A/N: Ah, here's chapter three! I was excited to write this one even though it was mostly during my 8 am class that I could hardly stay awake for…lol! And I'm so sorry that this is ridiculously late! I finished most of the chapter and then muse became non-existent for this story, so then it just got put on the backburner, but I am trying to get this finished asap so that you guys can have a nice completed story to read.
By the way, if you guys have any questions about Lily's personality or actions in the first two chapters, this chapter answers those questions.
Chapter 3
When she woke the next morning, her stomach growled as the scent of hot, delicious food wafted through her senses. She squinted against the light shining through the window, glancing around the room only to see it was empty. For a moment, her chest tightened in fear until the bathroom door opened and James stepped out, shirtless and clad only in boxers. She blushed.
Lily leaned back into the bed and watched him lazily attempt to find some clothes. "Good morning," she mumbled with a sleepy smile. It seemed as if recently she couldn't stop smiling.
James whirled, eyes brightening and a slow smile spreading across his face as he looked at her in his bed. "Good morning," he greeted back, stepping to her side. He bent over, kissing her languidly as her fingers wound in his hair. "I brought you breakfast."
She nodded. "I saw. Thank you. But…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced toward the nightstand on which the food rested. Her eyebrows rose, and James blushed as his eyes averted her gaze.
"I'm sorry," he blurted. "I was starving and it just smelled so good…"
Lily laughed. The look on his face was priceless. She sat up, pushing the covers off of her legs and leaning close to gently kiss his lips. For a moment he was surprised, but she pulled back before he could respond. Her hand cupped his cheek, a sad, nervous sort of smile trailing over her face. "It's okay, James. I… I was going to say that I think it's time we went to eat in the Great Hall."
He tilted toward her, hazel eyes intense as his hands caressed her face, sifted through her hair. "Lily, are you sure? I mean, he could be there…"
"I know." Her voice shook slightly, but her eyes were determined. "But I'll be all right if you're there." Cheeks reddened and green eyes fell to the sheets, but she felt a gentle hand lift her chin.
"I would never leave you, Lily. Never. I've been through this because I love you. I won't leave you."
She couldn't doubt the sincerity in his eyes. She leaned into him, sighing in relief and resting her head against his chest. However, despite the seriousness of the situation, her nose scrunched and she turned away from him. "You stink. You really need to take a shower."
He smirked and pressed his nose against hers, causing her body to sink back into the mattress. "And for good reason."
An embarrassed blush spread furiously across her cheeks and down her neck as she remembered yesterday's activities. She glanced up, only to see his eyes hazy with lust. Her tongue darted over her lips as she gazed the length of his body, feeling her stomach heat and clench with anticipation.
Suddenly, he darted in, capturing her lips in a fiery kiss. She responded, pressing against him in an attempt to get closer. His lips moved to her neck, gently skimming the skin's surface and sending shivers down her spine. She gasped when his fingertips brushed her stomach as he lifted the jersey from her torso. He shifted, settling in between her thighs, the feel of him against her sending a fire of anticipation and want clawing through her system.
Her body ached, craving more than his touch. She had to stop, but she couldn't. He made her feel everything she had ever wanted, but it wasn't just that. She supposed it started when her impression of him began to change somewhere in the middle of sixth year, but like the stubborn girl she was she had refused to admit it. At the beginning of seventh year, she had found herself admiring the easy way he walked, or the effortless way he rode a broom, or how he always seemed to mess up his hair just the right way to make her heart flutter. She hadn't realized how much she really valued his friendship until he had agreed to help her, and until now.
His lips traced her collarbone, and she shivered under the touch. Something pressured her chest – words unspoken, realizations that she wasn't sure he knew, but she had to say them anyway.
"James," she whispered hoarsely, unaware of the thick emotion covering the name. He stopped for a moment, looking at her carefully.
