"Why do they even need to put on this stupid ball? It's all just nonsense." Peter grumbled at breakfast before the big event.
It was finally upon them and all the students had the day off to get ready whilst the teachers and kitchen house elves prepared the Great Hall for this evening's festivities. But having never found a date, the smallest Marauder was starting to feel bitter - the complete contrast to Remus, who was more than happy he wasn't going with anyone. In fact, Remus would be happy not going at all, it wasn't really his scene after all, but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to watch his best friends fumble around on the dance floor with their dates.
However, he had no doubt that Ellie, nor Sirius, would ever be able to make a fool of themselves where these things were concerned.
"It'll be fun! Quit mopping around and get yourself excited." Ellie was the most excited of all the friends, which really was a turn of events after her initially frustration over it all.
She was even more excited than James and he was taking Lily Evans.
"You're only saying that 'cause these types of things are like in your genes or whatever." Peter mumbled, stuffing scrambled eggs in his mouth.
There was nothing that anyone could say that would change his mind on the matter. Not even the fact that there would be a feast, promised to be better than any other they'd had all school year.
"She's not even wearing jeans, come on Pete, stay on topic." James interjected, receiving a bunch of questioning looks from his friends and a rather swift hit to the back of the head from Sirius.
In all fairness though, the messy haired boy wasn't really listening to the conversation. How could he? Tonight was the night he'd be taking Lily Evans to the ball. The same Lily Evans he'd been pining for ever since first year. The same Lily Evans that had never given him the time of day before.
It was going to be a big night.
Ellie was waiting on the arrival of her dress, as the old lady had sent a letter in the week to tell all three of the girls that she'd send them first thing Friday morning. The anticipation of it all made her loose her appetite, and she watched Sirius shovel pancakes soaked in syrup into his mouth with a scrunched-up nose. All of a sudden though, the flapping noises of the morning post made her head shoot up to the ceiling and she started wiggling uncontrollably in her seat. The agony of not knowing what her dress was going to look like had plagued her since the trip to Hogsmeade - Ellie really needed to know it was Adelaide Gryffin standards.
Further down the table, Lily and Marlene also waited patiently for any sign of their dresses to arrive, and to their relief, four owls swooped down to their level. With two owls carrying each package, Lily and Marlene's squeals could almost be heard from where Ellie sat, and they were gently dropped in front of the girls. Ellie's face however, set in a deep frown, no sign of a package for her in sight. She watched from a far as both Lily and Marlene unboxed the amazing dresses they'd picked, Marlene's having had silver sparkles added to the neckline.
"Wasn't your dress supposed to come?" Sirius had syrup dripping down his chin as he spoke to the beautiful girl who looked rather put out by her missing ball gown.
Flooding into a state of panic, Ellie scanned the ceiling again for any indication that her dress was on the way. If it didn't come now, she'd be dress-less. She was sure the old lady at the shop wouldn't let her down and at least contact her if something had gone wrong.
Yet there was nothing.
However, just as she was about to go and ask Lily and Marlene whether there was some sort of letter or note that came with their dresses, a familiar eagle owl came swooping down in between the group of friends, dropping a small package and landing right on top of the plate of bacon.
"That doesn't really look big enough to be a dress. I mean, unless it's like a really tiny dress I suppose." Peter stated, all five of the Marauders looking at the small brown box the owl had delivered.
"That's because it's not." James replied with an eye roll, "That's Solaris, must be from your dad."
And as if on cue, the proud owl squawked loudly. The messy haired boy shooed Solaris away from the food, and he left after taking a rasher of bacon with him.
Ellie wasn't expecting anything from her father, she'd received a letter from him last week to wish her well at the ball, and she didn't think he'd write again, let alone send a parcel. The small brown box had a scarlet red ribbon tied around it, rather elegant for Cyrus Gryffin, and Ellie untied and opened the box carefully. It was filled with tissue paper the same scarlet red as the ribbon, it was their family colour after all, but Ellie couldn't see what was wrapped inside of it due to a card that sat on top.
Look after the ring sweetheart, I figured the time has come to pass it on.
And your mother wore this diadem at our wedding. She left it to you.
I thought you may want it for the ball, but if it's not suitable, that is fine also.
Enjoy tonight.
Love always, Your father.
Always a man of few words, Ellie was left rather stunned by the message, James snatching it from her to read himself.
Carefully peeling back the tissue paper, it revealed just as the card had said. A delicate golden diadem lay amongst the paper, a ring of the same metal in the centre of it. All four of the boys watched with wide eyes as Ellie brought the small crown out of the box to inspect closer, Remus nearly spitting his tea onto James in front of him, and Sirius' mouth dropping wide so Peter had a lovely view of the pancakes he was munching on.
"I guess that's what it means to be a pureblood." Remus stated, blinking rapidly as his eyes fixed on the beautiful head piece.
