If at some point during this chapter you feel like throwing your computer, pls don't, just keep reading! I just love drama, I can't help it.

Guest: Oh thank goodness, always kinda scary posting smut for the first time in a story :D Anon: Poor James, not doing so well at any of his jobs, is he? Heatherdee007: THANK YOU, BOO Guest: Why yes! There IS more! I've been waiting too long for it to stop now! Jus de Carotte: I hope that you do just that! :D De rien!

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. Art work by the extremely talented Viktoria Ridzel (Instagram: viria94)

Warning: Bullying; sexual situations after the xXx

Lily exited the Transfiguration classroom Sunday morning in a complete love-drunk stupor. When a 1st year ran into her near the Great Hall, she let out a quick apology and didn't even notice the poor boy's shocked expression at having encountered a somehow solid disembodied voice.

After seeing it was empty, Lily pulled off James' cloak in the Owlery, ready to ask Venus to take it back to his window. He had mentioned how he would use the cloak to spend his weekends unbothered by overeager students, and she felt bad taking that away from him. Especially on such a fine Sunday as today… because it really is just such a wonderful day today, isn't it? Lily floated to the Fat Lady and traipsed into her dormitory. Her smile was the size of London. Dorcas and Beth's heads whipped to her as she sauntered in and fell to her bed.

"Good morning, ladies," Lily exclaimed airily.

A second later, the girls had descended upon her mattress. "You didn't…"

Lily pressed her lips together conspiratorially. "Maybe… I did?"

"Eek!" Dorcas cried pulling Lily into a rib-shattering hug. "This is so exciting! Okay, now just so you know, it gets loads better, the first few times are rough, but after the guy can get a grip on himself and realize there's another person involved, it will—"

"Hm." Beth cleared her throat loudly to interrupt her.

"What? It's true. You haven't had sex."

"Dor, read her face…"

Dorcas looked back at Lily who was now biting her lip to fight back the biggest shit-eating grin ever. Dorcas went from confused to comically shocked. "No!"

"Yes."

"He made you come?" Lily clapped her hands up to hide her smile. Dorcas struggled to pull them away. "Your first time? Who is this sorcerer?!"

Lily couldn't help her giggles. "Oh yeah. Twice last night and once this morning."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Lily wasn't sure if Dorcas would ever recover from this news.

James hadn't planned on having sex again that morning. They'd woken up so blissfully, and the sun shone so beautifully on her bare body as he took in every peak and valley... And he'd kissed her sweetly enough to make her release a sultry groan through her sleepy haze. But then she'd leaned into him in just the right way, and their embrace had gotten more and more steamy until she was pushing herself on top of him. And, honestly, who was he to ever say no to Lily Evans? He'd learnt the hard way that doing that was futile.

She had told him afterwards that she was going to tell her friends that she was having sex, because they'd figure it out, but she had told them they couldn't know with whom until after graduation. He agreed they'd find out then anyway when they were able to take their relationship public.

Public. Lily had really liked the sound of that.

Once alone, James pulled out his two-way mirror and said, "Sirius Black."

Sirius appeared in what James recognized as his kitchen back home. He took one look at James' face — the grin he couldn't suppress, the crazier than usual hair — and knew. "You mugglefucker," Sirius said chuckling. It was the Marauders' favorite swear word for each other. They had heard the wannabe Death Eaters trying it out as an insult and decided to commandeer it, for it had such a nice jingle. By the time they'd left school, all students used it as a term of endearment — much to the chagrin of their more evil peers.

"What?" James tried saying innocently. It was undermined by the fact that his smile had grown wider.

"You guys shagged, didn't you?"

James ran his fingers through his hair, trying to tame it a little bit. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"Well, you're no gentleman and even if you were, big if, that would be patently false because you told me all about your first kiss. And your second. You know, I could probably recount all of your snogs as well as you could," Sirius teased.

"Shut up—"

"But that means: you guys totally did, you dirty dog!" Sirius punched the air victoriously. "I finally can call you that!"

