Lily Evans

Gryffindor, Sixth-Year, Muggleborn

[lilyxxcvans]

waldxnmacnair​:

Walden raided an eyebrow with disbelief. “Me?” He asked retorichally. “No, I think you’re mistaken. This is a school for wizards and witches. I’m supposed to be here, the same can’t be said for you.” He folded his arms across his chest. The audacity that Lily had speaking to him, but what was he expecting? According to Severus, Lily had just stood there while James bullied him. 

“Yes, correct. But I’m not my sister so if you’re friends with her don’t assume that we are.” Walden had been reminded twice that week that he and his sister were very different apparently, which fine, maybe that was true, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love her. “I am, however, friends with Severus. Who you and your buddies constantly pick on, so that and the fact that you’re a mudblood means that we are definitely not friends.” || @lilyxcvans​ 

Ah.So that’s how it was going to be. She’d known Walden to be a blood purist, of course, but she hadn’t realized how blatent he was willing to be about it. She couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Let’s compare our marks in any class, and then decide which one of us belongs here more, shall we?” She knew herself to be top of her Year and a brilliant witch besides, and she was hardly going to let this boy make her doubt that.

She hummed in agreement. “Believe me, I know better than most how different siblings can be from one another. I wouldn’t assume your friendship anymore than you should assume mine.” At his words about Severus, she scoffed outright. “I’ve done nothing to Severus but choose to give him chance after chance, while he continues to throw them back in my face. And a mudblood I may be, but you’re forgetting that I’m also a prefect, and that kind of speech is against the rules on these grounds. Ten points from Slytherin.”

[lucyxtalks]

Lucinda was annoyed. Losing was one of her top three least favorite activities, but when it came to Quidditch it was a whole another story. The sport was her life. She was standing, well sulking in the corner of the Gryffindor party. She wanted to stay in her dorm room but sneaking into these parties along with her fellow Syltherin girls had become her favorite part of the year, so here she was. She took a deep breath uncrossing her arms and moving away from the wall to help her shake her funk. 

But first she definitely needed another drink to ease her bruised ego. She slammed down a quick shot before grabbing another goblet of something from the table in front of her. She turned around quickly and watched as the drink sloshed out from her goblet and onto the poor girl next to her “For fucks sake” she sighed “I’m so sorry, I guess I can’t hold onto anything today“ she smiled at Lily.

@lilyxcvans​

[lilyxxcvans]

Lily’s friends had convinced her to partake in a little bit of firewhisky (although she was anxious to avoid a repeat of her performance at the Black Lake party), so she was feeling light and airy as she made her way through the Gryffindor Common Room, smiling at familiar faces as she went. There were people from all the other Houses here, even Slytherin, though they were easy to pick out by the rather sulky expressions on their faces. She was just about to make her way over to Mary when she felt liquid pour down the front of her sweater. 

She was already waving off the other girl’s apology before she realized who it was. “Oh, no, don’t be sorry, I should’ve been looking where I was going.” She looked up, slightly surprised to see the Slytherin seeker, Lucinda Talkalot, standing there with a now-empty goblet, but she hid it with a friendly smile. “Oh, don’t say that!” she insisted, not wanting the other girl to feel bad. “You played a great game, really! And there’s always the next one.” Encouragingly, she added, “I know Potter was worried with you on the pitch out there today; you’re a brilliant seeker.” In fact, she was extremely proud of Alice for managing to beat such a great player.

[lilyxxcvans]

liv-rosmerta​:

Normally she studied with Charity or Septima but today she wanted to mix things up and study with Lily. It was a nice change of things but her head lifted from her book as she heard Lily complain, “Don’t do that just because of Transfiguration.” She replied with a shake of her head, “It’s just one subject, there are others.” She got frustrated with this work too but the girl was nearly there, it would be a waste to stop her education now. “Uh, Potions,” She nodded, turning the book to show the cover. “Slughorn’s got us learning about some kind of serum for healing.”

@lilyxcvans​

Lily flashed a friendly smile at the older Ravenclaw girl and shrugged. “Well, sure, if you want to be logical about it.” She shook her head. “You’re right. I suppose I’ll stay in school after all, if only to prove to myself that I can master Conjuration spells.” She looked down at her own work with a sigh. “I think I’ll take a break for now, though. Mind if I take a look? I’ve done a few healing serums before, maybe I could help.” Although she wasn’t one to brag, she knew she was best in her Year at Potions, save Severus, and she was sure she could figure out whatever this particular serum was, even if it was for Seventh Years. As she bent her head over the large tome, she looked over at Olivia with a smile. “How’s choir going, by the way? And the Magic for Peace Movement?”

