Disclaimer-concept plus a lot of characters belong to the wonder JK Rowling. Some belong to me, and the plot does too. I try to make it original, but you know how that goes.

Summary- Hogwarts has changed. Marauders meet there match. Trying to save a friendship between nine people and prank Snivellus? Harder than you think.

Having a Ball

"Oh hi James, yeah just reading a bit before I turn in." She stopped. "I thought you had a prank tonight?"

He smiled a bit. "Yeah, we did, it's outside, I just forgot my cloak here." he said picking up the cloak that was a table down. "Well I'll be off."

"Is Remus ok? Pete said he was sick, we were going to start decorating, and... well I just was wandering if he felt better."

"Y-yeah, he's fine, we're pranking in his honor." He said leaving. Zelda didn't feel tired so she headed to the astronomy tower to look at stars so she could study a little too. She quickened her pace and decided it was best not to be in the corridors alone late at night. She was up at the tower and looking down at the grounds and to Hagrid's hut, the lights were on still so he must be up still. 'He is such a nice man.' She thought, but then an odd sight caught her eye. A stag, a wolf, a rat and a grim ran across the grounds.

"Odd," she said aloud. But didn't think anymore of it. She looked at various constellations and was trying to find one more when she heard a voice behind her.

"Can't sleep again Miss Sagitta?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No, sir, and i don't feel tired."

"Yes, that can happen, but try and get some sleep, you're going to have some trying days before next Friday, and decoration can be tiring." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, sir, stars are lovely tonight though." She said leaving he telescope.

"I imagine they are."

"Goodnight Professor."

"Goodnight Zelda." She went to the door and turned to see Dumbledore looking in the telescope she had just left.

-----------------------------Next morning at shrieking shack---

"Yeah Moony, Zelda was looking for you last night, something about decorations." Remus turned his head up slowly and his tired eyes looked worried.

"She mad?"

"No, a bit worried though, she just wanted to know if you were doing alright."

"I'm wonderful," he said sarcastically.

"I'll tell her that." Sirius said laughing as they appeared out of the Whomping Willow he stopped when he saw some one on the grounds. "Under the cloak." He hissed. And the four of them squeezed under the cloak. They walked past and it was just Ariana talking to May.

"Some how i have a feeling you and Sirius will end up dancing." May said smiling and Ariana blushed, they didn't know that Sirius did too under the cloak. When they got inside the oak doors Remus turned to them. "I have to work on decorations now." He went to the library were he saw Zelda reading a book not on spells but on history.

"The Silmarillion?" He asked.

"Oh, it's a wonderful book." She said smiling, but when she looked up she frowned. "Remus, if you're still sick, I can take care of it until you get better."

"I'm fine."

"Ok, just wouldn't want you to be sick for the ball." She said as he took the seat across from her. She looked up and reached her arm across the table and pushed hair off of Remus' forehead to reveal a big bruise, "are you sure you're ok?" She said standing up.

"Yes." Remus snapped standing up sharply. "I'm fine," now he was glaring. It was a bit scary for Zelda because the Marauders were all tall, Sirius and James were a little over six feet, Peter was five foot nine but Remus he was six foot three. Zelda was only an inch or so over five foot.

"You know what?" She said slowly. "We can work on this later, tomorrow even, but not now, definitely not now." She picked up her bag and basically ran from the library.

"Dammit!" Remus cursed, causing some first years to look frightened.

Zelda got up to the dorm and sat on her bed still frightened that Remus had yelled like that.

"Whats up Zel, you look like you're seen a ghost."

"Nothing Jill, I'm fine, just scared myself."

"You need help with practicing decorations?"

"Yeah Lily, you guys want to help, we'll use our room for practice." Over the next five days the five practiced on the dorm which looked festive in the end.

"I have to talk with Remus now; we need to start decorating now." Zelda said after dinner.

"I think she's enjoying this." Lily said as Zelda walked away. "I think she might have fallen for a Marauder." The four giggled.

"Remus! Oi Lupin!" Remus turned to see Zelda run up behind him. "We need to decorate now so Brad and Anna can check it over tomorrow." He nodded and they made their way to the hall, half way through decorating Remus turned to Zelda.

"Sorry for yelling at you." He said sincerely. "I was just-"

"Hey, it's alright, it's not any of my business." Zelda replied. Another hour past and Brad and Anna walked into the room.