"The Gryffindor family doesn't disappoint." James added, often forgetting his best friend came from such a prestigious family line.
Ellie held the piece of golden beauty as if it may break or turn to dust, eyes fixed to the way it was gleaming in the normal Great Hall lighting. Encrusted with tiny red rubies, the thin strips of gold that made up the diadem were intertwined expertly to look as if they were vines of tiny ivy. It wasn't obnoxious and it wasn't so big that it looked made for a queen, but it did demand attention and once you were looking at its intricate design it was difficult to look away. Knowing her mother had previously owned the head piece made it feel even more special to her, having a piece of Adelaide to hold felt like such a privilege, and Ellie didn't quite want to put it down.
The ring left in the box was something a lot more familiar to the beautiful girl. It was the piece of jewellery she'd seen her father wear everyday of her life, Cyrus being known for not taking it off, but Ellie noticed that it had definitely altered in size since she'd last seen it. Probably so it now fit her small fingers. Always having loved the ring herself, but knowing how attached her father was to it, she was now surprised to be in possession of the jewellery. Nevertheless, she gently placed the diadem back into the box, eagerly reaching for the ring she'd always desperately wanted to try on.
As if it was made for her, the ring slid perfectly onto the middle finger of her right hand, the same finger her father always wore it on. In the shape of a lion head, it was a perfect representation of her family heritage, and even though it may take some getting used to due to its chunky nature, Ellie was sure she'd never take it off. Ever.
"Woah..." Peter exclaimed, not being able to form any other words.
Ellie couldn't contain the huge smile that graced her features. It was an honour to receive such breath-taking gifts, this close to Christmas for that matter too, and there were no words that could be said to express her gratitude and pure awe she was in.
"Looks like there's another incoming." Remus announced, the whole group looking up towards the ceiling where two owls were flapping their wings furiously whilst carrying a package.
One that looked awfully similar to the one Lily and Marlene had received only moments ago.
Just as with the other girls, the owls dropped the package in front of Ellie and flew off without even a hoot. There wasn't even a breath taken before she dived into the box, shoving things around her out of the way in case anything got on it. Sirius grumbled as his plate of pancakes was shoved a few places further down the table and James was elbowed multiple times in the ribs, but Ellie didn't even blink at their complaints, not being able to get into the box quick enough.
Similar to her father's gift, there was a card on top wishing Ellie a wonderful time at the ball along with a 'I hope the dress is to your liking, you'll be sure to dazzle everyone'. And when Ellie saw the dress there was definitely not doubt in the matter.
The blood red scarlet colour was just as gorgeous as she remembered, and Ellie felt almost as if she'd cry. It was perfectly silky, yet somehow every inch of it sparkled in tiny golden flecks. She ran her fingers over the top of the dress, completely encompassed by its beauty and she hadn't even lifted it out of the box yet.
Without a word, Ellie rose to her feet, stumbling over the bench in haste as she rushed down the table towards Lily and Marlene.
"Come back to the dorm, I want to see your dresses." Both girls nodded immediately, mirroring Ellie's excited smiles.
In the moment she was gone, Sirius looked at the red filled box, feeling suddenly rather hot. His face was flushing a colour that could rival the one before him, and the handsome boy tried to shove the thoughts of Ellie in that dress away from his mind. The ball wasn't until tonight, but he wasn't sure if he'd actually be able to wait at all.
"You better look like a Prince, mate." James told him, a knowing smile on his face as Ellie rushed back over to where she'd been sitting.
"See you fools later!" She practically shouted, the biggest grin on her face.
Without even a glance back, the beautiful girl scooped up her packages, taking extra care with the one from her father, and took off down the hall with Lily and Marlene.
Sirius stared after her, all previous thoughts of pancakes having been replaced with golden jewellery and the colour scarlet. When he'd asked Ellie if her dress was pretty, he'd expected nothing short of a standard ball gown he was used to seeing at events similar to tonight's, minus the Slytherin green colour. Never had he thought she'd produce a dress like the ones she always said Adelaide was so obsessed with, but really Sirius couldn't complain. I'm a goner.
The pressure was on.
After spending the day lounging around in their dorm, coming up with ideas for pranks and no Ellie to be seen, the ball was finally impending.
Leaving it a little later than they probably should have, the four boys rushed to get ready so they could be down by the Great Hall to meet the girls by quarter to seven.
To no surprise, Remus was first to be ready, adorn in dark grey dress robes, and he sat on his bed patiently as the others rushed around like headless chickens. His robes were of a traditional style, passed down to him by his father, but he didn't mind too much as he was sure he'd leave the ball early anyway.
He ended up helping Peter though, watching the smallest Marauder fumble for near to an hour trying to get into his dress robes. They were complicated and seem to come in many different parts, complete with the traditional pointed hat, that fell over his eyes slightly. To top it all off, Mr and Mrs Pettigrew had picked a rather choice brown colour, which he didn't like at all, and this only added to his bitterness over the event.
