Synopsis: Remus visits Lily for some morning tea. They have a conversation about a recent death eater attack, and their feelings regarding the loss left in its wake.
Synopsis: Remus visits Lily for some morning tea. They have a conversation about a recent death eater attack, and their feelings regarding the loss left in its wake.
Remus: Remus appeared outside of Lily’s door with a huff. Things at home had been quite difficult lately - Sirius and his everlasting mood swings was finally starting to get to him. Not that he didn’t have good reasons for it, and of course Remus wasn’t upset with him, he just needed to have a bit of quiet time without risk of being interrupted.
So, here he was, at Lily’s place, letting himself in the door as though he lived there himself. Kicking off his shoes, Remus glanced around to see where she could possibly be. Not in the living room, so he continued deeper into her flat, a hand ruffling his hair slightly as he entered the kitchen. Smiling brightly as he found her with her back turned to him, he simply pulled out a chair and sat down. “Making tea? I’d love one.” He said instead of giving her a proper greeting, making himself right at home by propping his feet up on the chair across from him.
Lily: It had been a very good morning so far, after a very late and productive night of editing half the articles for the next morning’s paper, she’d finally sent them off to the chief and been able to get some sleep. Now she was just finally slipping from bed after a while just laying in the soft light of the morning peeking in through her blinds. She paused a moment only to stretch, arms high over her head and head bent all the way back, before shuffling her way to her kitchen.
Her flat was small, but cozy, and being a corner flat meant that she had windows in every room but the bathroom. The natural light made her feel like she could breathe as easily as if she were outdoors. All the same, she still cracked the window above the sink before setting to making tea.
She was stirring in her sugar when from behind her she heard the sound of a key turning in her front lock. It made her hands pause in their movement for only a moment before returning to her task. There were only a small handful of people in the world who had a copy of her flat key, and they were all people that she would always have time for, always be in the mood to see.
She listened to the quiet sound of their footsteps, and the sound gave her a good idea of just who was visiting. Reaching for another cup, she poured tea for Remus as well and set it to steeping and when he took a seat, she turned to him with cup and saucer already in hand.
“You’re lucky I always boil too much water,” she said with a smile and a wrinkle of her nose, but came forward and set the drink down in front of Remus before retrieving her own. She stayed standing with her back pressed against her counter, smiling and blowing away some of the steam before taking a sip of her tea. “How have you been? I’m having quite a lovely morning, if I do say so myself- And I do.”
Remus: Remus returned her bright smile with one of his own - she’d always had such an infectious mood and he had a hard time feeling anything but calm and happy in her presence. He was quite thankful to have her in his life, she was a breath of fresh air amongst all of the madness. “You say that as though I didn’t already know that you always boil too much water.” He teased with a small snort, pulling his tea closer when she placed his cup down in front of him.
“I’ve been alright,” Remus replied with a half shrug, picking up his tea and taking a small sip before setting it down again. “A bit shaken up since the attack, but…” He trailed off, pulling out his wand and summoning the sugar jar to him. Everybody tried their best, but no one was ever able to make his tea as sweet as he’d like it. “Nothing I haven’t dealt with before, I’m sure I’ll get over it soon enough.” The words were slightly mumbled as he focused on sweetening his tea.
Replacing the jar back to its rightful place, Remus turned his full attention back to Lily again. “And what about you? How’re you dealing with everything?” He questioned her, raising a brow. The two of them were similar in a myriad of ways, and things like these tended to hit them both harder than some of the others. It was part of the reason why he’d found himself here - Sirius seemed to be feeling better than ever, having let out all of his pent up aggression at the attack. And James’ mood always seemed to mirror Sirius’. Remus just needed some peace and quiet away from the two of them, and Lily had always been his quiet place.
Lily: “Knowing i’m going to doesn’t mean you’re not lucky. What if I hadn’t this time?” There was a little smirk on Lily’s face as she sipped her tea, already feeling warmer for it, color in her cheeks. She gave Remus’s feet a swat just as he moved to get them off of her table, and watched him as he answered her question, her expression softening but her smile not slipping away. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
She knew very well that her and Remus had the same feelings when it came to things like this, the violence and destruction was near every day for them now but they never seemed able to desensitize themselves of it. There was a part of Lily that had almost come to cherish the anxiety it brought her to see such suffering happen in the world, she never wanted to turn a blind eye to any of it. She didn’t want to feel nothing. That rush in her chest would always keep her looking, responding, doing everything she could to help. Still it pained her to see it in her friend, now. Remus Lupin certainly deserved to feel some peace and comfort.
“Hmmn… Moony boy…” she mumbled, reaching a hand over to gently ruffle his hair, and she shook her head. “I’ve been better.” She slipped from the counter to the seat across from Remus, bringing herself closer to him. With a small furrow in her brow she admitted, “there were some injured people I helped move to the hospital… They didn’t make it. I’ve been keeping busy to keep my mind off it, but…”
Her teeth worried at her lower lip, dark eyes settled down in her cup of tea, clasped between both hands. Her thumb traced at the lip of it, she could feel the anxiety racing in her chest. “I hate feeling so helpless.”
