I am an insufferable git. 



At least, this seems to be the prevailing opinion among most of the fifth, sixth, and seventh-year girls in Gryffindor. I’m not surprised Veronica Hill thinks so: we had a bit of an ugly breakup last year in the common room after she caught me sneaking in after a full moon. And I’m not surprised that Eva Johnson glares at me every time I walk by either, because I haven’t really talked to her since we both got pissed on our first Hogsmeade trip in October and ended up snogging in a dirty alley outside of the Three Broomsticks.

But I do wish Lily Evans would change her mind already. We’ve been working together for four months, and she still rolls her eyes at me at least once a week, if not once a day. This eye roll is usually accompanied by a weary “Oh, Potter,� although now that I think about it, last time she did say “Oh, James.�


Hardly progress.

It’s not that I still fancy her. No, after that first month of planning rosters, patrolling corridors, and docking points together and still constantly bickering, I gave up any last hope that perhaps being Head Boy might finally convince her I wasn’t so bad after all. Apparently I still was, because I merely moved from ‘toerag’ to ‘git’, with an occasional and exasperated use of my first name. In all honesty, I now found her almost as arrogant and annoying as she seemed to find me.

So I was quite surprised when Evans informed me at the last prefects' meeting that she had not only volunteered the prefects to decorate the Entrance Hall for Christmas, but that she had also told Hagrid that the Head Boy and Head Girl would gladly procure the twelve-foot tree that greeted students at the foot of the staircase as well.

Which meant a trip into the Forbidden Forest, alone with one of the most stubborn, independent, and infuriating girls I’ve ever known. I begged Remus to join us, but he refused, eyes twinkling as he no doubt pictured any number of grim scenarios involving me and Evans in the middle of the woods trying to cut down a large tree. I imagined them myself: we’d be lucky to survive unscathed.

I shook my head as I waited impatiently for Evans by the oak doors after breakfast. She finally came bounding from Great Hall, her auburn hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. She was wearing a warm cloak and gloves, but no scarf, and I knew it was cold out there. It had snowed the night before, and Sirius and I had snuck out for a run in the forest, enjoying the feel of the new snow as we bounded through the trees under the half moon. Only a second trip to the kitchens had warmed us up when we had finally come in. Evans would be freezing in no time without a scarf.

“Ready, Potter?� she asked cheerfully. I didn’t answer, but waved my wand at a loose thread on her cloak. She jumped back, her own wand out and pointed at me immediately. I snorted at her defensive reaction and held up the end of the new scarf around her neck. Her eyes widened slightly.

“What was that for?� she asked, fingering the warm wool.

“It’s for your neck,� I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at her as she so often did to me. “It’s cold outside, you know. It even…snowed.�



“Right.� She ignored my sarcasm as she wrapped it around her neck in that complicated yet stylish way that all girls seem required to master. “Thanks.�


“You’re welcome. Can we go and get this over with?�



We headed outside, the early morning air hitting us sharply in the face. The wind had picked up, blowing the snow into small drifts, and it suddenly occurred to me that I’d rather be anywhere else than out searching for a Christmas tree on a cold winter morning; I’d had my fill of the cold and snow the night before, and my fill of Evans at the last prefects' meeting. 



“You sound a bit disgruntled,� Evans observed as she walked beside me, occasionally bumping against my arm as the wind bit into us. I glanced down at her each time, wondering why she couldn’t seem to walk straight. 



“I’d rather be sipping hot chocolate in the common room,� I grumbled. 



“I’ll make you some afterwards,� she replied, and she actually sounded serious. I could have sworn some sort of look flitted across her face, but I couldn’t identify it. 



“What possessed you to volunteer us for this anyway?� I asked as we crossed the snowy lawn. We didn't see a single other student; they were apparently much more sensible that us and were all inside, staying warm instead of roaming the frozen grounds looking for a bit of festive timber.

She was silent for a minute, and then glanced at me with a sly look. I’d only ever seen that look on her face when she was about to pull something, like getting us in trouble, and I was immediately suspicious. 



“I thought it would be fun,� she finally replied with a small shrug. “A chance to work together on something besides duty rosters and patrol schedules.�

“We’re always working together, Evans,� I pointed out. “Sometimes I see you more than I see my friends.�



She raised an eyebrow and grinned. “That's not so awful, is it?�

I laughed, enjoying the exchange for the first time. I was sure it wouldn't last. “You’re just as bad as they are, you know.�



“I am not!� she exclaimed. 



