The light scattering of snow crunched beneath their feet as James and Lily strolled through Hogsmeade, peering at the displays in the shop windows as they walked passed. James kept sneaking glances at her and grinning to himself; after three months of working together as Head Boy and Girl, they were finally doing something that didn't involve work, just spending time with each other - as friends, he reminded himself. Lily had been very clear when she'd asked him to go with her that this was absolutely not a date.
"So where do you want to go?" he asked, his breath turning to mist and fogging up his glasses. "My first stop is usually Zonko's, but it's probably irresponsible for me to be seen buying prank supplies."
"Not that it'll stop you from pulling pranks," Lily said, sounding amused. She pointed a gloved hand towards the Three Broomsticks. "Want to get a butterbeer? I heard they're playing muggle music in there today."
"Seeing as getting frost bite is probably the alternative, I am fully in favour of butterbeer."
Lily pushed the door to the pub open, pulling off her gloves and scarf as the warm air enveloped her. It was busy inside, probably due to the weather, and there weren't very many spare tables around the bar itself, only a few tucked away in the corners of the room.
She and James approached the bar for their drinks, both ordering a large glass of butterbeer that frothed as they carried it to a table and sat down. There weren't many people from the school around; the weather had put the majority of their friends off leaving the dormitory, but Lily had been eager to get some fresh air, and the walk into the village had been enjoyable, even if James had been paying more attention to her than to where he was putting his feet. If she hadn't caught him in time, he'd have ended up flat on his face twice no more than ten minutes into their little outing.
"So," Lily said, smiling at James across the table. "Er, what are you doing for the Christmas hols?"
James shrugged. "Not a lot. Sirius is staying at mine, as always. Mum wants to go Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley at some point, but that's about it. You?"
"I think my sister is bringing her boyfriend over," Lily replied, frowning in displeasure as she recalled Vernon's last visit.
"So I'll be needing plenty of this on Christmas day." She held up the glass of butterbeer before taking a sip. "Actually, probably something a bit stronger."
"I warn you to stay away from firewhiskey, Evans," James said. "We managed to convince the house elves to give us a bottle last year and the results were, uhm, interesting. Pete was sick on Sirius, who actually managed to get a fifth year to kiss him even with puke on his shoes, and Remus decided to go to McGonagall's office and tell her how much he appreciated her as a teacher. She didn't even give him detention, I don't know whether she decided to let him off for drinking because he's Remus or if she genuinely thought he was sober."
"Oh wow," Lily replied, putting a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I would have paid good money to see that conversation between Remus and McGongall. I think at this point she just doesn't know -"
Lily broke off, looking off to one side as if she'd seen someone she knew. James' followed her gaze but couldn't see anyone beside the elderly couple sat at a nearby table, sharing a bottle of mead.
"What?" He asked.
"I love this song!" Lily said, turning back to him. Her red hair framed her face perfectly as she began to mouth the lyrics to the music under her breath. "When this came out, Petunia and I made up a dance to it and everything."
James cocked his head to one side and listened. When the chorus of the song started, he tapped his fingers along to it. "Hey, I know this! It's called Respect, right?"
Lily raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, by Aretha Franklin. How do you know that?"
"Sirius has a record player in the dorm and I would conservatively estimate that he has listened to this song about half a million times." James grinned and took a sip of his butterbeer. "He's obsessed with muggle music."
"I didn't know that about him," Lily said appreciatively. "Half a million eh? Sounds like you should be on a date with Sirius instead if the two of you spend your nights in the dorms playing records to each other." She raised an eyebrow at him and grinned as James' eyes grew comically wide with confusion.
"Wait, you said this wasn't a date!" His eyebrows furrowed together as Lily simply smiled. "IS it a date?"
"It won't be if you keep gawping at me like that! Honestly James, be quiet I can't hear the song."
A smile played on James' lips as he watched Lily sing softly to herself. It seemed strange to him that, after fancying her for the better part of two years, they should be casually discussing music and drunk escapades - yet here they were. And they continued that way once the song finished, talking for so long they had to buy more butterbeers so the bartender wouldn't kick them out. As snow flakes drifted past the window and the sun began to set, James thought to himself that he was very lucky to definitely not be on a date with Lily Evans.