Chapter 15: The Holiday Dance Part II
James and Lily entered the Great Hall to tumultuous noise. Small circular tables were scattered to the right and at the far end of the hall, a door led outside to the rose gardens Lily had rented from May's Boxed Gardens. In the center of the room was a giant wooden dance floor and behind that was a curtained stage. Large "never-melting-ice-sculptures" of lions, badgers, ravens, and snakes stood on each of the tables. The grandest of which was an ice sculpture of the Hogwarts Crest, which sat in front of the staff table. The staff table had been moved to the back of the hall and the traditional twelve Christmas trees were placed around the room. Snowflakes fell from the star-studded ceiling and disappeared when they got to around the height of Dumbledore's head.
"I'll be right back," James said to Lily as she took in the scenery. "I gotta-uh-meet the band." James hurried off towards the stage and Lily joined Alexis at a close table with a lion on top of it.
"Where'd Sirius run off to?" Lily asked as she searched the crowd.
"Had to go check on something," Alexis shrugged. As if on cue, Sirius and James came bounding back towards their dates.
"Were you two doing something together?" Alexis eyed them suspiciously. James and Sirius glanced sheepishly at one another.
"Uh-of course not! We just-uh-ran into each other," answered Sirius as James and himself sat down at the table.
"James, how's the band?" said Lily.
"Oh the band is great!" explained James as he tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "I guarantee you, you're gonna love them."
"Good evening Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," said a voice from above them. Dumbledore was standing behind their chairs, eyes twinkling merrily. "You both look dashing. Do you think it's time to begin the night's festivities?" James and Lily nodded in agreement.
"Excellent," Dumbledore continued. "Be ready for the opening dance." The headmaster went to his place at the staff table and held up his hands until silence fell.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," he smiled. "Welcome to the Holiday Dance!" This statement was received with appreciative clapping and some whoops from a group of students far away from any Professors.
"A huge thank you to the Head Boy and Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans, for organizing this occasion as well as the events in the House common rooms," Dumbledore nodded almost respectfully at Lily and James and the students followed suite with another bout of clapping.
"Now without further ado, the opening dance," announced Dumbledore. Students and teachers gathered around the empty dance floor to wait for the dance to start and the mystery band to be revealed.
James led Lily onto the center of the dance floor. He took out his wand and flicked it, but before Lily was able to questions this odd behavior, the curtains on the stage parted.
The entire hall seemed to gasp in astonishment. Set up on the stage was a black drum set with a dark cloth covering the bass drum, a black electric guitar with fire designs across it, a silver electric piano, and a red electric bass, which was directly in the center of the stage and behind a mike stand.
James faced Lily and placed his hand on her waist while she draped her hand over his shoulder. They joined their free and hands and out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Sirius use some wild wand movements.
Suddenly, music filled the hall. Later, everyone present to the event claimed that the instruments were playing themselves. The mike in the middle of the stage began singing in a low, handsome voice:
Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,
"James," Lily whispered as they swayed to the music. "Where's the band?"
James coughed nervously.
For no matter how far away you roam -
"They-uh-couldn't play for the first song for-uh-professional reasons," James supplied.
When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home!
"What do you mean by 'professional reasons?'" Lily
frowned.
I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin' for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie;
"Uh-they wouldn't explain," James said as he spun Lily under his arm.
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin' down to Dixie's sunny shore;
From Atlantic to Pacific -
Gee, the traffic is terrific!
"Well they had better be out here in a minute," Lily snarled.
Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam -
"Or they'll never forget the name Lily Evans as long as they live."
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home!
"I don't think they will," James muttered under his breath as the mike finished:
For the holidays you can't beat home, sweeeeeeeeet home!
Polite applause greeted the end of the song and James and Lily curtseyed and bowed. Though, when he glanced over at Lily, James noticed her smile was very strained. The curtains abruptly closed around the stage.
"Lily, I need to go help the band get some more things onstage," James explained as he hurried off towards the curtains. Lily answered by turning away from him and approaching Alexis, but not before a corset blocked her vision.
"Do you know where Jam- I mean Remus is?" asked Alyssa, clearly annoyed she was forced to talk to Lily at all.
