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[jilymicrofics]

Some tips for authors in anticipation for Mystery Microfic May:

Historically people have guessed works based on publication date when people have publicly said when they finished their fic. You can change your publication date up until the day of reveals.

Don’t include links to your tumblr/other social media or fics in the notes until after author reveals or you’ll give yourself away! It’s best to keep notes to a minimum, just the prompt will do.

When commenting on your own or others fics during the event do so via GUEST comments. That’s another way people have given themselves away previously - even when the fic is still anonymous if you’re logged in and the author of the work AO3 lists you as “anonymous author” in the comments.

Four days left to get your works into the collection folks!

[jilymicrofics]

fatherly duties (April 25th prompt; Thrill) @jilymicrofics

“You’re staring, Lil.”

Lily startles, nearly knocking James off his feet as she spins around to face him.

“Woah,” he breathes, steadying her with his hands on her shoulders. “Just me.”

Lily frowns up at him, though she can’t completely hide the slight blush that warms her cheeks, noticing his bemused expression. “I wasn’t staring James, I was just—“

“Staring. Yeah.” James interrupts cheekily, giving her his typical lopsided grin.

“Checking.” Lily corrects him, crossing her arms. “I was just checking if he’s alright.”

James’s smirk softens at that, and is replaced by an understanding smile. “Yeah.” he says quietly, looking past her at the door to Harry’s bedroom, which stands slightly ajar. “I was about to do that, though. One of my fatherly duties.”

Lily can’t help but chuckle at his feigned displeased frown. “Oh, is it now?” she asks amusedly. “And what else, may I ask, would those fatherly duties include?”

James presses a finger to his chin, thinking. “Well…there’s telling horribly flat jokes, for one.” he muses, smirking slightly at Lily’s eye roll.

“Hm, they’re called Dad jokes, I think.” she replies, acting as though this conversation was indeed very serious.

James can hardly hold back a laugh. “Yes, yes, exactly those.” he agrees. “Oh! and there’s also, teaching him all the hidden ways around Hogwarts and—“

Lily slaps his chest. “James Potter!” she hisses quietly. “He’s gotten into more than enough trouble on his own, he definitely doesn’t need your encouragement.”

“Alright, alright.” James sighs, but in all honesty, he does agree with Lily. Hearing about Harry‘s many previous escapes has had them both feeling less than thrilled, to say the least.

“Well, I’ve got another one then,” he adds, walking up closer to the door to peak inside the moon lit room — the room that once belonged to Sirius and now hosts his son. “Protecting him, with my life.”

Lily feels her chest constricting with the entirety of the statement. “With our lives.” she corrects him quietly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

She watches Harry’s sleeping face, and tries her best not to think of the last time they’d vowed to do that — and the last time they almost did do that. And she’d do it again, in a heartbeat.

James wraps his arm around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head.

“Merlin, I’d take a hundred curses for that kid,” he says after a minute. Then, with a breathed chuckle. “Although, you know, I’d still prefer not having to bite the grass anytime soon.”

Lily smiles weakly. “You always hated to eat your greens.”

James turns his head to look down at her, an incredulous expression on his handsome face, before he suddenly bursts out laughing. “Wow.” he snorts. “Can’t believe Prefect and Head Girl Lily Evans would ever pull a pun.”

Lily giggles despite herself, reveling in this moment of quiet solitude. “Oh, she’d never,” she replies with mocked disapproval, before her lips tug into a smile. “But Lily Potter certainly would.”

She thinks James’s smile could probably light the entire bloody house. “I love you, Mrs. Potter.” he smiles, like the love struck teenager he hasn’t been in almost seventeen years.

Lily blushes, although she reckons she really shouldn’t anymore, being in her thirties and all. “I love you too, Mr. Potter.”

A slight creak to their right makes them both turn, and Lily’s blush increases, now twinged with a bit of guilt as she’s met with the confused eyes of their son.

“Dunno what’s more worth asking about,” Harry lulls tiredly, blinking against the light in the hallway. “Why you two’ve been standing in front of my bedroom for the past half hour, or what’s gotten you to giggle on about…?”

Lily bites her lip, sparing Harry a sheepish smile. “Sorry, sweetheart,” she replies genuinely. “We didn’t mean to wake you.”

“We’re just checking on you.” James adds, perhaps unnecessarily.

Lily notices the look of confusion on Harry‘s face. “Uh…right,” he replies slowly. “Checking for what?”

“To know you’re okay.” she explains gently.

Harry raises a brow, lips twitching amusedly. “I’m fine,” he chuckles. “I was asleep, you know…not much I could do that you’d have to check on.”

“It’s just a nice change,” James pipes up, clearly wanting to lighten their conversation. “You — sleeping so quietly, not scurrying around, beating your old man at quidditch.”

Harry snorts. “Yeah, well, I could still beat you, even with my eyes closed.” he retorts jokingly.

James gasps in mock appall; „In your dreams!“

Harry snickers, with that same cheeky glint in his eyes which Lily‘s seen plenty of times before, on James. “Yeah, there too.”

[jilymicrofics]

in case (April 24th prompt; Enchantment) @jilymicrofics

so…I wrote another letter, because they’re so angsty and I am in that kind of mood today…Lily‘s letter to Harry, written sometime before Halloween '81…

My darling Harry,

You can’t imagine how hard it is to write this letter. I have been trying to find the perfect words to make sure that, by the end of it, you‘d understand just how much I love you. Then I realized that no words could ever really hold that much power. I love you so much that not even the word love seems accurate enough.

I know, I’m being corny and it’s probably embarrassing you, but you know…I’m your Mum and so I’m afraid it’s my job to do that.

But seriously, Harry…I really want you to know that there isn’t anybody that stands a chance to rival how much I love you, how utterly and entirely enchanted I am every time you look at me or smile for me.

The moment I’ve first held you, you‘ve taken a hold of my heart. I knew the moment your tiny little fingers grasped mine that I would do absolutely anything to make sure you‘d be okay. Anything, Harry.

I hope you‘ll never have to read this letter, and I promise if we all make it out okay I’ll burn it to bits and you’ll never know it ever existed. But, I’m writing it anyways, just in case. In case I won‘t be there to tell you how much your Dad and I love you myself. In case I won‘t be able to hold your hand to take you to King‘s Cross…and squeeze you too tightly when we’ll have to say goodbye as you board the train to Hogwarts.

Whatever happens, the one thing I know is that you‘re already a wonderful person.

I’m so proud of you Harry. We both are.

I hope that, wherever you are right now and whatever obstacles you might have to face, you know just how loved you are. We’ll always be there, even though it might not seem that way. We’re always with you.

