I feel like jily would see reader and both be like oh fuck and then decide to just adopt/bring them into the relationship. Like they sit by reader at meals, James butters both lily’s toast and readers, lily sits on the couch by reader in the common room and puts her head in their lap while snatching their essay out of their hand to proofread while James sits on the floor and lily mindlessly plays with his hair, they save reader a seat at the three broomsticks on hogsmeade days. And poor reader just thinks they’re friends, or maybe they decided they need a kid since they act so married/mom and dad. And one day Lily or James is like yea my partners and reader is like uh as in plural? And both James and Lily whip their heads around and are like yea moron us three???? What did you think was happening???
Thanks for requesting!
a/n: Please do not misconstrue my participation in the marauders fandom as support of JKR. If you’re new here and want to participate in the fandom, I encourage you to do so without participating in anything that would provide financial gain to her or her transphobic agendas
hogwarts uni au
poly!Jily x fem!reader ♡ 1k words
All three occupants of the table light up when you and Remus enter the Three Broomsticks.
“Move,” Lily tells Sirius promptly.
He scoffs, but happily vacates his seat next to James in favor of one on the other side of the table, where Remus can sit next to him. “Fuck off, Evans.”
James slides out of his chair and into the next. “Saved you a seat,” he says, smiling that megawatt smile that jellies your legs. He pulls out the newly empty chair between himself and Lily.
“Oh.” You falter only a moment at the fact that they’re not sitting together before taking it. “Thanks.”
“Is this new?” Lily touches the pompom of your hat. It’s the faintest brush of her fingers, and yet your face heats like a struck match. Her eyes find yours, fond. “You look very cute.”
“Thanks,” you say again, quieter.
She smiles. “What kept you two?”
“Transmutation paper,” Remus answers for you, collapsing into the chair next to Sirius’. Your lips tug fondly as you watch how Sirius curls into his side, Remus’ arm coming around the other boy’s shoulders almost unthinkingly. “Our professor’s got his pants in a twist about structure. Wants us to hit every point of the rubric in order.”
“Tyrant,” Sirius decides immediately.
“Same one who gave us a paper due during reading week, too.”
“Knew I hated him. We should spell his shoes into tar.”
“Do you want me to read it over for you?” Lily offers, while Remus and Sirius sidebar about how a shoe-to-tar spell might be achieved. “I can compare with the rubric if you’d like a fresh set of eyes.”
“You don’t have to,” you try, but Lily waves you off, beckoning for it.
“While you do that,” says James, standing, “I’ll go get drinks. Moony, what’ll you have?”
“Whiskey sour, please,” Remus replies. He’s taking out his own essay, newly paranoid that he’s missed a point.
“Yuck. And you want a cider, angel?”
You assume for a moment that James must mean Lily, but she already has a drink. He’s looking at you. You didn’t realize he knew your usual order.
“Yes, please,” you say.
James goes to the bar, while Lily leans closer to praise you for an apt transition between your thesis and first argument. Her shoulder bumps into yours, a warmth you can feel through the layers separating you. It’s innocuous. But you wonder if Lily would be so comfortable around you if she knew of your giant, shameful crush on both her and her boyfriend.
It’s hardly your first forbidden crush (you carried a torch for Remus for months after he and Sirius got together) but it’s definitely new for you to have a crush on two people who are in a relationship together. Because fate likes to laugh at you, James and Lily decided they’d like to be your closest friends right around the time you started having feelings for them both. You feel a bit accomplished for having gone undetected for so long. Lily is smart; you thought she’d clock your puppy eyes within a week of getting to know you better, but so far nothing has seemed to deter the couple from wanting to spend more time with you.
“This is good,” Lily says, still skimming the end of your paper. “I can’t imagine what your professor could fault you for. You’ve laid everything out perfectly.”
“Ooh, high praise,” James teases, setting down your cider in front of you. A short glass has appeared in front of Remus. James lays his arm across the back of your chair casually. “Give her a break from school, love.”
“Wait.” Remus sends Lily a sheepish look. “Will you read mine?”
James laughs. “I think both of my girls deserve a break.”
“Hear hear!” Sirius lifts his glass, while the words my girls are still echoing around in your head like a song that sticks. “Speaking of, Prongs, do you want to do something off-campus on Friday?”
“Not this Friday,” James replies unhesitatingly. “We have a date.”
You turn to him, a bit wounded. “This Friday?”
James’ eyebrows raise. “Yeah. Did you forget?”
“I just…I thought we were going to the cinema on Friday.”
“That’s what I meant.” He squeezes your shoulder, giving you a bemused smile. “So like I was telling Pads, we have plans Friday.”
“Oh, sorry.” You feel silly. “The word ‘date’ threw me.”
Lily looks up then, her brows bunched to James’ raised.
“...Why would that be?” James asks.
“Because…” you say slowly, hoping one of them will finish for you. When they don’t, you flounder. “Well, is it a date?”
“Of course it is,” James replies.
You reel.
“Oh, lovely.” Lily sounds a strange mix of fond and empathetic. “Did you not know we were asking you on a date? What do you think the other night at our apartment was?”
“Studying,” you say tightly.
James nods. “A study date.”
“Right, but—when you called it that, I didn’t take it for—you know, anything. Remus and I have study dates all the time.”
“You what?” Sirius rounds on his boyfriend, who is doing his best to appear as though he isn’t listening.
“What did you think was happening between us?” Lily asks you.
You look at her helplessly. “Friendship?” With the added flavor of one-sided, hopeless pining.
“Godric.” James runs a hand through his hair. When he breathes out, his lips twitch; it’s like he’s incurable. “Well, would you want to date? Since apparently we haven’t started yet.”
“How many dates do you think we’ve had?”
“Four, love.”
“Five,” Lily corrects him. “You’re forgetting the pond.”
“Right. Five.”
You gawp at them, replaying every hour you’ve spent alone together in your head. It did feel strange that they kept inviting you along to things. But you only thought you were their very special third wheel.
“I’d like to be on a date,” you say.
James’ grin splits his face, and Lily laughs breathlessly. “Great,” she says. “We can consider this our first.”
haiiii, can i request a burger? jily with “look, our swimsuits match!” ?? thank uuuu
yes ofc! i loveeee jily
jolie's summer kickoff
a 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫 fresh off the grill ⋮ aka a short blurb
contains: poly!jily x reader, suggestive content but nothing explicit, reader wears a (tiny) bikini
James is already buzzing with excitement when his alarm wakes him up, bright and early, before the sun has even had a chance to rise.
Today is going to be a scorcher, the first one of the season. And his first chance to get to the beach this summer. For far too many weekends in a row, either his busy schedule or the weather has gotten in the way of the beach day he’s longed for since there was still snow on the ground.
But the day has finally come, and he is determined to be the first to hit the sand. Which is why he’s awake at five in the morning, packing the car, making sandwiches for today's lunch, filling a cooler with ice and sodas and plenty of water, and letting his girlfriends sleep in as long as possible.
