2021 , The Hallway Between Flat 2b & 4b
Lily took a deep breath before knocking on the door, she was holding a box of doughnuts and was pretty sure last night had been a dream. It was the next afternoon, and Lily was spending her coveted lunch break apologising to The Marauders. She knew that if Alice was here, she would force Lily to do the right thing, so she was doing this for Alice and Alice only.
She fidgeted with one of the buttons on her cardigan, her nerves that had been building all day were bubbling around in her stomach, threatening to climb up to her throat. She prayed that she wouldn't puke on a Marauder. She stood awkwardly, thinking about how just a few hours before, she had no qualms standing here to scream at the band that had been the source of Alice's entire personality as a teenager. Lily was about to swallow her pride (And her vomit.) and walk away, but thankfully someone opened the door.
"Sirius just shut up about the chorus, it's perfectly fine!" Remus said as he opened the door. Lily was yet again taken aback by how tall he was in real life, his green eyes and curly fawn hair were a lot messier as well, and Lily noted a small white scar that went along his nose and down his cheek.
"Oh! Lily, hey!" Remus said sweetly, and Lily almost went crimson at the fact he remembered her name. Alice would literally die if she was here, well - die again . Lily thought morbidly.
"You remember my name?" Lily said, trying and epically failing at hiding her shock.
Remus was about to speak again when Sirius came up behind Remus and smiled cockily at Lily.
"Well Red, contrary to popular belief, it's not every night we get absolutely shown up by a journalist in pink pyjamas."
Lily furrowed her brows, "How do you know that I'm a journalist Black?" Lily said, putting her hands on her hips.
"You're not the only one who can google, Evans!" Sirius said, pushing back his shoulder-length hair, which was one of the reasons why Alice also wanted to "do" him.
"Reason 11, HAIR!" Alice said happily, noting it down in her notebook like it was some scientific discovery.
"And why is that oh horny one?" Lily said, bowing slightly, trying to stir the batter while Alice abandoned her own. This was one of Lily's favourite Alice phases, intense baking.
"Well, one - it's sexy and two, I can pull on it, duh!" Alice said, noting down 'Can brush it?' in her notebook.
"Oh of course, duh!" Lily laughed, licking the spoon and deciding that these brownies were going to be excellent.
"By the way, I also found your old Tumblr." Sirius smiled wickedly and Lily's stomach dropped. Remus looked confused but Sirius pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"No, no- Sirius don't-" Lily said, frozen with embarrassment.
"Monday 23rd of October 2015," Sirius began to read, and Lily knew the exact blog he was reading.
"Lilyflower89 blogs, Is it just me or has Potter gotten hotter? Hashtag, hotforpots." Sirius finished, already laughing.
Lily, however, was as bright as her hair.
"I can explain, that wasn't me- I mean it's on my Tumblr but my friend Alice- she loved you guys and she- well she wanted to get me back because I told her that Remus- Well, nevermind but... Yeah." Lily explained, her face scarlet.
Remus smirked slightly, and he made room so that Lily could go inside.
"Come in Mrs Hot for Pots," Remus said, and Lily wanted to crumble - but she followed him inside anyway.
Their flat was basically a bombsite, and Lily wondered again why the hell the boys were recording a new album in some rando flat block in the middle of London.
"Tea?" Remus asked, walking into the cluttered kitchen and flicking on the kettle.
"Yes, but I've got to go soon. I'm actually on my break, I work at-"
"- The Times, Yes Evans, I stalked your Instagram as well," Sirius said from the living room, and Lily gave him a scowl. Lily couldn't believe that she actually scowled at Sirius Black, who she literally had a poster of in her room at her Mums (Not that he can ever know that.)
Remus shook his head at Sirius but smiled sweetly at Lily, " The Times? That's seriously impressive! How long have you been there?" Lily stared at him for a moment, Remus Lupin was talking to her, wanting to know about her life - she was in The Marauders kitchen, drinking tea out of an " I 3 Peter Pettigrew " mug.
"Six months," Lily answered, hating how sweet Remus was - she really wanted to hate him.
"That's really awesome, I've probably been reading some of your articles and not even knowing, what's the latest one you've done?" Lily blushed at Remus's flattery and took a sip from the tea, it was made eerily perfect, exactly how she liked it.
"Um, well the one about the effect your music taste as a teenager has on your music taste as an adult? I'm not exactly writing the big pieces right now, more fluff stuff." Lily nervously giggled, but Remus's face lit up.
"No way , that was you? Marlene literally sent that to me because you mentioned us!" Remus said and Lily knew that Marlene Mckinnon was the boys' manager. Lily blushed again and was about to explain herself further before James Potter burst through the door.
