Hello, all *waves awkwardly* My first 'Jily' oneshot (it's not really; it's more pre-Jily) Takes place towards the end of their sixth year, so they're friends but not together. There's an explanation at the end for something in here, if you're interested about my seemingly random decisions.
Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter, despite how much I wish otherwise
Warnings - a few minor swear words, but nothing too bad
Written for - OTP Boot Camp Challenge, prompt is 'Thunder'/ Your Favourite Hogwarts House Boot Camp Challenge with the prompt 'Shiver'/ The If You Dare Challenge with the prompt 'Rain'
To the outside world, Lily Evans was fearless. She had to be, to have been able to stop a group of seventh year Slytherins in their tracks with a single look at the age of fourteen. Or when she constantly argued with the Marauders, knowing full well the result of which would be getting pranked for her trouble. Lily was the stuff of legends; girls, both younger and older, aspired to be like her, and boys wanted to be with her. But Lily had a secret; one that she was determined to take with her to the grave, for the sole reason that, in the grand scheme of things, it was absolutely ridiculous.
She wasn't truly afraid of much, and didn't really see the need to be. Sure, things scared her; her Boggart was a chimera, for Merlin's sake, but it all seemed sort of… superficial to her, and as such, nothing truly terrified her. Well, nothing besides thunder. It had scared her for as long as she could remember, and she had no real reason, no logical explanation as to why. There was just something about the idea that instantly made her on edge and ready to run. She'd often wondered about her Boggart's physical representation, and had come to the conclusion that it wasn't really possible for a corporeal being (shape-shifter though it was) to become a sound.
No one, not even Sev- Snape, knew about her biggest fear, as it was something that she had taken great pains to keep hidden from everyone. Every time there was a reasonably bad storm, she would either push through it and pretend she was fine, because she was Lily bloody Evans,and she would be a symbol of strength for the Muggleborns who were terrorised for merely existing, even if it made her a prime target on certain people's hit lists, or she would coil up in front of the raging fire in the Gryffindor Common Room and allow herself to break down.
It was early April and the weather had been playing up for a few days; shifting between sweltering heat and pouring rain in equal measure, with virtually no warning before hand. It had been a particularly nasty Friday; the weather had been miserable before she'd even got out of bed and it had only got worse as the day went on, which was why she found herself sitting before the roaring fire extremely late that night, or early the next morning; she wasn't entirely sure, staring into the flames and not even trying to suppress the shivers that ran across her skin every time thunder boomed in the background. She felt trapped, isolated and incredibly alone. She sniffed and rubbed a fist over her puffy eyes, a sigh escaping her a few seconds later. Lily hated herself for letting it get to her because it made her feel stupid and a tiny bit pathetic.
It would be just her luck that out of all the people who could find her, it was James Potter, previous bane of her existence and present grudgingly accepted friend, who walked in on one of her breakdowns. He strolled through the portrait hole, a self-satisfied grin firmly in place and a hand running through his already messy hair before he'd even seen her, although his demeanour changed surprisingly quickly when he took note of her tear-stained cheeks and hunched figure curled up in the corner of one of the crimson sofas.
"Lily?" He asked softly, not entirely sure she'd registered his entrance or not and so crossed the room slowly, making obvious movements to alert her of his presence. "Oi, Evans." Her bloodshot, bright green eyes snapped up to meet his hazel, and she sniffed again.
"Have you only just got in?" She asked, gesturing with a hand towards the recently closed portrait of the Fat Lady. James lowered himself slowly onto the couch and stretched his legs out in front of him, a slow smile creeping across his face.
"Indeed I have." He turned his head to look at her and noticed one of her brows raised in question.
"So, what exactly have you been doing this late into the night?" Lily rolled her eyes at the charming grin he flashed in her direction.
"I'm not sure I should tell you." He began to pick out the dirt from underneath his nails, seeing her quick smirk out of the corner of his eye.
"And why is that, Potter?"
"Because, innocent ears such as yours should not be privy to such dirty deeds as the ones that I have been up to this fine evening." At the unimpressed look she gave him, James sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's just say that Amy Matthews is an incredibly quick study." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and grinned at the red head sat opposite him. "Now, as interesting and amazing as I am, I'm curious as to why you're out here this late. So, spill it, Evans."
"No reason." She answered evasively, picking at a stray thread of cotton on the hem of her t-shirt. "I just couldn't sleep, that's all."
"Don't give me that. Something's up. There has to be, I mean, you're crying! You never cry! Not even that time in third year when Peter missed his target and hit you in the face with a stinging hex." She was looking at him oddly, her head tilted to the side and she was chewing on her bottom lip, as if trying to decide how to word her next sentences.
"Just… Leave it alone, James. Nothing's wrong and I'm fine. I appreciate your concern, but I'm okay." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a loud clap of thunder echoed throughout the room and the walls were alight with a flash of lightning. Not that James noticed this, as Lily had flinched and curled into herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs and her face buried into her knees.
