Chapter 30 Inspiration

Halloween was considered one of the most revered celebrations on the Ilvermorny calendar, so the school had pulled out all the stops to ensure that the Halloween of 1975 would be a night to remember. The Professors decided that the students were deserving of a small break, so they all altered their class material for one day to reflect the occasion that they were celebrating. For instance, in Transfiguration they learned how to turn various books into pumpkins, which was pretty neat. In Potions, they brewed draughts that smelled, and tasted a lot like candied apples. History was a bit dull since they only covered the history of Halloween celebrations in America amongst both the Magical and Non-magical communities. But the day ended on a high for Severus, Lily and their friends, since their fifth year DADA class was spent learning a spell that conjured pumpkin pies and hurled them like projectiles. When everyone had learned the spell, Professor Bartholomew even said they could have a small pie fight for the last ten minutes of class, a decision that his fifth year cohort soon made sure he'd regret. It was easily the most fun Severus and Lily had up until that point, but the cleaning up after said fight wasn't nearly as much fun.

Once the Halloween feast had concluded, the main event of Ilvermorny's Halloween celebration was set to take place, an event which all the students, save for the first years, were well aware of and were looking forward to. After sundown, some students would accompany three of their Professors out onto the south side of the castle and release a number of lanterns that would then float up into the night sky. This year, the second years were handling proceedings, but that didn't mean the rest of the castle wasn't allowed to come down and watch. Severus, Lily and their friends all agreed to head back to the Horned Serpent Wing to watch from the south-facing side. It was a tradition performed for hundreds of years ever since Ilvermorny's founding back in 1627 by Isolt Sayre, and as the castle grew, she dictated that more lanterns be added to the ceremony. When Ilvermorny started out the size of a large shack only a single lantern was released, but now, over a hundred would be making their ascent into the night sky.

After dinner, Lily, Severus, Thomas, Caroline, Nicole, Scott and Sandra all made their way to the Horned Serpent Wing and found an empty corridor on the south side, which granted them unrestricted views of Mount Greylock's southern face as it fell away from them. The lanterns were set to be launched into the sky at eight o'clock on the dot, so with a few minutes to spare, the group made it to the corridor and lined up shoulder to shoulder, staring out the window in eager anticipation of the ceremony.

"Should be any minute now," Thomas muttered, glancing down at his watch to check the time.

"I'd hope so, unless the second years screwed it up and aren't ready on time," Scott said with a grim look on his face.

"C'mon Scott," Sandra said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Have some faith. You and Caroline were second years when you launched 'em right?"

Caroline chortled a slight laugh. "We were, but Scott spoke from experience. We did screw it up if you remember, and we only got 'em launched at like…eight twenty, didn't we?"

Scott glanced over at his sister and nodded in agreement. "Hopefully this year they actually—"

"Look!" Nicole and Sandra said simultaneously, both girls gesturing out through the glass at the faint flicker of light in the distance.

The remaining five all retrained their eyes on the faint glimmer of light, a good two hundred meters away from where the base of the castle met the ground, and just outside the tree-line.

"Looks like they're ready," Lily murmured, leaning closer to the glass to get a good look.

A few other Horned Serpents entered the corridor and peeked out another window as more faint flickers of light joined the first one, more and more lanterns being lit. More and more lanterns were illuminated by the second, as the staff and second years all commenced the final phase of preparation before launch. Severus and Lily were stood by side, both pressed up closer to the glass to get a better look, watching with eager eyes for the launch of the first lantern.

"Any moment now…" Caroline muttered under her breath, as she, like Severus, waited eagerly for the launch of the first lantern.

Sure enough, not fifteen seconds later and the first lantern was up away, cast off into the night by the second years. The second and third were soon to follow, then the fourth, fifth, sixth, and the rest all going in droves after that. Like a river of light, against a canvas of darkness, the lanterns followed the wind into the night sky illuminating the south slope of Mount Greylock and the numerous mountains of the Berkshires beyond it.

