"EVANS!"
She could hear a rapid thudding of feet behind her. Lily rolled her eyes, continuing to walk.
"OI! EVANS!"
Lily chose to ignore this second attempt at attracting her attention and was determined to get down to the Great Hall early for breakfast. She had been sure that James Potter had no awareness of a time before 8:45 (15 minutes before class. Bloody idiot... always late and one bloody stupid goofy grin and the teachers just told him to sit down and be quiet.) but she had, on this occasion, been sorely mistaken. She heard the thud of footsteps behind her steadily get louder and closer.
"Evans... finally caught up with you" He smirked and ruffled his hair
"What do you want Potter?"
"Fast
walker you are"
"What do you want?"
"I
was wondering if you'd found yourself a date for the Christmas ball
yet" Lily sighed, the inimitable sensation embodied by the phrase
"oh
bollocks"
washing over her.
"Well Evans?"
"No, I haven't"
"You wanna go with me?" he asked, bloody stupid goofy grin on his face, the lightest flush of red, Lily had never seen on him before, lingering upon his cheeks. And to Lily's disgust, her first instinct, her kneejerk reaction, her spontaneous, unconsidered almost reflexive thought was to say yes. She opened her mouth without thinking and blurted out
"Y... No!"
"That was almost a yes wasn't it?"
"No"
"It was! You went, "Y..." "
"Did not"
"Did so"
"Did not"
"Did so! Evans you big, fat James-Potter-luvin, liar!"
"You're delusional Potter, you really are"
"Am not"
"Are too"
"Am not"
"Are...
I'm not doing this Potter, sod off so I can go down for my
breakfast in peace"
"Don't be like that Evans... come on...
go with me"
"... no"
"You didn't sound so sure that time!" He fluffed his hair again and Lily curled her lip "Come on, I know a lot of boys will be asking you to this" she was NOT going to blush. "but I got here first. Give me a chance Evans please?"
"Well-" she began "- I don't know"
"Oh come on! Who else are you going to go with!?"
"I don't know... I thought-" she decided against finishing her sentence. Knowing it would only cause trouble.
"What? who?"
"No one. Leave me alone please"
"Must've been someone embarrassing"
"Potter, go away please"
"Was it Peter?"
"Pettigrew... no!" Lily shuddered at the thought, then reminded herself she didn't judge on appearance alone and she was merely shuddering because Peter was a spineless prat.
"Ugh it's not someone disgusting like that greasy git Snivellus is it?"
"So what if it is?"
"You're kidding"
"I would certainly rather go with him than you"
"You would?... wow... you must really hate me" James said casually, his disappointment expertly masked by everything accept the fact his eyes were no longer on Lily, but fixed to the ground. Lily merely shrugged and carried on walking to breakfast, leaving Potter standing alone in the middle of the corridor.
*
"CHENG!"
She stopped and smiled to herself. Chloe, Mel and Lauren giggled
"OI! CHENG!"
"Hi James... what's up? Practice time changed?"
"No, it's still Tuesday"
"Right, what did want then?" She said, rather too expectantly
"I was... erm... you got a date for the Christmas ball yet?"
"No, not yet"
"You
wanna go with me?" he gave his sweet wide grin and Yumiko's
insides flipped. She cleared her throat and raised her brow.
"Lily
Evans turned you down then?" His grin dropped and the lightest
flush spread across his cheeks
"She might have done" Yumiko rolled her eyes at him. She wanted to go with James because he wanted to with her. Not just because the girl he really liked turned him down.
"So... you want to go with me or what?"
"I suppose... On the condition you don't spend the whole night gawking at Lily"
"Fine"
"And you have to dance with me"
"Cool"
"And no moping over Lily either. I won't tolerate gawking or moping"
"Cheng, I will try my best not to do anything that will spoil your evening"
"Great" Yumiko smiled "Okay. I'll go"
"Brilliant" James grinned and she grinned back. "See you Tuesday then for practice and on Friday... I'll meet you in the common room at Seven"
"Okay. See you then"
"See you" James turned on his heel and went to leave
"James?" asked Chloe, smirking behind her hair
"Wha?"
"Before you go... Has Sirius found a date yet?"
"No... he's been fighting them off but he hasn't picked one yet... he wants to ask someone, he just hasn't gotten to her yet" James gave her a look that Yumiko knew meant that's not you, by the way. But the look on Chloe's face screamed, it's me! It's me! It must be me!
