Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Harry Potter and anything affiliated with him. It all belongs to JK Rowling and various other franchises and businesses. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Note: Yep, it's Kay here, back for yet another round of this fic. Sarah did a marvelous job with the last one, I have to admit that. (She claims mine was better but we all know she's wrong!). I'm so sorry for taking so long Sarah! Anyway, onwards now. Let's not fast forward too much though...

The Ties That Bind

Chapter By Bellatrix Black

Chapter Three: Trouble In Paradise

Abby giggled and swooned as James heaved on towards the castle. The girl seemed completely drunk with the effects from the potion and James inwardly kicked himself for adding such a high dosage to those damned sweets. And to add to the swooning girl, the friends who'd abandoned him and the very sure-fire trouble he was going to get into from Snape's and his big mouth, Evans was completely and utterly infuriated with him. Now normally, she was infuriated with him on a regular basis, but this... he had crossed the line.

He barged into the Entrance Hall; ignoring the students around him and making his way to the Infirmary.

"Oh James, your eyes are just so brown.." Abby cooed as she hugged him tightly. James could hear loud sniggering coming from Narcissa Black and her clique of Slytherins who had been watching the scene with pure delight.

"Oh, go eat a skrewt!" he bellowed at them as he pushed open the doors to the Infirmary and shot them all a dark and exasperated look.

"Madame Pomfry!" he called loudly and Abby placed a small tender kiss on his cheek and giggled, "Madame Pomfry! I really need you right now!"

Poppy Pomfry rushed into the room, a dark and annoyed scowl on her face as her gaze focused on the two teenagers in front of her. She raised an eyebrow, her voice was stern and brittle as she enquired, "Just what do you need my help with Mr. Potter?"

He sighed, a defeated look on his face as he tried to gesture towards the clinging girl who was strung around him.

"Please, just help me. Her hands have gone places I don't even want to think about," he spluttered. Madame Pomfry pursed her lips, obviously unimpressed and not the least bit happy.

"What happened to her?" she asked and James' mind raced as he fought to find a reasonable excuse for what he'd done.

"Umm.. well..."

"I'm waiting Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfry urged, crossing her arms. It was obvious that she was not going to budge until she had an explanation.

"There was a bit of a mix-up." he mumbled and the woman narrowed her eyes. "A mix-up with some rather strong love potion..."

"Where on earth did you get a love potion?" Pomfrey barked at him as she shot him a dark look and rushed into the storage room to her right, her white and brown robes sweeping behind her.

"I .. umm... well.. I.."

The nurse shook her head, muttering obscenities under her breath as Abby cooed and leant her head on James' shoulder.

"James," she began amidst another giggling fit.

"What?" he asked, waiting impatiently for Madame Pomfrey to reappear and rescue him from this train wreck of a schoolgirl fantasy.

"I know now that those things Lily says about you can't be true," she whispered in his ear and at the mention of his red-haired love, he quickly glanced at the girl wrapped around him.

"So Lily speaks about me then?"

"Oh, all the time."

"What does she say then?"

Abby shook her head and scrunched up her nose, in a look that reminded James slightly of Sirius' cousin Bellatrix. It was the look of annoyance and disagreement, it was suprising to see the look on someone who was usually so gentle and serene.

"Oh she says that you're egotistical and annoying. And that you care only about yourself and your reputation and getting into trouble. But I know it's not true Jamesy," Abby cooed as she wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly. James cheeks blushed crimson as Madame Pomfrey returned to the room, a large blue vial in her hand and a 'don't-mess-with-me' glare that spoke volumes. She poured some of the liquid into a small glass cup and held it out to Abby.

"Now Abby, just drink this slowly," she issued gently. Abby took the cup graciously and sipped it, gesturing it to James; asking if he wanted any, which he quickly refused. He told Abby to sit down on the closest bed as Madame Pomfrey asked to speak with him in her office. James could have sworn he heard a soft hiccup from Abby as he closed the door and faced the school nurse.

"Do you have any idea of the trouble yourself and your school chums have cause today?" Pomfrey hissed and he cowered slightly.

"It was never my intention to get Abby in this... condition," he pleaded and the older lady shook her head.

