#she would be a jily writer

[prongsandpetals]

I feel like Jane Austen would’ve been an AO3 user

[once-upon-an-imagine]

Everything Has Changed - Sirius Black

A/N: I am loving these requests and they are slowly making me come out of my writer’s block so... here’s another one! I loved this request and I tried to write it as she fell first but he fell harder xD hope you loves like it!  

Request - Anonymous asked: Okay since you’re not in the mood for Charlie Weasley, can you please do Sirius x Lupin!reader where he sees her for the first time since graduating Hogwarts (maybe at Jily’s wedding?) and he is just starstruck? Like, love at first sight starstruck and Remus is just like; really Pads, my baby sister?? Thanks!!

Warnings: none that I can think of but let me know if you find something :) it’s pure fluff!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter :D gif isn’t mine :)    

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Everything Has Changed

'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello" And your eyes look like comin' home All I know is a simple name And everything has changed

“Moony! Would you hurry up? If we’re late Lily will kill us and she would say it’s my fault!” Sirius argued as he tried fixing his bowtie.

“I’m almost done! Plus, my sister’s meeting us here. She should be close!” he yelled from his room.

“Little Moon’s coming?” Sirius muttered to himself as he tried to succeed with his bowtie.

Sirius’ relationship with Remus’ little sister as you had been known your entire Hogwarts year, was no different from James’ or Peter’s. At least for him. He saw you like that. A little sister. He felt very protective of you, but that was pretty much it. It was mostly because you were a quiet, shy girl that tried to stay out of trouble. Which is why he called you Little Moons. He thought it was extremely clever when you started at Hogwarts and you secretly loved it. He scared assholes away from you. You tutored him in some classes, even if you were a year younger. And you had a very platonic-like relationship. He hadn’t seen you in about a year now, since he graduated Hogwarts. He knew you had been back for about a month now, but still hadn’t been able to meet with you. And then, he heard a knock on the door.

“That must be her! Could you get it, Pads?” he hear Remus from his room again. Sirius sighed frustrated, giving up on fixing his tie and he ran his hands through his hair before walking over to the door. But when he opened it, he did not find the Little Moons he knew.

“Sirius!” you smiled brightly up at him. Sirius was completely starstruck when he saw you, standing there, all ready for the wedding, looking incredibly beautiful. He was snapped out of his thoughts when you threw his arms around his shoulders and he quickly wrapped his around your waist. “It’s so good to see you” you smiled, pulling away and kissing his cheek.

This wasn’t an unusual interaction between the two of you. You were pretty close back in school. But something had changed, and Sirius felt it.

“L-little Moons” he chuckled, still with his arms around your waist. “It’s good to see you too, love” he said, kissing your head. “It’s been so long” he smiled. You felt butterflies in your stomach. The same way you did every single time Srius looked at you. “Y-you look-”

“‘Bout bloody time you got here, bug!”

The two of you jumped apart when Remus came out of his room and ran your way to give you a big hug.

“Right, because you two look like you’re ready to leave? Sirius hasn’t even fixed his tie” you laughed. “And your hair is a mess!” you said, running a hand through Remus’ hair.

“I’m almost done” he rolled his eyes, walking into the bathroom.

“Do you need help with that?” you asked Sirius, who was once again struggling with his tie.

“I-” he sighed. “Would you mind?”

“Come here” you said, as he got closer and you started fixing his tie. “So, best man” you smirked. “You excited about today?”

“Yeah” he admitted. “I can’t believe Prongs is getting married” he told you.

“I can’t believe it’s to Lily” you chuckled. “For a minute there, I was sure she was going to murder him” you said, making him laugh a little. “But I will admit they are really cute together” you said as you finished fixing his tie. “All done” you said, smiling at him.

“Thanks, love” he smiled.

“James really picked the best man for the job” you smiled at him.

“Seriously, bug?” Remus said, appearing again. “You’re just going to say out loud that Sirius is better than me?” he asked, offended.

“Yeah, that was never a secret” you smirked, crossing your arms and earning a glare from your brother.

“Yeah, I’ve always been Little Moon’s favorite” Sirius said, throwing his arm around your shoulders.

“I forgot how I’ve always hated the two of you together” Remus said, rolling his eyes as the three of you left for the wedding.

Sirius had no idea what’s been going on with him today. Every now and then, his eyes decided to find you in the crowd during the ceremony. He intently tried to shake off the thought of you walking down the aisle in a white dress, when Lily came down the aisle. And now, he was just sitting at his table, drink in his hand, glaring at the way that you were laughing at Frank Longbottom’s joke. Frank isn’t even that funny. And Frank is with Alice. And why would he give a fuck about who you decide to laugh with?

“So, looking for your pick of the night?”

Sirius jumped a little when you sat down next to him. He hadn’t even noticed when you left Frank and were now back.

“W-what? What are you talking about?” he chuckled, nervously.

“Come on, Black, this was our thing. You always said I was your best wingman” you smirked.

It was true. Your relationship with Sirius even came to the point when you even helped him with girls. Over the years you had become extremely good at hiding your feelings for him, so much as to be considered his wingman.

“Oh, r-right” he chuckled. “Well, not today, love” he smiled.

“Are you sure? There are a bunch of pretty ladies here” you told him.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Yes, wasn’t it obvious?” you asked, making him laugh a little.

“So” he cleared his throat. “W-what about you? Looking for someone today?”

“Me? No” you chuckled, feeling your cheeks burn a little. “I’ve had enough of that for a while” you said, looking down.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

“Remus didn’t tell you?” you asked, looking back at him. “Why I moved back here again?” you asked and he shook his head no. “I… kind of just broke up with someone” you told him.

“What? You were dating someone?” he asked, trying to ignore the feeling of jealousy inside of him.

“Don’t say it like that, Sirius. I am only a year younger than you” you glared at him, laughing.

“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that, I just… well, I didn’t know” he said, trying to play it cool.

“Yeah, not many people knew” you told him. “Anyways we broke up right before we graduated” you told him. “We had very different ideas of the future” you said. “He wanted to get married right away and have kids and I just… don’t think I’m ready for that” you told him.

“Really?”

“Well, not now, at least. I think it’s great that James and Lily got married, but there are so many things I want to do before I… settle down, I guess” you informed him.

“Now you sound like me, love” he chuckled.

“Well, because you make sense, Siri” you said, making him stop laughing. It had been a long time since you called him that. You were the only one he ever allowed to call him that. “S-sorry, I know you hate it when I call you that-”

“No, I don’t” he insisted. “I hate when other people call me that. But not you” he smiled sweetly at you. “And for what is worth, that guy sounds like a prick” he said, making you laugh.

