FOREWORDS
Okay, initially Chapter's 13 and 14 were meant to be one big happy chapter but when I realized it would be like, oh 50 pages on my word processor, it stopped being so much a good idea as it was a cruel and unusual punishment. So I was forced to break it up for the good of all mankind. Still, Chapter 14 is OFFICIALLY the longest chapter I have written for this fic and I'm sorry if it seems too long to some of you. But I figure it's all okay since a whole lot ended up happening in this chapter and a lot of people have been waiting for it.
Fret not Say My Name, FINALLY Yule Ball goodness! I hope you all like this and I hope it was worth the tremendous wait that I put you guys through (I first mentioned it around, what chapter 5?)
Well, have fun peoples and I assure you I'm still trying to update as fast as I can!
* * *
~ Love Let Linger ~
By: Oy! Angelina
* * *
At six in the evening, the elaborately decorated courtyard of Hogwarts would open its doors and the Yule Ball would begin for the students, starting with drinks and conversations. At seven, dinner would be served with music and dancing to follow. The party was expected to come to a close around midnight, at the end of Christmas day.
Prefects were expected to be there a full hour before all the other students to make sure that the final preparations were in order. Although most of the arrangements were handled through either Filch or the House Elves of the castle, it was still important for those responsible for the event to see that everything was to their specifications. This meant Lily was the first to start grooming herself for the dance and had to reluctantly leave the company of her friends to do such.
She wasn't completely alone as the other Gryffindor girls who were attending the ball were scurrying about the girls' dormitories, trying charms and potions to do things to their hair nature had never intended. After hearing an explosion and making sure no one was either dead or bald, Lily tossed the girls a can of hair spray and insisted upon using "Muggle magic" for any hair styles here on out.
Taking out Arabella's present, Lily figured this was as good a time as any to employ the expertise of a magical vanity piece.
"Excuse me." Lily addressed her enchanted hand mirror and couldn't help but feel a little dumb for asking its opinion. "But I was wondering if you had any suggestions for how I should do my hair?"
"Of course I do!" The mirror gushed. "Anything you're trying for in particular, dearie?"
"Well, I'm going with a friend so I suppose I don't need to look stunning or anything." Lily thought aloud.
"I hate to tell you, but there's little you can help against that." The mirror complimented and Lily felt herself blush.
"I think I'd like to look sophisticated," Lily was suddenly reminded of the astrology work from earlier in the afternoon. "But not prudish. Something I won't have to fuss with all evening would be nice. Oh, and I have this lovely tiara I wish to wear as well!" Lily showed the enchanted looking glass her new head piece.
"Oh my, that IS pretty!" The mirror gasped (if mirrors COULD breath). "Well then, I have something in mind that should do right by you. Prop me up so your hands will be free and just follow along with what I say."
Following the instruction of the mirror, Lily ended up with a simple but attractive style that held the length of her hair up while allowing loose tendrils of her copper locks to seep from her hairline all around. Elegantly crowning her forehead, the emerald tiara was proudly displayed upon her head and, in spite of her usual modesty; Lily had to admit she looked very attractive that evening.
"Wonderful!" The mirror cheered. "I KNEW that would be the winning look. It has such a regal quality to it but the strands hanging about give it something of a playful look. It's such a pity you'll only be meeting with a friend this evening."
"Oh, don't worry." Lily smiled. "It's more than alright."
"Well, you have a fabulous time, sweetheart." The mirror wished. "If you feel like talking to someone about it after, I'll be more then willing to lend an ear . . .well, you know what I mean."
"Thank you." Lily placed the mirror in its mahogany and silk home, smoothed out her long, green robes, and headed out for the Gryffindor common room.
She was tempted to say good-bye to the others, but thought about how silly that would be since she'd see them in a little over an hour anyway and they were all probably in the middle of getting ready anyway. Careful to make sure she didn't tread on her robes; Lily descended the stairs and exited through the Fat Lady portrait. She had almost reached the end of the passageway before she noticed that Severus Snape was waiting there.
Like any other outfit he worse aside from their school uniforms, Snape's robes looked as though they robbed black from the very night. Lily noticed the faintest amount of navy for "color" but overall determined that Snape was merely working with his strengths since Lily couldn't really imagine him in anything other than black.
"Good evening, Lily." Snape nodded politely. "You look . . .extravagant."
"Thank you." Lily wasn't entirely sure if this was a compliment or a criticism, but played it up as the former. "I was just about to tell you that black suits you well."
Snape appeared to be entertaining the same debate Lily had a second ago and, evidently, the same conclusion as he offered his arm to Lily for the sake of being gracious and formality.
"Shall we, then?" Snape asked rhetorically. Lily accepted his arm and walked with him toward the courtyard to see the final efforts of their function out to the end.
* * *
"Prongs, be a gentleman and brush your hair for your date, will you?" Sirius teased from his dresser as he worked the clasps of his robes, which was a rich blue with a darker shade for contrast.
"You're a funny man for someone who's got enough length for one of the girls to come over and French braid with." James shrugged with a grin as he smoothed out his own outfit for the evening. Taking Arabella's advice, James went with the gold and scarlet of their house colors and thought he did look rather good in them.
On the other side of the room, Peter was parting his freshly washed hair in a set of purple robes so dark they almost appeared to be black in the proper light. Remus was clad in gray with a slight amount of silver to give it the appearance of a sky about to rain. It also helped to bring out his prematurely graying wisps of hair, which he examined with a sigh.
"Bloody hell." Remus muttered to himself. "You two are going on about your lack of styling while I'm here wondering if I'll go platinum before I can even manage a proper beard."
"Hey, I never said I wanted my hair French braided!" Sirius clarified in a disgruntled tone before sharply shifting over to a sympathetic one. "So tell me Moony, how is it you couldn't find yourself a date for tonight."
"Tell me about it!" Peter agreed. "It's a crime worthy of Azkaban when the nicest bloke to our credit can't get a date. I thought I'd be the one going it alone tonight."
"To be fair, we all did, Peter." Sirius smirked, prompting Peter to point at Sirius crossly.
"You know, Padfoot? I swear one of these days I'm going to be so fed up with your teasing, you'll provoke me to do something wicked horrible to you in retribution!" Peter warned, but this only caused Sirius to laugh a little more.
"Yes, I'm sure you're vengeance will be swift and exacting, Wormtail." Sirius sarcastically replied. James shot the both of them a disapproving look.
"Hey, knock it off the two of you." James ordered and neither Sirius nor Peter cared to challenge it. James turned his attentions on Remus. "So what's you're excuse for going it alone? I can name a dozen girls who've called me a prat to my face then asked if I could put in a good word for them with you."
"You know me, James, wolf amongst the lambs." Remus adjusted his cuffs. Remus had intended this to be a joke, but the other Marauders searched one another's faces as though to be sure it was okay for them to laugh. "Oh come on now, if I can't joke about my condition, what CAN I do with it?"
"Allow it to thrust you into a life of perpetual solitude." Peter observed, bitter at his friend's misfortune.
"Well, if any of you care to come up with a cure for my curse at any point, feel free." Remus shrugged. "Until them, I'm at something of a loss. Most people don't want to get close to someone who's a monster and anyone who did I'd probably care about too much to let them."
