Chapter 8

That night, the music from the orchestra was sounding harmoniously around the Grand Hall and the ball was in full swing by the time James entered the ballroom wearing an expertly tailored black suite, his arrival, like all others, announced. As he walked down the marble steps, he could feel almost every female's eyes on him, and for that his features took on a smug smile.

And speaking of females…..

James scanned the room quickly and saw that Lily wasn't there yet. "Where on earth could Evans be?" he wondered as he made his way to the crowd. "I hope she arrives on time and doesn't wear something hideous".

Suddenly, he saw a gorgeous girl standing beside Ryan. She was tall and fair, with chestnut curls piled into a stylish ponytail and wearing a silver halter gown which accented her figure perfectly. James smiled as he made his way towards his cousin.

"Hey James!" Ryan greeted when he saw him. "Oh yeah, this is Rachel. Rachel Hathaway", he added, gesturing towards the girl beside him.

"Hi," James said, flashing her a smile that made almost every girl swoon.

"Hi," Rachel said back, flashing him a dazzling smile. After that, the three teenagers plunged into conversation, filled with laughter.

James was surprised as he talked to Rachel. She was very nice and extremely charming and funny, and not at all shallow, not to mention pretty, so unlike some girls James had met who were stuck-up and vain. She, as he came to find, was generally a nice person. She's kind of like Evans, James thought silently, Smart, nice, funny, pretty…no wait a sec, what the heck am I thinking?. He was still mentally berating himself when suddenly…

"Announcing, Miss Lily Elizabeth Evans, Hogwarts". All heads turned in her direction, and James's jaw dropped.

Lily descended down the marble staircase, a picture of beauty, confidence, and elegance. Clothed in a spaghetti-strap Versace gown in the lightest shade of sea-green that accented her dazzling emerald eyes, with her auburn hair swept into a stylish chignon bun, and not to mention her lovely smile, she looked absolutely remarkable. The light emitted by the crystal chandelier embraced her wonderfully, making her seem like an ethereal goddess.

"Oh my god she looks so pretty…wait a minute, what am I saying….she isn't pretty…she isn't pretty…she isn't pretty…she isn't pretty…she's just gorgeous...she's just gorgeous….urgh, crap, I've lost it," James thought, again very disturbed as a dazed look came over his features.

When she finally reached the bottom step, some people crowded in on her and asked for a conversation. She, being the polite girl that she was accepted and, as time wore on, made a few new friends and acquaintances.

Finally, she excused herself from the Minister of Magic in France's wife, with whom she had just had a wonderful conversation with, to go find James. I want to see his reaction, she thought, as she finally saw him with Ryan and a girl whom she did not know.

"Hey Ryan," Lily greeted with a smile and he returned the greeting warmly. Turning to Rachel, she said, "Hi. I don't think we've ever met, you are?"

Rachel gave a dainty laugh and said, "Hi. I'm Rachel. Rachel Hathaway. Head Girl of Larkspur Institute. Nice to meet you".

Lily smiled back and said, "I'm Lily, Lily Evans. Head Girl of Hogwarts alongside James Potter as Head Boy".

Rachel took on a look of surprise and replied, "James, eh? Well, this is quite nice. I was just having a chat with him. He's very delightful, nice, and charming, isn't he?"

Pretending that James wasn't just beside her, Lily took on a smile and said, "Potter? Delightful? Nice? Charming? Are you sure you're talking about James Michael Potter from Hogwarts? It seems to me that it's a very different description."

"Lily and James hate each other. I think. Their both in denial too. Long story," Ryan whispered to Rachel. She nodded in understanding.

James leaned forward discreetly and whispered, "Evans, shut it. Don't make me look bad in front of Rachel".

Finally acknowledging is presence, Lily turned to him and said, "Oh, Potter. It's you. So," she smiled, "Do I look 'nice and elegant" enough for you, or should I put on a gold gown so you won't criticize what I'm wearing?" She smiled even wider, knowing exactly what he thought of her look, having seen his expression as she was going down the stairs.

You look more beautiful than words could ever describe, James had the sudden urge to say. But, thankfully, he gained enough sanity to put on an expressionless face and say, "Please Evans, don't even think of wearing a gold gown; the color won't suit you, trust me. Oh yes, and as to what your wearing right now, it looks a little better than those prudish clothes who usually wear, although I don't understand why you chose the color green. It makes you look like a Christmas tree, or worse, a Slytherin".

Lily simply gaped at him, made a disbelieving sound, and shook her head. By now, Ryan and Rachel were having intensely amused expressions on their faces, both thinking that Lily and James were certainly in denial and how to set the two up.

Dinner was announced shortly, and about 45 minutes later, they all adjourned back into the ballroom for the dancing.

Lily was talking with Rachel, and the two were sitting next to James and Ryan, who were also talking, when suddenly, a boy came and asked Lily to dance. Then another. Then another. Then another. Basically, Lily, as well as Rachel, was presently dancing the night away.