Please be safe, sweetheart. And remember, bravery sometimes means accepting help, instead of trying to take on the world alone. I‘ve learned that thanks to your Dad. I hope you’ll take my word for it, if nothing else, I can give you this advice.

You’ll do great, I know you will, but I’m crossing my fingers anyways, just in case.

And I promise that, wherever I might be, I’ll be watching over you, and cheer proudly for your every success!

With all my love,

Mum

sorry i know…so sappy ,:)

[jilymicrofics]

The Queen of the Quills - Jily Edition (part 3)

Posting on Tumblr too because this fic's sister is already there.

Reading The Queen of the Quills - Blackinnon Edition will not be mandatory to understand the developments of James and Lily's story, but some details could be shared, therefore, for anyone wishing to fully enjoy the experience, I will leave a small index.

Blackinnon Edition - Chapter 1

Blackinnon Edition - Chapter 2

Jily Edition - Chapter 1

Blackinnon Edition - Chapter 3

Jily Edition - Chapter 2

This was @athenasparrow's gift for @jilymicrofics ' Exchange 2024, but if you like it and are willingly to reblog, it would be super appreciated since stories like this require quite some time and effort🥰

Plot: James Potter, London's most evasive bachelor, an impertinent libertine, has decided to get married. He has also already chosen his wife, the debutante Lily Evans, a self-confident young woman who has not the slightest intention of being seduced by such a man.A Bridgerton inspired Regency AU.

Words: 5316

At Tuesday night's ball, Mr. Potter was seen dancing with more than one marriageable young lady. Such behaviour can only be described as disconcerting, as Potter typically avoids witches on the marriage mart with impressive perseverance, frustrating all mothers with marital aspirations for their daughters.

The Queen of the Quills, May 5, 1813

By eleven o’clock, all of Lily’s fears became true. James Potter had asked her to dance, and worse, her mother had practically forced her to accept by digging her nails into the strip of skin that the short sleeve of the dress and her right glove left exposed.

“Can you stop, please?” she hissed.

“To do what?” her chaperone asked, feigning innocence.

“To look at me as if you were planning the wedding breakfast!” Lily blurted out, trying to keep the panic in her voice at bay.

The older woman blushed faintly, guilt colouring her cheeks.

“It would be a superb match, and maybe he could even help Petunia.”

Lily had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming that nothing would manage to get her Muggle sister a wizard husband. Nobody, or almost nobody, in the Wizarding World was willing to abandon the comforts that always carrying a wand entailed only for a woman they barely knew. Exceptions existed, of course, but Petunia wasn’t interested in a specific suitor beside Mr. Potter himself, and only because he was unattainable, rather in the aura of mystery revolving around what nature had forbidden her but granted to her sister.

“Did you listen to me yesterday morning, in the living room?” she asked, even though the answer was obviously a no, as she wasn’t doing it now, her eyes glued to the man she wanted as a son-in-law. Lily had to admit that Mr Potter was irritatingly handsome in black rather than the bright colours that were in fashion. He seemed, at least on the surface, to be everything one could want in a husband, with burnished velvet eyes that matches his hair perfectly and classically magnificent lips, but he gave the impression of being incapable of smiling, and if Lily had been shorter, like the girl he was swaying with on the dancefloor, she would’ve considered him too tall.

“His mother is absolutely lovely,” Elizabeth mused, but Lily, who struggled to understand where this was going, didn’t dignify her with an answer.

“I can hardly believe such a gracious and intelligent lady could have raised a son that turned out to be less than the best of gentleman, regardless of his reputation,” she explained, as if it was obvious and not twisted at all. “Now, why don’t you come with me to say hello to Mr. Black? His cousin introduced us over tea and I’m sure you’ll find him absolutely charming.”

Before Lily could protest, her mother was dragging her towards a young man with long black hair, angular features, and hazy grey eyes. When he took her hand, he brushed his lips on her knuckles so lightly that Lily suspected he hadn’t kissed them at all, but that unpleasantness aside, she found his sarcasm rather refreshing.

They went to the lemonade stand, obviously with her mother’s approval, and talked mostly about their respective families, namely what it was like to have a sister who hadn’t attended Hogwarts and couldn’t know most of the things that filled her adolescence, and how he had to endure the endless stories of his cousin’s wedding, which he was unable to be present at because he was in Africa.

“Did you return because you had other ceremonies to turn up to?” Lily asked, immediately hiding behind her glass. Her conversational skills were getting worse every day, but Londoners didn’t seem to notice, or at least had the decency to not treat her like a simpleton.

“I didn’t, although I fear it will soon become part of my duties,” he replied vaguely, but before Lily could investigate further, the previous song ended abruptly and out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Mr. Potter as he handed his partner over to what must’ve been her mother. He approached them at a brisk pace, as if he couldn’t wait to reach her, and even if she already suspected it, Lily realized with dismay that she couldn’t escape her promise. After all, Mr. Potter was the only heir to an ancient family, while she was a nobody from Somerset, and they were in the middle of a crowded ballroom, hardly the place where she wanted to be caught making a scene. It didn’t matter that she thought he was hateful, or that his manners were too direct, cold, and contemptuous, she had to dance with him and refrain from stepping on his feet on purpose, though just the sound of his voice annoyed her.

“We don’t have to converse,” she replied, to whatever question she’d just been asked, but instead of the grudge she hoped to elicit, she got a completely unexpected reaction. Without missing a step, James Potter leaned his head back and laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the nearest couples.

“You hurt me, Miss Evans,” he murmured finally, but his intense gaze still remained delighted.

“I made you thicker skinned,” Lily commented, before she could connect her brain to her tongue. Her sentence implied that she had thought about him before, but above all that she thought of him as tough, which wasn’t true.

“I'm more sensitive than you think,” he replied, and despite her efforts, Lily felt the corners of her mouth rise in a shy smile that froze in place when he insisted on an answer to his question. He wanted to know why she hated him, and Lily choose her words with great care.

“I don’t,” she retorted. “I don’t even know you.”

“Knowledge is rarely a requirement for hatred,” he told her softly, his eyes trained on her steadily. “Come on, you don’t seem like a coward. Humour me.”

“I don’t hate you,” she finally admitted. “I just don’t like you.”

Something in his gaze told her he appreciated the sincerity, but he still wanted a reason.

“If you want me to be frank, then I’ll be, but don’t be offended afterwards, and don’t try to undermine my chances to have decent suitors only because you can’t take a no for an answer,” was her terse premise, and she didn't even wait for him to nod or tell her that in that case he'd rather not hear her thoughts before continuing. “I don’t think you’re the kind of man who would seriously commit to marriage, and I don’t have time to waste, so I’m not interested.”

