A/N: Really sorry this chapter has taken so long in getting posted, I have so much work on with ALevels and stuff, but if you review I'll get a chapter posted quicker ;D *Bribery ftw!*

Seriously, please please pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaassssssssss ssssssse review! :3

Chapter 10
Or,
Of Parties, Flashbacks, and Straddling.

If somebody had told Lily that she would be going to a dance with James Potter, she would have laughed at them- until she realised they were being serious, and then she's probably hex them. She had never imagined being friends with the guy, let alone going to a ball with him. She was shocked she'd finally accepted his request, but she assumed it was out of friendship.

It was Halloween. One day until the ball, and everybody was excited. They were all talking about dates, but to be more specific; Lily Evan's date. The news that James had asked Lily out and she had actually accepted was headline news. Every classroom, every hallway, broom cupboard and even every common room was filled with this news; everybody was shocked.

What was more shocking was the fact they were friends. Many people assumed that- after being sick of constant rejection- James had decided to take matters into his own talented hands, and either hexed Lily or gave her a potion. But after Lily had declared to everybody at breakfast that she was going to the ball with James without the use of magic (for James was not that good a wizard, and he wasn't brilliant at potions either), and yes, they were friends- and that everybody should get over it.

After all, if Lily could put behind her hatred and loathing for James and replace it with keen friendship; nobody had anything to complain about.

James was overwhelmed with the news that Lily had accepted his request to the ball. After hearing Lily tell Marlene that she was heartbroken by Josh and his actions, James couldn't take anymore. He loved Lily, more than anybody knew- he doubted that Sirius even knew how much he actually loved Lily. Maybe she'd realise, after all these years that he didn't hate hear and that he wasn't just playing with her; he was doing everything because he did love her.

James was sat on his bed, supposedly reading the weekly quidditch magazine- but his thoughts drifted somewhere else, they drifted to Lily Evans; and how they first met on the train, and how their hate blossomed.

It was the 1st September and James had only just arrived on the platform which would take him to Hogwarts on time. Alfie Potter- James' older brother- had only one year left at Hogwarts, and he already had an Auror programme placement lined up, so James followed him along to the train. But obviously, like older siblings do, Alfie told James to piss off and go find some friends- he wouldn't be there for him much longer. So James did exactly what he said, but not before telling Alfie to piss off himself. James found himself in a compartment with another first year; he had smoky blue eyes and shaggy jet black hair and was wearing a gloomy expression. This boy was of course, Sirius Black.

They hit it off immediately, they were both purebloods but they didn't believe every single pureblood rule. It was only the two of them in the huge, possibly the largest compartment on the train, until two people came wandering into the compartment.

"And what do you think you're doing, ginger?" James asked the petite, red-haired girl who was now sat on the opposite seat with her head in a book. Her curious, orb like, bright green eyes met his challenging hazel eyes that silently screamed for her to make a snappy reply. She rolled her eyes, and smirked; it wasn't a confident smirk, it wasn't a smirk that James or Sirius had been wearing previously when tormenting the greasy haired boy- said greasy haired boy had just entered the compartment again with the pretty little girl. She was pretty, James noted. She was very pretty. While Sirius was off on his tormenting spree again, James watched the girl curiously (She had decided to ignore James and go back to reading, so she wasn't aware of his stares.) She had a small, heart-shaped face and her fiery, red hair framed it perfectly; it tumbled down her face while she read, but also down her back; it was like a mini fire, especially when she moved her hair slightly and the light shone onto it. Her eyes, as James noted before, were a bright shade of green- but not a light green that was associated with limes for that was a horrible colour. They were a deep emerald and they burned with curiosity, as if she was dying to find out more information. Her lips were a delicate shade of pink, they looked moist and they were moving slightly as she read silently. James was mesmerised; he'd never saw somebody that beautiful, and if he did, they most certainly had not captured his attention like this girl.

"What do you want?" The girl snapped after noticing his gaze.

"He was staring at you, Lily." The greasy haired boy told her, while shooting a disgusted look toward James.

