AN: Here's the final chapter...finally! Thank you everyone who's been following this story. Reviews and follows honestly mean so much. xx

Disclaimer: I stilllll don't own these character, locations, etc.

6.

"James Potter!" Lily screamed as she stormed into the Great Hall. "What on earth do you think you're doing with those pumpkins?!"

James turned around slowly and took his hands off of the large pumpkin that was floating above the Hufflepuff table.

"Oh I dunno, Lily, I just thought it would be a laugh to gather my mates and practice First-Year levitation charms on some pumpkins the day before Halloween," he drawled.

It took Lily a second to notice that Sirius, Remus and Peter were standing on the other three tables, accompanied by Professor Flitwick and Hagrid-all of whom were doing exactly the same thing as James.

"Oh, right," she said, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Head duties."

"I brought them along," James motioned to the boys, "because I didn't know how long you'd be. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, completely. Sorry, I guess I'm still scarred from the Halloween debacle of '74."

James grinned. "That was one for the ages."

"One of my skirts still smells like pumpkin," Lily chuckled. "Right then, I'll start decorating the windows if no one's doing that yet."

"Actually," James said, just as Lily had begun to walk away, "I could use some help here. I can't seem to get the positioning of these things just right and you're better at these charms than I am."

"I'll help," Lily smirked, "but only because it's a very rare day that James Potter asks for help."

"Tease all you want, but remember who's tutoring you in Arithmancy." James bent down and extended his hand, "C'mon then."

Lily took his hand and climbed onto the table to join him.

It did not go unnoticed by either of them that they were both reluctant to let go once Lily was steady and had adjusted her skirt.

"Well," James said at length, "I was thinking we could fit at least ten more pumpkins above this table and-"

"Absolutely not. Even with the strongest levitation charm, they're going to travel a bit which means they'd be bumping into each other all over the place if we put up ten. And then suppose one falls: unless we want to cover the entire table with a cushioning charm, a misplaced pumpkin might end up landing on someone's head. You really did need my help."

Hours later, once exactly six large pumpkins were floating above each of the House tables, and the windows had been decorated and the ghosts had given everyone a preview of the show they had planned for the next day, James and Lily returned to the Head Boy and Girl office to tally up house points and organize reports so that they wouldn't have to do it the next day.

They managed a solid half hour of work before conversation turned from detention slips to the holiday.

"It's been seven years now and I'm still not used to the way Halloween is done in the Wizarding world," Lily said as she sipped on one of the butterbeers James had managed to sneak up.

"What do you mean?" James asked. He had moved to the small couch in the room and undone his tie ten minutes ago.

"Well this is all very festive, but Muggles are festive in a different way. It's nice to go out and see everyone dressed up as princesses and footballers and witches-"

"Lily, you always dress up like a witch. That comes with the whole deal of being one y'know."

Lily smiled. "I know that, but still, there's a difference."

"If you want, we could all dress up. Maybe we can even convince Peter to be a princess," James grinned.

"No, that's quite alright," Lily laughed. "I'm not saying I don't like the way we do it here. I do. And this year should be especially fun."

"Why's that?"

"With tomorrow being Friday and then this being a Hogsmeade weekend, it's almost like we get a two-day celebration isn't it?"

"You know, I'd almost forgotten about Hogsmeade. And the first one of the year at that!"

"Are you going?" Lily asked.

"Naturally. You?"

Lily nodded and looked away, feeling vaguely uncomfortable.

"Great," she said, shaking off the feeling.

"Yeah. We'll both be there. That's brilliant."

James, Lily noticed, wore a look of consternation and, for the first time that year, his hand was running through his hair.

He caught her eye and they gave each other close-lipped smiles before averting their eyes. James began to make puffs of colored smoke with his wand as he stared at the clock, while Lily reorganized all of the papers around her.

"Ah, it's midnight. Happy Halloween!" James said a minute later.

"Happy Halloween," Lily returned, gigging nervously.

They slipped back into silence for a few moments and Lily felt that her heart was beating furiously, though she wasn't quite sure why.

"James." His name slipped unbidden out of her mouth.

He looked up. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" The question slipped out unbidden as well.

With a huge grin on his face, James jumped off the sofa, pulled Lily out of her chair and wrapped her in a huge hug.

"Merlin, I thought you'd never ask."