#jilly fluff

But James is your mirror and your enemy. Every time you step forward, he steps too. Every compliment you offer Lily, he counters with one sharper, louder, more dazzling. It’s infuriating. You can’t stand the smug tilt of his grin when he thinks he’s outshone you, nor the way he mutters under his breath when you’ve managed to steal Lily’s laugh for yourself.

The rivalry has become its own language. Quidditch practice turns into a battlefield — you dive for the Snitch not just to win, but to prove you’re faster, braver, more worthy. In Potions, you angle your cauldron so Lily sees your perfect brew, only for James to “accidentally” spill his ingredients in a way that makes her laugh. Every interaction is a duel, every glance a challenge.

And beneath it all, there’s a strange, unspoken recognition: you and James are cut from the same cloth. Both reckless, both desperate, both hopelessly tangled in Lily’s orbit. You despise him for it, but you also understand him better than anyone else. That’s what makes the rivalry burn so hot — because in him, you see the reflection of your own obsession.

It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and impossible to stop. You’re locked in this endless dance, two rivals circling the same girl, each convinced you’ll be the one she finally chooses.

You’re leaning into Lily, finally savoring the quiet victory of her warmth against your side, when the inevitable happens.

James Potter storms into the moment like he owns it. His voice is loud, his laugh exaggerated, his ego filling the space until Lily’s attention flickers toward him. He drops into the chair across from you with all the subtlety of a Bludger, running a hand through his hair in that practiced, arrogant way.

“Evans,” he says, grinning like he’s just scored the winning goal, “you should’ve seen me out there — best Chaser Hogwarts has ever had. Snatched the quaffel right out from under Mulciber’s nose.” He leans forward, eyes bright, waiting for her admiration.

You feel the shift immediately. Lily’s gaze slides from you to him, her lips twitching with amusement at his theatrics. It’s infuriating — the way he can bulldoze into any moment, the way he demands attention like it’s his birthright.

You tighten your grip on the armrest, biting back the urge to snap. Because this is what James does: he interrupts, he overshadows, he makes everything about him. And worse, he knows exactly what he’s doing. His smirk lingers on you, a silent challenge, daring you to fight back, daring you to prove you can hold Lily’s gaze against his relentless charm.

The rivalry reignites in an instant. What was soft and private becomes contested ground again. Lily, caught between your quiet closeness and James’s loud bravado, is the battlefield. And you know you’re not about to surrender.

Slughorn’s classroom smells faintly of singed nettles and over-boiled potion, and the tension between you and James is thick enough to choke on. Both of you had lunged for Lily the moment partners were announced, voices overlapping, stubbornness clashing. Slughorn, too indulgent to intervene, let it happen — and so Lily ended up with both of you hovering at her side, a recipe for disaster.

You’re measuring ingredients with precision, determined to prove your worth, when James leans in too close, his elbow knocking against your arm. The vial tips, liquid spilling into the cauldron with a hiss. The potion erupts in a plume of smoke, splattering across the desk. Lily groans, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Honestly,” she mutters, “you two are impossible.”

Slughorn’s voice cuts through the chaos: “Detention. Both of you. Tonight.”

You freeze, fury burning in your chest. James, of course, grins like he’s won something. “Well,” he says, brushing soot off his sleeve, “at least we’ll have quality time together. Can’t wait.” His smirk is aimed at you, not Lily, and it’s infuriating.

You glare back, jaw tight. Detention with James Potter — the very definition of hell. Lily shakes her head, already turning back to her notes, leaving you and James to stew in your shared punishment.

The library feels like it belongs to just the two of you. The scratch of quills and the faint rustle of pages fade into the background as Lily leans closer, her hair brushing your arm while she sketches out the shape of an ancient rune.

“You see how this one curves?” she says, her fingertip tracing the symbol. “It changes the meaning entirely if you angle it wrong.”

You nod, though your eyes are more on her than the parchment. “So… precision matters. Good thing I’ve got you to keep me from embarrassing myself.”

Her lips twitch into a smile. “You’d be hopeless without me.”

You grin, leaning just a little closer. “Hopeless, maybe. But at least I’m entertaining.”

She laughs, soft and genuine, and the sound makes your chest tighten. You tease her about her neat handwriting, she nudges your elbow when you deliberately mispronounce a rune, and the air between you hums with something unspoken. It’s not grand gestures or rivalry — it’s the quiet thrill of her choosing to stay here, choosing to share this moment with you.

Still, her brow furrows when she sets her quill down. “I can’t believe you’ve got detention with Potter tonight,” she murmurs. “The two of you together… it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

You roll your eyes, but keep your tone light. “Don’t worry. I’ll survive him. Besides, I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.”

Her cheeks flush faintly, and though she shakes her head, her smile lingers. The runes blur on the parchment, because all you can think about is the way her laughter feels like victory — quiet, private, and yours.

Slughorn’s voice carries across the dungeon, warm but firm: “Since you two seem to think Potions is a stage for your rivalry, you can spend tonight cleaning up the mess you made.”

The classroom is empty now, save for you, James, and rows of cauldrons crusted with residue. The air smells of burnt nettles and spilled potion. Slughorn has left you with a bucket, rags, and a pointed look that promised he’ll be checking in later.

You grip the rag, glaring at the nearest cauldron. “Brilliant. Just brilliant. Stuck here with you.”

James smirks, already rolling up his sleeves. “Don’t sound too excited. I know detention with me is the highlight of your week.” He runs a hand through his hair, as if even scrubbing cauldrons requires dramatics.

You scrub harder, determined not to rise to the bait. But of course, he keeps talking. “You know, Evans will probably pity you after this. Maybe she’ll even thank me for putting up with you.”

You snap your head up, rag dripping. “You’re delusional. If anything, she’ll pity me for being stuck with you.”

The banter bounces back and forth, sharp as hexes. Every cauldron becomes a battlefield, every word another jab. Yet beneath the irritation, there’s a strange energy — the rivalry alive and sparking even in punishment.

Slughorn’s footsteps echo faintly from his office, reminding you both to keep working. You sigh, leaning over the cauldron, muttering, “If you spent half as much effort cleaning as you do talking, we’d be done by now.”

James grins, tossing his rag into the bucket. “But then you’d miss out on my company. Admit it — detention’s not so bad when it’s me.”

The dungeon is heavy with silence, the only sound the scrape of rags against cauldrons. You’re bent over your work, determined to ignore James Potter entirely, when the hairs on the back of your neck prickle. There’s a presence behind you — close, too close.

You turn sharply, and he’s right there. James stands barely a breath away, his grin cocky, his eyes glinting with mischief. The suddenness of it jolts you, and instinctively you stumble back, your shoulder hitting the cold stone wall behind you.

“Merlin, Potter!” you snap, heart racing. “Do you have to sneak up like that?”

He smirks, leaning one hand against the wall as if he planned it all along. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Just wanted to see if you were actually working or just sulking.”

You glare, pressing yourself against the wall, trying to regain composure. “Unlike you, I don’t need an audience to scrub a cauldron.”

James tilts his head, still too close, still radiating that insufferable confidence. “Maybe. But it’s more fun when you react like that.”

“Relax. Just wanted to ask you something.” His grin sharpens. “Why Lily? You know I’ve been obsessed with her since third year. Everyone knows it. So why are you suddenly acting like she’s yours to chase?”

Your jaw tightens, the words spilling out before you can stop them. “Just because I didn’t make it a big deal back then doesn’t mean I didn’t like her. Not everything has to be a performance, Potter.”

His smirk falters, replaced by a flicker of irritation. “Performance? You think that’s what this is? I’ve been fighting for her attention for years. You can’t just swoop in and—”

You cut him off, voice sharp. “And what? Pretend you’re the only one who sees her worth? You don’t own her, James. You don’t get to decide who’s allowed to care about her.”

The air between you crackles, the rivalry boiling over into something rawer. His grin returns, but it’s strained now, defensive. “Guess detention’s not so boring after all,” he mutters, though his eyes don’t leave yours.

The rag slips from your hand, potion residue streaking across the cauldron, but you don’t care. You’re too busy glaring at James Potter, who’s leaning in close, his grin sharp, his eyes daring you to flinch.

“You think you’re the only one who’s ever cared about her?” you snap, voice low but cutting. “All those pranks you pulled — the ones that hurt her, embarrassed her, made her roll her eyes at you? You call that devotion? You’ve been obsessed since third year, sure, but obsession isn’t the same as respect.”

His smirk falters, jaw tightening. You press on, knowing exactly where to strike. “Every time you humiliated her in front of the class, every time you made her feel like a prize to be won — I saw it. I saw the way she hated it. And I hated you for it. Just because I didn’t shout my feelings from the rooftops doesn’t mean they weren’t there. I’ve liked her for years, Potter. I just didn’t make it a circus.”

His anger rises like a storm, his chest heaving, his eyes narrowing. He steps closer, the space between you shrinking until your back hits the cold stone wall. You tilt your chin up, defiant, refusing to back down even as his presence looms over you.

“Shut up,” he growls, voice rough.

Your lips curl into a smirk, your heart pounding but your defiance unshaken. “Make me.”

His gaze drops, lingering on your mouth. The smirk fades, replaced by something heavier, something dangerous. He leans closer, so close you can feel the warmth radiating off him, the rivalry twisting into something steamy, something you never thought you’d let happen. Your pulse hammers, your back pressed against the cold stone wall, and for a heartbeat it feels inevitable — James Potter is about to kiss you.

And then—

“Detention’s over,” Slughorn’s voice booms from the doorway, shattering the moment. You both jolt apart, the spell broken, the air still charged with what almost happened. James straightens quickly, running a hand through his hair, trying to mask the flush on his face. You grab your stuff and leave, but your heart is still racing, your lips tingling with the kiss that never came.

You’re lying awake in your dorm, the stone walls pressing in, the silence too loud. Sleep won’t come — not after detention, not after the way James leaned in, not after the way your heart betrayed you.

You press your palms against your eyes, trying to make sense of it. Lily has always been the center of your world: her laugh, her brilliance, the way she makes you feel seen. You’ve fought for her attention, battled James for her smile, convinced yourself she’s the only one who matters.

But tonight, when James was inches away, when his anger twisted into something hotter, you felt it. The pull. The spark. The possibility of something you shouldn’t want. And now you’re caught in the impossible question: do you like Lily, or do you like James? Or — terrifyingly — do you like them both?

It feels wrong, contradictory, like betrayal. How could you want Lily’s warmth and James’s fire at the same time? How could you crave the softness of her laugh and the sharpness of his defiance? Yet your heart won’t let you choose. It beats for both, tangled in rivalry and affection, in longing and confusion.

You roll onto your back, staring at the ceiling, the weight of it pressing down. You’re trapped in a triangle of your own making — Lily, the girl you’ve always loved, and James, the rival you can’t seem to stop wanting.

The next morning feels strangely quiet. You sit through breakfast, through classes, through the hum of Gryffindor chatter, but you don’t reach for Lily with your usual teasing remarks. You don’t angle your chair closer, don’t toss her sly compliments, don’t try to make her laugh just to prove you can. Instead, you keep your head down, quill scratching across parchment, letting her space breathe.

James, too, is left untouched. No sharp words, no muttered insults, no baiting him into another duel of egos. You pass him in the corridor, and though his eyes flick toward you, waiting for the spark, you don’t ignite it. You let him walk by, his smirk fading into confusion.

It’s not surrender — it’s exhaustion. After last night, after the almost-kiss that burned hotter than any argument, you can’t bring yourself to play the same games. You’re tangled in feelings you don’t understand, torn between Lily’s warmth and James’s fire, and the weight of it presses down on you.

So you stay quiet. You study beside Lily without flirting, you share a classroom with James without fighting. And though the silence feels unnatural, it’s the only way you can keep from unraveling completely.

The roar of the crowd shakes the stands as Gryffindor faces Hufflepuff — a team known for their speed and quiet precision. The air is sharp with anticipation, scarlet and gold banners whipping in the wind.