The whole time the boys had been getting ready, James rambled on and on about Lily and how he was still shocked she'd even decided to go with him. The messy haired boy spent a good chunk of time making sure the jet black mop on top of his head stuck out in all the right places, looking perfectly wind swept. Having been to a good share of these events himself, usually at Ellie's side, James of course knew his way around a set of dress robes, but he was glad of the more modern style his were in - black, just plain and simple Black.
Uncharacteristically quiet, Sirius had gotten silently ready in the corner of the room the whole time.
James' stressing over whether he'd look good enough for Lily didn't ease the handsome boy's nerves, only instilling even more doubt in his mind. He wasn't even entirely sure why he was so nervous. It was only Ellie after all. Ellie in a gorgeous dress. Ellie as his date... Maybe he did know why he was nervous, but he wouldn't allow himself to think like that. Neither of them had dates before, that's why they were going together. The beautiful girl probably wouldn't have even wanted to go with him if he hadn't asked.
Palms slightly clammy, Sirius ran his hands through his hair once he was dressed, taking a big deep breath.
When the ball was announced a month and a half into term, naturally the first thing Sirius decided he was going to do was use it as an opportunity to defy his parents. He wanted to prove a point, make them humiliated, and the way he decided to do that was to get himself a nice Muggle-style suit instead.
Walburga and Orion Black would be appalled he'd even glance at such clothing, his mother in particular would be mortified he'd spent their wealth on such a thing, let alone go to a formal event that would be filled with his cousins and more distant relatives who would see - the shame he'd bring on the family name. But of course, that's what the handsome boy was going for.
However, that didn't stop the doubt in his mind creeping in.
Seeing all his friends in standard dress robes made him question whether he should've just gone with what he should probably wear, but that didn't stop the smirk that kept onto his lips every time he thought of Walburga's face when she found out.
The suit was a black, complete with a matching waistcoat and it fit Sirius perfectly, almost as if it was tailor made. He tugged awkwardly at the jacket, taking another glance at his friends who were all watching him with smiles on their faces.
With one swish of his wand, Remus performed the colour changing charm to turn Sirius' tie the exact same shade of red they'd seen Ellie's dress was earlier.
"You're ready now." He said simply. Remus always knew.
Lily had been ready for what seemed like hours. It wasn't in her nature to do things last minute, so she sat in a silk robe on the end of her bed waiting for the last possible moment to put her dress on. Curled to perfection, her flaming red hair was twisted into a loose coil on the back of her head, strands intricately pulled out to frame her face, and Marlene (who was getting ready with Ellie and Lily in their dorm) had helped do her make up so that she looked done up, but not too over the top.
She only had one thought running through her mind, and that was that she was going with James Potter, and now the event was upon them, she was nervous as to whether this was really the right decision. After all, it was blatantly obvious to everyone that he had a crush on her, and Lily had no intention of leading him on. She wouldn't do that to even him.
Though there was nothing she could do now, and if everything went wrong, she could just find a way to escape him - if escaping James Potter was something Lily Evans would ever be able to so successfully.
There was more than one girl worrying about their date that evening though.
Everything else was perfect for Marlene. Her dress had ended up being better than she'd remembered, the fit hugging her figure in all the right places; her hair had cooperated extraordinarily well, having been braided by Lily so the front was out of her face; her make up also looked like it had been done professionally. Yet, Marlene still felt an overwhelming amount of fear for how tonight was going to go.
When Ivanna Elms had asked her almost a month ago if she'd go with her, Marlene couldn't believe her look that the Slytherin actually fancied her back. That she'd actually been lucky enough to find her. And at the time it seemed like a perfect plan.
However, that was all when the ball was nowhere in sight.
Marlene wasn't ready for everyone to know that she liked girls, for it wasn't really a thing everyone felt comfortable discussing - she wasn't even sure how her parents would react if they found out... But they were all going to find out tonight.
How Ivanna had figured out her crush, she had no idea, but the blonde figured it took one to know one. There was so denying the giddy feeling she couldn't get rid of and the Slytherin girl had seemed just as excited when Marlene had agreed, but now they were mere minutes away, the unnerving thoughts of how the night may go were disrupting her confidence. The fear of someone making a comment that even insinuated that her and Ivanna shouldn't be allowed to go to the ball together, churned her stomach.
Lily could see the slight green colour her friend was turning as her thoughts ate her up inside and the red head got up off her bed to grab one of her hands.
"Don't worry." As if Lily could read Marlene's mind, she continued, "Ivanna likes you. You like her. Why should what anyone else say matter?"
And all Marlene could do was wrap her arms around Lily for a tight hug.
