Chapter 11

Slug Club

Disclaimer-Not mine!

(A/N - I decided to split chapter 10 into two parts because I thought it flowed better. So some of you might have already read this...)

Sirius, Julia and Lily sat down on the couch as they waited for James to get dressed. This gave Lily the unfortunate time to mull over what she had just done.

She didn't mind James coming to the Slug Club party with her, she was just more worried about what James thought it might mean.

Lily let out a soft groan when James descended the stairs ten minutes later. Apparently, wearing something decent to him was a half tucked in white dress shirt, a loosely hanging Gryffindor tie around his neck and uncombed hair.

"Looks like you just got trampled by a stamped of hippogriffs." Lily said to James as he approached the group.

"What?" James said, smiling. He knew Lily didn't like his laid back look.

"At least tuck in your shirt." Lily said.

"It is tucked in." He said looking down at his half tucked in shirt.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever..." She said. The sad truth of the matter was, James could get away with a look like that. He had the sort of laid back attitude, not to mention a face and body that would make an ugly, moth eaten, polka dot dress look like the height of fashion for a 15 year old boy.

"You know you like it Evans." James said winking at her.

Lily smiled feeling like their relationship might be back to what it was, just friends. "I guess so. I mean the outfit is definitely you." She said.

"Look at the bright side." James said. "At least I shaved."

Lily eyed Sirius's partly stumbled face and grinned. "Hey now." Sirius began. "It's not everyone who can grow hair like this."

Julia chuckled, "I like it." She said grinning.

"See, the women like it." Sirius said before clamping his lips over Julia's.

Lily and James looked at each other, grinning. "How about you wait until we're safely out of distance before you start making out?" James joked.

"Say should we start heading down now?" Lily asked them.

The group headed down to the dungeon in the most direct root; down the main staircase just left of the common room.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into wearing heels." Lily said slowly making her way down the staircase, gripping the railing tightly as she went.

The group turned around at her comment and chuckled, "Come on Evans you're going to make us late." Joked Sirius.

"They're not that hard to walk in." Julia said.

Lily let out a squeak as she slipped down a step, the heel catching on the corner of the stair. Sirius let out a laugh and James went up to help her, even though she had managed to stay upright.

"Leave her alone. I wanna see her fall." Sirius teased and was sent a death glare from Lily.

"Here's an idea; Why don't you just take them off?" James asked Lily.

"Yeah for a bright girl, you sure lack some common sense." Sirius said and laughed as Lily made a weak attempt to punch him in the shoulder. He backed up a bit, grinning.

Lily stuck her tongue out at him and bent down to take off the shoes. "Just shut up Black."

After Lily had gotten her shoes off, and they were safely hidden in a potted plant, the group headed down to the dungeons reaching it only a few minutes later.

"Nice choice of footwear Evans." A voice said coming from the door into Slughorn's office. A tall blonde haired 7th year came out from the darkness of the room. She looked over the group; a disgusted look on her face.

"Don't start picking fights with me Narcissa." Lily said glaring back at the girl. She was much older than the group; 19 to be exact. She was an intelligent woman and would have graduated years ago but she was too stubborn to do well in classes because she thought none of them would help her once she was a Death Eater. That and Sirius's family wanted someone to keep an eye on him while he was at school.

Narcissa looked over Lily slowly as if trying to intimidate her. But not many things intimidated Lily Evans.

Lily looked back at her, glaring into her eyes. "Why don't you get lost." Sirius said to his cousin.

Narcissa gave a sour smile and stepped away from the doorway. "Go ahead." She said motioning towards the door. "Oh and Sirius, your father says if you don't start answering his letters, you're going to pay the price of it over the summer."

At just the thought of his family, anger started to boil up inside Sirius. "Forget her Sirius." Julia said nudging him towards the door.

Sirius looked down at Julia and nodded, he didn't want to ruin this night by having a row with his cousin. "Right, okay." He said entering the office.

James and Lily followed them in, Lily giving one last glare at Narcissa.

Slughorn's office looked at though it had been magically enlarged. Rich, velvet red curtains hung from the top of the ceiling and draped down towards the floor. The Weird Sisters were playing Goblins Get the Gold in the corner of the room while a long buffet table sat on the other side, a large dance floor in the center.

"Wow..." Julia said looking around. This was her first time attending a Slug Club party and she never imaged anything like this.

"Do you see Slughorn anywhere?" Lily asked ducking behind James. She peered over James shoulders and scanned the room.

