Back on track! Happy Holidays, everyone! I saw a lot of beautiful Jily fanart on tumblr and I was inspired. I've reblogged it if you're curious. My tumblr is hoodieheroine. People are so talented, it truly kills me. Anyways, let me know how I'm doing! Take care and enjoy!
Best,
BBS
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when the four boys walked across the dewy grass and back towards the castle. James rolled his shoulders trying to work out the knots in his back from running all night as a four legged animal. Next to him, Remus sighed
"No sign of anything able to tear a centaur in half."
They hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary during their run through the forest. Just the typical animals that resided there. The smell of pine and earth lingered among the four boys.
"I don't know about that. Wormtail looks like he's been working out."
James smirked as Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' joke, but then laughed as Sirius convinced Peter to give him a piggy back ride
"Onward my noble stallion!"
"I'm this close to throwing you off"
James smiled at his friends, but thoughts of Lily Evans stirred up feelings of guilt. He had a lot of groveling to do to make up for ditching her after the game. He thought of her smiling down at him and groaned, rubbing his eyes under his glasses
He was such a prick
It would be so much easier if he could tell her the truth
Listen, Evans. The whole time while you were wearing my jersey, all I could think about was taking it off of you, but my best friend is a werewolf so I had to turn into a fucking deer and frolic with him and my other two unregistered animagi friends which is why I couldn't snog you senseless after the game like I had really really wanted to.
That wouldn't do at all
After a shower and change of clothes, they walked into the Great Hall where several students and teachers sat eating breakfast at their respective tables. Sunday breakfast was the best at Hogwarts and often coaxed students out of bed earlier than usual. His eyes searched the Gryffindor table for a certain red head and couldn't help the frown when he didn't see her there.
The four boys sat at the table, filling their plates when Marley McKinnon joined them. James noticed the troubled look at her face
"Did you hear what happened to Lily?"
James' hand paused as it reached for the plate of pancakes, his heart dropping as a horrible feeling of dread washed over him
"W-what?"
"After the game yesterday, she was checking the locker room by herself," she shot Remus a look as he paled before continuing, "and someone had charmed a frog into sounding like someone in trouble and Lily went to help and a bucket of pig's blood was dropped on her. On the mirror someone had written…" she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and lowered her voice, "'mudblood'. It was obviously a threat so if you hear anything…"
James was already on his feet, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. His friends looked up at him questioningly
"I need to…I'm going to see if she's okay."
Marley scowled at him,
"As if she'd want to see you, Potter. You're the one who ditched her after the game."
Her words were a slap to the face as the truth stung him painfully. If he had been there…He practically sprinted from the Hall hearing the girl yell after him
"Good luck finding her! She hasn't been in her room all morning!"
He felt the weight of the map in his pocket
Lily sat in her spot at the far corner of the library, regretting that she had finished the rest of her muggle whiskey during her last crisis. By the rate things were going this year, she was going to have to invest in a few emergency bottles. The Prophet sat next to her, its headline glaring up at her
MUGGLEBORN MINISTRY WORKER FOUND MURDERED
She dropped her head into her hands, her eyes burning with tears. Her parents had written her asking how school was going and she told them everything was fine and there certainly was not a war brewing in her world where she was a target of hatred and violence. Nope that was definitely not a thing, mom and dad.
She could still smell the blood on her skin
A sob broke through her and she dropped her head into her arms as her shoulders shook
"Evans?"
James watched as she wiped her eyes furiously, refusing to look him in the eye. He felt his heart clench painfully at the sight
"What do you want, Potter?"
"I heard what happened"
His eyes flickered to the newspaper sitting next to her and he bent down to pick it up before sitting next to her on the ground. They sat there quietly before she finally spoke
"I'm scared, James"
He looked up from the headline and into her eyes shiny with tears.
Lily wanted to take back the words as soon as she had said them but they were out there and she wondered what James Potter would do with them.
She hadn't expected him to wrap his arms around her and pull her towards him. James felt her stiffen under him and almost pulled away when she gripped him back tightly. Lily closed her eyes as his hands rubbed small comforting circles on her back. They sat like that for a while, not saying anything as she rested her cheek against his chest and ignored the fact that she was practically sitting in his lap because it felt nice and she desperately needed to feel nice
As time passed, James became increasingly aware of every part of his body that was in contact with the girl in his arms, noting how warm she was and the flowery smell that surrounded her. Since that night in the kitchens, he often thought about how close she was to him that night as he carried her. He had long decided he liked the feeling of Lily Evans in his arms.
Finally she spoke but stayed in her spot for which James was extremely grateful
"You disappeared after the game."
He was the absolute worst and he wondered if this was where she'd finally pull away
"I know. I'm so sorry, Lily."
Lily
Lily
Lily
The sound of her name from his lips curled around her and she had the sudden desire to watch them speak again
She tilted her head up at him and he was very aware of how close her lips were to his. Merlin, if he wanted to count the freckles on her nose, he could've.
"A shame really," a smile spread across her lips with a familiar glint in her eyes, "I was going to give you a congratulation kiss."
