A/N: Well 3 updates in one day. How tiring. You're all welcome. Now I'm pretty sure you're all fed up of me saying MERRY CHRISTMAS! So I'm just gonna skip it…

-CONVERSATION OF THE CHAPTER-

ME: Hello Minnie.

MINNIE: Don't call me that!

ME: I see you got your voice back.

MINNIE: Yes I did, thank you very much.

ME: Okay… no need to shout. You might lose your voice again. Did you know Minnie is a Mouse? That's kind of weird when you think about it as Minnie Mouse is mouse and then you're a cat…

MINNIE: I can shout as much as I want thank you very much! My name is Minerva, not Minnie and to you it is Professor McGonagall or I'll take points away.

ME: Sorry Min- Professor.

MINNIE (HEHE): Hmm… you should be.

ME: It won't happen again Professor. I think you'd better go know. You have a 5th year class of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs to teach don't you?

MINNIE: I do. Good bye.

*Pop! And Minnie's gone.*

ME: Well, then. She's probably not that mean, just to me… maybe. ON WITH THE STORY!

14

It was a good job the 30th of October was on a Saturday. James reckoned they wouldn't have been able to get everything done if it was on a school day.

Molly had baked a cake and it was put on top of a table, Frank protecting it. They had decided to put someone there to guard it so no one would take any while they weren't looking. Frank had been the only option to look after it as it was clear everyone else would take a bit. Frank was probably the most unlikely to take a piece but the cake was too tempting for anyone and James could see a slice of cake missing at the back.

The Prewett twins had come and gone, bringing butterbear and snacks to the common room and dumping them on a few empty tables.

Alice had brought down her radio and turned the WWN (Wizards Wireless Network) on and it started blaring the Grumbling Goblins by the new hit band called the Hairy Hippogriffs.

They danced along as the set up the decorations. Red and gold balloons and banners were placed all around the common room. The biggest banner was placed across the wall above both dormitory stairs with 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIRIUS AND GRACE!' across it. James had wanted to put Gracie on it but the girls refused saying Gracie hated the nickname. James had told them that she secretly loved it deep down and just didn't want to admit it. In the end he gave up and let them put just Grace on it.

Presents had been stacked neatly in the corner, one pile for Gracie and the other for Sirius.

'Nearly done?' he jumped. He had been so focused on putting a banner up and listening to his thoughts that he didn't see Remus approach him.

So surprised, he fell off the ladder he was using (they asked the Prewett's to Transfigure one).

CRASH!

He fell on the floor, dazed.

'Merlin James! Are you alright?' Remus crouched down next to him.

'Yeah I think so.' James stood up and rubbed his back from where he fell.

'You sure?' Remus asked concerned, getting up as well.

'Yeah.' He answered.

'I'm sorry James. I didn't mean to make you jump.' Remus said his voice laced with guilt.

'I'm fine Remus. It was an accident. Don't worry about it.'

Remus nodded and checked his watch.

'Hey everyone!' he yelled, making everyone look at him.

'What?' Marlene asked.

'It's 10 to! Everyone invited should be making their way now. And Sirius and Gracie should be here in around -'

'15 minutes.' Lily interrupted.

'15 minutes? Why?' Peter asked.

'Because Grace is always late.' Mary muttered.

'But Sirius is always on time because he doesn't want to miss anything.' Remus pointed out.

'But-'

'It doesn't matter when they'll come. Knowing them they'll come in between. At 2 and ½ minutes past. Now everyone's arriving.' Marlene said.

'Okay. Everyone hide!' James yelled.

The hole of Gryffindor house had come to the party. Everyone rushed to try and find a hiding place, lots of the older students casting spells to make things bigger so they and others could hide more easily behind them.

Remus waved his wand and turned the lights off. Not 2 minutes later-

'I can't believe McGonagall made us clean the trophy room. Again.'

'I know! My hands are aching! Why couldn't see get us to do something else?'

'Why did we get detention anyway?'

'Because of the fight with the Slytherins.'

'Oh yeah. Hopefully they got a worse detention than us.'

'Yeah. Hopefully. Bat wings.'

They heard the portrait swing open slowly.

'Why's it so dark?'

'SURPRISE!' the lights flickered on and the whole house jumped out from their hiding spots.

Gracie and Sirius had both screamed and jumped backwards in surprise, somehow bashing into each other and landing on the floor in a heap.

'Get off Sirius. You're really heavy.' Gracie's muffled voice said.

Everyone started laughing at them as Sirius got up, holding a hand out for Gracie which she took and got up herself.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' James said happily and hugged them both.

'You did this?' Gracie asked shocked.

James huffed. 'Yes. As well as Peter, Remus, Frank, Lily, Marlene, Alice and Mary. Been planning it for ages. We planned it when we had that little 'Homework Club'.' He said brightly.

'Oh. Thank Merlin. I thought all my mates were becoming nerds.' Sirius sighed with relief.

Gracie started laughing.

'Thank you1 this is awesome!' she yelled and went over to hug everyone who had helped.

'Thanks mate.' Sirius muttered as Alice turned the music on.

'No problem.' He replied.

'This is my first proper birthday party you know? Mother and father didn't really remember my birthday.' Sirius said quietly, looking around the room.