"This is wonderful."Anna beamed.

"Yes, we came from the gardens and the decoration group out did themselves. Twenty points to Gryffindor." Brad said looking at the ice icicles.

"Who's coming for entertainment?"

"The Jinx Experience." Brad said proudly.

"I love them!" Zelda yelled, Anna and Zelda shared a look and then said. "The lead singer, Mike Farrel." And both giggled. Brad rolled his eyes and Remus looked sad for a second but then recovered by laughing.

"See you later." Remus said.

"Yeah, I'll be off too, meteor shower you know!" Zelda said running up to the Astronomy tower, but she only stayed for an hour then went to bed. The next day was hectic even early in the morning, girls rushing in and out of the bathroom all day. The dinner before the dance started at 6 but the dance started at seven and lasted until one.

Sirius opened the door that some one had been knocking on for a minute or so. It was Zelda and she said thanks and walked around him.

"Yeh, I can't get in my bathroom yet, so I was wondering if I could brush my teeth here?" Sirius nodded and plopped back in bed. He heard he brushing her teeth and she came out right as Peter went to the door.

"Hey Pete." He just stared. She ruffled his hair and kept walking. "Thanks Siri." She said opening the curtains to his bed and tickling him. Then she got hit by a pillow. She dropped her toothbrush and jumped in the bed started tickling the heck out of Sirius until the bed on the other side stirred and James came running with a pillow, Peter came out in time to dodge a well placed pillow. Finally Remus woke up and saw Peter on James' back covering his eyes and Zelda in Sirius' bed hair disheveled and Sirius on top of her hitting her with a pillow.

"What is going on?" He said to anyone.

"She-hehe-started-hehe-tickling-hehe-me." Sirius said pointing to Zelda who was now running out of there dorm. "Jealous Remus?" Sirius said joking. "I got on top." Remus turned red and went into the bathroom. At about four thirty girls started dressing then at five thirty most guys started dressing. The rule was at ten until six the guys would go down and at six the girls would so no one could see which house they came out of. So at six o'clock the Gryffindor sixth years went down and all looked stunning, the masks were magicked to their faces and all had changed the color of their eyes. They sat down at a table and ate and at five til seven Dumbledore stood up, or so they guessed, he was disguised as Gandalf and he told them music was starting soon and to find a partner.

People started pairing up Sirius paired up with a girl in dark blue robes, which little did he know was Ariana, Ariana gave thumbs up to Lily who was with a boy dressed up like the boy Ari was dancing with.

May was also dancing with a boy dressed the same; Zelda figured they were the musketeers. The fourth was dancing with a girl dressed like Cleopatra and Zelda saw Jillie dancing with a boy dressed like a pirate. Zelda was tapped on the shoulder. "Can I have this dance?"

"Sure," the boy was dressed as Hercules. She danced with him for a few dances until the Cleopatra girl asked him to dance. She went to get some punch where she saw the other Musketeer standing.

"Hello," she never got used to the fake voice she used to keep disguised.

"Hi, would you like to dance?"

"Yeah, sounds great." While they were dancing they spoke about all sorts of things like teachers, classes, and some of the things Sirius had asked her, though she couldn't say his name.

"So anything else interesting this friend has talked to you about."

"Yeah, werewolves, i think he's curious how people treat people who are different. He would never treat different people badly though, he's too nice."

"W-what do you think about werewolves."

"I dunno, it may be scary that people don't have control over that but thats just it, it's not there fault that they got bitten. And if i ever met a werewolf i bet i wouldn't know unless it was a full moon. You know? They're people and they should be treated like it."

"Yeah, i have a friend who's a werewolf."

"Really? See, and knowing you I bet your friends just as sweet."

Remus blushed under his mask, before it was midnight he must remember to get away so they didn't ask any questions. Though he was curious to stay too, he really liked this girl even though they had just met. If he stayed he would get to talk to this girl for an hour at least, Dumbledore decided to reveal them at midnight and have the party last an hour later. And it did well to take his mind off of Zelda, she was out of his league.

"Would you like to go out into the courtyard?" He asked." I hear it looks nice."

"Sure." Had Remus checked his watch he would have noted that it was five until midnight, but he thought he had loads of time.

"So whats your favorite subject?" Remus asked.

