Hello again, thank you to all the wonderful reviewers! Keep 'em comin!

Just to clear up, I'm not a complete HP genius, so if I've stolen bits from the books or they don't fit in with the timeline that you're used to then I'm sorry, but could you just go along with this with me for a bit? Also my geography of Hogsmeade appears a little out of touch, so to speak, but if I changed it it wouldn't work so well, so again, please just go along with it. We're getting to the good bits now I feel...

Last time: Time slowly ticked away, and still they sat in silence, until James realised it was already half way through dinner. They stood and left and Lily couldn't help but notice a chill on her hand, which had only moments before still been covered by a larger warm one. They went down together, and the mood soon picked up, and Lily soon found herself sitting in between Sophie and James, having a wonderful discussion about the next Hogsmeade visit.

A few weeks later, in the middle of December, all the third years and above were able to visit Hogsmeade. The shops were packed with enthusiastic students discussing Christmas presents or how cold it was now that everywhere had a thick coating of snow.

Lily and Sophie were wondering around the main clothes shop, which sold a variety of robes and dresses, and more casual winter wear. Both girls looked relaxed and cheery; they had finished all their Christmas work and now had a couple of week's holiday to look forward to. Sophie was returning home to spend Christmas with her mother and grandparents, but there was still 2 days until they broke up officially from school. Lily had decided that due to her duties as Head Girl she would stay behind that year.

They looked around for another five minutes before heading to Honeydukes. It was one of Lily's favourite shops, and she could spend ages just looking at all the different treats. Sophie kept checking her watch; she was going to meet Sam in Madam Puddifoots for a drink at 3 o clock.

Lily looked over at her, grinning. "Just go and wait for him outside!" she said.

Sophie blushed and shook her head. "I've got another 10 minutes left yet-its freezing outside!" Lily laughed and left her by the door while she went and brought some sweets to send to her parents. She was half way down the queue when Sophie tapped her on the shoulder to tell her she was going.

"I'll see you at dinner later Lily!" She smiled as she passed the window and gave a little wave. Lily paid for her sweets and left the shop, wondering where to go next. She trudged through the snow for the next half an hour, before going into The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer and to warm up.

Only James and Peter had decided to go to Hogsmeade today, Sirius and Remus both wanted to finish their Defence against the Dark Arts essay before the holidays started. James was looking happy as usual, though he had a good reason. Since Halloween, he and Lily had been talking much more, and shared many more Heads duties together. Peter was as quiet as ever, and trailed after James around all the shops. He did suggest however, that they go and have a warm butterbeer when it started to snow quite heavily. James agreed, and they went and sat at a small table near the door.

They drank in silence, Peter absorbed in a new book he had just brought, and James doodled on some parchment with a sour coated quill from Honeydukes. Sighing in boredom, he looked around, spying friends from Quidditch also enjoying a drink and a chat, a few teachers were walking around and talking to the locals, and in the corner, sat by the steamed up window he saw Lily.

Her glass was nearly empty, and she was packing her stuff away that she had just brought. He gave her a smile as she looked up from her bag. She smiled back, but carried on sorting her things out.

James grinned to himself and scribbled something on his parchment. He glanced over at Lily to see she had drained her glass and was now putting her coat on ready to leave. He finished his note as she stood and started to walk towards the door. James ripped the corner of parchment off and folded it over, and stood, telling Peter he was going to get more drinks. Peter looked up briefly, frowning when he saw both their glasses were still more than half full. Lily was only a few metres away, looking down at her feet as she went. James stalled in the aisle before the bar, and Lily looked up at him as she squeezed past him. She felt him take her wrist and press something into her palm, before he swept off towards the bar without looking at her.

She frowned in confusion, but couldn't help but smile. Could it be that she had been wrong about him all these years? She didn't like to think like that, but recently she hadn't been able to help herself.

She stepped outside and the cold wind hit her, blowing her hood up over her head. She walked over to the corner of The Three Broomsticks, and took the parchment out of her hand. She unfolded it and read

Lily,

Meet me in ten minutes near the Hogs Head, won't take me long to lose this bore…

James x

She reread it and smiled to herself. The Hogs Head…that was a good few minutes walk to the other end of the village. She wrapped her coat firmly around her and set off, her head in a constant battle over whether this was a good idea or not.

James put his quill and parchment away and told Peter he'd got to go and he'd see him later, who merely nodded and said he'd be along in a minute. James shook his head at him. He never listens that boy…he thought to himself. He put his cloak on over his thick woollen jumper and left for the Hogs Head. I hope she turns up…

Lily had only been waiting for a couple of minutes when James arrived. He grinned at her, pleased that she had actually turned up. "Hey, you ok?"

