The Truth Of The Heart
Summary: Lily Evans has always, ALWAYS hated James Potter. So when they become Head Boy and Girl, nothing could be worse. But could working with him change Lily's opinion? Has she been ignoring the truth in her heart all along?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this….except a few minor characters, so please don't sue me, JKR, 'cause I have nothing you want….unless you're into human flesh (you're not, are you?)
-&-
Chapter 35: The BallThe icy air snapped at Lily's face as soon as the door swung open, and she shivered, wondering if she was going to come out of this with frostbite. She looked around at the knee-deep expanse with anticipation as the others strode out, blinking against the glare, shivering, or (in James' and Sirius' case) cracking their knuckles with glee.
"Right," Sirius began, as he pulled his gloves on more securely. "I vote we go for a -"
But Lily was no longer paying attention. Emma had caught her eye, and exchanging a few meaningful glances, they both carefully grabbed a wodge of snow and backed away from each other, maintaining eye contact all the way.
One…
Two…
Three…
SMACK.
Ten seconds later, James and Remus were spluttering and clawing snow out of their mouths, while Lily and Emma clung to each other and laughed until they cried at the boys' expressions.
"You little -!" Remus shouted, trying to rub snow out of his eyes.
"This means WAR!" James roared.
"Snow battle!" Peter called excitedly. "Teams of two, fight to the death!"
"Death?" Sapphire asked skeptically, but no one seemed to care. Despite the fact she was still laughing, Emma had grabbed Remus' hand.
"AARGH!" James jumped and twisted wildly as Sirius snickered, having dropped a handful of snow down his cloak. "You - Right, I'm taking Lily, she's got good aim, and You Will Pay, Padfoot."
"Pete, you're with us," Remus called.
"Wait!" Sapphire had taken a step back. "That leaves me with him!" She pointed at Sirius, who was no longer laughing. "No! I won't!"
Remus glanced from her to his friend warily. "Sapphire…"
But Sapphire was looking mutinous, and now Sirius had turned away from her, kicking the snow.
"Okay, reshuffle," James said briskly, trying to break the tension. "Lily and I will split, and…"
"And you won't be going with Sirius," Lily interrupted firmly. Sirius had turned back now, and both he and James looked more than a little disappointed. "No, don't try it," as James opened his mouth, "you'd be on us like bats out of hell, I don't trust you two."
"Oh, that's rich, after the little stunt you just pulled," Sirius shot at her, but he was clearly making an effort to recover his good humour as he stuck his tongue out.
"…so that leaves James and Saffy, and me and Sirius," Lily finished, immediately regretting it as Sirius strode over and threw his arm around her, causing her to sink a few inches into the snow.
"We're gonna WIN, Lilykins, these losers'll have no chance."
Lily staggered out of his embrace and glared, hands on hips. "Rule number one, do not call me Lilyk - Mmph!"
A snowball hit her in the face, and James burst into laughter. "Finally found a way to silence her!" he bellowed. "Let the games begin!"
-&-
Two hours later, the sleek expanse of the grounds looked as though it had been hit by a tornado, with snow churned up in flurries and drifts that either could or could not be hiding trees, bushes, rocks, or people. Emma, Remus and Peter had set up base near a tree, and were flinging snowballs with all the accuracy of small missiles, protected by a white wall. Sirius and Lily had spent the last twenty minutes fruitlessly trying to breach this by attacking from both sides, but as Lily stooped for another handful, there was a sudden battlecry, and James leapt out of nowhere onto Sirius, and she promptly lost them in an explosion of snow. The next minute, she choked with laughter as Sirius rose up, a ghostly white figure, only to be tripped by Remus' covertly-placed foot. As he went down again, Remus sat on him, and Emma rapidly covered him over, packing the flakes tightly. By the time he had emerged, spitting snow furiously, Emma and Remus had abandoned their hide-out for a bush further away, and Lily was almost on her knees with laughter, completely unaware of Sapphire behind her until a handful of snow found its way into her top. She shrieked, straightening up, but Sapphire was already out of aim.
"Oof!"
Another thump hit her in the back, and she turned wildly again to see James.
"Like my partner?" he called, grinning as he dodged Lily's hastily-made snowball. "She's got the quietest feet I've ever heard."
But Lily's attention was focused on the giant ball he held in his gloved hands, smoothing it over.
"James…you wouldn't -"
He raised an eyebrow, and a corner of his mouth quirked. "Oh wouldn't I?"
She dropped to the ground uselessly, as his arm came up, and the ball simply crumbled above her, showering her, and she stood up grinning - only to be knocked sideways again, just as James was.
"Ow!"
"Argh!"
Both looked round to see Emma and Remus wearing identically evil grins.
"Take them down together?" James asked, looking towards Lily.
"You bet," Lily said grimly, brushing snow off her eyelashes.
And they attacked.
-&-
It was a while yet until the five of them had finally given up and called a truce, and now they were sitting on a snow bank, comfortably Heating Charmed by James, reliving the best moments. A good ten minutes in, there was a group realisation that Sirius and Sapphire had both disappeared, and after much groaning, there was a mass movement to investigate their whereabouts.
It was James who found them first. He came across a double set of tracks, and pushing his way through some bushes, came out near the lakeside to find Sirius and Sapphire flinging snowballs at each other in deadly earnest. Throwing an arm out to halt Remus, who had come up behind him, he watched them, Sirius wearing a look of wicked amusement, Sapphire's eyes narrowed in a grim challenge. Both were circling each other, and James had a feeling that were they to replace snowballs with wands, this would not differ that much from a full-blown duel.
"Ouch!"
Sapphire and Sirius stopped dead in the act of compacting powdery handfuls and looked round to see James land face-first as first Emma and then Lily collided into his back.
"Have you found - oh!"
Groaning as Emma and Lily got up, James rolled over. "Girls, seriously, eat less. I think you've cracked a rib."
Lily raised her foot. "Want me to break another?" she questioned sweetly.
"Is that a challenge?" James countered, sitting up. "You really want to see who'd come off best in a fight?"
Emma, Remus, Sirius, Peter and Sapphire all simultaneously rolled their eyes and gave up, beginning the trek back up to the castle. Meanwhile, Lily crossed her arms and stared down at the ruddy-cheeked Head Boy at her feet.
"I'd be quite willing to try. Don't underestimate my size, you -" Her voice was lost in a shriek as James abruptly swung an arm into the back of her knees, causing her to buckle beside him. As she scrabbled for a handhold, he leaned forward, closer and closer, until he was no more than a few inches from her face, which was caught halfway between a glare and a smile. Almost in spite of herself, she stilled, and stared back, so close that she could see every snowflake caught in his messy hair.
"Merry Christmas, Lily," he whispered, his voice rough, his breath warm on her face.
The next moment, he had brought his hand up and blown a handful of snow straight into her eyes, before standing up and taking off at a dead run for the castle.
Further up, the others, and indeed, every other student out enjoying the weather, burst into laughter as a feminine voice echoed across the grounds, and a dark tall figure emerged, chased by a smaller one who was lobbing snow crazily behind.
"JAMES POTTER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"
-&-
The sound of bricks moving and a door opening pulled James out of his reverie, and he half-ran into the Heads' common room, bare feet and all.
"Where have you been?" he demanded from Lily, who was looking both startled and tired. He stared at her vest top, which was covered with smudges of colour - strange purply-pinks and glittery blues, not to mention a whole army of reds. "And why the hell are you wearing that on a cold December evening?"
