#jilychallenge

[jilychallenge2023]

25 December 2023

Thank you for the lovely message @gwenmontrose

Happy Christmas, Gelukkig Kerstfeest, Joyeux Noel, Frohe Weihnachten, to all of you who celebrate it.

Today we have some absolutely stunning art from our beloved @constancezin Jily decorating the Christmas tree, let’s just pretend they got to do that until they were grey and old;)

#maker: constancezin #day 25 #djc2023 #december jily challenge #jple #jilychallenge #jily fan art #Amazing zin #happy christmas #🎄🎄🎄

[not-rab]

i’m sorry but the ‘i’m just ken’ song gives off SUCH james vibes like????

i’m not even that big of a jily shipper but him singing that to try and win her over is so shakdjakskkdfjakqk???

#marauders #marauders era #the marauders #dead gay wizards #slytherin skittles #marauders incorrect quotes #jily #jily fic #jily week 2023 #jily fanfiction #jily headcanon #jilychallenge #jily fanart #jilymicrofics #james fleamont potter #james potter #pansexual james potter #lily evans #lily evans potter #lily evens #lily x james #james x lily #lily and james #james and lily #wolfstar #atyd marauders #atyd fandom #atyd jily #marauders headcanon #sapphic marauders

[jilychallenge]

March Jilychallenge 2024

We really hope that February’s sweet fluff did not cause you to have cavities because, again, we have a sweet, cute theme of…

FAIRYTALES

It may be a rendition of a classic fairy tale, like Cinderella, Snow White or the Sleeping Beauty or any other lesser know fairy tales like The Juniper Tree, Bluebeard etc! Or it may even be a fairy tale of your own making set in a fantasy world! All we want is for our James and Lily to live their Happily Ever After!

To sign up:

• please reblog this post by the 1st of March tagging with what you'd like to make (for example #one-shot, #writing, #art, #drawing, #mood board, #playlist etc. You can be as vague as or specific as you like)

• At the beginning of the month, we will assign you a partner and you will receive your prompt (here or on JilyChallenge Discord). Keep an eye on this blog or Discord and please check your messages on Tumblr.

• Each creator makes their own creation, collabs are encouraged but not the aim of this challenge.

• (optional) please follow the jilychallenge Tumblrblog and @jilychallenge2023 for updates.

• (optional) join the Jily Challenge on Discord (send an ask for an invite) for beta help, chatting and mental support.

when posting:

creators should try to post their entries by the end of the month (What to do when you miss the deadline?)

please tag your partner and the jilychallenge in your post (including the theme and your prompt, if possible)

we will reblog all entries tagged #jilychallenge

if you post your art or story on ao3, please add it to the collection of Jily Challenges 2024

#jple #jilychallenge #jily #james potter #lily evans #jily challenge #reblog to sign up!

[annabtg]

Written for the March 2024 @jilychallenge, theme: Fairy tales. Prompts: roe deer (the animal) and Iron John (the fairy tale). Thanks to my lovely partner @chierafied for the beta and the support! I hope you enjoy. :)

Once upon a time, on a great island in the northern seas, there was a lush green forest of ancient trees and rare flowers. It sparkled with dewdrops sitting on colourful petals and sunlight filtering into rainbows through the leaves. Birds whispered their songs with reverence, bugs lent their colours to brown barks and grassy patches, and little creatures scurried about, twigs crunching under their paws. In that forest lived a single roe deer, with auburn fur and green eyes that shone like emeralds. Such was its beauty that it bewitched all who laid eyes upon it, and tales of its glory spread across the island, awakening many men’s ambition. From mountains and valleys they arrived at the forest, each for their own purpose, but all with their eyes set on the beautiful roe deer.

Read the rest on AO3! Completed, 2.1k words.

#jily #jilychallenge #fairy tale #fairy tale au #jple #james potter #lily evans #jily fic #my fics #the roe deer and the knight

[charmsandtealeaves]

@jilychallenge | April 2024, April Fools in Love | partners @eastwindmlk and @thelighthousestale

AN: okay so… life is really kicking the shit out of me atm. But I really don’t want to have to restart my Jilychallenge streak. So…. This is where we at.

Prompt:

Read Knight in Shining Armour on AO3 or below.

She’d jinxed herself. Why had she mentioned to Mary it was nice and quiet? What on Earth had possessed her to utter that thought out loud? Nice and quiet had suddenly shifted to suspiciously too quiet and a burning sense of unease, followed by the thoughts what in Merlin’s name is that racket?! and I don’t want to know.

Lily looked up from her transfiguration textbook to see a suit of armour (that usually stood in a pair either side of Professor Flitwick’s office) walking gallantly toward her from the direction of the open portrait hole.

Here we go…

She closed the textbook knowing there would be very little studying going on now that her peace had been disturbed.

The knight lifted his visor and bowed. “M’lady.”

“Potter.” Lily rolled her eyes. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

A second suit of armour burst into the common room, sword drawn. “En guarde!” It shouted, sounding suspiciously like Sirius mimicking a French accent.

James grabbed Lily’s hand, drawing it to his face and kissed her knuckles, a smirk playing across his lips.

“My lady, I fight for you and your honour!” he announced loudly, as if the commotion hadn’t already been enough to draw the whole common room’s attention.

He dropped her hand, replaced his visor and stalked in Sirius’ direction, while attempting to retrieve his own sword from it’s scabbard at his side. When (all of three paces in) he promptly tripped on the floor rug and went careening to the floor with an almighty crash.

Sirius broke character, collapsing to his knees and overcome with laughter at his friend’s misfortune rather than attempting to help him to his feet.

