Many thanks to this year's participating authors! (I tried to only tag you all once so Tumblr actually does the ping thing!) Everyone got their fics in on time for reveals, and we had no need for pinch hitters - that's serious success in our books!
Check Them Out:
You've ruined my life (By not being mine) by emmathecasualauthor for alpacasinsnow
Honey, Honey by Hydrangea_aspera for @siriuslychessi
Never Enough by @annabtg for @formerlympp
A Hostage Situation by mppmaraudergirl for MaryPictorSomnians
The autumn chill in the amber skies by @abihastastybeans for emmathecasualauthor
forays into organic chemistry by alpacasinsnow for Rebeccaseal
Scarlet Haze by @nodirectionhome--ao3 for @fiendishfyre
An Invitation to Mystery by @trinitydaydabbles for @tedwardremus
Where's the trophy? (He comes flying toward me) by TedwardRemus for @wearingaberetinparis
Five Days by @sophie-hatter-jenkins for abihastastybeans
Songbird by FiendishFyre for @apalapucian
Operation Love Languages by Rebeccaseal for AnnaBtG
I think we ought to live happily ever after by siriuslychessi for sophie_hatter_jenkins
happy bloody valentine's day (literally) by apalapucian for nodirectionhome
Pick Your Poison, Babe (I'm Poison Either Way) by ritaskeetered for Hydrangea_aspera
Marauders language by MaryPictorSomnians for TrinityDay
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âI cannot believe the nerve of my sister!â Lily said, so preoccupied by the letter sheâd been reading and rereading that she almost walked into three different people on her march through the common room. âSometimes itâs hard to believe we are related at all.â
She slammed her bag onto the table, then began reciting in disgust, âAfter careful consideration, I believe it is better for everyone if you are not involved with the wedding so you do not draw unwanted attention to yourselfâunwanted attention, how? By being related to the bride?â
âWhoa, Evans, take a breath.â
Lilyâs eyes shot up from the letter, her cheeks going crimson. âYouâre not Mary.â
âAstute observation,â James Potter replied, grinning. He was alone at the table, his transfiguration textbook open in front of him. âShe ran upstairs to get her books. She should only be a moment.â He gestured to the seat across from him as he turned his attention back to his book.
This was new, them all studying together. It didnât mean they were actually friends or anything though. It was just easier to tackle NEWT assignments as a group, that's all it was.
She folded the letter closed before slipping into the seat James had nodded toward. At least he didnât seem keen to pretend to care...
âIâm sorry to hear about your letter,â James said suddenly, looking up at her. âYour sister sounds like a bitch. No offense.â
Lily opened her mouth to reply, paused, and then burst out laughing. âShe is a bit of a bitch.â
âOh, are we talking about Petunia now?â came Maryâs voice. âWhatâs she done now?â
Normally, Lily wouldâve preferred to hold off on divulging more about her sister until she and Mary were alone. But when she gazed across the table at James, who was looking between the two of them as he twirled his quill between his fingers, she suddenly didnât feel so embarrassed.
Some thingsâlike having a terrible relationship with her sisterâdidnât seem likely ever to change for the better. The same could not be said for every relationship in her life.
Lily never gets to talk to her sister again, she wonât write back or pick up the phone, since she found out Lily was marrying James Potter, her sister disappeared; still, on her wedding day, as she gets ready to walk down the aisle, her bouquet is made out of lilies and petunias
Lily sighs and takes a fortifying sip of her cola which is unfortunately not spiked. Loosening her tongue with alcohol is in no oneâs best interest right now. âYes. Generally required before getting a PhD.â
âOh so similar to my MBA then?â After today, this bloke will cease to be called by any name other than Insufferable MBA Bloke. It is law. Also she was going to kill the rest of the Theatre Fun Club.
âRight - my Masters in International Studies would be similar to the process for your Masters in Business Administration. Then I completed my PhD - so Franny really isnât coming?â
MBA grins in a way Lily knows heâs practiced in front of a mirror. Itâs like he watched hours of tick ticks to discover his âattractiveâ angles and somehow landed on the ultimate douche. âShe had to leave at intermission. The sitter called. Gwen is sick.â
Heâs still doing what he probably thinks is flirtatious smiling, an odd choice when talking about a five year old being ill. âAh. And the rest? I asked them to clean up the eight top over in the corner.â
âNah we wonât need it.â His brow flicks up and Lily really wants to ask if this normally works for him. It feels like it shouldnât. She wants to hold an intervention with those who have fallen for this shtick. Itâs awful.
