My life, is it mellowing out? I think so!

If you can't remember, James and Lily went to the Halloween ball together, until Snape put her under the Imperious curse so he could talk to her. She yelled at him a little, until she stormed out of the hall.

Sirius Black couldn't not have been having a worse time.

It became very clear within the first minutes of the ball that Alice was not interested in him. Period. She had "run to get a spot of punch", when he saw her dancing with Frank Longbottom.

Not that Sirius cared, really. He was proud of his lone wolf like ways, the swelling of pride he had around his friends, and the control of a weakness that many boys find in women.

But that pride seemed to shrivel into an empty clanging when he saw his friends. Remus and Adelaide simply glowed together. It made him gag. James and Evans, well, there were really no good words to describe it. James's odd smirk as if he had won some battle. But it wasn't a smirk, more of a triumphant smile. Evans seemed relatively happy, for once.

Padfoot made his way through the crowd, ignoring wistful glances from some girls, and went to find Wormtail. Peter would make a great partner in creating some master prank to lighten the mood.

Sirius heart dropped when he saw Wormtail dancing with a blushing 6th year. Peter, it seems, had found someone too.

If you have never experienced being alone, while everyone around has someone else, you wouldn't understand what Sirius felt. It's a strange, empty way to live. You feel cut off, like you're viewing life on the outside looking in.

He chuckled at the sight of Peter, and abruptly turned on his heel, annoyed with his companions.

As he turned, he bumped (none too gently) into the back of the rather petite form of the Gryffindor, Celia Vance.

Sirius watched as she straightened her sunflower – yellow dress, and impatiently flicked back her deep brown curls. She spun around, her pale face annoyed.

"Watch it, would you?" She snapped at Sirius. Sirius snorted.

"You were in my way, were you not?" Sirius asked, matching her annoyance.

Her brown eyes flashed in dislike. "Always the gentlemen, aren't you?" She crossed her arms.

Sirius leaned forward, sticking out his chin. "Now was I the one who rudely reacted to an accident?"

Celia clucked her tongue. "You ran into me, didn't you?"

Sirius crossed his arms to match her. "Always the lady, aren't you?"

Celia opened her mouth to respond, undoubtedly with another rhetorical question, but one of her friends grabbed her shoulder.

"Hi Sirius," gushed Celia's friend, blushing. Celia pushed her hand off of her shoulder.

Sirius mustered the best seductive face he could, and fired it at the friend. "Hello, miss."

Celia stared at her now hypnotized friend. She flicked her forehead.

"I – what?"

"Really? Am I really friends with someone that vain?"

Sirius watched as the girls sauntered off in the other direction, with a slight smile on his face, as turned and exited the Great hall.

"Really, I'm fine, let me go to bed!" Lily practically shouted at James, who had followed her out of the hall. She lifted the skirt of her dress, as to more effectively run up the stairs. Her ridiculous green gown was getting in the way.

"You are not fine!" James yelled back, indignantly, also frustrated with his formal attire. "Why did you run out of the hall?"

James quickened his pace. He had suspected trouble the moment he saw her Snivellus take her hand, but he never thought it would be this big of a deal.

"Evans!" He shouted up the stairs. "Be rational!"

She had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady when she spun around. "I am rational! Maybe I just wanted to leave!"

James stopped, and panted, "You were having a great time!"

She shook her head crossly. "You might've been, but I wasn't."

James ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "This is because of something Snape did, isn't it?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Stop it!"

"Then tell me!"

Lily crossed her arms and pursed her lips. James sighed. He started pacing furiously.

"Whenever I'm around you Evans, something always goes wrong and I always try to help you. I can't help you if you won't talk to me." He faced her. "Why won't you talk to me? I'm fantastic with secrets, you know! And - " He broke off, desperately searching for words.

"And it hurts me to know that you don't trust me at all," he said, exasperatedly. His hazel eyes showed that his words were true. "I can't take it Evans, talk to me."

Lily had become less tense during James's speech, but still had her arms crossed. "I don't like to talk much."

James dropped his arms and took a step closer. He hesitated for a moment. "You don't have to tell me, I guess." He looked down, a little disappointed. "I just wanted to know."

Lily tilted her head. "I like to keep some things private, James. It's a problem, I know. I understand if you don't want to stay with - "

James's head snapped up. "You think, that after all this time, I would dump you because you're a mystery?"

Lily blinked, surprised.

James shook his head. "After everything?" He sighed incredulously. "I like that you're hard to figure out. I want to help, but I like that you're complicated. You have depth, you're not shallow. I like you." He smiled crookedly. "Even if you won't talk to me."

Lily's lips parted, confused. "You're not mad?"

"Mad?" James ran another hand through his hair. "I'm furious. I'm frustrated, and I'm a little annoyed." Lily broke their eye contact, hurt.

James gently cupped her chin with his hand, and looked into her eyes. "But I'm also glad," he smiled. "I'm glad, and content, and mystified by you."

Lily, despite everything, blushed, and almost giggled.

"I'm happy with you, Lily," James said. "No matter how infuriating you may be."

Lily blinked, and looked up at James with a startled look.

James dropped his hand from her chin. "What?"

She shook her head. "I – it's just – I think that's the first time you've called me Lily."

James eyes wandered up, thoughtfully. He nodded. "I guess it is." He smiled. "I think I like it better than Evans." He scratched his chin.

"Really?" Lily said, mockingly, crossing her arms. "Are you certain?"

"I'm not sure yet, hold on," He said, facing her. "Lily," he repeated, taking a step towards her.

"Lily," a little softer now, a little closer. Lily's stomach flipped, feeling trapped by the dark light of the hall.

"Lily," he said again. Their eyes met. Lily could feel herself melting.

"Lily," he whispered, with a wicked glint in his eye. He inched closer. Their noses were almost touching in the soft glow of the candle light.

"Lily," he murmured, as he closed the gap between them.

Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, and James grabbed her at the waist, pulling her closer. He was bent over her and she was leaning back, and they were both desperately grabbing each other. They were gentle, but with fire. Calm, but with flame. James kissed her hungrily, and she returned it with equal enthusiasm. James snaked his arms around her waist, and Lily tangled her hands in his hair. It was passion, but loving. The kind of passion Lily needed to survive.

When they finally resurfaced for air, Lily's face was bright red. Both James' and Lily's hair was disheveled, and he front of James' dress robes were wrinkled.

She loosened her hold around his neck, and placed her hands on his chest, straightening the fabric. She felt his lips press down on the top of her head. Instinctively, she leaned her head against his chest, collapsing in his protective arms that still held firm to her waist. James smelled of something nice, something familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Lily," he muttered, into her hair. "Definitely better."

AWW. Wasn't that special? Why doesn't this sort of thing happen to me?

ANYWHO, you should review, and I'll love you forever!

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