"Okay so I've got the stuff for omelettes, and I only got stopped three times to take a picture, I love how most Londoners don't even look at you twice."
Lily looked over to James, his unruly signature curly hair and brown skin were exactly the same as his pictures, the crooked smile and the slight muscles also were the same apparently. Lily was almost angry over how pretty he was, she secretly wanted him to be super ugly in real life, but if anything - seeing him in tracksuit bottoms and a High School Musical hoodie made him even cuter. Lily looked away as soon as he looked in her direction, she felt slightly nervous around him, lads like James have never mixed well with Lily, especially after she has insulted them, (Apparently they don't like being called dickheads - go figure!)
"Lily!" James said, bounding over to the kitchen, the shopping bag swinging in the air.
Lily froze as he swiftly stood next to her, dropping the bag on the table.
"Back for round two Evans? Man who knew the hot neighbour was so fierce !" James said with a slight laugh, which only made Lily's previous anger return - she didn't need this dickhead to take the piss out of her by calling her 'hot.' She knew his type, boys like James think it's so hilarious to even think of a girl like Lily as being hot.
"Actually, I was just here to apologize, so yeah - Sorry," Lily said venomously as she slammed the doughnuts on the counter. "Thanks for the tea Remus," Lily said, sparing poor Remus a smile before stomping towards the front door, "And Sirius, show anyone else that post - I will personally make sure when you wake up tomorrow, you will be missing your balls." Lily spat before slamming the door behind her, hating James Potter more and more with every step.
However, inside the flat - James was liking Lily more and more with every stomp he could hear from the hall.
"Did she just get mad because you called her hot?" Sirius asked, laughing and picking up a doughnut from the box. James tugged a hand through his hair, gaze still locked on the front door that she had just stormed out of.
"I think so… Man isn't she amazing?" James said with a smile, and Sirius swung an arm around his shoulders.
"She's something Prongs, she really is." Sirius laughs and Remus scoffs, leaning forward to grab a doughnut.
"What she is, is someone that clearly can't stand you," Remus said voice muffled with the doughnut in his mouth.
"She'll come round, just need to work some of my Potter magic," James said, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Remus laughed again, "You'll need more than that mate." James rolled his eyes and hopped over the counter, picking up his guitar Betty .
"So Sirius, about that chorus…"
January 2016, The abandoned Girls bathroom at school.
"Why is he so horrible Ally?" Lily sobs, her new mascara getting all over her face as she wiped the blackened tears from her eyes. Alice smiled sweetly at Lily, giving her a ripped piece of loo roll that she could blow her nose in.
"Like he's so different when it's just me and him, he's so sweet . He said that I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and then he- he goes and calls me fat in front of all of his wanky friends!" Lily sobs harder, and Alice pulls her into a hug.
"He's a coward, Lils, plain and simple - he's a dick who doesn't deserve you or your beautiful body," Alice said, wiping a tear from Lily's face.
"It's so easy for you, you're so skinny and-"
"Oh Lily don't be ridiculous, you are aware that you could pull anyone in our year? Fuck Snivellious, you could totally pull a Marauder." Alice said a mischievous grin plastered all over her face.
"Which one?" Lily asked bashfully, voice thick with tears.
"Um James, obviously!" Alice said, her grin so earnest it made Lily want to cry harder.
"Oh come on Lils, I know that you have the hots for Pots!" Alice said, pushing her playfully.
Lily giggled and pushed back, her tears drying
"I will never forgive you for that, did you see that video of that concert where they all started chanting 'Hotter Potter"
"See? I caused a sensation! And you're one step away from banging Potter." Alice said and Lily laughed, wondering how the hell she would do this if she didn't have her.
2021, The Wee Café 'Round The Corner
Lily was practically dead on her feet as she walked into the cafe, her eyes meeting Mary's brown ones almost immediately. Lily smiled and sat down on a stool at the counter.
"Hey Mary berry, can I get an iced mocha?"
"One iced mocha for my favourite ginger," Mary said, giggling slightly as she walked away to prepare the drink.
Mary Mcdonald was probably Lily's closest friend nowadays. She had met Mary in Uni, as the two had been flatmates in first year and then had lived together with Alice for the rest of the University. Mary was tall, strong and extremely beautiful, with her dark skin and stunning afro she could take anybody's breath away. Lily could swear that Mary doesn't even try, she just wakes up that gorgeous, (A talent that Lily's never mastered.)
"Oh babe you will never ever guess who I saw in here today, you will be so jealous of me!" Mary said excitedly.
"Omg who? Spill!" Lily said equally as excited. Mary raised a bushy brow and smirked evilly.
"I saw James Potter," Mary said, dropping for dramatic pause but obviously being confused when Lily's features didn't change.