Disgruntled sounds had been coming from the bathroom for twenty minutes before both Lily and Marlene decided they may need to step in. It was a well known fact by now that Ellie was no good at getting ready for these things, even if she actually wanted to this time. The one thing that she had managed to do right was shower - that was really the only thing.
Not a word was spoken as Ellie was shoved into the dorm and on to the wooden chair in front of the small dressing table they had. Lily proceeded to do whatever she pleased to her long chocolate hair and Marlene poked at the girl's face with a variety of different brushes until her skin looked flawless.
"Thank you." Ellie mumbled quietly, embarrassed that she couldn't handle this on her own.
"Well, we can't have you look a mess. As associated with you, it'd make us look bad too." Marlene gave her a playful smile and Ellie chuckled slightly, trying to relax.
They were pushing it close with time now, having not taken into account Ellie's incompetence when it came to putting herself together, and so they all moved very quickly.
When Ellie finally looked presentable, Lily not being able to help herself but continue to adjust and re-adjust her hair on multiple occasions, all three of the girls put on their dresses with two minutes to go before they had to leave. They all gasped and squealed as they looked at each other, never had they ever seen such pretty dresses, and Marlene span around in front of the mirror for one last check. Lily was next to admire herself, red hair looking even more fiery than usual against the forest green of the fabric that wrapped around her.
The two of them had no doubt in their minds that they had made the right decision, Marlene excited to go and show off how good they looked to everyone, but the last girl hadn't even moved from beside her bed.
Carefully placing her mother's diadem on the top of her head, Ellie felt her hands shaking as she dropped them back by her sides. The lion ring on her finger suddenly felt as if it was the heaviest thing in the world, and she contemplated taking them both off and just tucking them safely away under her bed.
From the circumstances of the event, to Dumbledore's proposal she had politely turned down, the brunette felt immense pressure sitting on her shoulders as she stared at the golden lion head on her middle finger. Most of the time, Ellie was proud to be a Gryffindor. Most of the time, Ellie felt as if it was a great honour to be able to say she was the direct bloodline of one the of the greatest wizards of all time. But the other times, it felt exhausting. The other times, she had contemplated introducing herself to new people with a completely made-up last name. Too much weight and expectation were laced with the name and it wasn't always easy to live up to everything people told you that you should be.
Brave, she certainly hadn't been after the death of her mother. Daring, it wasn't always easy stepping out of your comfort zone. Chivalrous, sometimes you had to put yourself first. In this moment, Ellie felt as if she was none of those things. She couldn't understand how these qualities were what Gryffindors were valued the most on, nerve too, when she was supposedly one of them.
Breath faltering and hands still shaking, she tried to smooth out non-existent creases in her dress as a way of calming herself down but it wasn't working. She knew so many eyes would be on her as soon as she was in the Great Hall, and the thought made her queasy like it always did.
"I don't know whether I can do this..." Her voice was so quiet that neither Lily nor Marlene actually heard her speak, "I can't... I can't do it."
Once her feet were out of their dorm, that was it. She'd have to see everyone, been seen by everyone, meet Sirius... Oh, Sirius.
The handsome boy had completely slipped her thoughts whilst the stress of trying to get ready had taken over instead. He'd be waiting for her. Stormy grey eyes that Ellie loved so much, wide and expectant, and probably looking even more gorgeous than he usually did. How was she ever going to spend the whole night looking into those eyes without confessing everything she'd ever felt right to him? Damn those stupid eyes.
"Woah! Take deep breaths." Lily watched as Ellie started flapping around, looking like a lost puppy, "Everything's going to be fine. What's wrong?"
Green eyes filled with compassion, the red head placed her hands on Ellie's shoulder in attempts to keep her still.
"I... He... We... People are going to stare... I don't want... I just can't." Words coming out a jumbled mess, Ellie looked completely lost, and for the first time ever, Lily Evans didn't really know how to help.
"If you're worried how you look, that's ridiculous. You look absolutely stunning. And if it's other people's opinions, that's ridiculous too." Lily tried to be firm so that the beautiful girl knew she was being completely honest, and Ellie's eyes turned glassy as she listened, "And if it's Sirius... you're ridiculous. He will piss himself when you walk down those stairs."
She nearly giggled at Lily's uncommon use of bad language, but instead she cracked a small smile. How the red head had managed to make her feel any better was beyond her, but the little pep talk had done her some good at least. Ellie had done this before, she knew how these events went. There was nothing to be worried about, for Adelaide had instilled in her everything she needed to play pureblood when she needed to.
And Ellie was doing this for her mother. Adelaide's diadem on her head was all the strength she needed to do this.
"Now, I don't want you cry and ruin Marlene's hard work, so suck up those tears. We're leaving." Lily clapped twice to emphasise her point.
With that, and two deep breaths, Ellie followed her friends out of their dorm. She'd be lying if she said Lily's speech had completely dissolved all her worries, but what was worrying going to do for her? People were waiting and Ellie Gryffin wasn't going to disappoint.
