Chapter Eleven

The Big Night Volume II

Lily woke up and realized that it was Saturday morning. SATURDAY. Ball day. She jumped on Livvy's bed and the two of them began to make plans. Then they snuck down to breakfast.

"So Livvy how's Remus"

"He's good. Why do you ask?"

"Well you guys just seem to be serious about, you know. Just serious"

"Well, we were pretty serious at the beginning. He told me that he like me as more than a friend. Well actually he didn't quite finish it. I kissed him mid-sentence" she finished with a smile.

"Ahhh, young love. Nothing like it"

"What about you. No one on the horizon. You know James still likes you. He would be the type you could really like. Then we could be a group if we found someone to get with Peter, and Sirius and Lainie get together"

"Sirius and Lainie, you think. You never know, maybe, they just seem to not be interested in each other like that. Well Sirius might be if Lainie would give him a chance but he certainly doesn't mourn over her. Me and James, you have to be joking. When I blew him off in fifth year I wasn't kidding. He's fine as a friend but not anything else."

"Fine then, suit yourself, but I think you find yourself succumbing to his charms eventually" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, you know he and Lainie are going together to the ball right. Snape blew her off. Completely humiliated her. Poor girl"

"Really. Snape's a creepy weirdo anyway. Why she even thought of going with her is a mystery to me"

"We need to get some make up on her and she will blow everyone's socks off. We should start preparing at about four, so we aren't rushing. We will look hot by the end."

"Cheers to that" said Lily, clinking her glass of pumpkin juice with Livvy's.

Lainie woke up and blearily looked at her clock. It was one o clock. She wandered into the shower. She heard voices arriving in the room.

"Lainie, are you in the shower" Lily called out

"Yeah." Lainie answered wearily

"Good, wash your hair and remember to shave" Livvy said peppily

"It's only James, he doesn't care"

"But you still want to impress him right" The only reply they got was a muffled groan as Lainie began to wash her hair.

After the shower Lainie begged them to let her off to get some food. When they did, she pulled on a her pink polo shirt and her straight grey jeans then scraped her hair back into a pony tail she was just about lo leave when.

"Out, out now. Pony tail out. You'll get a kink in your hair." Lily ordered from the top of the stairs.

Reluctantly Lainie pulled her hair out.

"Good girl. Now have a good breakfast" Lily smiled as Lainie pretended to scowl

"Thanks Lil" she turned towards the door and climbed out of the portrait hole. When she reached the Great Hall Remus, Peter and James were all sitting at the table. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to them

"Tough night, huh" she said while eating her avocado on toast.

"Don't remind us. We're still not sure whether Sirius got caught or not. He got back late and hasn't woke up yet." James said

"Excited about the ball tonight guys. Lil and Liv are already preparing for what they are going to do to me. Fun fun fun."

"Everyone's going to be envying me. Going with you" James said sarcastically.

"Thanks. Morning Sirius." She said as she saw him approaching the table.

"Morning guys" Sirius said running his hands through his hair and pouring himself a coffee

. "So did Filch catch you, Sirius" said Peter with his mouth full of bacon.

"No, why do you say that" Sirius said suspiciously

"Well, you were just back so late. What happened" James said suddenly very interested. He had noticed Lainie was also looking slightly awkward but only he would have noticed as she was too good at hiding it for the rest.

"Nothing. Just got a little caught up" Sirius answered

"Well, guys I'll be off. Got the girls to see to. See who when you pick me up for the ball and no sneaking in to see Lily in her dress before hand. Ok. Later days" she said as she walked out of the hall. James rounded on Sirius

"Did something happen between you two" he demanded.

"No, what gave you that idea" Sirius said slightly awkwardly.

"Hell, something did happen then." James said, messing his hair up. "You never talk like that usually. What happened. You didn't screw her did you."

"Course not. I just rescued her from Filch and we ended up hiding behind that tapestry. God no, I would never screw her."

"That's nothing. I was worried there for a second. Thank god." "Worried about what?" said Remus curiously "Well, I don't know, it would be wierd if you did screw her, i didn't think you liked her in that way, you don't do you? But now we know that's not going to happen" James finished

"That's right" Sirius said, hoping it was true.

Later in the girls room. All was going off, Lainie's rock music was shaking the walls and she was lying upside down on her bed ,reading. It was half an hour to the ball started. Lainie had all the make up she would allow on and looked pretty good.

"Right Lainie. Dress on. Shoes on." Lainie grabbed her dress off the hanger and strapped on her shoes. Then she surveyed herself. What she saw was a girl wearing a silver satin dress which had a v-neck and was sleeveless and when it got to her knee it was cut diagonally and was slightly frilled. Her hair was out loose and she looked quite good, she would even admit that. The dress had bought out her eyes and her hair shone.

