(34 : WHITER THAN NEW SNOW . . .
ON A RAVEN'S BACK)

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     THE NEXT MORNING, JAMES DRAGGED Juliet out of the door before she even had the chance to eat breakfast. Her emerald green scarf was hanging limply in one hand and her other was being held in a death grip by James as pulled her beyond the manor's wards. He moved faster than a golden snitch, emitting nervous energy in anticipation for their date. It was almost adorable. Especially because Juliet suspected the red splotches on his cheeks weren't solely a result of the cold weather.

    "Where are we going?" asked Juliet, a note of wariness in her voice.

Dropping her hand, James took her scarf and wrapped it around her neck with an impish grin. "You'll find out soon," he promised. "Are you warm enough? You'll have to side-along with me and I don't want to have to come back for anything."

Sure enough, the redhead had bundled up in a fur-lined cloak and gloves after waking up to a snow-covered scene outside her bedroom window. However, Juliet couldn't hide her surprise at being told they were going to be outdoors for their date. Whilst she wasn't much of an outgoing person to begin with, the real problem lay in her paranoia. Everyone in the Wizarding World knew she was engaged to Regulus Black, so she couldn't risk causing a scandal by being spotted with James. Or worse, risk word of the date getting back to the Dark Lord.

"I'm fine," she said, knowing that she could always cast the warming charm if needed. "Will you tell me where we're going now?"

He kept his hands resting on her shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

"Then stop asking questions and grab my arm," James requested, his tone light and mirthful. Nothing could interfere with his good mood — not when the two of them were finally going on a date and acting like a normal couple.

     After a moment of hesitation, she seized his forearm and felt the familiar tug of apparition as the world shifted beneath her feet. One moment the two were on the outskirts of Potter Manor, the next they were stood on top of a small hill. In the dim morning light, Juliet looked ahead and spotted a village lined with cottages and cobblestone paths. The village was blanketed in a sheet of pure white, the golden glow of streetlights making the snow dazzle like crushed diamonds. 

     "It's breathtaking," admitted Juliet, awestruck.

     In fascination, James never glanced away from Juliet, watching as a solitary snowflake fluttered down onto her eyelashes. "Yeah," he softly murmured, "you are."

     Her brow furrowed. "I don't understand though. Where are we?" 

     "Godric's Hollow."

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Godric's Hollow was — unsurprisingly— the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor and Juliet — unsurprisingly — rolled her eyes at the boy's Gryffindor pride. It definitely wasn't what she expected of their date, but she wasn't the type of person who chased cheap thrills or needed adventure either. For someone who loved her wealth and her family's mansion, the simplicity of the date suited her perfectly. As the two of them walked through the narrow streets, she slowly began to relax.

"Is there a reason you brought me here?" Juliet wondered, admiring how the stained glass windows of the church reflected an array of pretty colours onto the untouched snow as they passed.

"This is where I want to live after graduation." He paused, focusing on one of the many cottages in front of them. "Growing up in Potter Manor was brilliant, don't get me wrong, but it was too big for the three of us. There was nobody around for me to play with under the age of sixty until I went off to Hogwarts," explained James, a hint of nostalgia creeping into his voice. "My parents spoiled me rotten and I love them for it. Even if I don't know what I would do without them, it doesn't change that I still grew up with wards around the manor, isolated from a lot of muggle things and we're probably already on our third or fourth house elf with Dippy. It — it always felt hypocritical. My family couldn't give a toss about if someone is a muggleborn or a pureblood, but I was still raised in a stereotypically pureblood environment."

A little defensive, Juliet frowned. "That's not an inherently bad thing."

"It's not, but it's part of the problem," commented James, stuffing his hands in his pockets and kicking some snow with his foot. "If wizards and muggles were more integrated from the start, there wouldn't be a sociopath declaring a war without one of the sides even knowing right now. Times are changing and we need to change too. Muggle culture shouldn't be taboo, and it would make more sense if we started to introduce it to children earlier. Same for muggleborns and magic."

Analysing his features, she replied, "You've thought about this a lot."

James chuckled. "It's hard not to when Sirius is always talking my ear off about how he's going to piss off his parents with some muggle thing or the other." After a moment of the only sound being their teeth chattering in the cold, he added, "Godric's Hollow has a lot of muggle and wizard history. Everyone coexists here, it's like they're in their own private bubble away from all the murder and mayhem. I've never been fussed about a big mansion or any of that, so it's . . . perfect. The community is close knit and it's secluded without being quiet, you know?"

