Disclaimer: Nothing here is owned by me.

Chapter Twelve

The first weekend of December dawned bright and cold on the castle. It brought with it more snow, bitter winds and the reoccurrence of attacks on muggleborn students. Fortunately with the tightening of security and the preparedness of the staff no one had been physically hurt, but Milly Davies was telling everyone in the line to Defence Against the Dark Arts that both the entrances to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms had been vandalised in a similar way to Gryffindor's.

James might have been reassured that they weren't in the fight alone, if he wasn't so angry about the whole thing.

It was hard to keep everyone spirits up with the threat of war looming over their heads, but with Christmas on the way James was more determined than ever to not let it get his spirits down.

It was first thing on a Saturday morning and James was utterly convinced Sirius was going to have them conducting a snow ball fight the minute he left the dormitory, so he had snuck out to visit the Owlery.

He had a letter to send to his mum and he didn't want the others to know about it yet.

He had a plan to set in motion that he wasn't ready to share. He was sure Sirius would scoff and Remus would look at him exasperatedly. So this had to be done alone and dealt with carefully for now, just until he was ready for the others to know about it.

He just thought he'd head down early to breakfast when he bumped into the last person he wanted to see.

Daisy Hookum

"Oh hello" she said, clearly as surprised as he was. Her red hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head and her brown eyes were wide as she looked up at him. She really was quite pretty, he conceded. "What are you doing up so early?" She asked.

"I was just sending a letter" he said, his arms motioning towards the Owlery. "You?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about going out into the snow before anyone else did" she paused for a moment, clearly looking quite embarrassed. "You could join me, if you like."

"That's a nice offer, but Sirius would probably skin me alive if I went into the snow with someone else."

His excuse sounded fake even in his own ears, and judging by the red tinting her cheeks she didn't believe him either.

"Listen James, I'm really sorry about all those things Gemma said during our date" she said, averting her eyes slightly. "I'm sure she didn't mean it, it's just she has a huge crush on Sirius and was probably a little jealous."

"Slagging off Sirius' mates isn't exactly a good way to get his attention" James pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

"I know it was stupid and petty, I can apologise to Lily if that would help."

"It's a little late for that now" James said, sounding more waspish than he meant to. "Plus, you don't have anything to apologise for."

"Sometimes Gemma just doesn't think before something comes out of her mouth."

"I have plenty of friends like that" James smiled, offering her his arm. "Can I walk you to breakfast?"

"Oh" she blushed a pretty pink but took his preferred arm, "I'd like that."

"So, how are things with Muggle Studies?" He asked, figured the best way to avoid awkward conversation was to talk about something he knew she was really interested in.

"Brilliant!" She said, smiling at him enthusiastically. "I'm writing an essay on how airplanes stay up, it's really fascinating."

"Sounds it" James muttered. "Listen Daisy, can I ask you a personal question?"

Daisy blushed again but nodded, "Of course."

"If you like muggles so much why are you friends with someone who so obviously hates them?"

"Gemma doesn't hate muggles!" Daisy defended immediately. "She just believes in the old ways, like her parents do."

"Sirius' parents believe in the old ways" James pointed out. "He's smart enough to make up his own mind."

"She's really a nice person, I promise!" Daisy pleaded, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. "That's just what she's been brought up to believe."

They're just reached the Entrance Hall and as they crossed towards the Great Hall another girl appeared around the corner that he didn't want to see while in his current situation.

Of course in any other situation he would be more than happy to see Lily Evans. In those form fitting jeans she favoured and a baggy woolly jumper she looked good enough to kiss until she was breathless.

"Hey Evans" he called across to her, because he just couldn't seem to help himself.

"Oh, hello Potter" she greeted, pausing in her walk towards the Great Hall before she turned her green eyes on his companion, "Daisy."

"Hi Lily" Daisy mumbled, her eyes downcast.

"You two are up early" she commented.

"We just met as I was coming out of the Owlery" James defended, "Daisy wanted to go out into the fresh snow."

"Sounds nice" Lily said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Well I'd better go and get some breakfast before Sirius hunts me down."

With that as a farewell she turned on her heel and marched into the Great Hall.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me, James?" Daisy asked, her face painted in a blush again.

"Oh, er" he stalled for a moment. "I'd like to but I really need to talk to Evans, she's my partner in Potions and I'm really struggling with my essay that's due Monday."