James rolled his eyes. "You cannot call me that, because it was romantic and perfect."

"Oh shit. You are going to tell me all about it, aren't you?" Sirius feigned fear.

James heavily considered tossing the mirror with his best friend's face in it out the window. He looked over to said window, seeing Venus comically struggling with a large parcel twice her size. "Hold on one second."

Once Dorcas had been able to pick her jaw up off of the floor, she, Lily, and Beth headed down to the Great Hall for some brunch.

"Okay, but like… how big?" Dorcas asked still obsessing over details as they settled into their benches.

Lily looked back at her faux-scandalized. "I'm not answering that."

"Oh, so it's small?" Dorcas made a face. "Yeah, Patrick's is too."

"No!" Lily didn't know why she felt the need to defend James' manhood. "I just… it's not like I brought a measuring tape to bed."

"Yeah, but you can guestimate," Dorcas said, motioning with her hands as an example.

Beth laughed while Lily slapped her friend's hands down, looking around to make sure no one had seen. James wasn't there yet. "Stop! Okay… fine, it's," her eyes scanned the table, "actually, a little shorter than your wand." Lily felt her cheeks burn.

Dorcas held up her long wand between them looking at it scandalized. "Are you… OH MY MERLIN!" The three girls broke into a laughing fit once more.

A cold voice behind Lily snapped them out of it. "Lily, here are eight write-ups from my rounds last night," Snape said, unceremoniously dumping them in front of her.

Lily twisted her body to look at his sneering face. "Sev, it's Sunday. This can wait till our meeting, no?"

"No." Snape said firmly. "I want to discuss it, now. You are the Head Girl, are you not?"

Lily sighed at the jab. "Okay, well, would you like to take a seat?"

"Head Office. Come." He turned on his heel and walked towards the doors.

Beth and Dorcas gave her a look that said, 'What's that about?' but Lily had no idea. She picked up his reports and got up to follow him. "Hopefully this doesn't take too long. I'm starved."

"I bet you are," Dorcas said winking.

Lily grabbed an apple and stuck her tongue out at her.

As she caught up to Snape, James entered the Hall. She tried to keep her head down as she passed him, knowing her face would light up if they made eye contact, but his little nod and a, "Miss Evans," threw her attempt at discretion to the wind. She was still blushing when she reached a very irate Snape.

His jaw was clenched tightly. "Come on."

"Lead the way," Lily sighed dramatically. They trudged to the Head Office in silence and Lily plopped into her chair flipping through the papers when they got there. "Sev, I don't see what's so urgent—"

He slammed the door shut. "I know."

Lily's blood ran cold as she felt paralyzed by his beetle eyes. She hastily broke free to pretend to read a report. "Know what?"

Snape stalked towards her and put both his palms on the desk in front of her, bending over menacingly. "I know about you and Potter."

Oh fuck. Lily's heart stopped and her mind started racing into overdrive. It's too late for this to be from Bellatrix… So how? We used the cloak? What does he know? Maybe this is a trick to get me to confess to a hunch? What the fuck do I say? Deny it! She kept her voice as calm as she could given the circumstances. "What about Professor Potter and I?"

Snape leaned in closer and his nails scratched inward across the wood. "You're fucking him."

He can't know that. He cannot know that. She willed herself to return his hateful stare. "That's absurd."

Snape looked like he was about to lose it. "Don't lie to me! I saw you."

"What?" Lily asked, the fear creeping into her voice. How?!

"Last night. On rounds. I saw that joke of a professor strutting in from the gardens like he owned the place… and then I saw you."

"I wasn't—"

"Right before he shut the door, you appeared." Lily's face froze with her lips still mouthing her rebuttal. "Next time, maybe wait till the door is actually closed before you let your guard down."

Oh fuck, fuck, fucking fuck. "Okay, so you saw me getting help with Transfiguration. Big deal."

