He's a Very Nice Prince

Lily untied the ribbon of her mask as she walked up the stairs to the dormitory, where she was sure Allison would be waiting to bombard her with questions. Dumbledore had decided to throw a masked costume ball for years five through seven, and everyone had jumped on that idea like white on rice. The girls had spent days planning their gowns and masks. Those that had a boyfriend made sure that his costume matched hers. The ones without a boy to take them simply had fun choosing dresses with their friends in Hogsmead. Everyone was all atwitter with excitement.

When Lily opened the door, Allison, as expected, pounced and dragged her friend over to her bed, where she promptly sat them both down. Allison was a pretty girl. A bit on the plain side, but that just gave her a girl next door look, Lily thought. She had clear brown eyes that were shaped like almonds framed by thick dark lashes. Her hair, too, was brown, a mahogany waterfall cascading down several inches past her shoulders. Her face was round and her cheeks seemed to have a permanent flush to them so she didn't require any make-up. Tonight, she wore a sheer gloss on her lips and dark eye shadow that went perfectly with her full, red dress. It looks like it should be worn to a celebrity gala, not a school dance, thought Lily.

Allison looked at Lily anxiously, as if to say, "Well?"

Lily smiled. She looked around and, upon confirming that Liza and Marcie were still out with their respective men, walked into the bathroom, throwing over her shoulder, "He's a very nice prince."

"And--?"

"And--it's a very nice ball."

~~~

Lily tied the ribbon of her mask and looked at herself in the mirror. Concluding that the one in the bathroom was too small to see the full effect, she went out into the dormitory to look in the full length one next to her bed.

She hardly recognized the girl standing in front of her. This girl was wearing a stunning strapless dress of a dark forest green color. The top was fitted, but not too much so, and the skirt fell in folds to her feet. It was a simple design that made the girl's figure look incredible. Around the girl's neck was a single emerald teardrop on a gold chain. Similar stones were dangling from her ears. Her red hair was wound at the top of her head in an elegant up-do held in place by pins and clips with green jewels. There was a natural looking flush to the girl's cheeks and her lips were colored red with a clear gloss. Gorgeous green eyes peered out from under a plain black silk mask. Here, too, were green jewels at the corner of the eyes.

Lily smiled at her and she smiled back. Everything was perfect and ready. All that was left was her grand entrance.

~~~

"And--?" Allison persisted, desperate for details.

"And--when I entered they trumpeted!" Lily grinned at the memory. It seemed like it happened so long ago when it was really only a few hours.

"And--?"

~~~

Her grand entrance was supposed to be with Allison, Liza, and Marcie. They were going to meet up near the staircase leading down to the Entrance Hall once the ball had started. They would turn a corner and--voila! -- four of the most sought-after girls in Hogwarts would glide down the stairs. Everyone would notice. There was only one problem. When Lily arrived at the designated meeting place, Allison, Liza, and Marcie were nowhere to be seen. She waited for a short while, but when it became apparent that they weren't going to come she steeled herself.

She would never admit it, but Lily was self-conscious. The only reason she'd agreed to arrive late with her friends was because she knew they'd wanted to and she could draw off of their confidence. Now though, they weren't here, so she gathered her courage and held her head high. She'd just go in by herself, find her friends, tell them off for going in without her, then let it go and enjoy the rest of the night. With that plan in mind, she strode confidently toward the stairs and turned a corner.

A fanfare of trumpets greeted her and she stood at the top, dumbfounded. Why were there trumpets to announce my entrance! I'm so going to kill them! Everyone turned to look up at her. The whole Hall was silent. People filtered out of the Great Hall, where the dance floor was, to see what the big deal was. They found out though, and they, too, went silent, causing other people to come out in a continuous cycle. Before long, everyone was in the Entrance Hall staring up at the beauty who took a step down the stairs. Then another. And another. And another, until she was level with them. They parted as she walked through them, as if they couldn't believe she was real.

Lily was feeling very nervous, but at the same time a sense of excitement and anticipation swept over her. She couldn't explain, but she just felt that she was walking toward something that would change her life forever.

Then the last people stepped aside and she was in the center of the Hall. Waiting there for her was...

~~~

"The Prince--?" Allison insisted.

~~~

The Prince. He had dark hair and a nice smile. That was all Lily noticed and that was all she needed. It was a magical feeling: being swept off your feet then looking down only to see them firmly on the ground then looking back up and being caught in the sensation. She walked right up to him and stopped, waiting and gazing up at him with wide eyes full of some unnamed emotion. He grinned, which caused her to smile back at him. The band began to play again, though no one had even noticed that they'd stopped. The Prince bowed and held out his hand. Lily curtseyed in response and places her hand in his. He led her into the Great Hall and onto the dance floor where he put her other hand on his shoulder and placed his on her waist. As he began to lead her in a slow waltz, the spectators filed back in and stood at the edge of the floor, as if waiting for some cue that meant they were allowed to join in this dance.

A flash of red caught Lily's eye and she tore away from the Prince's mesmerizing eyes. Allison was in the crowed, watching them with eyes the size of plates. Lily grinned, which caused her friend to laugh. Allison took the hand of Brian, her childhood friend, and tugged him out on the floor where they began to dance. This seemed to be what everyone was waiting for, since, one by one, couples joined them in the dance.