“You don’t even know who he was” you told him as he took a sip of his drink.

“Doesn’t matter. Having someone as amazing as you and just letting her go? He’s a real idiot” he said, looking you straight in the eyes and placing his hand under your chin so you would pay attention to him. “You never settle for anyone who doesn’t treat you like the amazing person that you are, okay?”

You felt warmth in your heart. Sirius rarely talked about things that really matter with you, but whenever he did, you knew he always meant it. “Okay, Siri” you smiled as he kissed your forehead.

At last… My love has come along

“Well, look at that” he said when the next song started. “I believe that’s your favorite song” he smiled.

My lonely days are over And life is like a song

“Y-you remember that?” you chuckled.

“Of course, I do” he said, standing up and offering his hand to you. “May I have this dance, love?”

At last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up in clover The night I looked at you

Your smile got so bright that Sirius was unable to deny the butterflies he felt in his stomach too as you placed your hand in his and he walked you to the dance floor. Sirius brought you closer, holding your hand with his and wrapping his free arm around your waist and you quickly rested your head on his chest. This was a dream come true for you. The little girl inside you that had been in love with Sirius Black since you met was screaming inside of you right now. All those times being his wingman all you truly wanted was for him to see you as someone other than ‘Little Moons’. You didn’t mind the nickname. But you hated what it meant. That’s what you were to him. Moony’s little sister. But right here, and right now, it felt as if you two were the only people in the world.

I found a thrill to press my cheek to A thrill that I've never known, oh, yeah, yeah

“Merlin, would you look at that?” Lily said to her new husband.

“What?” James asked confused and Lily gently directed his face to where you were dancing with Sirius. “Oh, shit!” he said about to make his way over there but Lily quickly stopped him.

“What are you doing?”

“Stopping whatever this is!” he complained. “Moony is gonna kill Padfoot if he sees this!”

“What? Them dancing?”

“Yes! Little Moon’s off-limits! We all know that! And trust me, out of the three of us, I think Sirius would be the last one Remus would want for her!”

“James, first of all, they’re dancing! And secondly, I don’t know… something about Sirius seems… different” Lily told him. James looked back at the two of you and then he saw it too. Sirius expression when he looked at you was something that he had never seen before on his best friend.

You smiled, you smiled Oh, and then the spell was cast And here we are in Heaven For you are mine at last

“Y-you know, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m actually kind of glad you broke up with your idiot ex” he said, making you look up at him.

“You are?”

“Yeah, that means you’re back here and we’ll get to see each other more often” he smiled.

“Huh, if I didn’t know any better, Siri, it sounds like you want to ask me out on a date” you smirked at him but it fell when you noticed his expression turning nervous.

“What if I was?” he asked, clearing his throat and you laughed a little, waiting for him to finish his joke.

“You, Sirius Black, want to go on a date with m-me?” you chuckled nervously. “L-little Moons?”

“If that’s okay with you, yes” he smiled but you pulled away a little and he hated when your expression turned to a frown.

“Sirius, that’s not funny” you told him.

“Good, because I’m not joking” he said, pulling towards him again. “Look, I know that I was the biggest idiot in Hogwarts” he started. “But… I promise I have changed a lot this year as… I see you have too” he said.

“You mean I don’t look like Remus’ dorky little sister anymore?”

“No, you definitely do” he mocked you, earning a slap on his arm by you but he pulled you again and the two of you kept slowly dancing even if the song had changed a long time ago. “But… look, I don’t know what happened today that finally made me realize how beautiful you are, but I definitely do not want to take it for granted” he told you. “You’re probably the only girl, sorry, woman, that has dealt with me for so long and still likes me and… I have changed a lot this past year, you can ask your brother. I’m not the same stupid kid I was in Hogwarts-”

“You mean, two years ago?”

“Yes! After I graduated, I realized that’s not… something that I want to keep doing. I have actually missed you so much and I hated not seeing you every day and I know that you may just look at me like Remus’ stupid best friend but… if now’s my chance I am definitely not going to waste it” he said truthfully.

“Now’s your chance? Sirius, you think now is your chance?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sirius, do you have any idea how long I wanted you to ask me out?”

“R-really?”

“Yeah” you said as if it was obvious.

“Well, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Are you joking? You were Sirius Black and I was just-”

“Little Moons” he finished for you as you nodded.

“Yeah. I know you only saw me as Remus’ little sister” you told him.

“That’s not true” he told you. “You were always my best friend, but please don’t say that to James or your brother” he said, making you chuckle.

“You’re just saying that to get me to go on a date with you. Don’t forget I know all your tricks, Black” you smirked.

“I know, that’s why I like you so much, Lupin” he smiled at you. “So… what do you say?” he asked.

“You promise this is not a joke?” you smiled up at him.

“Love, I swear, I would never joke about this” he said, genuinely. “You can send your brothers to murder me if I am” he said.

“Brothers?”

“I’m pretty sure Prongs would join in the fun. And don’t even get me started on Mrs. Potter” he said, making you chuckle.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that” you smiled.

“Really? They have been looking at us for the past three songs” he said, nodding his head at the newlywed couple, and when you looked at them they quickly looked away. “So… Little Moons” he smirked. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

“You better take my fucking breath away, Siri-” you said, before he leaned in to give you a kiss. The kiss was everything you ever imagined it would be to kiss Sirius Black. And even more but, unfortunately, you were rudely interrupted.

“Really Pads, my baby sister?”

The two of you pulled apart and looked at Remus, James, and Lily all looking at you. Lily being the only one with a smile on her face.

“Well, you see, Moony… funny story…”

The End

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Song: At Last - Etta James

A/N: aaaahh xD I hope you liked it! I have more coming up :)

[wrenswreath]

can you elaborate on your post about choices? i haven't read it but ive seen a lot of discourse so I was curious as to what your views were on it!

Just a warning but this is going to be loooonnnggg.

---

I think that Choices was very well written, specifically when it comes to the characterisation of its characters. I know it gets a lot of criticism for making James morally grey, making Lily a flawed (read: human) character, and the attitudes towards Mary's trauma, so I'll talk a bit more about those.

