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Hey hey! Here it is...the master piece! lol

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James had decided that what had happened that morning was something he didn't want the whole world knowing. He got up and moved a few seats down and used the jug of milk from there.

'Don't you think that James is acting a bit weird today?' James heard Remus say.

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Lily sat in her chair facing her bed where her friends were lying on gazing at Lily.. Ami was behind her doing up her hair.

'Oh Lil, you look so old…' Said Alice.

'Old?' asked Lily in surprise.

'Not old as in old, but old as in, as in more grown up…' replied Alice giggling.

'Mature in other words,' Ami said.

'Exactly!' cried Alice. 'Mature. That's the word!'

Lily smiled. 'Thanks guys. You know you all don't have to stay up here. Why don't you all go up to the Gryffindor Tower to get ready for the ball yourselves?'

'Well, you know us Lily, we use magic for things. We all know that you like doing things the muggle way.' Said Ruth.

'That's why muggle born Ami is doing your hair up.' Said Ami from behind her.

'And besides,' said Malana, 'We brought our dresses with us.'

'But won't you have to do your hair up too Ami?' Asked Lily.

'It doesn't take me that long you know. And anyway, I'm just do my hair up in a plain and simple pony tail.'

'Only?' asked Ai.

'Yeah, only.'

'Tchah! You're creative, girl! Do something creative and original!' snorted Ruth.

'It will be creative and original at the Ball because everyone else will have their hair up in, how you would say, nicer and fancier hairdo, that mine will be different.'

Ruth looked at her. 'Good point. Maybe I should do my hair up in a simple pony tail, then that'll also be original.'

Alice laughed. 'Then that wouldn't be original if two people are-'

'Why do you all have to be so…so…logical?' Ruth snapped in a nice way.

Malana smiled. 'Well if you try and be more logical then we won't seem so logical.'

They all laughed.

'Right. That's done then!' Said Ami finally. 'Turn around and face the mirror.'

Lily swivelled her chair to face the mirror behind her.

She gasped. Her hair was done up in a tight bun with a glittering scrunchie wrapped around it. Every single strand of her red hair, which had conditioner applied to it thickly, was in perfect place, not a single strand criss-crossed over another. Looking closely, at her bun, it consisted of hundreds of tiny braids. The ends of each braid was poking out of the bun and hanging down.

'Oh!'

'Do you like it?' asked Ami.

'Do I like it? I love it! How did you do all those braids?'

'Practice.'

'Well you've had a lot of practice then!'

-----

James sat in his room with the Sirius glancing in James's mirror trying to fix his dress robes discreetly. Finally, Sirius sat on the chair and grabbed James's comb and started combing his hair back, going over and over again.

'What's with you Padfoot? Why are you fixing yourself so much when you aren't even going with anyone?'

Remus glanced at Sirius and then at James. 'Are you losing your touch Prongs? He's suppose to do that. He always has.'

'Oh, right.'

'James Potter,' said Remus as he sat next to James on his bed, 'please, just accept, just this once, that Evans is going with someone else.'

James sighed. 'I guess you're right.'

Sirius came and sat on James's other side. 'C'mon Prongs. Even though you won't take anyone else, let's just go out there and have fun. Just have a few hours when you're not thinking about how to get Evans.'

'I suppose you're right too. Let's just hope Peter doesn't start making sense again…'

They all laughed.

'So what are we all still doing here?' Sirius yelled.

-----

Lily and her friends were all ready and made their way to the door laughing together.

They all, Lily in front, exited the room the same time the Marauders exited James's room.

They all went quiet.

James and Lily's eyes met.

'Well, ah,' said Ruth, 'are we going?'

James and Lily's eyes locked into each other.

'Oh yes, right,' said Remus. 'Um Ai?'

James's eyes peering into Lily's.

'Mm?'

Lily's eyes peering into James's.

'Are you coming?'

James and Lily's eye contact did not waver.

'Oh, yeah…' she replied and she joined Remus outside and walked down to the Great Hall with him.

Ruth, Malana, Ami followed suit and walked out. Alice stayed behind with Lily who's eyes were still locked with James's.