"Wow," Lily gasped, shifting closer to Severus slightly as her eyes followed the lanterns' ascent. "They're so beautiful."

"It is," Severus murmured quietly. "Remember when I snuck out of my house back in the summer of '69? The night of the Apollo 11 launch? This feels like that."

Lily chuckled softly at the memory, it was truly unforgettable for all the right reasons. Severus had snuck out of his bedroom at his old home in Spinner's End and ran down the streets of Cokeworth in nothing but his fraying, long-sleeve pyjamas. He ran right out of Spinner's End through the darkness to the more brightly-lit streets of Walnut Lane, then knocked on the Evanses front door to be let in. The Evanses were huddled around their much-smaller TV set, tuning in intently to the launch. There was about five minutes to go on the countdown when they heard Severus pounding on the front door. Mark checked who it was and let the young boy in. In his too-large pyjamas, Severus dashed through the foyer into the sitting room, plopping down on the settee right beside Lily just in time for the launch. A few minutes later, the blazing fire of those five, massive Saturn V engines illuminated the Evanses living room as the rocket roared to life and began its days-long trip to the moon, to the tune of applause and cheer the world over. Severus watched with undisguised awe as the rocket ascended higher and higher into the sky, punching through air without the aid of magic and taking the fight to gravity with raw, chemical power. He didn't like Muggles all that much in those days, he really didn't like them, but he could respect their knowledge and ingenuity, the things they were able to do without magic were just astounding to young Severus.

"I still remember that. You in your massive PJs asking to be let in, then running across the house right to me, it was so cute," Lily cooed.

Severus, who'd had his eyes trained on the lanterns, turned to Lily with a scowl. "Don't call me that."

"Why not though? It was the truth!" she chuckled, kissing his cheek, then turning back to the lanterns.

"Look at 'em, they're all going their separate ways now, carried by the wind. That's pretty neat," Thomas commented as the lanterns' paths began diverging from one another.

"Yeah. I wonder if there was a way to track where each of 'em went though," Sandra added, her blue eyes fixed firmly on the highest lantern of the lot, a good three hundred feet in the air now.

"You could make something like that, couldn't you Lils?" Caroline said, playfully nudging her in the ribs.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure Carrie," Lily said amusedly. "Making a spell like that isn't all that easy, y'know."

"But you've already made two spells, haven't you Lils?" Sandra asked. "So why would this one in particular be that much more difficult."

"It's because making a spell that makes flowers bloom, or charms cloaks or robes to be warm, is much easier than a spell designed to track hundreds of wayward objects each going their own way," Scott said blithely. "No offense." He threw an apologetic glance Lily's way.

"None taken," Lily said in return. "No Scott's right. My spells that I've created so far are fairly basic. Like you said, they made flowers bloom, and another makes our clothes warmer, a tracking spell for multiple targets is far more difficult. I wouldn't even know how to get started on even making a spell like that."

"So, I guess it's a good thing that you're aiming to be a Spell-Crafter or a Charms Mistress then isn't it?" Thomas said roguishly, his chestnut eyes glowing brightly amidst the gloom.

Lily couldn't help but smile in agreement.

After the last of the lanterns had been launched, Lily and Severus along with their friends all retired to their dorms for the night. They were all dog-tired from their activities throughout the day, Lily especially so since she'd been up late the night before for her detention.

It wasn't the first time Lily had thought of it before. A tracking spell. A tracking spell to monitor where Death Eaters were. It was the first time she was seriously considering a spell like that, and actually stopping to think just how difficult it would be to make. Very difficult to craft, almost impossible since there were only a handful that'd been made by spell-crafters in history and they were all nightmarishly complicated to produce, hence their limited number. But if one could make a tracking spell, say…one that would track not objects but people, specifically Death Eaters, like the trace tracked underage magic, then that'd make life back home a lot easier wouldn't it? For almost the entirety of November, Lily kept this to herself, silently wondering and thinking of all the ways she could make a spell that would be able to track Death Eaters. Naturally, she hadn't a clue, as great as she was at charms, she was only a fifth year and had only made basic spells up until that point, but if gave her all the more fuel and motivation to get her mastery in charm-crafting as Severus' words from last summer rang loud and clear in her ears.

