Transformations and Transfiguration
By: Jasmine
Chapter 12
"Dancing into Contests"
Lily twirled around in front of a full-length mirror, admiring her new dress. She'd borrowed a pair of pretty metallic silver heels to go with her black knee-length dress and had curled her hair so it no longer looked wavy and slightly frizzy but fell in shiny curls to her just below her shoulders. She'd insisted that Jasmine do her make up, and the two had a ball playing around until they found just the perfect shades for each other. "I feel like a goddess." Lily said, dramatically throwing back in hair in a mock-celebrity fashion.
Jasmine giggled, placing her own silky, slightly wavy hair in a clip, half of it falling to her shoulders. Her normally smoky gray eyes now shone as silver as a moon in a cloudless night sky. She herself was wearing a maroon, velvety fabric that went just to her knees as well, paired with a few golden bangles and delicate earrings, her neck bare except for a thin chain, a small diamond dangling off it. "You should. That dress's material's absolutely gorgeous. Must've cost a fortune." Her mauve lips formed a very slight mock-frown. "I wish Sirius would get me stuff like that."
She grinned at Lily, who returned the gesture, saying, "We'd better get going. It's already 6:30. We don't want to keep them waiting." She uttered the last part in a sing song voice, making Jasmine stare at her for a moment before bursting into fits of laughter and having to yell at Lily when tears strolled down her face, smearing her make up.
They spent a few more minutes fixing it before strolling down the stairs in a very poised fashion, at least until Jasmine nearly slipped, not being used to heels. Sirius caught her quickly around the waist, saying, "I hope you're better at dancing than coming down the stairs." He chuckled, helping her up and looking her over, feeling he'd never seen a more beautiful entity. When he voiced this, Jasmine blushed as deep as her dress, waving him off.
Lily and Jake were standing together, Jake putting a hand around Lily's waist. But Lily was looking anywhere but Jake, her emerald eyes scanning every corner of the Common Room. "Where's James?" she asked, trying to look more curious than worried but failing miserably.
"Oh, he went off with his date." said Sirius curtly, trying to pass a kiss at Jasmine, who ducked, putting a hand to his lips. Lily inquired further, making Sirius halt his silliness for a moment, replying, "I thought you'd know who he's going with, considering she's in your dorm and she never shuts her flapping lips." Lily stared, her mind stuck on Hailey and Mae, wondering which of the two ditzy girls James had gone with. "Mae." said Sirius exasperatedly, Jasmine rolling her eyes. Lily nodded, her expression unreadable. "Anyway, let's get going before they finish all the cinnamon rolls—" Jasmine glared. "I—I mean, so I can go dance with you, love." He laughed nervously.
"That's what I thought." said Jasmine coolly, leaning on Sirius's shoulder, who relaxed. Lily and Jake laughed merrily. Then, the foursome made their way to the Great Hall, all in jolly moods. They arrived at the double doors to the Great Hall, music being distortedly heard. "Sounds like they've got a band. Let's go see who it is." They pushed the doors open, entering. Almost at once, Jake pulled Lily onto the dance floor before she could object and the two began dancing gracefully, Lily laughing and having the time of her life.
After many heated rounds, Jake and Lily retreated to a corner, panting but in high spirits all the same. "How about some punch?" said Jake, who'd stopped heaving first. Lily breathlessly nodded, grinning and pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "All right, I'll be right back." Jake said, walking off quickly. Lily bobbed her head softly to the music, enjoying the fast tunes. When silence fell after the song was finished, it was ended with a soft violin beginning to play.
A slow song had started, one of Lily's favorites, actually. Lily closed her eyes, feeling a soothing sensation ebbing into her body. She felt at bliss. "May I have this dance?" said a deep voice. Lily snapped her eyes open to see herself reflected in spectacles. James held a hand out, trying his best to be a gentlman. Lily, still stuck in a quite dreamy state, took his hand and was gently pulled onto the dance floor. Winding themselves across the floor, Lily lay her head softly on James's shoulder, who stiffened slightly before relaxing again. "You look beautiful." whispered James into Lily's ear.
"Thanks." Lily replied, closing her eyes. She began humming the tune to the song lightly, not a care at mind. All that seemed important was nothing more than air to them. They felt they were the only ones dancing, winding through fireflies fluttering about, the night sky glowing brightly above. The moon shone upon them, dazzling against the midnight blanket on which is lay, quietly peering down upon the pair of love-struck teenagers, encouraging them on. The trees whispered amongst themselves of the waltzing twosome, both oblivious to where they were headed. They danced until the end of the song in a daze, not realizing where they were or what they were doing.
