Bittersweet challenge: take a sweet prompt and turn it bitter. @jilytoberfest
Prompt: “Stop making me laugh”
Warnings: angst, parental death, funerals, and general grief/pain. Modern AU ~2.3k words
find my other jily fics here // AO3 Link
Grow Around the Pain
The fog came on a Tuesday. Thick and heavy, it clung to the landscape like a glove. The mist nested into every curved hill and wrapped around every barren tree with such ease it was nearly impossible to remember what the world was like before.
Strange.
Because it was late August where just a week prior the weather had been magnificent with clear blue skies and soaring highs of eighty degrees. Truly a wonder for that part of the country. It was talked about and lauded over like some miracle had occurred. What a wonderful way to end the summer.
And then came Tuesday where everything hid in shadow.
Perhaps it was better this way, Lily decided.
It was better to have the low hanging clouds and distinct chill in the air to reflect the turmoil sludging through her head then to deal with the juxtaposition of the sun in comparison to the dark alcoves of her mind.
Tuesday was the day her father died. Now two days later, the fog remained and Lily was expected to play hostess while her mother sat stone-faced in a chair and Petunia couldn’t keep a level head even outside of a crisis. Not to mention little Dudley was squirming in her lap and Vernon was already boxing in several men to discuss drills.
It was up to Lily to keep the Evans family afloat even if it meant pushing aside her own feelings.
“Thank-you for being here,” she told the Steuers who kept telling her how sorry they were and how terrible it was that she lost her father so young.
“The flowers are beautiful,” she told the Fenwicks who kept telling her that they didn’t even know her father was ill and why had no one told them?
“Please, do come in.” “There are refreshments in the living room.” “Oh, thank-you for the casserole, the kitchen is just over there.”
She had to smile. She had to laugh. She had to press everything down. Because what else was she supposed to do?
The house was full of neighbors and family members alike. There were people Lily hadn’t seen in years and they were all trying to tell her what she should feel or do. Between telling people where to stick all the damn casserole dishes and explaining how fine they really were doing—she’d had enough. Really and truly.
Another greeting card was tucked into her hands with a pitying look from the giver and Lily had enough. She turned away from the guests still flooding the open house and went to her sister.
“Petunia,” Lily said, kneeling next to where her sister sat. One year old Dudley was in her lap fussing over the iron grip Petunia kept on him. “Petunia, I’m going upstairs for just a minute, I need you to keep greeting people.”
Her sister stared at her, mouth pursing and eyes wide. “You can’t be serious, Lily. I have a baby to look after.”
Of course Petunia would say that. Of course she would use the baby excuse. Of course this too would be placed on Lily. She grimaced against the thoughts, flinching back from her sister’s hard glare.
“I can’t do this right now, Petunia,” Lily said. Amazingly enough her voice was steady, calm. Everything opposite from what she was feeling inside. “I need you to do this one thing for me. Five minutes and I’ll be back.”
Petunia tried to protest, but making a scene was one thing she would not do. For once, proprietary won out in her sister and Lily was grateful.
She slipped through the small crowd that was taking up the house with as much dignity as she could. Even as tears began burning the backs of her eyes, Lily somehow managed to offer a few words to those who stopped her. She had no idea what they said or what she said in return. All she knew was that she needed to get out.
When she finally managed to make it to the narrow staircase, the tears finally began to tread down her cheeks. She made it to the second floor and all the way down the hall to her room. Her room. The room that had been hers for nineteen years. She hadn’t left for college, not when dad got sick. She hadn’t left when Mary invited her to live in the city, not after dad fell the first time. She hadn’t left for anything.
But now, even as she closed the door with a soft click and was met with the familiar lavender walls and plush blankets of her bed--Lily wanted to be anywhere else.
She only made it a few feet before collapsing at the foot of the bed and sliding to the floor. Arms wrapped tightly around her middle; Lily shut her eyes. She could hear the voices of the gathering downstairs leaking up through the floorboards. She wanted it to disappear. She wanted to disappear and be anywhere else.
Sometime later—maybe it was only a few minutes—Lily heard the front door open and shut. New voices joined the fray. She could have sworn there was something familiar about one of the voices. Clapping hands, a boisterous laugh.
Not Petunia. Not Vernon. Not her mother. Someone else with a love of fanfare was downstairs. Lily slumped against her bed and breathed. Maybe no one would notice if she just stayed up here. Not if there was someone else playing host for whatever reason.
A set of footsteps thudded up the stairs and paused at the top landing. Then, slowly, they came down the hall and stopped just outside her door.
She wanted to tell the person to go away. She couldn’t do this. Not right now.
There was a soft knock and then her door slowly swung open.
Lily looked up, tears blurring her vision. Already, she had a quip on her lips and a few choice words to launch at whoever had decided to intrude on her peace.
At first all she saw were the slacks and black converse. Anyone. It could have been anyone and she was grappling for a stray shoe she had lying about that she could throw—
“Alright, Evans?”
Of course.
Shutting her eyes, Lily slumped her head back against the edge of the bed and let out a long, shaky sigh.
For as long as she could remember, James Potter had been a staple of the neighborhood. Not only were his parents well known and accomplished in the time they’d been alive, but James and his little band of friends had been known to wreak havoc in as many ways as possible three hundred and sixty-five days a year. There may have been an occasional day of reprieve in there but it was hard to say.
