Chapter Three: "Last Dance"

Donna Summer

Sixteen years. Sixteen years of life had passed James in a wink. Lying on his four poster bed and staring fixedly at the ceiling, he couldn't ever imagine not being himself, not going to Hogwarts, not being best friends with the rest of the Marauders. Another thing he couldn't imagine was the scene that happened last night, playing over and over in his head. He, James, had, after years of persistence, achieved the near impossible- Lily Evans agreed to go out with him.

"Hello? Is there anyone home? PRONGS?!" Remus shouted, waving his hands in front of James' face. He suddenly got to his senses and looked at Remus as if he was growing a second head.

 "What? Are you okay Moony? Why are you shouting at me?"

Remus sighed. James could be such an insufferable git sometimes! And he knew it!

"James, the ball is in ten minutes! Aren't you going to get dressed?" Remus threw his hands up in the air. He was the only one in his dorm who was dressed in his dress robes, which were a subdued, yet nice shade of scarlet. James was acting like a lump on a log, Sirius was sleeping, and Peter was moping about his not being able to get a date. Remus was tired of them all. He was their best friend, but sometimes he wondered why they ever became friends in the first place. Then, he realized with a smile, that without him, they were basically sunk. He, of course, was the brains of all the Marauder's operations.

"What!? TEN MINUTES!" Sirius bolted up from his bed and ran to his trunk. Ripping out his dress robes, he threw them on and dashed out the door. A few seconds later, he reappeared at the door frame, obviously, he had forgotten him something.

"Sorry guys got to meet my date outside the Great Hall in two minutes! She's a hot blonde Ravenclaw, I know, who'd a thunk? " he said at the surprised look on Remus and James' faces at the mentioning of her house. Since when were Ravenclaws hot and blonde? It went totally against the reputation of the positively brilliant Ravenclaw House.

"Okay 'bye Sirius," Peter said, flopping onto his bed, pulling the curtains around him.

"Well, I guess I should start getting ready." James said, getting up from his bed and getting his robes out of his trunk.

A few minutes, later, James and Remus both sat in the Gryffindor common room, awaiting their dates. After a few games of wizard chess, two 6th years descended the girl's dorm staircase.  They stopped on the last step, looking out into the common room, as if to ask their dates to escort them the rest of the way.

They were, in a word, glamorous. Lily was wearing a muggle dress that was a deep emerald green, matching her eyes exactly. It was made of satin, and looked simply divine on Lily. Her fiery red hair was put up in a bun with sparkling rhinestones stuck all over the place in it.  He looked up at her glowing figure, poised and smiling. She was absolutely beautiful, and James would have given anyone who argued otherwise the longest stay in the hospital wing any of them had ever seen.

James stood and took her hand, leading her off the stairs. Behind Lily was Meredith LaBelle, her friend. She had dark brown hair which was pulled back into a high ponytail. She wore a bright blue dress much like Lily's but with an asymmetrical top with ruffles.  Remus approached her and followed James and Lily out of the common room, sweeping them into the hallway. Throughout the walk, Lily and James conversed lightly, their discourse traveling from Quidditch to houses, and then back to Quidditch. It was pleasant and enjoyable for the both of them, really getting to know each other more. Soon, they were at the Great Hall, among the masses of other students from other houses, all trying to get in. Finally, the reached the large double doors, and as soon as they were in, James and Lily broke off from the other two and the dance began.

 Time rolled by…  minutes turned into hours, hours passed, danced were danced, and then, the last one was upon them. The band slowed it down, playing a song with the beat of a soothing lullaby. James twirled Lily onto the dance floor, and finally settling down in the middle of the Hall. They began to dance, and James sang softly into her ear:

"Last dance, last chance for love. Yes, it's my last chance, for romance tonight,"

"I need you by me, beside me, to guide me" she sang back to him.

"To hold me, to scold me 'Cause when I'm bad I'm so, so bad." He added with a grin as Lily playfully slapped him lightly.

Then the tempo quickened and the song went into full swing.

"So let's dance the last dance, let's dance the last dance, and let's dance this last dance tonight" they sang together, attracting the attention of the rest of the crowd. All the couples began swing dancing, dipping and sweeping their partners all around the floor.

"So, come on baby, dance that dance! Come on baby, dance that dance! Come on baby, let's dance tonight" James sang loudly, Lily joining him in singing it again.

James suddenly picked Lily up by her waist and spun her about, looking up at her. She laughed and begged jokingly to put her down! He only laughed and spun her around faster, causing her to giggle with delight.

"Hey! Lily, James; smile!!" a voice shouted as the speaker took a photo of James spinning Lily.

 As the song repeated and faded out, he set her down on the floor and kissed her.

"Goodnight Lil" he said, twirling her around once more, and then kissing her again on the cheek this time. . Lily's hand flew to her cheek, wondering if this was all real. He grinned at her as he turned about, grabbed Remus and Sirius, bounding out of the Great Hall.

"Wow, you're so lucky Lils," Meredith jokingly said from behind her, looking after Remus, Sirius and James.

"I know" was Lily's only response.

A/N: HEY! Thanks so much for reviewing! I'd also like to ask that yall read and review "On this Long and Winding Road", another story by yours truly!

Reviewers! You ROCK!

Milagro: Yeah, I know, the first was better, but hey, it's getting better, right? Right?!

EviL PunK NoT: I wouldn't say I'm DAMN good, but, My writings not total crap… is it? Lol, and I absolutely loved the song Hero, and I really wanted it in my story… So I hope it wasn't totally random for yall…

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