#jily micro oops

[ohmygodshesinsane]

Unlicensed | A Jily Micro-Oops

Lily Evans begrudgingly agrees to get in the car with classmate and sometime-foe James Potter and his not-quite-earned P-plates after a particularly rubbish day.

words: 1438 | for @jilymicro-oops | april prompt 14: ridiculous

read on ao3 or under the cut

Lily’s buckle clicked as Potter nudged the gearstick into ‘R’. He tossed his gaze back over his shoulder, one hand on the wheel, dark hair curling around the round rims of his overlarge specs. It was getting long, by school standards; she was surprised McGonagall hadn’t tapped him on the shoulder to send him for a cut. It softened him, though. The contours of his straight nose and the hard ridge of his forehead seemed friendlier, somehow. Or maybe she was just growing accustomed to the crinkles that came with one of his genuine smiles.

All the same, it was ridiculous that she would be sitting in his car, bag tucked between her ankles, all patches with its broken zip in the footwell of his beamer. Heated leather melted against her back, sanding the edges off the mid-July chill. She had pegged him as the sportscar sort, truth be told; but he wasn’t seventeen yet. Hand sanitiser sat in the drinkholder, and the car was empty, save for him and her and his bags in the boot. It was too clean for a bloke - especially one with red P-plates pinned to the windscreen. Plates he hadn’t earned.

“Is this your Mum’s?” Lily asked lightly. The car lurched. She grabbed the handle hanging above. Potter swore, running his fingers through his hair, and twisted his body to look out the back window.

“Yeah,” he admitted, never looking at her. “If you wouldn’t mind keeping - er, mum, about it, though —”

“Much cooler to let everyone think your parents got you a car for your birthday,” Lily smiled. He was doing her a favour, really, but she couldn’t resist. He was the only one in their year with any kind of access to independent transport as yet; the only one whose parents were permissive enough to let him zoom around in their car with a big fat ‘L’ stamped on his license. Lily had passed the theoretical with flying colours, but the only person in her family to hold a full license was her sister’s stupid boyfriend, and she would beg for rides before she’d condemn herself to listening to him boast for hours on end.

Potter lifted his foot off the brake, and the car hesitantly jerked back into the carpark. With a swing of the wheel he righted them, and so the navy BMW hopped its way out of the school gates. Potter’s brows knitted in concentration as he straightened in his seat, knuckles white.

“Er,” he said, checking his mirrors, “could you put the heat on? The whole driving and fiddling thing —”

“Don’t worry.” Lily leaned down. The car’s interface was impossibly flash, with a shiny touch-screen and a dozen different lights. It could make phone calls, skip songs, even - “It has a reverse camera, you know.”

Potter flicked the indicator on. “Yeah,” he said, a little distracted. “I wanted to learn the old-fashioned way.”

Lily’s eyebrows arched. “Nothing about this is old-fashioned. It’s an auto. It has Spotify.” She jabbed an accusing finger at the little black-and-green app on the car’s menu.

“I’m an old soul, Evans.” Lily winced as he accelerated into a tiny gap, earning a blast on the horn. “Ah, fuckwit, I was fine!” Lily snorted. Potter flashed her a look, but his eyes quickly returned to the road, sitting a smidgeon too close to the car in front. Kids spilled out of the school in the distinctive black-and-grey Hogwarts uniforms, backpacks bouncing, heading for cars in the line-up or swinging their legs over bikes. Lily ducked her head. The last thing she needed was for someone to dob her in - ‘a prefect in a car with an unlicensed driver, Miss, really!’ Potter had a reputation, too. The last thing she needed was for the girl-of-the-week to come after her. She tilted her head, wondering what, exactly, Potter would tell the current one, a clingy blonde who always glared at Lily if she dared to enter Glassons. Lily didn’t think they’d ever spoken, but she clearly held a grudge.

“Come on,” Potter said, drumming his fingers as they waited for the traffic lights to change. His eyes hung heavy on her skin, and she grimaced, knowing she looked like a loon. “I’m not that embarrassing, am I? I’m a bloody good football player. Got the winning try when we played Durmstrang the other week, you know.”