[lilyxxcvans]

potterstagger​:

Even while she’s defending his least favorite person on earth, Lily Evans manages to surprise him with her kindness and the regard she holds for her friends – however shitty they may be. He likes that about her (he likes a lot of things about her, admittedly). He appreciates that there seems to be things about Snape she doesn’t want to share with him, even when trying to make him see the Slytherin in a better light. While she’s always so serious and sometimes even uptight, he’s always loved the way she loves. It’s the most obvious with the girls; the way she comes to their rescue and defense any chance she gets, the way she feels everything they feel right with them. He can recognize himself in her, the way they’d both go to crazy extents for their little group. “Agree to disagree, huh?” he asks with a quirked eyebrow. “Now that just sounds a bit too mature, even for us, Evans. I was more thinking along the lines of let’s talk about it until we wake up the whole tower with our screaming match,” he says with a laugh although he welcomes the change in pace. 

He knows that this version of him, the one that listens and tries to show empathy, is the one most likely to win her over. But it’s also exhausting to be like this when all he wants to do is scream and shout about right and wrong and about how much better he is and will always be than Snivellus. He knows it’s not the way to go about it, but there’s something about Lily Evans that always makes him want to act out, especially if he knows it’s going to anger her. Maybe it’s just about getting some reaction out of her, his eleven-year-old ego still not recovered from her unimpressed look at his extended hand. Either way, he doesn’t know what it is, but he’s not sure he can maintain this fragile understanding they seem to have for very long. She instills in him feelings that are much more intense than quiet understanding and fragile friendship. 

“Oh please, he was so in love with you. Still is, I’d wager. Why’d you think he hates me so much?” he asks, although that may be dangerous territory to head towards. He doesn’t know that he’s in love with Lily Evans. He knows that he wants them to end up together, and he knows that there’s no girl in this world that will ever pale in comparison to her. He thinks about her constantly, finds way to bring her up in every conversation he ever has, and spends whatever time he’s not with the Marauders writing sonnets about the shade of her hair. Still, at this point it feels more like a personality trait than what he guesses true love feels like. And he knows she probably knows this, which is why she give him an eye roll every time he tries something. She probably sees right through him and is smart enough to be wary of his crush. 

He grins at her, at the familiar territory, at the ecstatic feeling he gets at the realization that bantering with Lily Evans is just as easy as it is with the lads. “Oh you don’t need to – since you just gave me about five in one sitting. And I shall never forget them.” He looks at her, straight in eye, maybe for one second too much. He’s definitely planning on holding his breath for a very long time, and she probably knows this, but somehow it feels worth repeating. “You know I’ll wait for you,” he says, his tone light and joking but his gaze as serious as he ever is when he thinks about the kind of future he wants to have. @lilyxcvans​

She laughs again, amused despite herself. “Yes, that does sound a lot more like us, doesn’t it?” She shrugs. “Who knows, maybe we’ll surprise everyone this year by exercising our maturity and restraint. It’ll be awfully difficult for you, I know,” she teases gently. She decides that she likes this, their easy banter back and forth, just as much as she likes it when they put aside all their pretenses and really talk. She’s always appreciated someone who could keep up with her wit. Come to think of it, that’s probably why they’ve gotten into such hostile screaming matches over the years. They’re too alike. The thought is an oddly comforting one. 

She sighs, shaking her head before he’s even finished his rebuttal. “I told you,” she insists. “He hates you because you have everything he doesn’t. It’s not got anything to do with me.” Privately, she can’t help but wonder if that’s the truth, but she’s not about to admit as much to James Potter. In any case, it shouldn’t matter. Their friendship had ended, so it really is no concern of hers who Severus hates, or why. 

She huffs playfully and says petulantly, “Well, you hold on to those five because I’m sure they’re the most you’re ever going to see.” She’s smiling though, and she can’t help but think that he deserves to know how much she appreciates what he’s done for her tonight. “Thank you for this,” she says earnestly. “For letting me talk about all this. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until now.” His words are joking but the look in his eyes still makes her flush. She’s not good at this, she realizes, dealing with other people’s feelings for her. She’s had a few boyfriends before, been on multiple dates, but none of them had ever lasted very long. She knows James Potter wants more from her than friendship, but she’s not quite sure how to examine that, let alone deal with it. She looks away quickly, packing up her things and saying, “It’s late. I should probably be heading to bed if I want to be in any sort of shape for classes tomorrow.” Standing and making her way to the stair to the girls’ dormitory, she pauses and turns back. “Good night, James,” she says softly, before disappearing up the stairs. 

[lilyxxcvans]

bravemeadowes​:

Doe was curled up in a chair, potions essay laying beside her, having been abandoned in favour of a magazine that had likely been forgotten by some second year. She closed the magazine as Lily settled on to the couch, lips quirking up slightly at her question. “It’s called being an overachiever, Lil. I’m fairly certain I tried to tempt you with my preferred method of doing practically the least, but you’re far too good for that.” Her head tilted back against the chair. “I mean, they’re classes. So they’re fine. Nothing to write home about - you know. I think that I’m acing Defense Against - and to be fair that’s the only one I really care that much about.”

