Chapter 11

"Is it really almost Halloween?" Olivia asked sleepily, staring down into her notes. They were in Transfigurations, and she could hardly stay awake.

Lily nodded. "This weekend. I heard Ravenclaw is throwing a costume party. Show offs."

Olivia frowned. "We could throw a better party than they ever could."

"Well why don't we?" Lily suggested. "I'm still Head Girl you know. Besides, we could all do with a little fun."

Olivia mocked surprise. "Why Lily, I had no idea you knew how to have fun!"

Lily smiled and shoved her arm playfully. "Just help me spread the word. It'll be better than Ravenclaw's any day."

"Did mine ears deceive me? I heard something about a party!" Sirius said perkily from behind the girls.

Olivia scribbled a note about the idea, crushed it into a ball, and lazily chucked it over her shoulder when the Professor wasn't looking.

"Excellent." She heard him say as he passed the note around.

Lily finished her notes and looked over to Olivia, her eyes were dark. "You look awful, didn't you sleep at all?"

Olivia shook her head. "Hardly. I have a series of nightmares that always seem to hit me unexpectedly."

"Does this have something to do with a certain someone?" She asked.

Olivia pretended to gag. "Not in the slightest."

"I heard Hannah talking last night; she seems to think you've ruined her life." Lily glanced over and saw Hannah and Mary at a table across the room; they were glaring in their direction whispering to each other, conspiring.

"She'll thank me one day." Olivia said lazily.

Lily laughed. "I highly doubt that."

The bell sounded and the girls packed up their things. James lingered a moment and stopped by Lily, looking extremely nervous.

"Uh, hi Lily." He said, trying to sound casual.

She eyed him curiously. "James."

"So, this Halloween party-" He started.

She shrugged. "Nothing is set right now, it's just talk. I don't know if I have enough time to pull anything off really."

"There's always time to pull things off!" Sirius piped up happily from behind James. He poked him hard in the shoulder. "Come on mate; let's get lunch before Peter eats it all."

James sighed and looked Lily in the eye. "Let me know if you need help." He said, walking off to follow Sirius.

Lily followed the crowd to lunch in thought. Why would James Potter want to help her? She frowned, he was acting strange lately.

By the time lunch was nearly over, the entire school had heard Gryffindor was throwing the costume party of the century. Even most of the Ravenclaw students had abandoned their own plans, just to go to the party.

Lily sat at the table, white in the face. "I don't know how I'm going to do this." She moaned.

"It'll be fine." Olivia reassured. "I'm sure everyone will pitch in."

At that moment, Remus sat down across from the two girls. He looked nervous, and he wouldn't look at them.

"Remus, you've been avoiding us." Olivia said bluntly, a smile playing on her lips.

He looked up mournfully. "Well how am I supposed to talk to you after what I did?" He glanced around to make sure no one was listening.

Olivia shook her head. "It's alright, really. I don't blame you. Besides, that was weeks ago."

He sighed heavily. "I'm still really sorry."

"You can make it up to us by helping us with this party we've created on the spot." Lily said with a sigh. "I'm in a panic."

Remus smiled thoughtfully. "I'll take care of the music and the food. If it's one thing I'm good at, it's recruiting house elves to pinch food after hours."

"Fabulous!" Olivia said gleefully. "That's half the battle right there! Entertainment and food. Do you suppose we could convince the Headmaster to let us just throw it here in the Great Hall? We can't all fit in the Gryffindor common room."

Lily perked up. "Olivia, that's a wonderful idea!" She stood up and quickly ran from the hall in excitement.

Remus stared across at Olivia. "Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask." He said with a chuckle.

"Thank you Remus, this weekend is going to be too fun." She said with a grin.

Sirius slid into the seat Lily had left occupied.

"This seat taken?" He asked silkily.

Olivia glared at him. "Yes."

He frowned. "You're still mad at me?"

Olivia sighed. "At this point Sirius, I think I'll forever be mad at you for something or another."

Sirius smiled. "Sounds about right. Look, I want to take you to the costume party."

"Because I can't get there on my own?" She asked mockingly.

He rolled his eyes. "Because you need a date."

"I don't need a date." Olivia replied.

"I've already turned down three extremely good looking women because I've told them I was taking you." He said with a grin.

"That was pretty presumptuous of you." She crossed her arms.

"Well why not?" Sirius demanded.

"Is this a serious question?"

"I'm a Sirius kind of guy." Sirius said, laughing. "Get it?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and stood up, walking away from the table.

He looked across the table to Remus. "What am I doing wrong with this girl?" He asked.

Remus laughed. "Everything."

Sirius glared at him and got up to follow after her. He got to her just before she started to climb the staircase.

"Olivia wait!" He yelled. "Really, why won't you go with me?"

Olivia glared at him. "Because you have no respect for me, that's why."

"I have loads of respect for you!" He argued as she continued up the stairs. "Look! I'm respecting you now by not following you!" He yelled louder. She kept walking. "Yep, this is me respecting the bloody hell out of you, by talking to myself like an ass." He muttered.

Sirius turned around and was face to face with Lily.

"AH!" He screamed, jumping backwards.

"You really want to take her?" She asked suspiciously.

Sirius glared at her. "I'm going to put a bloody bell on you Evans!"

Lily crossed her arms and smiled. "You're falling for her aren't you?"

"Am not!" He snapped.

Lily shook her head and began to walk away. "You're going to lose so horribly." She said to herself.

He grabbed her by the arm. "What did you just say?"

Lily turned white as she turned to face him. "Nothing?" She said innocently.

"You said that I was going to lose." Sirius' eyes bore into her.

Lily laughed nervously. "Yes, lose…at life. You're going to lose at life."

Sirius let go of her and smiled. "You know don't you?"

Lily sighed. "Yes."

"Does Olivia?"

"No." Lily lied.

Sirius beamed from ear to ear. "She does know!"

Lily could have slapped herself. "Damn it!"

Sirius slapped his hands together gleefully. "This just put a whole new spin on the game." He said happily.