"Alright then" she smirked and glanced at Lauren, they both giggled
"Right well, I'm off. See you Cheng"
"Later James" she waved as he trotted down the corridor. Chloe turned to Yumiko and grabbed her arm, her bright pink nails digging in to Yumiko's arm.
"I cannot believe James Potter just asked you out! How can you be so cool about this!"
"He's a mate... He's only asking me out because Evans shot him down."
"I know! But you like him! The ball is like your opportunity to pounce!"
"I don't want to be his girl friend if he fancies someone else"
"Come on! You so should! Then when I go out with Sirius-"
"- which you won't" cut in Mel. She had become increasingly confident since she started losing weight. She wore her hair down now and refused to wear her glasses. Some boy in fifth year had already asked her to the ball.
"Shut up Mel! God, it's like now you're not fat you think it gives you some kind of right to act like a bitch or some thing... Anyway, when I go out with Sirius, it'll be like, perfect!"
"Yeah... right" Yumiko rolled her eyes again when she caught Mel's eye.
"Ugh, fuck both of you. Come on Lauren" Chloe stormed off and Lauren shot them both a dirty look as she dutifully followed Chloe.
*
Alice dipped her quill into Sirius's inkwell and began to write up the results of their potions work, which was completely and utterly dull. At least she had DADA next lesson. She was beginning to count the minutes till she had her lessons with Frank.
"I'm
not doing this all by myself Black" she warned as Sirius stretched
and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He frowned.
"I know! You do
half, I do half!" he pouted "And call me Sirius. I know you have
to pretend you don't like me when Lily's around, but she's all
the way across the class room"
"True..." they smiled at each other "Sirius... is she still scowling at James?" she scribbled at the parchment, Sirius craned his neck
"Actually, it seems to be mutual scowling today"
"Really? That's unusual"
"That it is... uh..." Sirius shuffled on his stool "Alice?"
"Mmhmm" she mumbled, still scribbling at the parchment
"Have you... erm... erm..." he was muttering and stammering
"Out with it Sirius, I haven't got all day" she smirked.
"Have you got a... erm a date. A date, have you got a date yet" Sirius's eyes were on the table in front of him. Alice dropped her quill.
"What? You're asking me out? Sirius... I'm flattered but I really don't like you like that... I-" She stuttered
"Oh no!" he interrupted "Just as friends! I don't fancy you or anything... I mean not that you're not fanciable... I just... oh Merlin"
"No that's fine! I don't fancy you either"
"Oh good" Sirius smiled and relaxed, Alice laughed
"I've never seen you nervous before"
"Sorry... I'm not used to being the one that does the asking out"
"I suppose you wouldn't be... I've been watching the girls in the common room... in classes... in the corridors. And you've turned them all down?"
"Yep"
"But... Why? And why turn all of them down... pretty pretty girls. And ask me out?"
"They would've expected me to do stuff with them... And I didn't like any of them... I wanted to go and I thought... well... why not ask a friend? Assuming that we are... friends"
"We are! We are!" She smiled, and went to write a little more on the parchment "Thank you for asking me Sirius"
"I
was surprised you didn't have a date already to be honest"
"While
we're being honest I have turned the boys who asked me away"
"Why?"
"Same
reason as you really. Didn't fancy any of them. And I'm sure half
of them... half being two... I'm sure they were nursing pathetic
crushes on Lily"
"And the other two?"
"They weren't what I was looking for"
"And what are you looking for?"
"The unattainable I suppose" She sighed and wrinkled her nose. Because she probably could never have what she really wanted. Not without someone getting into trouble anyway.
"Ah... so you do fancy Frank then"
"What? No! No..." she snapped. But then thought, if he's guessed I might as well tell him. Wanted to talk to someone about it anyway. "how did you know?"
"Remus had an inkling"
"Oh"
"So did James"
"Am I really that obvious"
"No. I haven't heard it from anyone else. Remus is very observant. So is James when he wants to be"
"What
am I going to do Sirius?"
"I don't know... wait a few years"
"A few years... a few years of torture... fucking hell... you know, I haven't even told Lily about this"
"Really? I feel honoured"
"So you should"
*
"Oi, Frank!"
"Professor Longbottom, Black! I've told you a thousand times you must call me Professor Longbottom!"