Remus: Remus took a moment to think over her question. Was he really alright? He had come out of the attack with minimal injuries, a couple of cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing worse than what he was used to. And his friends were alright - all of the Marauders were safe, Lily was still standing, everybody close to him hadn’t been hurt too badly. That was all that really mattered, wasn’t it? “I’m sure.” He finally answered with a short nod and a tight smile, hoping he hadn’t hesitated too long for it to seem disingenuous. Maybe he was a little bit more on edge and anxious than usual, but it wasn’t anything worth mulling over.
Leaning into her touch, Remus offered her a sympathetic glace at her words. He didn’t like it when she was feeling anything less than great and if he could take away all of her pain, he would do it in an instant. As she continued, Remus felt his expression fall to one much more melancholic. “Oh, Lily Pad…” He sighed, his head shaking slightly, unsure what he could do to attempt to comfort her. His hand reached out to her on its own accord, resting lightly on her elbow. “I’m so sorry.”
That was the most difficult part of all of this - doing everything in their power to ensure everyone elses safety only for the outcome to be different than what they had planned. Lily had done everything that she could, and unfortunately ended up with the worst possible case. Remus nodded his head, his hand fidgeting absent-mindedly with his mug. “I do, too.” He admitted softly, his eyes falling from her as he straightened in his seat, picking up his mug.
“You did all you could.“ Remus offered her another small smile, “That’s what matters.” Lily had always been selfless, she was always looking out for everybody around her. Hopefully she’d see that what she did was the best thing she could have in the moment, and hopefully she wouldn’t blame herself for what happened. Lily didn’t deserve to have that sort of guilt eat away at her.
Lily: The sound of that nickname, in that gentle tone of voice that Remus said it, made her feel all at once safe and a little bit silly. But she knew there was nothing silly about the way she felt, not about this. Her brow furrowed and she glanced to the hand now holding her elbow. She slipped one away from her teacup to return the hold on Remus, squeezing his elbow before letting her hand pull back, slipping down the length of his arm to take his hand. Her fingers slipped between his, entwining, and she looked down at her hands. She could only let out a soft breath, nod smally at his apology. It wasn’t his fault, but she knew what he meant by it. She didn’t like to see him upset, either.
“I did,” she agreed with him softly, she had put everything she’d had into trying to keep everyone safe. That night had taken so much out of her, she’d done absolutely everything she could, but still Remus’s words didn’t comfort her against the thoughts she had about it, “but is that really what matters…? Would all of the people lost in this war agree with that? Would their loved ones? My best wasn’t good enough to save them. How long until my best isn’t good enough to save someone I love?”
Her eyes slipped up to take in his expression, and she smiled an apologetic sort of smile, letting her curly head slip down to rest with her cheek pressed against the cool tabletop. “I’m sorry, Remus, this probably isn’t the tone of conversation you were looking for today.” Her smile turned to a bit of a smirk and she grumbled, “I wish I could just, give You Know Who a bop on the nose, knock his head straight like anybody else.”
James chuckled and took the pan by the handle, “I hope it did.” it was whatever was left of Euphemia, and he really wanted to make her proud, even if she was no longer with him.
“I know you do, but you can not live only on sandwiches, Evans, you need a more balanced meal” he teased and grabbed the eggs and some bread, “I was thinking French toast, bacon, and some fruit, but I’m not sure if you have any around.” he looked around noticing the little details, like teacups and utensils, maybe even her favorite tea in the corner.
Lily rolled her eyes, “come on, Potter, you can’t honestly think I don’t know how to feed myself.” She shook her head and stepped aside to let James take her place at the stove. Her counter was tidy and organized, she had a toaster oven and a mason jar that held an assortment of utensils, a small stack of mismatched coasters. A few mugs hung from little hooks on the bottoms of her cabinets, the biggest had a cute little black cat on it. “Of course I have fruit!”
She gave his side a little bump with her hip, passing James on her way to the fridge so she could peek inside her crisper. “Hmmn... I’ve got strawberries, blueberries, a couple of peaches... I think that’s a kiwi...?” As she spoke she pulled out the bag and took a peek, nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got a kiwi.”
“And I have everything we’d need for French toast as well, but... No bacon.” She pouted for a moment before wiping it away with a smirk.
Marlene had timed her training at The Order’s headquarters perfectly to end just in time so that she could get to Lily’s house just as Lily got home from work. It was a Friday evening and all Marlene wanted to do was stretch out on Lily’s bed, smoke, and rant about her brother, who was being particularly irritating.
Sore from being blasted with hexes - her shield charms still needed some work -Marlene waited outside Lily’s door, drumming her fingers on the frame waiting for her friend to get home from work. Her perfect timing hadn’t been so perfect after all. When she finally spotted Lily she launched right in.
“I need to tell you something and it’s going to make your mind explode. I’m telling you, the McKinnon family drama is exactly what you need after a boring day at work. They’re all insane.”