Sirius flung his arm up in frustration. 'Let's go Wormtail. Leave this git here on his own.' Sirius dragged Peter with him and left.

'I'd better go too Lily,' said Alice. 'You're not gonna mind are you? I need to meet Frank.'

Lily made no sound.

'Well I'll take that as you don't mind…Well see you Lily.'

There was a moment silence.

James coughed. 'Hem, hi Lily. You - you look great!'

Lily sighed with relief. He wasn't angry at her.

She smiled. 'So – so do you James!'

Silence.

'Well, uh, who are you going to the Ball with? I never got to ask…'

'Oh, er, that's ok. Erm I'm going with White. Charlotte White.'

Her? Charlotte White? I didn't think he'd ask her? After all he's always said he's hated her. Oh well. Maybe he changed his mind. Or maybe she's changed.

'Oh White? Congratulations!'

Silence.

'Well, we're going to be late. We'd better go.'

'Yes, let's go.'

The two of the walked down together to the Great Hall but had a metres distance in between them to show that they weren't going with each other to the Ball. Each tried to start a conversation but didn't know what subject to bring up or how to start it.

When the arrived at the foot of the Marble Stairs, both parted in different ways, Lily to the right, James to the left, and gave a small 'see you.'

Lily found her way to the painting of the African background, the place where they agreed to meet.

Lily waited there standing on her toes scanning around above the heads to see if she could find Drey. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't a very tall person.

-----

James weaved his way around couples laughing together to the corner where White had said where she would meet him. James was nearly there when he stopped abruptly.

Why should I go meet her? I don't want to go to the Ball with her. Who does? Not me!

James had just turned around when a high pitched shriek pierced his ear drums.

'JAMESY! OH THERE YOU ARE JAMIE-POO! I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!'

Damn her! James thought. He turned around and used his acting skills and smiled.

'Hi White! I was just about to go over to look at the other side of the Entrance Hall for you.'

'We said we'd meet here Jamesy-Wamesy.'

'Heh, yeah…right…'

White grabbed his arm and held on tightly as if she was afraid that he'd leave her and rush off somewhere else.

Giggle. 'Let's go wait in the corner shall we?'

Can't she quit giggling? Or has she got some kind of giggling disease. Someone cast the rictumsepre on her maybe…

Giggle. 'Let's go.' She gripped James's arm even more tighter that James was sure that the blood circulation was jammed. She dragged James's to the corner with great difficulty. James could think of two reasons why.

James was deliberately trying to make his feet as heavy as iron to make White very tired so she wouldn't have been able to dance.

The other reason, James thought, is that Little Miss White might break a fingernail…

-----

Where is he? We said that we'd meet here but he doesn't seem to be here yet…

Lily was still craning her neck over all the couples to see if Drey was caught in the crowd. Lily though, had luck against her. She could not find him

-----

When White had finally managed to drag James in the corner, her hair was messed up and there were sweat patches here and there on the back of her dress robes.

James pulled his arm out of White's grasped and shook it around.

'What are you doing Jamesy?'

James really didn't really know what do say. She was so thick that she didn't even realise that she was holding his arm until it was about to drop off.

'Oh, er, arm exercises. Mm, sometimes I um, you know, need to exercise my arms.'

James interlocked his fingers and stretched out his arms and arched his back. He let go again and shook them around furiously, that people around him stepped back a little bit, trying to avoid contact with him.

He lifted his shoulders up and day while nodding his head as if he was counting how many times he was lifting and dropping g his shoulders.

He moved his arms in a big circular motion while muttering to himself.

'Forward two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight …and back two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… and opposite two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and change two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.'

He saw White open her mouth and move closer.

'I-'

Next tactic. He thought.

'And left punch two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight … right punch two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight …'

White moved to the side of him.

'And left side punch two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight …and right side punch two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight …'

Behind the crowd he saw Sirius look his way and sniggered at him. Sirius nudged Peter and Remus and nodded his head at James. They smirked at him.

James smirked back. White had disappeared from his side and he could hear her creeping up behind him.

Never underestimate the hearing of a prankstar! He thought.

'AND ASS OUT! TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT … SIDE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT! OTHER SIDE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!'