Lily gave her friend a soft smile. “Yes, well it’s starting to look a whole lot more tempting now,” she said, only half-joking. “You should try me again.”  Truthfully, she knew that it was better for her that she was kept so bust, as it gave her less time to stew in her own head. over things best left forgotten. “And don’t say that you do practically the least, that’s hardly true. Like you said, you’re brilliant in Defense Against and I know you put more effort in there than you would ever admit.” Curling her legs up under her, she snuggled further into the couch and said, “Alright, besides classes, what else is new in the land of Dorcas Meadowes?”

[lilyxxcvans]

potterstagger​:

When it comes to Lily Evans, James Potter will take whatever he can get, and count it an absolute win. Seeing her laugh at his stupid jokes and leave her hand in his feels like a bigger victory than any Quidditch game he’s ever played, or any other girl he’s ever seduced. He tries hard to fight it, but a small smile seems to settle on his lips without any intention of leaving any time soon. He laughs along with her, imagining for just a minute what would happen if Padfoot caught him comparing him to Snape in any way. The image is amusing, if disturbing and highly improbable. The moment they’re sharing, right now, Lily Evans and James Potter sitting around the Common room, joking about their respective best friends, feels like a kind of magic he’s never experienced before. It feels special, and important, and he doesn’t want it to end, even if that means talking about Snivellus of all people. 

As she reveals more of her and Snape’s friendship’s history, he tries hard to stay silent and listen and maybe even believe her, but it’s a task that soon enough he realizes he might never succeed at. “Alright, we’re doing the thing where we’re being painfully honest now, right? Well, I have trouble believing that. I have trouble believing that there’s such a thing as becoming a purist maniac solely because you hang around ‘the wrong crowd.’ I can’t speak to the muggleborn experience, obviously. I’m sorry you had to go through that, not knowing what was happening to you or what your magic meant. But all I’m hearing is that he was simply the only wizard around, and all he did was tell you that you weren’t a freak, because you weren’t, and he was the only one around who knew about the wizarding world. That doesn’t make him your savior, or a hero” 

He shrugs, feeling frustrated that words aren’t coming to him as easily as he’d like. Everything he says seems to fall short of what he means. But he knows that if they stop talking now, they’ll probably never breach the topic ever again. And he needs her to know; that he’s trying, that he’s listening, that Snape really is a bad person, but that none of it is her fault. “To you, maybe he was never a purist – but to the rest of us, it’s only ever looked like one thing; he was always a blood purist, except he was in love with you. You were special to him, because you were the one muggleborn who was pretty enough and nice enough not to deserve the treatment he gave to everyone else.” His tone comes out a bit harsher that he intended it, and he hopes she doesn’t take it as aggressiveness towards her. It’s just a hard topic for him; because he knows what it’s like to be in love with Lily Evans and to see nothing but her, to realize how special and different and perfect she is. He knows because he’s been there. In phases and with varying intensity over the years, maybe – but he’s experienced first hand what it’s like to want to treat her differently than the rest of the world. He gets it in a way no one else ever will. But that shouldn’t allow anyone to get away with what Snivellus’s done, what he is. 

James doesn’t want to twist the knife in what seems to be a very open wound. He doesn’t want to be the one to tell her that she aided his purism by still calling him a friend all those years. No muggleborn deserves to be told that, but Lily Evans least of all. Not her, the most exact example of kindness and strength he’s ever met. “Stop – you have a big heart. It’s okay if you cared about someone and wanted to see the good in him, that’s who you are. All you can do now is stay true to what you know him to be. Maybe a part of you knew and just ignored it, which isn’t great, but there’s no need to lose sleep over it now that you’ve made the hard but right decision.” Her small voice makes his whole chest burn with the need to do something, but he doesn’t know what would help either of them in that moment. James wants to comfort her, to see her laugh again. He’d even take her hexing him in frustration over the shy look of pain in her eyes. Even if that look is the reason he’s able to hold her hand right now, he’d rather she screamed at him, the fire in her eyes a much more comforting sight than the painful hint of abandonment he can see in that moment. 

He laughs along – impossible seems like a compliment in the mouth of a girl who knows and can do everything there is to know and do. “Oh, you better believe I will tell absolutely everyone you said those things, Miss Prefect. Granted, very few will ever believe it, so you’re safe enough on that front. Although–” he says looking at her with a devilish smile, “you and I shall never forget this moment, and I’ll make sure to remind you of it until you either kill me or fall in love with me.” @lilyxcvans​

It’s times like these that she’s reminded that she actually does like James Potter, despite how infuriating he can be sometimes. When he puts aside the showing off and the over-the-top flirting, and she becomes a little less judgmental and uptight, they actually have some really nice conversations. For the first time, she was starting to think that she and Potter could become real friends, not just the sometimes-friendly, sometimes-not that they’d been up until now. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said that she saw who he was at his best. His  love for his friends might rival even her own, and she can’t help but be impressed by that. People who love fiercely and completely have always been her type of people. She thinks they might be cut from the same cloth in that regard. 

