Chapter Ten

Before the Ball

On Thursday night, in the middle of patrol duty, Lily was beckoned to Professor McGonagall's office. She proceeded to the third floor office, right next to the staff room without much thought. When she entered the circular room, with maroon walls, she saw Genevieve Thierry primly seated on a plum coloured armchair facing the stern Transfiguration teacher.

" 'allo, Leely," greeted Genevieve, her silvery-blond curls bouncing. Her mouth stretched into a smile.

Professor McGonagall looked rarely pleased, her wrinkled hands folded across her desk and a tiny smile twitching at her mouth.

"Miss Thierry has come up with a suggestion worth a listen, Miss Evans. What do you say?"

Lily sank into a nearby armchair. "Suggest away…" she began weakly.

"Over to the left more," commanded Lily. Amelia let out a long howl.

"Make up your mind, Evans!" she growled irritably, the top hat perched precariously on her head, threatening to topple over.

"I can't even see the banner…your stupid hats in the way!" Lily shot back, thoroughly annoyed. Genevieve had really ruined it for. She had not only ruined her reputation, stolen the only boy who had ever liked her, she had also landed Lily in charge of Halloween Masquerade Ball.

Decorations, disguises, food, music, complaints, drinks, bands-Lily's mind was swimming. Horrible old Genevieve! And what was she doing?

Absolutely nothing!

She couldn't believe McGonagall had actually bought the cheap idea. All Genevieve wanted was to miss class-and she could afford to-being the genius Genevieve she was! And final, Lily had managed to snag Amelia has her helper.

Lily rubbed her temple.

"Why don't you organise a committee?" complained Amelia, fixing the banner with a flick of her wand.

"You are my committee…" replied Lily tiredly. She had done nothing the past few days but, eat, sleep, study and prepare for the insane ball.

"I booked the Weird Sisters and Cadaverous. I posted the invitations everywhere. I ordered the food from 'The Hogosmeade Host', I prepared the dance floor and the outdoor haunted house-I'm freakishly tired, Amelia…" Lily put her head in our arms.

Amelia step down from the table and moved over to comfort Lily. "Not bad for two days work-"

"But today's the dance-in four hours-I don't have a date, I don't have a dress and I'm not done the decorations!" cried Lily in frustration.

Amelia bit her bottom lip. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't have a date either. Lover boy doesn't even care." She paused thoughtfully.

"Why doesn't James help you? Isn't the duty of a headboy to help out the Headgirl?"

Lily snorted. "He's currently snogging it off with Genevieve-" Lily practically spat out the word.

"Okay…I'll help you-" Amelia began seriously.

"Hey, Amelia?" a wispy voice said suddenly. Lily and Amelia wheeled around to see Jules Lovegood standing awkwardly under the great hall doorway.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" He said it very confidently, looking dreamily at Amelia, smiling.

Lily's eyes widened, peering curiously at Amelia.

Well, this was sudden…!

To her surprise, Amelia practically floated toward Jules, grinning from ear to ear.

She nodded, her head bobbing vigorously. Her top hat fell off, but she didn't care.

"I'd love to go with you, Jules,"

Jules smiled even more widely, his shaggy dirty-blonde hair falling over his eyes, as he blushed a peachy rose.

"I-I r-r-eally like you, Amelia. I-I've been wanting to ask you out for a long time….I've wanted your more than a pet Golgi," Jules stuttered, in a very Jules like way, his shadowy grey eyes, misting over. Amelia let out a long breath, taking his hands into her own. She then reached up and boldly and kissed Jules right on the mouth.

Lily looked away, smiling, hardly believing it.

When it finally ended, Jules staggered backward.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, touching his mouth, slightly bewildered. Amelia smiled shyly at him. Then she glanced over at Lily, she eyes shining.

"C'mon, Jules, we have a hall to decorate!"

"And then a ball to go to!" Jules reminded, as Amelia dragged him over to Lily.

Lily grinned from ear to ear. So this who Amelia secretly liked, she never would have guessed. But she was happy for her friend, anyway.

Now, she had two Ravenclaws and roughly three hours for decorating. It was possible, Lily cheered optimistically.

Two hours later, Lily hurried up to the Gryffindor tower. Thanks to Amelia and Jules, the great hall looked grand and she had two hours left to-one-find a dress or disguise-two-find a date. Lily decided to tackle the dress first, leaving Amelia and Jules to do whatever couples liked to do. But Amelia and Jules were different. Lily smiled; they were both so different and strange in their ways, but oddly together…the fit.

Lily trudged over to the wardrobe in the corner and flung it open, yanking out dresses at random. She decided dresses would be a whole easier than a disguise, anyway.

Lily hated making decisions slowly, so barely thinking she settled upon an emerald green dress that matched her eyes. She pulled it on quickly and then paused to examine it in the mirror. It suited her, she thought in wonderment. It was sleeveless, ankle-length in a free, floaty sort of chiffon material. Lily executed a quick and clumsy pirouette and the dress move fluidly along with her. Her auburn hair cascaded like a fiery waterfall to her shoulders, the vibrant dress set off her penetrating eyes

This was it, Lily decided, as she draped its matching robe around her shoulders. After the robes, Lily unearthed her pair of strappy, gold heels and some beads that complimented the dress. A few minutes later, when she looked presentable, Lily checked her watch worriedly.

Onto Part B-find a date…and she had exactly an hour.

Lily watched anxiously as the Hogosmeade trippers trouped through the entrance doors in packs, their shopping heavy and their money bags, light. Her eyes flitted across each face, her mind making her choices. Then Gen and Remus wandered in, fingers intertwined and faces flushed.

"Hi , Lily!" Gen cried, her small, almond shaped eyes sparkling with unwavering zeal. Remus, a frail looking boy, with pale green eyes, nodded a hello at Lily.