That she could be far more powerful witch with her smarts than she could be with her wand, and she had every intention of proving Severus right about that.

As November dragged on, Thomas had his second race of the season and promptly put in an absolute masterclass of a race to claim his first ever podium while still racing on a school broom. He qualified sixth out of sixteen, but took advantage of the foggy conditions to gain three places during the twenty lap race to rise to third on the final lap. After the race, he was mobbed by his friends and housemates, even Paxton congratulated him on his stonking performance by awarding him with a voucher. A voucher that would provide in full for a brand new racing broom courtesy of the Wade Snyder racing team. His excellent third-place finish had turned a lot of heads, for Paxton was far from the only talent scout to talk to Thomas after the race. They hounded him like…well, hounds, until Nicole barked out a loud warning that she and her boyfriend wanted time alone, which sent them scampering off. Thomas had never been more grateful for Nicole's sharp temper than he was in that moment.

A few weeks after Thomas' race, Lily was surprised to hear back from a few of the programs she'd written to back home in England. To her immense satisfaction, three of the Charms Mastery Programs back home had written her back saying that they were interested in her applications so far, and that should she secure an O grade on her Charms OWL, then they'd accept her into the program come summertime. She eagerly told Severus the news that three of the programs were interested in her, but when Severus inquired as to whether there were any stateside Charms or spellcrafting programs that had written her back yet, she sadly informed him that none had. He advised her to keep writing, and that if nothing came up here in America, he'd be just as happy for her to pursue her career of being a spell crafter back home in England. She was quite touched by his consideration, and promised him that she'd keep looking. She continued to write to programs on the east coast, but as her assignments and other duties kept growing, she soon had to put a stop to it as they entered the final month of term.

What she was adamant about not giving up, was her correspondence with her parents and Petunia. She learned that Petunia planned on moving out sometime before the summer since her longtime boyfriend Robert had found a flat and a well-paying job in Birmingham. Lily felt happy for her sister, that she was finally moving out like she'd always dreamed of, and that she'd found her place in the world. Petunia always felt as though she didn't quite belong in smoggy, working-class Cokeworth, so in a way, Lily felt some semblance of relief that her older sister had found something better suited to her lifestyle. An idea or goal to strive towards. In other news, she learned that her mum and dad were doing just fine and that her dad had taken a two-month sabbatical from work from November until the new year. He'd been feeling burnt out for quite some time, and with some money to spare, he decided now was a good time to take a breather. Her mum still continued her gardening pursuits and that she'd even picked up a new hobby in knitting, a skill she'd never been taught by her parents when growing up. Lily supposed that meant she and Sev would be getting new jumpers from her mum for Christmas or their birthdays.

By the time November ended and December began, the assignments Severus and Lily were being given started to pile up, and under the weight of Severus' additional brewing assignments, and Lily's prefect duties, their stress began to build. Their decision to drop out of dueling club was looking wiser and wiser as the last month of the year went on. Their workload was still heavy, but they could at least see the light at the end of the tunnel, and knew they just had to hold out for another few weeks and then they'd be home free. As school wound down, Sandra had the bright idea to have a little end of term celebration on the last weekend of term. Severus' lab would serve as the perfect location for it, provided Severus was willing, of course, but with Lily's excellent persuasive skills on her side, she was sure he'd be amenable to using his lab as the location for their party. Sandra shared her idea with the group, and surprisingly, Severus was rather willing to offer up his lab as a suitable location. Everyone else was also in agreement that a party was just what they needed, nothing too fancy or large—at Severus' insistence, it was his lab after all, but just the seven of them with maybe John and Billy if they were interested.

With term finally over in mid-December, the castle and its inhabitants breathed a collective sigh of relief. On the last weekend of term, Saturday evening at seven o'clock, Lily and Severus were stood outside the latter's lab, ready to enter and enjoy one last night among friends before returning home for the break.

