A/N: Am I on a roll or what? Def not me procrastinating my responsibilities. Nope. None of that here. This is just pure Jilly fluff, and it made me so happy to write! I really do enjoy making fluffy content and Jilly has always owned my heart. (Someone to actually argue with me and fight for the right to love and date me? And be funny and charming while he's at it? Lily is really living the dream.) This was inspired by a tiktok about Lily and Remus getting with the richest guys at Hogwarts which I thought was funny. Tbh I didn't stay on the class conciousness for as long as I was planning to, opting to be more fluffy for this take, but its something to think about in future works.

Not mine


It was bad timing, at best.

The Head Boy and Head Girl were once again in a spat. Nobody remembered what it was about, but everyone remembered which side they had chosen. Remus Lupin had been unfortunate enough to pick a side before consulting his boyfriend, Sirius Black, who had picked the other, and now they weren't speaking to each other. Poor Peter Pettigrew was working hard to maintain the peace, but there was none to be had.

Lily Evans instantly bristled at the sight of James Potter. James Potter avoided any room his girlfriend was in. And to top off all the misery, their last trip to Hogsmeade as Hogwarts students was tomorrow.

After a tense night in the Gryffindor common room, James and Sirius had said curt good nights and gone upstairs to the boys' dormitories. Lily and Remus sat on plush armchairs playing an intense game of wizard's chess.

"Hogsmeade tomorrow. Maybe we should be getting off to bed too. I want to make the most of it." Remus suggested looking up from the chessboard. He didn't know if Lily had realized that she had him beat in just a few moves, but it would be better for his pride if they called it a draw.

"Hmm. Knight to E4." Lily said and glanced at the clock. It was getting pretty late. "I don't know if I'll be going to Hogsmeade this time."

"It's our last chance. Come on Lil. It'll be good fun."

"You can't tell anyone this—" she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the common room was empty. "Its not nearly as fun without James, and seeing as how we are not speaking—" She cut herself off before she admitted out loud that she had forgiven James and was merely not speaking to him on a matter of principle.

"I'll have to agree. The boys make Hogsmeade trips more fun."

"Besides. It's too expensive to keep going out every week like this. Honestly, who can keep up? It's been months since I worked at that Christmas shop in London." Lily added. Her spending money for the semester was getting pretty low, and she still wanted to buy magical presents for her family before she went back home.

"Oh come on, we can't have last time's disaster be our memory as our last Hogsmeade trip as Hogwarts students. What will we tell the grandchildren?"

"That grandpappy Sirius yakked all over your shoes after having what, seven too many at the Three Broomsticks?"

"At least I got new shoes out of it."

"Oh Sirius spoils you," Lily teased.

"Oh what, and James hasn't kept you well pampered?" Remus shot back.

"James does not—"

Remus gave her a look that cut her off. "Really Lily, it is beneath you to lie. If James doesn't spoil you, where did those earrings, that blanket, the silk scrunchie, and those slippers come from?"

"Shut up." She moved her Queen the muggle way, as she did to taunt the wizards when she had them defeated in chess and she knew it. The queen did not like that, but happily clobbered the king. "Checkmate."

"Every time." Remus complained. "But come on Lil. We can pool our resources and still have fun on a budget."

"How much does it come out to?" Lily asked.

"I have three Galleons and twelve sickles." Remus volunteered.

"Oohh, Galleons, aren't we fancy." Lily turned out her pocket.

"I have fifteen sickles, three knuts, and six pounds. I wonder if they take muggle money."

"So four galleons, three knuts, and six pounds." Remus calculated. "And they don't take muggle money."

"I swear, that has to be some sort of crime. We are in Britain, and they won't take the Queen's sovereign—"

"Lily, don't you have a cousin in the IRA?"

"He's not in the IRA, exactly." Lily shot back. "Anyways, I think we can get a drink each at the Three Broomsticks, and then into Zonkos for whatever scheme you four have cooked up, and I want to get one of those quills you don't have to keep dipping in ink for our exams."

"And then we will come home with… three knuts."

