Allrighty any lovely people that happen to be reading this! I am an impatient person right now and I wanted to update with the next chapter, so here it is. It occurred to me that there wasn't much going on with the characters that I didn't create, so this one has a lot more of that. Okay, that's about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. JR could probably come up with a better name to use than where is fluffy.

Love teaches even asses to dance.

--French Proverb

"We are stunning," Saige announced, looking at Lily and Sam. They had just spent the last four hours getting ready for the ball. Each looked lovely in their new ball gowns.

Saige's gown had a black corset-like bodice with white lace at the top and for the long draping sleeves. The corset had red embroidery winding around it. Her skirt was multiple layers of white lace that flowed past her ankles. The edges of the lace were hemmed with red thread. Her blonde hair was loosely curled and part of it was pinned back with a red flower. She looked amazing, to say the least.

Sam's gown was much tamer in comparison to Saige's. It was a light blue sleeveless satin gown with dark blue trim. Long flowing sleeves were attached just below the shoulder where a glove would end. The top and end of the sleeve had the same bark blue stain trim as the neckline and the hem at the bottom. She also had trim around her hips, coming to a V in the front. Her brown hair was in waves with two small pieces on each side pinned back, but some stray strands were falling in her face.

Lily wore a gown of dark green crushed velvet. It was strapless, but she had gold gloves that came past her elbows. Gold embroidery also lined the neckline in a flower design. There was a large gold flower at her left hip where the fabric split and a lighter green fabric came spilling out. It created a beautiful effect. The green dress made her emerald eyes look even brighter and her thick auburn hair stand out. Her hair was in a knot at the nape of her neck, but strands had escaped their confinements, framing her ivory face.

"We look too good for them," Sam agreed, looking at the other two. "They don't deserve us."

"And we're not self-centered at all, are we?"

"Of course not, Lily dear! We simply know what we deserve. And right now, we deserve a night of dancing like the beauties we are! Don't you agree?"

"Of course, Saige. So let's go find our dates, shall we?"

They apparated to the dance hall where the Ministry was holding the ball. It looked perfectly normal on the outside, but as soon as they stepped through the door of the building, they were frozen with astonishment. The marble floors reflected the light of the thousands upon thousands of twinkling lights in the room. The banisters of the stair were wrapped in beautiful wreaths with tiny lights imbedded in them. Brilliant gold candles were floating around with red and green flames. They walked farther in and saw that there was an enormous tree in the middle of the ballroom. It was trimmed with gold garland and was embellished with immense red ornaments. On top was a large glittering star that was slowly rotating.

"Wow," Lily breathed, as someone took their cloaks and hung them in the closet.

"Understatement of the millennium," Saige whispered, as if she were afraid something would break if she spoke too loudly.

An usher led them to another large room with all the other women. He explained that they would wait there until all the guests had arrived. Then each of them would be announced separately and their partner would come and lead them to the dance floor.

"Nifty," Sam murmured. "We get to be center of attention."

"Yes, for about two minutes."

"That's about two minutes more than I was expecting, Lily dear."

They spent the next half hour mingling with the others that had arrived. Madame Permalott had shown up. Lily made a very un-Lily-like comment about how she shouldn't wear a dress as low cut as the one she had on unless she was going to shave her chest. Saige almost choked on a laugh trying to cover it up. They also saw Hannah Hughes, who went to Hogwarts with them. She hadn't changed a bit. Her hair was still too bleach blonde, her eyes still glared, and she still could not come up with a nice comment for any of them.

Finally, the usher came back in and led them out. They stood in the hall as he prepared to announce each person. They were standing in no order, so they relied on a small woman with a large voice to tell them when they were supposed to appear. The usher stood just inside of the door to the ballroom, announced her name, and stood aside as she walked in.

"Escorted by her husband, George Hopkirk, I present to you, Madame Mafalda Hopkirk."

There was light applause as George Hopkirk came up to lead his wife, who took her sweet time descending the stairs, away.

". Escorted tonight by Arnold Peasegood, I present to you, Miss Glenda Crook."

More light applause rang out. The usher read a few more names before the small woman shouted for Saige to come forward. She put on a shaky smile, unsure of whether she could handle walking down stairs, and stepped to the door.

"Accompanied tonight by Mr. Remus Lupin, I am pleased to present the lovely Miss Tara Saige Grey."

