Lily Evans sighed, staring out of her second story window. She absentmindedly fiddled with her hair, trying to ignore the feeling that she was being watched. She stared hard at the window directly opposite. She couldn’t see anything. Lily turned away from the window, trying to think of something which would occupy a large amount of time...what was that annoying pecking noise?!

Lily groaned as she noticed a familiar brown owl perched on the window ledge, tapping away on the glass. She sighed, opening the window and unrolling the roll of parchment attached to the owl’s leg.

Lily,
I’ve been watching you…

This note would have scared the wits out of anyone else, but Lily knew better. She had had enough experience with James Potter not to be too concerned; it had taken him about five minutes to figure out where her family had moved, and another five to arrange a ‘holiday’ with his parents’ friends in the house opposite. That was a week ago.

Potter,
Thanks for telling me. Now, what do you want?

She attached the letter to the owl, letting it fly across the road. Barely a minute later, it had returned.

Lily,
Will you meet me in the playground in five minues?

Lily sighed, straining her eyes to see across the road in the darkness. She felt like slapping herself as a smile tugged at her lips at the sight of James, sitting on his window ledge and watching her window intently.

Potter,
No, it’s too cold, and I won’t be allowed out this late, anyway. What do you want?

She gave the letter to the disgruntled looking owl and sat down on the edge of her bed. Seconds later, James’ owl was back.

Lily,
Too cold? I remember you once running out into a blizzard to escape from me…Ah, and as for your parents, don’t tell them you’re going, of course.

Typical Potter. Refusing to give up. She couldn’t wait until she was back a Hogwarts after Christmas, and could escape him…well, not really. She had already spent three months in the boy’s company in their seventh year before the holidays; her being Head Girl and him being Head Boy didn’t exactly improve matters.

Potter,
WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO MEET YOU?!

She barely had time to sit down on the bed before James’ owl was back. She sighed, relieving the extremely annoyed looking owl of it’s post, and opened up his reply.

Lily,
Why, to see you of course. You’ve been avoiding me.

Hell, would he ever give up? Now, a year ago, she wouldn’t have thought twice about this situation - Meeting James Potter outside at 11:00pm at night? Not likely…

But now she was having different thoughts. Without thinking, she scribbled an answer onto the back of James’ parchment.

Potter,
Ok, Ok, I’m coming…

Why was she doing this? She shook her head, securing the piece of parchment to James’ owls leg and grabbing her coat.

“Where are you going?” a suspicious voice at the door said.

“No where,” Lily sat down on the side of the bed and turned to face her muggle sister, Petunia/. “I’m just practicing my homework!” Lily said, knowing it would scare the wits out of Petunia.

“Well, have fun, then, freak,” Petunia sneered, closing the door again. Lily listened to her footsteps receding, and waited until she heard her bedroom door slamming before pocketing her wand and walking quietly downstairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hello, Potter,” Lily said, walking into the playground five minutes later.

James looked up, grinning. “Hello, Lils.”

“’Lils?’ What happened to ‘Evans’?” Lily said, noticing how cute- DID SHE JUST CALL JAMES POTTER CUTE?!? She shook her head slightly. She must be going mad…

“Well, I figured that because we are friends, we should be on first name terms.”

“Friends, Potter? Since when?” Lily said, trying to get rid of the smile playing around her lips.

“Since now,” James said simply. “You wouldn’t have come down here if you didn’t like me, at least a little,” he grinned, sitting down on a swing.

He has a point there, you know, said a nagging voice at the back of her mind.

Lily didn’t answer, but sat down next to him on another swing.

“I can’t believe we’re not going back...to Hogwarts, I mean. We’ll go back after Christmas, but then…” James sighed.

“I don’t see what you’re so worried about…you can go back to your parents house. I’ll be stuck here,” Lily said, swinging herself gently.

James grinned, moving up behind her and pushing her swing. “You can always come and stay with me?”

Lily giggled and turned around to face him. “Nope, ‘cause even if I did want to come, my parents wouldn’t let me,” she grimaced. “I think sometimes they forget I’m seventeen…”

James grinned again. “Do you want to come?”

“Hmmm…it would be nice to get away from here,” Lily said, looking around. “I’ve been living here for barely a week and I’m already sick of it.”

“Why? I find it -- did you just say that ‘it would be nice’?” James asked, shocked.

“Yes, I did, James,” Lily answered, standing up.

“Are you going?” James asked, looking disappointed.

“Do you want me to?”

“No, of course not,” James said, grinning from ear to ear at her response.

“Then no, I’m not,” Lily said, pulling her muggle jacket tighter around her as snowflakes started to fall.

“What are you thinking of doing after Hogwarts?” James asked suddenly.

“What, work?”

“Yep,” James replied.

“Nothing,” Lily said with a laugh. “Well, I’m thinking of trying out for Auror training, but that just depends on my NEWT marks.”

“You’ll be accepted, if that’s what you want to do,” James said confidently.

“You don’t know that. What are you thinking of?” Lily asked, a playful smile on her lips.

“Auror training, otherwise just something in the Ministry.”

Lily sat down on a park bench. “It seems so strange that we won’t be going back…after seven years, I’ve grown used to dreading the holidays, and then going back and being all happy again…”

“Like I said, you’re always welcome to come and stay at my place if the muggles get too much for you,” James said, sitting down next to her. To his surprise, Lily leaned her head on his shoulder.

“You know what? I might, if I can,” Lily said, moving an inch closer to James.

James didn’t answer, just wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He grinned as she didn’t object; on the contrary, she moved closer to him.

“Lily?”

“Hmm?”

“Merry Christmas,” James said, kissing her full on the lips.

Lily was shocked, but she didn’t pull away for a long time.

“I have to go…” Lily whispered eventually, slipping out of his loose embrace.

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Well, there you go, my first chapter! I promise things will get more exciting later on, I promise! Please, Read and Review!