"Oh, okay" Daisy agreed, sounding clearly disappointed. "Some other time then?"

"Definitely" he agreed, smiling at her before turning and following Lily to the Gryffindor table.

He found her sat half way down the table by herself, stabbing into a sausage as though it had done her a personal insult.

"Alright, Evans?" He grinned, taking a seat next to her.

Lily looked up at him before her green eyes glanced around, "Where's your date?" She asked.

James frowned, "Daisy isn't my date" he said, "I told you we just met outside the Owlery."

Lily nodded slowly but didn't say anything as she turned back to her breakfast.

James sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Look Lil, I know you've been avoiding me and I know it's because of Daisy's friend."

Lily's eyes tightened defensively as she looked at him, "Who told you that?"

"It's pretty obvious" he confessed, even though he didn't think anything was less obvious in his life. He really needed to talk to Remus about his understanding of the female species, because James clearly didn't have a clue.

"I don't care if you want to date her, Potter" she said dismissively, red colouring her cheeks and she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I'm just not willing to hang out with her muggle hating friends."

"You so care" James said, grinning because he really couldn't help himself.

Lily's mouth fell open as she glared at him, "I do not!"

"If I didn't know any better I might say you were jealous" he grinned as her face coloured with that lovely pink blush he was getting so accustomed to.

"James Potter, I couldn't care less who you date" she told him haughtily.

"It's okay Lil" he said, reaching out to poke her between the ribs. "I promise not to tell anyone about your undying love for me."

Lily giggled as she batted his hands away, "You're so full of it, Potter."

"And you Evans, are so ticklish" he laughed as he pulled her closer to him to gain better access to his ribs.

"I am not!" She laughed, trying to escape his fingers.

"You're a terrible liar too" he was grinning from ear to ear now as Lily Evans laughed and squirmed next to him.

He wanted to stop time right then and there.

"Go on Evans, just admit you fancy me and I'll stop."

"That's not fair!" She complained, gasping for air as she tried to move away from him.

"Playing fair never works with you" he grinned, following her as she shuffled up the bench.

"Okay, stop I give in!" She said finally, before turning those big green eyes on him. "I really like you a lot, James."

His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, their mouths were a breath apart. "I really like you a lot too" he whispered.

Their faces were so close he could count the freckles on the bridge of her nose.

The suddenly, she shoved the remainder of her porridge in his face. He was so shocked he didn't even register she was laughing so hard she almost fell off the bench.

"Your face!" She squealed with delight before bursting into another round of giggles.

"Oh you're going to pay for that, Evans" he said, unable to keep the smile off his face as he wiped the porridge off his cheeks.

Lily was laughing too hard to answer, but a voice from beside them interrupted. "What's so funny?" asked a very amused Remus as he took a seat at the bench across from them.

"Aw, you guys started throwing stuff without me!" Sirius complained, taking the seat beside Remus.

"Don't blame me" James said easily, pulling his wand out of his pocket to clean up the rest of the mess. "Evans is the one who started throwing things."

"How else was I meant to get your ugly mug out of my face" she teased, turning her eyes back to her breakfast.

"This isn't over, Evans" James warned.

"I agree!" Sirius put in, helping himself to copious amounts of bacon. "Let's continue this out in the snow, where the rest of us can join in."

"I'd love to boys, but I know you guys go in teams and I'd make you uneven" Lily said, trying not to smile or sound too happy with herself.

"That's okay Evans, you can go with Wormtail" James grinned, "He can do with all the help he can get."

"Just as long as I don't have to be on your team" she said, glaring at him weakly.

"Oh don't worry Evans, I plan on making the most of not being on your team."

He knew he should regret saying it, but he just couldn't help himself. The more Lily let him in, the more he wanted to push. Teasing her and having fun like they had this morning just felt right.

Judging by the blush around her ears and the smile she was trying to hide she obviously felt the same.

Sirius cleared his throat, "When you two are quite done" he said, a current of amusement running through his voice. "Go and put some warm clothes on and we can go out into the snow!"

"Sirius I really have so much homework to do-" Lily started again, this time Sirius cut her off.

"No way Evans" he shook his head, "You've just nominated yourself onto my team, so you can go and put on a scarf, or whatever it is girls use to keep warm."

