Author's Note:

Well, I saw Wakanda Forever last night and I cried like a baby. Absolutely stunning visually and seriously an amazing film. One of the better Marvel ones that have come out since End Game. Very well done!

For those of who celebrated a moment of silence today to honour the men and women who gave their lives in the First World War and for all of those who have given us the freedoms we have today since then, on the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month, we will remember him. Thank you for your service. 🇨🇦

Reviews and Comments: To scrappy8: Thank you! Yes, Sirius does hold fault over himself when it comes to his little brother's choices. Thank you! To Sets: It is very telling to how Harry deals with things himself. Thank you! To alix33: I know, poor Sirius. Thank you! To ellyann13: Possibly, but blame is hard to explain when you feel it. Thank you. To darkhk: No one wants Sirius to be sad, but he is. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Sirius does feel as if he's abandoned Regulus and even though it wasn't his fault, he feels that it is. Thank you! To threereasonswhy: Sirius was doomed to this fate from the star. The Star Brothers, lol. Sounds like an interesting fanfic. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Grief is a very powerful emotion. Thank you for saying I am successful at writing it into the experiences of fictional characters. I do try my hardest to do so. Thank you! To Slaidback: "Short, but like a punch to the solar plexus." Thank you! I consider that a high compliment! To Bellmel: No, I suppose the title didn't bode well. You're right, it makes sense for Regulus to feel abandoned and you can see how both boys have suffered because of how Walburga and Orion treated Sirius. I love James and Remus being there to hold him as he cried and screamed. He has his brothers to love and comfort him even when his blood brother has abandoned him. Thank you!

My posting schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!


CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE:

The One With Jily

November 1977…

James was awoken to the feel of soft lips pressing against his neck. He made a half moan, half sigh before he turned towards the lips and the smell coconut and vanilla. His lips curved.

"Lily?"

He opened his eyes and saw his girlfriend sitting on the side of his bed in his dormitory. He blinked at her, only seeing the blurry outline. She seemed to notice because she bent lower to kiss him.

"Morning, James."

"Good one so far," he said, pulling her down on top of him and making her laugh.

He pinned her beneath him in the big bed, kissing her deeply before he snuggled her into his arms and rested her cheek against his bare chest. The last few months, having the Head dormitory to themselves, it had been amazing. They stayed up late, snogging on the sofa, sometimes even snogging in James' bed, and he relished every moment of being with her. Kissing Lily was like being in the sunlight and he never wanted to leave the feeling of that warmth that surrounded him.

"We should stay right here all day," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"In your bed?" she teased.

James nuzzled his nose against her hair. "Most definitely."

Lily smiled, turning so that her chin was resting on his chest, staring up into his eyes. "I couldn't sleep."

James lifted an eyebrow.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you."

His lips curved. "Oh, really?"

"James… last night you said…"

"Did you think about it?" he whispered, those hazel eyes meeting hers.

"All night," she admitted, her hand sliding down his chest to cup him through his pyjama bottoms. "I don't want to wait any longer. I want you. I want this. Please, James."

James' eyes met those green ones, as emerald as could be. He'd never seen anyone with such beautiful green eyes. "Lily…"

The growl that escaped his throat as she turned in his arms made desire rush through him. Last night, he'd been willing to wait as long as she wanted, but having her here now, in his arms… he wanted to never stop touching her. He wanted her to clench around his fingers, around his tongue, and he most definitely wanted to sink deep inside of her where he belonged.

"Kiss me."

James leaned in and hovered his mouth over hers, deliberately not touching them. Then his lips moved down her throat, lower and lower until the tip of his tongue brushed along the edge of the cotton nightshirt she wore and her breath hitched. His grin widened as his hands slid up the sides of her top, bolding pulling it over her head.

"You're sure?"

"I've never been more sure," she told him. "Kiss me. Please, James."

He did; his hands slipped to her waist and pulled on the string of her cotton pyjama bottoms.

Lily's breath caught before she helped him tug them down and off, tossing them over the side of the bed. The look in her eyes made him even harder.

Her hands slid up his back as he tapped his fingers along the edge of the pink bra she wore. He undid the clasp and tugged it off, tossing the bra next to them on the pillow as his name broke her lips in a soft whisper that made him yearn for her even more.

Then he lowered his mouth and boldly took one of this soft pink peaks between his lips. Her body exploded. It was the only word that she could think of to describe the sensations wracking through her. She wore nothing but a small pair of pale pink cotton knickers and it alarmed and fascinated her at the same time. When his teeth nipped her, she gasped.

"James…"

James brought his hands up to cup her, pleased that she spilled over his hands just enough. "You're so beautiful."

"I want you to make love to me."

His eyebrow rose. "With."

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows raising up in surprise.

"You want to make love with me, there's a difference."

He bent his head down again to nibble at her breast.

"James," she murmured. "I want…"

He cupped her through the pink cotton and her head rolled back. "I know, love. I'm going to help with that. I promise."

