Chapter 7 - The Yule Ball
Dumbledore stood up one night at dinner during the last week of term and cleared his throat.
"Everyone can I have your attention!"
The whole hall was immediately silent and gave Dumbledore their undivided attention.
"Good now that I have your attention I have an announcement that will interest all of you. On Christmas Eve we are having our annual Yule Ball. It is for fourth years and up. You will require muggle formal wear so you will be able to get them this weekend from Hogsmeade. Third years and down you will be having your own parties in your common rooms. Also the sign-up sheets for anyone staying at Hogwarts over the holidays have been posted in the common rooms. Now for dinner." Dumbledore and the whole hall began whispering.
At the Gryffindor table Sirius was thinking. 'Perfect. This is perfect. James is never gonna admit to liking Lily even though it's obvious, so I take Lily to the Ball, make James jealous then make him tell us everything afterward.' Sirius looked across the table at James. He was too busy eating to notice what was going on around him. Sirius began whispering to Remus next to him. Remus nodded and they stood up, walked over to Lily and Carly and sat back down.
"Hey guys," said Lily, "what's up?"
"Well we were wondering if you two lovely ladies would care to accompany us to the Ball," replied Sirius.
Lily raised her eyebrows and shared a look with Carly.
"What's in it for you guys?" Carly asked.
Remus gave her a fake shocked expression and said, "How could you ask us that?" Lily and Carly just looked at him. "Okay so there is a reason but we can't tell you. But we promise that this isn't because of a bet or dare, we just want to go as friends."
Lily thought about that. "Well if we're just going as friends then I'll go with you," she said to Sirius, "Car?"
"Okay," she smiled at Remus, "Sure why not? Sounds like fun."
Sirius and Remus grinned. "Excellent. We'll talk about this later then. See you soon." They got up and walked back to Peter and James.
James had finished eating and looked up when Sirius and Remus sat down.
"Where have you two been?" asked Peter.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other the Remus replied,
"Oh just getting dates for the Ball."
"What?!" James exclaimed, "Already? Who?"
"Oh I'm going with Lily and Remus is going with Carly," Sirius said nonchalantly.
"You're going with Lily," James said softly, more to himself than anyone else.
Sirius didn't say anything just looked at Remus and thought, 'Oh Jamsie-boy you got it bad. You're gonna tell me once this ball is over whether you like it not.'
~*~*~The Ball~*~*~
An hour before the Yule Ball was due to start Lily and Carly were beginning to get ready. They'd had showers and were putting on make-up. Lily, who didn't believe in the wizard ways of make-up, was applying her eye shadow and lipstick the slow, muggle way.
Carly, however being the pureblooded witch she was, couldn't understand why Lily would actually want to do something the muggle way when the wizard way was so much simpler. Point your wand; say a spell and it's done. Carly already had her hair and make-up done and was just watching Lily doing her make-up with her straight hair up in curlers. Lily also refused to do her hair the magic way.
Once Lily was done, the two girls helped each other into their formal dresses. Lily had chosen a pale blue full length dress with shoe-string straps and blue high heels while Carly had opted for a strapless white dress that went to her knees and went perfectly with the tan she had gotten over the summer. Lily took down her hair to find it slightly curly; exactly the way she wanted it.
"Car I think we're ready," declared Lily, "Let's go have some fun!"
~*~*~In the Common Room~*~*~
The Marauders were down in the Common Room waiting for their dates. Michelle and her group of blondes came down first. Michelle and Anna left to go find their Ravenclaw dates while Madeleine went to James and Sarah went to Peter. Next down was Carly. She smiled, walked over to Remus and said, "You ready for some fun?"
"I am indeed fair maiden," he replied.
Last but certainly least Lily came down. She had had to run back to the dorm to touch up her lipstick and she looked perfect. Sirius looked at Lily and grinned. She looked gorgeous. Sirius shifted his gaze to James to watch his reaction. It was exactly as Sirius anticipated. James' eyes had practically fallen out of his head and his jaw had hit the floor.
Lily smiled at them all and walked over to Sirius. Sirius took her hand and while leaning over to kiss it said,
"My dear you're looking absolutely divine this fine eve."
Lily dropped into a curtsy and said,
"Why thank you kind sir." Lily stood up, laughed then said, "Come on Siri I'm hungry," she pouted, "Let's go have fun already."
Sirius grinned and held out his elbow which Lily hooked her arm through and they walked towards the portrait hole. Sirius stole a quick glance back at James to find him staring at Lily. Sirius smirked. James' eyes hadn't left Lily since she came down. 'He is so fessing up after this,' Sirius thought as he left the Common Room.
