#tle4 spoilers

[chdarling]

Heyy CH!! I can't believe TLA2 is almost over and I can't believe how good your writing and the story are 😔 I think I'll reread it in the near future because I already miss it soooo much 💖

So of course I was daydreaming about TLA3 and TLA4 and I have a little question 😁 (No need to answer if you don't want to or think it's a spoiler) TLA1 is almost half the size of TLA2, do you have any idea how big (by chapters or word count) TLA3 and TLA4 will be compared to book 1 and 2? Like, is TLA2 going to be the biggest book among the four or do you imagine that the next ones will be even bigger?

Sending all my love always!!! 💐💐💐

Hahaha look, I’m an unreliable source here. Before TLE2, I swore that it was going to be shorter than TLE1. And then I got to writing it and remembered that 6th year jily is my favorite genre of jily and now the 400,000 word monstrosity that is TLE2 exists. 🙃

So while I fully intend for sjt here and tell you, with a gee whiz gosh and golly earnestness that would put any politician to shame, that TLE3 will absolutely not be a word longer than TLE1, gosh dang it…I’ve been proven to be a dirty liar who can’t be trusted. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

TLE4 gonna be long af though I’m afraid. 🫣

Thank you so much for reading ❤️❤️❤️

[chdarling-tle]

Ask box: Open, but anon is permanently off.

The Last Enemy series on AO3:

Book I: The Howling Nights

Book II: Dark Marks

Snippets and Spoilers on tumblr:

TLE1

TLE1 trailer

TLE1 playlist

TLE2

TLE2 trailer

TLE2 playlist

TLE2 book mock up/first pages

Letters to Remus with JP fine art doodles

Bonus scene: Roleplay with Remus

TLE3

that one scene that’s totally not a big deal at all

James tries on a tux for...reasons

Jily talk about death. Romantically!

TLE4

Remus Lupin, baby whisperer

Tiny baby jumpers!!!!

The Best Man

Other:

that one time I got drunk and told you all about jily at the funfair

TLE character picrews

Jily through the years picrew

[chdarling]

Dude!!! I’m soooo excited for Order era! Jily it’s my fave. I know it’s a long ways away, but I’m SO excited for how you’re going to write them. Cheers on finishing TLE2. You’re a beast for that. Sending love and comfort your way! 😽😽

❤️❤️❤️

[chdarling]

Have u written anything of tle4?

Oh yes, I’ve written tons. Actually, my preferred way to write is to jump all over the place (part of writing TLE2 has been so hard for me, I don’t like being forced to write chronologically hahaha). So I’ve been writing TLE4 scenes long before it even occurred to me to publish TLE1.

I’m not sharing any future spoilers at this time though, because I need the freedom of play that comes along with being able to write whatever and then change my mind later ;)

[chdarling]

So one of your most favorite readers (who put me on to your amazing books) just took home the first place ribbon at their first horse show today. As a way of congratulating them, I was wondering if the readers could get a special sneak peek or something! Idk how any of this works I just want to do something nice for them haha.

(Btw I don’t read any fan fic but couldn’t put yours down once I got into it. Truly unlocking parts of my HP love that I didn’t even know were there, so bless you.)

Hi, this is so sweet!! Congrats to your friend!!! I am extremely impressed by people with horse skills. My claim to horse fame is that I fell off a pony once. So.

ahem.

ok in celebration of brilliant horse show victory, let's do a TLE4 scene with some quality blackevans because this scene is a personal fave and it's going to be years before I actually get to share it lmao.

TLE4 Spoilers ahead...

Excerpt from The Last Enemy: Old Magic

“I can’t believe how many people actually showed up,” said James, peering out the window at the throngs of wedding guests milling around the gardens below. “I would’ve thought with everything going on…”

“People are desperate for distraction,” said Sirius. “And what’s more distracting than a society wedding?” He fidgeted with his cravat and muttered a curse under his breath. “I swore I’d never wear one of these again.”

“Aw, but you look so dashing.”

Sirius was spared a response as Marlene McKinnon barged through the door.

“Blimey, Marlene!” spluttered Peter from across the room. “Any one of us could’ve been naked!”

“You’re not.”

“Yeah, but we might’ve been.”

“I’ll thank my lucky stars then,” said Marlene dryly. “Black? I need you.”

Sirius followed her out into the hall. “What’s up?”

“Is James doing okay?”

“Sure.”

“No increased breathing pattern or signs of rising panic?”

“He’s sweating a tad more profusely than usual, but all in all I’d say he’s fine.”

Marlene nodded, satisfied. “Good. I need you to go deal with Lily.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“She’s panicking. Not my forte.”

Mrs. Potter had sequestered Lily in a guest room on the other side of Potter House, far from where she might unluckily stumble across her husband-to-be. It was a large house, which allowed Sirius’s mind plenty of time to spin through all the scenarios about which Lily might be panicking as he trekked to the designated bridal suite.

After traversing more corridors than he found reasonable for one house, he reached the room at last and knocked upon the door.

No response.

