The fiancée
After downing the awful drink James had picked for her—an Aperol Spritz—Lily told him she needed to find the others, especially Sirius, since he was obviously the most likely to cause some kind of scandal.
James was clearly amused by the whole thing but agreed after laughing at her struggle to get through that bitter mess.
The two of them started up the stairs—after all, the smoking area was on the top floor of the club. James led the way, already familiar with the layout from the past hour, and Lily followed close behind.
At one point, when the corridor narrowed, James, ever the gentleman, moved aside to let Lily go first, which she appreciated. But as she looked ahead, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, she had no idea where to slip through.
Then, James lightly placed his hand on the skin of her lower back, guiding her forward.
A simple gesture—helpful, nothing more—but his warm hand against her cold skin sent a shiver down her spine. Lily took a deep breath and kept moving.
Just as they were about to climb the second staircase leading to the VIP section and the smoking area, Lily’s phone rang.
She almost ignored it, assuming it was another spam call from some annoying call center.
But at the last second, she glanced at the screen.
And there, glowing on the display, was a name she never expected to see.
Tuney.
Her sister! Her sister who hadn’t called or texted her in weeks!
Lily gripped her phone with trembling fingers, trying to figure out how to answer. The music was blaring—there was no way she could pick up here, in the middle of a packed corridor.
James glanced at her and then at her phone, confused, but didn’t say anything.
Lily started looking around. There didn’t seem to be an exit—she could either push forward or turn back to take the call.
Unless… a door.
A door marked Staff Only.
Lily couldn’t care less in that moment. All that mattered was answering her sister.
She turned the handle and, to her surprise, it was unlocked. Inside was a tiny, really tiny storage room lined with shelves stacked with silverware, dishes, glasses, and more. She squeezed herself between the shelves and pressed the green button, bringing the phone to her ear.
“Hello?” Lily said breathlessly.
Silence. She could hear breathing on the other end. Then, after a few seconds, Petunia finally spoke.
“Hello, Lily.”
“Hi!” Lily repeated, relieved to hear her sister’s monotone voice, even after all this time.
“Mum says you’ve been working a lot… Something about babysitting some celebrity.” Petunia’s tone was flat, disinterested, like it was all a joke, not an actual job. “How are you?”
Lily was caught off guard by the question. She knew Petunia cared about her deep down, but years of fighting had made it easy to believe she didn’t.
“I’m fine,” Lily answered. “How’s Vernon?”
“We’re getting married,” Petunia said suddenly. “In three months.”
“WHAT?” Lily shrieked. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I’m telling you now,” Petunia replied, curt. “And anyway, you don’t live in High Wycombe anymore. I figured you had more important things to think about.”
“Don’t say that, Petunia!” Lily snapped, genuinely hurt. “I’ll always care about you.”
Silence.
Lily heard a quiet sniff on the other end.
“So, how’s London?” Petunia asked, surprisingly. “Still filthy and full of traffic?”
“Yes,” Lily laughed, amused by her sister’s dry humour. Petunia could be funny when she wanted to be. “But I like it here.”
“Well, I wouldn’t visit even if you paid me,” Petunia replied.
It was a joke—Lily knew that. But suddenly, the air felt heavier. Because it was also true. Petunia had never visited her in London. Not once in almost two years. She’d never seen Lily’s flat, never met Alice, never even tried.
“So… are you sending me a wedding invite in the post or…?” Lily tried.
“I’ll have someone give it to you,” Petunia replied. “Or I’ll just email you the details. It’s nothing big, just a few of Vernon’s family members and—”
A loud crash and a burst of music.
James burst through the storage room door, letting the deafening club sounds spill in for a moment before shutting it again.
Lily stared at him in panic.
“What was that noise?” Petunia screeched. “Lily, where are you?”
“Um—” Lily hesitated. She knew exactly how horrified Petunia would be if she admitted she was at a club. Her sister, conservative and strict. “I’m at a company party!”
“Why are you saying that?” James teased drunkenly. “Is it your boyfriend or something?”
“WHO IS THAT?!” Petunia yelled. “Lily, don’t lie to me! No respectable company party plays that disgusting music!”
Shit. How had she even heard that in those few seconds?
