James watched her carefully. What was she doing? He opened his mouth to ask the question aloud in pure bemusement but quickly stopped himself. He wasn't visible but Lily wasn't deaf. He hovered above her, just off to the side, straining to hear her.

"What have you done?" Lily mumbled. She had no idea what she was planning to do for the remainder of the evening. She had no way of travel other than her own two feet, no money, and no ways of communication. In a nutshell, she was stranded "What'veyoudonewhat'veyoudonewhat'veyoudone?" she repeated.

She leaned forward on her elbows and slid her hands into her hair. As she pressed the pads of her fingers into her scalp, something loosened within her. The knot caught between her chest and throat grew larger and larger as it seemed to untie itself and Lily tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow it down before it came completely undone. She pressed her lips together and willed the feeling to go away.

James was speechless as he saw Lily's shoulders begin to shake. It started off distinct, he could see each sob go through her as her body jolted slightly, and then slowly she was just shaking with tears that he couldn't see. He was torn.

Stop it, Lily berated herself, control yourself.

James had never seen Lily this way. So sad and…disorderly. He had no idea how to handle a girl this way. He hardly knew how to handle Lily in regular circumstances, how was he to handle her now?

He had to do something.

He landed his broom and leaned it against the structure of the swing set. Lily barely registered the shuffling noises around her as James circled the swing she sat on. He removed the charm to be visible to her, not wanting to alarm her as he spoke up.

"Lily?" He kneeled down beside her, not even glancing at the sand that was sticking and rubbing off on his slacks. He ducked to try and get a glimpse of her face. "Lily?" he said again.

She jumped. "Potter," she choked out, hating the way her voice sounded. She swiped at her cheeks to rid the remnants of tears but they continued to well in her eyes anyway. She didn't trust her shaky voice enough to speak again so instead she looked at him through the curtain of her hair, trying to hide what she was sure were red eyes and washed out cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What are you—" her whisper stopped short as her throat locked. She started over a little clearer. "What are you doing here? Go home."

"What about you?" he countered.

"I'm fine."

"Lily."

She was silent. James sat back on his heels. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head.

"Do you need me to take you home?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm fine." She meant to say the words but they seemed to vanish somewhere between her throat and her lips. She mouthed them noiselessly.

"Do you want to come back with me?" James offered cautiously.

After a moment of silence he sighed, lifting a hand and pulling back her hair to see her face. Her green eyes glistened with tears and she refused to look straight at him. She swatted his hand away apathetically but he had already gotten the red tresses behind her shoulder. He frowned at the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks and the way her lips pressed tightly together. "Lily, do you want to go home?"

"I'll…go soon," she dismissed, "don't worry. Go home."

"Do you want to go home?" he repeated.

Her hesitance was all the answer he needed. He pulled her hand from its place on her lap and tugged her to stand. "Come on," he said.

Lily didn't move at first, nor did she pull her hand from his larger one. "Potter, I'm fine," she insisted. "Honestly."

James bent at the waist to be eye level with her. "Look me in the eyes and say that again," he said. "Go on. Honestly."

"I'm fine," Lily said again. James watched as she blinked back tears.

James finally succeeded in getting her to her feet and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She let him for a moment before stepping out of the almost embrace. He pretended it didn't hurt.

"Come back with me?" he asked.

Lily shook her head. "It's Christmas Eve," she said, "I wouldn't impose on your family like that. Thank you though. I'll…I'll just go home."

"Look, Lily, I don't know what's going on and I don't want to pry…but you don't want to go home." She didn't deny this so he decided it best for him to plough on. "You wouldn't be imposing. I'd love it if you'd spend Christmas with us."

"I'm not sure-"

"Lily, come on, you're not spending Christmas alone." He paused. "I won't be that bad, I promise. Show a little Christmas spirit. People change."

"It's not that…" she trailed off. "Are you sure your mother won't mind? Black?"

"Sirius will be fine. Mum will be…" he searched for the word, "delighted. Come on."

Lily nodded hesitantly. "Okay," she said. "Thank you, Potter."

"How about calling me James?" he suggested. "And maybe talking to me on the way back?"

"Sure," it came off her tongue sounding a little foreign to her own ears, "James."

He grinned. "Great." With a curled finger under her chin, he tilted her face upwards. "Don't look so sad," he told her, "it's Christmas."

Lily turned away from him and used the back of her hand to wipe at her cheeks. She was fairly certain all she succeeded in doing was making her cheeks red from being rubbed at but when she looked up at James with a sheepish attempt at a smile his grin only widened at her.