"You're not a monster!" James said almost angrily. "You're Remus 'Moony' Lupin and there's no reason you should be going stag."
"Stag." Sirius repeated thoughtfully as a smile crossed his face. "Remember in Muggle Studies when we learned about that crimson dressed fellow who went about delivering trinkets for children around the world during Christmas? He had those dees fly him about. You know, Satan Claws."
"SANTA CLAUSE." James corrected, wishing his friend wouldn't zone out so often during classroom lectures.
"Sirius, stop confusing Muggle holiday icons with demonic entities." Remus requested in a tired voice.
"And quit distracting me with comments that leave me as dazed as a rogue bludger!" James added before pointing at Remus. "You! No date. Why?"
"Well, I figure I won't be the only one going alone and since I had no one in mind to ask, I just reckon I'll dance with all the other girls whom are without a date." Remus shrugged.
"Damn decent of you, Remus." Peter said approvingly.
"Oh the hell you're going to praise him for this!" Sirius laughed. "If waltzing about with a new girl on your arm every five minutes is suddenly a form of altruism, I should have acquired sainthood somewhere around 2nd Year!"
"You're just jealous he thought of it first." James observed.
"Absolutely." Sirius didn't deny as he checked his pocket watch. "We should probably be off. They open the doors to the courtyard in half and hour and we still need to coax Arabella out of the bathroom before swinging by the Hufflepuffs for my and Peter's dates."
"Yeah, you're right." James checked himself over one last time before splashing on some cologne, reminded Peter to do so as well with the action.
Leaving their bedrooms in the dormitory, the Marauders heard the voices of other Gryffindors chatting and laughing in the common room below as they waited for their dates or friends to make their ways down. James leaned over the balcony to see if he could spy Arabella amongst them, but discovered she was probably still in her room. James told his friends he'd meet up with them in a minute as he stopped off by the girls' dormitory and knocked on the door. A 4th Year answered and went to find Arabella.
James waited several minutes after that until Arabella emerged onto the stairs with him. She was wearing the same sky blue robes she had showed him at the Three Broomsticks but it was more off the shoulder than he had thought it would be. Arabella's make up was a more dramatic than she traditionally dawned but it suited her for the occasion. James decided that she looked like a beautifully wrapped present with her hair; tightly pulled all around save for a knot on top her head that cascaded free with golden coils.
"Glad to see you know when to take some good advice." Arabella smiled approvingly over his choice in dress robes. She gripped her handbag to her side, which James was willing to bet had a camera somewhere in it.
"And your beauty is completely wasted on me this evening, 'Bella." James meant that. He felt horrible that he was taking Arabella out looking this wonderful and he could feel nothing for it aside from an aesthetic appreciation. Arabella offered her arm to James and he had to laugh.
"Damn straight!" Arabella agreed with a chuckle as James took her arm shaking his head. "Getting mixed up with you will probably leave me poor in love but rich is cats."
"Nah, I think you'll make a fine oppressive spouse someday." James disagreed.
"Kind of you to say." Arabella smiled. "Onward and forward, eh?"
Rejoining their friends, James left Gryffindor tower with one of the most attractive women he'd ever have on his arm and the only one who managed to capture a fondness both platonic and unwavering.
* * *
Lily was completely relieved to see that everything was set up as the Prefects had intended. Following the instructions to this Years Headboy and Headgirl, Lily, Snape, Randall O'Neil (the Hufflepuff Prefect), and Charissa Bradley (the Ravenclaw Prefect) did a quick count of tables and chairs, made certain the refreshments were fresh and accessible, and that the enchanted instruments that would serve as the band were all tuned and willing to do encores. At the front of the party, was the Head table where Lily and the other members of her committee would be seated with the faculty attending the event (which was pretty much all of them).
Five minutes before the doors were expected to admit the other students (who could be faintly heard on the other side), the Prefects, HeadBoy and Headgirl readied themselves to greet their peers as they entered. Every one of the student body heads were excited and eager to start things off, well with the exception of Snape but that was to be expected.
Lily stood at Snape's and waited slightly nervous. She was completely apprehensive over the possibility of something going wrong or people not liking the ball they had all invested so much thought and energy into organizing. To her surprise, Snape managed to make her forget these emotions.
"I've been meaning to say something about your tiara." Snape stated out of nowhere. "It's a compliment to you."
Lily smiled.
"Thank you, Severus." Lily replied appreciatively.
The lurching sound of the broad double door hinges forced Lily and Snape to turn their heads expectantly. Several couples and groups started to stream in, gazing around and chattering excitedly about the illusionary falling snow that was neither cold nor wet, the sparkling lights that accented to the rolling red and green mist low to the dance floor, or even the large Christmas tree propped in the center of the courtyard serving as the heart for the holiday sentiment.
Lily quickly became accustom to chanting hellos and thanking her peers for attending while Snape mostly nodded his head while extending shorter greetings and accepting the occasional handshake when offered to him. When Lily caught sight of her friends who were trailing just behind the bulk of their House, she waved merrily to them since she was not permitted to abandon her post until they greeted all their guests. James allowed Arabella to pull him to the side while someone took a picture of them with Sir Nicolas, the Gryffindor House ghost by a lovely decorated wreath. The remaining Marauders and their dates went ahead to say hi to their Prefect.
"Looks smashing, Lily!" Sirius beamed as he glanced about the courtyard approvingly before noticing Lily herself. "But who would bloody well notice with you looking so ravishing!"
Debra, Sirius's date for the evening, and Snape both shared the same disapproving expression as they glared at Sirius.
"Would it be too much to ask you to not leer at my date, Black?" Snape demanded coolly. Debra nodded in a curt agreement and Sirius could only smile in apology.
"Why don't the both of you sit with us tonight?" Remus offered with a hesitant look at Snape. Although he'd rather hang himself with a length of garland than spend an evening with Snape, Remus figured it was the only civil thing to do nonetheless.
"We're expected to sit at the Head table." Lily quickly informed before Snape had the opportunity to say something nasty in reply.
Lily could hear James and Arabella laughing about something as they rejoined their friends. Turning away from Arabella, James got his first good look at Lily and felt completely bewitched.
How did she make perfection look so effortless? Her green, form flattering dress with her beautifully styled red hair against her snowy complexion made her seem even more festive for the season. Lily smiled in a shy sort of way at James and he felt himself do the same.
Daring another look at her, James decided if he wasn't completely enamored with Lily Evans already he probably would have become so at the sight of her just then.
"Lily, you look utterly fabulous!" Arabella chirped the words James had been searching for.
"Only thanks to your present." Lily blushed, suddenly modest under all the attentions.
"Umm . . .maybe we should go and claim a table before we're stuck in the back." Peter suggested with Mandy on his arm. Everyone in the party nodded their heads and followed Peter off. James lingered for a minute, getting one last good look at Lily.
"Have a good evening, Lily." James wished quietly, before turning to Snape who appeared to be more than amused at James's longing. Still, James mustered every last bit of his civility to say. "You as well, Snape." Snape offered a single nod to this as James went off with Arabella.
Lily and Snape remained with the other Prefect for another five minutes until everyone who had arrived on time had entered the courtyard. Afterwards, the Prefect couple floated around the party, making conversation with their peers and faculty. To be proper, Lily kept her arm locked with Snape's while they (mostly her) commiserated graciously. She ignored the queer looks from most of the other students (and even some professors) whom were silently questioning the pairing but were too polite to comment upon it. Lily doubted someone as perceptive as Snape was oblivious of this tension, although he neither remarked nor reacted to it.