James' character:

In Choices, James isn't the embodiment of kindness, like the fandom tends to characterise him. He excuses a lot of bad things that Regulus did, cheats on Lily, and then tried to 'play the victim,' so to speak, when Lily found out, often prioritising trying to get her to understand as opposed to thinking about her feelings. And a lot of people don't like this - I think it's because they struggle with the fact that a likeable character, one that is often showed with little to no flaws, does something that they simply cannot morally agree with. It's hard to justify having James as a favourite character when he's suddenly not 'good enough' to still be a fav.

But in Choices, it's not about having a good, likeable character; it's about showing the (often unexplored) flawed versions of these people - challenging the concepts of a 'good' person, and a 'bad' one, because no one in this fic is strictly one of the other. And realistically, you cannot have canon-compliant Jegulus and have a righteous James, because Regulus does do bad things, and James has to excuse that for their relationship to work.

Lily's character:

When one would think 'canon-compliant Jegulus,' the Jily tends to get ignored often - it's just something that 'has to happen', but no one really wants it. But this fic doesn't ignore the Jily - it's very there, very present, and it's something that people don’t like. They barely tolerate James and Lily together, but when Lily is also her own independent character outside of James, and calls James out for his bullshit, instead of being the quiet, complacent, and 'understanding' wife people would rather she be, people get annoyed with her really easily. 

She, like every other character, is shown to be flawed and imperfect, and people aren't used to seeing that with the women characters in the marauders era. This leads to people calling it 'poor characterisation' because she is catering to her own needs, instead of making 'poor James' feel better. She's given depth, taken down from the pedestal the fandom puts women on, and people do not like the unfamiliar, so they do not like a version of Lily that they aren't used to seeing. 

Mary's trauma:

In Choices, Mary gets sexually assaulted. This isn't addressed well by the characters in the story - it's more of an 'oh no I'm sorry this happened to you. Anyway.' People often mistake this as a reflection of the writer - criticising MesserMoon for poorly handling Mary's SA, saying that Mary's trauma was overlooked, etc. And I have two things to say to that:

One being that this fic isn't told through Mary's perspective. This fic is mainly Regulus and James focused - Regulus, being part of the cover up of the SA obviously does not care about her, only his own reputation. James is a bit better, but he’s too focused on Regulus to care much about Mary. This is what we call an unreliable narrator. Because it is told from these perspectives, Mary's trauma isn't often thought about, brought up, etc., which can be upsetting, but it’s a reflection of the main characters' priorities (NOT THE AUTHOR'S!!!).

Second being this is a realistic portrayal of a black, muggleborn woman getting raped in the 70's. She does not get the justice that she deserves, but this is used as a way to highlight the problems people like Mary faced - people still face these issues today. On the flip side, the rapists were upper-class, pureblood, etc. To say that consequences should have been given is to completely deny the social structures that do exist and advantages anyone who is a man, who is white - all those positions of privilege.

Choices manages to handle issues of sexism and racism without actually being sexist and racist, but people constantly misinterpret it. Just because something is present in this fic, it does not mean it was aimed to be viewed positively by its readers.

Overall, I think Choices manages to handle issues and the complexity of people really well, acknowledging that there is no such thing as 'good' people and 'bad people.' However, a lot of its readers cannot successfully analyse the themes in the fic, often viewing it one-dimensionally as opposed to recognising the many layers and skewed perspectives it contains. The lack of media literacy in people is often what causes the discourse surrounding it, because this fic is not 'mischaracterisation' nor 'misogynistic'. It is simply complex.

[gigglesandfreckles-hp]

Hi I love your stuff! Can I ask who are your favorite writers? It doesn't have to be all Jily writers, you can recommend actual published writers, too. I just need to be reading whatever you're reading! And Happy NY xx

hi this is so kind!!

so i have this recent fic rec list of an assortment of jily and jily-adjacent fics. i don't really follow specific writers. i mostly just read what comes across my dash (in a dream world, i would be a devoted user of ao3 filters, regularly finding undiscovered fic, but alas...i rarely have time to peruse. i trust the recs of my mutuals like my life depends on it!!)

as for published writers, i also don't really follow any particular authors religiously. (i'm realising as i type this how lame i must seem ha!) i usually try to keep four books at once on rotation: one fiction novel, one non-fiction, one classic, and one professional development book (i work in education, so lots of books about child development, leadership, etc.)

i'm assuming you're not interested in most of those, though, ha! so as for fiction novels with witty banter, lovable characters, and moments that make your heart squeeze and squeal a bit (the things i try to prioritise in my own writing!), here are a few recents reads that fit that bill:

divine rivals by rebecca ross

every summer after by carley fortune

any and all emily henry novels (she is the witty banter queen)

the mysterious benedict society by trenton lee stewart

the ten thousand doors of january by alix e. harrow

the heaven & earth grocery store by james mcbride

if you end up reading any of these, i hope you will drop back by and let me know what you think!! happy new year! xxxx

[kay-elle-cee]

okay here's my 2024 Writer's Wrapped (prompts courtesy of @clare-with-no-i)

Favorite Line: Rescuing Jack saved Jack; it did not save her soul. Perhaps forgiveness for her transgressions—for the kiss, god almighty—could be bartered if the life was saved, but she had little hope. The change in her was permanent; a line crossed. (a just cause does not absolve the sin)

Favorite Scene: This is so tough and would probably change tomorrow, but I'm going to say Lily and James at the bar in Stupid T-Shirts. I just reread this the other day and totally forgot about that moment with the lime and whoever wrote this is CRAZY. (and I mean specifically at the bar getting drinks...not the whole fic, lol)

Favorite Chapter In Search of Something More Chapter 4. The pre-Dursley chapter where everything is going well and James and Lily are just being un-fucking-bearably cute, and when they wrestled control from me and my outline.

Favorite Oneshot: magic in the tides is getting my vote for this one. My POTC fic was very very close but I've had the idea for this pirate!jily oneshot since I was writing that original multichapter, so to be able to return to that world and finally get those words down was really gratifying. I love my pirate!Jily more than anything and I don't care.

[jilyradar]

Can I rec things here? If so I would like to bring back the attention of one of my absolute FAVORITE fics of all time.

Alternative Rebirth by Nellark.

It was on hiatus for years and she has just started updating recently and my heart is so full of love and emotion for this heartbreakingly beautiful story.

I know Nellark was on tumblr at one point but I don’t know if she still is (maybe someone could tag them?)

She details the woes of James, Lily, and Harry surviving Halloween night, and their family growing and I like to believe she has massive plans for this story.

Everybody needs to know about this… I hope this is okay but Alternative Rebirth needs clout, and I want other people to read this and fall in love with Nellark’s James and Lily the way I have!

