Hey! NINA (thank you for identifying yourself!) pointed out when I hinted at a future anal scene all the way back in chapter 11 that this wasn't normally done in straight fics (why is this?) and that's silly so let's change that. THAT BEING SAID… it's the first time I've ever written an anal sex scene, so feedback is always appreciated ^.^ (I know reviewing on sex scenes must be weird, but indulge me, lol) I wanted to write it for a while, but as is oft the case in this fic… there seems to be a time and place in the development and that is NOW!

**Also, I hate Remus getting played too. I really do, BUT, we gotta establish something to happen that would make Jily believe HE's the double-agent more than Peter down the line :( … Also it makes Remus scared of forward younger women who seem super into him….. soooooo… Also YES, my approach to Peter is they all kinda don't give enough of a crap about him and he gets ignored a bunch and people don't even realize they're not really paying attention to him… (bc they're not paying attention to him…) and VOILA.

*** How did I never give Avery a first name? Lol.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. Art work by the awesome Meg (tumblr: anxiouspineapples)

Cheeky

Halloween Night, 7th Year

"We really gonna miss Slughorn's party?"

"Are we really asking that question, Lils?" James asked restlessly as he started pulling off his tie, dragging Lily upstairs. The bell had hardly finished signaling the end of their last class of the day when James had already hauled her out the door and down three corridors. It had almost been too fun to watch James' leg bounce as he jittered his quill in his hand and constantly shot her looks while he chewed his lip during the entire period. "Do you know how hard it's been sitting on the knowledge that you wanted to try anal and not bringing it up?!" James lamented. So he had seen her interest marked up in her book.

"Well, why didn't you?" Lily laughed.

"Because," he said obviously, "it's anal. You gotta be the one to bring that up."

"Really?" Lily asked amused, sitting on the edge of her bed as James continued madly stripping off his clothes.

"Yeah. I mean, otherwise it could come off as creepy or pushy, but you saying you wanna try it?" He tilted his head back so he could speak to the ceiling. "Pure perfection."

Lily was just as entertained by how badly he wanted her right now as she was turned on herself. She loved this fire he had for her, and only her. Course, that didn't mean that she wasn't still slightly nervous to try something so new for the first time. "Is there something I should do beforehand? Like…" she looked around her room, "some sort of prep?"

James noticed her shift in mood and adjusted his actions accordingly, coming towards her with a half open shirt. He began softly kissing her cheeks and nose. "You can just learn to accept that shit happens," he whispered sensually.

Lily snorted, unprepared for his snark given his amorous actions. "Goddamnit, babe."

"You've already got picking a guy who isn't a douche covered." He winked.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he'd just tried to pull off another shitty pun, or if it was totally a coincidence.

He cracked under her pressure. "Yeah, that was on purpose."

"I'm gonna kill you."

James continued, still peppering her face with kisses as he leaned over her seated body, "Sometimes you just gotta go with the—"

Lily slapped a palm over his mouth. "Don't make me reconsider this, Potter."

He lightly bite on the edge of her hand as he tilted his head innocently. "I wuddn dahrr."

"I will take a shower first though," Lily announced, getting to her feet and making her way to the bathroom. At the threshold, she turned back to him. "Make yourself pretty for when I get back."

He shot her a smirk in return. She shut the door and looked at her reflection. Holy shit, we're doing this. Lily stripped and stepped into the shower, scrubbing herself well as her thoughts roamed. She really had always wanted to try it, and legend said that it could feel amazing if done right. She knew James, and if anyone in the whole world could make this feel as good as humanly possible for her, it was him. So why not give it a go at least once? If it was a disaster or she hated it, it would still most certainly make for one heck of a story.

She got out of the shower, wand dried her hair, and didn't even bother to cover up as she walked back into her room. Soft, romantic music that James must have summoned from his room lulled in the background. She caught James, clad in only his trunks, transforming her discarded wastebasket parchment into flowers.

"You have to teach me how to transfigure flowers into fish later," Lily blurted out.

James shook his head. "That's a random one."

"Please?"

"Sure, of course." He stood up and threw a hand into his hair. "Babe. Are you nervous?" James asked.

"Yeah," she admitted freely. "Aren't you?" The fact that he wasn't at all commenting on her current state of undress gave her her answer.

He shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, but Lils, if you—"

"I want to." She knew him well enough by now to know exactly what he was about to offer, but she didn't need an out.

He smiled as he stepped up to her and took her hands in his, taking his time to kiss each knuckle. "I was thinking we could start with our usual sex to loosen us up a bit while I…" James bit his lip looking for how to phrase things. Lily appreciated that he was willing to wade through the awkwardness with her. When it came to her body like this, she very much wanted to know what was going to happen, even if it put a slight damper on the sexy vibe. "Um, touch you there, you know? Get you used to the feeling?"

