Written for the @jilymicrofics Mystery Microfic May 2026!
Read on AO3 (100 words) or under the cut:
āThis one.ā
āHuh.ā Lilyās eyebrows draw together. āNot what I had in mind.ā
Nevertheless, she plucks the deerstalker out of Siriusās hands and tries it on; luxuriantly soft, brown checked tweed that works perfectly with her hair. She flaps the front visor up and down, looking in the mirror from different angles, winking flirtatiously and batting her eyelashes.
āI wonder ifāā
Cautiously, she peers around the shop; her gaze catches James Potter at the back, modelling a jacket, all smirks and broad shoulders. Not a look at her. Her smile falters.
āTrust me,ā Siriusās voice comes. āYou need this one.ā
Lily stood in front of the wardrobe, pushing hangers back and forth with restless fingers. Robes, dresses, a few older things she hadnāt worn in yearsānone of them felt quite right.
āI canāt wear my hospital robes,ā she said, half to herself. āIāll look like a complete twat.ā
From the bed, James glanced up, thoroughly unconcerned. āI like your hospital robes.ā
Lily shot him a look over her shoulder. āOf course you do.ā
āI do,ā he insisted, grinning. āAnd isnāt the whole point that youāre going to talk to students about your career? If I were a NEWT-level Potions student, Iād want to hear from someone who actually looks like they belong in a lab.ā
āTheyāre an awful colour,ā Lily said, tugging one sleeve off the hanger and frowning at it. āNo one looks good in that shade of green.ā
āI think you could wear anything and look good,ā James said easily. Then, after a beat, āAlso, for the recordāvery sexy.ā
āJames,ā she said, though there was no real bite in it.
She turned back to the wardrobe, fingers pausing on the fabric. āWhat if Iām not what theyāre expecting?ā she admitted more quietly. āI mean, Iām not that experienced. There are people whoāve been working in the field for decades. Iām stillāfiguring things out.ā
James sat up a little straighter, āYou are experienced,ā he said. āYouāre just used to measuring yourself against impossible standards. Youāre an expert in your own work, Lily. Thatās what they wantānot a textbook, not some ancient professor. You.ā
Lily huffed a quiet breath, still unconvinced. āIām going to have to see Severus today.ā
James paused. āYou really think heāll be lurking around a student club?ā
Chapter 6: The International Confederation of Wizards
Sirius sat opposite James as the Grand European Magical Locomotive tore across the countryside, fields and villages dissolving into streaks of green and gold beyond the window. The carriage hummed softly along the rails, the motion so smooth it was almost disorientingāenchantments cushioning every jolt, every turn. They were moving faster than any Muggle train could hope to manage, and yet it felt like gliding.
He had first ridden the line at twelve, perched beside his Uncle Alphard with his nose pressed shamelessly to the glass. That summer had unfolded like something out of a storybookāone long, wandering journey across the continent. They drifted from hidden magical villages to crowded wizarding streets, spent afternoons in dusty museums and evenings in the sitting rooms of Alphardās friends. Sirius remembered a dragon reserve somewhere in the mountains, the heat of it against his face, the thrill of standing just a little too close. He remembered goblins who spoke in clipped, careful tones, and late nights spent dozing in the trainās narrow berth as the world rushed on toward the next destination.
He had loved every moment of it.
At sixteen, heād sworn he would do it againāproperly this time. A grand tour with James, Remus, Peter. No chaperones, no itinerary. Just freedom, and the open stretch of magical Europe laid out before them.
But life, as it had a habit of doing, had taken a different turn.
War had come instead. Responsibilities. Loss.
And so Sirius hadnāt boarded the train again until nowāfourteen years later, at twenty-six.
Not for adventure. Not for freedom. But for a meeting.
āI donāt need a chaperone, you know,ā James said, breaking into Siriusās thoughts.
July 2026 JILYCHALLENGE is here!