"Have you ever been in a dormitory full of girls trying to look presentable?" Lily retorted. "Do you know how warm it gets?" She straightened her top. "I was helping Maddie and her friends get ready." Her eyes rested on James properly for the first time. "Anyway, you're one to talk. What happened to you?" she asked, surveying his sweaty clothes and messier-than-usual hair.
"Helping set up," James answered briefly.
"But…weren't the professors meant to do that this time?"
James shrugged. "I was stupid enough to walk past and got roped in. No enchanting, just the manual labour…dragging tables and trees around…they only sent me off because Flitwick 'needed space' to do the final part of our decorations."
Lily smiled, shaking her head. "Bit difficult to say which of us got the raw end of the deal, isn't it?" She looked towards her room. "Well, I should go and -"
"No!" James interrupted. "I have to…stay here, okay? Don't move."
"As long as you're quick - Saffy and Emma'll be here in ten so we can get ready….it was a better idea than trying to share a room with a pair of professional mirror-hoggers."
"Wait here." James went back to his room and pulled out a bag from under his bed. Coming back, he hesitantly offered it to Lily. "This is, er, your present…I, uh, didn't want to give it to you…in front of everyone…"
"James!" Lily exclaimed in surprise. She was so shocked that he had given her something that it was a few moments before she remembered to actually take the large parcel. When she did, she frowned in confusion. It was big and squashy. Carefully, she opened the bag and put her hand in to feel something crumple beneath it, and then, beneath that, a silky material that flowed beneath her fingers like water. The next moment, the bag fell away, as did layers of tissue paper, and she found herself holding a dress.
Lily gasped. It was The Dress - the beautiful gown she had seen in Hogsmeade and had thought unattainable, and yet here it was in her hands, in all its glory. She looked, openmouthed, at the boy opposite her, who was waiting nervously for some sign of approval. Finally her voice came back.
"It's - how could you - James, it's beautiful! Thank you so much!"
James grinned, but was quite unprepared when she hugged him tightly, ignoring his wet t-shirt. Gently, he extracted himself as an unpleasant pang reminded him of exactly who would be getting the full benefit of the dress.
"You'd better go get ready," he reminded her.
"Yeah…my room's untidy - they'll be here soon - but this - it's amazing - how am I ever -" Lily stopped and laughed. "You've got me lost for words." She smiled at him, and carrying her present carefully, went into her room. James stood staring at the door long after it had closed behind her, until a sudden sound made him turn to see Emma and Sapphire, struggling in with a whole host of bags and boxes.
"She's in there," he said quickly, jerking his head in the direction of her room, and retired to his own, feeling inexplicably pleased.
-&-
A hour later, the girls had reached the halfway stage. Lily was sitting patiently as Emma tested eyeshadows on her, and Sapphire was perched precariously on the end of the bed, waving her hands in the air so that her nail polish would dry.
"Lily, this is no good!" Emma said in exasperation, turning to wipe her fingers on a towel. "I can't find any colour that'll go with your dress except gold or pink, and if you don't want either of those, I'm stuck! Saffy -" she gestured her over, "which looks better? Gold or pink?"
Sapphire stood up awkwardly and came over to study Lily's face. "Gold," she decided.
"But that's what I wore at Halloween!" Lily pointed out. "I don't want to look identical!"
Emma threw up her hands (Sapphire dodged before she was smacked in the face) and groaned. "But that's all that'll go with a white dress!"
"A white -" Lily looked confused for a moment. "My dress is green."
"No, it's white, remember? You said it was the dress you wore to the costume competition - the white one."
Lily shook her head. "Uhm…yeah…except I'm not wearing that now. I must have forgotten to tell you. I have another one to wear. It's in the blue bag in the corner."
Emma looking bemused, turned in that direction, but Sapphire stopped her. "It's alright, I think my nails are dry now." She took the bag and opened it carefully on the bed. Both she and Emma let out a long breath as the green satin flowed out.
"It's lovely!" Sapphire said, almost reverently, picking it up with care and holding it to the light. A frown creased her forehead. "Isn't this the one you found when we were shopping in Hogsmeade?"
"The one you found," Lily corrected her. She shifted uncomfortably. "It was my Christmas present from James," she said awkwardly.
If anything, Emma's eyes simply got wider. "Your present - but this must have cost a fortune!"
"I know." Lily squirmed even more. "He just told me to shut up when I said that, though."
"Well," Sapphire said finally, placing the dress carefully back down. "He certainly is generous."
"Yes, he is," Emma said musingly. She turned to Lily. "Well, this makes the eyeshadow problem go away. Clean your eyes off, and I'll start again."
Silence fell for a few moments, as Sapphire dug through a pile of cosmetics, looking rather horrified at a pair of Lily's Muggle eyelash curlers, and Lily began to wipe her eyes clear. Emma studied the green dress lying on the bed thoughtfully for a few minutes, before turning to the mirror.
"Ooh," Sapphire said suddenly, making the other two pause and look towards her. "I have some gossip!"
"The harmless kind or the bitchy kind?" Lily asked doubtfully.
"Oh, it's nice," Sapphire assured her. "And very unexpected. You know Alice Myers?"
Lily and Emma nodded absently. Alice was an unconventional Ravenclaw well-known for her contagious, bubbly smile.
"Guess who she's going to the Ball with?" Sapphire paused a moment, and then, as if unable to contain herself, carried on. "Frank Longbottom!"
Both Emma and Lily simultaneously gaped at their friend.
"No," Emma said, shaking her head. "That - that can't be true. They hated each other - you must have misheard."
Lily looked carefully at her friend. "Are you sure you didn't take one snowball too many to the head?" she asked.
Sapphire grinned. "I had it from Alice herself, yesterday."
This was unbelievable. Alice and Frank's fights were second in intensity only to Lily and James' and only marginally less legendary. The only reason they were ever less vigorous was probably because Frank was a Hufflepuff and Alice a Ravenclaw. Whenever they met outside their respective Houses, they inevitably clashed. Needless to say, neither were high in Madam Pomfrey's favour - she had devoted the best part of her time knowing them dealing with curses they had cast on each other and restraining them from fighting in the hospital wing.
Emma was still looking half-incredulous. "How on earth did it happen?"
Sapphire shrugged. "She wouldn't tell - she was sort of dazed." Smirking, she looked back at the mirror. "It turns out that even if you think you hate someone, there can still be…chemistry between you."
For some reason, an unaccountable blush rose in Lily's cheeks, though she wasn't entirely sure why, and she turned her head, missing the expressive glance that Emma and Sapphire directed at each other as they looked back at the green dress lying innocently on the bed.
"Well, there has been a precedent," Emma was beginning slyly, when Lily hurriedly cut in.
"Saffy, we still haven't seen your dress, have we?"
Sapphire jumped as though she had been prodded with a needle. "There's not much to see."
"Yes there is," Emma declared. "At the rate we're going, your dress has probably changed shape, style and colour."
"No, it's still blue."
"Get it out anyway," Lily insisted. "You haven't shown it to us properly yet."
Sapphire sighed and gingerly removed her dress from another bag. It was the blue affair she had found in the shop, with one off-shoulder strap, and the flaring diagonals of different shades of blue at the bottom.
"Oh, it's pretty!" Lily gasped. She measured it up against Sapphire. "And it suits you so well!"
"Thanks," Sapphire mumbled.
"So why were you so secretive about buying it?" Emma asked. Again, she was looking thoughtful, but her gaze was directed at Sapphire this time.
"Oh, you know…I just needed to think about it."
"Hmm." Emma looked at the two dresses and the two girls and raised her eyebrows, but said nothing as she bent to find some green eyeshadow.