"Why were you staring at me?" Lily asked, as she was curious now. Did she have something on her face?

"Don't flatter yourself, ginger. Why would I want to stare at you? You're nothing special." James laughed cruelly. It was the wrong thing to say, especially to somebody like Lily- who had captured his attention so much. He expected her to get up and walk out, or cry. But he didn't expect her to snap back.

"And you are special?"

"Yeah, I'm James Potter, love." James smirked, a proper smirk that Lily had failed in doing so before. Everybody knew the Potter's, the famous, great Potters- who were trained Aurors, had a child who was already capable of becoming another Auror, and they had James- everybody expected great things.

"And that makes you special because?" Lily asked him, frowning. What was the guy going on about?

James laughed. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Nah mate, I've just met her." Sirius shouted, grinning and high-fiving James.

Lily rolled her eyes, she could tell these two would be trouble and she didn't like it. But, from what Severus had been telling her, James came from a pureblood family. "Oh, you think you're great because you have two magical parents? You're better because you're rich? You think that you are the best? Well, James Potter, let me tell you something. You're not better than anybody. You may delude yourself into thinking you are, but I can promise you this. I'll be better than you. Yes, a muggleborn will be better than you. Deal with it, love." And with that, Lily slammed her book shut and flounced from the compartment. She nearly broke the glass in the door by slamming it, but she didn't care. Well, she did. She was determined to make her parents proud, and a snob- for that was what he was- wasn't going to stop her.

Ever since that day, and the night James threw a cheesecake in her face, along with a pitcher of pumpkin juice over her head, they hated each other. It was rivalry. But James knew that he didn't hate Lily, he liked her; no, he loved her. James Potter was in love with Lily Evans.

"Prongs, are you even listening to me? Jesus man, seriously?" Sirius was yelling at James, who was staring at his magazine with a vacant expression. When Sirius dived onto his bed, and yelled 'Prongs' for what was the seventh time, James came back to reality.

"Why are you jumping on me? I know I'm attractive, but come on mate, pull it together!"

"You do realise it's time for the Halloween feast?"

"We have ages, mate."

"It's half five, you dick."

"Oh, shit"

"Yep, and If we don't get to pull our prank; I'll make sure Lily doesn't go to the ball with you tomorrow."

James had never dived out of bed so fast before in his life.

The Halloween feast was spectacular, like always. However, there had not been a Halloween feast like it; the Great Hall had been decorated with oranges, blacks and the odd fleck of purple. There were fake spiders dangling from the ceiling, and the usual customary candles had the look of being old and withering instead of their usual freshly lit look. There were ghosts, of course, and they all took this as a perfect opportunity to pop out from behind the pillars around the school, and they even appeared magically from the plates in front of the students at breakfast.

The evening of Halloween in the Great Hall was even better than breakfast. Professor Dumbledore made sure the heads of houses told their students to arrive at the evening meal with a mask of some sort. It was spontaneous, random, and hurried but it was such fun. Everybody turned up with a mask, some were wearing horror-like masks; the ones that had hairy faces, or blood dripping from the sides of the mouth, and some went for tradition masquerade masks; with sequins and feathers.

Even though they had the ball tomorrow, Sirius wanted to hold a party in the Gryffindor common room. Professor Dumbledore had arranged for the afternoon lessons to be cancelled due to the ball, and Sirius said they needed to party before a ball- and that was what they were going to do.

Lily protested to the party. She was a prefect and she had already participated in a few drunken nights; one on the first day back, and the second when she placed strip poker with the Marauders, and she certainly wasn't going to let it happen again, considering they would be drinking tomorrow night at the ball, and that would obviously lead to more drinking in the common room.

James and Sirius were still trying to convince Lily into approving their party; either way, they still were having one.

"Come on, Lils, you know you want to!" James said, fluttering his eyelashes at Lily who was glaring at them over her charms text book.

"No I don't want to; we have lessons the following day! We have exams at the end of the year!"

"Lily-Pad, please let us? Just this once, well not just this once but please? It'll be fun!" Sirius protested.

