Chapter 5
James, Sirius, and Remus walked through Hogsmead on the fine Halloween morning. It was bustling with students. The day was beautiful. The sun shone down on them surrounded by one of those indescribably azure skies.
They walked down the streets not knowing where they were going. All three kept to themselves and confined themselves to their thoughts until James broke the silence.
"So Moony when were you going to tell us Dylan asked you to go with her?" James asked turning towards Remus who just shrugged and ran his hand though his long sandy blonde hair.
"I guess now," Remus replied and quickly changed the subject. "Who are you going with Padfoot?"
"Well Padfoot here asked Claire to go with him and actually got nervous around her! I never thought the day would come!" James said as they turned the corner and walked into Three Broomsticks.
"Shut it," Sirius said as he hit James over the head. "I didn't get nervous."
"Sure you didn't Padfoot, whatever you need to tell yourself," James said.
"Anyone up for a butterbear?" Sirius said as a distraction from the conversation of him and Claire which was steadily making him more nervous.
"Aren't we always?" said James as if that settled it.
The three walked into the pub. They found a table next to the window and ordered three butterbeers and spent the remainder of the morning planning pranks and reminiscing about their fifth and sixth year.
While the Marauders were relaxing Claire and Dylan weren't. Lily had taken on the roll of drill sergeant. She had taken them straight to the dress shop after breakfast and forced them to try on at least 100 dresses. They each had yet to find theirs.
"Lily, look just pick one it doesn't matter," Dylan said with a yawn as Lily approached them loaded down with a new bunch.
"Here try these on and I want to see each one," Lily said shoving them a pile of dresses.
"Urgh, fine," said Claire as she accepted the stack of blue ones.
Claire went through the pile until she found the perfect one. And she just knew it was. It was a deep midnight blue the same color of her eyes. It was cut in an empire style with little black straps. There was a black see through material embroidered in silver that flowed out from the top part of the gown. It opened down the middle so that the deep blue fabric could show through. Claire hastily put it on and walked out with the back of the dress trailing on the ground behind her.
"So how about it Lil? I really like this one," Claire said as she made her way towards Lily.
Lily just smiled. She had known this would be her dress. There was no need for picking out any other.
"It's yours Claire. You look so beautiful."
Just then Dylan emerged in a dazzling white dress. It tied in the back and was tight at the top but gradually after her waist flowed down to cover her feet. It was embroidered in white, shinning pearly white flowers could be lightly seen on the gown. It made her lightly tanned skin stand out in an amazing contrast. Her brown eyes sparkled as she smiled.
Claire dropped her jaw, "Wow Dill that's great. You're going to kill Remus. You look amazing."
"Lily?" Dylan asked the drill master for approval.
"It's beautiful. You're beautiful," Lily said.
"Well now it's your turn missy," Claire shoved her a bundle of dresses into her hands.
Lily stepped into the dressing room. She tried on each dress but they all looked awful on her, nice on the rack but not on her. But at the bottom of the pile she found her rose amongst the thorns. She put it on and stepped out. For the first time Lily felt beautiful. The dress was a deep green, strapless, with little gold sparkles that you had to squint to see. It fell down to the ground. It made Lily's eyes look even more green then usual. The gold speckles brought her gorgeous red hair. Lily knew she was satisfied even if no one else was.
"I'm getting this even if you don't like it," Lily said as she stepped out.
"No need to worry I love it Lil," Claire said.
"Yea yea yea beautiful," Dylan teased, "Can we just go now?"
They bought the dresses and walked out into the October cold. They walked to Three Broomsticks for a quick butterbeer and then back to Hogwarts to get ready for the ball, forgetting the plans to go to the Forbidden Forest completely.
James, Sirius, and Remus stopped by Zonkos and then went to the Shrieking Shack. Where they pulled a few moderately good pranks on Snape, but then they got bored and went back to the castle to play a couple of games of Exploding Snap.
"Hey Prongs are you sure you want to go single tonight?" Remus inquired.
"Yea, I saw that hot Ravenclaw sixth year eyeing you in Honeydukes," Sirius said as the cards exploded in front of him.
