my voice will be ready

Lily Ebba Evans-Potter: 24, part-time tutor, part-time assistant potioneer, full-time mom "I wanna be defined by the things that I love. Not the things I hate, not the things that I'm afraid of, not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night. I just think that you are what you love."

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

xofalice​:

Alice was excited to spend a few hours with Lily. She was one of her closest friends. There was something about having children targeted that brought people close together. As much as their other friends tried to understand, only Lily and James knew what they’d truly gone through. So, the Potters were very special to her. Alice adored spending time with them. It was something that she knew wouldn’t change when Alice had four kids. But, it did mean she wanted to try to spend time with Lily, and Harry beforehand. She loved the little friendship that Neville had with Harry, and she wanted to make sure the two boys had time to spend together before Alice had her hands full with another newborn.

“That sounds like a lovely idea.” And the boys seemed to already be making their way there. Alice loved that her little boy was just so comfy in the Potter’s home, and she hoped that Harry felt the same in her home. That was the kind of house she wanted to have. Of course, the Longbottom household tended to be very chaotic. But that was what came with three children, soon to be four. But alice adored it, and she really would not change it for anything. “Seems like you’ve got our afternoon all sorted out….” Alice laughed, as she stood at the kitchen window, and watched their boys for a few moments. The boys lookedlike they were having so much fun already. It made Alice very happy indeed.

@xofalice​

Lily always enjoyed any amount of time she spent with Alice, whether it was in the safety and comfort of either of their homes, or when they’d been assigned on missions together back in the days of the order. Today, she was particularly grateful for the older woman’s presence, because Lily knew Alice, more than anybody other than James, would understand how she felt about lowering the fidelius charm. Even though James had made it clear that he didn’t want to try again if Lily wasn’t comfortable, she’d still decided to push through her uneasiness, afraid if she waited until she was fully ready she never would be. She stood by her choice, but part of her still wanted validation that it had been the right one, and Alice was uniquely situated to give that.

“You know me, I like to be prepared.” Lily laughed at herself a little. It was true, she’d been a planner almost to the point of neurosis when she was younger. Being in a relationship with James, who was more used to flying by the seat of his pants, and especially the unexpected arrival of Harry had helped her learn to be more flexible, but she still preferred to go into a situation with an idea of how she wanted it to unfold. Today, that looked like a firm idea of sending the boys out into the garden, and a teapot under a cozy already waiting on the kitchen table. “So tell me, how are you and yours? All well, I hope.” Even though Lily had something specific she wanted to talk to Alice about, she wasn’t going to just unload on her friend right out of the gate. She didn’t want to pile on her own problems if Alice had something she was struggling with herself.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

siriusblacx​:

“No more blind dates, I beg of you,” Sirius pleaded, half exasperated, half amused. “I’m perfectly happy with my nonexistent love life, thank you very much. Besides, isn’t it better for things to just happen naturally?” He asked pointedly. “You know, for the stars to align, love at first sight, all that nonsense? ” Sirius chuckled. “I know I’m a catch. Everyone agrees with me too,” he winked, laughing at her enthusiasm. 

Lily’s genuine concern over his relationships (or lack thereof) was actually quite endearing. He remembered being a teenager and having his mother try to set him up with eligible pureblood daughters of other families and Sirius protesting every step of it. And who could forget the unspoken agreement between his and the Burke family to marry off their heirs? However with Lily he knew it came from a place of care and desire to see Sirius happy, whilst his parents hadn’t factored in his happiness at all. 

“Very funny,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know there were many times I finished Remus’ homework for him.” Granted, it was always when Remus was recovering from a full moon and Sirius could hold his quill steady while Remus dictated answers. However, Harry was bright all on his own without any of their help, a fact which made Sirius only more excited to be there to watch him grow.

“Exactly,” he nodded. “This place is pretty casual, not so stuffy, and the samosas are to die for.” Soon enough they had arrived at the restaurant in question. Sirius held the door open for Lily, then followed the redhead inside, where they were told by a waitress to sit where they pleased.

@siriusblacx​ 

“You may think you’re perfectly happy, but you could be so much happier you just don’t know it yet.” Lily threw her head back and laughed at Sirius’ next words. “Are you seriously expecting me, Lily Evans-Potter, to endorse love at first sight?” Her relationship with James had taken more like love at five millionth sight. Of course, James had always known, but Lily was a firm believer that sometimes you just needed to see someone in a new and different light. Thus the blind dates. She would never believe that Sirius wasn’t cut out for a long term relationship, he simply had too much love to give. Maybe he wasn’t the nine to five office job, white picket fence, house in the suburbs type of person, but that really didn’t signify much.

“Mm-hm. And why exactly did you find yourself doing that?” Lily raised her eyebrows in a knowing look. They both knew the only time Remus struggled to finish his homework was after the full moon. But Lily would never really judge Sirius for lending a hand. She was glad Remus had the boys to support him while at Hogwarts, and now she was glad she could help, too. 

Lily inhaled deeply as she followed Sirius into the restaurant. “Oh, it smells heavenly.” The dining area was clean and homey, cozy without being cramped, and the tables and chairs were sturdy and comfortable. At the waitress’ instruction Lily made her way to a table that was out of the way enough that she and Sirius could carry on a conversation but not so tucked away that they couldn’t people watch. Lily scanned over the menu as she asked, “So, how is the pub doing? Business still booming?”