Of course, the one thing they may never come to an accord on is Severus, but she’s starting to realize that that might be okay. She bites her lip, considering. “No, you’re right,” she finally agrees, debating whether or not to continue. “There’s more to the story than just hanging around the wrong group of people, or peer pressure from others in his House. That’s all I can tell you because the rest is private, and in any case, none of it is an excuse. But I think that understanding why someone is the way they are isn’t the same as justifying their actions. And having empathy for someone isn’t the same thing as excusing them, either.” She’s taken aback by his display of sympathy and she says earnestly, “Thank you, but you don’t have to be sorry. It was confusing and scary at first, of course, but I was luckier than most muggleborns. I figured out what was really happening to me long before I got my Hogwarts letter.” She gives a sigh and a shrug. “It’s not that I think I owe him anything,” she insists. “But part of me will always be grateful for what he did for me. In any case, I think on this one we may just have to agree to disagree.” She gives him a sad smile. 

She scoffs a little at his next words, shaking her head. “Please, he wasn’t in love with me. Everyone thinks that, but we were just friends, really.” She doesn’t know why it’s so important to her that he understands this, all she knows is that this conversation is encroaching on dangerously familiar territory, and she’s flashing back to another time, where Severus had been the one insisting, “He fancies you! James Potter fancies you!” and the jealousy in his tone had made her uncomfortable. She told herself that it was just because he hated James, not because of anything else, but she doesn’t like to think about it too closely. It just makes the entire thing all the more painful. She sighs again, wishing that he could believe that there was a time before Severus cared about blood purity, that she knows there was, but she thinks this is another thing that falls into the agree-to-disagree category. 

She gives him a small but genuine smile at his attempt to comfort her, and decides that he’s right. She’s not going to beat herself up over loving someone who had been there for her when no one else was. She tried to keep him off of that path, she’d done everything she could, but at the end of the day, she couldn’t make his choices for him, and when it had become clear that he’d gone down that path she couldn’t follow, she’d let him go. Besides, she has enough to deal with lately without adding her own self-loathing to that list. 

At his next words, she groans melodramatically and says, “I knew as soon as I said that that you would make me live to regret it. See if I ever give you a compliment again.” She sticks her tongue out childishly. She rolls her eyes and says, “Please. I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.” But she can’t help but blushing a little bit, because for the first time, she’s starting to see why every girl in school tends to fall for James Potter.

[lilyxxcvans]

soluschoris​:

Peter didn’t blame her, he too struggled when it came to transfiguration, although he suspected he struggled more than her. Now if she’d had a problem with charms, he’d have been able to help the redhead no problem, the subject having always come easy to him. Peter let out a groan, “potions,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I think I’m going to call it a day to be honest, I work better on a tight deadline anyway. I can’t stare at this text book anymore. I don’t even know why I chose the class.” 

Lily gave Peter a sympathetic smile, though she had never particularly struggled with Potions herself, the subject coming rather naturally to her. “Slughorn is really piling it on for N.E.W.T.’s, isn’t he?” she asked. Perking up a bit at the realization that she could maybe avoid her Transfiguration troubles for a little longer and help someone else while she was at it. “Do you want me to take a look at it for you?” she asked eagerly. “Maybe I can help.”

[lilyxxcvans]

vectorss​:

Septima looked up with a quirk of her eyebrows. She’d been reading through a new edition of one of her favourite academic volumes, Arithmancing Counter Curses. While she knew she wanted to be a teacher, and her love of Arithmancy made the subject an easy pick, she’d realized that it was unlikely that the high end academies of magic would hire a seventeen-year-old witch as a teacher, no matter how smart. She’d been toying with the idea of doing something else for a few years, getting some experience in the real world, before coming back to a place like Hogwarts to teach later in life. 

As the redhead spoke up, she frowned. “Was this… meant to me or were you talking to yourself?” she asked confusedly. Septima Vector was well known to be one of Hogwarts’ go-to tutors, albeit she usually helped students her own year. In her fifth year she’d famously helped a fellow Ravenclaw pass her Potions NEWTs – so maybe this was Lily asking for help? She was also known for, well, not really struggling with any subjects herself. “Well, hm, this isn’t really syllabus material, but if you have any thoughts on the innovative ways to use Arithmancy for curse breaking, I’m all ears,” she said with a small smile. @lilyxcvans​

Alright, upon further thought, it seemed to Lily that asking Septima Vector if she needed help with homework, especially when she was working on Arithmancy, was rather silly in hindsight. Lily also took the subject, but was a year behind Septima, who was known to be far better at the subject anyway. She gave the older girl a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I suppose that was wishful thinking on my part.” She looked down at her own notes again. “I was hoping that if I could help you, I’d feel a little less useless about not being able to master my Transfiguration assignment.” She sighed heavily. Realizing that Septima was one of the other well-known tutors at Hogwarts besides herself, she asked lightly, “I don’t suppose you could take a look at my work? Figure out what I’m doing wrong. If not, I understand, I don’t want to interrupt your own work.” 

