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A Light In The Shadows || 10.7 k || Rated M

Part One || Beginning of Part Two || New Chapter

Chapter 10: The Sorting Hat

Lily walked to the table, and a space opened up as someone slid down to make room for her. Quickly taking her seat, Lily turned to thank the person, but one look at him and she recognized him. Her eyes narrowed at Sirius Black, she folded her arms, and then firmly turned her back on him. She mentally groaned at the thought of sharing a house with Potter and Sirius. They weren’t terrible people, she reminded herself. They were just… well… it was more James who was… he was… something… arrogant. Yes, James Potter was an arrogant little twit. God, she was going to have to work twice as hard now to put him in his place. Lily looked back at Sirius – quickly – and saw his smirking grin. At least her house would not be boring with the two of them.

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hmmm... why reblog... hmmm....

Spoilers Without Context

ALITS Chapter 10 - The Sorting Hat

Are you wondering what's in chapter 10 of ALITS? Well, here are some hints: The chapter will be available on April 12th.

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I must add to this that James would be a polymer chemist.

Snape would be pure organic chemistry, and thinks others are infer to him.

Random question time! What kind of STEM field do you think Lily would be in if she would get to choose today?

Medicinal organic chemistry.

Organic chemists are already crazy, but medicinal chemists are on a next level.

They work to synthesize new drug compounds.

Favorite organic chemistry fact - was recommended for a while to smoke cigarettes while working with hydrogen cyanide, as it would change the flavor of the cigarettes.

I can see Lily chain-smoking as she works on a dangerous setup, and it fits so well in my head.

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Random question time! What kind of STEM field do you think Lily would be in if she would get to choose today?

Medicinal organic chemistry.

Organic chemists are already crazy, but medicinal chemists are on a next level.

They work to synthesize new drug compounds.

Favorite organic chemistry fact - was recommended for a while to smoke cigarettes while working with hydrogen cyanide, as it would change the flavor of the cigarettes.

I can see Lily chain-smoking as she works on a dangerous setup, and it fits so well in my head.

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i say this as a married woman who did not take her husband's last name but uh. you people who act like it's antifeminist for lily (or any woman real or imagined) are fucking weird.

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Announcing... JILY WEEK 2025! 🌸🌸🌸

Last year, Kelsey ( @kay-elle-cee ) and I had a blast hosting Jily Week. We were blown away by the enthusiastic participation — 85 works from 27 unique creators, including fanfiction, art, videos, and more. We are, of course, delighted to bring it back this year, so clear your calendars and start your plotting for August 25th to 31st!

To participate, post a creative work corresponding to the daily prompt – fanfiction, fanart, playlists, metas, moodboards, etc. – anything goes! You can participate in as few or as many days as possible, but we challenge everyone to try and create something for every prompt, even if it's only a hundred-word drabble or a 5-minute sketch! Don't stress about meeting the exact prompt or the deadline - the most important thing is to have fun with it!

Remember to tag your works with #jily week 2025, mention @sunshinemarauder and @kay-elle-cee, and add any fic you write to the Jily Week 2025 AO3 Collection.

🌷 PROMPTS:

🌺 Day 1 – 25th of August – Knight in Shining Armor

Getting into a spot of trouble is unavoidable with these two, but half the fun is how they get out. Wherever there’s a damsel in distress, there must be a righteous protector following at their heel.

🌺 Day 2 – 26th of August – Green-Eyed Monster

Jealousy. It happens to the best of us, and the future Potters are no strangers to that dormant beast.

🌺 Day 3 – 27th of August – Calamity Strikes

If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you. There’s something about the eye of the storm, a stolen moment during the apocalypse, the climax of a bloody war, that unearths buried feelings.

🌺 Day 4 – 28th of August – More Than Convenient

Sometimes, the foundation to a healthy relationship is… convenience. Whether it's an advantageous Regency match or a last-minute roommate switch, any scenario involving a relationship/marriage of convenience is welcome.