Rachel had just sat down next to James as Lily was being gracefully waltzed across the floor by some boy from Beauxbatons. She carefully watched his expression and gleefully noted that it was clouded over, his eyes narrowed and his mouth set into a thin line. She decided to tease him about it.

"Ohh, I think someone's jealous," Rachel teased, emphasizing the last word.

James gave her a look and said, "Of who? That guy Li- I mean, Evans is dancing with? Please. Why would I be jealous of him? I am way more good-looking than him, you know".

Rachel simply shook away his arrogant remark and supplied, "Maybe you're jealous because he's dancing with Lily?"

James now gave her a disbelieving look. "Actually, I feel sorry for that guy. Dancing with Evans. What a pity for him. I think he has incorrect vision. I mean, why else would he dance with her? At least I can recognize a beautiful girl when I see one". And now, one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen is presently waltzing across the dance floor…no wait, not again. This is hopeless"

"Right James. Whatever" Rachel said, not buying a word he had just said. Time slipped by, until it was almost 11 pm. Suddenly……

Ms. Vallarie, now dressed in a nice blue gown, stepped up to the podium, cast Sonorus, and said, "Thank you everyone for being here. On Monday the first part of the delegation will officially begin to see how competent you are in speaking and magic, but until then, you are free to relax and mingle. And now, to formally end this evening's ball, let us have all the Head Girls and Boys from each school to pair up and head to the dance floor for the concluding dance.

"Oh no. I have to dance with Potter. The horror," Lily thought as she grudgingly made her way to the dance floor, James just a little behind her.

Once everyone was ready, the orchestra started to play and all the students began dancing. As Lily danced with James, she thought, "Hey, this isn't so bad. He's a pretty decent dancer".

Suddenly, her subconscious, the voice sounding suspiciously like Kirsten and Aimee's, said slyly, "Ohh, so you like dancing with James, don't you? Maybe you'd like to dance with him again, say, at your wedding?"

Appalled, Lily thought back, "Have you gone crazy? I definitely don't want to marry Potter. I don't even like him, for goodness sake! And since when have I given my permission for my subconscious to call him James?"

"Ever since now. And as for not wanting to have a relationship with him, that's really different compared to what you where dreaming about last night, wasn't it? I hear wedding bells," her subconscious replied.

"Would you shut up!" Lily thought. "I DO NOT LIKE JAMES POTTER AND THAT IS FINAL!" Unintentionally though, she said the last part out loud, not yelling it, but enough to make James hear.

James merely raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not even going to pretend to understand what that was about". Although for some strange reason, he felt a little disappointed.

Lily blushed a bit and chose to keep quiet instead. This time, as James twirled Lily around, he and his sub-conscious were having their own conversation.

"Happy to be dancing with her, aren't you?" the voice, which sounded suspiciously like Sirius, said slyly.

"Would you shut it! Actually, I'm revolted to be dancing with her," James argued.

"Oh yeah, sure. Revolted by the fact that you look like a dishrag while she looks like an angel sent from the heavens," the subconscious replied.

James was getting really irritated by now. "Enough already, you annoying subconscious!" I have got to check up on myself. Talking to yourself is definitely not classified as normal.

"Whatever. I'll stop if you say these words"

"Fine! Anything! Just for you to get out of my head!" James said. Very wrong move.

"Okay, repeat after me. I….."

"I….." he said, not realizing that he was saying it out loud.

"Like….." the subconscious continued.

"Like…" James repeated, still saying it aloud. Lily was looking very disturbed by now.

"Lily Evans"

"Lily Evans" James said again. Too late did he realize the sentence that had formed, and to his horror, he just realized that he had said it out loud, judging by Lily's weirded out stare. I cannot believe I just said I like Lily Evans out loud…I don't like her…I think….damn, I am so screwed.

Suddenly……

"Potter? Potter? POTTER?" Lily suddenly yelled. James shook his head, stopped dancing, and said, "What?"

"The music's over," Lily pointed out. Sure enough, couples were already starting to move away from the dance floor.

"Oh, right," James muttered embarrassedly as the two walked off to join Ryan and Rachel, who were both grinning.

"Had fun dancing, did you?" Ryan asked the pair.

Lily blushed, remembering the internal battle she had been having, and James grimaced, remembering the same thing. When Ryan and Rachel excused themselves, Lily told James, "Listen, Potter. I won't even pretend to understand what you said because you clearly weren't thinking properly. But I do want you to listen to this, okay? I am begging you, do good on Monday. Please, for once in your life, pretend that you actually care about someone besides yourself and cooperate, understood?"

And without further ado, she turned on her heel and walked away, thinking very much that if James would still be the same arrogant, irresponsible jerk she knew him to be, by the end of the delegation, she would probably be sent back to Hogwarts in a coffin, or sent instead to a mental institution.