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chierafied · 10 months

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Crossroads

Written for @jilychallenge August 2022. | Partner @wearingaberetinparis

Prompt: “One of the things your parents warned you about: Never pick up a hitchhiker. But she/he looked so lost and also a bit familiar so I did it anyway.”

Also for @gobletofweasleys' Jily week 2023 Meet Cute AU.

Thanks to @siriuslychessi for helping me out with this. 💖

Also on AO3

Tears burned in Lily’s eyes and choked sobs rattled in her throat. She paced the narrow shoulder of the four-lane motorway and kicked at the innocent grass. Her mind was whirling with stinging swearwords while in her heart the gut-twisting anger warred with the stranglehold of loss and grief. Her suitcase sat neatly near her feet while Lily walked a tight circle, stuck in the torrent of emotion.

Stuck here, on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, with nothing in sight but trees, grass, and the cars and lorries hurrying past. With nothing but her dark thoughts and hurt feelings to keep her company.

Lily’s breath stuttered in her throat as the enormity of her predicament crashed down on her and the tears finally tore free, rolling down her cheeks.

It hadn’t even been two hours and James was already bored. Even the guitar riffs of the classic rock playlist blasting in his car didn’t quite pump him up anymore. His restless fingers drummed at the steering wheel and he shifted in his seat. Maybe he should have stopped in Glasgow, after all. Taken a break. Stretched his legs. Got himself a big cup of coffee.

There was nothing in front of him now but hours and hours of driving south along the motorway stretching before him. There wouldn’t even be any big cities on the way for the next hundred miles or two. The mere thought of all the miles still ahead of him was enough to make him lose his bloody mind. How was he going to be able to keep himself occupied for so many hours on end?

He’d ring Sirius but that blighter was probably already on his way to Greece right now. Off to his stupid romantic holiday with his stupid boyfriend. Blowing off a road trip with his best mate like the right sod he was.

The long trip back home from uni was a complete snooze fest now that he was forced to drive through the day alone.

Although it took the whole day to drive to James’ parents’ place, back in June when they had gone back for the summer holidays the miles had flown by. They’d taken turns driving. Taken breaks in some of the towns and rest stops along the way. And all the while, the car had been filled with talk and laughter. Not James’ lonely playlist and frustrated sighs.

Maybe it was time to play a game. It wouldn’t be much fun by himself, but if it was a choice between a boring road trip game and the general boring everything, he’d rather pick the option that wouldn’t slowly turn his brain into mush.

“I spy with my little eye…” James muttered under his breath.

His gaze swept the scenery before him. There was the grey, endless road. Grass. The railing between the lanes. Trees lining the road. Cars of all makes, models and colours, interspersed with lorries.

Ah! Now there was something to break the monotony. An overhead bridge. That perked James up briefly, but as soon as he drove under it, the boredom started to creep back in.

More of the stretching road, more cars, more trees, and more inertia eating his brain until all that would remain was mush.

Hold on, what was that?

James switched lanes.

A person standing by the side of the road? In the middle of nowhere?

That was unboring. James started to slow down.

Their arm was outstretched. His parents had always warned him against hitchhikers — though James wasn’t sure why since he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen one — but any company would do right now.

Slowly, James pulled to a stop by the side of the road.

As he turned to look at the red-haired woman through the passenger-side window, a jolt of recognition jittered down his spine.

He knew that face. It was red and splotchy right now, but he knew he’d seen it, more than once. He just couldn’t place it, didn’t know who she was.

The woman hesitated for a moment longer. Then, she reached out and opened the door.

"Hi," she said and sniffed.

"Hi," James replied, offering her a smile he hoped was reassuring. "Need a lift?"

"Yes, please."

"Hop on in."

The woman picked up her suitcase and hoisted it into the backseat before climbing into the passenger seat next to James.

"Where are you headed?" James asked as he steered back into the traffic.

"Just drop me off at the nearest town with a train station."

James slanted her a quick glance. She was looking out of the window, turned away from him. Disappointment pressed tight around his throat.

"Ok, just tell me where. Don't have the railway map in my head."

"I'll have to look that up, too," she admitted. "Give me a moment."

While she fumbled with her phone, James turned down his music. Drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. Second-guessed himself at least four times.

Then, finally, he couldn't hold back the words anymore.

"It's too bad, though. I really could have used the company."

She looked up from her phone and frowned at him.

Great, now he'd probably come across as some kind of a creep.

"Just, it's a long drive home for me and in the previous years we've made a whole road trip out of it with my friend but this time it's just me and at this rate, I'm pretty sure the boredom will rot my brain before I reach Manchester."

"You're driving all the way to Manchester?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"No, I'm driving all the way to Devon."

She blinked. Stared at him. Slowly tilted her head.

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes," James readily replied. "But not the homicidal kind. I promise."

That startled a laugh out of her.

And that piece that had been puzzling and nagging at him at the back of his mind clicked into place. The red hair. The bright eyes. That easily recognisable voice. The laugh.

“You’re Lily, right? Remus Lupin’s friend?”

Her eyebrows rose sharply in surprise.

"Yeah. We have a lot of classes together. Are you a friend of Remus, too?"

"Yeah. I'm best mates with Remus' boyfriend. He also happens to be my flatmate so I see Remus around. A lot."

A smile tugged at Lily’s lips. "I can only imagine."

"I'm James, by the way. James Potter. I don’t think we've ever officially met though I've seen you around the campus."

"Nice to meet you, James. Officially." Her voice was warm and light with her smile.