🌺 Day 5 – 29th of August – Summer Fling

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but Summer is also the prime time for seeing someone in a new light. Have these two been separated due to distance or Hogwarts break, destined to spend the summer as pen-pals, or have they been thrown together by happenstance onto a beach, pining away under the sun?

🌺 Day 6 – 30th of August – Angst vs Fluff

We’re bringing back a classic, with a twist! Write angst or fluff—your choice—but you’ve got to work in the phrase “You could have warned me”. Get creating!

🌺 Day 7 – 31st of August – Choose Your Own Adventure

Click here for a prompt generator and get inspired! Use as few or as many prompts as you want. Come up with unique trope-y concoctions – anything from Childhood Friends + Crime-Fighting + Bed-Sharing to Canon Divergent + Secret Identity + Norse Mythology!

———

Feel free to message us or drop an ask if you have questions!

The adventure begins... 🌷🌷🌷

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Will you continue "A Light in the Shadows"? I hope you're doing well. If you feel helpless or lost from grief, please remember that there are thousands of people ready to listen and help you:) Please know that all your ALITS fans are right there for you and eagerly awaiting news from you. If my tone offended you, i am sorry. Just wanted to check in:) Take care

Yes ALITS is continuing!

Truthfully, after the death in my family something else devastating happened - I found out my funding for my research was pulled and that I would loose my job at the end of the year.

What does this mean? Well, it meant I had to speed up my research to try and to finish projects so I can still try and become a professor. I’ve been working 12+ hour days seven days a week. It’s grueling, and I’ve had basically no time to write. However - I’ve found some time and have been chomping away at it.

I’m in a huge unexpected transition point in my career and it’s incredibly uncertain. This is what has truly kept me away.

The chapters will be coming, but they will be a lot slower.

I appreciate all of my fans, and the comments I’ve gotten letting me know they like my writing have brought me joy during this truly hard time.

So the story is still ongoing- and I’m hoping to have the next chapter to you soon!

❤️

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New Fic Sneak Peek:

Thanks everyone with helping me through all the polls!! I've narrowed down my focus and managed to messy-plot all 23 chapters today at work thanks to your lovely voting skills. Planning to have this one written up and completed (enough) to post a first chapter for your eyes by September 1st.

Title: Bad at Love

Chapters: 23

Rating: Explicit

POV: Alternating between Lily and James

Tropes: Hogwarts professors, 5 year age gap, he falls first, accidental pregnancy, colleagues to lovers to friends to lovers, smut with a plot.

Random Chapter Blurb to Excite Ya:

And there, at his desk, sat James Potter.

Elbows planted, shirt sleeves rolled, glasses sliding down his nose.

Looking at her file.

Lily paused in the doorway, cocked her head, and grinned.

“Well, well. Like what you see?”

James looked up, caught, and scoffed immediately; though the tips of his ears betrayed him by turning the faintest shade of pink.

“Just doing a bit of…academic research,” he said, snapping the folder shut with theatrical nonchalance. “You know. Due diligence. Making sure you know what you're doing."

Lily laughed, closing the door behind her. “Well, I was trying to decide who I should ask for advice about my first term. But if you’re too busy reading about my old Herbology grades, I could always try Binns instead.”

James leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, grinning. “You got an ‘Needs Improvement’ in third year. Bit of a late bloomer when it came to repotting mandrakes, weren’t you?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You looked at my report cards?”

“I skimmed them.” A pause. “Twice.”

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Reblog if you’re grateful for your commenters <3

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Hunted Moodboard

To give you an aesthetic flavour of my casefic project (as discussed in this post)

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propaganda i won't fall for: that after the second war, andromeda tonks would want to ever reconnect with narcissa unless it was to punch her in the fucking face.

narcissa was 100% okay with everything voldemort was doing right up until her son became a target. when she turned against voldemort in the end, it was not in rejection of the ideology he was pushing. it was because her son might've gotten killed. she was fine with the ideologies.

those ideologies got andromeda's husband and daughter murdered.