Lily’s foot tapped; as soon as she noticed it, she stopped, scared somehow that the worn toes would mark the car. She folded her hands in her lap and unfolded them, picking at her nails.

“I just… shouldn’t really be in here,” she said, guilt seeping through every word. “After everything with Sev…”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Potter said, frowning. “Snape’s a dick.”

“People will think I was in on it, though,” Lily said, eyes falling to the lock on the glovebox, shining in the afternoon sun. “I mean, I - you know, I do… what you did was… but if Sev’s mum calls the school or something, or one of his mates makes a fuss - it’s…” How could she explain? James Potter had had his name down for Hogwarts since his birth, and his parents donated generously and notoriously to the school. What did he know of scholarships and monthly meetings, the sneers of the Slytherins’ parents when she spoke at assembly? “Never mind,” she shrugged. “Thank you for the ride. You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” Potter answered. Lily froze. His jaw worked, a flush creeping up his neck. “You’ll sign it off for me, right?” he added quickly, laughing, flexing the veins in his hands. “I need all the hours I can get.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

“Mm… But?”

“You’re dreaming.”

“You’re facilitating.” Potter grinned cheekily. It was endearing, in its own strange way, and Lily’s stomach swooped. He’s such a tosser. They took off, cruising now that they’d escaped the speed-limited school zone. Lily gazed out the window, through the maze of low brick homes to the rippling ocean beyond, blue and brilliant. Why had Potter agreed to drive her? They’d been partnered up for their English project, sure, but they’d never exactly got along. Was it just because of lunch? Did he pity her?

“It’s a left,” she said, when they made it over the bridge. Potter shoulder-checked - good job - and slipped into the turning lane.

“Evans,” he said, braking.

“Yeah?”

“It’s not on you, you know.” His voice lowered. Lily swallowed. His hazel eyes landed on hers, round and sincere, with an intensity that made her heart race. “What happened’s not your fault.”

She couldn’t stand it, with that mole on his cheek and the press of his mouth.

“I don’t know,” Lily said.

“I’m telling you it isn’t,” Potter insisted. “I chose to do it. I’ll tell them all that. I don’t,” and he inhaled deep, hauling in the breath like a fishing net, fingers splayed in his nest of black hair, “I don’t want you dealing with the consequences of my actions.” His features firmed, resolved. “I won’t let that happen.”

Lily’s mouth dried. She tried to play it off with a chuckle, folding her arms across her chest.

“I don’t think it’s really up to you, whether they blame me. They will. It doesn’t matter.” It mattered more than anything, but only for someone like Lily. The holes in her socks seemed to gape over her feet.

“No, Evans,” Potter said, guiding the car shakily around the corner now. Had he ever been down this road before? Tufts of grass moped amongst the brown dustbowls of the front yards, tacky gnomes and old bicycles decorating the paths to the front doors. A picket sign warned off doorknockers and Jehovah’s; a collarless dog lifted its leg on the slender wood. Lily shifted in her seat, conscious of the leather and the new-car air freshener and the little sticker on the inside of the glass windscreen that noted the car as being one of regular, reliable services. “You’re my project partner,” he said. “It matters. You know, now, I guess, you - well, yeah. You matter to me.”

They hit the speedbump too quick, and Lily’s body jolted over the seatbelt, straps digging into her body, bag slamming against her leg. The brakes screeched. Potter hurriedly spun the wheel, bringing them back onto their route. Lily’s pulse pounded. Why would he say that? It didn’t make sense. Nothing about today made sense.

“Sure,” she said, face knitting in thought. “I’ll believe it when you stop trying to kill me.”

“Come on, Evans,” Potter smiled, eyes glittering. “The fear is half the fun.”

[eastwindmlk]

The Boy (in the Bedroom) Next Door - For the Jily Gift exchange 2024

@jilymicrofics (Or rather @jilymicro-oops) for @tinyluminaryzombie

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

Read on AO3 - 5/8 chapters posted

[practicecourts]

@jilychallenge I've struggled with my January challenge but it clearly needed some additional prompts, so thank you @jilymicrofics for the Moody March list. So here it finally is @petals2fish.

