”I HATE MY HAIR!” Lily yelled in frustration throwing the brush away. Her grandmother smiled sympathetically. With only an hour left to get ready neither girl had managed to get their hair fixed. Lily because she hadn’t been trying hard enough before now and Millie because she really didn’t have a knack for styling hair. She had managed to fail at making a rather simple French twist five times before their friend Abby had taken pity on her and offered to do it for her. Still it was Lily who seemed to have the bigger problem at the moment, since the brush refused to go through her hair even with the aid of magic.
“It’s not that bad, Lil,” Millie tried turning to look at her sister, making Abby jerk her head back in position and take a new grip on the hair she dropped.
“That’s easy for you to say! You can run a brush through yours at least, any attempt from my side and the brush gets stuck!” she complained. “I will never be ready on time!” she said making her grandmother wish she didn’t believe she was right.
“Well maybe you need another brush,” Millie offered moving again making Abby groan when she lost the grip on her hair again.
“Millie, you can worry about Lil later, but right now you have to stay still! You have baby hair, it’s as easy to hold on to as water!” she said annoyed. “And Lil, you really shouldn’t complain, at least a pin will stuck to your hair without any problem,” she added with a sigh watching Millie’s hair come undone again. “I need a spell for this,” she moaned giving it another try.
Sulking Lily gave up, crossing her arms and sitting down watching as Abby finally managed to get a hold on Millie’s hair. Using both pins and magic to transform it into a hairstyle.
“Well I guess we’re ready then,” she said sullenly when Millie’s hair was completely done. “At least one of us will look good tonight,” she then added.
“Lil, don’t sulk, it doesn’t become you!” Abby said.
“Why don’t you just use some Sleekeasy? I saw Daphne with some earlier, I’m sure she’ll let you lend some,” Millie said optimistically.
“Some, Millie?” Lily said. “Look at this! A brush won’t even go through it! Do you really think some Sleekeasy will help? I would need at least a jar or two if that is going to work.”
“Not necessarily, Lil,” Abby said giving her a scrutinising look. “Not if you don’t put all of your hair up.”
“What are you talking about?” Lily asked.
“Something like this,” she said pulling back half her hair from her face, letting the curls make the hairstyle on their own. Looking at herself in the mirror Lily started to smile.
“You know I love you Abby, don’t you?” she then said.
“Why do I have a feeling that means I’m doing this?” Abby asked with a sigh, shaking her head before walking over to Daphne to borrow the Sleekeasy.
By the time Abby was done with Lily’s hair, finally managing to get a brush through at least a part of it, the girls were only running a quarter of an hour late. Which, given the trouble the girls had had getting ready, Lily thought was very impressive. James, however, did not seem to agree at all.
“Where on earth have you been?” he asked his wife in the staircase outside the door.
“Their only a fifteen minutes late, it’s not that much,” Lily said defensively.
“Tell that to the guys waiting downstairs! The boys are nervous wrecks down there. I think Jordan is about ready to jump out the window.” James said. “Seriously, the things you girls put us through.”
“And I supposed you would prefer that we stopped caring about the way we look for you?” Lily asked sarcastically as they opened the door and stepped out into the common room. “Or why do you think they are running late?” she added as they stepped outside.
If Jordan had been a nervous wreck, he at least didn’t show it now. Neither did any of the other boys, save for a couple of the younger ones who couldn’t really hide their nervousness.
“Sorry we’re a bit late,” Millie said smiling anxiously as she looked at Eddy, reminding Lily that this was actually going to be their first real date.
“Yes, Millie had some problems with her hair,” Lily said smiling at Jordan, ignoring the other girls giggling behind her back.
“Right, Millie had problems with her hair!” one of the girls whispered.
“Funny, I didn’t see her throwing any brushes,” another one of the girls added getting more giggles from the others.
“I thought it might be something like that,” Jordan said casually. “That’s what I told them, too. They seemed a bit worried,” he then added gesturing towards the other boys in the room, causing Eddy to suddenly fake a cough. “Alright there, mate?” Jordan asked thumping him in the back, a lot harder than would have been necessary, an action that made both James and Lily laugh.
