A/N: Hello again! I actually got some reviews, aw I feel so special.
Oliva: I actually want to apologise to you, I'm sorry if I offended you by swearing too much in the chapters; it just flows out, I just imagine them using that kind of language. Sorry. :c
HarryPotterUntilTheEnd and HumeraPotterHead212: Thank you so much, I really appreciate feedback. Glad you both like it!

Anyway, on with ze story! HUZZZZAAAAAA. .

Chapter 6
Or,
Of Hangovers, Manners and Unpredicted Pairings

It was the first day of term, and everybody- with the exception of a few Ravenclaws- despised getting their timetables. They didn't particularly hate the lessons, it was just who you got those lessons with; especially if you got lessons with the Slytherin's, which the Gryffindor's always did- and that itself was a recipe for disaster. There were the odd lessons people hated, like History of Magic, or Muggle Studies, but many people did just actually hate having to learn.
James Potter and Sirius Black didn't like going to their lessons; they didn't mind Defence against the Dark Arts or Transfiguration- it was the practical lessons where they actually learnt something which would help them in the future, but they hated everything else. They got great marks in all of their essays, and exams, simply without taking a note from the class. Lily, Alice and Remus on the other hand were people who felt the need to take notes in class, then more notes from their books after the class, and maybe even some more notes from memory- just to make sure. They also seemed to hate people who could get E's and O's simply from sleeping in class, then reading their book before the morning of the exam. Marlene and Hestia never studied. If you ever saw Marlene or Hestia take a note in class, of even read their book, you immediately took them to the hospital wing for treatment.

Lily woke to a delightful headache; or is it somebody banging on my head to wake me up? Am I late? Ugh, I wish they would stop it. It hurts.

"Whoever is banging on my head, they better stop before I hex them into the middle of next week!" Lily groaned her face buried in the pillow. Her head actually felt as if the drummer from the Weird Sisters was playing on her head, and she swore on Merlin's grave that if it didn't stop soon, she was going to murder it - presuming it could actually be murdered. When everybody groaned in response, Lily sat up to realise that nobody was banging on her head; she had a hangover. A bloody hangover from all that wine she drank last night. She had a hangover on the first day of term, oh how classy.

"What time is it? Please tell me it's like two am and I can sleep for another 6 hours." Alice spoke weakly- her eyes visible from a tiny crack in her curtains which surrounded her four-poster bed.

"Alice honey, I hate to break it to you, but it's half seven." Isabelle said- she sounded rough, but not as rough as Lily and Alice sounded.

"Aw, dammit, how the hell am I supposed to look decent when it's half seven and we have to be now at breakfast for half eight to get out timetables!" Lily dived out of bed, and then she immediately wish she hadn't once the room started to spin.

"Hangover cure, anybody?" Alice asked, climbing out bed slowly to avoid the same spinning fate as Lily.

"Alice, the best hangover cure is a full English breakfast!" Marlene shouted, while putting on her make-up.

"Good Godric Marlene it was not necessary to shout, but okay! Hurry up, I'm dying." Alice grinned and pulled on her robes, lying back down on her bed until everybody was ready.

Isabelle went over to Hestia's bed to wake her up, when Marlene, Alice and Lily all yelled 'No!' in unison. Isabelle turned around and frowned at the panic stricken girls, and then laughed. "What?" She asked.

"If you plan on making it down to breakfast I'd leave her alone." Marlene said seriously, tying her hair up into a messy bun. All the girls laughed, and then walked down the breakfast while Hestia stayed in bed. Marlene was correct, if you planned on living- you left Hestia alone when she was asleep, even if she was going to be late for the first day of term.

They sat down at the peaceful end of the table, well it was peaceful for now- the Marauders hadn't arrived yet, so that explained it. All four girls piled their plates with bacon, sausage, eggs and mushrooms in the hope that their hangover would disappear soon; if it didn't, they were to use a common phrase; fucked.

The Marauders all arrived at breakfast around 5 minutes later and they deliberately sat next to the girls, who all groaned in response. James was sat next to Lily, Sirius next to Isabelle, and Remus next to Alice and Peter next to Marlene.

"Ah, I feel much better." Alice said, sighing with relief, while the other four nodded.

