Chapter 6, A Day With James

"So… why doesn't Lily want to date anyone?"

"Because she's afraid to get hurt, she's afraid that he might leave her for someone much more beautiful, smart, funny, witty. Why do you want to know anyway? For James, right?" said Catherine to Sirius.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yep," she said with a sort of unnecessary perk.

They were just walking around the corridors having a mindless conversation. After a while of silent walking, while debating with himself, he finally asked what he was hoping to have a good answer to.

"So do you have a date to the ball yet?"

"It's only been two days since it was announced, what do you think?"

He knew it was a rhetorical question but still said "I take that as a yes then."

"No, I haven't, it was a rhetorical question, I was only joking."

"Oh, well, do you, if you want to, do you want to go to the ball with me?" asked Sirius rather nervously, which surprised her because Sirius was never nervous around a girl.

"Sure, okay." Yes! Yes! He asked me! Sirius asked me! She thought. You could visibly see that she was fighting to scream.

"Are you going to the ball with anyone yet?" asked James outta the blue.

"No."

"Will you go with me?" asked James a little more hopefully than he intended to sound.

"Why in the Lords name would I go to the ball with you?" asked Lily not really caring for the answer, "Besides, I'm probably not going to it anyway. Just to open the ball and listen to the music to see how everyone likes it."

"Uh- how do you plan to get the music to play here, isn't there too much magic in the atmosphere?"

"I didn't know you read, yes, but I'm top of the charms class remember, I found a nifty spell to allow muggle appliances to work here, but fist I've to ask the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. So, after Dumbledore agrees to what we've planed I'll send them a note."

"Wow, you've got this all planed haven't you."

"Yep. Cotton Candy." They had just reached the Gargoyle that marked The Headmasters office.

"What did you do this time James?" asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Nothing Professor we just came to check the list for the ball," said Lily. James on the other hand was thinking, Damn, he found out about us hexing the Slytherins in their sleep again. Can't get away with Dumbledore watching over the castle, that sucks big time.

"Sounds good, but you'll need permission from the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifact office."

"I know sir, as soon as you approve of it I'll head straight for the owlry to send Magma with a letter that requests permission to bewitch a Muggle stereo and cassettes and records."

"Magma?" asked James.

Lily ignored him.

"Well I believe everything is in order. You may go down to the Kitchens and tell the elves what they should make. I daresay they love it when there's a Christmas ball, all the food and decorations, and cleaning. Why so quiet James, usually your out-and- about trying to talk yourself out of trouble," asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Sorry sir, just spaced out for a second, sorry. Ow," Lily had just kicked him.

"We'll go and notify the kitchens about the menu, and owl letter."

"What was that for?" hissed James as they were walking out the door.

"For showing so little disrespect for the Headmaster, and for being you," said Lily with a little smirk.

"What's wrong with me, and Dumbledore and I are like buddies."

"I'm not even going to start," she said as she walked to the owlry, James at her side. Once they got there Lily at on a hey stack and pulled out a piece of parchment and her quill that she charmed to never run out of ink and started to write for permission to charm a non-magical object. Once she finished she stood up and brushed off her clothes.

"Okay. Potter, how does this sound to you," asked Lily, handing him the letter she had just wrote.

Dear, Mr. Perkins,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is holding a Christmas ball. I thought that it might be nice if we played muggle music for all the muggle born children, and I thought it might be something different for the wizarding world as well. With your permission, of course, we could inchant the muggle music to play here.

Sincerely,

Lily Evan, Seventh Year Prefect at Hogwarts.

"Yeah that's good, he'll definitely let us play muggle songs."

"Great. Thanks," was all that was Lily's reply.

"How do you plan to get Magma up to the owlry?" asked a confused James, he knew Lily never brought her owl to the owlry.

"Simple. BLOB! BLOB! BLOB!" was all he got. He thought Lily was going insane, but he realized the next second that she wasn't because he heard a screech and the next second he saw a fiery red owl come through the doorway, and land on Lily's shoulder.

"Hey there girl, can you do me a favor and bring this to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office."

She nipped her nose as a sign that she would.

"Why is your owl red?" asked a bewildered James.

