Chapter Fourteen

Sirius didn't sleep a wink that night, preferring to spend the hours watching Lily. His chest ached at the dark circles and puffiness under her eyes. Tear tracks lingered on her cheeks, smeared from James' touch, but still evident in the low light. As beautiful as she was in that moment, she still looked utterly exhausted.

Tracing a single finger under one eyes, across the bridge of her nose, and down her cheek, Sirius cursed Snape all over again for doing this to Lily. He couldn't understand how a boy who professed to have loved her could be so cruel.

Sirius wasn't stupid. His grades spoke to his intelligence well enough that he didn't need to prove that. As smart as he was, though, he knew Snape was smarter. The git far surpassed him in most assignments, which is why Sirius was struggling with Snape's motivations. As smart as Sirius was, he couldn't figure out why Snape would have told Lily he was the one to curse her. He had to have known Lily would tell someone about it. Did Snape think he, James, and Remus would be able to do nothing about it?

He figured Snape must have said something about them to Lily. She had been too anxious to keep them close for there to be any other sort of explanation. Even now, she was backed firmly against James' chest and her fingers were curled tightly in Sirius' shirt. Remus was across the end of the bed with her feet tucked against his stomach. As he watched, her toes curled into the fabric of Remus' shirt. He knew the four of them would most likely be sticking close to each other for the next few weeks. He certainly had no plans of letting Lily out of his sight and he knew James and Remus were feeling the same. From the way Lily had been acting before succumbing to sleep, he figured she would want them as close as possible.

As angry as it might make their friends, Sirius was more concerned with keeping Lily safe than keeping their friends happy. Lily came first, always.

A snore from across the room twisted Sirius' insides. Peter was obviously unhappy with the arrangement with Lily. Sirius knew he felt left out, that they were breaking their pact to always be there for each other over a girl. He could well understand why Peter was bitter about their relationship with Lily, but it didn't change anything. Sirius knew, if forced to choose, he would choose Lily, just as he knew James and Remus would. The guilt would weigh heavily, but it wouldn't be anywhere close to the all-consuming self-hatred he would feel if he abandoned Lily. It had been his idea, after all, for the three of them to share her. Love hadn't even been an option when he suggested the idea, but Lily made it impossible to keep from falling and falling hard.

She whimpered softly in her sleep, a shiver working down her spine. Barely conscious of the thought, Sirius murmured soothing words and stroked her hair back from her face. Nightmares would probably be common for a few nights as she fought her demons. Sirius wished he could fight them with her, be there to support her in her dreams.

But since he could not, he settled for pressing closer to her, reassuring her with his body that she was safe. He stayed there until the sun was well into the sky, just watching her sleep and trying to prevent the nightmares from waking her.

Remus was the first to wake up, stretching across the foot of the bed. Sirius heard a few distinct pops as he twisted his back.

"Ugh. I see why you spend the night as Padfoot," Remus grumbled.

"Sorry," Sirius whispered, his voice hoarse.

"S'alright. We agreed to take shifts," Remus shrugged, turning on his side.

Sirius followed his gaze to where Lily was snuggled between him and James, her face pressed against Sirius' shirt. He ran a gentle hand through her hair, marveling as he so often did at its softness.

"Did you sleep at all?"

Remus' question drew Sirius' attention away from their girl. He rubbed at his tired eyes and shook his head.

"I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw what could've happened," Sirius admitted.

Remus nodded in understanding, his gaze going back to Lily. Sirius was relieved that she was still asleep, knowing how much she needed it after her emotional breakdown.

"I don't know how we're going to pin Snape down. I've spent most of the night thinking up solutions," Sirius said.

"Have you come up with anything?" Remus asked.

"Not a scratch. I could think up pranks for days, but I haven't the foggiest how to get the bastard to confess," Sirius groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"We'll figure something out. We always do," Remus assured him.

"I was thinking we just beat the bloody git's head in," James grumbled from the other side of Lily, alerting his friends to the fact that he was awake and listening.

"Not sure how that'd get him to confess, Prongs, but I like the idea," Sirius said with a grin.

James grumbled irritated nonsense into Lily's hair, causing her to stir slightly. Sirius hushed her gently, running a soothing hand through her hair. She settled back down, snuggling back into James' embrace. The two of them remained still for several minutes while Sirius and Remus watched. Sirius found it difficult to look away from the sight. He had loved James for years, the two of the closer than brothers, and to see him with the woman who had completely enraptured all three of their hearts was nothing short of magnificent.

"Come on. We can hit the showers and let them get a bit more sleep," Remus suggested after some time.

Sirius groaned his displeasure, but got out of bed anyway. Lily's hands grasped for his shirt and she whimpered in her sleep when she couldn't find him. Wanting her to sleep a bit longer, Sirius placed his pillow in her grasp, smiling in relief as she settled down. He waited a few more moments, just make sure she wasn't going to wake up, before following Remus into the showers.

Lily didn't want to wake up. She had been having a lovely dream, one where James, Remus, and Sirius were with her. They weren't doing anything, not even talking. The four of them had just laid close to each other, sharing body heat and mingling their scents. No one was threatening them, there was no danger lingering in shadows unseen. It had been peaceful and perfect and she wasn't ready for it to end.

But the sun coming through the window was too bright to allow her to drift back to sleep and Lily opened her eyes with a muffled groan. Arm tightened around her midsection, drawing her into a firm chest. Her hands tangled with the fingers at her waist and she immediately knew it was James holding her.

"Where're Sirius and Remus?" Lily asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Shower," James answered, his own voice rough from sleep.

Lily moaned in response, snuggling further under the covers, unsurprised to find that "Little James" was awake and ready to go. What did surprise her was her lack of response to his hard cock pressed against her behind.

