#where the fuck are gregory and cassie

[beepborpdoodledorp]

Since there's a high likelihood that some sort of add-on is going to be announced for HW2 this week what's everyone's last-minute predictions

[shiningstarr15]

I need to draw more of Doublestar Duo. I’ve only drawn them like five times and it may seem like a good amount but to me that is CRIMINALLY LOW !! 😭🌟🌟

[ireallyneedaintrestinglife]

No-one:

Me, after getting what I can only assume is the cannon ending of security breach ruin:

Gregory is a bitch ass motherfucker, he killed my fucking protagonist. He took his dumbass fucking murder tendencies and turned them on my fucking protagonist. And he said "I know you did it to save me but we can't risk being followed" and I said well that's hardly fair. So I'm making a call-out post on my tumblr blog...

[stars-in-a-jam-jar]

My partner likes hearing me tell stories and sometimes I will just end up making fanfiction in our PMs which is all fun and games until you're indulging said partner's idea for a Five Nights At Freddy's Security Breach AU where everything's the same except Vanessa and Gregory are both 12 and have a foil dynamic going on as they're attempting to Get The Fuck Out Of Here and this shit just happens organically.

Like what do you MEAN this exchange is now gonna live rent free in my head forever??? It's a barebones snippet of a half baked Five Nights at Freddy's fanfiction that I improvised in like TEN MINUTES, it doesn't get to just do that????

[nebuladreamz]

Hey OP what if

Bad ending+ plus the game setting up for them to meet in the future again but pin against each other

Cassie as the new villain, Gregory coming back to the pizzaplex years later

Can u imagine all the angst potential

Cassie seeing the real Gregory years later but he is there to stop her? To stop all the work she build up, to save him? The tragic irony?????

Op-

ANON IM GONNA FUCKING KISS YOUR FOREHEAD /P

OH THE MISERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE HER ENEMY-

VANESSA SORRY BBG THAT YOU WERE HYPED UP TO BE THE MAIN VILLAIN OF THE NEW STORYLINE HOWEVER CASSIE AS THE NEW VILLAIN FOR IT WOULD BE SO FUCKING COMPELLING BECAUSE IT'D HURT TO SEE THIS LITTLE GIRL WANTING TO DO GOOD AND FIND AND SAVE HER FRIEND ONLY TO BE USED AS A LITERAL MEAT VESSEL FOR A FUCKED UP REMNANT OF A LEGEND MEANT TO BE BURIED YEARS AGO ALONGSIDE EVERYTHING ELSE

[crayonverse]

People on TikTok really don’t understand nuance in any way huh

[hearts401]

Gregory's... not in the picture 😭

I desperately need a time travel au like this

[paradoxicwashere]

I love the development they gave Roxy in Ruin, and she was already the most fleshed out of the Non-Freddy Security Breach Animatronics (Getting more personality than Chica has gotten over 10+ incarnations over 11 games)

Which makes her base game defeat, where Grand Theft Gregory racks up a vehicular manslaughter charge by hitting her with a go-kart (and making a poor staff bot his accomplice) even fucking funnier.

Poor Roxy was just waiting to hang out with Cassie and instead was met with the flying bumper of the Gremlin Gregory.

[smollillithstuff]

MAJOR RUIN SPOILERS

On my first play through I noticed some very mean words from the UI. And no, I’m not talking about Helpi. Under the objectives in the pause menu. I have seen no one talk about this and no documentation of it at all. So I went on a quest while getting all collectibles and the last ending I needed to document every single ui pause menu objective. And I ended up having my heart broken because of it

These will be put into mini compilations to help ease the photo limitations but I am almost 100% sure I have every single objective text documented.

Here are the ones that pop up before you have the mask.

Now compare that to your first message with the mask available.

THIS IS THE FIRST WITH MASK MESSAGE. LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN TONE. ITS DOWNRIGHT MEAN.

Here is the compilation of the mean things said to you in this manner.

The fazer blast one is during the prototype Freddy chase. And during the music man vent chase. It knows you are in danger and does not care.

There’s also a lot

And I mean A L O T

of messages wanting to use your mask.

The context to the bottom one? A camera puzzle where you are required to wear the mask.

There are also a lot of messages that don’t seem to make sense to be from Cassie.

More context: you know where Gregory is before you even get the mask. The camera distraction during that message suddenly changes to Gregory. During the gator gondola message, why would Cassie ever reference herself in the second person? During the dead end message, Cassie fully screams out that she is stuck, with only Helpi telling her she isn’t. During the daycare attendant message, you are about to use the cameras to find anomalies with the mask on for the first time. The hurry message displays while you are already trying to get to Gregory, why the sudden urgency? With the halfway message, we don’t even know we are halfway done until Helpi states so. Why would Cassie refer to herself in the second person to compliment herself on a mask she can’t even see how it looks on her face at the time?