He wakes you and Lily up with loving kisses and hushed sweet nothings, coaxing you gently into consciousness with just enough time for you two to get ready before you have to leave. The two of you sleepily head to the bathroom to start getting ready in front of the big mirror.
James is double-checking that he packed both of your beach bags with everything you’ll need—your favorite pairs of sunglasses, big fluffy towels, the fancy face sunscreens, etc—when he hears the snap of your flip flops coming closer.
“My loves,” James calls from down the hall. “You ready? We’re sure to beat the lads there if we leave within the next 10 minutes. I’m sure Remus is fighting to get Sirius out of bed as we speak.”
“Look, Jamie,” he hears your beautiful voice from behind him. “Our swimsuits match.”
James’ breath hitches in his throat when he turns around. You and Lily are wearing nearly identical string bikinis (ones that don’t leave much to the imagination, he notes). The only difference is that your pair is pink with white strings, and hers is white with pink strings.
“Do you like them?” Lily asks, her tone borderline seductive, and James finally picks his jaw up off the floor.
“You two are breathtaking,” he says, and you know he means it, because he sure does sound like he needs some air. His large hands find a spot on each of your waists, eyes still glued to your figures.
“They’re new,” Lily tells him, her smirk evident in her tone.
“Yeah, I know, because I definitely would have remembered if I’d seen them before.”
You spin around, swiping your hair out of the way as you say, “I tied mine too tight around my neck, though, could you redo it?”
“Uh-huh,” James replies, his voice slightly pitched as he tugs the string loose, looking over your shoulder, his eyes glued to the way you hold the bikini over your chest as it comes undone.
Lily is questioning him about how he’s packed for the beach, making sure he’s checked everything off the list. Not because she thinks he would’ve missed anything, but more so because of how amused she is by James’ absentminded nodding an humming to whatever she says, completely distracted by the way your ass looks in your swimsuit.
Lily doesn’t blame him—you look divine. She told you so as soon as you put the bikini on. A compliment which you returned, of course, right before she propped you on the bathroom sink and made out with you for a couple of minutes.
“You should hurry up, yeah? Don’t want to be late?” Lily asks, nodding at James’ idle hands while dragging a hand down his bicep.
“Yeah…” James murmurs, not seeming to be in any rush to tie your swimsuit back in place. Instead, he lets the strings fall from his fingertips, arms closing around your middle as he hugs you tightly from behind, dropping his face to the crook of your neck.
Needless to say, the three of you showed up at the beach much later than intended. And you and Lily somehow ended up swapping bikini tops.
Sirius and Remus end up beating you guys there by fifteen minutes. And James gets to listen to them ridicule him for it all day because he made such a big deal about getting there early.
Do you think you’d ever be interested in doing a poly!jily x reader fic? I love your work and think you could come up with a lot of fun things with it. Like maybe where lily is acting how James did with her but towards the reader and James is ever so amused with it
this was such a cute prompt! thanks for your patience as I waited for the right idea for it! xx
poly!Jily x fem!reader who is the latest victim of Potter level affections [884 words]
CW: fluff, reader is maybe a little feisty? but we love her for it
“What in Merlin’s name?” Sirius whispered in disbelief as he approached Lily and James in the library; the table they were currently occupying was nearly overflowing with pink poster board, glitter, and an array of charmed flowers clearly pilfered from the greenhouses.
“What are you two up to now?” Remus asked as he cautiously pulled a chair that was free of ribbon and lace.
“Preparing for my N.E.W.T’s, can’t you tell?” Lily retorted, the small quirk of her lips was the only proof Remus got that her words were in jest before her tongue stuck out between her teeth again as she tried to tie a difficult bow.
“Jamie, can I borrow your finger, please?” She asked around an exasperated sigh; James appeared all too eager and willing to oblige.
“It’d be my honour, m’lady.” He offered with a saccharine smile.
Lily shook her head at him but smiled nonetheless as she completed her bow.
“Right, so, back to my earlier sentiments; what in the buggering fuck is going on here?” Sirius spat, not nearly as careful as Remus had been as he dumped various craft supplies onto the ground to free up a chair for himself.
“Yeah, who are you trying to woo now, Prongs?” Remus taunted, earning him a snort and a head shake from James who never removed his lovesick gaze from Lily.
“This is all her.”
“Evans!?” Sirius beseeched. “Who are you trying to woo!?”
“We’re both” Lily corrected as she offered James a half-hearted glare “pursuing Y/N.”
“Y/N? Didn’t an owl deliver her a box of chocolates just yesterday?” Remus asked.
“Those were from us.” Lily replied, her focus steady on the craft in front of her.
“And a bouquet of flowers the day before that?”
“Yup.”
“And the howler that simply played ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me?”
“What is your point, Sirius?” Lily harrumphed as she stepped back to admire her creation.
A mischievous look took over Sirius’ face that Lily didn’t notice on account of her attention being solely dedicated on her current task of wooing you, but had Remus bracing for impact.
“Say, Prongsie, what was the first box of chocolates you sent to Evans in your attempts to pursue her?”
“The toffee flavoured truffles that I saw her eyeing at Honeydukes!” He responded quickly, and Remus watched as Lily’s brows furrowed.
“Right, and how many bouquets of lilies did you send her?”
“Forty-two.”
“Uh huh.” Sirius drawled. “And, remind me, what song did you send Lily via howler?”
“Lay All Your Love on Me!”
“And tell me, Evans, where’d you get all this?” He asked as he pulled a string of lacy ribbon between his fingers only for Lily to rip it away from him.
“From James’ trunk. Stop touching it!”
“Oh gods, you’re just as bad as he was!” Sirius cackled, and Lily turned to look at James who was simply smiling at her.
“I…I am not as bad as he was. I- …he was such a toerag!”
Sirius snorted. “Then that makes you a toerag-ess.”
Lily looked like she was reaching for her wand to hex Sirius for his shite, but James grabbed her wrist and brought her knuckles to his lips for a kiss before she could manage to. “Don’t worry, Lils. You came around eventually.”
“Six years later.” Remus chuckled under his breath, though he immediately regretted it when Lily’s horrified face whipped towards him.
“Six years later!? It took me six years!?” She nearly shrilled. “We don’t have six years! We have months!”
“No one can deny you, my beautiful Lily flower.” James cooed as he rubbed his thumb over Lily’s knuckles.
It looked like his attempt at placation had almost worked before Lily noticed you walking by.
“Wait! Y/N!” She shouted, nearly tripping over various ribbons and boxes of craft supplies as she hurried after you. “Did you get the chocolates we sent you yesterday!?”
“You guys are so hopeless.” Sirius muttered, earning him a small chuckle from James, though he never got a chance to respond.
“Potter!” You hissed as Lily forcibly led you towards their table with her arm around your shoulder. “This goes against every feminist urge in my body, but would you control your woman!?”
James simply rested his chin on his hand as he gazed at the two of you. “I wouldn’t dream of it, angel.”
Realisation seemed to dawn on you as a group of fifth years walked past whispering “oh Merlin. It’s happening again.”
“You’re kidding me.” You deadpanned as Lily smiled and pressed her nose into your cheek.