“Of course you are,� I replied. “You like to have a go at me just as much as they do.�



“Because you never give me a hard time for anything,� she murmured in return. I inclined my head in agreement. 



“Point taken. We both like to take the piss, don’t we? It’s a wonder we haven’t hexed each other into oblivion yet.�



“There was that time in sixth year--“ she started, but I cut her off.

“Over and done. Moving on.� I coughed, pretending to look away in embarrassment, even though I had rather fond memories of the incident, and she laughed out loud. She made a move, as if to touch my arm, but stopped with a funny wave of her arm toward the trees instead. We stopped on the outskirts of the forest and glanced around, Evans eyeing the trees somewhat skeptically.

“Come on,� I said, reluctantly pointing to a path not far away. “I saw some good pines this way last--er, month.�



“You did?� she asked skeptically. “You visit the Forbidden Forest often, do you?�

“Occasionally.� I led her down the path toward a copse of fir trees I had seen the night before. It was not far into the forest, though we could no longer see the castle. The trees closed in around us, their branches covered in heavy snow that made it feel as if we were walking through a sparkling wonderland. As we entered the small circle of trees, Evans glanced down and noticed several sets of hoof and paw prints in the snow. 



“Yours, perhaps?� she asked, sounding amused with herself. I almost choked in surprise, but recovered quickly and turned around to wink at her instead. 



“Maybe.�

She rolled her eyes in that perfect damning way she had, and I couldn’t help but grin this time, as cold and miserable as I was. “All right, which one do you like? Don't take forever, I’m freezing.�



“You really don’t want to be here, do you?� she asked, walking around each tree and inspecting it closely. I had no idea what she might be looking for in a Christmas tree, other than it being mostly straight and green.


“I’d prefer a nice roaring fire to wandering the cold, dark forest, yes,� I replied. “Wouldn't anyone?� 



“Too bad,� she murmured. “It could have been fun.�

“When have we ever had fun together?� I asked. 



“There’s always a first time,� she replied enigmatically. I shook my head at her unusual demeanor. She wasn’t normally so easy going or mysterious; usually she snapped at me or fired back her own biting retorts.

“Fine. Let’s have fun decorating it inside where it's warm. With hot chocolate. Which one are we taking?�



She pointed to the tree she had selected. It looked like every other tree, only bigger and rounder and requiring far more effort to lug back to the castle. I sighed as I waved my wand at the trunk, severing it cleanly at the base. She caught it with a spell, cushioning its fall with a smug look thrown my direction. This time I did roll my eyes, and together we started back toward the castle, levitating the large tree between us. It had gone far more smoothly than I could have possibly imagined, and I stared at the back of her head as we trudged silently through the snow, wondering what was going on.

“See, that wasn't so bad, was it?� she asked. We were only halfway back to the castle, but she set down the tree and turned toward me with a smile. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were bright, and she actually looked rather pretty as she pushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

“I will reluctantly admit that I had a perfectly decent time,� I replied. “But the day is still young and I am still cold.�

“Well, at the risk of ruining it then, I have something for you� She pulled a small package from her cloak and handed it to me, her fingers lingering a bit longer than necessary as our hands touched. I tried to ignore the strange, tingling feeling in my arm.

“Er, what's this for?� I asked, completely dumbfounded.

“Christmas, dunderhead,� she replied with a laugh--not a mocking laugh, but a warm, friendly laugh. Her green eyes sparkled mischievously. “It's called a gift.�

“I didn't get you anything,� I said, suddenly feeling like a complete heel.

“You gave me this scarf,� she said. “And I love it.�

Actually, I'd simply Transformed a bit of thread on her cloak, but I didn't say anything as I opened the box.

“It's a ...sprig of leaves?� I said as I took out some sort of plant. It had tiny white berries on it and a single, lopsided red bow. “Holly?�

Evans was suddenly much closer than she had been a moment before. “It's mistletoe,� she said softly. She was watching me intently, and I knew there must be a reason, but I couldn't figure out why. Apparently my body knew more than my brain, because I felt much warmer than I had before, and I was feeling strangely nervous.

“Mistletoe,� I repeated, still searching for its significance. “Why again?� I finally asked. I was worried she might jinx me for asking, but I was honestly wondering why this small green plant had her staring at me so intensely.

