Who can kiss Lily Evans First?

James poked his head out of the dormitory and looked around. He was trying to avoid Remus, Sirius, and Peter. He was about to do one of the things a Marauder wasn't supposed to do: taking a non-marauding friend to Hogsmeade using the secret passageway. Remus definitely wouldn't approve.

"Hey James!" a voice said from behind him. He shrieked and jumped ten feet in the air, and then turned around. He came face to face with a second year girl. She was looking up at him through her eyelashes and her cheeks were crimson red.

"Err...hey...um..."

"Sarah. The name's Sarah. Anyway, whatcha doin James?" she asked, her voice sly.

"I was just about to go downstairs." He slowly inched towards the portrait hole.

"Wait!" She moved in front of him and blocked his way. "I wanted to give you this!" She handed him a disheveled package. He took it awkwardly and turned it over.

"What is it?" he said, eyeing it suspiciously.

"Open it silly!" she said, hiding her face.

"Well, I...um..." Just then, the girl gasped.

"You know what? I gotta go!" she turned around and fled upstairs to her room. James heard the distinct giggle of 12-year-old girls.

"Is she a friend?" another voice asked. He turned around and came face to face with Lily. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, she's not a friend."

"Part of your fan club then?"

"Lily," he said in a whining voice.

"I'm just kidding," she said, sitting down by the fire. He sat down in front of her and gently shook the package.

"Are you going to open it?" Lily asked.

"Well...I guess so, but what if it's covered in this potion or something, you know?" He slowly unwrapped it and a small box fell into his hands. He uncovered it and pulled out a piece of paper.

"What's it say?" Lily said, leaning closer.

"It's a poem..." he replied faintly.

"What's it about?"

"I can't read it," he said, holding the paper as far away from him as he could.

"Why not?" she said, hiding a giggle.

"It's too embarrassing..." he said, his face growing red.

"Let me see that!" she said making a swipe for it. He rolled off the chair and ducked beneath it.

"Oh come on James!" she said, getting on her hands and knees and peeking underneath the chair. She quickly grabbed the paper and jumped up. James frantically scrambled out from under the chair.

"Whenever you speak my heart trembles, as I try to conceal my feelings for you...James this is just a silly love poem!"

"I know," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and staring fixedly at the carpet. "It's just embarrassing!"

"It's not! It's sweet though, wait a second..." Lily said, reading on. Then she swallowed a laugh and handed it to him.

"She really really fancies you, judging by the, powerful words she uses," Lily said very solemnly. James pocketed it and then faced the fire again.

"So, you wanna go to Hogsmeade now?"

"What, right now? James I really don't know..." she started. But he was smiling mischievously. "Well, I guess so, but as long as we're not breaking any rules, because if this is another-," she began again, only he had grabbed her hand and opened the portrait hole. She allowed herself to be led down corridors and through doors she had never realized were there. They finally reached a one-eyed witch at the end of the hall.

"Is anyone coming?" he asked, looking up and down the halls.

"No, why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Dissendium," James replied.

"Dissendium, what's that?" she asked. But her question was answered and the one-eyed witch sprang to life and jumped aside. She stood there gaping and looking down the long tunnel.

"Come on, he said, sitting at the base of the tunnel.

"James I really don't know," she said nervously. But he took her hand again and helped her sit down in back of him. She peeked over his shoulder at the long drop and gulped nervously.

"All right, ready?" he asked.

"Ready for what?"

"Never mind," he said. And then he pushed off on the side of the tunnel. Lily threw her arms around his waist and started squeezing him very tightly. He was happy she couldn't see him smiling in the darkness. They slid down about 50 feet and then landed on the hard floor of a dungeon like tunnel.

"Oh my goodness!" she said, looking around. The ceiling was pretty low and they had to duck, otherwise their heads would collide with the ceiling. The walls were about three feet apart and they were covered in moss and earth.