"I know that Mr. Potter, but Love Potions are forbidden at Hogwarts. Not only this but I also had to sacrifice a bottle of Tammy Rodskin's Slime Remover to a one Severus Snape due to actions you and your blasted schoolmates have been accused of."

James sighed deeply, running a hand through his dark brown hair and shooting Madame Pomfrey one of his custom innocent school boy looks.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I really am," he insisted. The woman's face settled and she crossed her arms.

"I've already informed Professor McGonagall concerning Severus Snape," Pomfrey began, her eyes transfixed on his defeated face. "However... as long as Abby comes out of the potion in good health and as long as she doesn't wish for a punishment to be dealt, then I shall not report this incident to your head of house."

James swallowed the deep lump that had seized itself up in his throat. His face lit up with relief, "Madame Pomfrey, I could kiss you right about now!"

She shot him another dark look.

"Though of course, I shall resist the urge."

~*~*~*~

Professor McGonagall was not the least bit pleased with James the next time she encountered him. She decided to give him detention for whole month and shot him rather icy glares during lessons. Abby had come out of her love-motioned state well off, though she did blush beet root red whenever she and James were within ten feet of each other. Luckily though, the girl was so embarrassed that she didn't wish for the incident to be spoken about, let alone hauled in front of the teachers.

Sirius seemed to be up to his usual tricks again, plotting to do something twice as bad as what had happened already just so he could get back at Snape for James' detention. Remus however, pointed out that it would just be one endless cycle as it was more than likely this would be happening again. So Sirius stood defeated, unsure of how to get his revenge on 'the slimy git'. It was October and soon enough, another full moon neared. Of course, Remus was now struck down with his rather ill feeling as always while the foursome began plotting their next gallivanting adventure.

The skies outside of Hogwarts began to darken as autumn drew to a halt and winter threw itself upon the school. It was the third of November when the news came. The same news which would inevitably change things for three individuals at Hogwarts, though who says the change was for the best?

The name of Lord Voldemort was well known throughout the wizarding world and it was clearly because he was the most evil and despicable of human beings. His followers were becoming more in number and the news of attacks upon wizarding villages had already seeped into Hogwart's gossip cycle. The students worried, as did much of the staff as the attacks seemed to be nearing more and more each time towards Hogwarts. Voldemort was waging a war and now many feared that they would be right within striking distance.

"This means we'll have to tighten up security," Leonard Zabini barked at the next Prefect's meeting. "The Headmaster has cut curfew down to 7pm."

A barrage of moans and groans echoed through the room and Leonard shot all who dared to complain an icy glare. He himself, however had just spent a rather long time arguing with the Professor's concerning some of the new conditions that were to be applied.

"Prefect's will have to do two rounds in their respective wings every night, one before curfew and one an hour after," he continued on, "though some of you will be required to check over the Astronomy Tower and Library incase of stragglers."

Leonard then proceeded to hand out their rosters whilst they silently took them and complained to their house counterparts about which days they had. The head girl, Amelia Dominique gave them all a sympathetic look.

"We didn't make the roster's, the Professor's did," she insisted gently, though she knew very well that it wouldn't make the least bit of difference. A Ravenclaw headgirl was almost a prediction, but the other prefects appreciated the fact that she didn't gnash her teeth menacingly at them whenever they disagreed with her, much like a certain HeadBoy had a tendency to do.

"Leonard! There's been a mistake here," a soft voice among the whispers murmured and the glared over at the boy who had spoken, until he realized that it was a person from his own house.

"And what's the mistake you see, Severus?"

The young man leant forward in his seat, his eyes narrowed as he flung the sheet of paper towards Leonard.

"The mistake is that I've been paired off with a god damned mudblood!" he hissed loudly and the others in the room all caught their breath at the sound of that disgusting word. Remus grunted and shuffled in his seat, who after reading through his roster it was quite obvious who he was talking about.

"You'd best watch your tongue Snape," he muttered darkly, but Severus ignored him.

"Believe me, I'm not exactly overjoyed with the arrangement either," Lily shot at the Slytherin who sat across from her but he didn't even bother to look her way. Instead, he was watching their ever dutiful Headboy as a range of emotions seemed to play over his face. Everyone knew of Leonard's tendency towards those in his house and as headboy, often he was found giving them special treatment. So how, now, could he break the news to one of his own house that he could not excuse him from his rounds with the Gryffindor mudblood?