@lilyjaneevans
The workday had stretched out much longer than Lily had expected it would, the witch finally finishing up her work for the day a half hour late. She shoved her books into her bag and made her way home only to be surprised by the appearance of one of her best friends at her doorstep. At the sight of her, a fondness seeped into her expression and a smirk tugged at her lips. “I don’t find that even slightly hard to believe,” she answered easily, already more than familiar with the wild ways Marlene and the rest of her family operated. She kept talking as she reached for her key, reached past Marlene at her doorframe to let them into her cozy little flat, “let’s get in and you can tell me all about it. I’d love the distraction- Honestly, Leenie, you wouldn’t believe the errors in some of the drafts today, I swear half the journalists at the prophet haven’t got a firm enough grasp on the English language to be writing anything theirselves.”
“No.” He said softly, not even sure she could hear him. He didn’t want to draw this out. He didn’t want to do this, he wanted to turn on his heel and come back the way he had come without sending a single spell her way. But he knew that wasn’t an option, and even as her spells flew back in his direction, it all felt a bit surreal. Severus didn’t bother answering her taunts this time - what would he say? She was right. It was more than a mark in the sky, it always had been, and they both knew it would be. That’s what had driven them apart. It hadn’t really been words - he didn’t believe that - it had been actions. It was what kept him going down the path he’d chosen, making sure it wasn’t all for nothing. And he knew she wouldn’t run.
So he sent another hex, just over her head this time. It landed a few feet to her right, missing his mark as he had had to dodge her jinx. A knockback, curiously enough. He would have thought for sure that she would want to hurt him. Perhaps he had overestimated her. His wand slashed through the air, turning her spells to the side with ease - too easy. She was a better witch than this, or at least, she had been. He had been familiar with her magic once, after all, even if it was years ago now. She was a force to be reckoned with. It was one of the things that had drawn him to her. “You can do better than that!” He spat, not really sure why he was so angry all of a sudden. “Or have those idiots drawn you down to their level?” He called, straightening slightly and training his wand directly on her.
“I know you want to hurt me, Lily.” His voice was lower, near a hiss, but it carried down the alley all the same. Severus wanted her to. Hurt me. He pleaded silently, breathing slightly heavier than he had been before. “Don’t you hate me? Because of this?” Severus flipped his left arm up into the light, showing her the Mark, dark and gleaming on his skin - still burning from the summoning. He sent a stunning spell directly at her quickly, although even as it left his wand he felt it to be weaker than he was capable of. She’d easily be able to stop it. Even now, could he not bring himself to really do it. Not when it was her. But maybe it would be enough to make her mad - madder than she already was, anyway - and maybe she’d return the favor.
Snape returned her jinx with a hex of his own, and again Lily moved reflexively to avoid it, and again like the first time she’d dodged one of his spells it felt off somehow. Squinting, Lily took just a second to glance back over her shoulder to see the singed mark the spell had left in the side of the building, and something told her that it wouldn’t have hit her even if she’d stayed still and let it come. She knew that he wasn’t a bad aim, he never had been, so was he really trying to hit her at all? The thought was all at once too confusing, stupidly hopeful of her, and she shook it off hard.
He deflected her own spellwork easily as she’d known he would, and she grit her teeth as he taunted her, but even as she lashed out with more hexes in his direction she knew that she was still holding herself back. He could deflect them, he could shield himself from them easily. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of answering his taunts, she knew herself well enough, she knew that she wasn’t soft and she knew there was nothing lesser about the people she chose to surround herself with. They were all fighters, they just weren’t the kind of fighters that Snape saw any value in.
It was only when he paused like that, straightening himself out and giving her a moment to breathe, that his voice came quieter and more accusatory, and something seemed to snap in Lily. Her face was red and screwed up in a righteous sort of anger, an upset that she couldn’t keep back anymore. This whole situation had felt like being slowly dragged across hot coals, neither of them acknowledging the only things that needed to be acknowledged between them, but this came too close to home. “Oh, you seem to know so much about me, don’t you Severus?!” Lily Evans snarled, her wand slashing the air in front of her, bursting and forming an invisible wall between them, the light falling in a shimmer to the concrete at her feet. His spells hit her shield and exploded like foreworks as they connected. It was defensive magic, but she wasn’t holding back her power anymore. It would take some effort to break down her shield. Now she had a moment.
“You think I want to hurt you?! You think I hate you, like it was a choice I made, like it was somehow what I wanted the whole time?! I wanted to be your friend, Severus! That was all I ever tried to do!” Sparks shot from the end of her wand like all she wanted was to cross the barrier and throttle some sense into him. Even now with the rift between them as un-breachable as it could be, a part of her wished that she could. “You were supposed to be my friend!”
She couldn’t hide her disgust as she flashed her the mark on his arm, she’d known it would be there but still somehow the sight of it made it feel like something was stabbing into her chest, twisting around inside of her. She winced, shaking her head. “You had a choice in all of it Sev, but you didn’t choose me. Don’t stand there and talk down to me like this is something i’m doing to you. I would never have hurt you!”
“I did everything that I could to try to make things better. You just don’t see any value in people like me. If we’re going to stand here and talk about wanting to hurt people, let’s talk about that!” Lily took a defiant step back, lifting her arms to spread at her sides, leaving herself entirely open. Her chin tipped back and she looked across the space between them, right into the dark eyes of someone who had once been her best friend. “Hit me! Go on, get on with it! I’m one of the people you want to be rid of, right? Muggles and people who come from them.”