I loved your Hungergame AU Catching Fire so I hope you will like this Medieval Jily fic. JilyChallenge January 2024 Theme: Love in Tough Times. Prompt: oh lord, o lord what have I done? I’ve fallen in love with a man on the run, Oh Lord, Oh lord, I’m begging you please, Don’t take this sinner away from me (The devil’s backbone / civil wars) / TS Don’t blame me (Oh lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life @jilymicro-oops || Moody March day 4 || despondent || ca 1250 wrds. Read Chapter one: To Hang... on ao3 thanks @tinyluminaryzombie for last minute beta reading (Chapter 2 will be up sometime tomorrow) ! please check the warnings in the notes !

To Hang...

People enter the city through the guarded gates, most are on foot, some on horseback. A few heavy carts, pulled by oxen with laboured breaths, make their way to the heart of town. The smells of baked goods mingle with earth and mud and unwashed clothes.

Lily has escaped her sister's nagging and moves through the throngs of people who have come to watch the procession later today. Unlike others who have come to their wares at the market or in the hopes of making a good bargain, Lily has come on a fanciful whim. She has met someone, a stranger. Rationally she knows he will be long gone. He’s a man of adventures, a sword for hire, who does not linger in a place like this. Still, she's come today on the off-chance she might catch a glimpse of him.

The sun still hangs low in the sky but she can already tell it will be another hot day.

read on...

[jamesunderwater]

Limited Vocabulary

Read on Ao3 || 3k Words || Rated E || Jily First War AU Smut

UPDATED 4/18/24 - a bit longer & a lot juicier ;) @jilymicro-oops based on the jilymicrofic prompt: urge Lily and James never got together, too busy being afraid of the war, too busy fighting it. But some urges are simply too hard to fight, especially when you're alone, hurt, and there's a soft fire going...

“Lily…” he responded, reaching up to wipe one of them away. When he went to pull his hand away, she pressed it back against her cheek, holding it there. “Lily,” he said again, that same look in his eyes. “I don’t know if I can be your partner on missions anymore…” she whispered, staring at him as her heart pounded. He furrowed his brows and pulled his hand back, though neither of them let go, their hands tangled messily together. “Why?” He sounded so hurt, she was sure he didn’t understand. He hadn’t seen the look in her eyes. Her heart was in her throat now, but she thought of them lying with the broken bits of building, thought of fate. “Because…” Maybe all they’d ever have was this night in this quiet house, for once away from the madness. But she needed it all the same. Needed to feel for herself what those looks meant. Swallowing hard, she twisted her hand around to lace their fingers firmly together, and tugged him forward. They fell together like they’d always been meant to, his free hand coming to her waist, her hand reaching up to tangle in his hair. When their lips met, Lily was sure this was the first time she was truly breathing. His mouth was astonishingly soft, and she wanted to cry with relief at the feel of it. “James,” she mumbled against him, and he moaned softly, and she was floating. 

Read the rest on Ao3!

[sophie-hatter-jenkins]

Chapter 2 - Jailbait

Another day, another disastrous date for Lily Evans. Still, at least James is behind the bar to commiserate. She isn't going to flirt with him though - it wouldn't do to give him the wrong idea, now would it?

Chapter 2 of my @jilymicro-oops inspired by March Prompt 3: Horrified.

Rated - M

Read it on AO3: From the Beginning // Chapter 2

Snippet below the cut!

Given how disastrous Lily’s date with Karl turned out to be, she could have been forgiven for never, ever setting foot in The Loyal Companion again. However, exactly a week later, she was back - and not only that, she was back to meet another date. 

It had seemed like as good a choice of venue as any when she’d suggested it, because surely this date couldn’t possibly be as bad as the last one? She wasn’t exactly sure whether it counted as getting back on the horse or returning to the scene of the crime, but either way unanticipated bubbles of excitement fluttered in her stomach as she pushed open the door. 

Her excellent mood lifted still further when she spotted James behind the bar. He noticed her immediately, his face breaking into a huge grin. Lily raised her hand in greeting, and as he returned her wave she noticed how his red t-shirt fitted closely to the lean muscles of his torso. The colour suited him, she decided.

