Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!

25 Days of December

By Toffrox33

Chapter One- Winter
Pairing: James/Lily

1st December 1977

The hazy, grayish light seeped through the crack in the thick scarlet curtains, illuminating a thin white strip over James's face. He was dreaming of quidditch; of winning this years house cup. The sun was shining above them as the Gryffindor team soared in long arcs around the pitch for their victory lap.

Then the thin strip of light widened suddenly as James's best friend, Sirius, pushed the curtains around James's bed open. James gasped and his eyes snapped open.

"Did we win?" He mumbled wildly, staring around him with unfocused eyes. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"No, idiot! It's December. Stop dreaming about quidditch." He said, leaning casually against the corner of James's bed. James frowned to himself and rubbed his eyes. He reached for his glasses and put them on, before sitting up and running a hand through his tangled, hopelessly messy, morning hair.

"Urgh. December." He groaned sleepily, squinting up at Sirius, his eyes still not adjusted to the wintery light that spilled in through the dormitory window. "Why are you waking me up, anyway?" He asked, confused. "Are we late for something?"

"Nope. It's Sunday!" Sirius said cheerfully. "I was just up early and got bored." James glowered up at his best friend.

"Sometimes I wonder why we're friends." He muttered, climbing out of bed and shivering at the cold.

"Aw, you're just saying that 'coz you're all cranky from being up early." Sirius teased, his eyes bright with laughter. James sighed and grabbed his dressing gown.

"And whose fault is that?"

Sirius grinned mischievously. "Well, I'd say its Moony and Wormtail's fault! They're the ones who sleep like the dead! Or maybe it's your fault for being a light sleeper." He laughed to himself. "I dunno, either way, you're the easiest one to wake up so…" He trailed off as James went into the bathroom.

James sighed. He hated winter; always had done. His friends thought he was crazy. "What's wrong with winter?" Sirius had asked back in first year when James had first mentioned it. "Don't you like the snow, and sitting in front of the fire with hot chocolate? Not to mention christmas!" James shivered. In his opinion, Christmas day was the only good thing about winter. Hot chocolate in front of the fire? He could do that any evening! Snow? Well what's so great about getting soaking wet every time you step outside. Snow was just pretty rain, the way James saw it.

Winter was cold and wet. And although James loved occasional snowball fights or a cup of hot chocolate to warm him up if he needed it, James was absolutely convinced that the world would be better off without the blasted season.

He finished up in the bathroom, quickly dressed in several layers of clothing and smiled grimly at Sirius as they made their way downstairs.

Sirius laughed at James's scowl when they saw the magic snow falling from the ceiling in the Great Hall.

"Prongs, you've gotta get over your hate of winter. You waste a whole quarter of the year complaining about the season. Why don't you just enjoy it. It's Christmastime now! Look! They even have the good old charmed mistletoe!" Sirius smiled fondly at the plants hanging innocently above the doorway. James rolled his eyes and carefully avoided walking anywhere near it.

"Whatever, Padfoot."

"Is there anything in the universe that could convince you that winter isn't really that bad?" Sirius asked. James grinned.

"Nope. Nothing." He said firmly.

And that's where he was wrong.

~-1-~

That afternoon, James was sitting in the common room, reading, while his friends went for a walk in the grounds. He was just finishing up a chapter, when Lily Evans entered the room. He glanced up and grinned. He and Lily had become friends since the start of the year, when James realized that in order to win Lily over he'd have to stop acting like a prat.

"Hi Lily." He said, suddenly aware that they were the only two people in the room.

"Hello James." Lily said brightly.

"You're happy." He noted. Lily grinned.

"Yes. I love winter!" She said happily, beaming up at the snow covered windows. James frowned.

"Really? I never liked it. Too cold." He shivered to prove his point, then closed his book and set it aside. Lily gave him an odd look.

"Strange. I always saw you as the sort of person who'd enjoy the cold." She said thoughtfully. James snorted.

"What's to like about the cold? There's a reason you feel it when dementors are around- it's not good." He looked up at Lily seriously. She frowned and sat down beside him.

"Well, I suppose if you're gonna look at it that way." She said, meeting his gaze.

"What other way is there to look at it?" James asked.

"Well, I always loved the cold. Because, if it's cold, you get to do loads of special stuff to warm you up! Like hot chocolate!" Lily said, her bright green eyes sparkling happily.

"Hot chocolate isn't just for winter." James said.

"No, but it's more special in winter! It's like a warm bath or snuggling up by the fire. You can do it in summer aswell, but it doesn't make you feel as good as it does in winter."

"So… you're saying that the good thing about the cold, is the stuff that warms you up again." James said slowly.

"Exactly."

"But that's not something good about the cold itself." James said. He smiled at Lily's slight frown. "Trust me, Lily, I've been having this argument with almost everyone since I was about six."

"Well what about Christmas?" Lily protested. "You've gotta love Christmas!"

"Sure I do. But winter isn't Christmas." James said.

"Christmas is in winter!" Lily said hopefully. James laughed.

"Lily, you really shouldn't bother! There is nothing in the universe that convince me that winter is good." He said, smiling fondly as Lily frowned thoughtfully to herself, her green eyes trained on his hazel ones. Then, she grinned triumphantly.

"I can think of something." She said smugly. James grinned at the look on her face. She looked up at him with a childish smile, as if she knew something he didn't.

"Try me." James said, equally as smug. Lily grinned.

"Winter is the season that I finally said yes." She announced. James blinked, surprised.

"What?" he asked, his smugness replaced with a puzzled look. Lily stared at him, her wide, mischievous eyes suddenly solemn.

"Ask me out." She said quietly. James's eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose.

"What?" He said, startled. Lily leant forward, so that their faces were a few inches apart.

"Ask me out." She repeated. She saw James's eyes go from shock, to disbelief to solemnity that mirrored the look in Lily's eyes.

"Will you go out with me, Lily?" He asked softly, leaning closer to her instinctively.

Lily closed her eyes. "Yes." She breathed, just before their lips met.

Because she was right. She'd won the argument. She'd convinced James Potter that winter really wasn't that bad. Because not only was winter the season of Christmas, and hot chocolate, and snow. It was the season that Lily Evans finally said yes.

And that was the only thing in the universe that could change James's mind.

.

.

A.N- This is the first chapter of twenty-five. There will be one for each day leading up to Christmas. Each one will feature a different pairing and will be about something related to Christmas! :)

Written for the '25 Days of Christmas Challenge' over at HPFF Challenges!

Hope you enjoy it! And remember to review!

Toff.x