"No I don't," replied Lily curtly. She sidestepped Alyssa and continued her journey towards Alexis.
"What was that all about?" Alexis watched Alyssa disappear into the crowd.
"Wanted to know where 'Ja-Remus' was," Lily snorted, unconvinced.
"Poor Remus," Alexis shook her head.
"Hey Alexis!" Lily and Alexis turned to see Joanne and Brigh had taken seats at the table behind them.
"Where are your dates?" Joanne asked.
"Not sure. James and Sirius disappeared and Alyssa was asking where Remus was. James said something about helping out the band," Lily explained as she and Alexis took seats next to Joanne. Joanne's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly.
"Lily," she said in a hushed and disbelieving tone. "I think they-,"
Joanne's words were cut short by the opening of the stage curtains once again. Her state of wide eyes and mouth got more pronounced if anything. Alexis looked utterly confused and then laughed appreciatively. Lily did a double take at the band members onstage. She stood abruptly, hair threatening to fly into her face and knocking over a chair in the process. She may have cried out in rage and fury had the bass player not strummed the first notes of a song. A girl squealed in the back of the hall and all order was lost.
Hordes of teenagers rushed up to the stage. Peter was experiencing perhaps his first ever moment in the spotlight from behind his drum set. The bass drum had been uncovered to reveal the words, THE MARAUDERS. Remus began hammering away on the keyboard, clearly enjoying himself. Sirius played aggressively on his guitar. Lucky he'd put an AntI-Snap Charm on the strings previously. On center stage, his lips barely touching the mike and the bass guitar strap swung over his shoulder, was James Potter.
"C'mon Lily! Let's go!" pleaded Alexis as she tugged Lily in the direction of the band. Lily resumed her seat, arms crossed.
"I can't believe he did this to me," she muttered. Lily watched Alyssa dancing, the only way to put it is seductively, right up against the stage and giving James a full view of her bursting corset.
"I think it was a nice idea," assured Alexis. "Now you don't have to pay a band." Lily heard none of this for her eyes were still on Alyssa.
"Why that….," Lily said as she walked purposefully towards the stage. She reached her target at the front of the crowd and started to dance. She looked carefully behind her and-
"Ow!" shrieked Alyssa. Lily turned towards the girl and did her best to look concerned. Alyssa's ankle was bright red and swelling larger with every moment. She clasped it, pain and anger etched across her face.
"So sorry," Lily shook her head. “I just didn't see you there," Lily almost smiled, knowing it was impossible to miss Alyssa in her skimpy dress. Alyssa's eyes squinted threateningly and as she stalked away to tend to her ankle, she brushed past Lily and whispered,
"You'll pay for this." Lily laughed loud enough for everyone around her to hear as James broke into a bass solo. Girls whistled and screamed his name but when his solo was finished, it was Lily who James winked at.
Behind her, Lily caught sight of Joanne and Brigh dancing enthusiastically. Remus' enthusiasm for the piano, however, seemed to have dropped dramatically when he caught sight of the back of a blue dress in Brigh's arms.
"What happened to Alyssa?" Alexis appeared from behind a dancing couple.
"Oh I accidentally bumped into her while she was doing an 'interesting move,'" Lily replied casually. Alexis smiled smugly.
Let it snow let it snow let it snoooooooow!
Raucous applause filled the room and took a few minutes to die down.
"Thank you," said James into his mike. He crouched down to the same eye level as Lily and smirked.
"Well, you asked for a band."
He stood and the Marauders began playing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."
Assured that all was well, Lily was about to turn away when a familiar name came through the speakers.
"Miss Evans," Lily's head snapped back to the stage.
"Miss Evans," James repeated as his friends continued the song without vocals.
"Would you have this dance?" Lightly blushing, Lily returned to the front of the crowd and was lifted onstage by James.
Suddenly the enormity of the crowd dawned on Lily and she made to get off of the stage. James grabbed her wrist.
“It’s only a dance,” he whispered in her ear. So she gave in.