She gasped and arched into him when his hips shifted again. Her body was way too hypersensitive to him, too alive and writhing under his touch and his gaze. Need screamed through her veins, but she forced the fog of pleasure away from her brain. She had to tell him.
"James, I don't… I don't want you to think that this," her eyes darted to his, hoping he could see the sincerity in her gaze, "is all I want. I want… more. I want… everything." She felt embarrassed, and at his lack of response she knew her statement had definitely been too bold. But she did. This feeling consuming her wasn't fleeting – at least not to her. She wanted to hold him, to love him, to be everything to him.
He stared, the look in his eyes unfathomable. Finally, his lips parted. "Lily," he groaned, letting his head rest in the crook of her shoulder. He seemed to be panting, and his hands were clenched into fists next to her arms. She felt her chest pound with worry. Had she said something wrong?
"I'm sorry," she said softly, her neck heating in a blush. "I shouldn't have said…" she trailed off, her thoughts taking over speech. Why was she apologizing? If there was anything she had learned in her time with James, it was to never be afraid of what she really wanted. Especially—
"Lily," James whispered, breath ghosting over her neck. All thought ceased; every sensor in her body was attuned to James and what he would say. His lips brushed her cheek until his searing gaze burned into her eyes. A crazy, crooked sort of smile suddenly brightened his entire face. "Do you know how long I've waited for you to say that?"
She blinked, completely taken aback. "What?"
"I want everything," he stated, repeating her own words, and her eyes widened at the implication. "I want everything you'll give me. I want all of you, Lily. Everything."
With that last statement he dipped in, claiming her lips as he had never before. His mouth was soft on hers, gently coaxing her to follow him, yet she had never felt his sheer possessiveness and want before. It made her pulse race, and fire tingled over her body as skin met skin. She suddenly realized how much he had been holding back.
Even the night she had come to him for help, and especially yesterday, he had held back, never forcing her to do anything against her will, or even to accept him. But now he knew. Now he knew that she wanted him – everything he had – and his body, his mouth, and his hands were staking their claim.
"James," she whispered, voice laced with amusement. "Shower."
He chuckled. "That bad, huh?"
She nodded, making a point of wrinkling her nose and staring at him with mild disgust. He pouted, the look on his face too funny to resist for long. She laughed, but playfully shoved him away with a mumbled, "Go," pointing to the bathroom and pulling the Quidditch jersey back over her hips.
He sighed, but stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Lily exhaled a breath, falling back against the mattress and pillows. She should be afraid. She should be afraid to admit that she loved James, to even think the word after everything that had happened, to fear that everything would just crumble around her again. Yet she couldn't bring herself to be afraid. He was the earth underneath her feet. He was safety, the firm ground that she could hold on to and never fear that it would fall. Her heart felt like it was flying when she was with James.
There was really only one thing it could be, and she'd be a fool not to admit it. Nothing this powerful had ever consumed her before – not hatred (for his annoyingly persistent personality), not annoyance (for his ridiculous antics), not jealousy (for his apparent gift of attracting very beautiful but very slutty girls). He simply had to appear in front of her, and her cheeks would redden, her eyes would travel to the top of his pants, and that familiar ache in her chest was back. It intensified when he touched her, when his fingertips sent fiery trails racing across her skin, and she knew that her world would crumble if he stopped loving her, if he disappeared.
Her head turned, listening to the calming spray of the shower water. It would be faster if she joined him, and another blush crept up her cheeks as she imagined him without boxers. She quickly stood, not completely understanding everything about this situation, but she knew what she wanted.
She moved toward the shower, a hand coming to rest against her abdomen as a blaring ache shot through her lower half. A wry smile twisted her lips, a blush creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. She remembered being with Randy, but it seemed like a distant memory, like the time with James had somehow been a month's worth of healing instead of the two nights it had really been. But at the thought of James her stomach coiled and twisted in pleasure and pain. James and Randy didn't just have different personalities. Apparently, size really did matter.