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

mar-mckinnon​:

The war finished with a bittersweet end for Marlene. On one hand, the war was finally over, but she had lost so much. Just as she was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, she lost the three most important people in her life and one of them she lost him in the most traumatic way. Marlene had always been very close to her siblings, and having her oldest brother dying in her arms was something that left her hanging by a thread. But Marlene couldn’t afford to drown in her own misery, she had siblings to take care of, siblings that depended on her and counted on her.

Unlike Lily, Marlene never expected to find herself in this situation, raising her baby brother who now mistook her for his mother. She never wanted to be a mother, it was too much responsibility and the idea of someone depending on her that much was terrifying.

“I mean, aren’t we all working too much? My shifts are so long, I swear…” and then she went back home to her siblings and while Mark and her uncle help, someone had to make sure they did their homework. “We should all take a break and go somewhere nice like, I dunno, Santorini, and just laze on the beach and eat great food” she hummed softly before sipping her drink.

Marlene gave her a look when she said she was a boring married woman. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, marriages shouldn’t be boring” she told her, scrunching up her nose. Her parents loved each other so much and made it seem so effortless and fun. “I’m afraid you’ll keep on being bored… the other day I went out and, I don’t know, everyone was so annoying” she admitted. “Like… so uninteresting and some seemed so fucking stupid. Like this guy told me he was a Hit Wizard and I was like ‘no you aren’t’, because I would know. And then he said that he had been a Hit Wizard in the US and you could tell he was totally lying” she scoffed. “Like… do I look that stupid?”

@lilyebba​

@mar-mckinnon​

Lily knew motherhood was never part of Marlene’s dream life the way it had been her’s, and she figured becoming a mother to your younger siblings after losing your own parents had to be a special kind of pain. But she had faith in Marlene. If nothing else, the blonde was too stubborn to not succeed, and Lily was determined to help any way she could. She still remembered the summer after her father died, how she’d all but given up on life and her friends had rallied around her to make sure she kept going. Marlene had been one of the people who made sure Lily visited Diagon Alley for her school supplies and escorted her to King’s Cross on September first. The way Lily saw it, their roles were now reversed. 

So Lily was there for Marlene whatever she needed, whether it be a crash course in developmental milestones for four year olds, advice on how to handle moody teenagers who rejected your authority, or just daydreaming about escaping reality. The white washed buildings and pebbled beaches of Santorini felt like a pipe dream, especially since part of Lily was still in survival mode, but she was more than happy to lean into it. “Oh, yes, we could gain half a stone and get great tans. Well, I’d burn, but you and Mary could tan. And your hair would go all bright and golden from the sun.” Lily had always been a little envious of Marlene’s hair. No matter how many compliments she got on her own, Lily could never escape the fact that there were some colors that simply did not go with red hair. Blonde hair went with everything.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with boring. I love my boring married life; everyday I come home to the same wonderful husband and the same perfect baby boy and it’s amazing.” Lily’s smile was bright and genuine, she meant every word she said. “I just like your flair for dramatics in your storytelling.” Lily had always been a lively character, and Marlene was, too. It was one of the reasons they got along so well. Lily loved having a friend who could match her high energy.

Lily laughed at Marlene’s story and shook her head fondly. Count on Marlene to call a guy out on his bullshit. “I don’t think you’re the stupid one.” Lily smiled slyly and took a sip of her wine. “He was probably just intimidated by the fact that you’re drop dead gorgeous and obviously a total badass and decided to overcompensate in a truly boneheaded way.” Lily shrugged. Guys could be idiots sometimes, and she had an itemized list of her husband’s Hogwarts antics to prove it. “You know I could always set you up with someone. I’m sure James knows of some single, hot, quidditch jocks from work.” Lily loved being in love, and she wanted to see all of her friends just as happy. For the most part she focused on Sirius, problem child that he was, but maybe it was time to put some effort into Marlene as well.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

siriusblacx​:

“I did ask her name, thank you very much,” Sirius said pointedly. “It was Blair, wasn’t it? Or Blythe…” Sirius shook his head before quirking an eyebrow at Lily. “Are you going to try and set me up with someone again?” He asked, chuckling. The last time Lily had tried, Sirius hadn’t been able to commit to more than one dinner date. While Lily’s intentions were good, Sirius and the date just hadn’t clicked. He found the whole set up thing rather boring, as it lacked spontaneity, which was what Sirius enjoyed.

His smile only grew warmer as Lily talked about Harry learning the alphabet. Godric, he loved that kid. He never thought it was even imaginable to love someone this much, especially a kid that wasn’t even his own. Even at such a young age Harry was his own person, with his own thoughts, opinions, quirks and personality that Sirius saw more and more of everyday. “He’s a sharp one, isn’t he?” Sirius said with a touch of pride. “He gets it from his uncle.”

“As you may know I’m not much of a cook,” Sirius began. “So I get takeout nearby pretty often.” He knew enough to sustain himself– like how to crack an egg, for example– but up until his graduation from Hogwarts, he’d been served food his entire life. 

@siriusblacx​

“I’m so proud.” Lily grinned, then rolled her eyes. “Now if only you could remember it.” Lily laughed at Sirius’ suspicious expression. “Of course I’m going to try to set you up again. I’m always going to try to set you up again until something sticks. I just want you to be happy.” Lily jostled his arm for emphasis. “Besides, you’re such a catch! You should be doing more than sleeping around and flirting with receptionists.” Lily was not blind to Sirius’ faults, but she also believed that the right person could smooth out some of his rougher edges. She, admittedly, hadn’t been terribly successful at finding that right person just yet, but she was confident they existed.