"Because in first year I read about a charm and decided it didn't sound too hard and tried it, except it backfired, and it turned her permanently red. It's funny really, I tried to turn her orange with purple eyes, instead I got red feathers and hazel eyes, I have no idea why though," explained Lily, as she watched Magma fly off with the letter, "well, let's go to the kitchen I'm starved. No wonder its three o'clock." She looked at the large clock on the wall.

After informing the kitchens about what they should have for dinner that night, James and Lily were walking down the Corridor.

"Uh, James, d'you think I could borrow your owl? I have to ask my mum to send me the music for the ball," asked Lily nervously.

"Yeah, but on one condition, you have to go to the ball with me."

"Never in my wildest dreams would I go out with you!" exclaimed Lily louder than she intended to sound.

"Relax, I was only joking," laughed James, "but tell me, why did you use my first name?" James asked slyly.

"Well, Uh… I gotta go ask mum for the music. 'Bye."

Lily took off so fast he hardly saw a red blur fly past him. Lily wanted nothing more than to be as far away from him as humanly possible.

"Lily guess what, guess?" asked an excited Catherine jumping up and down on her bed.

"Um… you found out how to do the liquefying charm without my help, no wait, I know. You found how to curl your nose hairs," said Lily jokingly, "what?"

"No, Sirius just asked me to the ball! ME! CATHERINE SARA SUGARSWEETS!"

"Oh my God, I can see why you look like it was you birthday," squealed Lily. Catherine had liked Sirius since third year.

"This has to be the best day of my entire life! Ouch!" she had just fallen off her bed. She got up so fast you would have hardly known if she really had fallen or not.

It took her a while to calm herself down, but when she did she sat on her bed with a serious expression.

"So, what are we going to do about you an James?" she asked.

"What about me and James?" asked Lily coolly.

"Well, it's pretty obvious, but clearly you don't find it as clear as I do."

"What's so obvious?"

"You know for someone as smart as you I'm surprised you haven't figured this out."

"Figured what out! Tell me!"

"Yes, Yes, okay, you should be able to understand this. You LILY HALLEY EVANS are falling for JAMES HARRY POTTER whether you want to believe it or not!" yelled Catherine.

"WHAT! Never! He's so arrogant and conceited and –"but she couldn't finish because she was cut off be Catherine.

"- Cute, fun, smart, not to mention funny. Honestly Lily, you wouldn't know love if it danced in front of you wearing a sign that says 'HI I'M LOVE'. "

Lily scrunched up her nose at the very thought of her thinking anything of that nature towards James.

"Fine I wouldn't know love if it danced in front of me wearing a sign, okay, but there's absolutely no way, whatsoever, that I would like Pot Brain," said Lily shutting her hangings.

Lily awoke with a start, the only thoughts running through her mind at the moment was James, no. "No, James, you can't," she whispered.

"Lily, is that you? Why are you up? What about James?" asked Catherine groggily.

"No," whispered Lily. It was all coming back to her now, the child with the messy black hair and green eyes. James coming through the door, her running up to him giving him a kiss. James asking the baby if he had fun with mummy today. The door crashing open a high crackle, a flash of green light, James dead. Her running to the nursery telling him that mummy and daddy will always love him. Her pleading with darkly cloaked figure to take her instead of her baby, another flash of green, and then, her waking up.

"No, James, you can't be dead," she kept whispering over and over again.

"Lily what are you talking about? James isn't dead," said Catherine.

"You're wrong, I saw it all."

"Fine, If you don't believe me, then we'll go see for ourselves." Catherine pulled Lily out of bed and up the boys' staircase, until she reached a door with a plaque on it that read 'Seventh Year Boys' Dormitory'. Catherine knocked on the door very loudly.

"Who in the world would be up at three in the morning?" a very grumpy James asked getting out of bed to answer the door, "Catherine why are you here?" asked James when he saw who it was.

"It's an emergency. Li-" began Catherine, but Lily had just thrown herself at James.

"You're alive, you're alive, but how? Doesn't matter, I can't believe it," said Lily rejoicing.

