#lily 01

[swearwolfx-archive]

Where: Lily's Flat Who: @fauvehoof

It had been a couple of weeks since Lily had been released from St. Mungo’s, he had visited her while there and popped by the house a few times. He offered treats and to watch Harry when needed trying to do what he could for his friends. It didn’t seem like enough but he didn’t have anything else to offer as all Lily needed now was time. Her physical wounds were healed for the most part but those of the mind would take more time to fade though he was sure they would never completely go away. He wanted to say the right thing to help but he wasn’t sure what that was. For now, he owled Lily to ask if she wanted to spend a day outside, thinking it might be good for her to get some fresh air and they would keep it nearby. Lily had agreed to it and that was how he found himself standing outside their door.

He knocked, before sending a patronus in to let Lily know it was really him and that it was safe to open the door. He was sure she had to be anxious over the whole thing, not sure that she had been outside since the event. Lily was strong though and it would take little steps to slowly get her back to normal, to feel comfortable being out in the world again. When the door opened he smiled, not sure if he should hug her or not, if her injuries still caused pain so he just hovered outside. “Hey Lils, how are you feeling?” There was a small basket at his side having packed some treats for them to enjoy the afternoon.

[stranded-mik]

location: the jungle @starlit-lilies

Mik was not too good on impulse control. That sort of, think first act later behaviour had been beaten out of him in rugby, literally. No time to think about where to pass the ball, just look behind you and trust your gut and hope to hell you manage to pass it before the opposing lock sends his shoulder into your gut. All that was to say that when Mik had been warned from venturing into the jungle, it had only set loose the desire to do specifically that.

He'd only meant to go in a few paces, look around, feel satisfied at having seen the jungle, and then head back to the beach for some more sunbathing. But after only a couple of paces it had been hard to do a full 180, and when Mik kept turning to go back towards the beach he had a sinking feeling he was only going deeper. "Oh Michael Kaufman," he chided to himself, shivering at the sound of unfamiliar primates and birds laughing way up in the canopy. "You really put your foot in it now."

In for a penny, in for a pound, wasn't that what had ruined his life in the first place?

Mik trudged on, wrapping his arms around himself as the temperature dropped. He jumped at everything, a vine that looked vaguely like a snake, some twigs snapping around him, a particularly loud bird that decided to make a loud squawk at the wrong time. Mik shuddered and pushed forward, panicked now, his eyes setting upon an area of the forest that looked a little lighter. The edge? Mik raced forward, coming out from the jungle... into another, smaller patch of jungle.

Here there were stumps of much bigger trees, but they were badly scorched. Looked like some weirdly isolated fire, and now the new growth of the jungle was taking over. Mik panted, taking a moment to look around and think. Fuck, Nick had made him watch so many Bear Grylls shows (a definite hottie)! Think, think, think... The moss would grow on the south side of trees. Mik walked up to one of the stumps, but there was moss all around the trunk. And even if he did manage to find south, where the hell was the beach? He didn’t have in-built GPS!

Another twig snapped behind him and Mik was just on edge enough to jump high from fright, letting out a little panicked shout as he whipped around towards the sound. Seeing someone standing behind him gave him another fright, a second jumpscare. He hated those in horrors, so cheap, but effective in real-sortof-life when you were worried you were going to be eaten in the jungle. "Jesus," he exclaimed, clutching his heart as he calmed down. "Please tell me you know how to get out of here," Mik said, too anxious for pleasantries right now.

[evikoning]

Date: May 1st 2021 Time: 6:15 pm Location: Lily’s house

@lilysundara​

"Hello?” She’s knocked a few times by now, though Lily had told her over the phone to just come in. It felt like intruding, though, no matter how many times she’d crossed this threshold when it was her own. Evi cracks the door further, blinking at the color on the walls. “Godverdoem.” It sure is... well... yellow. Extremely so. At least the main hallway is, though she leaves that with some haste after hearing a loud noise from upstairs. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t warned Lily about her arrival, and yet Evi repeatedly calls for the house’s current occupant as she scales the stairs. When she finds her, she raises a brow at the current state of affairs. Still, before she can address that, she has got to bring up the color of that hallway. Jerking a thumb back in the direction from whence she came, she tilts her head. “So, your favorite color’s clearly blue.” A sarcastic asshole until the day she dies. Hopefully they’ll inscribe that on her gravestone. If she gets one. “Now, what is it that you’re so skittish about? You can’t tell me that you, noble fae councilwoman, are scared of a plant. Don’t you have magic where you come from? This shouldn’t be anything new.”