You mount your broom, the Seeker’s role heavy on your shoulders. Across the pitch, James Potter is already circling like a hawk, his grin wide, his confidence unshaken. He’s Chaser today, and you can feel the rivalry simmering even here, though you’ve sworn not to fight him outside the game.

Madam Hooch’s whistle pierces the air, and the match explodes into motion. Hufflepuff’s Chasers dart like lightning, weaving patterns that force James to push harder, faster. He barrels through their defense, Quaffle tucked under his arm, hair flying as he scores with a flourish that earns a roar from the Gryffindor stands.

You, meanwhile, are scanning the sky, eyes sharp for the glint of gold. The Snitch flickers in and out of sight, teasing you with flashes near the goalposts. Every muscle is taut, every heartbeat pounding with the thrill of the chase.

James swoops past you at one point, shouting over the wind, “Don’t let them outrun you, Seeker!” His grin is infuriating, but it sparks something in you — a determination to prove yourself, not just to Lily, not just to him, but to everyone watching.

The stadium is alive with scarlet and gold, the Gryffindor stands roaring as Remus calls the commentary with his steady, clever voice. You’re high above the pitch, the wind biting at your cheeks, eyes scanning for the Snitch.

Below, James is in his element — darting through Hufflepuff’s tight defense, Quaffle tucked under his arm as he scores with that trademark flourish. The crowd erupts, but your focus is elsewhere. Because when you glance toward the stands, you see Lily. She’s cheering for you, her voice carrying even through the chaos, and pride surges through your chest.

You grip your broom tighter, determination sharpening. Out of the corner of your eye, James streaks past again, another goal under his belt. But then — a flicker. Something golden, darting near the far end of the pitch.

The Snitch.

Your heart leaps as you dive, the wind screaming in your ears. At the same moment, the Hufflepuff Seeker spots it too, their broom cutting through the air like a blade. The two of you race neck-and-neck, every second a battle, every inch of distance fought for. The Snitch glitters just ahead, teasing, taunting, promising victory to whoever reaches it first.

The wind whips past your face as you and Alex Wood — Hufflepuff’s Seeker — dive in perfect sync, both chasing the flicker of gold darting across the pitch. The Snitch glints, teasing, weaving through the chaos of the match.

Above, Remus’s voice carries over the roar of the crowd: “And Potter scores again! Honestly, even if we don’t catch the Snitch, with the way James is racking up points, Gryffindor could still take this!”

You scoff internally, jaw tightening. Of course Remus would praise James. Everyone always does. But you don’t let the irritation distract you. You force yourself to focus, eyes locked on the Snitch, every muscle taut with determination.

Alex is right beside you, his broom cutting through the air like a blade. The two of you are neck-and-neck, the Snitch darting just ahead, golden wings flashing in the sunlight. The crowd gasps as you both dive lower, weaving between Chasers and Beaters, the chase so fast it feels like the world is blurring around you.

James scores again out of the corner of your eye, the stands erupting in cheers, but you don’t look his way.

The Snitch gleams like fire in the sunlight, darting just ahead of you and Alex Wood. Both of you dive, brooms cutting through the air at breakneck speed, the crowd gasping as you weave between Bludgers and Chasers. The wind screams in your ears, your fingers aching from gripping the broom, but you don’t let go — you push harder, faster, every ounce of focus locked on that flicker of gold.

The Snitch darts low, skimming just above the grass. You and Alex tilt into a dangerous dive, the pitch rushing up beneath you. The crowd screams, half in awe, half in terror, as you stretch your hand forward, fingertips brushing air — and then, contact. The wings beat frantically against your palm, but you close your fist tight. Victory.

The whistle blows, the game is over. Gryffindor wins.

But as you hover there, Snitch clutched in your hand, the stadium doesn’t erupt for you. The cheers go up for James, his name echoing across the pitch, his goals celebrated louder than your catch. He’s basking in the glory, hair windswept, grin wide, while you sit with the Snitch burning in your palm, pride tangled with frustration.

You won the match, but James Potter stole the spotlight.

You grip the Snitch tight in your hand, heart pounding with the thrill of victory. The cheers are deafening, the stadium alive with scarlet and gold — but they’re not for you.

You fly down, hope flickering that maybe Lily will notice, maybe she’ll see you, the one who actually ended the match. You land, adrenaline still buzzing, and start toward the stands where she’s cheering.

But then you stop dead.

Lily is already running — not toward you, but toward James. Her hair flies behind her as she leaps into his arms, laughing, radiant. He catches her effortlessly, twirls her around, and before you can even breathe, their lips meet in a kiss. The crowd erupts louder, Remus’s voice booming James’s name, the Gryffindor team piling in celebration.

You stand frozen, the Snitch burning in your palm, invisible in the shadow of their moment. Pride curdles into something sharp, something hollow. You won the match, but James won her.

Something raw ignited deep within you, sharp and unrelenting. Were you jealous? Hell yes, you were. Of course the two people you had once loved—maybe still loved—would end up together.

But the jealousy twisted strangely. Was it James you envied, for winning Lily’s heart? Or Lily, for holding James’s? The ache didn’t choose sides; it burned at both.

You told yourself you should be happy for them. They deserved happiness. They deserved love. People would rejoice to see them together, radiant and whole.

The roar of the crowd still rang in your ears, the taste of victory bitter on your tongue. The snitch sat cold and weighty in your palm, its wings twitching faintly as though mocking you.

You felt their eyes on you before you saw them. Lily moved first, her steps light, her smile warm, the kind of smile that could melt stone. She reached for you, voice soft, “Congratulations. You were brilliant out there.”

And then James. His gaze caught yours, hazel eyes bright with pride, the kind of pride that should have set your chest alight. He looked at you as though you had done something extraordinary, as though he wanted to share in it.

But you didn’t see it. Or rather, you refused to.

The bile rose again, jealousy twisting sharp inside you. Of course it would be them—Lily and James, together, radiant, whole. Of course they would find happiness in each other. And of course you would be left standing here, clutching a snitch that suddenly felt like nothing at all.

You turned on your heel before their words could sink deeper, before their eyes could pierce further. The cheers of the crowd blurred into a dull roar as you walked away, back to the changing rooms, back to silence.

The snitch fluttered once in your hand, then stilled.

You changed quickly, the smell of sweat and grass clinging to your skin, the snitch still cold in your palm. The cheers outside rang louder with every passing second, Gryffindor voices spilling through the walls, celebrating victory, celebrating them.

You slipped away, robes dragging, footsteps heavy, until you reached your dorm. The door shut behind you with a dull thud, sealing you in silence. You sat on the edge of your bed, the snitch resting uselessly in your hand, its wings twitching faintly before falling still.

The cheers from the common room carried through the stone, muffled but relentless. Every laugh, every shout of triumph was a reminder of what you weren’t part of, of the joy that belonged to them and not to you.

You loathed yourself in that moment—loathing the jealousy, the ache, the bitterness that clawed at your chest. You told yourself you wouldn’t care. You told yourself you were happy for them. James and Lily deserved happiness. They deserved love. They deserved the golden story everyone wanted them to have.But the word happy rang hollow. It was a mask, a lie you forced yourself to wear. Because beneath it, the truth was sharper: you couldn’t bear to watch them together.So you made up your mind. You would avoid them. You would keep your distance, keep your silence, keep your storm locked inside. If they wanted happiness, they could have it. You would not stand in their way.And yet, as the cheers swelled louder, you felt the emptiness press harder. Avoidance wasn’t freedom. It was exile. And you knew it.

But the word happy rang hollow. It was a mask, a lie you forced yourself to wear. Because beneath it, the truth was sharper: you couldn’t bear to watch them together.

So you made up your mind. You would avoid them. You would keep your distance, keep your silence, keep your storm locked inside. If they wanted happiness, they could have it. You would not stand in their way.

And yet, as the cheers swelled louder, you felt the emptiness press harder. Avoidance wasn’t freedom. It was exile. And you knew it.

You slip into the dress—dark burgundy faux leather, the halter neckline framing your shoulders with sharp elegance. The bodice clings like armor, corset‑style with lace‑up detailing that snakes down both sides of the front, cinching your waist tight. The skirt flares in layered folds, every movement catching the light with a subtle sheen, gothic yet modern. Silver necklaces rest against your collarbone, one cross pendant glinting faintly, and the black shoulder bag hangs at your side, completing the look with an edge that feels both defiant and deliberate.

The music from the common room thrums through the floorboards as you descend the stairs, the burgundy dress clinging like armor, silver cross glinting against your collarbone. You tell yourself you’re ready — ready to face them, ready to prove you can stand in the same room without breaking.

But the sight that greets you stops you cold.

James’s hands rest firmly on Lily’s waist, her arms looped around his neck. They’re laughing, spinning in time to the music, the crowd around them cheering louder with every turn. And then, as if the world itself conspired against you, he twirls her once more and their lips meet in a kiss.

The cheers swell, Gryffindor voices rising in triumph, not just for the match but for this moment — their golden couple, their perfect story.

Lily’s outfit radiates elegance with a romantic edge. She’s in a deep burgundy cocktail dress, strapless and satin‑like, the bodice fitted with asymmetrical pleating that sculpts her waist. The skirt flares in soft folds, giving her movement a graceful volume. At her side, a cascade of gathered fabric and ribbon‑like ruffles adds drama, catching the light as she spins. It’s striking, sophisticated, and perfectly suited for the glow of celebration.

James, by contrast, is sharp and commanding in a black three‑piece suit. The blazer is tailored with clean lapels, paired with a matching waistcoat accented by a silver chain. His black dress shirt and patterned tie complete the ensemble, sleek and formal, the kind of look that makes him stand out even in a crowded room. Together, they look like the golden pair Gryffindor has been waiting to cheer for — her in rich, romantic burgundy, him in polished black.

You slip away from the dance floor before the storm inside you can break loose. The burgundy dress feels heavier with every step, the silver cross at your collarbone like a reminder of the armor you’ve chosen to wear tonight. You set your bag down on a table, and head straight for the corner where Sirius is holding court with a bottle.

“Beautiful catch!” he exclaims the moment you arrive, clapping you hard on the back. His grin is wide, his voice booming over the music, and for a second the ache in your chest eases. Sirius pours you a shot without waiting for your answer, sliding it across with a wink.

You knock it back, the burn sharp, grounding. Another follows, Sirius keeping pace, his laughter infectious. Soon Peter joins, his cheeks already flushed, his words tumbling out in a rush.

“I’ve had a crush on Sylvia forever,” he blurts, eyes wide as if confessing a crime. “Ravenclaw girl, you know? Sylvia. She’s brilliant. I swear, since first year—”

Sirius howls with laughter, nearly spilling his drink. “Merlin’s beard, Wormtail, you’ve been pining for her longer than James and [Name] have for Lily!”

The words hit like a Bludger. Your smile falters, the burn of firewhisky suddenly bitter on your tongue. Sirius notices immediately — he always does. His grin fades, his sharp eyes following the line of your gaze across the common room.

There they are. James’s hands on Lily’s waist, her arms looped around his neck, the two of them spinning in the glow of Gryffindor’s victory. The cheers swell around them, golden and relentless.

Sirius leans closer, voice dropping low, teasing but edged with curiosity. “Jealous, are we?” You start to shake your head, the denial half‑formed on your lips, but Sirius’s brow arches in that way that says he’s already seen through you. His grin fades into something sharper, more knowing, and you feel the fight drain out of you.

Your eyes betray you anyway. They keep flicking back to James and Lily, tracing the way his hand rests on her waist, the way her laugh spills against his shoulder, the way they move together as if the whole room belongs to them. Every spin, every kiss, every cheer pulls your gaze like a magnet you can’t resist.

Sirius gasps suddenly, loud enough to make Peter jump. He leans in, voice pitched low but matter‑of‑fact, as if he’s announcing the weather. “Bloody hell. You like both of them.”

Remus steps into the room, his voice cutting through the haze of laughter and firewhisky. “What’s going on here?” he asks, eyes narrowing with that quiet, perceptive weight that always makes you feel seen.

Sirius, still grinning, opens his mouth — ready to spill the truth, ready to announce your storm to the world. But before he can, you move.

