Chapter 19
~ * ~ * ~
"Alright, fifth-years! I have things to do for Headmaster O'Leary, about the Valentine's Dance, so," Professor Dyne, the Herbology instructor, shrugged. "Go ahead and socialize. I daresay some people will have things to ask others." He winked at them all.
Maria, Noel, and Lily giggled, looking pointedly at James, Remus, and Sirius, who cleared their throats, eyes shifting around. None of them were officially a couple, not even Lily and James - that was just assumed. No more had been said by Maria and Sirius after their snogging incident, and Noel and Remus were just...there - unless they had some sort of secret thing going on.
"So...um.."
But the guys were spared. The girls launched into a conversation about the dance and guys.
"So, who do you think will ask you guys?" Maria said, eyes sparkling.
"Mmm," Lily closed her eyes, "you knoooow...Severus isn't half bad."
"'Course, neither is Malfoy, If you can get the fact that he's evil." Noel added.
"Yeah," Maria mused, "but you know who's really cute? Luke Joredan."
The girls sighed and nodded.
The guys were speechless.
"Wha...Lily!" James whined. "I was gonna ask you!"
Lily grinned. "Ask away."
James cleared his throat. "Will you, Lily Evans, go to the dance with me, James Potter?"
Sirius snorted back laughter.
Lily giggled. "Yes, James."
Noel looked at Maria. "Well, we're still free. What do you think about Frank Longbottom?"
Sirius flushed an ugly red. Remus sidled over to him. "What's up?" when there was no reply, he sighed. "You know they're just playing. Go ask Maria!"
"Huh...wha...you go ask Noel!"
Remus shrugged. "Noel?" he called softly.
She turned around. "Yes, Remus?"
"Will you go to the dance with me, please?"
She grinned, her sapphire blue eyes shimmering with happiness. "Yes."
Remus grinned back, then turned to Sirius. "Simple."
James nodded. "It's not that bad."
But Sirius still seemed tongue-tied as Maria continued to list off names.
~ * ~ * ~
Later, in the Gryffindor common room, the group was sitting around the fire. Sirius still had not gathered enough courage to ask Maria.
"What if she says no?" he had protested earlier.
"Um, how could she - SHE'S WEARING YOUR NECKLACE!!" James screeched, jabbing his friend in the chest.
Remus nodded. "Good point, Prongs."
Now, Noel and Lily were still suggesting guys. "You know, Arthur Weasley's pretty cute."
"But he's going with Molly." Maria said. Then, "Oh! I know! Amos Diggory!"
Noel squealed, Lily giggled and nodded.
All of a sudden, they heard a low growl. They looked at Remus, whose eyes were wide. He pointed at Sirius.
James blinked. "Sirius, mate...?"
Sirius didn't answer; instead, he lunged forward, grabbed the silver chain of his and Maria's necklace, and pulled her so that they were nose to nose.
Maria gulped, thinking that she had made him mad. "Um...yes, Siri?"
He held her gaze for several long moments. "Maria?"
"Mmhmm?"
"Will you go to the dance with me?"
"Why, of course, Padfoot!" she beamed at him.
He nodded. "That's what I wanted to hear!" then, grinning, he darted forward and placed a kiss on her nose.
Their friends had enough sense not to giggle.
~ * ~ * ~
The day of the dance was soon upon them. Maria, Lily, and Noel planned on spending the whole day together getting ready. They sent Sirius, Remus, and James, out to play in the late winter snow.
"I dunno why girls need so much time to get ready," Sirius grumbled as he made a snowball.
"Yeah, Noel looks beautiful in anything she wears..." Remus said dreamily.
James snickered and threw a snowball at his friend. "Snap out of it, Remmie!"
"Hey! Now you die, Potter!"
~ * ~ * ~
"Ohhh, I can't wait!" Noel squealed. "Tonight, I-" she cut herself off, blushing.
Maria and Lily looked curiously at her.
"Yes, Noel? Go on..." Lily grinned.
"No, I, uh...nothing." Noel turned away.
Lily and Maria exchanged a look, but asked no more questions.
"Lils, will you do my hair?" Maria inquired, tugging a lock of her blackish- brown hair.
"Hmmm..." Lily looked at it. "Silky...five or six inches past your shoulders..." she nodded. "I think we can work something out."
"Mine, too, Lily?" Noel called.
"Of course! Then one of you will have to help me!" Lily grinned.
They sat down, doing each other's hair and make-up, talking, and laughing. Then they were silent for a while, until Maria spoke.
"I bet...Jenna would've liked this..."
Noel nodded. "She probably would've been..."
"...going with Troy." Lily finished.
The girls smiled sadly, thinking of their lost friends.
~ * ~ * ~
"Alright!" Sirius yelled as he nailed James in the back of the head.
"Arrrrgh!" James growled, seeking revenge, but Remus interrupted.
"Uh, guys...we better go start getting ready!"
James and Sirius looked around. It was getting dark...the dance was sure to start soon!
"Uh, right!"
And they rushed inside.