Lily's eyes met his, already darkened with the first dregs of pleasure. "I'm going to hold you to that, James Potter."

His cocky grin made her clench her thighs in anticipation.

James' mouth moved to her earlobe as one hand tapped her hip and the other slid up, captured a breast and tweaked the nipple enough for her to cry out. He kissed down her throat, stopping to suck on her pulse points and her fingers latched into his hair. His lips curved against her throat; she trembled. His mouth moved lower, back to her breast.

Merlin, they'd been dancing around this for weeks now. It seemed like every night, they would come back to the head dorm and snog and touch and grind until they could barely breathe before Lily would say goodnight and leave him aching for her. She wasn't ready yet, and he understood that. But Godric it felt like forever, but he'd waited and now she was here, in his bed, practically naked and begging him…

Lily ran her hands over his back. His lips ran over her skin, moving to her lips for a deep kiss and then gliding away to do delicious things to her. He kissed each nipple, soft kisses down her stomach, tongue dipping into her bellybutton and she arched towards him, unsure of what to do as her hands touched that soft skin; over the firm muscles in his back. He slid her knickers off, slowly, letting his lips trail down every inch of her right leg where the knickers passed. When he finally slipped them off of her, he nibbled at her toes before moving to her left foot and slowly up her left leg. By the time that he reached her mouth again she was practically panting.

James nibbled at her lips, soft and slow, and then deep and greedy. She was everything that he had imagined and more. This was Lily. His Lily, so beautiful, so perfect, so soft. She tasted like Lily. A flavour he couldn't quite describe, but was the only thing that he craved. As his lips brushed her ear he spoke, his voice deeper, huskier and it sent shivers down her spine.

"I want to hear my name."

"James," she said, her fingers in his hair, playing with the nape of his neck.

"Mmm, I want to hear my name as I pleasure you."

Then his fingers were inside of her and she did cry out his name; cried out for the release that she so desperately craved. But then they were gone, kneading her hips, her soft waist as he moved his lips down her body.

Lips touched her everywhere. It seemed to be too much. It was so much and so hot and so overwhelming. The heat was intense and she continued to arch towards him, desperate for him to give her more, to make her feel the pleasure he kept promising and stop this frantic ache inside of her. Then her eyes widened when his lips brushed low on her thigh and his tongue slid into her.

She went wild beneath him.

"James," she sobbed, her hands in his hair as he made love to her with his mouth.

The way her voice became husky caused him to throb violently in his boxers. When he managed to catch her in just the right way, she erupted. The sound of his name raining out of her along with her sighs of pleasure only reminded him of how hard he was.

"Good girl," he breathed.

He continued to kiss her, nibbling and sucking, building up the pleasure inside of her again before he kissed his way back up her body. He let his tongue trail over her breasts, kissing her in every place his mouth could find. She tugged him up by his hair, kissing him desperately and he rolled her over so that she was on top, shimmying out of his boxers as he did.

"Lily," he murmured, kissing her neck. "I need… I need to be inside of you."

Her green eyes moved down to his rather impressive cock and she nodded, swallowing nervously. He kissed her forehead, then her lips as he slowly and carefully lowered himself into her. She was so tight and he closed his eyes to stop himself from going off like Vesuvius before he had even gotten started. He had to be strong, this was her first time and he wanted to make it good for her.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her.

She was magnificent. She was flushed from pleasure. Auburn hair tumbling down her back and covering her breasts. Her eyes were a dark, intense green and they met his before she bit her lip and urged him to go on. Achingly slow he moved over her, guiding her with his hips, watching her face for encouragement.

"That's right, take me in," he whispered, brushing his lips over hers. "Good girl. Can you take more?"

At her nod, he pushed himself in deeper, closing his eyes at how bloody amazing it felt.

Her hand moved down between them and she ran her nails gently across his abdomen.

"More," she murmured.

He trembled, slipping deeper inside of her until he was finally fully sheathed in her warmth. She bit her lip and after a moment gave him a small nod. He slowly began to move, watching her eyes widen in surprise and pleasure.

"Such a good girl," he said in her ear as their lips met.

He pressed against her with his fingers, rubbing her as he moved. Her nails dug into his biceps and when he came, his teeth dragged across her shoulder.

She captured his mouth for a long kiss as he rode out his orgasm.

James buried his face in between her breasts, still deep inside of her. He nibbled softly at the skin before him until he reached her lips. They kissed ever so slowly and when he pulled away he gave her a wide smile.

"You're pretty damn good at that."

She laughed and kept her arms wrapped around him. "Beginner's luck?"

James fondled her breast as he grinned. "We'll have to do it again to make sure."

She smiled and kissed him again as he rolled over to snuggle her close. "Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. It was perfect."

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "The second time will be better. I promise. I'll make you come a few hundred times to make up for it."

Then his lips were on hers again and James couldn't imagine being happier than he was right now.