Hearing it lifted his heart and made him smile at the road in front of them.

"Likewise. And it's nice to have someone to talk with. The time's already flying by," James told her.

"Well, I guess keeping your brain rot away is the least I can do," Lily quipped.

"That would be much appreciated," he said. "I also really appreciate this opportunity of playing a knight in shining armour. It’s doing good things for my ego."

"Nurturing male egos is the primary focus of any woman’s life," Lily spoke in a wry tone.

James burst into laughter.

"I can see why you're friends with Remus," he said

"Yeah, we have a similar sense of humour." Lily shrugged.

"You have a brilliant sense of humour," James replied.

"Thanks."

For a moment, a silence settled over them. Then, Lily asked: "So what's in Devon?"

And so the conversation took root again. They talked about their plans for the autumn break, about their studies, about university life. They complained about their assignments and exams. They shared anecdotes of their professors and classes and the antics of their friends. They confessed where all their favourite spots on the campus were.

They chatted so easily with one another that before either of them realised it, more than an hour had passed.

It wasn’t until James saw the signpost of Gretna Green that he jolted back to reality.

“Should we stop at Gretna Green?” he asked Lily, his genial mood starting to deflate.

He could feel the weight of Lily’s long stare.

“What for, an obliging blacksmith? You seem like a nice enough guy, James, but I’d like to get to know you a bit better before we put marriage on the table.”

James’ surprise burst out in a wild guffaw.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Lily,” he told her, trying to match her joking tone. “I’m the grand gestures type. When the marriage is on the table, you’ll know.”

He shot her a glance and winked, before turning his attention back to the road. “What I was actually after was, I’m pretty sure Gretna fits your definition of the nearest town with a train station. If I drop you off there, I’m sure you can get a train or a coach to take you home.”

While Lily stayed silent, James held his breath.

“I don’t want to be a bother,” she said slowly, after a long moment, “but if you’re really driving all the way to Devon, it wouldn’t be a huge detour to swing by Derby, would it?”

“Not at all, it’s practically on the way,” James said, perking up and breathing easy once again.

“I’m just concerned about the state of your brain,” she continued, deadpan. “We should keep it as rot-free as possible.”

“Definitely.” James nodded. “And seriously, I would appreciate the company.”

“Well then, looks like you’re stuck with me for a while longer.”

James grinned. And though he’d only just met her, he was starting to think that he wouldn’t mind being stuck with her for the rest of his life.

Lily was laughing so hard her cheeks were hurting. She wasn’t sure she’d stopped laughing since they’d crossed over to Lancashire. How strange it was that in the span of only two odd hours, her mood had taken such a complete and abrupt turn, from the bleakest, darkest pit into bright, boundless joy.

Really, it was all thanks to James. James, who was funny and nice and sweet and friendly and more than easy on the eyes.

And maybe a little crazy, yes, but definitely in a good way.

It was weird that their paths hadn’t crossed much on campus before. Sure, the campus was big and they studied in different faculties and had no classes in common. But Lily didn’t shy away from parties or pub quizzes or any of the varied events peppering the social calendar of student life. So they well could have—should have—met before today. Especially given the Remus-Sirius connection. James probably spent more time in the social scene of the campus than in class, too, Lily mused. Judging by their short acquaintance, James seemed even more outgoing than she was. After all, he’d been starved enough for company to pick up a stranger from the side of the road.

Which had been fortunate for her and very decent of him. A smile playing on her lips, Lily slanted a glance at James, wondering. Really, he was a decent bloke.

That thought combined with her returned good humour and the congenial mood in the car—as well as all the many miles still ahead of them—spurred her to speak before her brain had fully caught up with her tongue.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

His eyebrows shot up. “Ask what?”

“How I ended up hitchhiking by the side of the road.”

James kept his eyes on the road and his voice even. “I figured you’d have a good reason for that and I didn’t want to pry. Felt like there was a story there and you seemed upset enough so I decided you needed space, not questions.”

Warmth bloomed in Lily’s chest even as a mirthless chuckle left her lips. “Oh, there’s a story all right. A long one.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“I know. But I think I want to.”

He gave her a slow nod, still looking at the road ahead, and muted the rock music that had been faintly playing in the background.

Lily glanced out of the window and took a deep, fortifying breath. “I was heading back home with a friend. He’s from my hometown; we’ve actually been friends since primary school.”

“Wow, that’s a long time,” James said.

“Yeah, it is. Which makes it all the more wretched.” She sighed. “We wanted to go to the same uni, though we have different majors. We haven’t actually seen each other much in the past year or two, which is why I hadn’t realised how much he’s changed.”

“People grow apart,” James murmured.

“We did. Since I started uni, I’ve been so busy trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been the same for me. Living across the entire country from my parents has made me glad to at least have Sirius. I like my major and I feel like I’m on the right path but it definitely has me thinking about myself as a person in a way I haven’t needed to before.”

Lily nodded. His words resonated a lot with her, reassuring her once again that James, unlike Severus, understood. “I feel so, too. Except that for me, I’ve been exploring this side of myself more that I haven’t fully even realised was there before.” Lily had to pause then because her breath painfully caught in her throat. “I suppose I’m the one who’s changed. Or maybe just becoming more of myself, if that makes sense?”

“Makes perfect sense to me,” James replied.

“So maybe that’s true for him, too,” Lily mused, more to herself than to James. Her stomach churned as she finally fully faced the possibility she’d been shying away from since this morning. “Maybe he hasn’t actually changed for the worse. Maybe I just haven’t been paying attention and this is who he’s always been.”