The audience's applause snapped them back to reality, their clapping hands harsh against their ears after the flowing melody. Lily looked up for the first time and jumped. "Oh! I—I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be—to be waiting for Jake..." said Lily anxiously, unable to tear her eyes away from James's loving ones. He did not release his grip, trying to keep her dancing as long as he could. "James. James, let go. James, Jake—"
"Is right here." Lily and James started, both spinning their heads around in the direction the sound had come from. Jake stood, staring fixedly at the two. Lily opened and closed her mouth many times, unaware of what she could say to explain their situation. James, however, glowered at him, wanting nothing more than to send him back to America. Jake grinned, looking at Lily. Holding up a small plastic cup filled with red liquid, he said casually, "Punch?" Lily took the cup hesitantly, gazing between Jake and James. "Oh, and Mae's looking for you, James. Seems she didn't realize you weren't dancing with my date and not your own."
"Thanks for the dance." said James to Lily, choosing to ignore Jake's comment, though he was burning with a blazing rage inside. "It was..." But Lily never did find out what it was for James trailed off, letting go of her at long last and turning his back on her, pacing away slowly, his shoulders slumped. Lily stared after him, her emerald eyes unusually dull. She had no clue what had come over her before. She'd never done something so drastic without realizing she was. She wanted to know why she'd suddenly felt right and forgotten about her surroundings. It just didn't seem logical, and logic was the one thing Lily always counted on. It was all too confusing.
"So..." said Jake, cutting into Lily's thoughts abruptly. She looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, seeing affection reflected in them but not the tenderness that James's hazel eyes had held, their gold specks adding a spontaneous element that Jake's could never have. When looking into James's eyes, she'd see herself as she was. She'd see all her faults as well as her strengths. She'd see herself as perfect. She'd feel gorgeous. His eyes would always tell her that her imperfections just added to her magnificence. When looking at Jake, she saw her outer beauty, her face reflected in those dark eyes. She saw everything he wanted her to be, and everything she could never be. She saw what she had to work up to, not what she'd already achieved. She did not know why she continued to look into those eyes constantly, telling herself that what she felt was wrong. Lying to herself.
A new song began to play, a quicker tune this time. "Let's dance." said Jake in a polite but commanding voice, making Lily feel she was obliged to follow. She danced with him, not looking at him once. She had fun, yes, but it only lasted for a while. Then, with the end of the song, so did her pleasure.
After six vigorous songs, Lily ran to a corner, laughing still. Jake followed, both panting. "Too... tired." Lily gasped, a smile still upon her face but not her eyes. "Can you get some more punch?" Jake nodded and made his way to the other side of the hall where the refreshments were located. As he was pouring a cup, he set eyes upon a talkative brunette, golden streaks shining through.
"Mae?" asked Jake, staring at her. She turned at the sound of her name, her dark blue eyes staring straight into Jake's brown ones. "Where's James?" Mae looked around and shrugged her shoulders, her eyes melancholy. A thought struck Jake's mind, and he held a hand out, saying, "Wanna dance?" Mae's eyes immediately lit up as Jake pulled her onto the dance floor, winding her in such a way that they were out of the sight of both James, who was with Sirius and Jasmine, and Lily, who standing against the wall waiting for Jake's return.
"Thanks." Mae said after a while, her eyes now bright. Jake looked down at her. "It's the first time I'm getting to dance tonight. I dunno where James's been. He asked me out, and I just couldn't resist, but the minute we came in, he left me sitting in a chair telling me he was gone to get some punch or something. I saw him dancing with Lily later on, during my favorite song! I got sort of upset, but then you cut in... Thanks, I guess. I just wish he'd hang out with me instead of Sirius and Jasmine..." Her voice faded into darkness.
Jake paused. Then, he said in a very smug tone, "I dunno. I saw him dancing with my girlfriend, too. And I don't really like it. D'you think you could keep him a little busy so he doesn't make a move on her again? He's trying to steal her away from me." He looked away in a mock-forlorn fashion. Mae returned his gaze with a very heartbroken expression. "Do you think you could do that for me?"
"Oh, definitely!" Mae cried a little too loudly, making a few people turn and stare in their direction. Completely oblivious to the gazes, as usual, Mae continued, "I'll get him to stay away from Lily. That's awfully rude of him to do such a thing, but I'll make him shape up. He won't bother you two again." She beamed encouragingly at him before running off to look for James.
"Excellent." Then, Jake returned to the corner of the wall, pouring two more cups of juice. He then wound through the maze of people, finding Lily at long last. "Sorry it took so long." He apologized, offering her a cup. She took it, sipping it slightly. He noticed where her gaze was fixed. Mae was now pulling James away from Sirius and Jasmine, who were sitting at a candle-lit table. He smirked.
The music made an abrupt stop. All heads turned in the direction of the stage to see Professor Dumbledore standing before the students. He smiled down upon all of them, his eyes twinkling merrily. "From what I can see, you all seem to be enjoying yourselves. Good. Now, just an announcement. Considering this is a Halloween Ball, we must have something to do with Halloween, with the exception of the decorations. We decided to have a little contest, without announcement, of course. We have created a haunted house maze, of you'll call it. Each couple will go in at five minute intervals and the pair to come out with the least time is the winner. Now, if you will all please await the call of your names..."