Your hand shoots out, grabbing him by the waist, pulling him sharply toward you. His balance falters, his grin twisting into surprise. With your other hand, you press firmly against his mouth, silencing him before the words can escape.

The room stills for a heartbeat. Sirius’s eyes widen, then gleam with mischief, muffled laughter vibrating against your palm. Remus raises a brow, suspicion flickering, but you hold your ground, your grip tight, your storm locked behind the gesture.

Sirius’s eyes gleam with mischief as he opens his mouth and — to your horror — licks your hand. You jolt back with a startled gasp, muttering, “Eww!” as you yank your hand away and rub it on your dress trying to wash aww Sirius' saliva. He slips easily out of your grasp, laughing, and saunters over to Remus with that swagger only Sirius Black can pull off.

Throwing an arm around Remus’s shoulders, Sirius smirks and calls out loud enough for you to hear: “Oi, now listen — I know I’m hot, and I love being manhandled as much as the next bloke, but I’m taken, yeah girl?”

Remus chuckles, shaking his head at Sirius’s theatrics, while Sirius shoots you a wink, clearly reveling in your flustered reaction. The tension that had been pressing down on you eases just a little, the mood lightening as Sirius turns your storm into something ridiculous, something you can laugh at — even if only for a moment.

The three of you burst into laughter, Sirius wiping his mouth with exaggerated flair while Remus shakes his head, amused despite himself. The firewhisky burns warm in your chest, the tension that had been coiled inside you loosening as the moment turns ridiculous. For once, you’re laughing — really laughing — and it feels almost like freedom.

But you fail to notice the way eyes linger on you from across the room. James and Lily, still close together, pause in their dance. His hand rests on her waist, her fingers curl at his neck, but their gazes flick toward you, toward Sirius and Remus at your side. There’s something in their look — not quite jealousy, not quite suspicion, but a weight you can’t name.

They watch the three of you with something. Something unspoken, something that makes the air shift. And though you’re caught up in Sirius’s antics and Remus’s quiet chuckles, the truth is, the golden couple isn’t as oblivious as you think.

jillyś pov

James’s hand tightens just slightly at Lily’s waist as his eyes linger on the three of you across the room. Sirius is laughing, Remus is smiling, and you — you’re laughing too, freer than he’s seen you all night.

“Funny, isn’t it?” James mutters, his voice low, almost sharp. “They look like they’re having the time of their lives.”

Lily tilts her head, her gaze following yours, watching the way Sirius leans close, the way Remus chuckles, the way you glow in their company. Her smile falters, replaced by something quieter, heavier. “Strange,” she says softly. “I didn’t think [Name] would… fit so easily with them.”

James’s jaw tightens, his eyes narrowing as Sirius brushes your shoulder in jest. “Too easily,” he mutters, a note of jealousy threading through his voice.

Lily exhales, her fingers curling tighter at his neck. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” she teases, though her tone carries its own edge.

James doesn’t answer right away. His gaze stays fixed on you, on the laughter you share with Sirius and Remus, on the way the three of you seem untouchable in that moment. Finally, he murmurs, “Maybe I am.”

Lily’s lips press together, her own eyes lingering longer than she means to. “Maybe I am too.”

You catch sight of them moving toward you — James with that familiar swagger, Lily at his side, her hand brushing his arm. For a heartbeat, your chest tightens, bracing for James to mock you, to throw his victory in your face, to remind you he finally has Lily. You can’t take that right now.

So you slip away, weaving through the crowd until you reach the dance floor. The music swells, and you let your hips sway, the burgundy dress catching the light as you move. It’s reckless, defiant, a way to drown the storm in rhythm.

You glance back over your shoulder, expecting smugness, expecting James’s grin and Lily’s glow. But what you see instead makes you falter. Their faces aren’t triumphant — they look… hurt.

No, you tell yourself, it can’t be that. Probably just because you’ve stolen their space on the floor, claimed the spotlight for a moment. That must be it. You push the thought down, keep moving, keep swaying, keep pretending the music is enough to silence the ache.

The party winds down, the music fading into softer echoes. One by one, the other houses drift away, their laughter trailing off into the corridors. Even most of Gryffindor begins to peel away toward their dorms, leaving only scraps of the celebration behind.

You’re still on the dance floor, the burgundy dress catching the dim light, Sirius and Remus nearby, when Marlene spots you. Her eyes flicker between the juniors lingering at the edges and the three of you. With a quick, decisive tone, she ushers the younger ones off to bed, then excuses herself to her own dorm.

And suddenly, it’s just the three of you.

The common room feels different now — quieter, heavier, the air charged with something unspoken. The cheers are gone, the crowd dispersed, but the tension remains. You stand there, aware of James and Lily across the room, their eyes still following you, their movements slower now, their expressions unreadable. Sirius leans back against the table, smirking, Remus’s gaze steady, thoughtful.

It’s no longer a party. It’s a moment suspended, stripped of noise, leaving only you three — and the storm that’s been circling all night.

James shifts his weight, hands buried deep in his pockets, his gaze fixed but unreadable. Lily crosses to the table, fingers curling around a half‑finished drink, the glass catching the firelight as she lifts it. The silence between you all hums, thick and charged, every movement deliberate.

You reach for your bag, the strap sliding over your shoulder, the decision to leave already forming in your chest. The room feels too small, too heavy, too full of things unsaid.

James’s eyes flicker toward you, narrowing just slightly, as though he’s bracing for words he won’t say. Lily takes a slow sip, her gaze lingering over the rim of her glass, watching you with something softer, something harder to name.

James shifts his weight, hands still buried in his pockets, and finally breaks the silence with a steady voice. “Good game tonight. That catch… it was brilliant.”

You glance up, surprised by the softness in his tone, and reply before you can stop yourself. “Thanks. You played well too, James. Couldn’t have pulled it off without your passes.”

Lily, sipping her drink, lets out a laugh that’s half‑teasing, half‑genuine. “Wow. James and [Name] complimenting each other? Never thought I’d see the day.” Her eyes sparkle, but there’s something else beneath it — something heavier.

The three of you linger in that fragile small talk, words brushing the surface while the silence underneath hums louder. You adjust the strap of your bag, trying to make an excuse. “Well, it’s late. I should probably—”

But before you can finish, Lily’s hand shoots out, catching your wrist. Her grip is firm, pulling you closer, right into the space between her and James. The sudden closeness makes your breath hitch, the firelight painting all three of you in gold and shadow.

James exhales, finally letting the weight in his chest spill into words. His voice is low, steady, but edged with something raw. “Why have you been avoiding us?”

You freeze, the strap of your bag tight against your shoulder, Lily’s hand still firm around your wrist. She’s pulled you closer, right into the space between them, her eyes searching yours with a mix of curiosity and hurt.

“I haven’t—” you start, but James cuts in, shaking his head. “Don’t. You have. Weeks now. You slip away when we walk in, you dodge us in the corridors, you vanish at parties. And tonight… you couldn’t even look at us.”

Lily’s grip tightens just slightly, her voice softer but no less piercing. “We notice, you know. We’re not blind. And it hurts, [Name]. Whatever it is… it hurts.”

The fire crackles, filling the silence that follows. You glance between them — James, jaw tight, eyes burning with something he won’t name; Lily, her gaze softer but heavy, her hand refusing to let you go.

You swallow, the storm inside you pressing against your ribs. “I just… needed space,” you mutter, but the words sound hollow even to you.

James steps closer, his voice low, almost pleading now. “Space from us? Or from what you feel when you’re around us?”

The question hangs in the air, sharp and undeniable. Lily’s eyes widen just slightly, her breath catching, but she doesn’t let go. She pulls you closer still, as if daring you to answer, daring you to stop running.

You shake your head, pulling slightly against her hold, your storm rising. “You’re imagining things. I’m not avoiding you. I just… don’t want to be in the middle of whatever perfect golden couple thing you’ve got going on.”

James steps closer, his voice low, almost dangerous now. “Don’t lie to us. We deserve better than that.”

“I was avoiding… myself. Avoiding what I feel when I see you together.”

James’s jaw slackens, his hands slipping from his pockets as he takes a step closer. “What you feel?” His voice is quieter now, but heavier, as if he already knows the answer.

You swallow hard, the truth spilling out before you can stop it. “I can’t stand it sometimes. Watching you two — perfect, golden, untouchable. And I… I like you both. More than I should. More than I can admit without breaking.”

Lily’s eyes widen, her grip tightening just slightly, but she doesn’t let go. Her voice is soft, trembling with something unspoken. “You like… both of us?”

The words hang in the air, undeniable now. You nod, the storm finally unleashed. “Yes. And it’s tearing me apart. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you. Because every time I see you together, it feels like I’m drowning in something I can’t have.”

Then James moves. He steps forward, closing the space between you, and pulls you into a tight embrace. His arms lock around you, strong and steady, his voice low against your hair. “You do belong. You’ve always belonged. We love you too.”

Before you can even process it, Lily presses closer from behind, her arms wrapping around both of you, her chin resting lightly on your shoulder. “We do,” she whispers, her voice warm and certain. “We love you. You don’t have to run from us anymore.”

The three of you stand there, tangled together in the quiet common room, the storm finally breaking into something softer, something real. The weight of avoidance, jealousy, and silence dissolves into the warmth of their embrace, into the truth you’d been too afraid to speak.

Months later, the memory of that night still lingers — not heavy anymore, but warm, woven into the rhythm of your days. The three of you have settled into something softer, sillier, and undeniably yours.

James still insists on pulling you into tight hugs whenever he sees you, grinning like he’s won the Quidditch Cup all over again. “Oi, don’t think you’re escaping me,” he teases, arms locking around you until Lily rolls her eyes and joins in, wrapping herself around both of you from behind.

Lily’s laughter is brighter now, mischievous and tender all at once. “Honestly, you two are ridiculous,” she says, though she’s the one who sneaks kisses to your cheek when James isn’t looking, only to laugh when he catches her anyway.

The three of you have become a fixture — studying together in the common room, sneaking butterbeer into late nights, teasing each other until the juniors groan and leave. What once felt like avoidance and storm has turned into belonging, into a trio that feels unshakable.

There are silly moments — James dramatically declaring himself your “favorite Gryffindor” only for Lily to shove him off the couch, you laughing until your sides hurt. There are flirty moments — Lily whispering “ours” against your ear while James pretends to pout, only to grin when you pull him closer. And there are soft moments — the three of you tangled together under blankets, the fire crackling low, the world outside fading away.

Here he goes again, Lily’s so amazing, I think I saw her smile this time after she told me to get lost, ugh. Sirius lets his head fall back onto the headboard looking up before tilting his head to look at Remus who was grating his teeth as James drones on and on while he’s trying to read. He turns his head towards Peter, chuckling a bit as it seems James has already managed to put the boy to sleep. Looking back at James his voice starts to fade out as he just watches him gesture and smile as he raves about Lily

Sirius had to admit that the way James’ eyes lit up around Lily was sweet and he was sure whatever his friend was saying at that moment was also sweet, but hearing it every day for over 6 years drove him crazy. He had had his fair share of crushes, but nothing like the way James had it for Lily, well maybe he did for one girl but he’d never admit it.

You were perfect in his eyes, he loved it when you laughed at his jokes, blushed when he flirted with you and adored talking to you about anything and everything, but he never made a move for two reasons. One, as weird as it sounded he was scared to ruin what you had. Two, you just so happened to be Lily’s best friend and he was terrified you would think he was using you to help his own best friend or think he was nothing more than the school’s heartbreaker and you were his latest ‘victim’ as the rumours would call it.

