NEWT exams passed as if in a dream. While Lily and Remus spent hours late into the night in the library reading and taking notes, James and Sirius took a more relaxed approach - one of the boys would sit on the ground and yell out questions, while the other would chase the snitch from a broomstick. James would swear it was the superior form of studying, using your brain and your body at the same time would improve memory retention. Lily rolled her eyes to Remus' delight. He was ever more grateful to have another voice of reason amongst his friends.

The final exam was potions, all four of them emerged from the great hall sweaty and tired. Lily was red in the face, the divot between her eyebrows evident, and a small frown on her lips. Sirius spotted her first, and made his way over. Swinging his arm around her shoulders, he kissed her

temple.

'You look concerned, love.' Lily dropped her head against his shoulder.

'I'm sure I mixed up the order of the wormwood and the mandrake roots. The potion turned a lavender colour, instead of a deep purple.'

'I wouldn't worry about it, I don't think the instructions specified which kind of purple it was meant to go.'

'But what if it was the wrong colour?'

Remus appeared from the crowd and pressed himself against her other side.

'What do you mean the wrong colour? I saw your potion, it looked exactly how it was meant to.' Remus looked so sure of himself that Lily let her shoulders relax. James appeared at Sirius' other side.

'Your potion changed colours?' sounding worried. Sirius laughed and slung his other arm around James, pulling him close.

'I think what's done is done, and there's no changing it. I also think we all deserve a drink. A few drinks, actually. Maybe more than a few.' Trust Sirius to brush the past aside. Remus nodded his head with enthusiasm. Lily quirked a smile. James let out a loud sigh, and the four of them made their way to the dormitory to drop off their quills and parchment, and to change out of their robes.

Lily entered her room and slumped down onto her bed with a huff. Alice came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. She had been a part of the earlier group of students for her potions exam, and had finished sooner.

'Hi Lily, how did you go?'

'I think I did ok, you?'

'I'm not confident about the colour my potion was at the end, but it smelled right. Oh well, can't be helped now.' Alice too flopped back on to her bed.

'It's actually over, like, we're finished.'

'I know.'

'What are you going to do tonight?'

'Probably the same as the rest of the seventh years, go to Hogsmeade and get drunk.'

'Alice! You're not 18 yet, they won't let you drink at the Broomsticks!'

'That's why there's a group of us going to the Hog's Head, they say it's got a more lax underage policy.'

'That's a terrible idea,' Lily hoisted herself onto her elbows and looked across at the mousey girl, 'Besides, there's heaps of people staying here to drink, why don't you join them?'

'Oh yeah, I'll just stay with all the babies, shall I?' Lily laughed at that, and eventually Alice joined her. They both lay back and let the finality of their potions exam wash over them for a while.

Eventually Lily toed off her shoes and socks, and rose to remove her robes and school uniform. Alice remained flat on her back, staring up at the drapes of her bed.

'Lily, can I ask you something?' Lily's heart beat a tattoo against her ribs.

'Yeah?'

'I thought you were going steady with James?'

'I am.' A pink flush rose to her cheeks, and she fumbled with the buttons of her shirt.

'Well... Yesterday I saw James and Sirius outside chasing their stupid little snitch, but then when I came back here...'

'You came back to the dorm yesterday afternoon? I didn't hear you?'

'Well, no, I suppose I heard you and decided to go to the library instead. I could swear I also heard- Well, I don't know for sure-'

'It was Remus you heard.' Lily shut her eyes tight. She had known conversations like this were coming, and that they would be difficult. Alice was her friend though, and having lived together half of each year since they were both 11 there were very few secrets.

'It's kind of- Well I suppose it's complicated-'

'See I thought Remus and Sirius were together?'

'Oh, they are, it's just that, well... The four of us are- we're sort of all dating each other.'

'All four of you? Together?'

'Yeah.'

'Like, romantically?'

'Yeah'

'What about the sex?' Lily's blush grew more intense, and she suddenly felt very naked, despite having stopped trying to undress.

'Do you have sex with all of them? Does James get jealous? I bet Sirius is filthy when he's naked!' Alice had sat up, and was staring wide eyed. Lily was confused, and tilted her head. Holding her shirt closed, she turned.

'Wait, you're not... Surprised? Or disgusted?'

'What? No? Oh!' Alice smacked her forehead with her palm. 'I forget sometimes you're muggle- born! Polyamorous relationships are fairly common. Not everyone, but some of the older "pure- blood" families have had polyamorous groupings - as long as they were all wizard-born of course-' Lily looked dumbfounded. It had never occured to her to ask if the kind of relationship she was in was more common amongst wizarding communities. She supposed they were generally more accepting of gay men and lesbians, she shouldn't be surprised.

'You never said what the sex was like, you have to tell me everything! I bet Potter has the most perfect O-face, and is it true that Black has a tattoo on his stomach?' Lily smiled and went back to changing, glad to have someone other than the boys to gush about her newest secret.

'Sirius does not have any tattoos, he's a dirty liar. James does have an excellent O-face though, and Remus- Well, Remus is very impressive.' Lily smiled dreamily while she pulled on her jeans and vented all of her admiration for each boy in turn. She pulled on a T-shirt, intending to bundle up when she finally looked at Alice. The towel-clad girl had a knowing smile and her eyebrows raised.

'What? What's that face for?'

'You're so screwed! You're deep in it Evans.'

'What do you mean?'

'What was it you said just last year? "That Potter is going to get a Glasgow kiss if he doesn't shut up about a stupid date!"' Alice grinned goadingly and started to dress.

'Now you're going steady with the whole lot of the idiots! Wait until this gets out, everyone will foam at the mouth! The uptight Lily Evans going steady with all of the self titled Marauders,' She drawled out the last word mockingly, right before a pillow hit her in the back, flung by a spell with some force. Whipping around, Alice managed to deflect the second pillow, before grabbing her own, and flinging it across the room at her long time friend. Lily had a grin on her face, though internally she worried. She hadn't really thought about that aspect, being too wrapped up in exams, and end of year, and James, and Remus, and Sirius...

Eventually there was a knock on the door.

'I'll get it!' sung Alice, in a smug tone. She crossed the room, now dressed, and opened the door a crack. Remus stood closest. James further back, remembering the last time Alice had answered the door to him.

'Yes hello boys, can I help you?' Her smile was taunting, her eyebrows waggled suggestively.

'I- Is Lily still here?' Remus answered her with a confused frown.

'Oh yes, she's here, and look at that, all three of you have come to collect.' She winked at Sirius, whose eyes went wide.

Lily was hopping to the door, pulling on her second shoe.

'I'm here- Alice stop being a twat-' Lily grabbed her jacket from the peg by the door, and moved Alice aside with a shove.

'Ready?'

Remus, Sirius and James nodded, eyes still on Alice's smug face, before Lily shut the door on her. 'What on earth did you tell her?' Remus was the first to speak after they left through the portrait- hole.

'I didn't have to tell her, she guessed. She came back to the dorm yesterday afternoon...'

'What happened at the dorm yesterday afternoon?'

'She heard Remus and I going at it.'

Remus looked concerned for the rest of their trek to the gates, where they would apparate the rest of the way. James and Sirius, eager to taste their celebratory drinks, went first. Joining hands, they diapparated with a loud crack, whipping up the wind. Lily took Remus by the hand, her uncanny sense of when he was spiralling proved useful again.

'Moony? What's wrong?'