She stepped out a little nervously as she heard applause. She looked out and saw Remus walking toward the foot of the stairs. He smiled at her and she relaxed. Confidently walking down the stairs, she was proud to say that she did not trip and fall. She took Remus' arm and he led her back down the aisle.

"You look . . . amazing," he whispered. She couldn't help but smile.

"Good. That's the look I was going for."

Soon they called Sam. She stepped up behind the door, confident as ever. She wasn't worried about walking down the stairs; she'd taken dance classes for years and knew how to move without falling. . . most of the time.

"Accompanied by Sirius Black, I present Miss Samantha Atherton."

Sam put on a confident smile and began walking down the steps. Sirius was at the bottom to meet her with his lopsided grin. Whereas Remus was stunned by Saige, nothing ever fazed Sirius. He was always one step ahead, ready with a comeback for everything.

"You look astounding this evening, milady," he said, bowing deeply as she reached the foot of the stairs.

"You don't look so bad yourself. I told them you would clean up nicely."

Laughing softly, he offered her his arm, which she took, and led her to stand next to Remus and Saige.

Many more names were called. People were getting tired of waiting, but they were polite and continued to pay attention. However, it seemed as though the list would never end. The Minister himself was toying with the idea of inviting considerably fewer people the next year.

Behind the door, Lily was still standing. Her stomach was twisting itself up in knots. She was never one of those people that wished to go last for something; being the center of attention wasn't her thing. She had a tendency to wait in the background for someone to notice her. That was why everyone was surprised when she became such good friends with Sam and Saige. They were polar opposites of her and people didn't understand how they got along.

"Lily Evans?"

She looked up. Everyone else had gone. "Lovely," she thought. She stepped up to the door, her gown rustling slightly. She heard the usher but couldn't make out any words. The small woman gave Lily a soft push and she stumbled out the door.

The crowd was silent. Blushing furiously, she cursed her complexion. Determined not to look at the people watching her, she focused all of her attention on walking down the steps. She slowly descended the carpet covering the marble steps. She reached the bottom, sighed with relief, and proceeded to trip on her gown.

Luckily, James caught her with minimal fuss. She stood upright and took his arm, obviously flustered.

"You look-," he began.

"Like a fool," she muttered, still blushing.

"Beautiful," he corrected. "You could never look like a fool."

She allowed herself a small smile as everyone moved towards the dance floor. The band had started playing some light music. James took her hand and led her amidst the crowd. He placed his other hand on the small of her back and she rested hers on his shoulder. As they moved slowly about the floor, James muttered unnecessary comments to put her at ease. She began to relax in his arms and danced rather than moved mechanically.

"Better now?" James whispered, twirling her around. It was generally easy for him to calm her down. He just kept talking. As much as she hated it, noise helped her relax.

She nodded. "Much."

Sam and Sirius moved towards them. Sam leaned over and said, "You got to be last! I'm so jealous. But you looked amazing!"

Sirius spun her away as Lily laughed. They watched him plant a kiss on her forehead before turning her a few times.

"She's crazy. Being last is terrifying," Lily murmured, looking into James' blue eyes. They stared back into her own emerald ones. "I didn't want them to notice me any more than anybody else, but everyone always remembers the first and last."

"Sometimes you're going to have to accept attention. Stop hiding from it. You're wonderful and deserve some recognition sometimes. You should be proud of yourself. I am."

She smiled. James could be the most infuriating person in the world sometimes, but at others, he could be so incredibly sweet that it made her knees tremble. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was selectively sweet and caring. He didn't care much for big public displays of affection, but that was all right with Lily. She was fairly modest.

For the next hour or so, they continued dancing. Sam and Sirius would occasionally pass them, saying a quick hello. James borrowed Sam for a quick dance and Sirius spun Lily around the dance floor. She didn't exactly dance with him, more clung to him for her life. After that harrowing experience, Remus came by and took Lily from Sirius before he could kill her. The dance with Remus was much less dangerous and Lily relaxed more. Saige, however, was flying around the dance floor, clutching Sirius, but laughing all the while. Once everyone ended up back with their own dates, things were much less hectic. Sam and Sirius disappeared again and Remus and Saige danced not to far away.

"You really look beautiful tonight," James whispered as he and Lily danced to a slow ballad.

"Shut up. I don't look any better than anyone else here. You're just biased."

He thought a moment before consenting. "Maybe just a little. But you are beautiful. And my vote counts for three. So that's three against one. I win!"

