#obligatory disclaimer that I am not nor have ever been a culinary student

[nodirectionhome-ao3]

hi, would love to hear more about chef Lily, please and thank you :)

Hi! Sure! Thanks for asking!

I initially started this for the Jilytober Masquarade, but didn't end up getting my act together before that deadline and then I just sort of...moved on. I don't know what I'm going to do with this idea now since I didn't get very far with it, but...maybe sometime this year I'll go back to it!

Anyway, without further ado, here's a Muggle AU Lily snippet:

Lily reduced the heat to low, watching as her brew simmered in its pot — its fragrance enveloping her in a warm wash of butter and flour. The rest of the world beyond her station meant nothing to Lily as she worked…the bustle and clamor of her classmates fading to a dull murmur while she hovered over her pot — fancying herself a potioneer of sorts, a mad witch with an epic concoction. She stirred in the milk as if it were some fantastical element, whisking away the lumps until the sauce thickened to perfection. She could feel the jealousy of her classmates bubbling around her as presentation time approached…knowing that her Béchamel Sauce was—as always—a work of art. Her confidence carried her through the rest of her practical lessons that afternoon, lifting her spirits to impossible new heights...until it was promptly crushed in the women’s lavatory. “That Evans girl is the fucking worst,” said a voice that Lily was sure belonged to Ellen Halloway — the snooty blonde girl from her pastry class who reminded Lily viscerally of her sister. “The instructors really think she’s God’s gift to the culinary world, don’t they?” From her hiding place in the stall, Lily heard several other girls snicker at that. “She thinks she’s so much better than us,” another girl—Tara Smith—chimed in. “Just because she doesn’t have a life outside of the kitchen, doesn’t mean the rest of us are the same…” More laughter. “Pathetic,” Moira Fraser spoke up. “So pathetic.” Sucking in a deep breath and collecting herself, Lily flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall — holding her head high as she marched silently across the room towards where the girls were standing together near the sinks. “Excuse me,” Lily said with perfect politeness, stepping around her gossiping classmates and flicking on the nearest tap. She felt—rather than saw—the way the other girls shrank in response…all three of them tensing with horror at the sight of the object of their ire washing her hands so casually before them. Lily took her time washing and drying her hands, savoring in the feel of the awkwardness that sizzled in the room. “Lovely pastry lesson today, wasn’t it?” she asked pleasantly, turning to face her classmates. “Best of luck next time, Tara. You’ll learn how to work the oven eventually, if you really put your mind to it.” Tara just stared back at her mutely, and Lily smiled, patted her on the shoulder, and stepped past. A rush of satisfaction burned through her when she left the room — the door swinging shut too slowly to muffle the “Oh my God,” that followed her departure.

WIP Game!