Dates and Dancing part 2…
Friday was Halloween, and the whole school had been granted a day off lessons to prepare, a decision that had been made, no doubt, by the females of the school, who seemed to have, in the boys opinion, multiplied in number in the space of two weeks.
Ella, Lily and Dani had each purchased new dress robes at the beginning of the year. Ella had pretty, floaty robes of pale blue, while Dani had purchased pink robes. Lily wore bright, jade green, with a pink lining.
The girls had a great day; holed up in their dormitory, doing each other's hair and makeup, and gossiping like they did before they had hung out with the boys.
"What'll our dates do when they see us hey?" said Ella triumphantly, when they looked at themselves in the mirror, ready to head down to the ball. Their smiling faces fell. Their dates. None of the girls had ended up with anyone that they had hoped they would, and each was dreading the ball in their own way. Lily knew that it would mean a whole night of lectures about Carls many achievements, and looking over her shoulder to see what James was doing, and how close he and Rosie were. Dani was dreading seeing Sirius there with her best friend. He had not said a word to her all week, and the fact that he and Matt hated each other didn't help the matter. Ella felt equally hopeless, though she didn't know why. She had a great date, and she wouldn't have to worry about normal date stuff while she was there with Sirius. The only thing that worried her is what she would do when she found out whom Remus was there with, as he had been oddly vague and mysterious about the matter.
But the boys that they were there with would certainly not be disappointed. Dani's hair was in soft curls that fell gracefully about her face, changing her sharp features angelically, and her cheeks were a rosy pink. Ella's hair was swept up into a loose knot at the back of her head, with pieces falling out here and there, and she wore cool colours on her flawless skin. Lily had her red hair was set in gentle waves, and the green in her robes made her eyes seem twice as brilliant. She looked like a princess, with pink cheeks and green eye shadow. They were ready.
Lily and Ella stepped into the common room nervously, for that's where their dates would be meeting
"Hey," Lily said timidly, when she approached Carl. Sirius scowled. Ella, who had promised to stay near Lily all night, had forced him over to them. Dani, for some reason, looked just as nervous as the other girls did, though she wouldn't be meeting her date until they reached the entrance hall, and adjusted her dress frantically at the sight of Sirius. Sirius tried desperately to keep a blank expression, however, when Dani turned away, he turned to Ella with pain etched all over his face.
"Why did you do that?" he moaned.
"Do what?" she whispered back.
"Make her look so good…" he couldn't take his eyes off Dani, and Ella, who might ordinarily be off put by her dates lack of interest, was scanning the common room, her eyes darting from corner to corner.
"Where's Remus?" she asked.
"Uh, his mum got really sick, he had to go and help her." Sirius said quickly, having worked this out with Remus and James before hand. Ella frowned.
"I hope she's ok…" her expression changed to one of glee, "Oh no! What will his date do? Do you know who she is?"
"I don't know if he had one, but if he did, I'm sure that she'd be really upset, in the same, smiley way that you are." He said, grinning. Linking arms, the pair led the way out of the common room and down to the entrance hall, Lily, Dani and Carl hot in pursuit.
"So, how long have you liked me for then Evans?" Carl asked Lily, whose hand had been placed reluctantly in his.
"Uh, what do you mean?" she said, uncomfortable already.
"I mean, how long had you been plucking up the courage to ask me out?" he said, flashing her a toothy grin and winking. Lily looked the other way, repulsed.
They reached the entrance hall, Dani feeling increasingly like a fourth wheel, and Ella feeling increasingly stupid that she was there with Sirius.
When they reached the entrance hall, Sirius let out a low growl like an angry dog, and his eyes narrowed, set upon the Ravenclaw boy in the centre of the room. Dani scowled at him, and skipped over to Matt, grabbing his hand, and standing on tiptoes to peck him lightly on the cheek before looking back at Sirius, whose eyes were painfully narrowed. She ignored him, and strode hand in hand with Mat into the great hall. Shrugging, the others followed her.
Before she had walked the entire length of the hall, however, Lily saw James. He was leaning against the wall in a nonchalant fashion, wearing deep red robes and a disappointed frown. Rosie wasn't with him yet, and Lily walked over to where he stood, figuring that if she didn't clear the silence now then they wouldn't talk for the rest of the night, which was something that she definitely didn't want.
