"Look Cailin, Lee, Alice, you're my best friends, but I'm prefect and I have a job to obtain. I suggest you move along before I'm forced to give you detention." she warned as we put our wands away and stalked past Lily, knowing what was good for us, and our health.
"Now, you three. The other day, I couldn't do anything, now I have a reason to send you to detention. Sirius, one week, Remus you're a prefect and should know better, so I'll let you off the hook this once. And Potter… two weeks." I turned and laughed aloud at their expression as I congratulated Lily.
"Good on ya' girl!" I smiled and high fived Lee as we smiled and laughed.
"I'll let Mr. Filch know you'll be checking in for detention starting tonight." she replied coldly as I heard James' protests.
"Why do I have two weeks when the others don't?" he whined loudly as I smiled as turned round for the last part to watch his expression change. I could see it already.
"Because I don't like you."
The first day back I was treated like a hero, with Lee making jokes at my every expense and the houses debating over which they though were to blame. Ravenclaw had sided with Sirius, as all the girls went swooning over him at every chance they got. And Hufflpuff stuck to the side of truth and sided with me, where as though some Slytherin refused to take any side with a mud blood on it, most would rather agree with scum then be caught coinciding with their main threat, Black, so I won that debate too.
Now the real problem. We had two weeks until Hogwarts annual Christmas ball right before the break, and Lee and Alice had already taken to their dates. Alice, a handsome boy named Frank Longbottom, and Lee was going with some Ravenclaw, Sean, that was his name. With shaggy brown hair that fell slightly into midway of his face and a towering figure, deep brown eyes and Ravenclaw's best beater.
Lily hadn't had the chance to be asked out by any of the boys, which were quite a few, because Potter kept scarring the works of them off, even when she thought she was safe, James had a way of getting a message across to people. And me, well I just scarred enough of them that bothered to ask me or was too busy with other things. Like Jonothon Mavril from Hufflepuff, he tried to ask me when we were duelling in DADA and ended up being hexed.
Or Donavon West from Ravenclaw, he snuck up behind Lee and I and we put him in the hospital wing for two days. The latest had been David Kennedy, a sixth year Gryffindor, like us. He was fit, around five foot eleven with shaggy blond hair and dazzling blue eyes. With a winning smile and an overpowering charm.
Surprising, he asked and I accepted unscathed. This time, it was strategic. He had handed me a flower after our last class on Friday and walked away with a smile, leaving the girls and I to laugh at the random act of interest. Later that night, when I put the single white rose in a vase of water, it opened up to reveal a message in sparkling writing, Cailin, You outshine the most magnificent flower in many more ways than one, would you do me the honour to be my date to the Christmas Dance?
Saturday morning came, and as I passed him in the common room, his friends watched interested as I walked up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his for a lasting first kiss that would go down in the books before turning to him and pulling his forehead to my own. With eyes to match the stormy blue waters on a sunny day, I smiled and whispered sweetly in his ear, "I love white roses."
And now, a week later, I'm getting ready for our last trip before the Christmas Break, and Lily, Alice, Lee and I had yet to get our dresses for the dance coming up on Friday.
"If you don't hurry up Alice we're going to leave without you!" I called out while looking from Lee to Lily and rolling my eyes in annoyance. She was meeting up with Frank later that afternoon and they were going out for a drink while we finished Christmas shopping.
"I'm coming!" she called as Lily launched herself into another heated discussion about Amos Diggory, the boy that had finally managed to get through the Lily before James could scare him away. And now, she had herself a date and James was going to be lonesome at this dance again along with Peter, for Remus had even found himself a date for the dance.
Walking out, I smiled as Alice giggled in her short plaid skirt and black jacket. Her face lightly dusted with makeup and her hair curled delicately around her face and her eyes vibrant with excitement. "Wow Alice, you look amazing." Lily was first to speak as I sat on my bed and leaned casually against my bedpost.
"Yes, we've established that. And Alice, as beautiful as you look, we really have to get going before we have a run in with a hundred other girls trying to get dresses." I countered, ushering them all towards the door as Lily turned on me suddenly with a determined set glint in her vibrant green eyes.
"You know, we've known about this dance since November. All the girls in the school have their dresses picked out already. So I don't see what the real rush is." with her hands on her hips, I turned to Lee who shrugged her shoulders, and Alice, who was still grinning madly. No help at all.
"Fine, I'm undoubtedly and irrevocably impatient and if you three don't move your bloody butts out that door and off towards the front of the school, I will personally make sure that if I don't look decent for my date, you all never will." with a satisfied smile, Lily stepped forwards, linked her arms with Alice's and walked out of the room with Lee and I trailing close behind.