Sirius was pulled out of his own daydream by a pillow hitting him in the face “Oww” he grabs the pillow throwing it straight back at James “What the hell Prongs” he huffs

“Glad I have your attention now, you’ve been sitting staring into space for like an hour mate” Sirius shakes his head looking around to see Remus and Peter are no longer there and the sun had gone down “What were you thinking about” James prods

“Nothing, just spaced that’s all” Sirius shrugs trying his hardest not to blush in embarrassment for daydreaming about you all that time

“Mhm” James hums back his tone knowing but doesn’t say anything “Moony and Wormtail are off to the kitchens to get snacks, wanna go and pretend we’re flitch again, they have my cloak but I swiped the map before they left” he holds up the bit of paper wiggling his eyebrows

“Moonys gonna kill us” Sirius smirks getting up and following James out “But it’s gonna be so worth it”

Walking into class you sit in your regular seat at the back, beginning to get out your stuff as you feel someone sit next to you. Looking over, you smile seeing Sirius getting his own stuff out, as he’s racking through his bag presumably for a quill he turns to you giving you a smile 

“Morning love” he winks before turning bacl to his bag

“Morning Sirius” you greet back before biting your lip as you turn away, even now a small act like that made butterflies appear in your stomach

“Ah ha” Sirius pulls out the quill holding proudly smiling at you but his expression turns into a confused one as you begin to giggle “What” he starts chuckling unable to stop himself laughing with you

“Its…” you point at it “…a bit broken” your giggles increase as you see Sirius look at the quill inspecting it before the feathers tip over practically folding in half, making him laugh as he face palms “Can I…”

“Here” you hand him yours, then reach down into your bag to grab your spare

“Thanks love, don’t know what I’d do without you”

“Probably have an excuse to not write anything down” you tease

“Cheeky” he nudges you “Remember last year when you were all sweet and innocent” he leans into you pretending to reminisce “Whatever happen to that girl”

“You’re just jealous I have better patter than you now” you smirk

Just as Sirius was about to clap back the lesson starts, the professor explaining something that was bound to come up on the exam next semester while you watched Sirius doodle. His drawings were interesting, you had no idea why he drew them but you did recognise some symbols. Like there would be ones which represented the moon, probably for Remus, some for stags, must be James and then some others for dogs and rats, himself and Peter. You and Lily along with Alice, Marlene and Dorca had speculated about the marauder’s ‘nicknames’, wondering why they would choose them but you figured maybe it was their favourite animal or something.

Soon the professor leaves you to do the exercise while they mark some papers, you start working on writing up some things from the book in front of you, while Sirius continues to doodle. You had gotten used to working as you both had hushed conversations so when he shifts a little closer to you, you leant closer too to listen

“So how are you doing, Lily looked a bit pissed off this morning” he chuckles recalling breakfast where James was yet again rejected

“As per usual” you giggle back, to start you didn’t want to speak about Lily but it was nice to have some light-hearted fun as you both joked about your friends “He’s never going to give up, is he?”

“Never” he shakes his head “Just between us you think he has a chance?” he peers over his tone a bit more serious

You look up at him, breath hitching realising how close you were “umm” you turn back to your work unable to form an answer while he’s looking at you like that “Honestly?”

“Brutally”

“I think so, maybe not a the start, Lily definitely liked Snape for years but now?” you look back up at him “I’m almost certain she likes him back”

Sirius smiles brightly, clearly happy for his friend “I won’t tell him, he raves enough about her already” he starts to mock James’ voice quietly as you try your hardest not to snigger too loud “Oh my Lilypad looks so wonderful today, Pads did you see her face it was glowing, the way her hair was flowing in the wind earlier made her look like a goddess” he chuckles “Merlin, you think he’s annoying from what you’ve seen, trying sharing a dorm with him for almost 7 years and live with him for 2” he shakes his head “I love him but he drives me insane” 

“Trust me I know how you feel, every night all I hear is James did this, James done that, can you believe he called me his Lilypad, blah blah blah blah blah blah” he smiles at your own mimicking

“I just wish they would get together already so we can get some peace” Sirius says as he shakes his head

You nod as he turns back to his doodles, as you sit you think for a moment before turning back “What if they did and we just gave them a little...push?” you propose

“What do you mean?” he raises an eyebrow clearly intrigued

“Well, I think you might be rubbing off on me a little bit but we could come up with a plan which pushes for them to interact in a normal way. Like James always tries to approach her and flirt but what if we just got them into a regular conversation, shame it’s not closer to Christmas we could include a little mistletoe to turn it romantic” you ponder “Either way it’ll work out well for them, even if the motive behind it is in our own self-interest” you chuckle nervously

“I like it” he nods before leaning closer to you “So glad I’m starting to corrupt you” he whispers into your ear, smirking as he pulls back seeing how much it affected you

“Shut up” you pout nudging him “We need a plan though and I have no ideas” you shrug

“Well darling” your heart leaps at the new nickname “That’s what I’m here for, you just sit and look pretty while I explain my amazing plan”

You blush at the compliment before turning to listen to his ‘plan’ but see he’s in thought “Got nothing huh?”

“Not a one”

About a week later Sirius approached you and Lily while you were studying, although you had seen him over at another table with the other marauders for a while before he got up and walked over

“Hey” he greets you both

“If you are here to convince me to…” Lily starts but Sirius cuts her off

“Actually, I wanted to talk to y/n” he flashes you a smile, but it isn’t the one you had grown used to this one resembled the one he used when flirting and it made your stomach feel all funny especially when he added “Alone”

“Oh” Lily is a taken aback looking over to see your reaction as your eyes are fixated on Sirius

“Sure” you nod quickly “I’ll be back in a bit” you smile at your friend as you follow Sirius out of the library to talk leaving Lily mildly confused but a small smile appears on her face

You look back to see the other marauders looking at you, furrowing your eyebrows as you seen James with a shit eating grin, Remus was a small smile as he soon returns to his book and Peters eyes wide a similar grin to James like they are all waiting in anticipation. As you leave the library Sirius pulls you into a small enclave down the corridor

“Hi again” Sirius smiles now at you, peaking his head out to make sure none of his friends followed him out, or more specifically looking at the ground for any of their feet

“Hi” you follow his gaze looking out then back at him “Why did you pull me out like that and why were your friends all grinning like Cheshire cats at me” you ask

He snaps his head back to you “Oh well its part of the plan you see” he smirks before tilting his head “What’s a Cheshire cat?”

“Thing from a muggle book, ask Remus” he lets out an ‘ah’ in understanding before you continue “So what’s the plan?” you bite your lip as you wait for his answer

“Well, James, Remus and Peter all know that me and you are pretty good friends now and Lily knows that you are friendly with me, so” he smiles obviously proud of his own thinking

“So” you extend the syllables

“We are going to go on a date” you almost choke on the air as your eyes go wide “Not a real date like a fake date” he clarifies although his heart ache a bit saying the word ‘fake’

You’re at a loss for words, a series of little noises coming out as you open and close your mouth trying to process before eventually forming a sentence “How… How is us going on a date going to help James and Lily?” struggling to understand how his thought process led him to you both going on a ‘date’

“Well it’s not just going to be us” if your confused look could grow any more than it could in that moment it did “It’s going to be a double date with the two of them”

You lean back on the wall behind you, crossing your arms as you look back up at him “Sirius?”

“Yeah?” he smiles like he doesn’t realise his plan had one pretty obvious flaw

“You do realise that the point of the plan was to get them, together right? I mean if we could go on a double date with them then our problems would already be solved?”

“Yes love, there’s more so let me finish” you give him a sceptical look “Please I promise it’s a better plan than you think, I have thought this through” he convinces

“Fine” you give in

“You told me that they needed an excuse to be around each other civilly even try to coax them into something romantic” you nod slowly “Well, you know my reputation so wouldn’t it make sense that when you run off to tell Lily that I asked you to Hogsmeade this weekend you only agreed if she could come too because you were nervous?” Sirius tries his best not to smile as he sees the cogs turn in your head

You go to argue his plan but stop thinking about it, that might actually work in some chaotic Sirius type of way, “So the four of us go on a double date and while we pretend to be on said date we make some opportunity to leave them alone to talk to one another?” you look up to make sure you got the plan right

“Exactly darling, its good isn’t it?” he wiggles his eyebrows

You roll your eyes “it’s okay” you shrug pursing your lips as you try not smile

“Okay” he leans down, making your head jerk back a bit “Only okay?”

You sigh “It’s a surprisingly good plan” you admit

“Thank you” he stands back up straight, happy with your tinting cheeks “Great it’s time to set the plan in motion, especially now you’re all cute and flustered” he winks at you before gesturing for you to follow him back into the library, as you follow beginning to blush more at him calling you ‘cute’

You looked over at Lily as she read her book on her bed, sighing for probably the hundredth time, trying to figure out exactly how you were going to word this. Although it turned out your nervous sighs and constant glances at her seemed to work in your favour as Lily brings up the subject for you, huffing as she closes her book, swinging her legs around to face you

“Okay you have been acting like this since Sirius talked to you earlier, so what is it?” she tilts her head, a part of her knowing what you could be nervous about

You lift your head up, moving to sit facing her from your own bed, realising you could just pretend he did ask you and tap into how you would actually react “Please don’t be mad at me” you cringe knowing that if it did happen you would worry if she would be mad you were going on a date with James’ best friend

Lily takes a breath, whatever going on in her brain confirming itself “He asked you out, didn’t he?”

“Little bit” you nod “To Hogsmeade this weekend”

“That’s great” 

“You really think so?” you perk up

“Yeah you two have been getting closer for a while it was about time” Lily shrugs smiling at you

“Oh” you smile, heart fluttering as you think you maybe have a real shot if Lily thinks so “I’m just a bit nervous” you think about what Sirius said earlier about his reputation “He’s a bit of a player, you know?”

She nods, moving off of her bed and sitting next to you “I know, but you both have been getting closer over the last year if he only had that as his intention he would have given up by now, right?”

You nod as you peer up at her, unable to help yourself “You know who else hasn’t given up yet either” 

“This isn’t about me” she gives you a pointed look, to which you raise your hands in defeat

You smile timidly at her as you get ready to break the news “Small thing” you chuckle nervously “I might have slightly roped you into going as well”

“What do you mean?” she asks hesitantly

“I was nervous about going out with him alone so he suggested a double date kind of thing and I said yes because I really do want to go out with him” the weird thing was as you spoke to her you didn’t have to lie, even if the truth was bended a bit you really did want to go on a date with him even if it was fake

“Let me take a wild guess who the fourth person will be” she sighs closing her eyes

“I’m sorry Lily” you apologise

“It’s fine, I’ll do it…” she opens her eyes before pointing at you “…but only because I love you”

“Thank you” you pull her into a hug, as she hugs you back you look up at her “You never know you might have…”

“Don’t push it” she warns, both of you breaking out in giggles

Meanwhile, Sirius was sitting on his bed waiting for James to get back from detention, as he leaned on the head board he got Remus’ attention “Moony?”

“Yeah Pads” the boy replies but doesn’t stop reading keeping his eyes on his book

“What’s a Cheshire cat?” he asks thinking back to what you said earlier

This seems to get Remus’ attention as he sits up “Where did you learn that from?” he looks at him confused it wasn’t everyday Sirius came to ask about muggle things, let alone something from muggle literature

“Y/n said it earlier, she said you were all grinning at her like Cheshire cats?” he shrugs puzzled

Remus lets out a small laugh before he hums in recognition “It’s from a muggle children’s book called Alice in Wonderland, there’s a cat in it which has a constant grin on his face…” he sits up “…Actually give me a minute I’m sure I have the book here somewhere” Remus leans over his bed hanging off it as he looks under it searching for the book

Sirius chuckles at his friend before turning to the door as James enters the dorm “Prongs, finally” he scoots forward on the bed “I have some very exciting news” he rubs his hands together

“If it’s you asked out y/n then we know it was pretty obvious from her flushed…oww...flushed cheeks and your cheshire grin” Remus calls out his voice strained as he’s practically hanging upside down as he looks under his bed, cursing as he hits his head when his hand slips

“One, that is technically a part of the news but there is more which concerns old prongsey here. Two, don’t use terms I don’t understand yet and three, Moony for the love of Godric just get off the bed your gonna make your head explode” Sirius huffs but his tone morphs into concern near the end, well more of an amused concern but concern none the less

“I am not going to…fuck” Remus attempts to answer before falling head first off of the bed landing with a small thump “Oww”

“You okay man?” James calls out as he and Sirius look at each other with cringing expressions

“Yeah” he calls back as Sirius and James can’t help but chuckle a bit

“So, what was the news for me” James turns to Sirius, sitting on the edge of his own bed facing him, both ignoring Remus’ small groans

“Oh” Sirius looks at him eagerly “Well y/n was a bit nervous to go on the date herself so I suggested a double date”

“A double date with who…” James extends the last word as his eyes blow wide “Lily?”

