I'm back! Darlings, you can't get rid of me. This isn't really mutilation… it decided to go its own way. This is the serious bit.

If you would like to make an appearance in the mass mutilation, please tell me what you want to do to Stromboli. As graphic as you like. Some people are getting their names stuck in no matter what they feel about the matter. Ha!

I hope you realise I should be writing an essay. James POV.

I wake up, and for a moment stare at the hangings surround me. It's hard to get my bearings. In my dream I was high above the clouds, and this just feels strange. Then I hear what woke me. Someone's moving in our dorm, moving at the bottom of my bed.

My hand fumbles on my cabinet until I find the wires I'm seeking, and the world comes into sudden sharp focus with my glasses jammed on my nose. I crawl to the end of my bed and throw the curtains open, coming face to face with Sirius.

"I'm borrowing your cloak," he hisses.

"Why?" What's the point? It's three in the morning. If he's cheating on Remus I really will castrate him this time.

"I need to go somewhere."

"Where?"

His eyes flash. The moonlight that's shining in through the open window lets me see that he's fully dressed, jeans and a shirt. His wand is sticking up from his trouser pocket. "None of your business."

"It is if you're taking my cloak." I bring my legs round so that I'm more comfortable. This could be a long conversation.

He sighs, and I know I've got him. It's strange at times, how we're exactly the same. In some ways. Ok, so Remus and him are different sides of the same coin- meant to be together, and yet complete opposites. But without one, you wouldn't get the other. It wouldn't work. Me and Sirius are the same sides of different coins. "You can't change my mind. I'm going to do this."

"Do what?"

He peeks at me through that long fringe of floppy hair. I wish he'd get it cut, but Remus seems to like it. So it won't be. "Promise you won't tell?"

"I promise."

"Not even to Lily? And especially not Rem?"

I cross my heart with my middle finger. A Marauder's pledge. "I swear."

I hear the exhalation that must be a sigh, and he perches on my trunk. "I'm going to kill Stromboli."

Our conversation has, thus far, been conducted in quiet whispers, but this makes me shriek. A hand is quickly clamped to my mouth, and we wait. Peter snuffles in his sleep, and there's the sound of someone turning over in Sirius' bed. Must be Remus. When Sirius is convinced that both our friends are still asleep, he lets me go.

He's telling the truth, I can tell by the way he said it. So matter-of-factly… I wouldn't be surprised if he's planned everything out. How he's going to do it, where, how to dispose of the body afterwards.

"You can't kill him!"

"Why not?" His eyes are defiant.

"Because you'll go to Azkaban! And it'll kill Remus if you hurt someone!"

His head whips round to stare at me. "He won't find out, because you won't tell him."

"No." I'm reluctant. Try changing the subject, see if that changes his mind. "What did Stromboli do?"

Sirius looks as though I've hit him. His whole body is shaking now. "He… hurt Rem. Hit him, cut words into him, burnt him. And he nearly… oh Merlin…" His hand flies to his mouth.

"What?" I ask tenderly.

His face lifts, and his eyes stare into mine. "He nearly raped Rem. My Rem. He… that bastard saw my Rem naked, and he was going to destroy him. If I hadn't showed when I did, he would have raped Rem and then killed him." Tears are falling down his face, silver streaks on white background.

"But he didn't. You got there."

"I keep on thinking about what if I hadn't." Desperation is in his face as he grabs my arm. "He'd be… dead."

"Sirius… you can't do this to yourself. You can't keep on second-guessing. It's in the past."

He sighs. I know he won't listen. Pig headed git. "Listen, can I have the cloak or not? Coz I'm going now."

"How are you going to do it?" Please don't let him have a plan. If he has, then he's been working this out for a long time.

"I'm meeting him tonight. In the Room Of Requirement. I'm going to kill him, then dump the body in the Forest."

"Let me come." He opens his mouth to speak again, but I continue before he gets a chance. "Listen, you can't carry a body, open doors, and stay under the cloak." I didn't mention the fact that this way I might be able to stop him.

"OK, but you can't interfere."

"I promise." My fingers are crossed.

---

We walk past the tapestry, and the door appears. Sirius throws a warning look at me, and we slip into the room. I remain under the cloak for now, looking around the room. It's not that big, the main piece of furniture a large bed in the centre. It's on that which Stromboli is asleep, his hair spread out on the pillow around him.

Sirius climbs onto the bed, holding himself over the boy and looking down on him. "Matthew, " he whispers. Stromboli stirs slightly, murmuring softly in his sleep. "Matthew."

He wakes, and for a second a smile lights up his face. I guess he really did love Sirius. In his own peculiarly twisted way. "Sis!"