She tiptoed into the shower, gingerly pulling back the curtain. His glasses were off, as they had been for most of the time they had spent together. He turned, frozen with his hands in his shampooed hair and the front of him facing the showerhead. She giggled, trying to hide the heat saturating her body with lust. She pointed to the shower, the smile still on her face.
"Care for company?"
His exuberant smile was enough of an answer. She dislodged the Quidditch jersey, carefully stepping into the shower's warm spray. After rinsing, his hands immediately found her waist, pulling her closer, and she tried to ignore the ache in her core. She knew it was more than just pain. It was as if her body ached without him inside her, begging to have him fill her over and over.
Wet hair was plastered onto James' smiling face, and she tried to reign in her control. But the bastard licked his lips, leaning down to kiss her so softly that he made it hard to keep herself from jumping him right then and there. She didn't care if she was sore; she would definitely be willing to bear it if it meant James was inside of her, loving her and her alone.
The warmth disappeared from her lips, and she frowned, eyes opening to find him smiling at her with that crooked grin. She stared, wondering why he had pulled away. Noticing her serious expression, his smile faltered, and his face was serious. Slowly, he pressed closer to her, maneuvering her against the shower tile, one hand on her waist and the other on her face. She shivered when the length of him grazed her core, head falling back as a soft moan parted her lips.
He groaned, eyes closing for a moment before he stared back at her. "Lily, I want you to be mine. Will you…?"
She could feel the heat of his gaze, like it was setting each of her nerves on fire. Her lips trembled, but words failed her. She only hoped he could see it in her eyes.
He leaned closer, voice deeper, lips finding her neck as his hips bumped against hers, erection sliding over her heat as her legs shuddered. "I want," he continued slowly, "to be able to kiss you whenever I want." His mouth covered hers, leading her through a light but passionate kiss. "I want to touch you whenever I want," he whispered against her lips. His hands ghosted over her arms, her body shivering despite the warm shower and his equally warm body over hers. "And…" he said softly, lips finding her ear and breathing gently against it, the pain and pleasure in her lower abdomen jolting in response to his ministrations. "I want to be inside you whenever I want."
She wanted to answer – she really did. But he thrust inside of her without waiting for her response. She cried out as the pleasure smacked through her, her head cracking against the tile as he thrust into her again. He must have taken her scream as a yes, because he pushed deeper, harder, one hand roughly grasping her hair and the other digging its fingers into her waist as his body shoved her harder against the wall.
This was so much more, so much so that she doubted she could hold on. Yesterday, love had been slow but amazing, and it had made her realize this was what she wanted. It had been healing, adjustment, but this… This was so different. The fierceness of her need was more than she had ever known, but it wasn't just that. The passion was so much more, too, his touch creating fiery patterns over her skin as her ankles hooked behind his waist, her body unable to get enough of him, to be close enough. He was being rough with her, a hand pulling her hair, the other making marks in her skin as he gripped her waist. His hips angled roughly, pounding into her harder and harder, making her short moans grow until they were cries of pleasure.
Randy had been rough with her – almost like this. He had pulled her hair, thrusting into her with all his power, but this was different. So, so different. James' love was clear, but it was the way his body covered hers, the way his hands alternated between her hair, her face, her breasts and her waist, and it was the way that he filled her, over and over again until she couldn't think through the pleasure. She could feel his love in every one of his touches. And it was different because he wanted everything and she wanted everything, too. It was as if he had thrown her a rope, and she was finally climbing out of the hole in which she had let herself be trapped. She was finally herself again.
She stiffened, tightening around him as he continued, her body pressed so hard against the tiles that she thought she was a part of them. Her thighs clenched around his waist, her climax close. Nails dug tiny slits in his shoulder, her throat hoarse from her own screams as he drove in and out. She was so close, hovering over the edge, and her eyes opened, looking into his as he thrust again, her gaze shuddering as her body threatened to let go.