As the awful certainty pummeled her heart, James’ fingers tapped against the steering wheel in a lulling pattern as he waited, silent and patient, for Lily to continue. She took a deep breath and steeled her mind. She’d be going over her and Severus’ fight several times in the near future, but right now she didn’t want to dwell on it. He’d ruined enough of her day and she wasn’t going to let him get the best of her. So she took back control of the narrative. Literally.

“Last November,” Lily said, her heartbeat kicking up as her nerves made their appearance, “I was at this party. Dancing with this girl. A few drinks in. She kissed me.”

Lily paused, but James’ fingers still kept tapping. His face showed nothing but curiosity.

“Did you kiss her back?” he asked.

That was it. A simple question, lacking any kind of judgement. Lily felt like crying and beaming at the same time but chose to go on with her story instead.

“I did,” she replied. “And it was like I was seeing in colour for the first time in my life.”

“I felt that way, too, when I had my first kiss,” James said. “Though I haven’t tried kissing blokes. I’ll leave them to Sirius.”

Lily laughed. “Well, long story short, I’ve been pretty openly bisexual since then. To the point that I forgot I hadn’t actually told my childhood friend about it. And today, we were driving back home together, as we’ve done a few times before. I don’t even remember what we were initially talking about but he made a really homophobic comment which I of course immediately called him out on but the whole thing escalated and I couldn’t deal with it, couldn’t deal with him anymore. So I had him drop me off by the side of the road.”

Lily had to swallow against the knot of bitter fury in her throat. It was too soon for recollections. She needed distance right now, both from Severus and her own emotions. With a grimace, she shoved Severus into a box and slammed the lid shut. It was time to wrap this story up and move on.

“I was pretty much a mess at that point,” Lily said, her voice neutral now. “His comments and beliefs hurt, the argument had been super draining. I was riding on the anger. It was easier being angry than admitting that I’d just lost a friend.”

“I’m sorry,” James murmured in a soft voice. “Sounds like you’ve had a really shitty day.”

“I have,” she answered, “but thankfully it’s looking up now. At this rate, I might be able to end this day on a good note.”

“I hope you will.” James spared her a quick glance. “And if I can help with that, let me know.”

She managed a small smile. “Oh, you already have. You picked me up from the side of the road. Offered to drive me all the way home. You made me laugh when I wasn’t sure I had any laughter left in me. And now you’re just sitting there, listening and letting me dump this whole sordid story of my life on you like some absolute madwoman.”

“Well, we’ve already established that I’m crazy, so you’re in good company,” James joked.

“I really am,” Lily agreed wholeheartedly. “Thank you, James. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. And honestly, I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to confide in me. I mean,” James fumbled. “I, at least, think better out loud. Helps me process. And when you keep something like this in for too long, it starts to fester. So I think it’s better for you to let it out.”

“You’re right.” Lily wasn’t all right yet. She probably wouldn’t be all right for a while yet. But she was in a much better place than she had been just a few short hours ago, and she couldn’t have got here without James.

“Also, the way I see it…” James paused, his ears growing a little pink. “You’ve also gained a new friend today. If you want one.”

“The way I see it,” Lily said, “I could really use a friend like you right now. Thanks, James.”

He grinned.

She smiled back and let her head fall to rest against the window. For the next mile or two, they sat in companionable silence.

The clock was slowly nearing six in the evening and they were getting closer to Derby. They’d taken a few breaks on the way, for food and coffee as well as rest. And while James was getting tired, it hadn’t really felt like a 350-mile drive. All thanks to Lily, who’d turned out to be the best company. She’d really saved the whole trip and he was already growing a bit gloomy and fidgety at the prospect of parting ways.

For more reasons than one, if he was honest with himself. But no matter how he felt about her, he was not gonna make it weird and be the creep making moves on a woman while he had her entrapped in a vehicle with him and while she was probably still in a vulnerable place emotionally speaking.

“Oh, I love this song,” Lily breathed out suddenly. “Turn it up.”

James did, and to his delight, Lily started singing along. He grinned at the road ahead, absolutely delighted with her and hoping he could imprint this moment on himself so he could always return to it. Speeding down the motorway, her presence beside him warm and bright like the sun, the song intertwining with her lovely voice swelling in the car and filling his heart.

“You sing really well,” he told her as the song came to an end.

“Thanks.”

A while later, they turned off the motorway. Lily started to give James instructions and to point out familiar places and while it was fascinating to get these additional glimpses into her life, the bottom of James’ stomach was sinking.

The end was getting near.

And then they were driving along a quiet residential street and Lily spoke up, her voice subdued, “It’s the third house on the right.”

A minute later, James pulled the car to a stop. They both stared at the ordinary-looking house in silence.

Lily turned to him. “Well, here we are.”

“Here we are,” James echoed.

“Thank you again for everything, James. You’ve been great.”

“So have you. My brain has remained fully rot-free thanks to you.”

Lily smiled. “I’m glad. Are you gonna be fine for the rest of the trip?”

James shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll manage, it’s only a couple more hours.”

Lily glanced back at the house. “Yeah… I’d invite you in, for tea or coffee or a bathroom break or whatever but it’s my parents’ house and I just don’t want to deal with all the questions they’d have.”

“I get it. It’s fine. I should get going anyway so it won’t be too late when I get home.”

“Right. This is a goodbye then.” Lily’s lips twitched into a small smile.

