Chapter Text
November of fourth year
Remus was studying in the library when Sirius decided to join him.
“Hey Moony, what do you say you and I go for a swim in the lake right now.” Sirius said, sliding into the seat next to Remus, his elbow coming dangerously close to knocking over the inkwell that was precariously balanced on the edge of the desk. Remus just sighed and grabbed the inkwell before it tipped over, hardly looking up from his history homework as he declined the proposal
“You already know the answer to that question Sirius, I’m busy right now, as you can see.” he said, gesturing to the books and parchment strewn around him, and then frowned slightly. “Hey, you have homework to do too, we have a Charms essay that’s due tomorrow, a foot on banishing and summoning charms, I know you haven’t done it.”
Sirius groaned and laid his head on the table. “But that’s boring Moony, c’mon and have some fun once in a while, who cares if Flitwick shouts a bit at me, he’s hardly intimidating” Sirius thought for a moment and snickered, putting on a high, squeaky voice as he said “Mr Black, you are a fourth year student, OWLS are next year! You must improve your work ethic soon, ten points from Gryffindor!”
Remus laughed a little at that, imagining their tiny teacher waving his little arms around as he scolds an unbothered Sirius. “Well, I'm not going to be getting scolded by Professor Binns tomorrow, can’t have my model student reputation ruined now, can I?” Remus flapped his history essay in Sirius’ face as the other boy sighed and shook his head fondly.
“I’ll wait ‘till you’re finished that, then you’re coming with me to go swimming, it’s October and eighteen degrees, this is a rare thing in Scotland Moony, though I’m sure it’s freezing compared to the humid atmosphere in the glorious land that is Wales.” Sirius laughed at his own joke and Remus smiled down at his parchment.
“Oh yes, it’s unbearably hot down in Beddgelert, eleven degrees yesterday, mum was slathered in sunscreen and she actually got sunstroke, terribly unfortunate, they had made plans to go scuba diving today in the canal.” Remus looked back down at his paper, then reached across the desk and handed Sirius a book. “Read that, keep yourself occupied a while until I’m finished”
Sirius sighed, but opened the book and began reading. They sat in companionable silence for a couple of minutes before being rudely interrupted by James practically running over to their table, holding a hardcover book in his hand that he slammed down on the desk before plonking into the chair across from where Remus and Sirius were sitting. Madam Pince shushed James violently and he cringed and whispered that he was sorry.
“Sorry to interrupt your little study session lads, but I have the most perfect idea to win Evans’ heart, I promise you this one’s going to work.” James ran a hand through his wild black hair and looked expectantly at the two boys across from him, who simultaneously sigh and grimace.
“Ok, go on.” Remus says wearily. He was well used to James’ strange plans to win Lily’s heart, and if Remus was honest, he thought that if he stopped doing the strange extravagant stuff and just talked to her, he’d be in with a good chance, James could be nice to talk to when he wasn’t busy doing something stupid and cocky to try to ‘woo’ Lily.
T hm
But James would never listen to him, he’d just have to come to that conclusion himself when he grew up.
“So, I’m going to ask her to the Yule Ball.” James proclaimed, sitting back in his chair and looking expectantly at Remus and Sirius.
“The Yule Ball... the Yule Ball that hasn’t taken place since 1792 when the Triwizard Tournament was banned due to the extremely high death toll?” Sirius said incredulously, raising his eyebrows. “Planning to resurrect the whole competition or just the ball, because I don’t think you could swing the whole thing, Dumbledore probably wouldn’t permit that, but maybe if you just asked if we could have a ball they might allow it, Minnie was on about starting a tradition for the winter solstice to try to get more people to stay for the holidays because the house elves waste so much food around then.”
“Might I ask how hosting a ball is going to make Lily fall in love with you?” Remus asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Well Moonbeam, I’m going to ask her to be my date, obviously.”
Remus cringed at the nickname, and then shook his head disbelievingly “You are something else James.” He gathered up his parchment, quills and books, stuffed them into his already bulging schoolbag and turned to Sirius. “Swimming?”
******
“Minnie said yes! Minnie said yes!” James said gleefully as he pushed the dormitory door open, and Remus smiled wryly at him, laughing.
“Good job James, now I have a proposal.” Sirius said, smiling wickedly. “A competition.”
Remus groaned and got up off his bed and walked quickly towards the door. Knowing Sirius, it was probably something stupid like who could get a teacher drunk first. He did not wish to participate.
