#jily micro-oops

“Good morning,” his voice murmurs at the back of her ear, sending a shock right down to her core.

Her reply comes out as a sigh as she feels his lips leaving lazy kisses down the back of her neck.

She turns around when he reaches her shoulder and looks at him. His features look almost sculpture-like in the daylight, his hair still as soft as it was last night, and she loses herself in his tender gaze until he drops his head and presses a gentle kiss on her lips.

“You’re beautiful.”

Lily finds herself blushing and taps his temple. “You’re not wearing your glasses.”

He gives her a challenging look and reaches for the bedside table, almost entirely enveloping her with his body for a moment, and retrieves his glasses.

He raises an eyebrow. “Still beautiful.”

Lily laughs and traces his jaw. She pulls him in for another kiss, deeper this time, more demanding, hand trailing down his neck, encircling his shoulder, while his strays under the sheets, grabbing her hips, tracing patterns over her curves.

“James,” she gasps.

He breaks the kiss to look at her; his breathing heavy, his pupils blown, and his eyes filled with something more than lust.

He softly brushes strands of hair from her face. “Have you got any more of your jokes from last night?”

Lily laughs, surprised. “No.”

James narrows his eyes. “Come on, I know you do,” he smiles at her, “I’m asking nicely. Please?”

“Oh, Alright.”

She thinks for a moment.

“Why did the astronaut break up with his girlfriend?”

“Why?” James grins.

Lily looks at him with mirth. “Because he needed space.”

His laugh fills the silent morning, almost too perfectly, and her eyes are on the single dimple on his cheek when the doorbell rings.

Lily detangles herself from the sheets and pulls on a dressing gown, ambling towards the front door, a small smile on her face, which promptly disappears as she opens the door just a smidge and peeks outside.

“I can’t believe you’re still asleep!”

“Petunia?” Lily asks in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve decided to go to Cokeworth from here,” her sister says curtly, “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Lily blanches. “Just- Just a minute, Petunia. I’ll be-”

She shuts the door and sprints towards her bedroom and then backtracks to roughly grab James’ shoes.

“You need to leave,” she announces as she bursts the door open. James’ expression changed from that of happiness to surprise to shock.

“Is everything okay?” He asks, getting out of bed already and pulling on his jeans.

“Yes,” Lily stumbles in and closes the door, “yes, I can’t explain now, but you can’t be here.”

James’ eyes fall on his shoe in her hands and he raises his eyebrows before pulling on his shirt.

“It’s my sister,” Lily whispers furiously, “She ruins everything- I can’t let her-”

“Lily, it’s alright,” James says quietly. “It’s okay, I’ll just- climb out of the window or something.”

He looks so dejected and Lily’s heart drops. “I’m really sorry, I don’t-”

“Really,” James states, firmer this time, “It’s okay…”

“Come back next week,” Lily blurts out.

James stops with one leg out her window.

She takes a shallow breath, and catches his eyes. “Please, come here next friday. We’ll- We will have dinner or-”