“For now.” James winked. “You agreed to be my friend so you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Lily laughed. If James could bottle the sound he’d always carry it around in his pocket.

“Fine with me.”

She opened the car door and James got out to help her with her luggage.

They stood by the side of the street, staring at one another, each of them seemingly unwilling to move. Finally, James held out his hand.

“Can I get your phone?”

Lily raised her eyebrow. “Why?”

He opted for humour. It was always so easy to hide behind. “If you get too concerned about the status of my poor brain which will surely start to rot in your absence, you could ring me. Or text me. If you had my number.”

Lily’s green eyes sparked. She unlocked her phone and handed it over to James. “I guess it would be good to have your number. I might stay up all night worrying about your rotting brain otherwise.”

James beamed like an idiot as he put in his number, then handed Lily’s phone back.

“There you go.”

“Thanks.” Lily tapped at the number and after a brief moment, James’ phone started to ring in the car. “Just checking that it works.”

“Never hurts to check,” James said, both comforted and giddy about the fact that he now had Lily’s number, too.

“Goodbye, James. For now. Drive safe.”

“Thanks. Take care, Lily.”

She nodded, smiled, and turned to leave. But after just a few steps, she was back, abruptly pulling James into a hug.

He held her close, barely having time to register the warm weight of her body against his and the softness of her hair under his hand and just the utter perfection of her before she had backed away again.

“Sorry. I guess I needed to get that out of my system.”

“No need to apologise. For the record, I love hugs.”

“Good to know. Ok. Bye. For real now.”

“Bye.”

He stood by the car, hands stuffed in his pockets. When Lily reached the door, she turned back to wave. And before James could help himself, he called out to her: “You know, after the break, I’m gonna drive back to Scotland to uni. If you need a ride, I could use the company.”

Lily’s smile was so wide it lit up her face. She tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

“Sure,” she replied. “It’s a date.”

#jily #jily fanfiction #meet cute #jily week 2023 #jilychallenge #chie writes #fic: jl

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ginemrys · 1 year

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look at the stars

jily challenge | November 2022 | @jilychallenge

Theme: Tropefest!

Trope: Fake Dating

Partner: the incredible @petalstofish

Prompt: "just so you know, I don't like you"

“Potter, I need your help…” Lily said as she grabbed his wrist, stopping him from heading up to the bar. The group of friends had gathered, as they did every Thursday night, for the weekly quiz at their local pub. She and James had an odd relationship, they’d hated each other throughout school but had mutual friends that had led to them hanging out regularly. It had led to them becoming sort of friends, though they were by no means as close as the rest of the group.

“Really?” James’ eyebrows shot up his forehead as he looked down at her, his hand flying into the messy curls that sat atop his head. “How?”

Lily sighed, letting go of his arm to chew on her thumbnail as she peered up at him. When had he gotten so tall? “I made a drunken bet with Marlene a while ago that I’d be dating someone by the end of the month and…”

“And you haven’t succeeded…” James finished for her, looking confused. “And I come in, how?”

Lily sucked in a deep breath. “Will you fake date me for a little while, just to get her off my back?”

James blinked in shock, his mouth hanging open just a little before letting it snap shut. “Sure…”

continue reading on ao3 or below the cut

It had taken some convincing to prove to the group that James and Lily had fallen for each other, they all knew that their friendship had been strained. But Lily had claimed over and over that it was only because they had always harboured feelings for each other that had prevented them from ever getting too close until one too many drinks after the pub quiz had led to newfound happiness. James played his part well, always keeping an arm around her shoulders or her waist, pressing soft kisses to her hair or cheek and the way he looked at her sometimes, Lily could have sworn he was genuinely gazing at her with affection.

So the ploy worked, Marlene seemed moderately convinced by their relationship and the group returned to their happy normality except that now Lily tended to sit beside James or sometimes half on him when squashed onto a sofa with Sirius, who liked to spread out his legs. She found that she actually rather enjoyed spending time with the boys alone, originally heading over to hang out had seemed like a chore but over a few weeks she sometimes ended up inviting herself over.

“Oh, Prongs, I told Mum that I’d need to share a tent with someone else next week, since you’ll be sharing with Lily.” Sirius said one evening at his and James’ flat as the three of them watched some corny American reality show on Netflix.

“What?” James glanced at Lily with wide eyes before looking over at Sirius. “What are you talking about?”

“The annual camping weekend?” Sirius said slowly, frowning at his best friend. “With the boys and your parents? I… I assumed that Evans would be joining given how loved up you have been recently.”

“Oh…” James replied, having shot another glance in Lily’s direction, who had simply shrugged. “That…”

“Yeah, well, Pete can’t make it because as usual he couldn’t get the weekend off work. So I’ll bunk with Moony and you two can share.” Sirius rolled his eyes as he got up from the sofa stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. “Mum’s very excited, she practically cried with joy when I told her the two of you were dating, she always hoped that Lily would fancy you back someday given how obsessed you were with her in school. Anyway, I’m off to bed. Night!”

James had turned bright red in the dimly lit living room, the TV still projecting different colours onto his face. He very slowly turned his head to look at Lily, who was sitting with her arms crossed, a hard to read expression on her face.

“Uh-”

“Well, that’s that then.”

“What?” James blinked at her a few times, he seemed as though he’d been expecting her to yell at him.

“We’re going camping then, right? If your family has heard that we’re ‘dating’,” she raised her fingers in quotation marks as she spoke, “then we can’t exactly upset your mum with me deciding to turn down the offer of meeting them and spending the weekend.”