"You spiked our juice, didn't you Lils?" Marlene asked, smirking.

"I might have accidentally put some of my mums hangover cure into our juice, but that's just a maybe, of course." Lily replied, while Marlene stuffed a blueberry muffin into her mouth.

"Jeez, Marlene, do you have any manners?" James said, wrinkling his nose.

Lily scoffed. "You can talk, Potter, have you saw yourself lately?"

"I do believe he used the mirror this morning, Lily-Pad." Sirius interrupted.

"Yes, but only after you spent an hour in front of it, and I could only use it one you had decided you looked dashing!" James replied, throwing a muffin in Sirius' direction- who caught it in his mouth.

"Dashing?" Alice asked, her lips tugging upwards into a smile.

Marlene- once she'd finished the muffin- joined in. "Who even uses that word?"

"Old people do." Lily replied.

"You're in the wrong decade." Isabelle finished.

"No, no, we were mocking Sirius for spending an hour in front of the mirror, not my language choices!" James protested.

"Well Potter, we weren't, but you're right; Sirius, an hour? You must be kidding? It didn't even take us an hour to get ready this morning!" Lily said in disbelief.

"So, that's why you all look like shit?" James asked. Three muffins and a pitcher of pumpkin juice were thrown at James, and another couple of muffins were thrown and Sirius, Remus and Peter who were laughing.

James' reply was silenced by the arrival of Professor McGonagall with their timetables. She spoke briefly with everybody for about 5 minutes, double checking that the classes listed below were correct, and she also reminded them that class started in a 5 minutes, and if they were late; she'd murder them, banning Quidditch and removing points so they were in negative figures.

She'd never watched her students move as fast. They all abandoned their food, and ran off to first lesson which was Charms. Lily was really happy about it; it was the subject she was best in. Sirius was indifferent; he was planning on sleeping anyway. James just wanted to try and outshine Lily, while Remus, Isabelle and Alice just wanted to get there on time and get some work done.

The 8 Gryffindor's arrived in the Charms classroom before Professor Flitwick had even arrived. Lily sat with Isabelle and Alice, and the four Marauders all sat together at the back after transfiguring the table to fit them all. Later, the rest of the students walked into the room. It wasn't like 5th year where they'd either be with the Slytherins, Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs; this year there was a mix of students from all four houses.

Professor Flitwick walked into the room and after stacking several books onto his desk so he could address the class properly, he announced that they would be working in pairs for the first couple of terms. He summoned a piece of parchment from his open draw of his desk and then called out the pairs. Lily smiled hopefully over a Josh, and she was also praying that she got paired with him and not a miserable Severus who was glowering at her.

Lily tuned out of her Professors high pitched squeak, until her friends names were called.

"The next pairs are: Alice and Frank, Remus and Ruby, Sirius and Isabelle…" Sirius grinned in triumph and Remus politely smiled; he was paired with a Ravenclaw- at least he'd get some work done.

Lily bit her lip waiting in anticipation, hoping that it would be Josh. It wasn't any of the names she wanted, but it wasn't the person she hated the most either.

However, when the Professor called their names, everybody predicted the groan of disappointment that Lily made.

"And finally, Lily and James, you'll both be together."

How fun was 6th year Charms going to be?

September was an uneventful month.

Nobody did anything but eat, sleep, and complete breakfast. So everybody was glad when they woke up and realised they had a poster on the notice board in the common room.

Celebration Ball,
Friday 1st November.

In response to the recent events which have struck the wizarding world lately, I have decided to host a Ball here at Hogwarts on the date above.

I feel our new students at Hogwarts deserve a proper welcome, and with the current state of the world at the moment, I also believe we need to practice and improve our communication skills with the students in other houses- inter house unity.

It is not mandatory for you to attend this ball, but all students that are in the sixth and seventh years are able to enjoy the fantastic range of alcoholic beverages from Madam Rosmerta herself. I must warn you however, you will be under the watchful eye of the Professor's here at Hogwarts- along with me- and you will behave appropriately.

I hope you appreciate this event and take it in your stride as brilliant students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to accept the new students with open arms as I believe some of you already are.

I hope you are enjoying your first month of classes,
Albus Dumbledore.

Ps: Do dress appropriately.