"You are ridiculous," she laughed. "And since when does your vote count for three?"

"Since I became the King of Norway. And the King of Norway is always correct. Do you ever talk to someone and hear them say 'Look, there's the King of Norway. He made a mistake yesterday. He was wrong on a very important issue'? No, you don't. And that is because the King of Norway is never wrong."

"You're absolutely right. But seeing as how I don't know anyone that knows the King of Norway, I've never really encountered something like that."

"You do so! I am the King of Norway! And you know me!" He sounded scandalized. "At least I hope you know me. Otherwise I've been dancing with a stranger."

Just then, Saige and Remus showed up and informed them that they were leaving.

"Dancing isn't really Remus' thing, so we're going to go grab some coffee or something."

"Just a thought, Saige, but you may want to stay at Remus' tonight. Not sure what you'd walk in on if you went back to your place," James warned.

They all glanced over to Sirius and Sam, who were still dancing. Holding her closely, he whispered something in her ear. She laughed carelessly and kissed his cheek.

"I'll keep that in mind," Saige replied, smiling. The group bade each other good-night and Remus led Saige away.

James took Lily in his arms again and they began to dance. Lily rested her head lightly on his shoulder and his arms wound tightly around her. He could feel her soft breath on his neck. Breathing deeply to keep his stomach calm, he gently stroked her back. He was in love with this girl and knew that she loved him too. It was just that every time things got really good between them, she pulled back. Not enough to ruin their relationship, but enough to cause tension. It wasn't an issue at hat particular moment in time, possibly because she was high off the excitement of the ball, but was usually problematic. James knew that he would anything and risk it all for her. His inheritance, his dreams, his life, he would give them all up if she asked him to. Her smile, her laugh, her touch, they all made his stomach flip and his heart pound. He didn't like the vulnerability of feeling that way, but at the same time, he wouldn't trade it for the world. He wished that he could make Lily understand, but she wouldn't let him. She backed away whenever she was confused or nervous. He had slowly learned to handle her the same way one would a scared animal. He would stay still and wait for her to come to him.

Another hour or so passed before they told Sirius and Sam good-bye. James could see that Lily was getting tired and he didn't want her falling asleep just yet. They agreed to meet at James and Sam's flat the next day to exchange gifts. Sam gave Lily a quick hug and whispered, "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."

"That basically leaves me free range."

Sam looked offended at first, and then shrugged. "Okay, true, How's this? Don't do anything that I would do."

Lily laughed and she and James apparated to his flat. Lily grinned at all the Christmas decorations. Sam was, if nothing else, a fanatic when it came to Christmas. A huge tree covered with ornaments and tinsel stood in the corner. Next to it was the fireplace where she had hung stockings for James, herself, her kitten Mister Cat, and James' owls. Wreaths hung on all the doors and windows, tied with bright red ribbon. The cabinets in the kitchen had little Santa Clauses and reindeer hung on them. Mistletoe just about covered the ceiling and candy canes could be found everywhere.

"This place," James muttered, running a hand through his hair, "looks ridiculous."

"I think it's cute," Lily replied defensively.

"Yeah, well you obviously love Sam more than I do. But even you, as caring and tolerant as you are, would not think it's cute after a month of living here. Sam's got some clothes that you can change into. Actually, you might find some of your own stuff in there. I think she's got more of yours and Saige's clothes than her own."

Laughing, Lily kissed him softly before entering Sam's room. She kicked some books out of the doorway and tossed a pillow back on her bed. Lily grabbed a pair of pants and a tank from the pajama drawer. Sitting on the bed, she slipped her shoes and gloves off and slid out of her dress. After changing into the pajamas, she looked in the mirror. She used magic to remove her make-up and pulled the pins from her hair. The red curls spilled around her shoulders. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection for good measure and left the room.

She padded barefoot down the hall and into the living room. A tray of steaming hot chocolate was on the coffee table and James was trying to start a fir in the fireplace without torching the stockings. He turned around upon hearing her feet on the floor. He had changed into normal pants and a shirt.

"Hey babe."

"Hey. I made hot chocolate," he said, heading over to the couch. He sat down and poured two mugs. Glancing behind him, he saw Lily searching the bookshelves. He watched her, constantly pushing her hair behind her ears, where it refused to stay. Apparently finding what she was looking for, she squealed with delight and pulled a book off the shelf. She walked behind the couch and placed the book on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Ah, the photo album. Come, my dear, and let us dwell in days of old."

