Disclaimer: You know I don't own this.

Replies:

Feline-go-meow—Thanks

Angel Enchantress—Thanks.

Dangerkitteh13—I believe I already replied to you in an email. I just want to reiterate that while this is not my best work, it's not the worst thing I've ever read and if you don't like it why did you waste your time 1) reading the whole thing and 2) writing such a long and poorly written review?

Frankie Beeblebrox—Thanks. I suppose they were romantic, weren't they? My boyfriend is very romantic. I really should do something nice for him…

JewelValentine—Thanks. : - )

Harryandginnyforever—Thanks

Bulgly—Thanks. Yeah, I know it was kind of short. I'm not sure just why I made him shy in this chapter. I just kind of think it'd be a little intimidating for your long time to crush to suddenly start acting like Lily was.

Siriusforeva—Thanks. I was afraid it'd be overly lame.

Ash vault rose garden—Thanks. Sirius is fun to write!

The Marauders3—Thanks

Melissa Black13—Thanks

DLster—Thanks

Rider-of-Rohan23—Yeah, I'm kind of one of those people who gets addicted to fluffy ficlets that end in a single kiss and are sugary enough to make cotton candy with. I'll try and get over and read that one soon. It sounds funny!

Manny2003—Thanks!

GryffindorGoddess28—Thanks. Sounds like I got just the right balance then.

J.E.A.R.K.Potter—Thanks

Tigerlily98—Thanks. I know the chapters are kind of short (sorry). Hope this update was soon enough.

Saxistwriterchick—Thanks. He's not really supposed to be jealous, at least not much.

Susan D—Thanks

Hi Im Crazy—Thanks!

DOJ—Thanks. I like sweet guys so that kind of influenced how I wrote Sirius and James.

Briana Marie—Thanks. I hate overdone fluff, so I'm glad you think this isn't too overdone. I looked at your summary. Your story sounds awesome. I'll read it over Easter break. I normally try to review at least once for everybody who reviews for me but the last couple months…I've just had too many stories going at once.  The swear words are okay and I'm glad there's not sex in it. One story I read I immediately threw away because Sirius and James shagged random girls in the room of requirement. Okay, cool. The next chapter of Switched has some good background information on Frank (well, at least for that story anyway).

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Chapter 5: Mistletoe

            Lily and James had a great time during the remaining days of Christmas vacation. They walked the grounds holding hands and kissing. They sat next to each other on the couch in the common room just listening to music. All the happy togetherness of it put Sirius in a bit of a snit since he therefore was often stuck alone.

            They didn't talk much. Lily was carefully avoiding the question James desperately wanted to ask. He wanted to know what had caused her sudden change in feelings toward him. Whatever had changed her mind, for the present, their arrangement worked. The few people who had stayed at Hogwarts this year (less of them stayed than usual) had now grown accustomed to seeing the long time rivals getting along.

            Finally, it was the night before term started and everyone was back at school. Not all the Christmas decorations had yet come down so no one really felt as though term should be starting the next day.

            Lily found Alice as soon as she had returned. "I missed you."

            "Missed you too. I'm sorry you were stuck in this drafty old castle. If you told me sooner, I could have arranged for you to come home with me."

            "It's okay. What'd you do?"

            "Mostly stayed at the house. Went to a Muggle cinema. That was pretty neat."

            "Good. What did you see?"

            Alice described the movie as they sat on the couch and caught up. Lily said nothing about her own Christmas break, other than that she just wandered around Hogwarts.

            "So that was it? Nothing interesting? I'm sorry."

            "It's fine. We've got class tomorrow though. So we'd better get going."

            Alice nodded.

            They started for the dorm, Lily, a few steps behind Alice, unwittingly walked under some mistletoe.

            "I'm telling you, it's true!" James insisted.

            Peter said, "Nah."

            Remus added, "No way."

            "But it is," James repeated for the tenth time.

            Remus looked his friend in the eye. "James, not in a hundred years would Lily ever kiss you of her own freewill."

            "But she did!"

            "Sirius?" asked Remus.

            "He's telling the truth, mate. Lily has finally given in admitted her true feelings for him," Sirius said solemnly.

            "Really? What did she say?"

            "Well, nothing actually. She mostly just kisses me."

            "Huh? Lily never seemed like the sort that would ever kiss on a first date."

            "I don't think we've actually been on a date."

            "Wait, so you're not dating, she hasn't said she liked you, she just snogs you?" asked Remus, confused.

            "Yeah. I don't understand it either," admitted James.

            "When you don't understand something, you've got to ask about it. Go ask her."

            "I don't want to ruin things."

            "If you want a relationship with this girl you've got to talk to her. You told us you love her. Go. Now!" They pushed him out the door and down the steps. They trailed a few feet behind him.

            James saw Lily following Alice up to the girl's dorm and stopped her a few feet from the stairs. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Lily, I—"

            Red and green lights started bouncing off the walls and a shrill voice sang, "I see you there/Now play fair/It's time to kiss/For Christmas bliss!" It was a badly rhymed little thing, but it got the attention of all those in the common room and it continued to sing. "A peck on the cheek or a full lip-lock/If you don't kiss, you don't walk!"

            It was just their luck that they walked under magical mistletoe. This variety of charmed mistletoe, if two members of the opposite sex met under it, would sing in a loud and shrill voice until the two people standing under it kissed. Part of the charm prevented either of them from walking away before kissing.

            Lily had not wanted her relationship with James to be public knowledge. There were still too many things she had to figure out first.

            James thought this was certainly a stroke of luck. Now his friends would have to believe him and once their relationship was general knowledge he could ask her what he wanted to ask. He smiled at her, expecting a full on the mouth kiss, or at least a friendly kiss.

            Alice looked at Lily with sympathy. More Lily! She was going to have to kiss James.

            Lily looked at James with vile contempt. Disgust and revulsion coming off her in waves, she leaned in and pecked James on the cheek before walking away as quickly as she could and rubbing her hand across her mouth.

            Remus patted James on the back and rolled his eyes at him. "You and her having been dating all Christmas. Sure. We've got class in the morning, best get some rest."

            The other boys reluctantly followed Remus up the stairs, but James went gloomily to the kitchen and drowned his sorrows in bowl after bowl of vanilla ice cream.

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Any good? This is where I was plotting the story to go for the last couple of chapters now…