"We have quite a walk, so we should get moving," James said, starting down the tunnel. She nervously gripped his hand, looking around cautiously.

"Are there bugs down here?" she asked.

"Probably." She gripped his arm tighter and moved away from the walls. After about 20 minutes, they reached a set of stairs. As they climbed higher and higher, they could see a small trapdoor at the top of the stairs. When they reached it, James pressed his ear against it.

"It doesn't sound like anyone's up there," he said, pushing the door up. He helped Lily climb up through it and then he hopped up inside. They were inside a storage room of some sort. Boxes of assorted sweets were scattered around them, and a faint sound of happily chatting people came from a door.

"Come on," he said. They opened the door and found themselves inside a sweet shop. Honeydukes, to be exact.

"Wow James! How'd you know that was there?"

"Shh," he said. "Come on, why don't we go and get something to eat."

"All right!" she said happily. When they stepped outside, the snow that had been settling on the rooftop slid off and landed right on top of them. Lily started laughing as James sputtered, slipping and sliding in the snow. She grabbed his arm to steady him and through the snow, she saw his cheeks glow slightly red.

"Ooh there it is!" she said excitedly. She ran up to the entrance of the pub and beckoned James to follow. They stepped inside and found a table behind a Christmas tree.

"Shall I get the drinks?" James said, in a gentleman like manner.

"Why that would be splendid!" she said, in a funny voice. James came back with two foaming tankards of butterbeer.

"Oh this is wonderful!" she said, taking a sip of he butterbeer. He only watched her. "Um...James?" she said, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Wha?" he said, starting. "Oh sorry, I was sorta daydreaming."

"About what?" she said resting her chin on her hands.

"Oh, just about the future. You know what I'll be doing and stuff. Thinking about a family I'll one day have. Christmas always makes me do that." He gave a big sigh.

"What does it look like? Or what do you imagine?" she said with a small smile.

"Well, I imagine myself sitting in a nice comfortable home, small mind you, and my wife is right next to me, handing our son cookies. All I want when I get older is a son. Just one." He sipped his butterbeer awkwardly. Lily smiled.

"That's what I imagine too. Not a big family, just the three of us, sitting by the fire, laughing and talking..." She shifted her gaze to the table and started running her fingers across the tablecloth.

"Well, anyway, I have something to give to you," he said, taking a small box from his robes.

"Oh James you shouldn't have!" she exclaimed, taking the box and examining it.

"Go ahead and open it."

"Here?"

"Why not?" he said, studying her face carefully. She nodded and opened the box. She covered her mouth with her hands and gasped.

"Oh James it's beautiful!" She took out a beautiful locket of pure gold and held it up to the light.

"May I?" he asked.

"Oh yes go ahead!" she said. She took her hair and held it out of the way. James undid the clasp and brought it around her neck, his fingers resting there for a minute. She nervously bit her lip as the moment seemed to go on forever. At last, he had the necklace in place. She dropped her hair and smiled.

"What's it look like?" she asked.

"It looks beautiful," he said taking her hand in his. She smiled again and quickly leaned over and kissed his cheek. He inhaled her scent and closed her eyes, savoring the moment. She shivered and shifted her gaze again.

"What's wrong, are you cold?" he asked.

"Umm, no I'm fine," she said, rubbing her arms. He took off his cloak and draped it around her shoulders. She stood up and stretched.

"This has been great," she said, looking around the room.

"Yeah it has," he said, still in a dreamy voice.

"Well, we'd better head back, I mean, the Christmas feast is tonight, and I've got some things to do."

"Yeah, me too." He stood there for a moment his hand still holding hers.

"Maybe I'd better head back alone."

"Why?" he asked.

"I know the way, and besides, I just need some time alone, that's all." She fingered the locket again and looked up. He noticed there were tears in her eyes.

"Lily," he started. But she had already left for the door. He stood there speechless, his hand still outstretched, mouth still open.

"...I love you."