[concordantknight-blog]

@bileblooded

One would not think an angel would have much reason to prepare tea.

The task itself requires delicate concentration and precise movements, made even more difficult when performed by a being whose entire body is built to be a weapon. And the resulting drink has no practical use to her - even if she had a metabolism with which to process it and a tongue with which to taste it, the tea would still turn to ashes in her ever-burning mouth.

But it is so easy, as a near-immortal, to lose sight of the small lives of humans, to think oneself above their daily struggles and pleasures. Making tea grounds her in the simple moments she fights every day to preserve.

She inhales the steam coming off of her freshly-poured cup, and lets the heady aromas waft through her body.

When she opens her eyes again, there is a human standing in the doorway. White Chain smiles at her, and lifts her cup invitingly. “Hello,” she says. “Would you like to join me?“

[locuscaeruleus-blog]

@bileblooded​ 

They can’t avoid the Sea of Crises forever, however much Eddie would like to try. However long he procrastinates, bothering the locals of Tranquility or Nectar and putting together a half-assed dossier on everything that’s going on, they do have to sleep eventually.

Confronting other people’s problems is easy, and he’s never shied away from causing a mess. But when it’s his own problems, his own anxieties, it’s another thing entirely.

And Venom’s anxieties are, on a practical level, his anxieties-- echoes and reactions to the animal paranoia Venom feels in their new home, snowballed into reflexive avoidance on his part, like he can just pretend the problem isn’t there. They can just sleep on the beach or something, like they broke into some B-list asshole’s private piece of Santa Monica.

It’s actually Venom who tells him to chill the fuck out, although not in so many words: if they don’t figure out what is going on in Crises, Venom reasons, then there is no way to defend against it. No way to eliminate the threat. Eddie can’t argue with that, however much he’d like to.

So.

They’ve made it as far as the lobby.

The place feels like a cartoon haunted mansion. Like Scooby-Doo or Morticia Addams are about to come around the corner at any second. So Eddie can’t put together why it feels like there’s something just behind them, spitting and baring its teeth. He’s been standing here for twenty minutes, pacing, letting Venom walk them around in circles like a dog trying to catch a scent. Nothing.

Their reverie breaks before it gets too far away from them: there’s someone else here.

Eddie doesn’t know how Venom knows these things, but he can feel the shape of the knowledge in their shared consciousness, even if he can’t see out of the back of his head or feel the micro-vibrations of footsteps or whatever the hell Venom does. Whoever it is, she’s stepping through the front door to the lobby, on the other side of the room from where Eddie finds himself suddenly trying to get it together.

(You look crazy, Eddie.)

(Oh, yeah? Wonder why that could be. Might have something to do with the alien red-alert you’ve been--)

(Act normal. Say hi.) 

“Oh, hey,” Eddie says, with a sheepish half-smile that says sorry to bother you, do you have change for a dollar? “Do you live around here? I’m new, I’m just trying to, you know. Get my bearings. 

[seriswyn]

who: @lilyliux where: Haven when: early in the Troupe 3: liberation plot drop notes: let me know if this works for you!

Organizing such a widespread effort across all of Haven was no small endeavor, and for the sake of looking out for all of its occupants and preparing for the days to come there were important details to organize. Many volunteers had spent their time gaining as accurate a log of names of those who would stay and names of those who would evacuate as possible. It was important to know the headcount of those who would fight to ration resources, ensure arms were available, and organize factions. It was also significant to know who was fleeing, and where to. Seriswyn silently wondered how the numbers of Haven’s members and associates would be impacted when all was said and done.

For now, she was organizing supplies into medical field kits. It was simple work, but simple work was what was called for after a long day of scouting and riding. It was mindless work, which she appreciated after hours of council with the creatures of the wildlands, surprisingly worthy informants on the movements of the Kossith. But perhaps Seris was a touch too tired, moving out of rote muscle memory as she packed small healing potions into the kit. As she reached out to pack another smallville into a burlap sack, her hand fumbled against the hand of the woman working next to her, and the vial shattered on the floor. “That was my fault, I’m sorry,” she mumbled quietly, cursing herself internally for wasting a resource at a time like this. “If any trouble comes from the waste, I’ll take accountability for it.”