“You’ll come?” James looked as surprised as he had when she’d first asked him to agree to her strange plan.

“Do I really have a choice?” She answered, tilting her head to the side.

“Of course you do, Evans, I-”

“I’ll do it.” Lily interrupted as she got to her feet, grabbing her jacket from the back of the sofa and pulled it on. “One weekend can’t be that bad, but, Potter?”

His head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers.

“Just so you know, this doesn’t mean that I like you.”

"Right."

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Lily was pretty quiet on the drive down to Cornwall, her eyes fixed on the window at the view. Sirius had of course called shotgun the second he'd stepped out of the front door of their building, jumping into the front seat so that Lily and Remus were delegated into the back with some of their bags.

She had her airpods tucked into her ears as she watched the countryside pass by, mostly to drown out her nervousness rather than shut herself out from the conversation in the car. She knew James had noticed her face light up when she spotted the ocean peaking over the horizon, their eyes meeting for a second in the rear view mirror before she looked away, her cheeks a little pink.

Sirius chatted away happily, audible over Lily’s music but he seemed to be keeping James from getting too bored as he drove for a few hours. But finally, just as the sky was starting to darken slightly, they pulled into the campsite. Two figures were settled in camp chairs between three tents, mugs in their hands. James jumped from the car once he had parked up, rushing over to hug his parents.

"Nervous?" Remus asked Lily, a soft smile on his face as they watched James' mother cup his face and kiss his cheek affectionately.

"I… Yeah…" Lily blushed, deciding to actually be honest. "It's funny because I've met them before but-"

"But not as James' girlfriend." Remus nodded knowingly. "They'll love you, don't worry."

Lily nodded, chewing on her lip nervously before opening the door and climbing out of the car. She hovered next to Remus as Sirius hugged James’ parents as well before the four of them turned to the other two.

“Lily! My dear, you look wonderful.” Euphemia Potter smiled warmly, giving Lily a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. “It’s so lovely to see you again.”

“You too, Mrs Potter, thank you for inviting me.” Lily replied, her voice wavering only a little.

“Please, call me Mia, Mrs Potter was my mother-in-law.” Euphemia teased, waving Lily’s gratitude away. Her husband stepped forward to shake Lily’s hand in greeting as Euphemia embraced Remus.

Once everyone had reunited, James’ hand slipped into Lily’s. He gave her a soft smile which she mirrored. Ever since they had begun their false relationship, Lily had been unable to admit to anyone, perhaps even herself, just how perfectly her hand fit into James’. She’d been trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach every time he wrapped an arm around her, and had attempted to hide the small smile that appeared on her lips anytime he kissed her hair or cheek.

“Doing okay?” He asked quietly as Sirius chatted away to the others.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Lily looked up at James, her traitorous heart catching in her throat as she gazed into his eyes. The gently setting sun had turned them into molten gold, the colours shining so beautifully Lily thought that she would be comfortable dying there and then so long as the colour of his eyes was her last ever sight.

“Are you sure?” He replied, his eyebrow raising curiously. Shit . She’d let herself stare for too long, her cheeks flushing pink as she averted her gaze. She nodded before letting go of his hand and started to grab bags from the back of the car to distract herself from the burning of her blush and the intensity of his eyes.

The group eventually settled into camp chairs around a small makeshift fire that James and Sirius had built, mugs of booze cradled in their hands. Bacon sandwiches had already been dished out, Lily felt as though she would be eternally grateful to James for making sure she ate a big lunch when they stopped on the drive down. He sat beside her, their two chairs nestled close together to make sure that they kept up appearances.

The two older Potters were so welcoming to Lily, Euphemia seemed over the moon that James had found himself ‘such a nice girl’. It was rather cute the way that James’ cheeks had burned pink as his mother fawned over him and Lily, his eyes only meeting Lily’s for the briefest second before he looked away.

The sky had faded from gold, to purple, to deep navy. Lily let out a tiny gasp when she looked up, seeing the stars poking through the blue. Living in cities her whole life had meant that stars were usually covered by a thick sheen of smog, pollution and light. But down here in the country, the stars were brighter than she had ever seen them.

“See those three super bright stars up there?” James said to her softly, his finger pointing up into the sky. “That’s the Summer Triangle. They’re all a part of different constellations.”

“Really?” Lily tore her gaze from the stars to look at him, her eyes wide in wonder. Beside them, Euphemia and Fleamont quietly excused themselves to their tent, having grown tired. Lily hardly noticed, her eyes once again returning to the sky to find where James was pointing.

“Yeah, the one at the leftmost point is Deneb, part of Cygnus the Swan.” James explained, leaning a little closer to her so that they were looking at the same point. “The top one is Vega that’s in Lyra the Harp and the bottom one is Altair in Aquila, which is the Eagle constellation.”

Out of the corner of Lily’s peripheral vision, she noticed Remus lightly hit Sirius on the arm and the two of them also moved into their tent, leaving James and Lily quite alone. She was unsure if James had even realised, he was so intent on making sure she saw the constellations. Quietly he murmured to her about the stars, his fingers tracing patterns against the sky to show her the constellations.

“How do you know so much about the stars? I thought I was well informed knowing that Sirius was named after the Dog star…” Lily asked after a short while, her eyes once again returning to James’ features. She wasn’t sure if they’d ever sat so close before, the firelight making his tanned skin glow golden. He looked as though he had been sculpted, his features pulled straight from the men she read about in books and dreamed about. It hit her like a ton of bricks all at once, James Potter was beautiful. And he was exactly her type.