He fumbled around the swing set blindly until his hand landed on his broom and he managed to get on it with only a bit of trouble and guessing at where it was. After helping Lily on as well he let her handle the disillusionment charms for the both of them and pulled them into the sky.

"Okay," James started, "if you'll hold on tight, try not to panic, and let me fly a little faster, I can get us there in twenty minutes flat. Maybe less."

Lily considered this before scooting a smidgen or two closer to him on the broom, trying not to feel awkward about it. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that difficult a task.

"I'm up for anything," she decided firmly. "Let's go."

James shot the broom forward and she squeaked. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Just startled," she assured. "All good."

James chuckled at her forcibly compliant tone and slowed down a tad. It was silent for a minute. "Do you, uh, want to talk about it?" he asked.

She didn't have to ask to what he was referring. "No," she said quickly.

"Okay. I just thought maybe I could…never mind."

"It's just…family stuff," she told him. "I'm just being stupid really. It's not a big deal."

James wanted to contradict her and tell her that anything that made her that upset and stopped her from spending Christmas with her family was most certainly a big deal. He refrained.

"Are you sure I won't be imposing on your family?" Lily asked again. "I'd hate to interrupt your Christmas. I mean, you said your dad was coming home, too and—"

"Lily," James cut in. "You read the letters I sent you. You were invited over. You're more than welcome."

Lily cringed. Now she felt even guiltier.

She didn't know how James managed to sense this as he pulled away from her a little. She could hear the disbelief in his voice. "You didn't read the letters I sent you?"

"I—"

"You're kidding," he said. "Am I really that intolerable?"

She winced. Yesterday it would have taken her no thought to reply, 'Yes, Potter, yes you are,' but today seemed to be a different story. Today was Christmas Eve and she was sitting on a broomstick with him, going back to his estate to spend Christmas with his family completely voluntarily albeit one of very few options. And any bloke that would fly half an hour with a girl, who didn't even want to talk to him, only to fly her back another half an hour (possibly twenty minutes) on Christmas Eve because she broke down in tears upon arrival without even mentioning the inconvenience of it all couldn't be that bad.

She sighed. "No," she admitted, "you're not that intolerable. Sorry."

She could feel the movements of him shaking his head.

"If it's any consolation," she began, "I did read the first letter or two."

He laughed blithely. "Ah, I guess it was a longshot anyway."

Lily tried to remember what she had done with the other letters. If she recalled correctly she had tossed a couple on her desk carelessly. Maybe she'd read them when she went home.

A change of subject was in order. "You know, Pott—"

"James."

"Right. James, you still have a couple of questions left for me if you want. You only used three."

"Okay." He took a minute to think. "Would you rather go back in time for a year or go into the future for a year?"

"Neither," she said.

"Really?"

"Do you know how complicated time is?" she asked. "If I went back and changed something I could show up in the present to a completely different world. I'd be living a completely different life. Possibly over something so simply as, say, sleeping in an extra five minutes on a Sunday morning. I may not like everything in my life but I don't think I'd want that."

"Okay, fair enough," James agreed. "And going into the future?"

She shrugged slightly. "There are a million possibilities in that."

"Care to explain?" he prompted.

"What if I saw something terrible?" she suggested. "What if I saw some awful thing happen and I came back unable to control it but always awaiting it?" Lily gave him a second to let that sink in before she moved on. "Or, what if I saw the best things and best moments of my life? And then they're therefore ruined for when I return to the present. I would no longer have things to look forward to.

"That would be disappointing." She quickly let go of James with one arm to brush the hair away from her face.

"Fine. Say you had to do one. Either go back or go forward?"

"Go…back," Lily decided. "What about you?"

"I'm asking the questions," James reminded.

Lily's eyebrows rose. "I'm not allowed to ask any?"

"Nope."

"I hardly think that's equitable."

"That's because it isn't."

"Do you have any idea how much I want to slap you right now?" she asked lightly.

"You'll get your chance for questions later," James assured. "Right now, I still have one question left."

"Ask away." She let out a tired breath. James suspected she didn't realize it, but she leaned against him as she exhaled with her whole body. He wasn't about to point out the unnecessary contact to her, lest she move away and ruin it.

Suddenly he noted the silence and realized Lily was waiting for his question. He swiftly supplied one. "What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?"

Lily thought this over carefully.

After a full minute of her thinking James couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "What?" she snapped. "I'm thinking."

