Thank You To-
Frecklegirl87- Thanks for liking it, I hope you like these Yule Ball chapters as well! Thanks for the great review! And thanks for saying I’m a great writer, which means a lot to me!
SiNg SoNg24- Well, I’m glad you like it,
first of all. And secondly, when I was
first starting out, (this fic is my first that I have ever written) I didn’t
see much of an importance for Peter. I’m
currently reworking the chapters before I post them on Portkey…the ff.net
version of Bad Company is slightly different. (Not plot wise, but some words
are different; some scenes are done a bit differently) I’m hoping that while I
go back through the story, I can work in more of Peter. After all, he had to be present if Lily and
James trusted him as much as they did.
xxblue sparklesxx- I’m glad you like this fic, this was my first I’ve ever done, and I’m proud of it. It’s a definite work in progress…I’m nowhere near writing the end of it yet, but hopefully I’ll get closer as time goes on…Anyway, thank you so much for the sweet review!
FroggiBabay- I’m glad you like it, thank you! I hope you like these Yule Ball chapters and Winter Vacay chapters as well! Thanks again for the sweet review!
Aubree Kent- Thank
you, I’m thrilled you like it. I hope
you enjoy these Winter Vacation chapters as well! Thanks again, for the great
review!
Chapter 20: Setting
the Stage
It was early December, and all of the girls of Hogwarts were extremely stressed. Random crying and shouts of “WHY hasn’t he asked me yet?!” became somewhat normal. When Lily attempted to visit Myrtle, there were at least thirty crying girls in her bathroom. Lily was in shock, this was the first time she had been in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, and Myrtle wasn’t, well, moaning. But at least thirty other girls were crying hysterically about the Yule Ball. The Yule Ball was all anyone talked about; all the girls wanted their crushes or significant others to ask them. Lily had to confess, she was getting a bit frustrated with James. They had been a couple for over two months, and he could not find just ONE minute to ask her to the Yule Ball? Is it THAT difficult?! , Lily thought bitterly as she walked to Herbology. But she had not forgotten about him, oh no. She even re-read his letter from September, just to be positive his birthday was December 16th. After doing that, she started her elaborate birthday plans for a bash that Hogwarts would never forget.
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“EMIE! COME BACK HERE!” Avia’s screaming voice startled Lily out of her thoughts.
A tear-stricken Emia ran frantically past Lily. “Emie! Come back, honey!!!” Lily yelled.
Lily ran after Emia, and Avia was close on Lily’s heels. They were going to be late for Herbology, but it didn’t matter now. Lily continued to run after Emia, and caught up to her around the lake.
Emia was leaning into the wall…then...POOF! She was gone.
Lily looked at the wall quizzically as Avia caught up to her. “Hey, Avie, is there a secret passage here?”
“No…well, not exactly. Secret room…couples use it mainly for making out, but very few people even know about it. It’s Emia’s place to think.”
Lily nodded with understanding, and replied, “We have to go in there after her.”
“I know,” said Avia grimly.
Lily pushed on the wall, and it slowly became a door. Lily Evans looked inside to see a lump on the floor. A lump that was Emia, sobbing hysterically.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Lily said quietly, kneeling down on the floor next to her friend, wrapping a consoling arm around Emia’s shaking body.
Avia knelt down as well, and asked, “Anything to do with the Yule Ball?”
Emia looked up with her red puffy eyes, and slowly nodded.
“Well, I thought you were going with Sirius,” said Lily.
BIG Mistake. Emia started crying harder than ever, and in between sobs, attempted to explain.
“He- hic- asked- hic- some ditzy- hic- Hufflepuff- hic- fifth year!” she sobbed.
Lily looked first sad, then annoyed with Sirius, then just plain furious with Sirius. “He’s an ass,” she said quietly, rubbing Emia’s back, “you deserve better than him.”
“But I don’t- hic- want better -hic- than him!!!”
“He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” said Avia supportively.
“Well, if he doesn’t know what he’s missing now, than we’re going to be sure as hell that he gets the message at the Yule Ball! He’ll walk in with his ditzy date, and you’ll be there, gorgeous…with tons of boys around you, listening to your every word. I just have one word for you, honey- REVENGE,” said Lily with a glint in her eye.
Emia stopped sobbing, and looked up at her two best friends. “You guys are –hic- the best!!!” she said, hugging them both.
“Of course we are. We’re also late for Herbology,” said Lily.
Then the bell rang.
“Wait…we already MISSED Herbology!” said Avia frantically. “Will they send us to Dumbledore?”
“If they do, he’ll understand,” Lily assured Avia. “He’s really very pleasant and sympathetic.”
Emia nodded, and stood up. “Ready to go?” she asked.
“Ready when you are, honey,” said Lily.
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“SIRIUS!!!!!” James called angrily upon entering his dorm later that night.
Lily had told James everything, and James was equally furious with Sirius. James Potter had good morals, and he believed that leading a girl on was despicable. So when his best friend did, his best friend would be in quite a bit of trouble.
“What do you want?” said a grumpy Sirius from his four-poster.
“WHAT possessed you to lead Emia on, and then ask some stupid Hufflepuff to the Yule Ball?” James asked, trying to be as calm as possible.
“Catriona is NOT stupid, and I’ll have you know she’s quite a good kisser.”
“So you’re dating someone now?”
“No, I just kiss her for fun.”
“Cut the crap, Sirius. Are you dating her or not?”
“I have been for about two days.”
“What about Emia?”
“Well, I like her, sure…but I don’t think there’s enough attraction there.”
James looked livid at this comment, and chose it best to exit the room before he strangled Sirius with his bloody bed curtains.
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December 16th came and went, and James had a wonderful birthday. He was completely surprised with the wonderful party his girlfriend had planned for him. The entire Gryffindor house was present, and it was an amazing bash with plenty of butterbeer and candy and such. Because of the huge amount of students planning on attending the Yule Ball, Professor Dumbledore decided to have another train of the Hogwarts Express leave the day after the Yule Ball, for those students who wished to attend the Ball, but spend the remainder of the holidays with their families. Avia was going with a handsome Ravenclaw, Mitchell Owens, because Remus had to back out at the last minute. He always looked sickly around the full moon, Avia noticed, but she didn’t think anything of it. James finally remembered to ask Lily at his birthday party, and Emia was going stag. It would prove to be an interesting night….
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