'Nothing's wrong,' an automatic response.

'Don't you lie to me, Remus Lupin, yesterday I made you come twice in an hour, I deserve better than that.'

Remus blinked slowly, and shook his head, 'I just- I don't know if I'm ready for people to know. I know what it's like to have a secret like this, and I'm worried about what will happen if it gets out, and-'

Lily had kissed him, and flung her arms around his shoulders. He slowly let his hands rest on her waist, and let his anxiety dissipate into her warmth. She tasted of cherries and juniper, and he was always in awe of the softness of her demanding lips. He tilted his head, and Lily's small hand crept up his neck into his hair reassuringly. She pressed closer and broke their lips apart, both a little shocked by the cold air.

'Remus, whatever happens, me and James and Sirius are right here with you. We're not going anywhere, and who cares what anyone else thinks anyway?' She smiled and kissed his nose, pink from the cold.

'Besides, Alice said that the wizarding world is used to this kind of thing, she said even some pure- blood families accepted it.'

Remus was looking at Lily like she was the first star in the sky, after weeks of clouds. His eyes were suspiciously wet.

'I love you' The words tumbled from his mouth before he stopped to think, which didn't happen often. Lily froze, her hands ceasing to card through the hair at his nape. He shut his eyes and cursed himself. One month in, and already he was acting like a fool. How could he think she would return the feeling so soon, what was he-

She kissed him again, snapping him out of his self-scolding. His eyes flew open, and his hands tightened on Lily's waist. She broke the kiss again.

'When will you learn, Remus Lupin, nothing you can say will drive me away. I love you.' They gazed at each other for a long time. Remus could only thank whatever powers that be for Lily Evans. After his admission of being a werewolf, he had received love, he supposed there was nothing worse than that he could say. He kissed her this time, and she returned in kind. A loud crack and a gust of wind interrupted, James and Sirius appeared hand in hand.

'What's this then?' asked Sirius, pouting.

'You were taking too long, we thought one of you had been splinched, but here we find you snogging!' snarked James, 'We're supposed to be drinking!'

'Moony was being anxious, I was helping.' James and Sirius dropped their offended facades. They moved closer to the couple, Sirius fitting himself against Remus' back, winding his arms around his waist. James lifted one of Remus' arms, and bundled into his side, one arm around Lily at his front. 'You ok Moony?

'I'm ok'

'You sure?'

'Yes, I'm sure. I'm glad you're here though. It's better this way.'

--

The Three Broomsticks was packed tight with graduating witches and wizards. There was a wizard with a guitar in one corner, and several fireplaces with roaring fires set into the walls. James had started them all off with shots of firewhiskey, opening a tab with the barman. Lily and Remus had looked worried - being far less wealthy than the two full-blood wizards. They were quickly assured by both James and Sirius that tonight was fully paid for. Remus and Lily shared the discomfort that came with the situation, but were grateful all the same. They sat around a tall bar table with drinks in hand.

'Holy fuck, it's actually finished. We're graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

'You don't know if you're graduating anything Prongs, what if you failed your exams?' Sirius prodded. He couldn't help himself. James' eyes went wide and his hand came up to his chest in a mockery of anxiousness.

'Why would you say that, what if I did fail?' Lily laughed into her butterbeer.

'If James Potter failed an exam, I'm a haughty hippogriff.' James smiled again, put his arm around her shoulder, and gave her a wet kiss on her cheek.

'See Pads, Lily believes in me.'

'I was obviously kidding, we've all passed with flying colours, right Moony?'

'Of course.' Remus was not a drinker, and had the lowest alcohol tolerance of the group. He was already beginning to feel light-headed and warm. He leaned into Sirius, and they scooted their chairs closer together. Sirius' embraces always made him feel the safest, the strong arms and infallible warmth of his boyfriends' side seemed to seep into his bones.

'What's next?' started Lily, after a period of comfortable, contemplative silence.

'As in?'

'As in, what is everyone planning to do next? I'm hoping my NEWT in potions is enough to get me an apprenticeship with Slug and Jiggers in Diagon Alley.'

'Apparently Slug and Jigger's only takes on the best of the best'

'Do you not think I'm the best of the best?'

'Of course you are my darling, no one can beat Lily Evans in potion-making.'

'Except perhaps Moony.' Remus smiled shyly at the compliment.

'What about you Moony, what do you want to do?'

'I suppose I'd like to work in a bookstore to start with, save some money. '

'That's it? Moony you're brilliant! You could be a healer, or a potions master, or a teacher!' James looked scandalized at what he saw as a lack of ambition. The truth, however, was much harder to hear.

'I think my options may be... More limited than yours James. Consider how- How much time I need off on a fairly regular basis.'

James' face fell. None of them had considered that. Sirius bristled at the thought.

'Any business that would reject you because of that wouldn't be worth working for anyway. James is right, you're brilliant, and you can do whatever you want to do. I'll make sure of it.' Remus blushed as Sirius pulled him protectively tighter to his side.

'Doesn't he look so pretty when he's bashful?' asked Lily, rather more loudly than she intended. Remus blushed to his hairline and lowered his eyes. James couldn't help but notice how long his eyelashes are. Sirius let his hand fall from around Remus' shoulders, and slipped his fingers under his shirt. He traced tiny circles to the soft skin of his lover's hip.

--

The night grew darker outside, and the crowd in The Three Broomsticks only grew louder. The graduating witches and wizards all caught up in the fervour of relief and excitement. The conversations became loud and animated, each group of students constantly shifting and changing as everyone drifted around the room. Simmering below the surface, many were beginning to realise that this was the last they would see of many of their classmates, and below the excitement ran a slow current of finality. So many promises to stay in touch left their makers acutely aware of their own lies.

Lily and Sirius got up to dance from their conversation with some Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, the guitar player having summoned a self-playing drum kit and keyboard. James and Remus watched hungrily from the sidelines, declaring themselves too drunk for dancing. There was a crowd on the dancefloor, but Lily and Sirius had trapped their gazes. A song with a heavy baseline began, and Lily spun into Sirius. She pressed her back into his front, and they began to gyrate to the rhythm.

Sirius put a hand on her hip and she let her head fall back to his shoulder. Several of the other Hogwarts students shot them curious looks, but most were too drunk to care. Remus was rooted to the spot, almost salivating at the sight. He barely noticed James leaving his side, and then

returning a few minutes later to join their hands. James tugged him forward towards the dancers. Remus shook his head, wide eyed before James leaned in to shout in his ear above the din.

'I'm not asking you to dance, just come with me.' James led them onto the dancefloor, leaned down to Lily and spoke to her briefly. She opened her eyes and nodded, pulling James in for a kiss before she broke away, and Sirius occupied his lips instead. Several of the students around them stopped to stare. Remus couldn't help but notice the flush of Lily's features and the bulge in Sirius' always- too-tight trousers. Sirius released James, and Lily craned her neck for a turn at his lips. The same students now stared openly, jaws on the floor.

James tugged Remus' hand again, led him away from the noise, up a flight of stairs he hadn't noticed before.

'James?' Remus tried. His head was foggy, but he still had the wits to be curious. He was still thinking about the sight of Lily and Sirius unabashedly grinding into each other. It didn't help with the fog.

