James, Sirius, Remus and Lily were tied up in the Malfoy's manor. Sirius had sank along one of the columns he was tied to until he reached the floor, battling to keep his eyes open as the corner of his head spilled blood. Remus barely dared to breathe, but his eyes were firm and cold upon Greyback, who was standing a few inches before him, licking his lips. Lily was fighting against the ropes, not giving up just yet, despite James' attempts to calm her down.
"What do you want?" Lily cried out.
"What do you want?" Bellatrix imitated her exagerratedly, and rolled her eyes in a childish manner. "How pathetic! Won't you find something a bit more interesting to ask?"
"Like what?" James asked coolly.
"Oh, I don't know… What are we going to do to your pretty ginger girlfriend if she doesn't stay still as she was told?" she snickered as she stepped towards Lily, running her fingers over her cold silver knife.
"Don't you dare touch her." James said, starting to fight against the ropes himself.
"Or what?" Bellatrix said, suddenly more interested in James. "What are you going to do, Potter?"
James looked up at a high window on the roof. The sky was purplish.
"It's dusk. In less than a less than an hour, the moon will shine upon us. I reckon we have a few werewolves here…"
"James!" Remus hissed, horrified. Greyback took a threatening step towards him, growling at him.
"Mh…" Bellatrix thought for a moment, until an evil smile twisted her lips. "you're absolutely right, Potter. It wouldn't be safe to have two werewolves around on the full moon, they might kill each other… Greyback," she turned towards him, smiling innocently. "Dinner time."
Sirius' eyes shot open in horror.
"Oh and… no mess." She snickered as Greyback leaned closer to Remus.
"No!" Sirius shouted weakly, before glaring at James. "Good job, mate."
"Would you rather we had no chance of stopping this?" He hissed back so that only Sirius could hear.
Greyback pulled Remus up against the column by his hair, and made him tilt his head to the right until the bare skin of his neck was completely exposed to him. he licked his lips and leaned over, while Remus closed his eyes tight shut, remaining calm.
"May I begin?" he asked tauntingly.
Sirius swallowed hard and looked away, thinking hard for a possible way to keep Moony safe as long as possible.
"Did they take your wand too?" he whispered to James.
"Yes, but I have Malfoy's in my sock from the raid yesterday." James whispered back.
"Do you think you can reach it?" Sirius asked, his eyes following each of Greyback's movements.
Bellatrix didn't immediately answer Greyback, for she was now busy pointing her knife at Lily's throat, enjoying the look of fear in Lily's widened, teary eyes. Not wanting to give her this satisfaction, Lily look away, only to be hit by a wave of horror at the sight of Greyback sharp teeth an inch over Remus' slim neck. Bellatrix followed her gaze and smirked.
"No need to be jealous, Lily Flower… you're luckier than this poor guy. Greyback will only eat you after I've killed you."
"I can't see why I'd be jealous, this is absolutely delightful!" Lily answered sarcastically through gritted teeth.
Bellatrix's smirk vanished. She took a fistful of Lily's hair and pulled it the same as Greyback did, to expose the skin of her neck. James' heart skipped a beat, his eyes still locked on Lily and Bellatrix. It took him a few seconds to understand what Sirius was saying.
"Not exactly, the werewolf put me in a body bind as well as ropes because I escaped early. See if you can grab it."
"Try and enjoy it?" Bellatrix purred before leaning forwards to bite on Lily's neck roughly.
Lily screamed at the top of her lungs.
"NO! LET GO OF HER! PLEASE, DON'T!" James shouted; even the body bind curse started to wear off as he fought against the ropes.
Sirius' hands were shaking as he tried to reach for the wand.
"Stop moving!" He hissed to James, but he didn't stop.
Bellatrix pulled back, only to finally respond to Greyback.
"Mh… It's tastier when they're scared… go ahead." She smirked, before leaning to continue her own meal.
Lily was no longer shouting, but tears flooded down her face. James was the one who was shouting now, trying to deliver himself for the ropes; he looked as though he belonged to St. Mungo's asylum. Greyback had now carved his teeth in Remus' skin too, but Remus remained quiet. It took a while for Sirius to reach the wand, for he was distracted by the look Remus was giving him; as though he was saying goodbye. But he finally caught the wand, and on the next second James was free. He freed himself too, and helped himself with the wall to stand up, for his head was pounding with the loss of blood. Lily let out a sudden cry of pain, her whole body quivering against the column she was tied at.
"BELLATRIX!" James shouted, hoping to get her attention.
And he did. She let go of Lily and turned around, only to find him and Sirius standing, the latter pointing Malfoy's wand a Greyback, who also pulled back from Remus. Bellatrix laughed, and aimed her wand at James unexpectedly. But Sirius was too fast.
"Expelliarmus!" He shouted.
