A/N: Thanks again, 3 is a decided improvement on 1 per chapter but MORE,
people, MORE!!!! *cackles manically*. Er, yeah... Lita - coincidence about
your suggestion on POVs - see my vote at the bottom of the chapter. As for
Sirius' date being you... well, you are welcome to imagine whatever you
like!! I don't think I mentioned his date much, as it happens... aurora-
borealis - lol... Child-of-Scorpio - nope, no review... maybe it didnt
work? that has happened to me. but here's ur update! glad u liked chap 11.
Chapter 12
The Yule Ball itself was an interesting experience. Remus, Sirius and I had decided on plain black dress robes, as had Peter, but the girls were dressed in many different colours. A pang went through me when I saw Lily Evans in a dress of bright green to match her eyes, but there was no boy for me to envy, at least. She had apparently chosen to go with her girl friends, as a feminist statement. I avoided looking at her too much.
Annie was wearing burgundy robes and did look stunning - just not as flooring as Lily. Yet evidently all the other boys thought Annie looked better - was it just something that only I could see that attracted me to Lily? Apparently so. Still, I noticed most of the girls staring at me, and so I determined not to care.
The hall itself was spectacular, a mirage of floating candles and wizard tinsel. Food was piled on tables at the sides and in the middle was a dance floor. Professor Dumbledore and the other staff sat at the top table by the stage, where the musicians were playing. A popular band had been hired, and after only ten minutes or so, people were dancing. It wasn't a group I listened to much - in fact, I personally preferred Muggle music, having grown up listening to it at primary school, but I didn't admit to that. This music was OK, and it was easy to dance to, but it wasn't really that great, I thought. Still, everyone else seemed to appreciate it, so that was good enough. Even Professor McGonagall was tapping her foot to the weird, eerie beat.
I soon discovered that charming girls was good fun. I had never really bothered, with Maria, but now I found that my quick wits came in useful for flirting as well as fighting. While the band took a break halfway through the evening, I took Annie's hand and led her outside. There were already a few couples standing around - we stood, partially obscured by a shrub from everyone else, in silence for a minute, then I grinned and leaned over. Sirius and I had made a bet on who could kiss their date that evening, and I had determined to win. Annie was certainly happy enough to help me, I found.
"Ooh, you sneak!" Sirius teased later. "I was so convinced that I was going to win."
I grinned at him and messed up my hair, checked in the mirror, held out a hand for the five Galleons I had won then began to make for the portrait hole.
"You don't even know her!" he called after me.
"Does that matter?" I shot back. "See you later."
Annie and I were having a whirlwind of a romance. Sirius was right, I hardly knew her, and what I did know of her I often disliked, but she would do for now.
We spent much of the holidays out in the grounds or in Hogsmeade, often joined by Sirius and Emma Bones, or Remus or Peter. By the end of January, however, I had tired of her affected giggles and airs once and for all - enough, after all, was enough.
"Why do you do that?" I demanded as she giggled shrilly at something Peter - who was with us - had said.
"Do what?"
"That awful 'hee-hee-hee' thing. It's so annoying. In fact, no - you're so annoying. Through and through."
She stared at me. "What?"
"I said, you're annoying. You're irritating. You drive me mad. You are a constant harassment. And so from this moment, we are no longer going out. We are over, finished."
"You can't do that!"
"Clearly," I drawled, "I can - I just did." I stood up lazily. "See you around. Coming, Peter?"
"That," he said admiringly as we walked away, "was pure cool."
By the following afternoon, I had a new girlfriend - a Gryffindor this time, Rosanne. She was a good sight more fun than Annie, although not quite as pretty. It took longer to bewitch her into adoring me, and thus into kissing me, but even then, not more than a couple of days. And, as I told Sirius, I was a sportsman. The chase was as good as the reward - so long as the reward would eventually come. It was time to forget Lily Evans - not hate her, that was pointless, but just be indifferent to her. In truth, she was too bookish to fit my new role as heartbreaker. Besides, the fact remained that only I seemed able to see how she was particularly attractive. She was definitely not suitable. I avoided her two best friends, as well. She was popular with the girls, but, as Peter told me, having usefully overheard a conversation between some other girls, only her best friends were in agreement with her boycott of Sirius and I.
It took me a month to grow weary of Rosanne and three weeks to tire of her successor. By then it was the end of March. Sirius and I were both on the prowl for our next conquests.