“There’s nothing funny about our feelings for you.” James responded earnestly.
“Well,” Sirius cut in, “it’s kind of funny.” He countered, nodding his head towards the table that looked as though cupid himself had thrown up on it.
“Oh, like you haven’t sent Lupin a howler or two of your own, Black.” You sneered, causing Remus to choke on the sip of water he’d been taking and Sirius to gawk at you in surprise.
“Where do you find these birds, James?!”
James simply let out a dreamy sigh as he beamed at you. “Heaven.”
And by Lily’s effervescent smile pointed directly at the side of your face, Remus could tell she more than agreed with that sentiment.
summary: During rehearsal, the choreography isn’t exactly the only thing Lily and James are struggling to focus on. And it isn’t the routine that leaves them breathless, it's you.
tags: fem!reader. dancer!reader. fame au. lily is a famous pop star, james is her dancer, too. tons of slowburn and yearning.
a/n: my first poly!jily fic!!! everyone cheered!!!!! this was sooo fun to write. i love slowburn not sure if it was obvious hehe. as always, likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated. enjoy!! xx
…
Lily doesn’t particularly consider herself an irreverent person, especially when it comes to her career. God knows she fought tooth and nail to get to the place she is today, the milestones and awards she’s won that are currently displayed in her living room are enough proof of that.
And yet. The more glimpses she catches of you and James in the mirror, the more she’s beginning to think that she is, indeed, at least a little ridiculous. And, if she’s being honest, a lot jealous.
The thing is, she’s not sure of who.
“No, no–stop!” Sirius claps, moving his arms as he walks to the middle of the training room. The music stops. “You missed the count again, Lils.”
Her eyes, very unconsciously, move to the reflection, where you’re extricating yourself from James’s sticky hold as the music halts mid routine. When she meets your eyes through the mirror, she has to look away before everyone realizes her flushed cheeks are not a result of intense dancing.
She sighs. “I know,” a hand presents her with a brand new water bottle. “I’m sorry.”
James steps to her, sweaty hands finding her hips in a well practiced routine. His warm, brown eyes searching for hers as she takes careful sips at her water.
“Everything okay in that head of yours, lovie?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s quite alright,” he breathes out, smiling all soft and understanding despite having been all handsy with you moments ago.
Lily blinks, wondering if he’s also flushed because of the routine or… other reasons. She finds herself feeling a little better at the thought. That maybe her boyfriend is similarly harboring complicated feelings when it comes to you.
Once again, very unconsciously, she finds her eyes moving to a spot behind James’ shoulder. Noticing you running the routine with Marlene while the entire crew waits for Lily to get her act together.
There’s an unpleasant churning in her stomach when she notices Marlene’s hand lingering a beat longer in your body, marking what would be James’ part to help you practice your own part of the choreography. When she blinks to answer his question, the unpleasant churn turns into a completely different feeling when she notices the downturned tilt of his lips, his brown eyes watching you with Marlene as well.
“… we can do another number?”
“Hm?”
Sirius sighs again. “I just asked if you’d want to try another number, to clear your head?”
“No, I’m alright,” Lily shakes her head, a tad too quickly. “Sorry, it’s just… you know, the tour and promo. Bit stressed, s’all.”
“Well, do you at least want a break? Wouldn’t want you getting hurt over some ogling.” Sirius says, like it’s the most topic between them.
Lily’s eyes flare. “Sirius.”
“What?”
James’ fingers dig softly into the exposed skin of her hip, reassuring for all intent and purposes despite looking like possessiveness to the untrained eyes.
“I think I’ll take that break offer.”
A few murmurs echo around the room as the crew disperses to make the most of their break. Lily can’t help it, she finds your silhouette through the mirror again, watching as you crouch down to take your own water bottle. Every move you do is collected and composed, sweaty skin glistening with the harsh fluorescent lights of the training room.
When you meet her gaze, her heart absurdly skips a beat when you reward her with one of your lovely reassuring smiles. Same one you’d send her when she’d miss her mark mid rehearsal or accidentally drop her microphone when you’d get a tad too close to her. Always reassuring her, even if your own routine is disrupted by her distracted mistakes.
Your attention is quickly pulled away from Lily–to her utter and confusing displeasure–by none other than Marlene, who sits next to you with a smile that rivals the sun. You animatedly talk to her like you’re not causing a sudden disruption in both Lily and James’ lives.
A quiet sound interrupts her own spiraling when Marlene puts her hand over your arm, looking friendly for all intents and purposes, but Lily and James have already juggled with enough jealousy to really tell. James has moved to stand by her side again, following her gaze as you seemingly welcome your coworker’s flirty advances.
“I thought she was seeing Dorcas?” James asks quietly, leaning closer so only Lily can hear. “Reckon they’re also looking for a third?”
Also.
Lily frowns, forcing herself to look away from you and Marlene to meet her boyfriend’s eyes. They’re warm and knowing, glistening with the hesitation of his words, the weight of his question.
She swallows, studying his face for any indication that he could be joking–but James’ face, handsome and mischievous as always, only remains serious as he studies her in return. Both gauging each other’s reactions.
“Why didn't you tell me?” she whispers, letting James pull her by the waist to the benches. His intentions for privacy are clear by the way no one from her team steps in to talk to her. “I thought… I thought you were just jealous.”
James laughs. “I was,” his hands find her face, thumb sweeping the baby hairs sticking to her forehead by sweat. “It took me a while to realize I didn’t know who I was jealous of, though.”
Lily hums conspiratorially. “The routine is definitely not helping, isn’t it?”
“It’s killing me,” she can’t help it, she laughs. And James’ face breaks into a grin at the sound. “Now why are you acting all mighty and superior? Don’t think I didn’t notice your little sad eyes a while ago.”
That shuts her up real quick.
“James.”
“Yeah?”
“Be serious for a second,” his lips quirk slightly, mischief passing over his eyes with anticipation for his overused joke. Lily is quick to react, braceleting his wrist. “Please tell me I’m not the only one… feeling like this.”
“Oh, lovie.” he sighs, all the playfulness leaves his face. His thumb finds her lower lip, releasing it from her teeth’s vicious chewing. “No, you’re not. These past weeks have been torture for me as well.”
A beat.
The past weeks have been nothing but rehearsals between you and Lily, practicing her rather suggestive number with one of her main dancers. As in you.
Her lips part to their own accord, a wave of shock and relief washing over her features as she ponders on his words, and her own whispered confession.
“Enough!”
They both whip their heads, finding the source of the voice immediately. Your giggles are magnetic enough and music to their ears.
But their shared fondness for your unadulterated laughter and lovely smile is short, quickly transforming into something less joyful at the way Marlene is poking at your ribs, her own smile barely contained as she watches you squirm to put distance between her bony fingers and your skin.
Jealousy washes over them as quickly as it left.
“My fault?!” you ask, shocked, but your smile is blinding as you push yourself up from the floor. “You hit me first!”
They scramble as you walk to them, or–well, the refreshments table that is coincidentally next to their bench. James’ hands move from Lily’s cheeks to intertwine their fingers together, squeezing in anticipation as you walk up to them.
