Aristocratic Tendencies

SSJP Fan Fiction

Alternate Universe Story

ObsessiveDevil23

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I am not making any money from this.

Chapter 26 – Closer

"What the fuck happened to you?" Was the first, oh so eloquent, thing that fell from James' mouth later that day, once he has caught up on sleep and finally rendezvoused with Sirius. The boy was a mess; bruised all over and caked in dried blood. His first thought had been to confront the boy about any sexual relationship he might have conducted with Lily whilst simultaneously leading Petunia to believe he loved her. He found it odd that he was more concerned about the immoral connotations of Sirius' act than he was that his best friend might have slept with the girl he had been chasing for a long time, but in the end all thoughts of either Evan's siblings were swept from his mind upon seeing his cousin's appearance. Sirius, in reply, turned his head away, and was met with a scandalised gasp as James saw the mutilated state of the Black heir's ear. There was a short, silent pause, in which James assessed how Sirius seemed far more shaken up from this than any fight he had been in before and tried his hand at being the sensible, care-giver for once. "Um, don't worry… girls dig battle scars and stuff."

He expected Sirius to yell at him, to tell him that his ear had been completely destroyed, and that was a little more than a scar, and the Black heir had opened his mouth as if he intended to do just that, but in the end had only clamped it back shut, going deathly pale.

James knelt in front of his cousin, suddenly worried. Things had to be bad if the boy wasn't willing to laugh it off and joke about it, as they had done so many times before in younger years, coming back from 'proving' themselves by beating up on Slytherins. He'd slept the entire day Tuesday, the day before, missing all his lessons, and that day, Wednesday, he'd avoided everybody like the plague. He could barely look at anyone as he sulked through lessons, and skipped meal times all together, in case he ran into Severus. He'd not seen Sirius all day, and now he could tell why – the boy had probably been hiding somewhere, trying in vain to clear himself up. He leant up to touch the broken ear, but Sirius flinched from the touch.

"What happened?" He asked again, softer this time, surveying the boy in front of him properly. His ears were trashed, and his clothes, the same clothes he been wearing on Monday, had been torn to shreds and were hanging off his body badly, the same body that was positively covered in bruises and … bite marks? "Did an animal do this to you? Sirius, we need to get you to a hospital."

At this comment the usually cheerful boy shook his head forcefully. He also refused the offer of Madam Pomfrey, or any of the other teachers or people of authority. Eventually James soaked a soft cloth in hot water and cleared the dried blood from his friend, and helped his shakily change into some more substantial clothes. The early November air was cutting, so James forced him into another jumper, despite the long sleeves irritating the bruised and sensitive skin. At least it made him look better, even if under the shield of the knit he was still battered. The bespectacled boy ran a hand through his cousin's hair, so that it fell down slightly over the disfigured ear, hiding it a little.

He sighed.

"I'm gunna go… well…" He was going to go find Petunia, or Lily, or both. The three of them needed to have a chat about their messed up love triangle, and they all knew it. But he paused; he'd hate it if Sirius got involved in whatever he had going on with Severus. He stood properly, crossing his hands behind his hands behind his back and gently pressing his arms into the long thin scars he had there. They both had things they didn't want the other involved with, it seemed, and James was beginning to feel more and more like he couldn't trust his family – which meant he didn't know who he could trust. He didn't know which of the Evan's siblings loved Sirius more. He was undoubtedly bias towards Petunia at that moment because she too knew his secrets, but that didn't mean Lily didn't also have a side of the story. "Just… just stay here."

He left the dorm, and out through the common room, completely missing that Lily was hanging around just outside the entrance to the stairwell to the boy's dorms, and found himself on the other side of the castle, on a spiral staircase. He knew it well, he'd explored the castle so often he knew where every common room was, which was how he and Sirius had been so able to ambush the Slytherins they wished to attack. This was the Ravenclaw tower. His feet had taken him there instinctively. The Ravenclaws were known for letting anyone into their common room, openly, so long as they could pass a test. And the tests were known for being damn near impossible to pass.

But it seemed that James was luckily, because as he came to the top of the tower, panting slightly from the climb and the fact he hadn't eaten in two days and was physically exhausted, Petunia was coming out of the common room, a letter in her hands and a worried look on her face. She, however, looked up at his heavy breathing, her facial features morphing to that of pleasant surprise, though James wasn't sure if that was just a mask.

"Mr Potter." She greeted, sending the Ravenclaw guard an apologetic look as she moved out of the doorway. She linked her arm with James' and starting leading him back down the stairs with the airy comment, "you look like Mr Darcy, all out of breath like that. Keep that up and my sister might spare you a glance."

However, as soon as they were out of the sight and hearing range of the guard, they stopped and Petunia unlinked their arms. She was dressed in a simple red cotton dress which bunched under her breasts and fell down to her ankles in straight, mostly shapeless folds.

"Why are you here?" She asked, and James held his hands up in mock defence at her glare.

"I thought we made a real connection the other night." He teased, but relented at her continuing evil eyes. Really, sometimes she and her sister were so alike – they even had the same taste in men, it appeared. He hadn't been entirely joking though. They had made a connection that Halloween night/1st of the November morning; which was why his brain had subconsciously taken him to the Ravenclaw common room, as opposed to the Slytherin common room, where his body wanted to be. He looked at the pale girl in the red dress in front of him, and briefly considered telling her about his scars, about how he was beginning to wonder whether his not having any memories of time he had been kidnapped, was because he hadn't really been kidnapped at all, but then;

"Have you spoken to Sirius? I saw him in the corridor. He looked terrible, how is he?"