"I think I'll go for Annie Griffiths next, actually," Sirius mused in the common room. "I know she annoyed you, but I'm only out there for one thing. I don't share your love of pursuit."
"Only because you're no good at it," I laughed.
"Oh, I so am," he retorted. "I just don't see the point. There are enough girls in our year who just want to go out with one of us for the kicks that I don't bother with the ones that don't."
"Neither do I," I admitted. "So, what was your problem with Emma Bones?"
"Nothing much, only she wanted to spend too much time with me. But I'm not sure you should try for her yet - wait til next year, perhaps, when Geoff isn't Quidditch captain?"
I raised a finger. "That is a very good point. So who else...?"
It was amazing how tactical serial dating and heartbreaking was. You avoided Slytherins and Lily Evans' clique, but apart from that it was pure easy logic. Sirius and I worked together, because very few girls were happy to go from one of us to the other immediately. Once you had split up from a girl, you had to have one other girlfriend before you started on a friend of hers - that gave them time to be 'loyal' before giving into charm. Also, you had to be careful only to let boys see when you had one girlfriend in the morning, and a different one in the afternoon. That way, you got a reputation for being a cool womaniser, but the girls didn't think less of you.
Sirius and I had done calculations for the next four years as well as this year.
"Well, let's say that there's at least twelve suitable girls in our year, probably fifteen..."
"And then ten in each year joining..."
"And a month, on average, for each..."
"That means about a year and a half until we've run through our year, then an extra year for each lower year..."
"Plus a couple of older girls, for credos..."
"But minus ugly ones..."
"Oh yeah... Then again, some girls wouldn't mind a second chance."
I nodded agreement. Annie Griffiths had already started making doe eyes at me again. "We don't want to look like complete perverts, though. I mean, we don't want to be going out with first years when we're in sixth year."
He grinned. "Some first years might be very good."
I shuddered. "OK, OK, you're welcome to them. I shall stick to people nearer my own age."
He took a piece of paper and drew up a table. "Right..." He waved his wand over it and figures appeared. "Well, give or take a few, we should have about enough. Without being, ahem, perverts."
Remus shook his head despairingly. "Mightn't you want to settle down with one at some point?"
Sirius paused. "Maybe."
"But chance'd be a fine thing," I finished.
Even Peter was staring at Remus in surprise.
April was a month of shock to the wizarding world. Shock from deaths. First were two basically unknown adults who worked at the Ministry of Magic. Then, just three weeks later, came the death of a Ravenclaw, Joyce Simpson. The Daily Prophet went mad, naming suspects, interviewing everyone from the families of victims to people who might have been witnesses if they hadn't been doing something else. This went on for a few days before an anonymous letter was left at the press office, explaining that Lord Voldemort had arrived. It didn't take much brainpower to see the connection. And over the next few days, more and more of these messages began appearing. One said 'death to muggles and mudbloods'. Another said simply 'Avada kedavra - the killing curse'. All these were published in the Daily Prophet, and Professor Dumbledore could be seen looking very grave.
"This heralds the start of a new era," he said unexpectedly during dinner one day. He never usually made speeches then. "A new era in which many of you will be hurt, many of you will make sacrifices, and many of you will have to cope with things that are unfair to ask of you. It will be a time of grief, of struggle and failure - but, I hope, it will be a time when Hogwarts can unite and help each other, a time when hidden strengths will be used. Many of you will be needed in the coming years. I am relying on all of you to lead as normal a life as possible, but also to be watchful and careful. I urge you to be considerate, be kind, and above all, resist temptation. Voldemort has shown already that he has the capacity to spread discord and fear - above all, fear. He will tempt many of you with things he may be able to offer, but remember - love is the greatest power of all, greater than the power to kill, and it is a power he tries to dismiss as he has none of it. I cannot stop you turning to darker pursuits when you become adults - I can merely ask you now to remember my warnings."
Many people latched onto the fact that we should be as normal as possible, but it was difficult sometimes, when the post became something to dread, and at least once a fortnight somebody would suffer, either through parent, home or more abstract friend or relation. The Slytherins were cheerful, which sickened me. All I could hope for was that one day, I would be able to act for the 'good side', and in the meantime, continue with daily life.