"And it'll be a thousand times more before it sinks in"
"What did you want Black?"
"Do teachers have to get a date to the ball or can they just go."
"We're allowed to go alone. Lots of Professors invite their spouses or partners or whatever"
"Will you be brining you girlfriend Frank?"
"No, I don't have a girlfriend at the moment"
"Would you like one?"
"Are you coming on to me?"
"No! I was just curious"
"Could you be curious about duelling protocol rather than my sex life?"
"I wasn't talking about your sex life, I was only asking if you had a girlfriend. Would you like to talk about your sex life?"
"No Black, no I would not. Please get back to work and stop harassing me"
"Oh that means you haven't got any in a while"
"No... I- I... GET BACK TO WORK NOW!"
"And If that wasn't the cry of a sexually frustrated twenty something I don't know what is"
*
Lily sat drumming her fingers on the desk through most of the first half an hour of Arithmancy. Remus seemed to be taking his time on asking her to the ball, which he'd have to do eventually because he didn't really know any other girls and he could hardly take Sirius, could he.
"So Remus" she prompted "Got a date yet?"
"Ah, no. Have you?"
"Nope. It would be nice to get one soon though. Quite soon"
"Oh good. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? Because well... I don't really know any other girls and I can hardly take Sirius can I?"
"Oh Remus I'd love to go with you!"
"You would? Brilliant. I am happy for you to dump me if someone better comes along"
"Meh" she shrugged "There isn't anyone I'd rather go with to be perfectly honest"
"Oh" Remus eyed her rather too warily "Okay then." He frowned and picked up his quill, before quite quickly setting it down again "Look, you know, you should just give James a chance"
"I don't want to give him a chance"
"He really likes you"
"He only wants me because he can't have me"
"You should hear the way he talks about you sometimes Lily. He thinks you're the most incredible thing to ever walk the Earth"
"He doesn't. There'll be other girls"
"But in his eyes none of them will ever come so much as close to you"
"Well... he's just bloody stupid then isn't he? Nursing some... some bloody... childish fruitless crush. I'm never going to go out with him, I never can go out with him. I am not physically capable of going out with him or... or loving him or anything and I never will be!"
"Hmm..." Remus frowned at her. Before muttering so softly she wasn't sure she'd heard it "hypocrite"
*
"Moony Moony Moony Moony" said Sirius excitedly, James grinning with his chin rested on Sirius's shoulder. Remus brushed some of the dragon dung off his Herbology gloves and set the small evil looking plant he was re-potting down on the work bench in front of him.
"What what what what?"
"Tell us who Peter's date is then!"
"Oh..." Remus ran his eyes down the short line of Hufflepuff girls opposite him. He stopped on a small mousey girl with her hair in pigtails. "That's her. That's Kate Finch" James and Sirius both lurched forward to see her. She noticed, turned pink and hid behind her plant.
"Oh... she's... erm-" began James
"Plain" finished Sirius
"Yeah, I was looking for a nicer word, but yeah."
"She's a perfectly nice girl." Said Remus, pruning his ugly plants leaves. James continued scrutinising the poor girl, who looked like she was shaking.
"Yeah, she's pretty much perfect for Peter isn't she" nodded Sirius. James smirked
"I can tell just by looking at her"
"Peter can finally be the one who wears the trousers in a relationship"
"That'll be nice for him" agreed James. "Did you ask Evans out then?" he asked begrudgingly
"Yep"
"Did she say yes?"
"Yep"
"I
hate my life" mumbled James
"No you don't, come on Prongs, let's go mock Peter" said Sirius tugging James's sleeve, giving Remus's arse a quick nip before they trotted over the green house to Peter. Remus jumped and resisted the urge to soothe his bum. Because it really was rather a hard nip.
*
Chloe stomped up to Sirius with a determined look etched across her face. Sirius was sitting with his friends, looking gorgeous by the way, and had his arm around the boy with light brown hair. Lauren thought he was hot, Chloe disagreed, but he might have been alright if he didn't look so ill. The brown haired by glares at her and she glared back.
"Hey Sirius"
"Hi... I want to say... Sheila?"
"Chloe"
"Oops."
"Doesn't matter. I was wondering, if you had a date for the Ball yet?"
"I do. Sorry"
"What?! With who?"
"Alice Prewett"
"You and her?"
"Yeah"
"But... but... you could do so much better!"