“You look nice by the way,” he then said ignoring Eddy. “If I’m allowed to tell you that as a friend,” he added quickly.
“I think that might be allowed,” Lily said sounding just a hint too casual for it to be completely natural. “You look rather OK yourself,” she then said before turning her back to him asking Millie something about the time.
“OK? I know I’m a guy and don’t really understand these things but Ok? Is that good?” James said confused. Lily laughed.
“Only when it’s a huge understatement, like this. Don’t worry about Jordan he looks very nice,” she answered still smiling. It really was an understatement. Jordan’s cream coloured robes made a rather dramatic contrast to his dark skin and managed to bring out many of his best features, making you overlook those that weren’t as favourable.
“Maybe we should leave,” Eddy said, also looking rather nice in his dark blue robes. “We don’t want to be too late after all, Professor McGonagall is bound to open the doors soon,” he added holding out his arm for Millie. Looking slightly nervous Jordan mimicked him, relaxing some when Lily actually took it.
Once in the Entrance Hall they saw that they were hardly the last to arrive. Many of the students were still entering the room and many people weren’t even seen yet. Apparently McGonagall had expected as much for the doors to the Great Hall were still firmly closed.
Moving around the many students, James couldn’t help but to look for Manning. He still remembered her comment about the girls’ appearance from Madame Malkin’s and he wanted to see her reaction when she laid eyes on his granddaughters, especially since they, according to him at least, were the prettiest girls there. An opinion that made Lily laugh at him and call him biased, saying that several other girls were just as pretty, if not prettier, something that in James’s mind was utter nonsense.
Manning still hadn’t seen either Lily or Millie by the time he found her however, something that annoyed him. He was nevertheless pleased to see that her robes, while exclusive and pretty, were still too low cut for a fifteen-year-old girl to wear and that the black made her look just a bit too pale even if it did match the colour of her hair.
Manning had still not seen either Lily or Millie when McGonagall came out and stood before the doors to the Hall. Silence spread through the students as all eyes turned to look at her.
“I will in a moment open up these doors and you will all walk into the Hall for the ball. Now when you do, there are a few things you need to know. Since many of you have dates from other houses than your own, you will not sit according to your houses, but according to your years,” she said. “The elder part of the pair decides which table you sit at “ seventh years and their dates at the table closest to the Head table, then sixth years and their dates, and so on “ any questions?” she asked looking around her. “No? Good. Then line up “ seventh years enter first,” she finished waiting for them to comply.
“Seventh years enter first? And sit at the best table?” Manning exclaimed annoyed shooting a look at Nott, who James now remembered was only a sixth year. “That’s not fair. They should really go after something more substantial. Like the family line,” she whined.
“Erm, would you mind moving, Manning?” Lily asked tapping her on the shoulder. “I’m pretty sure she said something about seventh years and their dates coming first,” she added in a mocking, sugary tone of voice, making Manning look like she was ready to strangle her.
She didn’t have the choice however, for before she could even say something Nott had grabbed her arm rather brusquely and pulled her to the side, allowing them to pass.
“I’m sure she didn’t like that,” Jordan sniggered in Lily’s ear.
“Nope, I don’t think she did,” Lily sniggered back. “Now if I could only get peeves to blow some sticky gum in her hair tonight,” she giggled.
“Well I’m sure he will if you ask him to, Potter,” Jordan said simply. Looking up at him Lily frowned.
“Too mean?” she asked receiving a nod. “Ahh well, I’ll just wait until tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll do something that warrants the treatment before the night is over,” she said.
“Let’s hope not,” Jordan laughed as the doors opened, letting them in.
The Great Hall looked quite spectacular. Beautiful decorations of ivy and mistletoe lay along the centres of the long tables, covered by long white tablecloths. Silver candles were floating above the surfaces like twinkling stars, and large Christmas trees covered in silver and frost lined the walls.
The teachers were already seated when the seventh years entered, and James and Lily noticed Harry nodding and smiling to his daughters and nephew. When all students were seated, golden menus appeared in front of them, from which the students ordered their meals.