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Marriage by Capture

Strangers to Lovers, cosy fantasy

Hinny

Explicit

The new law states anyone who manages to capture you can marry you. Ginny leaves her home and family behind to avoid a forced marriage and tries her hardest to stay out of the grip of men. Harry was orphaned in his teens and has been traveling since, doing jobs here and there but leaving before they realise he has magic. One faithful day, the two have a rather unpleasant meeting in the woods and then another…

Chapter 1: The cave

Harry woke up in a cave, his hands bound together behind his back. His feet were free but the stalagmites and stalactites in front of him would slow down his escape, if he were to make one. He wasn’t even sure how someone had managed to drag him behind it at all.

He noticed a woman by the fire, poking it with a stick to get it going. She had long red hair going down to her middle, the top part put into a braid to keep it out of her face. He grunted as he adjusted his position and noticed his head was throbbing. Then he remembered getting whacked in the head.

As soon as she noticed that he was awake, she took up her sword and walked into the cave towards him. An unneeded measure, he was currently no threat to her.

“How did you find me?” she asked, her face hidden by the shadow.

He blinked for a moment. “How can I find you if I don’t know who you are?”

She knelt down so he could look at her face. She had thin curvy lips and a cute round nose to go with it. Her brown eyes were focused, but the colour was muted by the lack of direct sunlight. Most of all, she looked angry, and quite strong.

“Ah,” he said. “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he told her. “But I didn’t find you, because I wasn’t looking for you.”

She huffed, twirling her sword around. “That’s what they all say.”

“All?” he abruptly looked around in search of the last poor lad that got captured, but to his relief there was no skeleton to be found. “Is capturing men a hobby for you?”

Full chapter on AO3

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Chapter 10: Breaking the monotony

Chapter 10 of part 2 posted of my long canon series detailing the marauders' time at school and after, as well as the start of the war through Fabian, Gidedon, Alice and Frank. The chapter is unusually fluffy for being me. Figured ten chapters in, it was about time! Extract below:

'Alright, my go!' Mary straightened up.

'You can get the good-lookin' boys in our year,' Maeve grinned, 'Black, Potter and Laark.'

Well, that was easy, Lily thought. Charm Laark, and distribute the hex and curse between the two others. Probably hex Potter given he'd had a rough run lately. Curse Black. Well, that'd never end well. Perhaps there was something to be said for cursing Laark, who she was fairly certain would not be able to retaliate.  

Mary snorted: 'Potter, good looking? You've got to be kidding me!'

'Maybe Maeve's blinded by something?' mused Lily playfully.

Mary giggled: 'Ooo, Potter and Maeve!'

Truth be told, there weren't exactly many good-looking boys in their year, so Lily wasn't sure who she'd pick in Potter's place. She wasn't as convinced as Mary that Maeve had missed the mark, but she was always up for winding her friends up. Besides, if Mary and Maeve were going to tease her all the time for supposedly having a crush on Severus because they were friends, then Maeve had better tolerate the same joke being thrown her way about Potter. 

Maeve shrugged, unbothered: 'Who'd you have as the third then?'

Mary answered without missing a beat: 'Fawcett, of course.'

'Fawcett?' Maeve burst out laughing. 'He's got the face of a wee baby!'

'But his brother is sooo hot,' said Mary without any trace of embarrassment. 'If Casper turns out half as well, I won't be complaining.'

'Okay, Black, Fawcett and Laark.'

Just then the door opened, and Eloise and Georgiana came in. 

'No Alice?' asked Georgiana.

'Not yet, but be quiet,' said Maeve, 'we're about to hear who Mary would charm, hex or curse.'

'Oooo,' Eloise practically jumped over to them, 'who are the victims?'

'Black, Fawcett and Laark,' Lily explained.