In making their rounds, Lily and Snape encountered Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts who smiled with a kindly affection he often extended to all his students. There was a look in his eyes that hinted at an ability to see the innate potential and good in all his students and the optimism that whatever he saw at would someday be realized by the person who possessed it.
"Professor Dumbledore." Lily greeted with both a fondness and respect for the elderly wizard. Snape offered a deeper bow than he had extended to anyone else that evening, along with a deeper sincerity.
"How are you this evening?" Snape inquired as he straightened himself before the dignified mage.
"Thoroughly enjoying myself, thank you, Severus." Dumbledore smiled warmly. "You and the other Prefects, along with our Head students of the year, should all be most proud of what you have accomplished."
"We are, Professor." Lily assured, returning her Headmaster's warmth.
"If I may say so, it's refreshing to see our young master Snape in such lovely company this evening. It's a compliment to both your characters." Professor Dumbledore stated approvingly. If either Lily or Snape had blinked they would have missed him quickly shift his eyes over to the notoriously trouble-making Slytherins of Snape's Year who were not limited to Nott, Lestrange, his girlfriend, and Avery. Snape seemed uncharacteristically awkward by this observation, which Lily assumed was simply Snape's reaction to the compliment.
"Thank you for taking notice, Professor." Snape replied stiffly.
"Not at all, Severus." Dumbledore smiled as the turned to specifically to Lily. "Another thing I couldn't help but notice was how wonderful Miss Evans looks in honor of the ball. Truly, there are few Charms I know that are as enchanting as you presently are, Lily."
Lily went bright red at this compliment since that was saying a lot coming from a great man like Dumbledore. Lily thought that she squeaked out a "thank you" but couldn't be sure. Dumbledore smiled some more at this.
"I would accredit the tiara for bringing such an affect to the surface. The extraordinary affections of whomever delivered it into your possession was certain to ensure that everyone saw you as they did. And I'd be rather flattered if someone thought so fondly of me." Dumbledore continued.
"Are you suggesting it's an enchanted item?" Snape inquired with a raised eyebrow, as though he had expected to be aware if it was. Lily couldn't be certain if it was either, since it had been a gift and she only suspected that it was from James.
"Not in any sense you shall learn within these school walls or tome of spells, Severus, but it is a powerful magic all its own. Of course, that is merely an old man's opinion." Professor Dumbledore finished with a slight twinkle in his eye as he glanced over Lily and Snape's shoulders. "If you'll excuse me, I think I shall investigate as to what provoked the brawl between Mr. Black and the animated snowmen near the refreshment table."
"Of course." Snape replied. Lily and Snape both bowed again as the Hogwarts Headmaster strolled off before returning to socializing with there peers.
* * *
"We officially can't take you anywhere." Remus decided as Sirius sauntered up to the table, looking a little too proud of himself as he brushed snow off the sleeves of his robes.
"We send you for drinks and you get into a fight with a snowman." Arabella smirked most amused. "Please enlighten us as to how this came about."
"I asked him if he had any ice and that led into a whole other thing." Sirius reported with a snort. "He certainly didn't need to bring my mother into it. It's alright, I got one of the frosty bastard's eyes."
Sirius tossed a hunk of coal into the center of the table with prompted the whole table to erupt into laughter. Calming down after Sirius's antics, Arabella wiped a tear from her eye carefully to not disturb her make up before addressing the rest of her friends.
"You know, this would be a lot more fun with, Lily." Arabella sighed.
"Yeah, not much of a point in acting up if no one's going to yell at you." Sirius nodded. James had a solemn expression of agreement as he spotted Lily over at the Head table between Snape and the Headgirl. Professor McGonagall began to tap her glass to draw everyone's attention. After Professor Dumbledore thanked everyone for attending and praised the efforts of the student representatives for organizing the event, dinner began and dancing followed.
* * *
At a quarter to nine the party was well under way and most of the couples (and a few make shift ones) were on the misty dance floor as the enchanted instruments serenade them. Peter and Sirius developed an effective system of dancing with their dates through a couple of songs then breaking away for a couple to talk with their friends or anyone else who had caught their attentions. True to his word, Remus was dancing with a new girl who had arrived without a date practically every ten minutes, all of whom were fairly appreciative since they could say they actually got a dance in let alone with one of the more popular faces at school. Arabella was somewhat irritated by this as she danced with James.
"Hey! At the Quidditch party I tried to get him to dance with me and he wouldn't stop going on about how horrible he was!" Arabella pouted to James in the midst of their own waltz.
"You were terribly drunk that night from what I hear." James observed. "Maybe he was trying to calm you down."
"I reckon he just didn't want to dance with me." Arabella teased.
"Yeah I'm sure that's it." James sarcastically agreed. "In case you haven't noticed, most of the boys about here are working up a means to bash my head in and claim you for their own."
"Well too bad!" Arabella huffed. "They only want one thing from me anyway!"
"Inane trivia about cats?" James was rewarded for this guess by a well-placed stomp of Arabella's heel into his foot. He laughed it off since he had asked for it. "Well what makes you assume I'm so different?"
"Well you're too proper for it, which is good because you're pretty pathetic whenever I catch you in flirty action. Thank your lucky stars you have boyish charm on your side, James." Arabella teased a little more. James enjoyed the banter until Arabella looked at him a little more sympathetically. "That and the fact I keep catching you staring at Lily as I was staring at you two months ago."
James blushed and dawned a rather guilty look.
"I'm sorry about that, Arabella." James said sincerely. "I'm not being a very good date, am I?"
"I'm having fun." Arabella assured. "I'm just sorry you're not having the night you wanted."
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to come with Lily." James admitted. "But, I think I'd be a lot worse off if I didn't have you here with me. I don't know if it's worth all that much, but you're doing a really smashing job of keeping my mind off mopping." Arabella smiled at this.
"Glad to be of some use around her." Arabella beamed as she noticed that most of their friends were back at their table. "Want to take a break and chat it up a bit."
"Fine by me." James shrugged. "I was getting tired of stepping all over your feet anyway." Arabella laughed as they headed back to where Sirius, Remus, and Peter were congregating. Their Hufflepuff dates were off talking with some of their friends and had abandoned the boys for the moment. James offered to grab some drinks for everyone, leaving Arabella to the company of his friends.
"James is just so disheartened." Arabella reported once he was out of earshot. "I don't take it personally, mind you, but he's completely transfixed on Lily."
All the heads at the table turned toward Lily and Snape, who were presently dancing amongst the other couples on the floor. The four Gryffindors cringed at the sheer unnaturalness of the situation before turning to one another.
"Still, at least Snape's trying to be a proper date." Arabella was reluctant to admit. "The only reason he's trotting out there must be for Lily's benefit."
"You poor, naïve girl." Sirius groaned as he rolled his eyes.
"Pardon?" Arabella raised an eyebrow.
"Snape's not being decent; he's being the same wicked prat he's always passing himself off as." Sirius informed pointedly as he glared toward the very topic of his conversation. "He's playing a nice round of keep away with James and he's winning."
"Don't you think you're reading in a - " Arabella started, before Remus jumped in.