“Hello?” Sirius cracked open the door. “Is it bad luck for the best man to see the bride before the wedding?”

There was a pause, and then a slightly strained voice replied, “Pretty sure that’s just the groom.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m coming in.”

He pushed through. Lily was standing by the window, likely peering down at the many guests below, just as James had done moments earlier. Sirius opened his mouth to make a joke about this, but he stopped short as he took in her appearance. She was dressed in white wedding robes — which was of course no surprise — but she looked nothing like the brides of the many society weddings he’d been forced to attend during his youth. Her robes were light and fluttery but not fussily so; there was no dramatic bustle or high collar or long, fretful train. Just simple white lace that seemed designed for one purpose: to showcase how lovely she already was.

Lily turned from the window to look at him. Her brilliant red hair fell in loose curls down her shoulders, free from the ornate coifs that were in fashion among Narcissa and her contemporaries. He noticed that Lily had opted not to wear one of the goblin-wrought tiaras Mrs. Potter had no doubt offered up. Instead, a simple flower crown graced her red locks, pale petals in a delicate dance across the curls. She looked, in a word, ethereal.

Sirius had always known that Lily Evans was attractive, in an objective sort of way. He understood, on a scientific level, why James went so gaga whenever she was around, but never before had he been so struck by her beauty.

“Wow,” he said at last. “You look…”

“Nauseous?”

“I was going go with ‘stunning.’”

Lily smoothed a hand self-consciously over her hair. He could tell she was trying hard not to twirl it around her thumb, a nervous habit she’d had for as long as he’d known her. He was reminded of James, always mussing up his hair. He couldn’t help but smile. They really were a perfect pair.

She eyed him suspiciously. “Have you come to make sure I’m not going to run away?”

“Marlene said you were panicking.”

“I am not panicking,” scoffed Lily. “I am reacting in a completely rational manner to the fact that there are nearly two hundred people out there that I don’t even know, just waiting to watch me trip down the aisle.”

“You’re not going to trip.”

“Have you met me?”

Sirius hesitated. “You’re probably not going to trip.”

Lily buried her face in her hands. “Oh, my god. I would’ve been happy with a small wedding, you know? A tiny wedding. Hell, I wanted to elope. But I’m doing this whole spectacle because I know how happy it’s making Mrs. Potter. I get it — she didn’t think she’d get to see her son married, so now she wants the whole shebang, and I’m glad it’s making everyone so happy, I am, but oh my god, Sirius, I’m going to throw up.”

A pause.

“Okay, maybe I am panicking a little.”

“You think? Breathe, Evans.”

“It’s just…what am I doing here? I love James, of course I do, but I feel so out of place. I mean — all these rich pure-bloods wandering about. I don’t know any of these people, and thanks to Petunia, I hardly have any family at my own wedding.”

“What are you talking about?” said Sirius. “‘Course you do. We’re your family. You, me, James, Remus, Peter — even Marlene, Merlin help us. We’re family. Hell, it’s the only family I’ve got. So forget Petunia, forget every one of those pure-blood knobs down there. Just take a deep breath, go marry that messy-haired idiot you’ve been in love with since first year—”

“Have not.”

“—and then we can get down to the crucially important business of partying with your proper family. By which I mean getting drunk with me and the lads, just like old times. Deal?”

Lily laughed, apparently in spite of herself. She nodded, dabbing at her eyes with a bit of lace. A deep, wavering breath. “Okay. Deal.” An exhale. “Thank you, Padfoot.”

“My pleasure, Penny Prefect.” He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. “You’ve got this.”

[chdarling]

If you’ve written part of TLE4, so we see pregnant, laboring and postpartum Lily? My bias is always towards the romantic school years, but the actual loved experience of motherhood has never been prominent in the fan fiction I seek and I thought… maybe TLE will be different?

oh yes, pregnant/new mother Lily will for sure be in TLE4. It's interesting, for a long time before I started sharing TLE online, I was writing all four books simultaneously, just kind of jumping around from scene to scene as it interested me, and I find it weirdly delightful to write the same characters at such different times in their lives. For instance, writing fifth year James then hopping over to overprotective new dad James is a trip hahaha. (although they actually have a lot in common, just add a dash of maturity...😈)

Anyway this ask made me dip into TLE4 again (I'm always looking for an excuse LOL), so how about a snippet because it's Monday, and Mondays suck and I've been procrastinating responding to asks in my inbox asking for snippets lol. (sorry) 😂

May I present third trimester Lily having some feelings and the boys not knowing what to do. (Except for James. He's got this.)

Excerpt from TLE4: Old Magic...coming to an AO3 near you...in roughly ten billion years...

“Ah, Lily,” said Sirius brightly as he pushed through the door. “You’re looking impressively rotund today.”

Lily cast him a single withering glance then turned towards the kitchen door. “James, darling,” she said loudly, “will you still love me if I murder your boyfriend?”

“Which one?” called James from the kitchen.

“The one with the fleas.”

“That really doesn’t narrow it down, oddly enough. But you know I love and support you in all your choices, dearest.”