-&-
At ten to eight, Sirius found himself standing outside the Ravenclaw common room, waiting for Madhura. He adjusted his collar and tapped his foot, wondering how long she would be and whether there was anything to amuse him besides the statue of Selene the Shrewd opposite the common room entrance. He tapped it carefully, wondering how crazy it would sound if he started talking to it in the hope of a response, and then jumped as the stone features moved, giving the wizened face an indignant look. Behind him, Madhura emerged from her common room, straightening her dress, just in time to hear Selene splutter as Sirius prodded her some more.
"You be careful with him, now," the statue squawked. "I don't trust the looks of this one!"
Sirius recovered quickly. "Don't worry Selly, I'll look after her!" he called back cheerfully, offering Madhura his arm and ignoring the outraged squawk of "Selly?" behind him.
Madhura laughed as they walked away. "Do you do that to all immobile objects?"
"Do what?" Sirius questioned innocently. "She loved me. I have a diploma from the University of Charm."
Laughing again, Madhura looked up at him. "You look…good," she said, almost shyly.
"So do you," Sirius returned, meaning every word of it. Her flowing lavender gown was brushing against his arm, and as she turned her head, the scent of the delicate white roses curving around her bun wafted across. A solitary curl hung down her face, which was glowing with anticipation. As they walked up to the Great Hall, she turned back to him.
"So, have you had a good Christmas so far?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, and he launched into the tale of Lily, James, and the mistletoe fairy.
When he finished, Madhura's mouth was open. "And this was all because of your present?"
"Yep," Sirius said smugly. He looked a little nervously at her. "Uh…why are you staring at me like that?"
Madhura closed her mouth. "Well," she said finally, in an admiring tone, "frankly, I think you deserve a Nobel Prize."
"I know!" Sirius said excitedly. "That's what I said!" He frowned. "Neither of them seemed to agree, though."
"I wonder why." Madhura was still smiling as they came up to ground level, where students were thronging the Entrance Hall, waiting for the Ball to begin.
"Hey Maddie!" Sirius called, as a dark-haired girl crossed his line of vision. She turned and grinned.
"Looking good, Siri-poo!" She looked round at James, who was coming up to them, and her face fell. "Oh James, didn't you tell us it was formal?" She wrinkled her nose and leaned forward conspiratorially, although her voice was still perfectly audible to everyone around. "Because seriously, we are well off enough to afford clothes. You don't need to go rooting around in dustbins for things like this."
James looked down at his spotless outfit, then back at Maddie. "I think you need glasses more than I do."
Madhura was grinning. "I take it you were Sirius' accomplice in the Mistletoe Fairy Plot?" Maddie nodded, smirking, as James groaned.
"Padfoot, who else are you going to tell before the day is over? McGonagall?"
"Actually…" Sirius said thoughtfully. James grabbed him.
"Joking, joking," he said hastily.
"No really, that's a good -" Sirius stopped as he realized that James was gazing in a completely different direction. "What's -" he began, and then saw what James was staring at. "Ahhh."
Lily was emerging from another corridor. She was wearing the beautiful green creation James had given her, and which she seemed to be trying very hard to walk gracefully in. Her hair, magically straightened, fell around her face as she focused downwards, watching where she put her feet.
When she finally looked up, her cheeks were pink but she managed to smile at James. "Just being careful not to tread on the hem," she said, laughing self-consciously. "I seem to be more clumsy than usual."
"You're telling me," Sapphire said, coming up behind her. "She's already fallen five times on the way from the Head rooms, because she was so busy making sure she wouldn't trip on her dress that she tripped over her own feet instead."
"Shut up!" Lily said in embarrassment, swatting her friend. "You're not supposed to expose my inadequacies to the world!"
"It's only James," Sapphire protested, dodging another swipe. The glint in her eye was not missed by Lily. "His opinion doesn't matter that much, does -" She was cut off abruptly by Lily, who covered her mouth with her hand and looked back at James.
"I apologise right now for my friend's amazing lack of tact," she said. "Apparently she has an unquenchable urge to be hit round the head more later, given her propensity for embarrassing me."
James smiled. "If that's her mission, leave her to it." He gave a mock-sigh. "Besides, my ego can't decrease much further. I was just advised, by my little sister, no less, not to wear clothes that came from the dustbin."
"No! You look perfectly nice - better than nice, even, you look really - that is, you look very -" Lily was turning seven shades of red, and James began to feel his own face heat up as Sapphire grinned wickedly and a word he would have liked Lily to use popped into his mind.
Enough, he told himself sternly, opting for the Marauders' classic way out.
"I look what?" he asked mischievously. "Come on Evans, out with it. Heal my bruised and battered heart by telling me I look like a sex god."
Lily blinked. That was James' voice, but those were more like Sirius' words. Still she could only laugh as she smacked him on the arm. "You're incorrigible," she chided, grinning. "I thought we got rid of the arrogant pig-headed jerk."
James made a face. "No, unfortunately Lucius Malfoy's still well and truly around." He laughed at her expression of mingled amusement and exasperation.
"Lily!" The laughter left a bitter taste in James' mouth as Tom caught Lily's arms and twirled her into his own. "I've been looking for you for ages - and this is where you were hiding all this time?" He looked at James, who returned his gaze mutely. "You look gorgeous, did I tell you that?" Taking her arm, he pulled her off into the crowd, leaving Lily only enough time for one parting, apologetic glance.
"Tuh." Sirius appeared at James' shoulder. His date, Madhura, was talking to someone who James assumed was a friend. "Ten to one the slimy git only just turned up and wanted to make himself look good. The crowd isn't that big."
"Just leave it, Padfoot," James muttered. A wave of tiredness washed over him, and he wished he was back in his own bed, and that this was all over.
Suddenly, something registered in his brain.
"Hold on," he said, turning. "Why'd you call Tom a slimy git?"
But it was too late; Sirius had glided back to his partner, and the next moment, the doors to the Great Hall had opened and people flooded in. James sighed as he moved forward, his good mood momentarily punctured. This would be a long night.
-&-
Lily felt a surge of pride as they walked in. Despite the fact that she still had an eye on her dress, she heard the gasps of awe and admiration issuing from the people around her, and looking up, she could see why. Twelve huge Christmas trees stood majestically at the edges of the hall, all festooned with myriads of decorations in blue and silver, with a real fairy perched at the top of each, glowing. Many circular tables were arranged, and candlelight gave the hall a soft ambience.
The real piece de resistance was the wall opposite the doors, however. As the doors were situated on the longer walls, the wall opposite them seemed to dominate the room - it caught the eye and held it steadfastly. The normal stone had been transfigured into a giant pane of glass, and behind it was a giant aquarium, literally taking up the whole wall. Complete with rocks, sea plants and azure blue water that sparkled alluringly, fish, both solitary and in shoals, swam about inside, of all shapes, sizes and colours. It cast a watery blue light across the room, which added much to the atmosphere.
"It's amazing," Tom said in her ear, his eyes wide. "How'd you do it?"
Lily tapped the side of her nose mysteriously. "Secret," she said. She doubted anyone would realize that it was all an elaborate network of Charms played by Professor Flitwick - when she and James and come up with the idea, they had not wanted to share it in case it didn't work out. Professor McGonagall had been skeptical, to say the least, but Flitwick had been willing, and even eager, to take on the challenge of an afternoon of weaving complex and intricate Charms together. The result, Lily thought, had done them all proud, and she looked around for James, wanted to share the feeling of achievement with him, but he was nowhere to be found.
Tom found a table, and they sat down, joined soon after by Sirius and Madhura, and then Remus and Emma. Sapphire made her way over and sat down carefully. As she did, something odd happened. Sirius looked up sharply as she sat down, cast his eye over her person, and raised his eyebrows. Lily, watching discreetly, saw him shoot a look at her that was half-challenging, half-suggestive, before turning back to his conversation with Madhura.
