Chapter Two

Chapter Two

It Started With A Kiss

Gryffindor Tower – Sixth Year Boys Dormitory

Remus Lupin lay in Sirius Black's arms feeling far from happy and contented which was unusual given that was how he usually felt when lying in his lovers arms.

"Are you all right Re?" Sirius asked turning to face Remus, his eyes full of concern and devotion.

*How could I worry that he doesn't love me when he looks at me like that.*

"Yes Siri, I'm fine. I was just thinking." Remus turned to face Sirius and kissed him, moaning softly as he felt Sirius tongue slide into his mouth to twine with his.

Meanwhile James was lying in his own bed, curtains pulled shut around him, unable to sleep.  He could hear the faint noises coming from the bed that Sirius and Remus shared, together with Peter's gentle snoring but neither of those things was keeping him awake. He was thinking about the potions lesson earlier, he couldn't stop thinking about how good Severus had looked or the sneer on his face when he had seen James looking at him. James felt his cheeks burn at the memory. Yet later when he had been about the leave the class his eyes had met Severus and there had been no hint of a sneer on the other boys face, in fact he could recall quite clearly, the expression on Severus Snape's face when his eyes had met James'.

He could not believe what he was feeling around Severus these days. This was Snape for Merlin's sake! This was the oily, greasy Slytherin who had tried to make his and his friends lives hell from the day they had started at Hogwarts. So why couldn't he stop thinking about him? Why had he had been having wet dreams about him for weeks and indeed for the last three days running? Why had he totally unable to come up with a reply to Snape's biting question in potions? He had to be honest with himself. He was becoming attracted to Severus Snape. He felt slightly sick, what would Sirius say? He would be appalled; Snape was their adversary, their enemy and the subject of all their best pranks.  Resigning himself to yet another night of disturbed sleep and soiled bed sheets, James Potter pulled the covers tighter around him and closed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~

The Great Hall – Breakfast

"Are you all right Jamie, you look like you didn't sleep a wink, Peter's snoring didn't keep you awake did it?" Sirius asked jovially, punching James playfully on the shoulder. His own nights sleep had been somewhat disturbed but in a far from unpleasant manner and he was feeling no worse for it. In fact a passer by might well have observed that Sirius Black was positively sparkling.

"No I just couldn't sleep that's all, I ended up reading back issues of Quidditch Monthly until about 3 in the morning." James lied knowing full well that Sirius would not be able to disprove this being as he had been otherwise engaged.  Sirius seemed satisfied with James account of how he had spent the night but was still keen to know why James had had such difficulty sleeping. James never normally had any trouble in getting to sleep; in fact he was a notoriously heavy sleeper, who needed a Filibuster firework under him to get him up in the mornings – something that Sirius had been only too happy to provide him with on one or two occasions.

"So why couldn't you sleep Jamie?" Sirius enquired. James shrugged and suddenly seemed very interested in his toast and marmalade. Sirius exchanged a puzzled glance with Remus, who shook his head at him as if warning him not to question James any further. Peter chose that moment to look up and caught the exchange but decided not to ask and resumed his breakfast looking a bit puzzled.

Over at the Slytherin table, Severus Snape had also had a particularly difficult night. He had been unable to coax his mind away from thoughts about James Potter and had been forced to take matters into his own hands (so to speak) in order to relieve at least some of the frustration he felt. However, he had to take great pains to avoid Lucius Malfoy finding out what he was up to and telling the rest of the dorm. He had placed a silencing charm around his bed and had been very glad of this when he had reached the point of no return and James' name had slipped unbidden out of his mouth.  However, even after relieving his frustrations sleep was still not forthcoming and it was not until the dawn was breaking that Severus finally managed to get some sleep.

Severus looked over to the Gryffindor table and spotted James Potter yawning, he too looked like he had not slept well, but as Snape noticed he still managed to look pretty good nonetheless.  For a brief moment James' eye locked with his across the room and James smiled slightly before turning away.

The Marauders left the Great Hall en masse and made their way to Transfiguration, Sirius engaged James in conversation as they moved through the corridors.  Snape trailed a few feet behind silently muttering curses at Sirius' back, he had hoped to speak to James this morning and it seemed as though Sirius had been aware of this and was determined to prevent it.

Transfiguration passed reasonably uneventfully, James sat next to Remus Lupin in this lesson and Sirius next to Peter Pettigrew. Severus watched James for much of the lesson from his vantage point next to Evan Rosier.

To Snape's relief, Professor McGonagall asked James to stay behind after the lesson had finished to discuss some extra curricular assignment he was working on.

"I'll meet you in the Great Hall." James told his friends cheerfully, Sirius did not look pleased but Remus took his hand and steered him away.

  Snape watched Sirius, Remus and Peter out of sight and then hid in the shadows outside of the Transfiguration classroom waiting for James to emerge.

A few moments later James emerged from the classroom looking rather pleased with him himself, he spotted Snape lurking in the shadows and looked momentarily startled.

"Pleased to see me Potter?" Snape said silkily. James looked dumbfounded but managed to regain his composure.

"Should I be?" He asked, managing to give Snape a disgusted look. Snape smirked.

"I've seen you watching me, Potter.  Your friend Black has noticed too, that's why he's been behaving like your own personal guard dog."

"I don't know what you are talking about Snape, now if you'll excuse me I want to get some lunch." He made to move past Snape but Snape blocked his path.

"Oh no you don't Potter, you do know what I'm talking about, however, if you wish to pretend that you don't I am willing to give you a little reminder." With that he moved closer to James until their noses were almost touching. James gave a little gasp at their closeness, making Snape smile.  Then he leaned closer, closing the gap between them and suddenly his lips were on James', his hands cupping James' face, drawing him closer.  James made a little sound in the back of his throat – it was something like a moan - and deepened the kiss, his hands twining in Severus' hair. All rational thought was gone, all that mattered was the feel of the others mouth, the touch of skin on skin, the warmth that existed in the small space between them.