"You did a spectacular job, here, Lil!" Gen exclaimed, examining the great hall with great interest.

"Well, my friends helped me," Lily answered in a clipped tone and then she experienced a pang of regret. She had not meant for it to come out in that way, but she knew Gen was particularly sensitive and would take it in a hurtful way. Before, Lily could say anything else, however, Gen and Remus brushed passed her, Gen wearing a stung expression.

Andie staggered in next, looking unconcerned and with a helpless Sirius at her side.

"Hiya, Lil! Meestress of zhee balls!" Andie waved her hand, imitating a very Genevieve greeting. "Don't you look…(giggle flirty (giggle) today!" giggled Andie, seizing up Lily's outfit with her nut-brown eyes. Lily wondered, if perhaps Andie had gotten her hands on a bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey. She tittered uncontrollably, whispering slurred nothings in a grimacing Sirius's ear.

"Know any spells-?" inquired Sirius, urgently, supporting Andie." My cousin seems to be quite delirious."

"Sirius, don't be serious! We are the black sheep in the Black family!" Andie cackled derisively, throwing her head backward. Lily shrugged, casting a sympathetic glance at Sirius as they walked away.

Genevieve Thierry flounced a minute later, already dressed in robes of resplendent violet in a gothic style, her silvery, blond curls in an elegant fountain on the top her head. A chandelier of crystals shimmered on the width of her swan-like neck and dangled like gaudy Christmas ornaments on her earlobes. Underneath those robes, Lily noticed a long, lacy black gown with a Victorian collar stiffly enveloping her neck and part of her head. She looked regal, like muggle royalty…in a Halloween costume. Genevieve approached Lily, whipping a sequinned mask from behind her back and placing it over her grey-blue eyes.

"Can you guess what zhee costume tells?" she laughed, removing the mask.

"No idea…" replied Lily, giving Genevieve a tiny smile.

"Me neither-by the way-Leely…." Genevieve waved her hand at the great hall, enthusiastically. "C'est superbe, fantastique, magnifique!"

Genevieve blew a kiss (Lily was glad it wasn't French like the rest of her) and then strutted off to a nearby table to rearrange Lily's bouquet of dead flowers.

James slouched in next, his expression dour and moody. He spotted Genevieve's tall figure in an instant, his nose wrinkling in distaste and his brow furrowing further.

"Hey, James…how did your date with Genevieve go?" Lily stepped forward and asked in a moment of bold impulsiveness. James watched her suspiciously, his face a mask of misery. He heaved a sigh as if encountering Lily was the last thing he needed.

"Perfectly rotten, thank you very much," he muttered, his hands deep in the pockets of his ebony robe and locks of black hair obstructing his vision. He was about to brush past her, Lily could tell, so she forged ahead.

"Why?" she was being awfully nosy.

James sighed again, glaring at her through the curtains of his hair. "Alright, if you insist on being so very interested…Genevieve ditched me. We were at Madam Puddifoot's…everything was going pretty well…not much talking, but…"

Lily could imagine. She blushed a frightful shade of pink; she had never set foot on the linoleum floors of the notorious snog spot.

"Then…I don't know…she starts mumbling in French when I compliment her and then when something more she begins screaming at me-'Tu es imbecile!' I dunno…I ask what's wrong…she throws the napkin in my face and then stalks out. The next thing, I know when I'm coming out of the place she locked her lips with Roderick Davies!" James spits in disgust, his voice changing from bewilderment to anger.

Lily tried to hide her bemused smile, clearing her throat repeatedly. "Well, what did you say that made her so angry?" she inquired, her fingers twitching.

James made no attempt to brush his hair from his eyes and Lily was getting irritated. "I told her she was beautiful…."

"How many times?" questioned Lily dryly. Her respect for Genevieve mounted; perhaps the girl wasn't as frivolous and petty as she had first impressed.

"I dunno…a couple…we were kissing! What else do you tell a person while you're kissing!"

Well, James ,I wouldn't know! Thought Lily bitterly. She had never had an actual boyfriend; she didn't feel the need.

"I thought you weren't talking…!" she exclaimed out loud.

James threw up his hands in despair. "We weren't…more like…why am I even telling you this! The point is…I don't have a date for the ball, anymore!" James kicked the brick wall in frustration and then wince, his cheeks burning brightly.

"Owww!" he moaned, clutching his foot.

Lily bit her lip in attempt to imprison her laughter.

"You really are a pathetic fool, James, you know that?" said Lily, placing her hands on her hips as she watched James hop around the front foyer.

"Yes…but you saying it makes me feel loads better-"

James stopped to stare right at Lily. In a flash, Lily remembered his vision of her as their souls exchanged. She felt a shiver run down her spine. The tips of her fingers and toes tingled with…something new. Her heart beat became a loud drumming in her ears. James stood up straight. His eyes change colour, in a sense, the murkiness vanished, and was renewed with a new hope.

His mouth opened-

Her mouth opened-

"Hey…d'you wanna go-?"

"Um…how about we-"

In that special second, they laughed, stepping a tiny bit closer to one another. Neither knew what was going to happen next.

"Ok," Lily consented, suddenly very shy.

James seemed a little awkward too, for once.

"I can't believe it-" he said in slight bewilderment.

"Me neither-" Lily added.

She had just asked and accepted an actual date with James Potter-the one person she had the rockiest relationship with.

"Just as friends, though, right?" said James, "my reputation could be at stake," he then, joked.

Lily chortled and nodded.

"I'll get ready, then…"

"Wait-" Lily reached up on her tip-toes and carefully brushed away the strands of hair blocking his eyes. His beautiful eyes, she realised suddenly, as they twinkled more brightly than the stars in the sky.