Snape's face cracked into a calculated smile, knowing he was about to go in for the kill. "Do you often study with the door locked?" Fuck, he's creepy. "I didn't believe Bellatrix when she told anyone who would listen that she thought you were shacking up with Potter… the bitch is crazy… but then I saw you with him in the cemetery over Christmas, and you kissed him—"

"You followed me to my parents' graves?!" Lily shrieked.

"I was far away, I couldn't be certain it was him," Snape was on a warpath, unwilling to be derailed. "I mean, no one could be so stupid as to shag their washed up prat of a professor, right?" Lily's nostrils flared as he paused, but it only encouraged him. "So I watched you. I watched as you pathetically batted your eyes at him in class and would blush every time he said your name. You fucking blushed when he passed you just now. You wear your heart on your sleeve like a fool." His lips curled. "And then last night… the door was locked Lily. So I waited." Oh no, oh no nono… "And I heard you moan for him like the little Mudblood whore that you are." Lily drew in a sharp breath, unable to look away. They'd forgotten to do the muffling spell right away… they'd been too in the moment, how dare he try to ruin the memory… "Let me guess. He told you he loved you? Is that how he bedded you? Was it that easy for him?"

Lily sat frozen, concentrating everything she had on trying not to throw up and keeping her hands from shaking. A single tear rolled down her face. "What do you want?" she whispered. He is ruining everything.

Snape's smile widened, and somehow it further distorted his greasy features. "I haven't decided yet." Lily swallowed. "I'll let you know when I do." He whipped his robes around as he went and yanked the door open. He stalled for a second. "Just so you know, this means I own you now." Then he was gone with a slam of the door.

Lily shuddered at his words and sobbed into her hands, wondering what on earth she was supposed to do. One angry Slytherin's rumors, her reputation could handle. It had happened before, and she'd made it out unscathed. But it was different now… Benjy had happened. She'd done nothing but kiss the git once and her good name was still in tatters. Why the fuck did I ever antagonized him…

And James. She had to think about James.

Lily spent the rest of her Sunday hiding in the Head Office switching between trying to figure a way out of this mess to cursing the day Severus was born to crying until her ducts ran dry. She couldn't believe how amazing the day had started only to be squandered like this. She had no idea how to protect James from the fallout… She was going to ruin his life.

She wanted to go tell him, to warn him about what was coming. But how do you tell the man you love his life is over? How do you tell him that he's about to be sacked and disgraced within the magical community forever? Plus, she didn't think sulking outside his classroom waiting for him to come out or in would be a good look right now.

That night, Lily actually did sleep in the Head Office.

"Lily, are you okay?" Beth asked at breakfast Monday morning. "You look…"

"Like shite," Dorcas finished.

Beth glared at her, then continued to Lily, "When you didn't come back, we assumed you went to see your boyfriend… did something happen?"

Lily looked at the food in front of her. When was the last time I ate? Lily wasn't hungry. "Yes, but not with him."

Beth and Dorcas looked confused. "Then who?"

She needed to tell someone. "Snape."

"What that git do now?" Dorcas asked, picking at her eggs.

"He told me he knows who I'm sleeping with and that he owns me now." Lily felt just as dead inside as she looked.

"WHAT?!" Beth and Dorcas exclaimed in unison, bending in towards her.

"He knows, and he's going to tell Dumbledore unless I do what he says, and—" Lily had to break off to keep from crying. Here was far too public. The worst part was she couldn't even look at James right now, too afraid it would be too much for her sadness and for raising suspicion.

Beth grabbed one of her hands. "Okay, we're gonna solve this. What can we do?"

"I don't think we can." Lily sounded so defeated. "I don't know what he wants from me." Dorcas and Beth looked at each other darkly: they did.

Dorcas leaned into her. "Look. He can't make you do anything you don't want to do," she said steadfastly. "Don't give him that power." She looked at Lily confused. "I mean, I know you're protecting your mystery bloke for some reason, but… it can't be worth this."

