#jilytober 2022

[theesteemedladydebourgh]

Kiss me. Lily, James, and the fragile hope behind beginnings.

a short, soft little something written for @jilytoberfest​ 2022 masquerade! 🥰 (that i’m only getting around to posting on here in mid-november loll) 

ty so much to Joy for being her usual joyful self ❤️

Read i let you into the garden of my loneliness on Ao3!

[charmsandtealeaves]

Charm's Jilytober Fest 2022 Master Post

Okay… finally got around to putting this together. I’ll leave this post pinned 'til December. Browse, like and reblog to your heart's content! I hold no responsibility for the feels you may or may not have reading some of these.

31 Prompts

“Smile!”

“You didn’t have to do this…”

Teaming up when they aren’t really friends

“I know, but I wanted to”

Study groups

“Why do you have two ice cream scoops but not any food”

Sirius meddles with jily

“When did we adopt your best friend”

Their wedding day

“Quick kiss me, my ex is looking”

“Don’t worry”

Sharing favourite books

“How many books do you own”

Classroom rivals

“I was here first”

“I can never hate you”

Making up after an argument

“Nah, she didn’t”

Worst memories

“Someone needs to help keep your ego under control”

“We’ll be alright”

Quiet mornings

“I couldn’t sleep”

Casually talking about their future (together)

“Hey, don’t worry. You’ve got this”

Baking together/with friends

“I did not wear the right footwear for this”

“Tell me a story”

“Why did you grab a bat/pan when you have a wand”

Wearing each other’s clothing

Writing letters to the other

[fenrir-ate-the-cat-jily]

Look at you go!!! I love the pile up on the TBR!!!

General Audiences

Rules: It is not necessary to re-read the stories given below again. Having read them once in the past past year is more than enough! This challenge will go on till the 7th of October! As and when you’re done getting a bingo, post the finished bingo card on your blog, tagging this account! Whosoever posts the proper finished bingo first, wins (or anyone who’s read all/most of these fics)

The full list of fics and authors are below the cut:

Light up the static sky by @charmingwillow

Through the rain by @bookeatingbean

Up In Arms by @mppmaraudergirl

The guide to becoming a better man for Lily Evans by @bronzeagepizzeria

A Bit of a History by @sunshinemarauder

Alchemist apprentice by @abihastastybeans

Exceeds Expectations by @ohmygodshesinsane

James Potter’s Hogwarts Express Checklist by @kay-elle-cee

Ask me again by @abihastastybeans

James Potter and the unbearable crush by @annasghosts

Checklists and Chocolate by @kay-elle-cee

The Third Time is The Charm by @allthosedarlings

Haircut by petals

Hero Without a Cape by @practicecourts

Mistletoe Mishaps by @annabtg

I thought I knew love, and then I met you by HadrianPeverellBlack

One Step At a Time by Jilybee

Pepper Up, Potter by @bookeatingbean

Jealousy by Minttulatte

Stargazing by @thecasualauthor18

James Potter and The Tape by EastWindMlk

Speaking In Flower by EastWindMlk

"Don't worry, I got you." by @pandorasteapot

Coming to You Live by @ohmygodshesinsane

Teaming Up by @joyseuphoria

This is all thanks to all those who helped me get this done on time (cuz, let’s be real, life happens). Thank you, @siriuslychessi @abihastastybeans @kay-elle-cee 🥹🥹

[jilychallenge]

UPDATED WITH BUTTERFLY 🦋 FIC added- just FYI me figuring there must just not have been a challenge that month…since I couldn’t find your fic, is a compliment of sorts in itself :)

Dear Ray, Sweet Charms,

As I was looking up this month's sign ups, I noticed something... Your name was not there, perhaps you forgot, perhaps you are a little busy which is absolutely fine! BUT I thought I'd take a look at your Jilychallenge history...

Since September 2022 (two years ago, people) you have signed up for every challenge and have posted within the set dead-lines for every one!

For special events you've even written more than one fic (December Jily Calender 2022) and all your stories have been absolutely lovely!

Let's put them all down here, people check out these fics, their stunning banners and leave your love for a wonderful person who has given us so much !