"Ahaha, Padfoot loses yet again," James said ignoring the Ravenclaw comment; girls had been all over him and Sirius since third year. Even Remus had had some action back in fifth year.
"Shut it Prongs, you know I'm letting you win I'm in to good a mood to crush you in this little game of ours."
"Oh be quiet you know I have you beat Padfoot," James said and smiled, his blue eyes dancing with laughter.
"We'll see who has who beat in this next game," Sirius challenged.
"Oh stop it you two we all know I will crush both of you until you are crying for mercy," said Remus as he dodged a hit from Sirius only to be smacked by James.
After another hour of Exploding Snap they all left to get ready. Sirius and Remus went upstairs to Gryffindor's bedrooms and James to the head's room.
"Well I'll see you tonight," James said as he turned to leave. Tonight will be a night to remember he thought to himself as he dressed in blue dress robes.
Lily, Dylan, and Claire had been getting ready. Their dresses looked amazing. Lily after putting hers on took on the make job seeing as she had had years of experience from theater. For Claire she put a little silver shimmer on her eyelids and gave her cheeks color finishing with a hint of light pink color on her lips. For Dylan Lily went all out with the eyeliner seeing as Dylan was the only one with tan skin so the black color didn't make her look like a dead man. Lily also gave Dylan white eye shadow and almost bright red for her lipstick. Lily herself used a bit of gold eye shadow with a hint of gold glitter sprinkled above her eyes and across her shoulders. She had a warm lipstick in between Dylan's red and Claire's light pink. She stepped back and admired her handy work.
Next Dylan took charge of their hair because she always knew just what to do, which was ironic seeing as she had the least amount of hair. For Lily she pulled her hair up into a bun but left two ringlets of either side of her head fall down framing her face. For Claire she left her hair down, for Claire's hair was beautiful it fell down to the small of her back. Dylan parted her own hair to the side which gave it an even more dramatic edge.
As they gave themselves the last touches the clock struck 8. It was time for them to meet the Marauders. They left their bedroom each with butterflies in their stomachs.
James, Sirius, and Remus walked through Hogsmead on the fine Halloween morning. It was bustling with students. The day was beautiful. The sun shone down on them surrounded by one of those indescribably azure skies.
They walked down the streets not knowing where they were going. All three kept to themselves and confined themselves to their thoughts until James broke the silence.
"So Moony when were you going to tell us Dylan asked you to go with her?" James asked turning towards Remus who just shrugged and ran his hand though his long sandy blonde hair.
"I guess now," Remus replied and quickly changed the subject. "Who are you going with Padfoot?"
"Well Padfoot here asked Claire to go with him and actually got nervous around her! I never thought the day would come!" James said as they turned the corner and walked into Three Broomsticks.
"Shut it," Sirius said as he hit James over the head. "I didn't get nervous."
"Sure you didn't Padfoot, whatever you need to tell yourself," James said.
"Anyone up for a butterbear?" Sirius said as a distraction from the conversation of him and Claire which was steadily making him more nervous.
"Aren't we always?" said James as if that settled it.
The three walked into the pub. They found a table next to the window and ordered three butterbeers and spent the remainder of the morning planning pranks and reminiscing about their fifth and sixth year.
While the Marauders were relaxing Claire and Dylan weren't. Lily had taken on the roll of drill sergeant. She had taken them straight to the dress shop after breakfast and forced them to try on at least 100 dresses. They each had yet to find theirs.
"Lily, look just pick one it doesn't matter," Dylan said with a yawn as Lily approached them loaded down with a new bunch.
"Here try these on and I want to see each one," Lily said shoving them a pile of dresses.
"Urgh, fine," said Claire as she accepted the stack of blue ones.
Claire went through the pile until she found the perfect one. And she just knew it was. It was a deep midnight blue the same color of her eyes. It was cut in an empire style with little black straps. There was a black see through material embroidered in silver that flowed out from the top part of the gown. It opened down the middle so that the deep blue fabric could show through. Claire hastily put it on and walked out with the back of the dress trailing on the ground behind her.
