A/N: ANOTHER UPDATE! YAY. REVIEW! this chapter is dedicated to the asshole who invented collard greens. What were you thinking? If you disagree with me, I'm sorry. I put them in my mouth and have an instant gag reflex. There's a bit more Lily/James interaction in this, so I hope you enjoy. Read. Review.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Hogsmeade and Holiday Shopping

The grounds were covered with snow on that Saturday morning, as third years and above wandered their way to Hogsmeade, jumpy and excited with holiday cheer, as they set out to do their Christmas shopping.

"Now, let's break up for now. We'll meet around one at Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, alright?" said James to the group of Gryffindors and Jacob.

The group of giddy teenagers nodded, each taking their separate paths on their missions for holiday shopping.

Lily started out, determined to find the perfect gift for each of her friends and family members. She needed gifts for her mum, dad, Petunia, Ellie, Allison, Jacob, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James. James. What could she get James that would express her feelings towards him? What defined their relationship? She decided that she would save James for last, and she walked into the first shop that grabbed her attention—Zonko's, she decided she could get Sirius's and Peter's gift there.

After a few minutes of oddly stumbling around in a store she had barely been in her entire career at Hogwarts, she made a bold move and decided to ask an elderly store clerk.

"Excuse me, sir, I was wondering if I could have some help?" she asked, timidly.

The elderly man nodded. "But o' course, for a pretty lady like y'rself."

Lily blushed. "Thank-you, I appreciate it."

The old man started to walk down one of the many aisles of trouble making items that the Marauders must go mad about.

"The name's Horace, by the way. Now, any part'cular item y' looking fer?" he asked.

"Oh, um, Mr. Horace, I…I don't really know." she replied, embarrassed.

"Oh that's quite 'right. Now, who y' shopping fer, or is that a secr't?" he asked, smiling, showing that he was missing several teeth.

"Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew." she replied, hoping he would know who they were to make the question and search for a gift useful.

"Ah, two from that group." he replied knowingly. "I know just the thing."

He returned from behind a curtain after a few minutes holding two boxes.

"Now Mr. Black loves disruption. These Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks will be prefect for him. It's a new wet-start brand, he'll love them. For the chubby one, give him these." He handed Lily a Wizarding chess set with a wink. "This is a tricky set. If he plays black, he's sure to win every time. It'll give him a confidence boost to beat Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin and of course, Mr. Potter."

Lily smiled, these would be perfect. "Thank you, these are great."

He handed the items over to Lily and she purchased them at the counter, on her way out she happened to run into James, who was smiling mischievously at her.

"I didn't know Head Girls were allowed in here, Ms. Evans." he remarked as he blocked her path.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I've just bought Sirius's and Peter's gifts."

James raised his eyebrows. "Really? What did you get them?"

He reached his hand to look in the bag, but Lily swatted it away. James put on a puppy dog face.

"I can't have you off telling them, it'll ruin the surprise!" exclaimed Lily. "Now please get out of my way, I have more shopping to do?"

"For me?" James asked childishly. Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, you happen to be on my list."

He moved out of the way for Lily and as she walked through the door, she called out, "Don't get them anything to do with fireworks or chess!"

James smiled and nodded, letting her walk out without any further questioning.

Lily shopped around for another two hours, slowly adding to the number of bags she was carrying. In two hours she had bought Jacob a book about the Quidditch teams of England and Ireland, Allison a bracelet with pink and purple butterflies around it, Ellie a wild blouse with bright colors, Remus she had gotten Hogwarts, a History, for her mum she bought a special perfume made from fairy dust, her dad she bought a self-tying bow tie, Petunia she had decided on buying a gift for as soon as she got home, and now she just had James to shop for.

A book would seem too impersonal for the guy that was hopelessly in love with her. However, clothes would seem too personal for a boy she wasn't dating. She was found in a right state, frantically searching for a gift before one o'clock when Ellie ran into her in Zonko's, where Lily had found herself searching in a daze, knowing deep down that she didn't want to get James a joke gift.

"Lily? Are you done with your shopping?" Ellie asked.