The dinners looked almost as lovely as the Great Hall and James and Lily knew that not once, during any Christmas feast they had ever been to during their seven years at Hogwarts, had the Hall ever looked like this. Nor had the food been quite so wonderful or the atmosphere even half as romantic. All students seemed to have a wonderful time, even Manning seeming to forget about the ‘injustice’ done to her earlier, a fact that annoyed James more than Lily would have liked.
“What? After what she told Millie and Lily? And everything she done since? She doesn’t deserve to have a good time!” he said firmly. “Now they do,” he added with a smile, gesturing towards their grandchildren who managed to get seats next to each other and were all talking happily, even Jordan and Lily managing to stay clear of their normal bickering. Something that pleased James almost as much as it seemed to please Jordan.
When the food was gone and everyone satisfied, the Hall was transformed into a dance floor with the flick of McGonagall’s wand. The tables transformed into smaller ones and placed along the walls.
A stage was conjured up and a band James and Lily never seen or heard of took their places and started to play. The music was slow and romantic as the couples started spilling out onto the dance floor, some hesitant, others more confidant in their moves. Eddy and Millie soon followed the other couples out on the dance floor, but Jordan had a more difficult time persuading Lily.
“Oh come on, Potter! I promise I won't step on your feet,” he grinned holding out his hand.
“Well maybe later, when they’re playing something different, something faster. We’re only here as friends after all,” she reminded continuing to ignore his hand.
“Friends do dance, you know” Jordan insisted. “Your uncles dance with my mum all the time actually “ you aren’t implying that that means there is something going on that my father doesn’t know about are you?” he asked jokingly.
“Don’t be silly! And I don’t hesitate to dance with either of my uncles, just you,” she retorted.
“Ouch, you really know how to get to a guy, don’t you?” Jordan said grinning. “Now are there any more insults you want to throw my way before I managed to convince you?” he asked making Lily glare at him without answering. “Well I guess you don’t dare then. Funny, I never had you for a coward, Potter.”
“What’s that supposed to mean!” Lily exclaimed crossing her arms.
“Well that’s apparent, isn’t it? The only reason you have for not dancing with me is that we are only friends, so obviously you are afraid that we will become more than friends if we dance,” he answered calmly, turning around so that she couldn’t retort to his face.
Looking at them James couldn’t decide if Jordan’s actions were very stupid or very smart. They could be either “ making her really angry and refusing his company for the rest of the evening or making her dance with him to prove him wrong. It turned out to be the latter, even if James was fairly sure that Lily’s decision had more than a little to do with seeing Manning heading in their direction.
Whether it had or hadn’t, the end result was still the same “ Jordan and Lily made their way out on the dance floor and Jordan, to James’s delight, got to prove that he really was a rather good dancer.
Not seeming as if she knew what to say now they were so close, Lily shifted a bit uncomfortably in his arms before fastening her eyes on her sister and cousin, both so wrapped up in their own world they didn’t even notice when they bumped into people.
With a smile on her face Lily leaned up and said something in Jordan’s ear pointing to Millie and Eddy making them both laugh. James could hardly blame them. The two of them weren’t going to win any dance award with the way they were dancing. But then again, that didn’t really matter since they both looked blissfully happy. For once Millie didn’t have that air of worry, that had defined her lately. Besides, while not the best dancers on the floor they were hardly the worst, the poor Hufflepuff girl that had agreed to go with Crabbe almost crying from him stepping on her toes, something that couldn’t be a nice experience given his size.
The teachers were also dancing, Harry had allowed Professor Vector to drag him onto the dance floor, though he looked reluctant. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick were quite a sight with him short enough to walk under her outstretched arm with a bit to spare. Laughing James pulled his wife to him and spun her around the dance floor a few times. It was after all a ball.
A sudden outburst caught James’s and Lily’s attention and made them look over to where Millie and Eddy had been dancing only a short moment ago. They weren’t surprised to see that it was Manning that was causing the commotion, but they were concerned that Millie seemed to be her target.
They weren’t nearly close enough to hear what was being said, but they did see the effect it had on Millie. Even from this distance they could see tears forming in her eyes, as she pushed her way passed Manning and ran out of the Hall. Eddy looked furious. Taking a few steps towards Manning, in a way that looked anything but amiable, he said something to her that they were still to far away to hear. Shocked by his behaviour Manning took a few steps back, tripped on her dress and fell backwards into Nott, who actually stepped aside and let her fall to the floor. Eddy however didn’t notice. He was already heading after Millie.