"Why do you need my approval, anyway?" Lily inquired.

"We don't, we just don't want points docked or detention." James replied.

"And…" Sirius continued. "It's well known, after having a party you have another party, followed by another party which leads to another party."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I like my liver the way it is, thank you very much and if I partake in another party before tomorrow's party, my liver will most certainly not like me."

"Eh, you don't need your liver anyways." Sirius told her, reclining in the armchair.

Four pairs of eyes looked at him. "You wonder why people call you stupid."

"I'm not stupid!"

"Your previous statement says otherwise."

"Fuck off, I'm handsome."

"Who told you that?" Isabelle asked, cheekily grinning.

Sirius grinned back. "You did."

Isabelle blushed and stuck her tongue out at Sirius, who was now wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. Meanwhile, James had decided trying to convince Lily wasn't going to work, so he was forcing her. He had dived over to the sofa where Lily was sitting reading, and pounced on her; tickling her sides and grinning.

Lily giggled wildly and yelled. "James, stop it now!"

James smirked. "Nuh-uh, not until you come to the party." When Lily said she wasn't coming, James resumed his tickling. This went on for about 10 minutes.

"Okay, okay, fine! You can have your bloody party, and I'll bloody come!"

James grinned. "Yes! I knew I'd win."

Lily was panting, but she still managed a replied. "Just you wait, Potter."

"It's on, Evans."

James was still perched on top of Lily, and he took a brief moment to admire the sight before him. Her hair was now wild off her previous excitement and her lips were parted slightly while she caught her breath, she was gazing up at his face her eyes sparkling with curiosity. James wanted to lean forward and kiss her; he'd wanted to do that for years.

His head was warning him that if he even dared to kiss her, he'd been in the hospital wing for a week but his heart was begging for him to do it. His heart and head were having a quick argument;

Just do it.

She'll hex you.

You're a Gryffindor, right?

She'll hex you.

She hasn't told you to get off her.

She'll hex you.

She's single.

She's just broken up with her boyfriend.

He was a prick.

She can't trust anyone.

Just do it!

She'll hex you!

The mini fight he was enduring was disrupted by a grinning Lily flipping him over onto his back and tickling him. James chuckled loudly, followed by several squeals, and Lily was in hysterics at the sight. James begged, literally begged, her to stop and she complied- warning him not to tickle her again, but she stayed on his lap just like he had with her.

She looked at James and drunk him in. His hair was all tousled- a lot more than usual- but he still looked good. Wow, look at his eyes. Lily thought while staring at the hazel eyes that were staring up at Lily expectantly, his lips were parted as hers had been; as he needed to catch his breath too, he also had a blush creepy up onto his cheeks. Lily noticed a few freckles on his nose and smiled. She was now having an inner battle too.

He has really nice eyes.

Don't be so stupid, you hate him.

I don't hate him, we're friends.

Why are you looking at his eyes?

They're nice.

You're an idiot.

He's actually handsome.

You can't think that.

He has freckles!

Lily!

But have you saw him?

You don't find James Potter attractive.

Hmmmmmm, I don't know. Those eyes, freckles and-

Lily snapped out of her inner fight and realised her position for the first time. She was straddling James. She, Lily Evans, was straddling James Potter! She had been checking him out, she'd said he had nice eyes, and she'd even called him attractive. Not out loud, of course, as that would be ridiculous. She had to get off him but he was so compelling. She allowed herself a few more minutes of staring at him; the she grinned and hopped off him.

"I'll see you at the party." She told him, and then said another goodbye to her friends before leaving and going for a bath- she really needed to clear her head.

James remained lying on the sofa and he smiled. Did Lily fancy him?

Lily was stewing over what had just happened. She closed her eyes but James' face just kept reappearing; the way his eyes shone with happiness and pleasure, how he had a few cute freckles on his nose, and she also couldn't help but think about his body; was that just as nice as his face?

One thing was certain, Lily no longer hated James. In fact, she could be coming closer to actually liking him; to what extent is unknown.