The time had come for the ball to begin.
Four unusually well put together boys huddled at the bottom of the marble staircase near the entrance to the Great Hall.
Students of all ages and houses were gathering and bustling their way past others, as couples who had already met up started to enter into the ball. There was all manner of dress robes adorn by the students of Hogwarts, ranging from clear hand-me-down robes that were completely the wrong size, to sets that looked tailored and far too expensive.
Peter was amongst those with robes that didn't look quite right, his pointy hat not cooperating in staying on his head very well, but his three friends were going to have no one say anything about it. James even scowled at a group of girls who seemed to be giggling at the small boy, making them all scuttle off in the other direction.
The waiting was agony and all of them wanted to just go and join the fun, but there seemed to be no sign of the girls. The messy haired boy started pacing, horrible thoughts of Lily Evans ditching him and deciding to go with someone else instead flooding his brain, and Remus kept a hold of his arm to stop his annoying moving. No music had actually begun in the hall yet, there was still a couple minutes to go before the ball officially begun, but the groups had agreed they'd meet over ten minutes ago, and the boys were surprised when they were the first ones there.
James was sure Lily would've dragged the girls at half past six to ensure they were there with enough time, yet there seemed to be no sign of them.
Sirius was no calmer than his best friend, but there was no way he was going to show it. The queasy feeling in his stomach and rising temperature had him beginning to question whether he was getting sick, but watching James fan himself off furiously, confirmed to him that maybe he was just a little bit nervous. Or a lot nervous.
But this was Sirius Black and he'd die before he'd ever admit that he wasn't keeping his cool.
"Where is she? Where are they? Do you think they'll even come?" James rambled on and on, the only thing keeping him still was Remus' hand firmly holding onto his arm, otherwise they were all sure that he'd have raced up to the common room by now.
"Shut up, would you?!" Sirius snapped.
The bustling atmosphere of all the students arriving and greeting friends was starting to feel claustrophobic and the only calm one of the four was Remus. The lanky boy was used to the over dramatics of his best friends by now, but that didn't mean he didn't despair with them half of the time. Of course, the girls were coming, they were probably just running a little late, and if he had to bet as to why, he'd say it was probably because of Ellie. The beautiful girl may have decided that she liked pretty dresses now, but he didn't doubt Lily and Marlene still had a challenge on trying to get her ready.
"I'd stop panicking James." Just as he expected, Remus saw Lily and Marlene round the corner at the top of the stairs and come into view, finally letting go of his friend.
James' mouth dropped wide, and he thought he may pass out. If he didn't think Lily was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen before, he certainly did now, and he cleared his throat as he tugged at his dress robes awkwardly. Sirius gave him a pat on his shoulder as the messy haired boy stepped away from the group to get closer to the bottom of the stairs. How Lily Evans looked so perfect all the time amazed him, and he unapologetically gawked at her as she got even closer. James thought the forest green of her dress looked wonderful paired with her fiery hair he loved so much, and once she'd reached him, he became a blabbering mess.
"You look... wow! I mean, not that you don't look good all the time. In fact I'd think you'd look amazing in a potato sack..."
Resisting the urge to slap a hand over his mouth after hearing the words that came out, the messy haired boy flushed a light pink, only mirrored by the girl in front of him.
"You don't brush up too bad yourself, Potter." Lily gave him a coy smile and he ran a hand through his hair feeling even more flushed than before.
James held his arm out for Lily to take and they stepped back to stand with the rest of the group.
"She's coming, Black. Give her a moment."
Lily eventually called over her shoulder with a knowing look and Sirius' head snapped straight to the top of the stairs awaiting Ellie's appearance.
Royalty. She looked like royalty... She practically was royalty.
Ellie rounded the corner, head held high and not an ounce of nervousness in sight. The colour of her dress more vibrant and eye catching than he remembered, Sirius didn't even blink as he watched her begin to make her way down the steps. Long chocolate hair waved to look effortlessly natural complete with the delicate golden diadem on the top of her head, the rubies of which coordinated perfectly with her dress, the already beautiful girl looked as if out of a fairytale. Now being fully visible, Sirius was sure whoever had made the dress must've stolen the stars to put on it, it sparkled so dazzlingly, and Ellie looked drop dead gorgeous in it.
The dress had a scooped neckline with thin straps that didn't just go over her shoulders, but criss-crossed down the open back, exposing just enough skin to stay classy. The skirt flowed out from her waist, trailing out behind her slightly and gliding down the stairs as she walked. For a moment, Sirius questioned how he was going to get anywhere near her, he thought the dress was rather 'poofy', but he wouldn't have her wear anything else.
In his eyes she was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. Beautiful and elegant; stunning and absolutely breath-taking.