Bellatrix's wand flew unto the air and James caught it, but this moment of inatention from Sirius earned him a Cruciatus curse from Greyback. He fell to the floor, shouting in pain. James turned around and Stupefied him, instantly aiming his wand back at Bellatrix.
"Our wands." He hissed.
Bellatrix remained quiet for a moment. After a while, she stepped towards James and just as James thought she was going to tell him, her answer came unexpected.
"Kill me." she purred.
Sirius stood on his feet, weakened. Greyback was knocked out. He hurried towards Remus, who was still alive but weakened as well.
"Sirius… the Moon…" he croaked.
"Where are our wands?" He whispered, cupping his face with his hands.
"Greyback has them… Sirius…"
But Sirius didn't give him the time to finish. He dropped a kiss on his forehead and stoop up, ignoring his buzzing head as he headed towards Greyback's body.
"Sirius!" Remus half shouted, half coughed, blood pouring from his neck. His eyes were locked on the now brightened window.
"Don't challenge me, Bellatrix." James said through gritted teeth as he aimed his wand at her head.
"Kill me." she repeated without a hint of fear in her expression.
"I should have already after what you did to Lily…" he said as he glanced at her
Lily had sank down the column just like Sirius did, seemingly fainted. Blood spilled from her neck too, reddening her shoulder. James' heart stopped at the sight, and he lowered his wand without realizing it.
Sirius kicked the body to check if he really was knocked out. No reaction from Greyback. He shrugged and bent over to start searching him, when suddenly a bright light lightened him, and Greyback's body on the process. He glanced above him, and his stomach twisted at the sight of the moon darting at them from the window. He looked back at Greyback, just in time to see his bloodshot golden eyes wide open and his hand reaching out to strangle him. his breath stopped.
"You were told to behave." Greyback growled in a deep, monster-like voice that wasn't his, before sending Sirius flying across the room with an impressive strength. Sirius hit the wall at the opposite of Greyback and sank down to the floor, chocking. His sight was blurred and his ears buzzed harder than ever. Greyback remained on the ground, transforming into what he really was.
Bellatrix took James' distraction as an occasion to shove her sharp knife into his rips. He dropped his wand, clutching his side.
"Coward." She whispered into his ear as he bent in half.
James laughed and straightened up, out of breath.
"Oh come on! Is that the best you can do? I'm the only one still standing! Rather disappointing from you, Bellatrix."
Sirius blinked and looked up, trying to see through the dark veil that had fallen upon his eyes. His heart sank when he saw that James was now spilling blood too, and that Lily wasn't moving anymore. Then he glanced at Remus, and this time his heart stopped. It could have been a good thing that he had broken free from his ropes; if only it wasn't because he had turned into Moony. So now one of them was going to turn against their sides, Lily had fainted, James was badly wounded even though he was good at not showing it and Sirius himself felt his soul slowly drifting away from his body. I looked around desperately, hoping to get an idea to at least get out of here. That's when he caught glimpse of their wands; they had burst out of Greyback's cape when he transformed. He stood up and hurried to grab them, but just as he reached out to grab his, Greyback jumped upon him, his paws flattening his shoulders against the cold marble ground. Sirius held back a whimper when he felt the werewolf's sharp nails carve into his skin. He looked away from the golden, fierce eyed and sharp teethed head that was an inch above his own, and noticed that his wand was only two feet away from him. He stretched his hand to the side, trying desperately to grab it.
Bellatrix let out a cold, hysterical laugh as she noticed that there were now two werewolves by her side. She picked her wand up from the floor before James could, and aimed it at Lily.
"One word, Potter… and she's dead."
Greyback noticed what Sirius was up to, and scratched Sirius' arm, making him shout. Greyback opened his mouth wide, ready to tear his throat off, and Sirius closed his eyes tight shut. But suddenly he heard something between a growl and a bark, and felt lighter. He opened his eyes: Greyback was thrown away from him by Moony, and they were now fighting to death. It was quite impressive to watch, but also startling. Why was is he defending me? Thought Sirius. Normally he would have shared the meal with Greyback… Sirius' heart tightened when the latter scratched Moony's already bleeding neck, making him fall over. He jumped forward to grab the wands and pointed his at Greyback just as he was about to jump upon Remus. He thought about his wounded friends, and gathered all his anger and all his pain.
"The Blacks don't behave." He told Greyback darkly, and stupefied him. He added a body bind curse on top of that, in case he would wake up again.
"Associating with your family again, are you Siri?" Bellatrix snickered, her want still aimed at Lily as James fought not to kill her with her own hands for Lily's sake.
"Only when it means sharing my shame with the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Sirius said as he stepped closer to them. "James, wand!"
Sirius sent the wand flying towards James, who caught it. But Bellatrix was too fast; she crucioed Lily
"S-stop!" She let out a cry as she gasped for air, feeling like her bones were crippling one by one.
