Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter, but if I did he'd live happily ever to a ripe old age with Ginny and they'd have copious amounts of grandchildren. Unfortunately, however, J.K. Rowling owns Harry and while she is a wonderful person, when it comes to Harry she is annoyingly realistic and pessimistic. Apparently, JKR is more benevolent than I thought back in 2007.

Chapter 18 Well?

Previously in Chapter 17

"Um, James," she began.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I've made a decision, about you're wanting me to go to the ball with you."

"Oh, um okay," James said nervously. His stomach suddenly felt like he had eaten very hyperactive butterflies.

She was silent for several moments, she couldn't look at him…

"Well…" he asked quietly.

Chapter 18 Well?

"Boggart, yes, I'll go to the ball with you."

With that Lily climbed quickly through the portrait hole and bound up to the girl's dormitory. James stood outside for almost a full minute, still not sure he had heard her right.

"Well," the voice of the Fat Lady snapped him out of his reverie. "Are you just going to stand there for the rest of eternity or are you going to go tell those ridiculous friends of yours that Lily Evans just agreed to go to the ball with you?" she asked impatiently.

James grinned at her and entered the Gryffindor Common Room. The other Marauders were not there so James made his way up to their dormitory, still somewhat dazed. He had been convinced that she would say 'no.' In fact, until the Fat Lady had confirmed that she too had heard Lily say yes, James had been afraid to believe it was true.

Lily walked into her dormitory and found that she couldn't stop smiling. She was going to the Halloween Ball with James Potter. Now there was something she never thought she'd say. If you'd told her three months ago that she'd being going with him and that she'd be happy about it she would have recommended a trip to St. Mungo's. Now, however, she found she couldn't wait.

"And what are we all smiley about?" Katie asked innocently.

"I just told James I'd go to the ball with him," Lily said unable to keep the grin off her face.

"Ha!" Katie proclaimed.

All the girls laughed, even Lily. "Okay, so maybe I like him a little bit," Lily confessed blushing.

"Congratulations, Lily," Abby said while Mary and Marlene nodded in agreement.

Lily just smiled and blushed slightly. She couldn't believe how excited she felt. She'd been on plenty of dates but she could never remember being this excited about one. 'What's wrong with me?' Lily wondered.

"So what are we going to do with your hair?" Marlene asked.

"Huh?" Lily asked. "Why are we doing things to my hair?"

"For the ball, of course!" Marlene exclaimed.

With that the girls launched into a discussion, not only about what to do with Lily's hair but what to do with the rest of their hair as well.

James couldn't stop grinning. He walked into the boy's dormitory and flopped onto his bed.

"Prongs, mate, you alright?" Sirius asked offhandedly not looking up from his Herbology essay that was due the next morning.

"Excellent," James replied. He tried to make it sound nonchalant but the excitement in his voice was evident.

"I take it she said 'yes'?" Remus asked glancing up from his Ancient Runes translation.

"Yup," James said grinning.

"Two dates with Evans in one month, that is impressive," Sirius responded grinning. "You didn't give her a love potion did you?" Sirius asked trying to sound innocent.

"I would never do that!" James exclaimed annoyed, sitting up quickly. "That would be totally wrong! I don't want to force her to go out with me. I want her to like me!"

"Easy, mate, I was only joking," Sirius said grinning cheekily.

"So she said yes?" Remus interjected before a fight could start.

"Yeah," James said grinning.

"Anything else?"

"Boggart," James replied.

"Huh?" Remus asked confused.

"Well, she said she had made a decision about the dance, and then she hesitated, so I asked, 'well?' And then she was like 'boggart, yes I'll go to the ball with you' and bound up to the girl's dorm."

"Boggart?" Sirius asked again.

"It's the password to get in," Peter pointed out.

"Oh, so she said yes and ran away?" Sirius asked laughing.

"Sod off, Sirius," James grumbled.

Sirius stopped laughing at once, sudden reversion to actual first names, particularly when it was just the four of them meant something was serious.

"Sorry," Sirius said.

"Accepted," James replied.

"So," Sirius asked, "what band did you guys get?"

"Not telling," James responded pulling out his Potions homework.

He knew it would be difficult to concentrate with images of him and Lily at the ball floating through his head, but he had to tutor Lily in Transfiguration tomorrow and then he had Quidditch practice for the rest of the week. So, unless he wanted to go without sleep for the rest of the week he needed to get some of his work out of the way.

The next two weeks passed by rather quickly. Lily and her friends continued to discuss plans for the ball. All the girls now had dates for the ball as had the boys. Lily was pleased to find she was now able to understand what they were talking about in Transfigurations and she could now untransfigure James when she turned him into a duck. She got her latest essay back and was pleased to see that she had earned an E. Both Lily and James were still being harassed by their friends to tell who would be playing at the Ball and both were still being as vague as JKR when asked if Snape is good or evil.