#one of my favorite shots because frank is wearing the red and black scarf

[callmeblake]

Kerrang Poster (from ebay)

My Chemical Romance as the Killjoys

Photo Credit: Paul harries

See the shot with no shine.

[marauders70s]

Ahhh this sounds so much fun! Okayyy so the title : A Change of Heart ; Pairing: Jily maybe? Or anyone lol! :D

@coffeewiitch​ Jily is my jam

Title: A Change of HeartPairing: James Potter & Lily EvansSummary: Sixth year Potter just didn’t have the spark Lily was used to, and she wasn’t sure why.

It was four o’clock; Lily’s favorite rounding shift on Thursdays, because she always rounded twice a week with Remus. Even though she was waiting in the Commons, she pulled her scarf around her neck more tightly. January was freezing in the castle, which hadn’t thought to hop on the muggle bandwagon of HVAC. She smiled when she saw Remus’ long leg with slightly too-short trousers come round the spiral staircase from the boys dormitory, but the smile dropped in annoyance off her face when she saw he was trailed by Potter. She waited for Potter to look up, to tease her, to ask her out. He was always asking, in the most embarrassing ways, and Lily had really come to despise them. She was getting testy about the whole subject, because it was apparent to everyone she would never, in a million years, go out with the swollen-headed seeker. He was everything in a guy she hated; arrogant, just good-looking enough to think he was moreso, a jock on a sports team. He was all the boys in primary who would pull her red hair and bite the other kids. The ones who needed “extra time” from teachers, and made perfect students like Lily absolutely furious when they succeeded. 

It was maddening. Potter was looking directly at her, but he wan’t even smiling. He only nodded at her. Nodded. Like they were on friendly terms. 

“Alright there, Potter?” she mocked, using his favorite phrase against him. His answering smile was a joke, and he quickly moved to a table where Peter was already studying with Frank and Alice. 

There was a reduction of noise as she spoke, anticipating the quibbling, but Potter’s lack of response was received with raised eyebrows, and Lily felt like it was a victory in her favor. She had scored one up on him. But she still felt queasy about it; it had been too easy. She felt like she had taken a cheap shot, and it made her bitter. Potter took plenty of cheap shots, and no one ever looked at him the way Remus was looking at her. 

“Ready to go?” she asked brightly, pretending she didn’t notice the dark circles beneath Remus’ eyes. She was beginning to suspect… well, she didn’t want to suspect. She glanced at her watch. 4:05. They were starting late, which was unusual for punctilious Remus.

Their feet took them their usual route; up both towers first, and then steadily working downwards through the eight floors of the castle - including the dungeons - and ending again before the Great Hall. Afternoon shifts were incredibly easy; so many students were still in class, and very few were trying to get a moment’s privacy in the castle’s nooks and crannies. It was a choice rounding selection, almost always grabbed up at the beginning of the year by sixth and seventh year prefects, leaving the hard shifts for the newbies. They mostly stopped in the younger classrooms on floors below - first and second years didn’t have electives - and magicked the chairs up onto desks, wiped clean the blackboards, and left the wastebasket for the caretaker, young Mr. Filch, to empty on the teacher’s desk.

They chatted, as they always did, about inconsequential things. Their friendship was like a movie theater. They always got the previews out of the way first, and Lily talked of Alice’s new ring Frank had given her and Remus spoke of Chuck Spinnet’s new high score of most goals in a game this quidditch season. 

“And what about Potter?” Lily asked lightly. “Feeling jealous he’s not the star of the show anymore?”

Remus looked at her strangely. “I don’t think James is thinking about quidditch right now,” he said mildly.

Lily laughed. “Not thinking about quidditch? Besides pranking people and driving McGonagall up a wall, what else does Potter think about?”

“Lily, you should go easy on him,” Remus cautioned, dropping his wand and pulling one of the chairs off a desk to sit in, before offering her another.

Lily was surprised. She and Remus had spoken of many deep things; some even ending with Lily’s tears about Tuni, but never had Remus pulled out a chair to sit down for a serious chat and neglected his prefect duties. He was too much like her: a perfectionist.

“What’s wrong?” she asked nervously, taking the seat. She smiled awkwardly. “You’re acting like someone died.”

Remus’ face did not change, but Lily felt her own melt. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Remus. I didn’t know.”

“It was his dad,” said Remus simply. “He was older. His heart just gave out.”

“In his sleep?” Lily asked hopefully.

Remus shook his head. “At work. It was awful. James was pulled out of breakfast yesterday. He missed all his classes.”

Lily remembered that. They shared several advanced courses. She had just thought Potter was skiving off. It seemed like something he would do, especially as Sirius had as well.

Remus was reading her thoughts. “Sirius went with him. I don’t know if you know but…Sirius…lives with the Potters. Has since last year.”

“I didn’t know,” and Lily felt so foolish, so selfish, and cruel, and rude. She had known - the way everyone suspected and knew - that Sirius’ home life was bad. The howlers, and his brother joining the movement so young, and being pureblood - well no one thought Sirius came from a loving household. But she had never known that he - 

That Potter had - 

“Fuck,” said Lily quietly, putting her hands to her temples and pressing backwards. “I’ve been such an ass.”

