Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 15- Before the Ball

"So what did you get Sirius?" Lily asked Monica while they were getting ready for the Ball.

"Yeah!" Jennifer replied as she walked out from behind the Japanese dressing screen that Lily's mother had bought her while they had vacationed in Japan.

"Well, he asked for Peter Pan," Monica started as she went behind the screen with her costume, "so he got Peter Pan."

Lily burst into a solitary fit of laughter because she was the only one who knew who Peter Pan was and about his tights.

"Who is Peter Pan?" Caroline asked, eyeing Lily suspiciously.

"He's this-" Lily tried to answer Caroline's question, but couldn't stop laughing so Monica finished from behind the dressing screen.

"-Muggle cartoon character who wears green tights and battles some pirate named Captain Cook."

"Hook," Lily corrected.

"How'd you find that in Hogsmeade?" Jennifer asked in awe.

"I didn't," Monica replied matter-of-factly. "I went to that Muggle town that's near Hogsmeade, and went to a costume shop. That's where I got my costume," Monica said as she stepped from behind the screen. "And I hope he doesn't try to take it off either," she muttered so low that no one heard her.

The three girls gasped when they saw her.

"You-You're Tinkerbell!" Lily exclaimed.

"Of course I am!" Monica exclaimed and twirled in a circle in front of the mirror so she could examine herself. "I couldn't let Si make a fool of himself, now could I?"

"Well, one thing's certain. Even if he does look like a fool, you'll still look great," Jennifer grinned.

"By the way," Lily said as she walked behind the screen, "what are you supposed to be, Jennifer?"

"I am a," Jennifer did what she thought was a sexy pose, "Muggle model!"

"Well you don't look like one," Lily giggled.

"And why is that?" Jennifer snapped.

"First of all, you're not tall enough. And secondly," Lily giggled again, "a model would never wear that."

"Oh," Jennifer said.

"Just say you're," Lily paused and thought for a couple of seconds before exclaiming, "Cyndi Lauper!"

"Is that another one of your Muggle singers?" Jennifer asked with a laugh.

"Yes," Lily replied scornfully as she pulled the leather dress on.

The other three girls giggled as they heard Lily groaning as she tried to put the dress on.

"That's-what you-get-for picking-out leather-" Monica said between giggles.

"Well," Lily grunted again, "James liked it, so I bought it!"

"Geez Lily! You've already been in there five minutes! I still need to get my costume on!" Caroline whined.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Lily snapped.

"Sooorry," Caroline snapped back.

"Guys," Jennifer intervened because she didn't want them to be in a fight. Because if they were in a fight, she'd be expected to pick either Monica or Lily, and if she decided not to pick either, they'd forget that they were mad at each other and be mad at her together. That always got ugly.

"I'm done," Lily announced in a softer tone as she stepped from behind the screen.

"Wow, Lily!" Monica exclaimed. "You look like a total slut!"

"Gee thanks, Moni," Lily replied, amused.

'That's what you're supposed to be, right?" Caroline asked, forgetting the earlier tit.

"Pretty much," Lily replied and looked at herself in the mirror. "Does this make me look fat?" she asked while rubbing her stomach with her hand.

Her three friends looked at her incredulously because she looked like twig and it was unlike her to worry about her weight, anyhow,

"What?" Lily asked, bemused.

"Oh my god, Lily!" Jennifer exclaimed, deciding to have some fun with her friend's fear. "You look like a total cow. Your hips are, like, this WIDE," she stretched her arms out as far as she could.

"Yeah," Monica replied, catching on to what Jennifer was doing. "Don't look at your ass. Your hips are wide, but nothing compared to that thing. I've seen barns smaller than your rear end."

"A good name for you," Caroline grinned, "would be Big Butt Bertha, or better yet, Large Ass!"

Lily started hyperventilating. "Oh my GOD! OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS! I CAN'T LET JAMES SEE ME IN THIS! HE'LL BE DISGUSTED AND BREAK UP WITH ME. AND, AND, AND, JUST OH MY GOD!"

The three girls burst into laughter at the scene they had just witnessed.

"It's okay," Monica replied in a soothing tone after she had finished laughing. "We were just messing with you."

"NO YOU WEREN'T!" Lily screamed at her.

"Actually, hun," Caroline started and stepped beside Lily, "we were only kidding. Does this," she motioned towards Lily's ass," look bigger than a barn to you?"

"Well, no, but-"Monica cut her off.

"Stop being such an idiot and finish getting ready," she commanded.

"Fine..." Lily trailed off and went to her closet and bent over, searching for her boots and whip.

Caroline opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it after receiving an icy glare from both Jennifer and Monica and went

XXX

Remus, James, and Peter couldn't stop laughing at Sirius.

"You look like a green ballerina!" James finally spit out. He had been trying to say that for about five minutes, but couldn't because every time he looked at Sirius, he burst into a new fit of laughter.

"How could she do this to me?" Sirius growled.

