Thanks to Lils-X, Blink182Rox, and GeEtErZ for reviewing! I posted this one fast, just for you guys. ;)

You guys are soooooo lucky. I almost completely revamped this fic, but then thought better at the last minute. I really don't have the time for such a thing! Besides, the experience helped me come up with more ideas for this fic, so here it stays, despite however corny the first 3 chapters were..

If you have ANY suggestions for this fic, please tell me!!

The Not-So-Secret Life of Lily Evans

Chapter 11: Frills and Faeries

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Lily idly poked at her lunch, more interested in shifting its contents than eating. Her silence called more attention than she wanted.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Celina asked, peering at Lily's face closely. "Are you feeling sick for real this time?"

Lily put down her fork. "James, I-I .. can't go to the Yule Ball with you," she said quietly. So far, no one knew about the recent news, but in hours it could be everywhere.. Lily couldn't take chances; she hated rumors, especially when they were about her. She spoke quietly for this reason; so nobody around could hear what she was saying among the usual noise erupting from meals.

Unfortunately, James didn't hear her either.

"What?"

"I c-can't. Go. To Ball."

James looked bewildered; he ran a hand through his hair, making it more tousled. "Why not?" Yeah, why not? She lost that bet fair and square!

Lily stared at her mashed potatoes. Curses! What would she say now, especially when Celina, Sirius, Remus AND Peter were listening intently, although pretending not to?

She could scratch thinking of herself as not good enough for James. Ha! That was funny… Not good enough for that brainless prat? But she still couldn't see why THE James Potter wanted to go with her to Yule Ball. Lily hardly thought of herself as pretty, even though Celina insisted that her eyes were gorgeous and went on about her lovely hair… There were other girls out there! Like, a bazillion fish in the sea! And Lily was the lone guppy. The only guppy who didn't bother to throw herself at Potter's feet.

Maybe Celina was right? Maybe James DID fancy her? But after 4 years of constant aggravation from him?

"Evans? Hello?"

"Wha--? Er.." Lily hesitated. "I.. I don't have a dress robe. Never got one." HAHA! Now he couldn't possibly--

"Then we'll go shopping on the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow. Tomorrow's Saturday, isn't it, Padfoot?"

"I believe it is, Prongs," Sirius replied, turning his pumpkin juice absently.

"There. No problem."

"B-but.." Great. Now he was going to buy her a dress robe! Lily stabbed an indescribable piece of meat savagely. And she was going to finish reading that book tomorrow, as soon as her homework was completed.

Celina sharply elbowed Lily. Brilliant! Now Celina was developing a nasty habit… "What's wrong with you?!" she hissed.

"What?! He won't leave me alone.."

"Just go with it, Lily. You work yourself too hard, and when someone tries to show you a good time, you blow up in their face," Celina informed her softly.

Argh. Celina was right, Lily thought. Why was she being so tense anyway? Why did the thought of being around James make her so nervous---

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no no!!

Lily dropped her fork upon her plate with a loud clatter.

Was THAT why her heart raced with fury when he tossed notes at her, pleading for test answers in class? Why her palms got sweaty when she felt his eyes on her? Why she felt hot when he stepped too close in a crowded stairway?

Most likely.

Merlin, now she HAD to go to Yule Ball with James. Why? Because now Lily felt that those feelings she had for James .. weren't just anger… They were…

But Lily Evans couldn't possibly enjoy an evening with that idiot James Potter!

.. Could she?

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Sleep hit Lily like a dust mote that night. Had she even been sleeping? She awoke in a ghostly manner the next morning, rising from her bed without a word. She didn't feel tired, however, but more like she had swallowed a couple caffeine pills two minutes ago.

She got ready quickly, but not quietly. In fact, she was more chatty today than ever before, and Lily felt like smiling for no good reason.

Lily made sure she dressed snugly today; thick, faded jean flares, "sheepskin" boots (faux, though. Of course!), a white cashmere sweater, a worn brown coat, her red and gold Gryffindor scarf, and finally her school cloak over it all. She shoved her latest piece of light reading, a stout little novel, into her cloak pocket. Was she forgetting anything?