“Are you calling yourself an expert on men, and on husbands in particular?” Mr. Potter asked, and if Lily wasn’t already mortified enough by his words, and didn’t care about ruining any chance Petunia had of making her selfish dream come true, she would’ve slapped him.

“You know well that I’m not,” she croaked, but immediately regretted it, because her manner seemed to amuse her interlocutor exceedingly.

“I think,” he went on, “that you found it easy to keep most of the men who came to your door at bay, but I fear you made a grave mistake in thinking you could do the same with me.”

Lily’s lips were set in a grim, straight line, but she succeeded in saying she didn’t seek to manage him, only to keep him at a safe distance. She knew of women with uptight morals who hadn’t been able to resist to seduction, and she certainly didn’t intend to ruin herself for a bespectacled rake.

“Which just goes to show, Miss Evans, how very little you know of men. At least of the rakish, roguish variety,” he whispered, leaning in so close she could feel his hot breath against her cheek.

The sensation made her shiver, and he smiled wickedly.

“There is little we relish more than a challenge, and you, Miss Evans, issued me the sweetest one I’ve ever encountered,” he murmured in her ear when the music drew to a close.

It was too much, standing in the middle of a ballroom, being insulted and belittled… Even if she promised herself she wouldn’t do it, she stepped on his foot, hard enough to make him let out a small, decidedly unrakish, unroguish squeak.

When he glared at her, she shrugged: “I’m afraid, Mr Potter, that you need thicker boots.”

His grasp tightened on her arm, and Lily held her breath.

“Before I return you to the sanctuary of the chaperones and spinsters, there is one thing we need to make clear: I’m going to court you, and should I decide that you will make a suitable Mrs. Potter, I will make you my wife.”

Lily whipped her head up to face him, fire flashing in her eyes: “Is it a threat?”

He looked down at her with the confidence of a male who is never crossed.

“A promise, Miss Evans, just a promise.”

-----------------------------------------------

The next afternoon was like any following a major ball. The Evans’ drawing room was filled to bursting with bouquets, each one accompanied by a crisp white card bearing the name Lily Evans. A simple Miss Evans would’ve sufficed, but James supposed one couldn’t really fault a wizard for wanting to make certain the flowers went to the correct sister. Not that anyone was likely to make a mistake on that measure. Floral arrangements from members of the Wizarding society generally went to Lily. In fact, there was nothing general about it; every bouquet that had arrived at the Evans residence in the last month had gone to her, according to the insight their butler gave to James when he asked. One thing that many of his peers underestimated was the amount of information that can be gained in the Muggle world through money. Changing a couple of sikles for a few shillings was the first step to reaching secrets the households in which Muggleborns lived hid behind a veil of stubborn ignorance from the outsiders.

It didn’t take James long to understand why Lily hadn’t attended all the social events of the season: they conflicted with the schedule of Muggle parties her sister deemed of interest, usually held on Mondays or Wednesdays. Petunia had little suitors even in that marriage mart, but the eldest Evans certainly had a better chance of marrying a Muggle than a wizard, hence the Muggle maids and butler. To those accustomed to the sight of them, house elves were beings like any other, but to those who didn’t even know the existence of magic, they would’ve appeared like freak shows covered in rags, certainly not what a gentleman visiting a possible wife would expect from her respectable family.

It must’ve been complex for Mrs. Evans, who was a widower, to lead that double life. With Lily out of the game, she could’ve left all the weirdness of the Wizarding World behind, but for now, she had to adapt, behave around witches as if she understood all their references and show pride in her daughter’s powers. Maybe she actually was happy about her peculiarity he was used to see as the norm, and the strained expression he had caught the previous night was just the manifestation of a certain tiredness. If her daughter behaved as the Incomparable of the season should, James could’ve relieved everyone of that burden, and Mrs. Evans would’ve finally been able to focus more on the daughter who most required her attention and needed her help.

Why Lily didn’t see how pragmatically convenient their union would be for her too left him astonished. James was good-looking, intelligent, had a large house in a safe neighbourhood, perfect for raising a family, and would’ve never stopped his wife from working if she had wanted to. From what Remus had told him, Miss Evans had all the potential to become the next Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts, once Mrs. McGonagall retired, or she could take Slughorn’s place, even if the rumours cited Severus Snape as his possible successor. James barely remembered the guy, only how he saved his life from a bad decision Sirius made when he was at his lowest. He should have let him die, since he had turned out to be a first-class racist, and was now associating with people like Bellatrix Black and Lucius Malfoy, people who called Muggleborn scum, Mudblood, and every other insult they heard in their childhood from their hateful parents.

“I like to think I have the last laugh,” said a female voice, starling him. “Most of the flowers make Lily sneeze, so they tend to end up in my chamber anyway.”

Petunia Evans wasn’t a bad girl. Unremarkable, sure, but not ugly. Her bearing was excellent, and both her body and her face were well proportioned. She moved gracefully, and from what James knew she was well-versed in topics and pastimes of Muggle interest, but something about her expression, the way she approached the flowers intended for her sister, made him uneasy. She exuded envy, and seemed capable of unspeakable malice.

“Don’t worry,” she added, when it became clear that James had no intention of answering her. “Roses don’t bother her, although I’m sure she’ll consider the choice trivial. Nice colour, though, a symbol of admiration.”

“I don’t think your presence here without a chaperone is wise,” James commented, studying how the grimace she made as she read one of the notes intended for Lily crumpled her features.

“No one would bat an eye if something happened with one of you,” she replied, nonchalantly tossing the white card to the ground. “You could make me forget, and who knows, maybe you could do something to make it appear like it never happened.”

James shuddered at the idea. She wasn’t wrong, he knew of witches who had pretended to be chaste in order to get a worthy match despite indulging in carnal pleasures over and over again, but they were a minority, and it wasn’t difficult to discern who was capable of doing so with a quick judgment of character. Of course, if Petunia hadn’t been Muggle, she would’ve been part of the lot, and maybe dealt with love potions and similar concoctions as well. James made a mental note never to accept anything to drink or eat offered by the eldest Miss Evans, as a precaution.

“What are you doing here?” asked another female voice, younger and way angrier. In his entire life, James had never been so grateful for an abrupt interruption, or to know that the woman he wanted to take as his wife didn’t consider him a suitable suitor. Obviously, after the ball, he had contemplated the possibility of turning his attentions elsewhere, towards the second, or the third, since Marlene was undoubtedly the second and he had no intention of marrying his dearest friend and depriving her of the love she inexplicably wanted to find, most beautiful lady of the season, but the poor girl lacked brains, and the further he got from the imaginary podium, the worse the situation got. If James Potter intended to marry within the year, and that was exactly his aim, it could only be with the Miss Evans who was currently glaring at him.

