Chapter 4

POV: James

"Hello, James," Lily said, walking down the staircase towards me. Tonight was the Hogwarts Ball. The Hogwarts Staff picked a couple from each school house and they were to start the dancing. Lily and I were picked as the Gryffindor couple.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter were dateless and were following behind us. Everyone was still in their Hogwarts dress, but somehow Lily stood out in the crowd. She had her hair tied in a bun on the top of her head, with a small chunk of hair, trailing down the left side of the back of her head. She was wearing what looked like diamond earrings and the crowds parted as we walked through. A few girls tried to grab my robes and stop me from accompanying Lily, but Sirius and Remus managed to push them away, while Peter rushed Lily and me towards the great hall.

Professor Dumbledore, the current headmaster, hurried us in. He was wearing spectacles in the shape of a half moon and had a long white beard. His robes billowed as he ran through the crowds telling everyone to calm down.

Lily grabbed the front of my robes and said, "Is this safe? I mean, like all the girls want you, and they'll tear me apart to get a dance with you, so everywhere you go, I go, everywhere I go, you go!"

"Or, Remus and Peter go where I go and Sirius goes where you go..."

"That could be arranged," Lily said, as the crowd filtered in. Lily grabbed my hand and my three friends guarded us.

Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black walked in. Lucius and Narcissa walked up to us and Lucius said to me, "I can arrange for you never to dance with Evans again."

Narcissa smiled at Lucius and flipped her silvery blonde hair.

"Do you ever talk?" Lily asked her.

Narcissa gave her a look and in a girlish voice said, "Only when I tell Lucius what a good idea he had, which he did." She giggled and Lucius walked away, pulling her along.

"Like she has no mind of her own," Lily commented.

"Just what I was thinking," I said.

"I mean, I know they're going to get married, but really, she shouldn't go by everything he says!!"

"Lily, why exactly do you care?" I asked.

"I really don't know."

POV: Lily

James and I sat down at a table after one hour of dancing.

"Come on, Lily, can we please dance for one more song?" James whined.

"No, I am exhausted, can we just rest one dance," I said, forcefully.

"Can I ask someone else to dance?" James asked.

"Fine, James," I said irritably.

James walked towards the dance floor looking for other girls to dance with.

Snape walked up to my table and sat down. "Lily, my love," he started to say.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Would you like to dance?"

"Excellent!" Snape said and led me to the dance floor. A slow dance came on and I started to dance with Snape when I saw James and Isabel Lovegood. James was dancing with married girls. James saw me and his eyes turned from happy to extremely angry. He snapped his fingers behind Isabel's back and Remus appeared. James told Remus something and Remus ran off.

A few moments later, Sirius and Remus appeared at my side, Peter trailing behind. "Lily," Sirius said, "May I cut in?"

"I'd love to!" I said a little too enthusiastically. I moved away from Snape and started to dance with Sirius and the other two stood nearby.

"I can't believe James. Who does he think he is, dancing with other girls? Especially since they're married!" I exclaimed.

"So, that's why you were dancing with Snape, to get back at James."

"You should know me by now, Sirius. You are my best friend, after all."

"I am? I'm flattered."

"Well, you and James."

"I knew it was too good to be true," he said with a laugh. "Why don't you dance with Remus, while I go take care of young Jimmy."

POV: James

"Lily, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed outside of the great hall. The whole school was inside the great hall having a blast, while I was outside having the worst time I ever had.

"I can't believe you, James! Going off dancing with other girls, when I told you I didn't want you to!" Lily screamed at me.

"Lily, you said I could!"

"I meant though that you shouldn't!"

"Why were you dancing with Snape? I bet you two had an amazing time at Hogsmede and you were just trying to break my heart by making up!"

"No! I made up with you because I love you. I got jealous, okay! I asked Snape to dance to get back at you for dancing with Isabel Lovegood!"

"She's married, I have no feelings toward her! Her husband hurt his foot and had to sit out a few dances! That's the reason why I danced with her, apparently she's a really great dancer!"

"I bet you think she dances better than me!"

"No, the greatest time I had tonight was with you!" I said softly.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, Lily, I love you."

"I love you, too, James, but so does Isabel Lovegood! She told me."

"She told me that if I had a son and she had a daughter, she would want them to fall in love, I think that would be a nice arrangement."

"I suppose, well, would you like to go back to that dance?" Lily asked me.

"No, let's just sit out here and talk."

POV: Lily

"Sirius!!" I squealed in the common room when Sirius finally emerged through the portrait hole.

"What?" he asked, groggily. It was about two a.m. and the dance had ended an hour ago. Sirius and some girl had been dancing in the hall and he was the last one in. Everyone had gone up to their dormitories, but I waited in the common room for Sirius.

"James asked me something," I started.

"Yeah?" he said and dropped into a chair.

"He asked me to marry him."

"That's nice," Sirius said and then realized what I said. "What?" He asked loudly. "He asked you to marry him?"

"Yes, once school is over. I mean, it's only two more months."

"He asked you to marry him?'

"YES!!" I squealed.

"You're both seventeen and you are going to get married?"

"Yes, Sirius!"

"I don't get it."

"What's not to get?"

"You're getting married?"