"And six pounds!"

"It's pathetic." Sirius whispered to James. It had been the Head Boy's idea to linger on the stairwell to eavesdrop and get a sense of how mad his girlfriend was at him. "Four galleons between the two of them. Honestly. How did they ever get by without us?"

"She didn't sound mad, did she Sirius?"

"Mate, what was that fight even about?"

James glanced over his shoulder, before he grabbed his friend by the arm and yanked him into the dormitories.

"Lily said something about not wanting to marry, kind of in an offhand way. I said something contrary, and she got angry."

"Marry!"

"Shh!" James reached into his trunk and pulled out a little blue velvet box.

"Prongs, is that—"

"My great grandmother's ring." James braced himself before he looked at Sirius's face, gauging for a reaction.

"You come so close and you muck it up so quick?"

"I didn't muck it up. She didn't seem mad, and she said Hogsmeade is more fun with me."

"Mate, she hasn't a galleon to her name. Everything's more fun with you, I'd reckon." Sirius shot back.

"Everything's more fun with her." James said quietly. He knew he sounded like a lovestruck fool.

"Did you talk to your mum and dad?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. Mum gave me the ring and dad gave me his blessing and the keys to the house in Godric's Hollow."

"Fuck mate. You're growing up."

"You and Remus too. I know you're finding an apartment together. I saw his advertisement clippings." James clapped his best friend on the back.

"Just apologize James. If Lily forgives you, Moony forgives me. I found an apartment I need to show him, and he won't talk to me."

"What if she says no? That's kind of our thing, y'know."

"Never stopped you before."

Lily was trying to make a concerted effort to dress herself without putting on any of the clothes James had bought her, but it was proving to be a difficult task. She liked his presents. She liked how he spoiled her. And most importantly, she LOVED him. Loved. In all capital letters. She LOVED James Potter. And now she wasn't speaking to him, because even looking at him would make her admit it out loud and she would look foolish.

She met Remus in the common room and laugher danced in his eyes when he saw her, dressed head to toe in things James had bought her. The sweater, the shirt, the skirt, the shoes, the handbag, even the headband were all designer, and all from her boyfriend.

"Not a word, Remus."

"I didn't say anything. Shall we?"

They left the castle and strolled out to town, ducking into the three broomsticks for a drink. James and Sirius followed moments behind.

Lily saw her boyfriend first and ducked behind the table.

"What are you doing?" Remus hissed.

"It's James!" She whispered back, trying to hide her face, as if that would keep Potter from knowing her by her vibrant hair, or by the fact that she was sitting right next his roommate of seven years.

"And you're this angry at him? Lily what did he do?" Remus asked. If James and Lily were to break up, living in the seventh year Gryffindor boys dorms would become a hell of sad break up songs and James telling everyone he saw about the one that got away while Sirius came up with harebrained schemes to win her back.

"He didn't—" She sighed. "It is complicated."

"Well, you better explain it to me because you look ridiculous, and people are starting to stare at you."

"It's just—I mean—James is all—and—I think I am in love with the fucker. Like, want to take his stupid last name and live with the bastard and have his children and all that. And if I see him, I know I'll say it and he—I mean—"

Remus rolled his eyes so hard it was practically audible. As soppy and pathetic that James was, Lily was just as stubborn and she had built up a reputation of absolutely NOT being in love with Potter, though even the professors could see it. "Sit up, you absolute idiot."

"Hey!" She smacked his arm.

"You think James Potter—This James Potter—Our James—is not going to say I love you back?"

"Maybe. Who knows. I've only been nice to him this year. It's a fast change for anyone."

"Lily he almost said it to you two dates in, last term. Sirius and I had to practically put a silencing charm on him so he wouldn't scare you away. And don't act like you don't know the effect you can have on him."

"You're sure?"

"I am certain."

"After we have fun on our great plans," she insisted.

"Are you serious, Evans?" Remus demanded.

"Just… let me have this one Remus, come on."

They ordered two butterbeers and tried to ignore their boyfriends' eyes pricking the back of their heads.