Time seemed to slow as she gazed into his eyes. She leaned forward, pressing him back with a heated kiss of her own, staking her claim, her teeth biting onto his lower lip to tell him that he was hers, her nails scraping over his back to bring him closer, deeper, letting him know that he belonged to her, inside of her.
He thrust once more, rolling his hips with the action as her head slammed back, the scream piercing the bathroom as her climax shattered through her. She barely registered her own spasms as he released, too, clutching onto her as if she were the only thing that would hold him. She melted against him, head falling to his shoulder as her legs felt like jelly around his waist.
"Lily," he whispered, pressing soft kisses against her neck as he repeated her name over and over again.
Her lips gently responded, his name the only word on her tongue as the vestiges of her release still pulsed through her system. Her hands played with strands of his wet hair, reminding her that they were still in the shower and the water was still running. Sweat had mixed with the dry droplets, creating a sticky mess as she loosened her legs and let them drop to the tiled floor. Her body jolted, hypersensitive after her climax, and she suddenly realized that he was still inside of her. The release of her legs had repositioned him, causing pleasure to race through her veins as he seemed deeper and thicker than before.
Gently, he eased out of her, her body protesting at the lack of contact, but her lungs were quite thankful. She was panting, and he was, too, but he managed to plaster a crooked grin on his face.
"Now do we take a shower?" His voice was sultry and his eyes were dark, a suggestion in and of themselves, but she simply nodded. She would definitely be willing to bear the ache in her core, but her legs could hardly support her and she was trying to catch her breath.
So, she looked up at him, knowing her eyes were just as dark as his. "Yeah," she swallowed. "That's probably a good idea."
After the shower she had gone to her room for a moment to put on her favorite pair of black lounge pants beneath his Quidditch jersey. He knew they were her favorite pair simply because she wore them almost as much as her school uniform. Then again, he had stared at her enough in the Common Room to memorize almost everything she wore.
He turned back to his drawers, throwing a pair of his sweat pants on the floor, trying to ignore the girl sitting silently on his bed. But he couldn't. He could feel her eyes on him, her gaze burning a hole in the back of his head. His blood heated as he searched a T-shirt, finding a plain white one and slipping it over his head. Fingers grasped the pants, a strange chill shivering down his spine as he turned his head, his eyes locking with her green ones.
In that moment, he saw everything he had ever wanted to see and so much more. Her emerald eyes were dark, and her tongue darted over her lips, causing his lower half to tremble with expectation. He bit back a groan, shoving his pants over his hips to hide his growing reaction. What was this girl doing to him? All it took was on heated look, one glimpse of her teasing, pink tongue, one glance at a blush painting her cheeks a pretty crimson, and he was gone.
He heard her slide off the bed, but he didn't look at her, tugging on his socks in an effort to ignore the clench of his stomach. A soft hand touched the small of his back, and he stiffened. The fingers traced patterns on the cotton in between their skin, and his legs shook when he met her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. Her hands continued to stroke his back.
"For what?" he managed.
She dipped her head, her eyes coming back to meet his. There was shyness and passion in their depths, her gaze also questioning the appropriateness of her gesture as her fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt until they met his heated skin. When he made no move to stop her, she mumbled quietly, "The lines on your back."
He blinked. He hadn't even noticed they were there, but whether his skin shivered in pain or pleasure as Lily brushed her fingertips over his back he didn't know. All he knew was the girl in front of him, green eyes clouded with want. Suddenly, she seemed to remember what she was doing, and backed away, cheeks flaming. She mumbled something about the door, and he nodded dumbly.
But as she unlocked the door and reached to turn the knob, he stopped her, his fingers light on her arm. Still, he couldn't mistake the look that flashed through her eyes, and he knew it wasn't just him. She stepped against the wall, but it wasn't out of fear. Her eyes were wide and her breath fast, and as he pressed closer he could almost feel her heartbeat. He touched his lips to her neck, feeling the racing pulse through the soft skin. A gentle moan sifted through her throat.
