lionheart

[elena-gilbert]

Brianna + 1960s clothing (Requested by Anonymous)

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mary.

*

“Obviously.” An immediate remark as ‘what was I thinking?’ began to run right through her mind. Was it ever even a question? No. Of course not. Mostly just because they didn’t have lemon cakes here, which was a travesty in itself, but she knew that wasn’t really sold at HoneyDukes. If she could, she would buy the company, take over it and keep everything the same except she would also sell lemon cakes. Would she eat the majority of the inventory by herself? Probably. Did it still sound like a brilliant idea? Absolutely.

As the lemon fog began to clear, the voice of who actually responded to her registered as Mary perked up, immediately wrapping Lily up into a hug. “Oh I’m great.” Much better now that Lily was here – a source of comfort, of security. They were both aware of the danger that they were in (constantly) but being together always made her feel better. As if she were untouchable in her presence, even if the logical part of her knew that wasn’t true.

“I’m attempting to pace myself – with food, at least. Not… not this.” Holding up the cup in her hand, as it wasn’t the first one that had been here. It should probably be the other way around but – what the hell, right? Facing the worker for a moment, Mary quickly got 2 packages, paid for them, and turned back around, holding one out for Lily. “When did you get here?”

❀

She could practically see the wheels in Mary’s head spinning, thoughts going so rapidly in a circle around themselves, focused entirely on the need to make a decision. It came as no surprise, and neither did the reaction Lily’s words received. Perhaps that was the benefit to knowing somebody for so long, so well, so finely tuned to their ways - Lily always knew. Like an unwritten rule between them at all times, ever since they were eleven. The kind of connection that Lily never even had with Petunia, a bittersweet thought she had been no stranger to. Almost like Mary was the sibling, and her sister the one she met in school. Funny, in a nearly sad kind of way, how that seemed to work.

Lily’s eyes lit up in a knowing laugh as her best friend looked up, recognizing the exact second Mary realized who she was. Her arms stretched out, wrapping easily around her in response. For as stubborn as she was - as they both were, always insisting on doing things themselves - it felt good. She never did realize just how badly she needed time with Mary until she had it. Maybe that, too, was only surprising to her; after all, how could anyone live together for so many years and not miss seeing them so often? “I’m happy I found you - if it wasn’t here, I was running out of ideas.” She would know Mary anywhere, but in crowds like these, it was easier to lose track, whether she liked it or not.

“Mary Macdonald, when have you ever paced yourself on sugar in your life?” She asked, barely managing to keep a straight face before a laugh slipped through. It wasn’t a bad thing, given the alternatives - even if it had led to far too many sleepless nights in the dorms. “How many of those have you had? So I can brace myself for what sort of catching up I’ll have to do,” both of them being wrecked wasn’t the smartest idea, Lily knew that. Honestly, she doubted that she could get drunk in public, no matter the circumstance, not with the state of things. But a drink or two wouldn’t kill her. A smile flickered across her face once again as she took the package, offering a quick thanks both to the workers and to Mary as she peeled it open. “Not very, half an hour at the most.” Lily shrugged, glancing back up towards her friend, “you?”

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andromeda.

*

“Perish the thought!” Andromeda knew what to expect when it came to Lily – she understood why things happened the way they did. They were similar, but one difference was that she had been at this for a few years longer; she understood what burnout did to a person. Especially when they had events outside of work to worry about, politics and wars that consumed them. That, she could never imagine because there, they were in infinitely different positions. The choices that she had made ended up with her being labelled a Code 3, and she had no qualms about that. Such consequences had been known for a long time. Lily… didn’t have that choice. Not really.

Sure, she could have kept her head down and been a Code 3, possibly even a Code 2 – but that wasn’t in her nature. Even so, Andromeda knew the danger would still exist because of her family. Even though she had distanced herself from the Blacks in irreparable ways, the name still held some weight. She still knew that most wouldn’t dare touch her. It wasn’t a weight, a burden, that she had to carry around.

All she wanted for Lily was to find some peace. To focus on the good, to live her life outside of St. Mungo’s as she deserved to.

“Absolutely. I’ll certainly take it over the alternative.” A boring work day over a high amount of injuries – it wasn’t much of a debate. Though they both worked with many who thrived doing their jobs and got excited when bodies rushed through the front doors. It was … a moral balance, she imagined. “I’d like that. Just for a bit. I don’t want to keep you from the concert or your friends. I’m sure they’re out there somewhere. Myself, I’ve been here since before it started – had to get the tent set up and everything before people started showing up.”

