Already the second installment! Two chapters in one day, not bad, eh? Now, I have to admit, this one chapter, though it is much longer, follows the movie almost exactly. So if that's something that disappoints you, then I'm quite sorry. However, now we have most of the very important characters introduced and hopefully it all makes sense. I'm going to try to stray away from sticking to the movie verbatim and, pretty soon we should be getting the diary entries in. Just depends.

However, again, read and review. I don't own most of the characters or the beautiful plot from Miss Austen. I simply own the idea of mixing them together.

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Chapter 2: The Ball

"Have you come to see me?" Margaret Lucas asked as the crimson haired Lily approached the older, yet, smaller woman. Lily grinned, embracing the woman. "Margaret… I take it everyone is waiting for the arrival of Mr. Binns?"

Margaret gave a wry smile and looked about the room as people danced in the center. Candles hovered above and there was a table covered with various glasses for the guests containing pumpkin juice, chilled butter beer, dandelion wine and other party drinks. Off beside them were trays of pumpkin pasties and several assortments of different kinds of pastries. There was an overall cheery atmosphere to the place as the music played and people socialized and danced.

The Evanses were already quite acquainted with most of the people already, so they were simply saying hello and moving about the large room, slowly squeezing past the groups. Within ten minutes, Lydia and Kitty were already gone, happily bouncing and skipping about on the dance floor. Jane remained near her mother and Lily was lucky enough to have found Margaret.

However, the music almost immediately died at the arrival of a small party. All heads turned toward the entrance to find three people simply standing side by side. A strong voice announced their arrival "Mr. Binns, Miss Binns, and Mr. Snape." People stared for an awkward moment before the music began again and their attention was turned back toward their previous dance.

Before she knew it, Lily was pulled away from Margaret and over to the front where the new party just arrived. Her father was already there with her sister, Mary, and her mother was carting both her and Jane over to where they stood. Jane seemed to have the same expression of annoyance on her face, but it wasn't until she could actually see the people they were about to be introduced to that her expression changed.

Margaret seemed to have been dragged into an introduction as well as she was standing beside her father. Mr. Lucas was conversing with Mr. Binns, stopping and turning when he noticed that some of the Evans ladies had arrived. "Ah… Mr. Binns… My daughter Margaret, as you know, and here are the Evanses. Mrs. Evans, Miss Jane Evans, and Miss Lily Evans."

Each of the women gave a light curtsy as they were introduced and Mrs. Evans cut in. "Such a pleasure, Mr. Binns! I have two other daughters, but they are already dancing."

Mr. Binns grinned and gave a nod in return. "Yes a pleasure. Allow me to introduce my good friend, Mr. Snape and my sister Caroline." He said, motioning to the stoic faced man beside him and a striking woman.

The man, Mr. Snape, seemed so unaffected by the general happiness in the room that he may as well have been at a funeral. He was a few inches taller than Lily, and had pale skin. His hair was black and quite long, nearly reaching his jaw line, but was drawn back. His hair seemed to coincide with his attire for the evening as his trousers and coat were both black and he wore a simple, medium collared shirt underneath.

As for Mr. Binns, his hair was red, almost like Lily's but with more of an orange hue in the candle light. He wore a green coat and matching trousers. His sense of style did not seem to be as in good taste as Mr. Snape's but his attitude seemed to be much better than that of the quiet man. His eyes looked over each of the women, but running through them once more, they seemed to stop at Jane and a pleasant smile spread on his lips.

Miss Binns had an air of arrogance about her. She stood erect and her chin seemed to be tilted up slightly as she looked upon the people in front of her. She was dressed quite nicely and she stood next to Mr. Snape with a look that seemed to give off the thought that they were courting, but Mr. Snape did not return the expression. He looked more like he would much rather be some place else.

Only now did Lily take into account her own appearance as well as her family's. She was dressed in a simple gown that she has had for quite some time… Her hair was simply pulled back and off her shoulders, secure enough so that she may dance and not a hair should fall out of place.

Jane was dressed nearly the same. Her blonde locks were pulled up as well, a few strands falling to rest on either side of her face, against her cheeks. She wore a similar gown of a different color that 'brings out her lovely eyes' as her mother liked to put it.

