Far across from Hogwarts castle, a lone silhouette stood besides a darkened cherry tree at night. The full moon illuminated the lake. That and the fresh air really let her reminisce and ponder on what happened a while back. It didn’t matter if it was midnight and she was out of bed; she needed to do this now.
Lily let out a deep sigh. Today had been the last day at Hogwarts for her fifth year. In the morning, everyone would pack and catch the train back home. Lily didn’t want it to be over already. Well, she would actually be better if James Potter was over.
Lily ran a hand through her thick hair to keep from sighing again. That sight at the lake made Lily furious. She had spent the last few weeks of school after the fiasco throwing temper tantrums and yelling. But tonight she had to wonder about the one thing at the lake scene that made her mad: James Potter.
It wasn’t like she didn’t understand him “ right? Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true, but she did know about everything else: his conceited attitude.
But what was that back there? His hazel eyes were mesmerizing “ when did that happen? His voice became deeper and more mature “ just around her. He rumpled his jet black hair “ only now it didn’t seem to be so...stupid to her.
Yet what really puzzled Lily was the fact when Potter asked her out, she wasn’t even shocked in a bad way. Now that she thought of it, the feeling was more warm and fuzzy and she had to work up all her courage to turn him down.
Oh Merlin, Evans. You’ve got to keep your cool. Show him that you’re not going to play his little games. Don’t give him any signs of surrendering. Whatever. Just avoid the conceited guy so nothing will change your mind.
Now she just had to get herself to believe it and do it.
*
Dear Lily,
Guess what? With my new friendship with Remus, we’ve been invited to the Netherfield Ball! It was going to be a ball for of Potter’s parents and their friends, but Potter convinced them to let him invite his friends. Remus even talked Potter into letting some other kids come too. (‘Other kids’ is us. Remus said I could come and bring all my friends!) Now we have a place to wear our beeeaauuuutiful dresses!
Merlin, I’m as excited as I imagine Emily was.
Most sincerely,
Katie
Lily stared at the letter in shock. The Netherfield Ball?
Her hand shook as she read it. Maybe it wasn’t just the Netherfield Ball that was disturbing news. Katie’s letter brought back many unwanted memories of the weeks before break.
Lily had nearly forgotten about Katie’s friendship with Lupin. Suddenly, it was ‘Remus this’ and ‘Remus that.’ That’s right “ Remus! No more ‘Lupin’ for Katie!
Lily didn’t want her friends to change. Couldn’t they just stay the same for two seconds? Alice was undoubtedly using her perfume; SamLin was blushing - yes, BLUSHING around Sirius Black; Katie was talking to Remus rather than beating him up like any other boy; even Emily was changing as she became more and more distant from her beloved friends. Lily was beginning to wonder whether it was them or her.
Out of the blue, a new part of her brain was telling her something.
Don’t be so sore, Evans. Being attracted to the opposite sex is completely normal. You’ll get your time.
Lily shook the voice loose from her head, but she couldn’t get the advice out of it.
But she knew one thing now. It was time to unpack her ‘beeeaauuuutiful’ dress and set up a Floo connection.
*
Lily coughed and sat up. Her clothes were grey with the ashes from the fireplace. Brushing some of it off, she stood up.
The day after she got the invitation from Katie, she had owled her friend back, okaying the situation. Katie sent back a very ecstatic reply, explaining that Potters parents had set up a Floo connection between her friends’ houses and theirs. All Lily would have to do is come at noon.
And that’s exactly what she did.
So this is what Netherfield Hall looks like, she mused, coming out of her reverie.
Katie had informed her that she would be in the sitting room when she came out of the fireplace. (Yes, a sitting room. Who had those anymore?) Lily had presumed it to be simpler than the others, but it turned out she was wrong. The walls were the finest mahogany panels she had ever seen with even matching floorboards of the same quality. There were beautiful Victorian-style couches with detailed designs. The artwork was also stunning; sculptures, impressionists’ paintings, and even inspiring moving photographs in gold frames decorated nearly every inch of the room. Even the silk rug was a piece of art. Lily just stood there, impressed and bewildered. Were they really renting this?
“Lils!”
Lily spun around. There was Katie Carroll, all smiles and basically glowing like SamLin normally did. Lily and Katie started laughing and immediately hugged tightly.
“Kate!”
“Lils! Merlin, you’re here first! I was just watching the clock, waiting for one of you to show up! Come on!” Katie started tugging at her arm and led her upstairs. Lily giggled.
They were running furiously up the stairs when they bumped into someone. A little embarrassed, Lily looked up.
Potter.
Lily was a little angry, until she realized she didn’t even know why. She thought of the lake scene, but the thoughts dissolved as she once again met those dreamy eyes. “Hi,” she volunteered. Her voice sounded a bit squeaky.
“Hi, Evans,” he said back, looking at her. Lily vaguely wondered if anything was on her nose. She tried to avoid scratching it.
“You know...” He was talking. Pay attention, Lily. “I was just wondering if...well...you...want to dance with me.” His speaking seemed slurred and slow.
“What?” Lily asked.
“Well...if you wanted to go to...well...dance with me.” He looked flushed.
Lily didn’t know what to say. She thought back to the last night at Hogwarts and remembered her own personal advice. But her heart took over.
“Sure.”