“I believe it’s customary for suitors to call upon young women, or did I misplaced my etiquette book?” he asked, a brow raised above the frame of his glasses and the bouquet still safely tucked under his arm.

“I meant,” Lily growled, “how did you get in?”

“The usual manner,” he answered, cocking his head toward the hall. “I knocked on your front door and, amazingly enough, the same butler who alerted you of my presence, opened. Then I gave him my card, he took a look at it, and showed me to the drawing room. Much as I’d like to claim some sort of devious, underhanded subterfuge, it was actually quite aboveboard and straight forward.”

“Infernal butler,” she muttered, and James had to stifle a laugh with a cough. “He’s supposed to see if we’re at home before showing you in.”

“Maybe he had previous instructions that you would be for me,” he suggested.

“I gave him no such instructions,” she bristled.

“I wouldn’t have thought so,” James said with a chuckle.

“I did,” Petunia admitted, but before Lily could lunge at her, probably to pelt her with one of the lovely flower arrangements awaiting her attention on the table, the eldest darted away like lightning, leaving them alone, except for the valet waiting in the antechamber. For James it was like seeing an excerpt of his childhood again, of those stolen moments with the younger members of other families that made him ardently desire to have a brother of his own.

“I'm sorry,” Lily sighed in the end, surrendering to the inevitable obviousness that she should converse with him, if only to keep up appearances and not offend an important member of the Wizarding ton. “We usually act like civilized people, but the mere mention of your name goes to her head.”

“Do you mention me often?” James asked, amazed.

Lily simply rolled her eyes and indicated with a wave of her gloveless hand one of the two sofas furthest from the flowers. As soon as they were out of sight of their chaperone, the stout figure of the footman peered out of the open door, maintaining a polite distance, which would give them the opportunity to speak more freely than they would have done in the presence of Mrs. Evans.

“Is that a musical instrument?” he queried, picking up a long black case off the sofa.

“A flute,” Lily confirmed. “Petunia is taking lessons and why shouldn’t I join in?”

Something told James that she wasn't too happy about having to waste time blowing into something she could make sound perfect with a simple spell, but he didn't want to push it, so he decided to change topic, asking her if she had a chance to befriend the other debutantes.

“I've known some of them since Hogwarts, but even there Londoners tended to keep to their own business, and the few country witches I was close to have already found suitors at home,” she replied, with that honesty that distinguished her and James appreciated immensely.

“One of my dearest friends should be your age,” he added, when silence fell. “I think you could get along.”

“And why do you think so, Mr. Potter?” she asked inquisitively, leading James to wonder if whatever he said would inevitably lead to an argument.

“Because she’s clever, and funny, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind seeing a friendly face that doesn’t have sideburns,” he replied, finally making his interlocutor smile. “Besides, I’m afraid you have a common enemy.”

“You, Mr. Potter?” she inquired.

“Mr. Pettigrew,” he corrected, glancing sideways at the table with the flowers. He had recognized his schoolmate’s bad taste as soon as he walked through the door, his suspicions reconfirmed by the unmistakable childish handwriting on the decidedly exaggerated note. The fact he even got the recipient wrong, Miss Lily Evan instead of Evans, annoyed him beyond comprehension.

“The man has more hair than wit, a great lot more,” she hissed between her teeth, making James choke on his own saliva. The lad was going bald, but he supposed it was Miss Evans’ way to prove her point.

“Isn’t it considered bad form to insult a suitor?” he questioned. “Not that I blame you, Marlene discouraged him in every way and he keeps trying to call on her. He’s a nice enough fellow, I’ll grant you that, but not someone you’d want to build a boat were you stranded on a desert island.”

Something in James’ words seemed to prompt a strange reaction in Lily, who leaned towards one of the tables to grab a fan she began to wave insistently in front of her face.

“Are you feeling alright? Should I open a window?” he demanded, but she barked she was fine and tried to resume their conversation when a small commotion broke out in the garden – a few decidedly canine woofs followed by a high-pitched shriek. Lily rested her forehead against her fan, as if she was about to have a terrible headache, while James rushed over to see what was happening, only to catch Mrs. Evans trying to ward off a dog that looked too familiar to be confused with a common animal.

“Padfoot?” he yelled from the window, halting the butler who was rushing forward, ready to hit his best friend with a parasol, and attracting the black deerhound’s attention.

“Mr Potter!” Lily’s mother exclaimed, a hint of relief in her voice tense with fear. “Is this your dog?”

It took James less than a second to decide that this would be the perfect opportunity to embarrass, in a totally innocent but undoubtedly funny way, Sirius, so he confirmed, stating he must’ve followed him from home.

“If I’m not overstepping your kindness, could you lend me a leash?” he asked, flashing one of his dazzling smiles. “He’s very fond of me, and he’s a really good boy, but as you may have noticed, not too obedient, and I’m afraid his size might upset passers-by if we go back to my residence with him free to roam wherever he wants.”

“That’s not a dog,” Lily commented, her voice so unexpectedly close she startled him. She must’ve been used to be sneaky to eavesdrop on other people’s conversation, for he hadn’t even noticed she had gotten up from the sofa, much less that their faces were little more than a foot apart.

“And what would that be, then?” he asked, feigning an offense he didn’t really feel. It would’ve been suspicious if he hadn’t been hurt by her words, if that had really been his beloved dog, but in reality he knew well that Sirius’ animal form was quite disturbing for anyone who hadn’t grown up with him.

“It looks like the representation of the Grim in the Divination book,” she replied, her expression innocent and alit with a twinkle James had never seen in her.

“Would you like to meet him, Miss Evans?” James asked, but without offering his arm, as they were in her residence and she wasn’t even wearing gloves. He would’ve liked to rest his hands on hers though, feel if they were as soft as they seemed. They had to be, without a doubt.

“If it’s not too much trouble…” she began, but James didn’t give her too much time to reign her curiosity and led the way outside, where Padfoot was seated happily in the middle of the garden, shedding on the blue-and-white flowers as he grinned up at Lily.

“I think he likes you,” James said, trying to hide the accusation in his tone. Whatever Sirius was doing, it pointed straight to a disaster.

“And he likes you too, Mrs. Evans,” he added, always the gentleman, but Lily’s mother didn’t seem happy at the thought.

“I’m afraid my mother is too polite to say she’s scared of dogs,” Lily intervened, removing the older lady from an embarrassing predicament and at the same time earning herself a dirty look that smacked of a lecture.