It can be found on fanfiction.net

Thanks for letting me monologue! I have thousands of words to say about alternative rebirth!

I don't normally do that here specifically by design (though absolutely send in recs at my other place please @all-things-jily) but this is a space to spread love for Jily fics so of course it's fine!!

And there's nothing, nothing I love more in fandoms than seeing writers coming back to old WIPs - the older the better lol, it just makes me so happy \o/ And congrats on getting your favorite fic picked up again, that must feel amazing!

Here's the direct link for everyone:

Alternative Rebirth by Nellark

31st October 1981: Lord Voldemort is dead. The world is full of chaos, fear and grief. James and Lily Potter, who ended this war, have a life to repair.

[florenceafternoon]

━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

Really, we shouldn’t be surprised by now but I have more amazing jily AU fics to share because the writers of this fandom are incredibly talented and I have my screen report to prove it.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

serendipity by desperateforsanity (on ao3)

Modern college/uni AU. Dearest Students and Staff, I am pleased to announce Hogwarts University’s fourth annual Pen Pal Program. Upperclassmen and sophomores likely remember and cherish the memories of their previous penpals and are excited to make another friend this year.

TW: for the later chapters for discussions of grief and its effects on one's mental well-being. For the most part, though this is a fun fic full of great banter!

The Frenzied Misadventures of Balcony Man and Window Woman by @clare-with-no-i

prompt: "It's 3am why are you outside my window- are you trying to rob me?"

It feels necessary to preface this entire thing with the fact that, yes, James had good reason to be dangling precariously from a third-floor balcony, and anyone who says differently is simply attempting to smear his good name.

At least, that’s the story he’s sticking to.

Hijinks & Shenanigans

mellow is the man (who knows what he's been missing) also by @/ clare-with-no-i

Earl's Court. 24th May, 1975. Led Zeppelin live in concert like you've never seen them before.

FEATURING: prolonged eye contact, deeply metaphoric descriptions of cigarette smoke, painful levels of detail about makeup, and a special one-time performance by Two Teens In Love! OR: the "we made eye contact at a Led Zeppelin concert but my friends pulled me away to mosh before I could come say hello" AU

So when I say that I saw this unfold frame by frame in my head, I mean the writing is on another level. The way that I could almost smell Earl Court ... I regret waiting so long to read it. Also, found out this is written by the same author as one of my favourite jily fics foreigner’s god so that explains it “I'm not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.” ― Sally Rooney, Normal People

but he’s a little bit too far away by @firefeufuego

Historical AU. A decade after they met as cadets for The Times, the toll of James chasing stories in war zones is starting to hit home for Lily.

Taking A Shot At You by @annabtg

Modern AU. Lily Evans, pharmacist, has to work all day and night on New Year's Eve - and ends up ringing in the new year with a bloke who just got himself a dog bite.

The Right Track by BeeDaily (on ao3)

Co-workers modern AU. When James is first handed the train ticket, his immediate reaction is to laugh openly in his father's face.

the horoscope by lirians

Modern AU. James stops momentarily to give way to a bunch of rambunctious teenagers on the pavement before he regains his step. Lily has come to a halt a bit further, waiting on him.

“Horoscopes?” he asks as they move onwards. He’s relieved that any awkwardness between them is apparently gone. “How so?”

“Marly sent me mine this week because it said I would meet someone from the past again,” she explains. “I’m still not sold on the idea of it, but isn’t this weird?”

I was inspired to read this by this art

The Falcon and The Squid by @jfleamont

There's a Lego Millennium Falcon that needs to be built. There's also a bet, a ring and a bike.

Put it all together and what do you get?

Leda's jily will always be a favourite of mine. They're idiots in love your honour

Glastonbury by elanev91 (on ao3)

Prompt: we're at a music festival and you crawled into my tent when drunk and fell asleep, now you've woken up bewildered and to be honest I should be more annoyed but you're just so good looking

One Day at Time by @sweeethinny

Single-mum-lily AU. One day at a time is the mantra Lily uses to keep peace inside her mind, but there are days when it's simply impossible and in the end all she needs is a glass of wine, a cozy hug with her boyfriend, and a serious talk with her son.

Note that you can read this as a stand-alone one shot but it's part of a series that takes place in this AU

For All My Life by aheartcalledhome & SecondJadeofLan (on ao3)

When saving the bees ends in a happy family.

pumpkins and blueberries by evotter (on ao3)

Modern soulmate AU. In which Lily Evans hates puzzles, Marlene McKinnon is a coffee-making goddess, and the stuffy manager with the unkempt hair just so happens to be Lily's soulmate. In the wise words of Mary Macdonald, nothing is scarier than a relationship. Especially if it's with your soulmate.

After Moon by lovesickjily (on ao3)

When the universe sent Lily back in time for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t realise that she’d fall for the charming, messy-haired Prince along the way, nor did she realise that she’d see him once again.

here's to never growing up by elixirsoflife (on ao3)

Chat fic where a group chat documents the lives of four highly dramatic teenage boys as they navigate their A Levels.

Or, like, die trying.

Okay, I rarely ever read chat fics, they're just not my thing. BUT this one had me wheezing on my way to school. It's crack. Just treat it like crack

Ice Baby also by elixirsoflife

Modern college/uni AU. In his defence, James never expected to meet his soulmate at thirteen minutes past eleven on a Sunday morning when he’s aiming a puck at Sirius’ balls.

Or: call me sweetheart again and I'll punch you in the throat.

Not a Clue by PotterandEvans (on ao3)

Modern college/uni Quarantine AU. Lily stood in the doorway of the flat, looking at the boy in front of her. She had spent most of the last two years keeping her distance from the annoying piece of work, staying away from his ego mostly. “Come in.” She said, stepping away from the doorway to let him into the flat that she usually shared with Remus.

"Ah, so kind." James muttered as he walked inside, his heavy bag weighing him down. This really was not the ideal situation, for either of them. But he had nowhere else to go, so staying with Lily Evans it was going to have to be.

they were zoommates (requires an ao3 account) by elanev91 (on ao3)

Modern college/uni Quarantine AU. Lily's on lockdown and, because she can't help herself, signs herself up for a whole bunch of extra (and free) work with her ad agency. Minerva, her boss, assigns a cheeky social media manager to her team to help her. Also, Marlene discovers TikTok (this is nowhere near as important to the narrative as its inclusion here suggests).