“Oh definitely, Remus always excelled academically.” Lily nodded solemnly before breaking back into her wide grin. If intelligence was hereditary, between her and James Harry was set. If it was something you picked up from the people around you, she still liked his odds. None of their friends were idiots. Idiotic at times, absolutely, but not idiots. 

“And so you’ve developed an encyclopedic knowledge of the local cuisine.” Lily chuckled. She knew that a lot of her peers relied more on take out than their own kitchens, especially with how busy life could get. But that had never been her and James’ way. It was one of the reasons Lily liked to insist on family dinners, so she could make sure that her friends were getting at least some home cooked meals. “Tell me about this latest gem you’ve found.”

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

james-prongstter​:

James chuckled as well, “Is that what you call me when I’m not around? We call Remus’ temper lunar” he joked as well, kissing her shoulder. He was still amazed that they had managed to end up together. He fancied Lily for a while before they ended up being together, and it still felt like a dream to be there with her.

“I like taking care of you too,” he said softly, not letting her go. Harry was their world, but they were barely married before he came along and even if he didn’t regret having Harry he still felt like they just had started their lives together, that he wanted to kiss and touch Lily like they were still Hogwarts students and couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. “I knew you only married me for my cooking and my money, if not you’d have married Sirius.” he teased, knowing that Lily and Sirius were close and they loved each other. Which made James incredibly happy, since their family only grew but there weren’t animosities amongst them.

James started to take the things to make Lily’s favourite breakfast, he didn’t have to go to work until later that day to do some paperwork, they could still have time before Harry woke and make a little breakfast date while the world still slept.

He let Lily organize her thoughts, they had learnt about each other from being stuck at home, and poking would only make things worse, they both needed time to just come to terms with what was troubling them and James had learnt to be patient for when Lily was ready to speak, well, most of the times.

At the mention of the charm James stopped. “What about it?” he asked cautiously. 

@james-prongstter​

Lily reached up and cupped James’ cheek as he kissed her shoulder. She’d always been a very physically affectionate person, and she loved that James was, too. Sometimes she marveled at how well they fit together considering how rocky their early years at Hogwarts had been. “I call you lots of things when you’re not around, but mostly I just like saying ‘my husband’.” Lily had always been a hopeless romantic, looking up to her parents’ relationship as long as she could remember. She loved being married, confident she’d found the love of her life, even if it had taken her a while to realize it.

“Obviously. It had nothing to do with your principles, or your compassion, or your sense of humor, or your hair, or your abs.” Lily’s smile gradually turned more flirtatious as her list went on. Really, there was no one else for her but James. She adored Sirius. She trusted him to be Harry’s godfather, which was about the highest compliment she could give, but it wasn’t the same as how she felt about James. Sirius was her friend, her brother, really, but James was her soulmate. There had been a time when Lily had a vision of what kind of person she would end up with, someone mature and responsible who was level headed and could curb her temper. She’d tried dating someone like that, it hadn’t worked out. Then there was James, who burned just as brightly as she did, who could temper her because he understood her. He’d ended up being everything she’d always needed.

 Lily watched as James began to prepare drop scones. It was something that erred more on the side of baking than cooking, so it was something that Lily was not good at making. Despite her talent at potions and cooking, she could never quite get the hang of baking. But James had grown up baking with Euphemia, and he was quite good. It was another thing she joked about marrying him for. James stopped what he was doing as soon as Lily mentioned the charm, and she guessed by the wary tone of his voice that it was something he’d been thinking about, too. He’d probably just been waiting for her to bring it up, since she was so anxious about it. “I’ve been thinking, since it’s been a year, maybe it’s time to try without the charm again.” Lily took a deep breath, waiting to hear what James had to say.

[ofcarrowisms]

Where: James and Lily’s house

When: 20th May

Who: Alice and @lilyebba​

Getting herself, and three kids out of the house was pretty hard, especially when the kids were so young. That was why sometimes she opted to just go out with Neville. It was mostly when she was going for playdates. She sometimes felt bad for bringing her brood around to some poor souls house. Of course, she knew that Lily wouldn’t mind, but she wanted Neville to have opportunity to play with his friends on his own. So, she’d arranged this play date on a day that Frank was at home. He was looking after the twins, and she was taking Neville around to play with Harry for a few hours. It meant that she could catch up with Lily too, and she was looking forward to that.

Knocking on the door, the brunette had a smile on her face. The last year had been tough, and she was hoping it would soon get back to normal. She was just glad to have friends that could keep her strong. “Make sure you are good boy okay baby.” She murmured, ruffling her sons hair. “And don’t make too much of a mess.”

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

@xofalice​

Lily was trying very hard to be okay with having the fidelius charm down. She’d been a basket case the first time they got rid of it, so she needed this time to go better. She and James had decided together that it was time to try again, but she still wasn’t entirely comfortable. She’d been keeping Harry close, and she could tell he was starting to get a little antsy. When a knock came Lily’s heart jumped, even though she was expecting Alice, and Harry took advantage of her momentary distraction to barrel toward the front door. Lily tried to keep the outright panic from her voice as she called after him, “Harry! Harry, wait for Mumma, please.” She did not want to scare her son, did not want to tarnish any of the excitement or friendliness that filled his little body.