James was glad she was turned because he couldn’t stop blushing, when he became a teen again? Why was this affecting him so much? Of course it was all because Lily was the one saying those words.
“Mum would be glad that all her hard work finally paid of.” he gave a small smile, remembering his mother was always bittersweet, but he knew she would like the little joke in there.
“I’m not even sure what time it is, I’m just knackered.” he admitted, sitting where she instructed. She looked in her element, happy in her flat, it felt like his mum’s kitchen. It was entirely different but it felt homey and cared for. “I want to have breakfast with you, what I meant is, do I have a say if I can help you or not? I’m a excellent breakfast maker.” he chuckled, looking at her, hoping she didn’t take it the wrong way. He did want to spend more time with Lily.
Her eyebrows raised and she couldn’t help the warmth in her face at that. She hadn’t been expecting him to offer, she definitely wasn’t expecting him to help seeing as she’d just had a full day of rest and he hadn’t even been home yet since Hogsmeade. He was likely so tired, but he was offering anyway. It was strange to think how much he’d changed, and how much better they knew each other now. “Your mother’s work really did pay off,” she said in a tone of voice like she really was surprised by how gentlemanly he was being, but she was only teasing. The thought of making breakfast together seemed almost too domestic, but it still had her heart lightly racing.
“I suppose i’ll allow it, just this once.” She still had a hand on one of the frying pans, picked it up by the handle and took a step back toward the table, holding it out to James as if in offering. Her other palm met the table top as she leaned a bit against it, smirking up at him. “If you’re going to help, then what do you want to make? I was thinking eggs, bacon, and toast. You know how I love a good sandwich.” She tapped the side of the pan lightly against his leg until he took it from her.
He flinched slightly at the name that didn’t quite fall off her lips, not wanting to hear it. He didn’t ever want to hear his name in her mouth again, and he narrowed his eyes even as she cut herself off. Why couldn’t she have just run off with the others down the alley? That would have been easy enough to explain. He could fire off a spell that missed, block their path a second too late, but now - now it was infinitely harder, with her standing so defiantly in front of him. He really should have gone home a long time ago.
“You know I don’t rush things.” He went on, wondering if she would be able to bring herself to be the first to strike - Severus wouldn’t be surprised, really. She’d always been a bit feisty, and if anyone could coax it out of her, it likely would be him. After all, hadn’t he been the one to hurt her the most? Disappoint her, let her down? Just another in a long line for him, but it wouldn’t do to think about that now. Now, he had to figure out how to do what was expected of him, and yet also keep her largely unharmed. Quite the conundrum.
“Besides, I’ve done my job.” His eyes flickered toward the Dark Mark still hanging in the air, the building destroyed beneath it, before flashing back to hers. “The rest is just a bit of fun.” He raised his wand to her again, knowing they couldn’t stay like this forever. No matter what he said (and he was quickly running out of things to say), he was only delaying the inevitable. She was right. He had a job to do. This was what he had chosen. “You should have run.” He called harshly, and snapped his wrist, his wand shooting a bright hex toward her without a sound, aimed just over her shoulder. Close enough that as long as she didn’t move into it, any onlooker may think she simply dodged it, or that he was growing tired.
Rather than immediately take up her challenge, Severus kept talking, and Lily felt that strange rushing building up inside of her like it might burst if she didn’t move or do something, soon. But she remained still and at the ready. She narrowed her eyes, “so this is something you want to draw out.” The suggestion of it made her want to hex him blue, but the moment they started fighting that would be it until one of them went down. Somehow the thought of bringing him down wasn’t so satisfying. She should be putting these things into motion, so why was she so still?
“I think we both know there’s a little more to what you do than putting pictures in the sky,” Lily wrinkled her nose, visibly disgusted by his next comment. She didn’t even want to acknowledge it, though by this point she wasn’t surprised any more that her old friend would find death and destruction to be funny. Dark eyes fell to his wand as he raised it, and her eyes widened as she reflexively dodged out of its way, but something felt off even as she moved. She countered with a knock back jinx before her feet even settled, tucked against the side of a bin now. She could still hear his voice ringing in her years, the harsh sound of his raised voice.
“I would never run!” She yelled back, angry that he would even suggest it. As if he didn’t know her just as well. Now she was angry, and her wand dipped back and forth as she sent one, two, three different hexes in his direction, but they were all aimed at his feet, they were all such basic magic. Even if they did land they wouldn’t do him much harm. Her jaw set.
Remus sighed softly, holding on to Lily’s hand as though it was the only thing keeping him upright. He could understand where she was coming from, everything she was saying were thoughts that crossed his own mind often. But he knew not to dwell on those things, they were questions that were impossible to answer. “You did something, which is better than doing nothing. That’s all anybody could ever ask of you.” He tried his best to sound comforting, though he knew there likely wasn’t anything he could say in the moment to cheer her up. It would take awhile for her to heal from this situation, and the only thing he could do right now was be there for her.
