A/N: And here is the belated (and long awaited) 9th chapter! Thank you so very very much to all of my fabulous reviewers!
Disclaimer: Do I have to type it again? Yes? Alright: idonotownanyharrypottercharactersandtheyallbelongtomsrowlingexceptforthosethatihavepreviouslystatedareminemyownmyprecious. HA! Decipher that if you can!
Chapter 9
Lily and James walked down the frozen drive towards Hogsmeade, heads bowed against the cold gusts of wind.
"So, um, Lily, where do you want to go?" James asked.
"Somewhere warm," Lily said, attempting a smile through her chattering teeth.
"Well, I expect there are lots of warm places in Hogsmeade," James replied, thinking of options quickly. "D'you want to go to the Three Broomsticks, Madam Puddifoot's, Honeydukes, Zonkos…"
"Hmm...I don't really mind, but Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks and Zonkos are always so crowded, and, well, most guys don't really like Madam Puddifoot's…"
"I have an idea," James said.
"And what's that?"
"You'll see, and after we go there, we can go anywhere you like, because I don't mind either, I just want to go to one special place."
"That's fine…"
They walked in silence for a few minutes before exiting the Hogwarts Grounds, the towering winged-boar statues capped in snow.
James glanced sideways at Lily, and said "Lil, err, I mean Lily," he corrected, chastising himself mentally for using his pet name for her.
"Yeah?" Lily answered, looking totally unfazed by James' nickname for her.
"Look, I'm sorry I was sorta cantankerous before…"
"Don't worry about it," Lily said quickly. "Where did you say we were going?" she asked, not recognizing the shops that now surrounded her. "I've never been to this part of Hogsmeade before."
"I didn't say."
"Oh," Lily said, "How dreadfully vacuous of me not to remember what you said."
James laughed softly. "Don't sweat it, really. Trust me, compared to Sirius, you remember like, everything I say. 'What was that, Prongs? Sorry, I didn't get that.' It gets rather annoying, but I know he just does it to bug me. And in the interest of illuminating your confusion in where we are going, we're going to a little shop called The Sorcerer's Stones."
Lily gazed up at James, confusion still clouding her eyes. "I've never heard of it."
"Really? I need to look for a gift for…my mum. I was kind of hoping you'd help me pick it out."
"Sure. What were you going to get her…I don't even know what the store sells."
James walked over to a shop with frosted windows. It looked very warm inside, and the windows were filled with beautiful jewelry that glowed from the soft light inside. "Come in and take a look," he said, smiling.
Lily walked in and gasped. There were glass cases all around the shop filled with rings, necklaces, bracelets, toe rings…any kind of jewelry anyone could think of. "What were you thinking of getting your mum?" Lily asked, tearing her eyes away from a Celtic bracelet.
"Jewelry," James replied, looking at Lily closely.
"Well, that's…obvious," Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"I really didn't have much of an idea…I don't think I have very good taste in jewelry."
Lily smiled, fingering the locket around her neck. "I wouldn't say that, James."
"So, what do you suggest?"
"I…don't really know. If it were me, I would probably get a bracelet or necklace for my mum."
"Okay, but which one?"
"Umm," Lily said, walking slowly around the shop, looking meticulously at all the jewelry. Finally she came back to the silver Celtic bracelet. "Probably that one," she said, pointing.
"Why?"
"Because it's my favorite, and my mum and I have similar tastes…I think that it kind of runs in families, you know? Like, if your parents have a lot of something around their house, I think that you'd be more likely to have something similar in your home because it reminds you of being a kid."
"Makes sense," James said, shrugging. "You know, my mum really likes silver too. I think I'll get it for her." He signaled for the attendant to come and told him what he wanted.
"Would you like it gift-wrapped?" the man asked.
"Oh, err, yes please."
Ten minutes later, James and Lily left the jewelry store, James with the bracelet tucked securely in his pocket.
"Have you decided where you want to go?" he asked, putting an arm around Lily's shoulder.
"How about the Three Broomsticks," Lily suggested, thinking of the warm butterbeer served there.
"Sounds good to me," James said.
They turned back onto the high street, which was now slushy from all of the Hogwarts students walking up and down it. When James opened the door to the Three Broomsticks, they were met with a rush of warm air.
Once they were seated, Lily looked around. She loved this place, always so clean, but also slightly ostentatious. The barista, Madam Rosmerta, flounced pretentiously over to the table that James and Lily were sitting at.
"James Potter on a date with Lily Evans! I never thought I'd see the day! What can I get you, m'dears?"
"Two butterbeers, please," James said, smiling up at the pretty barista.
A few minutes later, the butterbeers arrived, James' mind switched to the package in his pocket.
"I hope you don't mind me saying this, Lily, but you're not as garrulous as I thought…not that that's a bad thing," he added hastily.
Lily smiled. "I've never been really talkative. Alanna and Alina usually talk incessantly."
James grinned back. "Yeah, and you're always doing something, you're kind of assiduous, too."
"Look who's talking! You're Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team; you're Head Boy, and Salutatorian of our class."
"And you, Valedictorian, and Head Girl."
"Yes, yes, you're both exemplary students. So what?" came a different voice.
"PADFOOT!" James hissed, though rather loudly. "I told you that this was my day with Lily. That excludes the rest of the Marauders!"
Sirius slunk off, occasionally throwing death glares over his shoulder.
"Sorry, Lily. He can be repugnant and incorrigible at times." James said, running his fingers through his hair, ruffling it more than it already was.
"That's the first time you've done that," Lily commented.
"Done what?"
"Ruffled your hair," she said, smiling again.
"Sorry, nervous habit. So, um, Lily, before we go back up to the castle, I have a little something for you." James reached into his pocket and took out the box from Sorcerer's Stones.
Lily gasped. "No, James, you didn't! That's supposed to be for your mum, isn't it?"
"My mum's birthday was a couple of months ago. I wasn't sure of what you liked, so I just told a little white lie to find out."
Lily opened the box to find the bracelet that she had admired in the shop. "Thank you so much, James," she whispered.
"You're welcome. What say you to doing this again next Hogsmeade visit?"
"I say that you've definitely changed, James Potter, and of course I'll come with you next time."
A/N: Yay me! I finished that one…the words I had to use were hard, too…so, now that you've read this chapter, be a good reader and review! And, as always, for those of you who do not feel creative at the moment:
Good chapter. Update soon.
I liked it.
Good job.
Update soon.
Yay, you finally updated. Now do it again.
I hate this story.
Please don't inflict any more of your horrible writing skills on us.
You're weird.
Did you realize how completely pointless this chapter was?
This story sucks.
FINALLY! I've been waiting for the date in Hogsmeade for like, ever!
And, if you have any suggestions pertaining to the story whatsoever, please feel free to put them in your review!