Lily’s heart rate did not return to normal until she saw Alice and Neville on the stoop. Or at least, Alice was on the stoop. Harry and Neville were already on their way down the front hall. “It’s such a lovely day, why don’t you two go play in the garden?” Lily suggested, herding the boys straight through the house to the back door. To Alice, she explained, “We’ll have a good view of them from the kitchen table, and then we don’t have to worry about curious little ears.” Lily smiled. Harry loved to ask questions, and Lily loved to answer them, but there were some things she didn’t want him knowing about just yet. One of the reasons she’d invited Alice over was because she knew the older witch would understand her anxiety around undoing the fidelius charm.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

siriusblacx​:

Sirius let out a genuine bark of laughter. “You know me, I’m traditional to my very core,” he chuckled, flashing a mischievous grin. “I wanted to show your colleague I can be a gentleman when I want to.” At one point in his life Sirius was quite touchy over the fact he was, indeed, quite posh. Being raised like royalty had some effects the former Gryffindor just couldn’t shake, like the accent that came out when he was angry or drunk, or the expensive taste in alcohol. Despite the tattoos, long hair, and choice in wardrobe, he still had all the markings of someone from high society.

“The pub’s closed until the evening so I figured, why not take my sister out to lunch?” He smiled. To admit that Lily was actually a funny, kind, and genuine friend was not something Sirius would have done years ago. His arrogance would have stood in the way from admitting such a thing. Now, he could not think of anyone he would consider more of a sister than Lily, and not just because of her marriage to his adoptive brother.  “How have you been? How are the boys?” Sirius asked indicating both of their favorite boys in the world, James and Harry.

“Perfect, I know just the spot,” Sirius nodded, crossing a street with Lily.

@siriusblacx​

“Oh yes, anyone can see that just looking at you.” Lily laughed along with Sirius. He was about as close to the opposite of straight laced as you could get without a full on punk mohawk. “My colleague does have a name, you know. Probably something you should ask for.” She pursed her lips in an expression of displeasure that was mostly joking. She was not naive to Sirius’ dating habits, but she was deliriously happy married to James and she wanted to see all of her friends just as content. She would have to weigh the possibility of setting Sirius up with Blythe, but her gut instinct was it wouldn’t last. Blythe was a dear, sweet thing, a reliable coworker and good at her job, but she was, perhaps, too nice for Sirius. He would need someone who wasn’t afraid to call him out when necessary.

‘Our boys.’ The phrase was music to Lily’s ears. She’d never had a selfish love, she wanted people to love what she did with equal fervor, so Lily’s appreciation of Sirius’ devotion to his godson and brother were not diminished by the fact that they were her son and husband. “James is well, work is a little hectic with the European Cup coming up but that just makes things more exciting. I’ve started doing the alphabet with Harry. He’s become obsessed with B sounds, he keeps substituting them in for other letters. You may well be ‘Badfoot’ next time he sees you.” Lily was incredibly proud of Harry’s learning. He didn’t yet realize it was any different from playing, and he was proving to be quite clever, to boot.

 “Oh good, I feel like I’m only familiar with the restaurants that are kid friendly these days.” Not that Lily was yet up to dining out with her family frequently, but it was part of Harry’s socializing. She didn’t want him to freak out at being surrounded by people in a classroom if she decided to send him to a public primary school.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

mar-mckinnon​:

Marlene was grateful for Lily coming over. She had known James her entire life and he was basically an honorary McKinnon, but Marlene had also grown very close to Lily. She had been not only her roommate, but one of her closest friends. They had been there for each other, they had grown together and went through their adolescence together. Both Lily and Mary had been there for each other and when the Potters went into hiding, Marlene didn’t take it very well. It had been another layer of anger added to her. But now the war was over and her friends were safe.

The McKinnons weren’t unharmed, they lost a lot and Marlene was not the same vivacious and loud girl that grew up with Lily at Hogwarts. The circumstances of the war left Marlene filling a pair of shoes that were too big for her: her mother’s. It was easier with Benjamin and Sophie that were older, but Oliver had been a baby when their mother died, so Marlene was left to do what her mother couldn’t: raise that kid. It was a good thing Oliver was Harry’s age, she was trying to make him interact with as many kids of his age as she could. Now, the two kids were asleep and she and Lily finally had a break. “Please, I need gossip grown up talk, but I can’t promise that the wine won’t stirr me to the serious grown up talk” she chuckled before taking her glass and raised it. “For more slumber parties” she grinned. “Next time we should tell Mary to come” she then added.

@mar-mckinnon​

Being in hiding had been hard for Lily. The people she and James had trusted to know their location, of which Marlene had been one, were able to visit occasionally, but never with enough frequency or duration for Lily’s taste. It had been especially hard when first Marlene’s parents then her brother were killed. Lily hadn’t been able to help Marlene with the arrangements or attend the funerals, and she would probably never get over that. So her visits with Marlene were driven as much by guilt as a desire to see her friend, especially when her visits involved helping with the younger McKinnons, particularly Oliver. 

