Chapter Sixteen

After Party

On Monday everyone was a bit tired in Gryffindor but no one made a better job of it than Livvy. She slept through her alarm and the others left her as she was always on time and assumed she would wake up. Well she woke up at ten to nine and classes started at nine. She got dressed in a flurry and grabbed her books then she ran through the common room and to the charms class room. She arrived out of breath and exhausted, she ran into the class room and tripped on Professor Flitwicks pile of books and fell on him. Poor Professor Flitwick had no idea what had hit him and once he realized who it was asked very politely "Miss Barnette, would you mind moving off me so I could find my glasses which I was looking for when you, ahh, fell upon me" Livvy, bright red in the face by now had to clamber off him and take her seat, with the whole class in hysterics.

Fortunately the day passed quickly although, Livvy had an argument with Professor Battsby over what she saw in the crystal ball and Lainie broke three light bulbs in Muggle Studies with the help of James. They terrorized Professor MacMillan but she never got them in trouble because they were her top students.

They met in the room where they practiced their dance and almost got it perfect. Almost, Lily and James couldn't quite get the "thread the needle" and Lainie and Sirius couldn't step in time but everything else worked well. James had managed to teach Sirius his little bit, and with the help of a few awkward practices with James having to be the girl, but he had got it.

Afterwards the girls practiced their singing number, which had actually had come together rather well after a dubious start. They were performing on Wednesday night and were dancing on Thursday night. They all found it hard to believe that sixth year was drawing to a close and that they were another year older. They were all going to be turning seventeen soon. James, Sirius and Peter had Birthdays in May, Remus and Peter were in June, Lily was in July, Lainie was in August and Livvy was in September.

But still there was end of year letters to write (they all wrote letters to each other to be read once you got home, Professor Dippet had asked them to write them one year and to tell eachother their 'real' thoughts,), shows to practice and though they didn't know it a lengthy debate between the teachers over the position of Head Girl.

The teachers just couldn't decide between Lily or Lainie. Lily was sweet, charming, polite, head of the social committee and a trustworthy prefect. She also was the top student in History of Magic and Charms She would be perfect if there wasn't anyone else however there was Lainie. She was enigmatic, bright, fiercely independent, spirited but also humble and hardworking and she had a charm which drew you to her. She was a key member of Gryffindor quidditch team and was one of the top students in Astronomy by a mile, Transfiguration, Potions, Arithmacy and was a student which was a handful but all the teachers loved to teach her. The teachers also considered the fact that Lily had come from a middle class muggle back ground and had to work really hard to get accustomed to the wizarding world. Lainie was from a rich, wizarding family and had grown up with cream of the wizarding world. But that wasn't to say she had worked any less hard. She had struggled with her work and had been pushed a bit harder by teachers than Lily had and had succeeded outstandingly. No one could decide.

The drama section of the talent quest was good with Gryffindor putting in a good performance and coming in second. Then they all settled in the common room to write their letters to one another. Lainie was stuck on James's letter, she had done Remus's, Livvy's, and Peter's but still had Lily's and Sirius's to go. Her quill was poised over her parchment, she began to write "James, you are my best friend and I wouldn't be here without you......... "

James was also stuck, he couldn't think of what to write to Lily. Should he try again or should he just try and be her friend. He was sure she was starting to like him but didn't want to jinx it. He took a deep breath and began to write "Lily, I have come to know you better this year and feel things between us have changed. When you come to Lainie's, most likely I will be over at some stage, come say hi. Now I have some memorable moments and quotes from our past year........"

Lily had written all her letters except for Lainie's and James's . Now she dipped her quill and wrote "Dear James, I have gotten to know you better this year and I have also noticed that you have changed. You are not as arrogant and more bearable. Here is a photo I have taken, you deserve that cup. I don't hate you (as much) as I did. You have shown me another side which is a lot nicer. I now see why Lainie is so attached to you even though she hates to admit it............"

Livvy was writing her letter to Remus, which was her longest yet "Remus, well who would've have thought we'd be together at the end of this year. Maybe me being a little to hopeful but here we are. And it's better than I could have ever hoped for. You are the greatest guy and what I did to deserve you is a mystery to me.................."

Remus was feeling awful, he couldn't tell Livvy about him being a werewolf, she'd hate him, even if not for being a werewolf for lying to him. He couldn't, it would ruin everything. And she was perfect. What could he ever say that would make it all right. Nothing. He could not tell her. Not just yet. He continued writing.

The next day, the girls were starting to get very nervous about performing. They had worked out their costumes and the day seemed to go annoyingly fast, when really they wanted it to go slow. The letters were all sitting on Lily's desk tied with ribbon in seven little piles. Wednesay flew past too and before they knew it, they were getting ready for their performance. They were wearing black and white. Lily was wearing a plain black satin halter neck cocktail dress and her hair was tied back with a diamante barrette with most of it out. She was looking quite tall, wearing Livvy's shoes with diamante "L's" on the straps. Livvy was wearing a short black skirt and a floaty black tulle top. Her hair was tied back with a pink flower and she wore black beads round her throat. Lainie wore black trousers and a black sleeveless top with a lace collar (she wore the same one at the quidditch party except in white). Her hair was out and straight and she had three rows of pearls round her neck. They stood in the mirror looking at themselves and each other.

"Well, this is it. The end of our lives as we know it." Lainie said being dramatic. "From today, we shall answer only to the weird sisters and live in the slums of Hogwarts" Lily continued. The last act ended. Lainie visibly paled.