Barely managing to conceal her own chuckles, Lily called out over the din, “My good knight, though I admire your courage you have no need to fight the floor for my sake.”

#charms library #Jilychallenge #april jilychallenge #Jily #jily fic #James potter #lily evans

[thelighthousestale]

My Dog Said I Can't Go Out With You

Written for the April 2024 @jilychallenge April Fools in Love

Prompt: A text exchange A: Do you want to get together tonight? B: Let me ask my dog. A: Ask your dog...? B: He said no.

Partners: @eastwindmlk and @charmsandtealeaves

Do you want to get together tonight? - JP “Hold on, don’t answer yet,” Sirius said very quickly. “Why not?”  “Just tell him to wait.”  “Again, I must ask: Why?” Sirius finished his glass of orange juice, “It will be funny.” Lily thought for a moment before responding to James. Let me ask my dog -LE Ask your dog….? - JP

#harry potter fanfiction #james potter #sirius black #lily evans #jily #jily fanfiction #jilychallenge

[blitheringmcgonagall]

NEVERLY EVER AFTER…

Summary

Lily wants to go to Prince James' ball but has no means of getting there, plus no interest in meeting a pompous git.

Remus has less than zero interest in going to the ball, but it looks like he's going to have to go anyway, despite being a beast.

Prince Sirius has just escaped his step-father's latest assassination attempt. Great. All good.

And Prince James knows he's going to have to turn up to his own ball, and pretend everything is tikety-boo, despite the fact that a curse is due to hit him tonight and send his off to sleep for a hundred years.

All's well then, isn't it??

For the @jilychallenge March 2024 Theme: Fairy Tales

Tales: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin.

Quote: "As you are so clever, you shall sit with me" from Grimm

Fae creature: Unicorn

Partner: @practicecourts (thank you to my partner 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 for organising this lovely March Jilychallenge 2024 fairytale idea!)

A little gift for @mabelexclamationpoint and @theresthesnitch who love Jily and Wolfstar 🥰

Chapter One: Tickety-Boo

Lily Evans didn’t want to go to the ball to marry some spoilt, conceited, pompous git who probably seriously needed to deflate his head. She wanted to go because she had never been to a ball.

She wanted to see all the spectacular ballgowns; the raffish, over-the-top waistcoats and petticoats; the glamorous high heels on the men, and the ornate powdered wigs and strange makeup; she had heard there was at least one break for food as an energy boost between dances – that they served new things called canapés - savoury biscuits filled with meats or cheeses or caviar or salmon. She craved delicious food.

And perhaps a drink of strong, sweet wine (which she wasn’t supposed to have, ever, but she occasionally managed to steal a glug from one of the bottles her step-sister Petunia jealously guarded).

Mostly, she longed to listen to the enthralling music - an entire orchestra! - and to dance, to sweep across the floor, feeling magical and wild, untethered. Her father had taught her to dance, and she had never forgotten.

Keep reading on Ao3…

#neverly ever after #Lily Evans #Cinderella #Remus Lupin #being both Beauty AND the Beast #Sirius Black #Snow White or well Black #James Potter #Sleeping Beauty #his mother would disagree but anyway #marauders #jily #wolfstar #marauders x fairytale #jilychallenge #🥳🥳🥳 🪄 ✨

[arianatwycross]

JILYCHALLENGE NOVEMBER 2023 | @jilychallenge

Theme: Nostalgic Tropes

Prompt: Accidents with a certain potion (Amortentia) - although there was less accident and more Lily being painfully oblivious

Partner: @charmsandtealeaves

I was only able to write something short and sweet this time and I used the prompt loosely but please enjoy!

James lunges straight for a bowl of oatmeal. His typical breakfast, one that has served him well for Quidditch training, is crucial in his daily routine. With a healthy dusting of cinnamon sugar, he tucks straight in, all while trying to advertently listen to the girls chat about yesterday afternoon's lesson. 

Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. A potion that ultimately smells different to each person, according to what attracts them. A potion that caused infamous chatter when the subject of the class was first revealed by Professor Slughorn just last week. Even the boys had been nervously chattering about what the potion would smell to them. 

The Gryffindor’s had their lesson yesterday afternoon, James' potion aroma did not surprise him at all, but Remus and Sirius were still reluctant to describe theirs. Peter was still preening over his smelling exactly like his girlfriend, the Hufflepuff girls currently cooing over him as he sat next to Lucinda.  

As he takes another spoonful of oatmeal, Lily rolls her eyes playfully as Alice sighs over Marlene’s love potion description. He’s been desperate to hear what Lily’s potion smelt like, desperate to either finally get closure or get the courage to take the next step. 

“So, Lils, what did yours smell like?” Marlene waggles her eyebrows suggestively. 

“First, I want to explain how Amortentia works. It smells like what attracts you, that could be anything from what we’re sexually attracted to something that just smells good. Hence, why mine smelt like chocolate.” 

“It did not smell like chocolate.” Alice scoffs, behind her coffee mug. 

Lily frowns, the little divot between her eyebrows making an appearance. 

“It did!” Lily frowns, yet James clocks the redness flushing her cheeks. 

“What else did it smell like, Lils?” Marlene asks carefully, a secret smile on her face as she pours milk into her cereal. 

Lily rolling her eyes once again, takes a moment. He watches as her eyes look at the various condiments in the centre of the table. 

“It smelt like lavender…” She says quietly. 

“Like our dorm room?”

“Yeah, suppose it just smells like home for me.” 

“Anything else?” Marlene adds. 

Lily bites down on her lip, almost causing James to miss his mouth with his spoon. “It smelt like cinnamon sugar,” she says quickly. 

