#jily characterization

Hey! Okay, I’m going to answer all of these on the same thread, bc I have a feeling they were all asked by the same person ☺️ (and I think I know who it is! 🤫)

But for everything, I’m going to answer it for what I think is canon, aka what happens in What Are You Doing To Me? Obviously I play around with some of these in other stories, bc that’s fun.

Crush? ABSOLUTELY. I mean, she’s a hot, talented woman. Of course dudes are gonna be attracted to that, even if it’s “wrong”. Only makes them (secretly) want her more. But too bad suckers!!

I think yes, the first time. I think Lily made him realize “Yo? Girls exist and they are dope,” but she was too much for him to handle at 15 (case and point, the book 😅) and the rejection stung and made him want to get affection elsewhere before he really started bettering himself as a man. He was probably hurt and wanted to assure himself, yes, you are hot and can get it, even if not from the one girl you really want. So I don’t think he was a virgin when they started dating…

I think so. I think he was naturally charming af, so a lot of ppl probably thought he was flirting even when he wasn’t. Wit + charm = deadly, undeniable combination 🤤

Yes. He was your average teenage boy in that regard 😆

Sexually? No, I don’t think so. I know I wrote that, but that’s when I wrote him as a sociopath. I don’t think canon James would want to share Lily with anyone. Not in a creepy possessive way, but more like….

🤗 She’s mine 😍

Hi Eloise❣️

Oh! I love this question! I thought about it for James long and hard when writing EW because I obviously wanted to make him evil while still having him feel like James, and I wrote down all my thoughts on that here 😁

For Lily, I dunno, I guess it’s a bit harder to put into words. (Haaaa, maybe it’s bc I personally relate to James more, so she’s this unknown wonderful enigma whom I love.)

Cheeky. Obviously cheeky. Like, do you get how sassy and wonderful you have to be in order to get labeled it by a professor? Like this is no wilting wallflower nor is she some goody two-shoes — even if she was smart and responsible enough to make Head Girl. This girl can cut a bitch with her sass and I love that for her.

That being said, the professor in question still liked her. I find that insanely impressive, which implies she had a level of skill and cunning whilst applying said sass. Also explains why Slughorn thought she should be a Slytherin even when she was a Gryffindor.

The Gryffindor aspect also obviously gives her bravery and loyalty and all that jazz, but she was also labeled as kind. And I think that’s important, bc we have this girl who’s an outsider and bullied by a lot of the wizarding population, but she’s still willing to hear individual people out (Snape) and make her own opinions about them despite what her house and the status quo says, which makes me thinks she’s super independent and stubborn too. She literally walked away from a group of girls to go yell at James — this popular, hot, Quidditch star — all by herself. Mind you, she’s a teenager, and she’s like, “No, you’re wrong, and I’m going to tell you why.” That takes balls. I also love that one of her only flashbacks is her absolutely annihilating this man, and she’s still labeled as kind. To me, it just goes to show that she’s strong willed too, and suffers not a single fool. She didn’t need backup like he did, she was like, “Yo, let me teach this idiot a lesson,” and then she did.

Obviously this stubbornness can work in her detriment in that she denied going out with her husband for years after he asked her out 😅 but, you know. Girl’s got standards 😉 But at least she can admit when she’s wrong. Humility.

Omg YES I DO!

…. What? 👀

I mean, if you’re asking for my opinion, I think so bc I very vividly remember what it was like to be 16 and very hormonal, but you are free to think however you want! There is no singular correct answer here.

Awwww, you went straight for my heart with this compliment! 🥺♥️ Thank you!

I oddly do get what you mean with ‘that James feeling’ 🥰 Full disclosure, I feel like I’m practically in love with him at this point and see his personality so clearly in my head now, so perhaps that’s why I’m so happy I can throw him into different situations, and you can still see him.

But yes! Social psych 101: situations, situations, situations! We don’t act the same with our parents as we do with our friends or even teachers, and so these different situations with the same guy are so fun to play with!

Basically, I feel like I’ve psychoanalyzed the shit out of him now, since we really do have so little to go off of in the books. So if you’d like to hear me ramble… 😊 We know that he was popular (as a Marauder), extremely talented (the map and animagus), a troublemaker, athletic, a bit of a jerk in 5th year (to blood supremacists… so, valid) but then almost immediately turned around and matured to the point of saving his enemy’s life and making a girl who swore she hated him give him a chance, brave, loyal, and would do anything for his friends and family. So right off the bat, I think we can’t ignore those traits.