James stopped suddenly on the stairs, pushed Remus against the wall, and captured his mouth in a messy, whiskey-fuelled kiss. Remus stumbled backwards and knocked his head, barely noticing. James had one hand pressing his hip into the wall, and the other steadying his shoulder. Their lips clashed together in another clumsy kiss, James tasted firewhiskey and butterbeer as he licked into Remus' mouth, which opened for him willingly. Remus fumbled with James' t-shirt, desperate to feel skin under his fingers. His senses were all over the place; he was no longer being bombarded by the smell of alcohol and the press of bodies in the crowd. His wolf's nose picked up the pine and musk of James' natural scent, his advanced hearing noting the gasps of breath from both of them as they surfaced for air in an irregular pattern, and the gentle rasp of fabric and friction.

He finally managed to slip his hands under the hem of James' shirt, where he felt hot, smooth skin. He traced his fingertips up James' ribs, only to lightly scratch back down, earning him a grunt of appreciation. James tilted his head as he stepped closer to the taller boy, pressing them flush against one another. Remus' turn to gasp. James' erection pressed against his thigh, hard and ready. He felt James' stomach press against his own cock, now straining almost painfully against his fly. He let his hands wander lower, feeling their way down past the waistband of James' jeans, and grasping for the plump globes of his arse.

James broke their kiss and stepped back, grinning drunkenly. His dark features and deep brown eyes were unfocused, while managing to zero in on Remus.

'C'mon Moony,' he slurred slightly, 'I've got us a room.' With that, he turned and led Remus by the hand up the rest of the stairs and down a dark corridor. He stopped in front of a door labelled '12' and whispered a password. It creaked open to reveal a surprisingly homey room. A huge bed against one wall looked to have been magically enlarged, a plush couch in another corner, a thick rug laid by a cozy looking fireplace. James led Remus into the room, and the door swung shut behind them. It was gloriously warm. He dropped Remus' hand and continued toward the bed, pulling his shirt off as he went. Remus watched as the shorter boy turned and slowly shimmied out of his jeans, leaving him in only his pants. He backed onto the bed and let himself fall onto his elbows, his prominent erection now tantalisingly on show. Remus stood still, his brain scrambling to catch up. His breath came in short, sharp inhales.

'You can stand there if you want Moony, but I'm going to get started.' James slipped his hands under his waistband, cupping himself with a groan. His eyes fluttered closed and Remus drank in the sight. James' quidditch captain physique had been maintained though his studying methods, and his coffee coloured skin now pulled taught over well-toned musculature. His perfect shoulders and chest were Remus' favourite part, he watched as the pectoral muscles fluttered with the strain of propping himself on one elbow. The other arm showed off a strong set of bicep and tricep muscles rippling.

Remus couldn't stand it any longer. He rushed to the bed, stumbling in his haste, sinking to his knees between James' legs. James let his head fall back to the sheets, still palming his cock. The taller boy pressed open-mouthed kisses to the inside of a knee, making his way slowly further in. James began to breathe more irregularly in anticipation, and Remus batted his hand away from his crotch, wasting no time in pulling the inconvenient pants down his legs. James' thoughts were wordless, swirling feelings of both 'more' and 'too much'. Both legs came to rest with knees hooked over his shoulders, and Remus found himself with perfect access. His hands worked their way under James' arse, grasping and tugging the shorter boy further off the edge of the bed. Remus licked a wet stripe to the right side of James' groin, savouring the feel of short, coarse hair on his cheek. James' dirty moan stoked the fire and spurred Remus on.

He squeezed James' firm arse, and slowly pressed his mouth to one of James' balls, sucking it gently into his mouth. One of James' hands came to rest on the top of his head, the other gripped the sheets on the bed.

Remus worked on one bollock until it was almost dripping, then moved to the other. James moaned loudly, and Remus fumbled for his wand. He briefly disengaged his lips to point the wand at the door without turning to cast a mumbled silencing spell. James fingers tangled in his hair almost immediately at the loss of contact, but Remus was happy to oblige the tugging. He nosed his way down and pressed his tongue to James' taint, causing his hips to buck. Remus savoured

the contrast of his pale hands on smooth, brown skin. He licked lower and closer until he found the tight pucker he was looking for. One of his hands reached up and around James' hip to wrap around the base of his cock. He probed and circled the ring with his tongue, gently working his way in. His hands pulled James' arsecheeks apart for better access, and massaged the firm muscles there. Once James' hole was thoroughly wet and relaxed from his tongue, Remus pressed a finger inside slowly, still working on James' taint with long, slow licks, allowing more saliva to drip down and coat his finger further. The legs on his shoulders shuddered a little at the intrusion, before

relaxing.

'Fuck, Moony, please suck my cock.' Who was he to deny a polite request. Pulling back again briefly, Remus shifted on his knees for a better angle, and without any prelude, he sucked the tip of James' cock into his mouth. Remus took a moment to breathe in the scent of James' arousal, his pupils going wide. James sounded more filthy than usual, the firewhiskey having a curious effect

on his vocal chords. Each moan was deeper and more coarse than usual, Remus felt each one reverberate through his bones, and land directly on his cock. He began to move his head, and with one hand on the back of James' knee, pushed his leg up into the air, the other soon following of its own accord. Remus slowly fingered James with one long digit, stroking his walls from the inside. His mouth eased the suction, but continued to travel the length of that gorgeous cock without rhythm. He could feel the drums from the floor below in his knees.

Slowly, Remus worked James into a frenzy. His scent became Remus' only thought. A second finger slid in and James saw stars. He now had both hands tangled in Remus' sandy blonde hair, and through his tipsy, aroused haze, he couldn't help but admire how clever Remus' fingers were. It's like they were reading braille inside him, knowing exactly where to go and when to retreat. The feeling of Remus' lips on his cock was almost too much for him, along with the view. He felt his stomach start to tighten, and his fingers did the same in Remus' hair. He revelled in he slight rasp of not-enough lube, the feeling bordered on pain in a way that should have been unpleasant. The soft sheets on his back, the mouth on his cock, the fingers in his arse, it all lifted him up and out of the physical world. James felt like he was floating away, his eyes shut in ecstacy and his mouth open and slack.

'I'm-I'm gonna come Moony-'

Remus' eyes flew open and he hummed his assent. He kept a steady pace, watching his lover come closer to losing his mind. James looked down again to meet Remus' eyes, and that was it. The heat in his stare kicked him over the edge and he arched off the bed, only Remus' hand on his arse keeping him grounded. It seemed to last forever, his cock pulsing and twitching, his arse clenching around Moony's fingers. Remus never let up, sucking James' overstimulated cock until every drop was swallowed and each pass of his fingers sent a violent shiver through James.

The fingers in his hair tugged Remus away, and he let James' softening cock fall from his mouth. He slowly rose, knowing his knees would be sore tomorrow, but for now he didn't care. He crawled up and over James to press their mouths together softly. James' relaxed hum making his cock somehow harder. James eventually broke their kiss and looked up. Remus' mild annoyance was quashed when he looked over and saw the scene by the door. He must be more drunk than he thought.

The silencing charm wasn't where he intended, but the barely perceptible shimmer was about halfway between the bed and the door. In the archway stood Sirius and Lily, or rather, Sirius stood, with Lily propped against him. His back was pressed against the wood, his knees bent. Lily had her full weight against him, her head tipped back, hand held up on the back of his neck. Her jeans were undone, and Sirius had a hand down the front of them. Both were watching the bed. Lily had her eyes half closed, her long eyelashes framing her bright eyes. She looked at Remus like he was her favourite meal. Sirius was whispering into her ear, eyes locked on James, taking in his fucked out state with a hungry look. Remus was achingly hard as he watched. James was just as glued to the sight, his spent cock still twitching, or perhaps twitching anew. Both boys on the bed wished they could hear what was going on, but somehow the silence made the scene more erotic.