Her hands grabbed his hair, pulling his head up so she could mesh his lips with hers. He tried to go slowly, but she wasn't having any part of it. Her mouth moved against his furiously as her hips shifted, desperate to be closer as her hands fumbled with the bottom of his T-shirt.
"Hey, James—"
The new voice startled both of them, and he and Lily jumped apart. Well, he did. Lily simply sank further into the wall. He felt his entire body heat from embarrassment, knowing that the three people standing in the doorway would never let him live this down. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Sirius was spluttering.
Remus had his mouth open, wide-eyed and staring.
Peter looked like he was about to faint.
For a few moments, no one moved. Finally, James grabbed Lily's hand, motioning to his friends. "Er… We're just… going to go down for some breakfast…" He nodded as if affirming the sentence to himself, then hurriedly ushered Lily out of the bedroom. With any luck, they'd make it out of the portrait hole before the other three Marauders caught up with them. He glanced back, hearing a few surprised voices as the portrait closed. Lily's sigh of relief caught his attention, and he noticed her flushed cheeks.
"Well… That was embarrassing," she whispered, anxiously placing a lock of hair behind her ear. He scratched his neck nervously.
"Yeah…" he mumbled, but subtly entwined his fingers with hers. He gave her a questioning look, hoping that it was okay. True, she hadn't seemed to object in the shower, and he had seen the answer in her eyes, but he wanted to hear it, too. He wanted to make sure he was what she wanted. But after everything that had happened, if she didn't want him, he didn't know what he'd do.
She smiled tentatively and nodded, leaning to her toes to gently place a kiss on his lips. His free hands grasped her waist as he smiled when he refused to let her go. His smile widened as he leaned back and saw her eyes still closed, enjoying the sensation of his kiss.
Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she stared at him for a moment. "I want to be with you," she said, voice coated with soft determination.
"Am I dreaming? Because I would never expect the Lily Evans to tell the James Potter that she'd want to be with him."
He whirled, fixing his long-time best friend with a glare of contempt. Sirius shrugged, but still had a crazy grin on his face, like James and Lily were one of the biggest scandals to ever grace Hogwarts. But in all honesty, they probably were, especially since he had sworn his love since third year and she had sworn her hate since second year. Remus caught up a moment later, the pace of his breathing evidence that he'd been running.
"Sorry, James," Remus panted. "I tried to stop him, but you know how he is." Even though the werewolf was standing up for Sirius, he still winced at the end of the apology.
James nodded, but still glared at Sirius. His best friend should know better than to push this in his face. Then again, Sirius didn't know the situation, but he still wished the Animagus had some tact. But, as he looked at his dark-haired friend, he felt a sigh run through his system. Sirius have tact? That was almost like asking the moon to disappear so Remus wouldn't Change anymore. Utterly impossible. Sirius was Sirius, and while it would be nice if Sirius had tact or any other form of sense, he liked his best friend the way he was.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story…" James started. "But—"
Lily placed a hand on his arm, and he saw that look in her eyes again. He heart stopped as she sent him a small smile. "It's okay, James." She turned to the three Marauders – Peter had just caught up with the others. "I don't mind if they know. It's not like we can keep you and me a secret from all of Hogwarts."
"Lily," he said slowly, resting a hand on her chin and turning her eyes on him. "Are you sure? I mean, it's been… two days?"
She nodded. "I know. It's okay." He smiled when she lifted herself to her tiptoes to kiss him, but it was ruined when Sirius pretended to gag.
"Jamsey, if I had any idea how nauseating this would be, I would have told you to leave her alone a long time ago." Sirius shook his head, and Remus nudged him in the shoulder, rolling his eyes in annoyance and trying to get the black haired man to apologize.
Lily scowled at Sirius, moving toward him with a dangerous sway of her hips. Sirius had enough sense to back away. "Listen, Black. I don't care if you think it's nauseating. I want to be with James, and I'll be sticking around for a while."
