#Devil on my left shoulder sometimes goes by the name of mppmaraudergirl funnily enough

[chdarling]

1. Do you have any one-shot recommendations while I obsessively wait for the next chapter? 2. I’ve seen bits of TLE2 and TLE4 but any chance of a tiny tiny tiny tiny sneak peak of something to look forward to in TLE3?

Hi there! So, as far as one-shot recommendations, unfortunately I have hardly been reading any fanfic while I’ve been working on TLE2, so I'm rather short on new recs. If anyone wants to share their faves, please do!!

I will enthusiastically recommend Large Heart, Tiny Photographs by @the-dream-team. Even though it’s technically multi-chapter, each chapter reads as a standalone, and it’s utterly heart-wrenching and beautiful. 😭❤️

Moving on to part 2 of this ask…

Since I did decline to share a spoiler for TLE2 earlier this week, I will take this opportunity to redeem myself with some choice TLE3 content. 😅

It was actually quite difficult to find a snippet from TLE3 that was a) actually written and b) not hugely spoilery for the ending of TLE2...but you know how everyone has that proverbial devil and angel on their shoulders, giving them advice? I have a confession to make: I am cursed with only devils. Devils on every shoulder. Behold, a conversation:

Devil on my left shoulder: Release a fake snippet of James and Florence and pretend they’re still together in TLE3 just to watch the world burn 😈😈😈

Me: um, ok sure that is an option. Or, hear me out, we could instead share a nice little snippet that is both genuine and doesn't give too much away—

Devil on my right shoulder (in a gremlin voice): RELEASE THE JILY KISSSSSS 😈😈😈

Me: …I need a new brain, pls.

Anyway, I've been sitting on this snippet for actual years and it's oddly enough the least spoilery thing I have written for TLE3, so have at it, folks. Think of it as me giving you something to hold onto through these dark, Florence-infested days ahead. 😉

(I got carried away and didn't want to cut it off so you get the whole dang scene...I better be forgiven for the great anti-Florence uprising of 2021 is all I'm saying 🤣🤣🤣)

Excerpt from The Last Enemy: Marauders' End (TLE3)

“Well, you are Head Boy now.”

James slumped his elbows onto the low wall of the rooftop and let out a despondent noise. “Don’t remind me.”

“Oh, come on,” said Lily, walking over to him. “Sirius was just teasing earlier. You’re not actually upset about it, are you?”

James straightened up a bit and shot her a quick, reassuring smile that made her heart flutter. “‘Course not,” he said. “It’s just — I don’t get it. I’ve spent my entire career finding new and inventive ways to break the rules, and now I’m supposed to enforce them? I can’t imagine what Dumbledore was thinking.”

“Well, I can,” said Lily, and James looked at her in surprise. “It’s a difficult time in the world right now, isn’t it? I rather suspect the Headmaster was looking for different qualities in his Head Boy than mere ‘rule enforcer.’ He has a whole army of prefects and teachers prepared to do that unhappy job. I think he was looking for someone who could be a role model, on a broader level.”

“And that’s supposed to be me?”

Lily smiled at his dubious expression. Cocky, full-of-himself, Quidditch Hero Potter wasn’t sure he was up to the job. There was a time when she never would’ve believed it, but over the past year as she’d gotten to know him better, she’d realized that behind all the posturing and performing, the Quidditch swagger and the hair ruffling, was a boy who was desperately concerned with doing what was right.

“Yeah,” she said after a moment. “That’s supposed to be you.”

James shrugged again. “I don’t get it.”

“Because you’re still thinking about breaking rules…but I’m thinking of the boy who never once hesitated to call someone out for anti-Muggle speech. Who never once uttered the M-word, even when it was considered cool and edgy.”

“Well, that’s just being a decent—”

“I’m thinking of the boy,” said Lily loudly, “who [REDACTED FOR TLE2 SPOILERS].”

“I — you knew about that?”

“I’m thinking of the boy,” Lily went on in a softer voice, “who doesn’t like to talk about that Special Services to the School award sitting in the trophy cabinet.”

James did not have a response to this one.

“I can imagine exactly what Dumbledore was thinking,” concluded Lily, “and I’m really glad he chose you.”

James looked as though he wanted to make a joke, but couldn’t quite figure out how to get there. “Well — er — I’m really glad he chose you, too.” He ran a hand through his hair, and it was such a familiar, sweet gesture — one that used to infuriate her, no less — that she couldn’t help but stifle a giggle.

“What?” demanded James. Then he withdrew his hand from his hair and glowered at it as though it had misbehaved. “Oh. I’m doing it again. I don’t mean to.”

“Oh, with hair like that I expect it’s hard to resist.” Lily stood on tiptoes and mussed his hair herself. “Don’t touch it, it’s perfect.”

It was as though Lily had vacated her body and some foreign, flirty version of herself had taken over. As she rolled back onto her heels, she realized they were standing very close; he was gazing at her with a slightly bemused expression on his face, lips parted in a question he didn’t seem able to formulate. God, he had beautiful lips, all soft and curious.

Before she could stop herself, she leaned up and pressed her mouth firmly to his.

It wasn’t much of a kiss — she’d somewhat overestimated the space between them and thus smashed against him more forcefully than planned — and he’d hardly had a moment to realize what was happening before she’d jumped back, her hand flying to her mouth in embarrassment.

“Oh!” she gasped. “I’m sorry.”

James blinked at her. “That’s — that’s not something you’re supposed to apologize for.”

Lily didn’t respond; her hummingbird heart was fluttering about and all she could do was stand there with her hand over her mouth, staring at him, eyes wide, breath caught in her throat. The foreign, flirty creature had deserted her and once again she was merely Lily, seventeen years old and horribly, bone-shakingly nervous.

His mouth curved into that crooked half-smile of his and he stepped towards her. Slowly, he took her hand and guided it away from her mouth, then placed his palm along the line of her chin, his thumb brushing the slope of her cheek. Her gaze was locked on his as his eyebrows lifted in an infinitesimal arch: a question. Her chin dipped an answer.

And then he kissed her. A slow and gentle kiss, with none of the harsh urgency of her impulsive peck, but rather as though this — this perfect state of being — was as natural as the spin of the earth, as though this had always been here and always would be. They had all the time in the world; they need not hurry.

His hand slid to her waist and with a gust of breath she folded her arms around his neck, pressing herself deeper into the kiss. The evening enveloped them in its warmth; he was night and she was stars, and the wind that blew across the sky was the breath in his lungs, the roar of the city the sigh in her chest.

At last they pulled apart.

“Oh,” breathed Lily.

And then James began to laugh, a soft, quiet rumble that shuddered his shoulders.

“Are you — are you laughing?”

James inclined his brow towards her, solemnly shaking his head, trying to swallow a fresh burst of giggles.

“What is so funny?” Lily demanded, torn between amusement and mortification.

“I’m sorry,” he said, trying to maintain a straight face and failing. “It’s just…I have wanted to do that for so long.”

Lily leaned back. “Oh really?”

“Oh yes.”

“And…did it live up to your expectations?”

“Oooh yes.”

Then Lily started to laugh as well; she pressed her forehead to his chest, trying to muffle her giggles. They laughed until they slid to the floor under the weight of their mirth…then they sat there, collapsed into each other, their peals of laughter ringing into the night.

“We just kissed,” said Lily faintly, wiping her eyes.

“Yeah,” agreed James. “Sure did.”