~~~

"Oh, the Prince..." Lily pretended that she hadn't understood. She still held the mask in her hands and fiddled with the ribbon.

"Yes, the Prince!"

Allison was getting annoyed not, she could tell. But she wasn't going to give in so easily. "Well he's tall."

"Is that all?" She appeared behind Lily in the mirror, a look of mild disbelief on her face; as if she didn't know whether Lily was being serious or evasive. "Did you dance? Is he charming? They say that he's charming."

Lily smiled wistfully, still playing with the ribbon. "We did nothing but dance."

~~~

It went on like that for the rest of the night. They danced. Occasionally he would take her to a bench where they could rest and fetched refreshments for the both of them. Sometimes they would watch the other dancers, and sometimes they would just look into each other's eyes and see their darkest fears and deepest dreams. They didn't need words, so none were spoken. When they were sufficiently rested, he would stand and lead her back onto the dance floor. They didn't say a word all night, just danced and looked. It was relaxing to Lily, in a way, to be freed from the image of Head Girl and top student and popular Gryffindor and just to be herself. Lily.

~~~

"Yes, and--?" Allison was definitely frustrated now.

"And it made a nice change." Lily was just going to keep beating around the bush with this topic. She just didn't think her friend would understand it. There was also this small part that didn't want her friend to understand, and the best way to make sure of that was to not say anything.

"No!" Allison huffed. "The Prince!"

"Oh, the Prince..." she trailed off, still smiling languidly.

The brown haired girl rolled here eyes, resigned now and attributing the Head Girl's attitude to the afterglow of a wonderful evening. Nevertheless, she prompted, "Yes, the Prince."

Shrugging, Lily replied, "He has charm for a prince, I guess..."

"Guess?" Eyebrows shot up.

Casting a sidelong glance at her best friend, Lily teased, "I don't meet a wide range."

Allison threw her hands into the air, just giving up, and went into the dorm to change out of her dress and into her nightclothes. Lily remained in the bathroom. Pin by pin, she let her hair gently tumble down to the middle of her back. It was wavy from being up like that so long. Then, she picked up her wand from where she'd left it next to the sink after she'd done her hair earlier. She used it to wipe the make-up from her face, the set it back down again. Looking at herself in the mirror, it was difficult to see herself as the girl who had danced the night away. She just couldn't imagine herself like that. Not without a mask. She frowned and experimentally put the mask on her face and pulled the ribbons back then cocked her head, contemplating. Then she sighed. Nope. Still just Lily. So she grabbed her wand and left the bathroom.

Lily tossed her wand on her bed and tied the ribbons of her mask together and hung it on her full length mirror. Allison was just finished getting dressed and popped her head through her oversized T-shirt.

"Did he bow?" she wanted to know. Lily groaned. This girl just won't give up! Hearing her friend's exasperation, she continued. "Was he cold and polite?"

Lily shot Allison a look then went about taking off her dress. She stepped out of it and laid it out on her bed. For a moment, she just stood there looking at it then went to her drawers and pulled out a black, lacy silk nightgown; she wanted to feel pretty tonight. She slipped the thing on and frowned, thinking, before finally answering the question. "It's all very strange."

But Allison would have none of that. "Did he speak? Did he flirt? Could you tell right away he was royalty? Is he sensitive, clever, well-mannered, considerate, passionate, charming, as kind as he's handsome, as wise as he's rich? Is he everything you've ever wanted?"

Lily laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "Would I know?"

But Allison saw right through her and smiled coyly. "Well I know."

"But how can you know what you want till you get what you want and you see if you like it?" Lily suddenly demanded, oblivious to what had just been said. The other girl leaned back in surprise but then seriously thought about what her friend just burst.

She hesitated then wondered aloud, "Would I know?"

"All I know is--"

"I never wish--"

"--what I want most of all--"

"--just within reason."

"--is to know what I want."

"When you know you can't have what you want," Allison ventured cautiously, attention back on her friend, "where's the profit in wishing?"

Lily whirled around to look at her friend. Why can't I have what I want? But I still don't know what I want. So... What do I do? "Allison, what do I do?"

"Well... Who do you want it to be?"

Such a simple question set her mind reeling. Who do you want it to be? Who do you want it to be? Who do I want it to be? Remus? No, he was just a friend. Sirius? She almost laughed at the thought. Peter? Out of the question. She turned to seventh years in other houses. In Ravenclaw: Brian, Hector, Sam, and Jonathan. None of them fit though. Hufflepuff: Ken, Joseph, David, Tyson, Richard, and Will. No one there either. She refused to even think about the Slytherins. But that just left...