"Hey." She said quietly, leaving Carl waiting for her attentively at the door to the great Hall. James inclined his head, and stood up straight. Looking Lily deep into the eyes, he spoke.
"You look beautiful. Carl's a lucky guy." Lily blushed, and looked away. Anywhere but his eyes.
"You look great too." She said, shyly. Inside she was cringing. This is James-Lily thought to herself, why am I getting shy around James? Frustrated with her entire being, she forced herself to make a joke, try and go back to the way that they were.
"What's with your hair though Potter?" she laughed, playing with his messy locks, "Doesn't it ever lay flat?"
James laughed too, and frantically pushed it all down, without effect.
"You'd better go, Carl's waiting by the door." He said quietly, the smile fading from both their faces. Lily nodded, and walked back to her date, who grabbed her arm probably rougher than he would have ordinarily, and led her into the Great Hall.
The hall looked spectacular. Floating above their heads were carved pumpkins that Lily was sure Hagrid would have grown himself, and orange and black glitter seemed to float through the sky. Ghosts floated through the crowds, wishing everyone a happy Halloween, and making light shimmer through the crowds.
Live bats flew over head, and Lily laughed as she saw one hit the enchanted ceiling and bounce back down again, shocked that the roof didn't just open out into the heavens.
House elves greeted the students at the door, and led them to their seats for the occasion each dressed in costume. A tiny mummy made his way over to where Carl and Lily stood, and it bowed at their feet.
"Good evening masters, I is Scully, Scully the house elf, and I is to show you to your seats. Your names and house sir?" He asked Carl, and led them to a round table near the rest of the Griffindore's, with enough seats for four other couples.
"This is to be your table this evening, Scully hopes that you enjoy your meal." Said Scully, and with a bow, he left to return to the door of the hall. Within the next few minutes, Dani and Matt, James and Rosie, Peter and a fifth year called Margaret and Ella and Sirius were led over to their table by all sorts of creatures, including a 'ghost' a 'goblin, and what assured them that it was a giant, when it was half their size.
"Tis big for a house elf sir, that's why Calix didn't have to dress up sir." Squeaked the house elf after escorting Sirius to his seat. Sirius snorted, and watched the elf cross the room.
"So." Said James awkwardly when they had finished their meal, and were all sitting around the table uncomfortably, looking from one to the other. Carl reached out and took Lily's hand. James sighed inwardly.
The music was staring up, and a few brave students were getting up and beginning to dance.
"Who's the band anyway?" Rosie asked, looking at the vague looking people at the front of the crowd.
"The Hobgoblins! Stubby Boardman is sooo hot!" squealed Dani. The young wizard at the front of the room was strumming a guitar and jumping around, waving his long dark hair.
"Hot?" said Sirius, "He looks like a criminal!" He turned to Ella. "Want to dance? Some one has to start it!" Ella smiled, and nodded, allowing herself to be dragged onto the dance floor, and moving strangely to the fast song, a la Sirius Black style.
"Oh my gosh, that looks like so much fun!" said Rosie, and before Lily could blink, she had grabbed hold of James and lured him to the dance floor. Peter and Margaret left to dance, and Dani and Mat followed them, so that Lily and Carl were the only couple left at the table.
"Don't you want to dance?" said Carl, leaning over so that he was very close to her. Lily shrugged, not taking her eyes off James and Rosie. A slow song started up, and all the couples looked uncomfortable, recoiling slightly, before the guys took control, and drew closer. All except for James, who had his hand placed on Rosie's hip involuntarily. They were very close now.
"You sure. I love this song." He said, and slid his hand over hers on the table. Lily didn't move.
"No, I'm fine." She tried to change the subject, and looked around for a distraction. Her eyes fell on Peter and Margaret, and she laughed.
"Look at them! She's in so much pain, he can't stop standing on her toes," she laughed, and she felt Carl slide his chair nearer and nearer.
"Yeah, this is fine, and besides…" he lifted her chin up in his cupped hand, "Now it's only us two." Lily jumped up quickly, and grabbed his hand.