[candlestickculler-blog]

@bileblooded

Stepping out of the building, Shokudaikiri has to cover his one eye in face of blinding sunlight. He takes a few moments for his eyesight to adjust, then looks around. He seems to be just above the surface a tropical ocean, looking like it was ripped straight from a cheesy postcard. Wish You Were Here. There's a rainbow in the sky, miraculously bright despite the lack of any rain clouds. The building he's awoken in is entirely underwater, connected to the land by a long pier.

He makes his way to the beach. There are a few people around, most of them talking to each other or busy with something. There are also — to his surprise — colourful birds, walking on land like people, and apparently chatting with humans. He's going to need to investigate that at some point, but first he needs to work out where exactly he is and how he got there.

A young woman is sitting in a beach chair, reading a book. Shokudaikiri walks up to her. "Hello," he says. "I apologise for interrupting, but I've just woken up here and I'm rather confused. Would you mind telling me where we are? And, please forgive me this question, but what year is this?"

[jamesxpotterxprongs]

Dropped Thread - Lily 01 - Big Day

19 June, 1978.

For the week leading up to graduation, James had been kind of scarce. It wasn't that he was trying to avoid Lily, necessarily; he just didn't want to be acting too weird around her. It would be a dead giveaway that he was up to something, and he could never be too careful around her. She was too intelligent not to guess at it.

So it was a bit of a surprise when he surfaced bright and early from his room on graduation morning. He'd been spending most nights that week in his old dorm with the guys, trying not to make lame excuses about why he was disappearing so often. Now, he seemed almost normal, though. There was no skittish behavior or stupid remarks when he stepped into their shared common room, dressed in khakis and a maroon button up shirt.

"Does this look okay for graduation?" He asked, his voice oddly steady despite what he had up his sleeve. "Under my robes, or whatever?" The only thing that may have tipped her off about his behavior was that he was actually awake, showered, and dressed, and it wasn't even time for breakfast yet.

Lily had seen little of James the past week but she wasn't too worried about it.  With graduation just around the corner, Lily was either buried beneath her books studying for the NEWTS or she was spending what little time remained with her friends.  She knew it wasn't like she wouldn't see them once they all graduated, but it wouldn't be the same.  It wouldn't be carefree and pointless, spur of the moment and easy.  She'd even thought it a brilliant idea that James was spending most of the week in the Tower dorms and she followed suit, resulting in a week of midnight chats with Marlene and Mary and the rest of the girls.  

She'd stayed the night before graduation in the tower but she'd woken with the sun and snuck out early, making her way back to her own dorm and common room to get ready.  She'd emerged into the common room only moments before James, and her eyebrows rose in surprise when he joined her as she was making tea.  

"It looks perfect," she answered as a grin crossed her lips, "But you do know graduation isn't for at least another couple hours," she teased.  "You're missing out on valuable minutes of sleep!"

James smiled at her teasing and stepped up behind her to slip his arms around her waist. "I aaammm," he groaned as he set his chin on her shoulder. "My life is so difficult, you know? Maybe you should just come join me in bed."

If there was anything that would set his nerves at ease, he had a feeling that would be it. But he also wasn't thinking she'd go for it considering their last breakfast in the castle was coming up. There were probably people she wanted to see, and he wanted to see his friends as well, but he really needed to chill out before he did so.

"Are you not wearing your graduation clothes all morning, then? I packed everything else up, I think."

Her smile grew as his arms wrapped around her waist, she moved without thinking and pressed back against him.  She loved when he did that, loved feeling his arms around her and the easy way they fit together.  She chuckled as his complaining and twisted in his arms so she was facing him, wrapping her own arms around his neck.  "You poor thing," she said, kissing his nose.  "And get you all unready?  I think not.  You'll just have to wait."

Not that she wasn't tempted, mind you.  As much as she'd liked spending the last week with the girls, she missed James lying next to her in bed, missed his arms around her and the feel of his skin against her own.  She'd become far too accustomed to it in the past months and it had taken a day or two to get used to sleeping without him again.  

She disentangled herself from his arms partly to keep temptation at bay and partly because the water was boiling for the tea.  A look of shock and awe crossed her face at his words.  "Ready for the day and packed already?  Alright.  Who are you and what have you done with my James?"