"Severus," he began gently, "I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to alter the roster. I'm sorry, but I have strict orders from the Headmaster to keep everyone where he has specified. Unfortunately there are no exceptions."

Remus could have sworn he had seen Snape's eyes bulge twice their size. Inwardly, Remus was glad that Snape hadn't gotten his way. though this of course, had a down side as well. This meant that Lily would be spending an hour each night for god knows how long, prowling through the library with Snivellus. He turned towards Lily, noting her still normal demeanor. But this was of course, the calm before the storm. He could see she had developed a twitch above her right eye and prepared himself heartily for the outburst that would surely come in the common room that night.

~*~*~*~

"Therefore, everyone is to return to the common room by seven o'clock in the evening. No exceptions!" Lily huffed loudly, spreading the word to her fellow Gryffindors the next morning before breakfast. Just as Remus had predicted, there had been quite an outrage the previous night with the red headed girl being trailed around by her fellow sixth years who tried anxiously to no avail to make her see a non-existent flipside to her situation.

"This isn't right!" James steamed as he tossed his school bag over his shoulder and got up from the couch. Sirius pursed his lips and smiled sympathetically.

"Look mate, it's not like she's willingly volunteered to partner with Snivellus. She's being forced to," his friend cheered but it did nothing to ease his soul.

"It'll just be for two hours every night James, it's not like she's dating Snape," Peter chimed in and James scowled at the words that spewed from Peter's mouth. Lily, Snape and dating were words seldom used together. The young seeker shuddered at the mere thought as he pulled open the portrait hole and ducked outside the common room.

"Can't you switch with her Remus?"

"Look, I won't be here for the next two nights for reasons you already know of. But I will ask Dumbledore if I can switch with Lily, OK?" Remus sighed and once began chewing on a chocolate frog. His face was pale and worn and for a moment James felt guilty for putting so much pressure on him.

"Are you going to be OK?" he asked under his breath when he and his group of friends were out of earshot from other children who may just get the nerve to listen in. He received a small, weak and perhaps appreciative smile in return.

"Of course I will, I'm just feeling a bit under the weather," Remus insisted.

Sirius shot James a worried look. Remus usually got like this around this time of the month, after all, his transformations always did take toll on his body - even before he actually had them. But Remus' pale face and bland eyes let off a dark feeling within them both - he never got this pale or this tired. Perhaps they were just over reacting. But both of them couldn't help but glance over at him time to time and see just how much he seemed fatigued. Peter remained silent, not noticing the glances that went on between the best friends; Remus however seemed annoyed with them both.

"Don't," he said softly.

"Don't what?"

"Don't be worried about me. Really, it's just the usual things getting to me," Remus insisted gently and all four of them stopped walking. James smiled half-heartedly, Peter shuffled his feet and Sirius glanced down at the stone floor.

"Really Moony? There's nothing you're not keeping something from us?" The ravenhaired boy questioned.

"My dear Padfoot, there is nothing I could ever keep from you, it would be far too hard and the effort would most certainly not be worth it."

Satisfied and with trusting grins, the four of them hurried into the Great Hall, eagerly waiting to fill their empty belly's. James' expression soured as he seated himself, noting Snape was already at the Slytherin table. His smug sneer and dark eyes shot him a small glare before he buttered a slice of toast - the usual morning pleasantries of course.

~ENDCHAPTER3~

Author's Note: Ok, so I'm done, heh. I don't know how long this chapter is actually (as I'm typing it on my laptop, which had a by far outdated MS WORD program). The next chapter's up to Sarah to write, so we know we can expect a good chapter then! I'm sorry if my dialogue is a big too strong or weak at times. It's what comes from me typing this chapter bit by bit at 2am. I can't write during the daytime, I have practically no muse.

Anyway, as said in the summary, this is meant to be a James/Lily/Severus ficcie so I've brought into it a chance for some Sevvie/Lily interaction. Once again, sorry for taking so long getting this up but it took me some time to write as I've been a bit busy lately. Anyway people, feel free to review and let us know what you think :p