Giggling, she moved around the couch, as he lay lengthwise across it. She sat between his legs and leaned back against him, bending her knees and propping the album against them. She used one hand to hold up the album and entwined the other with James' callused one. He busied his unoccupied hand with tugging gently on her curls.

The first picture was of Lily, Saige, and Sam on the Hogwarts Express in their first year. Sam was standing on the seat, gesturing exuberantly as she told a story. Saige was laughing hysterically, he blonde hair escaping its braid. All one could see of Lily was her high ponytail and her jeans. Her knees were pulled to her chest as she huddled in the corner behind a large book. Every once in a while, she would peer out over the book, her green eyes wide.

"You look a tad scared," James murmured.

"Oh please! Those two ambushed me! I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when they burst in, Sam announcing that she just had to tell me something and it couldn't wait another moment. I didn't know their names until she was finished. I should've kicked them out before they started talking. I've been stuck with them ever since."

"You know you love them, "James replied, highly amused.

"Yeah, of course I do. My life would be incredibly boring without them. Oh look! That's our first Christmas!"

James, Sirius, and Remus were all wearing Santa hate while the three girls had adorned elf caps. Poor Peter had large reindeer antlers. They were all still wearing their pajamas and were posed for the camera. Peter was sitting on the ground in front; the three girls were kneeling behind him, a tangle of arms as they hugged each other; and the other boys were standing in the back, arms slung casually around each other. They all wore the huge, show all your teeth, eyes threatening to close grins that were only cute on young children. If the picture were watched long enough, Sirius leaned forward to tickle Lily as James tugged one of Sam's braids. They lost balance and fell over, pulling Saige down, who knocked the feet out from under Remus. He, Sirius, and James crashed to the floor until they were just a pile of knotted arms and legs. Only Peter remained upright, and he simply looked around in confusion.

"That's when we started our charm bracelets," Lily said. Saige had given charm bracelets to Lily and Sam and kept one for herself. The only charm on the bracelet was of their first initial. Every year since then, they girls drew names and bought the person they chose a charm.

"I remember that. If it hadn't been for them, I might not have ever learned your name."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Well think about it. Saige and Sam always called you 'babe' or 'darling' just like they do everybody else. The teachers called you 'Miss Evans' if they called you anything at all. Sirius nicknamed you Coppercurls, Remus didn't speak unless absolutely necessary, and Peter was terrified of you girls. It would have been awkward to ask your name, so I just called you Evans. But when you opened your gift, Saige announced 'L for Lily'. But I was so used to Evans that I couldn't change at that point."

She laughed lightly and kissed her fingers. "I wish you would've used my first name. They're so much friendlier than surnames. We might not have argued so much."

"You called me Potter!"

"Because you called me Evans! I thought maybe you had thing for surnames or something!" she protested.

He laughed and tugged another curl. That had been a huge turning point for them, using first names. It had changed their entire relationship.

They were arguing again. James didn't even remember what they were arguing about. They were in the Common Room, having just finished rounds. As Heads, they got the latest and most hated patrol shift. Lily was screaming about something, James didn't know what, all he saw was her eyes, full of anger, glaring at him. She always seemed to be glaring at him. On occasion, he had wondered what she saw as she scowled in his direction. At that moment, however, he just wanted to make it stop.

"Bloody hell, Lily, can you shut up for one minute?" he demanded.

She stopped mid-sentence. He had just called her Lily. He never called her that, never. If there was one thing that could stop Lily in a rant, it was throwing a curve-ball like that.

Trying to regain her composure, she sneered, "Since when are we on a first name basis?"

"Dammit, Lily! This is absolutely ridiculous! Don't you ever get tired of arguing with me? We go around and around in circles like we're on some twisted carousel! If we even begin to agree on something, you immediately change your opinion! And I'm really no better. I purposely do things to irritate you because otherwise you wouldn't give me a second glance. So I do one stupid thing after another, trying to get your attention, which is absolutely ridiculous since we're supposed to hate each other with every fiber of our beings. But I'm sick of it! I don't want to hate you anymore. I can't hate you anymore. Hating you is like-" He paused, attempting to discover where he was going with this. "Hating you is like hating that stupid deer in that muggle movie you love so much!"