'OW! WHAT ARE YOU DOING JAMESY-POO!'

James had got his time perfect! White had just a centimetre between her arms and his dress robes when James knocked White backed when he stuck behind back.

James turned around. 'Oh! I'm sorry White! I didn't see you. What were you doing behind me?'

White muttered something but James heard the words 'hold' and 'snog'.

'Well,' said James, in a most muggle, kindergarten teacher-like voice, 'I was stretching my biceps and triceps, then my gluteus maximus started to hurt so I thought that that needed stretching too.'

White's face lit up, obviously, she thought that James had an acceptable excuse.

She doesn't even know the obvious hints I've been dropping! James thought. I wasn't even stretching my biceps, triceps or my gluteus maximus…thickhead…

-----

Lily had given up on looking for her partner at the Ball and just slumped back on a chair watching everyone around her.

Stupid Drey…he was the one who asked me…nice of him to turn up late…

Lily sighed. She pulled out her small teddy bear shaped pocket watch from her secretly hidden pocket in her dress. I've been down here for half an hour, and he's fifteen minutes late.

The great oak doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall stepped out. The loud noise hushed and she read from a piece of parchment Lily and James had handed in earlier on the procedures of entering the Great Hall and how things where arranged inside.

'Please line up in two straight lines to enter the Great Hall. Inside, you will find a few dozen or so tables. Feel free to site wherever you like. Each table inside sit places for two, or four. At each place there are plates and cutlery with a menu on top. Select what you would like to eat and firmly say it to your plate. The dish should appear promptly.

'Remember, this is a formal occasion and all behaviour shall be monitored carefully. Please mind your manners. Any rule breaking can lead to detentions and house points can be deducted, just like the rules that apply to all Hogwarts students during the day.' Professor McGonagall rolled up the piece up parchment. 'Please form two lines.'

Everyone moved excitedly to form a line.

Lily sighed. Should I wait or should I go?

After some thought she decided to wait. After all, I'd be pretty mad if he had gone in without waiting for me…

Everyone was filing in and soon enough, Lily was left alone in the Entrance Hall.

'Aren't you coming in Miss Evans?' Professor McGonagall asked.

'No Proffesor, not yet. I'm waiting for someone.'

'Wouldn't it be more pleasant to wait in the Great Hall?'

'Yes it would be more pleasant Professor, but if it was me, I wouldn't like to have my partner leave without me.'

'Very wise words Miss Evans. Well good luck.'

Proffesor McGonagall turned and left.

Lily sunk into her chair. What did I do? She asked herself.

-----

James walked into the Great Hall with White hovering at his elbow. He scanned the Great Hall to find his fellow Sirius and Peter. He knew that Remus would have been somewhere with Ai. Finally he spotted the pair and made his way towards them ignoring that White was trying to catch up.

'Hey guys!' He called.

'Hey Prongs!'

'Hi James.'

White came up. 'Hi-' pant '-everybody!'

James ignored her.

Sirius and Peter gave her a sarcastic grin.

'Shall we go get a drink Jamesy?'

'Sure, a drink sounds perfect.' James said. 'Stay here, don't go anywhere. Let's go.'

White stepped towards James.

'Didn't I say not to go anywhere?'

'Ya, but then you said "Let's go".'

'I was talking to my mates, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.'

'Oh.'

James could tell that she really wanted to go with him but he didn't say a thing.

James, Sirius and Peter made their way to the table where the drinks where. They each took muggle drinks. James took Coca-Cola, Sirius grabbed a can of Pepsi and Peter sipped Fanta.

'Merlin, she is so annoying!' James said.

'So we've heard. We saw you in the Entrance Hall.'

'Well, I thought that that would have put her off. But, I'm wrong.'

'Yeah you are.'

'So where's Evans?'

James had just noticed that she wasn't there.

'Oh, I dunno…'

'What do you think happened?'

'No idea. Well I'm off to go find her.'

'So you're going to leave White?'

'Yeah.' He said without any hesitation.

James weaved in and out of people trying to find a certain red-head. He didn't dare ask around in case any girl would tell White. Then again, he wouldn't have minded if White had left him alone.