“I understand… But I have a little secret to share with you, Mrs. Evans, to keep them out of your way: animals sense fear, and if they’re as affable as this good boy here,” he explained, patting Padfoot between his pointed ears, “they regard your diffidence as something of a challenge. So, when they see you, they simply want to prove they’re friendly and maybe snatch a snack.”

“You are very wise, Mr. Potter. Unfortunately, my daughter Petunia shares this foolish fear with me, but Lily loves animals!” she exclaimed, approaching her youngest and being careful not to attract too much attention from what she couldn’t have known was an Animagus.

“Quite a coincidence, then, that Padfoot followed me here. If it pleases you, Miss Evans, we could continue out conversation while we walk through the park, if your mother agrees,” he proposed, making Mrs. Evans eyes light up with joy. Fortunately, she had the good sense to refrain from showing it too much, although she agreed and ordered her daughter to put on her gloves before she could utter a word.

“Wear proper walking shoes too!” she shouted after her, and James saw the thin shoulders of the retreating figure stiffen, as if her intent had been precisely to quickly end their promenade with the excuse of sore feet.

In the meantime, a well-made leash arrived, and Jamed had to invent a poignant story to justify to Mrs. Evans why his dog had followed him there, so far from home.

“We found him when he was just a puppy. I was still in school, so I was away for considerable periods of time, but he bonded with me, and for a while, I insisted in bringing him wherever I went,” he explained, while trying to enjoy the displeased expression on his friend’s canine muzzle.

“You must’ve had a wonderful time at Hogwarts,” the woman commented, but there was a hint of something that James couldn’t recognize in her voice, as if she feared that just mentioning the wizarding school might elicit some adverse reaction. It had to do with her Muggle daughter, he was nearly sure, but maybe she felt like she lacked with the other one; after all, from what he had heard, it wasn’t customary among the Muggles to let young girls travel so far from home, and although the dormitories were divided, everyone took the same courses at Hogwarts, and there was an equal number of male and female teachers too.

“Unforgettable,” he agreed. “The friendships established at such a young age by staying together for so long are almost indestructible, and growing up so close with one’s peers makes even the less fortunate feel not so much alone.”

“If only there had been a similar place for my Petunia…” the woman began, but the conversation never came to an end, as Lily had returned, a sun hat firmly anchored in her hairstyle and short, day gloves to cover her delicate hands.

“Well!” exclaimed Mrs. Evans, changing her tone so suddenly James wondered how often she hid from one or the other of her daughters the burden that dividing between them brought upon her.

“I guess you want one of your footmen to chaperone us,” James said, as if it were a matter of fact, but the woman waved a hand the same way he’d seen Lily do, and the topic was closed. In fact, although the most bigoted among the wizards still disliked to see young men waking without a chaperone in the company of unmarried women, society was making a rapid progress in eliminating those obsolete preconceptions, and as long as they didn’t enter any infamous lane, there shouldn’t have been any problem.

However, James was keen to point out, as they turned down Milner Street, how much Mrs Evans seemed to value his honour and gentlemanly ways.

“Because she doesn’t know you,” her daughter, who for a few minutes now seemed to have bitterly regretted her choice of wanting to see the dog who had followed him to her front door, quickly replied. On his part, the Animagus in question was strangely well behaved and walked in front of them in a perfect straight line, the leather of the leash tight enough to prevent them from lingering too long, as if it had a goal, or was afraid that if James had too much air in his lungs he might say something he might regret.

“Should we cross over to Rotten Row?” he asked to his companion, but she was rather distracted, her face tipped up to the sun, basking in its warmth, and for one extremely disconcerting moment, James felt a sharp stab of something, a feeling rather different from the lust he was used to.

“Did you say something?” she murmured afterwards, and he cleared his throat soundly, taking sharp breaths in hope they would dispel the sentimental fog from his mind. A big error, he would soon discover, since the only thing he got was an intoxicating whiff of her scent, an odd combination of exotic lilies and sensible soap.

“You seem to be enjoying the sun,” he said, making her smile and turn to him with a clear-eyed gaze.

“I know that’s not what you said in the first place, but yes, I am. It’s been so dreadfully rainy of late.”

“I though young ladies weren’t supposed to let sun on their faces, especially those as fair skinned as you,” he teased, but she shrugged, looking only the slightest bit sheepish as she replied he was right, but it still felt heavenly.

“I do wish I could remove my bonnet,” she added, wistfully.

James nodded his agreement, feeling much the same way about his hat.

“You could probably push it back just a bit without anyone noticing,” he suggested.

“Do you think?” she queried, her entire face lit up at the prospect, and that strange stab pierced his gut again.

“Of course,” he murmured, reaching up to adjust the rim of the bizarre confection, all ribbons and lace, tied in such a way no reasonable man could ever make sense of, least of all fix it without brushing the temple of the lady who was wearing it. Lily held still, but when they accidentally touched, the breath got caught in her throat and she leaned slightly closer, making him feel the heat of her body. He probably was about to do something very stupid when Padfoot let out a loud stream of barks and yanked hard on the lead, jerking James away.

Lily watched with amusement as the dog barrelled forward, moving with even more speed than she probably would’ve ever guessed his long legs could manage. James made a valiant attempt to keep his grip on the leash, but his friend was now barking like mad and running with equal vigour, making it fly out of his grasp and prompting a shriek from Lily, who dashed forward to follow him, despite he clearly wasn’t intent on being caught.

With a weary sigh, and cursing Sirius under his breath, he began to run after her trying to keep a shred of decorum, which she wasn’t interested in, since she kept the hem of her dress way above her ankles, her socks – and calves – in full display.

“Where did he go?” he asked, once he reached her at a crossroad, hands on her hips as she scanned her surroundings.

“I don’t know, it’s your dog!” she exclaimed. “Though he’s maybe after a rabbit, which will make everything easier, since it’s known they always stick to well-trod paths.”

James scowled at her sarcasm, but before he could reproach her, or say they should stop their chasing since Padfoot knew the way home rather well, a shriek very similar to the one he elicited in Mrs. Evans came from their right, and Lily resumed her run, cutting right across the grass toward Rotten Row, the ton’s favourite spot for a stroll. Everyone was going to see them act rather undignified, and he told himself he must really want to marry this girl is he was up to be seen dashing through the park after a hoydenish Miss racing as if someone had set fire to her shoes.

When he reached the grass again, he stumbled for a second, and had to pause to take a few deep breaths before horror dawned on him. They were near the Serpentine, and there was little this specific dog liked better than to jump in a lake, taking as many people with him as he could.