Sirius swiftly stepped in front of the door, blocking Remus’ exit. “C’mon Moonshine, just listen first.”
Remus crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Alright so.”
Sirius smiled and began speaking. “We have a race to see who can get a date first, loser does everyone’s Transfiguration homework for two weeks.”
Remus sighed and pushed Sirius out of the way of the door. “Absolutely not. I’m struggling in Transfiguration already and I don’t want to just ask a girl because it’s a dumb competition, I want to actually have a good time without a random girl I don’t know.”
Sirius frowned. “History.” he said quickly. “Loser does everyone’s history homework. And I’ll buy you the special edition chocolate frog thingy I know you want.”
Remus thought for a second, then sighed and said “Ok. You know I could never refuse free chocolate.”
****
The next couple of weeks were filled with giggling girls walking around in little clusters in the hallways, boys sweating nervously before asking someone to go with them, the older years getting annoyed at the younger years for being so giggly and irritating in the library as they tried to study for their NEWTS, McGonagall giving ballroom dance lessons to the Gryffindors, and a general buzz of excitement that filled the air of the school like static.
Peter was the first to get a date, with a Hufflepuff girl called Faith Hobday. She had a bright smile, freckles across the bridge of her nose, green eyes and curly brown hair, and she clearly liked Peter a lot. Remus thought they were a good pair, they both loved chess, herbology, and baking, and Faith appreciated Peter, she made him feel special like no one else did.
Remus got a ‘date’ next. He asked Marlene to go with him, and explicitly stated it was just as friends, and she happily accepted. This solved Remus’ issue of lying to the girl he asked, and he knew he’d have a great time with Marlene, she was great fun and equally as awful at ballroom dancing.
Poor James was unsuccessful in trying to convince Lily to go with him, the second he approached her in the common room with a trumpet in his hands she vanished it and hit him on the head with a rolled-up piece of parchment, so he invited a Ravenclaw girl called Maraya Bellchant, a girl with an intimidating, regal stature, high cheekbones, bronzed skin and a serious resting face that was the polar opposite of her sunny, open personality and wicked sense of humour.
And so, surprisingly enough, Sirius lost his own bet, but it wasn’t because nobody wanted to go with him, it was because he was trying to convince McGonagall to be his date, getting down on one knee and asking his ‘dear sweet Minnie’ to do him the honour of being his date. She declined his many offers, reprimanding him each time, but when she turned away, she smiled a little.
And so, he had to settle for Mary, who had been hinting at him asking her, and he was happy to oblige, Mary was the prettiest girl in their year and great fun too.
*****
“Oh Lily, you look beautiful" Marlene said happily as Lily emerged from the bathroom in their dorm.
And Marlene was right. In a backless A-line floor length dark green dress with white heels and her long red hair curled and up in a ponytail with wispy hairs framing her face, a gold bracelet and hoop earrings, simple makeup and a white clutch bag in her hand, she looked positively regal.
“Are you sure Marls?” she said anxiously, pulling at a strand of curly red hair.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous Lils, you look like royalty.” Marlene smiled.
“Thanks Marlene, you look stunning too love.” she said, beaming at her blonde friend, who was dressed in an inky blue V-neck mermaid style dress, silver heels and dangly earrings with minimal makeup so you could still see her freckled nose, her bright blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
“My dress has pockets!” she said excitedly, stuffing her hands in them to demonstrate.
“Ugh, I wish!” Mary said as she came back into the dormitory from the bathroom, Dorcas following closely behind her. Lily squealed excitedly as she saw their dresses, Mary’s was a red scoop neck chiffon dress that she paired with a black clutch and heels, gold jewellery and makeup, and natural hair that stood around her head like a halo. She looked stunning. Dorcas was wearing a satin lilac sheath dress, silver makeup and heels, and her hair was in a bun.
“Shall we?” Dorcas said, smiling excitedly and taking Lily’s arm.
“Yes, my dear, our princes await.” Lily replied, giggling.
*****
Their princes were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Sirius and Remus, and two boys from Hufflepuff, Sam Peverell and Matthew Scrimgeour, who were going with Lily and Dorcas.
When the girls arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the boys stood up and each took the arm of their date to lead them downstairs, one couple after another, Dorcas and Matthew leading, followed by Lily and Sam, then Remus and Marlene, with Mary and Sirius bringing up the rear. Remus and Sirius planned to meet James and Peter before entering the ball, they had gone to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to collect their respective dates.