"Ready Sev?" Lily asked, gesturing to the door.

Severus swept past her and reached for the handle, but paused upon grasping it, turning around to look at his companion. "I'm not too eager to see what those buffoons we call our friends have done to my lab…but Merlin, we may as well get this over with," he said gruffly, yet with a hint of humor.

Lily grinned back at him.

Without further delay, he depressed the handle and entered the lab. Except…you couldn't really call it a lab anymore, gone were the workbenches and tables in the middle of the room where he did his experiments. He was fortunate to have cleared out his brews and equipment before all this so his friends wouldn't have had to deal with that. He was relieved to see that the storage cupboard housing his completed potions and ingredient stores were still untouched; but in the middle of the room where the tables and benches once were, there was a large empty space with numerous beanbags on the ground arranged in a circle and a small table in the middle of it all. Atop said table, was all manner of finger food and drinks. His friends seemed to have noticed his arrival, for all five of them offered himself and Lily friendly waves, beckoning them closer.

"Glad you could join us," Sandra said with a broad smile.

"Rosie didn't keep you too long?" Caroline added, also smiling at them.

"Nope, no she just had a few words for us that's all," said Lily.

"I take it that…seat is for us?" Severus asked, gesturing to the lone beanbag that wasn't occupied.

"It sure is, got your name tag on it and everything," Sandra said, patting the bag next to her.

"Really?" Lily asked curiously, squinting to get a closer look of the beanbag.

"No. But we figured you two lovebird might want to…cozy up a bit, if you catch my drift," Thomas chuckled.

Severus flipped his roommate a long, pale, middle finger, to which he laughed. Lily and Severus sat down on their beanbag, Lily deciding to take residence in Severus' lap and cozy up against his chest.

"You guys want a drink?" Sandra offered, gesturing over at the table which housed their various drinks, and snacks.

"Just a butterbeer for me please," said Lily.

"And me too," said Severus.

"You guys sure I can't tempt you with something that's got a little more kick to it? I brought in some Ice Whiskey just for this occasion you know," Caroline said from the opposite side of the circle. She held out the bottle in her hand, showing her two friends what it was. The drink was native to New England, and sort of similar to the Fire Whiskey that was prevalent back home, both in taste and alcohol content.

Severus was quick to shake his head, as was Lily, to his surprise. She seemed just as adamant as he was to stick to their butterbeer.

"I'm fine thanks."

"Same here."

If Caroline was surprised, she didn't let it show on her anyone could open their bottles, Sandra sat upright on her beanbag and loudly cleared her throat. Six sets of eyes found her's, and when she was sure she'd captured everyone's attention, she began to speak.

"Guys, before we have our first drinks, I propose a toast." Sandra grabbed her bottle from beside her beanbag and spelled the cap off, then raised it into the air. "To our friendship, and to many more nights like these in the future!"

They all chorused their agreement and raised their bottles into the air as well, toasting to many more years of friendship, and that this night wouldn't be the last time they did this. Lowering their bottles to their lips, they all drained their first of what would be many swigs that night.

"Mmm, that hit the spot," Lily said contentedly, rubbing at her stomach as the cool butterbeer cascaded down her throat.

"It did, did it? Sure I can't tempt you with something stronger?" Caroline asked once more in earnest.

"My answer is still no Carrie, and I don't think it'll be changing anytime soon," Lily said, flashing the girl across from her a sweet smile before taking another swig.

"Before we all get too hammered, I wanna know what you guys'll be up to over the break, 'cus I'm curious," said Thomas.

"I'll go first, if y'all don't mind," Sandra interjected, raising her hand to ward off any words her friends intended to say.

"Go for it," said Caroline, nodding encouragingly at the Muggleborn chaser. The remainder of the group nodded encouragingly as well.

Sandra leaned back a bit, her messy raven hair falling out of its braid as she sank back into the beanbag. "I'll be goin' overseas for the first time ever, so I'm looking forward to that. My mom and pop wanna visit relatives in Canada, and I've never been before, not ever, so we're gonna be flying out from Boston tomorrow to Calgary in Canada, where my uncle and aunt live."

