1With intertwined fingers, the young couple strode into the Great Hall. They were the last people to arrive. James had insisted on it. It was his trademark.
Lily was laughing hard at something James had whispered into her ear, and her brilliant white teeth flashed. She clung to James' arm and the two of them began to mingle.
Snape knew it would happen. He'd hoped for a while that she would be different, but sooner or later, every girl falls for the charms of James Potter.
Snape could not tear his eyes away from her. Those shoes wrapped seductively around her shapely legs. They ended with intrigue below the bottom of her dress, which in Snape's opinion, was too long.
The crowd around her prevented Snape from seeing her face, but he was sure that she was elegantly poised from head to toe.
And just when he was dragging his eyes away from her so as not to be seen staring, James caught his eye. James' jaw was clenched, but he seemed determined to be civil, because he nodded and looked back to his wife.
As the pre-party conversations began drawing to a close, Lily pulled away from James and approached Snape.
"Hey," she cheerily greeted the lone figure. "I'm glad you decided to come."
"Wouldn't have missed it," he forced his non-compliant mouth to speak. But it must not have come out as well as he'd hoped, because she gave him a strange look.
"Well, it's good to see you," she recovered. "We should get seated. I'm starving."
He silently followed her over to the table.
"Now I know that we're all more interested in digging in than hearing an old man ramble, so don't be shy," Dumbledore motioned towards the plates and the faculty sat to a delicious meal around a closely packed table.
Lily sat snugly between James and Professor mcGonogall. Severus sat across from McGonogall.
Lily rested her hand on James' leg. He constantly watched her, grinned at her or touched her on the face. Severus and the rest of them were forced to watch. Everyone else thought it was adorable.
The conversation made an unexpected leap at one time to how James and Lily were a long-shot couple. The teachers had even placed bets on whether or not Lily would ever give James a chance. They also talked of James' incessant invitations for a date.
"We all thought you did it to annoy her," Professor Flitwick told James slyly.
"Nope. I really liked her," James argued with a smirk. "Couldn't let her get away."
This seemed to embarrass her and she buried her head into James' shoulder.
Snape only had one question on his mind; Would this night ever end?
But the event was apparently a long-winded one, because after dinner was dessert, then dancing.
The professors paired off, and almost everyone seemed to be enjoying the event. The first song was slow, and Lily clung close to James. He settled his hands boldly on her lower back, and their foreheads leaned against each other. James was whispering to her softly.
Snape had to look away.
Lily comfortably breathed in James' breath. After a while, she noticed his restlessness. He couldn't keep his hands off of her. But this was a public place.
"Later," she adamantly demanded through her own giggles. "Control yourself."
"But sweetie," James smoothly coaxed, "nobody's watching, and even if they are, nobody cares."
"I care," she protested, grabbing his roaming hands. "Or we'll leave."
"Okay," he gleefully turned to go, but she grabbed his shoulder.
He turned, and in one swift movement, kissed her hard on the mouth as her scooped her into his arms.
Amidst the catcalls, Lily pulled away. "See? I told you they were watching."
James just smiled and spun her in a circle.
Snape left.
