Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All the characters (save Kathy and Jason) belong to J.K.Rowling along with settings, objects and anything else you recognize from the Harry Potter series. All the dates are correct according to hp.lexicon and wikipedia.
ENJOY!
Until The Clock Strikes Twelve – Chapter Eight
"How do I look?" Lily asked as she turned trying to see what her dress looked like from behind.
"You look gorgeous Lils. Potter won't be able to resist you!" Kathy replied as she pulled up the zip on her dress. "Gawd, me in a dress." She laughed standing next to Lily and looking in the mirror. "There something that doesn't happen often."
Lily laughed.
The two girls looked at themselves for a little longer. Lily was in a lilac coloured dress made of crushed silk. It had a simple elegant cut that stopped just above her knee and had a halter neck. On her feet was a pair of silver heels, elegant yet sexy at the same time. Her hail was now in elegant curls rather than the thick and normally wilder ones people were used to seeing.
Kathy was in black surprisingly. The top half of her dress was corseted but had straps across her shoulders. "If I don't it'll only fall down!" she told Lily when she asked what the point of the thin straps were. The dress then flared out at her hips in three layers to half way down her thigh. On her feet were black pumps. She refused to wear heels, once again complaining: "I'll only kill myself if I wear heels!"
"Do you think we should head down?" Lily asked checking herself over in the mirror again.
"I suppose, the band has started to play and it's only 3 hours until midnight."
"Don't want to miss the fun do we?"
"Nope. Nor do I plan on losing my bet with Black."
Lily laughed as she led the way down the girl's dormitory stairs. A few steps from the bottom Lily stopped.
"You go first Kat." She whispered fearfully.
Kathy rolled her eyes. "Honestly Lily, and you cal yourself a Gryffindor?" she laughed sliding past her friend down the last few steps. "Come on then." She urged, "Potter's not our here yet."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Lily smiled nervously as she took the last two steps and stepped into the common room. Thankfully people were too busy talking and dancing to notice her entrance. Sighing with relief she smiled a little more and headed over towards the refreshment table with Kathy.
She stood trembling slightly as she sipped her Butterbeer; Lily had never felt so nervous before. Tonight was the night. Tonight she would say yes to James Potter, to the boy she had been saying 'no' to for as long as she could remember. The boy she was once famously quoted for being a 'bullying toe rag' with a 'head so big' that she was 'surprised he could get off the ground on his broomstick' or at least words to that effect. It was then that Lily spotted him standing with his friends laughing at a joke Sirius had just made. He ran his hand through his hair, the sleeve of his black silk shirt slipped up his arm revealing his muscular arms and Lily felt her lips twitch into a smile. His glasses caught the light as he turned his head in Lily's direction, tearing her eyes from him she turned her back topped up her drink. She could feel his eyes on her, but where she would have once felt hate and annoyance only pleasure and amusement could be found.
"He's staring at you..."
"I know Kat." Lily replied with a giggle.
"And you like it…"
"I know Kat."
"And you wanna hold him, and you wanna kiss him and you wanna sha- OW!" Kathy squealed as Lily slapped her on the arm. "That hurt."
"Well shut up then." Lily replied through gritted teeth.
Kathy smirked but said nothing. She knew better than to get on Lily's bad side, she knew her temper better than anyone, well except the Marauders. After all it was mainly them who got the full force of Lily's temper and who could blame her for shouting. Honestly, they thought they were also great, especially Black. At least that was Kathy's opinion.
"Are we going to dance then? You could make Potter jealous by dancing with Jason." Kathy suggested.
"Kathy!" Lily said scandalised. "I couldn't do that!"
"Oh, live a little Lils." Kathy said grabbing Lily's arm and pulling her onto the dance floor they had created earlier.
For the first few minutes Lily danced with little enthusiasm but after a while she got into the music and was soon strutting herself with Kathy and Jason, who though was sixth year was very mature, well at least compared to the Marauders.
"Whatever you do, don't let Prongs turn around." Remus muttered to Sirius with a glance of James' shoulder.
"Why?" Sirius mouthed back before glancing over his shoulder. At once her saw the red head dancing with the brunette boy. An evil grin flashed across Sirius face as he turned back. Lily was dancing with someone else; there was no way he could lose this bet now! "What?"
Remus who had noticed Sirius' evil grin had given him a warning look, not sure if his friend was going to tell James or not.
"What, what?" Peter asked slightly confused.
"Don't worry Wormy." Remus replied.
"Yeah, don't worry Wormy. Moony was just looking at me with that strange look. You know the one Prongs, the one he often has when he's looking at Steele."
"WHAT!?" Remus shouted, his pale cheeks rising in colour.
"Oh…" James said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Looks like you're in on your luck Padfoot, eh?" he laughed nudging Sirius.
Sirius sighed and placed a hand on Remus' shoulder. "Listen mate. I know we've been though some tough times together and we've grown attached to each other, but I am afraid that you're just not my type." He said in a very serious tone that seemed very strange coming from Sirius' mouth.
Remus opened his mouth shocked and unsure of what to say. "B-but…"
"I'm sorry if I led you on Moony. But I didn't mean too." Sirius continued while James and Peter laughed uncontrollably.