❀

“Oh, because you take use of them so frequently.” Lily laughed, a warm sound, genuine in the company of Andromeda. It was no small thing, the amount of ease that the woman before her seemed to offer. The truth of the matter was that Andromeda Black was good, and far braver than Lily had ever seen her give herself credit for. Sirius didn’t talk about it, the toll leaving their family had taken, but Lily knew it had to be there - for the both of them. Knowing that anyone was on her side, especially those without the same sword hanging above their heads, was worth more than she could say. To say nothing of the way that Andromeda walys seemed to look out for her, regardless. Not only a comrade in a war, or a coworker to burden the weight of the hospital, but who really cared. Someone else who understood that need to take care of others. 

Moreso than ever before, Lily knew that the mere act of leaving home was reason enough to be targeted. Her blood alone made her a ‘threat’ in the eyes of the real danger, hateful bigots who were afraid of things they couldn’t understand and angry to know their ways were becoming obsolete. Being a Muggle-born was dangerous, but add to it her name, the positions she had so securely aligned herself to long before she was even seventeen. The people she considered her friends - family, more like - these days surely didn’t help. Better to be who she was, to live a life that was spent fighting for a better future than to hide behind a mask, allowing someone to dictate their every move. They had Dumbledore, yes, but he was -- 

No, Lily reminded herself. One night without constantly worrying, that was the goal.

Nodding along as Andromeda spoke, she moved further into the tent, inviting herself towards the setup only intended for volunteers. If she was going to stick round awhile, the least she could do was be out of the way. “I can just about guarantee they’re all out there somewhere, probably drinking.” Another laugh strung into Lily’s voice as she rolled her eyes at the thought, taking a seat. It was comforting, really, to think of them all having fun. Merlin knew they all deserved it. “You do know that I consider you a friend, as well, don’t you?” She asked, barely a moment later, a knowing smile flickering across her lips. “And we both know you won’t be allowing yourself a break tonight, so the least I can do is offer you some company.”

[uncommcnlyxkind]

Warning: will only leave work to act like a mother to someone

“ -- This sounds like Mary. And, if it is, you and I both know it’s necessary sometimes.”

[inboxideas]

If my character was wearing a warning label, what would it say?

submitted by thespookyrainbowphoenix

[uncommcnlyxkind]

@brckenfirewhiskcy | @tcdwrdtxnks | @vcnitysx | @primumsemper

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Magic is Might: the Netflix special

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andromeda.

*

“Honestly Lily, I’m surprised I didn’t think to conjure up some sort of spell that would make this tent invisible to you and you alone.” An instant reaction at the sight of her colleague and friend, though they both knew she would never dare do such a thing. If anyone understood how Lily felt, the reasoning behind her actions – the justification – it was Andromeda. Despite her insistence that Lily hold herself back a bit and live her life, remember the reason for fighting, she didn’t always lead by example. Though she knew Lily involved herself with everything just a bit more, and she could only imagine how it was beginning to wear her down.

“Things are good – quiet, thankfully. Not… outside, of course, but not many have needed to come in here.” Which Andromeda always hoped for, even if it left her with very little to do. She knew it was not uncommon to wish for a slow or easy workday, and she was grateful for them, she just – also didn’t quite know what to do during them. At least here she could still enjoy the music as there were no other floors to wander or paperwork to catch up on.

“Just a few people falling down here and there, really.”

“-Have you been here long?” Neither answer would surprise her. She would hope that Lily had come with friends, that she was enjoying the concert as she so rightfully deserved. Needed, even. She would expect Lily to show up and almost immediately come here. That inability to stop really went deep sometimes, as demonstrated by her having been in this tent since before everyone began showing up.

❀

“Oh, come on! Next you’ll be saying that I should take advantage of the on call rooms at the hospital more often,” Lily exclaimed, doing her best to scoff, although it came out more as a laugh. It wasn’t like she had much room to talk, really - the entire reason she wasn’t practically living in St. Mungo’s came down to Andromeda having insisted. Respect for the woman in front of her and the understanding that she would always have Lily’s best interest at heart, that was the sole reason to blame. It couldn’t be helped, though, her desperation to always help when she could. Somebody had to, and she always felt a bit better having done something at all. Merlin knew that the hospital had become overcrowded more often than it wasn’t in recent months. 