Lily gripped Sirius' forearm around her waist, and his neck with her other hand. She rolled her hips slowly, in time with his fingers, and Sirius pressed his cock into her back. He was muttering into her ear.

'That's right, love. You see how they're both watching you? It's because you're a wanton little tart. You're so wet on my fingers. Do you want to be fucked? Which one of us would you like to fuck you first? Remus looks like he's ready to pounce on you, I bet you'd love to feel his thick cock pressing in to you.' Sirius wasn't sure if he was talking to Lily or to himself.

Lily began to pant, and he felt her skin become hot. Her eyes fluttered closed and he grinned up at Remus before lowering his lips to her ear again.

'Lily, my darling, open your eyes and look at Remus while you come. I can feel it coming, you're so wet. Will you come for me like a good girl?' Lily's eyes blinked open and she forced herself to find Remus through a more-than-tipsy haze. Her knees shook and her mouth fell open. Sirius' fingers never wavered from their rhythm on her clit, perhaps intentionally matching the pulsing music from below. She felt her orgasm building, tingles shooting up and down the insides of her thighs, the backs of her knees becoming slippery with sweat. Once she found Remus' grey eyes, she lost herself in them. He looked at her with such want that she felt as though they were the last people on the earth. Sirius' arm tightened around her middle as her legs buckled. Her breath stuttered, her mind went blank and her head fell back against Sirius' shoulder. She cried out despite the lack of silencing charm on the door. Sirius grinned harder and watched as Remus' features took on a desparate quality.

Lily was limp in his arms and he let her rest in the pregnant silence of the room. None of the three boys wanted to move first, watching Lily breathe through her afterglow was a religious experience. Her lips, full and flushed remained open in a lovely shape. She had a tendril of copper-coloured hair plastered to her temple, and her hands, now relaxed on Sirius' forearm we delicate and restless. Eventually, on shaky legs, Lily stood on her own and began to work her jeans down her legs. Eyes locked with James, she pressed her arse deliberately against Sirius, bending at the waist to pull them down. Sirius gripped her hips, looking down at her pert arse pressing against his hard cock. Her simple black lace framed the heart-shaped swell of her arse beautifully, and Sirius imagined this is what he would see in the afterlife.

Remus stared at Sirius; his black silk shirt was unbuttoned half-way, and his tan chest glistened with perspiration. Looking down at Lily made his especially long eyelashes look simply gorgeous, and his sharp, masculine jaw contrasted the femininity. His strong hands framed her soft waist, the veins on his forearms standing out. The entire effect was sinful, and Remus suddenly didn't care that he was damned. The room was becoming cloyingly hot with their activities. Lily straightened, Sirius caught the hem of her shirt and together they divested her of it. He returned his hands to her hips and pressed kisses to her shoulder while she fumbled the clasp of her bra. Remus' breath came in gasps. He reached to touch himself but found his wrists held in place by James.

'Moony, can I tie you up?' Remus' brain short-circuited. Without thinking about the consequences, he nodded his head. James leapt off the bed and found his wand in his pocket on the floor, while Remus moved to sit at the headboard. His eyes never left the door, Lily had turned to Sirius and they were snogging, his hands roaming over her bare back and scantily-clad arse. Remus sat upright, his hands behind his back. James straddled him and found his attention with a kiss.

'Are you sure? You're not too drunk for this?'

Remus blinked and took stock of himself. His skin was hot, his mind was slow, and his cock was achingly hard. He found that he could think relatively straight, however, and nodded.

'I'm ok, I want this.'

'What's your safeword?'

'Whirling dervish.' James smiled at that, and cast a quiet spell. Remus felt his wrists tied together with something silken, and to his surprise, his ankles as well were secured to the bottom corners of the bed. His legs were forced open, leaving his cock standing to attention, and his eyes went wide, wondering what it was he had agreed to. He tested his bonds, tugging slightly while James sat back on the huge bed and admired his work.

'Fuck Moony, you look delicious. Could be improved, however.' With another flick of his wand, James vanished Remus' clothes and left him naked. Remus shuddered at the feeling, suddenly grateful for the heat in the room. James kissed him then, more tenderly than Remus wanted. His hands ghosted over Remus' chest and shoulders, fingers feathering over his collarbones, up his neck, everywhere. When he leaned forward to deepen the kiss, James pulled away and smirked. He then left the bed entirely, and started to get dressed.

Remus frowned.

'Where are you going?' he forced the words out, and James looked up at how rough his voice sounded. An eyebrow quirked, James continued to dress, but did not manage to tear his eyes from the sight. The black silk of his conjured bindings contrasted beautifully with Remus' pale skin and grey eyes.

'I'm sobering up, and I'm also the most... respectable looking right now. I'll be back.' Pulling his t- shirt over his head, he grabbed his wand and made his way through the barrier of sound towards Lily and Sirius. Remus pulled at his ties, desperately trying for friction. His positioning made it impossible. Momentarily he pondered as to whether he could vanish his bonds wandlessly, but ultimately decided to see this through. He was sure it would be worth it. He watched as James sauntered to the door and pressed himself to lily's almost naked back, stealing a kiss from Sirius before talking to them both. All three turned to look over at Remus. Each of them looked delighted. Remus took a deep, steadying breath, and watched James leave the room, while Lily and Sirius moved toward the bed.

Before they passed the silencing charm, Remus could smell Lily's arousal, and in the silence it was deafening. He breathed her in and let his head fall back against the headboard. His cock was achingly hard, literally. He felt like he would explode if he didn't get some friction soon. He felt he would explode if he did. The couple passed the charm and their footfalls came close. Lily padding barefoot and Sirius' smart black shoes clicking against the floorboards. The bed dipped as Lily crawled towards him. Sirius stood at the edge of the bed and took in the sight of Remus, usually in charge of a situation like this, tied and helpless. He locked the image away in his memory for future use. Lily knelt between Remus' open legs without touching him. She took a few moments to admire the slate grey of his eyes, perpetually ringed with bags but striking all the same. His chest had a pink flush, and his nipples were tight nubs despite the lack of cold. His arms trapped behind him pressed his collarbones into prominence, and she ached to trace them with her fingers. Remus felt like she was undressing him further with her gaze.

'What do you want, Remus love?' The inflection was a challenge, but the words were comforting all the same.

'Please touch me, Lily, please.' Sirius laughed, low and steady. He kicked off his shoes as lily grinned.

'No.'

Remus let out a sharp huff, not used to his orders being disobeyed. He found his unusual lack of control over the situation more arousing than he could have guessed.

'Lily, be a good girl and kiss me.' Remus ground out the words, they sounded deep from his chest. Lily stayed still where she was, though her every instinct was screaming otherwise.

'Lily,' challenged Sirius, 'Don't touch him.' He was crawling towards them on the bed now, coming to settle behind her. Remus couldn't keep his eyes from her pert breasts, the left slightly larger than the right, the skin on both pale, creamy white and unmarked. Her pink nipples hard from arousal. Sirius saw him looking and reached around her to cup them in his tanned hands. Each fit nicely in his palms.

'I bet you wish you could play with her tits, Moony.' Sirius lifted both breasts, allowing them to fall and bounce.