From half-way down the stairs, Ellie made eye contact with the boy she'd been so nervous to meet and couldn't help but blush. Just as expected, he looked dashingly handsome, and the way he was looking at her made her knees weak. Eyes wide and pupils dilated, hair falling across his face with its natural perfection that never needed styling, Ellie was sure she'd never seen anyone so attractive, and she was rather amused by his choice of attire too. She loved it though, for it was a bold and brave choice, two things she loved about the handsome boy.
There was also no ignoring that fact his tie matched perfectly to the colour she was wearing, and she wasn't sure she could flush any pinker when she finally stopped in front of him.
Neither one wanting to open their mouths in fear they'd scare the other with their furious complimenting, there was a long moment of silence. Both gazing into each other's eyes though, the pair felt as if they'd never had such a meaningful conversation. Sirius saw the excitement and anticipation on the beautiful girl's face, but also the masked insecurity, he too was feeling. Whilst Ellie saw how wonder and admiration filled the stormy grey eyes of her best friend, and something else too. Something else she'd never seen before.
Something similar to the look in James' eyes when he spoke to Lily, but she didn't get chance to dwell on it too much before Remus spoke.
"You look really beautiful Cubs." He attempted to ease the tension the rest of the friends were feeling watching the two goggle at each other, and Ellie's gaze was brought immediately away from Sirius'.
"Thanks Moons. You scrub up well too." Ellie was slightly embarrassed now that they'd all watched her drooling over the handsome boy before her, "You as well Pete." The smallest Marauder blushed feverish red and dropped his head away in embarrassment, making his hat fall over his eyes again, "And you Jamie... You look like a Troll as always. Sorry Lily." Smiling cheekily, she taunted her best friend who she knew would be mortified at her comment in front of his date.
"Well, at least I don't look like a walking Flobberworm." The messy haired boy retaliated, and Lily smacked his arm rather violently.
"You take that back. Ellie looks gorgeous." James shrunk back slightly as he took Lily's orders, mumbling a sorry and scratching the back of his neck.
"Yes, I apologise too. Comparing you to a Troll would be offending all of Troll-kind. It may be more accurate to relate you to a Murtlap." Ellie smiled to herself as she watched James seethe, and Sirius let out a barking laugh, which he tried to cover as a cough once the messy haired boy shot him a glare.
"So Flobberworm is unacceptable, but Murtlap is fine?" James questioned incredulously, turning to look at Lily who had a rather amused look on her face.
"Well, she isn't wrong." The red head replied simply, shrugging her shoulders, and Ellie burst out into laughter that Sirius couldn't help but join in with this time, "Now come on Potter, the ball has begun."
Not allowing him time to even process her response, Lily dragged James away from the others, Remus and Peter saying they'd see Ellie and Sirius inside.
Left by their friends, the pair stood gazing into each other's eyes again. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but neither of them had actually said a word to the other since they'd met up. Marlene's words from earlier in the week were on reply in Ellie's head. See whether he likes you back - it wasn't as simple as that.
Sirius Black was head-strong and loud and stubborn. He was confident, cocky, clever and so so handsome. And Ellie loved every part of him. Even the complicated, closed off and sometimes reckless side of him.
The parts that she knew he hated about himself, she loved.
But love wasn't simple. Love didn't come in a brown box with a ribbon. Love wasn't all fantasies and fairytales. Love was real and raw, and it meant baring your soul to someone. It meant giving everything and being patient.
When she was younger, Ellie awed over her parents love and the way they held each other so close to their hearts. And then her mother died... Her mother died and a piece of her father died with her. For that's what love was, it was giving someone your everything even though you could risk losing it all. That's why Ellie no longer saw love as something to go searching for, because she wasn't so sure she was ready for everything to be lost if it all went wrong.
She loved king summer days in the sun; she loved coffee in the morning and the smell of fire burning; she loved the excitement she felt when it was time to come back to Hogwarts; she loved the way Sirius' smile could make everything in the world okay again.
But she wasn't sure she ever wanted to love someone so much that she lost herself.
"Hi." With a shy smile, Ellie whispered to Sirius who ran a hand through his hair bashfully. Perhaps her greeting was rather late, but neither of them minded.
"You ready Cubs?" Sirius asked simply.
Everything he wanted to tell her, everything he'd ever thought about the beautiful girl, was threatening to fall from his lips. But he held his tongue, he couldn't scare her off when he was this close.
Ellie just nodded her head eagerly, and that was all Sirius needed as confirmation before he took her hand, lacing his fingers into hers. Giving her hand a quick squeeze, the handsome boy felt like he could've tackled anything in that moment - that even if Lord Voldemort was to come charging into the school, he could've taken him down single-handedly.
In a sudden bust of confidence, Sirius swiftly pecked her temple, lips only brushing the beautiful girl's skin for a second, but it was enough to send Ellie a bright red colour which would've rivalled her dress. Her knees went weak once more, but she quickly composed herself as Sirius dragged her into the ball.