~*~*~Great Hall~*~*~
After eating a filling dinner, all the small tables that had replaced the four house tables disappeared and couples got up and started dancing. The first song was a fast one and Sirius and Lily fake tango to it. They continued dancing to the next few songs. After four though Lily had to stop. "Sirius stop for a second. I have to take off these damn heels, they're killing my feet." She took them off, put them to the side of the hall and went straight back to dancing.
When a slow song came on Lily and Sirius kept dancing and began to talk.
"So Lady Lily, how do you like having everyone watching you?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well let's see. All the girls are jealous of your beauty and the fact that you're dancing with one of the hottest guys in Hogwarts (Lily rolled her eyes) and all the guys want to dance with you."
"Well I definitely don't want to dance with them. I wasn't even going to come to the dance except that you asked me so I knew I'd have a good time."
"Why weren't you going to come?"
"Because as a Prefect everyone would expect me to come. I don't do what others want me to. I do what I want to and I wear what I want to and I don't give a damn about what people think of me."
"I think that's a good attitude to have. You be yourself and aren't superficial like most of the girls at this school."
"Thanks." Lily smiled.
The two danced all night to every song while James watched, seething with jealousy.
~*~*~1 am in the Boy's Dorm~*~*~
Sirius walked in grinning.
"This has to be the best Ball ever!"
"I'll agree there," said Remus.
James got up off his bed and walked over to Sirius.
"So is Lily a good kisser?" he asked bluntly.
"I didn't kiss her. Me and Li went as friends," Sirius replied. Then realization hit him. "You're jealous!"
"I am not!" James shouted.
"You are too. You've got a crush on Lily and you're jealous I went to the Ball with her. Don't deny it coz we can all tell."
James sighed in resignation. "Fine. Yes I have a crush on Lily. You happy now?"
"How long?" asked Peter.
"Since the first night I had detention with her."
Sirius whistled, "That long? That's nearly two months. I thought it only started a few weeks ago."
"Anyway it's 1:30 I'm going to bed. Good night guys."
"1:30?" said Remus, "It's Christmas Day. Merry Christmas Marauders."
With that they all fell asleep dreaming of presents, feasts and in James' case a red-haired beauty.
~*~*~
A/N: There done. I'm no longer putting up a disclaimer, if it so important to you then check the earlier chapters. I'm starting a competition. If you can guess who betrays Lily and James (it's not Peter) then you can have a cameo. First person who gets it right gets to be in the fic. Just say who you think in a review. Read and Review its all you gotta do.
Strawberry a.k.a. Samantha
Dumbledore stood up one night at dinner during the last week of term and cleared his throat.
"Everyone can I have your attention!"
The whole hall was immediately silent and gave Dumbledore their undivided attention.
"Good now that I have your attention I have an announcement that will interest all of you. On Christmas Eve we are having our annual Yule Ball. It is for fourth years and up. You will require muggle formal wear so you will be able to get them this weekend from Hogsmeade. Third years and down you will be having your own parties in your common rooms. Also the sign-up sheets for anyone staying at Hogwarts over the holidays have been posted in the common rooms. Now for dinner." Dumbledore and the whole hall began whispering.
At the Gryffindor table Sirius was thinking. 'Perfect. This is perfect. James is never gonna admit to liking Lily even though it's obvious, so I take Lily to the Ball, make James jealous then make him tell us everything afterward.' Sirius looked across the table at James. He was too busy eating to notice what was going on around him. Sirius began whispering to Remus next to him. Remus nodded and they stood up, walked over to Lily and Carly and sat back down.
"Hey guys," said Lily, "what's up?"
"Well we were wondering if you two lovely ladies would care to accompany us to the Ball," replied Sirius.
Lily raised her eyebrows and shared a look with Carly.
"What's in it for you guys?" Carly asked.
Remus gave her a fake shocked expression and said, "How could you ask us that?" Lily and Carly just looked at him. "Okay so there is a reason but we can't tell you. But we promise that this isn't because of a bet or dare, we just want to go as friends."
Lily thought about that. "Well if we're just going as friends then I'll go with you," she said to Sirius, "Car?"
"Okay," she smiled at Remus, "Sure why not? Sounds like fun."
Sirius and Remus grinned. "Excellent. We'll talk about this later then. See you soon." They got up and walked back to Peter and James.
James had finished eating and looked up when Sirius and Remus sat down.
"Where have you two been?" asked Peter.
Sirius and Remus looked at each other the Remus replied,
"Oh just getting dates for the Ball."
"What?!" James exclaimed, "Already? Who?"
"Oh I'm going with Lily and Remus is going with Carly," Sirius said nonchalantly.
"You're going with Lily," James said softly, more to himself than anyone else.
Sirius didn't say anything just looked at Remus and thought, 'Oh Jamsie-boy you got it bad. You're gonna tell me once this ball is over whether you like it not.'