Just then, Lily’s phone pinged. Checking it, she saw that the message was from Callum, her date, and that once again, he’d arrived before her. 

“Wotcher, Lily!” called Dora, as she passed by with a tray of drinks. “Meeting someone?”

“Yeah,” Lily told her, scanning the message. “He’s at a table near the bar. Wearing a striped polo shirt?”

Dora looked surprised. “They guy in the stripes? He’s your date?”

“Yes,” Lily told her, suddenly wary.

“Well.” Dora smiled, suddenly looking extremely amused. “Okay, then!” Lily thought her shoulders were shaking a little as she whirled away to deliver the order to one of the booths at the back. 

[wearingaberetinparis]

32/45 - Love Is A Lie - A Jily Micro-Oops

Good morning! I was impatient and needed to post. So, HERE is Chapter 32 of my @jilymicro-oops!

[tinyluminaryzombie]

This Hope is Treacherous, a @jilymicro-oops, chapter 4 is up!

Read Chapter 4

Lily can't wait to get the fuck out. Finals. Family. Feelings. It was all itching through her skin. Going to James’s was the perfect solution for two and a half of these problems. By the time she arrives, finals would be done and she’d be up for whatever chaotic plans her friends put into action. She would be surrounded by a newer (and maybe a gentler) kind of love brought by her friendships with Marlene, Dorcas, James, Sirius, And Remus. But the feelings problem is trickier. Lily has no doubt she’d get homesick and miss Christmas with her parents. She’s grateful for her friend’s remarkable capability to make things feel lighter—especially James. James. It was so damn trite that he was both the answer and the problem. Lily is practically buzzing to be in a home fluent in James Potter, to meet his parents, to find his favorite ice cream and coffee shops (a thought all platonic friends have, she’s sure). James simultaneously calmed and unraveled her, which is why there’s a slight problem with the plan. Because it’s not like James could do his Magic Comfort Thing when she’s fantasizing about his lips. So it was going to be an amazing, soft, and comforting Winter break. But it was also going to be head-spinningly messy. And Lily just had to deal with it.

Read the rest on ao3

[athenasparrow]

Ch 7 | Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Eeeek! This chapter put me over 100,000 words of Jily written since I joined the fandom in January! I did not think that would happen when I signed up for one little gift exchange by @jilymicrofics.

Shout out to @charmsandtealeaves for being my fandom bestie - without her encouragement I wouldn't have committed to a month of micros, which is really what got the writing flowing.

A @jilymicro-oops fic.

So have a read of Chapter Six "I Bet You Think About Me" on AO3.

Start from the beginning here.

Summary:

But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t take his eyes off her figure as she moved effortlessly in rhythm with whatever song she had playing. He learned she was wearing more than a t-shirt when she slid across the kitchen on her socks, throwing her head back to sing words James wished he could hear.

OR: In a world where social distancing reigns supreme, two strangers find themselves confined to their apartments with love only a window away.

[petals2fish]

@jilymicrofics Day 1: 🌸Blossom🌸

“Lily-blossom!"

Fuck, she hated that nickname.

At the ear-piercing call, Lily pivoted to encounter a sixth-year named Donta, and she attempted to muster a smile that hid her inner despair. "What's up, Donta?"

The Ravenclaw prefect proudly proclaimed, "Guess who's doing rounds tonight with you?"

Lily silently begged for someone to take pity and push her down the staircase, sparing her from this impending catastrophe. Dealing with Donta was like navigating dueling club with a blindfold – bound to be chaotic, excessively painful, and with a high probability of an unwanted attempt at a mid-rounds snog.

Donta nudged Lily’s ankle with his foot. Lily half raised a hand to smack him for it, but a new voice intervened, "Actually, Lily forgot to cross out her name. I'm covering for her.”

Lily could’ve kissed Remus Lupin for stepping up to save her from Donta. She had never been more thrilled at the sight of her fellow Gryffindor prefect.

“What’d ya have to switch your name for?” Donta frowned, crossing his arms. “I heard you talking to your friends about how lonely you’d be doing solo rounds in Astronomy two days ago.”