James and Lily had the same idea, and being closer to the exit than Eddy they were faster out of the hall. Of course being able to go through the wall and not fight the students in the doorway helped them move faster than he could. With a final glance back to the Hall before they left they could see Lily and Jordan make their way over to Manning who was now standing up again, yelling at Nott for not catching her. What ever happened they were sure Lily wouldn’t let Manning’s behaviour slide.
They reached the grounds quickly enough and Millie’s sobs were easy to distinguish. Too concerned for their granddaughter, neither James nor Lily took the time to marvel the rose garden that had been conjured up, filled with blooming rosebushes in silver and white, carved benches in never-melting ice glittering in the lights from the fairies. They found Millie standing in a round open space surrounded by high trellises with climbing roses and with a low round flower bed in the centre.
She was standing by one of the ice-benches, her light blue robes almost the same colour as the ice as she cried, and suddenly Lily felt a grief she hadn’t before because she could not hold her and tell her everything would be alright. Eddy could however, and he arrived only moment after they had.
“Millie, don’t cry,” he said softly, hesitantly placing his hands on her shoulders. “You shouldn’t let someone like Manning get to you.”
“But when she’s right,” Millie cried turning around to face him.
“How can you say that? She’s not right! She’s bloody wrong!” Eddy replied somewhat agitated.
“But he is my father, and…” Millie sobbed.
“Uncle Harry is your father. You have nothing of that man in you!” Eddy insisted, but somehow that only made Millie cry harder.
Looking confused Eddy threw his arms around her holding her, and maybe that was better than talking, because what he was saying was apparently not working.
“Millie,” he said quietly after a while, sounding a bit hesitant as if he wasn’t certain of whether or not he wanted to say what he was going to say. Then he took a deep breath and James and Lily could almost see the resolve on his face as he plucked up his courage. “Millie, do you know why I fancy you so much?” he then asked.
Surprised, Millie looked up at him and shook her head.
“Because you’re kinder than anyone else I know,” Eddy then said. “I remember when you were about eight or nine or something and I’d caught a frog and wanted to keep it in a small box. You were so upset with me you wouldn’t stop crying until I released the frog,” he said. “And I…well I love that about you. I love that you care so much even if it’s only a stupid frog,” he then added almost holding his breath as a flush spread across his cheeks, making Lily smile. After all as captain of the Quidditch team and one of the team’s best players Eddy was hardly the type you would expect to blush for telling a girl he fancied her. Especially when they had been more or less an item for months.
“Lily thinks that I should toughen up,” Millie said quietly, as if she didn’t really know how to handle Eddy telling her this, as if she couldn’t really trust it, even from him.
“Don’t,” Eddy said. “I know that Lily means well and everything and only wants you to be able to handle people like Manning, but I don’t want you to change. I want you to stay the way you are,” Eddy answered, drying her tears with the back of his hand. “I love the way you are,” he added, continuing to stroke her cheeks even after the tears were gone.
Swallowing hard he then closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. When he opened his eyes again, he looked both scared and determined at the same time. Then slowly be bent down and kissed her.
James and Lily drew near each other as they watched, wondering if they should just leave the two of them alone.
“Do you remember our first kiss,” James then whispered in her ear, as if he would disturb the two by talking out loud. Smiling Lily nodded, looking up at her husband before she rested her head on his shoulder with a content sigh. They hardly noticed the raven swooping down to sit on a nearby three and probably wouldn’t have noticed it if it hadn’t croaked loudly and interrupted the atmosphere. Eddy looked up annoyed.
“That was not exactly the romantic sound I was looking for!” he yelled laughingly to the bird holding out his arms, making Millie laugh too.
“What were you expecting in mid December? A nightingale perhaps?” she giggled.
“Well yes! That would be a heck of a lot better!” he laughed hugging her as the raven unknowingly of its intrusion flew down to sit on the trellis instead of the tree, croaking loudly once more, sounding surprisingly angry for a bird.