"She hasn't been in her right mind since she woke up from a nightmare. She was shouting something that sounded an awful lot like 'Not Harry please! Anything but Harry!' Are you all right?" James looked petrified when he heard the name Harry.

"Prongs tell whoever it is to go away, we've got that thing tomorrow, and I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of it," grunted a sleepy Sirius.

"I hardly doubt that you would even if you were sleep deprived," joked James.

"I still need my beauty sleepy, so shut the door and say good-bye to whoever your talking to."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Lily can we go downstairs for a second?" he asked walking down the staircase followed by Lily.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Lily still smiling at the fact that James was alive.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I wasn't in the beginning, but now I'm fine."

"Positive?"

"Yes- no. I was really scared James. It was so real. I thought you were-" by now she had her face buried in her hands and her elbows rested on her knees.

"It'll be okay, nothings going to happen. We're all perfectly safe, but next time Lily, I want you to go straight away to Dumbledore, but get me first, okay. -(Lily nodded to show that she understood)- D'you think you could get to sleep again?" asked James very concerned.

"No, probably not."

"Why not try? I'll stay down here with you, if you want?"

"Please, that was too scary to dream twice."

"Of course I'll stay," said James sitting on the opposite corner of the couch.

The next morning Lily awoke to find a pair of arms holding her close, she took a while to remember why she was in the common room. She didn't want to wake James, so she tried to loosen his grip. Instead he didn't wake, but said, "No, Puffkin, don't go!" Lily had to stifle her laughter. She wiped her body around so that they were face-to- face.

"James, James, wake up, before the entire house comes down and finds us," Lily said shaking him.

"So," said James, obviously pretending he was asleep.

"So. What kind of model do you want to set for the younger children?"

"Fine, but first you have to give me a kiss," a devil-ish grin forming on his face.

Lily with some fast thinking said okay, and kissed him on the cheek. "You never said where," pointed out Lily playfully.

"Damn, you're just too smart for me," both her and James smiling brightly as James let go of her. Lily ran up to her dormitory to get ready for school, and for the rest of the day she couldn't get the morning out of he mind. She was furious with herself, yet very happy.

"Lily, are you going with anyone to the dance? You know it's only a week away."

"Yes, Rin, I know perfectly well it's only in a week, and no I do not have a date, nor do I want one. I already told James I'm just going to see how people like it and to open the ball," she stated to Catherine, not looking sad or miserable, just perfectly normal.

The hall had just filled with a lot of owl hooting and screeches.

"Lily, when did you send your owl?" asked Catherine.

"A couple of weeks ago, why?"

"Because she's finally back."

"Hey there, let's hope it's a good answer," greeted Lily taking the letter off her leg.

Dear, Ms. Evans,

You really had no need to write this letter because the ministry has no control over Hogwarts, but better safe than sorry is what I always say. Your idea about the muggle music at a wizard's ball sounds absolutely wonderful. I have enclosed a letter of permission to bewitch the anything muggle made, i.e. watch, clock, music, television, ect., so that it can play at Hogwarts permanently. There is also a list of spells that I found that would be useful for this sort of business.

Sincerely,

Perkins

Head of the department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office

"Yes. Rin, we get to listen to muggle music, It'll feel just like home. Well except without our homes or families."

"Really Lil? Yes, I miss that music so much, it's just much better than wizard," Catherine was bouncing up and down in her seat. Ever since that summer in third year at Lily's, Catherine had been nuts about muggle music.

"I have to go tell James. See you," said Lily getting up, walked up to James and tapped him of the shoulder.

"Guess what?" asked Lily smiling very wide. "We got permission," the smile not coming off her face.

"You're kidding, let me see," asked James taking the letter from her hand.

"Awesome, guys, guess what?"

"You and Lily finally hooked up," said a joking Sirius.

"No, actually, you know how we always listen to the Weird Sisters and other wizard bands and people at these balls. Well, here's a change; we're going to listen to muggle music. Lily says it's better than clanking chains any old day."

"Oh, it's not better, it's the best." Catherine had just come over; "I heard it every year since third year when I went to Lily's for the summer."

"That sounds cool, hey you guys we're going to be late for charms if we don't get a move on," Remus had just checked his watch.