Sapphire blushed angrily, well aware that Lily was now looking quizzically between the two of them. If Madhura had noticed, she gave no sign of it in her welcoming smile to Sapphire, although she was watching Sirius with a rather discerning eye as she talked. Sapphire blushed even more as she thought of what everyone must be thinking. Honestly, she thought furiously. The fact that I'm wearing the dress you said looked good means nothing. Keep your eyes on your date! She settled herself with rather less presence of mind than usual.
There was only one space left open at the table beside Lily - Peter had gone off to sit with his date, a cheerful curly-haired Ravenclaw. She looked around; where was James?
Almost simultaneously, Sirius looked around. "Where's Prongs?" he asked. He twisted to look behind him. "Oi, James! Over here!"
Lily searched the crowd with her eyes until she saw him, seeming to look around. As Sirius called again, he saw them, and started in their direction. Lily decided enough was enough.
"James, get yourself over here before I make you!" she called. Instead of speeding up, however, James seemed to stop for a millisecond, as his eyes passed over her, before walking over.
"What is it with that boy?" Sirius said impatiently. "Prongs." He addressed himself directly to his friend as he sat down. "Were you planning to get here by next Christmas? Because if so, you were going the right way about it."
James shook his head, looking oddly reticent as everyone turned to him. "Just a little…disoriented," he said vaguely. He shrugged, before allowing a more neutral and cheerful expression to spread over his face as he joined in a conversation with Sapphire and Remus.
Lily nudged him as the doors slid slowly closed and Dumbledore stood up.
"We did a good job," she whispered. "The place looks great."
James grinned. "Well, with me helping you, why wouldn't it be great?" he muttered back.
Lily elbowed him in the ribs, making him start. "That's for being an arrogant jerk," she said sweetly, before elbowing him again. "And that's for being an arrogant jerk with good taste and the ability to decorate."
James rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but just then, Tom recaptured her attention with a quick kiss on the neck. It was amazing how his shyness seemed to have flown out of the window, so to speak. "Lily -" he whispered, but was cut off by Professor Dumbledore beginning to speak.
"Welcome, students, to the Winter Ball," he said, opening his arms wide in an expansive gesture. "I am sure you will all have an enjoyable time tonight, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. As much as I am tempted to, it would be impossible to take credit for these magnificent decorations, the feast which I am sure will be sumptuous, and your entertainment later on. For that, we must thank our Head Boy and Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans," James and Lily smiled politely as people applauded them, "the professors who gave up their time to help and advise, and of course, those students who were - ah, shall we say forcefully persuaded into giving opinions or hard labour. You all contributed to the success of this event, which I am sure will be memorable for many." He paused to allow the applause to die away. "And now, on a different note, I would like to inform you all that spiking drinks is highly inadvisable, considering the fact that I am sure you will be hunted down by irate Heads of House later on. A certain group of boys in Gryffindor seventh year would do well to remember that," he added, his eyes twinkling at James, Sirius and Remus, whose faces were arranged into such pictures of virtuous innocence that Lily, along with everyone else, had to laugh. "That said, enjoy your evening!" He sat down, and almost immediately, food appeared on the plates in front of them.
Dinner was an enjoyable affair. Lily, squashed between James and Tom, dug into her food with as much eagerness as everyone else, and a babble of chatter arose. In between arguing with James about whether angelfish were white or yellow, and carrying on an ongoing conversation with Emma over what people were wearing, it was rather surprising how quickly the plates cleared, and Lily soon found that the candles were dimming until the entire hall was bathed in the watery blue glow from the aquarium wall. Three wizards walked out onto a raised platform in one corner, their clothes artfully arranged to show off just enough skin to drive girls wild.
"Let's give a warm welcome to…Spirit 101!" Daniel Jordan announced, and the band smirked as girls erupted into squeals, clapping their hands (more than one boy looked as though he had just bitten into a lemon).
Sirius was the first up as the beginning chords sounded. "Would you give me the honour, mademoiselle?" he asked, offering his hand. Madhura accepted gracefully, and they were soon lost among the twirling couples. Peter and Remus soon followed suit with their dates, and Tom, seeing his opportunity, broke up Lily and James' argument (still over angelfish) to drag her up onto the dancefloor.
Although initially frustrated that she hadn't been able to finish her conversation, Lily soon lost any feeling of mild annoyance as Tom twirled her onto the dancefloor. They began to sway in time to the music, and she smiled up at him - he looked so cleancut and tidy, with his neat hair and warm smile. No quirked eyebrows or mischievous smirks here, she told herself dreamily, and all the better for her that there weren't.
"You look so nice tonight," she murmured into his ear.
Tom smiled even more brilliantly. "I could return the compliment a thousand times over," he replied. "Your dress is lovely too, even if it does bear no comparison to your own beauty."
"Tom!" Lily scolded, half-flattered by his praise and half-exasperated by its textbook-ish tones.
"Where did you get it from? I'm no fashion connoisseur, but even I can tell it must have cost an awful lot."
Lily bit her lip, knowing she was treading thin ice. "It was…a Christmas present. From a good friend."
Tom raised his eyebrows. "Very good friend indeed." He bowed to her as the song ended, and they drew apart a little as a faster song struck up.
-&-
Meanwhile, James and Sapphire were both sitting at their table, feeling excessively bored. Try as he might, James could not tear his eyes away from Lily for more than a few minutes - she looked entrancing, especially as the dress swished around her.
"James, if you look in that direction much longer, your eyes will pop out," Sapphire said jokingly.
James turned around, his neck slightly red. "Ha ha." He stuck his tongue out at her, and Sapphire responded in kind before seeing his eyes drift longingly back to Lily.
"You really do like her, don't you?" she asked softly. "James, you've been friends for a while now…why have you never told her?"
James turned back. "I -" he began and then stopped. The song was drawing to a close, and as a new one began, he injected more enthusiasm into his tone. "You know what? This is our last ball, neither of us have dates, and we both look like complete losers sitting here." He held out his hand. "Want to dance?"
-&-
Lily smiled as she saw James lead Sapphire to the dancefloor, and Tom noticed the sparkle in her eyes. "What?" he asked teasingly.
"Sapphire and James are dancing," she answered, swinging him round as they moved so that he had a clearer view. "Oh, I'm so proud of him."
Tom laughed. "What's he done, overcome a life-long phobia of dancing?"
"Nothing, just - haven't you noticed what an odd mood he's been in tonight?" She felt a grin tug at her lips as she saw James invent evermore exuberant dance moves to make Sapphire laugh. Emma and Remus were watching in amusement from the other side, as was Madhura. Only Sirius seemed to be wearing a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes as he watched his best friend fool around.
When she turned back to Tom, however, Lily was surprised to find him looking suddenly serious. His eyes were brooding, even as he smiled at her again, and as the song ended, he asked if they could come off the dance floor for a while so he could get his breath back. Lily reluctantly assented and they made their way to a table in the back corner, where Tom quickly got involved in a conversation about Quidditch with a couple of Hufflepuffs. Eventually growing tired of the continual talk of player statistics, Lily excused herself to find a drink and wandered back across the hall.
-&-
Sirius twirled Madhura absent-mindedly, flashing her a smile whenever she looked at him. His eyes were more busily occupied scanning the dancefloor and the people on it, but when that yielded no results, he turned his gaze onto the dinner tables. He caught sight of Lily and Emma, standing with Remus near the drinks table, but it wasn't until he looked back at the table where they had originally been sitting that he finally spotted a tell-tale flash of blue. There she was, watching the dancers dispiritedly and looking unaffectedly bored.