James' heart leapt into his throat before his own grin spread across his face. He wondered if she knew she almost killed him
"It's never too late. We are in your personal snogging room."
He closed his eyes and leaned towards her with an open mouth and she squealed as she dodged out of the way and fell to the floor laughing,
"James Potter, I hope to God you don't kiss like that!"
He grinned down at her
"Maybe you should teach me then"
She scoffed and shoved her hand into his face to keep him from seeing her blush. He swatted it away and laughed before his stomach growled loudly. Lily raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the noise
"Hungry?"
His stomach growled again and she stood up, offering him a hand
"Come on. Let's get some food. Some arrogant twat and his friends showed me the way to the kitchens."
James smiled at her and grabbed her hand before she pulled him up
"You forgot to add 'handsome'".
Lily stepped back and looked him over. She took in his smile, his eyes that sparkled with mischief behind his glasses, and his messy jet black hair as she tapped a finger to her chin and he waited
"No I didn't"
When Severus walked into the Slytherin common room, he saw Avery sitting next to Rosier played chess with Black, the latter with a smug smile on his face before moving his knight
"Checkmate"
Rosier groaned and moved his piece, watching as the knight smashed his queen to pieces. Severus sat next to Black and leaned back into the cushions. He'd been up all night, researching spell theories so he could make more of his own as they were proving to be a hit with his group. Mulciber walked over, grinning widely and Severus tried not to roll his eyes. The thicker boy was definitely his least favorite of his new friends
"Did you hear about what happened last night?"
Regulus looked bored as he set up another game of chess while the other two grinned back. Severus had a feeling he was missing out on something
"Did it work?"
Mulciber nodded and the other two burst into laughter.
"Help! Help me!"
"A fucking frog!"
Another round of laughter and Avery wiped the tears from his eyes
"W-who got hit? Oh my god please tell me it was a Gryffindor."
"Not just any Gryffindor Mudblood but the Gryffindor Mudblood"
At that, Severus snapped, sitting up from the cushions
"What are you talking about?"
Regulus watched Severus curiously while Rosier glanced at the others before continuing
"Now before you get mad, she wasn't the specific target. It was charmed so that any Mudblood that walked through the door would," he started laughing again while Mulciber and Avery joined, "Would get covered in pig's blood."
Mulciber shrugged without a trace of remorse
"It just so happened to be your Mudblood that walked in. Sorry mate."
One part of him wanted to go find Lily and make sure she was okay but larger part told him that was not a good idea. He felt Regulus watching him, waiting for his reaction. Severus shrugged and opened the book in his lap
"A little blood never hurt anyone."
Regulus nodded his approval at him and smirked before turning to his game. Behind his indifference, Severus was fuming. Even if they hadn't meant to attack her, she was still a victim to their idiocy. As his new group continued talking and playing chess, he couldn't decide whether or not he should go find Lily and make sure she was okay.
Surely she was fine, right? It was like he said: a little blood never hurt anyone. Plus, Lily was tougher than anyone he knew. He imagined her rolling her eyes if she knew how much he was worried about her and he felt himself begin to relax.
"Severus," he looked at Regulus who nodded away from the group, "a word?"
Relaxation over.
He nodded and stood up, following the younger Black brother into his dorm. His eyes ran over the perfectly made bed and the classic décor. It didn't look like a sixteen year old's room at all. Though Regulus didn't act like a teenager at all either.
"Are you upset with us?"
The question jerked Severus from his observations and he stared back at the younger Slytherin who held an uncharacteristically concerned look on his face. He could lie and tell him that he wasn't upset but he had a feeling that Regulus would somehow know. He couldn't very well tell the truth either. He knew how his friends felt about muggleborns. He searched for an adequate response but found none. Regulus stepped towards him, looking more like the unsure boy he was supposed to be and less like the stoic man he was
"I promise it was just a gentle reminder inside of a harmless prank. Messier than I had wanted but Avery and Mulciber swore it'd make a statement," a small laugh escaped him before he looked at him apologetically, "I really am sorry it was your Mudblood had to be made an example of."
He hated that he called Lily that even if he referred to her as his
"I really don't want to lose you as a friend, Severus."
He hoped to Merlin that Regulus didn't see the way the word 'friend' had wrapped around his heart and squeezed. It was no secret that his was severely lacking in the friend department. Not even Lily was purely a friend. She was an entirely different category. For the first time ever, someone stood before him and not only called him their friend but that they didn't want to lose him.
The words fell easily from his mouth
"You won't."
A grin spread across his friend's face, making him look younger and all the doubt Severus had felt was washed away.
In a past life, Lily Evans had done something horrible or else she wouldn't be currently partnered with Nathan Mulciber in her Creatures course. Professor Kettleburn smiled at them brightly as if he hadn't just screwed her over big time. Didn't he know hostility when he saw it? This was exactly why the man only had six fingers left.
"Okay, you know the drill. I want you to gather plants around the castle grounds that you know are edible for the creatures you read about in chapter three.