“The very one” Sirius gives him a toothy grin

“Oh merlin” James stands up smiling like a mad man “When’s the date?”

“Next Hogsmeade trip so Saturday” Sirius replies

James nods happily before looking at Sirius for conformation “She’s agreed right, like Lily knows it’s me?”

“Yes” he nods

“Oh my god” James breaths out “Where’s Wormtail?” he looks around the dorm

“Kitchens…yes!…oww” Remus answers, cheering as he finds the book before hitting his head as he comes out from under the bed “Got it” he smiles holding the book up before sighing, there was really a better way of doing that, maybe I shouldn’t keep them all under the bed

James looks at Remus confused not understanding the context behind the situation so he turns back to Sirius muttering a quick ‘bye, I’ll bring back celebratory food’ as he runs out the dorm to blab presumably to Wormtail about the good news

“Your head alright?” Sirius asks as Remus walks over to him flicking through the pages

“Yeah, I’m pretty much invincible at this point” he chuckles a bit, finding the page and handing it to Sirius “That’s the Cheshire cat” he points to it

Sirius’ smiles taking it from him before a look of horror appears on his face “That’s terrifying and that’s a children’s book! Merlin muggles are weird what they trying to do scar their children” he shakes his head quickly shoving the book back trying get the image out of his brain, before huffing as he crosses his arms “I did not look like that earlier”

You were waiting for Lily to come out of the bathroom so you looked at yourself in the mirror, adjusting your outfit out of nerves. You knew it wasn’t a real date but that didn’t make you any less nervous nor excited for it. While in class, you both had discussed what to do on the date, deciding to all head to the three broom sticks first for some lunch and drinks then walk around the shops afterwards knowing Lil needed to get someone from Tomes and Scrolls. While talking about how you were going to act Sirius suggested you both act as you would on a normal date to which you agreed knowing that on your side it’s going to look pretty realistic

Smiling you turn around seeing Lily exit the bathroom through the mirror “Ready?” you ask

“As I’ll ever be” she jokes leading the way out of your dorm

As you walk down the stairs to the common room, Sirius and James are leaning on the couches as they wait. James spots you and Lily first standing up straighter as he runs his hand through his hair, Sirius looks up at his friend standing up himself as he looks over to see you and Lily walking up to them, you got this Sirius, he thinks as his eyes quickly scan your appearance. Sure, he should have been more preoccupied with helping his friend but as he saw you all he could hope for is this fake date goes so well he might just get a real one

“Hi Lily” James smiles brightly at the girl

“James” Lily nods before looking between you and Sirius as you greet him

“Hi Sirius” you fiddle with your hands a bit under his gaze

“Hey y/n” he smirks “You look beautiful love, although don’t you always” he winks

You can’t help but blush, muttering a meek ‘thank you’ as James speaks “We should get going, Lily” he gestures for her to go first, to which she gives a small smile which made the boy turn back and cheese at the two of you

“Ready love” Sirius holds out his arm

“Ready” you link it with his letting him lead you out

Entering the three broomsticks, you all look around trying to spot a free booth, soon Lily points one out in the corner gesturing for you to follow her over. Sirius says he and James will get the drinks while you sit down and for the first time since you left the common room he unlinks your arm from his giving you a smile before heading to the bar. As you walk towards the booth you feel colder without Sirius’ arm instantly missing the contact, little did you know he was feeling the same way.

You sit down across for Lily so she’ll have to sit next to James although if you were being honest you just wanted to be as close to Sirius as possible. You look up at the boys as they chat with the girl tending the bar, before turning back to Lily as she taps your foot under the table

“Nervous?” She asks

“Little bit” you nod giving her a small smile

“I think he really likes you by the way” she whispers, taking a quick glance to check the boys weren’t headed back yet

“Really?” you lean forward also checking

“Yeah he couldn’t keep his hands off you the whole way here” she looks up “Here they come you’ll be fine gal” she gives you a reassuring squeeze to your hand before leaning back in her seat

“Four butterbeers” Sirius announces as he places yours and his on the table, slipping into the booth next to you as James does the same with Lily

You all take some sips, before looking over at Lily who has a foam moustache “Lils you got a little” you gesture to your face

“Oh” she blushes turning her face away from James as she clears it off, to which James smiles down lovingly at her thinking that was so cute

“You’ve got some too love” Sirius looks does at you chuckling a little, as you go to wipe it off Sirius stops you “Let me” he says taking the pad of his thumb swiping it over your upper lip before placing it in his mouth licking off the foam, smirking at your little gasp and flushed appearance

Meanwhile Lily and James look at each other for a moment, both with knowing smiles at the scene, the latter coughing a little to draw your attentions back. You and Sirius turn back to them, you trying to regain some composure while Sirius just smiles to himself as James starts a conversation

“So” James starts thinking what to say before remembering what happened in the dorm with Remus “Pads, why was Remus looking for that book?” he asks

“Book?” Lily looks up asking, to which James ignores Sirius as he was about to answer deciding this was his time to shine

“Right, so I came back from…” he hesitates before just being honest “…detention the other day, to Remus with his arse in the air leaning over the bed looking under the bed for something” you and Lily start giggling at the image while Sirius just sits back smiling eyes flicking to watch you laugh “So me and pads are just talking while he’s already hit his head once slipping trying to keep himself up, swearing he’s not going to hurt himself and as he says as such he just falls right off the bed” Even James starts laughing remembering the moment

“Aww poor Remus” Lily says trying to hold in her giggles by putting a hand over her mouth

“Anyways, he finally finds this book after hitting his head a few more times holding it up success” James pretends to hold a book loving Lily’s attention on him for once, soon he turns back to Sirius “So what was the big deal?”

Sirius freezes a second, glancing at you before he answers a tad embarrassed “Well” he scratches the back of his neck “I was asking him about this phrase I didn’t understand and he was explaining but decided to show me it from the book instead”

“What was the phrase?” Lily asks intrigued, James nodding in agreement next to her both unaware they have sub-consciously shuffled closer to each other

“Ugh” he lets out a laugh “Grinning like a Cheshire cat”

Your eyes light up, you hadn’t expected him to actually ask Remus and your heart fluttered as he looked down at you. He smiled a bit seeing your own spreading across your face before you both look back at Lily who starts talking about Alice in Wonderland although she mostly explains it to James

Returning from the bathroom, you slip back into the booth to see James and Lily talking among themselves looking quite comfortable in each other’s company

“I think this is going rather well” Sirius leans down speaking quiet enough only you could hear

You nod slowly turning up to look at him, eyes widening at how close you are “Umm” you take a breath “Yeah, they seem to be getting along better than I thought”

“Well I did give James some do’s and don’ts before we left out dorm this morning” he chuckles a little

“Lilly spent the whole morning doing her hair and picking an outfit so she looked perfect” you smile turning your head ever so slightly to see your friend and James interacting

While you observe James and Lily, Sirius’ eyes trace over every feature of your face eventually landing on your parted lips, wondering to himself what it would be like kiss them. He reluctantly draws his eyes away as he hears James

“I’m gonna go to the bar and order us some food what do you two fancy?” he asks unable to stop smiling, you glance at Lily raising an eyebrow as she can’t stop smiling either

“I’ll have a burger and chips” Sirius replies as he slithers his arm around your waist “What do you fancy darling” he squeezes your waist making you let out a small gasp

“umm I’ll have the same” you quickly answer, smiling shyly at James as Sirius smirks at your reaction

As James walks away you, Sirius and Lily talk among yourselves, as time passes you lean into Sirius’ touch getting comfortable with him only removing his arm to eat before its right back around your waist again. Yours and his hearts are flutter with every little smile, touch and glance you share slowly forgetting the real reason you both are on the double date in the first place

“Hey can we head to Tombs and Scrolls?” Lily turns to ask as you all walk through the streets of Hogsmeade

“Of course!” James says right away hand brushing with hers as they walk in line with you and Sirius

“Sure Lils” you say as Sirius nods next to you

Sirius nudges James into Lily, making their hands clash, resulting in Lily intertwining her hand with his, to which James begins to smile brighter than the sun itself. He then presses a kiss to the side of your head making you smile up at him, biting your lip as you both continue to walk. Seeing your reaction, he glides his arm around your waist pulling you into him, making you giggle. James and Lily look over at your giggle smiling at one another then back at you both, James giving Lily’s hand a little squeeze.

Soon you approach the shop, stopping outside it as Sirius turns to James and Lily “Why don’t you two head in, we’ll hang out here” he suggests hugging you a little tighter

“Sure, come on Jamie” Lily says before her eyes widen

“What did you just say?” James looks down at her in mild shock, you and Sirius stare as well but more in an amused way almost certain you may witness James have a heart attack

“I said come on James” she corrects dragging him the store

You and Sirius chuckle together hearing James continuing to question it as the door to the shop closes. Stepping back, you both take a seat on the wall across from the store

“You really do have the best plans” you nudge him

“Well I can’t take all the credit, you were the one with the idea I just came up with the means to execute it” He wraps his arm around your shoulder “…and I must say it is being executed flawlessly”

You smile, leaning into his chest “Sure is, they’re holding hands, smiling and blushing, she even slipped up and said Jamie” your smile drops a bit as you look up at him “Although she is going to be mad when she finds out it was a set up” you scrunch up your nose

Sirius nods slowly as he meets your eyes, looking into them he decides to take a chance. You had been leaning into his touches all day, smiling and laughing with him, so either you were an amazing actress or you felt the same way he did. Either way he had to know

“Maybe we don’t tell them” he proposes

You tilt your head chuckling a bit “So we just keep going on fake dates with them indefinitely?”

“Or maybe the next one isn’t pretend?” he looks down at you, his expression earnest hope in his eyes

Your lips part looking up at him, did he just? You bite your lip for a second before a small smile appears on your face “Or maybe we were never pretending?” now it was your turn to look at him with hope

A smile breaks across Sirius’ face whispering “Not for a single moment” as he leans down slowly, your face mirrors his, tilting your head as you lean up gently capturing his lips

You pull away a few moments later, both unable to stop smiling “Who’s the Cheshire cat now?” he teases making you giggle as he cups your face bringing you in for another kiss

Unbeknownst to you a small crowd watches from the window of Tomes and Scrolls

“They thought they were being so slick” Lily shakes his head

“I know they really thought they could outsmart us love” James wraps his arm around Lily’s waist

“I will give it to them their plan was pretty good” Remus adds leaning over James shoulder

“But ours was better” Lily grins

“And the orginal” James adds, earning hums from Lily and Remus

“I have to give it to you prongs” Remus pats his friends back “it’s impressive you went weeks without announcing you two were together to the world, but did you have to be so annoying?”

Lily giggles as James huffs elbowing Remus “Hey, I had to pour my frustrations somewhere and it worked” he gestures to you and Sirius kissing

“Wait I’m confused” Peter looks between them all utter bewildered

“Oh yeah” James puts his hand over his mouth “Me and Lily got together around the start of the year but we didn’t tell anyone since she wasn’t quite ready yet...” he kisses Lily head to which earns a smile for her and the other two boys even if Peters is still laced with confusion “...and since we were together we noticed Sirius and Y/n always making eyes at each other and once we heard them complaining about us when they were walking to class when they didn’t realise we were there” James starts to explain

“So, Jamie came up with the idea of pushing them closer together by us complaining more so they had something to talk about, although, we didn’t expect them to try and set us up” Lily continues

“But that worked to our advantage, exhibit A” James nods his head at the window

“Oh, but wait, how did Moony know?” Peter nods before turning Remus

“I walked in on them once plus they needed my help to make sure neither you or Sirius saw them on the map” he explains “Oh, and she knows about the map”

“And Moonys furry little problem” James adds with Remus nodding next to him “Sorry mate we would have told you but you can’t hold your water” he apologises

Peter goes to argue before nodding and accepting it “Actually that’s...that’s pretty fair” 

“Are we ever going to tell them?” Remus asks looking out of the window

“I say we save it until their wedding, it’ll make one hell of a story for the speech” James grins

“Sounds like a plan” Lily says, the others nodding next to her before she looks up at James “We should get back out there”

“Yeah, you know, now they are a thing we should so do this again, double dates are really fun” He grins as they both say ‘bye’ to Remus and Peter as they head out the door

You and Sirius had already broken apart, talking among yourselves as you looked at each other lovingly. Both looking over as you hear the door open seeing James and Lily walking out still holding hands.