….

"What are they talking about? She hasn't looked my way even once!" James complained.

"And seven years into her not giving you the time of day, you're still not used to it?" Sirius teased. James ran his hand through his hair and watched Lily sip her butterbeer.

He turned to Rosemerta and flashed a charming grin. "Rosie, darling!"

"Jimmy, baby!" She shot back, knowing that James hated being called Jimmy. It was only fair, of course, she hated being called Rosie.

"Put their drinks on my tab, why don't you darling?" James asked, glancing over at Lily fumbling around for knuts to buy her drinks.

"You got it, Jimmy. In a fight with the old lady?" Rosemerta asked.

"Oh, please don't get him started," Sirius grumbled. "It's been Lily this and Evans that for days now."

"Aww, well, here. Pretzels, on the house," Rosemerta offered. "Buck up, Potter."

Lily laughed out loud at something Remus said and punched his arm. James watched her hair flip over her shoulder, and he longed to reach out and play with it. He had gotten used to how soft it was, and how it smelled vaguely of strawberries from the shampoo she used, how she would scold him if he messed up her style. It hadn't taken long at all to get used to the new side of Evans she was willing to show him. For the first few years that he knew her, she had been perfect.

She had always been pretty, clever, popular, and had the best grades in their class. She even brought some muggle things to school with her that fascinated him to no end. Her pens that she didn't need to keep dipping in an inkwell, her family photographs that didn't move, her muggle games like monopoly and scrabble all captured his attention and he cast her as a mysterious stranger in his mind.

She was only better once he got to know her. Less perfect and ethereal, of course, but better all the same. She struggled with transfiguration, but spent hours studying because there would be no way in hell she would accept less than perfect grades from herself. She tolerated him as a potions partner because she knew that whatever they were going through, they worked well together and that he would never slack off and let her do everything for their projects. She was clever and she could go toe to toe with each of the marauders when they wanted to talk smack.

"Mate… close your mouth when you're staring at her at least. You might literally start drooling over her and that's a new low," Sirius said.

….

"Is he still staring at me?" Lily asked, taking the last sips of her butterbeer.

"Yeah," Remus said.

"Come on. Let's just leave. Rosemerta, could we get the check?"

Rosemerta came over to their table and smiled kindly. "No check. Those gentlemen at the bar already took care of it."

"Potter," Lily grumbled, but her cheeks turned a bit pink and she didn't quite manage to sound angry.

"Oh, cut the boys a bit of slack love. They're trying," Rosemerta said, amused by their teenage antics.

Lily made a sound that was barely discernible. Remus shot the bartended a secret sort of smile.

"That's us off then, Rosemerta. Lily, I'm going to the bathroom. I'll meet you outside," Remus said, standing up and making direct eye contact with Sirius, who looked pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

Lily slipped outside, as Remus went to his boyfriend at the bar. Almost desperately, Remus tilted Sirius's chin upwards and pecked his lips with a grin.

"This is better," Sirius said, smiling back. "Why the change of teams?"

"Oh, Lily is being an idiot," Remus said. "We're going to Honeydukes next, want to come?"

"What do you mean? Is she angry at me? Is it something I said? I didn't mean to bring up a sore area with her about the marriage thing, and I didn't want to make her angrier with the drinks but I couldn't let—"

"Prongs," Remus said, cutting him off before he could spiral any further. "She's not mad, she's just… an idiot. Just come to Honeydukes in five minutes, understood?"

"Y-yeah," James said. Remus squeezed Sirius's hand and headed out to meet Lily.

The trek from the Three Broomsticks to Honedukes was a lovely one, filled with memories of pleasant days and happier times. Lily had kissed James next to the lamppost outside Honeydukes. They had been arguing, about something or another, she could hardly remember any more, until James' voice had gotten tight and he had pushed his hair out of his face.

"You're killing me, Evans," he had quietly. "I don't even know if you like me. What are we doing here?" His arrogant little grin had slipped off his face, replaced by a quietly pained look.

