A/N: I own nothing; it all belongs to the talented J K Rowling! Thank you for all the support with the lovely (and constructive!) reviews, the favourites and followers!

Here is Christmas in Lily and James' fourth year, four weeks after Professor Slughorn's party.

FOURTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS

CHRISTMAS EVE

I think I am the last one up, all the others are either at the Hufflepuff Christmas party in the Room of Requirement (which is such a convenient room to have in a school) or in bed. Meanwhile, I am studying for our next Practice Exam in Defence against the Dark Arts. It's tedious work, really. No spells as of yet, just textbook work. I turn the page and happen to end up on a page about were-wolves and I smile to myself.

"Studying on Christmas Eve, Evans?" Potter walks into the Common Room.

"Yes," I say, scornfully.

"I thought you'd be doing something else, it is the merriest night of the year, after all."

"Yeah, we all know how I love parties."

"Come on, Evans, they're not that bad."

I mumble as way of communication. I really don't want to talk to Potter. Mar and Alice have gone to the party with their boyfriends and I didn't want to be a third-wheel so I stayed behind. I open my textbook again and resume to my previous mind-numbing task of taking notes and revising.

"Aw, Evans! You can't do work on Christmas!"

"It's Christmas Eve,"

"Exactly," Potter says unfazed, "so you should be seizing the day! Carpe diem! I tell you what, why don't I show you –"

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Potter."

Potter sighs. "School isn't all about the grades."

"I think you'll find that it is."

"No! Recent Muggle studies have shown that you make your best and closest friends at work and school because you have the experience to share together. So technically, the people you meet here are going to be with you forever."

"You've been studying Psychology?" I raise my eyebrows, gently closing my textbook.

"Well, yeah. Just because it's a Muggle thing, doesn't mean that it's not helpful."

"Alright then, what if I told you that by not studying then I won't get good grades and thus won't get a decent job and will not be able to financially support myself?"

"Really, Evans? You know, they say the most intelligent people are the people who don't regard themselves as overly intelligent. I'm not sure exactly what intelligence is, Psychologists and Philosophers alike have been arguing about this for centuries, whether it's something which can be improved upon or whether it is 'just there'."

"The nature versus nurture debate," I say.

"Yeah, I reckon you have people who read a lot, so they gain lots of knowledge from the books they read. Consequently, this makes other people perceive them as intelligent as they know things which they might not. However, in reality the intelligent people are the people who have their own opinions, a love of knowledge, and the ability to accept other arguments and change their minds."

"You know, Potter, sometimes I find myself not hating you and the very thought of your existence doesn't not entirely repulse me. This is when my brain tells I need some sleep because the exhaustion of my brain is getting out of control, goodnight Potter."

I leave the room for my dormitory, as I stand up and begin to walk away with my books, he points upwards. Mistletoe.

Potter takes a step closer but I step backwards, taking out my wand. I point my wand at it; the mistletoe transforms into a paper reindeer and falls gracefully into Potter's hands.

"Merry Christmas," I say before leaving the room.

I run up to my bed, slightly in shock at what I had done. I had just a civil conversation with Potter. Do I actually like him as a human being? No! He's still an obnoxious, bullying flobberworm.

ONE YEAR LATER

(FIFTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS)

Finally! Hogwarts at last!

"Lily! Oh my gosh, you have no idea how pleased I am to see you!" Mar rushes up to me at Platform 9 ¾, "anyway, do you remember Frank Longbottom? Yeah? My ex-boyfriend? Alice, Alice Prewitt not our Alice, she's going out with him! I am not joking! Frank didn't tell me and we've been dating since third year, I thought he and I were friends. I have a feeling he dumped me because I had a thing with Amos which, by the way, was totally an accident and last year. I swear it was for a week maybe two and I only didn't tell you because I was so worried that you'd all think I was a slut."

"Of course you're not a slut, Mar. So Frank and Amos are not going out with you?"

"No! Also, you know how my parents are really good friends with the Potters? Well, we stayed over at their mansion which is beautiful, by the way and Sirius and I kind of had a thing except I didn't really agree to it, it was only kissing but still. I don't like the idea of any random boy kissing me because they think it's alright. So, we sort of had a thing and now I really like him. I really love him but – and I suppose this is my own fault – guys like Sirius don't want to settle down in the fifth year. I feel like if I met the right guy now I would stay with him for as long as I lived. I feel like I've already been crazy and wild and now I just want to tone things down a bit. Sorry, I'm not really explaining it very well."