Marlene’s spoon halfway to her mouth, pauses and watches Lily expectantly. Alice’s attention, meanwhile, flickers to James and back to Lily, an excited smile on her face. 

Now it’s James’ turn to go red. 

His heart may be climbing up his throat, but he watches Lily as calmly as he can. 

“Oh?” Alice prompts. 

“Mmm, I mean I like cinnamon sugar, but I don’t remember any sort of situation where I’ve been attracted to the smell?” 

Lily looks thoroughly confused now, so confused that James stops eating, puts down his spoon and arches a brow at Alice. 

Alice beaming under James' gaze flashes him a conspiratorial grin. “Cinnamon sugar? I mean, I can think of one person that has a penchant for the taste every morning…” 

Lily arches a questioning brow at Alice, “Who?” 

Before Alice can respond, a thump interrupts the group. Sirius landing heavily next to James and Alice, gives the group his usual mischievous grin before announcing very loudly for the entire table to hear, “James, mate, would you like some oatmeal with all that cinnamon sugar?” 

#jily #jilychallenge #amortentia #Jill fanfic #nostalgic tropes #my fics #prompt

[jamesunderwater]

The Raven-Haired Prince || Read on AO3 || 1.6K Words

He's just a little boy who wants a bedtime story - but no, not like that, and wait, it must include this, and above all, never forget, the prince must be raven-haired.

@jilychallenge // March 2024: Fairy Tales // based loosely on the beast prompt: ravens/crows // partners: @fiendishfyre & @sapphire1616

#jily #james potter #lily evans #my writing #harry potter #young harry potter #good godfather sirius black #hp #jily* #jilychallenge #jple #jily fic #jily fluff #bby boy

[ginemrys]

golden hour

my @jilychallenge creation

theme: movie quotes

partner: @quietlycharmed

prompt: “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love me.”

Lily Evans just couldn’t believe her luck. And by luck she meant absolute horrific misfortune that made her fairly convinced that a witch or someone had cursed her to be miserable for the rest of her life. It was a shame that she’d only just made it to a quarter of a century existing on the apparent ball of despair that people had named ‘Earth’.

Only she, as unlucky as she was, would end up living with her worst enemy. 

read on ao3

#jily challenge #jilychallenge #jily #jily fanfic #jily fanfiction #jily fic #romcom #movie quotes

[petals2fish]

Catching Fire

A/N: My January @jilychallengeis here one day late! My prompt was the song Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars and my partner was the beautiful and talented @practicecourts!! Read my Hunger Games AU on on A03.

"Oh, Lord, what have I done?" she murmured, watching James stride away toward Victor's Village without glancing back. 

She had fallen in love with a man on the run.

Running from her.

Running from the capitol.

Running away from anything that brought him back into the arena.

It wasn't James' fault that he teetered on the edge of the hangman's noose. He had defied the Capitol, winning the games impulsively by leveraging his and Lily's relationship against Seneca Crane. Now, fate compelled them to be together, yet he behaved as though being in her company was the last thing he desired. Returning alive from the games seemed to have made him distant and Lily hated that she was now sleeping alone. 

“He regrets saving me,” Lily hissed as she sidestepped a mud puddle, “he must.”

Six months had passed since the Hunger Games, and Lily could scarcely recall what life was like before the ordeal. Now, she found herself alone, her sister's indifference evident as Petunia had never cared for her and perhaps had even hoped for Lily's demise in the games. Unfortunately for Petunia, Lily had survived, yet the one person who felt like family seldom directed their attention her way for more than a fleeting moment.

As he returned from his turkey hunting expedition in the woods, he unmistakably noticed her approaching along the road. She felt let down when he didn't pause to accompany her. In the initial three months since their return from The Hunger Games, James had rarely allowed Lily to step away from his bed. She’d spent many sunlit days hiding under the covers with him, only leaving to eat and present themselves to the occasional cameras. 

However, at present, he preferred brooding.

Lily followed James toward Victor's Village, where they cohabited with Haymitch and James' parents. Lily harbored a dislike for her residence, a place devoid of companionship, driving her to often choose a sofa near the kitchen for her sleep, finding solace in the act of baking. Baking became her refuge, a sanctuary to escape the haunting memories of the Hunger Games. Writing also became her pastime, and she spent her free hours chronicling the games from her perspective, concealing the records beneath a loose board in the living room.

Rather than heading straight home, Lily diverted her path to the house farthest away from the usual route. It had been a while since she last checked on Haymitch that morning, and a sense of concern tugged at her. The winding path leading to his residence was lined with tall trees, their branches reaching out like protective arms.

Approaching, the creaking of the porch swing caught her attention, sounding out of place, and a knot formed in her stomach. The wind picked up, promising a storm. The front door stood slightly ajar, sparking a flicker of worry within her.

“Haymitch?” she called.

As she approached, more details came into view. The scent of alcohol assaulted her nostrils upon entering the foyer. On her right, a flickering light emanated from the kitchen. Tracking its glow, Lily discovered Haymitch slumped over the table, inebriated and unconscious. With a sigh, she placed her bag of baked goods on the counter. Her next move was to check the fridge for any cheese; he'd have to wake up, eat, and sober up.

In a stealthy entrance, James remained so silent that she only became aware of his presence when a turkey landed with a thud on the table. "Hi, Lily."

Turning away from the fridge, Lily stared at James, clad in his deer hide jacket. She wanted to see his eyes, she wanted to feel okay again, and it would only happen if he looked at her the way he used too. The way she almost wanted to beg him too. However, his attention was not on her but on Haymitch.

