It happened on a cold day. You know, those days that wrap their icy tendrils around your body and pinch at your nose and ears. So cold your breath freezes as you exhale. So cold that blue and white are the only colors the world shows, and blue and white are the only colors you can possibly feel. Well, it was on one of these days that Lily found the love that would unfreeze her blue heart and melt her stoic emotions.

After running from the Care of Magical Creatures class into the school she screamed with delight at finally being able to feel her fingers and promptly dropped her books.

"Hey Lily! You look so hott when you're cold!" called a voice that incited the fire of her temper.

"Potter how many times can I tell you that I wish you would stop harassing me!" she called, bending over beginning to quickly gather her books. James' never ending love proclamations were the talk of the school. People even had running bets on what he would do next.

"Never enough times Lily! I know you'll love me in the end" James said haughtily looking down on her.

"Hah! I'll bet you on it Potter" She said jokingly picking up her books slowly.

"You're on!" said James, who couldn't turn down a wager for anything he took it as a stab at his masculinity.

"Hm, so what are the terms for this bet thing"

"I'll owe you twenty galleons if…if we don't kiss by the end of 7th year, and better yet, if we do, you don't owe me anything." He stammered, surprised she was actually talking to him.

"What do I have to lose?" Lily said softly as she smiled at him.

"See you around Lily" said James, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"I hate to say this, but, only in your dreams oh arrogant one." She said, finally gathering her books and rushing down the hallway to Transfiguration.

Lily was possibly more surprised than James at their makeshift conversation, but she pondered the bet and decided it was harmless, especially for her, because she had no intention of ever kissing that horrid Potter boy. Besides, her long-time love interest was Remus. What's not to love about his tortured personality? He was drawn between the wolf and the man, a soul caught between two worlds. (A/N: sorry got carried away there: )

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Lily was the one of the smartest of the year and of course her high male standards left only a few possibilities for dating, as if she had time for that, with clubs, school, and prefect duties. Her best friends, Rose, Violet, and Chloé were just as busy as Lily, yet they all found time to hang out in the Common Room on Fridays for Game Night with the girls.

It was a chilly winter night, as the girls settled in to play their own magical version of monopoly (where the money is real if you win). Other Gryffindors sat chatting animatedly around the room as the fire crackled happily, so happily, that some people almost heard laughter…

"HA! Yes! I landed on free parking, 200 big ones, if you please, oh banker Violet" said Lily cheerily.

"Ah! Not again Lily!" violet said sullenly throwing the money at her, then rolling the dice.

"So….talk to Remus lately?" see giggled as Lily turned crimson.

(By this time she had forgotten all about her bet with James in the morning)

"No, why would I talk to Remus?...

("Bother, a seven! I go to jail… what's jail?" said Violet, amid Lily's ranting)

Oh drat, of course you know why I would talk to him…

("You go Rose!")

But what can I talk to him about? School? No. Qudditch? No, what do I know about qudditch…I mean jeez, why are guys so into quidditch? And why doesn't he just talk to me…"

Chloé and Rose shot death glares at Violet as she made a -sorry I forgot- look with her features. Each time anyone asked about Remus, Lily went into lovesick throes about what she could possibly say or do to interest him. Chloé quickly put a secret silencing charm on Lily's voice and whispered to her friends gathering them together.

"Do you think we should set them up? I mean, God, how long can she have a crush and not do anything about it?"

"OMG yes! We should, but how?" yelled Rose, forgetting to whisper out of excitement.

…. "What's going on guys, WHY WAS THEIR A CHARM ON MY VOICE? I LISTEN TO YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR CRUSHES… ARRRRGH!..."

"Muhuhuhuhaha, I have a perfect plan" whispered Violet in a fiendish voice as the three friends turned around looking cleverly innocent of any charms or plans whatsoever, and returned to their game.

Violet, of course, was the evil genius behind the four friends. She was also (secretly) dating Sirius Black. You see, it was his same fiendish nature that attracted her to him, as she often told herself, not his gorgeous jet-black hair, his amazing body, and his sweep-her-off-her-feet charms, not wanting to be in love with someone just for his looks. Somehow, though, she found herself dreaming of his beautiful eyes each day in charms.

It seems that everyone in this group had a secret, the biggest being Rose. Her secret, unfortunately for her, was getting harder for her to hide each day. But we'll save that for another time.

Chloé, however, was just a girl with a crush, a crush on the latest and greatest marauder in Hogwarts, Mr. James Potter himself. She knew of course, that Lily hated James, because Lily ranted almost every time he talked to her. Chloé couldn't help but be attracted to the fit quidditch player with his messy hair and playful pranks.

A surprise notice suddenly interrupted Lily's angry remonstrations with her friends.

The board in the common room suddenly erupted with glitter and began to sing…

Oh baby, baby

When you're not with me I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me Lily one more time!

"OOH MY GOD, who sent that, who the hell sent that song" said Lily shaking with fury as the students in the room began staring and even openly laughing at the embarrassed girl.

"You know you liked it…. Baby" said an all too familiar voice from the top of the stars. Lily's gorgeous red hair whipped around as she turned to face the perpetrator.

"JAMES POTTER, why? For God's sake WHY?"

"Just to remind you of our little… wager" he laughed.

"Euhh!.." but her further dissent was again halted by yet another announcement from the board.

"ATTENTION HOGWARTS STUDENTS, THIS CHRISTMAS THE SCHOOL WILL BE HOLDING A MASQUERADE BALL TO CONGRADULATE THE 7TH YEARS FOR MAKING TO THE END OF HOGWARTS. PLEASE DRESS IN COSTUME OR YOU WILL BE BARRED FROM THE DANCE. MAGICAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE ENSURING THAT YOU'RE IDENTITIES STAY SECRET THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. THANK YOU AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS" barked the voice of Professor McGonagall.

"Cool! What do you want to be?"

"I love dressing up!" were the various cries from around the room, everyone instantly forgetting the embarrassment thrown upon Lily five seconds before the announcement.

"DON'T THINK I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU POTTER!"

Well almost everyone.