"Let's blow them away."
Bright and warm, the Great Hall radiated joy as the pair walked through the doorway. Right at the very end where the teacher's table used to be, there was now a huge Christmas tree which almost reached the ceiling, dressed in reds, yellows, greens and blues. Large round tables decorated in the most beautiful golden cutlery, surrounded the edges of the room leaving a large dance floor in the centre. Students and teachers alike, mingled all around the hall, festive laughs and chatter being heard from all over. With fake snow that fell from the ceiling, seemingly dissolving into the air before it reached two metres close to the ground, everything looked magical. Dazzling and completely breath-taking, it was difficult not to spend hours stood in the doorway just looking. The hall seemed to create some sort of cosy atmosphere that was comfortable and familiar, yet still retained the greatness it was named after.
Almost as if they'd cued it, as Sirius and Ellie entered, music from a large and rather ancient grammar phone struck up sending everyone into swirls of excitement. Filtch was in control from the far corner of the room, yet the music still travelled, and the bustling crowds parted to leave space for people to dance.
Whilst others were distracted, Remus and Peter had decided to claim one of the tables, sitting and watching the action. Or you could say Remus was reading a book he'd smuggled down, and Peter was sulking as he watched all the happy couples prance around excitedly together.
After departing from Lily on the stairs, Marlene had found Ivanna, who was adorn in a duck egg coloured dress, and the two girls had laughed almost hysterically at the fact they'd both chosen a shade of blue. They danced a little, but both of them only really wanted to chat, leading them over to Remus and Peter's table to sit down. Only a select few pureblood Slytherins had cast them funny looks, but that was because they believed Ivanna shouldn't have picked a Gryffindor to be seen associating with. It seemed that most other people didn't have the intelligence to figure out they weren't just friends that hadn't had anyone else to go with, but that wasn't something that bothered them.
Marlene was with the girl she'd been crushing on forever, and Ivanna couldn't get over how stunning the blonde looked - the were having the best night of their lives so far, and it had only just begun.
A constant chatter surrounded James Potter and Lily Evans, who had made their way to the edge of the dance floor. Surprising both of them, they had a lot more in common than what was previously known, and to James' great pleasure, this seemed to warm Lily to him. He asked about Lily's family, wanting to know as much about her as possible, and the red head gladly babbled away. The topic took a slightly sour turn when Lily mentioned a few choice things her sister had said to her on the arrival of her Hogwarts letter just over four years ago, and James, who had previously liked the sound of the sister named Petunia, decided that he no longer wanted to know anything else about that particular Muggle.
However, the messy haired boy managed to cheer Lily up when he told her a rather enthusiastic story about one time that Ellie had called him something the red head couldn't repeat, and he'd pretended to cry about it so it got her in trouble.
James couldn't ever remember if Lily had actually ever had a willing conversation with him, let alone listened in depth and laughed along. He hoped the rest of the night would continue as it was going, because then there seemed to be a slither of hope that Lily would continue to give him the time of day, and that was a big win.
"I think if Sirius tried to goggle at Ellie any more his eyes would roll out of his head." The red head told him once he came to the end of another story.
Watching her friend with her date in the entrance of the hall, the eyes of most of the other students on them, Lily couldn't help but feel completely happy for the pair. As much as she sometimes hated herself for it, she liked them together a great deal and watching them all dressed up; looking like some fancy duke and duchess; holding hands and both smiling so wide their cheeks must hurt, the red head had to admit that they did make a very attractive couple.
"It's weird, seeing my best friends together, but they belong like that." James replied thoughtfully, "I didn't see it, not until this year. Remus was the one that saw it first and I thought he was just being jealous - that maybe he was the one with the big fat crush on her, but it's not him. It's Sirius. It's always been Sirius... I can't really tell where Cubs stands yet though, she's more confusing."
"Oh, she likes him alright. She get's this dreamy look in her eyes when he's around." Lily giggled a little, causing James to snicker. Since when did Cubby get lovesick?
"You can help me plan the wedding then, Evans."
It didn't take Sirius long to drag Ellie over to the dance floor, for he was going to show her off all night. Not in a way that made her appear like some prize he'd won (though Sirius did feel like king of the world) but because the beautiful girl deserved all the attention she got. After everything she'd been through, she deserved the most wonderful night, filled with all things joyous and grand. Sirius would stop at nothing to give her that.
"You know how to dance right? You promise not to step on my feet, I've got toes still recovering from Jamie." He teased, pulling Ellie through the crowds towards the centre of the hall.
Sirius cast a glance sideways at her, his signature smirk gracing his features, and Ellie feigned hurt making him chuckle.