Finally James decided to go check the Entrance Hall. He didn't know why he was going there but he just had The Feeling that he should check.

-----

Lily had sat there, in the exact place where she and Drey said they would meet for over an hour.

Lily felt a shadow fall over her. She sniffed and said, 'So you finally came.'

'What do you mean Lily?'

'I've waited here for over and hour.'

'For me?'

'Who else?'

There was a slight pause. 'Why would you be waiting for me? I mean, I thought you were going with someone else.'

'Someone else?'

'Yeah, I was - I mean I am – going with Charlotte White.'

Lily frowned. She looked up to who she thought was stupid Drey Kredule. Instead she found James Potter.

'Oh! I'm so sorry James! I didn't know it was you!'

'Well it's me,' he said.

Lily gave him a weak smile and changed back to the position she was in before. Hugging her knees she said, 'I thought he was going to turn up. Well he was the one who asked me to go to the ball with him.' There was a slight pause as something just hit Lily. 'Oh James! I'm so sorry when you asked me to the Ball and I declined because I was already going with someone else. I'm really sorry! I hope you can forgive me.'

James smiled warmly. 'Of course I do.'

Lily felt touched. 'You do?'

'Yes,' came the reply, 'yes I do.'

Lily' lips spread across her face. 'Thanks,' she said.

James sat down next to Lily. 'Who are you going with anyway?'

'Oh, Drey Kredule from Hufflepuff.'

'Him?'

'Yeah him. Turns out that maybe he didn't want to come to the Ball with me. Well, since he's not here.'

'Well there's still someone who would dance with you.' James stood up and stretched his arm out, palm facing up. 'Care for a dance madam?'

Lily slid her hand in his. 'I'd love to sir.'

James led Lily in through the great oak doors, to the centre of the Great Hall. He let go and faced her directly. He bowed courteously at her and she curtsied. He held out his hand and Lily took it.

Together they danced in the middle of the Great Hall smiling.

Thanks mum, James thought, for sending me to ballroom dancing lessons. I guess they weren't so geeky after all.

The two moved gracefully around the Hall, Lily laughing at how much fun she was having, James laughing and Lily laughing.

Finally after a song or two, James was flustered. 'Want to go get a drink?'

'Yes please.'

James and Lily made there way through dancing couples to the drinks table.

'Oh! There are muggle drinks here!'

'Yes I know. What drink would you like?'

'Mm, I'll have orange juice actually.'

James went to grab a glass and poured some orange juice into it. For himself, he grabbed a glass of butterbeer. He walked back over to Lily and handed her orange juice over.

'Cheers,' she said.

'Cheers.'

James and Lily talked about what was so interesting about Quidditch, then the subject moved onto injuries, then St Mungo's. After a while Dumbledore stood up, the music stopped and the Great Hall hushed.

'Please make your way to a seat at one of the tables so we may have dinner.'

Everyone scrambled to seats near their friends.

'Lily felt slightly downhearted.

'Well I suppose that you need to go and have dinner with White.'

'Don't be silly Lily, we can go get a table that sits four,' he said.

Lily, however, thought that this wasn't a very good idea. 'Do you think so? Don't you think that White would, um, be angry with you?'

'I've been dropping hints that I didn't want to come with her.'

Lily didn't mover, she still wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

James grabbed her hand. 'Let's go.'

He leaded her to where he had left White. Surprisingly, she was still there waiting for James.

'Oh there you are Jamey-poo! I was wondering where you were!'

White was about to fling her arms once again around James's neck but he said-

'This is Lily, White. Lily Evans. She's Head Girl this year.'

White shot Lily a death glare.

Lily, who was feeling uncomfortable, forced her face into a smile. She stretched out her right hand. 'Pleasure to meet you White.'

However White did no shake it.

'Pleasure meeting you Miss Evans. I see you are holding my date's hand.'

Lily withdrew her hand from James's. Her hand was shaking from the moment James had introduce Lily to White. She wasn't sure if she should have removed her hand from his grip.

She was about to apologize when-

'Actually it wasn't her White.'

White smiled sweetly at him. 'Oh? And why not?'

'I dragged her here.'

'Wh-'

'Miss Evans, Miss White, Mr Potter, would you care to sit down? We would like to start dinner.'