Then comes the section of the game where the messages become downright brutal. Roxy. Reading the messages at this point made this scene so much worse, and actually drove me to TEARS.

It is aware that it’s Cassie’s birthday, aware of Cassie’s relationship with Roxy, and even tries to invalidate Cassie’s feelings to make her keep moving forward.

Then comes the messages on the way down.

That last quote persists after you find the mimic. That’s the last message you receive. The mimic was manipulating us right from the start.

These little details add a whole new fucked up layer to the game, as you aren’t even safe from the mimic in the pause menu. It’s always there. The game was rigged from the start.

[thec0ntinuum]

Why Eclipse is GOOD DID representation despite what some people say. - From someone with DID.

Now okay before Ruin Sun and Moon were quite frankly opposites to one another. But considering the virus in this circumstance represents some sort of trauma it is understandable.

Also it is quite funny how people call Moon's actions evil when they don't with the other animatronics (when talking about it being bad DID representation). Also funny how you don't care that the other animatronics try to kill Gregory BUT right when its someone w/DID you jump up and down and say how it is bad representation.

On the subject of Moon though here are my thoughts on why he is so....creepy. He has security protocols like the other animatronics unlike Sun which means in this circumstance he would also be affected by the Afton virus. Because of this Moon is not evil. And also shouldn't be seen as such. Alters in a system that act that way are often misguided and need HELP which is what Cassie does in Ruin.

[ Note: Also it is important to say some alters WILL lash out and having representation of that is VERY important to me. Not all alters are sweet and nice and pretending representation can only be that is honestly not it. ]

Rebooting them made them whole again and brought the two extremes back into one. But to where both could still front. As shown by Sun thanking Cassie at the end of our visit with them. Which is honestly a nice note that I really liked.

That virus probably honestly fucked them up badly and to just go "evil alter evil alter" with little to no context is kind of not the way to go about it. Yes there are shows and movies that I won't name that are AWFUL but Sun and Moon were never like that and now with the extra context I can fully assure you them having DID in your headcanon or making your version of them have it is not problematic in the slightest. Have fun! Be creative! And most of all don't jump to conclusions based on minimal details! See ya!

[curseofbreadbear]

[Gregory insisted that she didn't need to apologize; she'd been dragged into this, and it wasn't her fault. At surface level, the words were comforting, but something within her felt the need to tear them apart. Sure, she'd been lured here, but she shouldn't have been. If she had the wisdom, the foresight, the keenness...she would have seen right through that fake Gregory. Instead, she blindly latched onto everything it said -- she'd been so scared of losing her cousin that she put herself through Hell to get him back, and it was all for nothing. She'd actively contributed to the destruction of the Pizzaplex, breaching security, unleashing whatever that thing in the basement was...]

[And still, Cassie knew that she wouldn't have stayed put, even if she had prior knowledge of tonight's events. No matter what, something in her would have screamed, "But what if Gregory IS down there?" She only wanted to help, and that had turned out to be both a weakness and a strength.]

[Gregory parroted her, reminding her that he was here -- something she definitely needed to hear right now. Despite everything, Gregory ( the REAL one ) was here. Cassie silently acknowledged the rest before pulling him into a hug; they needed to get out of here before anything else, and she absolutely agreed. She was horrified at the possibility that that...thing might have broken free because of her. He'd ask his friends to help, and she could call "Uncle B-", which she assumed was her dad. She...wasn't too keen on that unless it was an absolute emergency, though -- she'd sneaked out tonight, and if it was possible to still get away with it ( despite being visibly injured and traumatized ), then she'd prefer that. She didn't need to be grounded on top of everything else.]

[Cassie held her cousin tightly, ignoring her injuries; now that the adrenaline had worn off, she could feel her muscles screaming over the littlest of movements, but she needed this right now. Gregory hugged her back, and finally, everything felt like it was going to be okay. She felt another tear fall, even though she was sure she'd cried herself out...but this one was good. It fell because she felt safe, and for now, things would stay that way. Gregory gently squeezed her shoulder, promising her that he wouldn't leave, that they would be okay. She believed him.]

❝ Thank you... ❞ [Cassie sniffled, fighting to get the rest of her words out. Calm down. It's going to be okay, but like he said, you have to leave...preferably now.] ❝ Y-You're right, though. We need to get out of here. You said, um...your friends can help? Do you have a plan? ❞

"Don't apologize." Gregory said the words quietly, but firmly. "None of this was your fault. None of it. You should have never been dragged into this." The guilt for that was clawing through his insides, twisting his stomach painfully. Cassie was too good for all of this insanity. She should have stayed safe, far away from this wretched place and the vile things in its walls. But thanks to his voice luring her, here she was.

