Scary Beautiful by Eve
Chapter Notes: Fluff Alert!
"What's wrong?" Lily asked in alarm.
James had just ran into her room, a look of terror in his eyes. Lily had come to find out that when it came to making dramatic entrances, James Potter was the best.
"Trying-to-get-away-from-them!" James said breathlessly.
"From who?" Lily asked, slightly worried.
James shuddered. "The girls with mistletoe!"
Lily got out of bed and peeked out the door. Not a soul was in sight. "Right..."
James shrugged. "I had to find some way to make you jealous, right?"
Lily laughed. He was so cute. "How are the dance preparations coming?"
James rolled his eyes. "All you want to talk about is the dance! I think you may be using me."
Lily smirked. "I think you may be right."
Everything had gone back to it's natural color except, as Madame Pompfrey had promised, her eyes.
"I'm so ready to get out of here," Lily said. "Maybe I can help you with the dance."
"Sorry," James said, grinning. "It's all taken care of."
Lily frowned. "It's so irritating. I came up with the idea and I don't even get to be part of making it happen. I don't even know why I should go. I've been in the hospital wing all this time so no one's asked me."
James wondered why. He wondered how it was possibly possible that the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts didn't have a date. He wondered-
"So," Lily said, a little annoyed. "Who are you going with?"
Oh. Duh.
"Actually I'm not going with anyone," James said, wondering how to work into the question.
Lily smiled. "That's sad. I've been in here. What's your excuse?"
James looked offended. "I've been visiting you."
Lily nodded. "Well maybe we should go together."
"We should?"
Lily tucked her hair back. "Well, yeah. Why not?"
"I guess," James said, looked slightly disgruntled.
Lily raised her eyebrows. "Well if you don't want to go with me just say so."
"It's not that," James sighed.
"What is it then?"
James looked at the ground. "If I knew it would be that easy to get you to go with me, I would have asked you sooner."
"I think I asked you," Lily said, amused.
James threw up his hands. "Exactly! You take the fun out of everything!"
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Jazz giggled. "So you beat him to the punch, huh?"
Lily nodded. "Yep."
Jazz and Lily were walking through Hogsmeade hunting down the perfect dresses. Jazz had invited the boys to help them but for some reason they weren't so crazy about the idea.
"Why aren't you talking to Sirius?" LIly asked.
Jazz made a face. "He asked that complete cow, Alexa to the dance."
Lily smirked. "Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you going with that complete dunce, David?"
Jazz rolled her eyes. "That's completely different."
"How so?" Lily asked innocently.
"Because I said yes when David asked me. That's only polite. Sirius didn't have to ask a cow."
Lily laughed at the hypocrisy. "Alright."
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Hours after their hunt Lily truely felt that she had struck gold. The dress she was wearing looked like nothing else she had ever tried. She had become bolder, less shy. All thanks to James. He was waiting on her at the dance. There was some last minute stuff he had to deal with. But he said that no one as lovely as she was was going to show up alone. Sirius had offered to be her escort.
"Wow," Sirius said, staring at her.
She grinned and spun around so that he could get the full view. "You like?"
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I was expecting green but let me tell you, this works."
Lily smiled happily and linked her arm in his. He was right to think she looked different. Her hair was half up, half down, softly curled around her face. Lily had chosen a beautiful violet dress. She only had a little make up on but it brought out her eyes to match her dress in the most dramatic way. She was only a little shorter than Sirius in her high heels.
"Are you ready?" Sirius said, noticing her unworried expression.
Lily nodded. "Of course. James has been so great lately. He'll be just as great tonight."
"Uh, oh," Sirius teased. "Is some one excited about her date?"
"It's not a date," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "It's friends hanging out."
"Dancing to slow songs...."
"Talking!"
"On Valentine's Day..."
Lily brought her hand to her necklace. It had always given her luck and she hoped it would work it's magic tonight.
"Don't worry," Sirius said, realizing he was making her nervous. He opened the door. "It's going to be great."
Lily's jaw dropped. It wasn't anything like she had been imagining. It was so unexpected, so crazy, so James. She grinned. It was perfect.
Instead of a huge dance floor there was snow. Instead of traditional decorations there were ice sculptures of couples and cupids. There was one Lily laughed aloud at. A girl and a boy were wrestling in the snow. She smiled. He had remember that moment as well as she did.
"You like?" a boys voice said behind her.
Lily turned around to see a very smug James. She shrugged. "I suppose it'll work."
He laughed. "Very nice. I guess it isn't exactly what you wanted."
"It's not too bad," Lily teased.
"Well I can see I'm not wanted anymore," Sirius said good naturedly. "Au revoir madamoiselle," he added kissing her gloved hand good bye.
Lily had forgotten about him. "Bye then," she said absently.
Sirius chuckled and left them to meet up with his date. What was her name again?
James grinned. "I have to show you something."
He took her hand confidently and they walked to across James' masterpiece. Lily couldn't help but stare in awe. This was surely magic at its best.
"I know you were disappointed about not learning to ice skate," James said. "So I added this."
Lily couldn't believe it. In the middle of the Great Hall was a gigantic frozen pond. She hadn't noticed because of all the trees and rose bushes. She had never seen anything so beautiful.
James loved the expression of wonder
"Oh no!" she said when she realized where they were going. "James, I can't. I'm wearing heels!."
"Just trust me," he said as he stepped on the ice.
Lily was nervous but she followed him. The ice was pink. It had to have been the only tradition he had followed. Other couples skated by her and she realized James had taken care of her fears. She felt perfectly at home. "I'm guessing it's not as easy as it is right now," she said as he took her hand.
"It is if you're a natural like me."
"Oh shut up," she said good naturedly. She glanced up to see the Hogwarts ceiling and gasped. "You really went all out for this."
The stars were aligned in hearts.
"Of course," James said, spinning her around. "I told you I would."
Slow music came on and James slowed down. The glided across the ice. He looked at her and noticed something he had long forgotten. "That's not what I think it is."
"What?" Lily asked, looking down.
He touched the necklace she was wearing. "You kept that?"
It was in the shape of a lily with colorful glitter on the points of the petals. Tonight she had changed the color of the ribbon to violet.
She looked at him. "How do you know about it?"
James smiled. "I got it for you first year. I saw it in Diagon Alley and thought I couldn't just leave it. I knew your name was Lily so I figured you'd like it."
She couldn't believe it. She had been so touched when she'd found it with all her other gifts. "Why? We didn't even talk then."
James shrugged. "I noticed you before you knew I was alive, Lily."
Her heart was beating faster than normal. It was so strange. How had she not seen this side of him before? He was so wonderful, so comfortable, so perfect. She suddenly realized she was scared.
"Thank you," she said as the song stopped.
"Thank you," James said slowly stopping.
She stared at him as he closed his eyes and started to lean towards her.
"Oops!" some one said as they crashed into James and Lily. "Sorry!"
James looked dazed as he quickly got up, helping Lily to her feet. "Are you okay?"
Lily wasn't okay. What in the world was going on? Her head was spinning as she tried to figure it out. What was this new feeling? What was that pounding in her chest for? What was going on with her stomach? All this beating heart, fluttering stomach, messed up mind nonsense couldn't be good for her.
"Lily?" James said, looking concerned.
"Um, I need to go... somewhere," Lily said, avoiding his eyes, leaving him standing on the ice alone.