"Okay," Lily answered breathlessly, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her nerves were slowly but surely morphing into excitement.

"Yeah?" James asked happily. "Awesome, get on the bed," he commanded with a spank to her arse.

She shot him a smirk over her shoulder as she climbed on her knees, ready to crawl to the middle of the mattress, but James wrapped his arm around her waist while he stood behind her, keeping her at the foot of the bed. He jerked her back so her spine was flush against his bare chest as he moved all her hair over her shoulder and around the back of her neck so he had complete access to nip and suck his way up it. By the time his lips had reached her ear, his teeth lightly biting on the lobe, his left hand had snaked down her hip, finding her clit and insistently rubbing out circles. "You're fucking mine tonight, Evans." Lily shivered against him, feeling her nipples harden at the possessive tinge to his voice, begging to be touched next. She felt claimed, and she fucking loved it. "I'm gonna take you every way I can." He dragged his lower lip along the outer rim of her ear. "You're mine," he whispered.

Lily rolled her neck back, arching her chest forward as her hand dropped behind her butt, finding his erection straining through his pants. She gave him a squeeze and was rewarded with a loud hiss in her ear. "Cheeky." Removing his hand from her clit, he pushed on her shoulder, bending her over his forearm at the waist. "Spread wider for me, baby."

Lily moaned as she obliged, scooting her knees out as wide as they could go to get her pelvis as close to the mattress while on her elbows, pleased she'd followed his stretching routine so rigorously this past year. She ignored the small voice inside her head telling her to be modest with her body and not show it to him so completely. This was James. And he had proven time and time again that he loved all of her — every nook and cranny. She had nothing to be afraid of. She also absolutely loved that he was taking control right now. Truth be told, she really didn't know how any of this was going to go, and he probably didn't either, but that he was still projecting authority — fake or not — was getting her insanely hot and bothered.

She felt his tip at her entrance right before he started pushing himself into her, all raw, iron flesh as it dove into her core, filling her cunt up. She could feel every tantalizing centimeter of him as he thrust into her from this angle, and his resounding groan told her she wasn't alone in the sensation.

"Fuck, Lils," he breathed behind her, "I can go so deep like this."

It was true. Lily often felt like James was taking her to the limit with just how much he had to offer, but in this position, she could actually feel his hips fully flush against her cheeks, cock buried entirely in her. She clenched at the thought. "Fuck," she moaned. He belonged there, inside of her.

James started moving in and out of her, his hands supporting her hips as she reached out to clutch tightly at the sheets. One of his hands met her there, interlocking his fingers with hers over her knuckles. "Babe," he ground out, "I wish you could see what I see right now."

"Tell me," she demanded over the slapping of skin.

"It's just…" he fought off a moan, trying to answer her. "Just my cock plowing your pussy."

Lily let out half a chuckle, the second half getting drowned out by her cry as he hit the perfect spot inside of her. "That's descriptive."

"Fuck, Evans." His fingers dug into her hipbone as he worked on destroying her. "It's the hottest thing I've ever seen." The awe in his voice morphed back into power. "Touch yourself."

Lily knew she liked it better when he did, as if her body could tell it was her own doing and felt cheated when his fingers were right fucking there, but she obeyed anyway. She was far too eager to see what having his fingers free meant for her.

Her curiosity was sated seconds later when she felt his right hand migrating to her ass, his thumb ghosting over her arsehole. Lily found herself rubbing on her clit harder, the anticipation killing her as he continued fucking her at a steady pace. As if sensing her enthusiasm, suddenly his thumb fully disappeared from her body, eliciting an embarrassing whimper from Lily, mouth presently pushed down into the mattress.

James chuckled, returning his now wet thumb back over her ass. Knowing that thumb had just been in his mouth and was now about to be pressed into her arsehole made Lily's hips have an unexpected stutter downwards, as if his thumb, his cock, and her fingers somehow weren't enough, and now she was trying to shag the mattress too. "Fuck!" Lily half yelled, feeling almost too pleasured from all sides.

"All right there, love?" James asked arrogantly as his thumb made small circles along the rippled flesh of her rim. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she wanted more.

"Stop teasing," she groaned, pushing her hips back and mewling when it resulted in an especially deep thrust from his cock. "Ah, shit." He was everywhere on her body, but she didn't think she could ever get enough.

"Easy, Lily," he reprimanded as he stilled his hips but sunk the first knuckle of his thumb into her and tentatively orbited.