"I can get myself unready if it'd make you feel any better," he grinned at her when she turned around. His heart was beating unnaturally fast as he took her in. He felt no different about her today than he did at the beginning of the year when he'd realized he was actually in love with her. It was fitting that today was the day he'd chosen to propose.

That'd been half the reason, if not more so, that he'd stayed with the guys all week. They'd mostly been trying to convince him that his proposal was perfect despite his insistence that it was too much and he probably needed to scale it back. But no, this was him. Hopefully she'd love it.

He was a little relieved when she pulled back slightly, if only because he hoped it would help him disguise his pounding heart a little more. "I've been hanging out with Remus nonstop for seven years," he pointed out. "Some of his organizational skills were bound to rub off eventually."

She laughed but shook her head, unswayed by his argument.  "No one is getting unready.  My hair is perfect and you are actually aiming to be on time.  Much as I love your bed, I've already bid it farewell."  And furthermore, she thought to herself, she'd be useless at convincing him to get out of it once they were there.  Someone would have to drag her out first.  

Lily wasn't one for goodbyes and she'd much rather spend the morning in James' arms than going through a final day of 'lasts' in the place she'd called home for seven years.  She'd managed so far to keep the morseness at bay but she knew that if she had the place to hide, she'd hide all day.  And that was unacceptable.  

"Mmhmm," she said with a roll of her eyes at his explanation as she poured tea for herself and coffee for him.  "Funny how it took until the very last day in school for those skills to make an appearance," she said as she handed him his mug.  "Careful now, or I'll start expecting organization and promptness on a regular basis from you."

"That's okay, I suppose," he gave a drawn out sigh. "My bed at home is far more comfortable, anyway. We'll be better off with that one," he teased and kissed her on the cheek.

He accepted the mug when she handed it over with a soft thanks. "Well, do so at your own risk. I'm a lost cause," he grinned. "So, do you have your speech all planned out?" Apparently, the Head Boy and Head Girl were supposed to give quick remarks to the rest of their class during the ceremony. James was growing increasingly terrified as the minutes to his speech counted down.

She smirked at his sigh.  "At least one of us has a comfortable bed, then," she said.  "You've seen mine.  It's tiny and awful and you'd never fit comfortable in it."  The last time he'd been at her house had been the night of her sister's wedding and fitting them both in the bed had been the last thing on her mind.  

She nodded in answer to his question.  "I do.  No thanks to Marlene who tried to rewrite the entire thing last night," she explained with a grin.  "She said it was too sentimental.  She forgets that what she lacks in heart I make up for in spades."  Of the two of them, Lily was the sentimental one without a doubt, though Lily knew the reason Marlene disliked the sentiment in her speech was more because she didn't want to admit she was sad to go and not because she didn't care.  "What about you?  Are you all ready?"

“Love, I don’t think I’d fit at all in your bed,” James teased. “That’s why I insisted on the floor.” He wasn’t sure she’d even remembered that, though, as preoccupied as she had been about attending Petunia’s wedding. He thought it had gone well, all things considered. At least her parents liked him.

“She tried to rewrite it?” He snorted before taking a sip of the coffee she’d made for him. “That’s mental.” Although that did suit Marlene, didn’t it? “I’m sure it’s going to be brilliant, Lil. Don’t even listen to her.”

He almost choked on his drink when she asked if his speech was ready. Was it ever. He’d been planning it for ages now, obsessing over every word until he’d memorized the entire thing. There was no way he was about to read this off a sheet of paper. He coughed and set his mug aside before nodded. “Y-yeah,” he said in a desperate attempt to act like nothing had ever happened. He was completely chill. One hundred percent. “Yeah, mine’s ready. It’ll be great.” Or it would fail horribly. He wasn’t sure yet.

“Of course she did,” she said with a laugh.  “Luckily for me I charmed the cards so I wouldn’t spill anything on them or something.  She couldn’t erase what I’d written,” she added.  She’d only caught on to Marlene trying to change it thanks to the string of curses the blonde had been uttering when she couldn’t undo Lily’s charms.  

She raised an eyebrow when he coughed but as he went on she chalked it up to just swallowing the wrong way.  “I’m sure it’s going to be great,” she agreed with a wide smile.  A year ago she may not have been one hundred percent sold on the idea of James Potter as head boy but she had learned over the year that he had been perfect for the job.  And she couldn’t think of anyone better say something to their classmates at graduation.  “Can I get a sneak peek?” she asked with a mischievous grin.  “Just so I know what I’m up against, of course.”