It's been sunny and summery where we are... so let's put on some more sunscreen, and sign up while you let your icecream melt... because SUMMER JILY IS BACK!!!
please reblog this post by the 30st of June 2026, tagging with what you'd like to make (for example #one-shot, #writing, #art, #drawing, #mood board, #playlist etc. You can be as vague as or specific as you like)
At the beginning of the month, we will assign you a partner and you will receive your *FLUFF* prompt (here or on the JilyChallenge Discord - dm for an invite). Keep an eye on this blog or Discord and please check your messages on Tumblr. BRING YOUR OWN TOOTHBRUSH!!!
Each creator makes their own creation, collabs are encouraged but not the aim of this challenge.Ā
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when posting:Ā
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please tag your partner and the jilychallenge in your post (including the theme and your prompt)
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June 2026 JILYCHALLENGE is here! ALL THE FLUFF for your favourite Lovely dovely JILY4EVAH!
please reblog this post by the 31st of May 2026 tagging with what you'd like to make (for example #one-shot, #writing, #art, #drawing, #mood board, #playlist etc. You can be as vague as or specific as you like)
At the beginning of the month, we will assign you a partner and you will receive your *FLUFF* prompt (here or on the JilyChallenge Discord - dm for an invite). Keep an eye on this blog or Discord and please check your messages on Tumblr.
BRING YOUR OWN TOOTHBRUSH!!!
Each creator makes their own creation, collabs are encouraged but not the aim of this challenge.Ā
(optional) please follow the Jilychallenge Tumblrblog for updates.
(optional) join the Jily Challenge on Discord (send an ask for an invite) for beta help, chatting and mental support.
when posting:Ā
creators should try to post their entries by the end of the month (What to do when you miss the deadline?)
please tag your partner and the jilychallenge in your post (including the theme and your prompt)
we will reblog all entries tagged #jilychallenge
if you post your art or story on ao3, please add it to the collection of Jily Challenges 2026
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to send us a message or ask! If you have an idea for a theme for an upcoming month we'd love to hear it!
June 2026 JILYCHALLENGE is here! ALL THE FLUFF for your favourite Lovely dovely JILY4EVAH!
please reblog this post by the 31st of May 2026 tagging with what you'd like to make (for example #one-shot, #writing, #art, #drawing, #mood board, #playlist etc. You can be as vague as or specific as you like)
At the beginning of the month, we will assign you a partner and you will receive your *FLUFF* prompt (here or on the JilyChallenge Discord - dm for an invite). Keep an eye on this blog or Discord and please check your messages on Tumblr.
BRING YOUR OWN TOOTHBRUSH!!!
Each creator makes their own creation, collabs are encouraged but not the aim of this challenge.Ā
(optional) please follow the Jilychallenge Tumblrblog for updates.
(optional) join the Jily Challenge on Discord (send an ask for an invite) for beta help, chatting and mental support.
when posting:Ā
creators should try to post their entries by the end of the month (What to do when you miss the deadline?)
please tag your partner and the jilychallenge in your post (including the theme and your prompt)
we will reblog all entries tagged #jilychallenge
if you post your art or story on ao3, please add it to the collection of Jily Challenges 2026
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to send us a message or ask! If you have an idea for a theme for an upcoming month we'd love to hear it!
June 2026 JILYCHALLENGE is here! ALL THE FLUFF for your favourite Lovely dovely JILY4EVAH!
please reblog this post by the 31st of May 2026 tagging with what you'd like to make (for example #one-shot, #writing, #art, #drawing, #mood board, #playlist etc. You can be as vague as or specific as you like)
At the beginning of the month, we will assign you a partner and you will receive your *FLUFF* prompt (here or on the JilyChallenge Discord - dm for an invite). Keep an eye on this blog or Discord and please check your messages on Tumblr.
BRING YOUR OWN TOOTHBRUSH!!!
Each creator makes their own creation, collabs are encouraged but not the aim of this challenge.Ā
(optional) please follow the Jilychallenge Tumblrblog for updates.
(optional) join the Jily Challenge on Discord (send an ask for an invite) for beta help, chatting and mental support.
when posting:Ā
creators should try to post their entries by the end of the month (What to do when you miss the deadline?)
please tag your partner and the jilychallenge in your post (including the theme and your prompt)
we will reblog all entries tagged #jilychallenge
if you post your art or story on ao3, please add it to the collection of Jily Challenges 2026
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to send us a message or ask! If you have an idea for a theme for an upcoming month we'd love to hear it!
Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Letās spread the self-love š
Kelsey ā¤ļø my tumblr notifications apparently arenāt working because Iāve only just seen this, and maybe it was meant to be because Iām v much in the trenches of *waves vaguely at brain* atm so a bit of enforced self-love is probably what the dr ordered. #jfcgettothepointcer
āHeās alive, Carl. ā¦ justā¦ where can Iā?ā
Caradoc Dearborn sounded so distant. But that couldnāt be right. James could smell him. Hear his breath. Feel his chest heave.
Everything was spinning. James blinked, but all he could see were shadows. His leg burned with blinding, nauseating pain every time Caradoc shifted his grip. Below his knee, something felt horribly wrong.
āPut him here,ā came Carl Potterās reply. āWhat happened?ā
James became dimly aware of being lowered onto something soft. The movement sent another bolt of agony through him and he cried out in pain.
āCar!?ā Carlās voice was tight.Ā
āA blasting curse,ā replied Caradoc breathlessly. āLucky itās just his leg. ā Christ, mate, Iāve got him.ā
Panic cut through the fog in his head. The explosion. His leg. Was it still attached?Ā
James needed to see how bad it wasā
āJamie, donāt,ā said Carl quickly, one hand pressing him gently but firmly back against the pillows. āLet him fix it.ā
Warmth spread through Jamesā leg almost immediately. The pain vanished so suddenly it left him dizzy.
āYouāre alright,ā said his cousin, a cloth brushing briefly against Jamesā forehead. āWeāve got you.ā
Exhaustion washed over James as he tried to sit up again. The pain might be gone, but he couldnāt help but suspect that the only way this could have happened was by removing the limb entirely.Ā
āEasy now,ā murmured Carl, once more forcing him down into theā¦ sofa.Ā
Vision clearing, James looked around. The safe house was tiny. Low ceiling. Faded wallpaper peeling near the corners. Damp. A set of candles cast a flickering, dim yellow light across the room. The place smelled faintly of dust and strong tea. Andā¦ blood.Ā
His, most likely.
āMy leg,ā he asked, his voice as hoarse as Remusā got after the full moon.
āCompletely healed,ā said Caradoc. Now that James could see him clearly again, he saw that the healer was very pale indeed. āItās an easy enough job, so long as thereās not half a dozen Death Eaters around.ā
āHalf a dozen ā? What happened?!ā
Carl looked from his colleague, and best friend, to James and back again. James was relieved when Caradoc started talking. Closing his eyes, he allowed his emotionsāand stomachāto settle. When he opened them again, Caradoc had already finished the story, and Carl had buried his head in his hands.
āEd and Rob arenāt back yet,ā said Carl eventually.Ā
āThey wouldnāt be. Itās thanks to a rather clever distraction from Rob I managed to get James away.ā
Another pause. The unsaid words hanging in the air between them. The fact that Robert McGonagall and Edgar Bones could haveāshould haveāapparated shortly after.Ā
āThanks,ā came Carlās quiet voice, as he leaned forward and squeezed Caradocās arm. āForā¦āĀ
āDonāt mention it.ā Caradoc frowned. āLetās not pretend you wouldnāt have murdered me and Rob if we came back without him.ā
James shifted uncomfortably, feeling the humiliation of having needed to be rescued. āHeĀ is right here.ā
āAndĀ heĀ might not have beenāā started Carl, whoād never approved of James joining the Order.Ā
James' parents had asked Carl, their nephew of sorts (even if no one knew exactly how Charlus and Fleamont were related) if he wanted to be Jamesā godfather. The then nineteen years old Carl had accepted wholeheartedlyāand a bit too seriously, in Jamesā view.Ā
Thankfully, Caradoc interrupted him: āNo, Carl. James took that curse for me, alright? Heās more than capableā¦ heās not a child anymore.ā
Carl opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again: āOf course I know thatā¦ andā¦ and I know Uncle Monty will have taught you well.ā
āPlease,ā said James, though he recognised the sentiment. The unspoken apology. āI am practically self-taught.ā
āAs if,ā snorted Carl, before studying him intently. āListen, Jamie, you should go home. Get some rest. That was a nasty injury.āĀ
āNo.ā
āYou lost some blood. YouĀ needĀ the rest. And Lilyāā
James cut him off: āSirius is there. I am staying.ā
It was a low blow from Carl, as far as he was concerned. He didnāt need the reminder. Lily would be worried. As would Sirius. Looking at his watch, he realised he ought to have been back fifteen minutes ago. His chest ached for his girlfriend.Ā
Still. He needed to stay.Ā
A few minutes later, Carl went over to the small bench and made them some tea, pressing a mug into Jamesā hand without even asking if he wanted one. Some of Caradocās colour crept back into his cheeks as he sipped the beverage absentmindedly. James was sure the same could be said for him.Ā
āHow are you feeling?ā asked Carl gently as he took the empty tea mugs.