Before she could finish, he gives her a curt nod and jumps out of view.

~~~~~

Lily spends the weekend at her parents’ house. Lily is looking at the old photo frames in the mantel when Petunia and her mum enter the living room, carrying mugs of hot chocolate. Her mum passes one to Lily with a smile.

“Dad has stopped drinking anything after lunch,” she says. “Says it makes him all drowsy…”

Lily makes her way to the front door and leans over the porch, gazing idly at the flower garden.

“Penny for your thoughts?” her dad asks from the floor, where he sits sawing wooden boards.

Lily shrugs and sends him a sad smile. “Do you ever just feel like you’ve made a stupid mistake?”

“All the time, love!” her dad booms, throwing up his hands. She stands watching as he goes back to designing a shelf for the orchids.

On Monday, she finds two failed experiments waiting for her at work and spends the entire day working.

She sends barrages of texts to her friends any time she is free on Tuesday and stays awake most of the night, weighing all the contradicting advice they gave her.

Wednesday passes in a whirl between training and meetings and grocery shopping. She finds herself frozen with shock every time she sees someone at the farmer’s market with a messy mop of hair.

Thursday evening, she is sitting on one of the plush sofas of Old Mrs Bathilda, the woman who owns the apartment. She had come to drop a parcel she picked up from the mailbox when the kind woman invited her in for tea and somehow, Lily ends up sharing her woes with her.

“I was wondering who that nice young man I saw at the backyard was,” Bathilda says with a twinkle in her eyes.

Lily blushes and sips her tea. “I don’t think you’ll be seeing him again,” she says after a while in a small voice.

Bathilda smiles at her ruefully. “You really liked him, didn’t you?”

Lily nods.

“You will find your person one of these days, my dear,” she says as she hugs her bye at the door.

“Need help finding love, Lily?”

“Go to hell, Bones,” Lily says, rolling her eyes at her other neighbour who had just entered the floor.

“Tea, Edgar?” Bathilda asks him with a smile.

“Now, you, Bathilda,” he says, throwing an arm around her, “I love you.”

Lily wakes up on Friday after a night of disturbed sleep. She leaves work early and, feeling stupid about it all the same, waits at home.

At half past six, someone knocks on her door and she drops her ladle on the floor.

She curses under her breath and rushes to open the door.

“Hey, Lily! I’m going- wow, no need to look so upset,” Edgar drawls.

Lily sighs. “What do you want, Bones?”

“Lover boy will be back…” he says and Lily tries to hide her worry. “I’m going down to the bar, by the way. Here’s my key, please feed the cat if I’m not back tonight.”

Lily raises her eyebrows. “Why not?”

“Um,” Edgar coughs, feigning offense, “Because what if I meet someone and go to his home?”

“Ofcourse.” Lily accepts the keys with a fake scowl. “Have fun.”

Watching him saunter down the hallway, Lily smiles to herself, before she closes the door. She had just entered the kitchen again when the doorbell rings again.

“Bloody hell, Edgar…” she mutters and jumps carefully over the puddle of gravy on the floor.

“Edgar, I swear to-”

She stops short and stares, her hand still on the door knob.

Standing at her doorstep with a hesitant smile, flushed cheeks and a hopeful expression, is James.

He searches her face and his smile grows.

Once, he could brush off as handing in late homework. Twice, insinuated a possible detention, which she rarely ever got, and even then he shared charms with her to know she hadn’t earned one. But three? There was no conceivable reason he could come up with that Lily would need to visit Flitwick’s office that often and come back looking so dishevelled. 

It did not sit right with him, and if there was one thing he found himself incapable of doing, it was keeping his mouth shut when he thought something was wrong. So he watched, and he waited with his invisibility clock on, ready to catch her on her return. He could at least be discreet. 

His eyes followed her footprints along the map as she swiftly moved along the corridor and was about to round the corner. He pulled the cloak over his head and stuffed it violently into his trouser pocket. As expected she was startled by his sudden appearance, and worse as he had anxiously anticipated but helplessly hoped she would not be, she was flushed and sweating. 

“Evans, what the hell are you playing at?” he asked her point-blank. 

She blinked at him. “Excuse me? What about you? Sulking about in corridors. You’re not even a prefect.”

“Don’t deflect the question. You and I both know what you’re doing has nothing to do with prefect rounds. If it were, you’d have a partner. I don’t see them. Do you?” James answered crossly. 

“Last I checked Potter, you weren’t my keeper. What business is it of yours what I do with my free time?” She folded her arms angrily across her chest. 

“Normally, I would agree with you but for fucks sake, Evans. Of all the guys in the castle? You had to pick him? He’s a bloody teacher!”

Her eyes went wide as saucers. “WHAT are you on about?” she hissed. 

“I know all about you and Professor Flitwick. I know it must be flattering for an older bloke to be into you, but really, you can do so much better. You could have someone your own age, someone you don’t have to sneak around to be with. If you get caught, you could both get into serious trouble. He could lose his job.” 

She laughed. A high-pitched cackle of disbelief, tossing her head so far back he could see up her nose. “You have absolutely no bloody idea what you’re talking about. What on Earth possessed you to think I was necking on with Flitwick?”

