-CONVERSATION OF THE CHAPTER-

ME: I want a unicorn, some chocolate frogs and to be a witch for Christmas Santa! (Father Christmas)

DUMBLEDORE/SANTA CLAUS: I'm very sorry but I'm not this Santa person you speak of and I can sadly not get you those things, thought I can give you a sherbet lemon.

ME: You're not Santa? Noooo! You look liked him though! But I'll have a free sherbet lemon if you're offering.

DUMBLEDORE/SANTA: I repeat, I'm very sorry but I'm not Santa. I am Albus Dumbledore. Here's a sherbet lemon, not many people enjoy them very much.

ME: I know you're Dumbledore. And thanks.

DUMBLEDORE: But I thought you thought I was Santa?

ME: Well if you're not Santa, then you have to be Dumbledore. You know because of the white hair and beard?

DUMBLEDORE: Ahh.

ME: Yeah but just so you know both you and Santa are pretty cool.

DUMBLEDORE: Thank you very much.

ME: You're welcome. Good bye San- Mr Dumbles.

DUMBLEDORE: Good bye.

ME: ON WITH THE STORY!

15

Today was the day. James had woken up earlier than usual (especially on a weekend). He went down to breakfast and lunch, but never ate anything, which was a first for him.

After lunch, Gracie, Sirius, Peter, Remus and himself had gone into the 1st year boy's dormitory.

'Right James, get changed.' Gracie said shoving his dress robes his mother had sent over to Hogwarts a few days previously.

'Alright.' He slipped into the bathroom and changed into his black dress robes.

He decided not to look in the mirror.

Slightly smiling, he walked out of the bathroom and back into the main part of the dorm.

Sirius whistled loudly.

Gracie and Remus started laughing while James's cheeks turn slightly pink.

'Right sit down.' Gracie said waving her hand towards a chair placed in the middle of the room.

He sat down carefully, trying not to crease his robes.

'Right,' Gracie muttered. 'Peter, brush.'

James couldn't see what was happening behind him and he was starting to get worried about what was going to happen.

James heard something being picked up and then his hair was pulled back.

'Ouch!' he shouted. 'What are you doing?'

'Brushing your hair.' Gracie said and raked the brush through his hair harder.

'It hurts!' he said, raising one of his hands to rub his head. But it was slapped by how he could only guess by Gracie.

'Don't touch.' She hissed.

'That looks painful.' Sirius said.

James nodded, eyes painfully watering.

'Shi-' he heard then a small slapping sound. 'What was that for?' Gracie yelped.

'For swearing.' Remus said sternly.

'But I didn't swear. Only nearly.'

'Yes, but you were going to.' Remus replied.

'Why did you nearly swear in the first place?' Sirius asked.

'The brush is stuck in James's hair.' Gracie said sheepishly.

'STUCK?' he bellowed.

'Hey! It's not my fault your hair is a right tangled mess!' Gracie said loudly.

'Just try and get it out please!' he asked her desperately. What if it was stuck there forever?

'I'll try.'

A large tugging on his hair and he let out a tiny noise of pain.

'This is gonna hurt.'

'No.' he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

'No need to be sarcastic! Sirius, see if you can find a pillow.'

'A pillow Gracie?'

'Yes a pillow Sirius.'

Sirius walked away and returned a minute later.

'Shove it in James's mouth.' Gracie said, before they could start asking questions.

'Bite down on it James!' she said helpfully as the pillow Sirius had brought was shoved in his mouth.

'Now tug?' Remus asked.

'Now tug.' She answered.

James bit down on the pillow for what seemed an hour until the pillow was taken out of his mouth and the brush out of his hair.

'You're lucky not much out your hair came out.' Gracie said, giving the brush back to Sirius to put back.

'I could just imagine him with a massage bold patch on the back of his head!' Sirius laughed.

James turned around and glared playfully at him.

He stood up from the chair and looked at Remus asking, 'What time is it?'

'We have an hour to go.' He said simply, but this sentence sent everyone into action.

'Sirius and Gracie, you both need to head down to the Great Hall and set up the Fireworks. Remus remember you're doing the writing in the air. Peter you'll carry the chocolates and Lilies and pass them to me when I ask Lily. We 3 will head done in 30 minutes. Okay?'

'Okay.' They all replied.