How had it taken so long to realise? Maybe he had been hidden behind the arrogance and bravado that she’d hated in school. Maybe because she had known him before puberty had melded him into this adonis before her that she’d never noticed it before. His jawline could cut glass…

Just as Lily was coming to the realisation that maybe she fancied him, James looked at her. And Lily would swear at a later date that she’d melted under the sudden heat that his gaze sent coursing through her. She would also claim that one minute they were looking at each other and the next they were kissing, that she had no idea who had leaned in first despite James’ laughter filled retorts that she had lunged at him.

If Lily thought that James Potter was well informed about stars, that was nothing compared to how well informed he was at kissing. His lips on hers just felt right. His hands moved to cradle her face as he kissed her back, almost hesitant at first. But when Lily’s hand moved to brush through his hair, a soft sigh escaped him and the kiss deepened. James Potter kissed as he did everything in life, by throwing himself into it with all of his emotion worn plain as day.

When the kiss broke and Lily pulled away, she couldn’t help the smile on her lips that was mirrored on James’ face. She knew that they both agreed, they had been idiotic to wait so long to do that. And neither of them were about to waste anymore time, their hands immediately reaching for the other again, their lips meeting in another kiss.

It was like she was flying, his arms around her were so strong that she knew she did not need to hold herself up as he could support her. So Lily let herself melt into his touch, her fingers tangling in his messy hair, hair that she only now realised she had been aching to touch for so many years. A soft moan escaped her lips, the sound pressing into his mouth that made him respond in kind.

Lily pulled away to look at him, his eyes slowly opening to reveal only a hint of hazel remaining around the deep blackness of his pupils. He looked utterly wrecked and by god she knew she felt the same. “We should… We should get some sleep…” She whispered, trailing her fingers down his face to rest her hands on his chest.

He nodded, his expression almost dumbstruck as he blinked at her a few times slowly. Lily couldn’t help but giggle at the effect she’d had on him, her hand moving to take his as she gently pulled him towards their tent. They crawled inside and Lily settled back against the air bed as James tugged the zip closed.

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“So… So you were faking it the whole time to not lose the bet but then finally realised you two actually have the hots for each other and banged it out in a tent feet away from his parents?” Marlene asked over the shot of tequila that Lily had shoved into her hand before making her admission.

“Yeah, that’s about right.” Lily replied, glancing over at her boyfriend who was standing with Sirius at the drinks table, fixing her a drink. As if he felt her gaze on him, James turned his head, their eyes meeting. He smiled at her warmly, just one look instantly soothing her nervousness about finally being truthful with her best friend.

“Well, fuck me.” Marlene said, downing the shot. She made a disgusted face and shivered slightly as the alcohol coursed through her. “If I had my doubts before, I certainly don’t now. You two are so cute for each other.”

“I know.” Lily blushed, her face growing suddenly warmer. “And it’s all thanks to you for coming up with that bet, without it, I don’t think I would have ever realised that I fancied him all this time.”

“I can agree with that,” James’ deep voice said as he pressed a kiss to the top of Lily’s head. He passed her a drink before settling down beside her on the sofa, “cheers, McKinnon.”

Marlene grinned, looking at the two of them as Lily settled herself against James’ side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. “Was all a part of my plan, Potter. But you’re welcome. Though I am going to leave you two alone now because you are a bit sickening and I’ve drunk a lot of tequila!” She bounced to her feet, saluting at them both with two fingers moving away from her brow before she screeched at Sirius to fix her a drink.

Lily looked at James, smiling happily. “She’s not mad.”

“I knew she wouldn’t be, she loves you.” James replied simply, his fingers tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “How could she not?”

Lily giggled as she leaned in to kiss him, leaving it soft and tender. They had all the time in the world for deep and meaningful kisses, she knew that she wasn’t going to let this boy go any time soon. How could she? They were made for each other.

#jilychallenge #jily challenge #james and lily #jily #fake dating #jily fic #jily fanfiction

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mppmaraudergirl · 1 year

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I have been away from the fandom for way too long and now the only updates I get are just the stuff you're posting. Do you have any good fic recommendations that you're currently reading? Cause I miss reading good fanfictions and because I love everything you write I feel like I would really enjoy the fics that you like as well

Hi there. Thank you for the lovely words and welcome back! 🥰 I'm sorry for the delayed reply. My reading time has been severely limited recently so I don't have a very active reading list to give, but I still wanted to take this opportunity to accumulate a rec list!

First off, the easy blogs to follow: @jilychallenge / @jilychallenge2023, @jilymicrofics, @jilyarchive which are all pretty actively advertising writers and fics! The archive ofc has great tagging so you can get really specific if you have a hankering for something. The jilychallenge is monthly and the microfics is posting pretty much daily.

I try to reblog fics I'm reading/plan to read with the tag "#jily fic recs" on this blog, and as I previously posted, the @jilyawards 2022 list is a fantastic place to start—already broken down by category which is super handy!

I am notoriously bad at bookmarking things on AO3 but there are a handful there that I couldn't recommend enough. Now for some specific recs/favs!

My forever first must-read is my bff @chdarling 's The Last Enemy series which is the best Marauders fic I've ever read. That's right. Ever.

I've been going batshit over @the-dream-team 's Who Knows Who Cares Muggle AU. It warms my lil heart

I'm feral when I so much as think about @wearingaberetinparis 's no body, no crime which sadoigjasidgj have to stop myself from spoiling but check it out!

