Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The wonderful JK Rowling does! I wish I did, then I'd be rich! Just kidding! Please don't sue me for writing a fan fic that I really hope you enjoy!
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November was speeding by so fast that the Marauders could hardly keep up with playing pranks. Sirius and Marissa were very busy trying to form their plan to get Lily and James together, while Lily and James were trying to find the right time to admit their feelings.
Soon it was December, and Marissa was getting nervous. What if the plan doesn't work? She continuously found herself thinking that. Marissa knew she wouldn't be able to stand much more of stolen glances and each of them moaning. Lily would never shut up about him, and she had walked in on James ranting to Sirius about how he was going to tell Lily his feelings, then changing his mind.
Before any one knew it, it was the Hogsmeade weekend. Marissa was pacing around the common room, waiting for Sirius to come down so they could go over their plan. They had named it 'Operation Love Birds'.
Sirius came down the steps, whistling a muggle tune. Marissa glared at him. "Aren't you the least bit nervous?" she asked Sirius.
Sirius looked bewildered. "Why should I be?"
"Because they might take our heads off! Have you not seen Lily angry?" shrieked Marissa.
Sirius covered his ears. "I think we all saw that awful incident. And once they find their Gryffindor courage and realize they are madly in love with each other, nothing can go wrong. Now lets go over this. We'll all go to Hogsmeade together…"
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Lily, James, Sirius, and Marissa all walked down the path to Hogsmeade together. Tonight was the full moon, so Remus was in the hospital wing. Peter had the flu and was also in the hospital wing.
As if on cue, snowflakes started slowly falling from the sky. There was already snow on the ground, for it started snowing two weeks ago.
Lily sighed happily. "I love the snow. It makes the world seem perfect." Marissa looked at Sirius and grinned. It was time to start 'Operation Love Birds'.
When they reached the Hogsmeade village, Marissa and Sirius took the lead. They led them to a little café that neither James nor Lily had seen before.
James looked at Sirius questionably. "Er, Sirius? Not to sound rude or anything, but where the hell are we?" James asked.
Sirius smiled and said, "Well I, for one, am really hungry. I thought we could grab something to eat before we start shopping for Christmas gifts."
"No surprise your hungry, but I've never seen this place before. I know we have never been here," James said.
Sirius sighed dramatically. "I know we haven't. But my dad has and he said it's really good." James just rolled his eyes and followed him inside.
As soon as they walked in, Lily could tell it was expensive. The walls were paneled in rich mahogany and the floors were a deep crimson color. There was a small orchestra playing in the far corner of the café. There was also a large fountain in the middle of the room.
There was a small desk at the front by the door. A young blonde witch stood there, writing something down in what looked like a guest book. Sirius walked up to the desk and gave the witch a dazzling smile that made the girls at Hogwarts melt.
"Hello there! We have a reservation for four under the name 'Black'." Sirius said in a flattering voice. The witch blushed and looked down at the guest book.
"Yes, Mr. Black I see-"
"Please call me Sirius."
The witch blushed more. "Er, yeah, uh Sirius. I will lead you to your table."
"Thank you. Wait!"
"What is it sir, er, Sirius?"
"You have the most beautiful eyes I believe I've ever seen!" The witch turned a deep shade of red and giggled. James rolled his eyes. "No really, you do. That is also a dazzling smile! Maybe we could go get Butterbeers sometime?"
"I, erm, yeah. T-that'd be great!" the witch stumbled over her words. "Um, oh yeah! This way." She seated them at a table near the fountain. Sirius smiled at her as she handed them the menus.
As they looked at what to order, Lily gasped. "Sirius, this stuff is really expensive! Look! Ten sickles for a Butterbeer!"
"Ah, yes, Lillian dear. But this lunch is all on me. Order whatever you like. Besides, I'm sure that witch will give us a discount." Sirius said. He chuckled slightly then looked down at his plate. He cleared his throat and said, "I will have prime rib steak. Medium well, with a side of broccoli. Oh, and extra rolls."
As soon as he finished talking, everything he ordered appeared on his plate with a pop! He started to eat then looked at everyone else. "Well go ahead. Order!" Sirius commanded.
"How'd you know to do that?" Marissa asked.
"Oh, my dad told me when we talked about the café. You guys can order any time." Sirius said simply. He looked at his glass and clearly said, "Butterbeer!" Instantly, Butterbeer appeared in his glass.