He motioned to Professor McGonagall, who held up a scroll of parchment, reading, "Frank Longbottom and Alice Spinner, you're up first." The two looked a bit nervous as they entered the maze. Moment after, a shriek was heard, closely followed with the sound of laughter, obviously Frank's. The hall echoed his mirth. "Next, Lucious Malfoy and Narcissa Black." A stiff couple strode toward the entrance, both housing noses high in the air and expression of utter snobbery. Not a sound came when they entered, oddly enough.
Professor McGonagall continued to call out names until only a few couples were left, Sirius and Jasmine, Jake and Lily, and James and Mae among them. "Audrey Harrington and Billy Burns." she continued, her voice now monotonous after calling out nearly the whole school. "Sirius Black and Jasmine Pulchritude." The scene the next couple put on was hilarious.
Jasmine and Sirius came forward, or rather Jasmine dragged Sirius forward, her hair obscuring her frustrated eyes. Sirius was waving his arms around in the air, bellowing, "No! They can't make us participate in this contest! No way I'm going in there! Noo!" A few people snickered, trying to cover it with coughs or sneezes or their hands. Lily and James openly laughed aloud.
"Sirius! Quit being a prat!" Jasmine huffed, out of breath. She let go of him, glaring at Sirius before she stomped into the maze, not caring for him. After realizing he was free, Sirius threw his hands up in the air in triumph. Then, seeing Jasmine nowhere in sight, he stomped his own foot before following her into the maze, grumbling under his breath angrily.
Once the laughter had died down, or at least lessened in volume, Professor McGonnagal continued, "Lily Evans and James Potter." There was now pin drop silence as the remaining few stared, astonished at the list. "Well, we just made the list while watching who was dancing together in the slow song." said Professor McGonagall sternly, staring at James and Lily. They came together and entered followed by utter silence.
Once inside, they gazed at their surroundings. "Damn." said James, rapping hard on the nearest wall. "It's glass. They've put an unbreakable charm on it." He was trying to act as professionally as he could, also trying his best to ignore the numerous couples now snogging further on in the maze. He felt his way around, then realized exactly how to pass through the maze. "It's a huge H, the way out. We'd better get going."
Lily was shocked at how quickly James had come up with the solution. "How'd you know?" she asked incredulously, also trying to remain professional, memories of their dance bothering her. There was silence in which James walked normally, never bumping into a glass wall.
"It's a Hogwarts maze. It's the most obvious thing it could be, and if it's the most obvious, people will never think of it. They'll think it's a complicated path of twists and turns, and that's exactly what they want us to think. It's simple, really." James responded tonelessly. Lily stared, her emerald eyes wide. "Y-you look great in that dress, by the way..." He chanced a sideways glance at her.
"Oh, er, thanks." Lily replied for the second time that night, this time completely aware of what she was saying and very nervously so. Neither one of them noticed Jake and Mae closely following them, Jake's glowering eyes taking in every action. "Jake's got a great sense of style..."
James halted his pace abruptly making Lily bump into his stiff back. He turned, looking Lily in the eye. "Jake's a liar and a fake. Don't fall for what he says, Lily, because none of it's true. I'm the one who got you the dress, Sirius was with me, if you want a witness. I'm the one who asked you to dance instead of pulling you on without a word."
Then, feeling he was on a roll, James pulled Lily into a passionate kiss, holding her close, his eyes closed. Lily's, however, were open and staring, stunned. She pulled away from him and staggered backward, stopping only when she'd bumped into a second person. "Jake!" she cried, regaining her posture. In an instant, Jake was inches away from James, his large hand clenched around James's collar. "Jake, no!"
"If you ever do that again," He whispered dangerously, his dark eyes boring into James's hazel ones. "You will be very sorry." With that, he took hold of Lily's hand and pulled her off, hitting his head hard on the nearest glass wall in the process. His eyes became unfocused and he fell to the ground hard, losing all consciousness.
Well, there you go. Not exactly what I was hoping for, and I don't really feel it came out all that great... actually, my favorite part in the story was when James and Lily danced. I really like how I wrote that (I hope I don't sound conceited). Anyway, keep your reviews coming! I love them all! And all the stuff that I mentioned in the last chapter, they're definitely coming up, but toward the end of fifth year... I'm just going to have to drag the story on until then... Just kidding! lol. About the dragging part, that is.
Well, just so you all know, Lily isn't going to break up with Jake, and for good reason. In the next chapter, James is going to make a fool of himself because he hasn't done that for a while and I feel like he's out of character if he doesn't (sorry all you James lovers!). And you'll see a bit the marauders and some pranking because I'm getting way too close to the ending... I'm going to add a bit more, just you watch.
Well, this is becoming a long author's note, so just...
Please Review!