Sirius pushes some of Stromboli's hair back tenderly. I don't like this. He's toying with him. "It's me." One tender kiss is placed on the boy's forehead. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

"I'd do anything for you." There's nothing but pure devotion in that voice. It's true. I think, if Sirius put his mind to it, he could have his own army of devoted soldiers. There's so many people out there who'd do anything to be close to my best friend.

"I know, Matthew. Why, you'd even kill for me, wouldn't you?"

"Whatever you want."

"Even if I don't think I want it, you'd still do it for my own good. Wouldn't you?"

Now Stromboli's catching on. He's heard the dangerous note in Sirius' voice. "Sis, I can explain."

Sirius chuckles. "Oh, I very much doubt it."

Stromboli's eyes are widening with fear. I'm sure if he could he'd be scrambling away, but Sirius' body is pinning him down. Even as I watch I can see Sirius' knuckles tighten as he holds Stromboli's wrists. "Please, Sis, I-"

"You bastard," Sirius hisses. "He's perfect, you know that? My own, my perfect Moony. Even with what you did to him. How the fuck do you think I'd choose you over him? He's wonderful, entrancing. You're nothing but shit."

"You loved me once."

"No, never." Stromboli cries out in pain, either from the words or from the fact that Sirius is pulling his hair. I'm not sure which. "You, my dearest Matthew, were just a quick shag while I was waiting for him. And you know what?" Stromboli stares up at him. "You weren't even that good for that."

"Better than him." I can't believe Stromboli is arguing back. When Sirius is in this mood, you take cover and protect your head. Arguing makes it more likely that you'll end up with less limbs. "Your frigid monster."

Sirius punches him, and the breath leaves Stromboli in a huge gasp. "Don't call him that. You know nothing about him. And, for your information, sex with him is far better." I wince. Did not need to know that.

"What's he got that I haven't?"

"He's beautiful, smart, funny, and so vulnerable… your goddamn fucking words, and scars that you gave him. Do you know how long it's going to take him before he'll be ok again?"

Stromboli's face twists. "Hopefully years."

Sirius punches him again, this time his fist connecting with a mouth. It comes back bloody. "I'm going to kill you."

"This is him, Sis, he's done this to you. I can make you better."

"No. Maybe I am under a spell, under his spell." He bends over, whispering into Stromboli's ear. "And I wouldn't be anywhere else."

Sirius sits up suddenly, letting Stromboli go partly. He's still straddling the younger boy, and I wonder if he knows how sexual it is. Probably. That might be partly why he's doing it, to taunt Stromboli with what he can't have.

Sirius pull his wand out of his pocket, and his eyes go crazy. No, I can't let him use an Unforgivable. If he does that, there's no going back. He won't be the same any more. He won't be Sirius. It'll hurt too many people if that happens.

"Padfoot!" I pull the cloak off and throw it to the floor. Sirius has frozen. He probably forgot I was there, got caught up in the moment. Stromboli is looking at me like I'm some kind of angel. Git.

"Go away Prongs," Sirius whispers. He isn't looking at me.

"No. Sirius, you can't kill him."

"Yes, I can. Just two words and it'll be over."

"No it won't." I step closer, wary of his wand. "You'll be haunted by your guilt. Every time you look at Remus you'll see Stromboli's dead body. And once you use an Unforgivable, it's easier to use it again."

"So what, James? Once I kill Stromboli, I'll be a Death Eater?"

"Please, Sirius. Why do you want to do this?"

"For Rem…" His voice shook just then. I think I'm getting through.

"Remus wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want his best friend, the only person he's ever truly loved, to become a killer. Not for that piece of shit." One tear falls down Sirius' cheek. I extend my hand to him. "Remus is upstairs, sleeping in your bed. Go back to him. He loves you, and that's all that matters."

Sirius nods, and stands as though in a dream. He walks out of the room without waiting for me. I hope he doesn't run into Filch, or else he'll be in detention for years.

"James, thank you so-"

I turn back. "Don't talk to me." Stromboli is leaning towards me. "I didn't do it for you. I did it to save my two best friends."

If he does stay around, those two will never be able to get on with their lives. Remus will always be jumpy, and Sirius will never get the thought of Remus' death out of his head. Stromboli needs to be gone.

I pull out my wand and point it at him. He staggers back against the headboard, eyes wide. I never realised how much power this is, having someone totally at your mercy. But I'm not going to Avada Kedavra him. That would be too easy.

In my head, I make the incantation, and leave. He'll never know what I've done to him. And he'll be dead within a week.

Ok… first Siri was gonna kill him. Then he was gonna live. Then James killed him… Edwin, thou art cruel and fickle.

Oh, and freakanaturegot the nearest. Sorry, my computer usually doesn't like review responses. Email me! Anyone can email me, if you want. Probably ought to try my hotmail account though… same as my tiscali one, only with hotmail . com on the end.