Well, a little eyeliner couldn't hurt.. Merlin, PETUNIA was right. She DID need these confounded makeup things after all! Lily shook her head at her now-upturned trunk before checking the mirror one last time.

She found Celina, Sirius, and Remus waiting for her at the school entrance hall.

Lily greeted all of them with a smile, but Celina and Sirius were currently counting the fairies occupying the Christmas trees. Well, sort of. Celina was giving Sirius a kiss on the cheek for each faerie he could find, and Sirius was shrewdly adding in extra numbers.

"Just ignore them for now," Remus suggested. "Be glad you weren't here earlier, when those two discovered the mistletoe. McGonagall gave out 11 detentions to kids betting on how long the session would last, and 14 to Sirius alone."

Lily winced. Yes, she was glad. Glad she was spared from some strange nightmares.

"James and Peter went on ahead to Hogsmeade already. They said they'd meet us outside 'Frills and Faeries'," Remus informed her.

"Oh. Okay," Lily replied. "Well, then it's just you and me.." she said, looking back at Celina and Sirius for a second as they all filed out of Hogwarts.

Remus smiled, but he still stared at the snow-covered ground, occupied on something.

"Remus? Are you feeling okay?"

"Huh?" Remus was taken aback. "Uh.. no. I'm fine, really."

Lily shrugged. "You sure get sick a lot. Not that it's any of my business.."

"It's alright. I just.. have a really poor immune system. I can catch every cold, flu, and fever known to man," he laughed halfheartedly.

Poor Remus. Maybe he has that immune deficiency? What was it? HIV? Lily shook her head. Change the subject. Gracefully.

"Sorry about yesterday."

"What? Why?"

"I'm sorry we humiliated you in Potions. James and I, I mean. It was a dumb thing to bet on.. If all the teasing is bothering you, then---"

"Lily, it's fine. I'm used to it, really," Remus reassured her. "It's partly my fault, anyway.."

"Your fault?"

"Creidwy and I.. we've been together for a while. Or, were, actually."

Lily was aghast; then she nearly slipped on patch of ice.

"You-- with the Professor?!" Scary! Caliban was what? Three years older than they were! But this WAS the 20th century.. Anything could happen.. Lily pushed the vagrant thought out of her mind.

"Shh!" Remus whispered, looking back to make sure Sirius and Celina didn't hear. He didn't want them starting to bug him again..

"..Sorry."

"She.. she wasn't a Professor then. She was just another girl at this school. And she was a Slytherin."

"Which was an idea your friends didn't take too well?"

"Nope. They made all these little plots to break us up, which had a reverse effect. It seemed that the more they tried, the more she clung to me, just to get on their nerves."

"That sounds like her.." Lily laughed. "She is a really pretty girl, though."

"Yeah. She is," Remus smiled dreamily. "And she uses that to her advantage."

Although puzzled, Lily realized this wasn't the best time to find out more. They were outside Frills and Faeries already, and James was anxiously waiting for her. Er.. James and PETER were waiting for THEM. Yeah.

"Hey, Lils, I brought ya something! Although it might be a little melted now.." James said, digging into his pocket and fishing out an extremely large bar of Honeyduke's chocolate. How it fit in there, Lily would never know, but she accepted it just the same.

"Thanks, Potter," she grinned, opening its delicious contents. Thankfully, it wasn't melted at all, but pleasantly warm.. Lily ate it ravenously, although reluctantly having to share pieces of the chocolate with everyone else before they could go inside.

Lily's heart sank as she stepped into the store. This place certainly had "frills". Too much frills for anyone's wallet! Frills and Faeries was like the Bloomingdale's of Hogsmeade! James was going to buy her a dress robe from here?!

"James, I don't think I could--"

"Evans, you worry too much. So stop protesting and go try something on, or whatever it is girls do around here..."