[jilymicrofics]

teenage struggles (April 22nd prompt; Mistake) @jilymicrofics

Lily knocks on Harry’s dormitory door, before slowly opening it to spot him perched on his bed. His back leaning against the wall as he stares broodingly out the window.

He looks so utterly crestfallen…James had been right, Harry‘s date must really have been bad.

She bites lip in silent sympathy. „Hi, sweetheart,“ she addresses him quietly. „Can I come in?“

Harry, who’s only just seemed to acknowledge her presence, blinks at her for a moment. „Mum? uh, yeah…sure.“ he replies.

She crosses the room, ignoring how messy it is — teenage boys, right?

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she reaches her hand out to lightly touch his knee. „Date didn’t go well?“

Harry sighs, fiddling a bit with the hem of his shirt — the one he‘s so eagerly put on just a few hours ago, with the brightest smile on his face as he‘d told her about his date with Cho Chang.

Lily scoots closer, until she’s sitting next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. „Tell me what happened?“

„Well…we, sort of, uhm…kissed—“

Lily’s eyes widen with surprise. „You did?“ she asks, cringing slightly at how high pitched she sounds. But…it’s not everyday her son gets his first kiss, is it? „Then, why do you look so gloomy?“

„Because,“ Harry groans, hiding his face in his hands. „I shouldn’t have— it was a mistake.“ he runs a hand self-consciously through his hair. „She cried. She cried as we…kissed, because of— of Cedric.“

Oh dear…

„Oh, darling…I’m sorry. She shouldn’t have kissed you whilst struggling with…what happened.“ Lily replies, running her fingers gently through Harry‘s curls.

„Yeah…“ Harry shrugs, before he shifts his head to lean it on her shoulder. „Thanks Mum.“ he whispers, after a moment of them just sitting there. He takes her hand, which she all too gladly allows for him to hold.

„What for, Harry?“

He looks up to her through his lashes, smiling slightly. „Being here.“

[jilymicrofics]

A little over a week left to get your submissions in folks!

Mystery Microfic May is back for another year! If you would like to participate as an author this year:

Please join the jilymicrofics discord, or send us a DM to get early access to the May prompt list. 

Enter your microfic into this anonymous collection prior to April 30th.

1 Fic per author, maximum word count 1k words

Must feature jily in some fashion

Fics will be released simultaneously here during May and then authors will be guessed via poll. 

No author is to confirm or deny guesses

Authors will be revealed once all polls have closed. 

*Authors can still submit normal May micros to the usual collection - they just won’t be part of this event. Any questions? - Check out the FAQ below the cut.

Feel free to reach out on discord, via asks or DMs.

Mystery Microfic May- FAQ

In light of some questions we’ve had via DM and discord we’ve created an FAQ, please be sure to ask more questions if you’d like something clarified. 

1. Do I have to be part of the discord in order to participate?

It’s not a requirement, but we’ve found discord is the easiest platform for talking about events and giving updates. You can send us a DM to get access to the prompt list if you don’t want to join the discord (the discord is a very fun space though). 2. What happens if two authors select the same prompt?

Not an issue! There's no claim on prompt words 3. Can I submit for more than one prompt?

We allow for up to one submission per author. 

4. Does it matter if I’m new to the jily fandom and haven’t posted much or at all yet?

No! All the more reason to participate - this is all just a bit of fun. We’d just love to see more jily content out there. 5. When will authors be revealed?

Once all polls have closed.

6. What if I want to do prompts but don’t want to take part in the event?

That’s totally okay! That’s why we have a separate AO3 subcollection for the event. May micros will still run as normal with the prompt list pinned and you can add them to the usual AO3 collection - micros added to the regular AO3 collection won’t be included in the event.

[jilymicrofics]

Reset

a january micro for @jilymicrofics; wordcount: 651, word: fresh

Summary:

A mishap with a drunken dark wizard leaves Lily an amnesiac. The last ten months of her life has been completely wiped, which includes her breakup with James eight months before. To aid in her speedy recovery, James has to keep Lily under the pretence that her life has been the same as it was.

Read on AO3.

[jilymicrofics]

April 19 “fly” for @jilymicrofics

She’d kill to be a fly on his wall.

She imagined him leaning against the edge of that four faster bed. He’d be high from his time flying, and she’d probably be dead. He was always the hottest when she was alone with him in her head.

She was the opposite of modest.

“God, yes.”

She remembers the shag against the farthest back wall where he’d almost made her fall, because he was just too damn tall. He’s got her wrapped around his finger after all. She wants to watch him all the time, to have little things to recall. She’d go running if he called.

But he was busy next door in his room. She was alone left in nothing but her socks and shoes. Her dress had been discarded by the booze. Trying to keep her grip on her pillow loose, her toes curled, and she knew she was screwed.

“Fuck, I need you.”

First his shirt.

Then his trousers.

Lily whimpered a little louder.

James couldn’t hear her, not with the wall between them, but God she wanted to see him. She wanted to watch as he ruffled his hair before grabbing a towel. She wanted to stare at his ass while he climbed in the shower. Instead, the wall gave her some space to imagine it all with her hand between her legs.

Now she’s lost in a daze, her body ablaze, and she only has herself to blame.

It slips from her mouth, from her veins, as she cries out, “James.”

And suddenly his voice answers, “keep moaning my name.”

He joins in her sins, he fans her flames.

[jilymicrofics]

LOVEY DOVEY

For @jilymicrofics April 2024. Prompts: detention, ridiculous. Words: 250.

Sirius had taken to gagging. Nothing serious, no actual vomit. Just a heavy reverberating hack in the back of his throat as a means of verbalising for the record his physical revulsion, his physiological repulsion, his very moral opposition to his best friend’s newfound liking to expressing his seemingly boundless adoration for Lily Goddess Divine very publicly and very affectionately whenever the mood so took him (not forgetting his compulsory thrice-hourly schedule).

No situation proved deterrent. No dirty looks discouraging. All were witness to this great love: the diners in the great hall, the contents of their cauldrons, the wine red velvet curtains over their fourposter beds, students in the corridors, peers in defence, divination, dinner, their counterparts in detention all with arms shoulder deep in slick algae, pawns in chess, even the very bugs in the dirt.

Sirius was beginning to think he’d damage his throat from how often he gagged (sometimes voluntarily, sometimes not). He had garnered a tender bloom on his ribs form how often Peter and Remus (rather unkindly) elbowed him there for rolling his eyes or sticking his fingers down his throat or mimicking Lily’s revolting sugary giggles as James—the wet sock that he was—kissed her flushed cheeks or played with her hair or gazed at her with the most ridiculous mushy eyes Sirius had ever had the displeasure of seeing.