"No." Remus agreed with Sirius. "Maybe it's partially on Lily behalf, but he's mostly doing it to taunt James. If Snape keeps her occupied and always in arm's reach, he's not giving James any opening to cut in by any means and James isn't about to tempt Lily's wrath by coming off as some jealous wanker."
"Oh that's horrible!" Arabella hissed, completely seeing what the two boys were talking about now.
"Yeah, poor Prongs." Peter sighed. "Looks like he won't even get a chance to talk with Lily, let alone a dance."
This visibly didn't sit well with Arabella as she glared out on the dance floor, deeply pondering something. With a sharp snap of her long fingers, Arabella turned to the group with a quirky grin.
"I bet I can get James a dance." Arabella crowed. The three Marauders exchanged skeptical glances.
"Unlikely." Was Peter's nay saying. "I'll throw a galleon down to prove."
"As much as I'm personally rooting for true love overcoming all obstacles, I'm going to have to side with Peter." Sirius confessed. "I'll back it up with a galleon as well."
Remus seemed to weight the odds for a moment before committing: "I've got a galleon giving Arabella the benefit of the doubt."
"And I'll wager on myself thank you." Arabella declared as she got up and made her way on the dance floor just as James found his way back to the table.
"Where's she off to?" James inquired.
"Supposedly to get you a dance with Lily." Peter pulled his butterbeer near him. "Think she'll try to seduce him?"
"Bah, I don't believe she'd think that would work." Remus disagreed. "She'll probably try to go through Lily and avoid Snape altogether."
"That's a bad road too, mate." Sirius observed. "Lily's not going to undermine Snape since she's supposed to be his date for the evening and all."
"Oh damn!" James moaned. "If she doesn't get me in trouble with Lily she'll make me out to be some pathetic git in front of Snape!"
The Marauders watched as though they expected some grotesque scene to unfold right before them.
* * *
"Hello, Arabella." Lily greeted as her housemate strolled up to her and Snape on the dance floor. She couldn't suppress the quizzical expression on her face. "Enjoying yourself."
"Marvelous time!" Arabella confirmed. "You?"
"Grand." Lily replied, hoping her friend would hint at something. Snape eyed Arabella suspiciously, also expecting something from her. He appeared to be holding his tongue so as not to insult one of Lily's close friends right in front of her.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could cut in for a bit?" Arabella flashed a sweet smile at both the Prefects. In turn, they both gave her looks as though they hadn't heard her correctly. Lifting the trim of her robes a bit, Arabella displayed her scuffed shoes. "Look here! James keep trotting all about my shoes and I'm sick of not being able to feel my toes just so I can get a dance in."
Arabella threw out a pout for emphasis. Lily shrugged a bit since this sounded more than reasonable but still suspected Arabella was up to more than she was letting on.
"Why not ask one of Potter's friends?" Snape suggested, obviously not comfortable with the idea of dancing with Arabella.
"Oh I tried! Pleaded with them at the table for minutes on but they're all prattling about being tired and wanting to sit a couple out." Arabella moaned. Anticipating what argument Snape would throw out next, Arabella quickly added. "And I don't want to go up to some strange guy and ask him for a-go. The last thing I need is to have some girl thinking I'm a home wrecker or giving some randy prat an open invitation to treat me like a petting zoo! Snape's not that sort and Lily knows I'm not up to anything devious, so what do you say?"
"Well, I'm fine with it." Lily looked to Snape as she spoke. "But, if you don't feel up to it . . ."
"Why wouldn't he feel up to it?" Arabella beamed. "He's been waltzing with you since dinner finished up. Why would he suddenly wear out?" Lily didn't know what to say since she didn't want to commit Snape to anything.
"No, it's fine." Snape agreed in a voice that suggested it was anything but fine; however, he didn't want to behave in an exceptionally rude manner to such a simple request in Lily's presence. Still, he extended a hand to Arabella, which she accepted graciously and the two started to dance. Lily edged away to give them some room.
"I'll see about getting some drinks then." Lily announced as she headed off the floor.
* * *
The Marauders stared slack jawed as Arabella started dancing with Snape and left Lily completely unattended at the moment. Sirius roughly shoved James in the shoulder.
"Get your ass out there and ask her to dance before some bloke that's either smarter or quicker beats you to it!" Sirius demanded, not caring that he just lost the bet.
James didn't need to be told twice and made a beeline straight for Lily. He caught her just short of the refreshment table.
"Hey, how's it going?" James attempted to be casual.
"Fine." Lily's green eyes searched James's face. "Did you put Arabella up to something?"
"No, I didn't." James could honestly say. "Would you care for a dance?"
"I'm not sure." Lily smirked. "Arabella was just telling Severus and I how you kept trampling her feet."
"All part of The Potter Experience." James reported with a grin causing Lily to laugh. Deciding that she couldn't really protest if she was so amused, James didn't waste anytime as he took one of Lily's hands with his own and place the other on her waist.
After about a minute of dancing, Lily smiled at James as she looked him up and down.
"I think Arabella misled me, you're a more than decent dancer." Lily stated. "You look very handsome by the way."
"Well, I'd start complimenting you but I imagine Snape will be expecting you back sometime tonight." James gazed upon the gorgeous young woman in his arms. Lily blushed a bit and chuckled.
* * *
From across the floor, Snape kept Arabella practically at arms length and was evidently loathing every moment of it. Arabelle rolled her eyes and threw him a cross look.
"Is it really THAT excruciating?" Arabella demanded.
"Mostly on account of your perfume." Snape muttered, trying not to make eye contact with the smaller blond.
"Oh it can't possibly be all that bad!" Arabella replied indignantly.
"Considering I devote most of my time to brewing potions in areas with poor air circulation, what indication does that provide?" Snape raised an eyebrow.
Arabella's jaw fell slack; she was so offended by this she was tempted to storm off, but caught herself. Showing a toothy and evil grin to Snape, Arabella dug her nails a little into his for arm, causing him to wince.
"Trying to drive me off, eh?" Arabella hissed, Snape made an agitated noise. "I think we'll stay like this just a bit longer."
In frustration, Snape scanned around hoping Lily would come back soon but spied her dancing with Potter near the refreshments. She was laughing and smiling at something Potter had just said but Snape had trouble believing this since it would require Potter to say something actually interesting. Glaring at Arabella, he studied the girl who was presently sneering at him.
"So THAT is what you were up to." Snape determined in a voice that harbored a hint of admiration amidst a sea of thorough resentment. "And here I figured the most you were hoping to accomplish was to be a bother to me."
"Don't flatter yourself." Arabella advised. "Now just be a nice, nasty person and finish up the dance then we can go back to our respective corners."
"I think not." Snape made his move to leave, but Arabella griped onto his robes in her clenched fist.
"Oh I think so." Arabeall contradicted. "Because if you don't, I will introduce you to a display of public humiliation that will make it into "Howarts; A History" once they get around to doing revision." Snape glared at her in a defiant sort of way.
"And how do you hope to accomplish that?" Snape challenged, seeing if he was calling a bluff.
"You'd be amazed at what a sudden shriek, followed by an offended slap across the face, and a well-placed 'how dare you' can do to someone without much of a good name to sully." Arabella replied. "So unless you want to be known as the "Pervey Prefect" for the rest of our time at Hogwarts, FINISH THE DANCE!"