"Um, earth to Lils? I just said that I saw James Potter! I even met him, he was wearing-"
"A High School Musical hoodie? Yeah, I've seen him." Lily spat, and Mary stopped in her tracks.
"You saw James Potter? James fucking Potter, and you never told me?" Mary said in shock as she slid Lily's coffee over.
"It's a long story." Lily sighed, taking a long sip of her caffeine, needing its comforts.
"Well, my shift ain't ending anytime soon, so, spill," Mary said, crossing her arms, and Lily knew that she wasn't going anywhere without telling Mary.
Lily rolled her eyes but leaned forward on the counter, pulling Mary in by her collar.
"He's my neighbour," Lily said sincerely, in a low tone that no one other than Mary could hear. She had expected Mary to scream or jump up and down excitedly, but instead, she just scoffs at Lily, standing up, starting to clean the other side of the counter
"You are so full of shit!" Mary said, shaking her head slightly.
"What? No, I'm not!" Lily said, defensively. Mary laughed again and turned back to Lily, who was now aggressively sipping her coffee.
"Lils, If James Potter is your neighbour then I'm the queen of England." Lily scowled and stood up defiantly,
"When can you take your break?" Lily asked.
"Now I guess-" Mary couldn't even finish her sentence before Lily grabbed her hand, tugging her away from the counter.
2021, The Marauders' (very messy) flat.
Sirius plucked a cig from behind his ear, and picked up his lighter, attempting to light his smoke. James however, has a very different idea, as he chucks a pillow at Sirius's face before the flame could hit the cig.
"What the fuck Prongs?" Sirius asked, chucking the pillow back at James.
"I told you, no smoking in the new flat!" James lectured, he had warned Sirius and Remus before they moved in that they were banned from smoking inside the flat, the last flat the boys had owned was forever tinted from the foul smell of smoke, and James couldn't bear it again.
"Oh come on James, don't be such a twat, it's just one smoke," Sirius says, bending down to retrieve his fag from the floor.
"You say that Pads, but then it goes from one to two then three , and the next thing I know, I'm inviting a girl 'round-"
"And by girl you mean Evans." Sirius teased, and James shrugged his shoulders.
" Fine, I'm inviting Lily 'round, and she takes one whiff of the place and runs away, screaming." James finishes and Sirius scoffs, leaning back and twirling the cig in his fingers.
"Like you could get Evans in here. Newsflash pal, she hates your guts." Sirius laughs, but he puts the cig back behind his ear. James sighed, sinking into the sofa cushions, thinking about Lily Evans in her silly pink pyjamas and her untameable rage.
"I don't get it, a girl has never hated me, well not since we got the record deal they've not," James said, giving a sly side-eye to Sirius when he said record deal. He still couldn't believe it himself, twenty-two years old with four Grammys and four best mates for life.
"That's a lie, Marlene hates you," Sirius mumbled, his guitar pick that was shaped like a penis was in his mouth, hands occupied with tuning Remus's bass. Sirius was the only person James knew who had perfect pitch, so he tuned all the band's instruments.
"Marls doesn't count, she's known me since we were in nappies, she's always hated me."
"Thinking about Marlene in a nappy? Pedo much…" Sirius jokes, which earns him the pillow being chucked back in his face.
"Watch it specky, Remus will kill you if you hurt Simone ."
Simone was the name of Remus's bass guitar, infamously named after a girl Peter had slept with who took a shit on Remus's last bass guitar, (After Pete had broken up with her.)
"Can you please get Remus to rename it? It's mortifying ." Peter said, walking into the living room, a fresh ketchup stain on his shirt indicated that he'd been out.
"That's kinda the whole point Wormy, having your pride and joy shit on by a girl who had a tramp stamp-" James began.
"It was a very tasteful tramp stamp, actually." Peter interrupted, sticking his nose in the air snootily.
"It was a tramp stamp, either way, Pete," Sirius said, dick pic still in his mouth. (James had been very amused when he had officially announced the penis-pics name.)
"You wouldn't say the same if Lily had a tramp stamp," Peter said defensively, and Sirius let out a snort. James crossed his arms and leaned forward.
"Lily would never get a tramp stamp." James declared very seriously, and Peter sat back in his chair just a little bit more.
Sirius was about to make a rather vile joke about a vagina, but the doorbell saved everyone's ears, and Sirius sprang up, his joke all forgotten about. Now he was determined to get the door.
"How about I just ask Evans myself if she has one?"
He jumped over the sofa and scrambled to the door, opening it and smiling when he saw Lily standing there, a tall girl with an afro beside her - who looked extremely shocked to see him.
"Evans! I have a very important question-" Sirius puffed, but James dragged him back by the collar of his shirt and pulled him away from the door.
