The feeling of discomfort bugged Lily all week. She couldn't sleep and could hardly eat. This bothered her friends so much that Remus decided to force her to eat.
"Lily, what's wrong?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Why?"
"You won't believe me."
"Try me."
Lily gave an exaggerated sigh.
"I told you, ages ago, I think that something bad is going to happen."
"You're just being paranoid."
"See! See! You don't believe me!"
"I believe that you are being paranoid. Besides, you have to eat. If I don't see you eat, you won't see the next sunrise."
Lily stubbornly ate her steak and kidney pie. Satisfied, everyone else returned to their meals. And that was the end of that conversation.

He stumbled down the dark, ivy covered pathway, his cloak floating behind him. It annoyed and scared him to bits. He felt as though it was a person behind him, watching, waiting for a chance to strike.
"ARGH!" With a tearing sound, the cloak was ripped off and thrown to the ground. He hurried off, already ten minutes late. Then, thinking better of it, he came back for his cloak. The overgrown path hid snakes of monstrous sizes, and the man knew it. He trembled and then he broke into a run down the path. He slammed into the iron gate. The man controlling the gate sniggered.
The man on the ground got up and glared at him.
"Oh, right, er, go right through," said the man controlling the gate. It didn't open.
"Right through where?"
"The gate, of course!"
"I just smashed into it and you're telling me to walk through it? Don't you see this lump?"
"Well, it's like the Hogwarts Express barrier. You know, the train for wizarding students," he added at the man's confused look. "You can run into it any old time, but it's only on September 1st at 9 to 11:30 am that you can go through it."
"So should I wait until September 1st?"
"No! Just walk through the gate already."
"All right, all right! Just trying to make a point!"
The man walked up to the gate and tentatively put his arm through the gate. He glanced back at the other man, who nodded. He cast his gaze back to his arm and steadily put his whole body through the gate.
"See you next time, mate," said the man. The other nodded and hurried down the tidier path. It was covered with fragile, golden maple leaves. Then the man gasped. Marvelous limestone statues were scattered across the lush green lawn and placed inside rings of a dark green hedge. Stone pathways led to each statue. The man could make out solid gold plaques nailed with decorative bronze nails on the statues. Each statue had an aura of power and significance. Large towering trees had a flowery perfume that intoxicated all who walked by. Wrought iron benches were under these evergreen stairs led to a castle. The man's jaw slackened as he saw the detail and size of the glistening building before him.
Many windows where stained with a pale colour, predominately grey, pink and blue. There were about 40 windows, and half of them had a flickering, yellow-ish glow, as though someone had lit a candle behind the window. The large oak door had a metal decorative piece on it that swirled like ivy veins. Two guards marched outside the door, wearing a sort of uniform consisting of blue, grey and cream. Their faces were impassive, and a silk sash that stretched diagonally had silver lettering that flashed as the dying rays of the setting sun hit it. The man could make out the words 'The Kingdom of Elmana'. The building itself looked as though it was an ice sculpture that never melted. Large bronze swirls crossed and covered the top of the castle, with spaces large enough to see the incredibly light blue castle. Maple and ivy leaves were scattered across the rest of the castle and the tips pointing downwards.
The man blinked. Is this real? he wondered. Cautiously, he climbed the equally spaced steps.
"Hello? I'm here for the inquiry," he called to the two guards. One stopped pacing, and the other continued.
"Ah, the inquiry," said the guard in a gruff voice, "That's in the entrance hall on your left. The door is embossed with a large bronze maple leaf."
The man bowed his head to the guard and the two guards opened the door for him.
The entrance hall blew him away. Limestone stairs with golden bars met him first. It split into two staircases, equally as grand as the first. The twin staircases looked as though it was floating.
The man turned his head to the left, spotted the grand door described to him by the guard and hurried across the dark wooden floor. He threw open the doors and shivered as he felt thousands of eyes look at him as one.
"Enter," said a powerful, booming voice.
The man scurried to an empty seat.
"And you are?" asked the voice.
"Er-Ernest Blueberry, sir," trembled the man.
There was a pregnant pause.
"Good. We can now start the inquiry, half an hour later than planned. I presume you were gawping at the castle and its gardens?"
Ernest nodded.
"As most of you know, an important member of the royal family has disappeared - " There was a collective gasp. Some nodded, and others shook their heads.
" - As most of you know, now was the time for her to find a husband in the 'other world'... He has to be human wizard, rich, and powerful. But, she has never reported back. We are lead to believe that she has either been captured, killed, she can't get back to us, or it is taking longer than expected to have him fall in love with her. Either way, it is our duty to contact her. The King is getting worried - "
"Sir?" asked Ernest tentatively. The voice spluttered, then calmed.
"Yes?"
"Where is she exactly?"
"That is confidential."
"Oh... OK, I guess..."
Ernest slumped back into his plush red seat and fell into a heavy stupor, the bodiless voice his lullaby...