"Hm, History, because i love the stories and Astronomy because stars tell stories, and you?" Remus loved this girl, she was smart and funny and like himself. Except for being a werewolf.

"Me too." She smiled and both jumped when they hear Dumbledore's voice raise through out the ballroom and garden.

"I ask you to stand still the spell is about to be lifted and a magic sign will be next to each person showing their name house and year." Remus' voice dropped out of his throat and many thoughts went through his head before the masks were lifter like.

What if she sees me and doesn't like the way I look?

What if she's Slytherin?

What if she's in fourth year?

What if she's too good for me?

Before the spell was lifted Remus looked into her eyes and bent down and they kissed, he heard a commotion in the hall which meant the spell was off but neither pulled away. When they finally did she looked down to see Zelda Sagitta. His face turned red and he turned and left. Zelda looked confused and sad and walked slowly into the hall, she saw that Cleopatra was Narcissa Black and Hercules was Malfoy. Malfoy and Zelda made eye contact and for the first time in six years they laughed with eachother and not at eachother. She walked over to be friendly. "Why Malfoy, what an interesting surprise!" She said still smiling like a maniac.

"Yeah," He said nodding. "You look nice tonight," he kissed her hand and they both went opposite ways.

"Hey Zelda!" Sirius said holding on to Ariana, "Who were your mystery men?"

"I had a few dances with Malfoy," Peter, James and Sirius made a face. "And i spent four and a half hours with Remus who when the identities were revealed, left." She said as tears poured down her face. "I can't believe I fell for a Marauder." She said and then ran out from the hall. She didn't stop until she reached the Astronomy Tower, she was glad that Lily was her friend again, because she gave Jillie, May and Ari the look that said don't follow. She sat down and cried for five minutes straight and almost screamed when she found that some one else was in the Astronomy Tower. And with Zelda's luck she saw it was Remus, but he had his head in his hands, he looked up and stood up but Zelda jumped up instead.

"No, Lupin, I'll leave this time. Right after you tell me why you can't give some one a simple reason before ditching them." Remus' throat tightened as he tried to speak and shook his head. Zelda nodded and went to leave but she was pulled around and look right into Remus' eyes that were filled with tears, but none spilled.

"What?" She said as more tears slid down her face.

"I don't like you, I mean I do, but I can't."

"Why?"

"Because you're too good for me, you should be going out with some 'hot' quidditch captain like Cody Davies."

"That's a bullshit answer and you know it!"

"No its true, i really like you but i can't go out with you."

"Says who!"

"Me." He said his tawny eyes turning cold.

"What are you so afraid of?!"

"That you'll be afraid of me and I'll hurt you!"

"I already am, and you have!" She said surprising herself and Remus. "I mean I'm afraid that I like you so much and you don't, and that hurts."

"You wouldn't want to go out with me."

"Well why you've decided this would you care to tell me why I decided this?"

"I'm a werewolf." He said cringing, expecting screaming and for her to run.

"That's what your friends found out, your secret. Now that I think of it you were 'sick' on a lot of full moons, it makes sense."

"See, you don't want to go out with me, I'm half wolf."

"Only on twelve days out of the year. The rest of the time you're Remus Jacob Lupin, the Marauder." She sighed. "Anyway, no ones all their cracked up to be."

"What about you?"

"I am an elf." Remus looked at her closer, she sighed again and pulled her hair out of the way and there were two somewhat pointy ears.

"See, I have pointy ears, how many people do you know that have pointy ears?"

"Zelda?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you go out with me next Hogsmeade weekend?" She looked sharply up to Remus' eyes that were still shiny.

"Yes I will." They stood for a few minutes in silence then sat on the floor of the Astronomy Tower.

"Zelda?"

"hmm?"

"Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

She shook her head no, Remus took this hint and looked up at the ceiling and a second later he found himself on the floor with Zelda kissing him, it would be a lie to say that he didn't kiss back. About twenty minutes later they broke apart and Remus spoke.

"Why do you get to kiss me and not vice versa?"

"Because, I'm cute like that."

"Ten till one; you wanna dance one more time."

"Yes, yes I do." They sprinted to the Great Hall just in time to hear the band announce their last song. Remus and Zelda were dancing to the slow song as their friends looked on in amazement.

"Didn't see that coming." James said in awe.

"Good thing you're not a Seer then." Lily replied smoothly.