But he was. James is worth it. Beth shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I don't know what to do…" Lily confessed.

Dorcas put her hand on Lily's. "Lily—"

"Are you ready for class?" Snape drawled behind her. Lily chanced a glance at the Slytherin table and saw a handful of angry eyes glaring in their direction; they were clearly also not thrilled with the scene unfolding.

Dorcas jumped in before Lily could answer. "Fuck off, Snape."

Snape's eyes widened slightly. "Is that so? Lily, do you wish for me to 'fuck off?' The headmaster is right there, perhaps you'd like to accompany me to have a word with him?"

She hated the sound of his voice so much. Despite herself, her gaze quickly pulsed toward the teachers table. Only James seemed to notice something was going horribly wrong. "No!" Lily cried a little too loudly. "No. I'll go to class with you." She jumped to her feet.

Dorcas went to grab her wrist. "Lily," she said firmly, trying to make her friend look at her.

"I'm fine, I'll see you there," Lily whispered to the floor. She needed time to think. Sure, she'd done that all of yesterday to no avail, but there had to be a solution here that didn't involve becoming Snape's pet.

All she knew was she didn't know how much longer she could take Snape's smug, gloating smile. "Glad you came to your senses."

Lily looked back at his 'friends' as they left the Great Hall, Lily feeling like his prisoner. "Meanwhile you've lost yours. How are you going to explain hanging out with me to all your Death Eater buddies?" Snape didn't answer, but she saw his expression falter. Lily dug in further. "They hardly tolerated it when we were children, what makes you think they'll allow it now?"

"Let me worry about them," Snape snapped.

"You haven't even thought of that, have you?" Lily rounded on him as soon as they entered the empty classroom. "Sev, even if I wanted to hang out with you again, you know, minus you blackmailing me into it, they'd kill you."

"They wouldn't kill me, Lily," Snape answered frustrated. "I'm a grown man, I can protect us from them."

"Oh yeah?" Lily pushed. "Then why do you look so scared?"

Dorcas stormed into the room, looking primed for a fight. "Stay the fuck away from her!"

"Dor—"

"Stay out of matters you don't understand, little girl," Snape simmered.

Dorcas spun to Lily, "Did he just call me little?!"

Before anyone could respond, James strolled into his classroom looking at Lily anxiously. Seeing her for the first time in a day, nearly crying with this arsehole was not exactly how he wanted to start off his Monday. He hadn't searched her out last night, figuring he couldn't just completely monopolize her time, but he regretted that choice now. "What's going on here?"

Snape's hands curled into fists at his sides.

Dorcas took the tense silence as an opportunity to bud in. "Snape's threatening Lily to hang out with him like some pathetic little weasel."

"Shut up," Snape said brutishly, his glare never leaving James.

"Nope, no can do, I haven't finished telling you how pitiful it is that just because you don't like Lily's new boyfriend you feel like you can just…" Dorcas trailed off as she suddenly pieced together what was happening. Snape's murderous look to Potter, Potter's deer in headlights look to Lily, and Lily mouthing 'I'm sorry' back to him. "Oh," she gasped quietly.

"Miss Meadows," James said as calmly as he could. "Would you please stay outside the door and tell everyone class is cancelled and that I'll send out study guides for Wednesday's test instead?"

"Yeah," Dorcas said still shocked, but walked out and shut the door behind her anyway.

James cast a silencing spell and racked both his hands through his hair.

"I'm so sorry, James," Lily pleaded making to reach out to him, but Snape tried to pull her back, resulting in her jerking his grip on her off violently.

"Don't touch her," James bellowed, his eyes turning steely.

"He's been following us." Lily said once she'd yanked herself free, needing James to know right away that this mess wasn't her fault. Her words turned his attention back to her. "He saw us at my parents' graves."

"And…" Snape taunted behind her.

"And he saw me in here Saturday night," she whispered.

James looked back over her head, disgusted by the boy he saw. "You've been stalking her?"

"Oh, is that really what we're going to talk about?"