And You Heard About Me (Ooh, We’ve Got Some Big Enemies!) by @wearingaberetinparis

Fame AU. Lily Evans is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and global superstar, who recently broke up from her latest and long-term actor boyfriend Amos Diggory. James Potter is a professional football player who plays as a forward for Manchester United and has never been quiet about his celebrity crush: Lily Evans. When Lily Evans thus plays at Wembley Stadium - a place he is more than familiar with due to his being part of the England team - he just has to go and see her perform, embracing his inner, besotted fan boy, while the woman on stage is completely oblivious to his presence. Or is she?

The most unrealistic part was man u winning (but it's James so that explains it). Regardless, I started this fic while waiting for my final grades from last year to come through, and while they were disappointing, this sure wasn't. I was crying so hard that I fell asleep. Then I woke up and continued the fic and suddenly I was giggling along with Lilly. Anything and everything Mary writes is a masterpiece. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

it continues (the beginning doesn't matter) by whitesunlars (on ao3)

She is the last person he expected at his door at that exact moment, despite feeling unsure about the fact that she managed to track down his address, he agrees to go out to coffee with her. A lot could be said about James Potter, but nobody could claim that he had good self-preservation skills.

They meet in a bar. Mistakes happen. They learn to keep going.

[yallthemwitches]

First, I want to say that you are an incredible writer and I love how you write James and Lily. It’s so clear from how you portray them that there is this absolute love and connection between them.

Looking over your post yesterday lamenting how Harry never got to see his parents happy and in love has me wondering. Harry goes to such a low point after seeing SWM that he questions his parents relationship to the point of thinking that James forced Lily into marriage (which by extension could imply rape). It seems odd to go that low and then only say “nah, she didn’t.” Do you think the author intended to go this far in unsettling James and Lily’s relationship?

It feels like in an effort to make Snape more sympathetic she undermined James and Lily’s relationship. Do you think she meant for James and Lily happy and in love in their marriage? (I mean, you make it work so effortlessly and perfectly in your stories but I feel like you’re not trying to sacrifice them to make Snape a hero.) What are your thoughts on their portrayal in original series?

First of all, thank you so much for the compliment! It really means a lot!

I agree with you on the frustration around the "Nah, she didn't" line and it being not very effective. It feels like a way to very quickly wrap up Harry's worry just so they could get back to the main plot. It's a shame because that's kinda a big deal to feel like your parent's ( who you idolized) fell from grace and I'm sure Sirius and Lupin had 100x examples of good time Jily to relieve Harry's worry.

I don't think I need to express that I do think Jily were happy and truly in love canonically. There is proof in the text. But, I do think asshole author tried (and failed) in a lot of ways to try to make Snape sympathetic and unfortunately that probably cut a lot of scenes we could have gotten of happy Jily because seeing them in love would have handicapped Snape's emotional end goal.

Honestly, I would love someone who is a Snape sympathist to make it make sense for me because every way I turn it, I can not condone any of the choices Snape makes even though he was in love. I don't necessarily think asshole author intended to "bash" jily, but I think she really needed to get the audience to a place where we felt for Snape by the end of the series and maybe glossed over things in order to make us forget that maybe Snape was actually just a creepy racist who was obsessed with his childhood crush.

Honestly, I could rant about the many implications that Snape wanted to buy/rape/otherwise possess Lily by asking for Voldemort to spare her and kill James/Harry (like what does Voldy think he wants her for? A pal???) and how the James being worse than Snape argument is dumb and stupid, but I'll save that for another post.

Thanks for asking xxx

[the-dream-team]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! ❤️

Omg hello Fel, my dear <3 I was actually just rereading some of my old stuff to help get through some writers block with new stuff (originals! not fanfic!), so perfect timing!

Large Heart, Tiny Photographs

My love letter to all the side characters who contributed photos to Hagrid's album he gifted to Harry in Sorcerer's Stone :') All my favorite lines I've ever written are in these vignettes. Molly and Remus's chapters are especially dear to me and I'm just very proud with how this fic turned out! It's depressing as shit... You're going to suffer, but you're going to be happy about it! Y'know the vibes

2. Meggi’s Magical Ice Cream

I wrote this one-shot as a way to basically vent about my own ice cream shop job in college that I hated with a fiery passion! This is the only fic in which I've fully written Lily as a self-insert. She is me. I am her. This fic is my diary. The only difference between us is the blossoming romance with the sandwich shop boy (I already had my own sandwich shop boy at home, thank you very much!!)

3. Snowflakes

At 12 years old, tweenage Dylan went on a family ski trip and her already fanfic-riddled brain said "jily should be here." And thus, Snowflakes was born. This is my baby. It's completely absurd and plagued by awful 2000s tropes, but I love it dearly. In a desperate attempt to remain canon-compliant, I ended it with a crazy plot twist that bothered me so much it forced me to return to fandom almost a decade later to write a sequel, and without that, I wouldn't have started writing again! Or met many dear friends! So thanks baby Dylan!

4. Who Knows Who Cares

After reading Beach Read by Emily Henry for the first time, I decided to try my hand at proper contemp romcom banter, but leaning more YA. As someone whose adolescence was often haunted by her repressed bisexuality, I wanted to write a story about acceptance and I think it turned out well! I enjoy rereading it, at least hahaha and the readers who reach out to let me know they feel seen by Lily's story make me so grateful <3

5. What I Would Do

HAD TO INCLUDE SOME FEM!JILY FOR YOU, FEL!! Some people think that WKWC was influenced by my own experiences, but in reality I put way more of myself in this little two-shot! It's cute and fluffy and features a much more pleasant side of ice cream than MMIC does lol Also, Fem!Jily February was the first time I participated in a fandom event of any kind and it was so magical and there were so many wonderful fics that year, I could cry just thinking back on it now :')

[wearingaberetinparis]

Chapter 1 - Pinkest Bluestocking of the Ton - A Jily Bridgerton AU

I know what many of you will be thinking: "A new Jily fic, Mary?! Again?! Shouldn't you be finishing the ones you are writing already?!" The answers to all of these questions would be a resounding and understanding yes. However, I find that I often work best and am most inspired to write when I go with the flow and let my brain form the story it currently wants to get out. For the past three days my brain has been screaming for a Jily Regency AU and here she is: Pinkest Bluestocking of the Ton, a Bridgerton-inspired Jily AU. I can't tell you exactly how many chapters I will be writing just yet, but this is the first one - from James' POV - and the second one will follow on Wednesday evening. Read Chapter 1 HERE!