Without thinking, as they reached a corner, Sirius guided himself and Madhura back to the centre where he had a clearer view, and he could not stop himself looking continually around as a Hufflepuff seventh-year approached her.
A few moments later, the Hufflepuff walked away, having apparently been refused, and Sirius fought to control his attention and focus it on he was doing. It had no effect. He was still moving mechanically, still following an automatic pattern of moves. The charms of a red dress had all but disappeared, and been replayed by the far-more-beautiful promise of blue.
"Sirius!…Sirius!…"
With another supreme effort, Sirius dragged himself back to the present to find Madhura giving him a searching gaze. Her eyes followed his as he glanced involuntarily back at the table, and the look she gave him as he turned back told him quite clearly that he had been discovered.
"You are a complete prat, Sirius, you know that?" she said softly, and Sirius felt an uncharacteristic stab of guilt. I must be getting soft, he thought uncomfortably.
Madhura shook her head and rotated them round so that they remained in time with the music. "I'm not the one for you, I realize that," she said simply. "And I'd have to be deaf and blind not to work out who you are set on, much less not to hear the rumours and gossip going round - though I didn't believe any of that until I saw it for my own eyes." Sirius shifted awkwardly again, but Madhura continued on, her dark eyes fixed on his face as they moved on auto-pilot. "I don't know whether anyone's told you this, Sirius, but the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. Now, Sapphire may not show much liking towards you, but she certainly isn't indifferent to you." She led him off the dancefloor, almost before he knew what she was doing, and gave him a little push. "So go talk to her."
Sirius looked at Sapphire, then back at Madhura. "She's not going to respond," he muttered.
"You have nothing to lose except your self-esteem, and God knows you have enough of that." Madhura gave him another push. "Go on. And don't get all chivalrous about me, I'll be fine, I have friends around."
"How can I -" Sirius started, but Madhura cut him off, laughing.
"You can't, so don't bother with polite speeches."
But Sirius had had a better idea; taking her wrist, he pulled her over to a tall Ravenclaw who was sitting on his own at another table.
"Listen, Arjun, I don't really feel like dancing tonight, but I don't want Madhura to miss out. Would you do me a favour and take my place? Thanks."
The blush that suffused Madhura's face as Arjun led her back towards the dancefloor, and the gratified-yet-amused look she shot over her shoulder at Sirius was enough to make him feel that he had done the right thing at least once tonight, and he began to edge his way round people and furniture to the other side of the hall.
It was tricky going - the part of the hall that had been used for dining was now lit only by the blue glow of the aquarium wall, which cast a soft watery ambience over the area. A few girls smiled coquettishly (and hopefully) at him, but he flashed them only a split-second grin as he threaded through, his eyes fixed on Sapphire. She hadn't moved more than a few inches from her position, and her eyes were flickering lazily over the people around her. He shoved past a pair of fourth-years who were hovering awkwardly in the corridor, one of them with their eyes glued longingly to a blond-haired girl sitting by herself nearby. Sirius rolled his eyes at the inefficiency of teenagers (conveniently forgetting that he himself belonged to the aforementioned group). He was almost past them, when he caught his leg on the corner of the table and staggered, jarring his other left painfully and causing him to emit a loud yelp. He righted himself, grinned apologetically at everyone nearby who was staring, and turned round, rubbing his leg.
Almost immediately, his eyes met Sapphire's.
Bugger. She saw me.
Her eyes were wide as she surveyed him. She swiveled back to the dancefloor, presumably looking for Madhura, and when she saw her dancing with Arjun, turned back to Sirius. There was a glaring question in her eyes as she lowered them and turned back to the direction she had been facing. That she was very aware of his presence, however, was evident in the way that she kept darting sidelong glances at him, which increased in frequency as he drew nearer. He was only two tables away when she suddenly got up and hurried away in the opposite direction.
Sirius cursed as he watched her go. He had been close…and he had scared her off. Sitting down heavily in the seat next to the one she had just vacated, he watched as she made her way over to where Lily and Emma were standing with as much haste as her dress would allow.
-&-
Sapphire meanwhile, was both congratulating herself on her quick escape, and trying to calm herself as she approached the others. Breathe in, breathe out…
"Hey guys," she said, reaching her friends.
"Hey yourself," Lily answered cheerfully. "What brings you over? You seemed pretty comfortable over there."
Yeah, I was, until about thirty seconds ago. Clearly Lily hadn't seen the person now sitting there.
"Uhm, yeah, I just wanted to stretch my legs."
Everyone nodded, and Sapphire relaxed as they fell back into normal conversation. She dusted herself off, and, looking down, cursed the fact that she had had to buy this dress, the one that Sirius had complimented. He would probably be reading all sorts of implications into this fact that it was this particular one…she just wished she could manage to be near him long enough to heartily contradict every one.
Really, if you thought about it, everything that was wrong was due to Sirius. If he hadn't said anything, she would have felt no compunction about having to buy this dress, and wouldn't have had to sneak back to the shop while everyone else was at the Three Broomsticks so that she could buy it on her own with no comment because she hadn't found anything else as good. This was, she decided, all Sirius' fault. Damn him. Not to mention that it was his fault for saying such ridiculous things…She wished life could just go back to normal, with both of them hating each other - it made things so much easier.
Shaking her head slightly, Sapphire attempted to look interested in the heated discussion going on between Remus and Lily over the efficacy of bezoars in some potion or other. Before long, however, she felt a hot, prickling sensation on the back of her neck, and, twisting her head slowly, she looked round to see Sirius watching her from the table where she had sat. Feeling as though she was caught in a spotlight, she turned hastily round and knocked into Lily.
"Well of course lacewings wouldn't have that much effect if you only use - what on earth?" Lily turned to Sapphire. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Sapphire said, mentally cursing her own clumsiness. She resolved to keep her gaze firmly fixed on the wall in front but less than a minute later, she had turned around again, in spite of herself. Sirius was still watching, and as her eyes fell on him, he raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Sapphire swivelled back hurriedly, only to find Lily looking at her penetratingly.
"What?" she asked weakly and unconvincingly. To her horror, Lily turned and looked in the same direction, and from the twist of her mouth, Sapphire guessed she had seen the person sitting there.
"So that's what this was about, was it?" she asked, looking back to Sapphire, who mumbled something incomprehensible.
Lily looked back at Sirius, a challenging expression in her eyes. "Well, if that's how it's going to be…" She placed her hands on Sapphire's shoulders, startling her, and swung her around completely to face Sirius. Sapphire let out an inarticulate sound of shock and embarrassment, and, to her surprise, Lily saw a blush creep up her cheeks. Sirius had sat up slightly, his eyes travelling over her.
"It wouldn't kill you to talk to him," Emma said. She met Lily's eyes behind Sapphire's back, and Lily saw the glint of laughter in her face.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Sapphire muttered. To Lily and Emma's surprise, she began to blush even more violently as Sirius continued to gaze, and she stumbled away. "I need air," she mumbled, and she walked off, placing a hand against her burning forehead.
"She's acting surprisingly lovesick," Lily commented, watching her go.
"Funny, when she doesn't even like him much," Emma said thoughtfully. "She doesn't usually act this oddly around him." She paused. "And I'd give quite a lot to find out why he's been giving her meaningful glances all night and she's been avoiding his eye."
As a new song struck up, Emma perked up. "I love this song!" she announced.
"Well then," Remus grinned and exaggeratedly twirled her out of her chair, Emma laughing as he gave her a mock-bow. "I live to serve, my lady." He tugged her hand, almost making her tumble over. "Especially if it means I have to spin you around and whisper things in your ear that would make our dear Head Girl blush to hear."