Contrary to her previous predictions, Lily did not make a fool out of herself. In fact, she thoroughly enjoyed the song and was disappointed when it came to an end. Amongst the cheering, Lily pecked James on the cheek and whispered a thank you. As she climbed off the stage, Lily saw James touch his cheek on the place her lips had been.
Lily sought out Alexis and found her admiring an ice sculpture of a snake.
"Sorry," Alexis murmured. "I couldn't help but wonder-,"
"We're gonna take a little break," James announced through the mike. Lily looked up to find James and Sirius carefully putting their instruments back on their stands. She and Alexis pushed through the throng to meet up with their dates. The instruments had been enchanted again and the mike had started singing "Broom Ride."
"Lily!" Lily skidded to a halt and looked behind her. James was waving to her from a table she just passed. As she came closer, Lily realized the Marauders weren't the only ones there. Alyssa had a bag of ice on her ankle, too proud to go up to Madam Pomfrey and using her injury to bring attention to herself. She was currently whining to James about how much it "throbbed." Remus sat next to his so-called date and looked absolutely miserable. Joanne was beaming next to Brigh.
Lily took the seat indicated next to James.
"How does this work?" Sirius turned his menu upside down as if he thought it might help him get to his food faster.
"Salad with a side of French dressing," said Lily clearly and the dish appeared in front of her.
"You put an option of 'meatless meatballs' on the menu?" winced Remus.
"Eww," Sirius agreed.
"They taste the same," replied Lily as she chewed her lettuce.
"If you close your eyes," James muttered to Remus who snorted behind his menu.
"It's for vegetarians!" protested Lily indignantly. She punched James playfully in the arm.
Between bites, the Marauders played holiday tunes to entertain those that would rather dance than eat.
"Lily, come here for a second," Alexis beckoned Lily to her and opened the door to go outside the Great Hall. In the Entrance Hall, they were surprised to see Remus and Joanne were standing ten feet apart.
"I don't care! Read my lips: that doesn't matter to me!" Joanne was screaming.
"It will matter, you'll see! I don't want to put you through this! Why can't you go and make this easier for both of us!" Remus retaliated. In a whisper more deadly than a chorus of mandrakes, and with her anger contorting her features Joanne said,
"Fine then. I'll go."
She walked soundlessly back into the Great Hall without noticing Alexis and Lily watching, horrified. Remus followed a minute later.
"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Lily nodded towards the Great Hall where Remus' shoe disappeared around the door.
"We should find Joanne," Alexis. "No let's give her some time to cool off," Lily headed back towards the ball. "Let's find our dates instead."
When they reached their table, only Sirius remained.
"Where's James?" asked Lily for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Sirius nodded glumly towards the rose gardens. Puzzled as to why James would be out there, Lily proceeded outside.
As she rounded a corner in the gardens, a crackling and moaning caught her attention. When she kept walking, the sounds grew louder.
"Come on, a bit longer."
"No, I shouldn't be doing this. I promised-,"
"Who cares? You certainly shouldn't."
"I really need to go back inside."
Lily brushed away a few twigs and her breath caught in her throat. Behind a bush, James was backing away from a girl whose red dress was rumpled and dirt streaked from the ground and wore a lusty expression upon her all-too-perfect face. Lily recognized Alyssa.
Both Alyssa's and James' cheeks were flushed and they were both panting slightly. James spotted Lily and a look of pure horror overtook on his features.
"Lily you don't understand," he started but Lily held up a shaking hand.
"I honestly don't care about your petty and worthless explanation, Potter," she seethed. Alyssa's wore a look of triumph and satisfaction. She watched, amused, at Lily's reaction.
Lily turned and ran from the scene. She didn't manage to make it out of the Great Hall before the tears started to fall.
A/N: Whoever gets the musical/movie "Rent" reference here gets a prize (that I'm still deciding on). Please review, I'd really like to know what you think! Have a very Happy Holiday to all (hope it turns out better than Lily's did)!
Miss Radcliffe~
Loathing or Love? by Miss Radcliffe
Chapter Notes: I'm very happy with your reaction to chapter 14! I'm putting this up 3 hours before the queue closes as a special holiday treat so enjoy!