There had to have been a dangerous glint in Lily's eyes or else Sirius wouldn't have agreed. Either that or there was something else in Lily's gaze that had made Sirius realize that she was serious. She glanced back at James, a smile on her face as she took his hand. He couldn't believe it. She was staying with him – he could see it in the way she moved against him and the way she smiled at him. That smile reached her eyes, and it lit the emerald until they seemed to glitter with life. She wasn't leaving. She wasn't going back to Randy.
A few minutes later, the five of them were seated at Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Sirius was piling his plate in accordance with his ridiculously fast metabolism and Peter was filling his plate with pastries while Remus only munched on an apple and James and Lily filled two small bowls with porridge. James raised an eyebrow, catching Remus' eye, but the werewolf shrugged.
"I'm never too hungry in the morning, you know."
James nodded, recognizing how Remus looked like he always did after a Change. He was always too tired to put on anything but a t-shirt and sweats, and his hair hung dirty and unkempt around his drawn and tired face. Dark circles decorated the skin underneath his eyes, and his normally pale complexion was even lighter, causing his scars to stand out more prominently than before. James' eyes flickered to Remus' right arm, noticing a new scar. It was long, red, and puffy, starting from just above the t-shirt sleeve until it stopped a few inches above his wrist.
Despite how severe the injury must have been for remnants of the cut to still be visible, James new it would be completely healed within a day or two.
The werewolf caught James' gaze, rolling his eyes and looking pointedly at the friend sitting next to him. Sirius was eating his food as if he hadn't been fed in three days. But he struggled to hide a snicker when he saw the scratches on his friend. There was one just underneath his jaw that stretched around the side of his neck and disappeared into his t-shirt. Two parallel scratches ran down the length of his left arm, and from the look of them, one healing spell hadn't completely gotten rid of them. He smiled to himself. Looked like Remus had gotten the better of Sirius – something the two had argued about constantly.
Sirius looked up, the scowl on his face evidence that he knew what James was thinking. James glanced at Lily, and when she sent him a questioning look, he simply shrugged.
"Looks like I was right, Sirius," he smiled, hazel eyes sparkling. "You owe me twenty galleons."
"He heals faster," Sirius growled.
Remus scoffed. "Oh, come off it, Sirius. You know I beat you way more than you beat me." The werewolf took another bite of his apple, trying to hide the snap in his voice. He frowned when he saw James looking at him.
"Ah, Remus…" James sat back and shook his head, mischievous grin spreading across his face. "I love you the morning after. So much funnier than normal."
The werewolf grunted. "So happy you like it."
Sirius cracked a smile. "Aw, come on, Remy. You know it's true. You're so serious when you're in a good mood."
"What is this, 'pick on Remus' day?"
"You know it's like this every morning," Sirius smiled knowingly, nudging Remus with his elbow. The werewolf looked down, but his lips quirked with a small smile. Even Peter smiled; they were all in on their own little private jokes. He turned toward Lily.
"He hates being called Remy."
Remus fixed him with a deadly glare. "Yeah, cause it's so much better than Jamsey."
James' smile dropped as he and Remus matched glares. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peter swallow the food in his mouth, warily watching him and Remus, even though he never did pay too much attention to everyone else during breakfast anyway, but Sirius rubbed his hands together.
"Oh, this'll be good."
He heard Lily sigh before she leaned over the table, thrusting her hands in between him and Remus. "No fighting at breakfast. If you do, I will tell McGonagall, James. You're a Head and you should know this. Remus, I'll deduct points for that, too. Any attempt to continue and I will hex one or both of you. And Black, get a life."
She sat down and James stared at her. Lily hadn't acted like that in a long time, and he was smiling, thankful that he had his Lily back again. She looked at him, a curious smile on her lips before she quickly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He wasn't sure what he had done, but it meant a lot to her if she was hugging him in the Great Hall.
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.