A/N: An added reason to REVIEW! Here is a vote. At the moment I have written most of this story, and so far I have years 6 and 7 written in Lily's POV. However, many people seem to like James' narrative... there IS a reason why I have switched, namely that the rating will probs be going up and I am a girl and yeah... my imagination only stretches so far... lol. Oh, and for anybody who doesn't want the rating to go up - I will have two versions of that chapter, one R rated and one PG-13 and it will be very clear which is which! ok.. i am going now... vote and thus REVIEW! byeeee
Chapter 12
The Yule Ball itself was an interesting experience. Remus, Sirius and I had decided on plain black dress robes, as had Peter, but the girls were dressed in many different colours. A pang went through me when I saw Lily Evans in a dress of bright green to match her eyes, but there was no boy for me to envy, at least. She had apparently chosen to go with her girl friends, as a feminist statement. I avoided looking at her too much.
Annie was wearing burgundy robes and did look stunning - just not as flooring as Lily. Yet evidently all the other boys thought Annie looked better - was it just something that only I could see that attracted me to Lily? Apparently so. Still, I noticed most of the girls staring at me, and so I determined not to care.
The hall itself was spectacular, a mirage of floating candles and wizard tinsel. Food was piled on tables at the sides and in the middle was a dance floor. Professor Dumbledore and the other staff sat at the top table by the stage, where the musicians were playing. A popular band had been hired, and after only ten minutes or so, people were dancing. It wasn't a group I listened to much - in fact, I personally preferred Muggle music, having grown up listening to it at primary school, but I didn't admit to that. This music was OK, and it was easy to dance to, but it wasn't really that great, I thought. Still, everyone else seemed to appreciate it, so that was good enough. Even Professor McGonagall was tapping her foot to the weird, eerie beat.
I soon discovered that charming girls was good fun. I had never really bothered, with Maria, but now I found that my quick wits came in useful for flirting as well as fighting. While the band took a break halfway through the evening, I took Annie's hand and led her outside. There were already a few couples standing around - we stood, partially obscured by a shrub from everyone else, in silence for a minute, then I grinned and leaned over. Sirius and I had made a bet on who could kiss their date that evening, and I had determined to win. Annie was certainly happy enough to help me, I found.
"Ooh, you sneak!" Sirius teased later. "I was so convinced that I was going to win."
I grinned at him and messed up my hair, checked in the mirror, held out a hand for the five Galleons I had won then began to make for the portrait hole.
"You don't even know her!" he called after me.
"Does that matter?" I shot back. "See you later."
Annie and I were having a whirlwind of a romance. Sirius was right, I hardly knew her, and what I did know of her I often disliked, but she would do for now.
We spent much of the holidays out in the grounds or in Hogsmeade, often joined by Sirius and Emma Bones, or Remus or Peter. By the end of January, however, I had tired of her affected giggles and airs once and for all - enough, after all, was enough.
"Why do you do that?" I demanded as she giggled shrilly at something Peter - who was with us - had said.
"Do what?"
"That awful 'hee-hee-hee' thing. It's so annoying. In fact, no - you're so annoying. Through and through."
She stared at me. "What?"
"I said, you're annoying. You're irritating. You drive me mad. You are a constant harassment. And so from this moment, we are no longer going out. We are over, finished."
"You can't do that!"
"Clearly," I drawled, "I can - I just did." I stood up lazily. "See you around. Coming, Peter?"
"That," he said admiringly as we walked away, "was pure cool."
By the following afternoon, I had a new girlfriend - a Gryffindor this time, Rosanne. She was a good sight more fun than Annie, although not quite as pretty. It took longer to bewitch her into adoring me, and thus into kissing me, but even then, not more than a couple of days. And, as I told Sirius, I was a sportsman. The chase was as good as the reward - so long as the reward would eventually come. It was time to forget Lily Evans - not hate her, that was pointless, but just be indifferent to her. In truth, she was too bookish to fit my new role as heartbreaker. Besides, the fact remained that only I seemed able to see how she was particularly attractive. She was definitely not suitable. I avoided her two best friends, as well. She was popular with the girls, but, as Peter told me, having usefully overheard a conversation between some other girls, only her best friends were in agreement with her boycott of Sirius and I.
It took me a month to grow weary of Rosanne and three weeks to tire of her successor. By then it was the end of March. Sirius and I were both on the prowl for our next conquests.
"I think I'll go for Annie Griffiths next, actually," Sirius mused in the common room. "I know she annoyed you, but I'm only out there for one thing. I don't share your love of pursuit."
"Only because you're no good at it," I laughed.