“You two coming? We were thinking of going to Honeydukes” Lily says to which you and Sirius nod hopping off of the wall

You and Sirius follow behind them watching as James snakes his arm around Lily’s waist, he looks down at you smiling as he says “We are genius’” wrapping his arm around you

“Masterminds” you smile back both blissfully unaware

You shake your head “Nope but do you know if mum wants us to bring anything fancy in case we go like out out?” you had a rather nice summer dress your aunts gifted to you that you hadn’t the occasion to wear yet

Harry shrugs “I don’t know, want me to ask her?” he points behind him

“Ask your mother what?” James pops his head in the door, startling you and Harry for a second

You giggle a little bit “If I’ll need anything nice to wear this week, I have that dress I got for my birthday and I don’t know whether it bring it” you explain as you grab the little bag that had your toothbrush and toiletries in it, placing it in the zipped pocket of your case so if it leaked your clothes would be fine

Your father smiles “Bring it either way it’s an excuse to look fabulous. Your mother and Molly have organised everything I’ve just been told to sit and look pretty” he pretends to flip hair off of his shoulder

You and harry chuckle “You are very pretty” you compliment making your dads smile increase

“Thanks little fawn”

“Have you seen my blue shirt?” Harry speaks

You and your dad share a look before he turns back to Harry “Ask your mother” he nods his head downstairs “She’s just packing some snacks for the car” he expands and with that your brother heads out “You know I’m so glad at least one of you got my style...” you chuckle as he moves to sit on the bed next to your open case “So you excited?”

You light up “Yeah I can’t wait” you answer happily but your smile falters “You think Uncle pads and Moony will be able to make it later in the week?” you stop packing for a moment and look dolefully at your dad, it wasn’t the Weasley’s fault for the full moon coinciding with the first day of the trip

Your father gives you’re a sad smile “I hope so” you nod but he can tell you’re still worried just like him “Come here you’re not too grown up to give your ol’ da a hug” he holds out his arms making grabby hands

You let out a laugh “You’re only 38” you defend his age but still accept the hug moving to sit side ways on his lap “You know now I’ve graduated you think I could become one?” you ask putting your best doe eyes one as you flutter your eye lashes

You had wanted to become an animagus since you first found out your uncle’s dog ‘Snuffles’, as you and harry named him, was actually Sirius. Every year since you begged your parents to let you do it, well, begged your mum because your dad was more than okay with it. What your father didn’t know was in your final year you had private sessions with a certain favourite ex professor of his that your mum signed off on and a few weeks before you graduated you were successful

You were going to wait and prank your father and uncles with it but you knew it would be more fun pulling a prank with your dad, you knew how much it would mean to him since as you grew older you didn’t prank as much with him since you befriended a certain redheaded duo 

He sighs “You know I can’t resist those eyes of yours” he looks in thought for a minute before he eyes you with a smirk “We both know that you’re going to do it either way, aren’t you?” he looks at you knowing and he was so right

You scrunch up your nose as you shrug “Be nice to have your blessing though” that makes him laugh

He nods “You have mine but your mothers is the be all end all” he laughs but it stops as you jump off his lap, a smirk plastered on your face “Why do I get the feeling you had an ulterior motive in bringing this up?” his lips tug up recognising that mischief in your face, the same mischief you had clearly inherited from him

“Good thing I already got hers then isn’t it” you sway side to side excitedly

Your father seems to catch on “When? How?” he makes a face “…well I know how but you know what I mean” he looks at you somewhere between proud and bewildered

“A certain Minnie” that makes his smile widen “You wanna see?” he nods quickly sitting forward on the bed eager to see what form you’d take “Close your eyes” you point at him to which he chuckles and obeys

You take a moment you focus just like McGonagall taught you before shifting into a little robin, flying up and landing on your fathers head, feeling him tense a little as under you at the contact “Guess you can fly…or jump really high” you feel him laugh under you “That rhymed” he says to himself before he standing up and carefully moving in front of your mirror, eyes brightening as he sees you “I think you win for cutest animagus little fawn…” he scrunches up his nose realising “I can still call you that right?” he smiles as he watches a robin nod at him, if you would have laughed you could seeing yourself exhibit human features as a bird

Just as he was about to speak again your mother’s voice came from the hall “Guys we need to get…” she trails off “Aww…” she tilts her smiling at the adorable scene “Oh, this gives me an idea!”

Art done my me - robynlilyblack

After snapping the photo, you and Harry helped pack up the car before you drove, well flew, to the burrow. As you arrived the majority of the Weasley clan was already outside helping Arthur pack up their own car, but the redhead you were looking for was nowhere to be seen. When you found out Fred was coming last night at dinner to which you excused yourself shortly after to go squeal into your pillow. 

You and Fred met on the first day when they were running away from Snape and you lied saying you hadn’t seen them before proceeding to tell the man how you would have done the prank better, earing yourself a detention. This also happened to be the record for the fasted anyone had ever received a detention in history, a fact your uncle and father were super proud even more so as it was for being cheeky to their ex-nemeses. 

Fred and George welcomed you into their pranks without a second thought and the three of you along with Lee became good friends. Around your 3rd and his 5th year was when you started to pin after the boy, maybe it was his growth spurt or the longer hair but your little heart just started fluttering whenever he was near, and that flutter only grew as the years went on.

At times you thought Fred might even like you back but it was confusing, the blurry line between best friends and something more. When he asked Angelina to the yule ball you shed your first tear over him, it was also the moment you knew this was no normal crush, it wasn’t like the one you had on Oliver or the tiny one you had on Draco for a brief moment, although you blamed that on the black suit he was wearing on the train for that. At the ball, you and George opted to go together since Lee had been whisked away before George could build the courage to ask him. At one-point George had managed to nab Lee back and Fred asked you to dance, and for a moment when he looked into your eyes you really felt like he might love you back and you knew from then on you were completely fucked.

When he graduated and went off to open the shop you missed him terribly, it wasn’t the same pranking without them but you did your best. Now you had graduated you were planning on finally joining them, that was if they still wanted you there, they hadn’t really spoke about it in a while and you didn’t want to bring it up just in case

As your mum pulled up, you looked out the window to see Ginny and Ron both beaming at you while Molly waved 

“Hello!” she greets

Your father is first to exit the car “Hey Molly” he gives her a quick hug before heading over to help Arthur fail to put one of the cases in the boot of their car

As you and Harry exit you barely have time to react as she pulls you in for a hug “Hello dear” she says warmly “You get prettier every time I see you” she cups your face “Won’t be long before someone snatches you up” she squishes your cheeks lightly

You knew Molly thought herself a bit of a matchmaker, and to her credit so far 2 out of her 3 predictions had come to pass, the only one she was wrong about was Tonks and Bill but, in your opinion, Bill and Fleur made much more sense. You had a feeling she wanted to set you up with one of her sons, Fred was a likely candidate and you were sure George was the other before she realised he was very much gay and in love with Lee Jordon

Molly proceeds to give Harry a hug before turning to Lily to discuss travel plans to which Ginny practically pounces on your brother giving him a long overdue hug and a sweet kiss that soon turns into a quick snog 

“Hi Ronny” you turn to Ron

He smiles brightly at you “Hey Y/n” he says moving in to give you a bear hug “Missed you” he murmurs into your hair

“Missed you too” 

As you pull away you hear a voice call from the house “Ginny it seems you have  a specky git attached to your face” you recognised it instantly, butterflies swarming your stomach before giggling as you saw your brother practically jump away from Ginny

“Shut it! You better get used to it” Ginny yells back before pulling your brother in for another kiss to which you and Ron fake gag, earning chuckles from the twins as they approach

“Long time no see Y/n” George greets you first pulling you in for a hug

Your arms wrapping around his torso “Hey Georgie” you say but he quickly pulls back putting on a hurt expression, he tuts at you ready to say something but you beat him to it “Don’t even try it…twins know twins” you throw him a wink

Yeah twins know twins when you have a crush on one, you think as you finally look up at Fred who’s already smirking at your hands on his hips “What am I, chopped liver?” he says teasingly

You laugh “Never” you turn to give him a hug, his arms wrapping around you protectively while yours slither around his waist

His hug was tighter than George’s which wasn’t strange you had always been closer, touchier with the elder twin, even before you developed your crush. You couldn’t help but nuzzle your head a little into his chest, breathing in his scent, merlin did he always smell great. You did reluctantly pull back, the hug was certainly one second longer than considered platonic, at least on your side, unfortunate to him you were just his younger siblings’ best friends, his best friend, nothing more than another sister

“Y/n! Can you come help?” your father calls out gesturing for you to come into the house, Arthur smiling next to him

You nod giving George and Fred a smile, your eyes’ lingering on Fred a little longer, before you walk away.

Fred watches your retreating figure, he was sure you had gotten prettier somehow, he hadn’t talked to you properly since new year but he had seen you in  Hogsmeade during the year. He would have said hello but you were busy with friends…well he hoped that boy was a friend anyway. 

He had fancied you for a while, there was always something drawing him to you, at first, he thought it was your shared love for trouble but it was when he danced with you at the yule ball he realised. When he danced with Angelina it was nice but with you in his arms it all felt perfect, easy. Everything was simpler with you, he worried less, smiled more, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He thought about it so many times but then he’d see you with his younger siblings, hear you call Ron your brother or Ginny your sister and he’d stop himself

He was so excited for this holiday; he and George weren’t originally meant to be going but he may have worked some magic so he could spend an entire week in the same house as you, hoping it would be a chance for him to finally build the courage to make a move

“Freddie” he jolts back, finally noticing his brother hand waving in front of his face

Ginny, Harry, Ron and George chuckle around him “What?” he crosses his arms shrugging

“Where were you just know?” Ron raises an eyebrow, he knew, Ginny knew, George definitely knew and Harry was well…Harry, the poor boy was obvious

Fred’s cheeks begin to heat up a little “Nowhere just spaced out” he waves it off

Luckily before any of them can attempt to tease him Lily and his mother re-join the conversation “So we were thinking about cars, we can fit three in the back of each so who wants to go with who?” she asks points between all them

Please let me be with y/n, it’s a five-hour drive…wait is it driving if your flying? he thinks to himself before he looks over at his sister “Me, Harry and Ron will go with Mum and Dad” she smiles hand moving to take Harrys and as he kisses her cheek Ron makes a face preparing himself to be the third wheel

“Okay great” Lily lights up “Looks like I get the car of trouble makers although I should be used to it by now with…” she starts but is cut off by James wrapping his arms around her “Jamie” she squeals a little as he tickles her

She giggles under his touch “What was that my love?” he smirks 

Molly just shakes her head at the couple smiling along with the rest of the teens, even after so many years together they were still like love sick teenagers. 

Fred glances over to see you coming out explaining something to his father, presumably something muggle related. While Ron, Ginny and Harry all climbed into the car, Ron insisting he sat in the middle, Fred admired you.

George chuckled as he heard his sister mutter ‘cockblock’ to Ron as she shut the car door then turned to his brother “Got a bit of drool there” he whispers teasingly “Ow” he lets out as Fred elbows him in the gut “Merlin” he rubs his stomach chuckling “Seriously though you ever gonna tell her?”