Later on, Lily found herself engaged in conversation with Jane and Mr. Binns. "How are you enjoying your stay here, Mr. Binns?" Jane asked, eager to rid the group of the awkward silence that was about to take over.

He seemed to perk as she addressed him and he gave a smile. "Very much so… "

Lily piped in, adding to the conversation. "The library at Godrick's Manor… I hear its one of the best."

Mr. Binns nodded, not looking at Lily while he replied, instead, looking at Jane. "Yes… Sadly, I do not find myself reading as much as I'd like to… I do like to read, I just-…" he said, nervously stuttering.

Jane smiled and added, "I only wish I read more… there always seem to be other things to do…"

He felt relief at her cut in and nodded, "Yes, that's exactly it."

Lily silently excused herself from the conversation and moved away to find Margaret somewhere. Not a minute later, the two were dancing to the next song that was played.

Lydia and Kitty had found her mother and Mary was standing silently beside her father, not unlike Mr. Snape was beside Caroline, whose nose remained in the air as she disapproved of the current company around the room.

Having found Margaret, Lily smiled. "Jane seems to be enjoying the atmosphere… and Mr. Binns as well…" Margaret commented as the pair danced their second dance of the evening together. Lily smiled, watching the two as she and Margaret made their way around the room towards the back. They had found a spot, just underneath the seating where they were alone and could still see out to the crowd.

"I think it should only be two mon-" Margaret began but was cut off by Lily suddenly grabbing hold of Margaret's arm and looking out to the crowd. It seemed that Mr. Binns and Mr. Snape were having a small chat.

"She is the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld…" Mr. Binns commented as the two stopped walking.

"Yes… You are dancing with the most handsome woman here…" he said, looking about rather boredly.

"But,… Miss Lily, she is agreeable as well… Wouldn't you agree?" he added, looking over at Mr. Snape, hoping to catch his attention in some way.

Lily and Margaret both looked at each other at the mention of Lily's name. They already knew that the first person they were talking about was Jane. The mention of Lily seemed to surprise them both.

"Hm… fairly tolerable… but not handsome enough to tempt me." He commented. "Go on back to your fun…" he said, walking away as if what he said would have no effect upon anyone in the room.

Margaret looked back at Lily, quite shocked by the words that came out of Mr. Snape's mouth. "I-I…Well… Look at it this way… If he liked you, you'd have to talk to him." She said with a halfhearted smile.

Lily simply gave a smile, perfectly masking the sudden drop of disappointment. "I would not dance with Mr. Snape for all the galleons in the country." She said, giving a giggle as they exited the space beneath the seating.

It was to Lily's misfortune that she found herself once more engaged in conversation, only this time, it not only included Jane, Mr. Binns and herself, but her mother and Mr. Snape were also present.

Her mother continually spoke of Jane to Mr. Binns the entire night. However, the more dandelion wine her mother consumed, the more embarrassing comments escaped her joyful lips.

"Jane was only 15 when a man was so in love with her that we thought she was sure to receive an offer of marriage… Sadly, he was called away, some sort of ministry business…Though he did write us some beautifully written letters…But, my Jane has always been the beauty of the family, wouldn't you agree Mr. Binns?" she asked, her hand resting on Jane's shoulder. Jane seemed to be looking away in a terrible attempt to hide the pink that rose in her cheeks.

"I heartily agree…" Mr. Binns commented quietly, more to himself than to those around him.

Lily, in an attempt to redirect the conversation, spoke. "Who ever thought that writing would drive away love?" She still had a bitter taste in her mouth as she looked around her small party and was forced to see that Mr. Snape was present.

"So what do you recommend to encourage affection?" he asked. It was only the second time Lily had ever heard him speak. He had a slightly nasal voice, but he spoke with an air of propriety that was almost arrogant, but had such elegance that it made him sound as if he had planned out each and every word. His name came with ten thousand galleons a year, so, perhaps, he thought it best that he plan his words very carefully…

Lily looked at Mr. Snape, completely ready to answer his question. She had already previously decided that she has sworn to loathe him for all that he is. "Dancing… even when one's partner is hardly tolerable…" she answered and noticed the slightest twinge to the set of his mouth. She spoke nothing else and simply gave a short curtsy and walked away quite satisfied with herself.