Honestly, it should have come as more surprising it took this long for Lily to find the tent in the first place.

“Well, the less the better at something like this, right?” An empty hospital tent meant nothing had gone wrong, save for what she could only imagine were headaches or alcohol induced accidents - all things that came with the territory of concerts to begin with, and that was without the clouds or any of the rest. Still, Lily could tell without asking that less to do would only cause Andromeda to be restless, because it would be doing the exact same to her. Hard to keep your mind busy when there was nothing to do, least of all when working. A win-lose in their case, really. “I can hang around for a bit - not to work, unless you need the help. Just to give you some company.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, Lily shrugged her shoulders, a brief movement. “Not very,” she answered, shaking her head. “An hour or so, maybe. I figured I would’ve run into the boys or Mary by now, but you’re the first familiar face I’ve seen so far, believe it or not.” Hell, that would make it sound like she had come to work. Ironic, given it was the one time that wasn’t the case. Oh well. “How long have you been here?”

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mary.

The moment Mary heard about the concert, she knew she had to go – price of a ticket be damned. It’d been… months at this point since she’d done anything fun, which was entirely valid all things consider, but she desperately needed to feel like a person and someone in a war for just… one night. Just one measly little night, that’s all she asked for. A simple request. Right?

Cup of Dragon Scale in hand (her third one, mind you), her hair swung back and forth as her head shook to the beat of the song, entirely unaware of anyone else around her. Potentially not the best situation to put herself in, all things considered, but she had passed the point of caring about… oh, half an hour ago. Now, she was singularly focused on having a good time – and that meant getting snacks.

Shoving her way through the crowd, Mary made her way over to the Honeydukes stand, staring up at the menu in awe – and unable to make a proper decision, spoke her choices out loud to the nearest person. “All right – chocoballs or pumpkin fizz? It’s a tough choice.”

❀

Lily knew better than to think she could allow her reservations to hold her back from living her life, no matter how many of them she had - and have them she did. Given the climate of everything, the way that terror seemed to be hanging above all of them like a black cloud, it was inevitable. Just stepping outside her front door felt like a gamble most days, but she couldn’t give up yet. Not yet. They all had to keep living, and there was no way Lily wouldn’t keep doing exactly that until it was too late. 

And, well, supporting orphans was a far better cause than others. If she was going to go out into crowds filled with enemies, nobody deserved it more than children who hadn’t been given a choice.

The problem Lily was running into now, however, was that she had been wandering aimlessly. She had never quite gotten used to magical music, but she could admit the Hobgoblins were catchy - still, it would have been easier to enjoy herself had she actually made plans with any of her friends, rather than trying to keep herself entertained. That was always the issue Lily ran into; too much time alone, even in places like this, let her mind run wild. Knowing better than to think Andromeda would really let her stay in the hospital’s tent to help a second time, she had taken to easing her way through the crowd when she caught sight of Mary up ahead. She managed to catch up right at the mouth of the Honeydukes tent, laughing to herself as she heard her best friend speak.

“Chocoballs, obviously.” Lily spoke, a smile on her face as she looked over at her. “Half expected you to get both - sure you’re feeling alright?” 

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andromeda.

For a fleeting moment, Andromeda found herself wishing that just once, she could attend an event as a patron and not as a staff member – but that had never been her reality, and she wasn’t exactly holding her breath in anticipation. Besides, it wasn’t entirely terrible; she was a part of the Healers that were set up in the St. Mungo’s tent in case anything went wrong, but at least she was still technically here. The view of stage wasn’t the best, but it gave her enough to see the band and Merlin knows she had absolutely no issue with hearing them.

It certainly could have been a lot worse; and at least she wasn’t actually at St. Mungo’s during this.

Still, it felt weird being at work while hoping no actual work had to be done. That was the irony when you worked in health care; having tasks meant that something went wrong, and while she loved being a Healer and thrived on keeping herself busy, she always hoped for the exact opposite – for everything to just go smoothly. So when she noticed a figure approaching the tent, she quickly made her way over to the front, the words automatic before realization of who it was even kicked in.

“Hello there – did you need some help?”