"So your parents are flying out to Boston from Cleveland?" Thomas asked curiously.

"Yep! And from here, we'll be heading up to Canada. I'm not looking forward to the weather, but it'll definitely be nice to see my uncle and aunt after all these years."

"I, for one, have been to Canada. At this time of year the weather is awful," Nicole proclaimed, drawing the attention of her friends to her. "So make sure you pack some really warm clothes or just transfigure some of your existing ones to be more insulating, 'cus the winters up north are far colder than what you'd get in Cleveland."

"I'm already one step ahead of you Nicole," Sandra said with a cocky grin. "I've been practicing that warming charm Lily made a while back—" she spun around in her seat to face Lily, her messy hair flying about, "—thanks a lot for that Lils, I think it's gonna help me loads."

"You're most welcome," Lily said, lifting her bottle slightly.

"Wait, but hold on a second here…" Thomas interjected, confusion in his tone. "Won't you get busted for doing underage magic? Surely the trace still works up there, won't it?"

"C'mon Tommy…we learnt this in Magical History, like…three years ago or somethin' like that. There is no trace up in Canada," Nicole ribbed, laughing mirthfully at her boyfriend's forgetfulness.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Scott, Caroline, Nicole and Sandra exclaimed in unison.

Thomas sighed and rubbed at his forehead with his non-bottle-holding hand in a show of frustration. "I really need to pay more attention in Magical History then."

"Maybe since you've now got a racing broom, you can spend more time studying and less time practicing next semester then. Might help improve your grades a bit," Severus joked, his grin taking the bite out of his words.

That got him a sock on the arm from his none-too-pleased roommate.

"So, what about the rest of you guys then? What're all y'all plans for the break?" Sandra asked the rest of the group.

"Scott and I have something we'd like to share," Caroline piped up. She set her bottle down on the floor and sat up a bit straighter in her bean bag. "Well, this is more for Severus and Lily if we're being honest, but…may as well tell the rest of you guys as well."

"What is it Carrie?" Lily asked curiously.

"Scott and I will be going to Europe this break with our parents, and for about a week, we'll be in England…we were hoping that we could meet up with you two if…you have the time for it, that is."

Lily's eyes lit up brightly, her nod quickly answering Caroline's question. "Oh, we'd love to!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, that's…we can even introduce you two to Marlene! She's that friend from Hogwarts I told you guys about that'll be coming here next year!"

"Marlene…McKinnon, wasn't it?" Scott asked.

"Yep, that's her alright," said Lily. "She's…her mum is actually Professor Rosier's sister, 'cept she married into the McKinnon family. So she'll be coming here for the next two years, then heading back home to fight against Voldemort—" Scott and Caroline shuddered, clearly they'd heard tell of the rising dark lord in pureblood circles, "—when she's of age and we've all graduated."

"You mentioned you want to oppose him too…don't you, Lily?" Nicole pointed out, her tone betraying a hint of fear she felt on behalf of her friend.

"I do," said Lily. "That's kinda why I want to get into spell-crafting. If I can make spells and charms for the good guys…then I think that's the best way I can help in this war—" she flashed Severus a grateful smile, then turned back to their friends, "—I want to fight. And I will fight. My parents are among those Voldemort wants wiped off the face of the earth, and I can't stand by and watch that happen."

"Very well said, Lily," Thomas smiled.

"Beautifully put," added Caroline, clapping her hands and smiling serenely.

"What about you Severus?" Nicole asked, not to be dissuaded.

Severus looked hesitant to answer. He fleetingly met the gazes of each his friends, exhaled heavily, then said; "At this point in time…I want to focus on getting my Potions mastery with Esme—erm, Professor Rosier, but once I have my license, I'll…try to find a way to help too."

"By making potions, salves, treatments…that sort of thing, right?" Nicole asked again.

"Something like that," Severus answered, nodding at his fellow potioneer.