"On second thoughts, dancing seems like fun!" she exclaimed, and dragged him onto the floor rashly. That had been close. The last thing that she wanted to do was kiss Carl Watson.
Ella and Sirius were dancing happily, until he caught sight of Dani over her shoulder. Ella gave him a hopeful grin.
"You should just tell her!" she said. "Forget about Mat!" Sirius gave his head a small shake, and Ella put her head on his shoulder.
"Now tell me, where is Remus, really." She whispered. Sirius was shocked.
"What do you mean?" he hissed back, "I told you, he's-"
"Don't give me that! I know that you're lying, when I talked to Lily, he had a sick father, and James said his grandmother was ill!" She reprimanded lightly in his ears. Sirius cursed under his breath, and Ella looked triumphant.
"I can't tell you. I promise though, that when he gets back, he will. Please trust me." Sirius whispered. Ella looked back up, and stared him in the eye. He looked so pained, and so upset by whatever the answer was that Ella did push him, but he had said that Remus would be back, and that rested some of her worries for the moment at least.
"Can you please try to look as though you're having fun?" Dani complained in Mat's ear. He sighed.
" I would, but as you're not then I don't see the point!" he argued.
"What do you mean? I'm having fun!" she lied.
"No, you're too busy watching Ella and Black have fun!" he said, annoyed. Dani quickly redirected her line of vision. "What do you see in him anyway?"
Dani tried her best to look unconcerned. The song sped up, and he spun her around.
"I don't know what you're talking about! If I liked Sirius then why would I be here with a great guy like you?"
Matt smiled, and pulled her in after the twirl, pressing his lips against hers. Dani didn't pull away.
James and Rosie were dancing flamboyantly, flaying across the dance floor, their faces red, stepping quickly and lightly to the fast song. James swung her this way and that, never once missing a move, and Rosie followed, laughing all the while. James was scared to have fun. He knew that he would feel guilty if he did. Even though he wasn't there with Lily, he didn't want to lead Rosie on. What's coming to the ball with her then? -Said a little voice in his head, but James ignored the voice, and danced on, trying his hardest not to enjoy himself.
Peter cringed, as he stood on his date's feet for the thousandth time that night, each as embarrassing as the last. This was a horrible idea; he didn't know how he had let the others talk him in to coming to the ball. Not to mention that his date looked, in his opinion, like a troll. She screwed up her nose every time that he got nearer to her than necessary, and stood on the feet, or squeezed her hands too tight. Not to mention that his hands were becoming increasingly sweaty, and he couldn't get a chance to wipe them on his robes; the mood of the song had changed again, and they were dancing a slow step, swaying from side to side. This was easier. There weren't as many movements for him to mess up…
Lily cursed herself silently for dancing with Carl. If he was going to kiss her at the tables he was most certainly going to here. Vaguely she registered other kissing couples, a girl dressed in pink somewhere to her left was snogging some boy, but she ignored them, and hoped that Carl would too. She had to survive.
Someone else had seen the snogging couple too. And Sirius had a plan. He marched right up to the Hobgoblins, and demanded that they change the song. A speedy, jumpy number was played, and when Dani and Matt still didn't pull apart as many others did, he pointed his wand at his throat.
"SIRIUS! No! WHAT ARE YOU-" Ella screamed, reaching the front where he stood.
"Engorous!" he cried, and jumped onto the stage.
"OK EVERYONE!" Sirius's voice was magically magnified over the stunned mass of students. Dani and Matt pulled apart, and she looked at Sirius, stunned. Ella groaned.
"SWAP PARTNERS! WER'RE GONNA PROGRESS NOW!" he roared somewhat lamely, but, being a marauder had it's uses, and people usually listened to Sirius Black, so there was a swinging a swapping at every verse.
"Quietus." Sirius muttered, pointing his wand at his throaty again, and he leapt off the table and linked onto Dani's arm, swinging her around flamboyantly.
"What the hell did you do that for Black!" Dani yelled as he spun her around and drew her in close.
"I was saving you." He hissed at her, grinning. He looked across to where Matt was dancing with Margaret, his nose screwed up.
"Saving me! Sirius, I don't need to be saved! Especially not by YOU!" Dani screamed, and Sirius twirled her around, and stepped in and out, still grinning.