Lily gasped, flexing into the feeling. It was only a thumb, but she already felt so tight and full and holy shit, what is even happening? Somehow knowing her brain was overwrought, James brushed her fingers aside at her apex and rubbed her clit himself, working both sides of her in tandem, his cock now acting solely as a barometer for her pleasure. She could feel her insides pulsing, all her sensors for gratification firing at full capacity, making her see fireworks as though she had accidentally lit an hour's worth all at once and was trying not to die as they simultaneously exploded around her. What the fuck, what the fuck—

But then her mind went blank as she tried muffling her own cries into the sheets, shaking beneath him. She worked hard at steadying her breathing. Well, shit, was the only coherent thought she could muster up.

"Fuck," James muttered, sounding disappointed with himself.

After a few seconds, Lily was able to look over her shoulder, pushing her chest off the mattress. "What?" she panted.

"Sorry, you were too fucking hot freaking out like that. I came too." He pulled himself out and dropped to his knees on the floor. "Let me eat out your ass till I'm ready to go again?"

How are these words I get to hear in my life? Lily felt like she'd been fucked into another dimension. "Sure," she replied lazily, wondering how much longer her elbows would keep supporting her.

She could tell he was so proud of himself now, having witnessed her current post-orgasm haze. "That's my girl."

Lily rocked forward on her knees as she felt James gently hold onto her so his tongue could get to work. "Baby," she found herself moaning as her neck went lax, leaving her head to dangle lifelessly against her biceps.

He answered by swirling his tongue around her rim a few times before plunging in, making Lily cry out. It was as though an itch Lily hadn't even known existed was finally being scratched and Jesus fucking christ, now all she wanted to do was itch it until it bloody fell off.

James replaced his tongue with his thumb again so he could seduce her further. "Baby, I will never, ever, ever, forget this sight." Lily bit her bottom lip, trying not to scream as he brought more fingers into her cunt. The same cunt she knew he'd just spilled himself into moments before. Lily's eyes rolled back at the filthy thought, feeling completely consumed by this man. Last year she'd realized that James owned her body and that she would absolutely let him do whatever he wanted to it. This year, she was discovering that she'd been 100 percent correct in this assessment.

She whimpered for him. "James, please," he kissed her buttocks, as his fingers and thumb kept stroking in and out of her madly, "please, tell me you're ready again. Please." She was laying on the begging thick because she knew what it did to him. If he hadn't been ready before, he sure as hell would be ready now.

It worked. He pulled out his digits. "Roll over," he demanded.

Lily did, looking up at him confused. He missed it, too busy scooping her up behind her back so he could move them further up the bed before climbing over her. Lily, embarrassingly, realized you could probably do anal facing one another.

James finally saw the emotion flicker over her face. "Is this okay? I want to be able to see you."

She pulled him down to her, kissing him wholeheartedly — until she realized just where that tongue had just been. "Oh my god!" Lily yelped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "I can't believe—!"

"Not bad, eh?" James winked, looking like he was on the verge of cracking up.

"You dick! Why'd you let me kiss you?" Lily shouted as she slapped his shoulder.

He chuckled ducking down to kiss and nip at her breasts, lest they feel forgotten. "It's your ass," he said between kisses, tugging on her nipple between his teeth.

"James—" Lily pleaded, burying both her hands into his hair and yanking a little. "Sensory overload here," she whispered with her eyes sealed shut.

"Right." He gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry." He pulled back slightly. "You down to keep going?" Lily wrapped her legs around his hips and nodded fervently. "That a yeah?" He grinned.

"Uh huh. That's a hell yeah."

James chuckled as he reached for his wand, hitting his cock with a lubing spell.

"Don't forget to do another contraceptive spell," Lily told him, and cracked a smile when he nodded and looked down to her body seriously like he was about to.

At the last second, he froze, only his eyes moving up to hers as he let out a big sigh. "You happy with yourself?"

"Oh yes. Very much," Lily sassed with a naughty smirk that James couldn't resist.

James threw his wand aside and held his cock instead. "Tell me if it's too much, okay?"

"Okay," Lily breathed, moving her hands to the back of his shoulders as he positioned himself at her back entrance. She looked down between them completely enthralled by what was about to happen.

"Hey Lils." His soft voice brought her attention back up to his face, his beautiful hazel eyes flickering between hers, searching for something and smiling a megawatt smile when he found it. "I love you."

Lily felt herself relax into the mattress, her body becoming a puddle of happy feelings at his words. "I love you, too."

She let out a small gasp as she felt him start to feed himself into her at a tortuously slow pace. His gaze was taking in every single crinkle of her expression, not daring to go even a millimeter too fast for her. "Keep going?"

"Yeah, yeah, slowly just like that." It was such an unusual stretch, and she felt as though she could feel every bit of it, as though she was mapping out the exact thickness of his cock with her body. When his head was fully in, it was like it had disappeared inside of her forever, and all that was left was his shaft, scratching that itch along her rim for her, being hugged in an absolute vice grip.

