Chapter Thirty Seven

Four Seasons in One Day

"Oh my god, it's gorgeous. I love the colour. In fact I love everything." Lily exclaimed, surveying the dress lying on the bed in front of her.

"Yeah, I thought it was a bit much though." Lainie said, critically.

"No, come on, it will look stunning on you. Anyway, we'll get out ours." Livvy said, walking over to the cupboard and returning with two dresses from it. She placed them on the bed.

"Hmmmm" Lainie said, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, this is it." Lily commented. "our last ball dresses."

"Hmmmm, well then, since the ball is tonight, should we maybe have a girls day. Chick flicks and beautifying." Livvy suggested, putting the dresses away.

"Okay then. No boyfriends allowed. Even though Lily and James can't seem to keep their hand off each other." Lainie said, pulling out the t.v they kept for emergencies like these.

"Bit rich coming from you." Lily said, grabbing three brown paper bags and setting them down on Livvy's bedside table.

"What. I do not frequently show such displays as you do. It disgusts me. You're both my best friends and you're all over each other." Lainie mumbled with her mouth full of canned peaches, she had insisted Lily get them as she adores them.

"Sure, sure Lainie. Now, guys, I know you hate scrapbooks, but I thought maybe, you would forget that, cause I've got you one each. Come on, I've got pictures, photos and stuff. Please. It'll be fun." Livvy pleaded, throwing a book covered in pink satin with dragon flies at Lily and one which was covered in blue material with white polka dots on it

"Oh my, you actually bought us these, wow." Lainie exclaimed flicking through hers.

"Well, I guess we can't say no. But, promise me, just cool things, not like the weird ones with fake feathers that we made with your grandmother on holidays." Lily said, picking up the box labeled photos.

"Fine fine. Farewell, chick flicks and normality." Lainie said, settling down with a pair of scissors.

"Shut up and get cutting." Lily said, laughing.

"Fine, you, forcing domestic stuff of me." Lainie grumbled, while starting to cut carefully around a photo of a rather large bright green frog.

"Lainie," Livvy moaned, "What's with the frog."

"Hey, you made me do this so don't make me chose between the scrapbook and the frog." Lainie said, resolutely.

And so the girls spent the morning scrap booking and gossiping about things. Lainie kept the frog and proceeded to give it a page to itself she loved so much.

At about three, Lily and Livvy packed up. Lainie had gone to sleep about an hour ago. Once they had both had showers, they gently woke her up, and ushered her to the showers while she was too sleepy to realize. Then Livvy blow dried Lily's and her hair and did their make up. Lily's copper hair was out, framing her face, with her large emerald eyes framed by her long eyelashes, which both Livvy and Lainie were extremely jealous. Her dress's thin straps hung on her creamy white shoulders and she wore the charm bracelet that James gave her on her dainty wrist. But round her neck, she wore a delicate silver chain with a diamond 'L' on it. Her parents had given it to her for graduation early. But the most amusing thing was that Lainie and Livvy had received exactly the same one. What a coincidence, her parents had said, later revealing that they had all got together to get them. Her dress was pale pink with thin straps and with a skirt that went out slightly. Her favourite part of the dress was her shoes though, they were high with pink straps which silver buckles.

Livvy came and stood next to her in the mirror, shoes in hand. Her long honey blonde hair was curly and hung in almost perfect ringlets around her face, with a few strands pulled back and pinned in place by a silver clip. Her flowing turquoise dress had a v-neck and a flowing satin skirt with a split up the side. Her eyes sparkled and as she and Lily laughed and giggled about what would go on in the evening. Lainie walked out of the bathroom and they dispatched themselves to do her make up. When they were finished, they took a long hard stare at themselves. Livvy leaned down to put on her white heels with a white flower on the ankle strap and very nearly overbalanced. Next to her Lainie was kinda of impressed with what she looked like. Her silver dress sparkled and had thin straps over her shoulders and actually gave her the illusion of boobs, shot, she thought. It was covered in tiny silver beads that you could only see if you looked close so she didn't look like a walking necklace. It stopped just past her knees and she grinned as she saw her shoes, which she and her mum had slaved over for ages to pick out. They were silver stilettos with diamond encrusted straps. Her hair was straight, as usual as it just refused to curl, much as she'd like it to. It was a side part and her fringe hung over one side. Actually, her friends had done a good job on her face but she wasn't going to dwell on that.

They all sat down on the bed, very carefully mind you.

"Well, shall we go." Lainie said.

"What, don't you want to savour the moment?" Livvy asked.

"I don't know. So, shall we sit here, then?" Lainie replied.

"Well, guys, can I just say that, it's been a pleasure knowing you. Really it has." Lily said, smiling at her two friends.

"Course darlings. Where would I be without you?" Lainie said.

"Well, probably at this moment alone, and trying to apply mascara by yourself." Livvy said warmly.

"That's harsh." Lainie said, shaking her head.

"Ah, well. Lets go. But before, one group hug," Lily said, wrapping her arms round her two friends.

When they broke apart they all walked towards the door and down the stairs.

While this was going on, up in the boys dorm, things were very different.

"James," Remus hollered, "Can you help Peter with his tie, he seems to be, um, struggling."

"Coming, coming." James said, having just mastered his own.

"We're all looking surprisingly swish tonight, boys. Even if I do say so myself." Sirius said, coming out of the bathroom looking very elegant and handsome.

"Okay, lets go, otherwise we'll miss the girls grand entrance and they won't be very pleased." Remus called from down the stairs.

"Right, lets go. And we are moving out." James shouted as they made their way down the stairs.

"I hate these stairs," Lainie moaned. "Especially tonight when everyone is watching me come down them. Can't we go down together."