'Well you don't need them now. You have us. And we'll throw you a birthday party every year from now.' James said, seriously.

'Thanks James. But you don't have to be so serious. I'm Sirius. Not you.'

'Sirius, mate that was the worst joke ever made.' James said bluntly.

'Worst joke ever made? You can't be serious?' Sirius said loudly.

'No- yes- no- yes. I don't know! You're confusing me!' James said.

'I know. And it's funny. Siriusly.' Sirius chuckled and then walked off into the crowd.

'I want to speak to you Potter.'

'Since when are we on last name terms?' he asked loudly over the music, turning to face Lily.

'Follow me.' She mouthed to him.

He nodded and followed her out of the common room and into the corridor outside.

'So what do you want to speak about?' he asked her.

'Severus told me that you and Sirius attacked him and 5 others. On the day we planned Gracie's and Sirius's birthday party.'

'What?' he asked astounded. 'That's what he said to you?'

'That's what he said to me.' She said firmly.

'You're joking right?' he asked her.

'Do I look as if I'm joking?' she said, glaring at him.

'No.' he replied quietly.

'Why did you attack him Potter?'

'I didn't attack him. How could I have? I was planning the party. You were their Lily-'

'It's Evans to you know.' She cut in sternly.

He gaped at her, shaking his head.

'Sirius did get in a fight with them-' he started to explain.

'So Black was involved then?' she asked him.

'Yes-'

'I can't believe you would do something like that! He's my friend! You started a fight!'

'I didn't start a fight with them!' he said, losing his temper.

'I haven't been near Snape! Apart from in classes which I don't think count! Snape is lying to you. Sirius and Gracie were the ones who got in the fight! That's why they have detention!'

'I don't believe you Potter. Severus is my best friend and he wouldn't lie to me!' she said.

'Well he is lying to you! There are people who are better friends to you than him and you don't acknowledge them half the time!'

'Oh yeah. And who would that be?' she snarled.

'Gracie. That's why she hangs around with us a lot. Because we're better friends to her than you are,' He said quietly. 'She considers you one of her best friends and you leave her and go off with Snape.' He said quietly.

They stood in silence.

'Bat Wings.' Lily said and walked into the common room again, slamming the portrait of the Fat Lady closed behind her.

James stood there for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts.

'Bat Wings.' He muttered for what seemed like the 10th time in 2 days.

He climbed through the hole and made his way over to the queue for the cake. It seemed as if he had missed the blowing out of the candles.

'Ready for tomorrow?' he jumped for the second time that day.

'I seem to be making you jump a lot today. At least this time you didn't fall of a ladder.' Remus grinned.

'Yeah, lucky.' He mumbled and cut a slice of cake.

'I saw you and Lily leave the common room. What happened?' Remus asked, taking a bit of his own slice of cake.

'Snape told her that it was Sirius and I that got in the fight with the Slytherins.'

'Oh. I'm guessing you started arguing about it?' he said.

'Yeah. I said it wasn't me and that Snape was lying. I didn't want to be a snitch but I told her it was Sirius and Gracie, not Sirius and me.' He said.

'What else happened?'

'I told her about how Gracie was feeling as well.'

'Gracie?' Remus wondered aloud.

'Yeah. You know how she was feeling a bit like left out? I said that to her.' James grimaced.

'That probably didn't go down well.' Remus said, obviously.

'It didn't. She left and slammed the portrait.'

'I wondered what that noise was.' Remus grinned.

'Do you think this will ruin my chances? For tomorrow?' James nervously asked.

'I don't know James,' Remus said sadly. 'But take my advice and go for it. The worse thing that could happen is she says no.'

Remus walked away and joined Peter and Frank.

This was definitely going to ruin his chances of Lily saying yes. But he couldn't back out. That would be coward like and he was Gryffindor, the house for the brave. So he would be brave. He will be brave and ask Lily out in the best way possible (or the best way they could think of) tomorrow on Halloween, Gracie's birthday, in front of all the students and staff in the Great Hall. He would do it.

The worse thing that could happen is she says no.

But after tonight, she probably would say no. But if she did, he wouldn't give up on her. James was determind to try and get her to say yes to going out with him. It might seem a little weird as they were both still 11, but James didn't care. He would wait if he had to. He wouldn't give up.

He looked around the room and saw no sign of Lily. It seemed she had gone to bed early. She was probably hoping to avoid him, or Gracie, which wasn't surprising, as he would probably do the same. All around the room people were laughing, smiling and dancing. A crowd had gathered around the Prewett twins. James couldn't see what was going on, but the crowd was laughing, so it must have been something funny until Molly Prewett came over and started shouting at them, making the crowd scatter pretty quickly. People playing games such as wizard's chess and exploding Snap were in another corner. Groups of people were dotted around the room doing various things, just generally having fun and an enjoyable time. People were dancing and singing loudly to the music, taking sips of their drinks and taking bites of cake and snacks every now and then. To him, it looked like he was the only one not enjoying the party that much.

He's eyes moved to the dance floor again (or just part of the floor where everyone had decided to move all of the furniture for space to dance) and he spotted Sirius and Gracie dancing together.

At something good happened tonight.