Sheâs still searching for something to say, a way to blow off Carolineâs cousin without ruining Theatre Fan Club, when the pub door slams open and James Potter appears in a swirl of the snow that had been threatening to fall all afternoon and jingle bells. Literally.Â
Heâs wearing bells strung around his shoulders and sewn into his knit cap. Heâs got a few mates with him, similarly festive, and his eyes are searching the bar, likely for a place to sit. But before he finds anything - his gaze lands on Lily.
Lily who looks like sheâs on a bloody date. She may actually kill Theatre Club and not even be sorry. Quickly, she slips from her stool and pulls her drink with her. MBA tries to follow but sheâs ignoring him as James stomps the snow from his boots. âDr. Evans!â
âProfessor Potter.â
âOi Iâm a PhD candidate,â James shoots back with a grin as he strides toward her and wraps her in a slightly awkward hug given the bells. Still he doesnât release her until whispers in her ear, âAm I blowing a date or is this a hostage situation?â
Lily grips his sleeve and whispers back, âBloody hell definitely hostage.â
âNot to worry Evans. I have many years of experience. Your evening is now in my hands.â
âThatâs not very comforting,â Lily complains, though sheâs definitely not upset about the turn of events. Not at all.
James grabs her hand and pulls her to the now clean eight top, his mates following behind and MBA sort of caught up in Jamesâs orbit, like most people. âBut it does sound fun, eh?â
Trying to overcome writer's block, I bring you a @jilymicrofics!
For @taylorswiftmicrofic | James and Lily | February Prompt NÂş 12 - Heartbeat
The day outside was beautiful. June"s heat reflected upon the field making it impossible to refuse the invitation to emerge from beneath the covers and savor the morning.
From atop the Gryffindor tower, one could observe dozens of third-year students playing with ever-bashing boomerangs, whilst Mr. Filch reprimanded them, red as a tomato; on the other side of the courtyard, some girls read magazines in groups, while certain couples took advantage of the shade beneath the trees to spend time togetherâsomething that also deeply outraged Mr. Filch.
But Sirius, Peter, and Remus remained indoors, exasperated, attempting by every means to drag James out of the dormitory, yet he continued to resist, his face practically pressed against the window and his gaze fixed upon the smiling red-haired girl who walked by the lake, hand in hand with some boy from Ravenclaw.
He should be down there as well, he knew this. He should be enjoying himself, playing pranks, attracting considerable attention and, perhaps, teaching that ridiculous boy a well-deserved lesson. But nothing motivated him. Seeing such a clear image of Lily smiling romantically at someone else and thinking that it could be him there beside her, sometimes felt really painful.
So, he continued ignoring his friends, their mingled voices calling his name, the thunderous slamming of the door, the deafening silence of an empty room. Nothing seemed relevant. Only the image below, a constant reminder of the barriers he himself had assembled and which he himself would have to destroy if he wished to change anything.
The reflection consumed even more of his energy, whilst the scorching sun burned his body, fogging his spectacles and inducing faint sensations of delirium. More than once he thought he had seen Lily gazing up at him with a cruel look and a cutting smirk. Could it be possible? Could she be so perverse? Did she perhaps think of him as bulletproof? He needed her like a heartbeat and there she was, amusing herself with his suffering.
James stepped back, away from the window, fled from the ray of sunlight that insisted upon scorching his skin, released the air he had not realized he was holding, and only then became aware that his eyes were closed, squeezed shut, refusing to perceive anything else.
Alarmed, he rushed back to the window, only to find a breathtaking redhead seated alone at the lake's edge, her hands resting upon the grass, her face lifted toward the sun, and a peacefulness that in no way accorded with the earthquake that established itself within James's heart every time he thought of her.
Was he going mad? Could it all have been his foolish imagination playing tricks upon him? Might he have been jinxed? He was no longer confident about anything. But one thing was certain: for that girl, he would take all those risks.
The realization brought him an easy smile and, spinning on his feet, he seized his bag and set off running down the stairs. Going mad for Lily was worthwhile, but fighting for her, under that stunning summer sun, in the most idiotic way possible, was even more worth it.
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The Whistle-Stop Broom
For @jilymicrofics
January prompt: flounder
Rated: T
Words: 368
Lily did not consider herself a graceful flyer by any extension of the term. It'd been six years since she took those compulsory flying lessons in first year and just as long since she'd even thought about touching a broom. Now, her boyfriend James had convinced her to let him teach her the basics.
'It'll be fun,' he'd said.
Read on AO3 or below the cut
âI donât like this, James. I donât like this at all.â
âItâs easy if you just relax,â James called to her. âBreathe.â
âI canât,â she said, clenching the broomstick between her thighs as if her life depended on it. It shuddered beneath her. âIâm going to fall.â
âI wonât let you fall,â said James. His hands came to the front end of her broom, steadying it to a gentle sway. âWhy donât you try going higher?â
âHigher?â said Lily, and as if it were a well-trained dog whoâd just heard the word sic, the broom shot up through the air.
Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck, were the words running through her brain as the grass of the Quidditch Pitch sank away and the brightly coloured turrets of the stands became streaks of colour against the blurred, blue, spring afternoon sky.
âBrake, Lily,â said James, streaming after her on his own broom. âBrake!â
âIâcanâtâbrake,â cried Lily, her voice carrying out in all cardinal directions as the broom began to spin on its x-axis.
James stuck the tips of his thumb and forefinger into his mouth, frowning lightly as he blowed a clear, sharp whistle through the air.
Automatically, the broom slowed, the spinning stopped, and Lily came to a stable halt halfway up the length of the goalposts. She was no longer sitting up in good form. Instead she was leant forward, clutching the handle to her chest as if she were trying to meld to and become one with the broomstick. Her eyes were scrunched shut. (If she opened them to see the ground floating far beneath her, she thought she might be sick.)
James was at her side within seconds. âAlright, that was a really good start.â
âShut up, and get me down.â
âOn it.â
He climbed onto her broom behind her, pulling her tightly to his chest with one arm in case she started to flounder about again. He tilted the broom handle down with the other, guiding them towards the ground. His broomstick towed along behind them.
âLucky it had training wheels on,â he said as they touched down.
Lily, who couldâve kissed the ground in that moment, spun to him incredulously. âThat was with training wheels?â
(Warning this is silly and so very much inspired by The Princess Bride)
The black ship was drawing near.
Lily wasn't troubled by it - whoever was following them was the least of her concerns - but her captors were, and it gave her some satisfaction.
"He will catch us," squeaked the small beady-eyed man called Peter. Lily had learned all their names by now, since they weren't shy about it; it was a bad sign, but she tried not to think about it.
"We should be quicker," noted Sirius. Lily could tell he was swordsman of the group, quick and agile. "Remus knows this waters like no one, and our vessel is swifter."
Peter didn't seem convinced. He glanced at Lily like she was guilty of being hunted. "He must be after the princess too!"
"I'm not a princess," Lily said tiredly. They insisted on calling her that, even though she wasn't one: she wasn't married to the prince, and, if it were up to her, she wouldn't ever.
The only one she had ever wanted to marry had been lost to the sea long ao.
Only Sirius paid her any attention, and it was only to wink amusedly.
"Hey!" Called Remus from the ship's wheel. "We will need to dock. If we stay on open waters, he will outrun us."
"Take your sword!" Peter cried desperately. "The cannonsâoh, I knew we should have gotten a ship with cannonsâ"
"It would be expensive and you didn't want to pay for it," Sirius reminded him. "Besides, if he wanted to attack us, he could have gotten a nice shot a few miles ago. I'm telling you, he is not looking to sink us."
"And I am telling you, he wants the princess!"
Sirius just shook his head. "The princess is safe with usâaren't you, Your Majesty?"
Lily didn't deign to reply. Sirius seemed the silliest of her captors, but he was also dangerous. Lily had tried to fight him, using the same sword movements that James had taught her ages ago â back when they were young and Lily thought they would stay together forever. Only even the comfort of this memory had left her; Sirius had beaten her so easily that it didn't as if she had ever learned how to fight.
James would beat him, she thought savagely, only to feel sad soon after. James had been lost at the sea, captured and killed by a pirate who left no survivor, years ago.
The ship docked heavily; the water was rough there. Sirius approached her carefully, holding his dagger. "Now, I'm gonna cut you free so you can leave the boat, but don't try to run, okay? If you trip, Remus will have to carry you, and he's already done a lot of work trying to get us safe here."
Lily just glared at him. It was a bold request of her captors to ask her to be nice to them.
"Too bad neither of you were thrown in the sea."
Sirius just chuckled. "We can swim, Your Highness, it would be no trouble."
"Speaking of trouble, that black ship is nearly upon here."
"Yeah, well, that would be one big trobule." Sirius cut her free. Lily massaged her hands. "For both of us, I'd say. Only one pirate sails under that color, and he leaves no survivors."
She nearly fell. "Which pirate?" She asked, mouth suddenly dry. If it were the same person who'd killed James...
Sirius sighed heavily. "The infamous Dread Pirate Potter."
rated G - 1.3k words - birthday fluff - written for @jilymicrofics January 30th prompt "narrative"
(but then I went over 1k and also really only used the concept of a narrative đ @jilymicro-oops <3)
---
âWhatâs this?â Lily glanced between James and the card heâd just conspicuously dropped onto her Transfiguration essay.Â
He seemed to beâŚdancing, almost, the tips of his shoes tapping softly against the libraryâs stone floor as he hopped from one foot to the other. She noticed the absence of his fingers, usually fidgeting in one way or another, and realized he was holding both hands behind his back. âJust open it,â James told her, but Lily huffed in reply.
