Post 9:

Seven days after Dumbledore's much-celebrated announcement something rather unexpected happened. It was after supper in the common room where the group was sitting around a long table doing homework. Remus kept looking at Ophelia, when he looked away she would look at him. Slowly, everyone else began to realize the very, very obvious. Remus and Ophelia liked each other, yet both were too shy to tell the other.

"Um, Remus..." Ophelia said, after several minutes of glancing at him while he wasn't looking. She seemed nervous.

"Yes?"

"Could I talk to you alone for a moment?"

"Sure." They left the table together and walked to a corner of the common room. Almost right away everyone started whispering.

"Oh my goodness!" Lily said. "Look at them." Everyone's heads turned to see Ophelia and Remus kissing! James and Sirius started whistling and clapping rather loudly, making the two pull away hastily. Both looked very embarrassed and very happy!

'What the hell.' Remus thought to himself, he pulled Ophelia into another kiss. This time both parties looked even MORE pleased when they finally parted.

"So, you guys going to the ball together?" James asked.

"We were thinking about, yeah." Remus said in a would-be casual voice.

"Smooth Moony." Sirius said.

"I'm going with Nancy Phillips." Peter piped in.

"We know!" Every one said at the same time. Peter had plucked up the courage to ask Nancy Phillips, a Hufflepuff fifth year, to the ball. She was a bit short, but matched Peter for height, had thin lips, brown, slightly wavy hair and brown eyes. In other words, she was very plain and boringly average. Yet she thought Peter was always nice to her so she said yes. (Plus, she wouldn't get into the ball otherwise.)

Peter had been constantly telling everyone for the past two days that he had a date for the ball and looked slightly offended when everyone stopped paying attention to him.

Lily was going to the ball with a seventh year Gryffindor named Shane Finch. He was a Gryffindor Chaser. James was going out with Candice (AKA "Candy")

Lufreemin, a Ravenclaw sixth year and also the school scank (which is surprising because she's in Ravenclaw). Sirius had still not asked Jade to the ball and one week had passed since Dumbledore's announcement.

The next evening however, Sirius and Jade found themselves all alone in the common room. And weather it was planned by their friends or not, Jade and Sirius ended up sitting together alone. Sirus finally asked Jade out.

"A- Jade?" Sirius asked. She looked into his eyes to acknowledge him. "I was wondering... a-" Was it hot in here? "If you would like to, -to go to the ball with me." Sirius said the last part quickly before he could change his mind. Jade smiled.

"Of course I would. You're the only man I could ever see myself with." she kissed him on the cheek. "You've been my best friend for over five years. You've helped me through the hardest times in my life; I don't know where I'd be without you. Thank you." She hugged him and he hugged her back.

Sirius felt the happiest that he had ever felt in his entire life that night.

Post 10:

With the prospect of the ball coming up, every single sixth and seventh year went to Hogsmede the following weekend. Jade went shopping with Lily and Ophelia, hoping they would honestly tell her if she looked good or not in a dress.

After Lily purchased a sea-blue dress that complimented her figure, and Ophelia bought a midnight blue dress that shimmered as she walked, they went into a tiny, cramped, dress shop that not many others had been in. Skeptical, Jade walked into the store, thinking about what colour of dress would compliment red hair. At the very back of the store she found something she liked, though it was a skirt and top it was still elegant and not to flashy. It was a very low cut shirt that was completely off-the- shoulder and fitted her body tightly. The sleeves got wider at her wrists and the shirt laced up in the back. The skirt swayed when she twirled it and fanned out at the bottom. Both shirt and skirt were plain white with a thin embroidered design across it.

Jade paid for it and left. As they left the shop they saw the boys and all three girl dashed into a run, determined to not show their dresses to them yet. The element of surprise is needed for shock-value.

December classes quickly melted away and all too soon Christmas break arrived. Jade found herself getting very scared at the mention of the ball and realized just how nervous she was. There was something missing in her ensemble and she couldn't place what it was. A necklace! She needed a necklace. Panicking, Jade flipped through a catalogue, looking for something. The ball was in four days and there was no way she would get anything in time.

"That's it!" A light bauble went off in her head. In the summer, she lived as a muggle and went to one of their museums a few times. There was a necklace in there that would go perfectly with her dress.

"James!" She called as she ran down her staircase. "James I need you!"

"Wow! I thought you needed Sirius?" He said smiling. She smacked his arm. People were looking at them.

"Idiot! I need to borrow- a cloak of yours. A cloak that happens to be worth a lot of money. Just for tonight." James nodded to show that he knew what she was talking about. He went up to his dormitory and returned a moment later, caring a folded cloak.

"What do you need it for?" He whispered.

"You'll find out at the ball." With that She took it and ran up to her room, grabbing her wand and a pair of black gloves. She scribbled something down on a piece of parchment and pocketed it. Then she left the common room and made her way to the Front Doors.