It’s only as Lily’s being swung around and as the music slows to a stop that she notices the doormen pulling the doors open again. The Black family have already made their grand entrance, with the Pettigrew family trailing not far behind them, and the only family that she can think of who aren’t already in attendance are the Potters. Rolling her eyes as James Potter makes his entrance, flouncing his way into the ballroom and across to where Sirius Black is sitting, she turns her attention back to the younger Lord Prewett who had merrily been swinging her across the floor.
She doesn’t see James Potter glaring at Prewett as he passes them, and doesn’t see as one of the violin players in the string orchestra exchanges a shy smile with the older Black brother.
“Another dance, my Lady?”
She shakes her head, spotting Petunia next to their mother along the edge of the room.
“I must take a break, but I do hope to see you at the next ball. You dance wonderfully, my Lord.”
She curtseys as he bows to her, kissing her fingers and the two separate, making their way back to their families. As Lily makes her way back across the room to her mother, the whispers of the girls around her fill her ears. The Black boys, of course, are the talk of the room as they usually are. It’s no secret that neither of the boys have yet to find suitable wives, with many families wishing to make that connection for their daughters.
The orchestra starts back up as she’s making her way through the throng of families, and she watches as Alice and Frank Longbottom take gentle hold of each other and start swaying across the floor. They’re the star couple of the town. Their courting story is well known among the younger girls, with Alice unhesitant to share advice as to what to wish for in their courtings and marriages. There are of course, rumours that Alice is with child, but nothing seems to have come to light yet in that aspect.
Someone lightly tugs at her sleeve, and she turns to find Petunia guiding her back towards their mother.
“You would have walked into Lord Potter, Lily! You must watch where you are walking!”
Their mother scolds her as the two eventually come to a halt beside her, the fans of the servants keeping her mother cool in the hot ballroom.
“I do apologise Mother, I will endeavour to keep my eyes upon my proper target at all times lest I bump into the Potters.”
There’s a cough behind her, and she turns to see Sirius Black standing behind her, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He gives her a small smirk, bows and offers his hand. She rolls her eyes but places her hand in his anyway.
“Lady Evans, I do believe that my friend Lord Potter would not be at all, ahem, insulted, lest you walk into him. In fact, I do believe he may enjoy that, should you happen to go near him during this fine evening of entertainment.”
“Mr Black, you should in fact know by now that I am not at all interested in Lord Potter’s advances, but in fact quite the opposite. You however, seem to not be at all interested in any advances from any of the young ladies in this hall. Why pray, is that, if I am allowed to enquire?”
Lily watches in glee as a light flush rises up Sirius’ cheeks, and watches as his eyes flick towards the orchestra. He glares at the floor, and looks back up at her, a hint of guilt written across his features.
“My mother absolutely disapproves of my choices, should we put it that way? I’m a little like Marlene and Dorcas, but alas, quite the opposite.”
Lily nods, an understanding shared between them from the glance at the violins, to Marlene and Dorcas sharing glances across the ballroom, and the meek glare at the floor. There have been whispers of course, and the servants in her house aren’t as discreet as they believe themselves to be. It’s not Cook’s fault that Lily sneaks into the kitchen to cook all sorts of niceties like biscuits and cakes for her and Tuney, but Lily’s heard all sorts of gossip from the other houses around the area.
She knows, of course, that her mother would absolutely disapprove of her knowing the town’s secrets but she’s told no-one. Almost no-one.
Mary is waltzing her way across the floor with Lord Nott, one of the younger Lords that Lily has never made even so much as a conversation with. Sirius follows where she’s looking and lifts his eyebrows at his partner.
“Quite the prettiest dancer in England, don’t you agree?”
Sirius clears his throat, nodding his head in agreement.
“I do believe my mother coached her for a little bit, although if that was a ploy to try and get my brother Regulus to meet her, it did fail miserably.”
Lily laughs a little at that, knowing Mary is quite hung up on Peter Pettigrew but does not share that information with Sirius.
“Mary and Lord Black would make a lovely couple, I’m sure. Is there anyone whose hand your brother would particularly fancy?”
Sirius cocks an eyebrow at her, tilting his head towards where the Potters are stood.
“Well, I’m sure he’d absolutely be inclined to elope with James but the fool is too hung up on you to even notice him. Yes Lily, both of us. Mother was furious when she found out.” He lowers his voice and moves closer to Lily, whose jaw is dropping off its hinges. Sirius places two fingers under her jaw and gently closes her mouth so as to not cause more of a scene than they already have. “And I’m sure that if Lady Macdonald wasn’t so smitten with Peter, and so close to an agreement for her hand with his family, that he’d be first in line for her. You’re not the only one who enjoys a trip to their kitchens, you know? And please do give James a chance at some point tonight, even if it’s just the one dance.”
The two step towards the dance floor as the orchestra prepare to start again, and Sirius bows to her as the first notes fill the hall with sound once again. Lily loses herself in the magic of the music and allows him to spin her around the floor with little care to who is watching them, and what they may be thinking: Sirius’ last request has her lost in her mind, and in the music. Her mother probably thinks there may be something happening between her and Sirius but knowing James Potter is actively pursuing her is something she’d never properly considered.
Sirius pinches her lightly and she comes back to herself, smiling apologetically at him. The music has slowed, and she lets Sirius sway her across the floor until they’re directly in front of the orchestra and the violin player that he had shared a soft look with earlier. He leans into her again, breathing his name into her ear. Remus Lupin wasn’t a name that she’d heard regularly before until this ball season. The Evans’ household servants had taken pity on him after their hosting had finished, sneaking him into the kitchens, Lily’s favourite hideout. They’d never had a proper conversation, with Lupin only going so far as to greet her and nothing past that.
She nods at him as they waltz past, the violinist only inclining an eyebrow at her to show that he’s recognised her. Sirius takes her back across the floor towards where her mother and sister are standing, ending the dance in front of the Potter family as they run out of time to get all the way back across to where Petunia and Lady Evans are standing. James smiles politely at Lily, smirking at Sirius as he bows to Lily.
Although they’re both of age, and Lily debuted last season, she’s never been particularly inclined towards the need for marriage. She knows her mother would like to see her settling down with one of the young men from London, but she also knows her mother is focusing more on finding a young man for Petunia although in the last few weeks, there has been some discussion with the Dursley family for their younger son Vernon to marry Petunia.
James clears his throat beside her, raising an eyebrow as Lily flushes slightly.
“As this evening seems to be drawing to a close without a dance from you Miss Evans, would you permit me to accompany you in the first dance at the next ball that we both find ourselves together at?”
“I have no reason to decline, so I will write your name upon my dance card for the next ball, Lord Potter. I bid you a good night, and a safe journey home.”
James bows to her as she passes him, catching up with her mother and Petunia as they gather up their shawls and umbrellas. Their carriage is one of the first to be called and Lily waves to Mary as they climbed into the empty carriage which was being held open by one of the doormen. As the horses start moving, Lily makes herself comfortable, ready for the lengthy journey ahead. Only slightly regretting not taking up James Potter’s offer of a dance, she is very much looking forward to the next instance they should be at the same ball.