The Marauders Era

The perfect gift

The sight of the familiar snow-filled village was enough to bring a smile to anyone's face, especially two teenagers who weren't supposed to be there. The trip from the castle had taken them almost faster than normal, which surprised Cassie, considering how anxious James was.

"You do know her birthday is not today, right?" She asked, noticing his hand sliding through his hair for the fourth time since the common room.

"Wha- yeah, of course, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because first of all, you are so anxious you remind me of Alice when it comes to spiders, second of all, your hair. Honestly, James, I'm really starting to think you want to be bald by your twenties."

He rolled his eyes, letting his arm bump slightly into her side, causing her balance to waver.

"I'm just telling you." She held up her hands. "I mean, your hair is one of your better qualities, so if you lost-"

"One of my better qualities? What does that even mean?" he asked as they made their way down the streets of Hogsmeade.

"It means that your hair is better than your poetry, which is saying something." She retorted, a smile dancing on her lips. "You know, which makes sense considering your father founded that hair potion." Her eyes widened in realization as she turned to her friend. "So that's why your hair is like that."

"Merlin Cas," James groaned, looking as if he were seconds away from face-palming himself. When he turned his eyes to hers, ready with a comeback, he halted, seeing the teasing grin on her face shining with amusement. He shook his head while kicking a small rock that appeared just before him, sending it flying into the snow.

"I'm just messing with you." She laughed. "I know you don't need any products for your hair to look like that."

A grimace made its way to his face. "Somehow, that didn't feel like a compliment," he said, digging his hands into his pockets.

The wind was in a good mood that day, along with the beaming sun. It didn't feel nearly as cold as it normally would on a January morning. Though once the sun was gone, a biting cold was all that would be left.

"So..." she started, letting it hang for a moment before continuing. "Do you have any ideas about what to get her?"

A dejected look spread across his face as he shook his head. "I've been going mad about it for the last days. Remus keeps telling me to get something that reminds me of her, while Sirius tells me to get her something that when I look at it, all I can see is her smile. I'm utterly confused." his fingers ran through his hair, causing Cassie to roll her eyes.

Though it didn't take long until they lighted up as an idea suddenly dawned on her. "When you think about it, what they are saying is not all that different. Look, we have a few hours. Why don't we see if we can find anything that falls into those two categories."

"What if we can't find anything?"

Cassie huffed at his pessimism, though could clearly see how much the thought of not finding anything less than the perfect gift, troubled him.

"Don't worry." She tried to reassure him, nudging his arm gently with her elbow as she continued confidently. "We are not leaving Hogsmeade without a birthday gift. The perfect birthday gift."

James couldn't do anything but smile at the confidence that radiated from her words. The pair passed Zonkos, agreeing that they wouldn't find anything there or rather anything that James thought was good enough. Truthfully it was almost endearing watching how much he fretted over something as simple as a gift.