"Okay, okay, okay." Sirius held up his hands, fixing James and Lily with a hard stare. "So what the hell is with you guys, anyway? I mean, come on, James. We leave to help Remy with his furry problem, and you're still dreaming about her. We don't even see you the next day or the next night to help again, and suddenly the cold heartless bitch is acting like she's in love with you."
"Sirius!" James shouted, standing up from his seat. He couldn't believe his best friend was saying this to her. He had no idea what this girl had been through and how trapped she must have felt.
"Sirius, how could you say—" Remus began, but Sirius held up his hands before pointing to Lily, her mouth open and ready to say something.
"Don't even try to lecture me, Evans. You know that you've turned him down too many times for us to remember, although he probably does. Listen, Evans. I'm his best friend. I've had to hear him bitch about everything for at least five years—"
"Four," James corrected.
"Fine, fine, four then. Still, I've seen his heart broken too many times, and I won't let you do it to him again, especially if you're acting like this."
"Sirius, really…"
Lily held up her hand, stopping Remus' protest. James looked at her, surprised at how calm she was. He didn't think that she'd want to hex Sirius, but she had never really liked him, and hardly ever backed down from an accusation.
"No, he's right. Sirius is right," she said softly. Peter choked on the bit of food he was swallowing, Remus blinked wordlessly, and Sirius was spluttering again. James turned to her, about to say something when he suddenly heard a few shouts further down the Gryffindor table.
"Lily!"
"Oh, Merlin! Lily, there you are!"
Alice and Mary were rushing in between the tables, the relief on their faces evident as they hurried toward Lily. Alice's brown hair was mussed, and Mary had dark circles under her eyes. They enclosed Lily in hugs, crowding next to her. Alice tucked her head into Lily's shoulder, relieved tears slipping down her cheeks. Despite the appearance of her friends, he was happy that Lily still had her hand wrapped in his.
"Oh, Lily." Alice sniffled. "We thought… We weren't sure. And we don't know the Head dorm's password so we couldn't see if you were still…"
Mary fixed her with a harsh look before saying, "We're just happy you're here. That you're alive, that is…" Mary trailed off as he eyes met Alice's, realizing she hadn't said anything much better than Alice would have. She shrugged and glanced down, gasping when she saw James and Lily's intertwined hands. "Lily…"
The redhead followed Mary's eyes, and her cheeks flamed. "Um…"
"Wait, wait." Sirius turned to the two girls, annoyance clearly visible on his face. "Girls, be quiet. The Lily Evans just told me that I'm right, and I want to keep it that way before she changes her mind."
"But Lily," Mary began, tapping Alice on the shoulder and pointing at their hands. Alice gave a small shriek, completely at a loss for words as she stared. So maybe Sirius' reaction had been right. Maybe he and Lily really were the most scandalous couple to ever grace Hogwarts – especially considering their history.
Finally, Alice seemed to find her voice. "Lily, how in Merlin's name did this happen?"
She was about to answer, and so was he, but Sirius beat them to it. "Well, Alice. She was about get to that when you and Mary decided to come over and interrupt her."
Alice sent him a withering look, but he simply shrugged. All eyes turned to the redhead, and she swallowed nervously. She turned to James, almost begging him to do it for her, but he shook his head. This wasn't something he could fix for her. In the end, he could only show her the path, and it was up to her to find her own strength again. She had to find herself.
Lily licked her lips and nodded, gripping his hand for support. He softly brushed his thumb over the top of her hand, and he felt her body relax against him. "Technically," she began, "I'm still with Randy, but – Sirius, do you want me to explain or not?" she said quickly, and when he nodded quietly, she continued. "Randy was fine when we started going out, but after we had sex the first time, things changed. When I told him I didn't want to, he'd beat me until I said yes. It wasn't too bad in the beginning – I'd have a bad bruise on my wrist or arm, but as time went on, they got worse. He would beat me even though I said yes. Mary and Alice couldn't deal it, so I went to James.