When you notice them looking at you, they have half a second to school their expressions.
“I’m really sorry,” you say, hurriedly taking a fistful of napkins. “I’ll make her clean it, don’t worry.”
Lily frowns. “What for?”
“Clean what?” James asks simultaneously.
You pause your hurried fetch for napkins to look at them, arching an eyebrow in apparent confusion, but when your eyes catch their intertwined fingers, Lily swears she sees something passing over your face. You blink before she can pinpoint it.
“The spilled water…” your voice tilts in a question, thumb pointing behind your shoulder. Though your eyes remain on them. Lily wishes you weren’t so keen on eye contact. “Are you feeling better?”
She raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Me?”
James looks away, failing to bite back a laugh at Lily’s embarrassingly obvious bafflement at your full attention on them.
Your smile turns bemused at this. “That answers my question, then.” you press one of the napkins to your neck, evidently cleaning the sweat still clinging to your skin. They swallow simultaneously, their eyes following your movements in a trance. “Can’t really blame you, Sirius overshot it with the new choreo.”
“Very in character, isn’t it?” James asks, tilting his head in what he thinks is flirty mannerism. Lily’s fingers twitch. “Didn’t seem to me like you struggled to pick up on it, though.”
Lily sends you what she hopes is her award winning smile. “Well, of course, she’s one of the main dancers for a reason.”
“The better one, if we’re being honest.” James adds indulgently.
“Careful now, flattery like that could get you in trouble, Potter.” you smile, eyes pointedly flickering between them.
Lily flushes, but James’ grin gets impossibly wider.
“Oh, I can only be so lucky, right, lovie?” he says salaciously, throwing an arm around Lily.
“Wouldn’t be the worst plan, really.” she answers, turning to meet your eyes. She arches an eyebrow.
You pause, trying and failing to school your face and the evident blush creeping up your cheeks. Whatever you’re thinking is overshadowed when Marlene calls you over in a hurry, failing to properly clean the spilled water.
As you part your lips to speak, their hearts pick up their erratic rhythm in anticipation. But you’re cut off almost immediately.
“Well?” Marlene calls out again, voice dropping to a mischievous cadence as you snap out of your head. “Are you going to stay there flirting or will you help me clean your bloody mess?”
Truly, it could not get better the way you scramble to make a beeline to your taunting friend, shoving the napkins in her hand. She mutters something that causes the blush to creep down all the way to your neck, and the strength in which you shove her has both of you breaking into conspiratorial laughter. Mostly Marlene, yours sounds a tad embarrassed.
Your eyes cut a quick glance at them.
Sirius claps again, arms spread to call everyone to attention. “Alright, then, let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?”
There’s a diaspora of muttering as everyone walks to their places. Lily swallows nervously, acutely aware of all the eyes on her as the dancers and band wait for her to get to her place. Though she is quite used to the lingering gazes over her wherever she goes, there’s something oddly unnerving about your eyes on her. Boring into her back as she stands in front of the mirror, James squeezes her hip one last time as he moves to stand by his position. By your side.
Lily bites back a knowing smirk when his hand finds your waist, ready for the music to begin and the routine to kick off. Their gazes are charged with the weight of their whispered conversation where they meet through their reflections in the mirror, James winks before he turns to you.
You, for your part, seem engrossed in your own mind, breathing evenly to get yourself into the mentality you’re known for, to let your dancer persona step up and take over you. James’ arches an eyebrow at you, and for a moment, it feels like the routine has already started. Charged, tense, filled with an unspoken feeling you’ve yet to pinpoint.
Sirius sends Lily a look, like he, too, can pick up on the tension happening behind her back. She only nods at him, signaling him to start the music. He raises an eyebrow, but clicks at the control and the room is quickly swallowed with the loud, relentless beat of her newest single.
You slide next to James in muscle memory, hitting every beat with effortless rhythm and he follows you like waves in the sea, both in synchronized movements as Lily raises the microphone to her lips. Her eyes sparkle as they meet James’ through the mirror again.
And then, there it is. In between counts, pants and the stomp of each step on the floor, your gaze flickers in the mirror. The same complicated expression passes over your face again as James continues his own routine, sliding to Lily’s side for the chorus. Your gaze bores into his arms around her torso, touching her sweaty skin to his heart’s delight and they share a knowing look when your eyes lingers a beat too long on them, expression bordering on yearning where Lily hooks a leg around James’ waist.
You blink, catching yourself in the mirror and the evident troubled look on your face. James nearly misses a step, his arm loosening around her waist. Lily’s hold on the microphone tightens, just like the feeling in her chest. Neither of them try to mask their almost-mistakes, but when their eyes meet in the reflection, they’re wide. Knowing.
The rest of the rehearsal continues without mishaps. But the air is different, tense and thrumming with the hope that maybe… just maybe, they’re not the only ones feeling this way.
Hi D!! Just saw ur post and have been thinking lots about poly!jily x reader lately, so maybe a drabble with a reader who has endometriosis or just really painful period cramps? Thank you <3
even on the worst days
poly!jily x reader | 2k
summary: when you’re stuck in bed with unbearable period cramps, a small accident only magnifies the pain - and the doubts you have been carrying. but as james and lily rush to care for you, they remind you that love isn't something you have to earn.
warnings: period pain, endometriosis symptoms, mentions of hospitals and medical care, burning injury from hot tea, crying and panic, self deprecating thoughts, feeling like a burden, kissing, hurt/comfort with fluff, not proofread at all.
You could feel everything in the apartment; the rustle of bags in the kitchen, the patter of rain against the window, and the faint hum of the radiator.
Normally these sounds would be comforting, grounding even, but today they were torture. Every small noise, every flicker of light above your head grated against your raw nerves.
Your body betrayed you; sweat clung to your skin, making every inch feel heavy and foreign.
The pain in your abdomen was relentless, sharp, fiery, stabbing. Closing your eyes, letting the tears fall freely, did nothing to dull the agony.
It felt like knives were being driven into you, over and over, flames licking at the wound. You curled inward instinctively, trying to shrink from your own body.
A warm hand brushed across your cheek, gentle but firm, grounding you. You lifted your head, blinking through tears, and found Lily kneeling beside the bed. Worry was etched deep into her features, and the sight alone brought a fleeting sense of relief.
“Hey, lovely,” she whispered, voice soft and tender.
You let out a shaky sigh into the warmth of her hand.
“Hi, Lils,” you muttered, your voice cracking.
She smiled, small and sweet, like the world might still make sense. “You feeling okay?”
You shook your head. “It hurts.”
Her expression softened even more, and she immediately reached for a small tray beside her. “I know, love. I brought you some sage tea—it helps. Come on, up and drink.”
Just as you braced yourself to sit up, the door creaked open and James stepped in, holding a couple of things in his hands. “I brought some pills and a heating pad—oh, she’s awake,” he said, crouching down beside the bed. His eyes softened the moment he saw you.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he murmured, brushing damp hair from your forehead as he helped you prop yourself up against the pillows. “Still in pain?”