Once again she surprised me. Instead of getting angry, she simply shook her head and uttered those two words I heard so frequently. “Oh, Potter.� Yet this time she didn't sound exasperated; she sounded...reluctantly fond. She put a gloved hand to my cheek and smiled. I shivered, though not from the cold.

“Yes?� I asked, still very confused.

“Close your eyes.� I did as I was told and felt her move closer. And then I felt a warm set of lips on mine, a gentle kiss that sent more shivers through me, from my head to my toes. I opened my eyes to find Lily Evans backing away with that sly smile she'd flashed me earlier. “Happy Christmas, James.�

She waved her wand at the tree and started back toward the castle without another word. I shook myself out of a stunned stupor and helped her, trailing behind and lost in my thoughts.

“What the hell was that for?� I finally called.

She stopped, turned, and simply raised her eyebrows at me. “It was a gift.�

“The mistletoe?� I asked, catching up to her and staring her down. “Or the kiss?� She actually blushed a little, and I found her face suddenly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, the two pink dots bring out the brilliant green of her eyes. Something was changing, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to keep up.

She glanced around as if looking to keep a secret. “Oh, the mistletoe was just an excuse,� she said softly. In spite of the blush, she glanced up at me through her eyelashes and licked her lips again. I could be an oblivious prat at times, but I was fairly certain I knew what she was telling me right then.

“An excuse,� I mused. “For a kiss.� I paused and nodded in mock understanding. “But that's not what I wanted.�

She winked, completely unaffected by my words, and turned back to the tree. We were not far from the steps to the castle, and she hurried through the snow toward the warm light coming from between the doors. “It's what I wanted, Potter,� she called over her shoulder.

A thought was forming in my mind. It could be a disaster, but given the way she was playing me, I thought I could pull it off. I raised my wand and Summoned the scarf I had given her. She whirled and demanded it back.

“Come and get it,� I teased. I held it behind my back and murmured a spell or two over it, hoping it would not turn into a slimy black snake--or worse.

Evans rolled her eyes at me as she returned, but she was smiling, and I knew I could see this through. She stopped before me, green eyes staring boldly into mine. “You are an insufferable git,� she said. I nodded in agreement.

“I know. But you still kissed me.� She tried to grab the scarf from behind my back. I kept it from her a few times, then held up my hand. “Stop. I'll put it on you.�

She stopped, waiting expectantly. I took the scarf from behind my back; instead of the warm black wool of her cloak, it was now a deep green with flecks of red and gold. I'd never been good at mending, but I could manage a Color Change Charm, even behind my back. She smiled broadly.

“Oh, that's even lovelier!� she exclaimed as I wrapped it around her. I held the ends tight and pulled her a bit closer.

“I'm glad you like it better,� I murmured. “Because I'd like to redo my gift as well.�

“What?� she asked, caught off guard for the first time since we’d set out for the forest. Before she could say anything else, I leaned down and kissed her. This time I kissed her hard, knowing what it could be and knowing that she wouldn't push me away if I tried. It wasn't something I had really thought about all year until that moment, and then I suddenly remembered why I had pestered her for so long: she was smart, she was clever, and she was beautiful. She was also a hell of a kisser--and she had kissed me first.

I would never let her live that down.

We finally drifted apart, breathless as we stood gazing at one another rather awkwardly. It had been so good I didn't know what to say. I had no withering remark to offer, just a fervent desire to say the right thing so I could kiss her some more. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about ruining the moment: Evans took charge again.

“Right.� She straightened my cloak and touched my cheek again. “Let's go. I owe you a hot chocolate.�

“You owe me an explanation,� I murmured as we hauled the Christmas tree up the steps toward the castle.

“I already said Happy Christmas, Potter, � she tossed over her shoulder. I almost wondered if it were a joke, if she'd just used me for fun, when she turned around and smiled at me with that same fond look. “How about you?�

“Er, Happy Christmas, Evans,� I offered, once again completely confused.

“Oh, James,� she laughed. She carried the tree into the Entrance Hall, and I followed, finally laughing with her. I'd gone out to cut down a Christmas tree with Lily Evans, but had come back with quite a bit more. I wasn't quite sure what that was, but I was definitely looking forward to hot chocolate with Lily.

I'd just have to remember to bring my mistletoe.

* * *