[minervaxeloise]

closed for @lilyxcvans​

lily evans was a student that minerva continued to be impressed by and she wasn’t the only one. horace slughorn thought she had something special, great potential – which was why the sixth year was on the top of minnie’s list for head girl next year. no one would believe that she wasn’t biased (she wasn’t), but minerva had been determined to not show favoritism since her first day teaching. in the two decades she’d resided at hogwarts, she thought she’d done a pretty good job. 

as minerva stepped into the gryffindor common room, she was greeted by quiet – a rare occurrence. there were a select few who never figured out how to lower their voices and she usually walked into some sort of loud pow-wow. only a handful of gryffindors were occupying the room and when she saw lily, minerva headed over. she’d meant to talk with her yesterday about prefect matters, but there were only so many hours in a day and she wasn’t about to whip out a time turner. “sorry to bother you while you’re working, miss evans. do you mind if i sit?” she asked, motioning to the chair across from lily. 

[lilyxxcvans]

Lily had been taking  a break from her rather difficult Transfiguration homework and had picked up a rather more enjoyable subject for her-Charms. She’d been making decent progress in her latest essay when she noticed Professor McGonagall approaching her at her spot by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room. She would’ve quickly set aside her work for any professor, but especially for McGonagall. As Lily’s favorite teacher (although she hoped to God that Slughorn never caught onto that fact), Lily was always happy to converse with the older woman. 

“Of course, Professor,” she said warmly, moving her school materials out of the way on the couch next to her so that the woman could sit down. “What can I do for you?” As their Head of House, it wasn’t unheard of for McGonagall to stop by the Gryffindor Common Room, but it was rare, and Lily was curious as to what the professor might need. 

[lilyxxcvans]

amaliacaplan​:

the  library  was  usually  pretty  full  this  time  of  day,  so  amalia  wasn’t  surprised  that  she  had  to  share  her  table.  she  was  so  caught  up  in  her  thoughts  though  that  she  didn’t  even  see  who  sat  down,  and  they  had  been  sharing  a  table  for  over  an  hour.  “hm?”  she  asked  when  she  realized  the  girl  was  talking  to  her.  she  flashed  a  quick  smile.  “yeah?  you’d  look  cute  with  a  red  nose,”  she  played  along,  pushing  a  hand  through  her  hair.  she  was  happy  for  the  distraction  because  she  wasn’t  getting  any  studying   done  anyway.  “i  mean.  i’ve  read  the  same  page  like  six  times  and  i  still  couldn’t  tell  you  what  it  said.”  she  closed  the  book  to  show  off  the  cover.  “potions  for  me.  pretty  sure  i’m  going  to  get  a  troll  on  my  owl.”

Lily smiled back, recognizing Amalia from prefect meetings as a fifth year Gryffindor. She laughed at her comment, giving a self-depricating shrug of her shoulders. “Well,” she said, “it’ll at least match the hair.” Tilting her head in sympathy, she said, “O.W.L.’s, huh? Those are rough. I wish I could tell you it gets easier after that, but, well...” She indicated her discarded Transfiguration homework with a sigh. “I’m afraid N.E.W.T.’s are even worse.” Perking up at the mention of Potions, she rushed to reassure the other girl. “Oh, no, don’t say that! You’ll do just fine, I’m sure of it.” Eagerly setting aside her own work, she asked, “Do you mind sharing what you’re working on? I’m rather fond of Potions, myself. Maybe I could help?”

[waldxnmacnair-deactivated202009]

{closed with @lilyxcvans​ }🐍

Walden had been sulking after Slytherin lost the Quidditch. It was more because since they won, Gryffindor students have become 110% more insufferable. “Putting those snakes in their place.” He muttered under his breath in a mocking tone. That’s a saying that had been going around since Sirius Black gave some sort of speech at the after party. 

They had just finished a DADA class and Walden was walking with his friends when he realised he had forgotten a text book and excused himself from the group before jogging back to the classroom. As he turned the corner he ran straight into Lily Evans. His first instincts were to lash out, however, he restrained himself. He knew that Severus and Lily had something but that they had also been in a fight. He wanted to be respectful for Sirius’s sake but also, who did she think she was? A mudblood bumping into him. “Don’t apologise. Just don’t do it again.” He muttered. 

