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The Yule Ball


Sirius really had been brought up well. He stood at the foot of the girls stairwell with the other boys who were waiting on dates, wearing his black trousers, black oxford, a black tie, and his waistcoat, which he had transfigured to be dark brown. He had his watch tucked into the pocket on the abdomen, the chain strung across to it’s hold, and his hair pulled back into a tiny bun, around which was tied a a dark brown ribbon exactly the colour of his vest. The word Remus had used to describe him had been distinguished and as Sirius had left the room, Remus had taken hold on the front of his vest and whispered, “When you get back, I’ll take this stuff off you and do very un-distinguished things to you,” and Sirius had groaned with anticipation.

When Lily Evans came down the stairs, he smiled at her. She wore the dress she’d altered herself. A black bodice with cap sleeves, and a full skirt of soft tulle in shades of gold and tan hung to her knees. She wore a pair of flat black shoes and a string of black pearls about her neck. Her hair was up and in it were barrettes of black and gold and her fingernails were painted black with gold half-moon shaped tips at the ends.

Sirius put one hand behind his back and bowed as she reached him, then stood up right and offered her his hand to help her down the final steps. She flushed, and he bent his elbow for her to slip her hand through as he said, “You, Lily Evans, are the most beautiful girl in the world.” And she was just thinking how incredibly grown up he was being when he added, “Fuck Farrah Fawcett, whoever she is she’d look like rubbish next to you.”

Lily laughed, “So you are still Sirius under all this fancy facade.”

He grinned. “Come along, kitten.” He patted her hand and winked to Remus, who was watching from the bottom step of the boys dorms, and led Lily Evans out the portrait hole and through the castle.

The castle was decorated beautifully. Evergreen lined the bannisters and red and gold baubles hung here and there throughout.

“Peeves, really, it looks so nice, stop wrecking it,” Sirius admonished when they spotted the poltergeist halfway down the stairwell.

“Naughty, naughty Peevesy - breaking baubles before Christmas eevesy!” he sang. Then he spun about and took a double glanced at Sirius before swooping before the pair of them and looking over Sirius, hanging upside down. “Sneaky Snoopy Sirius in a vest!!!”

“It’s Yule Ball, Peeves,” Sirius said.

“AND WITH A GIRL!” Peeves added, blowing a raspberry.”

Lily smirked, “Jealous?”

“Next year, Peevesy will dress up really pretty and be your date!” He cackled and with a poof he was wearing a horrid orange dress and spinning in the air laughing.

“You got it Peeves,” Sirius said, “If you leave us alone now I’ll take you and your horrid orange dress to the ball next year.”

“Do you swear it?!” Peeves challenged.

“I solemnly swear it, Peeves.”

Peeves cackled, “I will remember Sneaky Snoopy Sirius! You think I won’t, but I will!”

“Alright, Peeves. Good bye.”

Peeves cackled and zipped away.

“You know he probably really will remember,” Lily laughed as they continued on down the stairs.

Sirius said, “Well, at least I know I’ll have a date.”

The Great Hall was spectacular - Lily marvelled at the candles that floated in the air, the ceiling overhead reflecting the stars of the sky. There were the traditional loads and loads of trees lining the walls, all covered with faerie lights and golden ribbons and baubles. There were tables to one end and a lovely buffet of delicious foods and drinks, and several people already dancing to a quiet instrumental that echoed about the stone walls…

“Everything’s gold. You match the decor, darling,” Sirius murmured. “What do you want to do first? Eat or dance?”

“You truly intend to dance?” Lily asked.

“I truly do.”

“Shall I clear you off a table?” she teased.

Sirius smirked. “No, darling, not like that.” He pulled her out to the middle of the floor and he cleared his throat as one song ended and another began. He bowed to her again, like he’d done upstairs, one hand behind his back, the other flourishing to her. She laughed. “You’re supposed to curtsey,” he explained. Lily flushed and awkwardly tried at doing a curtsey. He smirked. “Very good,” he lied for she’d been most terrible at it. He stood upright and held out his hand, “Now, put your palm against mine,” he said, holding one palm up toward her, and give me your other hand here…”

“You really know how to do this?” she asked.

“I really know how to do this. Trust me.”

“Alright.” She gave him her hands. He stared into her eyes. “I’m trusting you,” she laughed.

“Are you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she laughed again, nervous and excited and awkward.

Sirius’s eyes gleamed. “Then hold on… and follow my lead.” And he swept her off across the floor. She squealed as he went, pulling and pushing her, guiding her through the motions and she felt like she had four legs and none of them were coordinating with her, but he somehow kept her in line, somehow kept her moving just right, and slowly she started to feel more graceful and when he spun her, her skirts billowed, and she started to feel a bit like a swan, so that when he took hold of her and pulled her closer and dipped her backwards, she stared up at the lights, feeling like they were bits of magic glowing in her eyes.

Sirius never stopped smiling.