Hurt, scared, exhausted. But she was alive. She had survived hell, just like him. Maybe it could be something that united them, rather than tear them apart.

Cassie insisted that she could walk, but Gregory very much doubted that. Not on her own, anyway - someone would have to support her, even if she could stand. He didn't care. He'd carry his cousin himself if he had to, despite being as scrawny as he was. "I'm here now," He echoed. "And I will explain everything. But we've got to get you out of here first. My friends can help, and you can call Uncle B- woah!"

He was interrupted by being pulled into a hug, stealing his breath away with a small gasp. Despite himself, tears pricked at his own eyes, and he fought valiantly to not let them fall. For a moment, Gregory let himself melt into the embrace. It felt right, after everything. "I won't go. I'm not leaving you behind." He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze, mindful to not aggravate her injuries. "I promise. We're gonna be okay."

[spoopy-arcade]

The hate on Roxy because she's a "bitch" and a "narcissist" and... wanting to get Gregory? (When literally everyone besides Freddy is also trying to kill him???) Is so fucking stupid and just shows how much you people hate female characters. I'm about to go in-

First of all, the bad talk at Gregory in SB was because she was hacked by Vanny, (even her behaviour when you see her through the vents in her room) obviously there was no way she'd actually talk like that to a KID, but alot of you seriously believe that. And yeah, ok, she says a few mean things, so what? SO WHAT? If this was Monty's, or maybe Bonnie's personality instead, would you be spewing hate at them, or continue to simp for them and call their behaviour hot? I know for a FACT that a lot of you would. Not all female characters have to be too sweet or quirky and silly for you to like.

Back to Roxy's bad talk, you may think "Well, none of the others bad talk him!!" Yeah, it's because everything Roxy says to him is actually targeted to herself. The game clearly showed us how she actually feels: crying alone in her room, constantly telling herself that she's not a loser, and questioning if everyone loves her. Her praising herself are reminders to feel like she's still loved more than anything.

And the one thing that boosted her confidence alot was her looks. Her looks clearly meant so much to her, and we see this in Help Wanted 2 as well, so obviously she would be furious and lose it if someone took that away from her, including her ability to see.

And before I say anything else, I just wanna say that no I'm not angry at Gregory at all, he is just a child who was doing everything he can to survive, and if I were in his place, I would've done the same as well to protect myself. But at the same time, I understand Roxy's anger too. If I were someone who had very low self esteem that I reassure and prepare myself everyday to hang on, when one day, suddenly someone hits me with a whole go kart that shatters my entire body, and on top of that, they steal my eyes too? Yes, I wouldn't just be devasted, but I'd be very angry as well. Roxy was taken everything away from her, and was left to rot alone, I don't blame her for being angry at all.

Now more onto Ruin, which shows us her true side all along.

In the dlc, I don't think (Or it's clear at this point) that any of them are hacked anymore, since we assume that Vanny left with Gregory and Freddy in the good ending, and Glitchtrap is gone. But with Chica and Monty, I feel like they've just lost themselves and are completely broken. Even when seeing Cassie, they still tried to kill her. But with Roxy, she was the only one who recognised her when she heard her voice, and even apologized for grabbing her.

Later on, when Cassie stumbles onto Roxy again, this is where we see her TRUE self. Where she's sweet, soft, and not as mean as everyone made her out to be. (The way she gently speaks to her and holds her hand will never not make me cry) We know that from Roxy's lines, she was one of few who actually showed up to her birthday, since her friends didn't and was the reason why Cassie was crying in one of the cut outs we see. But Roxy was there for her, and she still remembered her special day, her favourite cake, and she was her number one - twice.

This part CLEARLY shows you that Roxy isn't a selfish jerk who only cares about herself, she cares about the kids, and she cares a lot about Cassie. There's a reason why she's Cassie's favourite, right? And don't forget that she literally went up against the mimic to protect her!!!

And I do wanna say that, no, this post isn't telling you that you're not allowed to dislike Roxy or criticise her at all, the issue is hating her character and personality when she would've been praised for it and called "hot" if she were Monty, Moon, Bonnie, or if she was Glamrock Foxy instead. (Which is... literally misogyny) Like, even before Ruin, there were people who hated Roxy for being a jerk, but then turn around and praise Monty when we see him being way more aggressive, while theorizing that he was the one KILLED Bonnie over jealousy. Not even because he was hacked, just... jealousy, and that's not him being 10 times worse than Roxy???

Don't forget the details in Monty's Gator Golf minigame, where in some levels, Freddy was always seen separated from the gang, and in the last level, you see Monty performing along side Roxy and Chica, while Freddy was thrown in the trash...

To me, this is clearly because he's jealous at Freddy, and wants to be the star instead. And along side him possibly killing Bonnie...