Dearest Reader, the ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honour to impart to you the news that the Duke of Peverell has returned to London at last! A year after setting off on his tour of Europe, Lady Peverell's son has returned and rumour has it that his mother is preparing for the most joyous of occasions: a late summer wedding that sees her son wed the next Duchess of Peverell. It is my sincere hope that you have stored a bottle of wine for this most delightful of upcoming events for if ever there were a more determined mama, this writer is Icarus and this society paper has been scorched for flying too close to the sun. A Jily Regency Romance inspired by Shondaland's Bridgerton.

[jilytoberfest]

We all know James and Lily live a long happy life together but do you know how they met? Was it on the Hogwarts Express where one accidentally bumped the overhead luggage and caused it to drop on the other? Or was it because Lily wanted to know who lets their dog pee on her lovely Petunia that she keeps next to her door and waits to yell at him as he went about his morning routine? Who knows? Who will tell? And just so everyone can know the different answers to the above question, this year’s theme for jilytober fest is…🥁🥁🥁🥁 ‘MEET CUTES/UGLIES!’

Disclaimer: this post is a lil’ long

Bittersweet

We all know honey gets sweeter when you stir it up, but can you make it bitter too? What happens when we give you a fluff prompt but ask you to give us angst? We get bittersweet jily, addictive and delicious. Oh and how about when you turn our angsty prompt into sweet nothings and sugar coated love declarations? Absolute delight! Come ask for your prompt and twist it to your flavour

The participants will be given a fluff prompt which should be interpreted as angst. And vice versa. Those interested in participating in this challenge can send an ask, and a prompt will be assigned to you! (Yes, both writers and artists can participate 🥰). There is no deadline to register for this event.

Masquerade challenge

Are you as good as a Marauder at detective work? Can you sniff an authors tells at the poker table? Can you sense the writer before the end of the story? Can you tell which James loves Lily the most? If you think you can come have a guess 😉

A few writers will write and anonymously submit their fics to the challenge collection (will be posted soon). Readers have to match the fics to the writers. The options for authors will be given via a tumblr poll. Everyone is encouraged to participate :)

To be a writer, send an ask saying that you wish to participate by the 20th of September (so that you get enough time to write)

Jily sprinkle moments!

At the beginning of each week, 5 one word prompts will be posted. They can all be connected together to make one fic, or as many as one wants. There is no limit! Go grab that jily moment and put it in <<101 words! (If inspiration strikes, feel free to go crazy) Everyone is encouraged to participate! (Artworks, fics, moodboards, playlists—anything can be made). Do tag this blog and @jilymicrofics so that your works can be reblogged

Readers Bingo!

We’ve been spoilt with so manyyyy jily fics this year, were you able to keep up?? If you were, you will rock the bingo weekends this year!

The official bingo templates will be posted every Friday at 12AM GMT and to win it, one would have to get a bingo by Monday 12 AM GMT. This year, we will have 4 bingos (🎉🎉) for each category— general audiences (6th-8th), teen and up(13th-15th), mature(20th-22nd), explicit(27th-29th). Every single person in the fandom is encouraged to participate :)

Whoever finishes the bingo first, each week, wins! They should also post a photo of their finished template on Tumblr and tag this blog. Each winner has the chance to win a bonus of eternal fame (in the author’s minds) and love ♥️♥️ if they have left a comment, as well as have read the fic :)

The JilyExpress - A collaborative fic writing event

All ready to start and head straight to Hogwarts is the Jily expressway 🚂🛤️🚇 so…

Get your ticket through this form before 20th September. Everybody is welcome! (All readers, artists, writers)

The fest mod will start a story on 1st October - It shall only be 1-3 (complete!) sentences and no more.

The next person on the list will continue the story the next day, 2nd October, by writing 1-3 more (complete!) sentences. This continues till the 31st of October when a complete fic, with all the authors credited, will be released on ao3. Based on the number of sign ups, the order and the number of times each author gets to write will be decided and announced in a later post

The writers are to post their lines as a reblog chain with proper tagging (the jily express and @jilytoberfest ) and numbering (date). In case you want your sentence to be anonymous, you can send an ask to this blog after the person before you has posted their sentence, and we would post yours!

First years and Heads of Houses (readers, artists and writers) all can get tickets (since it’s only max 3 sentences) so, hop on, enjoy the fun ride to make sure James and Lily arrive at their destination (happily ever after) safely

ROMCOM event

Ever wanted to combine your favourite rom com with your favourite couple? Here’s your chance, because James and Lily are just a boy and a girl standing in front of an audience asking them to write their love story

And that’s what we’ll do! If you have any romcom books/movies you’d like to recommend, please mention it in the comments of this post! A post with the entire list of movies/books will be released by the 5th! You can choose which movie/book to write as jily in the comments/reblogs of that post!

31Prompts!!

31 prompts for 31 days is back again this year with even more exciting prompts for all! P.S. we now also have lyrical prompts included in the list

The prompts will be posted tomorrow!

And lastly, for the very first time… SURPRISE EVENT!

I think most of you will love this one 🤞🏼🤞🏼. I’m hoping everyone participates in this (yes, readers included). The details will only be revealed on the 29th October, so stay tuned!

[arianatwycross]

Not so secret

Something I wrote to get myself out of writers block. A little jily secret relationship fic with a grumpy Sirius!

“Why are your lips pink?”  

James’ eyes widened a fraction, his fingers brushing his lips softly. “Pink? Aren’t they supposed to be pink?”  

Sirius narrows his eyes, “Not that pink.”  

James shakes his head and ignores the comment, turning around to head towards the bathroom.  

“Where were you anyway?” Sirius calls out.  

“Quidditch practice, you know that.”  

He doesn’t hear Sirius’ reply, but he does get a glance of a familiar stain of pink on his lips in the mirror.  

Shit.  

He brushes it off his lips in a hurry before stripping off his quidditch gear and slipping into the shower. He doesn’t want to wash the smell of her off him, but he must keep the ruse up.  

Changing into his school uniform, he heads back out to find Sirius arguing with Remus and Pete. His light eyes narrowed as he gestured theatrically.  

“What’s going on?” James demands. He’s used to his mates bickering, but Remus looks a little too flustered for it to not be serious.  

“Nothing.” Sirius throws at him angrily before storming out of the dorm room. James tilts an eyebrow up and waits for Remus to explain.  

“He’s just in a mood.”  

“That wasn’t just one of his moods, Moony. What’s up?”  

“Um-” Remus looks over at Pete, the two of them share an odd look before he shrugs, “Why don’t you ask him later, when he calms down?”  