The handsome boy was well aware she knew as much about dancing as he did, and that was rather a lot, considering Walburga's insistence on him and Regulus having lessons since they were able to walk, all so that they couldn't ever embarrass the family at events such as this. In fact, Sirius had been rather deflated when he never got to dance with Ellie at her parent's party last Christmas, and so now he took this as his opportunity to make up for that loss.
"You know, I'd keep your mouth shut or I might just leave you date-less." Ellie threatened playfully, and Sirius squeezed her hand tight in response, "I like the Muggle look by the way, it really suits you. Sort of ironic really."
With her smile growing even wider, Sirius would've scooped her up and hugged her tight right there, but instead he dragged her quickly into the middle of the dance floor. Some students had gone and occupied tables, others stood like James and Lily did, and a select few couples were actually dancing together.
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall had begun the dance, and were still involved in a well-rehearsed waltz, a few of the other teachers joining them.
It wasn't until they stood together in the middle of the dance floor that Ellie had really noticed the stares on her and Sirius. The beautiful girl thought it rather silly really, they were no different than any other students at the school, though she did have an inclining it was because she'd told nearly everyone that she'd come across that she wasn't going.
Yet, Ellie couldn't help but feel as if people were only interested because of the last names they carried. She had never grasped the concept of how names could carry such influence in people's opinions and actions towards others, for they were just names after all, and people could choose to become whoever they wished. Though when Sirius was of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and she was the Youngest Descendent of Godric Gryffindor, people had expectations of how they were supposed to be, and for someone who didn't live in their world, their every move was fascinating.
"Are we going to dance? Or are you too busy goggling at... Who even is that?" Sirius looked over his shoulder to where Ellie had zoned off to, slightly worried that maybe someone else had caught her eye, but she quickly slapped his arm in annoyance making him jump back a little, "Woah! Okay. Always so violent Cubby."
"I wasn't goggling at anyone. I was just thinking..."
Taking his left hand and placing her other on his right shoulder, Ellie had become very aware of the fact they were standing right in the middle of the dance floor and not actually dancing, which seemed to only be drawing even more attention. Sirius got the memo, swiftly snaking his arm around her back and pulling her to his chest, close enough they were touching.
"Thinking about what?" He probed curiously.
The handsome boy had seen exactly the way Ellie had took a sharp breath when he pulled her nearer, and he was quite enjoying the crimson colour her cheeks were slowly turning. The nature of her dress meant the back was cut extremely low, so there was no other option but for Sirius to place his hand flat against her skin, and really, he wasn't complaining.
It sent shivers down Ellie's spine and she struggled to think straight, blinking a few times before being able to answer his question.
"Nothing of any importance." Her voice was taught and slightly strained, and a smirk tugged at the Sirius' lips.
Taking the lead, he began a waltz, not too dissimilar from the one Dumbledore and McGonagall had just stopped, both of them exiting the dance floor to talk to others. Professor McGonagall spared the dance floor many a glance, watching the two fifth year Gryffindors that had caught her eye. She couldn't help but smile at the pair, both of them spinning in orbit together as they should be.
Ellie used to hate dancing, for her mother would often force her to couple up with one of her friend's sons, saying it was 'a good chance to make new friends', which roughly translated to: 'these are nice young gentlemen who would all make a good husband for you one day'. Exhibit A was Jason Sanders last Christmas. And Sirius used to hate dancing too, for his mother would force him to have lessons until his feet ached, and when it came to such events that he'd need the skill, he never had anyone to dance with anyway - another Black family tradition that he would avoid at all costs when his parents weren't around.
But now, spinning in circles together effortlessly, both of the pair had completely changed their tune. They'd both dance with each other forever if they could, eager to display what the years of practicing had achieved in the process. And when would Sirius Black ever give up the chance to show off a little? The pair covered every inch of the dance floor, weaving around the other couples who didn't even seem close to the expert footwork the pair were displaying.
"Well could you tell me anyway?" He continued the conversation casually as they danced as if the steps weren't something he had to think about. Trying to see inside her head as he always did, Sirius gazed into familiar sea green constantly.
"Lots of people are staring at us." Ellie replied simply, the light in her eyes dimming slightly.
She was right. The crowd around the dance floor hadn't grown at all, but there were a considerable number of eyes now on them that weren't before. Sirius hadn't even noticed, he was too wrapped up in what was right in front of him, but he shrugged nonetheless. So what they're looking? We're good at this. He didn't really understand why it was seeming to bother Ellie so much, and he frowned at the fact that maybe she wasn't having as good of a time as he was.
"It's because you look beautiful." He replied smirking unapologetically, "They're probably just jealous of me. I mean, look at me... and look at you... best looking ones here in my opinion." Ellie rolled her eyes, "And my opinion is the only one that counts."
Whether she knew it or not, Sirius had succeeded in making the light return to her eyes, and he was extremely happy to see her start chuckling.
"Sirius Black, the picture of modesty, ladies and gents."