“No…yeah…maybe” Fred flounders over the answer

“Those are the options yes” he taunts “Missed me” George says dodging his elbow this time and again until their mother calls out

“Boys behave!” she shouts pointing warningly at them

“Sorry mum” they say in union as she gets into the car while Arthur just chuckles getting in the other side

Your dad turns to you “I’m so glad you and Harry didn’t do that it would have freaked me the fuck out” he whispers shaking his head

“You know I can still arrange for that to happen” you wiggle your eyebrows

He looks a little disturbed at the thought “Don’t you dare” he warns before blurting into laughter with you

Your giggles catch Fred’s attention again “So we heading?” George asks rubbing his hands together

Lily nods “Yeah I just need to check one of the directions with your father” your mum says before walking over to Arthur

“Oh and I need to pee” your father cringes “I’ll be right back” he walks off

The twins then share a look “Dibs on the widow” Fred and George say in together

Your head snaps towards them pouting “I’m gonna be squished” you complain, although you weren’t really, forced contact with Fred for 5 hours sounded pretty great to be honest

George chuckles walking to open the car door next to you while Fred moves around opening the other side and slipping in “After you” George motions for you to climb in “Ow” he yelps scrunching up his face as you flick his nose

You slowly climb in, seeing Fred already smiling at you “Hi” you whisper as you settle in the middle seat, a healthy centimetre between you both “Oh” you shift closer to Fred as George decides he’s going to enter the car arse first, your hand going to Fred’s thigh to steady you

His breath hitches, eyes fixed on your hand heat creeping up his neck before he moves his arm around you to pull you closer “If you wanted to sit on my lap you could have just asked” he channels his nerves into flirting

You turn from George to him, letting out a little giggle “Maybe later ginger” you wink nudging him playfully, his arm retracting as his twin settles into the seat much to yours and his dismay

You and Fred had a flirty relationship and even if you acted unphased you stomach was bursting with butterflies at the proximity, your legs still touching. Unknown to you Fred felt the same, resisting the urge to wrap his arm back around you. 

The car ride was long, made better by your dad and the twins all discussing pranks played over the years however you did start to get a little tired, leaning your head into Fred’s side, eyes drifting shut.It wouldn’t be the first time you had done this, back at Hogwarts many people did mistake you for a couple since you were so touchy with each other, especially since you also napped together on more than one occasion on the common room couch. Even your parents had an incline, the two of yours obvious yet oblivious feelings reminded them of a certain moon and star

“So, one time me and Pads…” James trails off as he turns around to look at you, Lily smiling at the scene in the rear view mirror, Fred’s eyebrows knit together “She’s fell asleep” your father whispers this time nodding towards you

Fred’s head pokes forward peering down at your sleeping figure, a smile gracing his face as he sits back. When his eyes return to James he’s met with a knowing look, his eyes flicking between the two of you before he turns back sticking up conversation with Lily as his hand moves to rest on his thigh

the elder twin debates for a second whether to wrap his arm back around you, eventually giving in, his heart soaring as you snuggle into him more “Simp” his brother whispers

“Fuck off” he mouths back but can’t shake the smile on his face

Once you got there Fred woke you up gently, all stretching as you exited the cars before heading towards the house where Hermione and Jess were there to greet you having car-shared together.

Ron didn’t give anyone else a chance to get to Hermione, both having a similar reuinion to your brother and Ginny while Jess walked straight up to you giving you a big hug “Hey gal”

“Hi” you pull back taking both her hands in yours “I’m so glad you could come”

You and Jess had bonded in your second year and her third. Despite being a Hufflepuff the two of you were like sisters and now you had graduated you would be moving into her flat with her which lied just off diagon alley. You all quickly caught up outside while your parents used magic to send your cases to your rooms 

You all turn as your parents approach “Right, all the bedrooms are upstairs apart from one in the attic” Lily starts to explain “Harry and Ginny you’re in the last room on the left, Hermione you and Ron are across from them…” the two couples smile happy they get to stay together “Fred, George, Jess and Y/n you all are in the attic space, now there are two beds in there so you’ll have to share” she gives you an apologetic look

“I hope they’re doubles because we ain’t gonna fit on a single together” Fred chuckles gesturing to his twin while on the inside he’s heart is racing at the thought of sharing a room with you

Lily giggles “They are double beds don’t worry boys” she reassures them

After dinner you, Jess and the twins head up to the attic, it was nice and cosy, even had a window seat that looked perfect for reading. You and Jess claim the bed on the right-hand side of the room before heading into the ensuite bathroom to get changed while the twins do the same in the room.

Fred pulls off his shirt, slipping out of his jeans while his brother talks lowly as to make sure you or Jess wouldn’t hear “Carrying on from earlier” he pulls out pyjama bottoms and a top form his case “Are you going to confess? It’s been years man”

Fred takes a deep breath, pulling out his own nightwear “I know but I’m just not sure if she likes me like that” he says shimmying into the bottoms while George does the same but rolling his eyes “Our friendship is perfect, but if I confess or make a move and she gets uncomfortable it’ll be ruined” he sighs, fiddling with his shirt as he realises it’s inside out

“I get it probably more than most I felt the same way about Lee” George admits pulling on his shirt “But what you need to ask yourself is y/n worth risking that chance, because sure there is a small chance she doesn’t feel the same but if she does, you’re going to get everything you’ve ever wanted…” he stops for a moment a cheeky look on his face “…and I won’t have to listen to your whining anymore”

“Hey” Fred chucks the shirt he was wearing earlier at him before putting on the other “You really…” he trails off hearing a knock from the bathroom

“You guys decent?” they hear Jess shout through the door

Fred and George chuckle “Yeah” the latter calls back

Jess exits first giving the boys a smile, moving over to get into bed while Fred waits for you, smiling as you shuffle out. His eyes wander over you, a baggy shirt, fluffy socks that looked ridiculously cute with the little shorts you were wearing. As you walked by he was so busy trying his best not to stare at your legs he missed the way your eyes trail all over his body as well

You’d managed to get a couple hours but as the clock ticked over to midnight you were wide awake. You sighed sitting up, napping in the car was definitely a bad idea. Jess was fast asleep next to you and as your eyes adjusted drifting over to the other bed you let out a quiet giggle, Fred was taking over the majority of the bed and you were almost certain George was going to fall out by morning. 

You decided to go down and get a drink thinking that might help so you shuffled out of bed making sure to fix the cover for Jess before heading out, being careful not to wake anyone

As you got to the bottom of the stairs you noticed your dad sitting by the deep window seat, head against the wall behind him as he looked out longingly “Dad?” you call out quietly

He turns to look at you tilting his head “Hey, what you doing up?” he asks, one leg moving as if preparing to come over if something was wrong

“I needed a drink” he seems to relax nodding his head “What you doing up?” you ask as you get to the door to the kitchen stopping

“Couldn’t sleep” he waves it off “Shouldn’t have drank so much coffee” he chuckles as do you

You walk into the kitchen, the interaction bothering you as you could tell your dad was lying. As you got to the sink you realised what it was, spotting the full moon out the window and now you understood this was why you woke up too. 

When you were younger and first learned about your uncle you couldn’t sleep during the moons for worrying about him so your dad would make you some hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. As you got older is was easier to get back to sleep and you didn’t need to be comforted but you never thought that perhaps those late-night sessions were consoling for him as well

You flicked on the kettle, preparing two hot chocolates, unfortunately there was no marshmallows so you grabbed some regular chocolate instead. Once they were made you carried the cups out and walked over to your dad, placing the cups on the sill next to him gaining his attention

He looks at you then down at the cups, a grateful smile on his face “Thank you” he leans forward being wary of the cups as he gives you a tight hug

Pulling back, you retrieve something from the pocket of your shorts “I couldn’t find marshmallows but I did find this” you hold it out

He takes it from you setting it down on the raised bit of window sill next to him along with the cups of hot chocolate “Come on” he gestures for you to join him, passing you one of the mugs when you do

You take a sip then lean your head on your dads’ shoulder “How do you think they’ll react when they find out I can fly?” you ask trying to take his mind off the fact one of his best friends is out there in pain

He lets out a laugh “Pads is gonna be jealous, the man loves being a dog but you’ve got him beat with that” he moves his head to kiss your hair

You and your dad stayed up for a while, discussing a plan of how to reveal your animagus to your uncles and even how to have a little fun with the others as well, since only your brother, mother and Arthur knew. The latter only finding out this morning as he needed you to hop under one of the cabinets to get the car keys after he dropped and kicked them under there by accident

Harry’s eyes drifted open, head tilting to look at the clock, 03:30, he felt a little parched so he slowly removed his arm from under Ginny’s head, placing a kiss to her temple. Shuffling down to the kitchen lazily he poured himself a glass of water as he walked out he spotted you and his dad curled up together to on the window sill sound asleep. Placing down his glass he grabbed a blanket and draped it over the two of you, smiling at the empty mugs and the wrapper. He kissed your forehead, making sure to grab the last bit of chocolate before he picked up his glass and headed back to bed

The next morning your eyes fluttered open to find yourself on one of the couches, a blanket over you, sitting up you turn to hear a voice as it enters the room “Hello sleepyhead” Fred greets putting down a plate of food on the table in front of you “Was just about to wake you” he notes taking a seat next to you as your legs swivel around

You rub your eyes “What time is it?” you ask reaching over to grab some breakfast

“Around 11, our parents went into town to get all the supplies we’ll need for meals this week and the others are outside by the loch thats little ways from the house” he says smiling

“Did someone move me?” you ask knowing the last thing you remembered was cuddling into your dad

He hums “Me and Georgie kinda woke the house up when he fell off the bed” he admits making you laugh “Anyway when we headed down your dad was just waking up saying to let you sleep in so I lifted you and put you here” he meets your eyes a soft smile playing on his lips

You nudge him gently “Thanks Freddie” you smile back before taking another bite of your breakfast

He loved it when you called him Freddie, it just rolled off your tongue perfectly. As you eat he stayed with you, taking about general topics, both of you smiling away and enjoying how easy it was between you both. Once you finished Fred said everyone was planning on taking a dip so you should put on your swim suit

“Hi!” you shouted over to your friends as you made your way towards the water

You heard a series of ‘hellos’ and ‘his’ as well as an ‘afternoon’ from George which made you giggle “The waters great come on in!” Ginny yells as she was standing in the shallow end throwing a frisbee with your brother, Hermione, Ron and Jess while the twins were preoccupied with splashing each other

“Coming!” you shout back

George and Fred stopped throwing water as you shouted, George moving into the deeper water to go a little swim while Fred did the same he kept one eye on you. Watching as you slipped off your shows, placing your socks in them before removing your shorts and top revealing your bikini. His mouth parted as his eyes trailed over you, lingering on some areas longer than he should have only tearing his eyes away when George splashed him

“Hey” he splashes back

George laughs about to tease him when both he and Fred are hit with a wave of water “Hi guys” you smirk swimming a little closer

“You’re gonna to pay for that” Fred makes his way over, you start paddling away but you aren’t quick enough as he grabs your waist lifting you up out of the water before chucking you back in

You let out a squeal that sounds something like ‘Freddie’ before you hit the water, breathing heavy as you head emerges from the water and you try to remove the hair from your face “Why didn’t I bring a bobble” you whine trying to keep yourself a float while you fix it but it’s no use

“Let me” you hear Fred say as he removes the pieces from your eyes allowing you to see him before you sink a little “Woah” his hands move to steady you “Here” he grasps your legs putting them around his waist “Hold on to me” you do as he says just nodding as the feeling of Freds hands gripping your thighs just now rendered you speechless

He gently removes the hair, as he does he realised what he just did and how close you are as he fixes the last piece “Hi” you whisper not removing your arms from his neck

“Hi” he whispers back hands tentatively holding your waist

You were sure you saw his eyes flick to your lips so you let yourself do the same, almost certain he was moving closer before the moment broken by Molly calling out “We’re back!” you quickly detangle yourself from Fred and he paddles back to a healthy distance as he sees your parents rounding the corner

After lunch everyone headed back out to the loch but this time you played various card games while your father and Arthur prepared the barbecue and your mother and Molly sunbathed. The rest of the day was normal but of course your moment with Fred plagued both of your minds and other little moments began occuring. You both noticed the way everything faded out at times when you caught the others eye, the spark when your hands brushed, the flirting that had seemed to increase. Everything about it made you feel like you might have a shot and Fred felt exactly the same.