"Well, I think all of us here can agree that we wish you the best of luck with your…endeavors, and we'll be rooting for your success in defeating this Voldemort character," Sandra said proudly.

The seven friends all raised their half-empty bottles in salute and took another hearty swig.

"Anyways, getting back to what I was saying before all this, would you and Severus be keen on meeting up with us over the break?" Caroline asked.

"I think we'd like that," said Severus. "We could always meet at Diagon Alley, it's one of the more popular shopping districts in magical Britain, and it isn't that hard to find either."

"Diagon…alley?" Scott asked, his brown eyes blinking slowly as he processed Severus' statement. "As in…diagonally?"

Lily flashed Scott and Caroline a grin, then nodded.

"Yeah, I agree with Sev, it'd be best if we met there, there's plenty to do around there so if you guys are keen on meeting, just send us an owl. Our address is 16 Walnut Lane, Cokeworth. Oh yeah, and if you could let us know the dates you'll be there, then that as well."

"Does that mean the rest of us can write to you guys as well?" Nicole asked with a smirk.

"If you're able and willing to pay for portkey post which costs an arm and a leg on the best of days, then by all means…be our guest," Severus responded in kind.

"Yeah, fat chance of that happening," Thomas scoffed. He glanced over at Severus, a not-very-apologetic look etched onto his features. "Sorry man, won't be getting any letters from me."

Severus smirked. "Don't worry, they won't be missed," he said coolly, not skipping a beat with his reply.

The group shared a laugh at Thomas' expense, with even the target of Severus' cool quip cracking a smile as well.

For the rest of the night—until ten o'clock curfew, that is, Severus, Lily and their friends drank to their heart's content. Sharing stories, laughs, jokes and enjoying their last night together of term before they all parted ways for the break. Lily and Severus both planned on having a restful three week stay back in England, their semester had easily been their most stressful and tiring one to date. Thomas revealed to his friends that while his dad hadn't been booted out of the Air Force for his mishap, he'd never fly in a front-line squadron again, despite gaining near celebrity status as the most successful African American pilot since the second world war. Within the Air Force, Adam Baker was highly respected and revered, but that didn't stop the upper brass from stripping him of his wings after his crash. By the time curfew had rolled around, they'd already put Severus' lab to rights, and were well on their way back to the common room. After a round of hugs and murmured 'good nights' the seven friends parted ways for the evening and returned to their dorms, dog-tired, and in Scott, Sandra and Caroline's case—feeling more than just a bit tipsy. Despite all seven of them being as tired as ever, some had an easier time falling asleep than the rest.

Lily, Severus, Nicole and Thomas all woke the following morning feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. They'd even beaten the sun and wisely used their time by squaring away all their belongings and packing them into their trunks. By sunrise, the four of them had all finished packing and were all ready to leave. They waited in the common room for the arrival of their…slightly more inebriated friends, who at that very moment, were feeling the full effects of their hangover as they woke from their restless slumber. They waited for quite some time before Scott, Sandra and Caroline decided to make their appearance, looking much groggier and worse-for-wear than their four well-rested friends. Deciding not to comment on their bedraggled appearance, the group set off for the Meal Hall together to share their last meal of the semester together. Breakfast was an upbeat, yet somber affair, their impending departure hanging over them much like the fog outside. By the time they'd ate their fair share of breakfast, Sandra, Scott and Caroline were all feeling a little better thanks to Severus' dietary recommendations. Plenty of coffee and plenty of fruit, and the three of them were feeling considerably better, but curious as to how Severus came across that nugget of knowledge. With their bags all packed, and the Hippogriffs waiting in the courtyard, all that was left were their goodbyes

