They practiced their scripts daily and kept up with their schoolwork. Each day, James was more and more attracted to Lily. Her voice was beautiful and she looked beautiful in her costume.

It was dress rehearsal on Saturday. Everyone in the play met in the Great Hall. The house and Staff tables were moved and instead there was a stage.

James dressed in his costume of a suit and hat. Jenette wore the red dress.

The moves were perfect. Everything everyone did was great. Lily didn't wear her costume but did her motions and part of her song.

That evening, James and Lily sat, practicing lines, in his room.

"Come one, James. The play is tomorrow and you're goofing off." Lily said to him.

"I'm not goofing off. I'm messing up on my lines." James said.

"Yeah, on purpose."

"No. On accident."

"You practiced these lines over and over again. How can you mess up?"

"You're beautiful." James mumbled but Lily didn't hear him.

"What?"

James opened his mouth but at that moment, Sirius burst through the door.

"Oh, sorry, we'll leave you two alone." He said playfully.

"Black, get back here!" Lily said.

Sirius obediently shuffled back into the room.

"Do you know your lines?" she asked.

"Yeah." Sirius said.

"Maybe you can help James with them since if I help him, he won't pay attention."

With that, Lily turned and walked out of the room, closing the door with a sharp snap.

"What'd you do to her?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing. I was stumbling on my lines." James said.

Sirius looked at him, wondering how he could stumble on lines he always quoted.

"How can you stumble on your lines?" Sirius blurted. "You're always going around quoting them!" he added, waving his arms about above his head in a hysterical fashion.

"She was here." James muttered.

"Lily?" Remus asked.

"Yeah."

"Ah, come on, mate!" Sirius said. "So what?"

"She was in close proximity. I couldn't stand it." James mumbled.

"So, as soon as she kinda starts to like you, you start to not like her?" Sirius asked, very perplexed.

"No." Remus answered. "He still loves her. It was just hard."

Sirius muttered something and walked out of the room, waving his arms about.

Remus put a hand on James's shoulder.

"It's okay. The play is tomorrow. Don't worry." He said and walked out, Peter in tow.

"Great!" James muttered to himself as he fell back on his bed. "I'm going to stumble every time I see her."

He buried his face in his pillow and thrashed around. How could this happen now?

He hoped all would be well by tomorrow.