"Lilyflower can you please put these books away while I set up the cafe for the Christmas guests," Sirius sang as he placed a stack of paper backs on Lily's desk. Groaning Lily looked at her business partner and shook her head.
"Why can't Remus do this? I have a hundred of things to do before we let our party guests in," gesturing to her laptop she groaned and flipped Sirius the bird when he winked conspiratorially at her in response. Sighing she closed her laptop and grabbed the stack of books that she found herself with.

Picking them up she walked over to the shelves of books and started to organize them by last name of the Author. Focusing she didn't notice that the bell on the door had jingled, or that her skirt probably wasn't the best choice for climbing the step ladder. As Lily flited around the café putting books away and climbing the various step ladders scattered around the room. Sirius and Remus where working at the counter and she had been running the books at one of their tables before being rudely interrupted.

Remus had been the one to suggest hosting the party when they had opened earlier in the week. He and his mates were going to be in Newcastle over the holiday and Lily was estranged from her only sibling. So since she and her friends had nowhere to go neither did Remus and his, they had decided that a party celebrating the holiday might be fun.

Once all the books where put away and she finished humming the final verse of Jingle Bells, she turned around and raised an eyebrow. The café was covered in mistletoe, they hadn't agreed to this, looking for Sirius since this stunt had him written all over it, she blew her bangs out of her way. While annoyed she wasn't truly mad, especially since she had a feeling the Mistletoe was so he and Remus could have an excuse to kiss frequently.

Walking around the café looking for her friends and business partners she smiled as she closed her laptop and put away the business side of the café back into her bag. Placing presents next to their fake tree, Lily grinned, Sirius had wanted a new helmet for his motorcycle and Remus had started a new series of nonfiction crime novels, which had just come out with a new book.

Marlene had been dying for a LUSH bath and body set, while Mary and Dorcas had been a bit simpler, Mary wanted a batch of Lily's famous snickerdoodles, and Dorcas had been hinting at a new phone cover. Peter she hadn't been sure on but a gift card never caused any trouble. The only one who she hadn't bought a gift for yet was James. She hadn't had the foggiest idea on what to get him, they never really talked except when he hit on her, or asked her out.

Even though it had been going on since University she still didn't know him very well. Though in the last few months he'd been making a solid effort in getting to know her, she still felt as though she didn't know the bespectacled footie player all that well. Biting her lip she peeked into the back kitchen hoping Remus would be working on the baked goods for the party. When she spotted him working on the cookies for the party her eyes lit up and she felt a bit better.

"Remus, can we talk for a second luv?" she asked walking into the room her hands in her skirt pockets.

"As long as you can scoop and talk," he handed her a cookie dough scoop, "what's on your mind Lils'?"

"Well you know how we're giving gifts in a few hours right," she asked scooping the dough onto the tray, "I may have not gotten James a gift."

Remus paused in rolling the dough and looked at his best mate aside from the boys.

"Are you telling me that you don't have a gift for one of my best mates?"

"That would be exactly what I am telling you," she said looking at him, "I didn't want to get him a gift card because he's been actually making an effort in getting to know me and be my friend, without being a cheesy git."

"Well of course he wants to know you Lily, he's been in love with you since year one of University."

"He's never tried to get to know me before this year though," protesting she put down her scoop and looked at Remus eyes narrowed.

"What do you want me to do now Lily, I have to bake for the party I can't get him a gift for you.

"Remus, I want to get him a gift, I just need a nudge in the right direction, for what he would like."
Suddenly she was feeling like she should have gone to Sirius, but he was James' adoptive brother and that might be a little awkward. Crossing her arms she stared at Remus hoping he'd crack under her patented glare. When he sighed she could have kissed a toad, she was so glad that it still worked.

"I know that he was looking for a new set of football boots size 10 or a new crockpot as the one his mom got him a couple years ago broke," he said slowly knowing that these weren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

"Anything else, maybe a cookbook or a new ball?" she asked and bit her lip. She was worried that she wasn't going to get him anything good. But, the things that Remus had mentioned were out of her price range. Offering Remus a small smile she went back to scooping cookie dough onto the pan.

"Thank you Remus, I'll figure something out alright, I promise I'll get him something."

"Well he does love Winnie the Pooh, something about it being his dad always read him as a kid. I know that they lost the book when they packed up the house," Remus offered in one last effort to help his friend and partner.

Lily perked up a bit at that and smiled, "that helps a lot actually, thanks." She handed him the pan and kissed his cheek as she walked out of the kitchen. "I'm running a bit more errands, alright be back in time for the party," she called to Sirius who was cleaning the espresso machine before the final rush at the end of the day.

"Remember that you don't get to buy a boyfriend," Sirius called out her laughing as he shooed her out with a dish towel.

Lily walked to a used bookstore across town to justify the cookies she'd been eating at work, and sighed happily as she slipped into the store. "I was hoping that you might have an edition of the Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh on hand by chance," she asked the young man at the counter. The young man seemed startled at the sudden sound of a voice and looked up from his own book.