He shrugged, waving away her concerns. It didn’t matter what sort of conversation they had, all that Remus really sought her out for was her company. “Doesn’t matter what we talk about, I’m always happy whenever we’re together.” Remus assured her with a weak smile. But as she went on, his smile turned more genuine and his head shook. If only it were as easy as giving him a bop on the nose. “I wonder if anybody’s tried that yet.” He commented, pulling his hand away from hers and lifting his tea with both of hands as he leaned back in his seat, “Might be worth a shot.” He teased before taking a sip.
“On a slightly less upsetting note,” Remus started, setting his tea back down, “The full moon is coming up at the end of the week.” A small sigh fell from him. It didn’t matter how many transformations he’d endured, it never got easier. “James has his parents cabin all set up and ready to go for me. Are you going to come visit me while I’m recovering?” Remus shot her a pleading glance, “I was going to bring some of my board games with me for something to do, but I’d like to play Monopoly against somebody that actually knows what they’re doing.”
Of course Remus was right, if they were talking about anyone else’s efforts during the attack on Hogsmeade she would agree without hesitation, but she had a tendency to hold herself to a higher standard than others. The thought that she could have done more wouldn’t shake so easily, but hearing Remus say it was still comforting even if only for the sound of his voice. “You’re right,” she agreed with a sigh under her breath, “if only logic could make the feeling go away.” Her thumb rubbed softly at the back of Remus’s hand and she pulled her teacup closer so she could sip right from the lip of it without lifting her head. Somehow the extra weight just seemed like too much in the moment.
Her nose wrinkled and she gave him a knowing glance as he brushed off her apology, though she’d suspected it was coming. Even as tired and weary as they both were, there were never any unwelcome subjects between them. Lily could tell Remus Lupin just about anything, and the same would always be true for him. She would always have an ear and energy for him. She laughed along with him, happy for the sound of it, and turned to press her face against her arm, muffling the sound. The thought of cornering that evil man in an alley somewhere and punching him square in the face was hilarious as it was satisfying, even if the reality of the action would be nothing short of terrifying. “Maybe we can find someone with a death wish to give it a try,” she suggested lightly, giving his hand a squeeze before letting him slip away from her grip.
She finally lifted her head from the table and took a proper sip of her tea, cup held between both hands. A gentle smile tugged at her lips as Remus mentioned the full moon. “I’d almost forgotten,” she teased him gently, as if she ever could. “You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world, when else do I get to have the pleasure of hours of your uninterrupted company?”
“You might regret that once you’ve gone bankrupt. I won’t go easy just because I adore you.”
His arms flexed instinctively around her and he sighed heavily, feeling his shoulders sag slightly with relief. He could relax now - she was okay; they were all okay. It had only been the latest in a string of incredibly long nights in Sirius’ life, but they never seemed to get any easier to get through. Still, he always did, and he could only hope their collective luck wouldn’t run out any time soon.
He laughed as he finally let her go, rubbing at the back of his neck and squinting as he glanced up at the sun before answering. “I dunno, maybe an hour?” He replied, somewhat chagrined as he sent her a small smile. He couldn’t help himself, and he couldn’t think of anything more important than making sure his friends were okay. “I was gonna go try and find you, but then I figured you might come home while I was gone and…” He shrugged as he trailed off, knowing he likely didn’t have to explain his inability to focus on anything else.
“You are okay though, right?” He asked, some of his former anxiousness seeping back into his tone as he sent her a sideways look. “And not just in the ’I’m standing and breathing and some people aren’t so yeah I’m fine’ sort of way?"
Sirius returned her hug tightly, Lily letting out a soft sound of affection under her breath for it. She gave his back a rub and leaned her weight onto him, so tired and sore she was half tempted to ask if he wouldn’t mind carrying her to her flat, but she let him go when he pulled away. Watching him squint into the sun, she knew very well why he’d found himself on her doorstep so when he tried to explain himself she only shook her head. “Of course you’d rather wait around for me than go home and take care of yourself,” she teased with a bit of a smirk on her face.
If it were her, she’d have been worried. As anxious as she was, she would have channeled the energy into something productive like scrubbing her flat from floor to ceiling. As of now she didn’t really have the energy for anything, even with the worry nagging at the back of her mind for everyone she still had yet to hear from.
“I’m...” her voice trailed off and she bit her lip, glancing away for a moment as if in thought before looking back to Sirius. “I have been better,” she admitted with a heavy breath. So many things had happened in one night, it was all still stirring around in her mind. One hand went for the outer pocket of her bag and she gestured to her door with a tip of her curly head as she pulled out her key, “come inside and lie to me about how fine you are?”
James made a face, “Do I?” he didn’t think he smelled like hospital, but yet he probably smelled like explosions and debris.
She looked at him and he wasn’t sure what to do, he wanted to hug her again, to keep her close, make sure that his brain processed that she was alright and wasn’t harmed, but he knew his place, they were just friends. “I did, does that bother you?” he wasn’t sure, he might be going back to the ways that annoyed Lily instead of being a good friend, and he didn’t want to go back to them bickering all the time.