"Lily Evans!" Slughorn's voice called form behind her. She let out a loud groan and turned around.

"Hello Professor." She said.

"And you came with Potter I see." He said looking over the two of them.

"Yeah, but we're just friends." Lily said and James frowned.

"Right, right." Slughorn said nodding viciously. "I have someone to introduce you to."

Lily inwardly groaned. This is why she dreaded these parties.

"...That is if Mr. Potter doesn't mind me taking you." He said turning to James.

James looked from Lily to Slughorn knowing Lily didn't want to go with him. "Actually Professor, I've got to talk to Lily about something...important. Maybe later then?"

Slughorn frowned. He gave a nod before walking off towards a group of vampires.

"Thank you so much!" Lily said gratefully.

"Not a problem." James said with a shrug.

"Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starved."

It was absolutely amazing just how much food those boys could stuff into their mouths. It was as if they had a wooden leg, storing all the food they took in it.

"Got enough there Potter?" Lily asked eyeing the mound of food on James plate. The mound being at least five inches high.

"Actually, I kind of want some of whatever this is..." James replied seriously, putting a ladle of thick pasty mashed potato like substance onto his plate.

Lily grimaced, disgusted by whatever he was putting on his plate and led the group over to a couple of open seats in the corner of the room.

The group began to eat in silence, watching the motley group of people attending the party. There were vampires and gypsies as well as several Ministry officers. And the group thought they spotted Erwin Daniels, seeker and captain of the Chudley Cannons.

"Do you want to dance?" A fellow fifth year girl asked James. James wiped his face with his napkin and looked up at her.

"Uh, sorry but I'm here with Lily."

"Oh." The girl said blushing. "Are you dating then?"

"Er, no." James replied.

"Then why can't you dance with me."

James sighed and looked at Lily for help but she merely shrugged.

"Because I promised Lily I wouldn't leave her..." He said lamely.

"So what it'll only be for a few minutes." The girl insisted.

"Oh, well...I guess then..." James said standing up, defeated by the girl's persistency.

"I don't think so Potter." Lily said standing up as well. "Sorry but he's mine for the night." Lily said to the girl.

She frowned and threw Lily as nasty look before stalking off to a group of her friends. "Your's for the night?" James repeated with a smirk.

"Don't give me that look." Lily said. "I was just doing that because you stopped Slughorn from parading me around."

Sirius and James exchanged a glance; both smirking, amused.

"Stop it, both of you!" Lily said catching their looks.

"Your charm might be working on her after all James." Sirius teased.

"My charm is irresistible." James said looking side ways at Lily, his hazel eyes catching hers.

Lily blushed, "Don't start with me Potter."

"She wants me." James said to Sirius.

Julia shook her head as she listened to the three bicker. She just hoped this conversation would remain in a joking manner inside of turning into an argument.

Lily loaded a spoon with mac and cheese and flung it at James. Unfortunately for the small goblin in front of the group, the mac and cheese missed it target and hit the goblin's bald head instead.

James and Sirius broke out in laugher and Julia turned her head to avoid a glare from the goblin. Lily covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh I'm horribly sorry sir." Lily said getting up to help him clean it off. "Really I didn't mean it."

The goblin puffed out his chest and walked away, mumbling angrily about how 'daft red-heads are'.

"You made me do that." Lily said pointing her spoon threateningly at James.

James merely laughed harder. "Nice aiming Evans."

Sirius clutched his stomach tightly not able to talk from laughing so hard.

"If you're angry, no need to take it out on an innocent Goblin." Julia joked.

"I hate all of you." Lily said. Not being able to hold in a smile, she sat down at the table.

Sirius letting out a loud belch, announcing his was done eating.

"What?" He said after Lily gave him a disapproving look. Lily just rolled her eyes and set down her fork, now full.

"Want something to drink?" James asked Lily.

Lily shrugged, "Some punch would be nice."

"Me too." Sirius piped in.

James grinned and said to Sirius, "I have no obligation to get you something to drink. You're not my date."

"Neither am I." Lily reminded him.

James shrugged, "Fine I won't get you punch either."

Lily poked her tongue out at him, "Fine."

James left the group towards the drink table.

"Wanna dance?" Julia asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded and stood up, "Don't be too intimidated by my awesome dance moves." He joked.

Julia chuckled, "I think I might be a little intimidated, after all, you dance rather dangerously." She teased as they stepped onto the dance floor.

"Sorry couldn't catch that." Sirius joked as if he didn't really hear her.