'I don't get it?' said Georgiana. She didn't look particularly bothered about not getting it, however. 'Isn't there supposed to be a theme?'

'Apparently,' Lily started, 'these are the good-looking boys in our year.' 

'I can see Black-'

'Everyone can see, Black, Ellie,' interjected Georgiana.

'But Fawcett and Laark?'

'That's because there are no other ones in our year,' sighed Georgiana. 'It's just Black, and that's a no from me, thank-you-very-much.'

'Which is why you decided to look at the year above.' Eloise rolled her eyes.

'What's this?' 

Lily hadn't thought Mary had been paying much attention, focusing instead on who she'd charm, hex and curse, but now her friend straightened up, looking curiously at Georgiana.

'Georgie is dating Wilkes, y'know, in the year above.'

Dating? As in... was Jacob Wilkes Georgiana's boyfriend? Did they kiss and stuff? Lily couldn't fathom the idea of anyone in their year actually dating. But if she had to guess who would first end up with a boy, Georgiana would probably have been her bet.

'How did we not know this?' asked Mary, a note of accusation in her voice as she looked at Georgiana, who shrugged.

'I only found out yesterday,' supplied Eloise, 'their families were together for Christmas, and one thing led to another, I suppose.'  

'It's not a big deal,' said Georgiana, though a smile played on her lips and she looked even more beautiful and impressive than usual.

'Sure,' Eloise rolled her eyes. 'Anyways, go on, Mary. Surely you'd charm Black, but where d'you go from there?'

'Eugh, Ellie, you're related.'

'So are you, probably,' Eloise shrugged at Georgiana. 'And I can find him handsome even if I don't want to snog him.' 

'Mary?' Maeve prompted.

But who Mary would charm, hex and curse was something they weren't meant to learn that evening, because just then, the door opened again, and in came Alice Fawley. That might not have been enough to interrupt the game, but the person who followed her through the door was. Lily stared at the Head Boy and Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, Fabian Prewett. 

What on earth was he doing here? For once, though, finding the answer to that particular question did not seem to be the first thing on Mary's mind. She leaned over and whispered:

'That's a good-looking one, if you ask me.' 

Lily eyed him. Prewett was a bit stocky, perhaps, but Mary wasn't wrong: he was definitely good-looking. They both had to suppress a giggle.

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baby dragons whose scales are much more shiny and iridescent in order to hide in their parents' hoards

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Ch 9: January full moon

🫂 Lots of Remus and James moments 🌕 Remus suffering from the full moon and suffering from his own guilt (because it's Remus) 😏 Sirius being Sirius 🤠 Trouble finds James 🍀 James has luck on his side (when does he not? don't answer that) 👻 Peeves causing chaos ❤️‍🩹 Madam Pomfrey being a saint

Extract:

The Sunday before the January full moon, Remus awoke with a pounding headache. He squinted at his alarm clock through the darkness. It wasn't even six yet. Pouring some cold water into the glass on the nightstand, he pressed the glass against his throbbing temple. It eased the pain a little. Once the glass was too warm to do any further good, he drank the content. Water was something both muggles and wizards seemed to agree on as an effective remedy against headaches. Remus had yet to be convinced. 

Closing his eyes, Remus tried desperately to chase oblivion again, but with no success. After about an hour, Remus gave up reaching for the ever-evading rest. The other boys were still asleep. Remus got up and changed quietly so as not to wake them. 

Walking through the empty corridors at Hogwarts, Remus was met with further reminders that most people were yet to rise. On all sides, he was surrounded by sleeping portraits and the closest thing he came to meeting any sign of life was... well, when he passed ghosts. It felt strange, making his way to the same place he'd started avoiding lately.

'Really? Already?' had been James constant question every time Remus had left him, and eventually, Remus found it easier to avoid the Hospital Wing altogether. 

The guilt had been a little harder to avoid. As had Sirius' appraising eyes. 