She nodded as they started walking "Yeah, thanks, you?"

"Yeah I'm great thanks."

They walked in silence for a while, neither taking any notice of where they were heading. The snow was falling thicker and faster all the time and Lily couldn't help but shiver and wrap her scarf tighter around her neck. James saw her shiver out of the corner of his eye and stepped closer to her.

"Do you want to borrow my cloak? You look cold…"

Lily looked over at him, but smiled. "Oh I'm fine, thanks anyway."

He nodded and looked up, squinting through the snow. He could see the blurred shape of the Shrieking Shack coming closer.

"So…where are we going?" asked Lily after another five minutes silence.

"Oh erm…well that depends…"

"Umm... depends on what exactly?"

James stopped dead on the path and turned to face her. "It depends on whether you can keep secrets Miss Evans." He said with a mischievous look in his eye.

She turned away to keep walking and laughed. "Of course I can Mr Potter." She looked back behind her to where he was still standing. "So where are we going then?"

He jogged to catch up with her, grabbing her hand as he got to her, and pulling her to jog with him.

"Potter really, where are we going?" said Lily through deep breaths of icy cold air.

"I'm not going to tell you. I'm going to show you." They took a sharp left and ended up running down a small hill, and down a rickety old path, that was so covered in snow it was hard to tell where it was at times.

They slowed to a walk, James still gripping her hand, until the came up over a small embankment, over which was the Shrieking Shack.

Lily gasped. "Potter why on earth would you want to go in there?"

"You said you can keep secrets didn't you?"

She nodded.

"Then wait and see."

She stopped in the middle of the path and crossed her arms. "How do I know it's safe? Why should I trust you?"

He turned and walked back to her. "Lily, I know it looks stupid and old and dangerous-" she tried to interrupt- "but you're just going to have to trust me on this."

He looked into her eyes "Do you honestly think I'd take you somewhere where you could end up hurt?"

She looked away, unable to keep his piercing eye contact. "No, I guess not." She said quietly.

His face softened and he turned and carried on walking. They walked down past the fencing that divided the shack from the rest of Hogsmeade. James took out his wand and tapped the rotten looking door. It swung open as if it were a brand new door on new hinges and they stepped inside. There were a few cobwebs hanging between some of the beams on the ceiling, and a coating of dust over the few pieces of furniture that lay in the room.

He led her through the first room and up the stairs into one of the larger rooms. It had a musty smell and had an even thicker layer of dust. The door looked scratched and the tatty old bed in the corner was untidy and ripped.

He stepped over to the rickety looking window and motioned for Lily to come closer. The snow had slowed down and through the window Lily could see the little village of Hogsmeade. James stepped behind her so she could get closer to the window and admire the view.

He put his hand on the small of her back and whispered in her ear. "It's beautiful isn't it?"

She nodded and whispered "How did you find this place? I mean, no one in their right mind would normally come here. I thought it was haunted?"

He chuckled but didn't answer her. Instead he gingerly put his other hand around her waist and pulled her back to lean on him. She didn't move away. He leaned his cheek on her head and sighed. It was going perfectly thought James.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours to Lily, but only minutes to James. The lights could be seen from Hogsmeade as the sun had begun to set quite a while ago, and the dull grey sky turned darker and darker.

Lily shifted in his arms. "We should be heading back…" she whispered. James shook his head and she frowned up at him. "It's ok. We can get back from here in no time. We've got ages left yet."

Lily looked confused, but said nothing and went back to look out of the window. It was now nearly completely dark, and the snow filled clouds were breaking up and moving on. She could see the edge of the moon behind one cloud, and a few silver specks of stars between the others. James brought out his wand and lit the three candles that were on the table behind the door. He then made 2 glasses of butterbeer and handed Lily one.

"Thank you."

They drank in silence and Lily walked about the room, looking at the state of things and wondering why it was like it was, and who had lived there. She stopped near the far corner of the room, where the rotten wood had left a gap in the wall. A small pink nose was poking out from the gap. Lily took a step back, and a fat grey rat came crawling out.

Lily screamed and dropped the glass of butterbeer, and James rushed over to her.

"What? What is it?!" he asked, concerned etched in every feature. She pointed down to the rat who was squealing near the door.

James' mouth hung open in shock and fear. He rushed over to the window and peered up at the sky. The clouds had moved to reveal a beautiful full moon glistening in the darkness. His eyes became wide as the realisation dawned on him.

"Lily! Quick! Get over here!" he screamed at her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. He could hear scratching and growling downstairs. "I'm sorry Lily, but you're just going to have to trust me. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Just follow me."

Her brows knitted in confusion "Wha-". But before she could finish, James disappeared, and before her stood a great silvery stag.