Finally, James got about halfway in and rested his forehead against hers. She could feel him every time he twitched inside of her. She knew he was holding himself back and being gentle, oh so gentle. "I know I just came, but would it be terribly embarrassing if I ended up coming again really fast?" he asked her rather shamefully.

Lily kissed his cheek, running her fingertips leisurely up his spine. "No."

"Oh, thank Merlin," he muttered. "Because holy hell Lily, your arsehole is so fucking tight," he said all in one breath. She giggled, which must have unexpectedly caused her to pucker around him. "Fuck," James groaned through his own chuckles, eyes shut firmly as he turned his face to the side with a grimace until the feeling passed. "How is it for you?" He asked after he'd looked back into her eyes.

"Honestly?" Lily asked.

"Uh oh…" James' eyes went wide as he pulled back to regard her fully.

"No, I like it," Lily assured hastily. "But I think I liked it more when there was something in both?" She bit her lip, feeling like such a slag for even asking, but why the hell not.

James gave her a lopsided grin. "Okay. I can do that." He gave her a quick kiss, rubbing his nose along hers, before figuratively and literally rising to the challenge, getting on his shins while making sure not to jostle her too much. "Overstimulated it is."

As James gently pumped his cock in and out of her ass while his left hand's fingers were in her cunt, and his right hand played with her clit, Lily was quite sure that she'd died and gone to heaven. But truthfully, what an amazing way to perish.

"Hey Lils?"

"Yes, James?"

"I just came in your arse."

Lily snorted, currently laying on her back panting next to an equally exhausted and satisfied James. "Yeah you did." She wasn't sure if she'd ever had a more powerful orgasm, lying there, completely at James' mercy as his overwhelmed and overused toy. The deadly combination of having so many parts of her touched, teased, and well, fucked, had made her feel as though her brain had left her skull with a one-way ticket to paradise. She still wasn't sure if she was alive or not anymore, but like… didn't care?

"And I took your arse virginity," she declared.

"Ehhh…" James made a noise of protest. "Pretty sure that was just me taking yours."

Lily scoffed. "So I'd have to stick a finger up your bum to take yours?"

"Pineapple!" James squeaked, making Lily give him a deep belly laugh. He blindly patted the bed next to his hip, searching for her hand and interlocking their fingers when he found it. "You are so insanely gorgeous when you come, Lily, my Merlin…" He rubbed his eyelids underneath his glasses with his free hand. "I'm gonna buy a Pensieve. I need to show you."

"Definitely not what they had in mind when they invented it."

He turned his head to her and she did the same. Okay. This movement is about all I have the energy for at the moment. "What? You don't think they thought it would make for an excellent place to deposit all my best spank bank material?"

Lily laughed. "Can you imagine?"

James chuckled. "Nah, I'd probably drown in there." Lily crinkled her nose, a look of disgust forming on her face. "From pure bliss, Lily, jeez! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"You said drown, James! Where was my mind supposed to go?" Lily defended herself, somehow still giggling. This man definitely knew how to keep her happy around the clock.

"Not there," James insisted.

"My apologies, oh-virtuous-one," Lily said.

He chortled. "I mean, practically anyone would seem virtuous next to you, my love. Look at you. Seducing your boyfriend to commit sodomy."

Lily's jaw dropped as she reached over to tickle him as punishment. "You are so full of shit, Potter!"

James had to hold both her wrists to stop her attack, but used it to his advantage when he yanked her body fully on top of his, making her into his own personal weighted blanket. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

Lily looked up at him cheekily. "So. How was it for you?" James opened his mouth, looking like he was about to speak, but then just smiled — a big, wide, goofy smile that Lily absolutely adored. "Did your brain just die, Potter?"

"You know," he finally found his words, "it's surprisingly hard to come up with some cheesy and romantic way to tell you that all your holes are wonderful and I am so blessed to have access to any of them."

Lily snorted. "You're right, that sounds…"

"Not like an accurate way to describe how much I love you. And your body. And all the incredible things we can do with it."

She couldn't with this guy. She snuggled up higher against his body. "Getting warmer I suppose."

James laughed. "What about you? You enjoy yourself?" His smug-ass voice told her he already knew and was just soliciting for praise.

"Yes James, I quite enjoyed myself." She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for asking."

He was now slowly drawing circles on her bicep. "So… you upset we didn't get to go to the Halloween party?"

"Nah," Lily sighed.

"You sure?" James offered. "I mean, we could maybe still catch the end of it?"

"I don't think I can face any professors right now knowing I have your spunk dripping out of my junk." James laughed for a solid minute until Lily added, "Besides. I plan on dressing up for you anyway very soon."

She wasn't sure how it was possible, but even after already making him gloriously come twice that night, Lily still felt his erection as it pressed hard against her thigh.