He couldn’t help but smile when she mentioned her cards. It was just like her to be so prepared and he adored her for it. Come to think of it, there was little he wouldn’t adore her for today.

“What? No, you can’t have a sneak peek,” he insisted at once, his voice a little more stern than he meant it to be. “I mean, you’re out of luck, love,” he corrected with as easy a smile as he could manage. “I didn’t write it down. I’ve got it all up here,” he tapped his temple. “And it doesn’t matter what you’re up against, because you’re going first.” He took her by the shoulders and insisted, “It’s really important that you go first, yeah? Don’t try to change things up. No pranks today. I really need to go last.”

His insistence took her back a bit but she put her free hand up as if in surrender and laughed lightly.  “Okay okay, no sneak peek,” she agreed, wrapping her hands around her warm mug again.  Not that she needed the heat, it was June and the muggy heat of summer was wafting through the castle.  “Where it’s safe?” she couldn’t help but tease when he said his whole speech was ‘up here.’

And there he went being insistent again, hands on her shoulders, and she couldn’t help but furrow her brows a bit.  “I think you’re mistaking me for yourself,” she said, raising her hands to cover his on her shoulders.  “Pranks are your line of work, yeah?”  She gave him one more thoughtful look, wondering what was up, before she nodded.  “Okay.  You go last.”

James relaxed when she relented on the sneak peek. This was exactly why he hadn’t been around this past week. He knew if he was around her for too long, he was going to ruin the entire surprise. The whole thing seemed so crazy already. “Yes,” he chuckled, the sound a little forced. “Where it’s safe. Where Marlene can’t change it,” he joked.

He smiled at her when she set her hands on top of his. It was insane to think that today was just the first in a long line of days where he’d be able to start his mornings with her --assuming she said yes, of course. But as the guys had been trying to reassure him all week, she would say yes. She loved him and he’d known for a while now that he loved her. It was going to be perfect. “I will go last,” he nodded. “Thank you, love.”

Her smile grew to match his as he repeated her words, twisting her fingers to lace with his as she pulled his hands from her shoulders.  “You’re welcome,” she said sweetly, lifting herself onto her toes so she could press a kiss to his lips lightly.  “It’s probably better that way anyway.  You know me, sentimental and all.  It’s best to just get it all out of the way,” she joked lightly as she pulled away.  

“We should probably head down to breakfast soon,” she said, unwilling to let his hands go just yet.  Her smile took on a bit of a sad edge, not that she was sad but more in expectation of the nostalgia that would come with the beginning of the day.  “Get a move on with the first of all the lasts, today.”  She wrinkled her nose at that.  “Can we just - skip to tomorrow.  Bypass all the weepy bits?”

“Yeah. Sentiment. Yuck,” he teased, although he was fairly certain his was going to be sentimental, too. Hopefully, he wasn’t going to cry during it. That would just be embarrassing. “Oh, Dad’s coming too, by the way. He’s probably going to want to see you and embarrass me in front of you after. Or before. And always, for the rest of my life,” he wrinkled his nose playfully.

Her suggestion made him chuckle. Part of him really did want to skip to tomorrow. At least by then, he’d know. “I don’t think you’d want that, love,” he chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. He stood up and held his hands out for her again to help her up. “Come on. Might as well get this over with.”

Her smile widened as he mentioned his father, in direct response to the way he wrinkled his nose as he did so.  “I love seeing your dad,” she said with excitement.  “And embarrassing you is my favorite pastime.  I can’t wait.”  Ever since King’s Cross at the beginning of the year, and visiting with James over the holidays, Charlus Potter had quickly become one of Lily’s favorite people.  

“Why nooooot?” she all but whined, pouting even as he kissed her cheek and taking his hands.  She let him pull her to her feet but kept the momentum going, wrapping her arms around his neck.  “Promise not to make fun of me if I cry,” she said as she looked up at him, serious for a moment.  “Because I know me and there is a very good chance I might cry.”

“Ugh, I know it’s your favorite pastime,” he pouted over at her. “You’re all so mean to me, you know that? Downright rude,” he huffed. “My ego is bruised now. I think you need to kiss me better,” he gave a cheeky grin.

