When Sirius had kneeled down next to Dorcas on the floor in that classroom, all she had felt was shame: shame about what had happened to her, shame at the way she had treated Sirius, but mostly shame that she was lying on this floor helpless. It was far worse than the night he had found her crying. He had saved her from Merlin knows what and despite her gratitude, all she could think was that she couldn't save herself. She was not a damsel in distress. She had hated herself for becoming one.

But when she had felt his arms wrap around her and seen the fear in his eyes, she found that all she wanted was him as close to her as possible. The minute she was in his arms she felt safer. The pain and the embarrassment of it all were still there but she knew that in his arms, it wouldn't happen again. Curling up against his chest and sensing the way he always smelled a little like leather, she felt as if she couldn't get close enough. Suddenly she was struck with the fear that someone (someone like Rosier) would come and tear him away from her, and her body tightened even more.

When he had laid her gently on the bed, she had just wanted him to wrap his arms around her, but still in shock, she had no idea how to ask him to. When he did it anyway, she had closed her eyes for the first time since Rosier had stunned her. When he wrapped his body around hers, she immediately felt the life returning to her. She relaxed a little and let his warmth flow into her.

Still the fears plagued her. The events of the night played over and over in her head: the way Rosier had sneered at her, called her Black's whore. But as she lay there with Sirius' head on her shoulder, she knew she wasn't his whore. The thoughts of Rosier began to fade. She felt safer and safer the longer they lay there, the more he kissed that place on her neck, the more she felt his heart beating against her back. And for the first time, it wasn't his body. Well, it was his body, but there was something else passing between the two of them; something that hadn't been there before. He was trying to give her something he never had.

She had fallen asleep in his arms the moment she had realized that; the moment she realized that he felt the way she had since June. And when she had woken sometime in the early morning; feeling his hot breath on her neck as he slept, leaving didn't even cross her mind. She simply pulled his arms closer to her and fell back to sleep; wishing she could stay there forever.

The next few weeks were peppered with both happiness and sorrow. There were more attacks, of course. Adelbert Harper's sister was killed. The Prewetts, whose children Dorcas had grown up alongside, were killed. Jude Bennett's parents were in St. Mungo's and the outlook was not good. Despite all of this sorrow, or perhaps because of it, students began to get engaged left and right. Isabelle and Myles were first; announcing their intentions when they returned from her parents' funeral. Then Baxter Stebbins and Wendy Smyth announced the same thing. Annabelle and Owen, who had been married over Christmas, dropped a bombshell when Annabelle announced that she was pregnant. When James asked her about Quidditch, she had laughed in his face. As if Quidditch was important anymore. Everyone seemed to be suddenly grown-up.

Sirius and Dorcas' relationship changed rather drastically after that night. In the days following her attack, they spent every possible moment together. He would squeeze her hand hard whenever they passed Rosier in the hall and she would hold her head as high as possible; forcing herself to ignore him. Then he would wrap his arms around her when he was gone and she collapsed from the fear, anger, and embarrassment. She wouldn't stop apologizing about deserting him after Mr. Potter's death and he wouldn't stop telling her how much he wished he could tell her what had happened that night. He found that he loved to just hold her hand; their long fingers curling together. She loved to stare at his eyes; constantly reading the emotions that were only obvious there. Instead of just shagging after an attack, they found that they could lie there holding each other. The night of the attack on Riley Tobias' family was the first time Dorcas slept the whole night next to Sirius after they had made love. After that, she stayed every time. He would hold her tightly to him as they slept. She would hold his arm to her belly with her own. Since he knew she wouldn't wake him, Sirius made it a point to wake up early so he could kiss her goodbye as she hurried back to her bedroom in the morning; praying one of the other boys wouldn't see her. He'd lay back on his bed; closing his eyes and feeling the emotions he had for Dorcas Meadowes as deeply as he could. Then he would smile slightly, roll over, and go back to sleep only to be awoken by Remus an hour later. Sirius had never known he could feel so incredible.

James was lying on his bed; looking up at the ceiling and reliving the time his father had taken him to the World Quidditch Cup in Rome when he was 9. He saw the way his father had smiled at him as he screamed for the English team; the hazel eyes he had inherited squinting. He felt the deft hand patting him on the head. A bludger had almost hit them that day and James felt his father's strong arms push him out of the way of the ball.

He was vaguely aware of his door opening at some point during his memory. When Lily had laid her head gently on his chest, he began to stroke her hair absent-mindedly.

"He took me to the Quidditch World Cup when I was nine," he said; still looking up at the ceiling. "It was in Rome. England vs. Poland. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen."