I'm sorry, but while I do like Monty, he is literally WAY more of a jerk. Alot of you people believe he killed Bonnie, is extremely jealous, way more aggressive, and yet Roxy is the worst of all for saying "I bet you don't even have friends" to a child when she was HACKED? But yeah, also praise the literal child murderer and abuser for being "interesting" and a cool character, but no, Roxy is the worst because she's a bitch. It's just so ridiculous, and I'm not surprised in the slightest, female characters will always get this treatment.

Alright, it's finally out of my system, anyway stan Roxy.

[bisheepart]

Not So Alone AU: Pepsi

Gregory: Kind of fucked up and nasty that vampires drink blood imo. Like, a pepsi cost a dollar seventy five.

Cassidy: WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GETTING IT FOR $1.75?! THAT SHITS LIKE $2.30 MINIMUM!

Gregory: Hospital.

Ellis: Who is paying $2.30 for a pepsi?

Gregory: Not me, I'm paying a dollar seventy-five. At the hospital.

Evan: I pay $2.50 but I'm British.

Gregory: I think we're getting off topic.

Cassie: Blood is free?

Elizabeth: So is pepsi if you steal it.

Charlie: Why... Why are you getting your pepsi from the hospital?

Gregory: Because it's a dollar seventy-five!

Gabriel: Why in God's name would a vampire drink pepsi?

Susie: Why would anyone drink pepsi?

Tony: This is why I'm not a fan of the sexy vampire trope.

1: It's overused and supports the current status quo of typical vampire supremacy: worshipping rich folk.

2: Vampires prey on humans and therefore symbolize capitalists preying on the working class.

3: Werewolves are sexier in my opinion.

Gregory: 🐻

Oswald: Am I having a stroke???

Gabrielle: You might want to go to the hospital then.

Fritz: I heard the pepsi is cheaper there.

[ikeep-forgetting-mypass]

As much as I like matpat I am dreading when he plays ruin because this is just going to fuel his 'gregory is evil' stich which I HATE.

Like, maybe stop demonizing this 9 year old. I get it, he has committed many crimes, as he should, and destroyed the glamrocks, but they can be FIXED. THEY ARE ROBOTS. THEY CAN BE PUT TOGETHER AGAIN AND ARE EVEN STILL FUNCTIONAL EVEN AFTER BEING SHATTERED.

You know who can't be fixed if he loses an arm or an eye? GREGORY (because he isn't a robot because FUCK THAT) like???

He is a homeless kid, of course he's going to be a brutal little shit and prioritizes survival against morals, he is on the fucking streets, and the animatronics have been trying to kill him for an entire night, making him run all across the PizzaPlex. You know how fucking big that place is!?

Also, him betraying Cassie makes zero sense for multiple reasons,

1: He went through fucking hell for Freddy and he only knew him for 6 hours, like. He was willing to steal a car and live with him on the road in one ending, tries to save him in the Afton ending, carries his head around, and is shown to cry when he's disassembled, something he is only seen to do in the Bad Ending or when Freddy is ok.

HE LITERALLY COMMITS MANSLAUGHTER IN ONE ENDING FOR HIS ROBOT-DAD FOR FUCKS SAKE.

Even when Freddy is possessed by Peepaw William, instead of trying to dismantle him, he tries to save him instead, when if it was any other animatronic he wouldn't have hesitated to destroy them.

Because of what the cutouts in Roxy Raceway tell us, Gregory and Cassie have a close friendship, him being the only one to show up to her birthday and giving her a napkin to clean up her tears. When you see his missing posters, you can see Cassie is crying, and due to him being homeless, she probably made those posters herself.

(which i am sorely disappointed if no one has made an angsty thing yet c'mon guys)

(I HC them as siblings, but I guess steel wool said fuck you entropy)

So why, if he was willing to do all of that for Freddy, where it was a plot point for all of the endings, would he betray Cassie and try to kill her? It doesn't make sense to me, adding onto my other point:

2: At the end, as everyone predicted, the mimic was pretending to be Gregory this entire time. I don't know why exactly it was luring cassie, probably to kill her or something, but the mimic is a whole other rant because it brings the books explicitly and that means GGY could be canon which. Ugh.

Anyways, it's revealed again to everyone's predictions, that Gregory isn't in the PizzaPlex, which I think is a missed opportunity but that's just me. Cassie escapes the Mimic and 'gregory' says that she awakened it (Afton) and then the elevator falls.

I see people saying that Gregory killed her, but my question is how?

If he isn't anywhere in the PizzaPlex, and can only see the layout, how was he able to cut the elevator wires if not physically present? Did he teleport? Did he magically get into the mainframe and somehow break it down? No.

In conclusion, if there's an installment following this it better not have a villain Gregory or I swear to God steel wool I am able to forgive you for hello neighbor I will NOT forgive you for that

EDIT: just some more things I want to add because MatPat is playing ruin and I am fueled with dread and excitement.