"Bambi," she whispered, shocked. "How do you know about Bambi?"

"I listen. I'm not always sticking my foot in my mouth. Sometimes I shut up long enough to hear what's going on. I listen when you talk, Lily. You're smart, I like to hear what you have to say."

Lily couldn't speak. This was crazy; this was insane. She couldn't handle this. Her heart was beating in her ears and her stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself.

"Say something, Lily."

She shook her head, looking as though she were about to cry. She wasn't glaring at him, but her eyes were wide with fear.

"I can't," she choked out, before fleeing up the stairs.

They hardly ever mentioned that night after that. However, they didn't argue nearly as much either, and when they did, it didn't blow to cinematic proportions. They actually got along much better after that. Their friends didn't have a clue what had passed between them, but they weren't going to question it. It was nice to see Lily smile and laugh around James. Lily was surprised to discover how funny and smart James actually was. He didn't make blanket statements without being able to justify them. They got into many debates that caused both of them to rethink their opinions. They got along and even fell into a warped friendship.

Lily flipped to the picture taken right after the Quidditch match that determined whether Gryffindor would go to the finals in their seventh year. The whole of Gryffindor had rushed the field to congratulate their team on their win. People were screaming and jumping up and down in excitement. Lily, on the other hand, marched up to James, determination leading her, and kissed him full on the lips. To her immense relief, he had responded to her kiss and wrapped his arms around her.

"We definitely look out of place. Everyone's celebrating and you've got your tongue down my throat," she said loftily.

"Excuse me? I believe it was your tongue that was down my throat!"

"Well, whatever."

There was a comfortable silence as Lily tickled the palm of his hand.

"You know, you're the first girl I ever let kiss me," he whispered.

She looked up sharply. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong, I've kissed plenty of girls before. But that's the thing. I had kissed them. Maybe it was a control thing. I don't like feeling vulnerable. So the girl never initiated it. You were the first I let do that."

"And I had better be the last," she informed him, snuggling deeper into his chest, "or you will suffer, I guarantee it."

""Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm," she whispered sleepily.

"Well then," he said, reaching into his pocket, "I have something for you."

Lily sat up, her eyes widening at the sight of the small square box. Only one thing came in a box like that and she didn't want it.

"No, stop, please. No. James? Stop it, no," she whispered frantically.

He looked at her frightened eyes and said, "Hush. It's not what you think it is so stop. I know better than that. Here, open it before you freak out on me.

She opened the box and he heard a small intake of breath. Inside was a gorgeous ring and the girlish voice inside her head was screaming for her to take it. The white gold band was embedded with five jewels: alternately three emeralds and two diamonds. It was a simple ring, but that was how Lily liked anything she had. In its simplicity, it was extremely elegant, and she had to fight the urge to snatch the ring, no matter what his reason for giving it to her.

James took it out of the box and showed her the inside. Engraved in the ring were the words "Forever and Always". That was how he signed all the letters he wrote to her. She but her lip, resisting the impulse to snog him senseless.

"Think of it as a two way promise ring," he told her, meeting her eyes. 'I'm in this relationship with every intention of marrying you one day. Not yet, I know you're not ready, and I want to wait until I'm out of auror training and stable enough to take care of a family. This is a promise that I will propose to you one day if you give me time. But I need you to promise me something too." He took her small hands in one of his and squeezed them. "I need you to promise me that, when I get into hard-core auror training and have to disappear for weeks at a time and can't tell you anything, that you won't give up on me, that you won't forget about me and find some guy that will be there to hold you every night."

She frowned. His eyes were full of worry. It hit her like a ton of bricks that he was really, truly, honestly afraid of losing her. She always worried that he would one day realize that she was just a crazy kid with high hopes and no future and would leave, wondering what he was thinking. But here he was, scared to death that she was going to walk out on him? She smiled softly and kissed him.

"I promise," she whispered against his lips. She felt him smile as he returned the kiss, his deeper than hers had been. After pulling away, he slid the ring on her finger.

She leaned back against him again and held her hand out in front of her. She moved it, watching as the ring caught the light of the fire.

"It's very pretty," she said gleefully.

He kissed the top of her head and Lily relaxed against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. James stroked her hair until they both fell asleep.

Okay, so that's chapter two! Cookies to anyone that reviews! And I depart with a random latin quote:

nill illigitemi carborundum! 50 House Points to whomever can translate it!