"Have you not done anything risky?" he asked. "Ever? You've never taken a chance, have you?"

"I have, too," she argued.

"No, you haven't."

"Yes, I have."

"No, you haven't."

"Yes, I—This is puerile. What do you know?"

"I know you haven't done a single daring thing since, well, ever."

"Shut up," she said. "If you know so much, then why ask the question in the first place?"

"I could be wrong," he said, "as highly unlikely as that is."

She scoffed before replying. "Going to Hogwarts."

"What?"

"The riskiest thing I've ever done," she explained. "Going to Hogwarts. Changed my life forever."

"Hogwarts isn't risky," James pointed out.

"It is when you're an eleven year old girl with no knowledge about magic whatsoever. Surrounded by kids who already think you're weird enough." She paused. "Muggle-born," she said, "remember?"

Well, now he felt like an ignorant and insensitive jerk. "Right," he said lamely.

Lily nodded.

"Okay," James said, "your turn. Five questions."

A minute later Lily had made up her mind. "Okay. What is your biggest pet peeve?"

"Pet peeve?" he asked.

"Something you can't stand," she elaborated.

"Ah," James said in understanding. "Er…I don't think I have one."

"Yes you do," she said. "Everybody has a pet peeve. You can't just…be okay with everything."

"Well…I hate it when the bad people win?" he suggested.

"That doesn't count," Lily told him. "Everyone could say that."

"Oh." He was quiet for a minute, contemplating something. Apparently a pet peeve was something small...he thought. "I hate it when my peas roll into the rest of my dinner," he announced finally.

She laughed.

"What?" he asked. "That counts, doesn't it?"

"Not…really," she said.

"Well what's yours then?"

"I'm asking the questions," Lily quipped, throwing his line back at him.

"Right," James muttered. "Give me an example then?"

"Like when people chew with their mouth open. Or messy rooms."

"I live with Sirius," James laughed, "neither of those apply."

"Of course," Lily agreed. "Okay, we'll get back to that then. Moving on."

"Please," James said in relief.

"What's something you hate about me?"

The broom stopped short as James sat up in surprised at her question. "What?"

She smirked to herself. "You heard me."

"I don't hate anything abo—"

"Oh come on."

"I don't."

"Come on, tell me. One thing."

"I don't hate anything about you."

"What if I told you I put peas in everything?" She felt his shrug. "Even in mashed potatoes," she said, "and butter and breakfast foods."

"I'd, uh, I'd do most of the cooking," he supplied.

"Really."

"I could eat…around them I suppose."

She found his persistence a little frustrating. It was strange that she found herself smiling anyway though.

"One thing you don't like about me then."

James sighed. "Can't you ask another question?"

"No."

"Fine." He considered his words carefully. "For the most part, I admire your strong-will, but your stubbornness can be a little infuriating."

"Is that all?"

"As far as I know, yes," he replied. "The one thing stopping you from giving me a fair shot."

"You don't think the problem could have something to do with you perhaps?" she asked.

"Not anymore."

She didn't have anything to say to that and instead chose to change the topic. "Do you believe in soul mates?"

He laughed. "Are you suggesting something?"

"No. It's a question, answer it." He opened his mouth but she interrupted. "Honestly please. Save the lines for someone who might actually fall for them."

"You know me so well."

"Shut up."

"But, love, you wanted me to answer the question."

"Potter, don't—"

"Ah, ah, ah," he sang, "what's my name?"

"James," she said begrudgingly. "Shall I just change the question altogether?"

"No, no," James told her. "I've got an answer for this one."

"Feel like sharing?" Lily inquired after a beat.

"I believe that there are people out there who are…meant for you."

"You believe in soul mates," Lily summed up.

"Er, no," he said. "Didn't say that."

"Well, what are you saying then?"

James thought about this. What was he saying? "I think there are people who you're just meant to connect with but I don't believe things like love existing between two people simply because they're 'destined' for each other and all that. I think to an extent it's compatibility that way, but I think people make a relationship work because they work together to make it work." He paused. "Am I making sense?"

"Plenty, actually," she said in surprise.

"Good." He couldn't help himself. "But, I mean, if you believe in soul mates, I am more than available to be yours."

"Oh. And you were so close," she said.

"Really?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes," Lily informed him. "So close to not ruining it."

"It? It what?"

"Believe it or not, sometimes you say things and I start to think you're really…I don't know."

"What?"

"Like I could get along with you," Lily phrased.

"Really?" he asked, but before he had even finished the word Lily had continued.

