Thanks to griffinphoenix, amanamanam and Bookybookbook for reviewing and to .Sorrowful.Bookworm., fairybells5 and potterfan7993 for adding this story as a favourite! I love reading your reviews and having people add this story as a favourite so thanks a lot! You make writing this story so much more worth while:-)

Here is chapter 12! And while a lot of the things in this story may not seem all that relevant now, there are quite a few things that will happen later on that I lead up to in previous chapters. Anyway, I'll stop blabbering on and let you read the story!

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Ch 12: The Rules of Buying Presents

"Wake up Lily!" Natalie said sharply as she poked Lily in the side. "If you don't get up now we're going without you."

Lily opened her eyes groggily and saw Natalie's impatient face looking back at her. She could hear the sound of Clara and Marly getting themselves ready in the bathroom.

"I'm up, I'm up. Don't get your knickers in a knot!" Lily said as she slid out of her warm bed and started to get dressed. Always one to get cold, Lily added a few extra layers to keep her warm.

After a quick breakfast, the four girls walked towards Hogsmeade, shivering in the icy wind. Splitting up to do all the necessary Christmas shopping, the four girls went their separate ways.

Marly had barely gone three steps when she found herself face to face with none other than James Potter.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" James asked. Something about his uncomfortable face made her give in.

"Sure, Potter. What do you want to talk about?" Marly got on quite well with James, but years of being Lily's best friend had forced her into the habit of calling him by his surname.

"Umm, I wanted to talk to you about Lily." Marly raised her eyebrows in interest. With an encouraging nod from Marly, James continued. "As you are probably very well aware, I really like Lily. And before you jump to conclusions," James added hastily seeing Marly open her mouth to speak. "I am not here to convince you to make her go out with me. Far from it in fact. She has to make that decision, or not make that decision, for herself."

Marly was surprised. She had never seen this side of James Potter before. And he genuinely did seem to like Lily. Marly kind of felt sorry for James, what with Lily not returning his affections and all. But all in all, James did seem like a decent guy. Grudgingly, Marly had to admit that she had thought James was going to ask her to try and get Lily to go out with him.

"Anyway, as much as I hate to admit this, I don't have a lot of experience in this matter." He paused for a second with a pained expression. "What do you buy a girl for Christmas?"

Marly laughed out loud, lightening the mood. James grinned too for a minute before Marly became all business.

"Ok, first piece of advice. Don't try and go all romantic or anything. You'll scare her." James nodded while Marly spoke.

"You want to give her something platonic. As much as you wish otherwise," At this point Marly gave James an apologetic look, "you are only friends and your present had to reflect that." Marly didn't want to keep rubbing his nose in the fact that he was only friends with Lily, but she knew how much Lily had grown to value James' friendship this past month. If James moved too fast for her, knowing Lily she would get scared and run. Marly would hate to see Lily and James' friendship fall apart. It would destroy both parties.

"Girls' read a lot into the present a guy gives them so it has to be appropriate and send the message you want. So roses, especially red ones are definitely out. Too romantic. Perfume is too much of a personal thing. Not even I would be brave enough to buy her perfume unless I was sure she liked it. And she'll think you're trying to hint that she smells and offend her." James' head was spinning. Who knew buying a present for a girl could be so complicated?

"A book?" James suggested. Marly looked horrified.

"Are you joking? A book is what you buy your father, or someone you don't like and can't think of what to buy." Marly shook her head fiercely as she spoke.

"But she likes reading." James said defensively. Marly, however, ignored him.

"Girls like make up, but as a guy it isn't really appropriate for you to buy her make up. And even if you could, she'd think you're trying to hint that she's ugly and she will be even more offended than if you bought her perfume. Jewellery is difficult too. Be careful if you buy her jewellery, and only some necklaces and bracelets are appropriate. No rings."

"You've told me everything I can't buy her, which sounds to me like pretty much everything. So, what can I buy her?" James asked sounding exasperated.

"Hmm, I guess that leaves you things like…some kinds of jewellery as long as it isn't anything romantic…and…anything else you can think of. Apart from roses, books, perfume, make up, rings and some other kinds of jewellery. But remember, keep it platonic!" Marly seemed to have finished with the conversation and was looking interestedly at the shop they were standing outside of.

"Right, thanks Marly." James said sounding dejected. Now he had even less of an idea what to buy Lily.

"You're welcome James. Just think about it. And good luck!" Marly called as she walked into the shop.

Good luck. Well he was definitely going to need that. There were so many rules! And think about it? That's what he had been doing for the last few days and he had come up with nothing. Nothing!

Setting off feeling hopeless, James ran over everything Marly had told him. Platonic. No roses, no books, no perfume, no make up, no rings, and jewellery in general just seemed far too hard. What on earth was he going to buy her?

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After many hours of hunting through shops, the four girls met up, carefully disguising their bags, trying to hide what they had bought from each other.

"Let's go to The Three Broomsticks." Suggested Clara, her cheeks pink from the fierce wind. "I'm freezing. I could really do with a butterbeer!"

"Great idea!" Lily replied, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.

Pulling the door open they entered the crowded, noisy pub. Making their way to the back of the room, Marly, Clara and Lily sat down at a vacant table beside the window. The roaring fire warmed their frozen fingers as snowdrifts swirled in the window. Minutes later, Natalie joined them clutching four tankards of foaming hot butterbeer.

"Thanks Nat." Lily said as she took a sip of her butterbeer and felt the warmth wash over her.

"Merry Christmas." Natalie replied raising her tankard to her three friends.

"Don't have too much fun without us!" Clara said with a smile. Clara and Natalie were both going home for Christmas.

"And don't forget to miss us!" Natalie added with a grin.

With all their school work and everything else going on, the girls had had little time to spend with each other. Trying to make the best of their time today, they sat in the pub for hours, chatting and laughing.

"Clara, how could you?" Marly laughed looking scandalised. "Marty Franklin!"

"I know I know!" Clara wailed, burying her face in her hands but laughing too. "He looked really handsome in the dark!" She added defensively. Natalie snorted loudly.

"He did!" Clara insisted. "It was only after, that I realised who he was." She said despairingly.

"I guess the boils all over his face and his snaggle tooth (A/N I don't actually really know what that is but it is mentioned in mean girls and I thought it was funny) were hard to miss once you saw him in the light!" Natalie said between laughs.

"So what did you do then?" Lily asked curiously, gaining control over her laughter.

"I ran!" Clara said with a 'well duh' look. "What else could I do? He's hideous! If anyone saw me, my reputation would have been ruined!" Clara said looking scandalised.

Laughter carried on until the sky grew dark and they decided to head back to the castle.

"Look, it's a full moon!" Lily said pointing up to the sky. She shivered involuntarily as the chilly wind whipped her face fiercely.

Together, Clara, Natalie, Marly and Lily trudged through the snow back up to the castle. The walk was long and cold and they were all relieved to reach the shelter of the entrance hall.

As Marly pulled the heavy door open, Lily glanced across the grounds. It was a beautiful night, the sky was clear and the bright moon cast an eerie glow across the frosty grounds. Just as she turned to follow her friends, something caught Lily's eye. A beautiful stag stood by the frozen lake staring directly at her, bathed in moonlight. Its dark coffee coloured coat glowed brilliantly but something about its eyes struck Lily. They looked so familiar yet she couldn't place them. But before Lily could get a better look at the magnificent animal it turned its antlered head and cantered off into the distance.

"Hurry up Lily! It's freezing!" Marly said impatiently, peering around to look at her.

With one quick glance backwards at the empty grounds, Lily followed her friends inside, her mind still on the beautiful creature she had just seen.