"He's been caring for me the nights that I really need help. Two nights ago, it was worse than normal, and the only person I felt entirely comfortable with about all the healing was him. And then, he showed me…" No one could doubt the smile lighting her face. She looked up, eyes determined. "He made me realize what I wanted, and who I had been. He made me understand that I have to do this, to fix this on my own. I have to stand up for myself again, like I used to, like I need to. Everything with Randy just happened so slowly that I didn't even know what was happening or how things had changed until… until it had been too late."
She shuddered slightly, and gripped his hand like a vice as her eyes perused the small group in front of her. James, too, glanced at his friends. Sirius' expression was unsmiling, and even thought the black haired man was his friend, it was hard for James to read his face. Remus's face was grim, like he had suspected something of that nature, and Peter was frozen with his fork halfway between the plate and his mouth.
"I don't understand it, Evans. You're not the type to take that shit," Sirius murmured, but there was no humor in his voice.
Lily sighed. "You know, there's always that point in your life where you look at someone else's relationship or their problems and you say, 'There's no way that'll happen to me. I'll be able to tell right away.' But it doesn't work that way." Her voice cracked slightly. "Randy was a nice guy, he really was. And ever so slowly, bit by bit, he would change – nothing major, though. I would let things slide because I liked him, because I thought, 'He's a Ravenclaw; they're one of the good guys.'" She shook her head.
"You don't realize what's happening to you until it's too late. You always say that you'd do this or that when the time comes, but sometimes the change is so gradual that by the time you realize what you've done it's already too late. You've changed, or the situation has changed, and when you look back, you can't help but smack yourself and say 'Why didn't I see that before?' It happens to all of us. I just stayed with Randy because I was afraid that if I left, he would do something much worse than he's already done." The redhead looked at the table. "And that's saying something," she added quietly.
For a while, nobody said anything.
He was gripping her hand, being her support, and she thanked him with a smile. It was so nice to see her smile again – and not one of those fake ones. This time, the sparkle reached her eyes and her entire face shone. Her smiles were always brilliant, one of the things he loved about her.
"Look, Evans… I was just looking out for James…" Sirius started, but Remus shoved his elbow in the man's ribs.
"Just shut up, Sirius."
"I'm not going to completely apologize!"
"Well, you should, you disgusting hairy dog! Mind you, you shed everywhere!"
"I do not! You're the one with the hair problem!"
"That's not something that I can help!"
"Oh, come on, Sirius," James started, "you've got to admit that you do shed all over the carpet."
"Now, hold it, player, I—"
"Player?" James glared. "I'm not the one that's slept with almost every girl in Gryffindor! You're the one with your nose in every girl knickers!"
"Hey! I'm your best friend, Jamsey, and dammit if I know that you've had plenty of girlfriends!"
"Only like three or four you smelly dog!"
"Well, you're the one with those crazy antlers on your head!"
"BOYS!"
"What?" he and Sirius asked in unison.
Lily's face was livid; he hadn't seen her so mad in months, and she looked positively beautiful.
"I don't care what in Merlin's name you boys are arguing about, but stop it. I will hex either one of you if you continue to yell at each other like stupid idiots, even if it was a little funny how much of a fool you two looked like. Now, can we please sit down calmly and eat?" she finished.
James blinked and turned to meet Sirius' gaze. The black haired man smiled, and the tension was broken. He and his best friend shook hands, muttering something about bros and friendship pacts and the Marauders. However, Sirius looked at him, eyes calculating, and that was never too much of a good sign.
"Do I really shed all over the place?"
He and Remus laughed. "Everywhere."
"Che, shut up guys…" he grunted, but everyone was laughing.
A/N: Phew! It's all done. Thanks for being patient with me, guys. I really do appreciate it, and I hope you guys liked this chapter. It's nearer the length I have for my Lost in the Rain chapters, and it's a nice sixteen pages, so hopefully my readers enjoy the longer chapters. Please review, because I like to know what you guys think and it makes me feel happy.
Until next time:
- wolf's paradise