It was the first time he’d been glad for some stupid bit of rubbish his mum had forced him to learn.

“Can you do that too?” Maryrose asked Regulus, watching from a table as Sirius led Lily Evans about the dance floor.

Regulus looked over. “I can do it better than him.”

Maryrose raised an eyebrow. “Better than that? They look like something out of a storybook.”

Regulus, who was wearing fine green dress robes, stood up. “Come on then. Come look like a storybook with me.”

Maryrose smiled and her hair turned teal blue in her excitement. “Oh dear,” she murmured and she squeezed her eyes shut to turn it back to brown as she’d had it for she wore a really lovely mint green dress and teal hair just didn’t go with such a pretty frock.

Regulus smiled.

James sat at a table beside Peter and watched Sirius dancing with Lily, and his heart ached. He played with a plastic sword that had been spearing one of the sandwiches that Peter had eaten, absently stabbing at the centerpiece - a tiny Christmas tree with tiny lights enchanted on. He looked down at the table cloth as Sirius dipped Lily and she laughed, holding onto him, her palms splayed across his biceps.

Peter looked up at James.

“You’re sad.”

James looked at Peter.

“I’m sorry Carly didn’t come to the Ball with you after all. Did you like her a lot?”

James shook his head, “No.”

Peter said, “You’re still in love with her aren’t you?”

James stared across the room at Lily, at the way the lights glowed off her hair and the way her dress moved around her legs. “Yeah,” he admitted.

Peter said, “I think we all are a little bit. There’s something about her.”

“There’s everything about her,” James murmured.

Peter said, “I was looking at my crystals the other day and I saw ---”

But before Peter could say what he saw, the doors opened to the Great Hall and James jaw dropped and he said, “Whoa.”

Peter turned to see.

Minerva McGonagall had just walked in the door - on the arm of Elphinstone Urquart. Both were dressed quite nicely - but the real shock was McGonagall, who wore a real dress, who looked beautiful, who held onto Elphinstone’s elbow, a flush to her cheeks.

Minnie!” Sirius said, spotting her, and uprighting Lily Evans from the dip he’d just lowered her into. “She’s back.”

Lily looked. “She’s beautiful,” she marvelled.

Students were pushing aside on the floor to allow McGonagall and Urquart space. And, without further pause, Urquart pulled her into a dance.

A very elegant dance, too.

Sirius grinned, “Bloody hell. Go get’em Min.”

Lily said, “Do you think they’re together?”

“I certainly fucking hope so,” Sirius murmured.

They watched and Lily marvelled at how lovely Minerva McGonagall was when her hair was let down - both figuratively and literally. Urquart swung her about and she was smiling like nothing that any at Hogwarts had ever seen her smile before… at least not in over a decade.

Sirius looked at Lily, at the awe on her face, and he leaned over. “You know, they were friends in school.”

Lily looked at Sirius.

“She called him Elphie. Bet they were in love.” Sirius’s eyes diverted to Minnie and Elphinstone Urquart. “Bet she never told him. Bet if she had, they would’ve been together long ago. Bet they would’ve been happy this whole time instead of apart and miserable. If only she had just told him.”

Lily’s eyes flitted to James.

Sirius looked at her.

“Sirius?”

“Kitten?”

“I need to talk to Potter.”

Sirius nodded. “I’ll distract Peter.” He kissed her hand and bowed away, running over to the table. He looked at James as Lily sat down beside him at the table and their eyes met. Sirius sent out his apology vibes again… and winked. “Time for that waltz I promised you, Pete.”

“But I - I don’t know if I - I don’t want --” Peter stammered.

Come on, Pete,” Sirius said, tugging him to his feet, “I think Potter and Evans can handle being alone for a minute or two while we cut a rug.”

“Cut a rug?!” Peter asked, “Whatever are we cutting a rug for?! That’s vandalism!”

“It’s an expression, you imbecile!” Sirius replied, rolling his eyes and dragging Peter away.

Lily and James sat next to one another at the table in silence for several long moments as Sirius fought to keep Peter’s hands in his, leading him about the dance floor a bit more sporadically than he’d done with Lily, bumping into several other couples - including Regulus and Maryrose. Lily was watching James, though, not Sirius, watching his eyes following his friends move across the floor. He had a bit of confusion etched onto his forehead - what had Sirius meant by that wink? - and a slight pout to his lips…

“Potter?” she said.

James looked over. “Evans?”

His eyes. They were so wonderful. They were the best eyes in the entire world, she was sure of it. There was just so much in them…

“Do you want to go for… for a walk?”

James stared at her.

“....with me?” she added awkwardly, because he wasn’t responding.

“Yeah,” he said.

She stood up. And so did he. And he pushed her chair in for her and he glanced over his shoulder at the dance floor - and Sirius gave him a thumbs up… and they pushed their way out into the entrance hall and Lily smiled and led the way to the door that led down to the underground docks, by the little boats, and she took his hand on the stairs. “Come on, I need to talk to you,” she said.