"Lily- Don't answer anything he asks you," James said, pointing at the shocked looking Lily while trying to keep Sirius at bay.
"Lily, all I want to-" Sirius began but James put his fingers over Sirius's mouth, muffling his voice. Lily bit back a smile and shared a look with her friend, who looked like she was going to pass out.
"Oh hey! Evans, you never introduced your mate." James said politely, but he squealed as Sirius bit his fingers, getting James's hand off of his mouth. Lily pushed her friend forward slightly, "Mary meet The Marauders, Marauders meet Mary Mcdonald."
Sirius and James stopped fighting for a second to say in unison, "Hey Mary." Before they continued their wrestling. Mary's mouth gaped open, a starstruck look on her face that James had seen thousands of times over the last six years. The boys continued for five more minutes before Sirius pinned James to the floor, his face squished into the crappy carpet of their flat.
"Okay Lily, I have only one question to ask," Sirius smirked and Lily crossed her arms, raising a brow.
"Okay, just ask already Black, before Potter suffocates."
Sirius felt James wriggling underneath him, and Sirius grinned wickedly.
"Evans, do you-"
James shouted a muffled shout and Lily attempted not to laugh.
"Shut up four eyes. Right Lily, do you…" Sirius pauses, looking at James before smiling sweetly.
"Want a coffee?"
James let out a frustrated but muffled scream.
2019, Mary, Alice and Lily's shared flat.
"Who the fuck thought it was a good idea to mix vodka and tequila?" Mary asked, tying up her hair.
"Alice's-"
"Mine!"
Alice and Lily said at the same time, and Mary groaned louder. Lily was curled up on their vomit coloured sofa, her arms over her stomach, attempting to keep down the toast she had just eaten.
"I'm so hungover, I can't remember anything from last night," Lily said, which made Alice and Mary share a look. Lily sat up straighter.
"What?" Lily asked and Mary let out a cough, avoiding Lily's gaze. Alice looked at Lily nervously.
" What happened?" Lily said, the feeling of dread now replacing the sick feeling in her tummy.
"Do you really not remember? Or are you having us on?" Alice asked, and Lily nodded earnestly. Mary came over to the sofa and sat next to Lily.
"Lily, you slept with Severus."
2021, Lily's (very clean and beautiful) Flat.
"I can't fucking believe it Lily, your friends with the fucking Marauders," Alice said, jittering nervously on Lily's sofa, Lily smiled.
"I wouldn't say, friends-"
"Lily, they like- love you! What did you do?" Mary asked, looking up at Lily as if she had just cured world hunger.
"Well, I screamed at them," Lily said with a laugh, sitting up on her knees.
"You what?" Mary said, eyes glued to Lily.
"I gave them a proper telling off, they were playing music at god knows what hour, so I rattled their door and screamed at them."
Mary shook her head, but a big smile was plastered all over her face.
"Alice would be so fucking jealous," Mary said quietly, that was how she talked about Alice nowadays, in hushed whispers like if she spoke louder then it would be real. You can hide behind whispers.
Lily smiled back and Mary looked up, a now completely teasing smirk replacing the earnest one from a moment ago.
"She would be even more jealous though, but that's just 'cause James Potter's got a crush on you."
Lily rolled her eyes dramatically, her smile wiped off of her face.
"He's such a cock, he's just making fun of me. Think it's funny to fancy a fat bird." Lily whispered, hiding behind it. Mary scoffed.
"Surely you don't believe that? Come on Lily, the way he-"
"Stop Mary, it's mean," Lily said, looking down at her hands and trying to hide the tears.
Mary put her hand in Lily's and let out a soft chuckle,
"Who's gonna tell Alice that Sirius Black is so clearly gay?" Mary laughed and Lily laughed back, remembering just minutes earlier when Sirius insisted to hug Remus because Remus was too cold for his own good!
"Bagsy not it," Mary said before Lily and Lily sighed.
"Alright, I'll tell her."
2021, The cemetery next to The Wee Cafe 'Round The Corner.
Lily sat down, crossing her legs and fixing the flowers that rested beneath the grave that read;
Alice Fortescue
2000 - 2020
Daughter, Sister, Friend, Professional Mischief Maker.
"Forget me not, little bird."
- The Marauders
"Alice, we have something to tell you," Lily said, sharing a smile with Mary, who was gently cleaning the stone with a makeup wipe.
"Alice, Sirius Black is gay - I'm afraid that you can't marry him," Lily said, laughing, even though tears were filling her eyes.
"We're so sorry sweetie, but we suspect that Remus is too.." Mary adds and Lily looks at her and the two burst into laughter, thinking about how Alice would go crazy if she knew the truth.