I'm still awed by @nought-shall-go-ill 's The Light Come Shining which made me sob

Speaking of crying, you can't go wrong with @possessingtheproperspirit for your heartachingly sad angst needs. the way you left me is perfection. Perfection.

If you consider yourself a funny person, I can fix that for you by recommending @mabeltothknows 's We Have Buried the Putrid Corpse of Liberty which is next level

I absolutely loved @annabtg 's AO3 is Down which is as fun/silly as you'd expect for a little Jily AU

This is by no means comprehensive (my brain is useless most days lately) but perhaps a good start for fics! If you have a tumblr I also rec this awesome jily blog/author list created by the immensely talented @startanewdream (who killed me with her fic someday we'll know) which will likely overwhelm you lol.

#jily fic recs #jily fic #i cannot over emphasize how small this list is compared to what it could be #check out the linked accounts and posts for SO MUCH MORE #ty mah for putting together that great post <3

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maraudersftw · 1 year

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Promises In Frost

One-shot | Words: 1.4K | Rating: T

Summary - Lily Evans has an important question to ask before Christmas.

[Written for @jilychallenge December Jily Advent Calendar 2022]

Read on: AO3 || FFN

#claudiawrites #promises in frost #jily #jily canonverse #jily fluff #james x lily #james potter #lily evans #jple #DJAC2022

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tumbledfreckles · 2 years

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JILY CHALLENGE | MAY 2022

@jilychallenge May 2022 | Theme: Sea Prompt: "Thank you for the rescue, but I demand you take me back home now." "We're pirates, your highness. We don't follow orders well." Partner: @booksarelife-stuff

Lily crept forward, mindful of the shadows she relied on to keep her cover. The street looked empty, the sidewalks quiet, but she couldn’t be too careful. Patiently she watched, waiting for the perfect moment.

But just as she went to make her move, one foot poised to step out into the dim light provided by the moon and the torches that lined the street, a second shadow joined hers. Before Lily could turn, could run, could scream, an arm clamped around her middle, a hand across her mouth and she was dragged backwards.

One might have thought in the face of such power, and the strength in this person's forearm alone was more than impressive, that she’d just go with it. One might have thought that in the wake of the situation, the stealth, the secrecy required, she would slip quietly into the darkness.

Those ‘ones’ didn’t know Lily Evans.

Lily Evans hadn’t lived the life she had, experienced what she had, survived what she had, just to go down without a fight. Lily Evans surrendered to no man and no one- not even herself and the quiet internal urges of her own heart on her weakest days- just to be taken down in a back alley, within spitting distance of her goal.

Lily Evans fought with everything she had.

Keep reading on AO3 (3.6k)

#jily #jily fanfic #jily fanfiction #jilychallenge #pirate jily #pirate au #second chances #drama #romance #tension #action #freckles writes #im really sorry james isn't shirtless #really sorry #taking back always

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annabtg · 1 year

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Written for the November 2022 @jilychallenge, theme: Tropefest Trope: Enemies to lovers Prompt: "Do I really repulse you that much?" Partner: @maraudersftw

Lily Evans has every reason to hate James Potter. He is annoying, arrogant, and he bullies her best friend mercilessly. However, over the years, people change, some for the better, some for the worse; and as they do, so do Lily's feelings towards them.

READ ON AO3 Complete, 5.8k words.

#james potter #lily evans #jily fic #jple #jilychallenge #november jilychallenge #enemies to lovers #canon compliant #my fics #start from here

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abihastastybeans · 2 years

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November Rain

JILY CHALLENGE | NOVEMBER 2022 | @jilychallenge

Theme: Tropefest!

Trope: stranded/locked up together / maybe there’s a bit of veritaserum

Prompt: "You are useless"

Partners: @practicecourts & @constancezin

Sweet thanks to @practicecourts for the title and for being my beta (go check out her fic here!) & to @constancezin for her inputs and the GORGEOUS art she did for the fic!

Summary: James Potter seeks haven in a stranger's house when he finds himself stranded on the pavement because of a storm.

Read here on ao3!

#jilychallenge #november jilychallenge #tropefest #jily #november rain

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jilychallenge · 1 year

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Thank you 2 ( - Z)

A big thank you to all of you who participated (don't forget to add your works to the collection, unless you're participating in the December Challenge!)

@quietlycharmed @redheadreader7 @relyingonoldships @resilientlittlething @sapphire1616 @silly-little-writer @sirenicc @siriuslychessi @siriuslysnuffles @startanewdream @sunshinemarauder @sweeethinny @tatirena @thatpinkjacket @thejilyship @tumbledfreckles @un-peu-folle @wearingaberetinparis @writtenonreceipts @yerilils @yourstrulylilypotter @yumanichan @zephyrcove

#getting organised #thank you for making jilychallenges happen #jilychallenge 2022

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charmsandtealeaves · 2 years

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JILY CHALLENGE | @charmsandtealeaves vs @writtenonreceipts

Back to School + Astronomy Tower, “‘cause there’s so much of you I adore” Walk by Griff

Read it on AO3

Photo by Bianca Berg on Unsplash

Starry Night

The astronomy tower was the tallest in Hogwarts. It was the perfect place to stare unobstructed out into the starry night or across the grounds dimly lit my moonlight. The first night back to school on September 1st was no exception. James Potter had climbed up cautiously and now sat on the parapet, dangling his legs over the side despite the stomach plummeting drop below, hands clasped in his lap as he stared out towards the forbidden forest. The cold feeling of rough stone seeping through his clothes, keeping him grounded to the spot, gooseflesh bubbling up along his arms.