Back to School - September 2022

Jilytober- no jilychallenge

Nostalgic Tropes November 2022

December Calendar 2022 - Eat Snow

December Calendar 2022 - You Need to Branch Out

December Calendar 2022 - Resting Grinch Face

January 23 - One and One Is Two

Valentine Fic Exchange - no Jilychallenge

February 23 - Feelings keep running the Red

March 23 - Ties That Bind ( Soulmates)

April 23 - Meet Me At The River

May 23 - Mother's Day May

June 23 - Ice Breaker (collab with @jamesunderwater)

July 23 - Midnight Dip

August 23 - A Reason To Fight

September 23 - Sugar Quills

Jilytober - no Jilychallenge

November 23 - The x-Change Principle

December 23 - Mistletoe Adventures

Jan 24 - Fight Or Flight Response

February 24 - Grey Carpet Area

March 24 - The Stag Prince Across the Sea

April 24 - Knight in Shining Armour

May 24- Hockey and Headaches

June 24 - To Take Up An Oar

July 24 - The Co-habitation Agreement

August 24 - ...

... We can safely say you hold the record of consecutive jilychallenges, this post is therefore dedicated to you!

Thank you @charmsandtealeaves for all your jily-challenge support

[arianatwycross]

Hi my tumblr name is arianatwycross (this is not my real name but you may call me A or Ari) I'm a pommy that lives in Australia, I have a golden retriever that owns my heart and I'm addicted to cheesy romance novels.

I write mostly Jily but have been known to delve into Romione and am dipping my toe in some wolfstar!

last updated 18.03.24

Jily

Multi-chapters:

The Process of Wanting- University Muggle AU / Jily-microoops March prompts

Headlines - Muggle AU / Popstar James

once upon a dream - WIP Hogwarts AU / Lily has a crush

To send or not to send? - (Two Parts) 2023 April Jily Challenge / Theme: Letters, Notes and Texting

A (not so) bad day - (Two Parts) - Hogwarts idiots in love

We'll be a fine line -WIP a chapter a day for jilytober 2022 / a muggle au

Only for the Summer -WIP Rated E / Muggle Job AU / Friends to Lovers

Beach Reading -  Rated T. July 2022 Jily Challenge / Theme: Summer Prompt: “i really, really need this summer job, so please stop distracting me with your wiles/good looks. you’re going to get me fired”

The Art of Fake Dating - WIP written with @vertraymer / For the Mixed Up Writer Fest 2022 / Prompt: Fake dating AU!

Unlearnable - WIP, Rated M. Muggle AU. Angst.

Strawberry Lipstick State of Mind - Rated E. Canon. Seventh Year.

Just a touch - Rated E

Teenage Kicks - Rated E / Celeb AU with minor wolfstar

you are the sun - Rated M (Three-parts) Muggle AU/Secret Relationship

One Shots:

Skinny Dipping Part 1 - a jilymicrofic

Just the two of us - Hogwarts / Forced proximity, Hurt/Comfort

A Sweet Meet Cute - Muggle AU, small town romance

A romance of their own - Jily Valentine Gift Exchange 2023 / Celeb AU

Wet, Cold & Bothered - Rated M / 2022 Jily Challenge December Christmas challenge; prompt: Snowball fights

Muggle Christmas Traditions - Rated G/ 2022 December Christmas Jily Challenge. Prompt: The night before Christmas

The One Where Remus Has no Filter - Rated G. Jily Challenge December Christmas challenge

a year and 22 days - Rated T. Summer of Jily 2022 / lyric: all that I know is you caught me at the right time —"golden hour" (kacey musgraves) Scenario: late evening with friends in the garden

The One Where Petunia Can't Drive - April JilyChallenge / Meet uglies + prompt "i hit you with my car/broom and was the only one to visit you in the hospital"

two fools - Rated T / Feb 2022 Jily Challenge romance theme + prompt " “It’s not like I've thought about kissing you, or anything…”

Shut up & Kiss me - Rated M / December Jily Challenge, Winter theme. Muggle AU

Crush Phase - Rated T. Muggle AU

A Year Later - Rated M / Jily Challenge August 2021 . Muggle AU

consciously unaware - Rated GA / Jilytober 2021 bingo (5 prompts in one). Canon, friends to lovers.

Say my name - Rated M. Canon.

Romione

Multi-chapters:

Backseat Rider - Rated T / Muggle AU

One Shots:

Willow - Rated GA. Written for M.Windsor for the 2021 HP Romione Discord Secret Santa!

It’s better In the front seat… - Rated M (Backseat Rider One shot)

Confessions - Rated E / Canon

Books & Freckles - Rated T

Nobody Compares - Rated T / Muggle AU, professional football player Ron

Wolfstar

Skinny Dipping Part 2 - a wolfstarmicrofic

Teenage Kicks Spinoff coming soon!

[kay-elle-cee]

I'm trying to sort my brain to get ready for the @jilytoberfest 31 prompts and find myself at a crossroads:

In 2022, I wrote several short fics in the canon universe. Last year, I had a theme that I stuck to for all 31 (meet-cutes).

So the question is:

*The results of this poll are not legally binding

[emeralddoeadeer]

A complete list of complete fics, read on Ao3 *updated March 2024

a touch of magic (a magic touch)

Canon - Rated G, 2k - Lily Evans learns about magic

a day like any other 

Canon - Rated G, 1.5k - Sixth year Hogwarts. From Tumblr prompt asks: Having a bad day and the other noticing

Just some guy 

Modern AU - Rated T, 10.2k - A chance encounter, two random strangers. When Lily and James collide, sparks fly... but maybe it's not so random.

Specular 

Canon - Rated T, 3.1k - A collection of 100-word drabbles from Jilytober 2023, 31 Prompts in 31 Days

What I've felt, what I've known 

Mixed Canon/Modern AU - Rated T, 600 words - A collection of drabbles for @thegobletofweasleys jily week 2023

you don't know me (but I know you) 

Modern AU - Rated T, 3.6k - Lily has a crush, she knows his face well but can only imagine his name; until they meet that is. written for @thegobletofweasleys jily week 2023

Class of '78

Canon Divergent - Rated M, 38k - A reunion at Hogwarts five years post-graduation.

the days are bright and filled with pain

Canon Divergent - Rated T, 1.5k - Christmas Eve with the Potters.

Synthesis 

Canon - Rated T, 3.1k - A collection of 100-word drabbles from Jilytober 2022, 31 Prompts in 31 Days

this time I'll remember 

Modern AU - Rated T, 24k - Frank and Alice are getting married, but theirs isn't the only love story. written for efkgirldetective's Summer of Jily 2022

Everlong

Modern Au - Rated M - 273k - Second chances Jily. A journey through pain, miscommunications and complexities of the heart.

Times Like These

Modern Au - Rated T - 6.5k - Everlong extension, moments of their story (past and future).

Tiny drabbles

you just have to ask

a hint of possibility

The Less I Know the Better

Don't need to look no further

Labyrinth

Canon - Rated T, 3.1k - A collection of 100-word drabbles from Jilytober 2021, 31 Prompts in 31 Days

One hundred and sixteen minutes... 

Canon - Rated T, 1k - Jilytober'21 bittersweet angst to fluff.

Something So Simple

Canon - Rated M, 1.8k - A stolen moment brings Jily closer when James helps Lily work out some tension.

Laying Claim 

Rated T, 1k - A game of beach volleyball has Lily seeing green... written for efkgirldetective's Summer of Jily 2022

Lucky Star

Modern AU - Rated G, 2k - A spiralling Lily makes assumptions, who's being an idiot in all this? written for jilychallenge july'21

In the blink of an eye

Canon - Rated G, 2.3k - James is pushed to his limits, angsty. written for Tumblr Training Prompt Tuesday

Unaccounted For

Canon - Rated T, 1.4k - Where are half the Gryffindor 7th years and why are they missing?

[takeariskao3]

2022 Wrapped

tagged by @displayheartcode & @hinnyfied 💖

Post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular)

confessions should be better planned this little oneshot really challenged my storytelling and how to convey my sense of humor. i’m very proud to say that it ended up exactly how i wanted. 

enough of both another oneshot that i put together for ttb summer soireé, the idea of harry and ginny as newlyweds is so so interesting to me and i like the idea of them writing letters during their brief bouts of long distance

what we had become (before we ever had begun) this was a brain worm that Would Not Leave Me Alone until i finally wrote it all down. it was my first contribution to jilytober (even though it’s jilypad) and i think i’m most proud that i not only wrote it but had the courage to post, because it is not my usual content. 

already gone i dove headfirst into the angst, which has never felt like a strength of mine, and decided to fully commit to the bit. this one surprised me so much, i have no outline, no real plan, i am pantsing the shit out of it and i love it so so much

the path from you 104,000 words, two spin offs, and twelve chapters later, the universe that lives in my mind because of this fic has completely taken over my life. and we are only half done. i love the journey harry and ginny are on and i love that so many other people love it too

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year

the path from you PART 2 - i really want to finish part one by april and kickstart part 2 (neville/pansy & ron/padma) by the second half of the year

spring fever - a contribution to @hpknotfest that is self-indulgent smut and i’m not gonna be ashamed about it LOL

ginny potter and the honeymoon of horrors - i’ve mentioned this one in passing several times and i really *really* like it. it is so stupid and so fun. 

a crack fic that i am writing with @nuatthebeach ... no comment

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year

drafting - though i still want to get better at drafting, i am miles ahead of where i was a year ago. i have really embraced the imperfect first draft and my writing is so much better for it

plotting - i used to be a pantser through and through, but tackling a multichap action fic forced me to actually outline. 

prose - this is so general but i really feel like the rhythm and emotion in my exposition has improved. i’ve found new ways of saying things and added so much depth to my characters because of it. 

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year

i really want to be a better problem solver, i know i have a good imagination but when what i outlined doesn’t immediately work on the page i get really discouraged, so i want to be more creative in working through my bouts of writer's block

along the same lines, i’d like to be able to *trust* my decision making and not constantly need outside reassurance for my story decisions.. (i really need to thank @narukoibito @nuatthebeach and @fairsquare16 for helping me through this year. i could not have done any of this without them)

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year

My favorite line that i’ve written this year hasn’t been posted yet... it’s from a later chapter of the path from you:

Harry kissed her the way he’d always wanted to, the way he should’ve the moment Tom Riddle’s body had crumpled to the floor.

Tagging @thedarkestgreys @dammitgranger @seriouslysam8 @theresthesnitch

[practicecourts]

Fic Stats Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most bookmarks, fourth most comments, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words. =

Thanks @wearingaberetinparis and @startanewdream for tagging me

most hits Head Over Handlebars For You (5100) Muggle AU, multichap almost, almost finished (Haha, i've been saying that a while, but this time it's true). The very fortunate James Potter fears his luck has run out when he has an accident in Amsterdam.The less-than-fortunate Lily Evans falls head over feet for the stranger she fished out of the canal.

second most kudos It Was A Clear Black Night, A Clear White Moon (99) written for November JilyChallenge 2022. One-shotWhen Lily sees James slip out of the Castle late at night during a full moon, she decides, stupidly perhaps, to follow him.

3. third most bookmarks Shall We Shag Now Or Later? (14) After an Order Mission gone wrong, James Potter and Lily Evans need to stay under cover in a secret Order safe house. (M-rated)

4. fourth most comments (shared place with nr 3 ⬆) Snow Magic (21 threads) A happy Potter Family MomentWritten for the December Jily Calender 2022 - prompts First Snow for which @constancezin made the sweetest & loveliest art, (also on AO3)

5. fifth most words (actually 6th to avoid doubles) Beggin’ Written for 2022 Jilytober Masquerade, the prompt had lots of fluff potential but this became something different, I blame the fact Halloween was coming. Peter finds himself on the doorstep of Godric's Hollow on the 31st of October 1985...

6. least words (There are shorter ficlets in the one word prompts...) but for easy finding I picked this one: Summer Time (417) Written for Mystery Microfic May. Fluff

I think most people have been tagged so if you weren't and want to do this, consider this your tag!! I'm sorry if you've done this already ;-) @turanga4 @hinnyfied @moonawrites @downn-in-flames @tiffanytoms @only-that-but-that @oneofthesirens @suzyq31

[siriuslychessi]

I posted 944 times in 2022

That's 469 more posts than 2021!

18 posts created (2%)

926 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@galahadwilder

@actuallyyangxiaolong

@shehatedhimnahshedidnt

@lupinatic

@whereintheworldiskamalakhan

I tagged 50 of my posts in 2022

#blackinnon - 15 posts

#sirius black - 13 posts

#marlene mckinnon - 12 posts

#padfoot - 11 posts

#blackinnonfest2022 - 7 posts

#meme - 7 posts

#jily - 6 posts

#writing - 5 posts

#fanart - 4 posts

#potterverse - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#you can ship whatever and multiple ships with the same characters

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Soulmate - Sirius/James/Lily !!!

I'm glad to see someone enthusiastic lol

"Git" the word appeared on his side, bold big, it even had a shadow on it, and he wasn't sure why was that.

Git was a fairly common word that anyone could call him at any given moment for any given reason, and James Potter had received a very few gits in his life, earned and not, but they never seem too romantic towards him, nor he felt anything special towards the person uttering those words.

You would think the universe would choose a better word to recognise your soulmate by, other than git, wouldn't you?

6 notes - Posted March 10, 2022

#4

First Sentence Game

Thanks for the tag @blitheringmcgonagall

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have fewer than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns.

Favorite Line: You know that line that they feed you about couples, the one that says the first kiss is always the perfect kiss?

Frustration (Potterverse, Jily)

Snow always made things quiet and gorgeous at Hogwarts, at least outside of the castle.

The Dare (Potterverse, Jily)

It started with a party, didn’t all great things start like that?

07 AU Everybody Lives (Potterverse, Jilytober)

Summer, a flickering season that started okay; with the sun shining through the clouds and always ended with shirts soaked in sweat and the promise of a recurrent sunburn if you forgot to apply sunscreen.

06 Dancing (Potterverse, Jilytober)

There were so many pictures around the house that he usually didn’t remember when they were taken, or what exactly was the point of his having one photo on the small Christmas tree.

05 Lily finding about Remus/Animagi (Potterverse, Jilytober)

Blood, blood everywhere, that’s how the morning after the full moon had found James and his friends.

04 Forced proximity (Potterverse, Jilytober)

It wasn't his plan, this wasn't his plan.

03 Sneaking out after hours (Potterverse, Jilytober)

James found a way to sneak the Cloak from home for his seventh year.

02 Head Boy/Head Girl Fight (Potterverse, Jilytober)

James Potter was a teen boy, a man in wizard years, and to anyone that new James Potter they would say his biggest trait was that he was fun to be around.

01 First Kiss (Potterverse, Jilytober)

You know that line that they feed you about couples, the one that says the first kiss is always the perfect kiss?

Más de una década (Potterverse, Sirius and Remus friendship, Spanish)

Doce años, nueve meses, tres semanas y cuatro días era el tiempo exacto en el que a Sirius se le ocurrió por última vez pisar esa casa.

Risas (Potterverse,Mary MacDonald, Spanish)

Cuando la guerra llegó a la vida de Mary ella no supo muy bien cómo reaccionar.

Salvation & Damnation (PJO)

The streets of Los Angeles weren’t riddled with homeless people,

We Are all Flawed (Potterverse)

Horace Slughorn was a man of refined taste;

See the full post

6 notes - Posted February 19, 2022

#3

WIP Game

Tagged by @annabtg

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

Robin Hood – Jily – AU

Percy Jackson – Saint Seiya – AU

Goong - Marauders/Jily/Blackinnon AU

Coffee Princes - Blackinnon/Jily AU

The Prank – HTGAW style - Marauders

Doctor - Teacher - Jily

Soulmate - Sirius/James/Lily

Last Christmas AU - Jily

Tedromeda - Persephone’s myth

10 things I hate about you - Blackinnon

Kimi no na wa AU - Jily

Fruit Basket AU - Marauders

Bake Off AU - Jily

Cursed Smutt - Blackinnon

First Kiss - Jily (challenge)

1st War - Jily (challenge)

Tagging: @siriusuntiltheveryend @midnightelite @blitheringmcgonagall @matrixaffiliate and anyone else that wants to join.

8 notes - Posted March 10, 2022

#2

I’m not ready for my jily mutual to all turn into wolfstar, my Blackinnon ass is not doing its work 😂

12 notes - Posted November 13, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

James Potter parents' names

I don't know why this topic has been going around lately, we were talking in various groups about the change of names of Harry's grandparents, and the fandom just going with the flow. How much is fandom accepted and how much is actually canon? is the general questions so I thought that maybe some of you would be interested in a little fandom history.

If you are not, it's fine, you can skip this post. (I'll even put it under read more)

I don't want to make a big long post so here is the brief story, as best as I can put it. Ever since PoA being published in 1999 there had been stories about the Marauders, their relationship with Harry Potter, and a bunch of other things that we came to know as fanon.

However, from 1999 until 2006, we didn't have any idea on what Harry's grandparents names were, we still don't know what the Evans were called. Yet, at some point in 2006 JKR gave us a tiny piece of information, something small that we grabbed hold to it for deer (pun intended) life, and didn't want to let go of, and it was the Black Family Tree:

This was hand drawn by JKR for an auction, you can read more about it here, and we all just went wild with head canons.

As you can see, one of Walburga's (Sirius' mother) aunts, was name Dorea Black, and she married a Charlus Potter, they had one child, nameless, and we all just assumed that child was James Potter.

Why? you may ask.

We knew James parents were an elderly couple. Dorea being older than Orion and Walburga made sense. So the nameless child became James Charlus Potter (because we all know the middle name is always the dad's name).

After years of this, JKR decided to update her website, that was filled with puzzles and little details of the characters, and created Pottermore. Here she added another nugget of information about the Potters and it was that James parents' names, giving us Fleamont and Eupemia Potter, the names we have come to grow and love as well.

Yet from almost 9 years from 2006 to 2015, Dorea and Charlus held a special space in our hearts and this is why, if you decide to read vintage fanfiction, you will see these name being plastered around without any disregards, as it was fanon fuelled by a little bit of canon, as most ideas start in many of our communities.

52 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[maraudersftw]

"Oh god. How long have you been standing there?"

Congrats love!!! ❤❤❤

Hey, Lauren! Remember when you sent this? 💖 Neither do I 🥲 But I wrote something for it, so thank you, queen!

Fighting Fear

Through the light veil of intoxication clouding his vision, he spots her across the room, stood near the fireplace with Mary Macdonald, a cup of punch in hand.

“—how he did that swerve and roll when the bludger came his way! Are you listening, Prongs? What’s—” Sirius’s annoyed tone morphs into a heavy sigh the very next second, and James doesn’t even need to turn to know that he’s spotted the girls too. “Ah. Suppose I’ve lost you now, then.”

With a self-admonishing shake of his head, James looks away, shifting so that his back faces the fireplace now; not entirely eliminating the temptation but lessening his masochistic tendencies somewhat. “It’s nothing,” he makes himself say, chugging a huge gulp of his own punch and instantly regretting the move when his insides recoil with horror. “I’m fine. It’s over… whatever it was.”

“Is it really?” Sirius asks, looking exasperated. “Because not a single person in the room—no, fuck that; the castle—would believe that, given the fat fucking clouds of gloom the two of you seem to carry around with you these days.”

James clenches his jaw. “What do you want me to say, Padfoot? I did what I could, but—”

“You gave up.”

That does it.

“She is the one who went fucking silent on me!” he hisses, fingers clenching around his now-empty cup. “I told her how I felt, I asked her out, because you—all three of you!—told me she had to feel the same way, and then I scared her off. It’s exactly what I'd feared, and now—”

“Stop whining for a moment, would you?” Sirius glares, snatching the crushed cup away from James's hand for no apparent reason. “She didn’t go fucking silent on you; she said she needed some time.”

“Yes, to think of how to let me down gently, no doubt.”

“You know, Prongs, Evans has called you arrogant ‘bout a dozen times in the past, but now is when you really need to pull your head out of your arse, mate,” he scoffs. “Give the bird a bloody chance. She’s never had her feelings all sorted out, like you have. She clearly likes to complicate matters and overthink them to death, and I shouldn’t have to tell you this, because you already know it! If you just stopped panicking like a headless bloody chicken, you’d see all of this more rationally.”

“Merlin,” James mutters, ears a little red. “What’s with you suddenly?”

“I’m tired of watching you mope around and be miserable. Disbalances the atmosphere in the dormitory.”  

“Right.”

“Are you gonna let her talk to you then? She’s been trying since Thursday.”

“I know,” James sighs, runs a hand through his hair. “I’m just—”

“Scared of getting your heart broken, I know,” says Sirius, rolling his eyes, though not without fondness. “That’s not going to happen. No one chases the person they want to reject quite that badly. If Remus hadn’t stopped her, she might’ve marched down to the locker rooms after the match today to find you.”

“You’re kidding,” James whispers, sudden images flashing through his mind about this potential confrontation that could have taken place. He thinks he sort of regrets its non-occurrence now. “You… really think I should take a chance?”

“For fuck’s sake, yes!” Sirius barks, eyes jumping towards the fireplace for a beat. “And I’d do it soon, too, because from the look of things, Evans has clearly started thinking you want nothing to do with her anymore.”

“What?” James frowns, turning around to find only Mary standing near the large, scarlet couch, glaring with undisguised annoyance right at him. “Okay, she does not seem well pleased.”

“No shit.”

“Where’d Evans go?”

“Outside,” Sirius replies, clapping James firmly on the back. “Now go fix this or Macdonald won’t be the only one hexing your balls off.”

“You can try,” he says, mostly distracted as his feet carry him towards the portrait hole. Heart thundering behind rib-cage, skin too red-warm, breathing a little unsteady, James opens the portrait to step out, all the while trying not to completely lose it.

At first, the corridor looks seemingly empty; quiet and unoccupied given the late hour, and he wonders how she could’ve possibly gone somewhere far so quickly. But then a soft, rustling noise catches his attention, and his eyes scan the space to land on the barely-visible movement of a shadow within the nearest alcove.

He swallows, keeps his footsteps light so as to not startle her, and moves closer.

However, before he can traverse the entire distance, she steps out of the darkness, a soft gasp of surprise escaping her lips when she notices him, feet coming to an instant halt. At the sight of her, something in his chest flutters madly, then tightens to the point of pain; her eyes are sad and red-rimmed.

“Oh god,” Lily says, “How long have you been standing there?”

“I haven’t—I just came outside to—not long,” he blabbers like an idiot, feeling worse by the second. Fuck, had she really been out here, crying by herself? “I came looking for you, actually.”

“Really?” she asks, and he finds his brows climbing high when she juts out her chin a little defiantly. The action almost makes him smile with its familiarity; but only almost. “Are you just saying that because you ran into me here and have nowhere to go? Because from what I’ve seen, James, you haven’t seemed very interested in even looking at me lately, let alone looking for me.”

Merlin, this wasn’t going well. “Evans—”

“So, if awkwardness is all you’re trying to avoid, please don’t worry. I can leave you be in peace. You don’t have to feel bad—”

“Lily, stop.” He frowns, takes a step closer so she’ll see he means to go nowhere. “I’m not here because I felt bad or anything like that—although, yes, I’m not feeling too grand at the moment. I came here to tell you I’m sorry.”

He’s surprised her again; the tension evaporates from her shoulders gradually, green eyes widening. “What?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been such a prat.” James runs a hand through his hair, finds it difficult, suddenly, to keep holding her gaze. “I knew you were trying to talk to me, but I kept avoiding you because I was scared that you’d—” say it, say it! “—that you’d say no. Or worse, that you wouldn’t even want to be my mate anymore. It was just easier to run away from that, I suppose.”

He breathes out deeply, feeling a strange sense of relief even as his heart still continues to trill in anxiety. Lily blinks, lips parted, expression painted in stunned disbelief.

He rushes to add: “That’s not to say that I still feel the same way! I mean, am I afraid? Well, yes, deathly. But I’m ready to accept whatever your answer is, Evans, I promise I am. I never should have expected you to have an immediate response anyway, and I know that—that you probably don’t feel the same way, but I respect your feelings, so… yeah.”

Fucking hell, his face feels like it’s positively on fire.

But at least his embarrassing spiel has resulted in light pink splotches on Lily’s cheeks too, which he notices only a little too well when she steps even closer, leaving barely any space between them.

“So, you were not avoiding me because you changed your mind?”

“Changed my mind?”

“About how you feel… about me,” she elaborates, voice quiet.

He can only gape in response. “You have to be kidding me. Are you absolutely mental? You thought I could just move on, change my mind, about you in four bloody days?” He scoffs, or laughs, or sobs a little—it’s hard to tell. “Honestly, Lily, that’s the most ridiculous—"

“James,” she says softly, effectively shutting him up, and in that half of a millisecond in between, James thinks that if she’s about to let him down after saying his name like that, she’ll need to take a lesson or hundred on how not to be heartbreakingly cruel. Thankfully, what she does instead is smile the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen on her, and pull him down with a light tug on his jumper. “Thank you for respecting my feelings, but I very much feel the same way.”

And before his brain can even catch up with the words, before the grin on his face has any time to materialize, Lily’s lips slide softly over his, stealing his breath, heart and sense all in one fell swoop.

[charmsandtealeaves]

Hi Charms! 9, 28, 33, 36 for "36 WIP questions" please : D

9. What inspired your WIP/how did you think of it?

Evans Guide to Quidditch was inspired by my friends and I doing our teams for the NRL fantasy league.

Revenge Tastes Sweeter- inspired by Jilytober fest 2022

Wake Me Up (When September Ends) ~ loosely inspired by stuff going on in my life 10 years ago.

28. What is the strangest thing you’ve had to research for your WIP?

For Evans Guide to Quidditch I ended up down a bit of a sporting rabbit hole. But I couldn’t classify that as strange.

33. What are your favorite tropes you use in your WIP?

idiots to lovers? I feel like that’s the overarching thing in most of my WIPs

36. What is the message you want readers to take away from your WIP?

I’m gonna go with Wake Me Up (When September Ends) for this one: Grief is not a place to wallow alone, it’s a time where you have to be strong enough to let people in.

WIP Asks

[constancezin]

I got a confession...

I love jily even in october

[startanewdream]

The polaroid

(For @jilytoberfest, prompt #1, smile!)

The camera had been a gift Sirius had bought himself in a Muggle store to supposedly celebrate the end of the term, but so far James hadn’t seen Sirius take one photo from himself. Rather, Sirius was motioning people, arranging them in funny poses, having the time of his life.

"Sirius looks like a director," said an amused voice next to James; Lily had just thrown herself on the couch next to him.

James tried to ignore the way his heart raced.

"Director?"

"Movie director," she explained, watching him with the same amusement. "You know, those Muggle animated photos I told you about?"

"Oh, sure. Cinema."

Lily smiled; her smile was brighter than the flashes of the camera as far as James was concerned.

"Everyone seems to love it."

James blinked. "What?"

She moved her hand, showing around. "The Polaroid." Lily chuckled. "It’s funny how wizards have moving photos and yet a Polaroid is making everyone crazy to take a picture."

"Well," started James. Lily was looking at him and that made something as normal as thinking more difficult in his brain. "Wizarding pictures take time to develop. There is something even more magical in seeing your picture right after it's taken."

"I guess--and at least you know sooner if you looked horrible in the photo."

Her tone was teasing, an open invitation to join him in her joke and yet James found himself saying: "I don’t think you could look horrible in any photo, Evans."

There was a moment of silence; Lily’s eyes glinted under another flash, and then it hit James what he had just said.

"I mean," he started hurriedly before she could say anything, "Sirius is a great director, have you seen the photo he took from Remus and Sir Nicholas? It looks as if Remus is a ghost, it was the perfect timing, the head was almost falling--"

His voice died, painfully aware he was just babbling; luckily, after a long second, Lily just let out a laugh.

"Yeah, it was a funny photo," she agreed.

James breathed again. "As you said, Sirius is a director. He should do a movie."

She bit her lower lip; that was very distracting.

"Have you ever seen one?"

"What?"

"A movie."

"No--we almost went during the winter break, but then we missed it."

"Oh, that’s fine." She breathed deeply, then looked around almost distractedly. "The best movies are out in the summer anyway. We should see one."

James wished he could answer that, but he had definitely lost his ability to speak. Was this... Evans couldn't... had she...

It seemed a lot like she had just proposed they went out in a date this summer, and James needed to ask her about this, he couldn’t keep wondering...

But the moment he turned at her, there was a distraction in the shape of Sirius.

"Smile!" He cried, and there was just time enough for Lily to put her arms around James' shoulder before the flash of light blinded James.

He blinked, trying to see through the dark spots in his eyes, but by the time his vision returned, Lily had already stood up, taking the camera from Sirius' hand.

Her face was flushed as she fanned herself with the developing photo.

James braced himself again to ask her what he must, but once more he was interrupted.

"Here," said Lily, giving him the picture. "We don’t look so terrible together."

And with a wink, she departed.

James looked at the photo. They were both smiling, though his smile looked dizzy, as if he had just been hit by a bludger; and Lily -- she wasn’t staring at the photographer, but rather at him. With her arm around his shoulder and the way she was smiling, a bit nervous but also certain, it almost looked as if they were a couple...

James had to agree with her. They didn’t look terrible together at all.

[theresthesnitch]

Chapter 9: The Beginning

Now Complete

Read from Chapter 1, or read the final chapter here.

Instead of a preview, I just want to thank all of you for your love and attention to this fic. It's this idea that I had built around this single moment, and the way it came together is so much more than I ever expected. I'm truly in awe of the love you've shown it, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the end.

Happy Halloween and Jilytober, everyone.

Snitch ❤️

[arianatwycross]

we'll be a fine line

I started this fic in 2022 for Jilytober - here I am finally finishing it! (apologies)

Previously: James and Lily are finding their feat fresh into their relationship. On a visit to James' parents, Lily confronts James about her ring that she's had since high school.

Chapter 29

“It was a group present,” James answers tentatively.  Lily gives him a frown he hasn’t seen in years, shame prickles his neck.  “Your mum just explained that it used to be your grandmother's engagement ring.”  He swallows. He definitely should have informed his mum otherwise, but maybe this was the way this was supposed to happen - things tend to blow up behind his back.  “Yes, it was.” He admitted solemnly.  “So why did the card say it was from everyone?”

continue reading here on A03