Lily's pov
Lily is sitting in the bathroom. She does that a lot when there's no place to be alone in a house. She doesn't mind Marlene and Mary around her because they are all friends, but Lily doesn't like Regulus, and he is out there. Okay, she doesn't hate him, but she also doesn't like him. She doesn't like how James has looked at Regulus. Like, James has looked at Regulus like a fucking lovesick puppy since third year when Regulus joined the Slytherin quidditch team and James played against him. She doesn't like how Regulus and she are actually a lot alike, she doesn't like how Regulus looks at James the same way James looks at him. But she also likes Regulus, no, she admires him and respects him. She can respect how he doesn't take shit from people; she can respect how he transitioned even though he was in an abusive household, she respects how he is making his own side of war, she can respect how protective he is of the people he cares about even if he'd never admit it. Okay so maybe she likes him more then she thought.
Lily sighs and laid her head back against the door. She wanted a fag really bad, but Mary said to stop smoking. Party pooper. Lily was still thinking about how much she loathes Regulus, or doesn't loathe him? She honestly doesn't know anymore. When the door opened and she got pushed behind the door, whoever opened that door is very strong. She quickly stood up, so she didn't get fully pressed against the wall and saw that it was Mary who opened the door. God, Mary is beautiful. Of course, Lily has always known that she just remembers how beautiful Mary is every time she sees her. Lily loves Mary, she's always loved Mary, but people are homophobic, and they aren't able to be themselves. Lily has seen how Regulus was treated when he went to Hogwarts because in his first year he hadn't transitioned yet, luckily Regulus made friends who weren't homophobic. Lily has also seen how Marlene is treated since she's a lesbian who has openly dated girls. Lily just doesn't know if she would be able to take more criticism, she already gets called slurs because she's a mudblood, how would people treat her if they found out she likes girls?
Mary closed the door before anyone walked down the hall and hugged Lily. Lily laughed at the sudden hug but hugged her back. Lily could smell Mary's perfume, and she smelt lilies, like the flower. Does this mean something? Maybe Mary just likes lilies. Yeah, it's probably that. Mary pulled out of the hug and smiled at Lily, and Lily smiled back. "I know that face flower, what're you overthinking about?"
"Nothing" Lily replied on instinct. She's never been good at letting people in on her thoughts because whenever she did, they always thought her thoughts and ideas were weird. She's always admired Pandora for vocalizing her thoughts and crazy ideas even though her thoughts and ideas were very strange, but who doesn't like strange?
Mary shook her head and grabbed Lily's hands, making her sit on the floor with her. "I know how your brain works. As much as you hate that I do, I do. So, tell me what's going on in your pretty head"
Does Mary know that when she says shit like that it makes Lily's heartbeat quicken? Lily would be very surprised if she didn't because Lily's pretty sure Barty could hear her heartbeat and he's in the living room yelling his lungs off. "I'm just thinking about the way James and Regulus look at each other. It's nothing really"
Mary shook her head. "No, no don't do that flower. I know you compare yourself to Regulus, and I know you think James would much rather be with Regulus but think about it. Would James be dating you if he wanted to date Regulus?"
"Regulus is the second most stubborn person I know, Sirius is the first. And Regulus would rather die than admit his crush on any human being, no matter who they are. And James probably pined over Regulus and asked him out just like he did to me" Lily really hates thinking about this. She loves James, but she also loves Mary, and she doesn't know what to do.
Mary squeezes Lilys hands. Lily thinks it's a comforting way, but all Lily can think about is how soft Mary's hands are, so it's not doing much comforting. "If James pined after Regulus, then Sirius would find out, and Sirius would've killed James if he knew James was in love with his little brother"
Lily shrugged. "I don't know" Lily sighed. She's been thinking about this a lot, so much it's probably a little unhealthy. But she's realized James and Regulus would be good together, and it would just give Lily a chance to date Mary or continue to love her and not feel so guilty about it. "I kind of think they would be cute together Mar"
Mary froze for a moment. Her eyes widened a bit, and Lily loved the milk chocolate color her eyes were. Honestly, Lily just loves everything about Mary. "Really?" Lily nodded, was this a bad reaction? It looked like Mary was thinking about something very intensely, and Lily found her focused face hilarious. Mary tipped her head from side to side. "I mean, yeah I see it too. But do you want to end things? Would it make you happy?"
Lily nodded. "I think it would. It would also make me happy to see James happy, or even Regulus be happy. So, yeah, I think it would make me happy"
Mary nodded. "If you're sure flower. But remember me and Marlene are always here and you also have Remus, though I don't think I would go to him about this, but you do you"
Lily laughed which made Mary smile. Lily loved Mary's smile. Her smile was the type of smile that lit up a room, it was the type of smile that was contagious, it was the type of smile that even if you were bored out of your bloody mind, you'd smile. "Don't worry, I think I'd come to you and Marlene first"
Mary nodded then stood up, pulling Lily up with her. "Okay, well now that we have that figured out. You and James should talk"
Lily nodded. She knew she and James had to talk but that doesn't mean she has to want to do it. She didn't want to have to break up with James, she doesn't want to hurt him. It's fine, it'll all be fine. Lily let Mary bring her out of the bathroom and into Sirius and Remus's room where James had been sulking in. Lily knew that Remus and Sirius were in here and she heard laughing, so she assumed everything was okay again.
James sat up on the bed when the door opened and smiled when he saw Lily. His glasses were crooked which Lily always hated, but also loved at the same time, it showed how childish he was. She sat down by him, and she could tell he also wanted to talk. Lily has known James for so long she knows how he acts when he's nervous or needs to say something important and right now was one of those times. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?"
James smiled. "How'd you know I wanted to talk?" Lily knows that James loves it when people know him enough to know how he acts, she'd know because he has said it multiple times in multiple different ways.
Lily smiled. "Because I know you, and I know how you act when you need to say something important. But you have to be quick because I also have to say something"
"You can say it first; I have to work myself up into saying it"
Lily sighed. "James, I really don't know how to say it" James tilted his head, God why does he do that? "I-I mean like, it's important, and- I don't even know how to say it because I don't want to hurt you, because you'd never hurt me"
James nodded. "I think we were going to say the same thing Lils"
Lily was extremely surprised. Was she that obvious? "Then say what you were going to say, and I'll confirm it"
James nodded. It was obvious he was very sure they were going to say the same thing. "I was going to say I think we should break up" And he was right. Lily nodded and they immediately hugged. It was a comfortable hug, It probably shouldn't have been a comfortable hug, but yet it was. Once they both pulled out of the hug, they smiled at each other.
"So, was it because of Regulus?"
James nods. "Was it because of Mary?"
Lily nods. "I think we have a problem"
James nodded. "Yeah, yeah I think we do too"
Lily was honestly very happy. She'll always love James, of course. But she will always love Mary in a more complex way. She'll always be protective of James but she's also a very overprotective person. Her and Sirius are a lot alike in that sense. Lily doesn't think this could've gone any better. She thinks it was perfect; she thinks her and James will finally be happy. Yeah, they were happy together, but they will both be happier with the people who truly hold their hearts.