This spot was one of his favourites in all the castle, despite all the nooks and crannies he and his friends had discovered over the years. It was from here that he had watched Madam Pomfrey escort Remus to the Whomping Willow for his monthly excursions. It was here with his other friends that they agreed to become animagi. Where he had shared his first cigarette with Sirius. Where he came to throw rocks off the edge in frustration after losing quidditch matches. This was also where he came whenever he wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a little while, without the sounds of quiet breathing and muffled snores from the other four poster beds in the boys dormitory.

The fact that this would be his last first night at Hogwarts was weighing heavily on his mind. By the next summer he was expected to be a fully fleshed out and responsible adult, about to start on his career path and build a life outside these walls. A daunting task. His fingers twitched for cigarettes he didn’t have, forgetting to pinch the packet from Sirius’s trunk before he’d left. He was so lost in his own reverie he hadn’t heard the soft footsteps of someone ascending the stairs behind him. If he had, he would have assumed it to be Filch and could have swung his invisibility cloak over his head in the nick of time. But fortunately for him it was not Filch who caught him up here after hours, but Lily Evans.

“What do you think you’re doing up there Potter?!” She exclaimed, aghast at his precarious position on the wall's edge.

James jumped with a start, his heart pounding in his chest as he turned his head to look at her. She stood with her arms crossed firmly across her chest, a stern look on her face that could have rivalled McGonagall.

“Merlin’s beard Evans. Are you trying to kill a bloke?” He joked.

“You look like you could manage that all by yourself. What the hell are you playing at? You fall from there and you’ll land right splat outside the front door. I’m sure that wouldn’t scar the first years for life.” Lily replied, her tone was mocking but the side of her mouth turned up briefly as if she was trying hard not to smile.

“I’ll have you know I’m well versed in aresto momentum, no splat thank you. But I’m not exactly willing to test the theory. What are you doing out of bed after hours? Not a good look for the head girl now is it?” He accused jovially.

“The same could be said for the head boy. But I do believe I asked him first” She rolled her eyes.

“Truth is I don’t know what I’m doing” he admitted, the words tumbling from his mouth before his brain had a chance to recognise them. “Just wanted to clear my head, I suppose.”

Lily’s face softened as she took a step towards him. Her pale skin reflected the moonlight, her hair shiny. She was still wearing her school robes, having not yet changed for bed. Unlike James who had travelled here in his red tartan pyjama bottoms and a long sleeved black T-shirt.

“Seriously James. What’s up?” Lily asked.

“I’m not ready. I’m not ready for all the last firsts. I’m not ready to leave” He responded. “There’s all this expectation out there. What if I’m not good enough? What if Hogwarts is my peak and it’s all downhill from here?”

James turned to face away from her, his voice wavered and caught in his throat. Lily unfolded her arms and came to stand at his back. She placed a gentle palm on his shoulder blade, spreading a warm tingling feeling over his whole body.

“Why would you even think something like that?” She asked him kindly.

“You’re the one that said it. ‘You think you’re such a hotshot Potter but just wait til the real world is thrown at you and you realise you’ve already hit your peak you arrogant arsehole’ remember?” He let out a small chuckle, Lily frowned.

“I said that in anger and frustration years ago. After all this time you can’t expect I’d still actually believe it? You’re not the same bullying toe rag you were at 15. You grew up. Dumbledore wouldn’t have made you head boy if you were. He’s a nutter but he’s not that mad.” She encouraged.

“And here’s me thinking you didn’t like me very much Evans.” James smiled.

“Well just please don’t throw yourself off the roof on my account. I would genuinely be sad if you did”

“Really? Why’s that then” he asked smugly, turning around fully to face her, legs now hanging down towards the floor of the tower.

“‘Cause there’s so much of you I adore. Plus I wouldn’t want to be stuck pulling your weight on head duties, would make my final year rather dull and depressing.” Lily quipped.

“Tell me more about how much you adore me Evans, I’d love to hear it” James grinned broadly.

“Your smugness certainly isn’t something I adore. But there is a lot to actually like about you Potter. All those letters you wrote me over summer break, the times you stayed up til the dead of night like you weren’t even tired helping me with transfiguration homework, the way you’re always there for your friends, your ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you fall.” She drew closer to him.

“You appreciated my letters?” James' voice almost a whisper.

“I did. Especially all the parts about us building a solid relationship as partnering heads.”

“Well… teamwork makes the dream work after all. We’re gonna have to spend a lot of hours together. How’d you know I was up here anyway?” He grinned, reaching a hand out to take hers and pulling her closer to stand between his legs.

“Remus. He says this is your favourite night time hangout.” Her head came closer to his, tilting upwards so that their noses were almost touching.

“I’ll have to thank him for that later.” James mused, leaning down.

He released her hand and ran his thumb up her cheek to her ear, palm firmly placed on the side of her neck and fingers entangled in her long hair at the nape of her neck. Lily balanced herself on tiptoes, leaned in and closed her eyes as she placed her lips to his, their teeth almost clinking. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss. Tasting mint toothpaste and engulfed by the sweet scent of her shampoo. Her hands reached out for him, finding his sides and grabbing his shirt, balling it in each of her fists. James brought his other hand to the back of her head, drawing her in even closer to him. The future may be coming at them fast, but so long as she was by his side he knew he could confidently face it.

#Charms Library #Fic: Starry Night #jilychallenge #September jilychallenge 2022 #jily fic #jily #james potter #lily evans

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