A/N: In this chapter and next, there will be a refrence to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. For all of you that don't know what it's about, it's about this guy Jay Gatsby, who is desperately in love with the old family rich Daisy Buchanan, who is married toher womanizing, abusive husband, Tom. Tom isn't physically abusive to her--just his mistress. Anyway, to make a long story short, Jay and Daisy used to be in love before WW1, she wouldn't marry him because he was poor. He comes back five years later, newly rich wanting to win her over. they have an affair. Tom finds out about it and tips of his mistress's husband who thinks Jay is the manhis wifeishaving an affair with, and he goes and kills Jay. It's a great book and well written, like everything F. Scott Fitzgerald writes. (btw, he's related to Francis Scott Key, who wrote the Star Spangled Banner) SO that might be a little much into the whole story, but I hope it explains enough.

Chapter Fourteen: Halloween Part I

"I hate Halloween."

James looked at his friend sympathetically. "No you don't, Moony. You hate this Halloween."

"It just figures that this one lands on the full moon." he replied gravely, who was beginning to look a little pale in anticipation of that night.

Sirius gave his werewolf friend a pat on the back. "Cheer up, mate. You'll be able to see her off, I bet she's wearing some nice, pleasurable outfit that you'll get to see her in for five minutes before she heads off to dance in front of loads of blokes all night."

"But what will I give her as my excuse for leaving early?" questioned Remus, worry written all over his face as he ignored Sirius.

"Just tell her you're a werewolf." offered Peter, who at the face Remus gave him quickly quieted.

"Tell her that you've got to go off and see you're sick mother, she knows you usually do that. You've asked Dumbledore to take you later because it's Halloween." suggested James.

Remus smiled sullenly. "That will have to do."

"If it makes you feel any better." started Sirius with a devilish grin. "James doesn't have a date."

Remus shook his head and smiled soberly. "Why should James's misery make me feel better? You're mental."

"And you feel better." huffed Sirius.

"Well at least I'm not taking some slag because I couldn't get the girl I want." muttered James almost inaudibly.

Sirius shot an unusual glare at him, but gave him a cheeky smile. "I can accept rejection and move on, because I don't love her."

"Right, mate. Keep telling yourself that." retorted James quickly before looking around the messy dorm room. "I better go back to the Heads Quarters…I've got to get my costume together."

"Who are you going as?" tried Peter, who was putting on some of James's old Quidditch robes.

James smiled at him slyly. "It's a surprise, you're not supposed to tell who you are at the Masquerade ball."

"But you know I'm going as a professional Quidditch player." replied Peter in a whiny voice.

"Because you were thick enough to let everyone know you needed robes." answered Sirius as he put on a tie-dyed t-shirt.

James just shook his head as he left his friends alone.

James rummaged through his clothes, because the truth was, he couldn't tell Peter who he was going as because he didn't know.

"Head boy and I can't even plan to participate." mumbled James as he threw several outfits to try on the floor. The truth was, he hadn't put a costume together because every time he thought of it, he thought of Lily, and who she was going with, and he felt sick.

He took a look at his current costume arrangement on the floor and groaned.

If he wore that people would think he was going as bloody Elton John.

Just then, he heard a knock at his door.

"Come on in." he stated trying to throw his clothes back together.

Lily smiled as she walked in; she took one look at the costume on the floor and giggled.

"Elton John?"

James glared at her and she shut up pretty quickly.

"Are you having costume difficulty?" she asked politely.

"No, not at all, I wanted to go as a flaming piano player." replied James sarcastically.

Lily smiled and thought for a moment. "Why don't you go as Aladdin?"

James raised his eyebrow as he thought. "Why Aladdin?"

Lily smiled sweetly. "A diamond in the rough."

She blushed slightly before she turned.

"Wait, Lily." James started. "Did you need something?"

Lily didn't even turn around. "I had a feeling you were having difficulty. See you tonight." she left him and James smiled as he tried to get together a peasant-Arab outfit.

Forty minutes later, James found himself sitting at the Gryffindor table that he had charmed to growl like a lion for the occasion, as the Slytherin table hissed, Hufflepuff's made a scary noise James could only assume was a badger, and Ravenclaw's cawed. He sat by himself, for everyone was up and dancing. Even Peter, who had brought Claire Frost, was dancing. Sick of sitting by himself, he made his way over to the punch bowl.

After getting his drink, he turned away and looked at the elaborate decorations he and Lily had managed to put together. He smiled as everyone seemed to enjoy them.

As his eyes scanned the room, he gasped.

Lily and Emerson were entering the Great Hall, and she looked beautiful.

She was dressed in a champagne colored loosely cut dress, it looked like an American flapper dress from the 1920's. Her hair was bobbed—magic, James hoped, although she looked beautiful, he rather liked her long locks. She had a daisy delicately placed in her hair and she looked absolutely wonderful. Emerson, also dressed in a 1920's theme, wore champagne colored pants and a bright colored button up shirt, splashed with bright red. He wore a champagne colored blazer matching his pants and a hat placed on the side of his head. James wanted to laugh at his appearance, but he and Lily did look good together.

Deciding to make conversation, James walked over, holding out punch to the both of them.

Lily smiled as she saw him. "I see you are Aladdin."

James nodded as he tugged his shabby vest and pulled up his pants, sweats pulled to his belly button and rolled just under his knees.

"I see you and Emerson are from the 1920's." replied James. "But any particular character?"

"I'm Daisy Buchanan. From The Great Gatsby. I just finished reading the book and ran out of ideas."

James smiled. "Well you look beautiful." James nodded at Emerson.

