A/N: I'll post again either the 20th or the 21st, I'm not entirely positive yet. I love Christmas time, even though it cuts into my writing time – and my posting schedule. ;)

Sirius:

She was smiling at him again, and Sirius could only smile back. Even though she was probably going to kill him before this was over.

But if he had to go, Merlin, she was the way he wanted to go!

Sirius was struggling to concentrate. He almost burnt dinner the night before. He barely slept, his mind continually wandered back to her. Her lips on his, her breath catching as he kissed her neck, the way it felt to have her body pressed against his, her arms clinging to his neck, her hooded eyes as she whispered against him.

It was all rather ironic, that she was smiling at him now as they left Frank Longbottom's home so James could confess who they really were.

He fought the urge to press her against the wall for one more taste of her lips before she killed him, a dying man's last wish.

A dying man who was smiling like a fool at the woman who was going to kill him.

He almost threw it all away as they walked out the front door and she brushed against him. He turned to look down at her and she stared up at him with fire in her blue eyes. He was losing the battle within himself to not make a display with her.

But Sirius could always count on James to bring him back to reality.

"So, er, I…"

With a great deal of self-control, Sirius looked away from Marlene to see James stuttering.

"James has something he'd like to say," Sirius put a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder. "Right, James?"

James took an audible breath and nodded.

"Right. So, I, I wanted you to know…"

It was a flicker, something you wouldn't notice if you hadn't spent years training to look for people who are trying to harm the one you protect. But it was a flicker Sirius knew.

An attacker under an invisibility charm.

He reacted immediately. Before James could finish his confession, Sirius had sent three stunning spells towards where the flicker had been. Marlene jumped right into the fight. Her first spell stripped the invisibility charms from their attackers and Sirius quickly readjusted his plan when he saw the six men surrounding them.

"It's alright, your Highness," the man closest to Lily grinned. "We're here to get you home."

"You're here on lies from the crown," Lily shot back and fired a spell at him. "If you truly believe I'm the Queen's sister, you'll consider that my command to leave!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, but neither he nor Marlene lost the opportunity to take advantage of the men's surprise. They simultaneously fired spells at their attackers in that moment. Sirius grinned that both he and Marlene had chosen the mouthpiece. The man that had addressed Lily now lay motionless on the ground. The remaining five immediately went on the offensive, and Sirius threw a shield in front of him and James.

"Get off my property!" Frank came running out from his house, firing spells at the men. Sirius felt a level of comfort knowing they now had equal numbers to their opponents.

The air sizzled with magic as their little army of five fought off the remaining five attackers and Sirius felt the strain of being split in his efforts. James had asked that he protect Lily as well, and Sirius could feel the oath pulling him in both directions. It was exhausting. Each time a spell came close to Lily he felt his blood burn within him, and it would distract him from protecting James, which in turn would cause his blood to burn as a spell would graze his King.

If he made it out of this alive he might just kill James himself. That or lock James and Lily in a tower so he could get a moment's peace.

It happened quickly, as one attacker remained, the man became desperate. The burning of Sirius' blood overtook him as he turned to see the last attacker blindly fire a spell. Its trajectory by chance was at Lily. Marlene wasn't close enough, she'd never get there in time to block the spell. Her blood must have been burning hotter than it ever had before.

He didn't even think it through.

Sirius jumped.

The spell hit him square in the chest as his feet hit the ground.

The pain was immediate and he collapsed under its force. It felt like someone was filleting his skin with dull knives. He couldn't pull breath. His vision was clouding. Sirius quickly realized this might be it. He couldn't bear to face James. He had failed him.

With the last of his strength, Sirius looked up for Marlene. The last image he took in was her rapier sliding through the attacker's chest. She was radiant as her power and skill coursed through her small form, and he smiled as his body gave out.