"Shut up, you," Emma scolded, even as she laughed. "If you trip on my dress and rip it, I'll be waking up in Azkaban for the murder of one Remus Lupin." She was about to follow him to the dancefloor when she stopped and turned. "Oh Lily, I can't leave - will you be okay on your own?"
Lily flapped her away with her hands. "Go," she said, smiling. "I'm fine."
Emma cast her one last look before Remus pulled her into the throng of people, and Lily sat on one of the tables behind her, pulling her feet up onto a chair and shifting the tablecloth beneath her. Turning around ,she could still see Tom in the other corner, now deep in discussion with Serena, Callie, and a few boys who she assumed were their dates. Although it would probably look better than sitting alone, Lily couldn't be bothered to pick herself up and go to join them. She couldn't spot James, but Sirius was sitting slouched at a table not far from Tom and his friends, on the opposite side in the back corner alone - that was not like him. Usually he would be in the thick of things, chatting up five or six girls at once, Lily reflected, and she wondered absently where Sapphire was. And what on earth was James doing?
-&-
James was in fact, in the Hall. He had retreated to a table alone in the shadows at the back, almost directly in line with Lily's, which would explain why she couldn't see him. Several had asked him to dance, but he had turned them all down, suddenly finding himself not in the mood to be among people. He was so caught up in his train of thought that he didn't realize he was being called.
"James!"
"Huh?" James snapped out of his reverie, and turned his head. He relaxed, smiling, as he saw who it was. "Alright Maddie? How many guys am I going to have to beat up tonight for daring to so much as look at my baby sister?"
"Ha ha, very funny," Maddie said scathingly, adjusting her dress as she sat down beside him. "Besides, my sociableness is simply making up for your lack of it." She scrutinized him closely, even as he turned his head back to what he had been looking at before. "You're not usually one to sit in a corner when there are girls to flirt with and drinks to spike. What gives?" She had no response. "James!"
"Wha-what?" James swivelled back to see Maddie looking inquisitively at him. "Oh yeah…uh, what was the question again?"
Maddie, however, was following the direction his eyes were being drawn to.
"You really like her, don't you?" she said softly, turning back to look at James.
"Who?"
"Don't try that one on me. You know who I mean. Lily. You really do like her a lot."
James swallowed; his throat had suddenly got dry. "What? Well, yeah, of course. Be a bit hard to work with her otherwise."
Maddie sighed and shook her head. "Honestly James, I've known you all of my fifteen years, I spent eleven of them being your only friend at home, and yet you still think you can lie to me and I won't realise. I know the truth. I can see it in your face."
"Then why're you asking?" James snapped. It came out harsher than he'd intended, and he grimaced, meaning to apologise, but Maddie waved him off.
"Just go and ask her to dance," she said bluntly. "She's sitting on her own, most likely bored out of her mind - you'd be doing her a favour, and it might get you out of this mope you're in. And as for the rest…give her time. She'll see, eventually."
Her advice was almost more than James could bear from someone who was three years younger and yet three times more capable of handling his personal life than he was, but he sighed and stood up. "You know, if there was an Olympic event for assuming things, you would take bronze, silver and gold, hands down. But I'll go, if only to shut you up."
Maddie grinned and stood up as well. "Well, now that I've sorted you out, I'm off to deal with your best friend." She gestured at the table on the other side where Sirius was sitting. "He's in a mood too, or else my name's not Madeleine Potter." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if one of you goes down, the other does too. Do you have to do everything together?"
James laughed affectionately as she walked off. He was curious, and more than a little worried, about what was plaguing Sirius, but knew that he was in such a bleak mood himself that he'd probably only depress his friend further and induce suicidal thoughts, for all he knew. Much better to let Maddie go over and work her bouncy magic. Besides, if he was honest, his own problems were a lot more absorbing at the moment.
-&-
Lily, left sitting on the table on her own, sighed. If she was honest with herself, this was not the way she had envisioned spending her evening. Emma and Remus were dancing, James was nowhere to be seen, Sapphire was…somewhere outside, And Tom, who had spent the past half hour talking to other Quidditch-minded people, had just mimed going to the toilet and left. Sirius too had disappeared, and she felt like a complete twit, sitting alone.
Just then, a shadow fell across her, and she looked up to see James himself. Trying to suppress an immediate smile of relief, she moved over, and James leaned onto the table beside her, hands in his pockets. They sat in silence for a few moments, before James spoke.
"You know, Lily, I think it's official. This ball is a roaring success."
Lily smiled. "I think everyone else would agree, yes."
There was a pause, and then James looked around. "Everyone else? What about you?"
His perception caught Lily off-guard. "NO, I just meant…well, obviously I think we've done ourselves proud with this." She nudged him with her shoulder. "It was a pleasure working with you, James."
James raised an eyebrow. "You've still got six months of it to go. Come back and say the same thing in June, and I'll be shocked."
Lily laughed absently, and watched Maddie pull a boy to the dancefloor, giggling, where she abruptly said something to him and pushed him towards another girl.
"Your sister's playing matchmaker a lot today. She's in her element."
For some reason, James rolled his eyes and paused. "Yeah, she's good at that." He shook himself and stood up.
"Where're you going?" Lily asked quickly, unable to keep a tinge of disappointment out of her voice. It had been so nice having some company.
James hesitated. "To dance. With you." He held out a hand. "If you'll say yes?"
Lily was only too happy.
-&-
Meanwhile, Sapphire, hovering in the shadows at the door, was gazing cautiously around the Hall to assess her chances of running into a certain individual. He was nowhere immediately visible, so she judged it safe to slowly walk into the Hall. She hurried across as fast as she could, trying to avoid notice, and inwardly cursing Sirius for causing her to act like a fugitive.
Taking a Butterbeer, she exhaled loudly as she leaned back against the table, her eyes still darting nervously around. There was no clear sign of his tall form, but still…there were plenty of shadowy corners where he could be hiding out. She sipped again. James and Lily were talking together quietly, a little way away, and she wondered absently where Tom was as she watched them, smiling to herself. She doubted that anybody but Lily could be blind to the challenging glances passing between him and James, and considering the glow on Lily's face just now, it seemed like there was good reason for Tom to be wary of his competition.
Looking back at the tables, she spotted an empty one, where she would be less exposed than up here, and so slowly headed towards it, where she sank down, feeling sure that she would either go to Azkaban for the murder of Sirius Black, or be hospitalised for a stress hernia.
-&-
Fifteen minutes later, Sapphire let herself relax as she leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. There was still no sign of Sirius, thank heavens. Remus and Emma were just visible in one corner, dancing together. They hadn't left each other's side for more than a few minutes all night, Sapphire thought, smiling absently. Her eyes fell on another pair, and she stiffened, her mouth breaking into a wide grin.
"Oh, how wonderful!" she murmured, watching Lily laugh as James said something in her ear. "This is perfect."
"About time, isn't it?" said a voice behind her, and Sapphire's elbow slipped off the table as she whipped round to see Sirius sitting behind her, his eyes also on Lily and James.
"Black," she ground out, and made to get up from her chair. Sirius, however, was too quick for her. His hand shot out and grasped her wrist firmly, pulling her back down into her seat.
"Oh no," he growled. "You've been pulling this on me all night without even knowing what I want."
"And what do you want?" Sapphire said mutinously. "A quick snog and fumble in the gardens? Because if so, you're barking up the wrong -"
"I want to talk," Sirius said. He eyed her, and the fight seemed to drain out of him. "Just…one conversation. One proper conversation, that's all I'm asking for."