"Damn. You. Woman." Snape growled but didn't make any further efforts to leave.
Once the song had concluded, Snape and Arabella abruptly broke apart so he could retrieve Lily and she could run her hand under scalding water in the girls' bathroom. Lily politely thanked James for the dance and retuned with Snape to their table as he was, most assuredly engaging in a glare war with James. James sighed and retuned to the table were his friends were. They offered their most heartfelt congratulation and Peter and Sirius both didn't mind they were out a galleon in this case.
James managed a few weak smiles but couldn't fight off the depression embedding itself deeply within him. He was never truly fine with the idea of Lily acting as Snape's date to the ball, but it hadn't really sunk in until now. After spending a Christmas day (which happened to be one of the most perfect days of his life) with Lily as his company all throughout the weight of situation finally crashed into James. He waved for Sirius and Peter to go off and be proper dates but Remus remained with the sullen James at the table since he was unattached. Even though they were both silent, James found this gesture comforting.
He wasn't jealous since he knew Lily cared for him in a way Snape could never achieve and James wasn't mad at her for not being with him. In the end, it that James was miserable because the one person in the world he always wanted to be around was cut off from him entirely for the next few hours. He had hoped a dance with Lily would have been cathartic somehow, but it just reminded James of what he was truly missing.
His better half.
"Remus?" James mumbled as he watched Lily from afar. Remus leaned across the table with a concerned look for his friend.
"What can I do for you, Prong?" Remus asked with earnest.
"Make sure Arabella has a good time, gets back all right." James requested. Remus put a hand on James's shoulder and look as though he were about to argue with James, but was cut off. "I'll only hurt Arabella if she has to be with me like this and I can't pull myself back from it. She's been outstanding to me this night and it's an atrocity to force her to grin and bear for me when she should be off finding some nice guy who isn't obsessing over another girl."
"Okay, James." Remus relented. "But say goodbye first, alright? You don't want her fretting because you just up and disappeared."
"Yeah, thanks again, Remus." James forced out a smile before heading off to intercept Arabella who was making her way back to the table. She was still grinning about her little triumph over Snape was about to give James the full account when she saw the look on his face.
"James . . ." Arabella looked suddenly distraught. "What - "
"I'm going back to the dorms." James explained warily. "I appreciate everything you've done for me Arabella, for tonight and everything leading up to it. You have been positively extraordinary and charming at every turn, but you should be worrying about your own happiness rather than mine."
"James, I'm having a great time!" Arabella insisted. "You shouldn't feel bad! Come on, don't head off, we'll just keep having fun like we've been doing."
James genuinely smiled at Arabella's concern and placed a hand to her cheek while looking kindly at her.
"I would if I didn't know I would be spending the entire night looking at Lily." James spoke gently. "And Arabella, you deserve to be with someone who wouldn't take their eyes off you to blink. I'll see you later and have enough fun for both of us, hm?"
With that, James headed off and away from the party. Arabella lingered until she couldn't see James anymore and headed back to the table, she didn't even get a chance to sit down before Remus had swept her back on the floor.
"Marvelous play with Snape." Remus congratulated. "I knew I was making a wise investment when betting on you. I'll give you your share of the winnings later."
Arabella smiled knowingly at Remus.
"Let me guess, James asked you to take care of me." Arabella pressed.
"Yes." Remus admitted. "However, I would have done so even if he had not."
"Obligation and honor amongst friends is noble but so transparent." Arabella rolled her eyes. "Probably told you to parrot that part too."
"Absolutely not." Remus shook his head firmly. "Miss Figg, you are a breathe of fresh air in an otherwise stale life."
"Now you're just making fun!" Arabella protested.
"Arabella, let me ask you something?" Remus requested. "How many guys do you know would spend an entire evening trying to keep up a conversation and mane of gold hair for a girl who keeps interrupting him to vomit? After that, figure in how many would seek out your company later on, particularly at the party of the year?"
Arabella blushed slightly as she relived Remus being privy to her finest hour at Hogwarts.
"I just assumed you were a very nice man who hated fun." Arabella answered.
"Be that as it may, it's a completely separate issue as to why I want to dance with you." The smile Remus directed at Arabella caused her to shift her eyes away.
* * *
During her conversation with Snape at the Head table, Lily lost track of James in the thicket of Hogwarts students who were dancing and congregating. It was probably another half an hour before she realized she had yet to see James resurface. As tempted as she was to personally go out and look for him, Lily reminded herself that she was here on Snape's behalf but was finding this to be more and more distracting as her words droned along with Snape's.
Almost a full hour after they had last seen her, Arabella approached the two of them again with her usual mischievous grin.
"Lily, could I borrow you for a moment?" Arabella inquired as she glared over to Snape, waiting for him to try and parry her.
"By all means." Snape replied, eyes fixed on Arabella. "After all, it's not as though you are members of the same House whom socialize with one another day in and day out."
Catching Snape's sarcastic tone, Arabella immediately abandoned every effort to play nice with the vile Slytherin and glared.
"Look, why don't you just find a nice, warm rock to perch on and flick your tongue at me from there?" Arabella suggested. Lily seemed as though she were appalled by both of their behavior so Snape decided to not pursue bantering.
"Retract your claws, Figg." Snape instructed. "I trust I'll be able to manage without Lily for the next few minutes." Lily abandoned her seat and allowed Arabella to lead her a bit away. Shooting one last nasty look Snape's way, Arabella turned to Lily.
"Okay, I'm not even going to start in on why you would EVER want to go to a ball with someone like Snape." Arabella groaned before her expression became a serious one. "James left back for Gryffindor tower Lily about an hour ago."
Lily sighed at this news.
"Let me guess, he's off throwing a fit over me and Severus?" Lily's tone was a medley of concern and curt.
"No." Arabella shook her head. "Because he couldn't keep tormenting himself. He didn't strike me as cross or jealous, just sad. I mean, how do you expect him to behave?"
"He and I talked about this." Lily reminded both herself and Arabella.
"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact he worships you and you came to the social event of the season with the person James most loathes and is mutually loathed by." Arabella observed. The corner of Lily's mouth twitched as she dwelled on this. Arabella put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you didn't mean anything by it. In fact, I know you probably figured you were just trying to do right by both James and Snape. After all, what does a ball with Snape mean if you're probably ending up with James anyway?"
"Apparently, something based on James's reaction." Lily replied.
"Yeah, well, being in love will make you a bit sensitive to that sort of thing." Arabella noted. "And I do think he loves you, even if he's not really all that aware of it himself. James is cute, but a tad thick."
"I didn't mean to hurt him." Lily spoke in a small voice. Arabella smiled at her.
"Of course not." Arabella agreed. "However, I think Snape did."
"Arabella . . ." Lily sounded tired but her friend cut her off.
"Oh, I very much doubt that was Snape's only motivation for taking you, but tell me the look on James's face wasn't one of the fringe benefits?" Arabella pointed out. Lily felt ill over her treatment of James and how ignorant she had made herself in how her date with Snape would have affected him. Overwhelmed with the desire to start setting things right, Lily thanked Arabella and retuned to where she had left Snape.
"I'm sorry, Severus, but I'm afraid I'll have to end our evening here." Lily sincerely apologized as she collected her purse.