Soon everyone had ordered something and they began eating. Sirius continually called the blonde witch over to flirt with her. They were looking at deserts when Marissa looked at Lily and said, "Lils, can I talk to you in the bathroom for a second?" Lily nodded and got up from her seat. Sirius glanced and Mara and he gave her a small wink. Mara smiled and followed Lily to the bathroom.
"Tell him now!" Marissa said as soon as she walked in.
Lily looked at her strange. "Now? Why now?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "C'mon the setting is perfect! You're in a romantic café. It's snowing outside. And it's almost Christmas! Wouldn't it be the best gift if you and James started going out?"
Lily sighed and leaned her head against the wall. "I guess but I don't want to do it with you and Sirius right here. Especially Sirius. He'd probably make some stupid joke."
"Well what if I can give you some time alone with him when we're walking back? We're going to have to separate while we're Christmas shopping anyways."
"All right! I'll try! But if he turns me down and it becomes the worst Christmas ever-"
"Yeah, yeah. It'll be my entire fault. I'll talk to Sirius about it." Lily smiled and led the way out of the bathroom.
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James stared at Lily as she walked to the bathroom. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Tell her now!" Sirius exclaimed as soon as Lily was out of sight.
James' eyes bulged. "Right this second?" he hissed.
"No, like during desert or something! This is the most perfect setting you can get!"
"Wait, is this why you made reservations at this café?"
"Don't change the subject!" Sirius scolded, wagging his finger at him. "You've been waiting for the right time and moment and blah blah blah! I've heard about it since last year! She probably likes you too! Just do it!"
James started to talk faster, his eyes darting to the bathroom. "I'm not going to do it in front of you and Marissa. You would make some stupid joke!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Do you have no faith in me? I know this is the love of your life!" James scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What if I can promise you two some time alone? Like when we're walking back up to the castle. We'll have to separate anyways to do Christmas shopping. I'll talk to Mary Wary..."
"Okay fine! But if she says no-"
"Yeah, yeah I know the rest! They're coming back!" Sirius muttered to James. He looked down at his menu. "Yes James. I think I might order the hot fudge sundae." As he said that, his dirty plate disappeared and his sundae re-appeared with a faint pop.
Lily and Marissa sat down. They all ordered their desserts and talked as if there were nothing amiss, with James and Lily flirting occasionally, much to the dismay of Marissa and Sirius.
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"Okay, so we'll meet you back at Three Broomsticks in an hour or so," Mara was saying. James and Sirius nodded. The four friends parted ways and began shopping.
As soon as Lily and Marissa were out of earshot, James asked, "What should I get Lily for Christmas? It's got to be something meaningful. Maybe some perfume or candy-"
Sirius pulled out his wand and said 'Silencio!' He smiled at James who, in turn, gave him a dirty look. "Okay now that you've shut up, I gotta describe to you how a woman's mind works. After many years of practice I have mastered the art," Sirius then gave a mock bow. James rolled his eyes and knew for sure he thought a woman's mind revolved around him. "Perfume is way to simple. Not nearly good enough. If you give her candy, she'll think you hate her! So you give her some expensive jewelry!" Sirius then performed the counter curse for the charm.
James continued talking as if he had never stopped. "Okay then what kind of jewelry? A bracelet or a necklace or a ring or-"
"Just shut the hell up and listen! I know a great shop for this. And it is right over here!" Sirius pointed to a very old shop to his right. The sign was so old James couldn't even read it. Sirius pulled the door open and stepped inside.
When James walked in, he had to blink from the brightness of the shop. Everywhere he looked there was jewelry. And all of it dazzled as if they were in the sun.
Sirius came up beside the stunned James and patted him on the shoulder. "Diamonds, mate, are a girl's best friend." Sirius then steered James over to the diamonds case.
James looked at all of the pieces in turn. Soon he found one he liked. It was a necklace. A choker, to be exact. It was made of small diamonds. The necklace had three rows. One was tight around the neck. The second swung just below the first one. And the third swung just below the second. The third had a small flower hanging off the bottom. James looked closer and saw it was a lily.
He grinned and pointed to the glass. "That one is perfect for her."
"Aye, so this is for your lass is it boy?" said a voice. Sirius and James both jumped and turned around to see an older man who was about as tall as Professor Flitwick standing behind them.
