Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: So smashing this out real quick. If you notice the lack of Peter, it's deliberate. We deserve good things. You're welcome.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 14); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Gryffindor MC (x5); Hufflepuff MC; Rowl in Her Grave; Ethnic & Present; Rian-Russo Inversion (x3); Lunar Era; Old Shoes (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); In a Flash; Green Ribbon
House: Slytherin
Assignment No.: Term 14 – Assignment 03
Subject (Task No.): Veterinary Sciences (Task#4: Write a fic where your main character has one of the following traits: inquisitive, defensive, energetic, or clever.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Fantastic Beasts [199](Remus Lupin); 365 Prompts [07](Luxury); Scavenger Hunt [13](Marauders Era); Days of the Year [Mar 12th](Canon character with a floral name); National Weddings Month [15](Church); Penguin Awareness [12](Duffel Bag); Colours [10](Taupe); Locations [10](Blackpool Pier); Crystals & Gemstones [10](Angel AU); Sytherin OTPs [10](Sirius/Remus); But Can You Spell It? [E](Enemies); Stop! Hamper Time (Cheeses)[Pepper Jack]("...scream?"/"...manly yell."); You Get My Love (Love Languages)[04](Hugging someone); Would You Rather (03)[No Slytherins];Fantasy February (08)[Demon Let Down]; Gwen's Candy Shop [Bowl 1](Deaf/HoH);
Other MC4A Challenges: WiB [2D](Ending); Vocab [1C](Glib); Ship (Canines)[Wi Med 2](Hitting/Kicking); Fire [Med](Dabbling with Drabbles); Chim [Karma](Gender Bend; Copper); TWT (NB Sirius Black; Marauders Era)[Task 2](Periwinkle); Hangman [05](Queer Relationships);
Representation(s): Black Lily Evans Potter/James Potter; HoH & NB Sirius Black/Remus Lupin; Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Sweetest Burn; Misshapen Pods; Saucy Buns; Second Verse (Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Found Family; Nontraditional; Zucchini Bread; Middle Name; Unwanted Advice; Car in a Tutu; Grease Monkey; Most Human Bean; Muck & Slime; Bad Beans; Dog Star; One Man's Cow; Under the Bridge; Lettuce Hold Hands); Chorus (Pear-Shaped; Wabi Sabi; Fizzy Lemonade; A Long Dog; Larger than Life; Unicorn; Creature Feature; Wind Beneath; Abandoned Ship; Head of Perseus; In the Trench; Surprise!; Forked Path)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: RoIL(Satisfaction; Volition); FIN(Ensanguine; Radiance); AD(Amphibian); Wings(Dactylology); DP(Terse); Share(Dragoman)
Word Count: 746 words

(^^)
A Different End of the World
(^^)

Lily did a tidy series of back flips which took her away from the cluster of demons she had been fighting. The series ended with a two-footed kick that knocked another demon out the boarded up window it had been standing near. She felt her wings burst out of her back to assist her in keeping her balance. The look of surprise on the demon's taupe face would have been comical under other circumstances.

Retracting her wings immediately, she rubbed her slight stomach before checking that her periwinkle headscarf was still in place, not wanting to risk getting any demon blood into her hair. Washing it was always a chore, and she didn't have any conditioner in her inventory currently either. That had been one of the things she had been hoping they could get while they were this close to civilization. She had grown up using the Muggle stuff, after all. She didn't need the potions that did the same thing.

The demons had been attacking for over six months so far. No one knew why they had started attacking, or why they focused so much on anyone with magic while leaving the Muggles almost completely alone (Squibs were definitely falling on the magical side of things in that regard, which had annoyed more than one pure-blood bigot). All that any really understood was that they were demons, as in powerful creatures from a place full of all manner of darkness.

The demons also were weak against spells which generated any type of light as well as a lot of the traditional protections against dark creatures such as silver, copper, and salt. Beyond that it was difficult to determine anything else. As the wixen community was scattered into isolated groups for survival's sake, everyone who could fight at all were doing so. More than one group also traveled in nomadic fashion, never settling in one place for too long.

Which was how her group ended up taking shelter in a tiny church located between restaurants and arcades on the Central Pier in Blackpool. There had been some residual wards on the space when Alice and Sirius had checked. They had decided to setup for the night (or a rare luxury, maybe a few nights) in the chapel area with its brightly cheery lemon yellow walls.

The demons had ambushed them just before dawn.

One of the demons sunk a claw into Sirius' shoulder, making him release a cry of pain even as he countered the blow with a vicious stab of his copper dagger into the demon's throat. Predictably, Remus found his way to beside his partner, taking advantage of the brief respite to check in on the reckless Gryffindor. After catching Sirius' attention, Remus signed a quick question in the one-handed slang they had developed for occasions like these when one hand was occupied. Sirius gave an exhausted smile and a weary nod.

James, of course, had to ruin the sweet moment, as he tended to do.

"Was that a scream?" he called glibly from across the room where he and Frank were finishing off the last demon. Remus rolled his eyes but translated dutifully. Sirius looked affronted at the question.

"No," he denied out loud, the muffled quality from his increased loss of hearing doing nothing to hide the offended tone of his voice. "It was a very manly yell!"

"But you're not a man," Lily remarked easily. She cleaned and stowed her daggers. Remus had given up any pretense of giving Sirius space and was now checking him over thoroughly. Frank was enduring the same from Alice as James walked towards her to do the same. "You know, this whole 'chasing demons away' thing seemed a lot more fun on the telly."

"Very romantic, Evans," James remarked as he drew her into a hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go get your hair stuff."

"Why, Potter," she said, "that's the best idea you've ever had!"

"Not the best," Sirius announced as he pushed between them and slung an arm over each of their shoulders. "He did make friends with Moony and me."

"Remus, come fetch your partner before I transform his panties into a thong."

"You're mean," Sirius whined as he released them. He quickly switched over to signing. "Remus, Lils is picking on me again."

"Serves you right," Remus signed back. Everyone laughed at the words, even as they began packing their supplies into their enchanted duffel bag.