“Breakfast?” his brain didn’t have time to process, he was just being dragged in to Lily’s flat and his feet just followed her to the kitchen, “Do I get a say in this?” he teased a bit.
“Oh, no, it doesn’t bother me,” she brushed it off, glad that she had her back to him so he couldn’t see the rosiness in her cheeks. “I just don’t know when you became such a gentleman.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder with a little smirk on her face, teasing him about it as she slipped into the kitchen. “Yes, breakfast- The most important meal of the day that i’m sure you’ve also entirely skipped?” Never mind that it was also closer to an early dinner time, but breakfast for dinner was also good. She pulled out a chair for James as she passed her table, pulling a couple of frying pans out of her cupboard and setting them on the stove. She laughed at his question, putting her back against the counter and crossing her arms. She raised an eyebrow, “are you saying you wouldn’t like to have breakfast with me? And here I am willing to cook for you and everything.”
10. Would your character ever kill someone?
Lily is opposed to the idea of taking another person's life. She would do it if she had to in order to defend herself or others, but it would be hard to follow through and she would not be able to forgive herself afterward.
14: What is the cutest thing your character has ever done?
I'm not entirely sure how to answer this one X3c The cutest thing Lily's done so far in this rp I think, was when James Potter showed up on her doorstep and she got all affectionate and dreamy eyed.
16: What other fictional characters remind you of your character?
I play her sort of adjacent to how I write an oc of mine named Tivia. I also gave them the same height.
20: What is the most surprising thing about your character?
She loves everyone around her so deeply but finds it very hard to truly get close to people.
26: What is your favorite headcanon for your character?
Lily Evans is decadent as fuck and knows how to enjoy herself. She's one of those people who will close their eyes and make little happy sounds while eating something yummy.
I like you / I hate you / I dislike you/ I love you / You are family / I would take a bullet for you / I would shoot you / I would lie to your face / I would say something cruel to you on purpose / I would say something cruel to you accidentally / I would cheat on you / I would physically hurt you / You annoy me/ You amuse me / I’d laugh at you / I’d laugh with you / I’d manipulate you / You scare me / You confuse me / I wish I knew you better / I trust you / I don’t trust you / You inspire me / I consider you an equal / You are beneath me / You’re better than me / I would trust you with my life / I think you’re mean / I think you’re petty / I think you’re childish / I think you’re smart / I think you’re stupid / I think you’re a bad person / I think you’re a good person / I’m not sure what kind of person you are / I wish you would listen to me / I want to make you proud / I wish you would notice me / I want to impress you / I would hurt other people for you / I’m not sure how to make you happy / I’m a bad influence on you / You deserve better than me / We make a great team / I’d have a one night stand with you / I’d have a relationship with you / I would marry you / I fantasize about our life together / I would trust you with my most treasured belonging / I would tell you my darkest secrets / You disgust me / You intimidate me / I hope I intimidate you / I’d hug you / I’d let you hug me / I’m scared of losing you / I don’t think you like me / I want to be better for you / I respect you / I don’t respect you / You’re my mentor / You’re my friend / You’re my best friend / I have a crush on you / I could easily watch you die / I’d get drunk with you / I’d party with you / I’d comfort you / I’d prank you / I’d spike your drink / I’d act behind your back / I’d abandon you / I’d hurt you to get what I want / I would choose my happiness over yours / I would choose your happiness over mine / I despise how much I care for you / I need you / I’m dependent on you / I don’t know what I’d do without you / I’m scared of you leaving me / I’d give my life for you / You frustrate me / I’d call for you in a time of need / I would protect you / I’d visit you in hospital / I’d carry you if you were hurt / I’d feel guilty if I hurt you / I’d let you be near me when I am vulnerable / I’d ignore a phone call from you / I’d call you at 3am / I’d break you out of jail / I’d get angry at you / I would shout at you / You’re too loud / You’re too quiet / You’re too sensitive / You can’t take a joke / You embarrass me / I feel nothing for you / You’re reckless / You’re bossy / You bore me / I would ask your advice / I would blame you for something I did / I would cry in your arms / You have the power to hurt me more than anyone else /
I like you / I hate you / I dislike you/ I love you / You are family / I would take a bullet for you / I would shoot you / I would lie to your face / I would say something cruel to you on purpose / I would say something cruel to you accidentally / I would cheat on you / I would physically hurt you / You annoy me/ You amuse me / I’d laugh at you / I’d laugh with you / I’d manipulate you / You scare me / You confuse me / I wish I knew you better / I trust you / I don’t trust you / You inspire me / I consider you an equal / You are beneath me / You’re better than me / I would trust you with my life / I think you’re mean / I think you’re petty / I think you’re childish / I think you’re smart / I think you’re stupid / I think you’re a bad person / I think you’re a good person / I’m not sure what kind of person you are / I wish you would listen to me / I want to make you proud / I wish you would notice me / I want to impress you / I would hurt other people for you / I’m not sure how to make you happy / I’m a bad influence on you / You deserve better than me / We make a great team / I’d have a one night stand with you / I’d have a relationship with you / I would marry you / I fantasize about our life together / I would trust you with my most treasured belonging / I would tell you my darkest secrets / You disgust me / You