He wasn’t about to let her go, so he was glad when she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well hi there,” he grinned and gave her a kiss before she could give him one, anyway. “I won’t make fun of you if you don’t make fun of me. Because I’m either going to cry or be belligerent during mine. There’s really no in between.”

His speech didn’t exactly consist of much advice to the graduating class. Why bother giving a mini sermon to a bunch of people who were about to start killing each other? Nope, he was going to make this a happy day, hopefully.

Her smile remained, though it softened in exaggerated sympathy at his pout.  “Your ego could use some bruising every once in a while, my love,” she teased gently.  Nonetheless she leaned over and pressed a kiss against his cheek.  

She kissed him back, glad when he wrapped his arms around her.  “Deal.  But you’re speech is going to be great.  I say with complete confidence, even if you won’t let me hear any of it in advance,” she needled, letting herself grin again.  She kissed him once more before she pulled back, letting her hands slide down his arms to lace her fingers with his.  

“Come on, we should go before we miss breakfast. It’s going to be a long day.”  And she was sure if they stayed wrapped up in one another here any longer, she’d lose any desire to leave.  

James was absolutely not going to let her hear any of it. He still didn’t know if he was going to go through with his plan during the ceremony or not. Luckily, he’d prepared a backup just in case. “Whatever you say, love,” he chuckled and headed down to the Great Hall with her.

[later]

The only time James had separated himself from Lily that day was to meet with the guys right before the ceremony started. He left her with her friends and promised he’d be right back before slipping down the corridor and out of sight as previously planned, so she wouldn’t see the ring being exchanged from Sirius to James. He only hung out with them long enough for a quick pep talk and returned to her with a far more nervous grin than he’d had before, his hands shoved into his pockets. He had the ring. It was real now. He was going to propose.

“Let’s get this show on the road, yeah?” He asked when he joined her again and swooped in to give her a light kiss on the cheek. “Big day.”

Nostalgia overtook Lily for the majority of the day.   From breakfast on, she was awash in the fact that this was the last time she would do most anything in the walls of this school.  The school she’d called home for seven years.  The school that had given her her a sister to replace the one she’d lost, best friends she would love and count on her entire life, and a man she loved more than she ever believed she could.  There was more than just brick and stone she was leaving behind and she would cherish the memories she made there forever.  

She was pleased that through it all, James’ hand was securely in hers.  He only left her side for a moment and she smiled wide when he came back, though she knew he needed time with just the boys.  She nodded at his words. lacing her fingers through his and squeezing lightly.  “Big day indeed,” she said she a bit of a nervous smile.  They began ushering students into the Great Hall and once everyone was seated, they took their places at the head of the room as Head Boy and Girl, waiting for the Headmaster to begin it all.

James was of little to no help in ushering the students into the Great Hall because everything he tried to say sounded like a jumble of multiple sentences. He couldn’t get the words straight in his head, which was terrible considering he was about to give a speech. He was relieved to take his seat on the platform that typically held the teachers’ dining table. He untangled his hand from Lily’s for a moment to wipe it on his robes before intertwining their fingers again.

It was hard to believe that seven years had passed since he’d sat in this same area and been declared a Gryffindor. The house division wasn’t supposed to be something that defined the lives of the students who passed through these halls, but it would be. There was no escaping the perceived roles in times of war. Gryffindors were meant to fight, from what he could tell. They were meant to be brave and to stand up for what they believed in, no matter the cost. They were meant to live, perhaps foolishly at times, but live nonetheless. He planned to, as fully as possible the second he stepped out of these halls. He never wanted to shy away from life because he was nervous about what it might bring, and that included starting his life with the woman sitting next to him.

Never in his wildest dreams had he truly imagined himself sitting here on graduation day with her hand in his. He never expected to reach a place where he was ready to propose and mostly convinced that she would say yes. And yet here he was, on one of the most important days of his life. He glanced around the room, locked eyes with Sirius, then with his father, then turned slightly to smile over at Lily. This was it.

Lily smiled over at James as he wiped his hand on his robes, recognizing the nervous habit and squeezing his hand once he placed it back in her own.  Not many would notice his nerves, but Lily knew him well.  She felt her own nerves as well and was sure he could tell.  By now they could read one another like books, almost as well as Sirius might read him or Marlene might know her.  Her thumb moved mindlessly along the skin of his hand as the ceremony went on, her focus on McGonagall and Dumbledore and all the proceedings, only slightly distracted by the fact that she was actually about to give a speech in front of the entire school at her actual graduation.