"He's been like that since I arrived five minutes ago," Lily informed James. "I was in the middle of looking for cheese to pair–"

Interrupting her, James poured water from the nearby pail onto Haymitch's face. Startled, Haymitch jerked up in his seat, arms flailing, and a string of profanities escaping his lips. Unfazed, James placed the bucket down in front of the older man. Haymitch, realizing he's not in immediate danger, retaliated with a glare that could cut through steel.

"The cameras will be here in three hours," James warned him, his tone carrying a sense of urgency.

"I'm not the one who had to be on camera," grumbled Haymitch, his discontent evident as Lily began slicing into her freshly baked rosemary bread.

"Would you like some bread, James?" she asked politely, not lifting her gaze from her task.

"No, thank you," James responded a bit too hastily.

Haymitch chortled darkly, wiping his face with his shirt. "You two have some warming up to do before the cameras arrive."

"Speaking of that," James said, glancing around before addressing Haymitch, "we need to discuss our angle."

"What angle?" Haymitch smiled at Lily as she passed him a piece of bread smothered in cheese. "You're an angel, Lily," he added hungrily.

"The star-struck lovers angle," James suggested, "the one where Lily and I are in love."

“It's a good angle.” Haymitch said gruffly, “we’re not touching it.”

James winced, visibly. “Haymitch we need–”

“No James,” Haymitch snapped.

James startled them both by slamming a fist down, “I don’t want to be in love with her anymore!”

Lily stared at James as if he'd grown two heads. "You're–you’re not in love with me?"

"I-" James stammered, suddenly looking more like a deer caught across from his bow.

Suddenly, his previous cold demeanor made sense to Lily. All his pushing away, sleeping in his own bed with no invitations. He used to take her hunting with him and now, he wanted to be alone. Somewhere along the way, he'd fallen out of love with her.

Wait.

A rushing, swooping, unbearable thought entered her mind. What if, he'd never loved her? What if everything int he games had been an act, something he'd chosen to do to get home. They only got lucky that the game makers had stated the kids could go home together if they remained from the same district. That was when James had sought her out, made sure she stayed alive after Cato cut her leg open. 

She brandished her knife at him almost as a warning. "So, all those times in the arena – you were lying about loving me?"

"No!" James protested.

"Then why change the angle?" Lily demanded.

"I just wanted to get you home!" James screamed, surprising her, as he was normally so even-tempered. "I just wanted to get you home so you could live! I never planned on the Capitol viewing my act with the berries as defiance! I didn't think the districts would start rebelling–"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Haymitch cut in sharply. "What the hell are you talking about, James?"

James ran his hands through his hair, collapsing at the table in defeat. "Snow came to see me three months ago. He said the other districts were starting to show signs of rebellion. He claimed it was my fault because people don't think I really love Lily."

Lily crossed her arms, seeking clarification. "So, you are in love with me?"

James laughed miserably, sending her the saddest brown-eyed smile she'd ever seen. "I've been in love with you since we were kids, Lily. Of course, I wasn't faking it, but other people think we were."

"Other people can keep their opinions to themselves." Lily huffed, earning a warm look from James, the first one in a long time. 

"Did Snow ask you to stop seeing Lily?" Haymitch inquired carefully, refraining from touching any more of Lily's bread. 

In all fairness, she experienced a strong urge to vomit as well and didn't want any bread either. The timeline suddenly aligned—Snow speaking to James and James distancing himself from Lily. It had happened at the same time, three months ago. Somehow though, that wasn’t making her feel better.

"No," James sighed, rubbing his eyes. "He wants me to marry her."

Lily wondered if it was possible for a heart to stop working, but life to continue on. She swore it stopped beating the second those words fell from James’ lips. He had said it like…like the idea of marrying her was exhausting. Tears threatened to spill. She also considered chucking the knife at his head. 

"What's so bad about that?" Haymitch questioned.

“Yeah,” Lily asked coolly, “what is so bad about that?”

James gazed at Haymitch, a haunted expression in his eyes, refusing to look at Lily. "I've got a target on my back for what I did, Haymitch, and she'll have one too if I let her marry me."

"I don't care," Lily declared, her voice cracking as she stuck the knife on the table and walked around it to take James' sullen face in her hands. "Do you hear me? I. Don't. Care."

"He'll kill you, Lily," James croaked, looking up into her eyes. "He’d kill you to keep me in line.”

She refused to release his face to wipe her tears away. Her thumbs gently brushed down his tanned cheek, an attempt to soothe him, but his own tears continued to spill as he stared at her. The intensity of his gaze conveyed a sense that he was looking at her as if it might be the last time they would share such a moment.

Over her dead body would she let that happen, literally and figuratively. 

"I want to marry you," she declared sincerely, her voice carrying the weight of her emotions. "I'll never love anyone else except you."

As she spoke those heartfelt words, Lily could sense the gravity of the situation sinking in. The air hung heavy with a mixture of love and the impending danger that James had spoken about. Yet still, she was seventeen, plenty of girls her age got married that young in the Seam. Sometimes even younger, if a husband is desperate enough to start popping out baby’s for more food rations. 

“Lily.” James looked like he had the night she first said, ‘I love you,’ to him. Utterly helpless. “Don’t you want to do it on your own terms, not because we have too?”

"You have to get married," Haymitch said softly from his chair, his words carrying the weight of a harsh reality, "you won’t be able to wait long.”

“How quickly?” James asked.

“I’d say if you aren’t engaged by the end of the victory tour, one of you will be dead at Snow’s hand."

She didn’t know why she burst into tears at the thought. Lily felt James' hands come up, closing around hers in a reassuring grip. In one swift motion, he stood up, drawing her into a deep, passionate kiss. It wasn't the most technically perfect kiss they had shared, but it was undoubtedly the most emotional. As their lips met, he broke into a sob against her mouth.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his words muffled by the tender connection of their kiss. "This isn't how I envisioned us."