She got chills knowing he eavesdropped so nonchalantly in class. She made a mental note to pass handwritten notes to her friends from now on.

“I—I got a last minute date.” Lily said, tossing her hair. “Really last minute.”

“A date?” James Potter looked tickled pink, especially because he knew she was lying. “Well aren’t you just the luckiest witch in all of Hogwarts.”

Lily shot James a glare, not needing his sarcasm or an off handed joke to make this anymore painful.

“With who?!” Donta looked outraged that he hadn’t been informed yet by the rumor mill. “I wanted to ask you to Hogsmede!”

“Well,” Lily spoke slowly, “I don’t date other prefects.”

“Yes,” Remus lied, “it’s in the handbook, we can’t date each other.”

Grateful, Lily sent Remus Lupin a small smile and a slight nod of the head, begging him to find a way to get her out of Donta’s sight.

Beside Remus, James, sensing Remus’ lie, stepped forward, casually putting an arm around Donta. "Say, mate, ever noticed your bludger hits leaning a bit too far right?"

“I don’t lean!”

Lily hid a smile as James winked at her over Donta's shoulder. He had succeeded in changing the subject, and moving all attention to his quip about Donta’s quidditch skills.

"Will you really cover the shift for me?" Lily asked Remus with a desperate tone.

"Absolutely," Remus grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, "Just brace yourself because James will calling you ‘Lily Blossom’ for a while; he thinks it’s funny."

Lily sighed, “of course he does.”

Remus chortled warmly at her lackluster response, “I’ll go change the schedule, you ought to hole up in the common room for your pretend date.”

Remus ended up being totally correct about James calling her ‘Lily Blossom’ every chance he got. To get him to finally stop after a week, she had to resort with a threat to paint his cherished broomstick purple. From then on, he only used it when he really wanted to push her buttons. Somehow though, it didn’t sound as bad when it was coming from him.

[abihastastybeans]

Ruined Reputations - @jilymicro-oops (3.1k words)

A smutty sequel to my June @jilymicrofics 14: Reputation (ao3)

Many thanks to @annabtg for betaing \o/

Filch’s footsteps came closer and closer and James saw Lily’s eyes dart out behind him before widening. He must be right behind me , James thought. Lily’s eyes flitted back to his and he shook his head ever so slightly. He moved even closer, their hips brushing. He turned his head around when he felt the caretaker moving; James breathed a sigh of relief and kept his eyes on Filch’s retreating back – when Lily licked his palm.  James snapped his head back, making a disgusted face. “Really?” he asked, wiping his hand at her shoulder. “What else do you want me to do?” Lily asked back in a furious whisper. “You almost suffocated me!” “But, I didn’t.” James said, nodding wisely. He felt her shifting against him and swallowed hard. “Now, keep quiet, he still hasn’t left the corridor.” “Stop telling me to be quiet as if you didn’t drag us into this mess.” Lily stomped at his foot, making him buckle against her. “Lily, shut up .” She lifted her chin, meeting his eyes, a playful smirk on her face. “Make me.” The next thing he knew, he was kissing her and sighing deeply as if the touch of her lips against his was all he wanted then - which he did. She kissed him back fiercely, not hesitating for a moment, twisting his tie around her fist and pulling him down.

Continue reading on ao3!

[jilymicrofics]

Year In Review 2023

Wow! What a year it has been. A little idea turned big real quick. I could never have imagined a year ago that today we would have a bustling discord community of writers, readers, and artists. We have amassed over 400 followers, created a second blog for all the oops that exceeded the word count limit, have a thriving AO3 collection, and have hosted two special events - Mystery Microfic May and the Jily Gift Exchange. 

In December 2022 I promised myself I’d run this thing for a year no matter how much of a flop it may be but you all have blown me away. I genuinely don’t have the words to express how much this space and all of you mean to me. But of course, there are some special shout-outs: @abihastastybeans for being our biggest cheerleader, first to follow, first to join the discord, a prompt list completer, and record maker with 69 MICROS!! You’re honestly a superstar and I officially crown you Ms. Microfic 2023 @athenasparrow another massive supporter with her sprinkles in tow. Not only did you complete a prompt list this year you also supplied us with July’s prompts. @practicecourts & @oneofthesirens for being the first to post micros! 