Remus knew he hadn't needed to worry about the matron being awake. Firstly, he knew—probably better than anyone in the castle by now—that Madam Pomfrey was always an early riser. Secondly, loud coughing greeted Remus as he pushed open the doors to the Hospital Wing.

Taking a seat close to Madam Pomfrey's office, Remus waited until she emerged from behind James' privacy screens. Every loud rasping bark hurt twice, first as a stabbing jab behind his left temple, then as guilt squeezing his chest. The coughing probably sounded worse than it was, but that was a small comfort because it sounded dreadful.

It was also a little disgusting. The nausea accompanying the headache intensified as Remus heard the unmistakable sounds of retching mingled with the coughs. Remus closed his eyes, taking a few steadying deep breaths. Soon, he'd have the potion, and then this, too, would pass. Or, at least subside to something more managable. 

'We're not playing any dangerous games this month, are we, Lupin?' asked Madam Pomfrey sternly as she handed him the small vial. 'I want you in one piece on Tuesday. There's quite enough to worry about at the present.'

'Of course,' Remus muttered. 

'No need to be anxious about your friend. I will make quite sure Potter does not know that you are gone during the night.'

Fearing perhaps exactly what Madam Pomfrey might do to James, or maybe Remus was too worn down from keeping things secret all the time. Whatever it was, something made him admit the truth: 

'No need. He knows.' Remus swallowed the potion before continuing: 'Sirius and Peter too.'

Remus had always had the impression that Madam Pomfrey was not easily fazed, having seen too much for too many years. Still, he couldn't help but look nervously at her. He wasn't exactly sure what he expected, maybe for her to tell him off, or insist that they immediately speak to Professor Dumbledore, but she only gave a curt nod. 

She remained standing there by his side, silently. Remus got the impression she was doing a lot of thinking. Eventually, the matron said: 'It is probably for the best. You telling them. Now Lupin, is there anything else I can help you with? How's the headache?'

Remus didn't bother correcting her. Never in his wildest dreams would he have told the boys about being a werewolf, because he would never have imagined their response. He still had trouble believing it. 

They said they didn't care.

Guilt, never really far from the surface, once more reared its head. If James wanted him there by his side, could Remus deny him that? There was homework to worry about, certainly. But James, Sirius and Peter were his friends, despite everything, and that was far more important than the date of some Statute or other.

'The headache's gone,' said Remus. It was close enough to the truth. 'Is James ...?' 

'You can say hi on the way out, but you both need -'

'Rest.' Remus sent her a weak smile. 'I know. Thank you for the potion... and everything.'

'It's my job,' said Madam Pomfrey, but her voice was unusually soft. 

On his way out, he therefore stopped by James' bed. 

'Good morning,' Remus offered as James opened his eyes. 

'Remus,' muttered James, his eyes finding Remus, but without his glasses, Remus doubted he could see more than a blurry outline.

'Early, no?'

'Headache,' explained Remus. 

James nodded: 'Back later?' 

'Of course.'

The answer should have been no. No, I need to rest, James. The words had not come. James smiled sleepily, closing his eyes. Remus left the Hospital Wing, looking forward to when he could do the same in his own bed.

...

Read full chapter on AO3

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Rated: E

Exploding Ministry memos and one or two requisite dragons and cursed magical objects. Old school romances with a dash of new workplace flirtation. James Potter and Lily Evans may have missed each other the first time around…but not this time, if Ministry regulations have anything to say about it.

Chapter 2! which is double the word count that I intended it to be, but they had Things they wanted to say, so who am I to shut them up?

happy april and happy reading!

Read Magnolia Chapter 2: Pasts on Ao3!

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Oh i agree with you with other aurors calling them nepotism babies 😂 but i think the older ones have soft spot for neville even thought they didnt get to see him as baby but “he is alice and frank’s kid, that’s our nephew”

Neville swallowed hard, his hand hovering on the door to the Auror Office.