"I hate you" she informed him, before standing up and marching out of the Great Hall.

Sirius cast James and Remus a shifty look before grabbing Peter's arm, "Come on Wormtail, let's talk tactics" he said conspiratorially, before dragging him up to the other end of the table.

James shook his head, "They think they're actually going to beat us" he grinned, turning to look at Remus who was watching him suspiciously. "What?" he demanded.

"What's going on between you and Lily?" Remus wanted to know immediately.

"What, nothing!" James said defensively, "We're friends now."

"You were flirting with her" Remus accused.

James sighed, "Alright, but promise you won't get mad?"

"I will make no such promise" Remus said simply.

James glared at him before ruffling his fingers through his hair, "I overheard your conversation with Lily the other night" he admitted, "The one where she said she didn't hate me as much as I thought…"

"That's not what she said."

"She was talking about marriage, Remus!"

"You can't read too much into this, James" Remus implored, his gold eyes wide and serious. "Lily is upset about a lot right now, the difference in your blood status is only one of those things."

"Are you saying she doesn't like me?"

"Of course not" Remus sighed, "I just don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"Oi losers" Sirius called, and they both looked up to see Sirius stood beside Peter and Lily, the latter of which was now wrapped in a coat, scarf and hat. "Ready to play?"

"Bring it on, Sirius!" he called as he and Remus both stood up. "Just let me try this Moony, and if you still feel the same way at the end of the day I swear I'll go back to trying to be just friends."

Remus' eyes narrowed suspiciously as they walked across the Great Hall together, but he chose not to say anything.

By the time they had made it outside the other three were nowhere to be found, but Sirius liked the tactic of hiding and jumping out on unsuspecting victims. Sure enough, the moment James knelt down to roll up a snowball Lily appeared from behind a clump of bushes and pelted the side of his head with a snowball.

"I've got her!" James called to Remus as Lily took off, giggling with mirth. "You get Wormtail!"

With that said he pelted after Lily, catching her around the waist as she slipped on an icy bit of snow and hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, Potter!" she squealed, hitting him repeatedly on the back and flailing her legs as he turned away and began to head back to Remus who was jogging in their direction.

"No way, Evans!" James laughed, "Do you have any idea how valuable a hostage is?"

"Sometimes we get Peter" Remus agreed, appearing at their sides just as James let Lily slide off his shoulder. "But Sirius taught him how to get away."

"Well I don't need any lessons" she exclaimed, pushing James in the hope he would lose his footing and trying to take off again.

"Hold on there, Evans" he grinned, grabbing her around the waist again and pulling her into him so her back was pressed up against his chest. He could smell the cinnamon in her hair and tried not to let it distract him. "We have something we do to hostages around here."

"What's that?" she asked quietly, sounding a little afraid.

The rest of her breath whooshed out of her lungs as Remus shoved a lump of ice down her shirt. She squealed and wriggled against James who held her fast so she couldn't get away.

"Let me go, Potter!" she exclaimed, laughing as she squirmed against him. "It's cold!"

He was about to respond but one of her escape attempts was a little more vigorous than he was expecting and he lost his footing, causing the two of them to stumble and land in a heap on the snow.

"Well, this is a lot warmer" she said in a muffled voice, rolling over to face him.

He didn't say anything, just watched her lips as her teeth chattered together and she smiled at him. They were so close he could feel her warm breath against his cheek, and see the gold flecks in her green eyes.

James had never wanted to kiss anyone so much as he had in this moment, and he was beginning to think she might even let him.

Then he was hit in the side of the head a second time by a snowball.

They both jumped and looked up to see Remus staring down at them.

"You hit your own man!" Sirius accused, jumping out from behind the beech tree and pelting Remus with snowballs.

Until Peter also appeared and aimed on at Sirius' head, which was when all hell broke loose.

James and Lily both got up to join in the fun, in which all teams appeared to have been forgotten and they all chased each other around the frozen grounds until their cheeks were pink and their fingers were numb.

It wasn't until Lily insisted that if she didn't get a hot chocolate right away her toes were going to drop off that they all decided it might be a good idea to go back into the warm.

As they were climbing the steps into the Entrance Hall Remus reached out to clap James on the back, "I hope you know what you're doing Prongs" he said, shaking his head.

James smiled to himself, "So do I" he said, so quietly no one could hear him.