A/N: Ok… again... THANKS a lot for your reviews.. I'm truly amazed at the response. To answer a few questions… yes that first year was indeed the one who Snape attacked, (sry if it wasn't all that clear) and my friend got the free cookie but since I got so many reviews I'll offer one to each and everyone of you lol . Chapter 4 yay

Chapter 4

"Is she going to be all right?" said a voice Lily recognized as James'.

"Oh, yes, yes. Nothing to worry abou'. She must 'av hit her head, that's all."

She tried to stand up but she was too tired. She opened her eyes and after a moment the fuzzy world around her came into focus. She was on the table in Hagrid's Hut. She tried to remember what had happened but she could only recall lots of coloured balls and a deafening crash.

Seeing that she was awake, James scooped her quickly in his arms thanked Hagrid and got out of the Hut, walking in the direction of the castle. It was dusk, the sky was overcast with clouds and it was starting to snow again.

"You gave me right a scare there Lilykins" said James, looking at her in his arms.

He was worried about me, she thought, feeling something she strongly suspected to be affection.

She looked up at him but now he was looking straight ahead, his mind clearly on other things. They walked up to the castle, up the staircases and right to their own common room in silence. James placed Lily gently on one of the cushions and then slumped down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, covering his eyes with one hand. He looked very tired, wearisome.

Something was telling her to go next to him. As if her legs had a mind of their own, she scrambled up lightly on his stomach and mewed. He peered from between his fingers and then smiling slightly, brought her close to his face.

"We've searched everywhere and yet it's as if she's disappeared" he said, thoughtfully. "I wonder if you know where she is."

He scratched Lily under her chin but then chuckling grimly at himself he said, "Huh... how would you know?"

After a while he sat up, putting Lily on his lap and continued "But you know the strangest thing? I found you the day Lily disappeared…"

Lily stood up straight looking at him. Oh come on! You're so close!

"You even remind me of her..." he was saying. "I wish I knew what happened. If she's hurt somewhere I wouldn't forgive myself."

He looked so sad that she felt sorry for him. James Potter has got a heart after all, she thought, snuggling closer to him.

He brought his arms around her, smiling ruefully as he looked at Christmas tree to his left. "If she somehow came back tomorrow she'd be the perfect Christmas present."

As she looked at him, all those times she had rejected him started appearing in front of her eyes.

How come this boy, after so many rejections, after the way she had treated him all these years, after all that she did he still likes her?

She had to admit that this year he had changed greatly; he had matured. Although he still made part of the Marauders and occasionally took part in some pranks, unexpectedly he had taken up his responsibilities as Head Boy with immediate effect. She couldn't deny that she liked this new James much better and right now she had just had proof that his feelings for her were more than real; she was his life. She took a moment for the weight of these thoughts to sink in.

She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in the past two days. She'd been turned into a cat, did things which she had deemed herself above and now had learned how much James Potter actually cared about her.

However right then, James places her on the sofa and stood up, heading towards his dorm. "Time to sleep" he said. "I'm knackered." He entered his bedroom, leaving her alone in front of the fire.

Something that James had said, lingered still in her mind.

Could she make it back to human form by tomorrow?

As much as she hated the idea of spending Christmas as a cat, somehow she doubted it. Sighing, she hopped off the sofa and went upstairs to the dorms. On the way to her room, she passed James'. He had left his door open and she took a peek inside. He was already asleep, sprawled on his bed with one hand under the pillow, breathing evenly.

She walked quietly into the room, smiling (if that is even possible for cats) at his ruffled never-neat hair which used to annoy the hell out of her before but which now surprisingly she found very cute.

She hopped silently on his bed, with the agility and smoothness that can only come with being a cat. She made her way towards him and settled down in the nook of his arm. The last thought before she slept was that she felt right at place there next to him, listening to his shallow breathing. Just right.

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The smell of roasted turkey and chicken wafting up through the castle and under the doors woke up Lily the next morning. Twitching her whiskers, she suddenly noticed how hungry she was. Then a moment later she remembered what day it was. Christmas!

She looked down at her body almost expecting to see her own but instead she saw the now familiar glistening black coat. Nevertheless she didn't let this put her down. Christmas was one of her favourite days of the year and if she didn't want to spend it sulking in a corner all alone, even if that meant she had to live yet another day in the body of a cat.

She turned her head to the sleeping form of James behind her. She walked over to his face and licked his cheek, surprised that she was that happy. James immediately scrunched his face and woke up, looking at her.

"Happy Christmas to you too, Lilykins" he croaked out, but his eyes were smiling. He then sat up straight and noticed the pile of presents at the foot of his bed.

"Presents!" he said, all thoughts of sleep suddenly gone. He had just finished unwrapping his second present when there was a knock on the door.

James and Lily looked up to see the rest of the Marauders grouped around the door grinning. Then there was a lot of hugging and embracing and wishing of 'Happy Christmas' while Lily looked on, amused.

Sirius, Remus and Peter had brought their presents with them and then settled down on the bed and the carpet to open them together. Lily hopped off the bed to go to her room and try to open her own presents.

While she was leaving, she heard Remus say something like "I've found something else that will help us, James… we haven't used the map in ages!"

However just then she had entered her room and noticed her own small mountain of presents and she didn't really pay much attention to anything else. She had started scratching at the wrapping paper of the present on top of the pile when she noticed how silent the place had suddenly become. She flicked her head towards the door and found the Marauders staring back at her.

James had what looked like an old parchment open in his arms and was looking at her astounded. He looked down at the map and then back at her.

"I can't bloody believe this!" said Sirius, unconsciously rubbing his cheek.

"Lily?" asked James, still looking at her.

Sorry for not updating sooner… I had problems... Anyways review pls! You'd make my day :D