She smiled against him and he glanced down at her fiery head. James didn't know how he would have handled the three months since his father's death without Lily. She had held him when he cried, laughed with him at the memories he shared and been next to him when he was so depressed he couldn't react at all. He loved her for it. She reminded him that his future still lay ahead; that their future still lay ahead.

"Lily," he said. "Do you ever think about what's going to happen when we leave school?"

"Mm hmm," he heard her say.

"Well, what do you think?"

She turned her head up and looked at him. "Mostly I think about us," she shrugged.

He grinned in spite of himself. "What sorts of things about us?"

"Oh," she blushed a bit and buried her face in his chest. "Silly stuff really; just being able to be alone with you whenever I want."

He kissed her head. "Yeah," he smiled. "That will be brilliant."

She laughed and went on. "Sometimes, I think about us in a house of our own," she held a hand that lay at his side. "I'm waiting for you and when you come in, you hug me and then kiss me."

"Like in those Muggle romance novels you like so much?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head and he felt it against it against his chest. "Not at all. You've obviously never read one. They're all about mysterious strangers and gratuitous shagging. That's not what I see. Or what I want. I want someone who knows me, someone who loves me, someone who'll love me forever."

"Someone who's already loved you forever?" he asked.

She looked up at him again and smiled. Then she lifted her head, nodded, and kissed him on the lips. Her head fell back on his chest and he continued his stroking; occasionally kissing her head.

"James," she asked quietly.

"Hmm?" he moaned; looking back at the ceiling.

"Do you ever worry about Him?" she asked. "That once we're out of Hogwarts we won't be safe anymore?"

James wanted nothing more than to lie to her, but he couldn't. They weren't even safe at Hogwarts. Look at what had happened to Dorcas. If anything like that happened to Lily, he didn't know what he would do.

"All the time," he said.

She snuggled in closer to him and he wrapped his free arm around her.

"So do I. But you know, I'm not nearly as scared of him as I am of losing you. As long as I have you, everything will always be right."

James sighed, "I love you Lily."

She sat up and looked at him; breathing sharply. "We have to fight him, James, you know we have to."

James' father's words rang in his ears. He and Sirius could make all the difference in the world, but with Lily fighting this bastard had no chance. "I know," he nodded gravely and then smiling slightly, "and he'll hate us more than anyone."

Lily actually chuckled. "If you annoy him half as much as you annoyed the Slytherins for the past 7 years, I'm sure he will."

She put her head back in its original position and he hugged her with both of his arms. They lay there for a few minutes silently until James felt a pool of tears seeping through his tee-shirt.

"Lily…"

"I'm so scared James," she said quietly.

"So am I, sweetheart." He sighed sadly. "It's not fair that we have to live like this. I wish more than anything that we could have my parents' life. It's what I always imagined. But…"

"Things happen," she offered.

"Yeah," he put a hand to his forehead.

"Merlin," she sighed.

"I want to tell you that I'll always keep you safe, Lily…"

"You know I can take care of myself, Potter."

He smiled and looked down. She was looking up at him with tear-stained, but smiling, green eyes. "I've heard that, yes."

"And don't you dare get yourself hurt," she said. "Or I might have to break up with you again."

He smiled slightly. "I don't think I could handle that. I might have to ask him to kill me if that happened."

"Well," she said. "Then make sure it never happens."

"I will," he said; nodding. "You promise you won't get hurt either?"

She nodded. He kissed her. They separated and he looked at her; taking in every single detail of her face. Tears burned the back of his eyes as he realized what awaited them just months away. He kissed her again and felt just how much he loved the woman that lay on his chest. He'd kill for her, he'd die for her. Hell, he would die without her.

The next morning James was up early. He spent twenty minutes writing to his mother. After he had sent the letter off with his owl, Yorick, he went immediately to see Sirius.

Dorcas was still there and the two of them had suddenly shot awake when James arrived. Untangling herself from Sirius, Dorcas kissed him softly and smiling, she left the dormitory. Sirius watched her leave with a bemused look on his face.

"That seems to be going quite well," James said; watching Sirius' face and smirking.

"It is," Sirius grinned. "What are you doing here so bloody early, by the way?"

James smiled and then took a breath. "I'm gonna do it, mate. I'm going to ask her."

Sirius' jaw dropped and then he grinned again; punching his friend in the shoulder. "Congratulations mate!"

James couldn't contain the gigantic smile that was taking over his face.

"I want to do something big. Marauder-style, you know. Will you help?"

"Of course," Sirius said. "But you don't want to actually prank her, do you?"

James rolled his eyes. "Don't be a prat, Sirius."