It was disgusting, it was juvenile, it was plain rude, and entirely inconsiderate of the general public (him, Sirius, his very self).

AO3

[jilymicrofics]

Jily Micro Fic - @jilymicrofics prompt: Fly - 504 words

The wind rushes past them, the sound thundering in Lily’s ears and whipping through her hair. She clings to James like a vice, arms wrapped around his middle and eyes screwed shut as he speeds through the air. James hoots a laugh as he dips and swerves his broom with the only apparent goal of showing off and making Lily fear for her life. 

She hasn’t touched a broom since first year but James had been begging for weeks to take her out flying (months even, with the hindsight that all those flirtatious jokes and pick-up lines had been rooted in sincerity.) And she'd finally relented after all that time and now she's going to die. Killed in a freak flying accident when she inevitably slips and plummets hundreds of feet to her death because James Potter wanted to show off.

The broom tips up and she feels her stomach lurch with the sudden motion. She buries her face in James’ back, focuses on the feeling of his jumper pressed against her skin instead of the rapidly increasing distance between them and the ground.

“I need to breathe, Evans,” James calls back with a laugh as she grips impossibly tighter. 

“I’m going to fall!” She yells back, voice muffled by the whooshing wind. She can’t tell if he heard her, he doesn’t say anything in response but a few moments later they level out again and come to a stop, hanging still in the air like a kite on the breeze

“Look,” James says with a breath, his voice suddenly ringing so much clearer how they’re hovering in juxtaposed silence. “This is what I wanted to show you.”

She doesn’t make a move to look at whatever he's trying to show her, just mumbles a quiet “can’t.”

“Lily? Do you trust me?”

She shakes her head into his back, refusing to even dare to steal a peek. She feels James reach back to hold her arm, a little extra sense of security. “Don’t look down,” he whispers, “just look forward.”

She swallows, takes a deep breath to steady herself, and then takes another good luck. Ever so slowly she peels an eye open. 

The sunset, although hidden behind the clouds, casts the sky in a marble of oranges and pinks and purples. The Great Lake mirrors the colours, glistening and sparking where the light catches. It stretches out towards the horizon, to where the mountains rise up - a rolling background that goes on forever. It’s like a scene from a painting, so picturesque it doesn’t seem real. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” James says when she lets out an audible gasp.

“It’s…” Lily starts but can’t find the words to describe it. Beautiful doesn’t do it justice. “It’s - amazing.”

James squeezes her hand. “I’ll take you up In the winter,” he says quietly. “Just after it’s snowed, all the mountains and the forest look like they’re covered in diamonds.”

Lily hums, brings her chin up to rest on James' shoulder. “I think I’d like that.” 

[jilymicrofics]

DEAD SKIN CELLS For @jilymicrofics April 2024. Prompts: fireworks, fete, enchantment, rational. Words: 157.

In her heart? Fireworks. A fête of light, rushing light, colour flooding her mind and blurring her thoughts, merging and spitting and frothing up like laughter in her throat. At her neck was James, his mouth grinning as he urged her to yes, yes, say yes, his fingertips at her nape and on her shoulder blades, thumbs palpitating, front pressed to hers, trapping her mind in this bright enchantment, this happy slither. Irrational and ridiculous and overflowing with mirth and youth and bodies with hearts beating and lungs breathing and lips that could kiss.

Their laughter settled in the gaps of the floorboards and the cracks in the plaster. The dead skin cells of their young love would remain for years, caked. Befuddled by euphoria, sparkling water in the veins, they giggled as small children do and kissed and laughed and watched the dust motes dance and they were young and they were cotton and in love.

AO3

[jilymicrofics]

Incentives

A short entry for april's prompt 19 of @jilymicrofics

Prompt: Fly

Words: 164

Lily wasn’t keen on flying. It wasn’t like she wasn’t good, on the contrary, she was perfectly capable of riding a broom, so perhaps it was more correct to say she wasn’t a lover of heights. She hated the Astrology tower, she despised when the stairs began to move as if they had a life of their own, and she liked climbing up the stands of the Quidditch field even less, but for James, to get a glimpse of his focused stare and be waved at when he scored, she could do it.

“You should close your mouth, or you might end up eating a fly,” Marlene teased, nudging her lightly when the recipient of her attentions performed a stunt worthy of a real game and not just a school tournament, making Dorcas laugh.

“Let her drool for the greater good,” Sirius interjected, an amused smile lighting up his pale face. “After all, every time Prongs sees her like that, we end up winning.”

[jilymicrofics]

that special smile (April 19th prompt; Fly) @jilymicrofics

Harry‘s just come back inside after the most amazing quidditch match against his Dad.

They‘d woken up extra early today, so they could watch the sunrise from up in the air — it was absolutely freezing, but he didn’t mind.

Scarcely anything’s better than flying on an early summer morning, when the air smells like freshly cut grass.

After quickly running to his room to change, on his Mum’s insistence, he is now sitting at the kitchen table, gladly drinking the hot chocolate she’s just made him, whilst he watches her brew Remus’s wolfsbane potion.

Normally, she’d be doing that in her potion lab down in the basement, but that’s kind of out of service at the moment…after one of his Dad‘s horribly failed experiments.

(„Are you sure we can use that instead of dittany?“ — „Sure, don’t worry, Harry. I know what I’m doing.“)

Turned out, his Dad had not known what he was doing, resulting in the lab to literally blow up, all kinds of neatly stocked potion vials exploding, until the entire basement was one big mess.

His Mum had been so shocked upon finding them, both completely covered in all kinds of potion bits, that she’d started cracking up despite herself.

So yeah, she’s going to be brewing her potions in the kitchen until his Dad fixes up the basement — which, according to him, had been overdue for a proper renovation anyways (sure, Dad).

„Could you bind back my hair?“ his Mum asks his Dad, who’s standing behind her, a sort of hazed look in his eyes as he watches her.

„Course, love.“ his Dad replies, and just like always, he takes the hairband, just a simple, dark green one (his Mum‘s favourite colour), from around his wrist to gently tie his Mum‘s hair up into a ponytail.

Harry watches them with a small smile on his lips — ever since he can remember, his Dad has had a hairband wrapped around his wrist, always one, in case his Mum‘d need him to bind back her hair whilst she’s busy brewing or cooking.

It’s something so small, yet his Mum smiles every time — that one, special smile she’s reserved just for his Dad.

Harry hopes that, someday, he‘d get to do this too, to make somebody smile like his Mum‘s smiling at his Dad.