You nodded, your body shivering from both cold and discomfort. He set the heating pad against your lower abdomen, sighing softly. “We’re gonna take care of you, yeah? Just relax.”
Lily handed you the steaming mug of tea, and you took it gratefully, feeling a flicker of comfort in the warmth seeping through your fingers. “Thank you,” you whispered.
The sage tea scalded pleasantly against your palms, the warmth a fragile comfort in contrast to the searing cramps twisting your abdomen. You raised it to your lips, forcing yourself to swallow despite the nausea that clung to your throat.
Lily’s hand stayed at your back, steadying you, while James—never content to hover—slid into the bed beside you with boyish ease, tugging Lily with him until the three of you were pressed close in a kind of makeshift cocoon.
James’s arm snaked around your waist, tugging gently, trying to fold you into the circle of warmth he and Lily created. But the next wave of pain tore through you so violently that you jerked away, shoving his hand off with a broken gasp.
The mug slipped.
Boiling tea cascaded over your lap, your abdomen, your thigh. For a heartbeat you didn’t even register what had happened—only that the pain had doubled, red-hot agony layered over agony.
Then the scream tore from your throat, ragged and unrestrained, as if your body had finally reached its breaking point.
You couldn’t tell whether it was the burn or the cramps or both, but it didn’t matter. It was unbearable.
Everything blurred at once. The sheets flew back, Lily’s hands were on your face, trembling but firm, her voice a rapid string of soothing murmurs.
“Oh—fuck! Shit, it’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve got you, just breathe, just breathe—” But even through her panic, you heard the cracks of fear in her tone, the fragile edges of her calm.
James was up in an instant, panic and horror crossing his features. You felt the tug as he stripped the blankets away, then the sharp rip of fabric as he tore your shorts open with no hesitation.
The cold air hit your skin, followed by the sickening throb of fire racing across your abdomen and thigh.
“This is gonna hurt a bit, I am so sorry—” James swore under his breath, voice hoarse, and you caught the flash of horror in his eyes as he leaned in. The skin was angry and blistering red, seared and furious.
Your sobs wracked through you, hot tears spilling down your cheeks as you buried your face against Lily’s chest, clinging to her shirt like it was the only solid thing in the world.
She pressed her cheek to the top of your head, her hands stroking your hair even as her voice shook. “It’s alright, darling, we’ll fix this, you’re okay, just hold on.”
James’s touch was the opposite of hers—efficient, determined, but his movements trembled at the edges. “We need cool water. Now. Lil, wet a cloth, quickly.”
Lily hesitated for a second, torn between you and the order, before James snapped, gentler but no less urgent, “Go, I’ll stay with her. Please.”
The bed shifted as Lily rushed out, and James stayed crouched over you, one hand hovering protectively above the burn as though he could will the pain away.
“Sweetheart, I need you to keep breathing for me, okay? Just breathe. I’ve got you. You’re not alone in this.”
By the time James reappeared, his arms were full—bandages, a jar of balm, a small bundle of medical tools, and the dripping weight of a wet cloth. His face was set in determined lines, but you could see the panic smoldering beneath his composure, a storm he wouldn’t let break because you needed him steady.
He knelt beside the bed again, setting the supplies down with sharp efficiency, and pressed the cloth gently to your stomach.
The hiss you let out made your whole body seize, your fists tightening in Lily’s shirt until your knuckles ached. She held you closer, pressing her lips to your temple, her voice unshaken despite the tears glimmering in her eyes.
“It’s okay, my love, it’s okay,” she whispered over and over, her words wrapping around you like a lullaby. “I know it hurts. I know. You’re in so much pain, but we’re right here. You’re safe.”
James worked quickly, his jaw tight as he cooled the burn in slow, deliberate passes. Every time you whimpered, his hands faltered, his breathing sharp as if he was the one in pain.
When he finally uncapped the balm, the scent of herbs filled the air. His fingers trembled slightly as he smoothed the ointment over the angry red skin, then carefully wrapped you in fresh bandages.
When it was done, he let out a breath like he’d been holding it the entire time. He reached for you without hesitation, tugging you into his chest.
You collapsed against him, your sobs muffled into his shirt, your body shaking with exhaustion.
“I’m sorry,” you whispered brokenly between gasps, though the words barely carried.
James pressed his lips to your hair, frowning. “What are you sorry for, sweetheart?” His voice was soft, coaxing, desperate for you to understand you’d done nothing wrong.
“For—” your words cracked, breaking into another sob, “for being such a burden… and for spilling the tea Lily made.”
“Oh, darling,” Lily breathed, her hands cupping your face as she leaned close, brushing away your tears with her thumbs. “No. No, no, no. You’re not a burden. You could never be a burden to us.” Her voice broke for the first time, but she steadied it with sheer force of love. “And the tea doesn’t matter. You matter. Only you.”
James held you tighter, his hand stroking your back in steady circles. “Listen to her,” he murmured into your hair, his voice thick. “You’re the farthest thing from a burden. We’ll take every pain, every spill, every bit of it if it means you let us take care of you. That’s all we want.”
You sighed, body sagging into the warmth of their embrace, though the pain still clawed at you with every breath. For a while the room was quiet, save for the faint patter of rain against the windows and the uneven hitch of your own breathing.
You stared at the ceiling, trying to will your body to loosen, to forget itself.
It was Lily who finally broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. “Love,” she whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair from your forehead, “I think you really should let us take you to the hospital. Just to get a checkup. To make sure nothing’s being missed.”
You shook your head immediately, your throat tightening. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
James, sitting pressed against your side, exhaled slowly, his hand stroking your arm as though soothing a frightened animal. “Sweetheart,,” he said carefully, “I know you don’t like hospitals, and I also know you hate checkups. But you’re always in this kind of pain—intense, unbearable pain—every month. That’s not something you should just live with.”
Your chest clenched at his words, shame bleeding into your exhaustion. Before he could say more, you cut in sharply, your voice breaking.
“If you don’t want me to bother you with it, fine. I’ll just go somewhere else when my period comes. You won’t have to deal with it anymore.”
The words hung in the air like shards of glass, and instantly both of them were speaking at once.
“Don’t you dare think that,” James snapped, firm but not unkind, his hand tightening protectively around yours.
Lily leaned closer, her green eyes fierce, as though she could burn the thought out of you entirely. “We don’t want you to go to the hospital because we’re fed up. We want you to go because we’re scared, love. Because we hate seeing you like this.” Her thumb stroked along your jaw, trembling. “You are not a burden. Not ever. Do you understand?”
James pressed his forehead to your shoulder, his voice low but urgent. “We’ll sit through every bloody appointment, every waiting room, every sleepless night if that’s what it takes. Don’t push us away.”
Your voice cracked as you whispered, “I can’t even hold a mug without spilling boiling tea all over myself. If I can’t manage something that simple, how long before you both get tired of me? What if I’m just… too much?”
“None of that, love.” James pulled back just enough to look you in the eye, his words steady and fierce. “Even on the worst days—especially then—you’ll never be too much for us.”
You swallowed hard, blinking through the fresh wave of tears as you gave the smallest nod.