Gracie and Sirius immediately both dived under Sirius's and James's bed and pulled out large boxes of Fireworks.

'Be careful and try not to set them off on your way down. Try to remain out of sight, no one can see you.' Remus said before the two of them left.

'Yes sir.' Gracie said for both of them and even added a salute in.

'Wingardium Leviosa!' Gracie and Sirius waved their wands and the Fireworks began to float in the air.

'See you down there.'

They both left.

Peter went over to the window sill and removed the white Lilies from the vase of water they had placed them in. frank had stared at them questionably when they brought them in the dorm but had not asked why.

Remus picked up the large box of chocolates.

'Does my hair look alright? None missing?' he asked, running a shaking hand through his hair.

'It looks fine. Well just messy than it usually does. But fine.' Remus reassured him kindly.

'We should go down.' Peter suggested.

James nodded and left the dorm and common room, making his way down the floors of the castle staying out of sight with Peter and Remus.

When they got down there, the hall was full of students and Sirius and Gracie both stood outside the great hall, next to the open doors.

'The doors will stay open during the feast,' Gracie informed them as soon as they got in whispering distance. 'We just press the button when we're ready and they should go off in the entrance hall and make their way into the Great Hall. Sirius and I are going to stay outside, hopefully McGonagall or any other of the teachers don't notice us two our missing.'

Thumbs up were given and Peter, Remus and himself entered the hall.

They sat down around half way down the table, James purposely sitting on the same side of the bench as Lily.

Half way through the feast, Remus nudge him under the table with his foot and nodded towards the directions of the great hall doors, giving the signal to the two waiting outside. Now was the time. And it was too late to turn back.

James stood and awkwardly cleared his throat.

He walked towards Lily and stood behind her.

He tapped her shoulder and she turned around.

'Yes?'

'Well Lily…' he said.

Remus and Peter had come up behind him and stood next to him.

He turned to Peter and took the Lilies and chocolates off him.

He turned back to Lily and smiled nervously, now noticing the whole hall was watching silently.

'For you.' He muttered and gave them to her.

Remus waved his wand and the words 'Will you be my Girlfriend?' appeared in the air.

He heard many girls said aw which made him shift uncomfortably.

She opened her mouth-

BANG!

Dozens of Fireworks littered the hall. Red, blue, green, yellow, silver, orange, purple, pink and more colour appeared around the room in sparkles. They fizzed and cracked, some spelling out words (JILY!) or pictures (Hearts). Rockets whooshed, leaving a tracks and trails behind them. Some bang and disappeared, others just going off and multiplying, getting bigger and bigger. Catherine wheels twirl in the air, showing off different colours. Smaller ones just sparked and died out.

Students watched with awe and jumped up, either running away from the Fireworks and trying to find cover (most hid under the table) or some ran around chasing the Fireworks, laughing.

The teachers started to put them out but more kept coming, blinding everyone with light. James couldn't help be impressed. Sirius and Gracie must've spent an absolute fortune on them.

He turned back to Lily who was frowning, but seemed to have a small ghost of a smile on her face.

'No.' she mouthed and dodged through people and out of the hall.

Disappointment filled his whole body.

He sat down and sighed, placing an elbow on the table and putting his chin on his palm.

This hadn't been a good idea. The worst had happened. Lily had said no. he barely noticed Professor Dumbledore sending out all of the students from the Great Hall and Peter and Remus sitting next to him.

'Alright mate?' Peter asked quietly, glancing around the room watching the remaining last Fireworks that two of his friends had stopped letting in.

James shrugged. 'As good as I could be I suppose.'

'Sorry to hear what happened mate.' Sirius had joined them.

James nodded.

'At least part of your bit was complete, eh?' Sirius grinned.

'Hmm?'

'You know how you had to ask Lily out and if she said yes I would have to ask Gracie out or dress as a girl?'

'Oh yeah.'

'Where is Gracie anyway?' Remus asked, noticing she wasn't with them.

'She went upstairs with Lily when she came out of the Great Hall.' Sirius replied.

'Oh.'

'Lily didn't say yes though.' James aid suddenly.

'She didn't.' Sirius said slowly.

'So you don't have to ask Gracie out if you don't want to.' He said.

'Oh yeah, you're right.'

They sat in a comfortable silence. They stayed silent, each one busy with their own thoughts for around 2 hours before one of them made the move of going back to the tower.