[jilymicrofics]

April 2024 ~ Foolishness & Fun

How Does This All Work?

See a prompt you like? Go for it! Canon or AU. It’s all up to you! @ us in your creation to be reblogged!

Limit your pieces to 1K words or less. For longer inspired fics tag @jilymicro-oops in your post!

FAQ | PREVIOUS PROMPTS | AO3 COLLECTION 

For any additional questions, our ask and DM is always open! Please DM for an invite to the community discord!1

Don't forget about submitting for our Mystery Microfic May Event! See this post for details.

[jilymicrofics]

bugs don’t bite, they gossip (April 17th prompt; Plot) @jilymicrofics

James swirls the tea in his cup — the one Harry’d gifted him back in nursery school that says World’s Best Dad written in a five-year-old’s wobbly handwriting — and takes a long sip, sighing a little as the warmth spreads through him, before he picks up the daily prophet, curious to see what sort of nonsense he’d find on today‘s front page…

His mood plummets instantly.

There, taking up nearly half the page, is a picture of four kids, all of them smiling rather nervously at the camera, though James only has eyes for the, by far, youngest looking of the four — his son.

The Triwizard champions it reads above the picture.

Harry and his three co-champions are all listed below, each of them described in a rather detailed article written by…oh, by Merlins beard…that horrible gossip lover, Rita Skeeter.

James‘s expression only hardens further as he starts reading.

Harry Potter, age twelve—

Twelve?

—will officially participate in the Triwizard Tournament as the fourth and final champion, representing Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry alongside Cedric Diggory.

There is little doubt that, at the meager age of twelve, he most certainly lacks the skills required for such a dangerous Tournament.

Let us hope he is as lucky this time, as he was all those years ago, on that fateful night in Godric’s Hollow.

James stares at those words for a long moment, barely believing Skeeter‘s nerve to mention that night.

Though, the question that remains, as we all wonder; Might Harry Potter have felt the need to ensure his lasting fame by plotting such a rebellious stunt as to put his name into the Goblet of Fire? Or was he pressured to, perhaps not least by his own Father? — famously known Auror, James Potter, 34, who is well known to have been—

Alright, that’s it.

Not able to read anymore of this bloody nonsense, he throws the paper aside, gritting his teeth.

How dare that woman—

„Are you alright?“

He startles slightly at Lily’s sudden question, looking up at her as she enters the kitchen.

„Not really. Have you read Skeeter‘s article about Harry?“ he asks tightly, handing her the prophet. „I swear, next time I see her—“

„James,“ Lily shakes her head, prying her gaze away from Harry’s picture to look into his eyes. „Don’t listen to her. You know she‘ll write anything to sell a good story…“ she sighs, walking up to him to sit down onto his lap. „You’re a good Dad.“

Am I?

His chest tightens guiltily at her compliment. „I’m not sure a good Dad‘d let his kid get into this much trouble,“ he says quietly, instinctively wrapping his arms around her waist. „A good Dad‘d protect his son.“

„You do, James.“ Lily replies gently. „It’ll be okay, alright? We’ll help him. I don’t care what the rules say. We’ll protect him, together.“

James can hear that she’s not only trying to convince him, but herself as well. Although, they’re both painfully aware that, the older Harry gets, the more difficult it becomes for them to protect him.

But she’s right. They‘ll damn well try.

[jilymicrofics]

We’ve had 4 authors works approved so far!

TWO weeks left to go to get your submissions in folks.

Mystery Microfic May is back for another year! If you would like to participate as an author this year:

Please join the jilymicrofics discord, or send us a DM to get early access to the May prompt list. 

Enter your microfic into this anonymous collection prior to April 30th.

1 Fic per author, maximum word count 1k words

Must feature jily in some fashion

Fics will be released simultaneously here during May and then authors will be guessed via poll. 

No author is to confirm or deny guesses

Authors will be revealed once all polls have closed. 

*Authors can still submit normal May micros to the usual collection - they just won’t be part of this event. Any questions? - Check out the FAQ below the cut.

Feel free to reach out on discord, via asks or DMs.

Mystery Microfic May- FAQ

In light of some questions we’ve had via DM and discord we’ve created an FAQ, please be sure to ask more questions if you’d like something clarified. 

1. Do I have to be part of the discord in order to participate?

It’s not a requirement, but we’ve found discord is the easiest platform for talking about events and giving updates. You can send us a DM to get access to the prompt list if you don’t want to join the discord (the discord is a very fun space though). 2. What happens if two authors select the same prompt?

Not an issue! There's no claim on prompt words 3. Can I submit for more than one prompt?

We allow for up to one submission per author. 

4. Does it matter if I’m new to the jily fandom and haven’t posted much or at all yet?

No! All the more reason to participate - this is all just a bit of fun. We’d just love to see more jily content out there. 5. When will authors be revealed?

Once all polls have closed.

6. What if I want to do prompts but don’t want to take part in the event?

That’s totally okay! That’s why we have a separate AO3 subcollection for the event. May micros will still run as normal with the prompt list pinned and you can add them to the usual AO3 collection - micros added to the regular AO3 collection won’t be included in the event.

[jilymicrofics]

All my love (April 15th prompt; Party) @jilymicrofics

I wanted to do something different today, so I tried for a letter written by Lily to Petunia sometime in August 1980…

Dear Tuney,

I‘ve been sitting here all afternoon, trying to think of how to start this letter. It’s ridiculous, considering how we used to talk endlessly, back when we were kids.

Remember our brilliant tea party the summer before I started at Hogwa boarding school? We‘d brought out our entire collection of teddies into the backyard — I recall Mum laughed so hard when she saw us there, she spilled our lemonade all over her roses!

I really miss that time lately, and I miss you. I wish we could go back to being the sisters we were then, before our differences suddenly seemed more important than our similarities.

Anyways, I hope you’re doing well? You haven’t at all responded to my last few letters, which clearly tells me that you don’t care for keeping in contact, but I just really wanted to tell you about your new nephew!

I‘ve given birth just last week, July 31st, to our little boy, Harry James Potter. It seems like a really important name somehow, all written down and official, but he’s just so tiny. I’m sure you know well enough what I mean, having a little boy yourself. I always knew babies would be small, but it’s overwhelming how little and innocent they truly are, isn’t it?

James and I haven’t stopped smiling since. Sure, it’s exhausting! But I‘ve never been happier. Harry gave me back the joy that I think I lost during the last few years, with everything that’s been going on. He truly is the bright spot lighting up our lives.

I hope you feel the same sense of joy with your little boy. I really hope you‘re happy, Tuney. No matter what, you‘ll always be my sister.

All my love,

Lily