"Is everything all right?" Snape asked curiously.
"Yes. Someone in my House is very upset at the moment and I must attend to that." Lily didn't lie, but divulged nothing.
"Let me take a wild stab, Potter?" Snape raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reaction.
"Yes, James." Lily confirmed.
"Can't you see this is his ploy?" Snape pressed. "He's playing off your sympathies while you play right into his hands."
"Thank you for your concern, I'll keep that in mind." Lily offered as a hurried reply. Snape's eyes narrowed as he grew unsatisfied with her reactions to his words.
"I'm not oblivious, Lily." Snape announced quietly. Lily turned to him and waited for him to continue along with this however he had intended. "I'm well aware of your . . .attraction to Potter, but I think you've lost sight of the person he is at heart: Juvenal, manipulative, and quick to betray your confidence and undermine your authority. Once Potter shows his true colors, I most assure you they won't be the same ones he dawns when he's showing off at Quidditch."
"It suddenly occurred to me why you and James resent one another so much." Lily spoke evenly. "You both so polar you're almost parallel. I think you see one another as the personification of all the choices you've neglected and opportunities you've missed. Neither of you are better for it all than the other, just similarly different."
Snape had heard what Lily said and held an expression that suggested he was chewing on these words. After processing this information, his black eyes fixed on Lily with a harsh glare he typically spared her.
"Is that why you came here with me tonight?" Snape's tone was an accusing one. "To see which side of the coin suited you better? Are you so irredeemably indecisive that you can only manage your decisions through trial and error? If you had simply asked Lily, I think I could have spared you a lot of unnecessary concern."
Once she was sure Snape had finished, Lily put her purse down for a moment so she could stand tall in front of Severus Snape and deny him even the subtlest of impressions that she was hiding behind anything.
"I came with you tonight for many reasons and none of which, in spite for your astute perception, you've even managed to grasp." Lily informed firmly but not angry. Snape found little satisfaction in provoking this emotion and he believed Lily was, on some level, aware of this. "I thought of you as a kindred spirit, a confidant, an equal and, at times, a rival, but mostly as a friend. I DID NOT think of you as means to get James's attention, a tool to elevate my self-esteem, or a collection of emotions to torture. In truth: a need nothing and no one to be assured I have James's affections. Only I have the power to dictate my self-worth and precious little outside of that should EVER have the remotest of barring. And how could I torment you anymore than you do so yourself, Severus? Especially when I'm afflicted by the same string of complexes as you do?"
"I'm sure Potter is waiting for you." Was all Snape would and could say to Lily. With a stiff lip, she nodded as she reclaimed her purse. Snape knew if she had any intention of crying, she would never let him see or know.
"There is nothing I can say to bring you out of the mood you're in now Severus, I know you well enough for that. But I want to give you a perspective to consider once you feel you've accomplished all you can by hating me." Lily announced and Snape waited. "Even if I'm with James, I'm still who I've always been with you. And as I recall, you seemed occasionally fond of that person. I'll always be Lily Evans."
Snape paused, showing that he heard her before he coldly replied.
"That is until you're Lily Potter."
Lily almost shuddered at the way he had said those words as Snape had managed to make it sound like she was now a possession of James to be dominated and stripped of its initial character. Unable to pursue the conversation on her end and incapable of taking anything more from Snape's, Lily left the party and headed back toward the Gryffindors dormitories.
Snape watched Lily walk off into the castle and loathed her incredibly at the moment. Not for anything she had really done but for everything she happened to be. Lily was innocently cruel, devastating without the slightest inkling she was such. Snape had and would always resent her for this side effect of her presence. It was then Snape recognized that the forgiveness, temperance, and compassion he despised most in her at the moment were all the same qualities that Lily had never deprived of him, even in his recent, malicious exchange with her. In the end, it was hard not to be in awe of Lily Evans.
After all, so few like her still walked the Earth and they were always meant to be unattainable in some innocently cruel fashion.
* * *
It was dark in the Gryffindor commons. James could have summoned more light aside from the glow of the fireplace and the few illuminated lanterns along the stairs but he found things as they were a better reflection his present mood. Lying on the couch, still in his dress robes, James watched the fire as though it were a point of interest. He recognized he wasn't doing or thinking anything particularly important, but it really wouldn't be sulking if he had been.
It was so quiet in the common room that James heard the portrait entranceway slide open to let a Gryffindor in. The grandfather clock had chimed the hour of ten only a few minutes before which meant whomever had just arrived was giving up a couple more hours of the ball. Unable to resist his curiosity, James craned his neck slightly peer over the backing of the couch he was on. He watched Lily stride in before she met his stare.
"Lily." James pulled himself into a partially seated position on the couch so he could look at her better. "What are you doing back?"
"I've been meaning to ask you something." Lily replied as she pulled the tiara off her head and held it out. "Did you send me this?"
James appeared to be deciding what the right answer was before he reluctantly nodded.
"Yeah. I thought it deserved you." James admitted, while adverting his eyes. "I just didn't want to make a show of it in front everyone and since we're going along as friends, I didn't want to be overstepping any lines. Still, I wanted you to have it."
"Well, thank you for it." Lily smiled weakly. "Professor Dumbledore paid a most gracious compliment upon it earlier this evening. It's giving me a lot to think about since then." James frowned at Lily's tragic demeanor as she walked over toward the couch he was upon but made no motion to join him.
"Lily, is something wrong?" James's head followed her as she moved.
"Yes, something is wrong." Lily nodded, voice quivering a bit, as she stopped in front of the fireplace and watched the movement of its flames. "It's recently come to my attention that I owe an apology to a lot of people."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" James's brow furrowed as he watched Lily with concern.
"Well, there's Arabella. If I had just admitted how I suspected I felt about you from the beginning, the girl wouldn't have been caught under false hope and might have found someone by now to fancier her as much as she would them." Lily listed. "Let's not forget Sirius and how I could have bloody well torn your very friendship apart because I had to be stubborn or coy or whatever the hell I was working to achieve when it came to you."
James wanted to interrupt and start contradicting Lily but he decided it would be better to let her unburden herself now and reassure her later.
"I also managed a brilliant job of getting Severus Snape to hate me because he, in no way, approves of how I drawn I am to being with you, which I probably should have just cleared the air about long before we ended up at the ball together. Couple that with how demanding and guarded I've allowed myself to be, it's hard to not have something seem wrong." Lily ranted on with a sigh, before she looked to James with a distraught expression that in no way detracted from how beautiful she was just then.
"It comes down to a lot of people are rightfully upset because I couldn't be honest with them or myself about how much I care for you, James." Lily confessed flat out. "And of all the people I owe an apology, you're the one I was desperate to offer one to. I am sorry that I made things a lot more complicated than they needed to be between us for such a long time. I'm sorry I couldn't take more on faith with you when you extended so much of it to me. And I'm sorry it took me four months to get around to realizing and owning up to all of it."
Lily could keep back her tears any longer than James could listen to Lily continue to crucify herself. Abandoning the couch, James came up to Lily and pulled her into him. He rested his cheek against the side of Lily's head and couldn't think of a single thing to say that would reassure her. All James could hope was that just being there would be enough for Lily. They spent a few minutes like that. Lily wasn't sobbing, but James was fairly sure she was still crying a bit. It had taken him a while, but James believed he had figured out something to say to the woman in his arms.