“I know,” she took deep breaths, trying to calm down, “I know you didn’t want this, want me, like this.”

“I’ll always want you, Lily Evans,” he said firmly, “but I wanted you with me by choice, not force.”

“I do choose you,” she argued, “I will always choose you, in this lifetime, and any others we meet.”

The weight of impending danger hung heavily in the air as James reluctantly pulled away from the kisses. Lily could feel the intensity of his emotions, a mixture of love, regret, and the looming threat that hovered over their lives. She wished they had been born somewhere else, anywhere else, so they could have lived a normal life together.

She didn’t even know what that meant, though; she just imagined something softer. A life where coal dust didn’t settle on everything, glasses were always filled, and holidays were filled with laughter. She envisioned it as James sang to her in the songs before sleep and as it was portrayed in the few banned books she managed to read from the seam.

Haymitch observed the scene, his eyes filled with a kind of sadness that spoke of experiences long-buried and sacrifices made. "You two need to make this believable. The Capitol is watching, and Snow won't hesitate to make an example out of you," he warned, his voice low and serious.

Lily nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She knew the Capitol played by its own twisted rules, and the consequences of defiance were severe. Still holding James' hands, she glanced into his eyes, silently conveying a shared determination to face whatever came their way.

“I shouldn't have chosen the berries.” He whispered, “I shouldn’t have played their games.”

"There wasn't a right or a wrong to choose in the Games," Lily gently withdrew her hands from his face and pulled him into a comforting hug. "You did what you had to do."

James's breath spilled against her ear as he embraced her back, his voice filled with a mixture of regret and longing. "Every time I look at you, I think about that moment and wonder how I could've gotten you out. I question if I should've sacrificed myself so that you could live, even if it meant living without me. I just don't want you to hate me for putting us in this predicament."

Lily gently pulled back, allowing her to peer into James's eyes. His gaze reflected a profound sense of brokenness, yet he didn't avert his eyes from hers again. "Give me the burden, give me the blame," she told him earnestly. "I don't want you pushing me away just to try and repent for something that's not your fault."

James's fingers slid up her neck, entwining in her red hair. "I wanted to shoulder the load, keep you from the shame, just in case I don't make it out of the next game."

"We never have to go back into that arena," Lily reminded him, her breath shaky. "All we have to do is mentor the new kids. You made sure of that, and I don't care if the districts think you were defying the Capitol. I don't care if no one believes we're in love. I love you, you love me, and we'll make it through whatever comes next together. President Snow can't hurt us now."

"Can't he?" James asked weakly. "He could make any one of our deaths look like an accident."

"And he will," Haymitch interjected, standing up to emphasize his point. "When you go on this victory tour, it won't end. Every year, with every new Games, Snow and the others will replay your story for the masses. They will bend and shape the rest of your lives to their will. They will control everything, from the number of kids you have to the hobbies you grow into. This doesn’t stop when you get off the train."

"What if we run away?" Lily asked Haymitch, shifting within James's arms that held her securely around the middle, keeping her close. "Go, live in the woods."

Haymitch's eyes remained void of emotion as he replied bluntly, "You'd be dead before you made it three miles."

"And if we don't do what Snow asks of us?" James inquired, a note of defiance in his voice. "What then?"

Haymitch gestured around his house miserably. "He'll kill everyone you love, or care about, and you'll end up just like me."

“Fuck.” James buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing deeply into it. 

Lily's heart ached with a poignant sadness, recalling that Haymitch had once known the warmth of a family and the comfort of a real home. Now, all that remained were the empty bottles and their company.

"You have us," Lily gently reminded Haymitch, her voice carrying a note of compassion.

Haymitch lifted his moonshine bottle, taking a swig before reluctantly nodding. "For now." The weight of those two words lingered in the air, a stark reminder of the fragility of their makeshift alliance in the face of the Capitol's relentless control.

She used to pray to a God, like her grandmother had done before her. Lily wondered how many hail Mary’s it would take to set them all free. In the face of the Capitol's tyranny, she couldn't help but question whether the heavens were watching, whether their pleas reached beyond the confines of their oppressive reality.

Haymitch left them alone in the kitchen, heading upstairs to wash up in his single shower room. Lily made no move to leave James's arms, relishing the rare opportunity to feel the comfort and security he provided, a respite she hadn't experienced in months. He was her anchor, her safety net in the tumultuous sea of uncertainty.

"I missed you," she confessed, turning her head to plant a tender kiss on his scalp, reachable from her current position.

James responded by tightening his embrace around her middle, his nose nuzzling into her hair until his warm lips found solace on her neck. She raised one hand, tucking it against his head, cradling him beneath her ear.

"I'm sorry," he murmured between a cascade of kisses. "I am so sorry."

"For what?" she inquired, genuine confusion in her eyes.

He sighed, his breath warm against her skin. "You'll be guilty of inciting a rebellion by mere association with me, Lil."

"I don't care if we're found guilty," Lily asserted, summoning the courage to turn so they could be face to face again. "I don't care if we're not. We've all done good and bad things to get ourselves out of that arena."

James sniffled, his nose red from crying. "I should've killed myself and let you live. Then you would not be forced to marry me on someone else's terms."

"I would've married you, eventually," she said softly, her gaze unwavering. "I've been yours since the day with the bread."

His left hand slipped across her face. "But if I were dead, you'd be the only victor. The districts wouldn't see the berries as an act of defiance, and you'd be safe."

