. This was the best decision ever. Kate was amazing, funny and intelligent. He gazed into her eyes and smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Do you regret coming with me?" Kate asked unexpectedly.
"No. You're magnificent. I've never felt like this about anyone before. You're amazing." He replied being serious for once.
"Good, because I'm enjoying it too."
At ten o'clock Dumbledore decided that it was 'bed time' as he put it. Kate was different when she wasn't with Robyn, who was currently showing Lucius Malfoy her new dance routine. Kate was clever and beautiful and Sirius was lovestruck. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face for the rest of the night.
Lily was holding James' hand. The ball had ended and they were heading back to the common room. They entered and Lily gave him a small kiss on the cheek. She noticed him blush. Aw how sweet she thought. They said goodnight and went to their separate dormitories. They both opened their doors and saw owls waiting for them.
Dear Lily Evans
We are sorry to inform you that due to deatheater attacks we have lost Mr Robert Evans and Mrs Rose Evans. They were at a muggle shopping centre where the deatheaters attacked a group of aurors turned up but they failed.
The ministry of magic
Dear James Potter
We are sorry to inform you that due to deatheater attacks we have lost Mr Edward Potter and Mrs Shirley Potter. They were at a muggle shopping centre doing their jobs as aurors and are unfortunately no longer with us
The ministry of magic
Both Lily and James read their letters in shock and collapsed on their beds.