A moment later, Lily wrapped her arms firmly around your waist and pressed her cheek against yours. The warmth of her embrace steadied you, grounding you in a way words never could.
James’s expression softened as he watched both of his girls together, his heart full of love and pride.
You sighed, letting the tension bleed out of your shoulders as you whispered, “Okay… fine. Maybe tomorrow we can visit a doctor.”
Both of them lit up at once—relief softening their faces, a subtle glow of victory in their eyes. Lily brushed a kiss across your temple, whispering, “Thank you, love,” before standing from the bed. “Alright then, we’re ordering in. What are you craving?”
Beside you, you could already feel James perk up at the mere mention of food. His entire body tensed with excitement, like a dog about to be offered a treat.
Lily caught the look instantly and shot him a withering glare over her shoulder, her expression sharp enough to cut steel. The unspoken message was clear: don’t you dare speak before she does, you greedy prat.
You couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped from you, even through the dull throb in your abdomen. “Hmm,” you hummed softly, pretending to think, though the answer came almost automatically. “I think… Mexican sounds nice.”
James all but leapt on the agreement. “Perfect! Brilliant choice!” His grin was infectious, though you could practically hear Lily’s exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes at him, muttering something under her breath about bottomless pits.
“Mexican it is,” she chuckled, shaking her head as she went to place the order.
You leaned into James, letting his warmth soak into your aching body, the heavy thrum of pain still twisting deep in your stomach.
You knew it would only get worse when night fell—the way it always did. But pressed against him, with Lily fussing in the next room, it didn’t feel quite as unbearable as usual.
James pressed a kiss into your hair, still smiling to himself as if the simple promise of enchiladas had healed everything. You exhaled slowly, eyes fluttering shut.
Mexican wasn’t really what you were craving—truthfully, you couldn’t stomach the thought of much food at all—but James adored it. He always had, and somehow, every time the choice came up, you found yourself picking it just for him.
Because the truth was, even through the worst pain, making him happy still made you feel lighter. Even if that meant shelving your own cravings to make room for his, it hardly felt like a sacrifice—not when you loved them both with a depth that made the smallest compromises feel easy.
And, besides, maybe a little Mexican take-out could help ease the ache twisting in your abdomen.
Hi 👋 I’m on vacation right now, chilling poolside at a nice hotel, so I was wondering what would you think of either poly!Marauders or poly!Jily (whichever you prefer) taking a vacation with the reader by the pool or beach? 🏖️
Thanks for requesting!
a/n: Please do not misconstrue my participation in the marauders fandom as support of JKR. If you’re new here and want to participate in the fandom, I encourage you to do so without participating in anything that would provide financial gain to her or her transphobic agendas
poly!Jily x shy!reader ♡ 652 words
No sooner does Lily pull out her sun lotion to reapply than you hear frenzied splashing.
“I’ve got it!” James calls, bounding out of the pool and towards your lounge chairs. “Hold on, I can help.”
He leaves a trail of water across the pool deck, your boyfriend’s warm skin glistening with moisture and puddles forming under his feet. Lily recoils slightly as he nears. You watch amusedly, laying on your stomach next to her with your book.
“Not like that, you won’t,” she says, wary. “I’m not having you get my towel wet.”
James laughs and shakes off like a dog. It does little for most of him, but his hair flicks water in every direction. You gasp, shielding your book too late.
“James!”
It comes out so sharp that both Lily and James turn to you with wide eyes, the latter a tad hurt.
“Sorry.” You try to take it back, caught offguard yourself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.”
Slowly, Lily’s lips curve. She turns her face up to James’. “Now look what you’ve done,” she tsks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so upset.”
“I’m not,” you insist.
“I’m sorry, lovely.” James is genuinely contrite. He grabs a towel and begins attempting to dry off more carefully.
“It’s really okay.” Your voice quiets, nearly pleading. Lily is clearly enjoying James’ comeuppance, but she sends you a soft look.
“I wasn’t thinking,” he says.
“I know you didn’t mean to.” You reach for his hand, squeezing. “Sorry for snapping at you.”
James dips in for a quick kiss (you hold your book away) and then he’s attacking Lily with sun lotion. If she weren’t already so covered in freckles, you’d say she’d never get one under James’ watch. He squirts half of the tube into his palm and slathers it on your girlfriend like he thinks the sun is out to get her.
You can’t help frowning a little at your book as you dab at the wet spots. Luckily, James doesn’t notice before he pulls you from your thoughts.
“It does! Right, angel?”
You turn, your lips parting on an admittance that you hadn’t been paying attention, but you only need to look at James to know what he’s talking about. James is rubbing sun lotion into Lily’s shoulder, his thumb stroking fondly over a birth mark there which he swears to anyone who will listen looks like a heart. You don’t have to see past your girlfriend’s tinted lenses to know that she’s rolling her eyes.
“I see it,” you vouch for him.
Lily scoffs. Despite her layers of sun protection, her cheeks are definitively pink. “You’re both ridiculous.”
James shrugs happily, used to these accusations. “The water’s nice,” he says lightly. He reaches over, smearing some of the excess lotion on your leg with a smile. “Want to swim with me for a while?”
“I’ll come after this soaks in.” Lily reaches around her shoulder to try and finish James’ job. “Might be a while,” she says, teasingly dry.
You consider it. Feel the sweat pooling on your back, the scritchy material of the chair digging into your stomach. James watches you mull it over with hopeful eyes.
Lily must see your decision before you’ve settled on it; she rolls her eyes again and reaches for your book, placing it safely in her bag.
“I think I might have to ease in,” you caution James as you stand up. “It was cold earlier.”
“Mhm, yeah.” You narrow your eyes at your boyfriend’s easy tone. He bends, wiping his lotioned hands again on your legs, and there’s little you can do to stop him when they slip around to the back of you and lift you into the air.
“James!” you shriek.
James only laughs as he runs for the pool, Lily calling for caution from behind you. This time, he knows you’re far from upset.
hiiiiii <3 how would you feel about college au pre-poly!jily where james is very accustomed to haveing to go looking for lily after late rugby practice or something like that in the library and kind of collect her before it closes. and more often than not he finds reader there in some corner—one time she was asleep so he woke her up and warned her, and now every time he goes to get lily he jokes about how he's gotta go get his two swotty girls from the library and reader kinda laughs like "haha oh, i need to find myself a james" and lily's like "he's right here babes" or something
I would feel good about that!! Thanks angel :)
a/n: Please do not misconstrue my participation in the marauders fandom as support of JKR. If you’re new here and want to participate in the fandom, I encourage you to do so without participating in anything that would provide financial gain to her or her transphobic agendas
poly!Jily x fem!reader ♡ 783 words
You rouse to the muffled rumble of thunder and a warm touch on your shoulder.
James always smells the same after rugby practice. Like boy shampoo, fresh and crisp. If he’s here, it’s to bring Lily home, but that can’t be because rugby training doesn’t end until late. You pick your head up to see Lily gathering her things.
“Is it…” Your mouth is dry. It takes a moment to connect to your brain. “Did you finish early?” you ask James.