[lilyxxcvans]

Lily, on the other hand, was riding the high of victory. She may not have been on the team herself, but it was still her House, and two of her best friends had played brilliantly besides. She couldn’t help but be incredibly proud. She had even laughed at Sirius’s speech mocking the Slytherins, instead of sending him a stern look as she knew she ought to. She just didn’t have it in her to spoil anyone’s fun. 

Maybe she was a little too caught up in the euphoria of winning because she didn’t notice the other boy approaching until he’d smacked right into her. “Oh, I’m s-” she started automatically, before being cut off. Bristling at his words, she said politely, “Actually, since it’s you who bumped into me, I rather think I should be accepting your apology.” Narrowing her eyes, she realized she recognized him as Walden MacNair, one of Severus’s friend group that had become such a point of contention between them the past few years. Still, she fought to keep a straight face. “It’s Walden, isn’t it? Alessandra’s brother?”

[lilyxxcvans]

sirixs-black​:

@lilyxcvans​

Sirius was slouched in the chair as it balanced on its two back legs, looking around the library as if seeing it for the first time – which, honestly, was almost true. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d been there. “Do I look busy to you?” Sirius let his chair fall back down onto all four legs with a loud bang and leaned forward, spinning around Lily’s textbook to have a look at what she’d been working on. “That’s simple.” He commented. “Human transfiguration is similar to trans-species transformation, but more specific. The wand movements are trickier. You’d be better off going back to your notes from last year.” Then, as if he’d said nothing more complicated than recite his own name, Sirius leaned back again and nodded towards a girl at the next table. “Do you reckon she’s into me?” 

Lily shook her head, a fond little smile playing at her lips. “Well, you’re not doing any sort of studying that I recognize, but I figured you must gain all your knowledge through osmosis. That would explain how you and Potter manage to ace all of your classes without ever opening a textbook.” She stuck out her tongue childishly. Truthfully, when they had first started school, their seemingly effortless displays of talent had frustrated her, but as she’d gotten closer to the boys over the years, she found she didn’t mind as much. She listened intently as he explained the nuances of human transfiguration to her, and shook her head in disbelief. “Have I ever told you that II hate how good you are at this? Because I do.” Startled by the change in subject, Lily glanced over in the direction he’d indicated. “What? How on earth should I know?” Squinting, she asked incredulously, “Sirius, do you even know her?”

[edgar-bones-deactivated20200902]

[Closed with @lilyxcvans​]

Location: Clocktower Courtyard

It wasn’t often that Edgar struggled with his charms club homework, but perhaps it was simply because he had bitten off more than he could chew. He was only a fourth year, and this was a sixth year charm, but that had never stopped him before. Well, until now. He was stood in front of a goblet of vinegar that he had stolen from the great hall and was attempting to turn it into wine.

His latest attempt caused the vinegar to erupt from the goblet and splash everywhere. “Merlin’s Beard!” He shouted in frustration, throwing his charms book down onto the cobblestones. “Why!?” He screamed at the goblet as it started to fill itself back up again.

[lilyxxcvans]

Lily had been taken her studying outside of the library for a change, and was sitting in the courtyard on a bench with her notes out in front of her when she was startled by the sound of someone yelling and throwing down a book rather violently. Looking up, she spotted Edgar Bones in what seemed to be a flurry of frustration as he glared at a goblet in front of him. 

Standing and approaching gingerly, she asked cautiously, “Er, are you alright? Is there anything-oh.” She broke off as she saw that the goblet was filling itself back up. “Charms work, eh? What are you trying to turn it into?” Taking out her wand, she gave the boy a warm smile and said, “Would you like a hand? I’d be happy to help.” Tilting her head, she asked, “You’re Edgar, right? Amelia and Henry’s brother?” 

[lilyxxcvans]

alicelightwccd​:

when lily sat herself down right in front of her with that look in her eye, all alice could do was put down her copy of advanced potion making and listen up with a sheepish smile tugging at her lips, “well love – it’s still just the beginning” she offered, knowing very well that dead last was unacceptable and that they did need to change it soon enough. a chuckle slipping from her lips  - eyes widening rather comically, “lily –” she admonished , shaking her head wondering if the hourglass had updated, “we can’t - it’s not right and we both know we’re going to win the RIGHT WAY –” she promised. 

“oh, i do and i’ve missed the fierce passion  – it’s quite the sight” she teased, propping her chin on the palm of her hand as she shut her textbook, a break wouldn’t hurt. “frank is frank – i think he’s doing just fine” or at least he was the last they spoke, it was rare to see the boy down, “just a bit busy - headboy and all” shrugging as her smile widened at the mention of the party, “i had fun, i’ve got to say helga hufflepuff was a remarkable woman - wish i’d seen more of you, what were you off doing?” 