"So you're saying that you wanted to snog that prat?' he asked cockily. The expression on his face only made Dani angrier.
"Yes! As a matter of fact I did, and if I didn't I would have saved MYSELF thankyou very much!" she yelled back, over the music. Sirius wasn't grinning anymore.
"So, how's your night been?" said James when he and Lily danced, on the other side of the dance floor. She shrugged, and he squeezed her hand.
"That bad huh?" he asked.
"He tried ton kiss me! I'm so glad that Sirius did that!" she laughed a little. "They really are funny, aren't they…" she trailed off.
" Listen, I need to explain…" James said, "I wanted to…I mean, I…" he trailed off, and Lily came closer. Their lips were almost touching now, and neither was pulling away. Both mouths were curved into content smiles, when-
"CHANGE!" roared Sirius's voice over the crowd. His face was red from arguing with Dani, and he stormed through the crowd and over to Ella. Jumping at the chance, Rosie ripped James' arm out of Lily's grasp, and she found herself back in Carl's arms.
"SIRIUS BLACK I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" cried James, but Sirius barely heard him. He was breathing heavily, and Ella was trying, without success, to calm him down.
"What does she…." He stopped, and took a deep breath, per Ella's instructions. "What does she… what does she see in that…that…that" he groaned, and Ella patted him awkwardly on the back.
"Will you kiss me?" he asked Ella, who recoiled.
"What! No!" she exclaimed. Sirius sighed.
"Yeah, probably best, Remus would kill me. Looks like James will now too, don't know why, but it seems like I stuff everything up, don't I!" he cried, and slumped against a table. Ella took him by the hand and led him outside the hall, through the entrance hall, and out into the garden. The grounds were deserted, and a faint rumbling could be heard coming from the great hall, thousands of feet moving across the dance floor, the dregs of the band wafting through the walls.
Sirius sat on the ground, and spilled the night's events to Ella.
Inside, Lily was trying desperately not to make eye contact with Carl, and in her mind, was ignoring his constant recounts of Quidditch saves he had made and awards he had won, and relived the few moments she had had with James. Carl was growing impatient with her reluctance to meet his eyes, and his eyes darted back to where Dani and Matt danced suggestively.
Dani, meanwhile, was kicking herself for the way she had handled things with Sirius. Why couldn't she just get over him? Or go out with him, but after all they had been through, that was out of the picture.
"I'm getting tired." Said Lily, pulling away from Carl as soon as she knew that she could get away with that excuse.
"Sure, I'll come back up to the common room with you!" he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. Lily shook it off, her long red hair entangled in his arms. "I'm fine, I can get their myself. Besides, the parties not over yet, you can stay here, it looks like Rosie's alone, go and talk to her.
Lily hurried out of the great hall, before realising what she had said.
If Rosie was alone, then that meant…
"Hey Lily." Came a voice from behind her. James came up from his place beside the door of the Great Hall. He had been sitting on the floor of the entrance hall. Lily smiled, and he slipped his hand into hers.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him. James laughed.
"I didn't want to spend any longer than I had too with that girl. She's painful, and besides, I wanted to wait out here for Sirius."
"Why? To check that he's ok?" she asked him, concerned.
"No! To kill the bastard!" James laughed, pounding his hands together, and even Lily giggled.
"Good, I made you laugh." James said, making their way back to Griffindore Tower. The music from the hall seemed to echo through the castle.
"Fillet of a fenny snake." Said James to the portrait, and she let them into the deserted common room.
"Are you really tired?" James asked Lily, smiling. She shook her head. "No, but I have to be up in my dorm when Carl comes up, we cant hang out here…" she trailed off. "Can I come up to your dorm?" Lily asked sheepishly.
"Hmm, lovely lady in the boys dormitory…" he teased a look of mock concentration on his face. Lily hit him over the back of the head.
"Shut up Potter, watch yourself." She said, and they went upstairs.
Throwing herself down onto Remus's bed, Lily let out a massive sigh of relief. She was safe now. The ball was over, and she and James were still on speaking terms. She had survived.
"You ready to go back?" Ella asked Sirius, and he shook his head sadly.