'I bet you wish you could get your mouth on them.' Lily was kneeling, sitting on her heels, knees spread. Her scanty underpants were wet. Her scent was overwhelming in the best way. She spread her fingers on her thighs and allowed her mouth to fall open. Remus struggled again. Sirius stroked and caressed Lily's breasts, pausing to roll her nipples in his fingers, causing a breathy moan. He pushed them together, and he stroked he skin gently enough that a trail of goosebumps was left. Lily's slow, deep breaths were measured carefully. She leaned back into Sirius again to keep herself from lunging forward and taking Remus.

'Please.' Remus' voice sounded strangled.

'Please what, love?' Lily raised an eyebrow, a smug smile working its way out past the arousal on her face.

'Please touch me, anywhere-' Lily thought for a moment, and shuffled on her knees, turning so she was facing Sirius. She lifted one leg and straddled one of Remus' slim thighs. Her underpants were soaked through, he could feel them on his skin. Lily beckoned Sirius and he went to her. She pulled him into a kiss by the front of his shirt, holding him there for a moment, before her fingers started working on the buttons. Remus licked his lips as the silk fell from sculpted shoulders and pooled on the bed. Sirius worked Lily's underpants down over her arse, until they stretched across her thighs and under her cheeks. Remus groaned at the sight of the fabric stretching and pressing in to the soft skin of her perfect legs. He knew from experience that being between them felt like velvet stretched over steel, particularly when she was close to orgasm. Sirius landed a playful smack to her left cheek, even the light tap leaving a pretty red mark. Lily began to grind her hips down on Remus' leg, her slick vulva providing enough lubrication. Remus' cock twitched as he cried out. He watched as Sirius unbuttoned his trousers and began to wriggle out of them, before Lily managed to vanish them wandlessly.

Sirius grinned and went back to snogging her. His hands tangled in her hair. Remus growled deep in his chest, surprising both of his lovers.

'Oh, Pads, look at him. He's desperate.' Mockingly said, but Remus began to breathe very heavily. Lily's eyes held genuine pity, but the way her neck stretched as she turned to look behind her looked so genuinely biteable he couldn't bring himself to care.

Sirius considered for a moment, 'I suppose we could touch him a little, James wouldn't know.'

So James had told them to wait. Sirius moved closer to him, and Remus leaned forward as far as he could. Sirius pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, tasting like woodsmoke and firewhiskey. A gentle hand ran down Remus' chest to his nipple, where clever fingers stroked and rolled the hard nub. Remus felt fireworks in his chest. He could come from this alone, he was so desperate. Sirius' kisses were but pecks, he longed for more. He felt Lily's small hand reach back and grip his thigh, her nails digging in gently.

'I knew it!' James stormed through the barrier, they had forgotten about the misplaced silencing charm, and hadn't watched the door.

'I knew you two couldn't keep your hand off him for a minute!' He held a bottle of whiskey in his hand, two glasses in the other.

'I told you not to touch, but you're both such needy brats yourselves, you couldn't help it.' He shook his head, placed the glasses on the bedside table, and poured a generous splash into both. He passed one to Lily, and kept the other. Climbing back on to the bed, he came to sit next to Remus, offering him the glass to sip from. Remus gratefully drank, the burn distracting him momentarily from his cock.

'Well? I believe my exact words were "put on a show for Moony", you'd better get on with it.' Sirius grinned, the glass now in his hand. He pressed Lily backwards until she was lying on her back, her head only centimetres from Remus' cock. Taking the glass, he gulped all but a mouthful, swallowed, and leaned down with his face over Lily' stomach. He poured the last drops into her navel, making her giggle. He lapped the golden liquid from her stomach, fingers dancing over her hips, towards the heat between her legs. As he sucked the final drops, he pressed two fingers into her. They went in easy, she had worked herself up so on Remus' thigh. Her pants had gone missing. James turned to Remus when he felt struggling again. James had never seen the tall boy look so pained and desperate. He supposed he should take pity, on him. Leaning over, James refilled the glass and offered it to Remus, who shook his head. James shrugged, downed it, and left the glass on the bedside table. He turned back, finding those grey eyes till locked on Sirius, who was now kissing his way up Lily's body, paying special attention to her breasts. James looked down at

Remus' magnificent cock, and ran a hand up his thigh. Remus' whole body jerked, and his head snapped to James.

James grinned.

'Shall I take care of you now?'

'Please Prongs,' If Remus hadn't been so fucking desperate, he would have been appalled at how breathy and wanting he sounded. His voice broke on the 'please'. Remus Lupin didn't beg, he ordered. Right now, however, he would have begged.

James ran a hand down the slim chest, coming to rest just above the navel. He finally leaned close to kiss Remus. Their mouths came together, and again Remus thought he was going to come just from that feeling.

'Do you think you could come like this? Without touching?' Remus couldn't formulate an answer. James kissed the corner of his mouth, his cheek, and across his jaw to the place on his neck right below the ear. Remus' eyes fluttered closed briefly, but snapped open as Sirius moaned. He had finally slid his cock into Lily, now lying on her stomach. Sirius' eyes were closed and he peppered kisses over her back as he slowly pulled out to slide home again. Lily moaned now. James licked and kissed and sucked his way to Remus' collarbones, one hand on a thigh and the other in Remus' hair, holding his head in place to look at the other two. Remus forgot everything he had ever known. All he knew now was the coiling of fire in his belly, the feeling of James' hands and the sight of Lily and Sirius so close, but impossibly far away. If anyone had asked his name, Remus would not have known the answer. He watched as Lily pressed her head up, arching her chest from the bed. She looked up briefly at Remus' desperate stare, before turning to kiss the inside of his thigh, and follow with a gentle nibble. James' hand in his hair was the only thing holding it up as his eyes fell closed again.

James finally moved his hand to cup Remus' cock, and Remus stopped breathing for a moment. Gentle fingers circled the head, the only part his fingers could meet around the girth. Remus flushed pink and arched forward, getting lost in the sound of Lily and Sirius, feeling James' breath on his neck. James gave the slightest stroke down, and a cry ripped itself from Remus' throat, ragged and dirty. He felt lips on his neck again, tongue following. He felt tiny bursts of sharp teeth on his over-sensitive thigh, and gentle kisses soothing the same spots. A tensing of his stomach was all the warning they had before Remus was coming, wanton sounds erupting from his chest, writhing in his bonds. He spilled himself over James' hand, over his own stomach and thighs. Breathing hard and wriggling his arms uncomfortably, Remus came down from space. It was, he knew, the hardest he'd ever come. He felt utterly spent. Distantly, he heard Lily have another orgasm, and felt his bonds disappear. James eased his arms forward, allowing his shoulders to adjust. Sirius was the last to come, face pressed against Lily's back, groaning into her shoulder blade.

James guided Remus to lie down once the others rolled out of the way, stretching out his shoulders. Sirius moved up to his other side and caught his lips in a tender kiss, a reassuring gesture. Remus lay limp, but kissed him back. Lily and James were occupied on his other side, a lazy snogging session. Soon enough the light was reduced to the fireplace alone. The silencing charm removed, cleaning charms cast and blankets pulled back. The four of them lay still, Sirius tucked under Remus' arm, and Lily and James similarly entangled. James had his fingers intertwined with Remus', and Lily held Sirius' hand over both of them. The rain fell on the windowpane, promising a chill, but the fire kept it at bay. Not one of them felt the need to speak. Breathing slowed, eyes closed. James' last thought before the amnesia of sleep was of the lavender smell of Lily's hair.