James and Lily had not been friends--not really. More of reluctant accomplices when the time called for it. They’d grown up side by side, but at a distance. Side by side by, but running in circles that never met.
James said nothing as he entered the little bedroom and shut the door behind him. He’d of course been here a total of three other times. Once when he’d flown a model airplane through her window and decided to climb up the trellis and let himself in. Once when he’d needed a place to hide from Remus. Once when he’d come to apologize.
And now.
He took a seat beside her, shoulder to shoulder, and said nothing.
It was just them and the low hum of voices downstairs.
“Sirius is going to lead a karaoke session, I think,” James said after a moment. “Well, unless Remus can stop him. Sirius thinks it’ll help lighten the mood downstairs or drive everyone out of the house.”
Lily only listened.
“Peter wants to bake you something,” he continued, “I told him you have enough food in the house, but he insists that this will be baked with spite and anger rather than falsified love. Which apparently is better somehow.”
She felt a laugh bubble up in her throat, a laugh she did not want to let out. A laugh that had no business being a part of the universe right now.
“You know Sirius doesn’t have natural reactions to these sorts of things, so hopefully, Remus can talk him down,” James added. “Though, I think he is also trying to determine how many colors he can make Dursely’s face turn in the next hour.”
Lily couldn’t hold back a laugh then. It was short and strangled, but it was there. James shifted beside her and she knew he was pleased with himself for that small accomplishment.
“Do you remember four years ago when the pond flooded after that storm?” James asked. His legs were spread out before him and he drummed a hand on his knee absently. He’d never been able to sit still for long. “Sirius and I were going to try and snag as many frogs as we could and then stick them in Dursley’s car and then your dad caught us. He then found these other nets for us to use, bigger to catch more. He didn’t know what we had planned, but he was more than willing to help us out.”
James’ fingers kept drumming on his leg.
“Or there was also--” James said, but Lily cut him off by grabbing that hand and entwining their fingers.
“Stop,” she whispered, “stop making me laugh. Please.”
She gave his hand a tight squeeze, tight enough that she was causing herself pain. But now that she was holding him, she couldn’t quite let go.
James leaned into her and pressed his forehead to her temple. She could feel the cool metal rims of his glasses against her skin. It was strange to be this close to him. It was strange how these boys had managed to become a small part of her life. How this boy…After years of being his somewhat friends, years of admiring him from afar, years of something different brewing between them—it was strange to have him seated here beside her.
But Lily found she didn’t quite want that to change.
He sighed, his breath fanning against her skin. “I wish I could say it gets easier, Lily. I really wish I could.”
It had been two years since James’ own parents had died. Just before his eighteenth birthday. He knew. He knew better than anyone.
“It’s okay, y’know?” he said. “It’s okay to feel like you’re falling apart. You’re allowed to feel this way.”
Lily swallowed stiffly. She kept holding his hand. It was the only thing grounding her right now.
“It’s gonna be hard, but you’re gonna be fine.”
“But what if I’m not?” she whispered. “What if I never am?”
“That’s alright too,” James replied.
Downstairs, Lily could make out the deep inflections of Sirius’s voice. She didn’t know exactly what he was saying, but it was enough to keep the crowd of the wake occupied. At some point she would remember to thank Sirius for his antics. And she’d be sure to tell Peter she appreciated the mass amounts of brownies he’d concocted. And Remus would be gifted several new pairs of socks for his stalwart nature.
"How did you do it?" She asked. Peeling her eyes open, she chanced a look at James. He was still impossibly close to her. Close enough she could see the way the honey of his eyes mixed with flecks of brown. She'd never quite noticed how bright his eyes really were.
"One day at a time," he said, “or one hour, one minute. But it’s okay to hurt, Lily. And it’s okay to find just a little bit of happiness too.”
She wanted to believe him. Oh, how she wanted to. But could she? Could she make it further than this moment? It had only been three days since her father left and she was still so empty. And here was James. He was trying. He was fighting. He was doing the best he could. He was here.
“And it can take as long as it needs to,” James added. He kept holding her hand, his thumb brushing against her knuckles.
Lily opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say, but sure that something needed to be said. And a giant crash sounded from downstairs.
James hummed quietly and quirked one of his grins at her. “Or until Sirius burns your house down.”
She couldn't help but smile at him. It was a wisp of a thing, but it was there. “If it gets everyone out of here, I won’t mind. Though, Petunia might end up murdering him, just so you are aware.”
James gave her hand a squeeze. “I give him five more minutes before that happens.”
“Five minutes,” she repeated. She could make it five minutes.
“It’s going to be alright,” James said. “I promise.”
Another noise came from downstairs. In all honesty, Lily didn’t care. Sirius could burn the house down, Peter could bake whatever he wanted, and Remus could lay witness to it all. She didn’t care. She’d found just a little bit of respite, no matter how brief it may be.
“How can you promise that?” she asked.
James was quiet for a moment, eyes growing distant. Then he shrugged in nonchalance.
“Because you’re Lily,” he said, “and you’re the strongest person I know.”
Despite it all, Lily found she had to believe him. And it wasn’t because of the confidence he threw around. Or the fact he’d been the one person to search her out. It wasn’t because she’d known him for years as an almost friend. It was because for the first time since Tuesday, she’d managed to smile.
So maybe he was right. Maybe she would make it through this. Someday.
...
thanks for reading!
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