With a sigh, Lily conceded, “I suppose you’re right. We have plenty of time to make the points up. Still, the boys better not make too much trouble this year, we can’t afford it. And I absolutely refuse to lose the Cup to Slytherin of all Houses.” She normally wasn’t one to participate much in House rivalries, but with the way some of the Slytherin students were acting lately made her less generous than usual. Grinning widely as she remembered their glorious victory, she replied, “Well, we certainly will if you keep on playing like that. You were absolutely brilliant on the pitch this weekend, love, what a catch!” Lily's Quittitch-mania was known to very few, but Alice was one of the people she trusted with it.

Lily rolled her eyes good-naturedly and scooped up a pastry to nibble on while they talked. “Glad to hear it,” she said with a smile, thinking fondly of her friend. “I’m sure being Head Boy is stressful, but Dumbledore certainly made a wonderful choice. He’s great with the other prefects,” she said. Shrugging at the question, Lily answered honestly. “I headed off to bed early, I’m afraid.” Taking a moment to consider, she finally confessed, “I had a horribly bad feeling the entire day...like something bad was coming, you know? It was all very strange.”

[lilyxxcvans]

butterflyun​:

@butterflyun​

“Hey Lily! I’m pretty good, and you? I was surprised to be the first in the dorms last night.” Seo-Yun replied, moving her books so the redhead could have more space.

“I can’t complain.” Lily grinned in reply, thinking back on the night of fun she’d had with her friends. “Well, you know how the girls can get,” she said, shaking her head fondly. “Especially after a Quidditch game where we absolutely trounce Slytherin. I suppose we all over-celebrated a little,” she responded, smiling sheepishly. “Did you have fun?” 

[lilyxxcvans]

Lily had been just about to finish up rounds for the night, relieved that this particular night seemed to be a quiet one, when she heard the sound of voices reaching her from a distant corridor. The voices sounded tense, angry. As she rounded the corner, she came upon a sight that had unfortunately become all too common in her past few years at Hogwarts. A group of Slytherin boys were facing off against Jackson Sinclair, spatting hateful words at him and reaching for their wands. 

Now, Lily knew from Dueling Club that Jackson was a more than competent duelist, but even she didn’t like his odds when it was four against one. She also knew that if she caught them fighting, she’d have to punish all of them, even if it had been the Slytherins who instigated the fight. Clearing her throat to make her presence known, she stepped out into the corridor and shot the Slytherins a hard look. “It’s past curfew, in case you hadn’t noticed,” she said sternly. “And I really don’t think Slytherin can afford to lose any more points, especially after that rather humiliating Quidditch defeat. I’d be off to bed if I were you.” The other students glared at her, and more than one ‘Mudblood’ was spat her way, but she ignored it as long as they did as she’d asked and shuffled along to the dungeons. Turning back to her friend with concerned eyes, she asked “Are you all right?”

@sorrowsofsinclair​ 

[lilyxxcvans]

potterstagger​:

Before she’s even made her point about Sirius, James’ mouth is open, ready to come to his best friend’s defense whole-heartedly. Sirius is the bravest person he’s ever met, he’s had to make the hardest choices just to be good, and he won’t ever let anyone tell him otherwise, not even Lily. But because this is her, and because she seems to be willing to listen to him, he listens before answering (a very rare occurrence, if you ask anyone who’s ever met him). He huffs; of course he loves Sirius. But then he frowns, because Sirius would never, and Lily predicts this reaction too, so he decides to just stop reacting and start listening to what she’s trying to say. She’s too smart for him, this conversation feels like like a constant challenge, one where she matches him every step of the way, and he doesn’t know if he likes it, but that may simply be because he’s so used to having the last word.

And obviously she’s so smart she finds the one way to put things that shows him just how exactly it must feel, and maybe explains why she seems to be arguing and arguing for the worth of someone he’s never seen as anything other than despicable. “Are you saying Snape is your Sirius? Because I’m sorry for you, in that case,” he answers, but his tone is light, almost joking. He still wants to argue that it’s not the same; but something about their fragile dynamic makes him hesitate. “I understand, I do. I do,” he repeats, maybe trying to convince himself more than her. “I can see why you might be the one person, against all common sense, who’ll always find an excuse for his behavior. And I won’t push you, not because I agree with you, but because I think this might a case of let’s agree to disagree - which I’m definitely not used to, in case you didn’t know. But I still don’t think Sirius and Snape are comparable in any way. Because Sni-Snape was always that way, whether or not you could see it. I can’t begin to imagine what you must have felt when he called you that word. But you and I both know he’d been doing it to others long before. And so the betrayal isn’t so chocking if the guy you’ve always liked, or Merlin forbid, loved, was always a twat,” he says looking down at his hands, which he still doesn’t know what to do with. “Maybe there’s a part of me that’s angry at you, too, for being friends with him,” he adds while his voice lowers, almost shyly. “Maybe I hold you to a higher standard, but I feel like I wouldn’t forgive anyone if they were friends with a guy like that. Because it means you’re complicit in his bullshit, if you’re letting him say those things. Doesn’t it?” he looks up at her, hopefully, almost hoping she’ll prove him wrong because he doesn’t like the conclusions he’s coming to. 