She hated to admit it, but hesitancy had become synonymous with just about everything Lily did these days. It didn’t seem to matter how often she found herself promising everyone else that they weren’t giving up, that there was hope, something to be done - she was always worried. It had been bad before, but after her father, something changed. Suddenly the consequences for everything seemed to be so much worse than before. It was almost painful how often Lily found herself paranoid. She hated it. 

There was a reason Lily always tried to keep busy.

Still. Lily chose to suck it up, pushing down any reluctance or nerves she had over so many people in one place together, in the state of things. It was a good cause; orphans. Her heart ached for any child involved in this war, let alone the ones who had nobody to get them through it. No family to protect them. So she pushed her worries aside, and do what she could. Lily practically lived at the hospital, working herself to the bone to help people, even with the insistence from everyone there that she take more time to herself. Anything to feel as if she was doing good. 

She donated what she could when she got there, knowing it wouldn’t be enough but hoping it might do some good. The music was loud, people all around - a good thing for the orphanage, if not for her anxiety. And then came the search for her friends, silently cursing herself for not just insisting on meeting Mary and Marlene beforehand. Honestly, she hadn’t meant to end up in the Healers tent, but it was hard to avoid the part of her that always wanted to be doing something - and, well, at least if she was there she could be put to work instead of wandering around aimlessly. Green eyes brightened, a knowing smile pulling across her lips when she spotted Andromeda. “No, it’s only my inability to ever stop working,” she admitted with a laugh, stepping further into the tent. “How are things going?”

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Taylor: a summary

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sirius.

“No, no, no.” Sirius shook his head, holding up a finger. “You’ve got it backwards, love. It’s Remus’ fault when he is there to rein me in.” He laughed, shooting her a playful wink. He let out a loud laugh at her words, shrugging easily. She had a point, after all. They kept Moony around for any number of reasons, but he supposed his calming effect on himself and James was one of the most beneficial (at least it probably was for everybody else). Breathing a sigh of relief as she let him distract her, his smile stretched to the usual wide, boisterous one they’d all come to know. He’d tell her - he would - he just wouldn’t tell her right now. 

“It was a whole thing with a drink and a skirt and a dragon hide handbag.” Sirius waved away her concern, pulling a face at the memory although steering them plenty clear of the table in question as he noticed they hadn’t switched out dealers yet. “How was I supposed to know the guy was her father? Poker’s overrated, anyway. Lot of fat heads over at that table.” He informed her matter of factly. Honestly, why use felt in a place where people were heavily drinking if you were gonna get so mad if it got wet? “Speaking of.” He glanced first into his near empty cup and then over at Lily. “You hungry or need a drink or anything?" 

The corners of Lily’s mouth quirked up, a warmer, genuine laugh seeming to light her entire face as she nodded. “Ah, yes, I forget, that seems to be his full time job.” She laughed again, purely from the absurdity of it. Not that it didn’t seem to be exactly what Remus was stuck doing, half the time, taking care of Sirius and James in their more obnoxious moments. Hard to believe that she didn’t seem to find those half as often as she used to, but that had to be for the best. Or maybe she had simply grown used to it in the few years they had been friends, more immune than before. Whatever it was, Lily couldn’t bring herself to question it much. What good was it going to do for her to always be wondering why she cared about the people she did? Least of all these days.

Lily felt her eyebrows raise as Sirius spoke, forehead creasing as he waved it away. “What does that mean?” She asked, doing her best to put on a stern expression though she had a feeling it was failing spectacularly. Despite her best efforts (and usual success), Lily didn’t have it in herself to mother anyone tonight, least of all Sirius. No matter how good at it she had gotten. As he continued, her eyes widened into disbelief, counteracting the short laugh that escaped her. “Sirius. Oh, now you have to tell me what happened during poker.” Lily insisted, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder to see if the after-math was still playing out. She couldn’t help it - now that she had decided to act her age, for once, it was hard to fight. “I’m not very hungry, but I suppose a drink wouldn’t hurt.” Lily decided, rather suddenly, that despite her usual drinking habits including wine nights with Mary, to splurge for once. “Might as well, if we’re celebrating and all, yeah? Whatever it is you’re having, so long as it won’t have me floored before our first game’s over.”

[hermiome]

I’m not a f r e a k, that’s a horrible thing to say!

[taishaunas]

I mean, let’s be honest, like, you deserve this. Why me? Life is unfair, but I’m good with it occasionally working out for people that I actually love.