November, 7th Year

A few short days later, not only was it Friday, but it was — more importantly as he'd pointed out — the day before Padfoot's birthday. As such, he had requested that all his friends go out to a concert followed by a trip to a Muggle bar in London to get shit-faced. (I wonder when he picked up that fun habit.) Everyone had seemed super gung-ho about this idea but James, who had shifted uncomfortably on his bench. It took a few seconds for Lily's brain to catch up to why — she couldn't sneak out of the castle. The risk of going missing when no one in the Order knew where she was, besides someone else who would also be breaking curfew with her, was too great. Of course he'd be more aware of this than me.

James had pulled her aside on the way to class right after. "You're going," Lily had cut him off before he even had a chance to speak.

"Wh—"

"Nope. Don't even think about it, Fre—"

"But you'll be all alone." He pouted.

"I'll be fine, James." She pushed on his shoulder. "Seriously. Tiger and I will curl up with a good movie, and you'll have a grand ol' time with your brother and mates, and everyone will be happy and safe." And not hunted by Death Eaters. "And both the Heads shouldn't be missing all day. You know, duty and honor and all that," she finished with a wink.

He kissed her. "You sure?"

James was tentatively smiling. She knew he was excited about a night of debauchery, but also didn't want to be a bad boyfriend. As if he could ever. "I'm sure, babe. Besides. I'm sick of you."

"Well, that's rude." James slung his arm around her neck. "Just for that, I'll be doing shots for both of us."

She looked up at him as they ambled over to Charms. "Please don't die."

By the time it was Defense, everyone was just about ready for the weekend. It had been very smart of Carter to choose the last class on Fridays to have the duels, since Lily really couldn't picture anything else holding the teens' attention this close to free-time freedom.

"All right, class," Carter announced as everyone settled in a circle around the center of the room. "Today's duel will be Mary Macdonald—" Sirius let out a proud woot, "—against Christian Avery."

Lily swore a pin could drop and you'd have heard it. She felt like she was turning in slow motion when she looked to see Mary, standing there frozen in terror, staring straight forward. Of course: Alice never got to meet Mary and she had absolutely no information to go off of with Avery considering he never participated in her class! They were the two wild cards, so Carter decided to pair them off. Neither teacher knew about Mary's history with him, because how could they? Mary had never reported her whole story. And Lily hadn't even considered telling either one of them herself because it wasn't her trauma to share. Lily guessed Mary had never thought she'd have the misfortune of this happening either, judging by her facial expression. What are the odds?

"Miss Macdonald?" Carter questioned. Avery was now standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her, a malicious grin on his face of pure evil.

Mary walked forward like a zombie. "Mary, no," Lily hissed, trying to grab her wrist, smelling a disaster brewing, but her friend kept walking as if on autopilot.

Avery bowed, lecherously keeping his hawkish gaze on her the entire time. Mary remained in a state of shock, but Lily could see her wand trembling in her hand. I have to do something. I have to protect her! Lily thought wildly.

"Begin!"

Avery hit Mary with a Full-Body Bind Curse right away and Mary fell to the floor with a sickening thud. When duels ended this quickly, Carter would enervate the loser and let them compete again with a reduced score. After all, it wasn't 'fun' if fights lasted less than five seconds.

"Again."

Right after Mary had shakily gotten to her feet, Avery performed the exact same curse, making Mary fall just as hard. He's trying to humiliate her on top of reterrorizing her, Lily realized. She could hear Sirius whispering madly to James, but she couldn't focus on anything other than her best friend, currently trapped on the floor. She knew what Mary was feeling, knew the pain and horrors going on in her head, and so help her Merlin if she wouldn't put a stop to it. Right after Carter had revived her, and as Mary pushed off the ground once more, Lily felt something inside of her snap. No. More. Lily's mind roared as her heart burst, expelling forth a bubble she instantly recognized as the same kind she'd produced to try to save her parents during the car crash. Only this time, it glimmered a sunshine yellow, expanding away from her as it reached her intended target. As soon as the film touched Mary's skin, it popped like a bubble, clinging onto her until it sunk in, as though absorbed by her very flesh.

Lily gasped. It had all taken a matter of seconds, but it had been quite the spectacle… Why was no one saying anything? In fact, no one was even looking at her. How did they miss that?

Avery whipped another hex at her, but a second later, he was hit with it and landed flat on his back. Carter snapped her attention to Mary, still standing there perfectly immobile. Her brows scrunched before she gave a little shrug, clearly thinking she'd missed something. "Nicely done. Let's try again and see if you two can actually get a little back and forth going."