When it came time for her and James to speak, she realized that at some point her hand had begun to shake.  She smiled nervously at James, squeezing his hand again as she pulled hers from it and made her way to the podium at the front of the platform.  For a moment she looked out over the sea of faces, finding those of her friends and smiling when she did, before taking a breath to steady herself and beginning.  

“Today is the last day of this chapter of our lives,” she began.  "Within these walls we have experimented, toyed with, and tried a million different versions of the people we want to be.  We have all changed and grown and learned about ourselves that we never dreamed we would.“  

"The world we enter now is different.  Not just from the lives we’ve lived for the past seven years, but from the world those who graduated before us would recognize.”  The tone of her speech began to change and she could feel the rustling of the professors behind her as they tried to decide whether to let her continue.  The war was hardly ever spoken of in Hogwarts, and never so openly, but she would be lying if she spoke of bright futures and great hopes without also speaking of the darkness they would need to fight to have them.  "The easy lives and fulfilling careers we all hoped to have do not wait for us outside those doors.  Not yet, anyway.  It is time for us to become the people we have played at being, to grow into the selves we have spent seven years creating.  And to remember the things we learned here.   From Potions, that no potion will work if not every part is included, no matter how insignificant or inferior an ingredient may seem.  From History, that those who do not move forward and learn from the mistakes of the past will never prosper.  From Charms, that words are not simply words, but with the right or wrong intentions, have immeasurable power.  And that while we are all from different houses, we are all from one school.  The graduating class of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  A bond that will join all forever.“  She paused for a moment to let her words sink in before smiling at the students before her.  "Good luck to you all.”  

Applause filled the Great Hall as she went back to her seat, though Lily would have been lying to say she didn’t notice how much weaker the applause was from the Slytherin side of the room.   Likewise, she didn’t miss the proud though still stern look given to her by McGonagall as the older woman stood to thank her for her words and introduce James for his turn.

James couldn’t help but beam at her once she’d finished her speech. She was flawless, as ever. She gave a hundred percent with everything she did and he adored her for it. How could he doubt that asking her to marry him was the right thing to do?

He hopped up once he was introduced, hands stuck in the pockets of his robes. His right hand clung hard to his mother’s ring and his heart was pounding quicker than he thought it ever had before. Was it still beating at all? It was hard to tell.

“Before I get started, I have a couple of thank yous to give. Thanks first and foremost to Lil, for giving such a well planned speech that everything I say from here on out is going to sound like rubbish in comparison,” he teased and gave her a quick wink before looking out at the crowd. “Thanks to my friends, Remus and Peter, and the friends who have come to be more like family, Marley and Sirius.” Even if Sirius wasn’t at the ceremony, James had to imagine he’d be appalled if he wasn’t even mentioned. “Thanks of course to my parents,” he paused to swallow the lump in his throat, “for teaching me how to measure real worth.

“See, worth isn’t measure by the characteristics of the houses we were placed in.” He released the ring in his pocket and pulled his hands free of them as he paced the stage. Not here. Not now. This wasn’t meant to be a spectacle. He wasn’t going to use her to make a statement, not for something as important as this. “I don’t think I’ve ever encountered someone who isn’t brave, Gryffindor or otherwise. Bravery doesn’t showcase itself in the same way for every person but at some point or another, we are all going to have to make a choice to be brave. I don’t care if your idea of bravery is asking for a raise in whatever job you’re about to go get or diving headfirst into Auror work. If it scares you and you do it anyway, you’re brave.

“And it’s the same with Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. We are not defined by or limited to the characteristics of our houses. We are flawed, daring, lively people. Whatever you’re about to go out there and do, just live while you’re at it. Be human. Be flawed. Love. Hate. Because that’s what people do. And if you’re going to do something, you might as well give it all you’ve got. Otherwise, it’s not worth a damn thing.” Whoops. He’d almost made it through without cussing. That’s what he got for making up his speech on the fly.

“So no matter what we’re about to face, go face it. And do it with the knowledge that your worth is not the words that have defined you over the past few years, but in the way you choose to act for the rest of your lives. Let’s go out there and be a generation that changes things for the better. Let’s live.”

He sat back down with nothing more than that and wiped his hands on his robes again. Later. There would be time later.

[ Dropped thread ]