Lily awoke after a dreamless sleep feeling rested. She stuck her feet into her owl slippers and ambled over to the bathroom quietly, hoping not to wake the snoring mound that looked like Sasha. Lily looked to the window. Lying on the sill was Evangeline's wand. It being there could only mean that her friend was in the bathroom. She tapped on the door and waited.
"Shhmmcoming"
Evangeline opened the door and her toothbrush clattered to the floor loudly.
"What shlappened – " She spat her paste into the sink and turned back to face Lily
"to you?" She quickly crouched to pick up her toothbrush and rinsed it.
"What do you mean?" Lily was confused. She walked further into the bathroom and caught sight of something that looked a bit like her face in the mirror. It was pinky red with puffy slits for eyes and an inflamed nose. Even her cheeks were swollen.
"Were you crying last night?" Evangeline was eying her. She knew this face, from once before when Lily got that awful letter about her grandfather's violent death. Lily hesitated. She didn't want anyone to know that she had had an argument with James, on the first day of patrol. But, on the other hand Evangeline was the one who would understand. Suddenly she caught sight of Evangeline's face. It looked confused and full of anticipation. Lily realised that she had haltered for a little too long.
"Oh. Uum, well I had a fight with James, but I expect the swelling is from an allergy or something of the sort. . ."
Evangeline raised one eyebrow. If she didn't have a toothpaste moustache the face would have been almost intimidating.
"Sure. What did you fight about?" Evangeline was brisk and almost business like.
"Points versus detentions" Lily was poking her face with her wand, trying to reduce the swelling.
"Sounds scintillating."
"It was. But I don't really get why I cried…"
"Oh Lily" Evangeline looked at her Lily's face, her features a mixture of amusement and sympathy for her confused friend. "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you. It's for you to find out." She walked out of the bathroom and whipped off her top and replaced it with a shirt.
"Oi! What's that meant to mean?" Lily chased after her and poked her in the back.
"Only your destiny is true, it is up to you to find out what happens, Lillian…" Evangeline imitated the voice of their divination teacher, Professor Sontrana. She busied herself putting some sheer black tights on. Lily grabbed a pillow and thwacked her. There was a silence before
Crash!
Evangeline toppled to the floor, her legs tangled in the tights. Lily was laughing and darting about her before she was hit in the side of the head. Sasha had woken and joined the fray. Knowing the pillow fight master was about to begin both Evangeline and Lily immediately stopped and got on with other preparations for school.
Lily stepped into a grey skirt and smoothed it down her thighs. It neatly reached her knees. She took off her pyjama top and put on a clean white shirt, and then black tights. Finally she pulled a grey Gryffindor jumper over her head and slipped some black shoes onto her small feet. She hurried into the bathroom where she was met with Sasha sitting by the open window, a cigarette in hand. She inhaled and blew the smoke out into the breeze that was whipping around the castle. Evangeline stood in front of the mirror rolling up her school skirt, and making sure it looked even.
"We need to go. Now." Lily's tone was firm and the other two hurried their preparations. Finally, they were ready and they made their way down stairs to breakfast.
"Potter."
"Evans."
Both voices were laced with ice. Evidently both held a grudge. "Remember we have a meeting tonight. We're planning the ball." James looked her evenly in the eye.
"Yes. At eight. I'll see you there."
"Right. So you will." The rest of breakfast was filled with strained silence. Finally they made their way to class.
At eight Lily was sat in an old transfiguration classroom. At ten past James hurried in. "Sorry I'm late, I had to talk to Dumbledore." His eyes twinkled, though his voice was firm. Lily was intrigued.
"What did he say?" She tried to keep it light.
"For me to know, and you to find out, Miss Evans." There was a tantalising pause while James pushed his glasses up his nose. "Anyway, we need focus on this ball. There's a muggle theme, I understand. How does this make it different to a wizard's ball?"
"Well, it's mainly to do with the dress. Instead of dress robes, the girls wear long, formal dresses. Ball gowns really. And the guys wear formal suits instead." Lily explained.
"Sounds good. We need a proper theme though. Do you have any ideas? I was thinking that we need something fun. Maybe Quidditch?"
"Potter! You can't expect people to have quidditch as a theme, or we'll have guys dressed as bludgers or something!" Lily poked James and smiled. She didn't want there to be any hard feeling between them.
It's easier to forget it. She decided.
"Fine then, you think of something." James acted mock-affronted and turned away with his arms crossed, his lower lip in a pout.
"Fairy tale characters." Lily was definite. James turned around, one eyebrow raised. He looked spookily like Evangeline.
"You want me to dress up as one of the seven dwarves?"
"You'd do a good job as Grumpy."
"Ha ha. Witty." James rolled his eyes. He leaned back and ran his hand through his dark hair. Lily had to clench her hands to make sure she didn't read out and just touch it.
"Look –" They both started to talk at the same time.
"You go." James offered.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday, I over reacted." Lily bit her lower lip, nervously. She had never apologised to James Potter before.
"No. It's fine, I was being a complete idiot." James looked relieved, evidently he was about to say the same thing.
A silence grew between them. Suddenly James stuck out his hand, his fingers shaking slightly. "Friends?"
"Friends." Lily grasped his hand and a delicious feeling came over her. She never wanted to let go. It felt as though electric pulses were running up and down her arm, their hands fitted into each other, moulded exactly. They broke away suddenly and Lily looked down at her hand, placing it gently in her lap. She cleared her throat and another awkward silence reigned.
Suddenly Lily had an idea.
"This may just be another crazy idea from me, but what about famous couples from history?"
"Yes! Good idea! That way people can go as things together, and be more of a date. They can match!" James latched onto her enthusiasm, his eyes lit up and he rose, striding around the room excitedly. "I know who I want to go as already."
"Who?" Lily was intrigued, she had never thought of Potter to be one for dressing up. She knew of course, she wanted to go as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet.
"Romeo. We did Shakespeare in muggle studies, you know Romeo and Juliet?"
"Yeah." Lily breathed softly.
"What about you?" James hadn't noticed the longing in her eyes.
"Haven't decided yet, I might go as Anoushka Flemming, and get someone to go as Nicolas, and carry 'round the Philosophers Stone or something…" It was an awful idea, even by her standards, and she saw James's eyebrow twitch a little, as though he was about to raise it. He thought better of it and he sat down again.
"We need to work everything else out." So, they sat and discussed all aspects of the ball.
"I can't wait." Lily smiled slowly and held open the door for James to pass through. It was late and they should have been heading back to the common room, but Lily dawdled, humming a tune to herself as she walked beside James. He had his hands stuck into his pockets and looked natural and at ease, though inside his heart was beating furiously. All he wanted was to hold her close.
Finally they reached the common room, and they both flopped onto a huge sofa in front of the fire. The room was unusually empty, with only a few older students remaining to finish an essay. James raised his hand in greeting to a few who he knew, but made no effort to rise and speak. After a while, Lily rose.
"Goodnight Lily."
"Goodnight, Potter."