Sirius raised his wand to stupefy her, but Bellatrix blocked it.
"Behave!" she shouted fiercely, glaring at him.
"Make me!" he shouted back, raising his wand once more.
James took this moment of distraction from Bellatrix to cast a spell that created a shield over Lily, fighting not to run over to her and take her in his arms, becoming the shield himself.
"Do you know what I reckon, Bellatrix?" he asked calmly, clutching his side with one hand.
"What's that, Potter?" She said, her wand aimed at Sirius and his wand aimed at her.
"I think you're scared of me." James said, walking slowly towards her.
Sirius frowned, and James gave him a pointed look as he took out Bellatrix's knife from his skin, holding back a whimper, and hid it behind his back; knowing she couldn't see him. Bellatrix laughed.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice…" she said sarcastically. "Crucio."
Sirius fell to the ground, his whole body shaking as he shouted, his lungs sore. Bellatrix didn't lose time; she spun around to face James, who didn't cast any spell even thought his wand was pointed at her.
"Expelliarmus!" She smirked as she caught James' wand, and laughed "Is that all for me, then? Rather disappointing from you, Potter!" She said, quoting him. he remained silent, watching her with cool eyes. Bellatrix pressed her wand on James' torso, glancing at Lily at the same time. "Uh oh… seems like the shield wore off…" She looked back at James. "Look at all that spilling fresh blood… I'm going to have to clean her up…" she whispered, before turning away from him to join Lily.
"Why not me?" James said tightly. She stopped and turned around to face him. "I mean, my blood is pure, don't you think it'll taste sweeter?"
"Yeah…" she smiled, glancing at the pulsating vein on his throat. "Why didn't I think about it?"
"I'm sure a nice gulp of pure blood will eradicate all the germs you must have caught by drinking hers."
Bellatrix gasped and rushed towards James.
"No…" Sirius croaked, trying to stand up from the floor. "He's a pureblood, Trixie. Your master wouldn't want him killed. Imagine the punishment-" he was cut off by another cruciating curse.
"How many times have I ask you to SHUT UP?" she yelled, her wand pointed at him.
"He never does, Bellatrix." James said, before stabbing her back with her own knife.
She gasped, her eyes wide.
"Back to Voldemort..." she breathed before grabbing Greyback's body and dissapearating.
Sirius stood on his feet.
"Blimey, Prongs, I really thought you were trying to commit suicide!"
James didn't answer; he rushed to Lily's side.
"Hey, Lils… wake up…" He croaked, pulling her up into his arms. "Please, please wake up… Sirius, my wand!"
Sirius rushed towards James wand and picked it up from the floor, bringing it to him.
"Can you perform a healing spell?" he asked nervously.
"I… I've got to try…" he said, his voice barely hearable and his hands shaking.
Sirius nodded and sent a Patronus to the order, telling them where they were. While James did his best to heal Lily, he quickly went to check on Moony, who was trying to stand on all fours.
"You took your potion for once. I can't honestly say how glad I am you didn't forget this time." Sirius smiled as he ran his hands through the werewolf's beautiful hazel fur. The werewolf licked the scratch on his arm, making little noises that sounded like sobs.
"I'm alright, it's nothing." He smiled, cupping his head with both of his hands and kissing his forehead. "You smart ass." He said fondly.
Lily opened her eyes and blinked, dazzled by the light of James' magic. She had her hand clutched to her stomach, her top soaked with blood.
"James?" She fussed in a raspy whisper. "Are you okay?"
"Bloody Merlin, Lily!" He sighed in relief and kissed her all over her face. "Thank Merlin… Are you okay?"
"I've had better days… but… James!" she gasped at the sight of his wounded rib.
"Its fine, it barely went through my flesh!" He reassured her.
Their eyes locked. James' thoughts lingered on the events of the day, everything that had happened, everything that he caused, everything he could have stopped, everyone he hurt because of his cockiness. He felt worse and words about by the seconds that passed as he stared into Lily's tired but never less gorgeous eyes. She wouldn't of been crucio'd if it wasn't for him. What else did I force her though? He wondered. Remus going through his transformation in the middle of all this… getting cut inside out by that monster… And Sirius getting crucio'd as well… It was all his fault, and he couldn't feel any guiltier. How Lily could even look at him, that he couldn't understand.
"James…"
"I'm sorry." He said, looking away for her.
"No…" She whispered, tears falling down her face. She lifted a hand up to his cheek and made him look at her. "James, it's not your fault! Nobody could have prevented it from happening…"
"I love you, Lily Evans." He blurted out.
Without thinking, James leaned forwards and kissed her on the lips. After almost losing her that day, he figured that he would never miss an occasion to tell her again. And Lily didn't protest; she kissed him back.