He hadn’t thought twice when Mr. Shacklebolt—no, Minister Shacklebolt—invited him to join the Aurors alongside Ron and Harry, waiving the usual test scores and three years of training. He’d accepted immediately. Eager to prove himself. To finish what they'd started. To carry on his family’s legacy. To make his Gran proud.

And now, standing at the threshold of what felt like his destiny—one he had only ever dared to voice to Trevor—he was suddenly unsure of everything. Did he deserve to wear Auror robes? Was he skilled enough? Smart enough? Brave enough?

He had half a mind to turn around and hide in his grandfather’s old greenhouse when a familiar voice called out behind him.

“Neville! Great, you're here!”

“Hey, Ron,” Neville said, managing a small smile as Ron clapped him on the back. Harry stood beside him, stoic and straight-backed as always, giving Neville a nod.

Neville squared his shoulders, trying to mimic Harry’s confidence.

“Let’s get in there before they realize what a mistake they made, offering a bunch of Hogwarts dropouts full-time jobs,” Ron said cheerfully, pushing open the door.

“Technically, I didn’t drop out,” Neville said. “I can still take my exams this summer with everyone else in our year.”

Ron gave him a baffled look. “Why would you do a mad thing like that?”

Before Neville could answer, they stepped up to the front desk where an elderly witch sat behind a stack of paperwork.

Are you three lost?” the witch behind the desk asked, arching one penciled brow as she looked up from a stack of parchments.

“No,” Harry said with calm certainty. “We’re here to meet with Robards. It’s our first day. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom.”

At the mention of Neville’s name, the woman froze. Her gaze flicked sharply to him, narrowing slightly, as though trying to place a face she hadn't seen in years. Then her eyes widened.

“Longbottom?” she repeated, almost breathless. Her eyes scanned his features, flicking from his jawline to his nose to the set of his eyes, as though searching for echoes of someone she once knew.

Neville shifted his weight and offered a small, uncertain smile. “Er… yeah. That’s me.”

Without taking her eyes off him, she turned in her chair and called over her shoulder. “Margaret! Margaret, get over here! You won’t believe this!”

Another elderly witch poked her head out from a side office, half-spectacles perched on the edge of her nose. “Yes, Eunice? What is it now?”

“Guess who this is!” Eunice said, gesturing grandly toward Neville.

Margaret peered at him, blinking. “Haven’t the foggiest.”

“Neville Longbottom! Alice and Frank’s boy!”

Margaret gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “No! Merlin’s beard… He’s so big!” Her voice cracked with emotion. “Little baby Neville—oh my goodness, look at you! You’re the spitting image of your dad when he first walked through those doors. Where’s Alfred? He has to see this.”

And then she turned, cupping her hands to her mouth and calling down the corridor with surprising strength, “Alfred! Get out here! Alice’s boy is here! Come quick!”

In what felt like a matter of seconds, people began emerging from doorways, their conversations halting as they caught wind of what was happening. A group of middle-aged Aurors came striding over, curiosity quickly turning into wonder. Someone whispered, “Frank’s son?” and then the murmurs spread like wildfire.

Neville found himself in the middle of a growing circle of people—men and women, many with graying hair and worn expressions softened by emotion. They came forward one by one, shaking his hand, patting his shoulder, nodding with solemn reverence. He could hear snatches of words—

“Your mum saved my life in '77—duel in Knockturn Alley—never got to thank her.”

“Frank trained me when I was a recruit. Best duelist I ever saw.”

“Thought I’d never see the day...”

For a moment, Neville didn’t know what to do with his hands or his face. He could only blink and nod, his throat thick as he shook hands with teary-eyed strangers.

Then Eunice stepped forward again, her voice warm as she took his hand between both of hers. “It truly is an honor,” she said. “Don’t you worry—we’ll take good care of you. Alice and Frank’s boy, here in the office. It’s a miracle.” She smiled up at him, eyes glistening. “Welcome home, Neville.”