"So how about it Lil? I really like this one," Claire said as she made her way towards Lily.
Lily just smiled. She had known this would be her dress. There was no need for picking out any other.
"It's yours Claire. You look so beautiful."
Just then Dylan emerged in a dazzling white dress. It tied in the back and was tight at the top but gradually after her waist flowed down to cover her feet. It was embroidered in white, shinning pearly white flowers could be lightly seen on the gown. It made her lightly tanned skin stand out in an amazing contrast. Her brown eyes sparkled as she smiled.
Claire dropped her jaw, "Wow Dill that's great. You're going to kill Remus. You look amazing."
"Lily?" Dylan asked the drill master for approval.
"It's beautiful. You're beautiful," Lily said.
"Well now it's your turn missy," Claire shoved her a bundle of dresses into her hands.
Lily stepped into the dressing room. She tried on each dress but they all looked awful on her, nice on the rack but not on her. But at the bottom of the pile she found her rose amongst the thorns. She put it on and stepped out. For the first time Lily felt beautiful. The dress was a deep green, strapless, with little gold sparkles that you had to squint to see. It fell down to the ground. It made Lily's eyes look even more green then usual. The gold speckles brought her gorgeous red hair. Lily knew she was satisfied even if no one else was.
"I'm getting this even if you don't like it," Lily said as she stepped out.
"No need to worry I love it Lil," Claire said.
"Yea yea yea beautiful," Dylan teased, "Can we just go now?"
They bought the dresses and walked out into the October cold. They walked to Three Broomsticks for a quick butterbeer and then back to Hogwarts to get ready for the ball, forgetting the plans to go to the Forbidden Forest completely.
James, Sirius, and Remus stopped by Zonkos and then went to the Shrieking Shack. Where they pulled a few moderately good pranks on Snape, but then they got bored and went back to the castle to play a couple of games of Exploding Snap.
"Hey Prongs are you sure you want to go single tonight?" Remus inquired.
"Yea, I saw that hot Ravenclaw sixth year eyeing you in Honeydukes," Sirius said as the cards exploded in front of him.
"Ahaha, Padfoot loses yet again," James said ignoring the Ravenclaw comment; girls had been all over him and Sirius since third year. Even Remus had had some action back in fifth year.
"Shut it Prongs, you know I'm letting you win I'm in to good a mood to crush you in this little game of ours."
"Oh be quiet you know I have you beat Padfoot," James said and smiled, his blue eyes dancing with laughter.
"We'll see who has who beat in this next game," Sirius challenged.
"Oh stop it you two we all know I will crush both of you until you are crying for mercy," said Remus as he dodged a hit from Sirius only to be smacked by James.
After another hour of Exploding Snap they all left to get ready. Sirius and Remus went upstairs to Gryffindor's bedrooms and James to the head's room.
"Well I'll see you tonight," James said as he turned to leave. Tonight will be a night to remember he thought to himself as he dressed in blue dress robes.
Lily, Dylan, and Claire had been getting ready. Their dresses looked amazing. Lily after putting hers on took on the make job seeing as she had had years of experience from theater. For Claire she put a little silver shimmer on her eyelids and gave her cheeks color finishing with a hint of light pink color on her lips. For Dylan Lily went all out with the eyeliner seeing as Dylan was the only one with tan skin so the black color didn't make her look like a dead man. Lily also gave Dylan white eye shadow and almost bright red for her lipstick. Lily herself used a bit of gold eye shadow with a hint of gold glitter sprinkled above her eyes and across her shoulders. She had a warm lipstick in between Dylan's red and Claire's light pink. She stepped back and admired her handy work.
Next Dylan took charge of their hair because she always knew just what to do, which was ironic seeing as she had the least amount of hair. For Lily she pulled her hair up into a bun but left two ringlets of either side of her head fall down framing her face. For Claire she left her hair down, for Claire's hair was beautiful it fell down to the small of her back. Dylan parted her own hair to the side which gave it an even more dramatic edge.
As they gave themselves the last touches the clock struck 8. It was time for them to meet the Marauders. They left their bedroom each with butterflies in their stomachs.