Eli looked to her left, then to her right. She scurried to the other side of the corridor. She pulled a torch out of her dressing gown. She hurried down another corridor, and another. Through a door, up a staircase, down a corridor... She reached Blank's portrait.
"Flying fruit-flies," she whispered. The portrait swung open, and Eli climbed through.
She practically skipped to her boyfriend's room.
"James!" Eli opened the door hurriedly, and it smashed against the wall behind it with a bang.
"Blimey!" said James, pulling his covers to his chin.
Eli giggled and climbed into James' bed. His mouth ran dry.
"W-what are you doing?"
Eli looked up into his eyes.
"Cuddling up next to you. It was so cold and lonely tonight, I thought 'Where wouldn't I be cold and lonely?', then I came here. Why? Don't you want me here?" She gave him an adorable pout. James relaxed and leant his head back.
"Of course I want you here. I was just surprised, you know?"
Eli smiled and closed her eyes as James stroked her hair. They soon fell asleep.

He wanted to tell her. He really did.
But he chickened out. He sat at the edge of his bed, practising over and over again. I love you Eli, I love you Eli, I love you Eli, I love you Eli, I love you Leli, I love you Lili, I love you Lily, I love you Lily, I love you Lily... It took him a while to figure out that he was saying the wrong name. Dammit! No! I slipped into my old habit! ARGH! I LOVE YOU ELI!
"I LOVE YOU ELI!" He bellowed. He clenched and unclenched his fists, furious with himself. He threw himself into his bed. An arm slithered around his waist.
"I love you too, James."
He looked down and found Lily lying next to him.
"W-what?"
"I love you, James." She whispered. A glint of gold met his eyes.
"Is that an engagement ring?"
"Of course. Really, James, after nine months of being engaged, you've forgotten already?"
"Forgotten? That never happened," he said, confused.
Tears met Lily's bright green eyes. It sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the window beside James.
"Does this mean you don't love me anymore?"
"What year is this?" asked James.
"1978, but in a month it will be 1979. I thought you knew that, especially since that new racing broom'll be out on the 1st of Janurary," answered Lily. She sniffled and got up and went into the bathroom.
Suddenly, James woke up, his body covered in sweat. The curtains were closed, and there was no Lily lying beside him, neither was Eli. James panicked. Did that happen? Where's Eli? I need to get out of this room.
He threw some warm clothes on and left the room.

James made his way down to the Great Hall, his stomach rumbling uncomfortably.
"Morning, James," said Lily. James jolted.
"What?" asked Lily.
"Nothing," said James. He checked her fingers. No engagement ring.
"Something's up. Tell me," said Lily, leaning forward and looking seriously into his eyes.
"Nothing. Just a dream I had," he said.
"Aww! Poor Jimmy is having bad dweams!" said Sirius in a baby-ish voice. He plopped into the seat next to James and stole his buttered toast.
"It's so cold!" complained Lily, shivering into her jacket.
"Snow'll be here soon," said Remus without looking up from the Daily Prophet. Eli leaned into James, hugging him tightly and stealing his body warmth.
"Took its time. I've been itching for a good old snowball fight," stated Sirius. Lily and Bridget rolled their eyes, while KayCee immediately brightened.
"Girls against boys, yeah?" she asked.
"Ooh, sure you can handle it?" asked Sirius.
"Definately. Why, are you scared?" replied KayCee. Sirius scoffed.
"Nope. Are we, boys?"
James, Peter and Remus laughed.
"What about me?" asked Lionel.
"Someone can referee. Maybe Peter?"
"Sure," said Peter, shrugging.
"OK, then. It's on," said Sirius, bringing his face close to KayCee's.
"Bring it," she replied, her breath tickling his face. He shivered.

"I feel a headache coming on!" stated Lily.
"Why? You're not going to bail on us, are you?" asked Bridget.
"No. But this system... it's seriously flawed. I mean, there's a weekspot right there!" Lily pointed to the dot representing Bridget throwing a snowball at Lionel.
"Why?"
"Well, her power and speed that you're detailing that she should have makes it so that a fast snowball could put her out for a few minutes!"
The girls were secretly planning their snowball tacticts in Lily's dorm, to essentially ambush the boys.
KayCee huffed.
"Well, then, Lily. Let's see your game plan. Then, we'll vote."
"OK, well, firstly, Eli should be over there, and you should be over here..."

"I feel a headache coming on!" stated James.
"Why? You're not going to bail on us, are you?" asked Lionel.
"No. But this system... it's seriously flawed. I mean, there's a weekspot right there!" James pointed to the dot representing Lionel throwing a snowball at Bridget.
"Why?"
"Well, his power and speed that you're detailing that he should have makes it so that a fast snowball could put him out for a few minutes!"
"OK Mr Smartypants, let's see your game plan!" huffed Sirius. He had been slaving over this diagram for the past half an hour. How dare James suggest that there was a flaw in his brilliant and beautiful plan!
"Well, firstly, Remus should be over there..."

A/N: Sorry, peeps, you're going to have to wait until next time for the snowball fight... Plus Lily and Gilderoy's date in Hogsmeade... :)