"What is it?" James demanded, glancing around the room for what might have scared her and then he froze, his brain registering what had just happened. "Wait a minute. Evans, are you down here because of the storm?" Her silence was answer enough and he couldn't stop the small scoff that escaped. She lifted her head enough to glare at him, which resulted in him giving her an apologetic smile in return.
"Go on, laugh it up. Lily Evans; scared of a bloody noise!" Lily lifted a hand to rub at her forehead wearily and didn't see James' approach until he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, making her jump.
"Why would I laugh? A person's fears aren't something to joke about." She gave a watery chuckle and pushed a strand of red hair behind her left ear.
"I never thought I'd hear you of all people, say that."
"Me either, but then again, I know what it's like." She raised both eyebrows quizzically and he grinned sheepishly. "Sirius enjoys taking the piss at every possible moment." The low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and Lily shivered again, although it was smaller this time.
"Why? What're you afraid of, if you don't mind me asking."
"It'll be your turn to laugh, but slugs." Lily let out a giggle and immediately covered her mouth with a hand, her green eyes wide in disbelief.
"Really?! Slugs are your worst fear?" James gave a sardonic smile and folded his arms behind his head. "But, why?"
"No idea. They've just always scared me. I think it's the slimy stuff personally, but Sirius is convinced it's because I'm a, and I quote, 'absolute pansy'." They grinned at each other and Lily shifted slightly, her feet lowering back down to the floor.
"They are kind of disgusting. But still, how can the thing you're most afraid of be slugs, James?" He shuffled along the sofa until they were almost touching and nudged her knee with his, smiling slightly when she returned the gesture.
"A person's fears don't have to make any sense. I mean, I could ask how you could be scared of thunder, and you wouldn't be able to explain it, would you?" She shook her head and let out a yawn, turning her head away so he wouldn't see. Acting on his well-known recklessness, James reached over and grabbed one of her hands, giving her a reassuring smile when she turned to stare at him. "I'm not making a move on you, I promise, but you look pretty tired, Lily. So, go to sleep, yeah? Nothing will happen to you."
"Bu-" She tried to interject, but James placed a hand over her mouth and shook his head.
"You look like you're about to collapse. Just, go to sleep and I'll make sure nothing happens." He could see she was giving in by the way her shoulders were dropping and her hands were unclenching from the fists they'd been in.
"No one can know about this, Potter. Do I make myself clear?" James nodded as she leant back against the cushions of the sofa, looking him straight in the eye and giving him a small smile. "What about you?"
"I'm a light sleeper; you have to be when you live in a dorm with Sirius. I'll wake you up at the slightest sign of life." He promised and Lily's smile grew.
"Okay and James? Thanks." With that she closed her eyes and James sat in silence, staring into the dying embers in the hearth and listening as the red head's breathing evened out.
-xoxo-
Lily had woken up as an entirely too energetic first year had come bounding down the stairs leading from the female dorms, to find that her head was now resting on James' slightly bony shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. Her initial reaction was one of panic, but she found that it wasn't as prominent as it once would have been, and as she sat up from her position it became quickly obvious he was fast asleep. With a mischievous grin, she leant over and began to shake him gently, her actions growing in magnitude when he refused to wake up and open his eyes.
"Potter!" She hissed when she noticed a smile playing at the corners of his mouth and his shoulders were shaking. "Wake up, you giant prat!"
"Now, now, Evans. Haven't you heard that name calling is a form of bullying? I'd have thought you of all people would be against it." James had said this without opening his eyes and in retaliation Lily drove her elbow into his ribs, making him huff out a breath. With a glare, he sat up and glanced in the direction of the lone eleven year old, who wasn't paying attention to them and was instead trying to convince her friend's cat to move because it was sleeping on her History of Magic homework.
"Usually, I'd agree with you. But you're you, so I'll make an exception. In fact, I have an entire vocabulary reserved just for you and your mates. Besides, you're a big boy and I'm sure you can handle it." With a laugh, James sprang up from his chair and stretched, before nodding his head towards the portrait hole.
"Now, if you're done insulting me, shall we go and get some grub? I'm starving." Before she could answer, he'd grabbed her hand and dragged her out into the seventh floor corridor, disregarding the fact that she was in her pyjamas and her hair was a tangled mess.
Just in case anyone was wondering about why I chose a chimera for Lily's Boggart, I have reasons! And after an hour or so trying to find if it's ever been officially stated what her Boggart is, I gave up and decided to use my own (if it is and I just couldn't find it, I apologise). Anyway, I did some research about creatures in Harry Potter and decided on a chimera for two reasons; the first is that I imagine Lily to have been really into Greek mythology when she was younger, and stories based on it and the pictures scaring her, so a part of her childhood subconscious reacted to the Boggart. Secondly, chimeras are supposedly responsible for storms, so it would make sense for her to be scared of them, seeing as her biggest fear is thunder.
Some quick translation-y things, although I don't know if they're needed:
'Taking the piss' - making fun of
'absolute pansy' - clearest comparison I can think of would be 'wimp'
'grub' (is this even a Briticism?) - anyway, it means food