Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nor do I have any money, so please don't sue.

Chapter 15 What Am I Ever Gonna Need Transfiguration for Anyway?

Since Lily had gotten absolutely nothing done on Saturday her Sunday was dedicated to doing homework. She was still struggling in Transfiguration so much of the afternoon was dedicated to trying to figure it all out, however, when she went to bed that night she really didn't feel as though she had retained any of it.

Monday morning started out fine for Lily with Double Potions where she performed brilliantly as always, it took a sharp downwards turn at the end of Transfiguration, however. Lily was putting her things away and talking to Katie and Marlene about what they thought they would be eating for lunch when Professor McGonagall called her name.

"Miss Evans, could you stay behind? I'd like to speak with you for a minute."

Lily sighed discretely; she really was rather hungry.

"Do you want us to wait for you, Lily?" Marlene asked.

"No, go on ahead, no reason for all three of us to starve. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

Lily went up to McGonagall's desk as the rest of the class filed out of the room on their way to lunch. Lily was slightly confused, why hadn't she asked James to stay after too…

"Miss Evans, is everything all right? Are you having any problems at home or with your friends?" Professor McGonagall asked concern evident in her voice.

Now Lily was really confused, she was fine, why would McGonagall think something was wrong?

"No, Professor, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Lily asked sounding as bewildered as she felt.

"Well, I was grading the tests that I gave your class last week and I must say I was very surprised by your score and I find that when things like this happen, the student is often having some sort of difficulty in their personal life. I've been slightly concerned with your work this whole semester, but I thought I'd let you try and work it out yourself, but after grading your test, well, I felt it was time I stepped in."

Lily just stared at Professor McGonagall, sure she was having a bit of trouble with Transfiguration, but she couldn't be doing that badly. Sensing Lily's confusion Professor McGonagall riffled through her the papers on her desk and took out Lily's Transfiguration exam. Lily just stared at it after Professor McGonagall handed it to her.

A D? She'd never gotten below an E, on anything! Well except that one essay in DADA, but even then it had only been an A and it wasn't her fault. James had been harassing her at the time and she had simply forgotten to finish it out of sheer frustration.

Lily stared at Professor McGonagall, "I'll do better I swear. I've just gotten this block on human transfiguration into non-mammals, but I think I'm starting to understand it now…"

Professor McGonagall cut her off, "I suggest that you find another student to help you, perhaps Mr. Potter. If that doesn't work come back and talk to me, I'd simply take you on myself, but I'm rather busy at the moment and I think it might help if someone besides myself explained it to you."

Lily nodded mutely and tried to hand her test back to McGonagall.

"No, no, you hold onto it. I'm going to give them back tomorrow anyway. I have almost finished grading them and I've already recorded the grades of the ones I've corrected. Having the test will help you to begin studying tonight by allowing you to see the aspects that you are having the most difficulty with."

Lily nodded mutely and put the test in the bottom of her bag before heading off to the Great Hall for lunch.

"What did McGonagall want?" Katie asked as Lily sat down.

"Huh?" Lily said snapping out of her trance.

"Professor McGonagall what did she want?"

"Oh, nothing, just stuff about the dance."

James looked at her oddly.

"James, do you think we could meet later in the Head's Common room and I can tell you about what McGonagall and I talked about?"

James nodded still looking slightly confused. Lily couldn't blame him. She realized it made absolutely no sense for McGonagall to keep her after class to discuss the ball and not include James.

To his credit though, James didn't mention this fact, he just nodded his head and asked, "Is eight ok for you? I've got Quidditch Practice from six to seven thirty and I'd like to take a shower afterward, as Quidditch in the rain tends to make one both muddy and smelly."

Lily nodded. It was indeed raining quite hard outside. She was suddenly very glad that she wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Later that evening Lily found herself pacing in the Head's Common Room. She had only been in here once before, it was really quite spectacular. It was decorated in a red and gold theme with a couple of comfy couches and armchairs placed around the fire. Lily had spent the past several hours in the Head's Common room alternatively trying to do her homework and pacing. She had never failed a class, ever, not even when she was in primary school.

James came in promptly at eight, causing Lily to literally jump in the air from surprise.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," James said trying to suppress a chuckle.

He looked at her more closely and she saw a look of concern in his eyes.

"Are you ok? Does this have to do with McGonagall talking to you? I know you said it had to do with stuff for the Halloween Ball, but if that were true she would have had me stay after too?" James said this last part rather cautiously.

Lily nodded mutely. Upon discovering that she couldn't bring herself to speak she reached into her bag and pulled out her test.

"What's that?" James asked curiously.

Finally finding her voice Lily said, "Don't you dare laugh."

She then glared at him angrily as though he already had, slowly extending her hand holding the papers towards James.

He reached out and took them from her trembling hand. He looked down at the papers in his hand and his eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he didn't laugh or gloat, he didn't even admonish Lily for not asking for his help sooner.

"I could help you if you'd like," he said quietly.

Lily just nodded and sat down pulling out her Transfiguration book and notes.

"Where would you like to start?" James asked.

"Don't you dare tell anyone!" Lily snapped suddenly.

"I won't, I promise," James said in what Lily had come to learn was his serious voice.

"How about the beginning?" Lily asked.

"Ok," said James. "The trick…"

Two hours later James and Lily emerged from the Head's Common Room. Not to head back to Gryffindor Tower but to start their patrol. They had left their books and things in the Head's Room having decided it would be easier to pick them up at the end of their patrol then to lug their heavy bags around with them.