“James doesn’t show it much,” said Remus quietly. “But he’s actually got the biggest heart of anyone I know. And he’s never lost anyone before. Not like this.”

“Of course not,” Lily said at once. “Neither have I. Neither have you. Our parents are still alive.”

“James is not taking it well.”

“Of course. I- er - when’s…when’s the funeral?”

“Friday. Tomorrow. Whatever.”

“Merlin.”

“I know.”

“Are you going?”

Remus nodded. “We’ve all of us got off classes from McGonagall. James is going to stay home over the weekend. I expect Sirius will as well. You know he called him Uncle?”

Lily could hardly fathom this new reality; she had formed so many preconceptions about Potter and Black, and Remus had never bothered to correct her when she ranted about them. She blushed at her ignorance and his graciousness now. 

“He should - Potter should - should take the rest of the year off,” she managed, but Remus was already shaking his head.

“We’ve talked about it, but James is adamant that he wants to graduate on time. Says it would break his mother’s heart.”

“Can she…live alone?” managed Lily.

“My Mum and her…they’re friends,” Remus said after a moment. “Sort of like…mentoring friends. Because James’ mum is so much older but… she’s helped my mum through some really hard times. I know she’ll want to -”

“That’s good,” and Lily could hear herself making these nonsensical remarks that said nothing and meant everything. She didn’t know what to say. “You leave tomorrow?” she finally managed. 

Remus nodded. “Portkey out of Dumbledore’s office. We’ll change at James’ house.”

Lily felt her stomach seize up. Change. As in wearing funeral clothes. 

“Most of it will be the uniform,” Remus continued. “Just not the ties or the sweaters or the robes. James and Sirius have black dress robes, and I have grey. Peter’s are brown, but I don’t think it matters much.”

Lily found herself clutching Remus’ wrist. “Remus, really, if there’s anything I can do,” she managed.

“There is,” and Remus’ smile was sad, and wan, and tired. Lily realized all at once his eyes were bloodshot from counseling James all night. He probably hadn’t slept since his father died. “Go easy on James, alright?”

Lily only nodded, feeling her eyes tearing up. “I will,” she managed.

                                                            ***

The next morning, Lily was up at dawn. She liked to be up early, but this was early even for her. She usually got dressed with the rest of her dormitory, with Mary and Alice and them, but this morning she dressed in half-darkness, with a half-formed idea in her head to write Potter a letter. A condolence card. Stupid, really, she thought savagely. How positively stupid. But she could not think of anything else to do. They never spoke without shouting at one another.

The commons was quiet in the morning, even if the fire was already blazing cheerfully, like it had never been banked in the wee hours after everyone went upstairs. There was no one in it, and Lily crossed purposefully to the portrait hole, but stopped when someone spoke:

“Alright there, Evans?” and Lily spun, shocked, at the most broken, and almost whispered familiar words. Potter was already sitting stick straight in a high wingback chair. His face was white as death, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked as if he hadn’t slept even the night before, and had come down early to avoid his friends. He was wearing his black trousers and shoes, his white dress shirt and - Lily’s heart skipped with pain - the black Sorting Tie used once by every first year and usually left at home in years after to be recycled by able siblings. 

“James, hi,” she said, crossing quickly and settling in the high armchair across from him.

“James,” and he tasted his own name as if he had never heard it. “My, it must be serious then.” His eyes flicked up to hers. “Remus told you.”

Lily could only nod. She opened her mouth to pour out her sympathy but James shook his head fast, too fast, and Lily sensed at once he was close to breaking. He was a cracked teacup still holding fast, but one word might halve it. She changed what she was going to say:

“I remember your father.”

James looked up at her, and she felt her heart turning over with utter confusion at the look of lost things welling in his hazel eyes. “Wh-” he had to clear his throat. “When?”

“We met…we talked. On the platform. A few times over the years.”

James could only nod. His mother loved Lily Evans. She made sure to bring the muggle Evanses through the barrier. She loved to tease him about Lily, ever since his first year. It made James broil with humiliation. 

“You look a lot like him,” Lily continued helplessly, and it was true. James did look like his father, though his father’s hair was white and untidy, he was just the same tall and angular - all elbows and knees, but with broad shoulders and twinkling blue eyes. James had his mother’s eyes. Brown, or hazel, depending on the light. And he had both his parents’ glasses. Square and wooden, they made his tight and shaking control too obvious to Lily, who had to restrain putting a hand out as she would have with anyone else.

“Thank you,” and James managed it tightly. It was the most polite thing he had ever said to her. 

Lily felt the complete inadequacy of I’m sorry searing through her. She mentally tore up the letter she never wrote. There was nothing to be said. And what was to be done? She wasn’t invited to the funeral. 

“Let’s…” and she smiled a tiny, broken smile. “Let’s go to breakfast.”

James only stared at her.

“You need to eat,” pressed Lily. “You won’t get to eat until -” but she didn’t finish. They both heard it anyway. Until after the graveside. 

“Are you-” and James had to clear his throat. “Are you asking me out?”

Lily laughed, helplessly, wildly, small and choking. “Just to breakfast, mind,” she said severely.

James nodded, and a small, blissful smile crossed his face as he pushed himself to his feet and she followed suit.

“Finally.”

Send me a made up A03 title and i’ll write you a drabble based off of it!