[uncommcnlyxkind]

@rxmxslxpin

[humorblr]

New Girl (2011 - 2019 ) S01E04 | “Naked”

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@sirivsblack

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sirius.

“To be fair.” He started reasonably. “Remus is the only one who usually asks me to.” Sirius grinned. “Still thinks he can make an honest man out of me, poor chap.” He watched the different expressions flicker across her features, kicking himself for being the cause of anything but a smile, but he supposed this time, it couldn’t exactly be helped. Not without taking James up on his offer of applying makeup to him, which was certainly not going to happen when he was about to be in public.

“Bit, yeah.” Sirius shrugged one shoulder, before a smirk tugged at his lips. “But that’s true before all the bruises, innit?” He asked with a chuckle, but it and his smile faded as quickly as they had come and he sighed, leaning closer so he could drop his voice. “Look, we can talk about it later, yeah?” His eyes found hers. “Promise.” And he meant it. Sirius Black may be many things, but chief among them he was a man of his word. But now, now it was time to have some fun. He leaned back from Lily, slinking an arm around her shoulders as he surveyed the room. “Slots, I’d think.” He nodded thoughtfully, pointing. “I’m right garbage at blackjack, and they kicked me off the poker table about twenty minutes ago.” He grinned sheepishly. 

She listened as Sirius took on a different tone, eyebrows raising almost in anticipation for whatever it was he came up with. Maybe she should give him more credit but, well, Lily had come to know what his many different tells meant. “Ah, so it’s Moony’s fault when you act out for not being there to rein it in now, is it?” Lily asked, a laugh escaping into the words. “I knew that we kept him around for a reason.” Of course she knew better than to think anyone could ever truly control Sirius, he had proven that. It was one of the many things she had first admired, no matter how much trouble she gave him for it now. 

“I suppose so.” Lily shrugged, doing her best to keep the action a simple one. Hell only knew that she had her fair share of bruises over the years; hard not to, spending your childhood climbing trees and teen years at Hogwarts. Still, it was difficult not to worry when they sprang up on anyone she cared about. Especially Sirius. Especially now. Letting out a quiet sigh as their eyes met, Lily nodded, pressing her lips together in a weak smile of agreement. It didn’t take much to know, even without asking, that it wasn’t a conversation he would want to have. But Sirius never did keep things from her, not when she asked. That was a simple fact she had never questioned. “Okay. Slots it is, then. I’ll be honest, I’ve never played, though I’m sure that isn’t much of a surpri -- ” Lily cut off mid- sentence, turning her eyes away from the crowd surrounding them and up at Sirius once again. This time, they widened for a different reason, curious amusement met with a laugh. “What did you do to get kicked off a poker table?” 

[uncommcnlyxkind]

@marymacdnld​

Spring was on its way, leading to the snow beneath Lily’s feet to turn mostly to mush. She had always found this time of year depressing. It was too gray, you could feel it in the air. The sort of heaviness that didn’t go away, instead hanging around, seeming to only add to an already chilly season. Of course it was worse in recent events; her birthday came and went without much celebration, but that was more than alright. There wasn’t much to be cheery about, anyways. Not with her father gone, or Petunia’s newest string of cruelty...not now that Dumbledore was gone, and Hogwarts under siege. Everything was in a strange, bitter air of suspension, and it tied Lily’s stomach into knots just to think about it. But spring was right around the corner - a glimmer of hope, that she might be able to see flowers soon. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

More directly to the point was that Lily had, admittedly, seen less of her best friend since her father’s death than she cared for. It was her fault, hiding behind Remus so much, and the holidays...the worst timing imaginable. But it left a gap in her life all the same. Hard as it was, especially in the wake of the newest attacks, she was doing her best to take up Andromeda’s insistence to take time off now and again. Hence, the trip into Flourish and Blott’s, her scarf wrapped around her neck, hands chilly and secure in her pockets as the bell rang above her. It was a strange sort of relief, the way the store seemed to calm her. Books did have that effect, no matter how long she went without them. “Excuse me,” Lily spoke, catching sight of Mary behind the counter, a joking sort of grin spreading across her features as she stepped up to the desk. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Mary MacDonald, have you? About this tall, generally answers to sweets and star charts. Has been known to get into heated arguments over superheroes once or twice.” She teased, reaching into her coat and setting a bag of gummy bears onto the countertop.