~*~*~The Ball~*~*~
An hour before the Yule Ball was due to start Lily and Carly were beginning to get ready. They'd had showers and were putting on make-up. Lily, who didn't believe in the wizard ways of make-up, was applying her eye shadow and lipstick the slow, muggle way.
Carly, however being the pureblooded witch she was, couldn't understand why Lily would actually want to do something the muggle way when the wizard way was so much simpler. Point your wand; say a spell and it's done. Carly already had her hair and make-up done and was just watching Lily doing her make-up with her straight hair up in curlers. Lily also refused to do her hair the magic way.
Once Lily was done, the two girls helped each other into their formal dresses. Lily had chosen a pale blue full length dress with shoe-string straps and blue high heels while Carly had opted for a strapless white dress that went to her knees and went perfectly with the tan she had gotten over the summer. Lily took down her hair to find it slightly curly; exactly the way she wanted it.
"Car I think we're ready," declared Lily, "Let's go have some fun!"
~*~*~In the Common Room~*~*~
The Marauders were down in the Common Room waiting for their dates. Michelle and her group of blondes came down first. Michelle and Anna left to go find their Ravenclaw dates while Madeleine went to James and Sarah went to Peter. Next down was Carly. She smiled, walked over to Remus and said, "You ready for some fun?"
"I am indeed fair maiden," he replied.
Last but certainly least Lily came down. She had had to run back to the dorm to touch up her lipstick and she looked perfect. Sirius looked at Lily and grinned. She looked gorgeous. Sirius shifted his gaze to James to watch his reaction. It was exactly as Sirius anticipated. James' eyes had practically fallen out of his head and his jaw had hit the floor.
Lily smiled at them all and walked over to Sirius. Sirius took her hand and while leaning over to kiss it said,
"My dear you're looking absolutely divine this fine eve."
Lily dropped into a curtsy and said,
"Why thank you kind sir." Lily stood up, laughed then said, "Come on Siri I'm hungry," she pouted, "Let's go have fun already."
Sirius grinned and held out his elbow which Lily hooked her arm through and they walked towards the portrait hole. Sirius stole a quick glance back at James to find him staring at Lily. Sirius smirked. James' eyes hadn't left Lily since she came down. 'He is so fessing up after this,' Sirius thought as he left the Common Room.
~*~*~Great Hall~*~*~
After eating a filling dinner, all the small tables that had replaced the four house tables disappeared and couples got up and started dancing. The first song was a fast one and Sirius and Lily fake tango to it. They continued dancing to the next few songs. After four though Lily had to stop. "Sirius stop for a second. I have to take off these damn heels, they're killing my feet." She took them off, put them to the side of the hall and went straight back to dancing.
When a slow song came on Lily and Sirius kept dancing and began to talk.
"So Lady Lily, how do you like having everyone watching you?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well let's see. All the girls are jealous of your beauty and the fact that you're dancing with one of the hottest guys in Hogwarts (Lily rolled her eyes) and all the guys want to dance with you."
"Well I definitely don't want to dance with them. I wasn't even going to come to the dance except that you asked me so I knew I'd have a good time."
"Why weren't you going to come?"
"Because as a Prefect everyone would expect me to come. I don't do what others want me to. I do what I want to and I wear what I want to and I don't give a damn about what people think of me."
"I think that's a good attitude to have. You be yourself and aren't superficial like most of the girls at this school."
"Thanks." Lily smiled.
The two danced all night to every song while James watched, seething with jealousy.
~*~*~1 am in the Boy's Dorm~*~*~
Sirius walked in grinning.
"This has to be the best Ball ever!"
"I'll agree there," said Remus.
James got up off his bed and walked over to Sirius.
"So is Lily a good kisser?" he asked bluntly.
"I didn't kiss her. Me and Li went as friends," Sirius replied. Then realization hit him. "You're jealous!"
"I am not!" James shouted.
"You are too. You've got a crush on Lily and you're jealous I went to the Ball with her. Don't deny it coz we can all tell."
James sighed in resignation. "Fine. Yes I have a crush on Lily. You happy now?"
"How long?" asked Peter.
"Since the first night I had detention with her."
Sirius whistled, "That long? That's nearly two months. I thought it only started a few weeks ago."
"Anyway it's 1:30 I'm going to bed. Good night guys."
"1:30?" said Remus, "It's Christmas Day. Merry Christmas Marauders."
With that they all fell asleep dreaming of presents, feasts and in James' case a red-haired beauty.
~*~*~
A/N: There done. I'm no longer putting up a disclaimer, if it so important to you then check the earlier chapters. I'm starting a competition. If you can guess who betrays Lily and James (it's not Peter) then you can have a cameo. First person who gets it right gets to be in the fic. Just say who you think in a review. Read and Review its all you gotta do.
Strawberry a.k.a. Samantha