"What do you want to talk about, Snivellus?" Lily put her hand to James' chest to push him back, never having seen this furious side of him in person.

"How about the fact that you're fucking a student, Potter?" Snape looked like he was turning yellow.

"You're out of line." Lily felt almost frightened by the raw anger in his voice.

"I'm going to get you fired!" Snape said shrilly. He clearly wasn't used to having emotional arguments a lot.

Lily spun around to face her former friend, unconsciously shielding James with her body. "Sev, don't." Snape's eyes remained unwaveringly on James, his wand twitching at his side. "Sev," Lily pleaded, willing him to look at her, "please," it finally worked, "I've never asked you for anything. Don't do this." Her voice wobbled.

"He's taking advantage of you, Lily. How can you not see that?!"

"He's not," Lily said simply.

"Well, just because you can't tell what's best for you, doesn't mean I can't—"

"Are you fucking—" Lily cut herself off, squeezing the bridge of her nose. She was really fucking over the men in her life trying to make decisions for her. "You know what? No. Neither of you get to decide what's best for me, do you hear me?"

"Wha—" James huffed, not getting how he was getting dragged into this.

"Neither of you. I'm a fucking adult, and I get to choose who I hang out with, and date." Her fear and sadness had mutated into indignant rage. She had a hunch it had something to do with feeling stronger now that she was back with James by her side. Sure, he could piss her off plenty, but they were a team now, a unit. And a pack is always safer than a lone wolf.

Snape sputtered, unsure of how he'd lost the upper hand in this fight.

"If you have any decency, any at all, you won't blackmail me into hanging out with you. That's not friendship."

Snape looked out the window, actually looking a little ashamed when his manipulation was put so bluntly. "Fine, I can't make you be my friend again, but I can get rid of him." He went back to shooting daggers. "He is, after all, now a threat to students."

James snorted. "Fine. Get me fired. I have enough money that I never need to work another day in my life," he stated matter-of-factly. He took a step towards Snape, his eyes flashing dangerously. "The only person you'll truly hurt here is the person you claim to care about."

Snape took a stumble backwards. "That's not true—"

"You're delusional if you don't think the rumors will eat her alive. She'd have a hard time finding a job outta school too."

Lily let out a heavy exhale in front of him. It's true. She realized thoughts like these were the reason James had fought being with her for as long as he had.

The younger man's eyes flickered between them enraged. "You can't get away with this."

"Sev—" Lily tried.

"No!" Snape's wheels were spinning. "You have to break up."

"What?" Lily gaped at him, not believing his envy could make him so petty. James just stared at him as if made of stone.

"You heard me. You can't see each other any more. It's either that or I tell Dumbledore."

This cunty, jealous asshole! "No—"

"Done."

Lily's body froze at James' word behind her. Done? What does he fucking mean, done? In front of her, Snape was now looking at her with his all too familiar, 'I told you so' look.

She spun around. "James?" she breathed, searching his face for any sort of sign they were playing Snape — together.

"Lily," he said softly. "I can't risk having him expose us. I wasn't kidding, it'll hurt you more."

Her emerald eyes clouded with tears, imploring his to tell her this wasn't real. "James." Don't do this to me, don't you fucking do this to me again…

He reached out for her hands, but Snape tutted. "No more touching her either." James looked like he was ready to murder the greaseball with his bare hands.

Lily facade was crumbling as her heart broke. "Please," she begged. James' molten eyes came back to hers. 'I love you,' she mouthed as her tears trickled down her face. Please love me back, please don't let go.

James' brows furrowed, and his arms twitched like he was actively fighting the urge to embrace her. The gold specks in his irises were dull now, looking more like dirt than their usual starlike appearance. He swallowed difficultly.

Say something, say something, say something please… But he didn't. Lily felt as though she'd been hit by a freight train, clutching her own arms in some vain attempt for comfort. She had to get out of this room; it had no air.

"Come on Lily, let's go," Snape said, coming over to her.