"If anything, I should've died," Lily argued, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "I don't have anyone. You have your parents, Sirius, and Remus. You're all that I've got."

"Then I guess we both should have died," he joked, their foreheads pressing together in a tender moment. “The star-crossed lovers from district twelve.” 

"Or maybe the Capitol will die," Lily sighed, brushing his hair back with a free hand.

"If you say things like that," he nipped at her nose playfully, "then we really will be meeting at the hanging tree. It's like this song my mum used to sing when she was weaving baskets…dad made her stop singing it around me...but I still remember it all."

"You've always had an ear for music." She nodded, "sing it for me, please."

James kissed her again, savoring the moment, before lightly pulling away to sing in a hushed tone, "Are you, are you coming to the tree, where a dead man called out for his love to flee…"

Lily's eyes fluttered open. "That's song is banned, you got detention for it once."

James tucked her hair behind her ear, a playful glint in his eyes. " Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met at midnight, in the hanging tree. "

"I don't like this song," Lily whispered, her voice barely audible. "I prefer the one you sang for Rue, before she died."

The glimmer of light in James's eyes dimmed at the memory of his little companion in the Games, before he and Lily had been reunited. "Snow said Rue's district is where the uprising started. He said my singing for Rue, and burying her in flowers, he said it was sacrilegious to pay her respect. That her death was the real honor."

Lily pouted, her discontent evident. "I don't see what's so honorable about killing kids like Rue and Thresh and Foxface."

“Yeah.” James sighed deeply and brought their foreheads together again. "I'm scared, Lily."

"Me too, James," she admitted honestly, her voice soft. "Me too."

“Stay with me tonight?” He asked tentatively, almost as if he were worried she’d say no.

“Every night,” she promised, “as long as you don’t let go of my hand during the day.”

“I can do that.” He wrapped his fingers against hers to show her he meant it. “You ready for interviews tonight?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

#jily #lily evans #james potter #the hunger games #jily fanfiction #jily fic #Jily AU #jilychallenge #one shot

[chierafied]

The Mighty, Fallen

For September's @jilychallenge2023 | Theme: Back to School

Prompt: One of them signs up for Quidditch /Potions Club (or some other subject), only because the other one runs it (but they're not interested in them like that... of course not) - shenanigans ensue. 

Location: Filch’s office 

Read on AO3

Cheek pressed to the palm of her hand, Lily sat across the train compartment and stared at James Potter. He was talking with Remus, that stupid, crooked grin of his frequently flashing. The Head Boy pin gleamed at the front of his robes, defying both the odds and her sanity. Absentmindedly, Lily toyed with her own pin as her stare turned into a glower.  

This whole Head Student thing was as unexpected development as it was unwelcome. Well, not her part of it – frankly, Lily would've been disappointed if she hadn’t got the position. But even in her wildest imagination she hadn’t seen Potter snagging the pin that mirrored hers. And while in hindsight she could see why and how Potter fit in the role, even believed he would do well... This was the last thing she needed.  

They already were in the same year, the same House and shared most of their classes. While Lily still couldn’t quite call Potter her friend, they also shared most of their friend group. For two former not-quite-enemies and current not-quite-friends, they shared an awful lot together and spent way too much time in each other’s company. And now there was this new tether binding them together.   

Bloody inconvenient, Lily thought, scoffing as for a few fleeting seconds her and Potter’s eyes met from across the train compartment. Inconvenient to have to share her Head Student duties with him this year. Inconvenient to have her heart give a stupid little skip when during their brief eye connection, Potter’s stupid crooked grin flickered at her.   

Yes, Lily Evans was in trouble. And already dreading what her final year at Hogwarts would hold.  

*  

Marlene McKinnon's eyes were huge and imploring as they stared unwaveringly at her. "Please?"  

Lily stamped down the urge to roll her eyes and chose to pointedly ponder at the textbook open in her lap. "No."  

"I know that you're super busy because it's the final year and our classes and teachers have gone mental and you have your Head Girl stuff, too... But honestly, I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't desperate," Marlene babbled, wringing her hands.  

Lily knew that engaging with Marlene's madness was a mistake, but curiosity got the better of her.  "Why are you desperate? I'm sure if you asked around, you'd have a line of eager third years begging you to give them a chance."  

"Probably," Marlene agreed, grimacing. "And half of them would volunteer just to get close to Potter or Black."  

"Only half?" Lily quipped, unable to contain her eye roll this time.  

"The thing is, no one could do it as well as you could. You're freakishly organised and pretty much the only person in Hogwarts who could keep Potter in check."  

"A-ha. And the true motive is clear at last."  

"He's brilliant but a menace." Marlene pouted.  

"I've been saying that for years," Lily muttered at her textbook.  

"And your wisdom is true and proven," Marlene replied.  

"Cute, but your flattery won’t work on me, Marls. I spend way too much time with Potter as is."  

Entirely too much, yet it never seemed like enough. This idiotic yearning was burning away Lily's slipping sanity. Even when there was no Potter in sight, he was always looming too close to comfort in her mind. Her thoughts strayed to him too easily, pouncing at every chance like errant rabid kittens.   

It was annoying. Impossible. Ridiculous. Inevitable.  

Lily glowered at her textbook, feeling the doom circle ever closer to her teetering heart.  

“You can deal with Potter, he’ll bend over backwards for you,” Marlene insisted. “Please, Lily! I’m begging you. I’ll get down on my knees right now if you need me to, but please. Do this for me.”  

Lily’s poor heart toppled over. “Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll do it.”  

But she wouldn’t do it for Marlene, not completely, anyway. She’d do it, because she just couldn’t stay away.  