Lily had spent most of her life looking forward to being a mother, picking up extra pocket money by helping with the various young families of Cokeworth from an early age. She had much more experience with little ones than the average 24 year old, and she was eager to lend her expertise to Marlene. Of course that didn’t mean Lily wasn’t there to just spend time with her friend. There were days when she felt like she’d aged 15 years since her father died, and hanging out with Marlene reminded Lily that she was still young. “Gossip grown-up talk it is, then.” Lily grinned as well as she tapped her glass against Marlene’s. “Here here. Mary is spending way too much time on her healer’s training, she definitely needs to take a break.” Lily really didn’t have a whole lot of room to talk, between her two jobs and taking care of Harry she rarely took a break herself, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Now please tell me you have something exciting to share on the romance front. Remember, I’m a boring married woman who needs to live vicariously through you.” Lily’s voice was light and teasing. A hopeless romantic, she’d never been terribly adventurous when it came to relationships, and she loved being married and settled, especially with James.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

siriusblacx​:

Sirius mirrored Lily’s sly grin, sneaking a glance back at the other woman sitting at the desk. “I mean, if you won’t mind I’ll double back…” he said before barking with laughter. He offered is arm to Lily in a display of humorous chivalry, opening the door of the apothecary for her to step outside.

It was a clear day and his pub was closed, which gave Sirius the idea of taking his sister-in-law out for lunch. It had been a while since he’d seen her without James and Harry being in the same room, demanding Sirius’ attention. He admittedly spent more time with Lily than his actual sibling, which was of course due to the fact that he couldn’t be in proximity of Regulus without them finding something to bicker over. Lily and Sirius got along much better.

“What are you in the mood for?” Sirius asked.

@siriusblacx​

“Well of course. I’m told walking a lady to her door is the done thing for you hoity-toity types.” Lily and Sirius had had wildly different upbringings, and Lily would occasionally poke fun at that fact, but only occasionally. She knew that every material advantage Sirius had over her was proportional to a very different kind of advantage she’d had. “Besides, I’ll take every second with you I can get mister I’m a Busy and Important Entrepreneur.” Lily’s smile grew warm and proud as she took Sirius’ arm and followed him out of the apothecary. She loved seeing her boys succeed. She loved seeing Sirius work to step fully into the peace they’d all fought so hard for. 

Sometimes Lily still couldn’t quite believe she was friends with Sirius Black. She would have been loath to admit it ten years ago, but she and Sirius had far more in common than not. And they had both grown a lot since their early years at Hogwarts. These days they were more opposite sides of the same coin than opposite ends of the same spectrum, and now they were strolling down the Diagon Alley high street arm in arm. 

Lily hummed thoughtfully as she considered Sirius’ question. “I think I’m in the mood for korma.” The small town where Lily grew up had not been fashionable enough to have an Indian restaurant when she was young, so she’d come to Indian food closer to adulthood than childhood, but she was an enthusiastic convert.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

james-prongstter​:

James knew they couldn’t live in fear the rest of their lives, and in some part of his mind he felt guilty that Sirius had to carry a weight on his shoulders, that he might be happy to have, but it wasn’t an easy one. He wanted to live without fear, without the constant looking back to see if they were being followed or that if there was danger around. The war was over and they should move on.

But that was harder to say than done, and Lily was specially struggling, the security blanket that James once became to hate was the only thing that kept Lily’s mind at ease. He didn’t like it, not because they couldn’t keep that, but because it wasn’t the way he wanted to live the rest of his life. If their family grew would he want to keep putting the charm around every house? What if they wanted to travel? What would happen at Hogwarts? There were a lot of things to consider in the future, but this little step could help them move forward. 

“No, you didn’t, I’m the early riser, remember?” he joked, after becoming a stag for his animagus form there were things that James’ human form adapted, like being up by dawn, or craving for nuts, so he was used to early mornings and naps when he was too exhausted to go for the rest of the day. “You didn’t have to get up, I could have gotten the kettle. Do you want something to eat with that tea?” he asked, wrapping his arms around his wife, just wanting their little moment before Harry woke up. “What was your busy mind pondering?”

@james-prongstter​

Lily smiled and chuckled, James making her feel better with his mere presence like he always did. “Ah yes, my crepuscular husband.” She still marveled at the fact that she was married to a man who could transform into a deer not only because as a muggleborn the scope of magic never ceased to amaze her, but also because as a child stags had been a special topic of interest for Lily. When she was young she received a book on Celtic mythology and folklore. She’d become fascinated by the legend of the stag as king of the forest and it had sparked an obsession that resulted in a great many trips to the local library. She never would have expected such knowledge to be relevant to her life, but now it gave her ample fodder for teasing her husband.

“I know, but maybe I like taking care of you, hm?” Lily leaned into James’ embrace and hummed happily. She loved having her whole family together, quiet nights playing with Harry alongside James, but she also craved time alone with James. She wouldn’t give up Harry for the world, but sometimes she wished they’d had more time as just a married couple before they became parents. So she savored each little moment when it was just the two of them. “A James Potter breakfast, yes please! That’s, like, at least 60% of why I married you.” She went up on her toes to give him a soft kiss. 

She leaned her hip against the lower cabinets while she waited for the kettle to boil and ran a finger around the rim of her mug. The tea in it was more luke-warm than hot now, and she still wasn’t sure she was ready to say aloud what had been keeping her awake. But she knew James wouldn’t just let it go if something was bothering her, and she also knew that talking things out, especially with James, helped her put her thoughts in order. So she took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “I’ve been thinking about the fidelius charm.”