--

The chilly morning light woke Remus first. He had the lowest alcohol tolerance, and the worst hangovers. He woke on his stomach, one arm under the pillow, one flat against his side. He could

feel an ankle tangled with his own, another head sharing his pillow on the same side. There was a warm body pressed flush against his other side, breathing deep and slow. Curiously, he could smell toast, eggs and sausages. Sirius stirred and rolled away, leaving Remus' side exposed to the cool air. Sirius sat up slowly, stretching and blinking blearily. His mane of wavy black hair was a tangled nest, and he ran his fingers through gently, before twisting it into a messy bun. He yawned and screwed up his nose at the smell of his own breath. James groaned and buried his head into the pillow he shared with Remus, shuffling closer and throwing an arm over the tallest boy's back. Remus hummed in response.

'Where's Lily?' Sirius' voice was a barely audible croak, but it woke the other two all the same. Two heads rose from their pillow, looking around the room. The fire was freshly piled with wood, and a breakfast tray was laid out with water, juice and mountains of breakfast. Sirius rose, taking one of the sheets to wrap around his shoulders. He went to the breakfast tray and found a folded note marked with Lily's neat script.

'Gone back to the castle, promised to spend time with Alice and Greta, enjoy your breakfast my loves.' Sirius read aloud, his voice rasping in his dry throat. He picked up one of the glasses of juice, downed it loudly, and wiped his mouth on his hand. He picked up one of the sausages with his fingers and sat back down on the bed, jostling the other two boys, who now lay with James as the little spoon.

'Do we have anything to do today?' James groaned in response, he turned in Remus' arms again and pressed his face into his chest.

'I'm not doing anything today,' grumbled Remus, 'I'm going to drink water and sleep.' Sirius contemplated as he ate his Sausage.

'I promised Reg I'd go flying with him today.' 'Hmmph.' James answered.

'You can join us later, I need a shower.'

Sirius dressed in his clothes from the previous night. His shirt smelled of sweat, and of Lily. He paid the bar tab, and he paid for the room to be available until later in the day, smiling at the thought of James and Remus dozing in each others' arms. His smile faltered when he thought of his family, and what they would think of the transaction. Lily could keep up with all of her boys when she drank, and James and Sirius had a lot of practice. Screw them, thought Sirius, my family's money was made but shitting on others anyway. He stepped out of The Three Broomsticks into the cold, wet of Hogsmeade. He stopped in at Honeydukes and bought a few of his and Regulus' favourite lollies. His stomach gave an uncomfortable signal, and he pursed his lips, regretting his breakfast sausage. Apparating back to the castle, he hurried in the gates and up to the dormitory, where he only just made it to the basin in time. His head pounded.

Sirius took a shower, spending plenty of time in the hot spray. He massaged his scalp carefully, combing the tangles from his hair. There is magic for all of those tasks, but Sirius loved the feeling of doing it himself. He loved the feeling of Remus washing his hair as well. He smiled at the wall, eyes closed. He dressed comfortably, drank from the jug of water the house elves had so thoughtfully supplied, and as a force of habit, tapped the map with his wand.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

The map unfolded itself and the ink appeared to slowly spread over the parchment.

'We're all a little sluggish today,' mumbled under his breath, waiting for the markings to settle. Lily, Alice, and Greta Catchlove, Lily's other roommate, were in their dorm across the hall. Lily was pacing. He browsed idly through the folds of the map, watching two sixth-years turn in to one dot in a broom closet, and a second year pace outside of McGonagall's office. He saw Evan Rosier, one of Snivellus' mates, corner a third year in a deserted corridor, probably to shake him down. He paused a moment, noticing a spot labelled 'Severus Snape' linger in the corridor outside the Gryffindor common room. Checking the clock, Sirius saw it was almost midday. He tapped the

map again.

'Mischief managed.' He took his flying cloak from it's peg on the wall and made his way to the portrait hole.

Stepping out of the alcove, he looked left for Snivellus. He was surprised to see no one there. He looked right, saw nothing, and pulled out his wand. Turning suddenly, he shouted a spell at the corridor in general.

'Finite Incantartem!'

A bust made of marble rocked on its stand and fell, twisting into a vaguely human shape for a moment, before Severus materialised on the floor.

'That's a new low, even for you Snivelly,' Sirius kept his wand raised, knowing better than to turn his back on his opponent.

'What's it to you, Black. Do I smell dog?'

'How original,' Sirius rolled his eyes, 'Why are you lurking in my corridor?'

'It's not your corridor, and I'm not lurking.'

'You're not lurking? You transfigured yourself into a statue, how is that not lurking!?'

'It's none of your fucking business, dog.'

'I'm making it my business.' Sirius planted his feet and turned his body side on, ready for a fight. Severus pulled out his own wand and set himself into a stance. They glared at each other, neither moving. Sirius saw a twitch in Severus' arm and shouted 'Expelliarmus!' but Snivellus wordlessly deflected the spell with a wave of his arm. He countered with a charm, cast wordlessly, that sent yellow sparks from his wand. Sirius mumbled a counterspell, not yet proficient at casting without speaking, and led the yellow sparks in a half circle behind him, before arcing them back towards their original point. Severus' wand flew from his hand as he shook it violently, hissing at the sting. Sirius raised his arm again to send another spell flying, but Filch chose that moment to round a corner.

'What's this then! There's no duelling in the corridors!'

Sirius turned on his heel and fled, running full pelt down the stairs before the old man could get another word in. He raced through the corridors, down several flights of stairs, and out the main doors of the castle. He saw Regulus waiting to one side, holding two broomsticks. He looked bored and irritated, but then, so did all the Black family if they weren't actively smiling.

'Reg!' Sirius waved and hurried over.

'What took you so long, are you hungover?'

Sirius grinned, 'Yeah, but I got held up in the corridor. Snivellus turned himself into a statue outside my common room.' He looked his younger brother over and took his broomstick.

'You look taller, are you taller? You're not allowed to get any taller, we're the same height!' It was Regulus' turn to grin.

'Any day now, Sirius, I'm going to be the tallest in the family, and there's nothing you can do.' Sirius shuddered at the thought.

'Race you to the pitch, slowpoke.' Sirius mounted his broomstick and took off, raising a cloud of dust where he kicked off the ground. Regulus was not as good at flying, having not been chosen for the Slytherin quidditch team this year. He shook his head and kicked off, leaning low on his broom to build speed.

The two of them flew and joked and chased a snitch for an hour before Sirius tapped out, pleading his hangover. They sat in the stands, broomsticks propped up beside them. Sirius looked out at the grounds and was struck by a melancholy feeling.

'I'm gonna miss this place,' his voice was low, and Regulus knew what he was thinking.

'Mum and Dad will have forgotten all about last summer, I'm sure.'

'Mum never forgets anything. You watch, I'm going to go home and she's going to immediately yell at me about how I'm sullying the family name.'

'You did literally vandalized the family crest in her photo album.' Sirius chuckled at the memory. 'I only charmed it temporarily, it will have gone back to normal now. And it's not just Mum, Dad thinks I'm a pansy and Kreacher always mumbles about how I'm a stain on the family tree.'

'Dad doesn't care that much, and Kreacher is so demented at this point I don't know if he knows what year it is.'

