Boys will be Boys

Boys Will Be Boys

Chapter Seven

Sweethearts

The rumor raged through the school like a wildfire out of control. The Seventh years heard it first and whispered it to their friends and siblings. It circulated throughout the school, dancing in ears and out of mouths. It soon reached the sixth year girls and was thoroughly discussed/giggled over. It also came to the boys' ears and was laughed/bet on.

The teachers shook their heads and scoffed about students getting all this attention from the public over a silly ball. Some, however secretly felt it was unfair that they had never got to do anything like that when they were in school. Filch fairly sneered and Dumbledore chuckled.

The press had taken hold of the annual ball and were determined to make it into a best-selling (key word being best-selling which, in turn, implied big profits) story. They'd got it all planned out. The ball would be turned into a giant contest. At the end, there would be a vote on the Sweethearts of the Ball. Lily snorted as their discussion came to this point.

” ‘Sweethearts of the Ball?’” she asked with her unladylike snort. "What a terribly silly little term…"

Dara laughed at her and spoke to the other girls in their dorm room: Alyssa and Alana Kelley and Maria Johnson.

"I think it's cute!"

Alyssa laughed, "You could make it, Dara. Think about it! A hundred galleons and a romantic date!" She sighed and fluttered her eyelashes dreamily, "Wow…"

"I think Lily and James would win…IF they could go the night without killing and/or maiming each other," Dara remarked with a look at Lily.

Lily made a face, "James is nice, I guess…"

"AHA!" Alana and Dara shouted at the same time.

"You called James nice," Alana said triumphantly. "So you admit it."

"Oh!" Lily complained, "I didn't mean NICE…I just meant…nicer than some I could get."

Maria laughed softly, "Oh, Lily! James IS a very sweet boy. Almost as sweet as Remus," she blushed delicately.

Lily returned her smile, "You two are just MADE for each other! I think it is sooo unbearably cute!"

Maria became redder, "Well," she frowned slightly, "I didn't think that he wanted to go with me at first! It took him so long to ask me!"

Dara eyed her. Maria was a very pretty girl and almost too nice, but perfect for Remus, "Well, we all knew that he would ask you. He's just shy." She shuddered inwardly at the thought of a shy boyfriend.

Maria seemed to sense her feelings, "Too shy for you?" she giggled, "Well, I don't think I'd be at home with someone like Sirius or James…sometimes I wish I could be…"

"Never wish for James," Lily told her rudely. "You're not missing much."

"How do you know, Lily dear?" Dara asked her sweetly. "The nicest thing you've ever said to him is, 'You'd better hope that you can run well, James Potter, 'cause I'm going to curse that horrid smile off your face!'"

"I never said that," Lily sulked. She caught Dara's look. "Well, not EXACTLY that…"

Alyssa sighed, "Well, at least you all have dates. There aren't enough boys in this school…"

Alana laughed at her sister, "There's always Peter…"

Alyssa made a face, "I'm hoping that it won't come down to that."

Dara laughed, "I hear that Brett Donner still needs a date…"

Alyssa looked at her with suspicion as she pictured the very attractive, but a bit arrogant, 7th year Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, "He wanted to go with YOU, but you turned him down. He hasn't asked anyone else yet."

Dara fidgeted, "Well, he ought to move on-"

"I know! I'll have Sirius and you can go with Brett."

"Haha," Dara replied without conviction.

"Dang. Brett'll never ask me! He doesn't even know I exist!" She wailed.

Dara suppressed a smile, "Don't worry about it."

"She has that matchmaking look on her face," Lily told Maria and Alana. "And I know from experience that that is NOT a good thing…"

*~*~*~*~*

"Ouch!" James cried out as a pillow hit him in the side of the head.

"Whatever, James! I have to say that we'll win," Sirius pushed his hair out of his eyes and it promptly fell back in.

James laughed and Sirius glared at him, ''At least MY hair doesn't resemble the back of a porcupine."

James scrunched up his nose and peered in to the mirror. Damn. It did. He pushed on it. It popped back up.

Remus chuckled, "Neither of you will win, I'll bet! It'll end up being Peter…or Frank Longbottom!"