On the way down the stairs, Lily and Dorcas seemed to both regret their choice of date. Matthew had very sweaty hands and kept wiping them on his dress robes and looking over at Dorcas to see if she was noticing. She was, but kept looking ahead and pretended she didn’t notice.
Lily’s date was clearly sick, and kept coughing into his arm, but clearly no-one had taught him how to do it properly because his arm was about six inches away from his face when he coughed. Lily wasn’t a germ freak but it was pretty disgusting when he kept wiping his nose of the cuff of his shirt, leaving green trails of snot on the bright white cuff.
Remus and Marlene, on the other hand, were having a ball together, laughing and joking, pretending to be posh purebloods, calling each other Ma'am and Sir, curtsying and bowing when they passed people in the hallways, miming drinking tea with their pinkie fingers sticking out and wiping their chins with handkerchiefs.
Mary and Sirius were also having fun, Sirius playing the gentleman and holding open doors for Mary, taking her arm, lifting her up steps, her laughing and swatting him away playfully.
They met James, Maraya, Peter and Faith outside the doors to the Great Hall, and walked in together.
The Great Hall had been decked out in huge Christmas trees, ice sculptures, a chocolate fountain, there was tables of food and drinks lined up against the walls, small circular tables were dotted around the edge of a huge dance floor that had couples dotted around it, swaying to music that instruments were playing without assistance, and the ceiling was a starry night, the crescent moon visible.
“This is amazing.” Marlene said happily. “Let’s get a drink, c’mon.”
*****
“Say ‘Cheese!’” the photographer said brightly, snapping a series of pictures. Marlene and Remus back-to-back with their hands held in gun shapes, Mary on Sirius’ back, Lily and Dorcas laughing, wide smiles on both of their faces as they tried on feather boas and huge sunglasses, Faith and Peter smiling shyly with their arms round each other's shoulders, Maraya and James sticking their tongues out and flipping the camera the V, and one of the whole group, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, Matthew and Sam long forgotten, pulling funny faces for the camera.
*****
“DANCING QUEEN, YOUNG AND SWEET, ONLY SEVENTEEN” James and Remus yelled, dancing horrendously in the middle of the floor together.
“HONEY HONEY, HOW HE THRILLS ME, UH HUH, HONEY HONEY” Mary sings, loud and off-key, her and Dorcas jumping around together, high heels chucked in a corner somewhere
“MAMMA MIA, HERE I GO AGAIN, MY MY, HOW COULD I RESIST YA” Sirius screams, twirling Lily around, both of them beaming and red in the face from exertion
“WATERLOO, COULDN’T ESCAPE IF I WANTED TO” they all sang together, dancing very badly in a little gang, happy as could be.
*****
“Good night?” Remus asked Lily as they walked back to the tower, Lily holding her shoes in her hand, hair pulled out of it’s ponytail and loose around her shoulders.
“Yeah, it was great, no thanks to Sam though.” She said, wrinkling her nose. “I felt a bit bad for sort of abandoning him after one dance, but he was pretty dire.”
Remus chuckled and imitated Sam coughing into his elbow and wiping his nose on his sleeve, making Lily grimace.
“Had a great time overall though, Dorcas made for a far better date than him anyways” she smiled, linking her arm with Remus’. “You seemed to be having a great time with Marls, your duet to Money Money was amazing.”
Remus cringed and covered his face with his hand. “I’m regretting it already.” He said, voice muffled by his hand.
Lily laughed and kissed his cheek as they reached the doors to the dorms. “Night Remus” she said.
“Night, Lily.” he replied, waving to her as they went their separate ways.
*****
When Remus opened the dormitory door the other marauders were getting ready for bed.
“Maraya was nice James” Remus said
“Yeah, she was hilarious and did a killer Slughorn impression” Sirius smiled.
“Yeah, I had a nice time with her, would’ve been nicer had Lily been the one on my arm though” James said dejectedly
“Well she didn't hex you once all night, think she appreciated that you have her space” Peter chimed in.
“Her having an awful date made it better, too.” James said, smirking and miming wiping his nose on his sleeve, making the other boys snicker.
“Well lads, I’m knackered” Remus yawned, crawling into bed and drawing the curtains.
“Yeah, me too” Sirius said, rubbing his eyes.
“Night lads” James called, waving his wand and putting the lights out.
“Night” they all replied.