Lily bit her lip as Celina pulled her away to a dressing room and began tossing random robes in after her.

"Try the pink!" she dictated.

Lily did as she was told, slipping on a pink robe with bell sleeves, and coming out to be judged by the "panel".

Sirius held up a -2, whereas Remus was asleep. James and Peter kept their 10's up just to be nice.

"Ugly!" Sirius shouted. "Clashes with your hair!"

"Yeah, put on the blue," Celina said.

Disheartened, Lily took the blue robe from Celina and went to change again.

"It'll be faster if you change out here," Sirius suggested to Lily as she turned.

"Shutup, Padfoot!" James chucked his number 4 at Sirius. "I'm sure she'd rather have ME help her undress in private, anyway."

Lily blushed as red as her hair, as she and Celina whacked them both with spare hangers.

"Blue sucks; don't listen to Celina anymore," Sirius informed Lily as she stepped out in the blue robe. He had a positive 2 up this time, though. "Try the pine green one."

"I can see it now: My best friend, the new Tommy Hilfiger!" James said mock-wistfully. "I never knew you had such an eye for fashion, Padfoot."

"Pfft. It's what's UNDER the fashion that's important," Sirius waved a hand about.

"Here, Lily, red this time." Celina handed Lily a red robe.

This was taking forever!! 3 robes later, after Remus had awoken to a makeover involving 6 different kinds of expensive grandma hats, Lily took the green one Sirius had been suggesting all along. And it was the best one.

Well, judging by Jame's 132XOXOXOX, Peter's 10, Remus's K (he was still half-asleep), and Sirius's 8.7 (because "the shade wasn't exactly right", although it could easily be fixed at the checkout) the robe looked pretty good on her. It was a nice robe, the color of fresh forest pine needles (except less smelly), slightly darker than Lily's eyes, with a low cut on the neckline and long, fluttery sleeves..

The pricetag was scary. Lily had never paid such an outrageous amount in her life for ANYTHING!

But James didn't care. He HAD rated it a 132XOXOXOX, and was willing to pay for a 132XOXOXOX-type dress. For Lily. Just because she had lost a bet.

"I shouldn't be making you do this.."

"You're worrying again," James grinned, ruthlessly flinging out a sack of galleons to be sacrificed. "It's just a couple allowances. And YOU'RE not making me do anything. I'M making you go with me, remember? A bet's a bet, and it's too late to back out now."

Lily looked at the floor, feeling ashamed. But it was such an expensive dress..

"If you keep feeling guilty, Lily, I won't be able to treat us all to HOT BUTTERBEERS AT THE THREE BROOMSTICKS," he said loudly, so everyone else would hear.

Peer pressure. Works every time. At the persuasion of everyone, Lily was forced to stop feeling guilty and start looking forward to some hot drinks for such a cold day.

Yeah. A REALLY cold day. The walk back to Hogwarts was looking bleak as night fell. They had spent the day eating, exploring that joke shop, eating while shopping at Honeydukes, eating while not shopping at Honeyduke's, taking a walk along the frosted paths of a holiday-themed garden while eating, and eating at a small café.

What? Teenagers are always hungry. High metabolism, I tell you. Whenever Lily had a chance to sit down, she was reading her book that she had snuck along, snapping it shut and hiding it behind her back whenever Celina became suspicious. It was an engrossing book; she had checked it out two days ago from the school library.. It wasn't some trashy romance novel, oh no. It was much better than that; an encyclopedia on magical creatures, like faeries, dragons, werewolves, and.. vampires.

Lily shuddered. It was suddenly dark, and ten times colder. Or so it felt to Lily. Now she remembered what she had forgotten: GLOVES.

And she couldn't read with cold hands!

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OH NO!

Yeah, I hate having cold hands.. and I hate winter! Argh!

Hope you liked the chapter; I'll try to get the next one up soon. A new character will soon be appearing.. DUN DUN DUN. But quick! Someone gimme a good English last name for said character!

Review, please!