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Sorry, Jade, darling, I lied..Remmie/Noel in the *next* chapter. I swear. As to reviewers, thanks! I love reviews! Next chapter soon, I promise! =D
~ * ~ * ~
"Alright, fifth-years! I have things to do for Headmaster O'Leary, about the Valentine's Dance, so," Professor Dyne, the Herbology instructor, shrugged. "Go ahead and socialize. I daresay some people will have things to ask others." He winked at them all.
Maria, Noel, and Lily giggled, looking pointedly at James, Remus, and Sirius, who cleared their throats, eyes shifting around. None of them were officially a couple, not even Lily and James - that was just assumed. No more had been said by Maria and Sirius after their snogging incident, and Noel and Remus were just...there - unless they had some sort of secret thing going on.
"So...um.."
But the guys were spared. The girls launched into a conversation about the dance and guys.
"So, who do you think will ask you guys?" Maria said, eyes sparkling.
"Mmm," Lily closed her eyes, "you knoooow...Severus isn't half bad."
"'Course, neither is Malfoy, If you can get the fact that he's evil." Noel added.
"Yeah," Maria mused, "but you know who's really cute? Luke Joredan."
The girls sighed and nodded.
The guys were speechless.
"Wha...Lily!" James whined. "I was gonna ask you!"
Lily grinned. "Ask away."
James cleared his throat. "Will you, Lily Evans, go to the dance with me, James Potter?"
Sirius snorted back laughter.
Lily giggled. "Yes, James."
Noel looked at Maria. "Well, we're still free. What do you think about Frank Longbottom?"
Sirius flushed an ugly red. Remus sidled over to him. "What's up?" when there was no reply, he sighed. "You know they're just playing. Go ask Maria!"
"Huh...wha...you go ask Noel!"
Remus shrugged. "Noel?" he called softly.
She turned around. "Yes, Remus?"
"Will you go to the dance with me, please?"
She grinned, her sapphire blue eyes shimmering with happiness. "Yes."
Remus grinned back, then turned to Sirius. "Simple."
James nodded. "It's not that bad."
But Sirius still seemed tongue-tied as Maria continued to list off names.
~ * ~ * ~
Later, in the Gryffindor common room, the group was sitting around the fire. Sirius still had not gathered enough courage to ask Maria.
"What if she says no?" he had protested earlier.
"Um, how could she - SHE'S WEARING YOUR NECKLACE!!" James screeched, jabbing his friend in the chest.
Remus nodded. "Good point, Prongs."
Now, Noel and Lily were still suggesting guys. "You know, Arthur Weasley's pretty cute."
"But he's going with Molly." Maria said. Then, "Oh! I know! Amos Diggory!"
Noel squealed, Lily giggled and nodded.
All of a sudden, they heard a low growl. They looked at Remus, whose eyes were wide. He pointed at Sirius.
James blinked. "Sirius, mate...?"
Sirius didn't answer; instead, he lunged forward, grabbed the silver chain of his and Maria's necklace, and pulled her so that they were nose to nose.
Maria gulped, thinking that she had made him mad. "Um...yes, Siri?"
He held her gaze for several long moments. "Maria?"
"Mmhmm?"
"Will you go to the dance with me?"
"Why, of course, Padfoot!" she beamed at him.
He nodded. "That's what I wanted to hear!" then, grinning, he darted forward and placed a kiss on her nose.
Their friends had enough sense not to giggle.
~ * ~ * ~
The day of the dance was soon upon them. Maria, Lily, and Noel planned on spending the whole day together getting ready. They sent Sirius, Remus, and James, out to play in the late winter snow.
"I dunno why girls need so much time to get ready," Sirius grumbled as he made a snowball.
"Yeah, Noel looks beautiful in anything she wears..." Remus said dreamily.
James snickered and threw a snowball at his friend. "Snap out of it, Remmie!"
"Hey! Now you die, Potter!"
~ * ~ * ~
"Ohhh, I can't wait!" Noel squealed. "Tonight, I-" she cut herself off, blushing.
Maria and Lily looked curiously at her.
"Yes, Noel? Go on..." Lily grinned.
"No, I, uh...nothing." Noel turned away.
Lily and Maria exchanged a look, but asked no more questions.
"Lils, will you do my hair?" Maria inquired, tugging a lock of her blackish- brown hair.
"Hmmm..." Lily looked at it. "Silky...five or six inches past your shoulders..." she nodded. "I think we can work something out."
"Mine, too, Lily?" Noel called.
"Of course! Then one of you will have to help me!" Lily grinned.
They sat down, doing each other's hair and make-up, talking, and laughing. Then they were silent for a while, until Maria spoke.
"I bet...Jenna would've liked this..."
Noel nodded. "She probably would've been..."
"...going with Troy." Lily finished.
The girls smiled sadly, thinking of their lost friends.
~ * ~ * ~
"Alright!" Sirius yelled as he nailed James in the back of the head.
"Arrrrgh!" James growled, seeking revenge, but Remus interrupted.
"Uh, guys...we better go start getting ready!"
James and Sirius looked around. It was getting dark...the dance was sure to start soon!
"Uh, right!"
And they rushed inside.
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Sorry, Jade, darling, I lied..Remmie/Noel in the *next* chapter. I swear. As to reviewers, thanks! I love reviews! Next chapter soon, I promise! =D