"Hey, you didn't scrub up so bad" Lily was standing behind her. Lily's dress was lilac and strapless. It had gathers at the front and flowed off her. Her hair was up in a pile of copper curls. Her eyes seemed to glow. She surveyed herself critically

"Wow. We really worked the magic on you. Huh" Livvy wore a vintage rose colored dress with thin straps. Her hair curled about her shoulders and she wore a touch of pink eye shadow. She wore Lainie's necklace of rows of tiny pink pearls.

"Well guys, I think this is as good as it's going to get" Lainie said

"Well, best get downstairs. My parents want photos of us. Don't forget the camera" They all made their way out to the common room.

Meanwhile James, Sirius, Peter and Remus were all feeling very uncomfortable in suits and ties. Professor Dippet said that they could wear muggle suits and dresses if they wanted to and the girls had insisted that they would. Not all of them were going together though, Lily was going with Andrew Hill, a Hufflepuff seventh year but Sirius and Peter were both going stag. Sirius, however would probably be pestered by girls the whole night and Peter unfortunately wouldn't be. He was just to short and gawky, he also tended to get nervous and just wasn't as good looking or confident as his friends.

Just then the girls wandered down the stairs, looking "absolutely fabulous". Many jaws dropped, but none more than James and Sirius. They were shocked, Lainie looked, well hot. James couldn't believe it, I mean he had always known she was pretty but he had always thought her less beautiful than the other two. Looking at her coming down the stairs, she looked just as beautiful. He was amazed. Sirius had come to the same conclusion as James. Remus wasn't as shocked because he had always known, he was the quieter, more observant of the three. Also his eyes were fixed on someone else. James's eyes traveled to Lily. She was stunning, as he had always known she would be. He just wished it was him taking her. But oh well. There was someone else who he was taking

"Hey gorgeous" James said, sidling up to Lainie "Ready to go knock everyone's socks off. That sounded really lame but you get the picture. You scrub up extremely well. Everyone was extremely shocked. Lets get some photos to send back to the folks."

"God knows they will want to see me in a dress. So you think I look hot, huh" Lainie said with a grin.

"Now that's not what I said. I said you scrubbed up well. Extremely well........ So what if I think you look good in that dress. I'm sure you fancy me on occasions. Right"

"Yeah, that's right" Lainie said, rolling her eyes.

After they had posed for a few photos they wandered down to the hall. As they entered, the great hall they gasped. It was all decorated in silver and white. Snowflakes hung from the ceilings and the band was setting up on the stage. They grabbed a table and sat down. Just then Professor Dippet stood up and said "Welcome to the Hogwarts annual ball. Thank you to the ball committee for making this event the success I am sure it will be. Good night". Then he sat down.

They band got on stage and began to play. The song was Elvis's Jailhouse Rock. Everyone was just grabbing some food and drinks. James grabbed Lainie and hauled her out onto the dance floor. "Come on" he whispered in her ear "Time to put those dancing lessons to good use" They were the only ones on the dance floor. The band was watching them. Suddenly the music started and a spotlight was trained upon them. James and Lainie were made to take formal dancing lessons and were both quite good. They immediately began dancing their old rock n roll dance. The teachers started clapping for them as they danced. James twirled Lainie out and swung her round, lifting her up to finish (though he didn't get her very far off the ground because she was tall but hey). At the end everyone applauded them. Then they all started dancing. Lainie danced with most people and was just finishing dancing with Remus when a slow song came on. She was walking back to her table when James caught her, "Come on. Dance with me" he cajoled. He lead her out and then placed his arms around her. She wasn't uncomfortable with this close contact and leant her head on his shoulder. They danced till they both got tired and joined the others at their table. Then James asked Lily to dance and she reluctantly agreed. He lead her out onto the floor and they began to sway to the music.

Lainie and Sirius were watching them. Then a girl came up and asked Sirius if he would like to dance. He was just about to say yes when he saw Lainie sitting by herself. He answered "Sorry, I've already promised her the next dance. Maybe later" he said with an apologetic smile.

At this Lainie looked up "What, you turned her down because you made up that you were going to dance with me ?" Lainie said

"Yip, are you charmed" he said, offering her his hand

"Extremely charmed, Mr Black. It would be an honor" she said with a smile as they joined their friends out on the dance floor.

He placed his arms around her waist and they began to dance. They were so far apart that there could have been another person between them. She could barely reach his shoulders. She looked up and met his eyes. he raised his eyebrows at her, quite suggestively. At that precise moment, Livvy and Remus waltzed passed and "accidentally" whacked into them.

"Hey" Lainie said in surprise. She turned to find those two grinning at her before they waltzed off. She had just turned back and continued dancing in their original positions, when much to her surprise, Sirius tightened his grip and pulled her in. Now she was pressed up against him. She looked at him skeptically, he grinned, which he hoped would save him from the sharp tongue that she had been known to give guys who were too forward. He waited and it never came. Instead she readjusted her arms and just let herself enjoy it. Couldn't be that awful she thought to herself. But you are really enjoying aren't you, a little voice, which she decided was her other personality. So what if she was, it wasn't a crime she thought defiantly. Certainly not a crime.

Read and review guys, please, i still have none.