intimidate me / I hope I intimidate you / I’d hug you / I’d let you hug me / I’m scared of losing you / I don’t think you like me / I want to be better for you / I respect you / I don’t respect you / You’re my mentor / You’re my friend / You’re my best friend / I have a crush on you / I could easily watch you die / I’d get drunk with you / I’d party with you / I’d comfort you / I’d prank you / I’d spike your drink / I’d act behind your back / I’d abandon you / I’d hurt you to get what I want / I would choose my happiness over yours / I would choose your happiness over mine / I despise how much I care for you / I need you / I’m dependent on you / I don’t know what I’d do without you / I’m scared of you leaving me / I’d give my life for you / You frustrate me / I’d call for you in a time of need / I would protect you / I’d visit you in hospital / I’d carry you if you were hurt / I’d feel guilty if I hurt you / I’d let you be near me when I am vulnerable / I’d ignore a phone call from you / I’d call you at 3am / I’d break you out of jail / I’d get angry at you / I would shout at you / You’re too loud / You’re too quiet / You’re too sensitive / You can’t take a joke / You embarrass me / I feel nothing for you / You’re reckless / You’re bossy / You bore me / I would ask your advice / I would blame you for something I did / I would cry in your arms / You have the power to hurt me more than anyone else /
He’d really wanted to be home by now. Severus had tried to leave several times throughout the night, his own quarters up at the castle were so close, but still seemed so, so far away. He could imagine the fire roaring in his sitting room, a new bottle of red wine chilling in his fridge that he’d been itching to open. But here he was, the fighting harder to get away from than he’d anticipated.
Severus saw the group turn down the alley and he couldn’t help but to follow - he was here now, after all, and they were clearly not any of his comrades. But as he watched, her voice floated down to him and he instantly regretted his decision. Lily. He’d know it anywhere, even after all this time. He’d know it always. She was the one person he didn’t want to run into - not ever, but especially not tonight. Because he knew what he should do, what he had to do, but he didn’t particularly want to.
He was sure she hadn’t recognized him - how could she, with his mask on? - and he was thankful for that, he supposed, but he wouldn’t face her blindly. She deserved to know who she was fighting. He sidestepped her hex, his own wand drawn and pointed at her but he made no move to attack just yet. Instead, he turned it on himself, dissolving his mask with a wave before taking a step forward into the light so she could see his face. “Evans.” He greeted coolly, his voice even, not betraying the conflict raging in his mind. “It’s been a while.”
She heard the sound of shuffling feet and a soft thank you from the witch behind her, and she knew that they were at least on their way. Moody hadn’t been far down the street, she only hoped that the woman and her children managed to make it there all in one piece. At the moment she couldn’t afford to turn her back to check, instead shuffling herself to put her back to the brick wall of the building behind her. No one would sneak up on her, and hopefully there wouldn’t be more where this death eater had come from.
She didn’t recognize him until he spoke, and that voice was familiar to her but after years of silence it took her a moment to place. Then her heart was racing faster, but her grip only tightened her wand. She kept it at the ready between them even as he turned his wand on himself and he confirmed her fear for her, his mask dissolving to reveal a face that she could never forget. She hadn’t seen Severus Snape face to face since Hogwarts, since the last time they had spoken and he had called her that awful word. She’d never wanted to see him again, but here he was.
“Se-” she caught herself before her mouth could default back to that nickname, somehow still the first thing that came to mind to call him. “Snape,” she corrected herself, her lips pressing into a hard and determined line, her brows furrowing. It felt like there was something hot and unpleasant rushing through her body, pent up inside of her almost ready to burst, the knowledge that now he was in front of her they would both have to do their best to destroy each other. “It has.”
“Well?” Her whole body was tense where she stood, still in stance and alert despite the now almost casual way Severus seemed to be holding himself. “Don’t you have a job to do?”
Her evening had started so splendidly, she’d arrived in Hogsmeade for the festivities and planned to get a cup of tea, have some time to herself and a book, before meeting up with some friends and getting into the swing of the evening. But halfway through her tea was when the screaming started, and she’d snapped her book shut as immediately as she’d heard it. Her tea was abandoned at the tea shop patio and she was rushing to help, her heart pounding, hoping with all of her heart that it wasn’t them but knowing full well that there could be no other cause for something like this.
Sure enough, it was impossible to miss the sight of the cloaked figures going up and down the streets, destroying near everything and everyone that crossed their paths. Lily had thrown herself into the fray with everything she had, fighting them back and away from innocent people. She managed to save a fair amount of people throughout the course of the night, the battle just seemed to keep going on and on. The first peek of morning light was coming over the horizon and she was still out ushering people away from the madness that was somehow only just beginning to let up.
Lily had her back pressed against the side of the building she was currently huddled against, a witch and her children huddled and shaking in a line behind her, following her instructions and trusting her to get them out safely. The weight of their expectations, her need to meet them, settled heavily in her body but made her feel energized, of course she would rise to the challenge. Nothing would happen to any of them so long as she was there to do anything about it.