“Blech,” said Sirius. “Married people.”

"So how are you feeling, Lily?" asked Remus as he dropped himself heavily into a chair. Sirius could see that the upcoming moon was weighing on him, try as he might to hide it.

"Oh, well enough," said Lily, resting her hands on her belly. "Bit bored, to tell you the truth. James all but has me under house arrest, and there's not a lot to do in Godric's Hollow. But guess what! I've taken up knitting again."

"Knitting?" said Sirius.

"Again?" said Remus.

"My mum was always knitting when I was little, and she tried to teach me...I was dreadful, but I thought maybe I'd give it another go, so I did...and then I remembered pretty quickly that I hate knitting with the fiery passion of several hells...but then I remembered about magic! I love magic!"

"Oh, good," Remus commented quietly to Sirius. "We get happy Lily today."

"Look what I made!" She held up a lump of knitted yarn that might charitably be considered to resemble a tea cozy if you squinted really hard. Or just...closed your eyes.

"Er...yeah," said Sirius with false enthusiasm. "Good job."

"What is it?" said Peter stupidly.

Luckily, Lily was too pleased with her own handiwork to take offense. "It's a tiny baby jumper, obviously. And I didn't have to purl a stitch!" She beamed at the 'jumper' for a moment, and then her face crumpled.

"No, no, no," said Sirius, hurriedly sitting down on the sofa beside her. “Tiny baby jumper is a happy thing. Happy!”

“But it’s so tiny,” sobbed Lily. “I'm not ready for this. How am I supposed to care for something this tiny?”

“PRONGS?”

James appeared and surveyed the situation. “Ah, no. You let her show you the tiny baby jumpers, didn't you?”

“Let? There was no let. It was just ‘yay knitting’, then boom, monsoon season.”

“I’ll get the tea.”

[chdarling]

That future snippet, CH! James having nightmares 😭! Reminded me that even when they're together and with a baby, there will still be a lot of pain and angst in their life 😭😭

Me when I think about TLE4 for too long:

[chdarling]

Okay, I’ve done my regular reread of the future TLE snippets and I’ve just realized Sirius saying “….By which I mean getting drunk with me and the lads, just like old times. “ to Lily in her wedding day to calm her down. The old times are the future for us, that means we got to see drunk Marauders and Lily moments in the future [puppy eyes inserted here]?

hehe. :)

[chdarling]

ive expressed this to you a few times but i need to do it gain, i really really really love your writing and im so excited (and scared) for all the books to be done. you dont have to answer this question but i was thinking about TLE4 and was wondering if you know how you're going to write their death (sorry i know this is a sad thought). I was just curious bc you write each person's perspective so well and was wondering who's perspective we're going to see at the sad end :(

Oohhhh man 🥲

I’m not going to tell you the POV yet, but I will say that I have (parts of) those scenes written and I get real choked up about it sometimes. 😭 I am so excited for TLE4 (it’s why I can never give up on this project until I finish lol), but it has some painful stuff. 😔

That’s why we have an AU ending as well though!!!

Thank you for the kind message!! ❤️

[chdarling]

Do you think that when Professor McGonagall hears that Lily and James were murdered, the moment that will flash before her eyes is standing at her desk chastising them? I do.

🥺🥺🥺

….do I have a teeny tiny smidgen of Minerva POV from TLE4 written?

yes. yes I do.

[chdarling]

You once hinted that there will be a Marlene POV chapter in either TLE3 or TLE4. I can't stop trying to guess what her chapter icon will be! It's the little things.

I’m gonna pretend like I already know so I seem cool and on top of my shit 😎

[chdarling]

Oooh, wait…is Jily wedding a Sirius chapter?! Or is it split into multiple ones 👀

It is way too early to say hahaha. If the massive amounts of editing and rewriting I’ve been doing on the last few chapters of TLE2 prove anything, I will change my mind twelve hundred times before publishing 😂

[chdarling]

WHERE—WEDDING SNIPPET—WHAT—///WHEREEEEEEEEEEE?/// I NEED TO KNOW FOR SURVIVAL

(so glad you enjoyed it! 😂❤️❤️)

[chdarling]

i’m really interested with how your going to develop sirius and remus’ relationship. i know it’s minor and the i love the slow burning tension, but i wonder if they will ever acknowledge their feelings for each other or will it just be like something between them that they never speak on, but it’s definitely there?

Hello! I can’t really answer this without giving big spoilers but I will just say their relationship/feelings towards the other is an important and complicated part of TLE4. 😌

Thanks so much for the ask love!!!

[chdarling]

THANK YOU FOR THE WEDDING SNIPPET MA'AM WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED

[chdarling]

Do you think book 4 is gonna be longer than the others???

haha oh man! Not to get ahead of myself, but yeah, probably. It covers much more time than the others so logistically I think it will be a bit of a behemoth (god help me).

I’ve gone back and forth between splitting it into two books to tell you the truth, but I think I’ll probably just keep it as one, perhaps with a short intermission in the middle hahah.

Have to write the dang thing first though! 😂