âIâm not falling for whatever little schemeââ
James rolled his head so far backwards Lily spontaneously thought of Nearly-Headless Nick. âEvans, please, when was the last timeâ?â
She sat up straighter in her chair. âFive weeks and three days.â
âWhat?â His shoulders fell and heâd stopped his footwork altogether.Â
âThe last time you pulled one of your pranks. Thatâs what you were going to ask me, hm? Well, itâs been five weeks and three days, which isnât nearly long enough to build any sort of confidence in your so-called âComing of Age Eraâ â which, by the way, I really donât think Remus explained that genre to you well enough.â
James shoved something small into his pocket and folded his arms across his chest, his shoulder muscles stretching the fabric of his button down ever so slightly. âFive weeks is a century, Evans, and the whole point of a Coming of Age story is for the main character toâŚyou know, falter here and there. If I donât slip up then what am I even maturing out of?â
Lily stared at him blankly for a moment, lips fallen apart. âSee,â she blinked and shook her head once, âthis is what I mean about Remus having explained it wrong.â
âHow?â James demanded, repositioning his stance as though to literally stand his ground and restating, âIâm in my Coming of Age Era â IâmâŚmaturing, growing up, becomingââ He stopped himself short.
She lifted a brow at him. âWhat? A man?â Lily snorted at the thought, prompting a few nearby students to turn their way. âRight, Potter, thatâs not a Coming of Age story.â
James rolled his hand in the air, prompting her to continue. âEnlighten me, then.â
The vague memory of her unfinished Transfiguration essay flitted across the back of Lilyâs mind, but some things were more important â winning an argument with James Potter chief among them. âA Coming of Age story is about something that happens to the main character which forces them to grow up, sometimes before they should have had to, often in a way that is true for all people, yet still heartbreaking. Itâs about the loss of innocence â something Iâm not sure you ever had in the first place,â she added with a sideways glance. âAnd, sure, growth and maturity are a part of it, but itâs deeper than justâŚchoosing not to play so many stupid pranks.â
He seemed to consider this for a moment. âWho says Iâm not maturing in deeper ways than that?â he asked, holding her gaze with a sincerity Lily hadnât expected.Â
She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. âWellââ
âOpen the card, Evans.â
Lily looked down at the envelope, of which sheâd 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 Jamesâs usual penmanship â 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.Â
When she tried to clear her throat it came out as more of a squeak. She licked her parched lips, distinctly avoided Jamesâs gaze, and opened the card.Â
Evans âÂ
I know this card is a few days late. Iâm sorry for that. Though, I donât think the date I give this to you matters all that much. The whole point of it was to sayâŚÂ
You shine brighter than all the rest, Lily Evans. Every day of the year.
Happy belated birthday.
âJames
Lily blinked at the message scrawled in Jamesâs familiar text, tried rereading it through hazy vision. Her mind and everything around her seemed to be going fuzzy.Â
âI hadâŚsomething else,â she heard him say through the sound of her heart hammering in her ears. âBut, I thinkâmaybe another time.âÂ
âWhat?â Lilyâs 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. âWell, wait,â she said, curiosity pulling her out of her fog. âYou canât do that.â
James chuckled, grinning brightly. âNo?â
Lily huffed. âNo. ItâsâŚrude.â
âRude? Iâm simply extending your birthday celebration.â 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. âAre youâŚthreatening me, Evans? After Iâve just made you a birthday card and gotten you a gift?â
âAnd withheld said gift,â she said, crossing her arms.
âAs is my right.â
âYourâŚyourâ Werenât you just going on about maturing?â
His eyes danced over her face, a twinkle in them that reminded her of the card heâd made her from magic. She shuffled her feet to distract from the swirling in her stomach. âSeems to me youâre the one who needs growing up a bit here, Evans. Seventeenâs a good year for a Coming of Age story. Iâve faith in you.â He patted the side of her arm and Lily wanted to scream in a variety of ways.
âYouâre sixteen,â she replied lamely.
âEh, some of us start off earlier than others.â
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.
âYou're really not going to give me my gift?â Lily crossed her arms, leaning her hips back against the desk.Â
James stepped forward boldly, removing the space she'd created between them. âAlright, Evans.â He pulled a small box from his trousers pocket. âSince you haven't yet learned the virtue of patience.â 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, âHappy birthday, Evans,â 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 libraryâs exit.
âWhat?â 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, âHow do I know this isn't a trick?âÂ
James shrugged as his back hit the library door. âGuess you'll just have to believe in my growth.â