Chapter 6

James got up and walked over to Lily's door.

"Lily? Open up, please?" he asked. The door opened long enough for him to get in, then slammed shut immediatly after he entered.

"Lily?" James asked. Her head lifted from underneath her blankets. James walked over and sat down on the bed.

"Please leave me alone." Lily said.

"Lily, what's wrong? It's just a detention."

"Just...just a...JUST a detention?" Lily asked. James jumped at the venom in her voice.

"Well...haven't you ever had a detention before?" James asked.

"No...Of course I've never had a detention! I'm a straight A student with a clean re-"

Lily was cut off as James leaned over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

When they broke apart, she smiled softly.

"I guess it's alright..." Lily said. She got up and they went back to the group.

"I'll be right back..." James said, dashing out the door.

He came back minutes later, panting, but smiling.

"Okay, I have detention with you tomorrow night, Lils."

Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Hey. Don't I get a 'Thanks James?'"

"No."

"Gee, thanks." James said, sitting down beside her and throwing an arm around her shoulder.

Amanda and Jasmine exchanged surprised glances when she didn't shove him away.

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For the next few days, James, Sirius, and Remus hung around the girls. They surprised the school by allowing them to stick around. The entire school was whispering about them. Lily, Jasmine, and Amanda were just not the kind of girls who would befriend the Mauraders. But then again, Lily, Amanda, and Jasmine weren't exactly acting like themselves lately.

At Potions one morning, James and Lily paired up. Jasmine and Remus had been working together for a few weeks. Sirius and Amanda had began to work together after a while, which forced James and Lily to partner. Not that either minded...

"Hey Lils? Do you er...Do you want to come to the Christmas Ball with me?" James asked her that day.

Lily's head jerked up. She had been finishing up the potion, for the bell was going to ring any minute.

"Me...ball...you?"

"Yes." James said.

Lily blushed a deep crimson and became very uncomfortable.

"I..er...I...can't." she said.

"Why?"

"I already promised...Zach Heffernan. From Ravenclaw?" Lily said softly, obviously regretting this.

"Oh." James said. He was angry and upset. The bell rang and he dashed out the door, leaving Lily to pour the potion into a beaker and cork it for Professor Slughorn.

He ran straight to Divination, which he had with only Sirius. Amanda, Lily, Jasmine, and Remus had all given up on it. Very unfortunatly, James and Sirius had actually passed their tests last year.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Sirius asked, in the middle of class.

"I asked Lily to the dance, and she said no because she already has a date." James said glumly.

"Who?"

"Zach Heffernan."

"That prat? Him? From Ravenclaw?"

James nodded, and Sirius burst out laughing.

"What does she see in him?" he asked, inbetween laughs.

"No idea."

------

At lunch, Lily marched over to James, an angry look on her face.

"Zach is in the Hospital Wing. Did you have anything to do with it?"

"Surprisingly, no." James said.

Lily stared at him.

"Honest! I didn't do it!" James said, holding up his hands. Lily glared, before walking back to Amanda and Jasmine.

"Girls."

Sirius nodded."Girls are bloody complicated!"

Remus, who had been watching Jasmine, jerked his head up.

"Huh? What'd I miss?"

"Nothing." James said.

"Well, except for the fact that Lily was accusing James of putting her date in the hospital wing." Sirius said.

"Stuff it, Padfoot." James said, stuffing two rolls in his mouth.

"Ey ha ast vy nce!" Sirius said, through his mouthful of food. (Here, I'll translate, because Remus and James understand him. He said,"Hey that wasn't very nice!")

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Three days before the Christmas Ball, there was a Hogsmede trip. Everyone was getting dresses or dress robes. Lily came up to James, while he was leaving Zonko's.

"James...I...Do you still want to go with me to the dance?" Lily asked.

James was completly taken aback.

"Of course. But what about Zach?"

"I caught him snogging Hallie Martin in a closet the other day."

"Oh. I'm sorry." James said, pulling her into a tight hug. Lily was surprised, but wrapped her arms around him, loving the safe feeling she got whenever he touched her.

"So...have you already gotten your dress?" he asked her.

Lily nodded.

"Can I see it?"

"Of course not." Lily said,"It has to be a surprise."

"Of course..." James mumbled.

"Well, I'll see you later." Lily said, standing up straight and giving James a kiss on the cheek, before running back to Jasmine and Amanda.