I see people bringing up the books and the whole patient 46 or 42 or 420 or whichever the fuck, which is still do not get, but I don't understand most things in this franchise anyways so.

Even if the mimic and GGY are canon, I still firmly believe that gregory's actions (if he did do them) were manipulated by William/Glitchtrap, with him being mind-controlled like Vanessa. If your going to demonize him for that, then you would have to do the same thing for Vanessa, who has canonically killed enough children to fill out a newspaper as seen in the Bad Ending when it's revealed Gregory is homeless.

(I don't know how or when old willy put his hands on my boy's mind, but It is not because he is a robot because he isn't. the only reason Freddy say's he's broken is because of censorship.

(PS, please stop censoring horror franchises unless it's actually depicts idk SA, talking to you Megan Is Missing. The original line was that gregory cut himself while in the vents. you didn't need to censor that idqbnofq)

Also, for people saying that Gregory is sadistic for destroying and harvesting the animatronics....

I see your point, and I raise that he is a homeless child who probably just got out of mind-control and is now being chased around a massive mall bigger than a 10 Walmart's and Targets put together, trying to escape 3 (4 and 5 if you count sun & moon and a hell of a lot more counting the security bots and damn endos) eight to seven foot hunks of heavy metal and sharp teeth capable of and known for destroying security bots because of Pizza and Jealousy Issues (Roxy and Chica) another that's infamous for destroying fences, his own room and is rumored/thought to have destroyed another robot, and a security guard who, (in yet again deleted voice lines that should have been in the game god damnit steel wool) he saw change into a skipping bunny with a kitchen knife all trying to kill him with only one protector for 6-7 hours straight with barely a moment to breathe.

What do you expect? him to be all "I'm so sorry *cries* let's all be friends!!" NO. in a better world and in a better made game maybe we could have that, but in this world no. Maybe he's a little remorseful, but in the way you kill a bug kind of remorseful.

Also, again, homeless children who probably had to raise themselves aren't going to be the most morally aware children, of course he's going to worry about his and the one person/robot who took care of him in a while above the ones who are attempting to murder him.

[petals2fish]

Pinky Promise (Tummy Hurts)

He’s in love with her. 

Lily Evans couldn't shake off the irritation that manifested as a clenched jaw as she observed the way James Potter gazed at Cassie Gregory during the first five minutes of the Quidditch game. She hadn’t been able to eat that morning, anticipating this scenario in countless ways in her head. It was worse in real life, and now anxious bubbles were building in her stomach, making her queasy.

Cassie Gregory was a remarkable blonde standing at an impressive six-foot-one, perfectly complementing James' towering six-foot-three frame. It was no surprise that she seemed to captivate him, she caught everyone’s eye. Lily observed Cassie's radiant golden locks glimmering in the sunlight as she confidently leaned on her broomstick, overseeing the Quidditch field with sharp, hawk-like eyes in pursuit of the elusive Snitch for Gryffindor’s victory. Cassie's determined jawline and flawless physique were evident even from Lily's elevated position in the stands.

Lily knew why James was smitten with Cassie, but that didn’t make the matter any less annoying. (Read on A03)

Cassie was older, a skilled Quidditch player, and embodied the attractive sports girl aesthetic. Despite her popularity, Cassie's leadership in the dueling club, coupled with a penchant for jinxing those who crossed her, revealed a somewhat narcissistic nature. 

Naturally, Cassie prioritized personal victory over the team's success. She wasn’t captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but she sure as hell acted like it sometimes. Even now she was shouting orders at Marlene, one of Lily’s friends, to stop missing passes. Lily half wished Marlene would tackle the blonde off her broom, but Marlene was better at self control than Lily was. 

“And Potter’s got the quaffle, he’s heading down the field!” The commentator announced loudly.

Lily looked through her binoculars and found James, leading a chase with the quaffle down field. His arm muscle flexed over the ball, and Lily felt her heart jump when he turned his head and she got to see his cocky smile directed at his opponent. She’d give anything to see that smile aimed at her, in a dark hallway. 

Sadly, they were just friends, and she likely couldn’t hold a candle to Cassie fucking Gregory. Lily was the opposite, as far as Cassie was concerned. Firstly, she was James' age; secondly, she did not fly a broomstick. To top it all off, her tits might be good to look at, but her arse was no contender as it was flatter than a pancake. At five foot two, she was tiny standing next to him and probably reminded James of a third year. Her compassionate nature and tendency to care deeply also made her quick to erupt into tears, thanks to her big heart. 

Good tits and a big heart, Lily had certainly thought that’d be enough until now. 

As James passed by Lily’s side of the stadium, a high-five exchange with Cassie ensued, briefly illuminated by the sun. Lily's discomfort intensified when Cassie blew James a kiss. Her face collapsed and anyone who actually cared about her, would’ve noticed she’d gone completely still. Stillness was never a good sign where Lily was concerned. 