"You don't need any of this." James drew her in close enough to feel her heart beating like a startled bird in a cage. "You have enough worries and burdens without you thinking you owe anything to anyone. Yeah, we all could have been making different choices in our lives somewhere down the line, but we wouldn't be who we are without the ones we already made. I know you're upset by the way things are now but I think they'll all end up for the better. Arabella and Sirius seem no worse for wear, Snape won't hold a grudge because even he's not a big enough prat to think cutting you from his life would somehow make it better, and all those things you described yourself as being are some of the qualities I prize most in you, Lily."
Lily pulled away from James's chest to gaze at him. Maybe it wasn't so much what he had said, rather how he had said it, but Lily felt better about her sudden lot in life and believed she owed a large part of that to the person who was currently holding her so dear. James smiled at her before pushing a few strands of hair off her face. Lily felt her eyes briefly close in response to the gesture.
"Is there anything I can do to make this in anyway better?" James pleaded with complete sincerity.
"You could kiss me." Lily breathed in reply.
James wasn't sure if he had started to hold her tighter or more gently, but he felt himself lean in, eyes half opened as he brought his lips to Lily. Their eyes met one last time before both sets closed. It started with just the simplest of gestures and slowly both felt the kiss transform into something deeper that neither had anticipated nor seemed to mind. In a way, this kiss was a testament to their entire relationship up to the moment.
If James Potter hesitated for even a second, it was only to recognize he was bidding farewell to his close friendship with Lily Evans for something deeper.
* * *
After spending fifteen minutes or so brooding over his present situation, Snape saw little point in remaining at the ball since everything seemed to be more than under control and he no longer had a date he was expected to entertain. He was on his way out when he encountered Lestrange and some of the other members of their House.
"Where's you're date gone off to, Severus?" Lestrange asked in a tone that suggested he had a pretty good idea.
"I'd strongly recommend against antagonizing me at the moment, Lestrange." Snape replied through his teeth. Lestrange's twisted girlfriend smiled at him with feigned sympathy.
"If it makes you feel better, we were all kind of hoping you'd hit it off with that little trophy you've been totting all night." She cooed in an obnoxious voice.
"I know I was kind of hoping a good shag might have loosened you up a bit." Avery snickered but stopped abruptly when it looked as though Snape might hex him on the spot for the comment. Getting more than defensive, Avery pointed a finger at Snape. "Look, it's for the best even if you're not willing to see it. Evans gets close to you, she gets close to us."
"It might be different if she was just a pretty skirt to chase about, but she's a smart enough one to figure out what were up to and I don't feel like spending a holiday in Azkaban even if you do." Nott agreed gruffly as he glared at Snape.
"Don't put words in my mouth, Nott." Snape ordered.
"Some things are best kept in-House, Snape." Macnair advised. "And Evans doesn't strike me as the joining type."
"Oh I don't know." Lestrange interjected with a sick grin. "Mulciber's gotten fairly adept at persuading people to go along with things."
Snape knew exactly what Lestrange was alluding to, as it would be unwise to discuss their extracurricular activities so out in the open. Still, Snape felt himself pale a bit as his peers talked so flippantly about the use of Unforgivable Curses.
"I believe I've had my fill of this conversation." Snape announced shortly as he headed off, but Avery caught his arm cast a look of warning upon him.
"I don't know what you think you're playing at." Avery hissed. "This isn't some club you join and abandon when convenient. Get that into you're head right now, because if the girl becomes a nuisance to us . . ."
"We won't do a thing." Lestrange's girlfriend interrupted with a sneer on her face. "That would be Severus's responsibility. After all, I think actions would speak louder than words when it comes to matters of loyalty amongst friends and family."
"Don't concern yourselves or anyone else with this." Snape insisted. "It's a moot point. My relationship with Evans does not exceed that of a fellow Prefect."
"Lucky for her, lucky for you." Nott shrugged.
Snape said nothing further and walked away from the other Slytherins. He had much to think about and was already running thin on patience when Lestrange's woman crowed deliberately loud enough for him to here.
"Did anyone else think Evans looked smashing out there with Potter?"
That was when Snape went white hot. Seething beneath he's typically restrained manner, Snape compelled himself to press on towards his room until he caught sight of Arabella chatting with some Ravenclaw girls with a drink in hand. Changing his plans, Snape swept over to the blond Gryffindor, looming darkly. Arabella gave him an odd sort of stare as she turned away from the other girls who quickly walked away to find one of Arabella's Gryffindor friends.
"Yes, Snape?" Arabella demanded, curious as to why he was particularly cross.
"I want to know right this moment, how much of this evening had been orchestrated in advance." Snape wasn't requesting. "Is this, yet another, elaborate Gryffindor prank to give the lot of you something laugh about in your common room?"
"No." Arabella said pointedly. "Our bi-weekly meeting of 'Gryffindors Devoted to Harassing Snape' or GDHS focused mostly on unscrewing your salt shakers and debooking you in the halls."
"Then do you have nothing better to do with your evening than ruin mine?" Snape hissed, referring to her perpetual meddling with Lily all evening.
Arabella set her drink down so she could cross her arms across her chest. The girls she had been speaking to were dragging Sirius, Peter, and Remus over to probably save her. Not wanting to be their damsel in distress, Arabella was determined to finish things up with Snape before they had to swoop in and save her.
"Snape, the most I set out to do was keep James amused and get him a dance with Lily. Past that is mostly something between you, her, and James." Arabella corrected. "In a way, I'm sorry things didn't work out for you because Lily seems genuinely fond of you for some inexplicable reason. But maybe you've landed yourself where you are as a repercussion of your unpleasant personality."
It was then the remaining Marauders stepped to Arabella's side, glancing from her to Snape as though trying to determine the situation. Snape was far too fixated on Arabella at the moment to even take heed of their presence.
"Perhaps this present insight can be attributed to your tightly drawn hair pull-starting that scattered brain of yours. Of course, then that would beg the question of why you were thick enough to let Potter treat you as his constellation prize the entire evening as he pined for Lily." Snape suggested coldly, as he went for blood. "I'm sure Potter would be impressed by your astute assessment of my situation; that is, if he's not done using you to get to your friend."
Arabella had the same reaction as though Snape had just slapped her in the face. Although Arabella would not have been sorted into Gryffindor if she could take on her own battles and show courage throughout them, Sirius, Peter, and Remus wouldn't be much of Gryffindors either if they didn't allow their chivalry to override this fact every once and again. Remus put a reassuring arm around Arabella without taking his fixed eyes off Snape. Peter stood by Arabella's other side for moral support while Sirius moved to the front of the Gryffindor pack and right to Snape's face. Sirius made sure that Snape couldn't even catch a glimpse of Arabella anymore.
"I think you should retract that." Sirius offered, through clenched teeth, silently hoping Snape refused.
"And why would that be?" Snape pressed Sirius growing more than tired of him at this point.
"Because you're going to feel pretty damn foolish once the irony of all this sinks in." Sirius promised.
"Enlighten me." Snape urged.
"You call Arabella a consolation prize because James went with her when he really wanted to be with Lily?" Sirius affirmed. "I'd think you'd be a little more sensitive to all this considering Lily would have gone with James if she hadn't promised to go with you first."