"And then you throw things like that in."

James frowned. "It was a joke."

"So you didn't mean it?" she asked.

James felt as though this was a trick question. "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

"Can't we just forget I said it?"

"No."

"Look, no more lines, okay? I swear."

"You can keep that promise?" she asked.

"Definitely." Pause. "Probably."

The laugh that escaped her wasn't exactly on purpose, but she didn't feel the need to take it back in any way.

"Okay," she said, "hm. Next question. If you could have anything, anything in the world, what would it be?"

"Your—" He stopped himself. "Sorry. No more lines. I think—"

"What were you going to finish that sentence with?" she demanded.

James' eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he realized what she was presuming. "Love!" he exclaimed. "Er, affection. Your affection. That's what I was saying."

"Right." She sounded a little dubious but he accepted this and deemed it okay to move on.

"What counts as anything?"

"Um, anything?"

"Okay, then I'd want my family and myself to remain healthy and generally happy until the day we each die."

She hummed uncertainly and James let out an audible sigh. "That doesn't count," he said flatly.

"Mm, I meant materialistic things, really."

"I see."

"Don't say it like that. It's just a question. I'm not superficial."

"I don't think you are," James said.

"I'm not."

He thought about this for a moment. "I'd want my own professional quidditch team."

"Interesting."

"Really?"

"No," she said teasingly.

"So close," James whistled.

"So close," Lily agreed.

"You've got one more question," James informed her.

"Technically, I have two. You've yet to adequately answer my first."

"No, technically I owe you two answers," he corrected. "You've only got one more question."

"Fine," Lily relented.

"So," James prompted, "what have you got left?"

"I'm going to save it. I'm tired." Lily decided finally. She paused as if thinking this over. "Mhm," she agreed, "yep. I'm going to save it."

"Save it?" James asked. "Who says you're allowed to save it?"

"I do. It's mine. I'm saving it."

"Not fair," he accused.

"I never said I was fair."

She heard the grin in his voice. "Fair enough."

There was a short silence.

"You're really going to…to hoard your question?" James asked.

"Hoard?" Lily echoed incredulously. "I'm not hoarding, I'm saving."

"No, no," James said, "you're hoarding. In fact, you're a…a question hoarder."

She laughed at the absurdity of the title. "You're ridiculous," she told him. "It's one question. I don't think it can be hoarding when there's only one. Truly and utterly ridiculous."

He chuckled at her and then they fell into a bit of a lull. She closed her eyes, the warming charm beginning to fade away from her and the cold air slowly starting to breakthrough and brush her cheeks. She leaned a little closer into James, letting his body block her from the cold. His warming charm was wearing off as well, but he had no one to shield him from the wind. He told himself this wasn't so bad though, he had Lily tucked against his chest, and he was taking her home. To his home now. She was going to spend Christmas with him. He could handle a little chill.

"Are you cold or is it just me?" Lily asked quietly.

James resisted a shiver. "Ah, it's not so bad."

"Are we almost there?"

"Just about."

"Are you just saying that?"

"Not really. We've got about three minutes left."

Lily nodded against him. "Three minutes. Okay."

"Hey, I've heard about muggles singing, er, carols? Christmas carols?"

"Yes. What about carols?" she said.

"Do you know any?"

"Yes."

"Will you sing one?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No, I don't sing."

James sighed. "Please? You don't have to sing well, I'd just like to hear one."

Lily thought of the song that had been going through her mind earlier that morning. "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll sing for you."

"I don't think I'd really care to hear you sing, James."

"What? Why?" James sounded appalled. "I have a lovely singing voice."

"I'm sure."

"Just a little even? A few lines? That's all I'm asking."

"I get an extra question then," Lily bargained.

"Now you're a real question hoarder."

"So be it."

"Okay. One extra question."

Lily took a deep breath. Her voice shook terribly. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas." Her voice became a little clearer as she looked up and continued.

James liked her voice, it was pretty. Not great, or one of those natural singing voices, but it was pretty. Melodic and sweet.

She went on for about four or five lines before she stopped. "Happy?"

"Definitely. And guess what?"

"What?" Lily asked.

"We're here."

A/N: Hello everyone! I should be getting work done at the moment but instead I've decided to procrastinate and edit this. Terrible of me, I know.

Anyhow, some of you guys are just too good. Am I totally predictable?

I was supposed to wait a day before posting another chapter, but that idea was shot to hell the second I opened Word and went to story files rather than actual work. So. Oh well.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review!

Anyways,

Scarlett