"Oh, I so am," he retorted. "I just don't see the point. There are enough girls in our year who just want to go out with one of us for the kicks that I don't bother with the ones that don't."
"Neither do I," I admitted. "So, what was your problem with Emma Bones?"
"Nothing much, only she wanted to spend too much time with me. But I'm not sure you should try for her yet - wait til next year, perhaps, when Geoff isn't Quidditch captain?"
I raised a finger. "That is a very good point. So who else...?"
It was amazing how tactical serial dating and heartbreaking was. You avoided Slytherins and Lily Evans' clique, but apart from that it was pure easy logic. Sirius and I worked together, because very few girls were happy to go from one of us to the other immediately. Once you had split up from a girl, you had to have one other girlfriend before you started on a friend of hers - that gave them time to be 'loyal' before giving into charm. Also, you had to be careful only to let boys see when you had one girlfriend in the morning, and a different one in the afternoon. That way, you got a reputation for being a cool womaniser, but the girls didn't think less of you.
Sirius and I had done calculations for the next four years as well as this year.
"Well, let's say that there's at least twelve suitable girls in our year, probably fifteen..."
"And then ten in each year joining..."
"And a month, on average, for each..."
"That means about a year and a half until we've run through our year, then an extra year for each lower year..."
"Plus a couple of older girls, for credos..."
"But minus ugly ones..."
"Oh yeah... Then again, some girls wouldn't mind a second chance."
I nodded agreement. Annie Griffiths had already started making doe eyes at me again. "We don't want to look like complete perverts, though. I mean, we don't want to be going out with first years when we're in sixth year."
He grinned. "Some first years might be very good."
I shuddered. "OK, OK, you're welcome to them. I shall stick to people nearer my own age."
He took a piece of paper and drew up a table. "Right..." He waved his wand over it and figures appeared. "Well, give or take a few, we should have about enough. Without being, ahem, perverts."
Remus shook his head despairingly. "Mightn't you want to settle down with one at some point?"
Sirius paused. "Maybe."
"But chance'd be a fine thing," I finished.
Even Peter was staring at Remus in surprise.
April was a month of shock to the wizarding world. Shock from deaths. First were two basically unknown adults who worked at the Ministry of Magic. Then, just three weeks later, came the death of a Ravenclaw, Joyce Simpson. The Daily Prophet went mad, naming suspects, interviewing everyone from the families of victims to people who might have been witnesses if they hadn't been doing something else. This went on for a few days before an anonymous letter was left at the press office, explaining that Lord Voldemort had arrived. It didn't take much brainpower to see the connection. And over the next few days, more and more of these messages began appearing. One said 'death to muggles and mudbloods'. Another said simply 'Avada kedavra - the killing curse'. All these were published in the Daily Prophet, and Professor Dumbledore could be seen looking very grave.
"This heralds the start of a new era," he said unexpectedly during dinner one day. He never usually made speeches then. "A new era in which many of you will be hurt, many of you will make sacrifices, and many of you will have to cope with things that are unfair to ask of you. It will be a time of grief, of struggle and failure - but, I hope, it will be a time when Hogwarts can unite and help each other, a time when hidden strengths will be used. Many of you will be needed in the coming years. I am relying on all of you to lead as normal a life as possible, but also to be watchful and careful. I urge you to be considerate, be kind, and above all, resist temptation. Voldemort has shown already that he has the capacity to spread discord and fear - above all, fear. He will tempt many of you with things he may be able to offer, but remember - love is the greatest power of all, greater than the power to kill, and it is a power he tries to dismiss as he has none of it. I cannot stop you turning to darker pursuits when you become adults - I can merely ask you now to remember my warnings."
Many people latched onto the fact that we should be as normal as possible, but it was difficult sometimes, when the post became something to dread, and at least once a fortnight somebody would suffer, either through parent, home or more abstract friend or relation. The Slytherins were cheerful, which sickened me. All I could hope for was that one day, I would be able to act for the 'good side', and in the meantime, continue with daily life.
A/N: An added reason to REVIEW! Here is a vote. At the moment I have written most of this story, and so far I have years 6 and 7 written in Lily's POV. However, many people seem to like James' narrative... there IS a reason why I have switched, namely that the rating will probs be going up and I am a girl and yeah... my imagination only stretches so far... lol. Oh, and for anybody who doesn't want the rating to go up - I will have two versions of that chapter, one R rated and one PG-13 and it will be very clear which is which! ok.. i am going now... vote and thus REVIEW! byeeee