Lily sat, watching the two dance from her seat at the table as she waited for James to come back. "And what is this lovely young lady doing here by herself?"

Lily looked up to see one of the 'Stalkers', or at least that's what her friends called them. They were rude, annoying 7th years who mercilessly hit on Julia and Lily with their pathetic pick up lines.

"Hello Andrew." Lily said recognizing the rather good looking boy.

"Hey Love." He said in an 'attempt to be seductive' voice.

"Don't call me that." Lily said.

"Why not, Love?" He said glancing over at his other jerk friends to see their reaction.

Lily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, deciding to ignore him. "This seat open?" He asked motioning to the chair next to her.

"Yes and this one will be too if you sit down." She replied.

Andrew frowned, "Moody eh?"

"No, I just don't want to deal with your pathetic attempts to seduce me." Lily snapped.

Andrew chuckled a bit sourly, "Funny Love, funny."

"Stop calling me that."

"What's Julia doing with Sirius?" He asked, nodding towards the couple happily dancing.

"It would appear that they are dancing." Lily replied nastily.

Andrew looked at Lily but decided to ignore her edgy voice. "Frank's not going to be happy with Julia."

"Why? It's not like their dating."

"Because Julia is his." He said, taking a drink out of a bottle, no doubt containing alcohol.

"Did you hear me? They're not dating." Lily said. "He has not right to her."

Andrew shrugged, "He's still not going to be happy."

"Don't you have another girl you could annoy?"

"You're the only one Love."

Lily winced as he called her 'Love' again. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" Lily asked distinctively remembering him snogging a girl in the corridor last week.

"So?"

"So, don't you think she'd be upset you're talking to me like this?"

"She won't know."

"What if I tell her?" Lily challenged meeting his eyes.

Andrew glared at her, "You like to start trouble don't you Evans."

"I don't think it was me who started this."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh yeah." Lily said with a roll of her eyes.

"Get out of here Andrew." James said taking a seat next to Lily, passing her a cup of punch.

"Potter what do you think you're doing with my girl."

"I'm not your girl." Lily said. She was getting rather sick of this 'game' they had been playing for years.

"Aw, Love, don't play hard to get." Andrew said.

Lily stood up and turned on him, her wand raised at him. "I told you not to call me that." Lily said.

Andrew looked down at her wand, his eyes half mast. "Whatever, I'll come back for you later," He said turning around. "Love." He added just to tick Lily off.

"Acsentio!" Lily muttered, a dim blue light hitting Andrew in the back. Completely oblivious to the spell cast on him, Andrew continued on his way to his friends.

Lily smirked and turned back to James. "What does that do?" James asked.

"Something very...creative." Lily said, her smirk growing wider.

James laughed, "You're not going to tell me what it does than?" He asked.

"Nah, I might want to use it on you one day." Lily joked.

"I'll look it up later." James decided downing the cup of punch.

"Good luck with that." Lily said.

"Why is that?"

"Took me ages and hundreds of books to find that one."

James chuckled, "I could try anyways."

Lily shook her head and took a sip of her punch. The two sat in a rather awkward silence watching the couples dance to When You Loose Your Wand, a popular, upbeat song.

"How long do you think they'll sit there for?" Julia shouted to Sirius just a foot in front of her, the music blaring loudly next to them.

Sirius looked over at Lily and James, still sitting at the table. "For the sake of both of them, hopefully not long..." Sirius said turning back to Julia.

And Sirius's prediction was right. Lily turned to James after a few minutes of silence between them. "So, you want to dance?" Lily asked.

"Just as friends I'm guessing." James said.

"Well, yeah." Lily replied.

James shrugged, "Sure."

"Come let's find Sirius and Juls." Lily said standing on her tip toes, looking for them.

"Alright," James said looking around too. Lily figured it would probably be less awkward between them if she found their other friends. She knew the awkwardness would be there because of the events that had happened between her and James recently.

"Right there." Lily said finding the two.

"I don't see them..." James said.

"Come on," Lily said taking his hand and leading him towards Sirius and Julia, thinking nothing of holding his hand.

"We were just wondering how long you two would sit there looking pathetic." Sirius teased when James and Lily emerged from the crowd around them.

"Funny Black, funny." Lily said.

The group danced for a good hour. Their feet becoming sore and tired. Finally a break came when the loud, upbeat music turned into a slow paced relaxing song.

"May I be honored with a dance, My Lady?" Sirius asked Julia kneeling down and kissing her hand.

Julia smiled, "It would be my pleasure." She said, Sirius pulling her closer to him.