"So are you Jay or Tom?"

Emerson studied James for a minute. "I'm the Gatsby fellow."

"So Jay." replied James. "Doesn't he die horribly in the end?"

"Care to dance, Lily?" interjected Emerson.

"I'd love to." replied Lily as Emerson grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. Lily gave James a smile before turning her attention to Emerson.

James let out a sigh before checking the clock. 8:00. He could leave now and have some free time before meeting Sirius and Peter.

"Hel—low." came the musical voice of Kirsten Jefferson, a tall, thin blonde girl that used to be a roommate of Lily. James knew of her, her oozing charm and flirtatious manner turned him off from her and he had never really paid attention to her. Not to say that Sirius hadn't.

James gave her a polite smile. "Hi."

"Here with anyone?" she asked, twirling her brown hair with her index finger.

"Not exactly. What about you?" he asked averting his eyes to the door.

"Same." she smiled.

"Really?" asked James with little interest.

"Find it hard to believe?" she giggly laughed. "I do too."

Without knowing what was happening, James wound up on the dance floor tangled up in Kirsten.

Lily sat at the Hufflepuff table as Emerson went to get her a drink, as she waited her eyes traveled to James.

She felt her stomach flip-flop as she saw his toned chest through the shabby vest he was wearing. She felt herself blush as someone tapped her shoulder.

"And just who are you staring at?" asked Ellie.

Lily blushed and smiled at her friend. "No one. Where's Remus?"

Ellie frowned. "He's at his sick mother's."

Lily nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry, you look nice though."

Ellie smiled as she took a seat beside Lily. "Remus was supposed to be Dumbledore."

"How cute!" Lily exclaimed and then seeing the disappointment on her friend's face quieted. "It would have been. You as McGonagall and him as Dumbledore."

"Yeah, it was one of my more creative moments." she smiled as she pointed. "I think Emerson is heading back over here."

Lily looked, but Emerson isn't what she saw. James was dancing incredibly close to Kirsten Jefferson. Her mouth dropped in shock and it wasn't until Ellie poked her, hard, that she turned back to her friend.

"Your punch is coming. I'm going to go find Allison, if she's not snogging my brother. See you later."

Lily nodded. "In a couple of hours I'll tell Emerson that we're going to hang out and we'll find something fun to do."

Ellie smiled slightly. "You'd cut a date short for your lonesome friend?"

"But of course." replied Lily as Emerson approached, handing her a punch.

"Good night." Ellie waved as she picked out Allison on the dance floor.

"I'm going to go now." shouted James over the loud music as Kirsten continued to hold on to him tightly.

She pouted. "I'm sorry I'm not a very good dancer."

James almost laughed. "No it's not that, I just have to go. You're a very good dancer." He pulled away and pointed at a tall boy with dark brown hair. "Why don't you go dance with him?"

Kirsten smiled at him in a teasing way and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night."

James nodded and went to tell Sirius he was leaving.

Before he could reach his friend however, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

He turned around to see Lily, still beautiful in her flapper dress and bobbed hair, smiling at him.

"Don't forget that we patrol a late-late, holiday shift tonight." She grinned.

James slapped his forehead. "Bloody hell, really?"

Lily nodded slowly, she hadn't really thought he would forget. "You don't have plans, do you?"

"Well, actually…"drifted James uneasily through their conversation.

Lily frowned. "Look, James, it's fine if you're going to go meet that girl, just be on time for patrolling. Meet me at 1."

She turned to leave James, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"What girl? I'm not meeting any girl. I have something else planned, it's really important, just trust me." James pleaded.

Lily's face relaxed. "Oh." she considered his words. "I'll patrol the first hour by myself, but you better meet me by two."

James nodded. "Yes of course. Thank you so much. I promise it's important."

"It better be." replied Lily flatly.

"Have you seen Sirius?" asked James.

Lily gazed around the room. "Yes, he's over in the corner with a tie-dye shirt, dread-locks and really beat up jeans. "But he looks sort of busy."

James gazed over to where Lily was looking and saw his best friend snogging another hippie-clad girl, and he didn't look like he was stopping any time soon.

"Bastard." mumbled James. "Well if he isn't occupied in a few minutes and you happen to run into him, could you tell him I've already left?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah. You know, it's no wonder Grace doesn't like him."

James smiled. "I know. But he won't change for anyone, so I guess he'll never have her."

"He's not much like you, then." muttered Lily quietly.

James caught her eye and blushed slightly. "Yes well, it hasn't worked for me yet, has it? I'd say Sirius was right." He smiled and waved. "I've really got to go. Bye, Daisy."

Lily watched him walk away and tried to ignore feeling guilty and confused by James Potter. She had to find Emerson; he probably wanted to dance again, or more realistically, she thought. He probably wanted to go snog somewhere.

Lily Evans 4 life: I'll try to add some more drama, but I don't like unrealistic amounts of drama…I like to think that these characters in my story are in touch enough with what's going on outside of the castle walls to not really get too carried away with what's going on within them, still, I'll try to add more drama.

chikichiki: Yes, Emerson is a creepy guy…that's exactly how I wanted him! lol. I picture him as the kind of guy your dad would love because he can put on a polite, well mannered show and he knows what he wants out of life. He's the kind of guy your mother wouldn't want you dating because female intuition tells her he's a creep. lol.

CaptainOats+PrincessSparkle: Oh there might be some Emerson ass kicking…you'll just have to wait and see.

hpgirl7777: yes you all are very lucky! thanks for the review!

Christina Marie15: thanks for the review!

please review! Thank you!