James doesn’t like this. He hates not knowing, hates being unaware, especially with his friends.  

“Is he ok? Did something happen with...?” They don’t talk about Regulus enough for James to say his name.  

“No - it’s not but um, well it’s not really my business to say.”  

James frowns, but let's Remus and Pete go before he can demand more information.  

He finds Lily waiting for him outside class, an odd occurrence, so odd he stares at her blankly for a few seconds before he realises she’s speaking to him.  

“James?”  

His name wakes him up.  

“Lil? What are you doing?” He looks around frantically.  

She rolls her eyes, “You’re terrible at this.”  

“I’ve had a weird day.” He admits.  

She inspects his face, before replying. “Could we talk...later?”  

“Talk?” He raises a pointed eyebrow, a smirk growing on his face.  

She tuts but the corner of her lip twists into a smile. “We ‘talked’ enough this morning. Enough that we might have been seen...”  

James feels his cheeks heat, “What?” he chokes.  

“Look just meet me later? Usual time?”  

“Yeah...”  

She gives him a shy smile before turning on her heels and walking away. He watches her dark red ponytail bounce behind her, before his eyes drop to her ass. He can’t help it.  

“One would think, you two were going at it.” A familiar voice speaks up from behind him.  

He turns around to find his best mate, giving him a pointed look.  

“Huh?”  

“You lied to me.” Sirius adds.  

James blanches.  

“I saw you two this morning, that’s what she was talking about. You lied to me. About her.”  

James can hear the betrayal in Sirius’ tone and his stomach flips.  

“Mate, it’s new. I was going to tell you.”  

“How new?”  

“Five days?”  

This makes Sirius laugh, so much that James can’t help but smile. 

“Was this what you were mad at this morning?” James presses.  

Sirius shakes his head, “Partly, and then Moony had to hit me with his wise words.”  

“Wise words?”  

“I’ll tell you after you tell me how this happened and why the fuck you lied to me?!”  

James runs a hand through his hair as he grimaces, he nods to an empty corridor, aware of the all too nosey eyes and ears coming from the nearby classrooms.  

The two head off, side by side, James wondering himself how he ended up in the current situation.  

“She kissed me, after the party on Saturday...”  

“And?” Sirius presses, James can hear the excitement in his tone and smiles at the ground.  

“Fuck Pads, you should have seen me. It was like I’d never kissed a girl before. I just stood there. She kissed me, and I stood there.”  

Sirius laughs.  

“She looked so heartbroken when she pulled away, all I could do was grab her back and kiss her properly. We – uh, we didn’t stop for hours.”  

“You just kissed?” Sirius waggles his eyebrows, making James blush uncontrollably.  

“She would kill me for telling you, but no. But that’s all you’re getting!”  

A tense quiet fall over the two of them before Sirius asks, “But why did you lie?”  

“It was my idea, to keep it quiet. So don’t blame her!” 

“Why?” Sirius says so softly that it makes James stop.  

“You saw what happened to Marissa right? Because she started seeing Benji?” 

James shudders as he remembers finding Marissa circled by a group of Syltherins just weeks ago. The poor fourth year white as a sheet as she faced a group of boys just because she was a muggle born dating a pure blood.  

“Oh.”  

“I can’t let them do that to Lily. She’s already on their radar.”  

Sirius nods, “Ok. I get it. But you didn’t have to lie to us.”  

“I know.” James nods solemnly. “I kind of wanted Lily to myself for a little bit. It was fun sneaking around.”  

“You can still bloody sneak around with her. With us knowing, at least we can reserve the dorm room for you two.” Sirius winks but the gesture still seems slightly solemn.  

“I know mate, sorry. I guess I just got too caught up in trying to keep her safe.”  

“And in her pants...”  

This makes James snort and push his mate into a nearby suit of Armour.  

“Did you two....” Sirius waggles his eyebrows as James helps him up from the floor with a grin.  

“No... but we might as well have.”  

“Mate!” Sirius punches him in the shoulder, “You weren’t even going to bloody tell me you lost your virginity!”  

“I fucking haven’t. Yet! But fuck, be quiet.” James' eyes bounce around the corridor.  

Sirius laughs, “You wouldn’t last two seconds with her...your dream girl!” Sirius teases, pressing a hand to his chest theatrically.  

“Shut up.” James scoffs. “But uh, she wants to talk tonight, I think about you finding out...so maybe you could keep the boys out of the room for an hour or two?” 

Sirius smirks, “You really need an hour? I’m betting ten minutes.”  

James shoves Sirius into another suit of Armour and this time leaves him to pick himself up off the ground.  

[eastwindmlk]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! ❤️

Okay! Thank you so much for this one! Since I had trouble picking I went for my favourite AU's (not that it narrowed it down too much.)

Echoes of Tuning Hearts!

One I have not yapped about in ages is my first Jily fic since coming back. It is a Band!AU and it really isn't that good, but I love it a lot and it means the world to me.

As a favour to a friend, Lily took a job as tour manager for a growing local band: Mischief Managed. What she did not expect is that three years later she would still be travelling around with the merry band of troublemakers. While she had no problem dealing with the usual shenanigans, there was one member that seemed bound to making her life more difficult than it needed to be. James Potter, guitarist. With his stupidly charming smile, magnetic personality and endless parade of hook-ups that should leave her unbothered, but don’t is the bane of her existence. So why can’t she stay away from him?

Per Aspera Ad Astra

This one you're probably sick of hear about but it is one of my all time favourites! It is also my first ever Prongsfoot fic. This is a Roman Empire!AU/Gladiator!AU and it was written for the Prongsfoot Reverse Bang with a stunning piece of art by @bullets-from-another-dimension. Oh and there is a glossary.

When Sirius, the eldest son of the emperor, hears of 'Aurelius', a gladiator who has made a name for himself, he follows his friend to a fight. The moment they lock eyes, he falls hard. Can they defy the odds and be together? Or will he be doomed to watch him from afar?

The Boy (in the bedroom) Next Door

Little proviso, I am considering rewriting this because I learned a lot in the year since. But this is a canon divergent/no voldemort!AU where Lily leaves Hogwarts in her 3rd year.

1986 Lily Evans has to move in with her new potion's teacher to finish her apprenticeship. There is one small issue, said teacher? Fleamont Potter, father of infinitely annoying and frustratingly fit former rival James Potter. Who she has not seen after leaving Hogwarts after her third year.