The stairs were winding, stone and granite carvings along the side giving it character as we stepped into the warm common and cringed when we saw the Marauders sitting around the fire place. Everyone else was in Hogsmeade. But sure enough, there was Sirius with another girl on his lap and James with a piece of parchment paper in his hands and a satisfied expression on his face.
Shaking my head, I watched as suddenly, Lily began to saunter towards the boys and I could feel Lee almost freeze over completely as I pulled her forwards. As Lily turned on the lot of them, I saw her eyes flash the knowing glint, that she knew this wasn't the best of her ideas. "Remus, I'm going out with the girls, so could we possibly switch shifts. I'll take the later one and you can patrol earlier. It clears up the rest of your night."
With a smile, Remus nodded his head in agreement and shot a look between James and Lily who were now glaring at each other. Potter in a more jokingly matter then Lily's angered one. "Thank you Remus." she stated sharply before walking towards the common room door, Lee and I closely following.
"Hey Faine!" I heard a voice call out behind me as I half turned to listen while letting Lee drag me away.
"What Black?" I called out back, drawing most of the attention of the common room at our exchange.
"I heard you were going to the dance with Kennedy!" he yelled as I tried to hide my smile. David and I had agreed to keep everyone watching and waiting instead of telling anyone and confirming it. So with a sly smile, I turned on him and looked him right in the eye.
"What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth." I called back with a laugh as Lee gave a mighty tug and tore me from the common room.
Catching up to Alice, I could already hear her going off about Frank taking her to the Three Broomsticks as Lily made a comment about stopping at Honeydukes when I turn to Lee with a smile. "We've got to stop in at Zonko's and pick some stuff up. We'll head out after picking up our other things." with a nod of her head, Lily turned on us and asked if we wanted to head to Honeydukes with her when Alice went to go with Frank later on.
Agreeing quickly, the conversations dragged on, as sure enough. Soon we were passing the Three Broomsticks as Alice was practically bouncing past with a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Walking past Scrivenshaft's, we walked towards Dervish and Banges and stepped into the older shop that looked run down and beat up. Hardly anyone came in here, but they were always pleased when they left. "Piper, are you sure this is the place. It doesn't look like it will do us very good." Alice said, her voice slightly defeated as I turned and smiled at her.
"That's because you have to know who to call." I smiled as Lily looked at me incredulously and shook her head. "Ally Ally Valentine, come on out, I'll make you mine. Give what I request of you, and I'll tell you all the things we'll do." Lee, Alice and Lily looked at me as if I had just lost it as I walked up to the front desk and knocked on it four consecutive times before ringing the only thing left on the desk. A small bell, rusted and worn.
Suddenly, their was a creak and crack as all three of the ones behind me cringed and took a step back when I watched Tim step out from behind the door and lean casually against the frame, a smile playing on his perfect lips. Tim Alvantine, in all his golden lock glory and green, stormy eyes. He was a natural playboy with the perfect looks, but to me… he was a life long friend.
"Caily Caily where'd you go, tell me all the secrets you know. I'll always be your special man, sit down and we will make a plan." his devilish grin was all too familiar as I ran forwards and wrapped him in a heavy hug as he lifted me up and swung me around. "I haven't heard that one in forever!" he called out setting me down and pulling me closer in a crushing embrace.
Laughing, I pulled back and turned to the girls as they starred with opened mouths. Tim had always been something to look at, and with his clean shaven self once again, even more so. I turned to Lee as she looked me in the eye and a grin tugged at her lips. She knew how many people I had known before things turned. I was one to easily weasel into people's hearts, and once you were in, there was no way out.
"Guys, this is my cousin Tim Alvantine. Tim, this is Lily, Alice and Lee." I smiled as Tim stepped forwards and kissed the hands of my three friends.
"It's a pleasure my ladies." he grinned and winked as Lee rolled her eyes with a smile and he took a step back, turning towards me. "Seeing as you softened me up with Ally Ally Valentine. I presume that there's something I can do for you ladies."
"You know me all to well Timmy." I smiled as he shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the desk casually… just like things use to be. Carefree and easy as pie. "We're looking for dresses…" I smiled as he rolled his eyes.
"But not just any dresses. Your looking for the dresses." he shook his head as I shrugged and a grin tugged at my own lips.
"You think you can help us?" I asked, already knowing that he would do anything for the girl he grew up with.
"I'd answer, but you already know the answer to that don't you?" with a snap of his fingers, we weren't in the same old shabby and rundown store. We were in a fluffy and filled dress parlour, with everything from ball gowns, to wedding dresses hanging from the walls around us.
"You own a dress shop?" Lee asked incredulously with a tinge of sarcasm as Tim turned to me with a smile before looking back to her. Snapping his fingers again, everything changed as we were surrounded by Quidditch supplies, then again, and we were standing within the midst of a ton of books.
