The Christmas Ball: A Marauders Story

The Christmas Ball

On the way to the common room, somehow Libra convinced me that we didn't need to get ready with Lily and that she had already put all of her stuff in my empty dormitory anyway. So, when we got to my room, I ran up one more flight of stairs to apologize to Lily and then came back down to get ready with Libra. We listened to some of her music while we got dressed and did our hair, I remember thinking that the Black twin's music choices were starting to rub off on me. By five-thirty we were ready (we were actually ready way before that, but we didn't mind listening to a few extra songs and dancing on all of the empty beds). Libra was wearing her usual black, but at least she had enough tact to wear a dress instead of jeans or something. When she had said she had planned to already have a rose, she had been bluffing, but I gave her one from the extras I had from my hair.

I was wearing my red dress, I was so happy Mother had gotten it to me in time, and I had three roses in my hair with a nice mix of greenery (Libra made fun of me for putting a rose bush in my hair, but there wasn't that much). I also had a special diamond snowflake necklace that my father had given me two years ago. Sometimes I was self-conscious about the expensive things my father gave me. I felt like it made me stand out and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do, but it seemed to be the only time I would be able to wear it all year, so I had put it on. All of my dresses and robes required pockets for me to be able to carry around my potion, this dress only had very small pockets, so I was only able to bring a tiny vial, just big enough for the two doses I would need. (Of course, I also brought my clock; tonight I wasn't wearing it around my neck. I remember that the two items barely fit into the tiny pockets.)

As we went downstairs, I was reminded of how fun it was to be able to dress up occasionally. We got to the common room where we had agreed to meet the boys, but the boys were not there. We laughed because they had said we were going to be the ones who made them late. After a couple minutes of laughing and talking with Libra, I heard raised voices coming from the direction of the boy's staircase, "Oh no..." I thought. "Is James regretting letting me go..." then I remembered that it wasn't actually his decision if I got to go or not. As they got closer, I could make out what they were saying,

"She's not just for you to use you know!" James was shouting.

"I'm not just using her!" we could hear Sirius retort.

"Then explain why you're always putting your arm around her whenever we walk past any girls, just to make them jealous."

"It's just... nothing..." Sirius replied lamely.

"Nothing? Sure."

"Guys, stop it!" this was Remus, "James just let Nori be happy tonight okay? And you, Sirius, maybe don't put your arm around her every time you walk past girls. Got it?"

"Fine," they said in unison.

This was when they came around the corner of the staircase and Libra and I could see them. I could tell that they hadn't expected to see us there. James paused when he saw me, he looked a little ashamed, as if he hadn't wanted me to overhear what he had said.

After a small pause, where the room seemed to be standing very still, I asked them, "Are you guys coming?" I was okay with just pretending I hadn't overheard their conversation. After all, I did really want to have a good time.

James walked over to me and gave me a quick hug. "You look beautiful, Noria!" he said.

"Well you look very dashing too," I told him. It was true, they all did, especially with their matching roses. James, as always, had his brand-new black dress robes. Peter's were brown and while you could tell they weren't brand new, they still looked very nice. Then there was Remus, in his battered old, hand-me-down pair of robes. I kind of pitied him, we all did, but he would never accept anything from us, even if it was just one of James' old dress robes. As James released me from his hug, I ruffled up his hair, I only ever did this when I wanted something from him. He knew this and there was a look of understanding in his eyes as I turned to Sirius.