James took the soft music as a cue to leave the dance floor, seeing as he wouldn't have anyone to dance with.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked James when he turned to leave.

"Sit down I guess."

"Oh,"

"Why do you ask?" James said.

Lily shrugged, "I mean if you want to we could...er..." Lily said frowning.

"You want to dance with me?" James finished.

"Well it's better than sitting at that table by ourselves." Lily said with a shrug.

"Yeah. Right. Sure I'll dance with you." James said walking back to her.

"But we're still just friends." Lily said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." James replied placing a hand on her waist and taking her hand.

James drew Lily close to him and she let out a small whimper as her stomach lurched. She closed her eyes and begged her stomach not to do that again.

"Sirius," Julia said in his ear.

"Hmm?" Sirius asked.

"Look." She said nodding towards Lily and James.

Sirius grinned, "You still think they're just friends."

Julia shrugged, "Lily is awfully stubborn..."

"She'll give in." Sirius said confidently.

"I hope so." Julia said resting her head on his shoulder.

"She will." Sirius repeated sliding his arm lower on her waist.

James heart was pounding and he knew Lily could hear it, her head resting on his shoulder. Why was she putting him through this torture? How could they still be just friends? He thought to himself as he tried to figure out what could be going through Lily's mind.

"Your hand is sweaty." Lily said looking up at him with a smile, breaking the thoughts in James head.

"Oh, er, sorry." James said, running his palm down the side of his pants.

"No, it's fine." Lily said taking his hand again.

The song continued, the musicians hands dancing across the piano. "Do you always get this nervous when you dance with a girl." Lily asked grinning at James. She had thought James was very calm and relaxed when it came to girls but she could tell he was tenser than his usual laid back self.

"Nah, I just get nervous with you." He replied.

Lily looked down at her feet then back up at him, "I guess that's because you really like me then?"

James nodded, "Yeah that and because I've waited a long time for this." He said. "And I don't want to mess up."

"But James," Lily said frowning. "This doesn't mean anything. Not for me anyways." Lily said.

James nodded, "Yeah, I figured."

Lily nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, "But you'll still always be my best friend."

James should of been happy by her comment. Even if they weren't anything more than best friends, he at least meant a lot to her. But that wasn't good enough for James Potter anymore.

"Couldn't it be more?" James asked, swaying gently to the music.

"No James, it can't." Lily replied, closing her eyes.

James sighed and decided against saying anything to that.

"Stop stepping on my feet." Julia teased looking down at Sirius's and her feet.

Sirius chuckled, "Sorry Juls, I've got two left feet."

Julia grinned, "And I'm going to have two bruised feet by the time this is over."

"Come on I'm not that bad." Sirius said.

Julia looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. "Okay so maybe I am that bad." Corrected Sirius.

"You'll just have to ice them later." Julia joked.

"I could do that." Sirius said leaning his forehead against hers.

Julia smiled and looked into his eyes, "You better."

Sirius leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "It can be arranged."

The song hit it's final note and ended. James and Lily pulled apart. Lily looked down at her feet not sure what to say to James. Luckily, she didn't have to say a thing.

"Lily! Miss Evans!" Slughorn said pushing his way through students to get to her.

Lily frowned and turned to the plump man. "Hello again Professor."

"There is someone I want you to meet." He said. "Come, this way." Slughorn said, dragging Lily off the dance floor.

Lily looked over at James and waved goodbye to him. Once she was out of his sight, "Tell Lily I left if she comes back." James said to Sirius and Julia, who still hadn't pulled apart.

"Why are you leaving?" Julia asked, brow furrowed.

James shrugged, "My feet are killing me. Besides, this looks like it'll end soon anyways." He said.

"Alright, later." Sirius said.

"Bye," James said walking away. As he left, he spotted Andrew in the corner of the room, doubled over and wheezing.

"It must have been a hex..." Said one of the Minister workers who was trying frantically to help the moaning boy.

"You have to tell us what's wrong." A women said to Andrew. He blushed and shook his head, too embarrassed to say.

James grinned, knowing whatever was happening to him, was the fault of Lily Evans.


A/N And that's chapter 11! I hope you guys liked it.

In case you were wondering, I decided to spilt the original chapter 10 into two parts because I didn't like the length of it. I think this way works much better.

I've started chapter 12 but I haven't gotten very far. I was kind of disappointed because 27 of you have this story on alert but only 4 of you review last chapter :(.

I write much faster when I get reviews by the way...;)

Thanks for reading. Please review!

Kait