Sirius didn't crack a smile, "That wasn't funny. It was disturbing. Besides, Peter doesn't even have a date."

Peter rolled his eyes, "MUST you remind me?"

Three voices chimed in an answer, "Yes."

Peter grumbled to himself something about not needing enemies with friends like these.

James crossed his arms, "This is a stupid idea, anyway!"

"Any idea that gets you 100 galleons and a free date is NOT stupid," Sirius disagreed. "We'll just see who wins…"

*~*~*~*~*

That evening was a major event. Oh, sure, they'd had balls before…but THIS was different. It was enough to make anyone crack up. The girls were hell bent on being noticed by the judges. The gowns were perfectly hilarious. They had sure gone all out. There was lace, feathers, sequins, and, very unfortunately, a whole lot of glitter. The latter was not just on the girls, but everywhere, as it tended to rub off. Everything, including the food, had a certain sparkle to it.

Lily had been somewhat conservative and had decided on a simplistic green gown, bewitched so that it was exactly the color of her eyes. The effect was dazzling. She was curling her hair as she sat waiting for her roommates. Everyone looked quite nice. Alyssa was extremely nervous about going with Brett and was taking deep breaths while applying more make up. Alana had said that she didn't care what she looked like, as she was going with Frank Longbottom. However, whatever bad you could say about him, he was really a nice boy. Maria was wearing a lovely white dress.

Lily stamped her foot, "Dara Reynolds, will you hurry up?!"

A voice floated out of the bathroom, "Anxious to get to James, are we?"

She should have known that was coming, "No, we are not. The sooner we start, the sooner we can get this over with."

Dara's grinning face appeared around the corner. She looked too regal and sophisticated to be real and only her grin suggested that she wasn’t an exotic princess.  Lily was sure she herself could never look quite like that. Her dark hair looked wonderful against her scarlet dress. Luckily, she was devoid of glitter.

"You look very nice," Lily told her.

"So do you. I'm sure that James-"

Lily threw her hands in the air, "Let's just GO. Yes, lets go." She rushed to the door, threw it open and walked to the stairs. She could see what seemed like hundreds in the common room though she knew it couldn't be so. Only 5th years and older could go, but everyone was there, if only to watch their elders go off. There were a lot of envious faces.

Dara's sister rushed over to Lily when she had descended the stairs. Grace was a more washed out version of her sister. She was even taller and rather plain although she was very nice.

"Lily! Wow! You look great!" the 7th year exclaimed. "Where is my sister?" She peered up the stairs.

"She's coming…slowly but surely."

"I can't believe she's going with Sirius and not Brett."

"Sirius is nicer," Lily observed. "Sometimes."

"And," Grace continued with a twinkle in her eye, "YOU'RE going with James Potter, I hear. That's a good catch, dear."

Lily didn't trust herself to speak with out swearing. Luckily, Dara and the others came down at that moment and distracted Grace from their conversation. As she hugged Dara, Lily took the opportunity to look about for James. He'd probably be late-

"Ahem."

She whirled around to find him there, behind her, and scowling slightly.

"Ready?" Lily took offense at his tone. It was all right for HER to sound as if she couldn't stand the sight of him, but HE sure wasn't allowed to!

"Yes, I am," she said stiffly. James had on blue robes and his trademark hair was unflattened as usual. He looked very stiffly uncomfortable.

Dara and Sirius had come up, both with smiles on their faces. Sirius looked, well, drop-dead gorgeous. It was a look that was probably impossible in James Potter, but even so, Lily thought, James was looking very hot tonight. Uhg, did I just think that?

Sirius shot James a look and James said, "Er- shall we go?" he proffered his arm to Lily who took it.

Dara bumped shoulders with Lily as they were about to enter the room, "You're wearing a scowl like Snape," she sang. Lily put on a very fake smile and received a black look from her friend.

"Just TRY, Lils! It'll be great! Who knows WHAT will happen?"

As long as it doesn't involve me, James and anything the least bit romantic, Lily thought, I really don't care. But she couldn't help but be impressed with the decoration and the reporters sitting in a row. She couldn't help but be a little-yes, she'd admit it- a little excited. Just a little, though. A little. Really.