Yay, I'm updating quicker now!!
"Welcome back to another exiting year at Hogwarts!" Professor Dumbledore announced. "I believe that it is now time for the Sorting!"
The first first-year stepped up to the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her ginger head. "Gryffindor!" the hat shouted. I clapped with everyone else. I spotted James sitting down the table from me. He was chatting with Sirius.
The sorting continued, but I wasn't paying much attention. I was trying to summon up enough courage to make up with James. I had spent the whole train journey wondering how to do it, and had finally decided that the best way to go about it was to just go straight up to him and ask him out.
I didn't realize when the sorting ended and Ana started chatting to her.
"So then Gemma went right up to him and…Lily, are you listening?" Ana asked suspiciously. When there was no answer, she added. "Then I got blown up and died." This comment provoked no reaction. "Lily, I knew you weren't listening!"
I came back to the present with a start. "Huh? Oh sorry. I was daydreaming."
"Oh yeah? About what?" Ana asked playfully. "A certain…boy, maybe?"
"I…no!" I denied, but my furiously red cheeks gave her away.
"Who? Not James?" Ana asked curiously.
"Maybe…" I implied.
"Oh, that's great!" Ana said happily. "You two make such a great couple. When…what are you going to do?"
I gave a sly grin. "Ask him out. Now."
"So that's why you were eating so fast!" Ana realised. "Go on then! Ooh, I can't wait!"
I took a deep breath and stood up. I walked casually down the table towards the door. The cowardly part of me desperately wanted to walk right past James, but I made myself stop.
"Hey James." I said casually.
James was frozen for a second. Then he turned slowly. "Me? You're talking to me?"
"Well, yeah, I don't see anyone else called James round here!" I said, trying to keep my voice light and airy.
James managed a weak laugh which sounded like a motorcycle engine trying to start.
"So, you doing anything on Friday?" I asked, trying to ignore my sweating palms.
"Well, yeah, Quidditch prac…" James suddenly realised where I was going with this. "No, absolutely nothing. Nothing at all." He said hastily, shaking his head furiously.
"Well, me and some of the girls are having an early Halloween party, before everyone else does. As there's no one better around, I thought you could come with me."
And with that, I strode off, resisting the urge to break into a run.
James was left behind, staring after me. "Wow." He said. "Did that just happen?"
"Unbelievably, yeah." Sirius replied with a grin on his face.