They left the Meal Hall together in higher spirits and headed for the Hippogriff-drawn carriages parked outside in the courtyard. Snow fell in little flakes upon their shoulders as they boarded the carriages, sky a soupy, grey mixture inhibiting their vision, preventing them from glimpsing the peaks of the Berkshires. Huddling together for some warmth, the seven friends all helped one another into one of the carriages. One short carriage flight later, they bade each other goodbye at the base of Mount Greylock and all began their journeys home. For Severus and Lily that involved their usual coach ride into Boston with Thomas and Sandra, but unlike prior trips, they had about three hours of time to kill before their portkey was scheduled to depart from beneath the Boston Common. The two fifth years instead planned to drop their trunks off at the terminal and using the two hours they had to get some Christmas shopping done at Quincy Market. They made it to the Portkey terminal at twelve o'clock sharp, dropping off their trunks with the security officers there then finding a bus that would take them to Quincy Market. After a few minutes of fruitless searching they found a bus stop and boarded a bus that would take them directly to the Market.

The bus ground to a halt, brakes screeching and smoke pouring out. The door opened with a whine, and the not-too-pleasant-sounding bus driver barked for those disembarking to do so quickly. Lily and Severus quickly paid their fare and stepped out into the freezing cold, breath condensing in the air the moment it left their lips. It was snowing heavier in Boston, the air well below freezing and far too cold for the Cokeworth natives' liking. They hugged their coats tighter, hoping it would help ward off the chill even just a bit more effectively, but all the while lamenting the trace and their inability to use magic. A couple dozen meters away stood the proud rotunda of Quincy Market, the warmth promised within spurring the two teens on. They stuffed their hands in their pockets and quickly walked to the side of the building, where the entrance to the magical section of the market was located. They approached the east wing of the building and without preamble, walked right into—and through, the solid granite wall separating the two worlds. When they stepped through the other side, they were greeted with blessed light and warmth, driving the cold from their bones in force.

"Mmm, that's so much better," Lily said, rubbing her coat-clad arms through the fabric.

"S-Sure is," Severus agreed, his teeth chattering slightly.

Lily's green eyes drifted over the various shopfronts the East Wing had on offer, then turned to Severus and asked; "So…do you wanna split up or stick together?"

"I say we stick together. Things'll be more efficient that way and we can keep better track of the time," Severus reasoned.

"Alright. Fine by me," said Lily, holding out her hand expectantly for Severus to take. He grasped it, and the two wandered off towards the nearest shopfront which sold various wizarding clothes.

The shop wasn't all that large, with a low-hanging ceiling barely seven feet tall. The dim lighting and the abundance of shelves all contributed to its claustrophobic nature. But despite how densely packed it seemed, Lily quickly spotted what she was after, for she made a beeline for the section selling sweaters mere seconds after entering the tightly-packed shop. She held one up for Severus to see, a simple green sweater with red, zig-zagging stripes running horizontally that really brought out the color of her eyes.

"What do you think? This one'll be for my mum," she said.

"I think it looks good," Severus said earnestly, eyeing the garment up and down. "In fact…maybe a size smaller and it might fit you."

"Perhaps, but another time, I think my mum'll love this," Lily said fondly. "She let slip in one of her letters that she wanted to make us sweaters for Christmas this year, Sev, so I think I'll get her this in return. I can't knit yet so it's the next best thing, right?"

"If we were still in school, you could've tried to use that warming charm of yours on it as well," Severus replied.

Lily flashed Severus a toothy grin, then folded the sweater over her arm and headed for the counter to pay for it.

There was another rack of clothing one aisle over with high-waisted trousers, and if Severus knew anything about Lily's clothing choices, it was that she loved anything that was high-waisted. So while she was distracted and chatting away with the cashier, Severus quickly crossed over to the next aisle and picked out a pair of navy blue trousers, briefly comparing them to his own legs, then, deeming them acceptable, tucking them inside his cloak so Lily wouldn't see. Thankfully, the shop wasn't all that busy so Lily and Severus were able to go right up to the counter to pay for their gifts without having to wait. They then made a hasty exit to escape the close confines of the shop.

"Alright, where to next then, Sev?" Lily asked the moment they exited the claustrophobic clothes shop.

"How about that bookstore over there?" Severus suggested, pointing over Lily's shoulder at a shop directly opposite the clothes store. "I think I'll be able to find a number of things you and your dad'll like in there."