“Shut up!” Eddy yelled at it still laughing, bending down making a snowball and throwing it at the bird forcing it to fly away to avoid being hit.
“You have terrible aim, you know that?” Millie laughed.
“And you would have hit it I suppose?” Eddy asked slipping his arms around her again.
“No, because I would never aim at a poor animal,” Millie answered still giggling, making Eddy smile and lean his forehead against hers.
“See that’s what I mean when I say that you’re the kindest person I know,” he then added quietly too wrapped up in the moment to notice the raven returning to sit even closer this time, looking down at them.
It was the sound from a completely different source however that snatched the youths out of their moment. An unpleasantly familiar voice coming from one of the paths leading out to the rest of the rose garden.
“Snape!” Millie said scowling. Eddy looked from the path where the sound had come from.
“Come on,” he said taking Millie’s hand pulling her towards the path leading back to the school. “Better not let him see us.”
Millie smiled and caught up quickly enough as they ran back to the school, not stopping until they reached the Entrance Hall. Panting they started to laugh, Millie bracing her back against the wall while Eddy leaned on it with his right hand, his left resting lightly on Millie’s hip.
“What are you two laughing about?” Jordan’s voice interrupted them.
“Are you OK Millie? We were just coming to check on you,” Lily added with concern in her voice.
“I’m fine Lil,” Millie said detaching herself from Eddy’s embrace and walking up to her sister. “Don’t worry about me,” she added giving her a hug.
“What did Manning say to you?” Lily then asked still serious, but Millie only shook her head with a smile.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I don’t really care about what she thinks anyway, and I won’t let her ruin my evening,” she added giving Eddy a big smile.
Lily looked from one to the other, then she shook her head.
“Well you don’t need to worry about Manning at all. She won’t be here anymore tonight anyway,” she then said with a triumphant smile.
“Lil, what did you do and how many point did you lose?” Eddy asked with a sigh.
“What makes you think I did something?” Lily asked innocently, before she added with a smile. “So I accidentally bumped into her spilling butterbeer all over her robes, but that really could have happened to anyone,” she added with a grin.
“I fail to see how that would warrant her to go away,” Millie said looking suspiciously at her sister. “A simple cleaning spell would take care of that.”
“Yes, well where do you think she was keeping her wand in those robes?” Lily asked. “Not like there is too much room for it is there? And it’s not my fault that Peeves decided to block the entrance her into her dorm when she went in to retrieve it, or that he moved her wand from the dorm before that,” she then added batting her eyelashes innocently.
“You locked her into her dorm?” Eddy asked trying to look reproachful but failing horribly. Lily shrugged.
“As I said, Peeves locked her into her dorm, I didn’t do a thing,” Lily grinned. “And it’s not like anyone misses her. Even Nott seems happier now when she’s not here. He’s been chatting up with some Ravenclaw girl for the past half-hour,” Lily said smiling.
“Lily, you’re going to get yourself into some major problems some day,” Eddy said, but he couldn’t help but to smile.
“Well that maybe, but right now I’m going to enjoy my evening and not think of Manning anymore. That can wait till tomorrow. Then I will think of a way to really get back at her for this,” Lily said before giving her sister another hug and turning to go back to the Great Hall.
“Hey, don’t forget me!” Jordan injected. “You said I could help you come up with a plan,” he said walking with her into the Hall.
Shaking their heads Eddy and Millie followed them in, but whatever their obligations said they should do, being Prefect and Head Boy after all, neither informed the teachers of Manning’s predicament. By the time the ball was over they both went back to their dorms without having uttered another word in the matter. Smiling James and Lily watched them as they said good night, and with a simple glance at each other they knew that they would meet back in the common room as soon as everyone was asleep. Right now however, they were too curious not to go with Eddy and Millie up to their respective dorms to hear what they had to say about their evening once away from each other and together with their best friends.
____________________________
I was also asked to add a family tree for the Weasleys - so here goes:
Bill/Fleur - Magdalene (14), Julie (5)
Charlie/Bonnie - Belinda (11)
Percy - single
Fred - single
George/Katie - Eddy (17)
Ron/Hermione - Catherine (5)
Harry/Ginny - Lily, Millie, Sirius & Christopher
I hope that helps.