[regulusblacx]

★  sirius & @lilyebba

★ apothecary

Sirius could charm his way out of most situations. On this occasion, he had managed to charm his way in– the apothecary where his sister-in-law Lily worked at, to be exact. He had a mission in mind and he would not relent until it was accomplished. Sirius leaned casually on the counter, grinning and nodding smoothly at the pretty young woman who sat at the front desk. As he spoke to her, Sirius was toeing between the line of politeness and flirting. He had convinced her that he needed to leave a message to his sister who worked as the assistant. Yes, it was important. No, it could not wait. Yes, he was single.

Finally, he saw a redhead emerge from the apothecary. Sirius straightened up, his charm fading away and replaced with the natural fondness he felt towards Lily. “Hey there. I’ve come to kidnap you for lunch. My treat,” Sirius announced.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

@siriusblacx​

When Lily was told someone matching Sirius’ description was asking for her, an ice cold bolt of panic cut through her. Her first thought was something had happened to Harry, and she had to force herself to breathe. If Harry was hurt or something was wrong, Sirius would not be waiting patiently at checkout. Nothing, certainly not sweet Blythe at the front desk, would stop Sirius from getting to Lily if Harry needed her. Nothing would stop Sirius from getting to anything Harry really needed, Lily reminded herself. It was, afterall, one of the reasons Sirius had been Lily’s first choice for godfather while James had struggled to choose between his brothers. So once her heartbeat had slowed back to its normal rate, Lily left the workroom to see what was going on. 

Lily smiled when she saw Sirius, watching him straighten out of one of his cool-boy stances. She didn’t blame him one bit for flirting with Blythe, she was breathing, which seemed to be Sirius’ only strict requirement, and pretty and friendly to boot. Still, Lily couldn’t just not tease him. What else were sisters for? “Are you sure it’s me you want to take to lunch?” She asked with a sly smile and a pointed glance at her coworker.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

where: the McKinnon home when: late who: Lily & @mar-mckinnon​

Lily knew a lot of first years arrived at Hogwarts apprehensive about the experience, and she herself had been no exception, but one thing she hadn’t worried about was living in a dorm. Not only had she grown up sharing a room with Petunia, she’d been genuinely excited by the prospect of an experience she’d been sure would be like having a sleepover every single night. She hadn’t been entirely right, but she hadn’t been wrong, either. Over the seven years they’d been in school together Lily had gotten used to sharing a room with Mary and Marlene, and while she wouldn’t trade her life with her husband and son for anything, she still missed living with her sisters. 

So Lily made a habit of keeping up with her former roommates, and tonight that looked like a slumber party at the McKinnons. It was something she and Marlene did as often as possible, now that the war was over, not only because it gave them time to catch up, but also because it let both Harry and Oliver socialize with another child their own age. After they got the boys down, always a bit of a chore as they tended to wind each other up, they broke out the expensive wine and cheap junk food. As Lily poured a generous glass for Marlene she raised the question, “So are we doing serious grown up talk or gossip grown up talk tonight?” Even though Marlene didn’t work with kids the way Lily did, she knew the blonde spent as much time with her siblings as she could, and that meant they both often found themselves longing for a conversation with another adult.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

Lily Evans-Potter: Disney Inspo

Princess Eilonwy

“Oh, what a pity. I was so hoping for someone who could help me escape. Oh well, if you want to come with me, you may.”

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

Lily Evans-Potter: Deep Dive pt 5

How does your character celebrate their birthday? Do they like celebrating it? 

Birthdays at the Evans house were always about quality time more than anything else. True, there was cake and some presents, but the most important part was time spent together as a family, especially for Lily. Birthdays meant game nights where the birthday person got to pick the game, or watching their favorite movie, or making a special trip to the park or the cinema. Lily has definitely carried this philosophy into her adulthood. Yes she loves receiving gifts, the more sentimental the better, but the only thing she really needs for her birthday is time with her family and friends. She loves celebrating her birthday for this very reason, because it’s an excuse to gather her loved ones near.

What is your muse’s dream job? Are they happy with the one they currently have? 

Lily’s dream job has always been to teach, just like her father. She used to think she’d follow directly in his footsteps and teach literature, but when she went to Hogwarts she fell in love with potions, and it turned out she had a knack for it, too. Her ultimate goal is still to become the Hogwarts potions professor, but when she graduated she was more concerned with the war, and then Harry came along. Now she doesn’t want to be gone so much until Harry, or any other children she may have, are older. So she’s making do as a potioneering assistant and a tutor. It’s close to what she wants, but it’s not all the way there. Yet.

What does your muse need in order to be happy? 

Lily has always been of a happy nature. She was raised by her parents to find happiness within her, rather than without. She likes to look on the bright side and give people the benefit of the doubt, and as long as she can do that she’s content. When things get hard it makes her feel better to look to the little things. A cup of her mother’s favorite tea, rereading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a hug from a friend, or a cuddle with Chess is usually enough. She knows it’s not possible to be happy all the time, but she tries not to dwell on the negative.

What are your muse’s pet peeves? 

Lily doesn’t really have pet peeves. She either has things she loves, things she doesn’t care about either way, or things she hates. For example, she hates a bully, or anyone she sees as cruel, and she hates people who habitually lie. There are few things that she finds more infuriating than people who cling to convention simply because “that’s how it’s always been done.” She does not like limitations, especially when they’re placed on her, and she takes promises, and people who break them, very seriously.

Who was an influential person during your character’s childhood? 