"Alice is wonderful"
"I'm wonderful"
"Good for you... erm well... what were you saying Moony" Chloe stomped at the blatant brush off, flipped her hair and stormed off. She didn't want to go out with Sirius Black anyway... he was probably gay or secretly fat or something.
*
"I was just talking about..." Remus wrinkled his nose "I can't remember"
"Silly Moony. Oh well. So Peter, how's the girlfriend? Are you ever going to formally introduce us" Sirius smirked
"I... Well I don't know. You have to promise not to be noisy or anything. She's very delicate, a small lovely quiet little thing, that none of you will know how to deal with"
"You've never met my mum have you Pete"
"No"
"Well, I assure you I can deal with small quiet people just fine" mumbled Remus.
"Katie's the most amazing girl I've ever met" Sighed Peter "She told me to call her Katie instead of Kate... she said her friends call her Katie"
"Yeah she sounds... amazing" said James shooting a sardonic look at Sirius, who caught it and reciprocated.
"I never thought I'd be looking forward to something like this, but I am. I can't wait" said Peter excitedly, grinning and bouncing on his chair
"I must say I'm dreading it" mumbled Remus.
"Why? Are you saying there's something wrong with Lily?" Said James dangerously.
"No, not at all... I'm just not looking forward to it that's all. Christ"
"I think it'll be fun." Said Sirius, flicking his hair out of his eyes "It'll take me back to the days I used to spend sleeping with the lady folk"
"What were you thinking" laughed Remus
"I believe I was thinking. I fancy my friend, oh no, what to do, I'd better smash these thoughts and find some girl to sleep with because I'm going completely insane for every minute I'm not interfering with one of my best male friends"
"Aww,
that's sweet" smiled Remus "James, are your parents having
their New Year's Party again this year?"
"We are indeed Mr.
Moony. Invitations are going out in two days, you're all invited."
"Nice. My parents are making me come home again... fuckers" Sirius scowled.
"Come and stay at mine for the holidays. You can come the minute your parents give your permission and if they don't... well come any way. We'll keep you safe." James grinned "You can all come over"
"I'm not leaving my mum if I don't have to. I shouldn't have left her this summer... tell you what though, I'll ask my mum if you can all stay at mine for a few nights." Remus suggested. "She might be glad of the company."
"Sounds alright with me. Then we can come back to mine for New year and Remus can go home I suppose"
"Sounds good. All we have to do is get this bloody ball out the way" Remus sighed
"Cheer up Moony." Said Sirius "It won't be too bad. It's only Evans, she's hardly going to try and molest you, is she?"
"... no... I don't suppose she will"
"And you're not going to try and molest her are you?" growled James
"James! For goodness sake no!"
"Do you think Cheng'll be expecting me to molest her?" asked James "I mean, she knows I like Evans, but I haven't had a girlfriend in ages"
"Don't go out with her just for the sake of it if you don't like her"
"I do like her. Just not as much as I like Evans"
Remus frowned and slapped his hands down on his thighs.
"I'm going to go write to my mum and ask her if you three can stay for a little bit"
*
Dear
Mum,
Would it be okay if James, Peter and Sirius came to stay for
a few days between Christmas and New Year? I think it would be good
for you to have a bit more company than just me.
Love Remus.
PS.
If I find one drop of alcohol, magic, muggle or otherwise, I'll.
Well I'm not sure what I'll do, but I won't be happy. I'll
use the puppy dog eyes.
Dear Remus,
Calm sweet
heart, there isn't any drink in the house. Any way, you can't use
the puppy dog eyes against me, I invented the puppy dog eyes. Who did
you think you got them from?
I'm perfectly happy to have your
friends stay. As long as they don't make too much noise. Or mess.
Especially mess.
Love Mum x
A/N: Hey my fanficking
puppy shipping brothers and sisters (Why are my Author's notes
always so retarded?) Okay, so I had like 20 reviews on the chapter
before last then it dropped back down to like 10 on the last one.
WHAT IS GOING ON PEOPLE!!!
I hate to be a review whore, but come
on! I'm on my cyber knee's here! Pwease pwease pwease weview!
Thanks for reading and reviewing and favouriting and blah blah blah.
On the bright side,
something that's actually interesting will happen in the next
chapter! Yay Christmas Ball Plot device! (Plot... pa-ha. Who needs a
plot)
any way, I'll stop rambling. Just remember to review...