"Potter I…" She trailed off. There were no words she could think of that would wipe the hurt from his hazel eyes. "Potter," She tried again, before giving up on speaking. She placed one hand on his shoulder and one on his cheek and tenderly pecked his lips. "There's nobody else in the world I want to argue with more than you."

She had never seen him so happy as when he pressed her against the lamppost and kissed her back. They had gone back to the castle and hour late and out of breath. Their friends had secretly exchanged galleons as they stepped through the portrait hole into the common room, holding hands.

It had been one of the best Hogsmeade trips they had ever had.

"Remus, which do you think my sister would want more? The sugar quills or the chocolate frogs?" Lily asked, browsing the shelves, trying to ignore the warmth that blossomed behind her ribs when she thought about her first kiss with James.

"Chocolate for sure," Remus said, peeking over the shelves to the door, where James and Sirius had come in. He waved at them, and they joined them next to the sweets.

"Sweets for my sweet?" James offered Lily a lollipop. She rolled her eyes and fixed Remus with a withering glare.

"Judas," she hissed.

"Talk. It's for your own good," he insisted, pulling Sirius away by the wrist for some much-needed alone time.

She watched her friend's retreating back and considered hitting him with a tickling charm, just to be petty.

"Evans," he said. "Come on, just talk to me. What's going on with you?"

"With me? What's going on with you, Potter? You can't just buy me things and expect me to just… just… swoon at your feet. I work. I can pay my own way, thank you very much," Lily began.

"Nobody expects you to swoon, Evans," James said in an even, soothing tone. "I just expect you to talk to me. I thought things were going really well between us."

"They… are," Lily insisted, though there was a split second of hesitation.

"Evans, if there's something I did that's bothering you, just tell me! We haven't spoken since…" He racked his brain for the date and time, but since then, he had pictured the conversation going so many different ways that he had managed to muddle his own memory.

"Wednesday, near the astronomy tower," Lily provided.

"Yes, thank you. Why won't you even look at me right now?" He took her by the hand and she felt electricity shoot down her arm. She wanted to grab him and kiss him right there, in the middle of the store, and scream out her love for him, but she refrained. What if she had made a mess of things? What if she had ruined her chance?

"Potter—"

"No come on. Out with it. Was it when you were making fun of your sister's marriage and I didn't agree? I told you that you were wrong about marriage but if it means that much to you, we don't have to marry at all. I don't want to keep pushing you forwards if you don't want to," James said, struck by a horrible thought.

For years he had asked Lily out and only gotten a no. A consistent no. What if she didn't want to be with him at all? What if she only said yes to make him stop badgering her and now that he had so foolishly asked for the heirloom ring, things had gotten too serious? What if she had been stringing him along to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet her final year? What if she was about to tell him to bugger off and never speak to him again?

"I just… I realized something that night," She said softly, pulling her hand away. "Something that I'm just not… well no that's not the case. I just… its hard to say, James. It's hard to find the right words, and the right time."

"You don't want to be with me," James said, voice flat, any worried expression slipping off his handsome face, replaced by nothing. He went flat. Hollow. "If you didn't want to go out with me, if I pushed too hard, I'm truly sorry. I'll leave you alone."

"No!" She cried, much louder than she intended. "No! James, you have me all wrong."

"Then what? What is it Lily? You don't speak to me for days, you can't even look at me, you nearly bit Remus's head off for trying to fix us back up. You're killing me, Evans. You're a bloody heartbreaker, do you know that?" He sounded tired, and much too human.

"No, please, I'm trying not to break your heart, can't you see? I'm trying not to push too fast. I have loved every moment we had together this year, James. I don't want to break the spell by changing anything. You haven't done anything wrong. I need you to know that. This is all on me this time," she said. Her brow knit tightly and red splotches appeared on her face, as they always did when she was upset.

"Have your feelings towards me changed?"

"No. I mean yes, but no, not in that way," Lily said, watching James's heart do some spectacular acrobatics behind his eyes. His eyes could never conceal a feeling. James wore his heart on his sleeve. Nothing about what he thought, what he wanted, what he felt was ever a mystery. He was always so cool and calm and straightforward, something Lily had never been able to manage.