She was peeking around the corner of the building when from behind her she heard a gasp, a terrified little squeal from one of the children. Her reflexes were just fast enough as she whipped herself around to put up a shielding charm between them and whatever it was, and she was right to. On the other end of the alley, a dark silhouette now blocked the way they had come.
Lily hurried to put herself in front of the civilians, instructing the witch over her shoulder, “I saw the aurors at the end of the street- Hurry and meet with them, they’ll get you to safety!” She wouldn’t turn away from the death eater, sent a hex flying towards them in case they tried to rush her or try to stop them leaving.
Remus took a moment to think over her question. Was he really alright? He had come out of the attack with minimal injuries, a couple of cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing worse than what he was used to. And his friends were alright - all of the Marauders were safe, Lily was still standing, everybody close to him hadn’t been hurt too badly. That was all that really mattered, wasn’t it? “I’m sure.” He finally answered with a short nod and a tight smile, hoping he hadn’t hesitated too long for it to seem disingenuous. Maybe he was a little bit more on edge and anxious than usual, but it wasn’t anything worth mulling over.
Leaning into her touch, Remus offered her a sympathetic glace at her words. He didn’t like it when she was feeling anything less than great and if he could take away all of her pain, he would do it in an instant. As she continued, Remus felt his expression fall to one much more melancholic. “Oh, Lily Pad…” He sighed, his head shaking slightly, unsure what he could do to attempt to comfort her. His hand reached out to her on its own accord, resting lightly on her elbow. “I’m so sorry.”
That was the most difficult part of all of this - doing everything in their power to ensure everyone elses safety only for the outcome to be different than what they had planned. Lily had done everything that she could, and unfortunately ended up with the worst possible case. Remus nodded his head, his hand fidgeting absent-mindedly with his mug. “I do, too.” He admitted softly, his eyes falling from her as he straightened in his seat, picking up his mug.
“You did all you could.“ Remus offered her another small smile, "That’s what matters.” Lily had always been selfless, she was always looking out for everybody around her. Hopefully she’d see that what she did was the best thing she could have in the moment, and hopefully she wouldn’t blame herself for what happened. Lily didn’t deserve to have that sort of guilt eat away at her.
The sound of that nickname, in that gentle tone of voice that Remus said it, made her feel all at once safe and a little bit silly. But she knew there was nothing silly about the way she felt, not about this. Her brow furrowed and she glanced to the hand now holding her elbow. She slipped one away from her teacup to return the hold on Remus, squeezing his elbow before letting her hand pull back, slipping down the length of his arm to take his hand. Her fingers slipped between his, entwining, and she looked down at her hands. She could only let out a soft breath, nod smally at his apology. It wasn’t his fault, but she knew what he meant by it. She didn’t like to see him upset, either.
“I did,” she agreed with him softly, she had put everything she’d had into trying to keep everyone safe. That night had taken so much out of her, she’d done absolutely everything she could, but still Remus’s words didn’t comfort her against the thoughts she had about it, “but is that really what matters...? Would all of the people lost in this war agree with that? Would their loved ones? My best wasn’t good enough to save them. How long until my best isn’t good enough to save someone I love?”
Her eyes slipped up to take in his expression, and she smiled an apologetic sort of smile, letting her curly head slip down to rest with her cheek pressed against the cool tabletop. “I’m sorry, Remus, this probably isn’t the tone of conversation you were looking for today.” Her smile turned to a bit of a smirk and she grumbled, “I wish I could just, give You Know Who a bop on the nose, knock his head straight like anybody else.”
James wasn’t sure how he got there, he still hadn’t gone home to do anything, he went directly after Mungo’s, he just needed to know Lily was safe, and there was no better way to do that than going to her flat.
However, was that something he should be doing? were they that kind of friends?
They had been there for each other more times that he could count, and he liked their friendship, it was comforting and made him happy, but the closer he got to Lily, the feelings he once had grew stronger, and at the moment he wasn’t sure if he was overstepping or if he was fine. If he was disrupting Lily’s day, or if this was a welcomed visit.
Most of his questions were answered by a hug that he didn’t expect, but was grateful to have.
He hugged her back, the smell of her peach shampoo wakening the butterflies in his stomach once more, but he didn’t care. As long as Lily was safe and okay everything else could wait and he didn’t need to overthink it. “It’s okay, I’ve been helping at Mungo’s all night, I just wanted to check you made it home okay,” he admitted, it was more than that, but he didn’t want to spoil this moment.
“You do smell like a hospital,” she agreed, and gave him another squeeze before pulling out of their hug, but not wholly away, her hands slipping down his arms and holding his elbows. Staying close. She had to tip her head back to meet his eyes. “You really did come the first chance you got,” it came out sounding a little too breathless, a little too wondrous, and she wondered just when she’d started enjoying attention from James Potter. She was now so used to the discomfort that came with attention from anyone. All the same, that was quite enough. She finally let go of him, only to grab him by a wrist and pull him inside, “well since you’ve decided to prioritize me over your own well being, let’s have breakfast.”
She closed the door behind him with a smile and let go of him entirely, spinning around on her heel to start for the kitchen.
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