But there’s also so much we can infer! We also know his best friend was basically the most gorgeous man on the planet and that James probably followed Harry’s rough growth trajectory. So here was a guy who was physically gangly and awkward until becoming tall and handsome in 6th year. I think it’s realistic to think that he would therefore have to work really hard at being charming (which I think is supported by even someone like McGonagall favoring him so much) in order to keep up with his best mate.

I also am super impressed by his growth — I mean, not everyone can admit when they were wrong and learn from it. The fact that Lily gave him a chance (being described every damn book as the kindest witch ever) shows he really must have become pretty dang awesome, and responsible even with being Head Boy. Strength of character.

I also think we know he was very generous — offering to pay for Remus when he was unemployed and offering Sirius a place to stay when kicked out. I am one hundred 💯 perfect extrapolating that into his love life 😏 There’s no way James was not a good lover. It is law. Also being into Quidditch, I’m sure he was competitive and always trying to top himself 😅

More so about being an only child (before actively choosing not to be, which I think speaks to his selflessness, bc I think there are certain stereotypes about only children) — he grew up doted and loved extra hard. I definitely think that led to him always being confident to the point of cocky (but he could back it up.. and again, he’s charming 😉) bc he was always made to feel special growing up. Also think it made him feel invincible and like he could get away with murder 🤣

Also, we know he’s rich and comes from a Pureblood family. With that sort of background, I think we can guess some of the upbringing he had. I’m adding at least knowing how to be chivalrous and polite (when he wanted to be) to his list!

Now, most importantly I think, is his relationship with Lily. This is the height of that James feeling 😍 I do not accept anything less than he was absolutely, positively in love with her from super early on. Honestly, what sort of teen boy doodles initials of his crush?! And then marries her right out of school? An adorable doofus, that’s who, and WE LOVE HIM FOR IT! I often make him a bit obsessive, but I kinda feel like that tracks. I think his honest devotion to Lily was what convinced her that he was serious about her. Because he was definitely playful too 😁 But yeah, how hard he had to work to prove himself to her I think also made him never take a single second with her for granted 💕 Grateful

Anyway. Thanks for letting me ramble!

What's your thoughts?

Hey!

Ooooo! Okay, this is a tough one for me because these are some of the very traits I love changing about them from story to story! Bc there are some personality traits I won’t touch, but I’d say James was more sensitive in WYSP, but then Lily was more in WAYDTM and EW, and Lily was more dominant in WYSP but James was waaaaay more in EW.

Buuuuut, I have to say that WAYDTM is my version of canon, so I’ll go with my choices there.

So I’d say James started as more experimental and better at activities… but once Lily started feeling comfortable and really let herself experience that unconditional love that James was providing, she felt safe enough to be vulnerable back and then the student became the master 😉 (And James couldn’t have been happier about that fact 😌) In the other direction, having that steady relationship would allow James to really lean into his more sensitive side with her, since he no longer has anything to prove. I see them as taking turns to play dominant, and James would love it when Lily was possessive so she’d play it up for him 😈

Aaah, yes. Let’s see if I can break down what’s in my head 🤯

James

I think his big difference in WAYDTM vs EW is morals. They both started off as jerks, but in EW it’s just who he is, versus when he was playing it up bc he thought it’s what Lily wanted/would get her attention. From his POV in WAYDTM, we see he was pretty insecure around her the whole time, and just wanted her to be happy/be animated again. Jury’s still out on whether EW James wants the same, but he’s not changing who he is for her. When James followed Lily around under his cloak (omg, why do I always make him stalk??), he knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. EW James? HA. He also has a psychotic, sadist mother, and is a little more powerful.

Lily

For her, I think the difference is less subtle, but maybe it’s just me. Even though WAYDTM Lily was depressed, I think she was strong and a fighter and didn’t give a crap what other people thought about her. She escaped captivity, whereas I think EW Lily might have liked it a bit? Lol. EW Lily cares a little too much about what other people think and strives to be ‘perfect’. I also don’t see her putting James in his place the same way WAYDTM did, mostly because she likes him this way more than she wants to admit. She’s also a little more selfish. Little more needy. Little more twisted and aloof. Where it bothered Lily in WAYDTM that she had no girlfriends, EW Lily’s never complained about it once, she just wishes they’d stop soiling her reputation. I don’t agree that she was inexperienced before James, I think she was actually having sex quite a lot — it was just never the kind she needed 😌 Lol WAYDTM Lily came easy, EW Lily didn’t. (NOT A MINOR DETAIL — pleasure matters!!)

But most importantly I guess: WAYDTM was about growth, EW is about corruption. 😈