If there was one thing James Potter hated, it was winter. Sure, presents and puddings were ace, but that was only one slice of the whole winter pie.
He always had to shovel the walkway without magic, which, according to his father, built moral fiber. It seemed as if winter was just a big excuse for building moral fiber, or for making family memories in the Potter household, as no magic was allowed when decorating the tree, baking puddings or cleaning up wrapping paper. There were suffocating kisses from his Aunt Fanny, damp socks and carol-induced headaches. Luckily, or so he thought, James was staying at Hogwarts this year for the Christmas holidays.
“I love winter!” Lily announced, her cheeks pink from the cold, as she sat down next to him on the couch by the fire.
“That would have to be one thing that I agree with you on, Evans,” Sirius said, shaking the snow from his hair.
James grumbled something that sounded a lot like, “Blegh, winter…”
“It’s really nice outside, James,” Lily said, sliding her chilly hands under her legs for warmth. “Do you want to go skating for a bit?”
Sirius snorted loudly, but quickly turned it into a cough after a glare from James. Remus smiled from behind his newspaper knowingly.
“Er - I would, Lily. But, I’ve got - er - stuff to do,” James invented quickly. “With…Peter… Ah, I’m probably already late! You know Pete, nasty tempter when you keep him waiting, you might have to come down later and collect me in a matchbox!”
“What kind of stuff?” Sirius asked slyly.
“Stuff,” James growled.
He then jumped up and promptly left the common room.
*
The ceiling of the Great Hall conveyed a grey sky swirling with fluffy bit of snow as James shoveled potatoes into his mouth. Avoiding Filch so that he didn’t get hung upside down from the ankles in a grubby, smelly office sure did make a man hungry.
“Hey, Potter!”
Lily plopped down next to him and poked him in the shoulder.
“Let’s race,” she said through a grin.
“Er - wot?” he asked, his mouth unattractively filled with potatoes.
“Put on your ice skates and we’ll have a race!” Lily challenged, eyes shining.
“When you say skating…you mean on the Lake?” James asked lamely.
Lily nodded.
“On ice?”
“Yes, James. What other kind of skating is there?” Lily sighed.
“Well, that time last year Sirius and I spilled some pudding and - oh, never mind…” James trailed off, getting the vibe that Lily didn’t really want to hear about Pudding Skating.
“Well?” Lily prompted.
James ran a hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, Lily. You know, you’re an awfully sore loser.”
“Oh, really?” Lily raised an eyebrow. “What if… If you win, I’ll go to Hogsmeade with you.”
He gave a nervous laugh. “We’ve already been to Hogsmeade together. Twice.”
Lily adopted a disconcerting grin. “Yes, but who says I’ll go again?”
James almost lost his composure. Almost. “I know you can’t keep away, Evans.”
It took every ounce of strength in his body to walk out of the Great Hall, leaving behind an annoyed redhead and a half eaten piece of shepard’s pie.
*
James crept across the Entrance Hall, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak. A pair of ice skates were slung over his shoulder and a thick woolen hat jammed on his head.
Things had been going so well with Lily. She hadn’t been serious about not going out with him, had she? She wouldn’t chuck him and start ice skating with someone like that prat Big-ears What’s-his-name from Hufflepuff, would she? He couldn’t take any chances, which was why he was pushing open the great oak doors and slipping out onto the grounds in the middle of the night.
It had stopped snowing earlier that night and now the crescent moon was trying to shine out from behind the clouds. There was smoke curling out of the chimney of Hagrid’s cabin but there was no activity behind the windows. James could only see a scatter star, but his wand illuminated the way for him.
James ploughed through the thick blanket of freshly fallen snow towards the Lake, leaving a deep path. He was a quick learner, this should be easy.
He took off the cloak and jammed Remus’ skates onto his feet. They were a bit big, but James didn’t own any, Peter’s were too small and if he had asked Sirius for his he would never hear the end of it.
Shakily he stood and tottered onto the ice. “Well,” he muttered to himself, “this isn’t so bad.”
He slid his foot forward and pitched sideways, falling flat on his back, glasses askew.
“Bollocks,” he grunted, “that hurt.”
“Merlin, this is too good,” came a painfully familiar voice from over his right shoulder.
James craned his neck pitifully to look at her. Lily stood at the edge of the Lake, skates in hand, large red earmuffs on her head, looking thoroughly amused.
“Go ahead,” James groaned. “Laugh at James Potter, the great unable-to-skate nancy.”
Lily laced up her skates. “Why didn’t you just tell me you couldn’t skate?” She glided out next to his and offered him her hand.
James took it and was hoisted up, leaving him to lean unsteadily on Lily, which he didn’t quite mind. “I don’t know. You’d think I was an idiot.”
Lily laughed. “I already know you’re an idiot,” she said with a level look. “But it’s not like I’m going to care if you can’t skate. As much as you’d like people to believe you are, you’re not perfect.”
James didn’t know whether to smile or scowl.
“Now, c’mon. One foot in front of the other. It’s really just a lot like walking.”
Forty-five minutes later, James had bruises in places no bruise had ever been before, and he probably couldn’t out-skate his five year old cousin, but at least he could stand.
“Now,” Lily grinned. “How about that race?”
As expected, James lost terribly, veering off course and falling headfirst into a snow bank, but Lily took pity on him and went to Hogsmeade with him anyway.
To Walk a Mile by Thoth
Chapter Notes: This is my first try and anything with Marauders in it, and also anything with romance, so feedback is welcomed with open arms and cookies.
This was written for a gift community on livejournal.