She heard James’ laugh chase the wind, and she felt her knees weaken. He had the biggest, loudest, most intoxicating laugh she’d ever heard. Jealousy sprung into her throat as she realized he was laughing because of something Cassie had said, and that was not okay. Lily didn’t understand why it wasn’t okay, but Merlin, she’d love to block Cassie from even looking his way.

Lily sighed deeply.

"Ugh," came an agreeing tone next to her. "Two jocks flirting in mid-air. They're disgusting."

"For what it's worth, they'd make beautiful babies," she murmured to Severus Snape, her best friend, trying to sound as if she were casually discussing the weather rather than the stomachache she had from realizing she wasn’t even in James’ league.

"Yeah, and raise them up to be a couple of monsters like their mother and father," Severus rolled his eyes. 

“They aren’t monsters, Sev.”

"People as dimwitted as those two airheads shouldn't be able to reproduce."

“Cassie is the best dueler in her year, and James is—”

“A bully?” Sev counted off on his fingers. “A idiot, a showoff, a arrogant toe—”

“He’s all of those things,” Lily placed a hand on Sev’s knee to calm him down, “but Potter can still outpace us both in test scores.”

“He probably cheats,” Sev picked lint off his robes. “I’m sure he cheats, actually.”

“Okay, Sev.” Lily rolled her eyes, knowing for a fact James wasn’t cheating; he was just too smart for his own good. 

It’s what got him into trouble the most. 

It got Lily in trouble too.

Turns out, she had a type, and arrogant jocks with good grades were it. 

Lily chewed on her lip, her green eyes zeroing in on James, who had just captured the Quaffle from Ravenclaw. Actually, no, Hufflepuff was playing. Oops . Lily just didn’t really care to notice, given that she’d been fixated on the interplay between Cassie and James. She was obsessively trying to decipher if the rumor about them was true, and it was eating her alive inside. 

She hadn’t even been able to eat breakfast that morning.

Severus nudged her gently, breaking her concentration. "What's with you today?"

She tore her gaze away from James and Cassie, glancing at Severus with a half-hearted smile. "Just not in the mood for Quidditch, I guess."

Severus raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You love quidditch."

Lily sighed, admitting defeat. "Not today, I don’t."

Severus snorted. "Well, then why did you drag me out when we could’ve been looking for bowtruckles for my potion?”

As Lily tried to redirect her attention to the match, her mind continued to wander back to the topic of James and Cassie. The Quaffle passed between players, and she half-heartedly cheered when Gryffindor scored. The game was fun, but Lily couldn't shake the knot in her stomach, wondering about the truth behind the rumors.

Everyone was buzzing about James Potter supposedly snogging Cassie yesterday in Hogsmeade. Lily had been occupied with prefect rounds and missed the first half of the Hogsmeade trip, while everyone else seemed to have witnessed it. Even her own housemates claimed to have spotted James Potter and Cassie Gregory engaging in a passionate display.

Marlene McKinnon had practically erupted in outrage when she returned, screaming at Mary MacDonald about the alleged incident. It wasn't necessarily because she wanted James Potter for herself; Marlene genuinely despised Cassie with a fiery passion. This animosity had ignited when Cassie 'accidentally' broke the rules at the dueling club to beat Marlene in a duel of charms. Anytime anything good happened to Cassie, Marlene took it as a personal affront.

Lily couldn't blame Marlene for her tantrum. She, too, had been furious. She had closed the curtains to her bed frame and cried into her pillow for thirty minutes after hearing the news. It felt like a knife in the back, as if she'd been betrayed by the young black-haired Quidditch star. 

After all, Lily had kissed James three weeks ago. 

The kiss had been a secret one.

But the fact was still a fact. 

In the quiet solitude of the library stacks, they had found themselves alone. Engaging in a casual conversation, the topic shifted to the revelation that neither James nor Lily had ever been kissed. James expressed his frustration, feeling out of step with their peers who had already experienced such things. In response, Lily shared her own apprehensions on the matter.

Lily, perhaps impulsively, had offered to be James's first kiss. 

Initially he had conveyed uncertainty. "I don't know if it's a good idea. I don't want to ruin our friendship.”

“I pinky swear it won't ruin our friendship.” Lily had stuck her pinky finger out, grasping it with his own.

His eyes were lighting up as she forcibly shook their pinky fingers together. “A pinky swear doesn’t seem legally binding.” 

Then he kissed her anyway.

Officially, he had kissed her more than once. After the initial kiss, neither of them had separated for more than a brief moment. It felt as if he were a magnet, drawing her in each time. She had even tried a little tongue on the last go, the way Witch Weekly said, carefully tracing his lip. That had only intensified his grip, keeping her securely in place.