"I think I'll just go to bed. Do you mind? Sorry I've been such a bad date." He apologised. Ella shook her head.
"Don't apologise, I wasn't a little ray of sunshine myself. Guess I wasn't going to be happy unless I was here with…" she trailed off. She didn't have to finish the sentence. Sirius and Ella got up, and walked to the Griffindore common room.
"Guess they're all still at the ball." Sirius said when they got into the room and looked around. It was silent and still, and no one was there.
'I thought that Lily or James might be here, but I guess they're having fun now…" Ella said. Sirius snorted in disagreement.
"Do you want to come up?" he asked her from the door to the guys' dormitory. "It's stupid going into separate rooms, and I don't want to be here when Dani comes up." He said. Ella shrugged, and followed Sirius up the staircase.
"…She'll come round, she's jus- oh! Hey!" said Ella, as they opened the door of the dorm only to find Lily and James already there. Lily was lying on Remus's bed, spread out as though she was talking to the roof and James was sitting cross-legged on his own, laughing at something Lily had said. They stopped when the others entered the room.
"I know that I said I'd kill you Padfoot, but you seem pretty down, so I'll let this one slide." James joked, and Sirius flopped onto his bed like Lily had, and Ella took a seat next to Lily.
"How was your night?" Lily asked Ella quietly.
"Better than the one Remus had, I'll bet. Imagine having to take of your sick mother when you're friends are at a ball!"
"Actually it was his grandmother."
"It was his dad." Said James and Lily at the same instant, and Ella laughed bitterly.
"Listen, I don't know why the three of you have been lying to me, but what ever it is, I'm going to find out, I don't care if you wont tell me, Remus will, I know it." She said fiercely, and Lily would have almost believed her hopeful voice, but for the truth that she was hiding. She knew that no matter how much Ella begged to know the truth Remus would avoid it with even wilder, more stupid excuses.
"Well, that wasn't a very successful night for any of us, was it?" asked James.
"I don't know." Said Sirius cynically; "Dani seemed to have a pretty successful night."
He sighed.
They all lay there in silence, before Carl Watson burst through the door. The cheerful grin that he wore slid off his face when he saw who was already lying around the room.
"Oh…Hey." He said, giving Lily a suspicious look, and moving over to his bed. Lily groaned inwardly. So much for not being caught by Carl.
"Um, we'd better get to bed. Sorry I made you come here Lily." Said Ella loudly, trying to salvage the hopeless situation. Getting up of the bed, Lily and Ella headed to the door. Sirius was still staring at the roof, but James had risen from his position on the bed, and made to move to the door with the girls, but he caught sight of Carl, and stopped.
"Um, goodnight, ok." He said to them.
"Night." Said Lily, and turned away, but just before the door closed behind her she snuck one last look at James.
Sweet dreams-he mouthed. Lily grinned, and headed back to their dormitory. Maybe the night hadn't been totally unsuccessful after all.
When they got to their dormitory, they found Dani all alone, sitting on her bed, wearing a simular expression to the one they had left Sirius wearing a couple of seconds previous.
"Dani, are you alright?" Lily asked, putting on her pyjamas and wiping off her makeup. Dani didn't move.
"Why, why, why did I say YES?" she gulped, and Ella sat down next to her.
"Yes to what?" she asked.
"I think I'm going out with Matt." She said, almost crying. Lily hid a snort.
"You spent the whole night snogging him, yet that thought upsets you? I'll never figure you out Dan." She said, and Ella hid a giggle, loyalty to her friend keeping it back, even though she had been the one comforting Sirius the entire night.
"Tell him the truth." She suggested helpfully. Dani looked at her.
"Which is?"
"That you don't like him, he's a bad kisser, and you are madly in love with Sirius Black." She supplied. Dani cringed, then broke down sobbing. Ella hid her laugh and hugged her friend. Lily, however, had little sympathy to spare. Her stupid antics had cost her James tonight, and she wasn't ready to be so forgiving to Dani's little kissing fest. If it weren't for her then maybe Carl wouldn't have been so obsessive!
The girls went to bed that night, hardly ready to sleep, the excitement of that night causing through their veins, and it was a long time before any of them finally drifted into an uncomfortable, marauder-filled dream.