"No, I understand you. As for settling down, I suppose that's a good thing, OWLs are this year."

"Yeah, they are. Alice hates me because I kissed Amos, I swear she does, Sirius hasn't talked to me for three weeks, you're always studying and this is the worst day of my life."

"Alice doesn't hate you and you can do so much better than Black. Besides, I have some good news," she looks at me, perplexed.

"I'm a prefect!"

"I knew it! Well done, who's the other Gryffindor prefect?"

"Remus."

"LILY!" Alice tackles me with a hug. "Marlene."

I leave the two of them to their staring contest and try to find Severus. When I find him, I feel a smile creep on my face, almost unexpectedly.

"Severus," I say, tapping him on the back.

"Lily!" he exclaims, turning around. His smile couldn't have been wider.

I hug him and we chat for a bit. As I hug him good-bye, I feel eyes bearing into me. I turn around. Potter, of course.

"See you later, Sev."

"See you, you like nice by the way," I know that my face has flushed with colour.

"Hello, Evans." Potter's eyes pierce my own.

"Hello, Potter."

"Nice holiday?"

"So-so, it would have been better if you hadn't had sent letters to me every single day asking me about Muggle Psychology and Anthropology," Potter smirks.

"Sorry about that, I just wanted to know,"

"Sure," I say dubiously. "You also had to know my favourite colour, preferred music choice and how I dress in the mornings."

"Those things say a lot about the type of person you are," Potter said matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure they do, in fact, my studies say that you're a Type A prick."

"You wound me. Prefect?" he looks at the badge on my chest.

"Yes, so watch it, Potter."

"Of course," he smirks and stands there watching me as I make my way to the train.

I haul my bags onto the Platform and get on the train. Alice and Mar appear to be friends again and I smile as I sit next to them.

"I invited the Marauders to sit with us, Lil, I hope that's okay," Alice says.

"Sure, whatever. I have to patrol and go to the meeting soon anyway."

"Do you want to know what I heard, Lil? Sirius' cousin Bellatrix is engaged."

"How?"

"Her parents and the Lestrange family sorted it out, apparently if you want to keep the Pureblood running in families, then you have to sort out your children a wife or husband so they don't fall in love with – heaven forbid- a Muggle-born."

"Oh," I realise that both Mar and Alice are Purebloods.

"Sorry! You're a Muggle-born, I forgot. It's just a load of crap which the traditional type follow. My parents think it's a load of shit this blood racism so I'm not engaged which is a bloody relief. Unfortunately, when my Granddad found out that I didn't have a fiancé, he disowned my mother so now we're Blood Traitors."

We hear a familiar voice outside our compartment.

"Are all you girls decent?" Black asks.

Before we can answer, Black barges in.

"Hey! What if we were half-naked?" Mar demands.

"I wouldn't mind, in fact, it would greatly improve my day."

Mar slaps him on the arm, only half playfully. Remus sits on one side of me, Potter sits on the other. I deliberately turn my back to Potter and talk to Remus instead.

"Congratulations on becoming a Prefect."

"Thanks, you too," Remus says.

"Are you nervous about OWLs?"

"A little," he admits, "but I like to study hard so I think it will be okay."

"Okay? Everyone knows Moony's a swot," Black shouts.

"It's true, Moony," Potter says.

"There's nothing wrong with studying hard, Potter. Just because you have no ambition or intelligence it doesn't mean Remus doesn't."

"We'll see Evans, let's say that if I get all Outstandings and Exceeds Expectations in my OWLs, you go out with me."

"In your dreams, Potter,"

"Alright then, if I do get all Outstandings and Exceeds Expectations, you kiss me."

I hesitate, even though I am fairly confident that he'll never be able to do it, a small part of me doubts it.

"What's wrong, Evans? Afraid you'll lose?" Potter goads me.

"Fine, deal but they have to be all Outstandings and Exceeds Expectations any Acceptables or Poors and the deal is off."

"Fine, deal."

We shake on it. Remus and I get up to leave for the Prefect meeting.

"Behave yourself, Moony," Black says as Remus holds the door open for me.

Potter's expression is unreadable but at least he's not talking.