"Lily, what's that on your pillow?" Allison asked, pointing. Lily turned to see what she was talking about and saw that there was indeed something lying on her pillow. It was something wrapped in an emerald green cloth. She opened it as Allison crept over to see it too.

They both gasped when the cloth fell away to reveal a tiara. Pearl flowers wound around the silver band, small crystals placed around them. It was so pretty that Lily nearly cried. She reached one shaking hand out to caress the largest flower, placed right in the center.

"What a very nice prince."

Lily looked at Allison, who bent to the floor to pick something up that had fallen from under the tiara. She quickly read what was written on it then held it out for Lily.

My Dearest Princess,

Please, meet me in the Room of Requirement at the stroke of Midnight. I hope that I will be able to see You wear my Gift.

Until then, I shall remain Yours, Heart and Soul,

Your Prince

She looked at the clock over the door. It was already 11:52! She only had eight minutes to find the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy! She looked at Allison.

"Go! Hurry!" she urged.

It was all Lily needed before she was out the door and down the stairs to the common room. She was nearly out the portrait hole when she ran back up to the dormitory to grab her favorite green dressing gown. Then it was back down the stairs and out of the portrait hole and down the corridor. She got lost several times, though she wondered how that was possible since she was still on the seventh floor. She heard the clock begin to toll midnight and she ran faster. She finally knew where she was!

Dong!

Down one corridor...

Dong!

Around this corner...

Dong!

Through this empty class room...

Dong!

Take a left here...

Dong!

No! It was a right!

Dong!

Double back...

Dong!

Keep going...

Dong! Dong! Dong!

There's the tapestry!

Dong!

Sprint back and forth three times...

D... The door appeared but she tripped... O... She got up and reached for the door handle... N... It was stuck so she frantically tried again... G...

The door opened and Lily stumbled through, closing it behind her. As the last toll died out, she slid to the ground with it, her back against the door. She just sat there, breathing hard and reveling in the knowledge that she made it there just in time. It's like Cinderella, she thought giddily. Then thoughts of Cinderella brought her back to thoughts of the Prince, and she finally remembered why she had spent the last eight minutes running all over the seventh floor. Her eyes shot open and what she saw amazed her.

She knew the Room of Requirement became whatever the person had a need for, but this was just astounding! It was fact that the room couldn't reenact the outdoors, but this was astounding. The walls were high and wide, creating a great open space. The ceiling resembled the one in the Great Hall, mimicking the sky outside. As she watched, a shooting star passed overhead. She was sitting on thick, springy grass that felt funny when she ran her fingers through it. Windows high on the walls let in moonlight that lit up a table and two chairs in the center of the room. Standing behind one of the chairs was the Prince.

Lily suddenly felt self-conscious, but then realized that he was also dressed for bed, though his weren't as revealing as hers. He sported red cotton pajama and a plain white T-shirt. Her heart fluttered to see that he was still wearing his mask.

Slowly, she got to her feet, his eyes tracking her every movement, and began to make her way over to him. It was as if every step close she got, the more surreal the experience became; the more she felt as if she were watching this from outside her body. When she stood in front of him he pulled out her chair for her to sit and slid it closer to the table once she had.

"I didn't think you'd come," he whispered. It was the first thing he'd said to her, and she nearly melted. Even so, his voice struck a chord in her memory and she knew she'd heard his voice before. The thought made her heart pound even harder, which surprised her since she was sure the Prince could already hear it.

"What makes you say that?" she asked. She heard him suck in his breath behind her, as if her voice had the same effect on him as his did on her. He moved around to sit in the chair across the table.

"Well, for one thing, it's after curfew and you're Head Girl." He smiled. Oh, she loved his smile! "And for another, well... I don't believe that you haven't figured out who I am yet."

His smile turned nervous and she could see under the mask that his brow was creased. She grinned at him and stood up. As if on cue, the waltz from the dance began playing out of nowhere, making her laugh. When he looked confused, she explained, "This really is the Room of Requirement, isn't it?"

With that, Lily grabbed his hand and pulled him into a slow dance. She rested her head on his shoulder and they stood there swaying to the music for a while. She felt content.

Some time later, he looked down at her and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"Would it bruise your ego if I said no?" she countered without skipping a beat. He laughed and stepped back.

"I suppose that answers that question then. But if you knew, then why did you come here?" His voice betrayed his confusion and happiness.

She sighed. "I honestly don't know. I mean, I've never liked you at all. I guess... It's just that..." she trailed off, looking away.

"Yes? Go on," he urged.

"It's just... If every time I was with you was like tonight, if there were no need for words, or if we could just look at each other and tell what the other is thinking... If it was like that every time, then I'd..."

"You'd what?" Lily looked up at him. She reached around his head to where his mask was tied and pulled gently at it. The mask fell to the floor, revealing James Potter's face, which she took in her hands.

"I'd really like that."

And with that, she pulled his face down to hers and their lips met.