Everybody was cheering, and the ball was a hot topic. The new French students felt really happy about the ball, Isabelle told Lily and Alice that she was really looking forward to it because it made her feel welcome; like she wasn't just some student desperate for a place to learn, but it was like she was here at Hogwarts all along.

The male students felt differently.

Even though the ball wasn't mandatory, and they could just stay in the common room all night, they felt like they had to go. These French students had lost their school, their home, and it was all because of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Even though the ball would involve dancing and wearing dress robes, they did want to make the French students one of them.

But most of all, they wanted revenge.

Sirius was waiting in the library for Isabelle. She insisted that they had to start because they wouldn't have time around Halloween- with the feast, and then with the ball, so they best get it started now. So, as requested, Sirius was sat in the library with his books- they were closed, however- while Isabelle was stalking the shelves for an extra book which Lily had recommended would help.

"Sirius, first of all get your feet off the seat, secondly open that bloody book, and then; you can start reading." She sat down beside him as their bags and other books were taking up the chairs opposite, and grinned.

Sirius did as he was asked, but not for long. He decided to strike up a conversation instead of actually reading. "Who are you going to the ball with, then?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "I'm going with Lily and Alice, I think."

"Isn't Lily going with Josh, and Alice with Frank?"

Isabelle gasped. "Josh hasn't asked Lily yet! And, you've noticed all this tension between Alice and Frank too?"

"Why does Josh need to ask Lily? They're in a relation-"Before Sirius could finish, Isabelle smacked him on the head.

"Just because they're in a relationship, it doesn't mean he hasn't got to ask! It's basically law that the boy asks they girl to the dance; no matter what!" When Sirius just rolled his eyes in response, Isabelle smacked him on the head again. "Do your work." She commanded, smirking.

They didn't speak for a long time after that, they just studied. They read the books, and made notes, and they probably would have been there all night if the librarian hadn't demanded they leave because she had to attend to a mess in the restricted section.

Sirius said he was going to the Quidditch pitch because he and James had to get some extra practice in before the tryouts next weekend, so Isabelle smiled, said goodbye and headed in the direction of the common room.

But Sirius stopped her before she got along the corridor.

"Isabelle, would you like to go to the ball with me?" He asked his usual confident voice had been replaced by an unsure one. Sirius Black had never asked a girl on a proper date before; sure, he'd took girls up to the Astronomy Tower before for a snog, but he'd never asked one to a dance. He didn't know what to expect, and he was already regretting it when Isabelle didn't respond straight away.

"Yeah, I would." She replied, flashing him a smile before turning away and practically running up to Gryffindor Tower. Sirius Black has just asked me on a date!

She couldn't wait to tell her friends.

Lily and Josh had been together for two months. She hadn't exactly had a relationship before, unless you counted Severus Snape- which Lily chose not to dwell on- and this relationship was going well. Or so she thought.

She hadn't been asked to the ball.

Actually, that was a lie. She hadn't been asked to the ball by Josh. James Potter took it upon himself to ask Lily to the ball in Charms while they were working together on their project; Lily obviously refused, saying she was going with Josh- but that wasn't true. She hadn't been asked. Yes, they had been together for 2 months, but everybody else had been asked, and Josh hadn't even mentioned it at all.

Lily hoped that he would ask, or at least mention it. She thought it would be cute, their first ball together, and hopefully the first of many more.

James was looking forward to the ball. He, Sirius, Remus and Peter had decided they would prank the Slytherins and treat the ball as the first guy's night out- and it definitely wouldn't be the last.

The Marauders were excited for the ball, they always were excited for school events; they really enjoyed going, spiking the punch, checking out the girls and dancing like a bunch of prats.

Sirius and James walked into the Gryffindor common room after their quidditch practice, and they immediately claimed the sofa near the fire.

"So, you got a date for the ball?" Sirius asked Remus, who shook his head and then shushed him, due to the fact he was reading and couldn't be disrupted.

"Well, I do." He said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly.

James wheeled around and Remus dropped his book. "What?"

"I'm going with Isabelle."

Sirius launched into the story of how he managed to ask a girl, especially Isabelle, out on a proper date. They all new about Sirius' reputation as womanizer, and they were curious to find out if Sirius liked her. Sirius had told them he'd get back to them on that, after the ball, of course.