Put on the spot, James suddenly felt bashful; he could hardly explain that he had been watching her with a map he had made himself with his friends, one that kept track of everyone inside Hogwarts. He omitted that part. “You’ve been sneaking out to his office three nights this week already. Every time you come back hot and sweaty and smiling and-”

“He’s been giving me private dueling lessons,” she interrupted him. “At my request.”

“He’s… you what?” 

“Flitwick is a duelling champion. He won the last seven national grand championships. He featured in Charmscasters Digest. After what happened to Mary, I wasn’t about to just sit on my hands and do nothing. If one of those fuckers is going to come for me next, they’re gonna have another thing coming to them.” 

James felt heat rise up the back of his neck. Of course, she hadn’t been messing about with a teacher. How stupid could he be? 

“No one in their right mind would mess with you,” he said dumbly. 

“Yeah well, half of them aren’t exactly in their right mind, are they? They want to see people like me exterminated. So excuse me if I’m going to take the chance to have the upper hand when it presents itself. ” If looks could kill, James would already be hanging out with Nearly Headless Nick. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“Too bloody right. Who else have you told this ridiculous rumour to?”

“No one,” he assured her. In hindsight, he probably should have mentioned something to Sirius. He would have laughed in his face and told him he was off his trolley, but that would have been far less humiliating. 

“For the record, I’m not his only student. But Dorothy Atkins-” She swallowed hard. “She had to go home for her mum’s funeral.”

James had heard about Mrs Atkins. Dorothy had been escorted out of the Great Hall at breakfast and hadn’t returned. One of the lads on the team had seen her heading for Hogsmead under Madam Pomfrey’s wing, bawling her eyes out. 

“We’ve only got a couple of weeks left til exams, I wanted to cram as much practice in as I could before then.”

He nodded, finally understanding. She was afraid of what would happen outside the safety of Hogwarts walls. He couldn’t blame her for that. 

“Well, if you wanted… you could practice with me and Sirius. He’s really good at blocks and counter curses,” James suggested. “But you really shouldn’t cross the castle at night by yourself. It’s not safe.” He pulled the cloak from his pocket, presenting it to her so she could run her fingers through the fabric. “If you ever want to borrow it. Just let me know. Or… or I could walk you.”

Lily looked down at the envelope, of which she’d forgotten the existence. Her first and last name were written across the front in a font that parodied calligraphy and still managed to retain key features of James’s usual penmanship — the lack of a dot above the lowercase I; the lowercase A written in such a rush it better resembled an O; the end of the S slashing backwards in a flourishing underline. Her face heated, realizing what it must be.

She glanced up at him just once as she tore the seal open and pulled out a sparkling card. On the front was a stunning image of the night sky when all the stars could be seen, magic making each one glint and twinkle, so it seemed as though Lily were truly holding the glittering darkened sky in miniature. A constellation of stars stood out, shining brighter than the rest. Lily pulled her head back and squinted to find it was in the shape of a lily flower. 

When she tried to clear her throat it came out as more of a squeak. She licked her parched lips, distinctly avoided James’s gaze, and opened the card. 

Evans — 

I know this card is a few days late. I’m sorry for that. Though, I don’t think the date I give this to you matters all that much. The whole point of it was to say… 

You shine brighter than all the rest, Lily Evans. Every day of the year.

Happy belated birthday.

—James

Lily blinked at the message scrawled in James’s familiar text, tried rereading it through hazy vision. Her mind and everything around her seemed to be going fuzzy. 

“I had…something else,” she heard him say through the sound of her heart hammering in her ears. “But, I think—maybe another time.” 

“What?” Lily’s eyes flicked up to his face, discovering splotches of red on his neck, the closest to blushing his complexion allowed. The sight of it made her own face burn hotter than it already had been, and she knew her light skin must be blooming with a bright blush. “Well, wait,” she said, curiosity pulling her out of her fog. “You can’t do that.”

James chuckled, grinning brightly. “No?”

Lily huffed. “No. It’s…rude.”

“Rude? I’m simply extending your birthday celebration.” Something in his cheeky smile drew her to her feet, her chair scraping across the floor, and how his smile then widened had her stepping around the table and into his orbit. James blinked down at her. “Are you…threatening me, Evans? After I’ve just made you a birthday card and gotten you a gift?”

“And withheld said gift,” she said, crossing her arms.

“As is my right.”

“Your…your— Weren’t you just going on about maturing?”

His eyes danced over her face, a twinkle in them that reminded her of the card he’d made her from magic. She shuffled her feet to distract from the swirling in her stomach. “Seems to me you’re the one who needs growing up a bit here, Evans. Seventeen’s a good year for a Coming of Age story. I’ve faith in you.” He patted the side of her arm and Lily wanted to scream in a variety of ways.

“You’re sixteen,” she replied lamely.

“Eh, some of us start off earlier than others.”