Diagnoses: Dateable

This one is a lot shorter than the others! But just as sweet! A good old Muggle!AU that I wrote for last year's Jilychallenge Christmas Calendar.

Christmas Eve and Lily Evans is working in the Accident and Emergency department when a familiar face shows up.

Ren Faire AU

Okay, this might be cheating but it is my list! I started a Ren Faire!AU based around songs from Galavant (Which is amazing and funny and The House of Mouse is trying to hide it for some reason.) It is just funny and cute Jily stuff.

[theresthesnitch]

WIP Tag

Five tags and I gotta do it, right? Thanks @annabtg @mppmaraudergirl @blitheringmcgonagall @jamesunderwater @arianatwycross for the tag!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

This is going to be... interesting. I'm in a finish some wips before I post new ones zone, so that's super fun for me. So, top 5 by priority:

Chance would be a fine thing - Wolfstar A/B/O fic

The next chapter on this one is ALMOST done. Like, half a smut scene. I've been at like half a smut scene left for like a month, though, and I'm not sure why I can't get this one out. We meet James and Regulus next chapter, which is exciting!

Give Me a Sign - Wolfstar - Deaf Remus Soulmates

This one needs more work. The next chapter should include meet the parents (that the Potters and the Lupins), but what I'm most excited for is writing Sirius dancing around his kitchen, singing and signing to some song on the radio to Remus's amusement.

Summer Boys - Wolfstar Childhood Friends to Lovers

Again, this one is just one chapter, but I think I'm going to have to redo basically all of what I have drafted of Chapter 3. Exiciting things coming: Wolfstar double dating Jily at a carnival.

The Moon that Calls Your Name - Jily - Werewolf Lily AU

Coming up in this one is Lily's first full moon, but also some discoveries she makes when she transforms. 😉

Ignite - Canon Jily Secret Relationship

I've actually been making decent progress on this one recently, which I'm thrilled about. Still no estimated date of return (sorry!) Coming up that I'm excited to write: A second quidditch match plus a surprise twist for spectator Lily.

I know that's five, but I've never been good at following rules, soooooo.....

Lessons in Defense - Professors Moonchaser AU

This one has the most to go, but I've been thinking a lot about them recently. It's probably lowest priority on this list because it've got a long way to go on it, but it is coming! For this one, I'm very excited to get to/write Christmas!

and then tagging. Let's doooooo:

@puuvillaa @tracingpatternswrites @heartofspells @brandileigh2003 @hihimissamericanbi @beautitudes @squintclover @crescentcitytorchwood @synonomy @sliebman10

[siriuslychessi]

20. Something that made you laugh :)

tbh... I forgot XD I know there have been a couple, but I can't find it and can't remember it at the moment.

Probably the whole McGonagall getting Jily detention

Rounds

It was after curfew, she knew this very well, it was after 10, but students had the audacity to be out of their houses and doing things that every teen liked to do, but that it was supposed to be reproachable by the staff. She knew that teens would find a way to do these activities, she knew that she could not stop it, but she was not thinking on the lecture she would give them, or how to dissuade the younger couple to stop meeting like that. All that ran through her mind was: ‘why did the best students in this school could not sneak past Filch?’

Artist and Fic Writer EOY Asks

[apalapucian]

5, 6, 10, 11, 12 & 19 for the fic year in review pls!

hi haley thanks so much for these and im so terribly sorry for the lateness!!!

5. what ships captured your heart? jily, but no surprises there. this year i think - and i wouldn't say it captured my heart, but - what piqued my interest was prongsfoot. and i blame all the randy jily writers on my dash for that one lol.

6. what characters captured your heart? more than jily, because that's default, this year it was sirius! and regulus also.

10. what fic was the most satidfying to finish writing? egos practically wrote itself, especially the ending. that's a rare thing to happen, so i was v happy and satisfied about that. i hope it happens more in 2025.

11. what fic was the most difficult to write? for reasons both writing-related and personal-life-related, i really really trudged through the last two chapters of bad day wall. i surprised even myself when i managed to finish it.

12. what fic was the easiest to write? the entire concept for no questions asked appeared in my head slowly but surely for one of those prompt games i was sent this year. when i started writing it, it also just flowed on its own. compared to the other fics i wrote, it's more scenic and vibes-based and abrupt (much like one last), more like connected flashes of something instead of a whole laid out story, which is always the easiest to write. i really like that one. i wanna make more of it in the future.

19. share your favorite piece of dialogue.

okay so. from bad day wall, this text exchange (james is bold and lily in italics):

let's just say she doesn't like me very much

did she tell you that?

yes. in many creative ways. really creative. if it wasn't at my dignity's expense the creativity would have been awe-inspiring

ah. condolences :(

:(((( so what do i do, do you think?

if she already turned you down (many creative times), then nothing. i think you should respect that.

damn. you couldn't have drawn it out a little? don't give up, she'll come around, she just needs a little more prodding???

well just that if it were me i wouldn't want more prodding

you wouldn't change your mind? ever? if it's you.

i'm not saying i wouldn't EVER, but it just might take some time. and space. and perspective?

so much physics

such is love, i'm afraid

___

a couple of director's cut tidbits from this:

i just found it funny that lily was saying "if it were me" without knowing it's ACTUALLY her like it was so amusing to write

james suddenly punctuating properly in "you wouldn't change your mind? ever? if it's you.' was deliberate, like, in my head, when he starts typing properly, it means he's talking about something he feels serious and deeply about. and i did this in the entire fic i think, like when he got a bit more serious and solemn, he stops writing like he's making a tumblr shitpost. whch he goes back to in "so much physics", hoping for cool and unfuckwithable, but the way lily says "such is love, i'm afraid" is like, it's corny, but it's true, and she believes in it, and they're both talking about something serious and true and validating each other's feelings but also through a fucking wall and they don't know each other and they don't know it's about each other sjhfdsidfj anyway i just love this bit from BDW personally.

"time and space and perspective" is also what happens in the next chapter, when they spend some time and space apart, james trying to move on in the beginning of summer and lily trying to build a little life post-moving out, and then new perspectives when they start spending summer together in the gryffin.

also james, a pureblood, being into and knowing enough about physics, a muggle thing, to make a reference, is really hot lmao, and also a reference to completely human james. there is a draft of that chapter where lily pauses to speculate that the stranger must be muggleborn because of the physics thing, but i couldn't put it in without getting too wordy and ruining the momentum of their conversation, so i just cut it. but yeah! james and physics. hot.

sorry this got so long lol thank you and happy new year, haley!!! 💜