Lily's head shot up at the sound of several shelves collapsing. She looked around and spotted James Potter apologising to someone.

Lily rolled her eyes. The boy never changed. But she was in no mood to issue detentions or pick up a rant. Nevertheless, she made her way toward him.

Mum is just complaining about how dad has become restless." he chuckled" Retirement apparently is not for him."

The elderly witch laughed fondly.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either-" she paused looking at the shelf" Now you don't worry about all this, I had to clean all this, anyway."

"Oh c'mon Bertha, I'll do it or I'll never hear the end of it from mum."

"I won't tell her" she insisted stubbornly.

James considered her for a moment but let it go with a sigh. It was a lost cause, he'll make it up to her later. Now he had to focus on getting Remus his Christmas gift. He looked around heartlessly. It was hard shopping for Remus. what with Sirius and Peter in detention. He didn't want to come at all, but he didn't have any choice and he cursed himself for that.

"Okay then. I'll be leaving." But after a pause, "you're really sure you don't have any?"

"No dear, but I hope you can get your friend something else" she smiled.

James left dejectedly with a goodbye wave to bertha.

Lily, watching the conversation was suddenly full of curiosity and though hard to admit, she was a tiny bit concerned.

She seriously considered staying back, but deciding there was nothing else to do, she ran out the door.

Normally she wouldn't do this, but last week she agreed to be friends with Potter. It naturally drew her to help everyone, and she just couldn't seem to let it be.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked, gesturing to the wooden bench. James looked up.

"Now now Evans, is it so cold you've come to warm up against to me?" he grinned cheekily.

Lily stood up to leave.

"Oh, don't leave, please sit" he pleaded and lily could see in his eyes how genuinely he wanted her to stay.

She was torn on what to do, but it wasn't like him to be like this and curiosity got the better of her.

She sat back slowly, squinting her eyes at him, daring him to joke again.

After a few moments of silence, "Now why did you come here?" James asked slowly.

"I just wondered why you looked so glum inside?" Lily blushed slightly embarrassed for having overheard the conversation.

"I just wanted to get something for Remus and I couldn't find him anything"

"Last minute shopping?" lily clucked and shook her head.

"I couldn't find anything earlier and Barty, the boy who works at the shop told me he would have it by this week but somebody already got it."

"oh"

"Its hard to get presents for Remus"

"Yeah, I know" she chuckled lightly.

"Well?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, what?"

"will you help me?"

She wasn't so sure. She spent enough time listening to her friends tease her, she didn't want to give them free fuel by agreeing to spend Hogsmeade trips with him.

"On one condition. You keep your mouth shut, and if anyone asks, we are shopping for marly together."

James could have jumped with joy. He had that goofy grin of his plastered to his face.

Well, this was going to be an interesting day, lily decided.

After ten minutes of arguing about which shop to enter, they headed to Zonko's for some inspiration.

And by far had avoided questions or stares. People were so obsessed over getting last-minute presents they didn't care for anything else. And lily was relieved, she didn't want the rest of the school teasing her, her friends were quite enough.

"What gift were you thinking of?" she looked up at him.

"Well, I asked Bertha if she had any chess sets, but she didn't have any, all of them were sold out there."

"Oh. But aren't they awfully expensive?"

James just shrugged.

"Maybe you could get Him a gift basket?"

"What's that?" He frowned.

"It's a muggle thing where they pack in four to five small gifts into a basket "

"Oh, I think Remus would like that, maybe few chocolates, exploding snap, some long-lasting quills.."

"You shouldn't go too overboard though." lily cut in

"I'll help you pick them."

James grinned widely. Lily rolled her eyes and kept walking.

They searched everywhere for two whole hours. Whatever they saw either it seemed to be useless to Remus, or something he already had.

It was tough enough shopping for him, and on top of that James would start talking to everyone he met, that half the time Lily had to drag him to each store. But within the end of the second hour, they had rounded up on quite a few things... James declared, seeing as Lily and he were friends that he should gift her something, but lily firmly declined. Now and then he caught her eyeing things to get her, but she shot him a look and he seemed to drop it. They got Remus a scarf, and a blue feathered quill now all that was left were chocolates, his favourite. And their last stop was honey dukes.

As she opened the door Lily breathed in the scent of chocolate and sugar, she always loved coming here it reminded her of how her house smelled after her mum made chocolate cake. She got a bunch of liquorice sticks for Marlene, some Bertie botts for Alice, and a huge bar of caramel crackle and chocolate frogs for her parents. They always seemed to love the chocolate frogs.

James looked at her in amusement.

"Isn't that a bit much for you?" he smirked.

Lily shot Him a look, and she looked away intently.

"Come on, Evans. I was just joking."

"I know that Potter. I'm just too in love with the treacle fudge to pay you any attention"

"That's your favourite?" Lily nodded, not taking her eyes off it. "Then why aren't you getting it?"

"I promised myself after eating too much treacle tart last time and spending way too much on it, I wouldn't get it again," she paused blushing slightly.

"At least not until Christmas is over."

"Oh," James chuckled.

Not wanting to indulge in conversations about her eating and spending habits, Lily moved on quickly, taking a keen interest on the crystal pineapples.

James, getting the sign, moved over to the stand.

"What do you think Remus would like? He loves the acid pops and choco balls, but I want him to taste something different."

"Hm," lily considered all the options before her. "Nougat chunks, cauldron cakes, fudge are too normal, but cockroach clusters and jelly slugs are just disgusting."

"Okay, saltwater taffy and pumpkin fizz, he likes them," he asked questioningly.

Lily nodded appreciatively.

After paying for the sweets, lily stubbornly refused James paying for her sweets, proclaiming that it was not a date and that she could pay for her sweets much by herself. She hurried towards the three broomsticks, with James right behind her.

"At least let me buy you a drink".

"Absolutely not." She was starting to realise why this was a bad idea. Honestly, being friends with him was so difficult.

"Please lily?" He begged.

She raised her eyebrows but was convinced all the same he was genuine. Though she became friends with him she didn't particularly relish the prospect of having a drink with him.

"Well, well, well. What are my lovebirds talking about?" Marlene smirked, casually slinging her arm over Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. One chance and she becomes prey to Marlene's teasing.

Marlene shot James a loathing look but couldn't stop blushing either.

Lily shot James a thankful look as Marlene dragged her.

"Cmon lily," she yelled over her shoulder, leading lily to the door.

"Marly, c'mon, I'll buy you a drink, please." He made puppy eyes, making even lily reconsider.

"Oh, please don't use your eyes on me, now shoo off and leave us alone."

He shot Lily a pleading look, but not wanting Marlene to tease her about taking his side, she pretended to look away.

Later, feeling guilty about it, Marlene went looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. So they settled down for a cosy evening. Two butter beers down and with considerably lifted spirits, the girls made their way back to the carriages. Lily had loads of unfinished homework but right now she was focused on spending as much time as possible in the state of bliss butter beer bought. She replayed the events of the day and remembered how she laughed so much around him, involuntarily told him things about her, and though she hated to admit it, James Potter was a not such a bad friend, even a good one maybe…

And as she was about to put off the lights, her eyes caught the glint of gold foil. She tore away the wrapper to see a big box of treacle tart. She lit up immediately.

"Because It's Christmas." The note didn't say who it was from, but she had an inkling it was from a certain raven-haired boy.

She settled down in her bed with a smile playing on her lips. If it was from the treacle fudge or because of the raven-haired boy, she couldn't tell.