CHAPTER: 8 - Parteners

"You can't make me!"

"Yes I can!" Jo, Amber and Issy were dragging Miranda through the corridors.

"But Jo, your afraid of heights too!" argued Miranda, trying to wriggle free of her friends' grasp.

"Yeh but," Jo paused, placing a hand on her chin in thought, "you have to face your fears." even as she said this there was a note of doubt in her voice. Jo, Issy and Amber dragged Miranda all the way down to the grounds, only letting her go when Madam Hirsch was in site.

"You know guys, I'm not feeling all that good. Maybe I'll just go up to the hospital wing..." stuttered Jo, as she backed away slowly, once again her weakness whining through.

"No you don't." said Issy, yanking Jo's arm.

"Everyone step up to the left hand side of your broom, stick your right arm out and say 'Up!'" commanded Madam Hirsch.

"What happens if your left handed?" asked a timid brunette Lily recognized as Emma Taylor.

"Then you go to the right side of your broom!" barked Madam Hirsch. Emma backed away a little in fear and scurried away to her broom next to two other Ravenclaws Lily recognised as Darcy Chang and Laura Justy.

Lily stuck her right hand over her broom, "Up!" but the broom only managed to roll around on the ground. Sky's broom had jumped into her hand first go, while Issy and Amber's had after a few go's. Jo and Miranda were just eyeing each other, faces pale, and eventually, with a well argued case, Jo had persuaded Madam Hirsch to let her sister and herself stay firmly on the ground, but Miranda had already fainted.

When Lily had finally got her broom in hand, along with everyone else, Hirsch told them to mount their brooms. She went up and down the rows correcting and praising the students' grip.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard." said Madam Hirsch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two - one -" she blew her whistle hard, and Lily watched as everyone slowly kicked off. Lily stamped her foot hard on the ground, she flew a few feet into the air - slowly. She hung their for a moment enjoying the cool summer breeze.

Lily looked around at her fellow students and came to the conclusion that the best fliers among them were James, Sirius, Dominic Andrews, Sky and Rory Thompson; in that order. After a few minutes Madam Hirsch ordered everyone to come to the ground. Some of the students had been doing all weird sort of acrobatics in the air and looked quite disappointed at this, but obeyed all the same.

Over the next few weeks, Lily became aware of many magical objects and lifestyles. She spent most of her free time in the library, with Miranda and/or Emma Taylor. Emma was a muggle-born, like Lily, in fact there were the only two female muggle-borns in the grade. They both had a lot in common; they both thought school was important and boys weren't, hated sports of any kind - muggle or magical, were very bright, had little confidence and both had a strong likeness for romance novels.

It was a cool Saturday morning in October and Lily was in the Library doing her herbology essay with Miranda when Amber and Sky came bouncing into the Library.

"Hey guys!" Amber said cheerfully.

"Ssshhh!" whispered Lily, placing a finger on her lips.

"Oh, sorry!" whispered Amber, lowering her voice ridiculously.

"Well?" asked Lily, annoyed that her herbology essay had to be interrupted.

"What? Oh, yeh. Have you heard?"Amber whispered anxiously.

"Probably not."

"Well, every year there's a Halloween ball held for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years!"

"So .... we're invited?"

"It's compulsory!" Amber was now struggling to keep her voice at a whisper.

"You sure?" whimpered Lily.

"Yep!"

"A real ball with parteners and... and...." Miranda gulped, "dancing?"

"Yeh, isn't it great! But I gotta go tell Issy and peeps, so cya!" and Amber scurried out of the Library with Sky following her.

"Partners?" whimpered Lily.

Girls from the junior part of the school could be seen in packs, whispering excitedly among themselves, confirming Lily's worst fear. The ball was real. It was tormenting to watch as the 8th boy strolled confidently over to Miranda.

"Hey Gorgeous, wanna go to the ball with me?"

Miranda stuttered, "um ... well .... you see ..."

"What she's trying to say is plain and simple 'no'" Lily said for the millionth time.

"What? Trying to keep me for yourself?" he scoffed.

Lily just walked off, Miranda in her wake.

"Maybee, we should say ... say 'yes' to one of them..." Miranda suggested.

"As long as they don't come prancing over like the own the world, then yes. But you've gotta admit that all those guys were jerks."

"But that blo-"

"um, hi, I was just wandering if you'd like to come to the ball ... with me?" He was tall, handsome, an didn't look the least bit cocky. Lily could only stutter, but then she realised the question was aimed at Miranda, not her.

"I - I - would like that." Miranda smiled shyly at him.

"It's Marianne, right?" he questioned unsurely.

"Miranda."

"Michael Dats." he returned the smile.

"Well, I'll meet you in the entrance hall around seven?"

"Um ... yeh." Miranda managed to get out through her stuttering.

"Well, cya."

"Bye."

Lily watched as Miranda gazed after Michael, and felt a pang of jealousy. Sure, Miranda was pretty much her best friend, but she also happened to be drop dead gorgeous, and Lily almost hated her for that. Especially since she wasn't.

REVIEWS:

Lilykins - everyone has there own opinion of what Lily and James were like, and everyone is entitled to it. so yeh... anyways thanx for your review and sorry about how long it's taken! =(

please review! thanx!

Laters

limbo-gal