If only to pry her arm out of his hand and regain her circulation, Sapphire nodded reluctantly. He loosened his grip and took a deep breath.
"Right. So. Well…first…I just need to apologise. No, wait -" he held up a hand as Sapphire opened her mouth, " - I've been treating you horribly for a while now, and even though it won't change much, I want to say sorry for that. I don't - I'm not…most girls don't take much to win over for me, and the only exceptions to that rule are Lily, because she saw through us all from day one, and Emma, because she only ever had eyes for Remus. And then you turned up, and were a bit of…well, you were a bit of a shock to the system. And I'm sorry for the way I reacted."
Sapphire was staring at him so hard that he had to fight the urge to look away, but eventually she spoke.
"Well. I don't quite know if I'm ready to…to forgive you yet…but I'll try not to hold it against you."
Sirius let out a breath. "It's a start." He paused. "Second thing…look I know this is going to sound absolutely unbelievable, but…I do really…I mean, I think you're…" He stopped, floundering in his effort to form a coherent sentence.
"Spit it out," Sapphire said impatiently.
"I - Look, this is hard!" Sirius retorted. "I'm not someone who does this on a regular basis! What I'm trying to say is…whatever I may have done or said to the contrary…I do really like you. And even though I'm guessing you'd throw something at me if I asked you out…I was hoping maybe we could call a truce…just be…friends?"
Sapphire regarded him for a long moment. "And why would I do that?" she asked slowly.
"Because!" Sirius said, unnerved by her gaze. "Even if I'm a prat, I'm a good-hearted prat - ask James! - and though it was my mistake, I think it would be a very good idea to start making up for lost time."
Sapphire continued to look at him for a long moment, and then, finally, held her hand out. "Truce."
Sirius took it, marvelling at how smooth and cold it was, and they shook solemnly. A minute later, they had both broken into awkward laughs, more borne out of nervousness than anything else. Sapphire shifted uncomfortably in her chair, not quite able to grasp the idea of a friendly Sirius, and Sirius was toying with his cufflinks for much the same reason.
"So," Sirius said, in a conversational tone. "I might as well throw us in at the deep end straight off." Sapphire looked at him curiously. "Why are you sitting here alone instead of dancing up there with a date?"
Sapphire raised her eyebrows. "Er, because as you full well know, I don't have a date?"
"Well, it's not for lack of asking, is it? How many times did Leon Wilkes ask you before he got the hint? Twelve?"
"Fourteen." Sapphire sighed heavily. Sirius smirked, then sobered up.
"Okay, so I wouldn't blame you for saying no to him, but what happened to everyone else? I happen to know from my extensive spy network that several guys asked you who even I wouldn't have been ashamed to be seen with. If I swung that way, that is," he added hastily, as Sapphire turned her laugh into a hacking cough. "So what was wrong with all of them?"
Sapphire shrugged. "Don't know. Just wasn't interested."
Sirius studied her intently. "You know what? I'm going to ask a question which practically earned me a slap the last time I voiced it. So bear in mind that if you do it again, it'll be your fault for having ruined what could've been the beginning of a beautiful new friendship." He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes which told Sapphire he was quite serious.
"Go on then ,hit me with it."
"How long has it been since you had a boyfriend?"
The words were softly spoken, but they struck a chord, and Sapphire felt herself flush. The implied intimacy of the question irked her, but a niggling voice at the back of her head was quietly murmuring that even if she told the truth, the boy sitting opposite her would not use the information against her. She turned to look at the aquarium wall.
"Heathleigh?" He was leaning forward slightly now, waiting for her answers, and his eyes emerged from their shadows as he altered his position.
Silently, Sapphire sighed. She might as well say it. "I don't - I've never had one," she said grudgingly, flashing her eyes up at him, daring him to taunt her. Instead, he merely leaned back.
"I know."
Sapphire stared at him. "So what was the point in asking? It's strange enough that we're being friendly, Black, without you probing into my personal life and then telling me you have it all on record anyway!"
Sirius held up a hand to placate her. "What I've always been curious about," he said calmly, in a low voice, "is why you've not got involved with anyone for all this time?"
Sapphire's eyes, when she finally processed his words, were both angry and incredulous. "How can you -?" she sputtered indignantly, making to rise before Sirius pulled her firmly back down.
"It's just a question."
"Well it's more than a little…impertinent, don't you think?"
Sirius shrugged. "You know that's practically my middle name."
Sapphire rolled her eyes, in spite of herself. "I should have known not to expect anything more from you," she muttered, absently watching Serena swan out of the Hall, smirking as she pulled a brown-haired boy behind her.
"That's not fair!" Sirius protested. "You're assuming things! I -" He stopped suddenly, his eyes on the crowd in front of them, and a frown creased his handsome face. Sapphire, startled by his sudden silence, turned round to see him gazing into the middle distance, looking both thoughtful, and…disturbed?
"What's wrong?" she asked, unsettled.
Sirius looked at her briefly, as if surprised to see her there, but then stood up, looking unconvinced, but determined. "I'm sorry, excuse me for a moment." He abruptly walked off. Sapphire watched his retreating figure.
"Oh what have I agreed to?" she muttered, before getting up irritation and heading off for a drink.
-&-
Remus spun Emma around as the song came to an end, and they laughed, mock-bowing to each other.
"This is turning out to be one of the best nights I've ever known," Emma murmured, as a slower song started up and she moved closer.
She felt Remus smile into her hair. "True. If I'd know this could happen, I'd have dropped a pumpkin on your head years ago."
Emma laughed and swatted him as they swayed. "Don't push your luck. The only reason I even let that go was because…"
"Because I'm such a charming and amazing person, not to mention being heart-stoppingly good-looking?"
"No. Actually, I don't know why I ever let that go. Remind me to be angry at you later."
"Yes ma'am." They carried on dancing for a few songs, enjoying each other's company, when Remus noticed something very odd. Sirius was standing on the edge of the dancefloor, bouncing up and down, apparently trying to catch his attention. As Remus looked at him fully, he brushed his nose three times and blinked very slowly and obviously. Urgent. I'll explain later.
Remus raised his eyebrows at him, just as Emma caught sight of his friend. "What does he want?" she asked.
Remus swung them around so that her back was to Sirius. "Nothing," he replied smoothly. "Well," he paused, "other than maybe a lifetime's supply of chocolate and Sapphire…" Emma burst into giggles and swatted him.
"He's still trying to catch your attention, you know," she said, as they turned again. Remus looked up, frowning, and sure enough, Sirius was still there, staring fixedly at him. The song ended and Remus sighed. "I'd better go see what he wants," he said tiredly. "I'm sorry Em, excuse me."
Emma watched him make his way over, and rolled her eyes in amusement as he was practically dragged out of the hall, Sirius talking furiously all the while.
-&-
Meanwhile, although the song had ended, by mutual silent consent, Lily and James remained on the dancefloor. The pleasant haze of music and conversation was only broken when James looked over Lily's shoulder to see Sirius and Remus both standing on the edge of the dancefloor, signalling at him, both looking most impatient. For a moment, he opened his mouth, about to make his excuses to Lily, and then shut it again.
Damn it, he thought, I'm not going to get to finish this dance any other time. Blankly shaking his head at his friends, he carried on with Lily.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked, as he found his gaze once more attracted to where Sirius and Remus were standing and gesturing. She turned her head and they froze, mid-gesticulation, before shooting equally unconvincing and toothy grins at her.
Lily looked back at James. "You sure you don't want to go see what they want?" she asked, her tone quietly amused.