As it turned out, Lily discovered that she liked kissing.

The sensation of their lips meeting was a delightful surprise, and she might have gladly continued the exchange if not for an unexpected interruption. James had pulled back, and had been touching her cheek adoringly. Then, in the midst of that peak romantic moment, Sirius Black stumbled upon them, catching them standing mere inches apart, their faces flushed with feeling.

Caught off guard, James hastily conjured a feeble excuse, claiming he was searching for a nonexistent quill mark on her cheek. The awkwardness hung in the air as he and Sirius hastily retreated, leaving Lily to stand in solitude for what had felt like an eternity, her mind swirling with a mixture of confusion and amusement. 

In that thirty minutes, she somehow became totally enamored with him. She loved the way he kissed her back so slowly, so methodically, she could practically hear his brain overthinking every move. She loved his hazel eyes, which were darker in the stacks, and held her with such an intense golden warmth. She replayed the meeting once, ten, or fifty times before heading back to her dorm for a long and hot shower. 

Having her first kiss at fifteen must have done something to alter her brain chemistry because she spent that night drawing hearts next to his name in her diary. She hadn’t done that since second year, and never in her life had she imagined doing it around James’ name. They’d been friends, always friends, and now she wanted him as more than friends. 

Sadly, the next day after their rendezvous in the library, James totally ignored her. 

Then the day after that, he acted like they hadn’t kissed behind the stacks at all. 

Lily felt a tinge of disappointment, her affection for him somehow deepening despite the letdown. She yearned for him from a distance, reluctant to jeopardize their five-year friendship over something as trivial as a couple of kisses.

Yet, the crush persisted.

With each stolen glance in his direction, her infatuation intensified—beginning with a subtle blush and escalating into a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts. She found herself captivated by him, and was wondering if Severus was beginning to discern her secret feelings for him. Suspicious looks from Sev had become more frequent, especially when James lingered nearby. 

Even now, as she stared out at the field, Severus eyed her with suspicion.

“Go, go, Gryffindor!” the voices in the stands erupted, some cheering for James. 

Lily took a deep breath as James skillfully maneuvered his broomstick, tossing the Quaffle to Charity Jones. Unaware that Hufflepuff had caught the Snitch simultaneously, Lily's focus was on James, their eyes meeting in midair. He mouthed her name, accompanied by a wave. A rosy blush crept up her cheeks as she eagerly waved back.

Severus, reacting with disgust, lightly shoved her. Lily laughed, attempting to brush off her embarrassment as she watched James descend to the ground. The game had ended, but her heart continued to race, wondering if he was experiencing the same surge of emotions. The intensity was almost unbearable, leaving her jittery with unspent energy. She knew it was stupid, but the desire to kiss him in the stacks again greatly outweighed anything else at that particular moment.

“I can’t believe you waved back,” Severus muttered moodily as they stood up to join the crowd funneling down the stairs. "Do you like him or something?"

“James?” Lily feigned disgust a little too well. “Sev, he’s got a head so big, I’m surprised he can even fly a broomstick without toppling over from being top-heavy.”

Sev chuckled, tossing his hands into the pockets of his cloak as he responded joyfully, “he and Cassie have ego in common.”

“I just can’t believe he’d date her,” Lily remained even-toned, though the topic infuriated her.

“I know,” Sev let her through the stairwell door first before following with the quip, “I thought Black and he were a thing.”

Lily laughed out loud at that, earning an appreciative look from her usually reserved friend. “You can hardly see one without the other,” she commended, “but I can’t say either one of them has been caught snogging the other—unlike Cassie.”

Sev’s hooked nose scrunched up. “Why do you even care who is snogging who?”

“Because James is my housemate, he’s my friend,” she ignored Sev’s almost perpetual eye-rolling when James was involved. “And I personally think he deserves someone who’ll keep him humble.”

“Humble and James Potter don’t belong in the same sentence as the other.” Sev snorted as they both left the field and started walking back to the castle.

“You don’t know him like I—“

“Lily!”

The butterflies in her stomach had turned to lead weights. Her feet stopped dead in the frosty grass, her face heated back up, and her shoulders straightened. Severus was quick to disappear at the sound of the voice. Lily glared after him for abandoning her, but he just ignored her and fell into step with someone else.

“Lily!” James called her name again, this time he was closer, almost right on top of her.

Lily turned, and James was suddenly right there, inches away. He hadn’t changed from his Quidditch gear, and he had no glasses on, just his goggles pushed up his forehead. Lily eyed his wind-swept hair, admiring the twists it made on top of his head. His hazel eyes sparkled—no, they glowed with happiness at the sight of her.

God, she’s in love with him.

“Hi James.”

“Did you enjoy the game?” James asked cheerfully as students funneled around them.