He doesn’t know what is it that makes him do it - doesn’t know if there’s a single thought going through his mind, or just his body acting on pure instinct, fully expecting to receive a hex in response. But in that moment he grabs her hand, lightly, and looks straight into her eyes. “Hey, don’t. I won’t spend a minute listening to you find a way to twist his prejudice as somehow being your fault. Or as somehow making you a bad person too. No way, no. You’re human, Evans, oh no, big reveal! You’re human and you cared about someone and he treated you alright for a while, until he didn’t. That’s all there is to it, now as hard as it is, all you’ve got to do is stop making excuses.” Also, I don’t blame you for thinking that; you are pretty dang special indeed, he thinks to himself, barely catching the words in his throat before they make it out.

Feeling drained and more vulnerable he ever has or ever wants to feel again, James leans back into his chair, dropping her hand back on the table, and tries to smile along with her. “That you do - I have bruises to attest to that,” he says with a grin. With a joking frown, he decides that this nonchalant, humorous territory feels much safer than the road they were headed down with this conversation. “I mean, are you sure? According to you, I sound pretty ‘perfect’ indeed. What was it you called me again? ‘Gryffindor’s golden boy,’ ‘talented,’ ‘loved’? Oh, and I forgot the best one– handsome, was it?” he answers with glee. “Sounds like I might be worth those higher standards after all. So don’t worry about that one bit, I’ll just have to try and live up to them” he finishes, extending his arm over the chair next to him. @lilyxcvans​

She rolls her eyes a bit at his feigned sympathy, but there’s no malice behind it. She’s starting to understand that that’s just how James Potter handles serious conversations, by injecting a little bit of humor into them. Honestly, she’s a little grateful for it in this moment. This whole thing has gotten more deep and complicated than she ever intended, and she needs the dose of levity right now. Still, something he says makes her pause, and she feels the need to defend herself. “But that’s the thing,” she swears, “I’m not excusing his behavior. What he’s chosen to believe is wrong, and I know that. There is no excuse for it. But that doesn’t change the fact that he was my best friend, and that I can’t hate him completely. Trust me, I know that it would be easier if I could. I know you do,” she says, “But you can’t expect me to feel about him the same way you do, any more than I can expect you to feel the way I do.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not comparing Sirius and Severus.” A little smile of amusement quirks her lips, and she says, “Lord knows they’d both take offense to it if I did. I’m comparing the relationship. Sirius is your best friend, Severus was mine. And maybe he didn’t change overnight, but you’re wrong about him always being this way,” she protests. She considers for a moment before deciding to confess, “I knew him from before Hogwarts, you know. He was the first person to tell me that I was a witch. Finally, all the things that I thought were wrong with me, that made me a freak, someone could explain. I was different, but not in a bad way. He was the first person to make me see that.” Her eyes turn wistful as she gets caught back up in the memories. “And he didn’t care one bit back then that I was a muggleborn, never cared anything about the blood purity nonsense that he and his friends go on about now.” She thinks of a little boy with bruises that never seemed to fade, and sad eyes that only seemed to light up when they saw her, and she has to turn away again. “He was the first person to think that there was something special about me. And obviously over the years things have changed; he’s gotten caught up more with the blood purists, he’s become far too interested in dark magic. But that wasn’t always who he was. And again, I’m not excusing him, or making justifications for it. I’m just saying that people can change, and when you don’t change together, letting go is hard.”

She’s surprised when he takes her hand, but she doesn’t pull away. She finds that she appreciates the gesture. She listens to him, wishing she could believe that he was right, but something holds her back. “But isn’t it like you said? By being friends with him, wasn’t I ‘complicit in his bullshit,’ as you put it?” she asks, not sure she wants to know the answer. “He was careful to never say those things around me, but I knew the company he kept, and they were never shy about making it clear what they thought of me, or Mary or Ted. I don’t blame myself for his prejudice,” she’s quick to reassure. “I just...I wonder if I was willfully ignorant, if I only saw what I wanted to see. And if I was, did I stand by while injustice was being done, purely because I didn’t want to see it. I don’t...I don’t like to think that about myself,” she says in a small voice.

She rolls her eyes again as he throws he own words back at her, but she’s laughing, so she hopes he doesn’t take offense. “You’re impossible,” she protests, still laughing. “And for the record, if you ever tell anyone I said any of those things, I will deny it to my grave, so don’t even think about it.” Shaking her head with a fond smile, she finds that when he’s not making her question everything she’s ever believed about herself, she actually enjoys his company. It’s nice to laugh again, even of the moment is brief. For a while there, she was afraid she had forgotten how.