"Uh, yeah we should have one in the back with the other classic children stories." After pointing her in the direction from his stool, he went back to the book in his hand he made no move to help her. Surprised by the abrupt and disjointed service she followed his direction and found the children sections with minimal effort.

It took her another forty minutes to find the Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh and bring it back to the desk at the front of the dark and dusty shop. Placing it on the counter she pulled her wallet out of her purse and smiled at the uninterested shop clerk.

"That will be 20 quid even please, would you like that gift wrapped as well?" he asked barely looking at her.

"That would be marvelous if it's not too much trouble," she said smiling at him as she handed him the money she owed him.

Grinning she watched as he wrapped it in children themed wrapping paper and a bow on top. Taking her parcel she walked back out and back to the café. Once she got within eyesight of the café she slowed from her brisk pace to a leisurely stroll and walked towards the café excited about the gift she had bought him.

Now that she had a gift that would please a new dear friend, she was lost in her own mind. As she turned the corner to open the door she fell, no that's not what happened she had run into someone. Snapping out of her thoughts a little confused, she looked up at the dazed and startled James Potter standing in front of her.

"You alright there Evans?" she heard him ask as she focused on the fact that he was holding out a hand to help her up.

"Don't you wear bells Potter?" she asked as she used his hand to help herself off the snowy sidewalk.

"Nah, they'd just freak you out when you still didn't hear me coming," he teased as he held open the door. Shaking her head she gestured for him to go first, when he didn't make a move right away she went to walk past and ran into him again as they tried to go through at the same time.

"Alright Potter please go first," she said stepping back to allow him room to go through the door.

"No I insist that you go in first Evans," he argued bowing as he spoke to her.

"Fine I'll go," said walking in and blowing him a kiss teasingly. As she took off her coat and scarf hanging them on the coat hanger, she stood just inside the door waiting for him to come in so she could flip the open sign over. Once the sign was flipped she went to walk around him when she heard a soft cough from him. Turning she raised an eyebrow at him expectantly.

"What is it Potter, got a frog in your throat?"

"You decorate for the party?" he asked his cheeks flushed red.

"We all did why?" she asked eyebrows raised in confusion, "it doesn't look that distasteful does it?"

"Did you guys mean to put up so much mistletoe?" he pointed up above them to the mistletoe hanging above their heads and above a lot Remus's favorite places to sit or hang out.

"That was Sirius, not me or Remus, promise, we aren't that sex starved." She half shouted so Sirius could hear her.

"Oi! I resent that, I'll have you know that Remus is an excellent lover," Sirius called back flipping Lily the bird.

"I didn't need to know that," sticking her tongue out at him she didn't notice that James was frozen next to her.

"Lily," he coughed again cheeks still a touch pink, "we're standing under the Mistletoe…"

That brought Lily back to the boy standing next to her, "Oh, well we don't have to do it if you don't want too," she said softly her cheeks now matching James'.

"Right, of course not, we're mates now and mates don't kiss."

Nodding her throat dry she walked over to the tree to place his gift with the rest of the presents from herself. Not looking at Sirius or James she walked over to the kitchen and started to work. She'd made a fool out of herself, and it wasn't like she had a crush on James or returned his feelings right? Lily shook her head and pulled her hair into a bun and go to work on the soup for the party that would be starting shortly.

When Marlene, and Dorcas came in finally an hour after the appointed time of the party, Lily was feeling a bit better. She watched as her friends passed around gifts and pleasantries to one another as they settled among the chairs and couches around the tree. Sitting in her chair she hugged her coca to her chest and smiled at her friends.

Always aware of the mistletoe and James she kept at least three people between them at all times still embarrassed at his definitive confirmation that he didn't have a crush on her anymore regardless of what Remus seemed to think.

The night passed in merriment and smiled as they all sang, and drank and enjoyed their time together. Finally it came time to open presents and they went by who had eaten last, James had been the last person to eat, as he had stolen Remus' cookie from his very hand. Lily watched as he looked among the presents under the tree and plucked up her gift. Holding her breath she watched as he read the tag out loud before opening it.

When he didn't smile, or look up at her she felt her heart start to shake, well not shake-shake but the nerves came back. She stood and walked away to the counter to get another bite of soup when she felt a light hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure how you knew that I loved Winnie the Pooh or even that I had lost my copy, but thank you." James ran a hand through his hair and smiled down at her.

"I'm glad you liked the book, I'll admit I did receive a little bit of help, though that's not your only Christmas gift from me." At his raised eyebrow she took a deep breath and placed a light kiss to his lips. After a moment of stillness his hands cupped her face and he kissed back just as lightly. Once they had pulled away eyes locked on each other. Their friends stunned, watching eyes not believing what they saw. Lily giggled and pointed up at the ceiling. James' eyes followed to the white and red branch hanging above them.

"Happy Christmas Potter."

"Happy Christmas Evans."