Lily shook her head. "Everyone but James. I have no idea what to get him, but nothing here."

Ellie nodded understanding. She led Lily out into the snowy, student-filled road. "Okay. What have you already tried?"

Lily gave a list of failed gifts before explaining. "It's so hard because…I know how he feels about me, and he knows how I feel about him…and he's a friend, that could in the future turn into something more…but maybe not. Maybe just forever friends. I don't want to encourage him if there's nothing there."

Ellie raised her eyebrows, not knowing that Lily had recognized the possibility of a relationship with James Potter. "Well, you could always get him something from Quality Quidditch Supplies."

Lily shook her head. "He must have everything there is about Quidditch already, he's so obsessed. I know he has just about every book on it."

"What about…something Muggle? He might find it fascinating." offered Ellie.

Lily nodded her head. "I think that might have to do. Help me start thinking when we get back."

Ellie nodded. "Let's go meet everyone for a butterbeer."

"That sounds great." Lily chattered in the cold. "I'll probably be dreadfully crowded, though."

"It adds to holiday cheer." replied Ellie optimistically.

So Ellie and Lily made their way through the crowded Three Broomsticks, where Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus had saved them a large booth in the back and had joined a table to the side of the booth, making room for the whole group.

"Happy Christmas, everyone!" cheered Peter as they took their seats, Ellie next to Remus, leaving Lily to sit beside James and across from Peter.

"Christmas isn't for three weeks, Wormtail, calm down." retorted Sirius as he took a swig.

"So is everyone's shopping done?" asked James brightly.

Everyone nodded his or her heads but Lily and Ellie, each replying in unison with "Almost."

"What did you get me?" James teased Lily, knowing very well she wouldn't tell.

"Oh some coal and whatnot." replied Lily before taking sip of his butterbeer.

James watched her as she took a sip. "Hey!" squealed the whole table.

Lily looked around, Jacob and Allison had arrived arm in arm and looking very pleased with themselves.

"You two weren't supposed to shop together." stated Ellie. "That was the point of splitting up."

Jacob shrugged. "We just couldn't resist." With his words he embraced Allison in a slow kiss, while the others just shook there heads and turned away.

"And that was my drink!" interjected James to Lily, who just smirked.

"Sorry. Madam Rosmerta hasn't gotten my order yet." replied Lily innocently. "And I was about to die of thirst and cold." she pouted and then laughed lightly, leaving James in daze from her flirtatious behavior.

"What did you get me?" asked James again, with a puppy dog look that made Lily's stomach flip.

"Not till you tell me!" she replied.

"Haven't gotten yours yet." answered James quite honestly, the gift he had in mind couldn't be bought in a magical village.

"Really?" asked Lily. "I didn't know I was hard to shop for."

"You aren't." replied James with a wink. "Now what did you get me?"

"I haven't gotten yours yet either." confessed Lily, smiling all the same.

"I don't believe you." James replied. "Because I know I'm not hard to shop for."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well I haven't gotten your gift yet, so what ever that means, it just might prove you are hard to shop for."

Lily was suddenly snapped out of her conversation with James, quite literally, as Sirius snapped impatiently in front of them.

"Earth to Lily, James! Rosie here wants an order." called Sirius, Lily blushed as she realized that Madam Rosmerta had been waiting for an order for several minutes and she and James had been watched the entire time.

"I'll have a butterbeer, please." ordered Lily, still blushing.

Madam Rosmerta smiled. "Don't worry, dear. Those two." she motioned to Sirius and James. "Can be quite distracting." As she began to take Ellie, Allison and Jacob's orders, Lily blushed even harder.

As they waited for their butterbeers, none other than Snape, Marlon Malfoy, and Regulus entered searching for a place to sit.

Snape looked up just as they arrived. "Oy, look, if it isn't my favorite brother, and of course there's Snivellus, and Malfoy as usual."

"Don't start anything, Padfoot." cautioned James. "Not here…not now."

"I wasn't planning on it." replied Sirius, carelessly. But I do think I'll go say hello to those lovely ladies over there."