āIāmĀ fine, Carl.ā
āHe never had much faith in my abilities, your cousin.ā
āā Rest,ā finished James. āI heard you the first time.ā
As far as he was concerned, heĀ wasĀ resting. Half-lying on the sofa. But Caradoc shook his head: āCarlās right. Youāre going to be feeling tired for a few daāā
A knock on the door interrupted him. Then another.
āCARL!ā
It was Edgar. He sounded on the verge of panic.Ā
āCARL!! Open theāā
Carl rushed over to the door, tearing it open. Robert was practically draped over Edgarās shoulders, and before James had had a chance to vacate the sofa, Edgar sank to his knees and let Robert fall to the floor.
Blood. There was blood everywhere. On Edgarās robes, on the floor, and most notably, on Robert.
Carl and Caradoc had taken their position on either side of their best friend almost before he hit the floor, wands already out. James moved automatically too, dropping to his knees beside them, planning to talk to Robert. Keep him conscious while the healers worked on him. Remind him about Anwen and their children.
Then he saw Robertās eyes, so painfully like his sisterāsā¦. Exceptā¦ except now they were blank and unseeing.
Breath caught in Jamesā throat.
Robert was dead.Ā
Yet beside him, Carl was pressing both hands against the wound beneath Robertās ribs as though he could physically force the life back into him, whilst Caradoc cast spell after spell over the ugly purple-black glow spreading outwards from the woundĀ
āCome on,ā muttered Carl. āRobācome on, mateāā
But James already knew Robert would never wake again.
A broken sound escaped Carl as Caradoc lowered his wand. Jamesā throat constricted. Looking at his cousin, a million images of him and Robert flew through his otherwise blank mind. What could he possibly say āĀ
āNO!ā Edgar Bones, almost ten years his senior, cried out like a frightened child, eyes bulging. āNo! ā¦ He wasā¦ he was stillā¦ I shouldnāt have apparatedā¦ he canātā¦ā
āEd,ā James got to his feet, āEd, listen to me. This wasnāt your fault.ā
If it was anyoneās, it was Jamesā. It was his injury which had forced the two Aurors to stay behind when theyād had their chance of getting away. James took that guilt and locked it into a box. This was not the time to dwell on that.
His heart ached for his cousin, who was still bent over Robertās body, one hand gripping his best friendās robes as if worried someone might take him away. Caradoc was frozen too. His wand remained clutched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white, his expression hollow. Theyād known Robert longer than James had been alive. James couldnāt imagineāwouldnātāwhat it must be like to kneel beside the corpse of a best friend. Remus. Or Peter. Orā¦ orāNO.Ā
Yet, James could not comfort Carl just then. Not when Edgar, full of adrenaline, was close to being crushed by guilt.Ā
āEd,ā he repeated, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around the Auror, āthis wasnāt your fault.ā
/
āJames!ā
Lily jumped up and rushed over to him the moment he walked in the door to the living room. He wrapped his arms around her, treasuring the familiar scents of vanilla and rosemary. Squeezing her tight, he fought wave after wave of emotion.
Trying to blink away the tears which had come from nowhere, James looked up to meet Siriusā gaze. While Sirius hadnāt gotten to his feet when he first arrived, he must have deduced something was wrong from his expressionāif not his burning eyesāfor his best friend swore and pushed himself up from the armchair.
