Mischief Managed

9: Dances and Delirium

Dedication- to Siriusly_sirusblack for voting on my chapters! Thank you so much, I'm glad you are enjoying the story and hope you like the chapter below!:)

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

I still love you, and I feel much better admitting it. I just wish you could tell me the same.

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I tied back the last of my hair, gently tucking a stray strand into a crown braid around my head, then stalked out of the dormitory before any of the girls would offer niceties and forced compliments on my dress.

Slughorn's parties were always made up to be more brilliant than they ever turned out; girls in my year would fret for weeks about who would ask them or who they would ask, but I was perfectly comfortable to sit back with the Marauders and laugh at all their fuss.

My dress was nothing special- I'd worn it to three "Slug Club" parties before, and the light blue silk was beginning to lose some of its hue. I silently thanked Merlin the dress didn't go past my knees; too often I'd seen some girl dressed in a ball gown flowing past her ankles make a fool of herself by tripping on one of the castle's many staircases.

I stepped into the Common Room and was immediately greeted by James, Remus, and Peter.

"Where's Sirius?" I asked casually, feeling uncomfortable dressed so formal in front of them.

Remus stifled a laugh as James answered, "Picking up his date outside Ravenclaw Tower."

I snorted. Sirius was too lazy of a student to earn himself a place in the Slug Club, but enough girls fancied him that he managed to secure himself a date to every one of the Club's parties.

James, too, was able to attend on invitation from a shy Hufflepuff girl who fancied him. However, he never felt obliged to extend the curtisies of meeting or escorting his date to the ball because, in his words, "everyone already knows I only want to go with Evans."

Peter had somehow managed to get a date as well, but Remus was able to attend the party because of an official invitation.

I laughed quietly at the sight of the three of them dressed up in suits and James immediately straightened his tuxedo.

"Something wrong?" he said frantically, glancing up at the staircase to the girl's dormitory. "Tell me before Evans comes!"

I laughed harder at Remus's exasperated expression. "Nothing, James, you just look ridiculous."

I glided past them, reveling in James's appalled face, and when I stepped outside the portrait hole, my hand was immediately taken by Dylan's.

"You look beautiful," he said, his eyes shining.

"Not too bad yourself," I responded, scanning him up and down approvingly. Unlike too-short Peter and gangly Remus and James, Dylan filled out his suit, looking masculine and proper.

"Ready for the ball?"

I sighed, the thought of dancing and dozens of dolled-up girls filling with me with an insurmountable dread.

"As I'll ever be, I suppose."

He took my arm in his and I laughed at his formality. He pinched my forearm in retaliation, and I twisted myself free of his grasp and dashed down the corridor. I chucked my heels down the staircase before running after them, cackling evilly as I heard Dylan race after me, swearing under his breath.

When we finally arrived at the ball, Dylan persuaded me to put my heels back on, and we danced for a good twenty minutes before Sirius interrupted us.