When Gari awoke on Saturday morning on the 15th of October, she pulled back the curtains, expecting to see Rayven and Alice about to go downstairs in their uniforms. To her surprise, they were both talking animatedly in Muggle clothing. Gari frowned and pulled on her robe as she stepped out of bed.

"What's with the clothes?" Gari asked both of them.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," Rayven told her, smiling brightly. Gari understood her friend's excitement. Rayven adored dressing in Muggle clothing more than anyone, having being Muggle-born. Rayven currently wore a pair of flared jeans and a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt with a v-neck. It complimented the blue highlights that still remained in her hair.

"It seems like forever since we last went," Alice added, putting the clasp together on the locket she was putting on.

"Yeah, it must seem like forever since you and Frank got to snog inside the Three Broomsticks," Rayven teased.

Alice turned the exact shade of red as her turtleneck sweater, but made no move to argue. Instead, she told the girls that she would meet them in Hogsmeade later. As Gari pulled some of her Muggle clothes out of her trunk, she looked back at Rayven.

"Is Lily going to go to Hogsmeade today too?" Gari asked, pulling out a pair of jeans and a cream-colored peasant top.

Rayven shook her head. "Nope. She said that she and James are planning something for Halloween." Rayven paused and saw the look of slight relief on Gari's face. "What's up with you and Lily lately? You two seem to be fighting all the time."

Gari shrugged as she picked through her jewelry. "She's the one obsessing over the idea of me and Sirius being something other than enemies. I mean, she's acting like I'm planning to marry him or something. And we're just…"

"Just what?" Rayven pressed. Gari knew that Rayven suspected that she and Sirius were romantically involved; Rayven was just waiting for her to confirm it.

"I don't know," Gari responded honestly. "We aren't friends exactly…but we aren't exactly boyfriend and girlfriend." Gari paused. "Do you know if he's seen anyone else this year?"

Rayven smiled gently as she heard the slightly note of panic in her friend's voice. "Just Lynn Carrol at the beginning of the year, but I don't think that turned into anything."

"Shit," Sirius muttered under his breath as he saw Lynn Carrol over at the Slytherin table that morning at breakfast. He turned to Remus. "Hide me!"

James and Remus shared an amused glance. Remus looked at Sirius trying to hide under the table and said, "Is Padfoot actually trying to hide from a girl who wants to shag him?"

Sirius glared at him. "Shut it, Moony." Sirius glanced over the table at Lynn. "She's been trying to talk to me every since that night in the astronomy tower."

"Why?" James frowned, and then a look of horror passed over his face. "You didn't shag her, did you? That was the night that you made up with Gari."

"We didn't shag," Sirius replied, still ducking under the table. "I mean, I didn't want to stand her up, so I went to there to say that I couldn't stay…and, she, er, jumped me."

James spat out his pumpkin juice, causing many people to glance in his direction. "What?"

Sirius groaned. "I know…don't worry, I pushed her away. But she got in a few kisses before I could leave, and well…I never exactly ended it with her."

Remus gave Sirius a look of disgust, whereas James just had his jaw almost hit the floor.

When he found his voice, he said, "Sirius, you are such a wanker."

"Yeah, I know," Sirius replied, finally coming back up to the table when Lynn exited with Bellatrix and Narcissa.

"Didn't think you for a muggle music lover, Sirius," Rayven commented as she sat down next to Remus at the table, followed by Gari.

Sirius glanced down at his "The Clash" shirt and shrugged. "Punk revolution, bloody brilliant."

"Don't get him started," James said, rolling his eyes. He looked down at his own regular school robes. "I can't believe I have to miss the first Hogsmeade weekend."

"Oh, but you'll be spending it with your darling, your love, your paramour, your Lily," Sirius mocked him. "Doesn't that make it worth it?"

James smiled. "Definitely. She makes it worth it."

Gari smiled as well as she took a sip of orange juice. "I can't believe that you still like her after the way she's treated you, James."

James flushed and ran a hand through his untidy hair. "Yeah, well…I never gave her any reason to treat me any better."

"She'll come around, James," Rayven said comfortingly. "If we can see that you're willing to change, she'll see it too, eventually."

James sighed. "I hope so."

Lily was pouring over a book in the library when James found her there an hour later. He paused a second to look at her before she noticed and started yelling at him. Her red hair was down from its usual braids or ponytail; instead it tumbled down onto her shoulders in thick locks. Her legs were curled up underneath her on the armchair and she absentmindedly chewed on her lower lip as she read. She looked sweet and lovely…and for once, not like she was about to hex him into the next galaxy.

"Hi," James greeted her casually, pulling up a chair across from her and putting his bag down.

Lily started and looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, hi." She put her book down. "Sorry, I was sort of…absorbed. I didn't hear you coming."

"This is a library, Lils," James smirked a little. "I'm not exactly marching down the hall, am I?"

"You're hilarious," Lily told him sarcastically, though a smile tugged at her lips. She pulled out a sheet of paper. "So I got Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall's permission about the Halloween ball. They said it was fine, and Professor Dumbledore especially liked the idea. He said that it would be a good chance to get everyone's mind off of…well, off of what's happening." She looked away uncomfortably for a moment. James could understand; Lily was muggle born, making her a walking target.

"Right, well…did you talk to him about who we could get to play?" James tried to take her mind off the subject that obviously made her worry herself sick.

"Oh, yes," Lily seemed eager for the change of topic. "Well, Professor Dumbledore said he could either get the Hob Goblins or the Mourning Trio…"

The talked easily for the next hour about their preparations for the ball, trading ideas and suggestions. Finally, as Lily wrote down the last bit of notes she had been taking, they were done.

"Alright, well, I can take these notes down to Professor Dumbledore," Lily said, standing and flipping her hair over her shoulder. On most girls, the motion would seem flirtatious, but on Lily it seemed natural. James couldn't help but smile a little.

"What?" Lily asked curiously, noticing his smile.

"Nothing," James shook his head and shouldered his book bag.

"So, I guess I'll see you later, James," Lily said, turning to walk away.

Come on, ask her…ask her to go to the ball with you, a little voice in James' head kept saying. Ask her…she might say yes…

James gulped. Lily was halfway down the library when he called after her, "Hey, Lily!"

Lily turned back when he called after her. "Yes?"

"Do you want to go to the Halloween ball with me?" He called out to her.

Lily paused. "Oh…well…" Lily bit her lip. She wanted to go with Gideon so badly…but James was acting better lately, and he did ask her first…Lily contemplated for a moment. If James was horrible, she could always leave. And it was just a dance, he wasn't asking her out or anything…Finally, Lily responded. "Sure, James."

"Really?" James eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. "Well, that's great! I'll see you then!"

Lily nodded and couldn't help but smile at his exuberance. "Bye, James."

When Lily was out of the library, James grinned. "She said 'yes'." He smiled even more broadly. "SHE SAID YES!" Kids jumped around him, startled at the shouting.

"Mister Potter, what do you think you're doing?" Madame Pince had advanced on him.

"She said YES!" He grabbed Madame Pince by the arms and hugged her tightly. "SHE SAID YES!"

As James left the library, shouting and jumping, it was hard to tell who was more shocked. Madame Pince, who had just been embraced by James Potter, or the students, who just saw Lily Evans agree to go to a dance with James Potter.

Lily and James shippers shouldn't get to happy just yet…I have complete faith in James to screw up completely. :evil grin: