#mary as the dead best friend because lily slept with james ?

[quillkiller]

a regulily fleabag au would go so hard

[neptune-stars]

i know that we never actually got much info about the marauders era but we do know that lily had friends other than her husband and his friends, and i would really love to elaborate on that

imagine alice (as she’s two years older than lily, i believe, in canon, although i’m not sure) being a bit like a big sister to lily after petunia all but disowns her. imagine mary mcdonald studying with lily in the library and giggling over an oblivious remus. imagine marlene teaching lily how to braid her hair and dorcas teaching her pureblood customs. imagine the girls building forts under their blankets at night and generally being best, best friends like sisters

imagine the girls all being bridesmaids at lily’s wedding - alice and mary and marlene and dorcas (the maid of honor is left empty, for a blood sister that doesn’t bother to show). imagine lily introducing them to harry as ‘auntie marlene’ and ‘aunt dorcas’ and ‘aunt mary’ and ‘your godmum, aunt alice’. imagine them fighting back to back against death eaters, side by side always. imagine them jumping in front of curses for each other, even though they all know the risks, but not caring because a life without eachother isn’t really a life at all.

marlene dies first. she’s killed by voldemort himself, her and her brothers and her mum - lily tries valiantly to herself together, if not for her sake but for dorcas, whos inconsolable in her grief.

dorcas goes next. she was never the same after marlene died - she used riskier moves, slept less, and overall, lily really did think dorcas was almost begging for death. voldemort decided she had gone to far when she (as the chief editor of daily prophet) wrote a long piece about voldemort’s true name and half-blood status - he killed her the day afterwards, but mercifully, as she was, technically, a pure blood, and even though she had angered him like nothing before, he would respect his ancestors.

lily dies only a few weeks after dorcas does, and she dies just as bravely as her sisters in all but blood did - she sacrificed herself for her son. she cursed herself for trusting pettigrew, wishing they had used someone else, anyone else, instead, as lily and james and all of harry’s aunts watched him be abused from the world above with nothing they could possibly do to help.

alice is practically empty, really, now that Riddle is gone, and nearly all her family gone (both her parents and her little sister were killed a few years before, ss was her father-in-law, and now all she had left in blood relations is her big brother, who owns an icecream shop in diagon), and she is still grieving when the death eaters break past the wards and into her house. the yell of crucio envelopes her but she refuses to yell, refuses to cry, because she is alice anne fortesque-longbottom and she will not cry, not with her baby so close - and bellatrix screams in rage of having a silent victim, and alice’s mind snaps. alice is stuck inside of her head until she dies and she finds herself wishing the crazy bitch had just killed her instead.

mary is a shell, a ghost of what she once was. everyone is dead, now, or gone somehow - marlene and dorcas and lily dead, alice as good as, her sisters really all gone. james, someone she had seen as a brother, was gone too, and peter pettigrew (she never liked him, still thought he was a creep after he basically stalked her for years at hogwarts, but she couldn’t help but feel bad at his tragic end), and sirius black, who she actually had enjoyed the company of, as he was often at the potter household just as much as she was, was incarcerated in azkaban. he doesn’t get a trial and when she visits him finally, after nine months of asking, he tells her he didn’t do it, and mary believes him. because to sirius and james, it would always and forever be them before anything else (mary knows that’s james would choose sirius over lily, just as lily would choose mary over james, because siblings trump all), but as she is not a powerful Lady of houses, she doesn’t quite have the influence to demand a trial. she sticks with visiting him every few months, sneaking in chocolate bars and thick blankets. she tries to send an owl off to remus, but it comes back unopened, and she realizes he always was the type to wallow, so she lets him be. she tries more than anything to visit harry, to gain custody of him from lily’s wicked sister, but stops only when dumbledore threatens to report her to the ministry for stalking, and, when that doesn’t work, threatens to stop allowing meetings between her and sirius (and dumbledore knows that sirius black is innocent, mary knows he does, and mary also knows that dumbledore is chief warlock and could get sirius a trial if he wanted too, but if sirius does get freed that would mean he would get custody of harry and for some reason dumbledore would never all that) so she backs off. mary goes to france ministry and gets a job as an auror, studying law on the side, but she never does get to meet harry again - she dies at a stray curse by a high level crimes boss near the eiffel tower, and the light glows over her body softly as it cools.

the sisterhood is united once more.

[childoftimeandmagic]

Trust One Another

AUGUST JILY CHALLENGE | @childoftimeandmagic vs @elanev91             first wizarding war + James and Lily find themselves relegated to                                                          mundane chores around the safe house until they                                                  can stand each other enough to not compromise a                                                mission by calling each other “giant ninnies” or                                                      "arrogant pillocks"

You can also read it on AO3 and FF.NET

                                         August 29th, 1979

“That’s it I’m done with these two, Albus they can’t go on another mission together!” Mad-Eyes voice was ringing through the hall. He was also holding his left arm which was bleeding heavily, most likely the result of a hex from their last outing.

               “Alastor calm down, I’ll handle it. Poppy is working with Mrs. Prewett in the kitchen, go on and get patched up,” Dumbledore spoke his voice quiet and his face smooth as glass. The only way you could tell that he was intrigued was the slight lift of his mouth on the left side, like he was trying not to smile or something. Grumbling Moody walked past him blood dripping on the floor as he moved through the house. “Miss Evans would you like to explain what happened to Mr. Moody tonight?”

               “Apologies Headmaster, Potter started it. He got all bloody noble and tried to protect me from the death eaters.” She pushed a strand behind her ear looking at their former headmaster.

               “Excuse me for wanting to protect you considering you’re my girlfriend,” he grumbled crossing his arms looking at their headmaster annoyed.

               “Right well then, I’m not your girlfriend problem solved. Just a regular woman who can fight her own battles, you’re a nimrod,” she snarled at him before turning to their old headmaster.

               “I think I see the problem here, Lily you don’t value James’ efforts to protect you, and James you don’t believe that Lily can handle herself.” Albus was stroking his beard trying to decide a way to solve this problem. He couldn’t reassign them considering that the other teams were working well and it wouldn’t be fair to those teams to be broken apart because of a this rather silly issue. “Ah I have an idea, we have a safe house in Blackpool that we need maintained in case of emergencies, I am asking you two to maintain it and hopefully work on this issue together. You can leave in the morning after collecting your things.”

               Not one to wait to see that he was being listened to Dumbledore walked into the study of the Prewett home to work with McGonagall and some other adults on battle strategies. Lily looked at James who was looking like he’d been punched in the gut. Sighing she walked past him and up the stairs to her room. Packing her things, she thought over what had happened during the ambush that they’d walked into with Moody earlier that night. Lily was prideful and while she knew that James had been fair when she’d lost her wand, to prioritize her over the mission it made her furious that he had that little faith in her.

               “Heard you and Potter are getting transferred to the Blackpool safehouse in the morning,” the gentle voice of Alice Longbottom, her best friend broke through her thoughts.

               “Yeah, we messed up on this last mission with Mad-Eye so Dumbledore is sentencing us to work our shite out in a place no one can get injured if we get into an argument.

               “You know Frank and I used to have a horrible time when we were in training to be Aurors for the Ministry. We wanted to protect each other so much and in the end, we almost cost each other the job we loved.” Alice sat down on the edge of Lily’s cot and looked at her best friend.

               “I was best in our year at defensive magic, and if the ministry hadn’t enacted that ban on hiring Muggleborns for government positions I would be in Auror training right now,” Lily threw herself onto the cot next to her best friend, “it just isn’t fair that he is always trying to save me, it’s going to cost him his life one of these days.”

               “Have you talked to him about how you feel?” Alice nudged her best friend gently and looked down at the fire-head, “maybe he would understand.”

               “Maybe, anyway we’re going to have all the time in the world to talk considering we’re going to be stuck with one another in Blackpool for the foreseeable future.”

               “How the hell did you manage to leave Moody’s back uncovered during that ambush?” Sirius was looking at his best friend like he was an idiot.

               “Lily dropped her wand and I went to have her back, I didn’t know that Jackson had died, he was Mad-Eye’s partner not the two of us,” he said glaring at his best friend.

               “You know Lily has every defensive wandless spell mastered, right?” Peter asked walking in handing Remus some letters from his parents.

               “Actually, I didn’t Peter, otherwise I wouldn’t have been as frantic to protect her now would I,” James growled out glaring at his best friends. Throwing his things into his trunks he continued packing as though they weren’t there.

               “Stop giving him a tough time guys, Peter you took a hex in the leg so Mary MacDonald wouldn’t have too. Sirius, you tackled me when you thought we were being attacked and it was just fire crackers. Point being we all do stupid shite when we want to protect the people we love,” Remus spoke up looking at his three best friends who looked very sheepish.

               “We’re taking the floo at 5 am from the study, so I’m going to bed for the night lads,” James wandlessly turned out his bedside lamp and pulled the blankets over himself.

                “I hope you slept well, I’ve given Miss Evans the key to the safe house, the wards have been recharmed to allow you two to directly floo into the property,” Dumbledore said smiling at his two ex-heads as he gestured to the brick and marble fireplace. “Good luck!”

               Lily hated flooing and since they both had their apparition license she was struggling to see the reason behind this considering that floo networks were just as monitored as apparition records. While James cleared his throat, his trunk handle tightly in his hand and the floo powder in his hand he looked around the room and nodded. “Blackpool Manor!” In a flash he was gone.

               Sighing Lily shot Dumbledore her sincerest glare and copied James’ movements readying herself for the feeling of being stretched through pipes and the soot that always got in her hair. Steading herself she glared at Sirius and Alice who were both making kissy faces before shouting, “Blackpool Manor.”

               The group standing around the fireplace all looked around, before Mad-Eye cleared his throat, “Black did you get a pool going on how long it takes them to kill each other or get engaged?” He asked his one eye twinkling with untold mischief. Sirius laughed and shook his head holding out a charmed paper.

               “You’re the only one not in it yet, Dumbledore and Minny are on the engagement track, while the rest of us think James is going to be dead in a months’ time.” He handed the spelled paper to the Auror head.

               “You lot are right fools, they’ll be shagging and engaged in less than two months, well that’s my estimate,” he huffed signing his bet before handing the paper back. Laughing the group broke up to go get ready for their own missions and responsibilities.      

               Coughing James had just stepped from the fireplace when Lily landed on her feet suitcases in hand. Reaching out his hand to take on of her bags he wasn’t surprised when she waltzed past him and into the strange home. The house was decorated as though an old couple had just left in a hurry, down to the pot of tea and moldy scones on the dining table. At least James thought they were scones. Clearing his throat again he looked at the petite firebird standing by the window looking outside the living room window.

               “We should start by cleaning the house, that way it’s ready for guests and emergency stays,” she said not looking at the goofball standing by the fireplace.

               “You’re probably right Red, this place is dustier than your parents’ house,” he muttered walking around the loveseat to the door to the kitchen. “You’re going to have to go shopping the kitchen is barren.”

Lily shook her head in acknowledgement, while taking her wand from her bun and charming her suitcases to a room upstairs. Turning to the living room she started to clear the dust and the moldy plates and cups left in the dining room. She could hear things moving in the kitchen as the house started to come alive as they cleaned each room. They went about the rest of the day getting the house ready for any eventual guests they might have in the future. It was half seven when they finished and Lily was famished.

“Potter I’m going out to the chipper, would you like anything?” she called as she grabbed her wool cardigan and her tartan scarf. James leaned over the banister and blinked she looked angelic standing there looking up at him her eyebrow raised.

“Wait Evans, I’ll come with you. We should talk,” he came flying down the stairs his glasses sliding down his noes as he slipped into his jean jacket and looked at her hair a mess. Lily had to mentally pinch herself for staring at him. Pushing his glasses up his nose he looked at her confused, “What?”                

“Nothing let’s go, I’m starving,” she said opening the door and stepping out into the early fall air, holding the door for James she was itching to hold his hand.

“Did you mean it?” he started to ask looking down at her, “breaking up with me last night?”

“Can we just get our food first, I can’t talk about this on an empty stomach,” she asked throwing out her patented puppy dog pout.

“Sure, forget I brought it up,” he shoved his hands into his pant pockets and started taking the lead through Blackpool towards the direction of town. Rolling her eyes Lily had to race to catch up. Sighing she looked at him hooked her arm through his. She just winked at him and then kept pace with him through the town till they got to the chipper.

 “Alright Evans, we’re home and you’ve been dodging this question all evening,” James said taking her scarf from her as her hung up his jacket in the coat closet.

“Oh, quit being a dolt you ninny, of course we’re still dating,” she said while she wandlessly lit a fire in the fireplace.

“You sure could have fooled me last night though,” he said wrapping his arms around her waist while tugging her back towards the loveseat.

“Well you were being a shit-for-brains last night,” she murmured squirming to get out of his hold, “James I want to make tea let me up.”

“Not until we talk about the mission last night and the fact that it landed us in this safehouse,” he said his voice muffled by her hair.

“What’s to talk about you were being a massive dolt and not watching our team members remember Jackson died because you were so focused on me,” shifting around to look at him, her eyes hard and glaring at him. “We can’t be partners if you’re going to keep forgetting the mission to keep me safe.”

“Lils, you’re the love of my life,” he pulled his hands back to slide a few inches over on the loveseat, “what is so wrong about wanting to keep you safe?”

“We’re in a war James. Our lives are on the line every day and I need to know that when it comes down to it you’ll trust that I know my shit and let me protect myself,” she stood to have few inches on him.

“Lily I know you can, but I don’t want you to have too,” he said crossing his arms over his chest.

“Remember back in school when you told me that you knew there was no sense in talking me out of joining the order because you knew why I had to fight. Where did that James go?” she asked arms crossed and her voice shaking.

“That James was fucking dolt, it was before Marlene and Dearborn were murdered, we’ve lost friends in and out of the order,” he had stood himself he didn’t look angry at her though, his face was tired and stressed. “I can’t bury you Lily, I would lose my fucking mind if you died, and if that means that you’re my top priority during a mission so be it.”

She gasped as he said what she’d been thinking and then she started to laugh, she was mad because he was being reckless trying to protect her and they were doing it for the same reasons.

“Have you thought about what your death would do to me?” she asked gently placing a hand on his shoulder to try and get him to turn towards her. “I would go out of my mind if I had to bury you next to your parents at Godrics Hollow.”

               His arms wrapped around her and held her tight as he took three shaky breaths trying to keep from crying. Placing a kiss to the top of her head he chuckled himself and pulled her with him back onto the loveseat. “So what do we do?” he sounded so pitiful and terrified as though the answer generally terrified him.

               “We have each other’s back, and we trust each other to protect us without being reckless,” she said smoothing his hair and pushing his glasses up.

               “I love you Potter.”

               “Good, I love you too Evans.”

[padfootsjournal]

Too Late

She remembered telling James repeatedly that she would never marry a pig like him.

She remembered that James still insisted on proposing to her every month, even though he knew she would never give.

She remembered when the proposals stopped, and she feared that something was wrong.

She remembered telling her friend, Mary, that maybe he didn’t like her anymore. Maybe she had done something awful. Maybe he stopped caring.

She remembered Mary laughing and saying that if she doesn’t like Potter (“I don’t!”) then she sure spends a lot of time worrying wether not he likes her. (“As a friend! Not romantically!”)

She remembered denying her feelings to her friends, to herself for a long time.

She remembered when she first admitted that she had a crush on the boy, but it was too late. He had a girlfriend. He didn’t like her anymore.

She remembered becoming friends with him, and she remembered wanting something else. Something more.

She remembered counting how many times he ran his hands through his hair.

She remembered watching his knuckles slowly push up his glasses.

She remembered imagining that he was hers.

She remembered telling herself to stop.

She remembered when James told her that he had broken up with his girlfriend, and she could tell he wasn’t sad.

She remembered telling herself to stop smiling once she heard the news.

She remembered when he kissed her for the first time. It was late one night after head boy and girl duties. She was twirling her hair. He was searching her eyes. He leaned. She didn’t back away. They kissed. It was perfect.

She remembered dating him, how it was like a firework in the dark night sky.

She remembered when she told James she loved him. It sort of slipped out, and she cursed herself for doing so. Now you’ve done it. She thought. Now he will break up with you and you’ll be a sad old cat lady.

She remembered Jame’s face breaking out into a heart warming smile, and telling her that he felt the same.

She remembered their first fight, it was in the common room. He had bloody knuckles. She asked why, trying to refrain from scolding him about getting into fights. He said it was nothing. She said she knew that it was something. She demanded for him to stop. He said it was for her own good. She started to yell that she could take care of herself, thank you very much. He yelled that she couldn’t. She asked, or rather screamed, if it was because she was a girl. He didn’t answer. She felt a million eyes on them, but nobody said a word. He yelled to everyone, “don’t you wankers have something else to do with your time?” Then ran off out the portrait whole. She could feel tears coming. She mumbled, “you heard him!” Then ran off into her dormitory.

She remembered crying herself to sleep.

She remembered the next morning, he was a wreck. He had puffy eyes, his hair was more messed up than usual. He was pale. His glasses weren’t on.

She remembered him walking over to her, bursting into tears and saying that he was sorry. That he had messed up. That he was an idiot. That he knew she could take care of herself. And that the reason he had bloody knuckles was because somebody had called her a Mudblood, so he beat them up.

She remembered bursting into tears and kissing him. He really was a great guy.

She remembered the Great Hall breaking out into cheers and claps. She looked around and everyone was looking at them, even the teachers.

She remembered vowing to never fight again. They did of course, they were only human, but never that bad again.

She remembered the next few months, and how they were bliss.

She remembered when he proposed next to the lake, and how she could tell that he was half expecting her to say no. But she didn’t. She said yes. Of course she did. She needed him. He needed her. They loved each other.

She remembered when her parents died. How, when she went to their funeral, James held her hand and never let go.

She remembered missing them. The food that her Mum made. The hugs that her Dad gave. The advice that her Mum spoke. The laughs that her Dad barked. Their acceptance. Their hard work. Their fight. Their love. Their presence.

She remembered her wedding, how James cried when she walked down the aisle. How, unlike her past dreams, it was not her Dad walking her down said aisle, but Mr. Potter. How Petunia and Severus, though invited, never showed. How James held her close during their first dance and she felt invincible. How she shared a special dance with each of the Marauders: a fun and carefree one with Sirius, a formal and rehearsed one with Remus, a good natured and brotherly one with Peter. It was the best night of her life. A fairy tale.

She remembered their first flat, however small and dingy it was, it always managed to feel like home.

She remembered being terrified when she found out she was pregnant, and not telling James until the next month.

She remembered thinking that he was going to run, never come home. Instead his face broke out into a huge smile and he pulled Lily into a tight embrace, telling her how excited he was. So excited. He’d always wanted a miny “Prongslet.”

She remembered when James’s parents died. She remembered his tears. How that scared her more than anything because if he was sad then there was no hope for anybody else. How she held his hand as tightly as he had done for her during the funereal.

She remembered making sure he was alright. Making sure he ate, slept, laughed, and had fun.

She remembered telling him a million tines a day how handsome he was, because that made him smile, and that was what he needed to do.

She remembered helping him pull a prank on Sirius. Switching his shampoo to Nair. It worked. James laughed at a bald Sirius, and from then on James was back to the way he used to be. Happy. Though he was still missing a peice of him.

She remembered moving into a bigger home, partly because their baby would need a bigger place to roam and partly because James’s inheritance allowed them to do so.

She remembered the baby’s excruciating birth. She hadn’t taken any meds to stop the pain so all she had was James, kneeling next to her bed and telling her how beautiful she was, even though she knew she looked like hell.

She remembered seeing her son’s tiny little face, so innocent, so pure. She remembered feeling frightened, how could something this small survive in this awful world?

She remembered James’s expression when he first held their boy, and how it was one with the upmost joy.

She remembered all of her fears melting away in an instant. As long as they had him, they would be okay.

She remembered deciding to call their boy Harry. It was James’s idea. (“The name just seems to go you know? Harry James Potter. All fits.”)

She remembered asking Sirius to be Godfather. It was her idea, and James had kissed her so hard that she nearly fell over. (“You’re the best wife d’you know that?”)

She remembered Sirius being overjoyed and vowing to be the best Godfather ever, and showing up the next morning with a stuffed black dog, wolf, and rat. (“That way he has his Godfather and Uncles right next to ‘em! Protecting ‘em while he sleeps!”)

She remembered her first sleepless night. James was usually the one who woke up when the baby cried, as he is a remarkably light sleeper, but this time he was away on Order business. So she woke up, held Harry close and wanted James back so bad. Not because she minded being awake, but because she wanted him here. Where she knew that he was safe, happy, and healthy.

She remembered him not coming back. It had been a week. She was scared witless. What if something had happened to him? What if he’s hurt? What if he’s imprisoned? What if he’s being tortured? What if he’s dead?

She remembered Sirius and Remus coming over only to find her cradding Harry while tears streamed down her face, because James was probably gone. Just like her parents. Just like his.

She remembered Remus taking Harry off her hands, only to find that without Harry her arms shook like mad. So he replaced the baby, and whispered soothing words such as he’ll be alright, that he always returns.

She remembered not eating, not sleeping. Not breathing. Just waiting, watching for any sign of James.

She remembered the door opening, and in stepped James, bloody and bruised. He grinned his crooked grin at them, before promptly collapsing.

She remembered taking care of him, while Remus and Sirius took care of Harry.

She remembered taking James to St. Mungos. It killed her to see him in pain. She wanted to take all of it away. If she could trade lives with him she would. In an instant.

She remembered life getting back to the way it was, and James never not coming home. But now the war felt real.

She remembered being so greatful for him. For his hugs, his smiles, his laughter, his face, his mouth, his arms, him.

She remembered being told that they would have to go into hiding.

She remembered the confusion that ensued.

She remembered moving to Godric’s Hollow.

She remembered the debate over who would be secret keeper.

She remembered agreeing for it to be Sirius.

She remembered Sirius telling them that it should be Wormtail instead because “they won’t tourture him for information, they’ll tourture me.”

She remembered telling Peter the news, and him being estatic that they chose him to trust. That he was just as much of a Marauder as they were.

She remembered feeling so safe with Wormy protecting her. She trusted him completely. She never, even for a second, believed that he could be a traitor.

She remembered their first Chirstmas together as a family. How it was small and quiet. How Remus, Sirius, and Peter all joined them. How she felt like nothing could hurt them. How happy they all were.

She remembered the shift in Wormy’s behavior. Probably nothing James said. Just tired of the cold. Just exhausted from the Order.

She remembered Harry’s first birthday, how James had baked a delicious cake. How Harry had gotten his first broom from Sirius.

She remembered Harry’s smiling face as he rode on the broom, unburdened by the war, untrobabled by the world.

She remembered hoping that he would remain that carefree forever.

She remembered that Halloween. How brisk it was. How Sirius had gotten on such a sugar high that it took several laps around the house as Padfoot to calm him down. How James fed Harry a “responsible” amount of chocolate. How Harry rode on the back of his (s)dads back. How Peter didn’t join them because he had “other plans.”

She remembered Remus and Sirius leaving.

She remembered feeling tired and ready to go to bed.

She remembered James batting his eyes, yawning, and running a hand through his hair before agreeing.

She remembered James handing the baby over to her.

She remembers all of this in an instant.

Now she started regretting that she made James wait for her love.

Regretting that he didn’t know for quite some time how she felt about him.

Regretting that she had ever called him names.

Regretting all of their fights.

Wanting to see him smile just once more.

Wanting for him to run another hand through his hair.

Wanting for him to pull another prank and laugh.

Wanting him to be safe. To be alright.

Because right now her ears were filled with his voice. His serious, protective words, “Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off—“

Because she knew that Wormy had just betrayed them, that Voldemort was here and this was the end.

The end of all of this.

So she looked back at him once more.

Whispered, “I love you.”

Ran upstairs, hoping, praying that this is all a bad dream. A prank. A joke. That Harry will be alright. That James will live.

But it wasn’t.

And it was too late.

“Advada Kedavra”

Thud.

He was gone.

And a few moments later, she was gone too.