āJames?ā Lilyās voice was gentle.
James buried his face in her shoulder as he lost the battle against the grief that had been building over the last thirty minutes. A hand, much larger than Lilyās, came to rest on his shoulder and he knew Sirius was right next to them.Ā
He almost wished they werenāt there to hear the sobs escaping him uncontrollably. Heād never cried like this in front of Lily before. Not even Sirius. Not since heād been twelve, and his grandfather had died.
Eventually, he let them lead him to the sofa.
āItās Robā¦,ā he told his knees. āRobāsā¦ā
āOh James,ā said Lily. Sirius swore again.Ā
āItās my fault,ā he admitted, trying to wipe away the stream of tears which continued flowing down his cheeks against his will.
āWhat rubbish,ā Siriusā voice was harsh, āIt was the Death Eatersā fault.āĀ
Neither of them asked what had happened, and for that James was grateful. He would tell them, in due time. They knew that. At that moment, however, he did not have the energy to re-live the events.
āHeād just gotten married,ā muttered James as the memory rose unbidden to the surface.
The reception had carried on long after sunset, warm golden light spilling from enchanted lanterns strung through the trees outside the small countryside inn Anwen had fallen in love with. Charmed tiny stars drifted lazily above the dancefloor, and the air smelled faintly of rain and firewhisky.
Carl had been laughing at something Caradoc said, one arm slung around Robertās shoulders. Caradoc stood on the other side, flushed from too much to drink. Between them, Robert had looked brighter than James had seen him in a long time. It reminded James of his earlier summer holidays; and of the three of them duelling one another in aunt Dorea and uncle Charlusā garden. A lifetime ago, before theyād fully understood the scope of the war that was looming in the shadows.
Nearby, Willow sat curled up beside her mother, absentmindedly plaiting and unplaiting the ribbons from one of the floral centrepieces whilst hiding a yawn from the adults around her. William, meanwhile, was following James around, begging to teach him a duelling move, which at nine years old, would be completely useless to the wandless boy.Ā
Every now and then, Robert glanced back at Anwen as though he still could not quite believe she was really his wife.
āYou know, most people get married before theyāve got kids,ā said Caradoc, reaching over to ruffle Robertās hair.
Robert only shrugged. They all knew why heād decided not to marry Anwen originally. It had been a statement aimed squarely at his father, the muggle Minister who had never accepted Carl and Caradoc because they were both bisexual.Ā
āThe time never seemed quite right.ā
āBut now it does?ā James had asked, perhaps not entirely without self-interest.
Robertās eyes had drifted then. Towards Anwen. Towards Willow and William. Towards Caradoc, who had already lost his wife.
āNow time seems precious,ā Robert had replied quietly.
He had sobered slightly saying it, but nothing could quite erase the happiness from his face.
James hadnāt understood it back then, but now, three months later, he did. That night, looking at Lily sleeping, the concern never fully leaving her gorgeous face, James made up his mind. Carefully, he got out of bed. Looking behind at the figure of his girlfriend, he was relieved to see she was still asleep.
Apparating to his childhood home, James took out his key and locked himself in. It was concerning how easy it was to move around without waking his parents, and he tried not to think about what limited challenge they would put up if a Death Eater broke in.Ā
It took him two hours, but in the end he found what he was looking for.
My mermay attempt at @burdge āa different kindā which is hands down my favourite art of theirs, ever, even over their jily stuff! Definitely go look at all their art! They have jily, everlark, and more!
Whoot!! My very first writing adventure (that got way out of hand- and was so much fun āļø) reached 200 kudos today!!!
Head over to Head over Handlebars for you for a Muggle Jily adventure with crazy geese, bicycles, meddlesome friends and family, and love conquering all!
Bit late due to real life... BUT REBLOG BEFORE 5th of MAY to join in !
Knights, castles, black death and fair fiery shieldmaidens, with magical powers or as muggle as you want... Jily in the dark ages is this May's jily challenge theme!
reblog with what you'd like to make to sign up. Pairings and prompts to come to your inboxes or discord on may 6-7 (yeah we know that joke is old, so are we ;-)
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