He shakes his head, fresh-faced and with his duffel slung over his shoulder. “Same time as always.”
You make an unhappy, sleepy sound which makes James laugh. You mumble at Lily, “You said you’d wake me if I fell asleep.”
“I’m sorry.” She zips up her backpack, sending you a sheepish smile. “You just looked so comfortable, I couldn’t do it.”
You sigh, but you can’t blame it entirely on her. You’ve only recently begun studying in the same cluster of chairs as Lily, but falling asleep at the library is a long-time bad habit of yours. It was how you first met her, and James. James came to collect Lily from the library, as he does every night after training, and stumbled upon you snoozing in a tucked-away corner. He woke you up to warn you about falling asleep by yourself in big, empty buildings; Lily gave you an energy bar from her backpack. A comradery of proximity and routine was formed.
“I think you should come home with us tonight,” says James.
The words take a moment for you to comprehend. James seems to process then at the same rate; his cheeks darken.
“I mean, you should let us walk you home,” he amends sheepishly.
“Thanks,” you yawn, “but I should probably finish up here.”
Lily frowns, soft and considering. There’s something about her gaze that always feels like she’s peeling you like a tangerine; you don’t mind the exposure as much as you should. “You studied a good amount before you fell asleep.” She leans towards you. “May I?”
You don’t know what she’s asking, but you nod anyway. Lily reaches for your face, carefully brushing aside a hair that had stuck to your cheek.
“You’ll probably only end up drifting off again,” she points out.
You try to come up with a response. Her touch on your cheek has stolen your voice.
While Lily persuades you, James steps behind her, removing the pencil she haphazardly twisted into her hair to keep it out of her face earlier. He fishes a hair tie out of his pocket and begins regathering it all with gentle, practiced movements. Lily doesn’t mind him.
You want what they have. Casual touches, easy intimacy, the comfort of knowing someone will come to take you home every night. It aches to watch them, sometimes, but you try to admire it instead.
“It’s also raining,” James tells you, his fingers still combing through Lily’s hair. It slips through his fingers like silk. “It’s one thing to walk home by yourself in the dark, but it’s even less fun when you’re wet.”
“Did you bring an umbrella?” Lily asks you.
You sigh. “No…”
James smiles, knowing they’ve won. “Get your things,” he says. “You can have my jacket to keep you dry.”
“I don’t need to take your jacket,” you argue, closing your notebook and putting it in your backpack.
Before James can argue with you some more, a librarian is drawn to the voices in your little corner.
“This is a study space,” she reminds you.
Both you and Lily wince, but James only smiles at her with the confidence of someone with natural-born charisma. “We’re leaving,” he assures her. “Just taking my two swotty girls home before they start bleeding out of their eyeballs.”
Lily frowns at him. “Don’t be gross.”
The librarian moves on, and you try to dispel the warm, tingly feeling you got from James lumping you in as one of his swotty girls. And the fact that Lily hadn’t corrected him.
Despite your protests, James manages to cajole you into his jacket before you step outside. Even so, Lily takes your hand and pulls you half under their shared umbrella. Rain beats hard on the top of it, pouring off trees and running down the gutters of the empty university roads.
“I really need to find my own James, one of these days,” you joke.
Lily smiles, glancing over at him. James is holding the umbrella up between them, only half under it himself, and squinting as he tries to make out what you’re saying over the downpour.
Lily squeezes your hand and leans in close. “You can always share mine.”
poly!jily idea where their whole friend group is playing truth or dare in the common room one night and Jily are already together but reader isn’t with them yet. reader gets asked either what their type is or what their biggest/longest fantasy is and reader just goes oh pass please give me a dare instead I’ve made my peace with it never happening (bc why would jily go for them they’re already with each other and seem monogamous). And jily feels their hearts breaking and are also nosy as fuck so they corner reader later and ask and then it comes out jily likes them too hooray
Thank you for requesting! I did a magical spin on this, but I hope you still like it
a/n: Please do not misconstrue my participation in the marauders fandom as support of JKR. If you’re new here and want to participate in the fandom, I encourage you to do so without participating in anything that would provide financial gain to her or her transphobic agendas
cw: hogwarts uni au, mature themes, alcohol
poly!Jily x fem!reader ♡ 1.9k words
“It’d be Remus, Davey, Frank, James, Sturgis, then maybe Sirius,” Marlene lists off.
“Maybe Sirius?” Sirius cries. “What’d I do to land at the bottom of the list of blokes here you’d shag?”
“I wouldn’t shag any of you,” replies Marlene unhesitatingly. “This is only with a gun to my head.”
“Fine, but why am I last?”
“I don’t love being so far down either,” James commiserates.
“Because—” Marlene seems almost as though she tries to suppress the answer, but it comes rushing out anyway. “—between the two of us, we’d wake the whole school.”
The common room erupts with laughter. Sirius’ face pinks, and so does Remus’, a tiny bit, but they’re both grinning. Everyone who’s been in the hot seat so far has made spilling their guts look almost fun. A bit embarrassing, but only as much as can be laughed off. Sirius says purebloods play this game all the time, and it sounded like a good idea when you let him put a few drops of veritaserum in your drink. Now that you’re up next you’re not feeling so sure.
“Alright, alright.” As one of your friends who’s opted out, Mary has been tasked with questioning. She shifts her gaze to you. “Y/n, are you ready?”
“No,” you say, unable to stop yourself.
Quiet titters go through the room.
“Sounds like she’s ready,” Sirius teases.
Mary hums, considering. “You always say you have to leave these things early because you have to study. What’s the real reason?”
“I get sleepy when I drink.” The words fly off your tongue like you’ve just breathed them out. “I decide I don’t want to talk to anyone anymore and go to bed.”
“Oh, and you get out of the cleanup, too, don’t you?” James teases.
“That doesn’t hurt.”
Your friends laugh. You laugh with them, relaxing. This isn’t so bad as you’d begun to worry it would be.
“Didn’t we already sort of know that?” Emmeline asks.
Challenged with upping the ante, Mary’s eyes glint. “Who here secretly annoys you the most?”
“None of you annoy me.” It’s a simple truth, quick and easy. At least, so you think, until your mouth decides to keep going. You try to hold them in, but the words rise like bile in your throat. “But when Sirius played Bowie in the dorms for that whole day to impress Remus, I fantasized about shouting at him.”
Sirius makes an appalled sound, and James claps his shoulder.
“You can’t catch a break today, mate.”
“I won’t forget this,” Sirius vows, pointing a finger at you.
Lily swats it lightly out of the air. “Don’t be cross with her for that. Her darkest fantasy is about shouting at you, for pity’s sake. I thought about killing you.”
The common room fills with laughter once again, as James is forced to mediate between his best friend and his girlfriend. Your stomach flutters pathetically at Lily’s defence of you.
“Okay, okay.” Mary quiets everyone. “Y/n, what’s your biggest fantasy?”
Your heart thumps.
It’s an instinct to keep from looking at either James or Lily, but it isn’t your eyes that will betray you tonight. Your tongues vies to answer.