"Group hug, guys. We are going to be fine" Livvy said, wrapping her arms around the other two. She looked into their faces, into Lainie's pale blue eyes and Lily's sea green ones. "We'll be fine" "Now, our last act. Lainie, Lily and Livvy singing Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles. Lainie grabbed her music and they walked out onto the stage. Lily stomach did a flip. A sea of people greeted her. She found her friends in the crowd and smiled. She felt a bit better.

"They look hot, don't they" James said to his friends.

"Yea. Wonder what they will sound like though"

"As of that matters"

Livvy tested that the mike was on. She looked at Lainie who had just finished putting her music up. She sat at the great black grand piano. She met both of their eyes and nodded. Then she placed her hands on the piano and began to play, the rolling scale that all of them knew so well. Livvy took a deep breath and began. She wobbled a bit at beginning but managed to get her confidence and sang well. Lily also sang well. Now they could actually enjoy it and sang really well. Lainie played perfectly. As the singing finished and it was just her playing, she could feel all the eyes were on her but she managed to get through to the last note, she held it on and as it died there was a moment of silence before everyone started to clap and cheer. Lily and Livvy were about to take a bow when the realized Lainie wasn't with them. They called her out from sulking behind the piano and the three of them took a bow and grinned out over the audience.

The last day of term went by in a flurry of classes and good byes. Lainie went and said goodbye to Alex, which was slightly awkward but still she felt obliged. The end of the day arrived far to soon for anyone and they were all packed and backstage before anyone had time to think too carefully. James had donned his purple shirt without protest and had done his hair like Elvis. He was trying to calm Sirius who had gotten a last minute case of nerves.

Just then the girls walked in, in their costumes. They looked great. Lily was wearing a purple dress which was short and had a little almost fairy like skirt. She wore purple baby doll shoes and had her red hair tied in pigtails with purple bobbles. It curled down behind her. Livvy wore the same dress in pink and her hair was out, framing her face. She wore the same shoes as Lily except in pink. Lainie had the dress in light blue and her hair was in a ponytail tied with light blue ribbon with white polka dots. Her shoes were flat ballet slippers with a little silver buckle because she could barely walk in heels let alone dance. They were thoroughly enjoying the guys gawking at them.

"We're not so bad to dance with now, huh" Lily said grinning. She was going to continue but applause broke out signaling the end of the previous act. "Huddle guys" Lainie said. They got into a huddle and looked at each others anxious faces.

"We don't have to face anyone after today. They'll all have forgotten it by next term." They made their way out and got into their positions. Lainie signaled to Peter and he started the music.

Went to a party at the county jail.

Little jail birds sure know how to wail.
They were really getting into the swing.

Should have heard the locked up jail birds sing.

Lets Rock ! Everybody in the whole cell block.

Dancing to the jail house rock

Everything was going well. Lainie and Sirius even stepped in time and Lily hadn't nearly broken James's arm in the thread the needle. At the end of Surfing USA they went into their groups for rock around the clock.

One, two three o clock Four o clock rock

Five six seven o clock Eight o clock rock

Nine ten eleven o clock Twelve o clock rock

We're going to rock around the clock tonight.

Going to rock around, around the clock, all right.

Halfway through, Lainie was just walking forward to do her solo bit and expected to see James walking out but instead Sirius was walking out and towards her. She looked at James and he gestured at Sirius. She looked at him, trying to look confused but a grin was fighting to break out onto her face. He had learnt to dance to try and impress her because she kept teasing him about what a bad dancer he was. He came over, perfectly in time, enjoying the shocked but pleased look on her face. They whole way through, he was perfect. She was in shock. The finished the dance and took a bow. She was grinning from ear to ear, Sirius took great pride in watching her smile so happily. When they went off stage amid applause and cheers, they arrived back in the backstage area. Everyone was watching and wondering what Lainie was going to do. She went over to him gave him a huge hug and then, to everyone's surprise, kissed him on the cheek. Everyone laughed as Sirius blushed.

That evening the Great Hall was decorated in Gryffindor colors. Not only had they won the talent quest, they had won the house cup too. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was fairly uneventful feast apart from the usual prank on Snape, this year they had charmed his turkey to refuse to be eaten and it had started screaming "Oh Snivellus, faster, harder" etc. That morning, seven people wearily boarded the train home.

They were silent, thinking about the year, about next year and about what happens after next year, when they won't return to Hogwarts. The train ride home was fun and everyone played exploding snap and got their letters given to them.

When they were on the platform, saying a last goodbye. She hugged everyone and said goodbye. She gave Lily and Livvy an extra long one and they promised to keep in touch. She didn't say goodbye to James as they were practically next door neighbors at whatever house they were in. She hugged Remus and Peter. She hugged Sirius and he grabbed her tightly too. So the others didn't hear, she whispered into his ear "I was extremely impressed by your dancing skills. That was your aim, wasn't it" she said. He didn't answer but hugged her tighter. When he finally let got, she pushed her trolley off toward her parents who hugged her and took her trolley. They all left the train station separately except for Sirius, who, unknown to the others was staying with James, all summer.

All the friends walked off into the sunset, towards their various summer adventures, and without knowing it, towards adult hood. Or not.

Hey guys, hope you like it and review review review. please, oh my god, am nearly into double figures and if everyone could please please review. they, like make my week. please. i beg of you. tell me what you think, any ideas what you think should happen. favourite charcters, anything. anyway, go england in euro 2004 and thanks for reading,

cam xxx