"But Pad-"
"Listen Moony. I know I am devishly handsome and have a great body, oh and hair. But you being one of my best mates, it just wouldn't be right."
"Wait, wha-?"
"Moony, Moony, Moony." Sirius cut him short. "It's not that I have anything against you. I mean you're a great guy and all. Not too bad looking. But it just wouldn't work."
"PADFOOT!" Remus finally yelled.
"Yes Moony?" Sirius replied with a pleasant smile.
"Just shut up."
"Okay."
"What?"
"I said 'okay'."
"I know."
"Then why did you say-?"
"Because you never do what I say."
"Yes I do."
"GUYS!"
"What Prongs?"
"Lily… she's dancing…" while Remus and Sirius had been arguing like an old married couple James had decided to search for his favourite lady: Miss Lily Evans. He had found her dancing with a sixth year, but not any sixth year, Jason. Jason was also a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and also, like James played Chaser.
"That's what you tend to do at parties Prongs."
"But she's dancing with Jason!" James said pointing accusingly at the couple his voice full of disgust.
"It's not illegal Prongs." Remus said comfortingly. "Come on lets dance."
"But I don't wanna. Not if it's not with Lily."
"Well try and steal her then." Peter suggested, receiving Sirius foot on his. "OUCH! What was that for?"
"Do you want me to lose my bet?" Sirius hissed as he followed James trying to hold him back.
The rest of the evening followed much the same pattern; James moaning about not dancing with Lily while Sirius restrained him from moving over to her. Lily meanwhile was gradually moving further away from the Marauders on Kathy's orders.
"One: Potter and Black will both think you're not interested." Kathy had prepped Lily earlier. "Two: Potter will be even happier when you actually snog him having ignored him all evening."
For some reason Lily had agreed.
As midnight approached the 5th and 6th year Gryffindor band, 'The Weird Sisters' began the count down to the new year as everyone in the common room joined in.
Sirius grinned evilly at James. "Too bad mate. Guess you'll be telling Snivellus of your undying tomorrow!"
James groaned as Sirius stuck his hands up in front of him and began to put his fingers down one by one as everyone began to cheer.
"12… 11… 10… 9…"
"Go on Lily! Or you won't kiss him in time!" Kathy urged.
"Don't worry. I've got it all planned!" Lily said as she began to move in the Marauder's direction. Maybe moving this far away from the Marauder's hadn't been the best of ideas.
"8…7…6… 5…"
"Don't worry Prongs. It'll only be in front of half the school. The rest are still at home!" Sirius laughed at the look of distraught on James's face.
"4… 3…"
"Faster Lily!" Kathy called as she filled with worry. Lily wasn't going to get there in time. She couldn't lose to Black. She just couldn't!
"I am!" Lily called, panic filling her voice. Maybe James was too far away after all, she reached out in front of her as she heard the room shout:
"2..."
"Yes!" Lily cried as her fingers felt the cool silk of James shirt beneath her fingers. She grabbed James' arm and pulled him around to face her. Standing up onto her tip-toes she locked her lips to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. For a moment James didn't respond shocked that Lily Evans was actually kissing him, but when he realised that this was for real he slipped one arm around Lily's waist and the other around the back of her head.
"1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Sirius stood there his mouth wide open as Lily and James tangled themselves together, a finger still standing erect having never fallen.
"But…" Sirius bumbled with a confused look at Remus and Peter who were both in hysterics at the Sirius misfortune.
"That will be 20Galleons, 12 Sickles and 4 Knuts then please Mr. Black." Kathy said coming up behind Sirius and smiling at him innocently.
"But how?" Sirius asked.
"It's called a bet Black. The person who wins gets the prize." Kathy said, "Oh and look! Potter and Lily are snogging. So that will be 20 Galleons, 12 Sickles and 4 Knuts please."
"I still can't believe you bet Black against me and James." Lily asked as she pulled away from James who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
"Yes." Kathy said smiling as she took the 20 Galleons, 12 Sickles and 4 Knuts off of Sirius. "And here are the 10 Galleons I owe you for our bet that you couldn't say yes and snog Potter before the clock struck twelve."
"You mean there were three bets going on with James and Lily at once?"
"Yup!" Kathy said brightly.
"That's not all." Lily added as she accepted her 10 Galleons.
"What do you mean that's not all?" Sirius asked.
"Well, if I remember the rules of daring and betting. If one person wins then the other has to do the forfeit."
Kathy and James burst into laughter as Sirius jaw dropped again, and now it was his face that was filled with horror and distress.
"Sirius and Snape sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G" Kathy began to sing
"First, comes love" Remus said joining in
"Then comes marriage" Peter sang as he too joined in.
"Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!" the three of them concluded.
"But I can't. It's Snivellus!" he said traumatized.
"That's no way to talk about you're undying love!" Lily said with an evil smile before turning back to James and kissing him once again.
YES! I finally managed to finish this chapter. I can't believe how long it has taken me, I am sooooo sorry.
I was planning this to be the last chapter, but I think I will do Sirius admitting his undying love to Severus because I had a brilliant idea about how to do it… if I can remember it.
I hope you have liked my nearly complete story. Please review or I might take forever to get the final chapter up! No flames please, but constructive crtisism is allowed!
Thank you!
GryffindorAtHeart