“I—I’ve thought about—” You clamp your lips between your teeth, your throat constricting around words you don’t want to say. “—about—eughh—”
A pained whimper escapes you as a powerful surge of nausea almost coaxes you into opening your mouth. Tears catch in your eyes.
“Hey,” James says, alarmed. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say.”
It’s sweet that he thinks that will free you, sweet of him to try, but it’s useless when everyone else is still waiting for you to answer the question.
“It can’t be that bad.” Mary looks like she feels bad for you. “Everyone’s said embarrassing things, we won’t care.”
You can think of at least two people who might.
“I really don’t feel well,” you blurt. The words are plenty true enough to pass your lips, even as the unspoken ones still threaten to surge out. You stand. “I’m sorry.”
You feel drunker than you should stumbling your way to the stairway, your heartbeat pounding in your ears. Your footing feels unsteady.
You think it’s your overwhelmed senses exaggerating things, but when your foot does slip, Lily’s there to catch your elbow.
“You’re okay,” she says gently, helping you up the next step. You turn to see her, sicker than sick to find James following behind. “Let’s get you to bed, love.”
Lily’s vanilla and jasmine scent wraps around you as you let her walk you up the stairs, testing out different excuses on your tongue. Eventually you find one that feels truthful enough.
“Thank you,” you tell them, “but I can get to bed on my own.”
James frowns at you. “You don’t want us to come with you?”
“No, I do.”
You wince, and James’ brows pucker with confusion. Lily takes your elbow again, redirecting you towards your room. “We just want to be sure you’re okay,” she says. “I know you’re embarrassed, I’m really sorry about that, but you don’t look well.”
“I think the veritaserum is making me feel sick,” you agree.
“Do you think you can try to relax now?” James suggests as he holds your door open for you. “We won’t ask you anything.”
“You just did,” you blurt. “And, um, no?”
“Veritaserum doesn’t work like that.” Lily grimaces. She sits at the foot of your bed, across from you where you take a seat and pull your knees to your chest reflexively. “Once she’s been asked a question, her body won’t let up until she answers it. And she still hasn’t answered Mary’s question.”
Like the reminder worsens things, your throat constricts again, trying to speak. You bite down on your lip hard enough to draw blood.
James’ eyes widen. “Don’t hurt yourself.” He sits, reaching for your hand. If his legs were on the mattress, he’d be crowding both you and Lily off of it; your bed isn’t big enough for all three of you, you think wryly.
James squeezes your fingers, nearly pleading. “Just let it out. We won’t tell anyone. Whatever it is, it can’t be worth all this.”
You shake your head desperately. “I don’t want to tell you.”
“I know,” Lily soothes, “but it’s the only thing that will help.”
You’re sweating by now. You’re sure that James can tell, your palms clammy. Another swell of nausea rises in your throat, and you really do think you’re going to be sick then, your mouth opening on instinct—
“My fantasy is to have a threesome.”
The truth feels like taking in a gulp of air after nearly drowning. James and Lily relax, and so do you. You’re not prepared to stop what comes out next.
“With you.”
Two sets of eyes grow large in front of you. You gasp at yourself, but the inhale only gives you oxygen to keep going.
“I’ve liked you both for a long time. I know it’s wrong because you’re together, but I actually like you better together, and it doesn’t always make sense to me but I’ve tried to stop thinking about it and I haven’t been able to. I think you suit each other really well, and I fantasize about being a part of that.” You cover your mouth with a hand, a humiliated stinging in your eyes, but it all just comes out muffled into your palm. “I feel awful about it. I used to think it was just that I wanted a relationship like you have, but I’m fairly sure now it’s that I want to be with you instead, even though I know you’re committed to each other.”
“How…” James blinks. His obvious stupefaction threatens to bring back your nausea. “How long have you felt this way?”
“Since you got together. Or maybe a couple weeks after that. I think it’s that you compliment each other so well, and I saw how nicely you treat each other, but it doesn’t hurt that you’re both really attractive.” You whimper. “God, I’m really sorry.”
“Hey, shh.” Lily shifts closer to you. Her expression looks cracked open as she takes your head in her hands, pressing your foreheads together. “It’s alright. You’ve answered. You can be done.”
“Sometimes I see you holding hands and I don’t know which one of you I’m more envious of. Which is confusing, because I’m also happy for you.”
“Why is she still going?” James asks.
“I think it’s because she held it in for so long.” Lily’s thumb strokes your temple, grounding. “The reaction is trying to even itself out.”
“I’m happy to be your friend,” you go on, “and I don’t want to ruin it by asking for anything more. I feel really awful telling you all this. If we can pretend this didn’t happen, I hope that nothing has to change.”
“Sweetheart,” James murmurs, “please don’t feel bad.”
A few beats later, when you don’t say anything more, Lily lifts her head to look at you.
“Does it feel like you got it all out?”
“Yeah,” you sigh. You slump back against your bedframe, exhausted and already bracing for what’s to come.
James looks at you with worry nestled in the crease above the bridge of his glasses. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
“Let’s try to avoid asking questions,” Lily tells him.
James nods, pursing his lips thoughtfully.
“I like it when you do that,” you blurt.
He half grins. “Thank you. I like it when you smile really big and your nose wrinkles a little bit.”
You blink. “You don’t have to say things to make me feel better.”
“I know, I just…” James takes a breath. “I know saying all that wasn’t your choice, but I feel like you deserve some honesty in return.” He shares a look with Lily, one of those couple-y, secret language looks that you can’t interpret. “Yeah?”
Lily’s cheeks flush pink, but she nods.
You tell her helplessly, “You look pretty when you blush.”
Though your own mortification only worsens, it seems to help Lily. Her eyes soften. “Thank you,” she says.
“So.” James toes off his shoes, setting his socked feet on the bed. And you were half right; Lily has to scoot over, and his ankles tangle with yours, but you all still fit. “I don’t want you to think that we’re going to see you differently because of your feelings.”
You wince. “I don’t see how you couldn’t. I’d rather not talk about it.”
“What he means is that we don’t like you any less,” Lily promises.
James nods. “Actually, we might like you more. Which is difficult, because we already fancied you quite a bit.”
You look between them—James with his winsome smile and Lily with her stunning eyes—and your mouth opens before you can process what you think. “It feels like you’re just trying to make me feel better.”
Lily laughs, the sound bright and clear. “We’re not,” she assures you. “I promise, there would be easier ways to make you feel better than trying to explain all this. We’ve actually talked about it quite a bit.”
“About me?” you ask, astonished.
“About you specifically.” James grins. It’s borderline sheepish. “Since only a little while after we got together, actually.”
You stare at them. “I thought neither of you drank the veritaserum.”
“We didn’t. Like I said, I just think you deserve some honesty back for yours.”
“You’re too nice.” You turn your head into your palms, saying the words into them. “It’s part of the problem.”
“The problem?” You can hear James’ smile in his voice now. Picture him propping his chin on his knee as he says, teasing, “Tell me more about that, lovely.”
Lily swats him on the arm admonishingly, but you’ve finally gotten to something you don’t mind sharing.