"Uh, erm, yeah it is. How much is it?" James asked.
The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'd say about 40 galleons."
Sirius yelped as if he had been hit with something hot. "40 BLODDY GALLEONS? I COULD'VE BOUGHT 15 DINNERS IN THAT PLACE WITH ALL THAT MONEY!"
"Sirius chill. This is for Lily. I know this is perfect for her. Can you give me a smaller price?" James asked the man.
The man laughed cruelly. "No sir! That one there's a 14th century piece. Once belonged to a beautiful princess that did. Legend has it that only some one as beautiful as her could wear the necklace. If some one who was less beautiful than she did, they were cursed for the rest of their lives. I bought it for 55 but I marked it down because of the legend."
James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What if I give you 30 galleons? I still have to buy everyone else's presents and I only brought 50 galleons with me."
The man started to turn red in the face. "Alright! You get 30 galleons for it! But you will never walk in this store again laddie, you hear?"
"Yeah, just give me the bloody necklace." James said impatiently. The man waved his wand a few times. The necklace came out of the case and floated over to a velvet box. The man twisted his wand some more and the necklace got wrapped up.
"Wingardium Leviosar!" The short man said. The box floated over into the hands of James. James paid the man and muttered a 'thanks' while leaving the store.
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An hour and a half later, the four of them set off on the road to Hogwarts. James and Lily were walking briskly and appeared very nervous. Lily kept glancing and Marissa. Marissa smiled and winked.
"Uh Sirius. I think I left my bag in one of the stores. Can you help me look for it?" Marissa asked.
"Of course Mary Wary!" Sirius exclaimed. Mara kicked him in the shins and pulled him along with her.
James and Lily both looked at each other and smiled shyly. They both started talking at once.
"James I need to tell you some-"
"Lily we need to talk about-"
The both giggled nervously. "You go first," Lily said.
"Alright," James took a deep breath. He moved his way over to a large rock and put his bags down on the ground as he sat. Lily mimicked what he did and gave him an encouraging smile. Okay, here goes. You can do this. Just pretend your alone practicing what you're going to say.
"Ever since I ran into on the train, I've liked you. Not as friend, well yeah as a friend, but more than a friend. I've always thought you were the most beautiful girl in school. I've always liked you. Maybe even loved you. I really hope you feel the same way. I've been so afraid about saying this to you and what you would say back and-"
"You-you really like me?" Lily asked quietly, her eyes looking more damp.
James took a deep breath. She's crying! This was the complete wrong thing to say, he thought to himself. "Uh, y-yeah. A lot."
Lily smiled widely and pulled him into a hug. "I have lo-um-liked you forever, since third year. I've been waiting for you to say it." She put her arms around his neck and he put his hands on her waist. His breathing was ragged and he felt his heart about to explode in his chest.
Their eyes locked, and James felt weak. Her eyes were so beautiful, dazzling in the shimmering world of snow. He couldn't work up the courage to kiss her. Just do it, you are a Gryffindor, a voice inside his head told him.
In one swift motion, James locked his lips with hers. It was so small he wasn't even sure it was happening. They effortlessly sank into it. "Yes! Finally! It took you two long enough!" Marissa shouted. She was jumping up and down in the air.
Lily and James separated to look at their friend. Sirius starting jumping up and down with Mara. Both of them were holding each other's arms and chanting, "They're in love! They're in love!"
James started laughing at the site of Sirius and Mara. He then turned to Lily. "So, do you want to be my girlfriend?" James asked.
Lily pulled him into a hug with more tears in her eyes. "Of course," she whispered in his ear. James quivered at her breath on his skin.
"This is the best Christmas ever!" James said as he pulled her in for another kiss. Lily giggled and pressed her lips against his.
Sirius and Marissa changed their chant to, "They're going out! They're going out!" They started bouncing higher, if that's possible. James smiled into the kiss, which made Lily giggle.
"Lily," James whispered timidly into her hair. "I-I love you." he was surprised how easily the words came out, and how they felt so right.
Lily looked up at him. "I love you too," James loves me, he really does…
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Author Notes: It's five in the morning and I have been working on a new update for the last few chapters story since eleven at night. I'm really tired and I don't have time to edit this or respond to reviews. Thank you for everyone who is still with me and I hope someone new is reading this story!
R/R