@ohmygodshesinsane blew us away completing a prompt list and a whopping 68 micros this year! @petalsinwoodvale gifted us our shorts micro this year with 36 words. Closely followed by @uncertainwallflower with 37! And last but certainly not least @annasghosts for blessing us with our first official micro-oops with The Golden Couple. Thank you all for this year, whether you be a fic writer or an appreciator. I really can’t thank you all enough. Fingers crossed 2024 brings us more micros, more fun, and records to beat! 

~ Ray Your friendly jilmicrofics admin Signing off for 2023

[eastwindmlk]

Rating: Explicit Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Order Jily, Post-Hogwarts, Drunk Dialing, Breaking Up & Making Up, Semi-Public Sex, Bathroom Sex, Creampie, Oneshot, mentions of cheating, But that doesnt actually happen, No beta we die like mne

Summary:

When James breaks up with Lily, she is fine. She has plenty of things to distract her from it and it barely hurts. Until it does and she makes a series of bad decisions. 1. Go drinking alone 2. Figure out the landline is connected 3-6. Call James and leave him a voicemail 7. Meet him for coffee. Or was that just what they needed?

There was something about the way he gazed at her, a sense of longing. Though his words were a stark contrast. “Now, don’t get ahead of yourself, Lils. We’re still having coffee.” followed by a change in topic, 

Okay, so it was not just her that felt it then. That tug, that heat that brewed between them, something that she had pushed down until last night brought them crashing through all the boundaries she had carefully built over the time that they'd been apart. 

For some reason, she could simply not get him out of her system. 

“Tell me about your internship and how bloody boring it is.” A friendly topic, nothing she could read into there. Putting them firmly in friendly. 

Laughing at his joke, a little too high-pitched, a little too eager. Thinking to herself that she was losing it, slowly. He was just undoing her just by sitting there, just by playing into the things she said.

Just as she was about to answer, James added: “After that, we can talk about how you find yourself daydreaming about having a quick one with me in the ladies’ room of a coffee shop.” he wasn’t even trying to be subtle anymore with this. Expertly pushing her buttons and pulling her strings. 

Read the full thing on Ao3

This was supposed to be a microfic, but it looks like this will be my first submission to @jilymicro-oops even my guestimating was off,

[practicecourts]

You didn't really think I'd leave you hanging... @petals2fish consider this your medieval 911 😘 Chapter 2 || @jilymicro-oops || Moody March day 5 || joy || Jilychallenge January 2024 @jilychallenge Theme: Tough Times, prompt Devil's Backbone (Civil Wars)

Start at the beginning (Under the Gallows Chapter 1: To Hang) written for the lovely @petals2fish and chapter 2 starts under the cut;-) for spoilers... Many thanks to @tinyluminaryzombie for your last minute beta-read!

(if you rather read it in the jilymicrofic collection find this story as chapter 13 and chapter 14)

... Or to Wed (Under the Gallows prt 2)

Lily wrings her hands, ignores her urge to hide in the back of the crowd. At that moment, he opens his eyes and looks down at the scene before him. She might have been invisible to the men who guard the scaffold, but not to him. Her hair makes her stand out in any crowd and she knows he has seen her when his eyes lock with hers. A horrible thought pops in her head, what if he thinks she's here to enjoy this, that she wants to see him hang? That makes her feel even worse, she wants him to think well of her.

To her relief, he does not look at her with reproach or disapproval. Instead, he looks at her as if she’s the one who needs comforting. He smiles at her. 

Lily didn't think she could feel worse, but she does. 

A hush runs through the mass of people and she knows the priest and the executioner must be on their way. 