Lily was feeling marginally better. While she still didn't understand everything they were learning in Transfiguration she at least now understood the basics of human Transfiguration into non-mammals. James was actually quite a good tutor, much to Lily's surprise.

"Thanks, James," Lily said quietly after ten minutes of silent patrol.

"No problem," James replied, "And don't worry, I won't tell a soul, not even McGonagall. Mad Hungarian Horntails couldn't drag it out of me."

Lily just smiled at him.

A couple of nights later found James sprinting up to the Gryffindor Common, even with all the short cuts he knew, he was going to be late. Quidditch had run over and even though he had showered and changed as quickly as he could he was cutting it close. He ran as quickly as his feet could carry him skidding to a halt in front of the Fat Lady.

"Well aren't we in a hurry," she grinned. He hated it when she did that.

"Quaffle, quaffle," James repeated hurriedly trying to get her to open up faster.

He clambered into the Common Room and looked at the clock, 9: 03, bloody hell he was late. He saw Lily heading towards him.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said still trying to catch his breath. "Practice ran a bit over, won't happen again, I swear."

"Did you run here?" Lily asked.

James just nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

"Well, as long as we win the Quidditch Cup I suppose I can forgive you," Lily said grinning. "Now let's get going."

James smiled and followed her. He couldn't believe she wasn't mad. True he had only been three minutes late, but he knew that Lily liked to be punctual.

Inspired by her lack of anger at his lateness, James decided to carefully bring up a subject he'd been keen on discussing with her, the possibility of her going to the Halloween Ball with him.

"So," he began. "I just wanted to say thank you again, for agreeing to go to Hogsmeade with me last Saturday. I had a wonderful time."

Lily smiled at him. "Well, thank you for inviting me. I had a good time too."

James smiled at this. "I was wondering…" James began slowly. "Would you like to go to the Halloween Ball with me? I mean we have to open the ball with a dance anyways…"

James looked at her nervously.

Inside Lily's head a bitter battle began to rage. On the one hand she had had a wonderful time with James on Saturday but it was just one date. She didn't want a relationship with James Potter; she was just being nice. 'Liar,' the part of her brain that she was trying desperately to suppress cried. Lily didn't know what to do, she didn't want to say no, but she couldn't bring herself to say yes.

"I'll have to think about it," she found herself saying.

'Well at least you didn't screw it up completely by saying no,' she found herself thinking and promptly tried to push the thought down. She did not like James Potter she did not.

"Um, ok…take your time…I can wait," James said self-consciously.

The rest of the night past in awkward silence intermixed with forced and meaningless conversation about things like the weather and what they would be serving for breakfast the next day, even though the breakfast menu was always the same during the week.

When they got back to the Gryffindor Common Room Lily rushed quickly up to the girl's dorm wanting to escape the awkwardness. James on the other hand walked slowly up the stairs to the boy's dorm, not really wanting to think too much about what had transpired that night.

Lily walked into her dorm and collapsed onto her bed. She was emotionally exhausted.

"Lily are you okay?" Marlene asked.

"No," Lily replied grabbing her pillow and hiding her face. She didn't really want to deal with her friends right now.

"What happened?" Marlene asked slightly concerned.

"James asked me to go to the Halloween Ball with him," Lily groaned.

"You didn't say 'no,' did you?" Marlene asked.

"Well, not exactly…"

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'?" Marlene asked.

Lily pulled the pillow off of her head. "I told him I'd think about it."

"You prat!" Katie put in.

"All that poor boy wants is for you to go out with him and it's so obvious that you like him. I was hoping by now it would have sunk in. But you can't live in denial land forever. Someday you'll have to accept that fact that you like him. Hopefully you'll realize it before he finds someone else," Katie added.

"I do not like James," Lily snapped and with that she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed.

James climbed slowly up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. He walked in and collapsed, face first, onto his bed.

"Damn it!" he screamed into his pillow.

"Mate, what's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Lily…" James replied rolling onto his back.

"What happened?" Remus asked sounding much more sympathetic than Sirius.

"I asked her to go with me to the Halloween Ball," James sighed.

"I take it she said no?" Remus asked gently.

"Well no…" he said slowly, "But she didn't say yes either," he added quickly before Remus had time to express his confusion.

"She told me she'd 'think about it'," James said the last part in a somewhat bitter and mocking tone.

"Well, that's a start…" Remus said hesitantly.

"She said she'd think about it?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I say forget her ask someone else. Maybe it'll make her jealous and she'll come running to your arms. Or maybe you'll find someone better. Personally I'd go with option number two, mate. No girl can be worth this much frustration," Sirius said this as if it settled the matter.

"Ignore him," Remus said bluntly. "Asking another girl to the ball right after you asked Lily would be the stupidest thing you could do. It would simply prove that she was right, that you're only interested in her because she's a challenge."

"But I don't want to go out with her just because she's a challenge. I want to go out with her because I like her!" James exclaimed in frustration.

"I know that but you need to prove that to her and asking some other girl isn't going to convince her of that."

"I wasn't going to take his advice anyway," James replied.

"Hey, I'm sitting right here!" Sirius tried to interject. James and Remus ignored him, however, and continued their conversation as though they hadn't been interrupted.

"My advice for now is to be patient. If you are too forceful she will simply get angry and refuse to go with you. Give her time and try and act normal, or as normal as it's possible for you to be, around her. I'm sure she'll come around shortly. I'm pretty sure she likes you, I think she's just confused about her feelings."

James nodded, knowing that Moony was usually right in situations like this.

Feeling only marginally better James got ready for bed. His mother said that things always look better in the morning.