*  

Lily was pretty sure this whole thing had been a colossal mistake. It had to be the best mistake of her life, but still a mistake. She was in over her head, soaking up James Potter’s presence like a thirsty sponge. The more she saw of him the more dire and desperate the situation grew. And she was seeing a lot of him, more than perhaps ever before, which before now she hadn’t even thought possible.   

She saw glimpses of that brilliant brain of his when he presented his strategies during the pre-practice sessions. She saw him build up the team, bringing out the best of everyone and it amazed her. She saw him out on the Quidditch field during their practice and couldn’t help but admire his phenomenal flying and athleticism and leadership skills in action. It was criminal that so much talent had been crammed into one bloke. No wonder that her poor, struggling heart had hoisted the white flag, even after years of animosity.   

But Lily’s favourite moments were the ones after the practice. When James always appeared tired but cheerful, his stupid grin lighting up the room. And whenever he changed out of his Quidditch robes and just stood there, unabashedly shirtless and towelling his sweat-kissed mess of hair Lily had a hard time averting her eyes and keeping down the heat threatening to climb to her cheeks.  

And that was why, right now, she was stealing greedy glances of him while holding a towel and a water bottle out for Marlene.  

“Thanks, Lily, you’re the best,” Marlene said, grabbing both.  

“Thanks for noticing. How’s your shoulder?” she asked, feeling only a tiny prick of disappointment as she turned her full attention to Marlene.  

Marlene kneaded her shoulder with a grimace. “It’s still a little sore.”  

“Want me to give it another pass?” Lily held up her wand.  

“Nah. Thanks, but it’s not as bad as that. I’m just gonna take it easy for a bit.”  

“Good.” Lily glanced around. “Anyone else still need water or anything else?”  

“Over here, manager Evans!”  

Lily’s eyebrows shot up and she turned towards Black. The good thing was, he was standing right next to James so Lily could openly stare.  

“Yeah?” she asked as she made her way over to them, hoping she didn’t sound as eager as she felt.  

“It’s nothing, really,” James said, rubbing the back of his head.  

Lily valiantly did not track the movement of his biceps. Not even a little bit.  

“I think he sprained his wrist in that last tackle,” Black deadpanned.  

“It was a spectacular one. Let’s have a look.”  

James shrugged and held out his right hand. Lily fought to keep her face blank as she encircled his wrist, her fingertips resting against his warm skin, feeling the thrum of his steady pulse. She examined the wrist, alternatively studying it and his face and saw the tightening around his mouth and the furrow on his brow.  

James might have insisted that it was nothing, but he was in pain.  

“It probably is a sprain,” Lily agreed, still cradling James’ wrist in her hand. “Nothing too bad, but I’ll take care of it.”  

Sirius Black clapped her on the shoulder. “Good. I’m gonna go hit the shower. I’ll leave him in your excellent care, team manager.”  

“Yeah yeah, off with you, Black.”  

Sirius grinned and left. In the quiet after him, Lily realised that the changing rooms were empty. It was just her and James.  

Lily cleared her throat and pulled out her wand.   

“This might sting a bit,” she warned James, avoiding his eyes. She flicked her wand and started to hum the familiar healing incantation under her breath. She’d got a lot of practice in it since Marlene had persuaded to become the Gryffindor Quidditch team’s manager. With smooth, decisive moves she wove her wand above his wrist in a figure eight pattern until the incantation came to an end.  

Reluctantly, she let go of James’ wrist and slid her wand into the pocket of her robes.  

“Better?”  

James turned his wrist a few times, then grinned. “It feels as good as new. Thanks, Lily.”  

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome.”  

She snuck a glance and found him still smiling at her. His hazel eyes were warm, their corners crinkled so adorably it hurt.   

Lily licked her lips and instantly something between them shifted. Sparked. His gaze was steady on hers, the warmth of his eyes darkening into something she hadn’t seen before. It stole her breath and made the pit of her stomach jitter.   

It wasn’t until his knuckle brushed against her temple that Lily realised she was leaning towards him, her lips parted.  

Shit. Shit. Shit.  

Lily jerked back as if she’d been scalded.   

“Good practice, take care.”   

With that awkward goodbye, Lily hurried away. She ignored him calling after her, her heart in her throat and humiliation burning on the back of her neck.  

It was over. He'd found her out.  

*  

Lily checked her watch again, wondering what was taking Remus so long. Or Filch, for that matter. She just needed the keys so she could go do the evening rounds and Filch’s office was giving her the creeps. Lily scowled at the chains hanging on the wall. The faster she was out of there, the better.  

The scrape of the door had her turning and her brief relief soon swerved into horror.  

It had been a Herculean task, but she’d been able to steer clear of James Potter since the incident after the Quidditch practice. Four days of hiding out in the dormitory as much as she could. But now there he was, leaning against the doorjamb as if he belonged there, in the doorway of Filch’s office.  

“What are you doing here?” Lily asked, her head reeling and stomach roiling.  

“Covering for Remus,” James said, crossing his arms over his chest. “He can’t make it tonight, so you’re stuck with me.”  

Lily bit her lip, hugging herself. Her emotions were all tangled up now. Anticipation itched her fingertips while her shoulders slumped in relief even as dread bubbled in her throat, drowning all her words. She stared at him, helpless and terrified of the feelings she was no longer able to mask.  

His eyes were steady on hers, unusually serious. His voice was quiet, which made it all the more compelling. “You’ve been avoiding me.”  

The words wrenched out a sigh of defeat from Lily and she dropped her gaze. “Yes,” she managed to squeeze past the tightening of her throat.  

“Why?”  

“You know why,” Lily ground out.  