"You really remind me of a dog when you do that, Padfoot," Remus said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it's not a wonder that you trans-"he gave a squeak of fear when he noticed Sirius' irate glare in his direction.

"Yeah, and it's not a wonder that you transform into a rat. You look AND sound enough like one that you could get away with not transforming during full moons," Sirius said in a mocking voice full of venom.

"Sirius," Remus gritted his teeth, "stop being such a damn baby! You're the one who asked for the costume, anyhow."

Sirius muttered something incomprehensible under his breath.

"I have an idea!" James exclaimed, trying to break the tension in the room. "How about the rest of us put our costumes on, and then we can go get our dates?"

"Easy for you to say, mate. You don't look like a freaking sped," Sirius muttered and took another look at himself in the mirror.

"I have a suggestion," Remus said with a how-did-you-not-think-of-this?-look.

"On with it!" Sirius exclaimed impatiently and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Well," he took a long pause and chuckled at Sirius' facial expression of complete agony, "why don't you just take the stupid thing off?"

"YOU'RE A BLOODY GENIUS!" Sirius cried out and frantically began trying to pull the green tights off. He let out a blood-curling scream when he figured out that the costume wouldn't come off.

XXX

"I'm almost fi-"Caroline was cut off by a male scream that seemed to shake all of Hogwarts.

Monica grinned like a madwoman and said, "I guess he just tried to take his beloved costume off.

A loud beating on the door startled the four girls. "OPEN THIS BLOODY DOOR THIS INSTANT!"

Monica grinned and moseyed over to the door. "Darling?" a questioning, but innocent, look appeared on her face as she opened the door and leaned on the frame, folding her arms across her chest.

"What the bloody hell did you do to this thing?" he growled at her.

"What are you talking about?" she let a puzzled look slide onto her face.

"I think you know bloody well what I'm talking about!"

"Hmm?"

"This stupid costume won't come off because you did something to it!"

"You were talking about that? Don't worry. It'll come off tomorrow," she gently touched his cheek. "Now, excuse me, but I have a ball to finish getting ready for." And with that she slammed the door in an angry Sirius' face.

"I hope you know that this isn't funny," came his muffled cry of distress from the other side of the door. After a few heavy stomps and the slamming of a door, Monica let out a giant roar of laughter.

"What did you do?" Lily asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Lily, Lily, Lily," Monica shook her head, "you're the best at charms and you can't even recognize a simple charm? Tisk-tisk..."

"What if he figures out the counter-charm?" Caroline asked.

"Do you actually think Sirius could do that if he tried?" Jennifer shot back at Caroline. "Honestly, the man has less common sense than a flea!"

"True, but," Caroline paused, "what about Remus, James, and P-well he doesn't count. He's got even less common sense than Sirius."

"Like those two would reverse it! They're probably laughing their heads off right this moment," Lily grinned.

"Good point," Caroline replied with a skeptical look before taking a quick peek at her watch, "but I need to go meet Amos Diggory."

"I'll go with you because he set me up with his friend, Robert!" Jennifer let out a squeal of excitement.

"I thought you liked Remus," Lily said with a puzzled look.

"I did, and still might, but I'm not waiting for him to make a move any longer," Jennifer replied with a sigh.

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but Caroline beat her to it.

"I'm leaving... NOW! So if you don't mind walking alone to meet him, feel free to have this chat with Lily. Otherwise, you'd best be walking out that door in no more than five seconds," she motioned towards the door and exited through it with a very excited Jennifer following closely behind her.

"I think I'll do the same as them and go meet my Peter Pan," Monica said with a giggle and left the room.

Lily quickly followed and gently closed the door to her room behind her.

"My, my, my," a voice said from behind her and spun her around to get a better look.

"James," she laughed and gave him a quick hug.

"You look," James paused, searching for the right word, "hot."

Lily giggled and let her eyes wander across his whole body. "What are you supposed to be?"

"I am your," he turned away from her and tied something over the top of his head, "Zorro!" The last part he said with his most Spanish accent, and a not very good one at that.

Lily's eyes bulged out their sockets and she tried to stifle a laugh at his ridiculous masquerade of Zorro.

XXX

A/N- For Lily's costume think about Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels during the "Oooooh Baracuda" part. James, Sirius, Monica---all quite obvious. For Jennifer, think about Cyndi Lauper in the 80s. I'm not sure what Remus, Peter, and Caroline are yet, so suggestions are completely welcome.

And if this chap totally sucks, blame it on my damn flu!! I've been home 2days and have been very delirious during that time.

Pranks Are So Siriusly Padfoot- I know what you mean about getting reviews. Except, sniffle-sniffle, I only got 5 last chapter!

Anna dh- This chapter was pretty much boring---or at least compared to some earlier chapters, BUT I do promise the next one will be quite long and eventful.

Little-angel123452000- She's not going gothic, her costume wouldn't have worked in another color--except for red that is--and I just like Van Halen.

MissMrprk- I know what you mean. The more cookie cake the better!!!

GeorgieGryffindor- I updated pretty quick because of your review.

-ilovecaptainjacks