Lily’s childhood was full of influential people. She is an amalgamation of all the people she’s ever loved, and she loved her family deeply. She has her mother’s determined optimism and Petunia’s fierce protectiveness. But the one person who had the greatest effect on her was her father. It was from Howell Evans that Lily learned her love of literature, her altruism, and her idealism. He also tried to temper her self-righteousness and curb her petty impulses. Petunia was Lily’s closest confidant and Severus was her best friend but Howell was Lily’s rock. He was the foundation of her life, her hero, and everything she wanted to be.

[james-prongstter-deactivated202]

@lilyebba​

Godric Hollow had become their home, they had make it so their child would grow up in a warm and loving home. A place that was big enough for mischief but cozy enough for just the three of them, and a couple of their friends. 

James loved Godric Hollow for it’s mix of magical and muggle alike, where Harry could learn about all his heritage, and not be tied to either wizarding or muggle world. However, the war and Peter had taken all the good they had put on the place and taken it all away, and all that seemed to remain was the ghost of an attack on them that didn’t end up happening, leaving the Potters paranoid and vigilant.

He had seen Lily being on Harry’s bedside, tired and sleepless as she tried to protect the home they had created, while the charm and shield they had was down.

They had put the Fidelius back up, they went with their gut and let Sirius be the one that protected them this time. However, this couldn’t last forever, where they gonna live in fear until the end of their lives? Was it worth to lose their freedom for a guy that was supposedly dead? 

He didn’t think so. This is why, on an early morning, where he saw his beautiful wife sitting with a cuppa in her hands, dark circles under her eyes, that he thought it would be a proper time to do so.

He gave her a kiss on the head as he entered the kitchen “Couldn’t sleep?”

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

@james-prongstter​

There were a great many things Lily loved about her husband, but one of the foremost was just how similar their priorities were. When they began looking for a place to live together they’d agreed on many things, like needing a dedicated guest room and having enough space for weekly family dinners with their friends, and the most important thing had been finding a place where their future children could grow up in both the muggle and magical worlds. Even though the beginning of Harry’s life had been unconventional, being born into hiding was hardly the makings of a normal infancy, now that Voldemort was dead and the threat he posed was neutralized Lily and James were starting to socialize Harry more. They took him to the muggle playground in Godric's Hollow as well as to play with Neville and the twins. 

Being out and about with her family still gave Lily a great deal of anxiety and she found herself looking over her shoulder more than she’d care to admit, especially when James wasn’t with her and Harry. But Lily had always taken a head on approach to fear; she forced herself to face it, pushing through to the other side. She was determined to deal with her lingering paranoia about her family’s safety the same way, but it was proving to be more difficult than she expected. When the first lifted the fidelius charm after Voldemort’s defeat she’d spent many sleepless nights keeping vigil in Harry’s room before she and James had to admit they weren’t ready to be so exposed, or at least Lily wasn’t. So they recast the charm, making Sirius their secret keeper as he should have been all along, and she began to sleep easy again.

While having the fidelius charm back in place was a great comfort to Lily, she knew it couldn’t last forever. It wasn’t practical, but more importantly she didn’t want Harry to grow up afraid. Lately she’d been mentally testing the waters, lying awake at night turning the idea of lifting the charm over in her head. This morning the practice found her up early, hands wrapped around a cup of the tea that had been her mother’s favorite. She looked up when James entered the room and smiled at her husband as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I just had a busy mind. Did I wake you?” She got up without prompting to put the kettle back on and make tea for James.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

xofalice​:

Alice just smiled at her friend. She’d known Lily long enough to know when to give up a fight. And this was one of the moments. And the exact reasoning for her friend’s charity was why the two were siuch good friends. They were so alike, and always had been. Alice would have done exactly as her friend was if their roles were reversed. And so, Alice was grateful for Lily. The entire situation was stressful, and she really did just need a drink. It was something she wouldn’t have considered if Lily hadn’t let her know.

“I must just have a loud mouth then.” Alice mused with a laugh. She never really struggled. But she made herself very known, and always had. That, and she didn’t really come out all that much. So she really wouldn’t have known if being married had made her invisible or not. Alice sighed, biting her lip as she looked at her friend. “Honestly? I don’t know….” She murmured, knowing she could be honest with Lily. “We have a lot of assets, rather than actual money.” Which honestly made things a lot worse. “And we’d rather not use up the actual money in our savings. The three children have savings accounts and well….” She didn’t want to touch them. Their children had done nothing wrong. “There’s also belongings of Frank’s mom and dad….” She cut off, and just shrugged. She didn’t need to explain to Lily why those belongings were so sentimental. She was quiet for a few minutes, having to compose herself. “It just feels like a kick in the teeth for all we did for Dumbledore.”

@xofalice​

Lily heaved a sigh, mostly for show as she wasn’t terribly put out. “Maybe I’m just doing something wrong, then.” Lily, like Alice, was not a shy or retiring character. She rarely had trouble making her voice heard or her presence known, but apparently this was one of the exceptions. She propped her elbows on the bar and cupped her chin in her hands, only slightly bothered by the prospect of a wait. When the bartender finally made their way down to Lily and Alice, Lily ordered a chocolate orange martini then turned to her friend. “I’m serious, get whatever you want.”