Continue on ao3

[jamesunderwater]

Jily Microfic: Hostile

@jilymicro-oops - feb 29th, prompt: hostile - words: 1,812 Summary: The chaos concludes with a dramatic flourish. Part 3 of 3! Read Part 1 & Part 2 first; or, better yet, read the whole lil academic rivals micros series so you can catch all the references in this silly little trio-finale that I've had far too much fun writing :D

James is having a good time. Well – he's having a fine time. He's not hating the whole thing, anyway. After two weeks of hearing it beside his ear, he's starting to get used to the volume of Tamara's laugh, and she is actually funny sometimes. Her dark hair falls across her shoulders in a way he should find attractive, and her foot keeps “accidentally” touching his calf in a way he should like, and she peers at him through her lashes in a way he should find enticing…

But he just keeps thinking about lemon tart.

Because, here's the thing. He knows it's Lily's favorite – she complained about its absence at the start of term feast last year, and when they had the lesson on Amortentia it was the only scent she actually named, and she told him – and only a few weeks ago, at that! He'd offered to share his sticky toffee pudding and she'd pulled a face, remarking it was far too sweet for her liking, and he'd said, “Ah, right, lemon tart,” and she'd smirked and shrugged, which, alright, wasn't a firm ‘yes, that's my favorite’, but he knows her smirks…so what's she playing at? 

“James?” Tamara's sweet-like-toffee-pudding voice draws his attention back. “You alright?” she asks with a laugh. 

“Oh, yeah,” James chuckles, waving a hand. “Sorry, got, er… Well, your hair just looks really nice.” 

She beams, and he's an arse. He’s very aware of this. He’s always sort of teetered on the edge of being an arse – though, yes, on a number of occasions he’s fully fallen on the side of the arseholes… Alright, fine, for a number of years he fell on the side of the arseholes, but, you know, barely, and – the point is, he never would have become this big of an arse on purpose… It all just sort of happened. One moment he’s awkwardly agreeing that a girl is cute, the next moment he’s talking to her in the hallway because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying ‘sorry, that joke was really only for my mates’, and all of a sudden, she’s eating lunch with him every day and asking what he’s doing for the Hogsmeade visit this weekend and he’s trying to come up with something other than ‘obsessing about fucking lemon tart, what about you?’

Tammy giggles. “Thanks…” she says, nervously tugging on a strand of hair. “Well, erm, I was saying – I’ve never actually tried butterbeer, but it’s really good.”

James nods, “Yeah, definitely.”

Merlin’s mother's saggy tits, though, if it isn't lemon tart, then what the fuck's Lily Evans’ favorite dessert?

—

“‘Join me’?” Lily repeats, incredulous at this request. “You want to help me crash your best mate’s date?”

The three Gryffindors share glances between one another and mumble unintelligibly before turning back to her each with a shrug and a nod. 

“We’re really bored,” Peter explains. 

“And I don’t actually think he’ll care much,” Remus says, shrugging again.

“Plus,” Sirius adds with a grin, “I’m dying to see how red James’s face’ll get.”

“Wait,” Lily turns her eyes to Remus. “Why don’t you think he’ll care much?”

The three boys start sharing glances again, and Lily huffs.

“Would you quit with that!” she barks, glaring when Sirius chortles.

“Blimey, Evans, no need to get hostile…”

“At least it’s only a Level Three…” she hears Peter mutter.

“Level Three, really?” Sirius sounds incredulous. “Pete, c’mon, she’s clearly only at Level Two.”

“I’m what?” 

Annoyance pounding in her veins, Lily checks over her shoulder out of habit, and catches a glimpse of Tamara’s foot tapping James’s leg beneath the table. The tips of her ears burn and she feels nauseous. 

She can’t stand this a minute longer.

“Fine,” she tells the boys, then turns and enters the pub before she can change her mind.

(This really ran away from me, so read the rest on AO3!)

[arianatwycross]

The Process of Wanting

Chapter 4: @jilymicro-oops prompt: Focused

A bit of a pivot on this chapter, so I hope you enjoy! (I've also changed the title of this fic)

James lingered in the doorway, his body taut.  “What’s up?” Remus asks from his desk, eyes focused on his laptop.  “It wasn’t a date.” Is all James can manage. Read more below or continue on A03

This makes Remus look up, his eyes comically wide, “But it was?” 

“No, it wasn’t.” 

“What makes you say that?” Remus asks seriously, abandoning his essay to turn his attention to James still standing in the doorway. 