When Avery sprang to his feet, he looked positively livid. Lily knew this look. She feared this look. He was just so soulless, standing there snarling at Mary. Lily barely registered James' hand reaching over to grab hers. Avery made a vicious slashing motion with his wand that looked like it was aimed for Mary's neck. It rebounded at an angle off her collarbone, hitting the ceiling and leaving a large meter-long crack across the stone. He could have severed her head off! Lily raged.

"Enough!" Carter bellowed. "Who's doing this?" She looked around the room, having seen Mary not move a millimeter, her wand still pointing limply towards the floor. There was no way she had been defending herself. "Who's casting a Shield Charm?"

"Lily?" James whispered beside her. She'd just noticed she had started trembling as well. Was it unusually hot in here?

Sirius stepped forward. "Sorry, Professor. I couldn't very well watch this git keep harassing my girlfriend."

"It wasn't you, your wand's in your pocket," Carter dismissed swiftly, eyes still scanning the room. "I'm not mad," she said to the room at large as though talking to a spooked horse, "I'm impressed."

Lily felt herself rocking on her feet. "Lily?" James repeated, only this time more urgently. She faintly felt her neck heating.

Carter clarified when no one stepped forward, "Not many 7th years can pull off a Shield Charm of this caliber, let alone project one onto someone else." Carter made her wand wiggle, casting a spell at Mary. It rebounded as she expected, and since she'd ducked out of the way, it hit poor Robby square in the chest behind her, making him burst into a fit of giggles. "And no one I know can sustain one for someone else, this long, without even pointing their wand at them."

Lily gulped, her throat feeling dry and heavy, unable to breath. Her eyes unexpectedly locked with Mary's. She was staring right back at her now, a confused expression painted on her delicate features. Then, Mary's shoulders convulsed, and a second later, it looked as though she had heaved up her entire lunch onto the classroom floor.

Unable to hold on, Lily felt her vision creep in at the edges, dark and fuzzy, as her body fell to the floor. Either she'd passed out before she hit the ground, or the warm presence next to her had caught her in his arms just in the nick of time.

When Lily opened her eyes, she saw James' face right beside her, chin resting against his fist on the mattress. "Lily, please, please stop ending up in the hospital wing. I really fucking hate it."

She chuckled, squeezing the hand she felt already holding hers. "Aren't Quidditch matches right around the corner? We can trade places then."

"Deal," James responded instantly.

"Hey Lil," Mary's voice said from over James' shoulder.

Lily was embarrassed she hadn't noticed anything other than him. Mary was lying in her own bed with Sirius sitting between them, next to James. "Mare! Are you feeling better?"

But before she got to answer, Poppy came rushing back from her supply closet. "Lily! You're awake. Thank goodness." The healer swooped in on Mary, giving her a Calming Draught.

"How long was I out?"

"Only about nine minutes," James answered, looking at his watch.

"Give or take ten seconds," Sirius teased, clapping James on the back. She noticed James' eyes still hadn't left her.

"What happened?" she asked confused.

"Well," Poppy said, pushing James back so she could properly examine Lily's eyes. "I was hoping you could tell me. The boys here say you started convulsing and fainted."

"Convulsing?" Lily's eyes went wide as she looked at James. "Really?"

"I mean, a little, yeah. It was scary. It's how I knew I had to catch you."

Huh. She hadn't been aware of the convulsing part. "Honestly, I'm not sure." Lily didn't know why, perhaps because she didn't want the young healer to worry and keep her there longer for observation than she needed to, but Lily just didn't feel like telling her the truth. She really liked Poppy, but she couldn't help but remember just how badly Voldemort had been interested in this power she possessed the last time she'd tried to make it happen. She felt like she had to keep it somewhat of a secret now. Protect it. Well, at least from everyone other than the dozen or so classmates who must have already seen it, fuck. "Perhaps I just fainted at the sight of Mary's vomit?" she fibbed.

"That's what I said!" Sirius declared proudly.

Poppy huffed. "Well, I do hope you get over that soon. There's a surprisingly lot of puking involved in being a school healer. A surprisingly lot." She'd mumbled the last part, and Lily knew she must be reminiscing about a particularly messy incident.

Satisfied everyone there was okay, Poppy moved on to her next patients. As soon as she was out of earshot, Mary leaned towards her. "How'd you do it?"

"So you saw it, right?"

"Saw what? What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, what are we talking about?" Sirius chimed in, never one to be excluded from a conversation.

"The shield. I know it was you, I just don't know how you did it," Mary said.

"You made the shield?" James asked Lily eagerly.

"Yeah," Lily answered. "You guys didn't see it? It was glowing yellow."

James shook his head. "We didn't see it, babe."

That can't be… it was bright, and magical, and… obvious! Voldemort had seen it, so it couldn't just be a her thing. "You guys must have missed it. It was like a radioactive bubble coming out of my chest, and when it got to Mary it wrapped around her skin."