“FUCK”

You and Jess jolt up to the sound of George yelping as he falls out of the bed for the second time in a row, looking over you see Fred cringing “You okay Georgie?” you bite your lip trying to hold in your laugh until you knew he was okay

He groans in reply standing up “Right that’s it” he points at Fred “One of you switch because imma kill him…seriously I’m going to break something at this rate”

“Not it” Jess says quickly to which George barks a laugh and you let out a huff “Sorry y/n by I don’t fancy being kicked out of bed” she puts up her hands defensively

You sigh muttering a ‘fine’ as you shuffle over and climb into the other bed “I’ll kick you back” you warn him although your stomach was in a tizzy that you would be sharing a bed

He chuckles “That’s fair” he says plainly, unable to come up with a quick reply in that moment as he slides back down into the covers with you while George does the same in the bed with Jess

You faced away from him, clutching at the end of the covers, you didn’t mean to stay far away, you just needed a moment to compose yourself without looking at his handsome face. You had slept next to each other but not like this, not in a bed and not now you were older. 

Meanwhile Fred stared at the back of your head, the week was looking a lot different now, it was hard enough last night with the proximity but you in the same bed, that was driving him insane. The urge to just wrap his arm around you and pull you into him was so strong, not to mention the urge to kiss you earlier which he almost succumbed to if not for his mothers interruption

A few minutes later you hear gentle snores coming from George and Jess, clearly falling asleep right away so you shuffle around, causing Fred to close his eyes pretending to sleep “You awake?” you whisper poking his nose, smiling at how it squishes

He scrunches it up a little but keeps his eyes closed “Freddie” you poke his nose again “Talk to me I’m bored” you whine

His lips tug up “I’m sleeping”

You giggle a little, the sound warming his heart “Please” you pout “If you talk to me I promise not to push you out of the bed” you bargain

He chuckles opening his eyes “Hi” he greets making you smile

“Hi” you say looking proud with yourself that he conceded

He takes a deep breath, admiring the way the moonlight light up your face “So what do you want to talk about?” he asks shifting in the bed a little to get comfy

You look in thought for a second “Who’d you think win in a battle Minnie or Sevy?” you pose

“Minnie hands down” he answers straight away

“That was an easy one i’ll admit...okay your turn to ask me a random question” you smile unintentionally shuffling close to him

He smiles at you thinking for a second “If you could be an animagus what form you think you’d take” he asks making you giggle “What?” he looks at you strangely “You were always going on about it back when I was at school with you” he defends his question

“I know sorry I just wasn’t expecting it” you try to recover “Before I answer what do you think I’d be?” you turn it on him

“This seems like an unfair game or a trick question” he eyes you, saying quiet for a moment before he answers “A bird?” your eyes widen that he managed to guess it “Alright before you say that’s a crap guess let me explain” he points at you while a smile just graces your face “Your always so free, maybe not very graceful…hey” he chuckles as you nudge him with your knee “I think it would suit you, besides just imagine how much mischief we could get up to if you could fly”

You nod “Very true” now you couldn’t wait to prank him “Although...” your expression drops a bit “...it’s been a long time since we created mischief...together anyway” you say sadly

“It has” he agrees “I’ve missed you” he says sincerely “I’ve missed having you around”

He really had, he was counting the days until you graduated so you could join him and George, of course much like you he wasn’t sure if that was something you still wanted

“Me too I am pretty great” you smirk 

he doesn’t laugh this time instead just smiles dearly “That you are” he says quietly, eyes meeting as you both fall into a peaceful silence for a good few minutes

He notices you shiver “Cold?” his eyebrows furrow

You shuffle a little close making his breath hitch “I think there’s a draft on this side of the room” you hug the covers closer before peering up at him “Freddie?” you bite your lip

“Mhm?” he hums back eyes flicking to your bitten lip before returning to your eyes

“Can we cuddle like we used to in the common room? I’m cold” you admit, looking at him with doe eyes he could never say no to

His heart jumps “Of course” he opens his arms letting you cuddle into him before wrapping them softly around you

“Thanks Freddie” you mumble into his chest, feeling relaxed as you breathe in his scent

“Anytime love” he kiss the top of your hair letting himself smell your hair

“Night” you whisper nudging your nose into him

“Night” he squeezes you gently

His eyes light up nodding quickly and following his mum through to the living room. He weirdly loved getting his hair cut, to start he hated it because it made him all itchy when the hair stuck to his neck and his dad used to do it for him. Not that his dad wasn’t good at it, it was more he was rather chaotic and Harry just didn’t match that energy as well as you did, his sister, so you and he switched, after that he loved it as he got to spend quality time with his mum

“Sit down honey while I get the scissors” Lily gestures to the seat she pulled out, placing it on the hardwood so hair wouldn’t get stuck in the carpet

As he sat down he wiggled on the chair to get comfy, soon his mother returns and wraps a little cape around him before beginning to pull some of his hair between her fingers and trim along it

“So what do you want to do, it’s a gorgeous day outside” his mother says as she continues to trim the back, little clumps of hair falling softly on the floor by her slipper clad feet

“I’m not sure” Harry shrugs to which earns him a light scold to ‘stay still’

“Well your uncle Sirius and Remus called earlier and suggested a BBQ” she informs him as she moves around to the left side of his head

“Oh” he lifts his head to look at her before cringing “Sorry mum” he watches her giggle at him motioning with her finger to keep his head straight

“So, does a little barby sound alright? We could even see if your Aunties Dorca and Marlene want to join” he can feel her smile as she says their names

He resists the urge to nod his head “Yeah! Can you ask uncle Sirius and Remus to bring their dog?” he pouts at his mum with big doe eyes, he really liked their dog but he never got to see it often

Lily lets out a little giggle as she moves to trim the front, taking some of the hair and holding it up high and to the side as she speaks “I don’t know honey we’ll have to see” he sees her giving him a knowing look like she knows something he didn’t, but be doesn’t have time to think as the hair lands on his nose to which he tries to blow it away and fails wiggling his nose as he tries not to sneeze

Lily leans down and brushes the hair out of his face gently pulling on the ends to check they are even “My handsome little man” she leans in and nudges her nose with his, a habit she had done with him since he was a baby “Okay honey almost done” she says moving to the right side of his head continuing to cut

As he looks forward he can see his dad in the kitchen preparing the pancake mix, he smiles as he sees you walk up and pull on his sleeve. Watching as he kneels down to your level and you whisper something in his ear before giving him that little look filled with a smidge of mischief which means you were planning something

“Lily love?” James pops his head through the door “I’m going to take y/n up to get her hair cut” he smiles

Lily stops cutting and looks up “Okay…hi sweetie” she peers down at you whose head is poking out from behind James

“Hi mum” you say before turning to Harry, giving him a big smile, ‘what are you planning’ he mouths to you, to which you mouth back ‘you’ll see’

Your eyes slowly fluttered open as you gripped the quilt closer to your chest, stretching your legs out as you wake. Lazily looking around you let you a little yawn before lifting the covers and swivelling your legs out. Gliding your feet into your slippers you stand up grabbing your cardigan, well actually it was your uncle Remus’ and it was huge but he let you keep it since you loved it so much. Walking out you head down the hall to go annoy Harry, pushing his door open you saw his bed empty so you headed down the stairs instead.

As you made your way to the kitchen you saw through one of the adjoining doors Harry getting his hair cut, how could you forget, you had it marked on your little calendar for weeks. You quickly walked into the kitchen seeing your dad mixing something so you tug on his sleeve to grab his attention

He stops what he’s doing and kneels down in front of you straight away “Morning my little fawn” he smiles brightly at you as you beam back, loving the nickname even if you didn’t fully understand it

You shuffle on your feet “Dad?” your voice goes up at the end

“Yes?” he matches your energy and copy’s the tone

You glance over at Harry and your mum “Can you cut my hair differently than usual?” you ask pouting as you sway    

“What you thinking?” he looks at you intrigued, you never really did anything different always a trim keeping it long like your mum

You lean in and whisper “Can you cut it short?” gesturing discreetly to your shoulder “Like auntie Marlene and then when I curl it will look like Uncle pads?” you bite your lip looking at him to see if he’ll grant you permission

He tilts his head almost confused as he thinks before a big smile takes over his face “Sure” he nods making you light up “You want to do it now?”

As your dad prepares the chair, getting out the scissors and comb, you rack through your drawers for a picture, smiling as you find it, it was one of your mum and Marlene taken before you were born.

You hand it to your dad “Like this please” you say eagerly

He chuckles as he takes it admiring it for a second before nodding and gesturing for you to sit, before he makes any cuts he kneels in front of the chair “You sure?” he asks but you know he already knows the answer

“Yes” you give a confident nod

Your dad moves back, wetting your hair with a spell before brushing through it. He then pulls out a few hair ties and splits your hair into four even sections, securing them just below the length you wanted. He then makes the big chop, you try to keep your head still as the excitement grows. After he cuts another he moves to the front giving himself fake pigtails with your cut hair which makes both of you laugh.

As he finishes cutting off the length, he starts picking up the hair in smaller sections, lining with the comb as he adds some layers for volume

“Keep your head really still, okay?” he says as he moves to begin shaping the front smiling dearly at you

As he finishes he runs his hands through the front sections of your hair, getting you to stand up and lean your head back as he checks everything is perfect before casting a quick spell to dry it “Can I look?” you ask

“Yeah” he nods

You walk over to the little mirror in your room, a huge grin on your face as you see your new do, you look so different but in the best way. Turning back to your dad you run up, he seems to know what you’re doing and drops down to his knees to give you a big hug

“You like it?” he asks as he pulls back

“No I don’t like it” you say with a cheeky pout “I love it! Thanks dad” you throw your arms around him again as you pull back you ask one more thing “Can we curl it?”

“Of course”

Harry was currently helping his mum bring out the plates as his Uncles arrived, both offering their hand by bringing out the pancakes, toppings and juice although they did cheat by using magic. He took a seat at the table, his mum on his left and Remus on his right, while Sirius sat alone opposite

Remus looks over at him and his mother “Where Prongs and y/n?” he tilts his head

“She’s getting her hair cut…although they are taking longer than usual” she notes

“I think I know why” Sirius nods for them to look back at the house

Harry looks around first, smiling as he sees his dad and you with your new hair “WOW!” he exclaims jumping up and running over

You look at your mum, seeing her look shocked before a pleased smile appears on her face but you don’t have time to see what your uncles think as your brother reaches out to check touch your hair “You like it?” you ask a bit nervous as his opinion meant the most to you

“I love it you look so cool! You think I could pull off longer hair?” he asks pulling the ends of hair down a little

“No” you say straight away making your dad bark out a laugh while Harry scrunches up his nose and wiggles it in false annoyance

You then run up to the table hopping up next to Sirius as your dad take a seat on your other side and Harry returns to his “You like it mum?”

She nods “You look so pretty sweetie” she says giving you a warm smile

“Cutie pie” Sirius adds giving you a light nudge

Remus hums in agreement “It looks great, what inspired the change” he asks kindly

“I found a photo of auntie Marlene and I thought it would look cool” you answer

Soon you all had eaten and Harry insisted even with a belly full of pancakes that he wanted to fly around on his broom, to which your dad soon run off to join while your uncle Sirius took a seat next to Remus first. You watched as he took a bobbly off his wrist and put Sirius’ hair in a half up and half down style, after he was finished Sirius turned around and gave him a quick kiss before running off inside to grab one of your dads’ spare brooms

You looked down at the bobble on your own wrist, standing up and walking around to sit with him while your mum was going to greet your aunties as they would be arriving any minute “Uncle Moony?” you look up at him

“Yeah pup?” he smiles

“Can you do my hair too?” you hold out the hair tie “Like uncle pads” he lets out a chuckle nodding as he takes it, you turn around and let him split your hair and up it up just like he did before, as he finishes you turn and give him a big hug, which he returns right away “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome pup” he says before glancing over at Sirius the two seeming to have a similar idea in their head