In truth, she didn't know. Juliet had always imagined herself living in a mansion with crystal chandeliers and marble floors, but there was something attractive about James' vision. Instead of a banquet table with her husband sitting at the opposite end, she could have regular Sunday Dinners with friends. They would have a black cat, not a house elf. A garden, not a cellar. An ivy-covered cottage, not a lonely mansion. A home, not a house.

As if realising she had been silent for too long, she snorted. "I don't think anywhere James Potter lives could ever be quiet."

     "You're the first one I've told," admitted James, fixing his eyes on the ground. "I don't really want to leave Mum and Dad. With Sirius moving out and all . . ." As he trailed off, he sighed. "I know that I can connect the manor to the Floo and there's always apparation, but they're old. I'll worry about them all on their own."

     "I think you should do what makes you happy," Juliet quietly responded. "And I think your parents would agree."

Noticing the sudden change in his attitude and his melancholy demeanour, Juliet moved away from him. In a discreet move, she bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, shaping it into a ball. Hurling the snowball at James' turned back, she promptly ducked behind a nearby bench with a squeal.

Throwing his head back laughing, the boy's sadness was long forgotten when a mighty tower of snowballs formed at his feet with the flick of a wand. "Oh, it is on, Fawley!"

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"You've never had a hot chocolate?" James gawked. "Ever?"

After their impromptu snowball fight, James had offered to buy them both hot chocolates in an effort to warm up. Eventually they found the only café in Godric's Hollow and Juliet had leaned her head on James' shoulder, squinting at the strange muggle money he paid with. All was going well until Juliet mentioned she had never tried a hot chocolate before.

Unbothered, Juliet pulled off the plastic lid of her drink and lifted an eyebrow in surprise. No marshmallows. James must have known she didn't like them. "Well, Mother never liked me having anything sweet," the redhead told him, shrugging as she sipped her drink. "I used to be able to persuade my father to sneak me some sweets, but I guess you could say we don't have the best relationship anymore."

"Your mum didn't let you have anything sweet?" checked James, pinning her with a deadpan look. "Juliet, you eat sugar quills so much that I'm surprised you haven't turned into one!"

"How do you even know that?" Her tone was amused, if not a little impressed. "It's stupid, but eating sugar quills was the only way I could be independent for a while. My parents made all the decisions for the longest time, so opening a box of sugar quills on the first train ride was something I chose. Then the habit stuck because they taste good."

"Looks like there's hope to make a rebel out of you yet," teased James, intently staring at his date.

Shaking her head, she faced forward once again. "Like I said, it's stupid. Eating sug—"

"It's not stupid," disagreed James. He placed a hand on her cheek, angling her face back to his. "It's not."

Juliet shuddered at his touch. "Merlin, your hands are freezing." Resting her hand over his, she gently lowered it back to his side. "I can't believe you were lecturing me about not wanting to go back for anything and then you forgot gloves."

     Intertwining their hands, James' face was the picture of innocence. "Good job I can think of another way to keep them warm then."

"James," she swallowed, "we're in public. If someone sees —"

"One thing I love about this place is how it doesn't matter who you are." He tugged her closer. "When I first came here, it felt like this place was a whole other world entrapped in a tiny little snow globe, one that was protected from the war outside. As long as we're here, we're untouchable, Julie."

A gaggle of children rushed past, running through the couple. Before she toppled over, James secured an arm around her waist. His gaze was steady and patient as he waited for her response. Once she nodded, he leaned in to steal a soft kiss. He vaguely remembered tasting the lingering chocolate on her lips. Those were the details he tried to savour because — for once — the gesture wasn't frantic or urgent. It was slow and loving. It was what Shakespeare wrote sonnets about. It was a thousand promises of their impossible future.

     Only when they pulled apart did Juliet smile. They had kissed in public and the world was somehow still spinning, wholly unchanged.

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A.N: I hope everyone enjoyed their first date because these fluffy moments give me life. James thinking they're untouchable and Juliet constantly being paranoid just works. We also hit 50k on this yesterday and that's so incredible. Thank you for reading this because I know it's not the best book out there by miles. And for those who are reading, this is your reminder that you can always ask me questions! Someone was confused about her patronus the other day and I honestly don't mind clearing any misconceptions up or if you think I made a canonical error (unless an event happened that would void said canon occurrence) then drop a comment and I'll amend or explain it. I promise I don't bite.

Question time — I have two for once. First, I'm planning a scene a few chapters from now and I can't decide who I want this scene to be with. Do we prefer Juliet and Lily or Juliet and Sirius in terms of friendship? Second, what would your ideal first date be?