Chapter eleven: Promises and Threats

The weekend before the Halloween Ball there was a Hogsmaede trip which gave students the opportunity to go costume shopping.

"But Lils do we have to?" James asked as he and Lily were walking closer and closer towards Hogsmaede. Lily gave him a look and said, "Oh, so are you telling me that you don't want to go to the ball together?"

Sensing Lily's bad temper flaring up, James said quickly, "No! No, of course not! I definitely want to go with you but I just told Sirius, Remus and Peter that I'd meet up with them."

"So meeting up with them is a lot more important than going shopping with me?"

"Well, yeah. Kind of," But this, James found out, was the wrong this to say. Tears flooded into Lily's eyes. "Fine James, go and have your pranks. I'll just go and be all alone for the rest of my life."

James sighed, "Here, I'll make you a deal. If you let me go with the guys I'll let you pick out my costume."

"Really, you mean it?" Lily asked excitedly.

James nodded and Lily squealed with delight. She gave him a hug as well as a kiss on the cheek and ran towards a store that opened just that one day for Hogwarts students use.

James shook his head and smiled. He loved Lily, really he did but she could be crazy sometimes. Upon reaching Zonko's joke shop he entered the shop and found Sirius, Remus and Peter almost instantly.

"What took you so long James?" Sirius asked.

James sighed, "I had to ask Lily if I could go with you guys instead of shopping with her. She wasn't going to let me at first but then when I told her she could pick out my costume she agreed to let me go."

Sirius looked at him and smiled, "She got you too then?"

Confused James asked, "What do you mean 'she got me too'?"

"Apparently," Remus said, "she somehow got promises from us all that ended with us saying she could pick out our costumes."

Peter looked astonished. "What do you mean 'promises'. She threatened me! She told me that if I didn't let her pick out my costume she'd hex me!"

"Lily said that?" James asked in wide-eyed surprise, but Sirius laughed.

"You're scared of a girl, Peter?"

Peter turned red, "Well yeah, who isn't scared of Lily? She knows more spells then even Remus."

When James and Sirius looked at Remus for confirmation he said, "Its true mates."

After they paid for their purchases, they headed for the Three Broomsticks.

"I still don't believe Lily, Miss Head girl, Miss never-do-anything-wrong would say such a thing," James said still in shock.

"Ah, don't worry Jamsie-pie," Sirius said reassuringly. "If she said it to Peter it was probably just a fink. I mean, it doesn't take much to scare Peter now does it?" The three boys laughed as Peter turned red in the face. One of the first things that Peter saw in the Three Broomsticks made him feel a whole lot better though. While heading over towards a table, after just getting some butterbeers from the waitress, Madame Rosemarta, Peter caught the eye of Sarah and she waved. Excited, Peter waved back sloping butterbeer all down his front.

"Good one Wormtail," Sirius scoffed, "That one really caught her attention that did." Peter's happy mood left as soon as it had come. Every time Sarah was around something embarrassing happened to him and Sirius made sure to point it out.

A few minutes after they sat at their table talking, Peter not really paying attention, Lily came in laden with bags. When she reached the table she dropped them on the floor and sat down in the extra chair with a sigh.

"That took forever," she said sounding exhausted, but with a smile. "But I really think you guys will like what I picked out."

"What 'choo get me?" James asked peering into one of the bags. Lily grabbed the bag away from him and said, "You wouldn't come with me so you're not finding out till the night of the ball." Thinking for a minute she continued, "Oh, and Remus, you're going to have to shave. The whole mustache and goatee are not going to do with you're costume. Anyway, you look better without it." James looked at Lily and, noticing his stare, she leaned over and kissed him as a way of reassurance for him.

"Well no skin off my nose," Sirius said, eyes closed, leaning back in his chair, "at least I didn't have to pick it out."

"Yes well, yours I especially like Sirius," Lily said with an evil grin. Sirius' eyes popped open and he sat up right in his chair.

"Why, what is it?"

"Ah, curiosity killed the cat, Padfoot," James said. Before Sirius could come up with a retort to that Lily said, "James, will you help me carry these back up to the school?"

"Sure, honey bunches of oats."

"And James?"

"Yes."

Lily whipped out her wand and said seriously, "If you ever call me that again I will hex you," she smiled sweetly, "kay?" James looked at Peter real quickly before looked back at Lily and saying, "Right." He grabbed the bags off the ground and followed Lily out of the Three Broomsticks. Sirius followed them, finishing his butterbeer before leaving. Before Peter could follow, Remus grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Hey Peter," he said, "don't listen to Sirius alright? He's an idiot." Peter peered at Remus for a minute before nodding his head, then they both walked out of the Three broomsticks and up towards the school.