"Nah," James answered easily. "I know they feel worthless without me, but it's more fun here." He winked at her, making her laugh, and frowned at Remus and Sirius, both of whom looked disgusted with him as they realised he had no intention of moving.
As the tune ended, James felt a pang of conscience as they left the mass of couples. "I'm really sorry, Lily," he said. "I should go find out what they wanted."
Lily shook her head and laughed. "I was quite impressed you didn't leave me mid-step, to be honest." She waved her hand. "Go."
Feeling slightly bolstered by the fact that he seemed to have made the right choice with regards to her at least, James walked off, and Lily watched him weave his way between the tables, only to be accosted halfway by Callie, who started talking brightly at him. James was answering politely enough but what Callie was clearly after, judging by her repetitive hair flicks, was a dance, Lily thought, or she was no judge of girls. Feeling a strange sort of mean pleasure in the fact that Calling was wanting so badly something that James had given her for free, Lily surveyed the rest of the Hall, and felt a sudden twinge of annoyance. Where was Tom? He'd completely disappeared - in fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen him. The group he'd been talking to had dispersed, and she could see neither hide nor hair of him. Clicking her tongue in irritation, she decided it was best to go and find him rather than continue sitting, and accordingly slid off the table and began making her way around the crumpled napkins and knocked-over goblets that littered the floor. Across in a corner, she spotted Emma and Sapphire - Emma looking rather alone without Remus - and waved at them as she continued round.
It was when she reached the doors, thinking vaguely of asking someone to check the boys' toilet as she looked longingly back at the dancefloor, that she ran into Sirius and Remus, almost literally. Both looked rather flustered and uncomfortable, and she noted with some surprise that there was snow in their hair.
"Boys, where have you-?" she started. "No, never mind, I don't even want to know. But uh, James is looking for y-"
"Lily, we need you to come with us," Remus said, stepping forward and taking her arm. Lily blinked in confusion at the solemnity of his tone.
"What's going on?" she questioned, looking from him to Sirius, who also looked uncommonly serious.
The boys exchanged an awkward look, and then Sirius spoken, in a tone that could almost have been called gentle. "We - you're not going to like this, Lily, but - you need to - we can't hide this, come on." He seized her arm as well, and Lily found herself being pulled unceremoniously out of the Hall.
"Where are we going?" she demanded. "And where's James?"
"Who cares?" said Remus impatiently. "Lily, come on."
"But what's going on? Why won't you tell - are we going outside?" she cried, as they neared the huge doors. "My - I've got bare arms - my shoes - I'll freeze!"
"I think that'll be the least of your worries," Sirius muttered wryly. He and Remus escorted Lily out into the moonlit gardens, ignoring her protests, and through clumps of twinkling, snow-laden rosebushes, their dark-green leaves shaded to black.
Once finally through, they stopped. "Over there, Lily," Remus said, pointing, his voice tinged with regret. He pushed her, and she took a few steps forward, her arms wrapped tightly around her body in an effort to stay warm. A pair of figures materialised gradually in the half-dark, embracing closely.
It took only a heartbeat for Lily to realise who they were.
Tom.
Serena.
She let out a gasp of pure shock and stared, unable to turn her gaze away, as Tom raised his head at the sound and stared straight back at her. He swore as he realised who it was, and started towards her, but Lily had already turned her back on him and was marching back the castle as fast as her numbed mind and shaking legs would permit her.
She was just past the doors of the Great Hall, through which the sounds of music and whooping still echoed, when a hand closed on her arm, and she whirled around to see Tom standing there.
"Lily, please -" he began.
The numbness left her, to be replaced with a wave of fury and disgust that she had not thought it possible to feel so strongly. "Don't you dare touch me," she hissed, yanking her arm away violently.
Tom stepped back, his brown eyes almost hurt. "Lily," he started again, "this isn't what it looks like -"
"Really?" Lily shot back, her voice sharp enough to cut diamond. "Because I think it's exactly what it looks like."
"No - Lil - it's not - she made me -"
"DON'T CALL ME LIL!"
They stopped and stared at each other, Lily actually shaking from sheer contempt and anger, as well as the icy breeze that billowed through the still-open castle doors. How could she not have seen - what had she missed -?
"Please, let's just sort this out and talk it through…" The raised voices were beginning to attract attention, and a small crowd was gathering, all of whom watched, wide-eyed, as Lily let out a noise which was almost a snarl of exasperation.
"I don't know how stupid you want to look, but let me make it crystal-clear: sorting things out doesn't work so well after you've fastened lips with another girl - and that looked like you were enjoying it quite a lot. Right now, you're feeding me lines so you can carry on the act and jerk off - which I guess is fitting, given that right now, you're the biggest jerk I've ever met."
Tom was shaking his head. "Lil - y, it wasn't meant to be like this - please -"
"Oh?" Lily questioned, her tone unmistakably sarcastic. "So who was I supposed to walk in on you snogging? Callie? And was it meant to be in the common room so I wouldn't get too cold while I watched?"
Tom's face suddenly hardened. "Don't try and act as if you're as pure as the driven snow, Lily Evans. Everyone knows how much time you spend with James Potter - don't tell me that all the stories are false. I've been ignoring them…or trying to…"
Lily stared in amazement. "What stories -?" she began, before her eyes fell on James himself. He had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, cheeks flushed, tie askew, hair messier than usual, but his face registered complete shock as Tom's words resounded. A bolt shot through her as she remembered his words from so long ago.
"…Maybe I should warn you, Lily. Tom isn't perfect…It's just – he tends to, uh, be one of those people that listen to rumours, and take them seriously…"
With a sickened feeling, she looked across to see Serena smirking at her. Realisation set in, and she gritted her teeth for a moment.
"We are the Head students," she said, in a low and controlled voice. "It's our job to work together. He's been nothing but a good friend to me. And -" she broke off and glanced at James again. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Tom." She glared at him. "I was more of a fool to believe you than you were to believe stories about me." Mustering as much dignity as she could, she turned on her heel and walked off.
Tom swivelled to face the rest of the crowd. "What're you looking at?" he barked. In obedience to his baleful stare, the students began to retreat, all muttering about the shouting match Lily Evans, the Head Girl, had just had.
James turned with the rest of them and returned to the Ball, scanning the room for Emma and Sapphire who, he was sure, would want to be informed of these new developments.
-&-
Stopping just inside the doors, he surveyed the space, filled with twirling couples, and the clusters of students talking in huddles. Finally he saw a flash of red in a corner by the aquarium wall, and on advancing, spotted Emma, Remus and Sapphire.
"Hey Ja -" Emma started before James cut in.
"Lily broke up with Tom."
"What?" "What?" Both girls spoke in unison.
"Just now, in the entrance hall - I think he might have been cheating on her…"
"Where is she now?" Sapphire demanded.
James shrugged. "She walked off. Not in here, though. You'd better go comfort her, do the girl-thing."
"Right." Emma turned to Remus. "Sorry, do you mind if I -"
Remus shook his head, gesturing her off, and the two girls, with James in their stead, turned to the Entrance Hall. Just as they approached the stairs, Sirius came down them. He turned a keen gaze on them. "Is Lily not with you?" he asked.
"No…" Emma said slowly.
"Ah." Sirius glanced at James quickly and meaningfully. Unfortunately, Emma caught it. Her voice took on a note of real panic. "Boys, where is she?"
-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-
A/N: Finally! Hope the length made up for the insane delay in getting it up since this first started - and thank you for all the positive reviews I've had, both from new reviewers and ones who remember me from way back :) Also apologies for the broken-up style, it's quite difficult to keep multiple storylines running together when important things are happening in different places. Next chapter up soonish, hopefully!