'I s'pose.' They sat quietly, absorbed in their own thoughts for a while, enjoying the weak sun and watching the dark clouds roll in. Sirius was reminiscing about his first time on the quidditch pitch. James had been faster than him, but no one else could keep up with them. He knew then that they would always be best mates, but he couldn't have guessed how they'd end up. He looked over at Reg, and noticed a furrow in his brow.

'Spit it out Reg, what's on your mind?'

'There's been talk in the great hall, there's rumours about... Well about you and Remus.'

'Everyone knows about me and Remus now, it's been almost a year.'

'Yeah, but last this morning someone said they saw you dancing with Lily Evans, who's supposed to be going steady with James.'

'So what? We're friends. We can dance.' Sirius wasn't sure exactly why he was being cagey in his answers. It was true that many of the more 'traditional' wizarding families often accepted polyamorous relationships, but the Black family barely accepted relationships in people with different hair colours, let alone anything they deemed 'non-traditional'. Sirius sat forward, elbows on his knees. Regulus didn't push, but he knew Sirius would come clean. The older boy took a deep breath.

'Remus and I are still together, but now Lily and James are involved with us as well. We're all together. It works for us.' Regulus nodded slowly.

'Does it make you happy?'

Sirius let a smile creep onto his face, 'Yeah, it does, they all do.'

Regulus stood and grabbed his broom.

'Then I'm happy for you.' He turned to walk away, and Sirius' heart dropped to his stomach. 'You're not going to tell them, are you?' he called out at his brother's retreating back.

'Of course not.' came his answer.

Sirius leaned back and let his head rest against the seat behind him. He knew how difficult it was to shake off the years of petty bigotry his family engrained in their offspring. He wouldn't have been able to without James and Remus to guide him. Sirius frowned. He was pretty sure Regulus didn't actually care, but the niggling fear of losing the one family member he actually liked nestled in the pit of his stomach.

--

Lily had woken feeling surprisingly good that morning. She had paid for breakfast for the boys, knowing their bill from last night was likely to be very large. She had apparated away from Hogsmeade, and moved through the castle almost on autopilot. Her feet taking her to the common room, her mind occupied with thoughts of the night before. She thanked Merlin and God for whatever force gave her the courage to get James a threesome for his birthday. She was so lost in her own head that she almost ran headlong into Severus, who was waiting outside the Gryffindor portrait.

'Merlin's beard Sev! Don't sneak up on me like that.'

'I called your name,' he replied, looking annoyed, 'Where were you last night? I didn't see you coming out of the dormitory this morning.'

'Have you seriously been here all morning? Don't you have a life?' Lily was already annoyed.

Severus and permanently ruined any friendship they had when he called her a mudblood, and now he was talking to her like he was entitled to any information about her life at all. He was two sentences in, and she already wanted to smack him.

'I was waiting for you, I want to talk to you-'

'Talk about what? You're the one who decided I wasn't good enough to be anything but a mudblood in your eyes.' She spat the word back at him like venom, and he visibly flinched.

'I apologised, and I'll apologise again if it will make you happy.'

'You didn't apologise, you said, and I quote, "I'm sorry if what I said upset you." That's not an apology, Sev, that's an excuse.'

'I'm sorry I hurt you. I was angry at Potter and Black and Lupin. I took it out on you.'

Lily paused, not having expected a sincere apology.

'It's a bit late for that now.' Her eyes wandered to the floor, trying to conceal her sudden sadness about the situation. He had been her friend since they were small, and he had hurt her. Now that her relationship with the aforementioned three boys had changed into what it was, she supposed they would never reconcile. There was too much old hatred on both sides, and if she had to choose, there was no question who it would be.

'Move, Severus, I'm going inside.' She elbowed past her old friend, and climbed through the portrait hole. It swung shut behind her and she didn't look back.

Greta and Alice had tea and toast and fruit waiting. They were sat on the floor near the radiator, chatting about their exams when Lily joined them.

'I'm sure my candle still had toes when I transfigured the parrot,' Greta was lamenting, 'I'm just not sure it was enough. To train as a healer you need an 'Outstanding' NEWT in transfiguration.' Alice was nodding ruefully.

'I'm convinced my idiot brain wrote about a "bee's eye" instead of a "bezoar" in the writing portion.'

'I'm sure you both did fine,' piped lily, watermelon juice dripping from her fingers. 'I want to see if I can be an apprentice at Slug and Jigger's, but I'll apply to Madame Primpernelle's as well, just as a back up.'

'Madame Prim's? You honestly want to make potions for old ladys' crows feet?'

'Not really, but it'll be a start.'

'I don't know why you're even bothering with a back up plan, we all know you have the grades to do whatever you want.'

'I like to be prepared,' Lily grinned at her friends, and made sure to drink some water to stave of the inevitable headache she could feel building a her temples.

'I noticed Snape malingering at the door this morning.' Alice looked at Lily questioningly.

'Ugh, don't remind me. I nearly walked right into him. I wish he'd just leave me alone. He's the one that fucked it all up.'

'I suppose you two can't really make up, now that you're with the boys.' Alice pondered out loud, and Greta's eyes lit up, hungry for gossip.

'So it's true, you're involved with James and Sirius and Remus?' she sat up from her spot lying on the floor and leaned forward. Lily blushed and looked down.

'I s'pose, yeah.'

'Is that where the four of you were last night? I could have sworn you kissed James and Sirius both on the dancefloor last night but I thought I was drunk, but then this morning Nadia was telling me how James went upstairs in the Broomsticks and snogged Lupin on the staircase, and Sirius and you followed them into the same room!' The words tumbled out of her and she only breathed at the end of her sentence.

'Yeah, we rented a room last night. I'm not going to tell you in detail about my sex life Greta.' 'Why not!? You get to have sex with arguably the three most attractive boys in our year, maybe all

at the same time!'

'Not arguably, they are definitely the most attractive. And yes, I do get to do them all, sometimes at the same time.'

Lily allowed herself to be goaded, and gave a few details of the logistics of sex with three other people. She grinned while she told them about the misplaced silencing charm. They chatted for a few hours about anything and everything. All three of them realising that it may be their last chance to have a session like this in their room. They discussed their futures and their best memories of Hogwarts. They promised each other they would stay in touch, and although Lily had made the same promise a thousand times last night, she knew she would keep it with these two at least.

'I might go for a walk, get some fresh air.' Lily got up off the floor and stretched. It was about one o'clock in the afternoon, they had been chatting for a while. Alice wanted a nap, her hangover getting the better of her. Greta decided to go and see her younger sister in Hufflepuff for a while. Greta left first while Lily found her coat and boots. It was beginning to drizzle outside. She moved through the growing crowd of people in the common room, many nursing hangovers, some of the younger students still studying for their final OWLs. She stopped at a few groups to chat briefly before finally swinging the portrait open and leaving the noise behind her. There was no rush, and she moved slowly down the corridor, the stairs and eventually out of the castle, towards the whomping willow. She sat on a grassy rise for a while, her long coat protecting her bottom from the wet ground. The boys had told her about how they managed Remus' transformations. She watched as the vicious tree swatted a small bird from the air. It had started growing new leaves, now that June was ending and the summer was almost upon them. It had been a cold spring so far, and Lily was looking forward to the sun.