'Of course Professor. We apologise,' said Lily.

'Please take a seat. There are two tables for two. Pick where you would like to sit.'

White immediately grabbed James's arm and dragged him towards a table. She plonked down in her seat, smirked at Lily and picked up her menu. She decided on what she wanted to eat and looked opposite to start a conversation with him. The only thing was, he wasn't sitting opposite her. He was standing on the side of the table.

'Sorry White. I can't sit here.'

'Oh that's fine. We can go sit there on that other table,' she said standing up.

James stopped her with an abrupt motion of his hand. 'Maybe I didn't make it clear enough. I won't be sitting here,' White opened her mouth but was cut off by a 'with you.'

'Don't worry, you can sit on the other table with me.'

James rolled his eyes. 'What I mean is, I will be having dinner sitting with Lily Evans.'

White opened her mouth trying to say something, but no words came out.

'Close your mouth White, you look like a goldfish.' James turned and left for Lily.

Lily could not believe what she had just seen. James just turned someone don while in the middle of a 'date' without showing any emotion.

James came over and helped her link her arm into his and lead her to a table.

Once they sat down and everyone had started to say (in some cases, yelling) to their dishes for their dinner to appear, Lily decided to speak.

'You know James, I don't think that was a very good idea to do that.'

'Dwoh? Sowwy.' He swallowed. 'What did I do wrong?'

'Leave White on her own like that.'

'Well what was I suppose to do?'

'Sit there and have dinner with her. And act like you were having a great time.'

'No one can have a great time with her.'

'You sound very, um, negative.'

'I'm serious!' Then he launched into the story that happened in the Entrance Hall not very long ago. Lily laughed hard at when James told her about his 'arm exercises' and 'stretching his gluteus maximus'.

Lily however much fun she was having laughing at James's story, could feel eyes boring into her head. She could sense that White was glaring at her. She did not dare to turn around to check if this was actually true or if it was just nerves.

Nerves? Why would it be nerves? She thought.

After Lily had finished her mashed potato and gravy, and James had finished his, steak, meat pie, roasted pumpkin slice and deep fried chicken, they both asked their plates for chocolate and vanilla sundae with sweet strawberry topping.

They talked about favourite deserts until it was time to dance again. Lily didn't think that James could dance anymore after eating so much, but she was wrong and James danced as gracefully as before.

During a waltz, Lily met her friends and talked to them and they were amazed at how well she had gotten along with James. This was the first time since - since forever as a matter of fact.

Something caught James's eye while Lily was talking to Ai. He saw two colours that clashed…two colours which were completely opposite…

'Lily, how about we go that way?' he nodded his head in the direction where he saw that 'thing'.

'Sure! Well, see you later then Ai!'

Lily and James dodged couples dancing, Lily smiling and waved at some people she knew.

'Oh hello Alice, Frank.'

'Hi Lily! Hi, erm, do I call him Potter or James?' Asked Alice.

'Up to you Alice,' Lily said.

'I think I'll call him James, it's nicer and I wont get hurt by eh hem.'

'Nice one Alice,' Lily laughed.

'I thought you hated James Potter Lily,' said Frank Longbottom.

'Well…' said Lily slowly, 'that was the case but things have changed now. For now,' Lily added.

James was growing impatient.

'Uh, Lily, I need to go to the bathroom. I'll come find you after maybe half an hour.'

Lily nodded. 'Ok, sure. I'll just mingle with everyone here.'

'Ok, see you!'

James darted to the direction where he saw the 'thing'.

When James was a few metres away from his destination, he started to hide behind couples, crouching, as he was so tall.

'Well well well,' James smirked, 'What do we have here?' James stepped our from behind a couple.

'This is a pleasant surprise.'

'What do you want Potter?'

'Oh nothing, I'm just, dropping by.'

'Well your drop in has long expired Potter.'

'Ooh, that stings.'

Just then Padfoot came by.

'Hello Prongs,' said Sirius brightly. 'Hello. Snivillus,' he sneered.

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This is getting ridiculous. That's one day stretched over two chapters now (isn't this chapter so long?)…and the night still isn't finished yet…

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