"I own whatever kind of shop your looking for love." he smiled and changed it back to a dress shop as Lily and Alice stepped forwards and grabbed the material of a long and full ball gown. With a grunt, Tim walked over and starred down at her with an amused gaze when Lily didn't realize he was standing right next to her. "Excuse me miss…" he drawled out as Lily jumped slightly and turned to him with crimson cheeks. "I was just wondering if you were going to a seniors' party?"
Blushing a deeper red, I jumped up on the stool and leant against the long table, watching her reaction in amusement. "Uh… no." she answered as Tim swatted her hand away and put both his hands on her shoulders, leading her towards another wall full of lovely dresses in all shapes and colours.
"Your going to a dance, so you need to look like your going to a dance. This is the rack you want to look at." Lily thanked him and dove in as Lee was starring at some shall when he walked over and asked what on earth she was doing.
Tim wasn't gay, or a feminist, but why not ask the opinion of a boy when your dressing for a boy? "I think this is a nice dress, but I haven't any idea how I would put it on." Lee frowned as Tim burst out laughing when she sent him a deadly glare.
"Love, this is a shall, for like… gramdmothers. Like Lily, you need to dress for a dance." he said with a smile and doing the same thing to Lee he did to Lily. "You want to be over here." he pointed her to a wall as he looked around for Alice to see that she had three choices laid out before her already.
With an impressed look about his face, he sauntered over and inspected her choices. One pale blue dress that clung to her body and flared out when it met with the floor. With one, thick strap and glitter running in waves up the side with a long slit about the other. The second was short and pink, with two spaghetti straps and a tie in the middle before it flared out to above her knees when it cut off. The last was another pink dress that had much the same style as the first, but was darker and slightly a little more elegant.
"Go with the long pink one. It looks better with your body type." he said while patting her back lightly and turning just in time to see me with a bright smile. Walking over, he and I locked eyes and by the time he was next to me, Alice, Lily and Lee were already heading towards the dressing rooms with all of their possible dresses in hand.
"Thanks mate, I really appreciate it." I said with a smile as he followed my gaze to Lee's laughing figure as she found a tall top hat and pulled it on with her purple dress. "I don't think I've seen them this excited in a while."
"What can I say… I'm brilliant." he smiled as I pushed him playfully and he turned to me with a sympathetic lopsided grin. "What happened?" he asked as I looked the other way. "I haven't seen you in a while." he commented as I sighed.
"Things are changing cousin. There not the same they once were and it's hard to keep up with everything." I smirked before adding. "I can't keep them safe and still know what to do about everything else falling abart around me." I sighed as Tim wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"You know we're not actually related." he chuckled as I nodded my head with a smile. "Remember when you were nine and I was eleven, and we promised each other that if anything ever happened and we never found our true loves… after twenty five we'd get married?" he offered as I gave a hearty laugh, remembering the days when everything was so easy.
"We'll I'm always here for you shorty, and you have to know that." I nodded my head as he punched me playfully. "You've just got to drop that ridiculous pride of yours and let somebody in close enough to help." he added in a whisper as he took a step away, my hand in his as we approached a single wrack of clothes.
"Now, a dress for the hobbit." he smiled as I shook my head at him.
"What are all of these?" I asked as I ran my fingers through the soft materials of the clothing.
"Somehow, I knew you'd come back. So I had things sorted out for when you did." he chuckled when I looked to him incredulously to find that he was looking behind me. And when I turned, I was shocked myself to find the three behind me decked out in the most beautiful gowns I had ever seen.
"You guys look brilliant!" I smiled as they stepped forward and looking between me and the rack with a confused look on their faces.
Lily had her bright auburn hair tied up behind her for convenience and was wearing a long, hugging green dress that matched her eyes. With spaghetti straps and a black ribbon that tied right under her chest, and a knee high slit up the side of her left leg. The fabric silk and glinting in the light.
Alice had dressed in the pink floor length she had chosen earlier that wrapped around her figure and Lee was wearing a purple dress with beautifully encrusted sequins along the right side that flared out at her hips, making it look as if she were wearing a modern ball gown… but it flattered her body nonetheless.
"You don't have your dress yet?" they asked in sync as I shrugged my shoulders. I had never really been one to dress up, as a matter of fact I haven't met anyone that wanted to take me out to an occasion or place
"No, the lazy little skiver thought she was going to get off easy. You better put her to work girls. It looks like I have other company." he smiled as the girls turned me towards the rack and we poked throughout the selection, smiling as I watched the others look intensely, a keen glint in their eyes.
A smile was on my lips as I thought back to all the times we had spent our weekends like this, and non of them had I ever remembered being so different. "Wait…" I paused as the others turned and looked at me with a confused expression. "I don't even think anyone else knows about this place other then me." I mused as my voice wandered off and I turned to see who had stopped in.
Never the less, I found my gaze locked within the last person's I ever expected would saunter into a place like this.