Her thoughts wandered to James and Sirius' animagus forms. Since she learned about their illegal activities, she had taken a special interest in the process. It started with keeping a bitter mandrake leaf in your mouth for a whole month, before using that leaf in a perfectly brewed potion, reciting an incantation daily for a while, and then drinking the potion during a lightning storm. Technically, Lily was confident that she could manage the spells and potions, but the actual transforming took practice and guidance, that was the part she wasn't sure about. Lily had decided she was going to join them, and become an animagus herself. Initially she thought maybe a doe, like her patronus, but she had remembered James was a stag and dismissed the idea, thinking it too fairy-tale for her liking. She toyed with the idea of being a small animal, perhaps a mouse or a rat, but dismissed that too. She'd never keep up with the boys like that. She cycled through animals in her head. A bat, or a grey wolf, or a panther. Eventually she turned her attention to birds. She could keep up with the boys, perch on their backs, perhaps keep a look out if necessary. A small bird like a finch, or a bluebird would be nice, but she worried about being seen as prey by larger animals. A large bird like a heron or a big eagle would be too obvious in the sky. Plus the boys mostly went out at night, a bird like that would stick out.

Lily's lips curved into a smile as she decided on her animal. It would be an owl. Excellent night- time eyesight, swift wings, large enough to keep predators away, small enough to perch on James or Sirius' backs. She would become an owl. She was taking a moment to congratulate herself on her wits, when she was interrupted. Her mood soured immediately.

'Lily?' It was Severus again, he was dressed casually in black trousers and a button up, a black umbrella in his hand. She stood from her comfortable spot and started walking in the other direction. She could hear him jog to catch up.

'Lily, can we talk?'

'We talked this morning Severus, and for the record while I accept your apology, that doesn't mean you're forgiven.'

'I know. I knew that would be your answer. I just wanted to ask you to reconsider...'

'Well? Spit it out. What do you want me to reconsider? What makes you think you're allowed to ask me to reconsider anything?'

'I was talking to Rosier. He said you were going with Potter and Lupin. I wanted you to reconsider that. It could be dangerous for you.'

'What? What on earth are you talking about? For your information I am with both James and Remus, and not that it's any of your business, I'm also with Sirius. I'm very happy with the situation actually. You can sod off.'

'Lil, there are things you don't know about those three. They're delinquents. Lupin is a fucking werewolf- He could bite you!'

Lily whirled around, her coat whipped in the rain. How did Severus know about Remus? Severus' face took on a smug and pointed looking grin.

'See, I always did know what's best for you Lily. I only want what's best. Those three, especially Lupin, are extremely dangerous, and I would bet my family's fortune they'll all be in Azkaban or dead by the time they're all 20 years old.' Lily's fury simmered in her belly. How dare he speak about them that way.

'You know nothing about nothing Severus Snape. You have no idea what you're talking about and if you don't shut up-'

'You know?' Snape had followed her to the edge of the lake. His face changed from smug, to confused, to disgusted over the course of a second.

'You know he's a werewolf and you're still with him?'

'Of course I bloody know, I'm not an idiot. They don't keep secrets from me.' 'But- He's- What if he infects you!?'

'It's not a fucking virus you twat, I can't get it from fucking him.'

Severus looked as though he'd been struck. They stood in the rain, eyes locked in a stand off neither would yield to. In her peripheral vision, Lily could make out three figures hurrying toward them through the rain. They crested the hill and paused. Severus took advantage of her momentary distraction to close the distance between them. He seized the sides of her arms in a vice grip of desperation and crashed his lips to hers. His nose pressed uncomfortably into her cheek, and his breath smelled of old bread. She stilled in shock for the briefest moment, before leaning her head back, breaking the kiss, and slamming her forehead forwards into his nose. Severus let go of her arms and stumbled backwards, hand pressed to his face. In a second, her wand was in her hands. She cast a non-verbal spell and blasted him backwards three metres at least. He flew through the air, arms flailing, and landed on his arse in the shallow, cold water of the lake. She stalked forward and flicked her wand again, summoning huge waves from the lake to crash over his head. She vaguely noticed his lank, greasy hair covering his face through the foam of the water.

What seemed like a moment later, but was in fact more like a minute or so, James reached her first at a sprint. He grappled with her wand arm, tucking it under his arm. He took her face in his hands. She glared at him. Remus hugged her from behind, holding down her other arm, which was reaching over to grab her wand. Sirius pointed his wand at Snivellus, hoisting him up by the ankle as they used to do for fun. Severus coughed and spluttered water from his lungs, kelp hanging from his limbs. His long hair was plastered to his face, his clothes were sopping. He gasped in what air he could in between racking, chesty coughs.

'Lily? Lily listen to me. If you drown him, they won't let you graduate.' James ducked his head to look her in the eyes. He marvelled at the depths of fury he found there. Sirius was shouting at Snivellus in the distance, but the coughing had died down.

'How fucking dare you, you greasy fucking prick. You have no right to even look at her!' The rain pelted down on all of them. Lily eventually relaxed in their grip, and she let her head fall onto James' shoulder. Remus' grip became a softer hug from behind, and James let her arm fall, before gathering her close. Her breathing became irregular, and before she could stop it, tears fell.

Sirius let Severus drop from the air, and he landed in a miserable, wet heap on the shore.

'You had better run the fuck away before I curse you with fucking diarrhoea for the rest of your life you miserable arsehole.' Sirius' voice was low and threatening, and it was clear he wasn't lying. With all the dignity he could manage, which was none, he stood and bolted up the hill. Sirius picked up the stray black umbrella from the ground, made his way over to his partners three, and added himself to the group hug, shielding them from the rain. Lily cried quietly for a time into James' jumper. Remus dried them all magically, and Sirius charmed the umbrella to trap warm air. The cold rain fell around them, but the three boys let Lily cry in out in the warmth and privacy outside the castle.

Eventually Lily looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. She wiped her nose on Remus' proffered hanky.

'All right, love?' asked James, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Lily leaned back into Remus and gratefully nodded. Remus kissed the top of her head. She lifted her arm for Sirius, and kissed his temple when he came in close.

'Thanks for rescuing him. I suppose it would have dashed my chances at an apprenticeship if I copped a murder charge.' Sirius looked scandalized beyond belief.

'I did NOT rescue Snivellus Snake. I simply extricated him from the water. He deserved everything you gave him and more. He deserved to drown for touching you.'

'He kissed me.'

'What?' Remus' grip tightened slightly as he took in the information.

'He fucking did not.' Lily thought back; her boys had been a couple of ants on the hill when it happened, she supposed they didn't see it all. She was facing them at the time, and Severus had his back to them.

'He thought he was warning me against going with a werewolf, and he couldn't rationalise that I already knew. He grabbed me and kissed me. His breath was foul.'

It was James' turn to look furious. Sirius cursed himself loudly and Remus stood very still. 'I should have let the fucker drown.'

'I'm going to kill him myself.'

Eventually Lily talked them down, assuring each of them that she had already smashed his nose in, as evidenced by the thorough bruise on her forehead. They returned to the quiet of the dormitory, passing through the common room without speaking to anyone. Nowadays, their three four-poster beds were pushed together in a row. They all shed their clothes in a pile and crowded into the shower. They took turns washing each others' hair and backs. The mood lifted and eventually laughter could be heard from the bathroom. The heater was cranked up in the bedroom, and drying themselves was all too easy. A hangover each, plus the excitement of the day left the four of them tired despite the early hour. Clean, warm and content, they retired to their makeshift king bed for sleep. Hands traced small patterns on various body parts, warm breath ghosted past soft skin, limbs tangled as they fell asleep, perfectly content.