James looked relieved. Lily stood there as he walked away.
Katie looked at her confusedly. Lily just remained there, in a kind of surreal state. Suddenly, she grabbed Katie by the arm and pulled her into empty hallway.
“Did I just agree to dance with James? As in James Potter?” she whispered, sounding a little scared.
Katie looked worried on her behalf, but Lily could barely detect a small grin. “I dare say you too must be falling under his ‘James’ charm.”
“But I’ve promised myself to loathe him for all eternity!” The last part came out faster than she could think about what she was saying. Katie giggled.
“I never remember you saying that. Besides, it’s just a dance. He’s probably going to forget about it by next week.”
“I hope so,” Lily grumbled as Katie took her on a tour of the rest of the house.
“And this is my room. There are tons of other spare rooms, so you can just choose the one of your liking. Potter’s down the hall, Black’s across, Remus is right next to Potter, and I think Pettigrew will be sleeping next to Black’s “” Katie was cut off.
The sound of coughing and thuds and even the smell of ashes.
Quickly, Katie and Lily rushed down the stairs and into the sunny sitting room. In front of them was a living pile of people covered in soot.
“Get off me, Allie!”
“Watch out, Sammie!”
“No, Emily!”
“Ouch!”
“PETER PETTIGREW!! WOULD YOU PLEASE CARE TO REMOVE YOUR HAND FROM MY BUTT?”
There was a squeak and the group managed to disentangle themselves. Three mad looking girls and one scared boy stood in front of them.
“SamLin! Emily! Alice!” Katie shrieked. Everyone covered their ears.
“Jeez, Katie. Do you want everyone from here to Surrey to hear you?” Emily asked.
“Sorry.” Katie didn’t look very sorry. She had a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m just so excited!”
“Well, I’m not excited at the prospect of Pettigrew clutching my rear end,” SamLin said disapprovingly, but she still seemed happy at being there.
Lily and Katie burst into a fit of giggles. Their peals of laughter echoed throughout the halls. Emily, Alice, and SamLin looked at each other and they too started laughing. Peter was blushing.
“Want to pick out your rooms?” Everyone whirled around; Sirius Black, James Potter, Frank Longbottom, Amos Diggory, and Remus Lupin were in the sitting room.
SamLin became interested in the wall. Lily chewed the inside of her lip. Alice just stared at them with her head cocked. Emily put on her killer smile for Diggory. Katie looked at her friends, expecting them to say at least something.
Luckily, they didn’t have to. A boy with light brown hair entered the room. His eyes were a dazzling blue-green turquoise.
“New arrivals? Charmed. I’m Willard,” the boy said. His voice was very suave and charming. “Evan Willard. Just Willard. James’ cousin,” he clarified.
If Lily wasn’t imagining it, James seemed to give the Willard guy a cold look with a ‘get-out-and-never-talk-again’ expression. Just to give James a hard time, Lily marched up to Willard. She didn’t even know why she was doing it. But all other second thoughts dashed out of her head when she got a closer look at Willard; he was very handsome.
“I’m Lily Evans,” she volunteered, both her hand and her comment. He vigorously shook her hand in a sort of polite way. She gestured to her friends. “That’s SamLin Anderson, Emily Bennett, Alice Swith, and Katie Carroll.” Pause. “And Peter Pettigrew, who, if you don’t know, is Potter’s friend.”
He gave her a nice smile. Lily took note of his shiny teeth. “Of course I know of the infamous Peter Pettigrew.” Peter looked embarrassed and mad. “And your friends seem very nice.”
“Come on. Let’s go choose rooms,” SamLin announced and ushered her friends upstairs.
They entered the hallway, but didn’t pick out rooms. Instead, SamLin just shepherded them into the nearest: Katie’s. She closed the door behind her.
“Who is that guy? What kind of creep is he? I’d rather kiss Longbottom than talk to him!” Alice said angrily.
SamLin took Lily by her arm, and blue eyes met green. “Lils, there’s something wrong about that guy. I don’t like that mischievous twinkle in his eyes; it’s not like how we are. He’s up to something.”
Lily remained mute. Her voice felt lost. Her friends were disapproving and protective? They never did that...
...Well, only when their compassionate instincts took over.
“He was kind of cute,” Emily commented, inspecting her blue nail polish. Alice snorted.
“You have a boyfriend,” Katie pointed out. Her tone was critical, but not in a ‘don’t-cheat-on-your-boyfriend’ way. It wanted to warn her.
Emily continued looking at her nails, totally unperturbed and nonchalant to Katie’s comment. She clacked her tongue and rolled her eyes.
Lily didn’t like the awkward tension. “So, who’s going to be there “ at the ball, I mean?”
Emily flopped onto Katie’s bed. “Well, for one, there’s us. Then Amos, Potter, Black, Pettigrew, Lupin, and Longbottom. Then, I think Sirius said something about his cousin Bellatrix, who I think he enjoys spending time with, is going to be there along with that Willard. Oh, and Potter’s parents and their friends.”
Lily just sat there as her friends babbled on and on about the latest gossip.
And no, she wasn’t concerned about dancing with James Potter.
Or was she?
Is it Pride or Prejudice? by Stormbringer
Chapter Notes: (Balls may be cliche, but I love them!) Lily finds herself panicking all because of one little question James Potter asked about a ball.