"Come on, Lainie. Enjoy it." Lily coaxed.

"Fine, I'll go second then." Lainie said, indicating for one of them, to go first.

"Right, see you down there." Lily said, beginning her walk down there stairs.

She navigated the stairs perfectly and smiled as she did so. James had an enormous smile on his face and was looking very cute in his suit. She could feel all the eyes on her and gratefully accepted James's arm.

"Possibly even more gorgeous that I ever thought you were," he whispered to her.

"Thank you." She whispered back, smiling.

"You're welcome." He replied and kissed her on the cheek.

Next to come down was Lainie, who felt terrified but to everyone else looked fabulous. She took a few deep breaths and managed a tentative smile when she realised that her dress hadn't split and she hadn't tripped. She stepped off the last step and grinned as she saw someone approaching her. He looked very handsome and she actually felt quite lucky that it was her he was coming to get. His eyes twinkled and his hair was quite refined and flopped into his eyes, as she loved, but would never ever tell him.

"You look beautiful." He said, seriously.

"And you look very handsome." She said, just as seriously.

"At last, you admit you fancy me."

"Shut up." She muttered, kissing him as they went over to join Lily and James.

To her surprise, Livvy enjoyed all the attention on her. She felt a lot happier than she had for a while. Remus was grinning at her and so were all her friends who all so happy. She met Remus at the foot of the stairs and neither of them said anything for a while. He was looking very cute, and his sincere brown eyes shone out at her.

"You look very nice." She said.

"So do you."

And with that they linked arms and went off to join their friends.

When they arrived in the Great Hall (which was decorated to look like a winter wonderland with snow flakes and icicles) Lily and James wandered up on stage and the others went and sat down.

"Hi guys. Welcome to the ball." Lily said, a little unsure about having her voice magnified around the entire hall. Cheers broke out around the hall then died.

"Yeah, guys. Hope you have a great time but first could I thank the people who have helped make this night the success I know it will be." James said, completely at ease.

"Yes. Um, the Ball Committee and especially Livvy Barnette. The teachers and all the prefects." Said Lily.

"Yes and, of course, the organisational wonder, the very lovely Lily Evans." James said, gallantly.

"Yes, well, um, thank you James. You're not too bad yourself. Anyway, have a great time tonight, guys." Lily finished, blushing slightly but managing to finish her short speech.

James and Lily climbed down off the stage as the band started.

"Did I mention you are looking fabulous tonight?" James commented, putting his arms around Lily.

"Yes, you smooth talker, you." Lily replied. James steered her towards the dance floor.

"Hey, where are you forcing me to go?" Lily said, trying to dig her heels in.

"Well, you are going to dance with me, darling. And now."

"Fine, fine." Lily agreed, allowing herself to be dragged out to the dance floor. The band were just starting. James and Lily began to dance, moving in slow circles. What is this song, Lily thought.

Wise men say.

Only fools fall in love.

But I can't help,

Falling in love with you.

"I love this song." Lily said, grinning.

"Hmm, funny that." James replied, trying to act innocent.

"You requested it. Didn't you?"

"I might of."

Lily leaned forward and kissed James once on the lips and then continued dancing as James spun her out.

Take my hand

Take my whole life too

But I can't help

Falling in love with you

"Aww. How cute is that." Livvy exclaimed, while watching the couple dancing.

"I certainly never knew James had that in him." Lainie commented thoughtfully.

"Funny what James does for Lily. I never thought he was the romantic type." Livvy said.

"Never ceases to surprise me, does James." Lainie said thoughtfully.

"Well, come on then, you wall flowers. Lainie, I hear you do a mean rock n roll. Care to teach me." Remus said, getting up and starting out to the dance floor followed by Lainie.

"Right Lainie. Show me how its done." Remus said standing in front of Lainie.

"Right okay, we'll start of with the basic step. Like this, okay, side, rock, back step, okay, got it, now I'm going to turn. Good, good, now back to the basic step, okay now turn, no, no, wrong foot, okay try again, now, right foot, now, turn……"

"Come on then Liv," Sirius said, getting up and dragging Livvy out to the floor to join their friends as the song 'Rock around the clock' began. James and Lily were woken from their dreamy slow dance by their friends who were wildly rock n rolling around the dance floor.

"Come on James." Lainie called as she spun out towards them and then spun in, bumping into Remus then the two of them danced away laughing.

"Shall we," James suggested.

"Of course," Lily said, grabbing his hand and joining their friends wildly dancing round the room.

After a while of charging round the room with various partners and Livvy and Sirius nearly terrorizing a pair of fourth years by dancing in what they said was 'a deeply symbolic circle of rain' but really involved them dancing round in a circle. They all collapsed at their table.

"Well, that was fun." Lily said, leaning on James.

"Great fun." Lainie agreed.

After a while the song changed and "I Need Your Love," by Bert Baccarat began to play.

"Come on, Black. Aren't you going to dance with me." Lainie said, getting up.

"Course." Sirius replied, getting up with her.

He lead her out to the centre of the dance floor and they slowly began to dance.

"Having fun." He whispered.

"yeah, just remembering last years ball. Funnily enough, I was dancing with you, then too."

"Yeah, well, it was then I knew you liked me."

"Well, I didn't know I liked you, then. I just knew I enjoyed dancing with you."

"You just couldn't resist me."

"Still can't."

"Oh, you flatter me."

"Thanks. So you can resist me."

"No, gorgeous."

"That was the right answer."

"And it's true."

"Thank you darling." She said, resting her heading on his shoulder and smiling. The other four came out and joined them, slowly dancing and just being satisfied, for once.