Lily listened to Alice’s words, nodding along with them. Her parents had raised her to be fiscally responsible, and a key part of that was having emergency savings. So she understood why Alice didn’t want to use her and Frank’s savings to pay the tax, and of course she hated the idea of them being forced to take something away from their children. Similarly, she understood Frank not wanting to sell sentimental heirlooms, though she herself hardly came from a family that had heirlooms. But when Alice spoke again, she lost Lily. “What do you mean, what you did for Dumbledore? I know he ran the o, but he’s not the reason you fought, is he?” It reminded Lily of when Peter called the order ‘Dumbledore’s merry clan of martyrs’ and not in a good way.

[wiwlilyebba-archive]

ratboipeter​:

He was bored, bored of the condemnation. In his younger years, Peter would have looked at Lily with adoration and friendship. His current gaze did not emote that same expression. Instead, it was dismissive. Did Lily Potter ever get tired of being so self-righteous? It was sickening.  Hearing her natter on about how she was set to be relied on, just sounded like a bragging session rather than an affirmation.  Peter was bitter, did he just not happen to fit Lily’s perfect fix-a-friend mould? A fool-proof model of Lily moddy-coddling until her friends became a shiny figure of nobility.  Glancing at the woman in-front of him, Peter wasn’t too sure if it was the anger of betrayal or the anger of not having another redeemed friend to place on her trophy case. 

“Huh,” Peter scoffed, “I forgot, Dumbledore’s merry clan of martyrs never do no wrong.”  His nostrils flared with annoyance.  Peter Pettigrew had been laced with regret from the moment, the words of betrayal had fell from his lips.  Regret over what he had done to Lily and James, and for a while. Peter seemed set on distancing himself from the couple, there were never going to be kind words or apologises exchanged.   But the very act of storming into his workplace had infuriated him. Lily’s scolding tone no longer had an impact on his life. Lily wasn’t his mother.  She didn’t have the right to tally up the failures of his life path.  Peter Pettigrew was done with this conversation,  his blood was boiling and he felt his palms begin to itch.  “I hadn’t been dealing with anything fucking well since Dumbledore forced a bunch of kids to do his dirty work. I wasn’t dealing with it fucking well while you lot were sitting beside me, at  the Leaky Cauldron, at order meetings, at your fucking wedding. ” His voice venomous, fist banging down on the bar in front. Relieved it was a somewhat empty bar filled with nothing but old men.  “Surprisingly enough, this wasn’t my aspiration. I had plans.  Plans that currently sit in a fucking ring-box in my bedside cabinet.” The admission, an unspoken one. The only other person who knew was Remus, his friend who had helped him pick the ring.  “But I fucking suffered because what that man sent me to do- I did what Mulci-” His voice cracking, “I did what Mulciber did to Mary to some innocent bloke to prove my loyalty.  Just to pass on some fucking information to that old fucker.” 

Pushing back the lump that began to settle in his throat, clearing his voice. “I had morals. But-how was I supposed to walk back and tell Mary that I loved her after doing that- ask her to be my wife.  Or go back to acting like a hero drinking in the pub with you lot  while some man lay in St Mary’s Hospital London, whimpering in fear over what I done to him?”  Words flowing like a tap that couldn’t get shut.  A release that had been pent up for what seemed like years.  “I apologise for what I done- but it was easier to succumb to it all- so why don’t you pop off and do that- and see how easy it is to return to your life filled with glory and pride over what you accomplished.” 

@ratboipeter​

Lily stiffened when he referred to the Order as ‘Dumbledore’s merry clan of martyrs.’ Lily was most certainly not the martyr type. She didn’t want to ignite a movement, she wanted to lead one. At the very least, she wanted to be a part of one. It was why being in the Order had been so important to her, despite the risks. She wanted to work toward building a better world, and that was what they’d been doing. At least, that’s what Lily had felt like they were doing, and she knew plenty of other members who agreed. Was that why Peter had turned against them, because he’d felt like their cause had been corrupted? 

One of Lily’s less admirable qualities was her talent for getting annoyed at shortcomings in others that she failed to see in herself. So Peter’s self-righteous indignation pissed her off, without her realizing that he was just giving as good as he got. “I’m so sorry you feel like fighting a war for acceptance and equality against blood prejudice was doing Dumbledore’s dirty work, but nobody forced your hand.” Lily’s caustic tone made it clear she wasn’t actually sorry. After all, he hadn’t had to join. Mary didn’t, and no one judged her for that. Lily was getting pretty damn sick and tired of Peter acting like his actions had been justified, like they’d done something to earn his betrayal.

Then, Peter said two things back to back that tipped Lily’s world completely off its axis. If she’d been asked just moments earlier, she would have said nothing could surprise her more than the news that Peter; the traitor, the death eater, the one who so casually displayed the dark mark on his arm, had been planning to propose to Mary. It simply didn’t add up, but even that paled in comparison to what he said next. The anger left Lily’s body faster than water drained from an unplugged tub, leaving in its wake a numb sort of shock and a growing sense of horror. “What do you mean what he sent you to do? Peter, why did you join the death eaters?” It was, Lily realized, a question she had not yet asked, too caught up in her own fury and assumptions.

Lily would have thought there was nothing Peter could do or say that would hurt more than the news of his betrayal. But as she listened to the words pour out of him her heart broke all over again. It was bad enough to think that he’d betrayed them, that they’d been wrong about him all these years, but it was even worse to hear that they’d been right, and he’d betrayed himself. Compassion swelled in Lily’s chest, and she put a hand to her heart, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Oh Wormy.” She didn’t have any other words, just a powerful urge to hug him, which she had a feeling wouldn’t be appreciated.