She blinked at him, mind spinning between thoughts on the concept of fairness, comebacks that couldn't be turned against her, the current proximity of her face to his, and you shine brighter than all the rest. Mostly it was just that last one, playing like a melody on repeat, a jingle intent on driving her mad.

“You're really not going to give me my gift?” Lily crossed her arms, leaning her hips back against the desk. 

James stepped forward boldly, removing the space she'd created between them. “Alright, Evans.” He pulled a small box from his trousers pocket. “Since you haven't yet learned the virtue of patience.” He held out the box and, after staring at him a moment, Lily opened her palm. He placed the box carefully upon it. With the slightest smirk he learned toward her, bowing his head toward her cheek as though to kiss it. Lily stopped breathing. When he whispered, “Happy birthday, Evans,” she was sure she felt the brush of his lips on her skin.

In the next heartbeat he was gone, taking long backwards steps towards the library’s exit.

“What?” Lily gaped at him. His grin was touching the corners of his eyes, hands shoved in his pockets, a similar excitement to his energy as when he'd first approached her. Her eyes fell to the box and she called after him, “How do I know this isn't a trick?” 

James shrugged as his back hit the library door. “Guess you'll just have to believe in my growth.”

“Potter,” She grinned, giving him a warm smile. James, surprised by her appearance, immediately returns the smile, leans his hip on the now-empty pool table and brings his beer to his lips.

There’s a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and a murky flashback to the two of them flirting at the party weeks ago flickers in his memory. It’s been happening more often after their conversation, sharp images of Lily laughing, James’s stomach whirling, her hand on his bicep – it’s been driving him mental (amongst her proposal).

“What are you girls up to tonight?” He asks, taking another swig of his beer, not allowing his eyes to leave hers.

There’s that underlying tension again, but tonight it feels more alive, more purposeful. He supposes it's because he knows she fancies him – at least on a physical level.

“Mary’s celebrating getting an internship in town, and well it's Friday.” She shrugs with a smile.

He notices the others then, glancing over her shoulder to find her friends greeting his friends. But he couldn’t care less about them right now, he just wanted to continue absorbing himself in the feeling she gave him just by being in her presence.

“Hm,” he mumbles, taking a step towards her, watching her pupils widen, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip.

Is this normal? He thinks. To be so entranced by one person so quickly and so persistently.

He’s just about to touch her, just a light touch of her arm will be enough for him when someone hovers up beside him.

“James?”

The voice rattles something inside of him, and his body gives an anxious jerk, stepping away from Lily and looking up at Isabelle.

“Izzy?”

She looks the same. Same black sleek hair tied up into a high ponytail, and the same sharp make-up, making her round eyes look more cat-like. His ex-girlfriend (if you could say that) is eyeing him up in a similar way before she looks over at Lily.

“It’s been a while, how are you?”

James glances at Lily to find her one step closer to him than he realised. Her arm brushes against his and with a shy smile he seems to find himself leveling out of his mild panic.

“Yeah, good thanks. You?”

“Wonderful, I’m transferring to York next year!”

James offers his congratulations before he takes Lily’s hand in his and with a pointed glance, says his goodbyes.

“Izzy?” Lily asks once they’re safe in a small booth in the corner of the pub, thighs pressed against one another.

“We dated for a few months, she’s the uh one that I got all up in my head about – the one I told you about the other day.”

James’ cheeks heat terribly, but Lily’s face doesn’t falter. She listens to him, eyes on his, body twisted towards him.

“She told you; you were inadequate?”

The word hits a tight chord deep in his chest, the reverberations from the pain make his palms instantly sweaty, his brows furrow.

It’s not the first time, someone has said something hurtful to him. He’s a wealthy white boy with privilege up to his elbows, his personality can be described as cocky and loud but it was one of the first times a girl he had admired so much, had said something so heart-wrenching. It wasn’t like she had said it out of the blue either, it was in a very heated moment that went from (what he thought was) passion to bitterness quickly. So quickly, she had said that vicious word and James hadn’t looked back since.

“I think you already know this, but you are so much more than adequate, James,” Lily says.

He does know it…he thinks.

“It’s ok. I just need to forget it all. Start fresh…with you.” He tacks on, eyes sliding to the empty beer glass on the table in front of him.

“Oh, fuck!” Lily Evans slumped forward onto the polished, dark wood of the bar. She dropped her head to rest on her crossed forearms and wished fervently that the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Anything to end the suffering. “Fuck me, and fuck my life.”

“Tough day?” asked the bartender. 

Lily didn’t need to look up to know that he was smirking at her - that much was evident from the tone of his voice. In fairness, she couldn’t blame him - in his shoes, she’d probably have found it amusing too. She didn’t reply, just let loose a soft groan from the back of her throat and stayed there, sitting on a bar stool, collapsed over the bar.