Lily blinked widely before answering, “yes.” 

She would have liked to have said, ‘I enjoyed you,’ but that seemed a bit forward.

“Good.” He walked closer, damn him, and slung a confident arm around her shoulders, leading her in a walk back to the castle. “I saw you in the stands near the end; you look really pretty with your hair down today.”

Lily looked up at him, twirling one long red strand of said hair around her finger. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You guess?” He scoffed, “take a compliment, Evans.”

And then, because she was stupid, she blurted out, “how was Hogsmeade with Cassie?”

She hoped he looked like he was in as much pain as she was because he actually winced when she mentioned Cassie. “Oh, you heard about that, huh?”

“It’s all over the castle,” Lily mused, “I think the student population truly believes you two might be one snog away from bringing peace and prosperity back to our hallways.”

James pinched her shoulder. Hard.

“Ow!” She pushed him away. “That hurt!”

“You deserved it for that snark, Evans.” He rubbed his own arm as if she had bruised him.

Lily eyed him grumpily, noting that he shared her expression. She fell back into step beside him as they crested the hill, the castle rising up over the landscape. It was a rare moment alone with him, despite the sea of people. Lily was hardly ever without Sev, and James had his own ‘glued at the hip’ friends as well. 

She preferred them like this, alone, together.

“She’s pretty,” Lily commented, trying to keep her voice even again for the sake of prosperity.

“Who?”

“Cassie Gregory.” 

James’ hand reached for his messy hair, and he ruffled it as if agitated. “She is,” he agreed shortly.

“Do you like her?”

His hazel eyes skirted to her green ones. “Why do you care?”

Because I like you. She was too scared of rejection to say it out loud. “Because I’m your friend.”

James’ expression remained taut, and then he hip-checked Lily playfully. “Well, just like all my other friends, you’re going to have to wait for the details on my love life.”

“But you will tell me, right?”

“When I’m in love?” James asked with a sharp tone.

She held out her pinky finger to him, “I’ll tell you, if you tell me.”

His smile widened, he was likely thinking back to their last pinky promise. She held his gaze, not for one second regretting asking him. She liked when she flustered James, normally it was the other way around. 

James’ pinky suddenly looped with hers. “I promise, once she’s ready, I’ll tell the whole school who I’m in love with because I won’t be able to hold it in.”

Lily's stomach fluttered once more as she recognized the sincerity in his words. He had that earnest gaze, the one he reserved for moments of honesty. Blushing, she averted her eyes and focused on her feet, feeling the nervous energy radiating from his intense stare. He held onto her pinky, only letting it go once they started walking again.

“Well,” she muttered, attempting to inject humor, “save me a seat at the wedding.”

James snorted, as if finding something ironic in her comment. “You'll be right up front, I don’t even need to pinky promise that.”

"I'm sure Cassie will love that." Lily said smoothly, pretending to check her nail beds to avoid looking directly at James. 

"As if I'd marry Cassie," he scoffed, and her heart flew joyfully at the words. "She's a sore loser."

"You said it, not me." Lily almost hugged him, she was overjoyed by the news.  

James grinned down at Lily perceptively, "I knew you didn't like her."

"I for one, am disgusted you didn't get my approval before snogging her." Lily mocked, her mood lifted by the turn of the conversation.

James laughed once, tugging on her red hair playfully with his free hand, "I didn't kiss her, it was just a rumor."

He didn't kiss Cassie. 

Lily allowed her grin to widen as they entered the Great Hall together. James was immediately bombarded by his friends, who had been searching for him, providing Lily the perfect opportunity to slip away before potentially embarrassing herself. She seamlessly blended into the group of girls near the doorway, stealing one more glance at James. She felt a surge of happiness when she saw him returning her look with a wink.

She waved.

He waved back.

Later that evening, during dinner, James took a seat beside Lily, and she ate everything on her plate. 

[nebuladreamz]

U proBABLY SAID IT AS A JOKE BUT CASSIE AS JINX I -

AAAAAAAHAHHSAÄÃHHHHHHHHH

“I thought maybe you could love me like you used to”

“Even though I’m…different”

“But you changed too, so…here’s to the new us”

The tragedy of her sacrificing EVERYTHING for the sake of someone else, because she wanted nothing but to save him, and now has to fight him.

And they are not the same people anymore, can they even understand each other now?

Because Gregory was willing to do anything for a bunch of strangers, Cassie gave everything for him

So similar actions yet so different

—-

Ok goodnight 🌙💤😴

YOU UNDERSTAND MY FUCKING VISION GOD-

If I had a nickel for everytime someone I knew that could be infected with the virus basically became Jinx, I'd have two nickels-

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD ANON IM GONNA FUCKING GET YOU IM GONNA BE THINKING OF THIS FOREVER NOW RGHRGRHHRHG