The silence was her answer, ringing loud in the distance between them.  

Then, after a while, James spoke again. “Because of what happened after the Quidditch practice?”  

“Yes.”  

Another beat of silence stretched before there was a soft sigh.  

“I’m sorry.”  

Lily flinched, her head snapping up. Incredulous, she studied his face. “What are you sorry for?”  

He was frowning at the floor, his arms crossed over his chest. “I thought there was a moment, but clearly, it’s just made you uncomfortable around me and I don’t want that. Please forgive me.”  

Pain edged with guilt twisted in her chest and Lily closed her eyes. She had to do it after all. Force out the truth she hadn’t been fully ready to admit out loud yet, even to herself. And she had to do it now, because she didn’t want him to feel hurt over misinterpreting her actions. Which just went to show how far she had fallen.  

“You did not — you aren’t making me uncomfortable, James. You have nothing to apologise for.”  

James’ eyebrows rose. “Are you sure?”  

“Yes. I’m uncomfortable because of you, but it’s all on me.” Her heart was crawling up her trachea, pushing out the emotions she’d been holding inside for so long now. “I sodding fancy you, all right?”  

“W-what?”  

He stared at her, lost for words and cheeks tinging with pink. Lily could feel her cheeks heat from a blush of her own and groaned, covering her face with her hands.  

“You heard me.”  

Lily startled when warm, calloused fingers wrapped around her wrists and gently pulled her hands aside. James was still blushing, but his expression was solemn, his gaze earnest and steady on hers, his thumb resting on her racing pulse.  

“I love you, Lily Evans. I have for a while now.”  

Tears prickled in Lily’s eyes and her hands trembled in his steadfast grip. His admission left her undone, the last of her resistance crumbled. She chose acceptance and let the love flood in.  

James' hands slid down her arms and sides, settling on her waist. Lily clutched at the front of his robes, dizzied by the strength of her own emotions.   

“I’m going to kiss you now.”  

“Okay.”  

And he did, making good of his promise, his firm lips settling on hers, stealing her breath and her heart. The kiss spun into the next and then the next, long and brief, teasing and sincere, slow and hungry, but each of them sweeter than the last. Lily couldn’t get enough of him, and James was holding her so close it almost hurt.  

*  

It was the perfect first kiss, Lily decided later, smiling at the canopy of her four-poster bed. Even Filch, returning to his office and catching them in the act to his apparent disgust hadn't soured the memory or diminished the warm glow suffusing her. Lily lay in the darkness of her dorm, reliving every precious second of it, alight with happiness.  

#jily #jily one shot #jily fanfic #jily fanfiction #jilychallenge #partner: ritaskeetered #chie writes #fic: jl

[jilychallenge2023]

day 18

Another lovely jily holiday fic today, written by @abihastastybeans (who doesn’t particularly like beans but who thankfully loves to write jily stories we can all enjoy;)

Read The Naughty List on ao3

#december jily challenge #dcj2023 #Day 18 #maker: abihastastybeans #jple #jilychallenge #jily #Muggle secret Santa

[jilychallenge]

March Jily Challenge

Fairy Tales are here! Something you all seem very enthusiastic about, thanks for signing up. Remember this month lasts until the 7th of April (because the Fairy Godmother said so on Discord) Without further ado your partners are here. Find your prompt in your inbox or on Discord (if you would like an invitation please DM us) @fiendishfyre 💞 @jamesunderwater 💞@sapphire1616

@missgryffin 💞 @annasghosts

@wearingaberetinparis 💞@dizzy--bird

@annabtg 💞 @chierafied

@harryissuchalittleshit 💞 @thelighthousestale

@charmsandtealeaves 💞 @siriuslychessi

@constancezin 💞 @abihastastybeans

@kplmbl �� @eastwindmlk

@mppmaraudergirl 💞 @petalsinwoodvale

Remember to tag us @jilychallenge when you post your story! and add it to the ao3 collection. ENJOY

#pairings #prompts and pairings #prompts to follow soon #jilychallenge #march jily challenge #fairy tales #jily #jily challenge

[ohmygodshesinsane]

@jilychallenge2023 @jilychallenge | partner: @wearingaberetinparis

Month: April Letters, Notes, and Texting

Prompt: “Haha if we lived together you would get more sleep because I would always make you come to bed with me.” “Haha, if you lived with me, we would get very little sleep, Hahahahaha.” “... haha is that so?” “Mhmm, haha.” “Haha” “Haha”

((I’m sorry this is so so late! And the prompt does get involved - just in a later chapter ;) ))

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

haha, unless...

Lily Evans is not a problem-causer, really, truly - she's just surrounded by them. How is she supposed to have a normal life when her roommates are completely barmy, her sister hates her (and is planning a wedding), and now some random blokes from Marlene's class are barging onto her sofa every week to interrupt a hitherto sacred space.

It's not as if she wants James Potter to be attacked by chavs, become Jesus, buy her coffee, or listen to her ramble about Petunia. Mostly that's his fault.

Really.

chapter one: make herpes reimburse you

[available on Ao3]

#jilychallenge #wearingaberetinparis #jily #lily evans #james potter #fanfic #hp #haha unless...

[charmsandtealeaves]

@jilychallenge | February 2024: Love is in the Air | Partner: @thelighthousestale | Prompt: Shagging on a flying carpet.

Read on AO3.

1.9k, Rated E, Married Jily lives AU

With Harry off to Hogwarts the Potter household is far too quiet. Good thing James has a plan to fix just that using a flying carpet.

#charms library #fic: the grey carpet area #Jilychallenge #february jilychallenge #jily #james potter #lily evans #jily fic #jple #married jily