What happened in the last chapter

"It's not your fault that you got a throat infection. Don't worry about it, Flower."

"But we were going to go together."

"It doesn't matter. We can stay in the common room together. All by ourselves. I can be your nurse and you -" He tapped my nose with the tip of his index finger "- can be my patient."

I giggled. "And you're going to make sure I take that appalling potion."

"Exactly." He laughed. "Come on. Let's go and get breakfast."

Chapter Four

Four days ago I had finished taking the repulsive potion that the tetchy school nurse had made me take to ensure my throat infection cleared. It was now Saturday and I was wrapping up in my warmest clothes for a trip into Hogsmeade village with the sweetest person on the planet.

"Ready Lil?" called Emma.

"Yup." I smiled. "Let's go." My voice was muffled behind the thick scarf I had wrapped around my chin.

Walking down the path towards to snowy village I held James' hand, through our thick, warm gloves, and laughed with my friends. We went into the Three Broomsticks first for a warm butterbeer. The small pub was crowded with Hogwarts students but we managed to find a table.

"Hey Lily, what do you want for your birthday? I won't get another chance after today to buy you anything?" Emma yelled across the table after playfully flirting with Sirius, who had now gone to flirt with Madam Rosmerta and buy six butterbeers.

"I don't know. That is the absolute worst question that anyone can ask me."

"Why are you asking her anyway? She's your best friend and you don't know what to buy her for her birthday." Remus said incredulously.

"I know what I'm going to buy her." James said smugly.

"You do?"

"Yup." James smiled at me. "It's perfect."

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling you. You just have to wait ten more days and then you'll find out."

I was now grumpily walking from shop to shop with Emma. Not James, Emma. My whole idea of a romantic trip to a snowy village with my boyfriend was totally ruined.

"Lils?" Emma inquired. I could sense a deep and meaningful conversation coming from the tone of Emma's voice.

"What?" I sighed.

"Why did you and James not tell anyone that you were going out?" I stopped suddenly, surprised at the question from my best friend.

"How long have you been dieing to ask that?"

"About half an hour. So, why didn't you tell?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I whispered, hoping she would drop the subject and forget that she ever asked.

"Why not?" I always told Emma everything so she was a bit confused that I wouldn't tell her this.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just shut up Emma. I don't want to tell you." I yelled in her face.

The whole shop around us stopped and stared at us. "Did you have to yell like that? If you didn't want to tell me, you could have just said so." Emma hissed towards me.

"I did say so." I said disbelievingly. I pulled Emma out of the current shop and back up towards the castle. "We didn't tell anyone because I was embarrassed."

"You were embarrassed of James?" Emma was confused again.

"No! I was embarrassed of me. Because everyone in school knows about how we never got on before." I looked up at my best friend, ashamedly. "I could never be embarrassed of James." I continued. "I love him." I gasped. Emma gasped.

"You love him?"

I was still in shock at having said the significant three words all I could do was nod my head. I really did, I loved James.

"Does James know?"

I shook my head. "I only just found out myself. Like, right this second."

"You have to tell him! OH! THIS IS SO ROMANTIC!" Emma shrieked.

"What's romantic?" James startled us both by walking up behind us with the three other marauders. We both screamed.

"Whoa!" Sirius laughed. "I know James is scary but you don't need to deafen the rest of us." Peter started laughing.

"Piss off Sirius." James took my hand and kissed my gloved hand. "Want to leave these guys and go for a walk?"

"'Kay! See you guys later." I waved with my free hand. We walked back down the path towards the shrieking shack leaving three bored faces and one anxious face.

Standing outside the spooky building, James dropped his numerous bags and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me. I was still incredibly shocked by my revelation to Emma, and myself. I desperately wanted to tell James, but what if he didn't say it back? What if he thought we were too young for that kind of relationship? What if he dumped me because of it? I didn't want to risk that. It would have to wait until he told me first, or at least until I was sure he felt the same way about me. It could keep for a little while longer.

I love James Potter.

Well I've finally finished chapter four. I promise to write the next chapter of Just Because of a Present before I go back to school on Wednesday. I'm really sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up but I've been on two holidays, I've had loads of shopping trips (because I need lots of new clothes for the new school term) and I've been babysitting a lot. Before my second holiday I said I was going to write some chapters but I was too worried about my GCSE results to think about either of my stories.

If anyone has any ideas about presents for Lily could they please leave a review or e-mail me. My e-mail address is on my profile page. I'm really bad at buying presents for my friends and none of them are particularly like Lily so I'm completely stumped.

Thanks for reading

Loadsa luv

Sexy Seeker