CHAPTER 2
The next couple of months passed and before I knew it, it was November. Dumbledore announced the annual Christmas Ball, which was exactly a month away. I knew all the girls were going to be going crazy trying to get acceptable dates. I really didn't care because I didn't plan on going. I had gone every other year and had never had much fun, which Claire and Chris said was because I always went solo.
Claire, Chris, and I went to Hogsmeade the next day. I was supposed to help Claire pick a dress.
"Claire, why are you getting one this early?" I asked.
"because I NEED to have it so I can figure out who I'm going with. I need someone that's going to fit with the dress." Claire said, turning into the drama queen version of her. Chris and I looked at each other before we both rolled our eyes.
"Of course, you pick your date based on the dress style and color. Next thing you know you're going to be picking friends based on how they compliment your looks." I laughed.
"Nope." Claire said. She began pulling dresses off of racks and drug Chris and I to the dressing rooms.
We all talked while she changed on the other side of the door.
"You know, Lizzie, you should really go to the ball. You could actually get a date this time. It would be fun." Claire said.
"For one thing, I don't look good in dresses. For another, there's no guy that would wanna go with me other than creeps." I said.
"You'd look good in a dress picked by someone who actually knew what they were doing. The ones you normally look at and say you like are the wrong color AND style for you. Chris and I can help!" Claire said.
"Fine." I knew they'd make me give in eventually so I figured I wouldn't bother putting up a fight over it. After Claire had found a dress for herself, she and Chris went to the dress racks and came back with a heap of dresses. They shoved me into the dressing room.
An hour later, I was finally back in my normal clothes. I emerged from the dressing room. We sat on a bench and talked it over.
"I personally liked the strapless ball gown that was blue with slight brown at the hips and all." Chris said. Claire agreed, so that was the dress I got.
"You know, I better find a date because I'm gonna hate myself if I spent that much money on a dress and went solo once again." I said once we got back to Hogwarts.
"Well who would you want to go with?" Chris asked.
"I don't know." I replied. Right after I said that, I bumped into someone, causing me to fall backwards.
"I'm so sorry." A slightly familiar voice said. I saw Remus Lupin's face as the person bent over to help me up.
"I wasn't watching where I was going." we both said at the same time. He gave me a crooked grin and asked if I was alright before walking off.
"There's your date." Claire said once he was out of hearing range.
"I doubt he'd ever go for someone like me. I mean, seriously Remus is probably into the whole bookworm type girl. That's the kind of girl that would fit his personality the best." I said. "Besides, that's the second time we've ever spoken."
"Well you two would be ADORABLE together." Claire said. Chris nodded.
"Come on, Lizzie, you have to admit you fancy him. We've seen the way you watch him when he walks past us." Chris said. My face turned blood red.
"Well I'm not asking him out because that would make me seem to desperate." I muttered.
"Of course you're not asking him out! The trick is to make him want you. And since I'm also you're roommate, guess who is picking your outfits out and doing your make up from now on." Claire laughed. I groaned.
"Now you really ARE in trouble." Chris laughed.
The next morning, Claire woke me up an hour earlier than usual. I glared at her.
"Time for me to work my magic." she said. She blindfolded me before making me step out of my clothes. She guided me into new clothes before taking the blindfold off. Before I could see what she'd done, she put some sort of charm on me so I couldn't see and did my hair and makeup.
By the time she was done, it was almost time to go. She made me sit there blinded by the charm still while she got ready.
She took the charm off and I looked in the mirror. I was wearing a silver low cut shirt. It was tight, but not the trashy kind of thing. It was tight enough to tell I was a girl, but not enough to make me look like a slut. I was also wearing a pair of tight jeans, but not skin tight. They flared out at the bottom and my feet were clad in silver high heel shoes. They had a silver band that went across my foot and the heels were probably about four inches. She had put light silvery eye shadow on me, slight blush, and neutral lip gloss on me as well as mascara to make my eyelashes look way longer.
We walked down to breakfast and sat in our normal places.
"Wow." Chris said, his eyes growing wide when he saw me.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm not used to seeing you like this. You look nice when you wear something that's actually…decent instead of just everyday things." Chris replied, obviously choosing his words carefully to avoid hurting my feelings.
"All the guys are staring." Claire giggled. I rolled my eyes.
"I could care less about them." I replied.
"Ah, but you want to catch a certain Mr. Lupin's eye, don't you?" Chris asked. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"How unlady like." Claire laughed. I got up and walked away, making sure to look back at them and stick my tongue out again. I took my time getting to first period and was the second one there. It was Potions. I kept an eye out and soon Remus walked in. he looked at our table and paused when he saw me, but only for a split second before he continued walking.
"You look nice today." he said when he sat down, looking into my eyes.
"Thank you." I said, shyly adverting my gaze away from him. I was sure he saw through it, but if so he didn't say anything about it.
"Its rather odd that we have every single class together, isn't it?" Remus asked. I looked back at him.
"Yes, it is. I've very rarely ever been in every class with someone else." I replied. Surprisingly, we talked through the whole class. I knew the plan was far from working, but at least it had got us to talk.
McGonagall looked surprised at my new appearance in Transfiguration. When she passed my desk, she said I looked nice but continued going as if she'd never said anything. That was the type of thing we did in class if she wanted to talk to me and only me. The students had called me teacher's pet the first time we talked, and ever since then she had only spoken to me if no one else in class was paying attention. It was not uncommon for us to speak outside of class either.
In Care Of Magical Creatures, a lot of guys were staring. I glared at them all, causing majority of them to turn their heads. Charms went by the same way. Soon I was walking up to the Common Room to drop off my stuff before going to dinner.
"So I'm guessing the guys continued staring all through the day?" Chris asked when I sat across from him and Claire.
"Unfortunately. But on the bright side, Remus paused when he was walking into class this morning and then he told me I looked nice and then we talked all through class." I replied. We discussed the day and the plans for the next day before going to the Common Room.
The Marauders were right behind us. I heard them talking and we all three turned to look at them. Sirius and James had their eyes on me while Remus and Peter were watching their two friends. Sirius walked forward, making me groan inside. He put an arm around my shoulders.
"You should hang out with us for a while." he said. I glanced at Claire and Chris and they nodded so I allowed Sirius to lead me to their little group. Remus avoided my gaze and Peter said something about going to the kitchen.
"So Lizzie, Moony says you're in all his classes." James said. I nodded, assuming that Moony was Remus.
"Don't you talk?" Sirius asked.
"Only to the few that I want to." I replied. James and Sirius just stared while Remus started laughing.
"Well I guess I'm lucky." Remus laughed. Sirius glanced at him.
"So you'll talk to Moony over there but you wont talk to Prongs and I?" Sirius asked.
"Only twice, once because I fell asleep in class, once because we ran into each other." I replied.
"You're pretty." James said. I turned to look at him. Sirius elbowed him in the ribs.
"No making moves on Moony's girl." Sirius chided.
"She's not my girl." Remus said, turning red. I knew my face was probably just as red.
"So what do ya'll like to do?" I asked, changing subject before Remus could get any redder.
"Well we ARE known for our pranks." Sirius said, rolling his eyes. I stuck my tongue out.
"Now Lizzie, that was very rude." Remus said, laughing. I turned to look at him before sticking my tongue out at him as well.
"You gonna do anything about it?" I asked. He shook his head and I laughed.
"You do look nice today." he said. I smiled.
"Well other than Chris, you and James are the only two that have said anything about it. But thanks." I said, still smiling.
"All the guys stared." Sirius noted.
"All?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. He nodded.
"Well in order for it to be all, you must have been as well." I pointed out. He blushed lightly.