A/N: So, the other day I got an anonymous review, basically flaming my lack of a bit of continuity and the fact that one of the parts of this story did not match up. Next time, whoever you are, please leave a link to your profile so that you can show me how it's supposed to be done.

Also, just so you know, I am always looking for a beta. So if you would like to beta- read for me, please PM me!

Now, on with the story! I'm sorry I haven't been updating a lot lately, school has been horrendous.

The next morning, I was in the common room, brushing my long hair out to its rich orange color. James was on the other side of the room, fiddling with what looked like a piece of glass. We sat in silence, neither of us wanting the companionship of the other, yet not wanting to be alone. Finally, James spoke.

"We have to meet with Professor Slughorn today, correct?" Only nine words. James was not normally this quiet. But I didn't really mind.

I replied, "No, Professor Dumbledore is meeting with us today. He wants to know how we are coming along with the ball."

"And am I ever going to learn what we're doing with the ball, or are you just going to do all the work?" he asked, very out of character. I wondered what was up with him. However, I wasn't about to let his attitude get in the way of our work.

"Well, we obviously need to get together at some point today so that I can catch you up. We have to meet him at eight o'clock, so let's meet at lunchtime. We can eat and work."

A wry smile popped up on his face. "Don't you always do that, Evans?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, but you don't."

James allowed himself a normal-sized grin, then picked up his bag and exited our common room. "See you at lunch, then,"

I told him, "Oh, and you might want to bring some parchment. I have quite a lot of notes."

At lunch, after about three hours of absolutely brutal classes- who ever decided that I was allowed to take double Ancient Runes and double Arithmancy on a Friday morning Whoever decided that I wanted to? - I went to the Great Hall to meet Lily. She, like the charming, beautiful witch she is, was already at the table, and it looked like she had already eaten, too.

"Godric, Evans, how long does it take you to eat?" I asked, shocked.

Without waiting a moment, she replied, "Three minutes, twelve seconds, last time I counted." I stared in shock, and she turned red under my eyes. To hide her obvious embarrassment, she pulled out a Muggle notebook and a quill, and pushed them both towards me.

"What the hell is this?" I asked.

Lily eyed the first years sitting near us at the Gryffindor table. "Language, Potter. And they are the notes from Remus, Alice, and me about the ball. You should read them. We were contemplating making it a masquerade ball, which Alice and I really liked the idea of. Remus put his foot down at that one. Apparently there is something offensive about a mythical creature costume ball…" I snorted. I wondered how that conversation went.

"I don't understand it. Personally, I think that he would make a very nice werewolf," I stated.

Lily gasped. "That's what I said! He laughed at that, but still refused to, quote unquote, 'let you birds do something as rude and selfish as allow students to openly mock mythical creatures'."

I had to hold in a laugh. Trying hard to keep my chuckles inside, I opened up the notebook and scanned through it. "These look entirely too complicated, and too much work for a dance. I bet you ten Sickles you wrote that, after the three of you met together."

She blushed again. "They are all good ideas, though!" she defended herself.

"Of course they are," I placated her. She glared at me for a moment, then backed off.

Lily pointed to a list in the book. "That is what you need to do by tomorrow, that is what you need to do by next Friday, and THAT is what you need to do before the end of the month."

I stared at her in disgust. "So, now you just hand off all the work to me? In case you haven't figured this out, I have difficult classes this year, almost as difficult as you do. Why should I do everything?"

Lily punched me lightly on the arm. "Salazar, James, do you really think that I would give you all the work? Do you honestly believe that I would trust you with all that work?" I thought about it for a moment, deciding whether to be glad that I don't have to do that much work, or whether to be annoyed with her comment. I chose the former, and let her insult slide by.

She pulled out a long piece of parchment. "This is everything I have to do."

I stared. "That's easily two meters of parchment, and your writing is freakishly tiny."

She snatched the paper away from me as I reached out to look at it. "I'm going to ignore that last comment, and it's obviously one and three quarter meters." She took one last sip of pumpkin juice, then told me, "I'm going to head to Care of Magical Creatures, and as much as I would hate to ask this, you might as well walk with me. You can ask Remus and me any questions you have on our way, and then we'll be ready for Dumbledore."

I agreed, and we stood to depart form the Great Hall, discussing the ball on the way to the lesson.

It was only when we reached Care of Magical Creatures that I remembered I hadn't eaten lunch.

Damn Lily Evans.