“Would a date focus on the discussion of your lack of experiences with women?” James drawls. 

Remus furrows his brows. James doesn’t blame him for looking so confused, he was too just an hour ago. 

“What?” 

“Apparently, drunk James decided to let it slip that he had no idea what it was like to sleep with someone, and thus Lily put it upon herself to follow up on this lousy admission and see if I was ok…” 

Seeing how befuddled Remus looks, James continues, “I told Lily Evans that I was a lonely virgin…with the caveat that I had no trouble getting the opportunities to sleep with women but that I couldn't follow  through…” 

Remus’ eyes widen, his mouth creasing, and before James can snap at him, he’s laughing so hard it sounds like he can’t breathe. 

Waiting for Remus to compose himself, James settles himself on Remus’ nicely made bed. 

“You done?” He asks his mate, thoroughly unamused. 

“Why would she want to talk about that with you? And also Why did you tell her that!?” Remus asks, a grin so like Sirius’ it makes him think about what his best mate will say about this entire turn of events. 

“I was very drunk, I can’t even remember telling her!” James whines, “And as to why she wanted to talk about it…she said she couldn’t stop thinking about it, said it felt similar to her experiences.” 

“Oh?” 

“She…uh - she proposed we…” But James couldn’t say it aloud, the complete absurdity of the situation was still spinning in his head. 

“She proposed?” Remus prompted. 

“Please don’t laugh and please don’t tell anyone. But she proposed we help each other out.” 

James' heart, now at a hundred miles per hour, feels like it could easily run into overdrive and cause a heart attack. 

“Help each other out how?” Remus asks, scanning James face curiously. 

“We both struggle with intimacy…in different ways. She’s suggested that now that we both know that about each other, that maybe we could help each other work through those issues.”

Remus arches an eyebrow, waiting for James to carry on. 

With a deep breath James continues, “She said she’s attracted to me, and she feels comfortable enough around me - knowing what she knows now - that I wouldn’t take advantage of her…in that way. She wants us to ‘date’.” He says this with a grimace, waiting for Remus’ reaction, anything to confirm his feelings. 

“I’m so confused.” Is all Remus answers with. 

“Lily wants us to experiment with each other...physically.” 

“Lily wants to have sex with you?” 

James sighs, “Kind of. She wants us to be a sort of friends with benefits, but slowly and at our own pace. See what we both like and what we don’t like.”

Remus blinks, the two friends sit in silence for a few minutes, both of them staring at each other. 

“How do you always get yourself into these weird situations?” Is all Remus says. 

James groans.

[sophie-hatter-jenkins]

Chapter Update: The Loyal Companion

A Tale of Bad Dates and Good Whiskey

Lily Evans endures a series of disastrous first dates at her new favourite bar, The Loyal Companion. Still, at least the whiskey is good. And the bartender is cute. Not her type though. Nope, definitely not.

OK, I'm not going to lie - I am nervous about this.... because it is my first ever Jily fic, and I am in awe at the consistent quality of the Jily authors that I follow here and on AO3. But this idea popped into my head, inspired by @jilymicrofics March Prompt 3: Horrified, and this is the (beginning of the) result . However, given it is going to be a multi-chapter short story, it is very definitely in the @jilymicro-oops category!

Anyway, without further ado:

Chapter 1: Superficial

Rating: M

Read it now on AO3, or read a snippet below the cut (because there are swears ahead!)

“Oh, fuck!” Lily Evans slumped forward onto the polished, dark wood of the bar. She dropped her head to rest on her crossed forearms and wished fervently that the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Anything to end the suffering. “Fuck me, and fuck my life.”

“Tough day?” asked the bartender. 

Lily didn’t need to look up to know that he was smirking at her - that much was evident from the tone of his voice. In fairness, she couldn’t blame him - in his shoes, she’d probably have found it amusing too. She didn’t reply, just let loose a soft groan from the back of her throat and stayed there, sitting on a bar stool, collapsed over the bar. 

The thing was, Lily’s day had not, in fact, been tough. No, Lily’s day had actually been utterly, thoroughly, and in every single possible way, hideous.