“Listen, Tuney—” Lily tried, her throat tightening. “It is a company party. I’m working—”
“Oh, so you’re turning into one of those London sluts now, are you, Lily?” Petunia’s voice was like sharpened steel. “Disgusting. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Goodbye.”
And then she hung up.
Lily felt a cold wave of anger and sadness ripple through her. She looked up to see James staring at her, baffled, with that stupid look on his face.
“YOU IDIOT!” she roared, so furious she felt spit fly from her mouth.
“What did I do?” James asked, panicked, eyes wide.
“Don’t start with the whole ‘we’re a family’ speech again, James!” Lily snapped, words tumbling out at full speed. “I came here to supervise you lot, and I’ve been an idiot for thinking I could trust you! None of you respect boundaries, or my authority, and in one single day, you gained my trust just to completely lose it. So that’s it. You’re all walking the line from now on, whether you like it or not. And if I have to call McGonagall myself to get you all fired, so be it.”
“Lily—” James started, his voice filled with concern.
“Oh, NOW I have a name?” she shouted, their bodies almost pressed together in the tiny storage room. “I thought I was just PR!”
James said nothing. His wide, guilty puppy-dog eyes were almost convincing, but Lily had no sympathy for this spoiled, entitled brat.
“I only came in because I saw two girls had recognised me,” James finally explained, searching her furious expression. “They were whispering, laughing—I knew what that meant. I just didn’t want them coming over, not when it’s obvious I’m drunk.”
Lily was startled by the level of responsibility in his words.
“…Doesn’t matter,” she said coldly. “We’re all leaving. Now. I’m going to find each and every one of you, and we’re done.”
- - -
The next hour was beyond uncomfortable.
Lily stormed through the club like a hunting dog, scanning the crowd with sharp, furious eyes, searching for anyone from the Shapeshifters cast. And James trailed behind her like a scolded child—guilty and irritated all at once.
Remus was easy. She found him alone in the smoking area, cigarette in hand, and when she told him it was time to leave, he didn’t even argue.
“What did you do, Prongs?” he asked, slinging an arm over James’s shoulders.
James just gave him a desperate look and shrugged, as if the answer was too complicated to explain.
Sirius and Mary were… traumatic.
Lily caught them going at it by the bathroom door—Sirius’s hands way too deep into inappropriate territory.
She tore into them about how easily a photo of a moment like that could leak.
At first, they stayed quiet, even though it was obvious they wanted to laugh. But the second Lily turned her back, Sirius muttered under his breath:
“Buzzkill.”
Lily took a deep breath. Then, exhausted by everything that was Sirius Black, she spun around—her gaze razor-sharp.
“Listen closely, Sirius. You might think I’m just some random MTV nobody who works for you, but actually? I have a lot of control over your career.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow, challenging.
“I don’t care what rich little family you come from—money won’t buy your reputation. Not in the press, not in this industry. So I suggest you get over yourself and start showing me some respect.”
Mary and Remus’s jaws dropped.
Sirius opened his mouth to respond—but nothing came out.
Lily didn’t know what to say either. But honestly? She didn’t care.
All that was left now was Peter and Marlene. Then, finally, they could get the hell out of this place.
Lily found them in the VIP section. And just when she thought she couldn’t be more stressed, Peter went and made it worse.
The guy was surrounded by a group of people, loudly bragging—drunk—about being in Shapeshifters.
“It’s insane that one of my first gigs is already as a lead in an MTV series,” he was saying, way more confident than usual. “I know it might not seem like a big deal yet, since MTV doesn’t have a ton of shows, but just wait. They’re gonna take over the industry, and I’ll be right there when it happens.”
The people around him nodded, impressed.
“PETER!” Lily shouted the second she caught a piece of that speech.
Peter’s head snapped toward her. Then back to the group. His face froze in horror, and he seemed to sober up instantly. He gave his audience an awkward nod and then slunk toward Lily, tail between his legs.
“I didn’t say anything bad…” he started. “I mean—hm, it was kind of an accident?”
“How much did you leak?” Lily raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
“Nothing important, I swear! I just said I was in the show! That’s it.” His voice was high and strained, and his eyes darted toward the boys—begging for backup.
But none of them stepped in.
Because right now?
They were all a little stunned by Lily Evans.