"I don't recall twisting Evans arm at any point." Snape curtly stated as a flicker of red accented his black eyes like a heating coal.
"Maybe not." Sirius relented. "But Arabella can at least say her date tonight took her as a friend who cared about her and wanted to have a good time. I don't think you've got anymore going for you than a professional courtesy from a girl whose generosity extends even to deplorable Slytherins with endless bitter moods."
"Done now, Black?" Snape questioned. "Have you vindicated your own ego enough for this evening? Or will we be privy to another spectacle of how looks and charm are everything you need in life if the most you care to be is a rank amateur? A wizard who's lasting echo upon the ages will either be his impressive host of social diseases or as the shadow of James Potter that is so vapidly portrayed that we come to crave the shallow presence of the original."
If Professor McGonagall hadn't been only 10 meters away, Sirius would have punched Snape right there. Not only for that final insult but every, single cruel and unnecessary thing he had said before to Sirius and those he cared about. Instead, Sirius tried a virtue that wasn't accustomed to him: patience.
"You know, Snape." Sirius had never given a person a more hateful look in all his life. "There are people in this world you can intimidate with your insults and pockets of influence, but there as things in life, things you should REALLY watch out for, that don't give a damn about either."
"Are you about to suggest you're one of these things, Black?" Snape scoffed.
"Oh no. But I'll be happy to introduce you." Sirius's face twisted with a manic smile, like he knew the joke when everyone else didn't. It was a cruel and malicious look. Snape would know since it resembled one of his own. Giving one final stare, Sirius walked off with Peter, Remus, and Arabelle close behind.
"Sirius, don't you EVER do that again!" Peter ordered. "That look you gave Snape will give me bloody nightmares."
Sirius just laughed. It struck the other three Gryffindors as more a maddened cackle than a healthy response to something he had found amusing.
"Thank you for coming to my defense." Arabella said meekly to the three boys. "He struck a nerve and I didn't know how to react."
"Yeah, Snape's brilliant at hitting nerves." Sirius brooded. "He's probably been a petty bastard all his life so he's had the practice."
"Come on; let's try to have a good night." Remus urged but Sirius shook his head.
"Nah." Sirius declined. "I need to walk about a bit, do some thinking. Snape's got me fuming so horribly that all I can think about is very bad things. You three go off and have a bit of fun though, hm? Peter, be a mate and make sure Debra gets back to her House with Mandy alright."
"Yeah, okay." Peter deflated a bit as yet another one of his friends was abandoning him for the evening.
"Guess we'll see you later than." Arabella bid farewell hesitantly as she led Remus off with her back to the dance floor and Sirius went for a long walk.
* * *
At some point, James and Lily had succeeded in working themselves onto the couch of the Gryffindor commons without breaking their kiss. Lily had her back pressed into the cushions of her sofa with James carefully situated on top of her. Lily's head slightly elevated against the armrest, allowing James easier access to her mouth and neck. It was completely silent in the room save for the soft moans and gasping breaths shared between the two as they continued to kiss and stroke their hands all over one another, gently and affectionately. Both Lily and James's minds were cleared of everything apart from the sensations coursing through them at the moment, but if there was a thought to be had, it was that this was how it should have been all along.
The tolling of the grandfather clock brought Lily and James back to reality and realized that it was now 11 o'clock. The two had been caught up in their passionate throws for nearly an hour and hadn't even bothered to notice. They lingered for a moment, regaining their breath and waiting for the chimes to finish. Memorizing Lily's features with the tips of his fingers as Lily rubbed her palm against the length of his neck, James released a reluctant sigh.
"We should probably stop." James admitted slightly frustrated. "People will probably be making there way back here soon and this is one show I don't feel like putting on for Hogwarts." James glanced over his shoulder as though he half expected someone to be walking in as soon as he had suggested it. Lily leaned forward and slowly began to kiss James; he closed his eyes, absorbed in the moment as Lily worked her mouth over to his ear.
"You're probably right. We could go back to my room." She spoke a throaty whisper James wasn't sure he had ever heard Lily use before but, then again, how many times had he been with her like this?
"Okay." What was James expected to say to that?
Hand in hand, Lily led the way up the stairs to her room and let herself and James inside before shutting the door. James realized this was his third visit to Lily's room but the first time all year he had been invited. The only light was from the pane of window. Against the fresh white snow, the moon made everything glow blue under its radiance. Lily gave no indication that she intended to turn on any additional lights and James was perfectly fine with things as they were.
Lily approached James slowly, placing open hands on his upper arm and neck. She nuzzled against his nape softly before she started kissing him once more. James held onto her by the back of her head and the small of her back. Carefully, James drew her back with him until he felt himself come against the side of her four-post bed. Lily pressed against him slightly and James pulled her onto the bed with him. They sat upon it, still kissing, still caressing one another until Lily broke away. She smiled apologetically as she undid the restraints that had kept her hair up all this time and let her waist length of hair wash over her frame.
Although she had been stunning when done up formally, James decided Lily looked her best when she was presented in a casual sort of way. Taking advantage of having her with him and so desirable, James bent forward and began to kiss her again. Feeling her hands indicating for such, James laid back and his head found a pillow somewhere on her bed. Lily was leaning in somewhat and used both her hands to carefully remove his spectacles. Folding the glasses into themselves, Lily placed them on her end stand along with the bobby pins that had been fastened in her hair. She joined at the mouth once again with James's.
Shifting positions on top the bed, Lily and James pretty much resumed everything they had enjoyed in the common room but things grew slightly more intimate when James felt Lily's hand touch against the bare flesh of his chest underneath his dress robes. Gasping slightly, James drew back and felt a fresh amount of blood rushing to his face. Swallowing hard, James didn't want to do something on an impulse and regret it later.
"Lily. . ." His voice was hesitant and uncertain.
"I'm fine, James." Lily assured softly as she rubbed her cheek against his affectionately. "I'm fine with anything at the moment."
James felt his eyes grow wide at the prospects of this. Both his breaths and the beating of his heart fell quicker, as he tried to study Lily's expression through the darkness without the benefit of his glasses.
"Are. . .are you implying . . ." James hoped he wasn't about to make a fool out of himself by somehow misreading the signals Lily was sending him.
"If . . .if you want to . . . " Was Lily's quiet reply.
Again, what was James expected to say to that?
* * *
* * *
AFTERWARDS
<Oy! Angelina is unavailable to comment because she's gone into hiding for fear of her readers and their reaction to this cliffhanger>
I'll just be leaving you with my song pick.
* * *
Because the Night
By: Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith (thanks for the correction Bridgits)
Performed by: 10,000 Maniacs
* * *
Take me now, baby, here as I am
Hold me close, try and understand
Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe
Love is a banquet on which we feed
Come on now, try and understand
The way I feel under your command
Take my hand, come under cover
They can't hurt you now
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Have I doubt, baby, when I'm alone
Love is a ring on the telephone
Love is an angel, disguised as lust
Here in our bed 'til the morning comes
Come on now, try and understand
The way I feel under your command
Take my hand, come under cover
They can't hurt you now
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
With love we sleep, with doubt the vicious circle turns, and burns
Without you, I cannot live, forgive the yearning burning
I believe in love too real to feel,
take me now! take me now! take me now!
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because everybody knows the night belongs to us