"Oh yeah, that," Sirius sniped.

"You saw it?" Lily perked up.

"No, Evans! That isn't something people just miss!" Sirius sassed.

Damnit. But James was still looking at her very seriously. "Was it like with your parents?"

He remembers. She'd told him about the memory Voldemort had probed forth from the depths of her mind of her failed attempt to save her parents and of course he'd remembered. Something clicked in Lily's head. Voldemort had seen the protective bubble, because she had seen the protective bubble; he'd been viewing the scene through her own mind's eye! "Yes," she breathed, looking him dead on. "Different color, but same… texture? Quality? I don't know, but this time it actually reached my person."

"What the fuck are you guys talking about?" Sirius deadpanned, at this point, clearly annoyed.

Lily kept looking at James. "You really didn't see it?" He shook his head. Lily looked back to Mary. "So how'd you know it was me?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders, a deep line formed between her brows. "I dunno… I just sort of felt it I guess? It kinda felt like you. Like when you hug me. Warm and safe and loving. Lily."

Lily had no idea why she felt like crying, but it was honestly the nicest way to be described by a friend. She reached out and grabbed Mary's hand, the long distance between their cots be damned.

Sirius let out a big sigh. "Will someone just tell me, for fuck's sake, what's going on?"

Lily explained as much as she could to her friends: how she wasn't sure how she was doing it, that she wasn't using her wand to cast it, how it seemed to be coming from her heart (Sirius had a field day with that little nugget of information), and how it was born from an intense desire to protect a loved one when they were in imminent danger. She didn't think it was something she could even replicate; it truly had to be in the heat of a particularly perilous moment. And, Lily thought about her parents, clearly it needs to have enough time to be performed.

"You're incredible," was all James said to her in a low, deep voice at the end of their conversation about her unique powers, and Lily didn't think it was an accident when Sirius and Mary scampered off and gave them some privacy shortly afterwards.

The Next Night, 7th Year

Lily heard a loud banging against her portrait door and jumped to her feet merrily, trying not to admit to herself that she'd been hoping for this noise for the past three hours. Don't get her wrong, she'd had an excellent day by herself, well, with Tiger. She'd finished all her assignments, studied for not one, but two tests, and even applied a face mask. All in all, she thought trying to ignore how much she missed James — and how pathetic that was because it was one frigging day — had made her extra productive. Though, to be fair, it is one in the morning, which is early for pub standards, but late when it's been all bloody day. She practically frolicked to the portrait and yanked it open.

The scene she saw in the hallway was comically disastrous. Marlene, who at first glance looked like she was supporting a sleeping Peter, was actually masterfully waiting for him to doze off so she could giggle and take off, only to jolt Peter awake with the movement and make him catch her. This process seemed to be repeating itself over and over again. Dana, who Lily had pleasantly forgotten existed, was sitting on the floor crying, and above her, Remus was holding up her rambling boyfriend, whom Lily had never seen look so out of his mind in her life.

"Uhhhh…" he was slurring, "Seeker! No, nooo, dat waz last week. Um. Marrtr. Saveur. Expelliarmus!"

Lily held back a laugh. Even drunk, he was still obsessed with their passwords. She looked back to poor, poor permanently sober Remus. "Why didn't you hit him with a sobering spell?"

Remus pushed James into Lily's arms, very much implying, 'this is your problem now.' "This is him with a sobering spell." Lily's eyes went wide. "Good luck."

"Wait," Lily cried as he turned to deal with Dana. "Where are Sirius and Mary?"

Remus let out a big, exhausted sigh. "I got them back to the castle and then they sprinted off somewhere. I figure as long as they're here, they're safe." He looked at her guiltily. "I only have two arms and one wand."

"You did great, Remus," Lily assured him, already struggling under James' erratic, floppy weight. "Sorry I wasn't there to help."

Remus gave her one last smile before wrangling the troops back along.

"Oh no!" James declared through uncooperative lips as Lily closed the portrait. "I din live Mrs Norus snacks."

Lily smiled, hitting James with a levitation charm (and another sobering spell for good measure, just in case Remus hadn't gotten the wandwork quite right) so she could more easily manage him. She'd forgotten James had told her he usually left out food for the cantankerous cat in order to stay in her (and therefore Filch's) good graces.

"Don't worry. She forgives you." James let out an audible sigh of relief and Lily couldn't help but giggle. He really had to be so, so far gone. "Had a good night?" she asked, amused.

But James seemed far too distracted to answer her, instead enjoying the feeling of weightlessness as she guided him to his room. It looked like he was trying to bounce his body while suspended, and Lily was vaguely curious if he'd succeed.

She put him back down to his feet next to his bed and summoned a glass of water, forcing it to his lips. "No more," he grumbled, even as he sloshed it down.