"What are you trying to say Lily?"

"I'm trying to say that Wednesday night, while we were doing our rounds near the astronomy tower I realized… I realized that I love you, okay? God James why are you so stubborn?"

She could hear his shock as his breath left his lungs and his jaw hit the floor. "What? Why am I so stubborn? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, darling?"

"Whatever, Potter," she said, crossing her arms across her chest, and glaring up at him. His cheeky little grin was back, and Lily struggled to keep a straight face.

He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. "So, you love me, huh?"

Lily bit her lip to keep herself from smiling back up at him. He currently had the upper hand on all fronts. She could feel his quidditch trained muscles under his robes, so close to her that she wanted to touch him, but her pride would never let her. His hands held firmly onto her waist, he stood a good head and a neck taller than her, and he was flashing that cocky little grin that she hated to love. Loved to hate. Whatever.

"Tell me Evans," he purred in her ear. "What do you love about me?"

"Potter, we are in the middle of a store. This is hardly the place for this," she said primly.

"You love me, you love me, you said it first," he sang quietly.

"James—"

"Tell me what did it. What finally won the great Lily Evans over?"

She pressed her lips together and refused to open her mouth at all, but James was nothing if not persistent. He pecked her lips, quickly, pulling back before she could soften the muscles around her mouth to kiss him back.

"Tell me." A quick kiss. "Tell me." Another little kiss. "Tell me." A third kiss.

That was a new record speed for getting Lily to drop her act.

"You are the most irritating man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting," Lily snapped, trying to pull away from him. If she stayed in his arms for a second longer, she wouldn't be able to help herself. She would have to run her fingers through his hair, grab him by the collar and kiss him. But of course, the idiot was too strong. She couldn't wiggle away that easily.

"The displeasure of meeting?" He teased. "Do I displease you? Because just a moment ago you said you love me."

"I'm very displeased right now," she grumbled.

"Come on, Lils, tell me and I'll buy you whatever you want from this entire store. Hell, I'll buy you the store," he said, still with an impish grin on his face.

"Well it's not your responsible spending habits."

"Responsible spending habits? Why on earth would I need those?" Potter asked. He was pushing his luck, and snaking his hands slowly lower down her back to the waistband of her skirt.

"Will you shut it?"

"No. I don't think I will till you tell me what made you love me," he insisted.

She laughed, half annoyed and half amused. James had gotten used to the sound of that particular laugh.

"I just realized that… it was midnight, and we were alone, in a remote part of the castle, and these days… I don't tend to walk around at night by myself. But with you, I was relaxed. I was safe." She uncrossed her arms and put them on his shoulders. "I realized that as much as I loved being at Hogwarts for the past six years, I have never laughed as much as I have with you, this year. I realized that you aren't just an arrogant git, strutting up and down these halls like you own them."

"I'm not an arrogant git? What am I then?" He asked, bringing his lips so close to hers, she could almost taste the peppermint gum he was chewing.

"You are pushing your luck, Potter. I'll… turn around and walk away right now," she threatened.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." His fingers on her back loosened their grip. "Go ahead. Walk away from me." Lily didn't budge. If anything, she pressed herself closer to him. "That's what I thought, Evans. Can't get enough now that you're in love with me, can you?"

"Why are you torturing the woman that loves you, huh?" She demanded in a quiet whisper, so close to his ear that her breath ruffled a tuft of his messy black hair. His breath caught, ever so slightly. If she hadn't been so close to him she wouldn't have noticed, but she felt his chest tremble, and she heard the hitch.

"Oh like you didn't bloody well take your sweet time torturing the man who loves you since our third year," James grinned as he kissed her cheek, and nibbled on her ear. It was Lily's turn to forget how to breathe properly.

"Who loves me?" She asked, just a slight twinkle in her green eyes. Of course Remus had told her, and James had all but spent years screaming it from the rooftops, but the confirmation was always nice.

"You can't be surprised. It wasn't much of a secret."