Peter glanced to where Sirius had motioned. "I think they graduated from Hogwarts at least three years ago, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled devilishly. "The older, the better…more experienced, at least."

Sirius jumped out of the booth and headed to where the group of twenty-something girls sat, drinking carelessly and talking about light, girlish topics.

"Oh, Padfoot, there's a lovely experienced lady at the table by the window too." called James as Sirius started to walk. They all looked to the woman by the window, and sure enough, it was an elderly, grandmotherly looking lady who was sipping a mug of hot chocolate.

The group laughed while Sirius shook his head. "Sod off, Potter."

"Likewise." replied James.

Sirius flipped him off delicately before making his way to the table of girls.

James laughed and then took a sip of his butterbeer. "He is such a ladies man."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "And you aren't?"

James stopped laughing immediately and shook his head. "No. I've never been quite like Sirius."

"Quite like?" asked Lily before giggling.

James, infected with Lily's beautiful laugh began to chuckle as well.

Unbeknownst the them, their table of friends collectively shook their heads. Lily and James were in a world of their own.

And naturally, the Slytherins were there to snap them out of it.

"Hello Potty." greeted Malfoy, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

James's face immediately hardened as his attention was dragged from Lily to Malfoy, Snape, and Regulus.

"You know, I've never met a fifth year that's so full of himself. Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked, glaring at each one of them.

"Manners, Potty." continued Malfoy. "You know, you really should be taught to respect your superiors."

Lily let out a laugh. Marlon was a good five inches shorter than James, and he wasn't yet shaving with his fair hair.

"There something funny, Mudblood?" sneered Malfoy, knowing he was getting a rise out of the entire table.

Lily smiled sweetly. "Actually—"

Too late—James was out of his seat. "Don't you call her that." he scolded, towering over Malfoy with Snape and Regulus cracking their knuckles behind him.

"Always knew you were her knight in shining armor," continued Malfoy smiling just as broadly. "Always the protector of the pure Lily flower."

James moved in closer, despite the objections from his table of friends. "You know, you better get out of here before Sirius realizes you're bothering us. Because I have limits, he doesn't."

Malfoy snickered boldly. "Black? That blood traitor can't touch us. He would never harm his baby brother."

Regulus and Snape let out harsh laughs.

"Oh he's no brother of mine." greeted Sirius as if on queue, strolling up beside James and eager for a fight.

"You can't hex us." started Snape. "There's teachers near by, and you'll get your badge taken away."

"Oh we won't use wands." replied Sirius through gritted teeth. "We can break each and every one of you with our bare hands."

Without warning, Lily appeared between the two groups, standing in front of James and Sirius.

"Leave us alone. Just go on, and get your butterbeer or whatever it is future Death Eaters drink." Lily stated, rather bravely James thought, standing between two groups of angry teenage boys with no wand.

Malfoy, Snape, and Regulus all snickered gruesomely.

Malfoy looked past her to James. "Need your girlfriend to fight for you know, Potter?"

James looked at him with a laughter in his eyes. "She can take care of you three a lot faster and more effectively then I ever could."

Malfoy clenched his jaw shut before narrowing his eyes at Lily. "I'm not going to fight a girl, or a Mudblood, at that."

They walked away as quietly and more humbly than they had come, and James was shocked to see Lily turn to him with a angry glint in her eyes.

"What?" asked James, quite confused.

"You said yourself I could handle them, why do you always stick up for me, if you know I can take care of myself! Do you not have faith?" she scolded, angry, and drawing more attention to them then the Slytherins had.

James let out a breath. "I have complete faith in you! I just can't let someone insult anyone I care about! It's not in me, Lily. You have to understand that. It has nothing to do with you not being a talented, independent witch. It's me."

To his relief, Lily let out a breath and the anger vanished from her eyes. "If that's really it." She looked at Ellie and Allison. "I'm going to go."

She threw a smile James's way. "I have presents to wrap."

Galasriniel, Stumble till you fall, and Snail-Sama,taiora-itis : thanks for the reviews and keep reading.