James nodded, and in that moment knew, that no matter what Lily said, he'd be taking this girls side on the matter. Petunia knew, she had seen Sirius kissing Lily, and yet she was still concerned about his welfare. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the stairwell and along the corridors. This girl was the girl that Sirius wanted to see, even if the boy himself didn't know it yet; he could refuse medical treatment, he could refuse James' kindness, but he knew that faced with a woman who loved him, and it was clear to James that Petunia did love Sirius, then the boy would be powerless.

"Where are you taking me?" Asked the girl, but she knew all too well, and tried to pull her hand away. "I don't want to see him. Not like this, not with you."

James stopped, looking back over his shoulder at the girl. She was holding that letter, scrunched up in her hand, and worry lines were running along her furrowed brow. Her eyes were shining in a conspicuous way that James didn't like. They'd turned sea coloured thanks to the water gathering there and James, not wanting to make anyone cry, let go of her hand.

He cleared his throat.

"He needs to see you."

Petunia nodded.

"I know the password from the other night, and I'm wearing red – they'll let me in." She explained, smoothing out non-existent creases in said red dress. "I-I'll go; but not with you. There are things Sirius and I need to discuss, and while I am grateful for your help, Mr Potter… I think there's someone you also have to see."

As she said this she brushed passed him, nodding in a direction behind the Gryffindor. James watched her head off towards the Gryffindor common room, and then turned to see who it was. As he did, his breath caught in his throat and he felt stupid for even turning around.

Snape. Severus Snape, the boy he was supposed to be avoiding, was stood casually leaning against the wall, looking sideways on at James. He was dressed in his school uniform, plus the usual heavy trench coat, pale skin and big nose still intact, but hair tied back and off his face, which looked a bit better. Not much, but a bit. James was left wondering, once again, what exactly he saw in his ugly creature. And then Severus spoke, and it all came rushing back;

"So, looks as if Black's got some explaining to do. Lily has just been crying on my shoulder over the whole ordeal, but fascinatingly you're taking the other sisters side?" He scoffed, "Is this the wisdom of a scorned best friend? Annoyed your little lapdog slept with your crush?"

The Gryffindor shook his head slowly, not trusting himself to speak. How was it Severus could act so natural when James had opened up his very heart and soul to the boy, allowed himself to be taken control of so easily just two days before? His heart was racing in his chest, and he felt sure it would burst right through his ribcage if he wasn't careful. He hadn't expected to see the Slytherin again so soon, he was terrified the boy was only there to gloat, to show he'd managed to convince James he could be the one in control, and now he was done James was going to be discarded.

He wondered when exactly that had turned into his worst nightmare. When exactly, in this whirlwind of adrenaline and lust the two had been in since term began, had he developed the fear of being tossed aside? Snape was his usual snide self, but James couldn't muster up the courage to fight back, he couldn't find the courage to tackle whatever he was feeling head on and instead was left with knowing that Severus was completely and undeniably in control.

He took a fistful of the man's long, trench jacket as Severus came to stand closer to him. Too close; not close enough, and pressed his forehead against the other boys shoulder so that he wouldn't have to look him in the cold, dark eyes. It terrified him that Severus' touch was as gentle as it was as he brought his hands up and circled them around his back.

"I'm sorry I'm such a snarky git." The Slytherin mumbled. "Old habits die hard."

James shook his head lightly, making his head tickle the other boy's chin.

"I am annoyed that he slept with Lily." He admitted. "I'm really annoyed because we had promises, and they got broken. And because he cheated on Petunia and she deserves more than that." He continued, rambling and clenching and unclenching at the material he had in his hands. If anyone had come around the corner into their corridor they would have been spotted, there was no other way to explain what they were doing expect for a strange awkward hug, and the Gryffindor wondered when their relationship had gone from casual sexual encounters to canoodling in the hallway.

There were feelings involved in this type of thing that James didn't want to dwell on.

"You worried me." He heard the lanky haired boy say. "You said things on Monday that are worrying, and you didn't show up to classes on Tuesday."

"You were worried? About me?"

Severus nodded; James felt it against the top of his head. He took the step closer and wrapped his arms around the boy's neck, trying to get as close as possible without stepping over the limit from non-sexual to sexual. He wanted this to be innocent, he wanted to know he could be around the boy without having to be lusting after him, and he felt Snape press his hands a little closer into his back, reminding James of the scars there.

"… Can I…" He paused, he wanted to ask, he wanted to know, but he didn't want to break the moment.

"Can you what?" Severus replied, rubbing circles against the small of James' back and making the Gryffindor swallow and close his eyes. Before this school year he would never let his guard down in front of his enemy, and yet now he was basically putty in the boy's hand.

"Can I… trust you?"

Severus smiled, though James couldn't see it.

"I wish you would."

"What the fuck happened to you?" was pretty much what I thought you guys must be thinking about where I'd gotten to, yeah? Well, I went through I really shit break away from someone who I really trusted, and they were kind of my muse of this fic, so it was really kind of difficult for me to get back into this. Buuuut… I am hoping to try and get back into it, and I've got a double update for you to make up for not updating in months!

Also…. I'm thinking I should probably have put this as a Petunia/Sirius fic. I swear they're taking over. D: I'll try and get back onto the Sev/James stuff, but the next chapter is pretty much all Sirius and Petunia (with some INSANE stuff happening between Sev and James at the end! So DO read it!)