"Yummy water," she cooed, tilting the cup along until it was all gone. She knew he'd probably be embarrassed if she told him just how much she'd taken care of him when he woke up, but she really didn't mind doing it. In fact, she actually quite enjoyed it. Not only was James rather adorable when drunk, but she felt like so much of their relationship was him worrying about her, him taking care of her and making sure that she was all right, so it just felt good to do something as simple as tuck him in. She loved it. She loved taking care of other people — especially if those other people were James.

"Let's put our arms up!" Okay, but now it sounds like you're talking to a toddler.

James did, but as soon as he felt her fingers on the hem of his shirt (slightly delayed due to drunk reaction time), he recoiled, tumbling against the side of the bed a bit. "No dank you."

"What?" Lily asked confused. "Do you want to sleep in your clothes? You hate clothes."

"I'm flattered," James continued like he hadn't even heard her, "but I have a girlfriend." He looked like he was trying to focus on a point over her shoulder.

Suddenly, Lily realized he wasn't wearing his glasses on top of being drunk as a skunk. She really hoped Remus had put them in his pocket for safe-keeping and they weren't just lying crunched on a bar floor in London. "I know James, I am your girlfriend."

Lily tired again with his shirt, but James still wasn't budging. "No Miss. Girlfriend. Love her," he mumbled.

Lily smiled despite his obstinance. "Oh yeah?" James gave her a happy nod as he swayed, face full of carefree naiveté. She wished she could see this look on him more often. "What's she like?"

This seemed to do the trick. James was so distracted rambling on about all the things he loved about her that he didn't seem to notice that she'd undone his belt, pulled down his trousers, and pushed him back onto the side of the bed so she could take off his shoes. "She's too good for me. Ya know?" he finished with a dreamy sigh, his hand buried in his hair. It made Lily's heart oddly full to see even when tipsy, he still had his same habits when talking about her. Always playing with that stupid (ly perfect) hair.

"Ever think she feels the same about you?" Lily teased as she lifted his calves up, trying to fully get him onto the mattress.

James vibrated his lips with a loud 'pppfff' sound, allowing her readjustment of his body. "Unlikely." Eyes closed, a devilish grin spread wide across his face. "She lemme stick it in her arse." Lily smacked her hand over her forehead. Oh no. How many people had heard this story tonight? "It was ahmazing." James let out another contented sigh. Suddenly, he bolted upright, swaying slightly, looking like he might be sick from the quickness of his actions. "Don't let her see me like this, yeah?" he asked urgently, seeming far more sober for a second.

Lily's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

James slouched his shoulders, head lolling back. "I wanna be her knight in shining armrr."

Lily made a pout that he completely couldn't see. "James…"

"I wanh her to know I'll always be dere to protect her." For a second Lily wondered if he'd fallen asleep sitting up. "Where's my wand?" he yelped. Nope. Not yet.

Lily groped for the mahogany piece sticking out from his trouser pocket, lying discarded on the ground. "Right here!"

James collapsed back onto the mattress like a sack of bricks, crisis averted.

His words sunk in and, quite frankly, Lily didn't know what to do with them. It wasn't like he didn't say corny stuff to her all the time now — once those floodgates had been opened, he really hadn't been kidding when he'd told her he wasn't going to be holding anything back from her anymore — but for some reason, this felt different. There was an innocent vulnerability in his words, a raw but devastatingly powerful fear that he usually kept hidden for her sake. He wants you to know he'll always protect you. Lily was hit with the weight of his emotions. Even when blacked out, her safety, the clear and present danger she was always in, was still at the forefront of his mind. Lily swallowed down the urge to wrap him up in a cocoon of her love and leave the world behind, never letting him go. She didn't want him to stress like this. It wasn't healthy. "James, I'm sure she knows you're there for her. But you don't have to worry about her all the time," she said gently. "She sounds cool. She can probably defend herself."

"I know that," he said dismissively. Lily reminded herself that he thought he was talking to some random chick who he may or may not believe was trying to sleep with him. His eyes closed as he smiled proudly. "She kicks ass." His mirth faltered. "I just wish she din have to."

He was fading; she could see he was slowly but surely succumbing to unconsciousness now that he was comfortably lying down in his own bed. She pushed his hair off his forehead as she summoned a new blanket to drape over him so she wouldn't have to jostle free the one he was already on top of.

James kept mumbling, his words now barely slipping past his lips. "I jus. I just wanna." He rolled to his side, curling up slightly. "Happy."

Lily watched him sleep for a beat before readying herself for bed and slipping under the blanket with him so she could spoon his back. "I am happy, James," she whispered to him with a little squeeze. And she meant it; despite all her circumstances, she truly, deeply meant it.

Next Chapter: Put in His Place