Lily's eyes brightened by degrees. "Any chance you'll tell me what you're gonna get?"

"No way," Severus chuckled, shaking his head.

The bookstore they entered was mercifully far larger than the clothes store. Many racks displaying all manner of mundane and magical books spread out in neat aisles for their perusal. Severus headed over to the Mundane section first, selecting a book on how to cultivate and grow typical New England flora for Violet, and another book on American muscle cars for Mark. Mark was a big fan of American cars, having met many Americans after the end of the war when he moved to the states briefly, and picking up a love of American cars while he was stateside.

"This ought to do," Severus muttered to himself, as he held the two books out. He found a third book in another section on home decorating, deciding that this was likely a gift that Petunia wouldn't chuck away within a month, he purchased it too and headed for the counter.

Lily followed close behind him carrying two books herself. Severus couldn't quite see what his girlfriend was carrying, but judging by the fact that she was quick to shield her purchases from view, he presumed that one of them was for him. Severus paid for his three books and Lily, her two, before they exited the store now in possession of a couple of additional bags.

"I say we go to that store next," Lily said, pointing at a record shop on the opposite side of the Rotunda.

Severus squinted to see what Lily was pointing at, then, wide-eyed, he turned back to Lily and asked; "Is there nothing more you want to check out on this side of the Market?"

"On second thoughts…maybe that place over there," said Lily, sounding sheepish for her flip-flopping.

"You mean that one there? The one selling charmed objects?" Severus asked, following Lily's arm.

Lily nodded swiftly, her smile brightening as she glimpsed some of the products they had on offer.

Severus heaved a sigh then held out his arm for Lily. "Well alright then. Let's go."

They entered the third store of their shopping trip, with Lily once again taking the lead like in the clothes store and eagerly pulling Severus along to a display case housing charmed vases.

"Mum'll love these!" she exclaimed, gushing over the fact that they were self-refilling to suit the flower's needs. "Ooh! And dad'll love these!" she added, gesturing frantically over at a selection of enchanted pens that wrote as the user spoke.

"Well stop gushed over them like a lovestruck fool and just buy them already," Severus muttered, dragging a hand over his face in exasperation.

Lily grabbed a vase and two pens and quickly made her way over to the queue. Severus wandered off to another section of the shop and bought a heated coffee mug for Lily with a large Boston Celtics logo on it. Lily glanced over her shoulder at him when he joined behind her in the queue.

"What did you get Severus?"

Severus feigned ignorance, shrugging his shoulders and humming a tune to himself and ignoring Lily's attempts at small-talk as they waited to pay for their things. After exiting the shop, Lily and Severus ventured over to the west wing of the market, to the shop Lily suggested they visit earlier. Severus had nothing else on his mind to purchase so he waited outside with his bags while Lily meandered about the record store in search of a gift. She promised it was the last stop they'd make as they needed to be heading back to the terminal soon. Especially since the snow appeared to be picking up some more. By the time Lily finished buying her records, it was already close to two o'clock, and with a two thirty departure time they were cutting it close. As they strode as fast as their legs could carry them to the exit of the Market, they spotted a fireplace roaring green, drawing them both to a halt. If they weren't carrying anything, they would've definitely face-palmed. Instead, they had to settle for a gawk as they wore quickly marched over to the fireplace and flooed back to the portkey terminal beneath the Boston Common.

They thanked the security staff who looked after their trunks and quickly packed away their purchases inside, mindful to make sure it all fit properly before closing them. At two-thirty on the dot they made it to their portkey departure platform, grasping the coat rack with one hand, and their trunks firmly with the other, they closed their eyes and waited for that familiar spinning sensation to envelop them once more. In the blink of an eye, they were home.

A/N: Lily's got her eye set on a charm that one day, she might be able to craft, and if she's successful it may prove to be mightily vital to the war effort. Alas, she's far from able to craft such a spell at present, but at least she's got her sights set on it. Next chapter they're back in England with the meeting between Marlene, Caroline and Scott set to take place. I know not much occurred this chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed it!