James looked across the circle and spotted a very pissed off looking Lily and a very smug Mulciber. It would've been funny except for the fact that the Slytherin hated her blood status while also eyeing her with hunger. He felt a tight coil of tension build inside of him.
He did not like the look in the boy's eyes one bit
He glanced at his own partner.
Surely Frank would understand that they needed to follow the duo closely.
The class split off into their assigned pairs and Lily glanced at her partner while pulling on her gloves
"Want to split up? We can cover more ground."
Please say yes. Please say yes.
The Slytherin shrugged, ignorant of her internal begging
"I didn't read chapter three"
Of course you fucking didn't
Lily just nodded and began walking towards the edge of the forest
"There's some mushrooms just inside here that I know are edible for a few of the creatures…" she trailed off as the forest loomed closer. Mulciber watched her expectedly and Lily realized she very much didn't want to go in there with him of all people. He must've read her mind because a grin stretched across his face and she immediately wanted to punch it off
"Scared, Lily Evans?"
She snorted and pushed ahead, sticks snapping under her feet
"Do you think about it often?"
She kicked a pile of leaves, searching for the mushrooms
"Think about what often?"
"That centaur you found."
The blank eyes flashed before her and she pushed it away, bending down to pluck a mushroom from the earth and dropping it into the bucket he was carrying
"Sometimes."
She continued to walk, hearing his steps fall behind her and becoming more and more aware of the weight of her wand in her robes
"What do you think did it?"
His closeness did nothing to calm her nerves as she reached up and plucked a particular leaf from a tree, carefully examining the veins that ran through it. The other centaurs in the forest refused to work with the ministry, determined to keep the matter between members of their own species. She only knew this because of Hagrid
"It looks like it was probably a…disagreement with another centaur."
Finding silence to be unnerving with this man, she continued,
"What do you think?"
As she waited for his answer, she crouched down and pulled a bulb from the ground. A shadow cast over her and she looked up and saw that he was much closer.
"It was definitely a human"
His proximity caused her to fall back and her hand instinctively went for her wand. Mulciber just grinned at her with her wand at his chest. Her heart pounded wildly as he stood over her, his hand pointing his own wand to her face
"Do it, Evans. See what happens."
"Evans!"
They jerked their attention towards James Potter and Frank Longbottom who walked towards them with purpose and with their wands in their hands. The usual grin was gone from James' face as he glanced between her on the ground and the man looming over her,
"Everything okay?"
Lily lowered her wand and tucked it back into her robes and Mulciber did the same although he still stood over her scowling at the intruders
"What the fuck do you want, Potter?"
"Back away from her, Mulciber."
There was a pause as James watched the Slytherin calculate his chances being outnumbered before he backed away. The air was suddenly breathable again as he left her space and she pulled herself to her feet. The grin reappeared on Mulciber's face as he offered her the bucket.
She grabbed it from him, yanking it away as his fingers purposefully brushed against hers
"Until next time, Miss Evans."
He walked past her and walked over to James, his voice low enough only for him to hear
"We did tell you not to let us catch her alone again."
James felt his blood boil and he began to reach for his wand before Frank stopped him
"Not worth it, mate."
The Slytherin pushed past the duo and out of the forest
The red in his vision faded as he watched her wipe the dirt and grass from her robes with shaking hands. He would make Mulciber pay for whatever he did. His mind wandered to what could've happened if he and Frank hadn't showed up and the desire to hold her overwhelmed him.
Lily watched as James approached her, looking for any signs of injury.
"Are you okay? He didn't…"
She rolled her eyes
"I'm fine, Potter."
"He had his wand pointed at you…"
"And I had my want pointed at him! I don't need you to be my bloody hero!" she snapped and immediately regretted it when she saw the look on James' face.
She had hurt him and she hated herself for it
She walked closer to him, worrying for a moment that he'd turn away
"James, I didn't mean that. I'm just…" she reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it as she looked at him, "Thank you for helping me."
He wondered if she could somehow sense how fast his heart was beating. It was just another one of those moments where he wanted to kiss her. He marveled how quickly she could mend him with just a simple touch of her hand
Again he thought of how much of an effect her lips on his would have on him.
His lips on her jaw
Her neck
Down
Down
Down
"Frank helped too."
That was what came out of his mouth.
What the fuck, Potter
He listened as she laughed and cast her beautiful green eyes towards his partner as he thought about burrowing under the ground
"Thank you too, Frank."
The other Gryffindor winked at her
"Be sure to tell Alice how gallant I was."
Another laugh not directed at him. He looked down at her hand in his wondering when she'd come to her senses and pull it away.
Don't you do it, Evans
"Will do."
Frank turned away to lead them out of the forest and James pulled her along. Lily looked down at her hand clasped in James'. Although she blushed wildly as they walked, she didn't let go right away but rather stared at their hands.
James Potter had nice hands
Her mind flashed back to how they felt when he held her in the library.
Yes, very nice hands.
She liked how they wrapped around her smaller paler hands.
"I got you," they said
She liked that very much