"Stay the fuck away from me," Lily spat. She looked over to James, never having felt more betrayed in her life. "Both of you."

Lily ran out the door, with Snape chasing after her.

Lily lost Snape between the fourth and fifth floors, sprinting like she'd never ran before. Suddenly an invisible arm pulled her behind a tapestry into an alcove she'd never known about until now. Before she had a chance to scream, a hand slipped over her mouth as she felt a silky fabric enclosing around her, putting her flush against James.

"Sh, Lily, it's me."

She bit him.

"Ow, what the fuck," James cried out, pulling his finger back to inspect it.

Before she could even think about it, Lily rained her fists down onto James' chest, hitting him with all her might. "You. Just. Told. Me. You. Loved me!" she yelled between punches.

James captured her wrists, bringing them to the sides of her head against the wall he was currently pushing her up against. "Lily, I do love you, I would never lie about that," he whispered earnestly.

"Then what the fuck was that?!" she cried, losing it.

"Lily," he breathed adoringly, "I was acting… I had to go along with his little temper tantrum. I thought you'd get that." Lily's outburst died in his arms. "For a second I thought you were just an insane actress as well, but I had to make sure you knew."

"Knew what?" Lily slumped against the wall, thoroughly exhausted from the lack of sleep, lack of food, the emotional toll of being blackmailed, fake-dumped, all of it.

James moved his hands to cradle her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. "That this weekend was real. That I meant every word I said. And that I do love you." He rubbed his nose against hers. "The only lie I told was in my classroom right now. We'll just have to be more discreet from now on. Nothing's changed."

Lily let out a deep sigh of relief, still reeling from everything that just happened. She nudged her lips to skim against his. "So you didn't just drop me?" She felt sort of like an idiot for doubting him… then again, he was her first real boyfriend, so she guessed she could cut herself some slack for jumping to the worst conclusion.

James licked his lips, in turn moistening hers hovering right next to him. "No… I could never. I haven't pined after you for this long to run at the first sign of trouble."

She whimpered, not quite understanding how she could be this horny right now. Reassurance felt good. "And you still want to be with me?"

James sighed, tickling Lily with his breath right up against her skin. "Of course, as long as you'll have me."

"Don't ever act around me again, James Potter…" she warned as she bit his lower lip and tugged it back slightly.

James smirked, his eyes glazing over with desire. "No promises. I'm gonna have to act a lot around you to not get fired in the coming months…"

xXx

Lily growled as she pushed her pelvis into his. "Fine." Their mouths collided, claiming each other in a thirsty embrace as her hands pulled the hair on the back of his head and his pressed her as close to his body as humanly possible. His tongue made her lose her mind as she slowly forgot about the heartache she'd just experienced — probably just as he intended. As his dangerous lips traveled down the hollow of her neck, she held on to her sanity for a second longer. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Potter, or I swear to…" But her words trailed off as his hands found her breasts and tweaked both her nipples, turning her threat into a low moan.

"We really shouldn't do this here," he murmured whilst wearing the naughtiest of smiles.

"Shut up and fuck me."

James actually looked startled by Lily's foxy demand, but pushed down her skirt obediently anyway, instantly groaning when he saw what she was wearing underneath. "Ah, we met at last…"

Lily was perplexed. "Come again?"

James looked up at her face sheepishly. "These are the infamous red lacy panties you flashed me way back when I was being good." His hand came down between her legs and started rubbing her through the article in question.

Lily let her head drop back letting out a satisfied sigh. "Time to get acquainted I guess."

James kissed her lightly. "Oh, I'm on it," he said dropping to his knees in front of her, finally able to do to those knickers what he'd been dying to do for months. Soon, he had Lily's body quivering above him.

Heh, all is well! Honestly, I actually wrote them breaking up for real... and then thought about how much I would HATE THAT as a reader, so decided I couldn't do that to you guys ;)

Next Chapter: Cherry on Top (smutty smut smut)