Worried, Lily shifted against him, wondering if her body hadn't yet realized there was a man in the bed. James groaned and tightened his hold, but her body still did not respond. She felt absolutely nothing as he ground his cock against her and pressed his lips to that tender spot just below her ear.

Terrified at what was happening, Lily shoved away from him, crying out in confusion and fear.

"Lily! What the hell?" James shouted as she rolled out of bed to get away from him.

"Stay back. S-something's w-wrong," Lily stuttered, shivering in the cool morning air.

"Wuz g'on?" Peter muttered, shooting up in bed.

Lily ignored him as she frantically took inventory of her body, running her hands up and down her torso. Yesterday, just touching her breasts would have sent tremors of desire rocketing through her body. Today, she felt nothing as she thumbed her pointed nipples, not even a twinge of pleasure.

"Lily? What are you doing?" James groaned from the bed.

"James. It's not… I don't feel… James, I don't feel anything!" Lily cried desperately.

"What are you talking about?" James frowned, swinging his legs out of bed.

"Could you two keep it down?" Peter grumbled, rolling over in his bed.

"I don't feel anything, James. My body doesn't work!" Lily said, tugging anxiously at her hair.

"All right, just breathe. It'll be okay. Maybe the curse wore off," James suggested.

"But I don't feel anything!" Lily screamed.

The bathroom door opened and Remus and Sirius hurried out, both still wet from their showers. Remus had on a pair of hastily donned trousers, but Sirius only had a towel wrapped around his hips. The sight should have sent her to her knees in desperation, but she remained completely unaffected by their partial nudity.

"Oh, Merlin, what's happening?" Lily whimpered, tangling her fingers in her hair.

"Lily? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Remus asked, moving forward.

"No! Don't touch me!" Lily cried, scrambling away from him.

"Lily! What-?"

"It's not working. Something's wrong! I can't feel it!" Lily sobbed, trying to make them understand.

"What don't you feel?" Remus asked, his voice calm and soothing.

"ANYTHING!" Lily shrieked.

"Merlin, Evans. Take a breath," Sirius snapped, storming forward.

Lily fell to her knees with a muffled scream as he walked forward, her entire body trembling in mingled fear and confusion. Sirius stopped short, hurt flashing across his face, but Lily was unable to do anything to reassure him. Her fear was too great and paralyzed her. Remus, however, didn't seem to have any problem in coming closer. He knelt down with her, though he was careful not to touch her. Frantic green eyes met calm brown and she was able to draw in a deep, steadying breath.

"Now, what's this about you not being able to feel anything?" Remus asked.

"Something's wrong. I couldn't… I didn't… and James… he was…" Lily stammered helplessly.

"Prongs? Some clarification?" Remus asked, though he didn't remove his gaze from hers.

"I'm not really sure. I woke up to her moving against me, so, of course, I got hard as a bludger. She started freaking out after I kissed her neck," James said from his place on the bed.

"I didn't feel anything," Lily repeated desperately.

Understanding seemed to dawn on Remus, followed quickly by concern.

"You're not aroused, are you, sweetheart?" Remus asked softly.

Lily shook her head quickly, unable to control her shaking.

Remus gave a heavy sigh and Lily was terrified of what he was going to stay as he hung his head. Her gaze moved to where James sat on the bed, shock covering his handsome face. She looked at Sirius who stood leaning against the post on James' bed, frowning in concerned confusion at her. She shivered, more from fear than anything else, still unable to feel desire as he looked at her.

"Lily, did Snape do anything to you yesterday? Did he touch you at all?" Remus asked, still staring at the ground.

Lily thought back to the previous day and remembered Severus stroking her cheek before brushing his fingers over her collarbone. Was it possible he had cast some sort of spell on her? Some reversal of the curse he'd cast on her over the summer?

"Oh, Merlin," Lily moaned, burying her face in her hands.

A loud bang had her jerking back in surprise to find Remus' fists on the floor, his gaze furious as he met hers.

"What did he do, Lily? You tell me right now. What did he do to you?" Remus demanded.

Although his voice was calm, his face was thunderous as he stared her down.

"He… he touched my cheek and… and my collar bone. But I… I don't know if he did anything," Lily said, tracing the areas in question.

"Sirius. Take her to the shower. Scrub every inch. Thoroughly. James, get dressed. You and I are going to visit Snivellus," Remus growled.

He stood abruptly and strode forward to lift Lily off the floor. Too stunned to try to escape, she didn't protest as Remus gently pushed her into Sirius' waiting arms. She didn't bother fighting as he tugged her into the bathroom or when he began to disrobe her quickly and efficiently.

"Come on, Evans. Into the shower," Sirius urged, guiding her beneath the spray.

"Wh-what's going on?" Lily asked, shivering still despite the warm water.

"Moony and Prongs are going to figure that out. Right now, we're just going to make sure it wasn't something Snape used on your skin," Sirius said as he joined her under the water.

He grabbed a wash cloth and added a healthy dollop of body wash to the center before applying the cloth to her skin. She stood perfectly still as he washed every inch of her body, only moving when he instructed her to, whether with words or a light pressure on her skin. As the suds washed down the drain, Lily began to notice a tingling on her skin and breathed a sigh of relief. Even if it wasn't the full feeling she was used to, it was still something.

"Please tell me these aren't because you're cold," Sirius pleaded hoarsely as he indicated the goose bumps appearing across her skin. He was on his knees before her, washing her lower half just as thoroughly as he had her upper half.

"Mm-mm," Lily hummed, shaking her head.

"Thank, Merlin," Sirius groaned, placing a delicate kiss to her hipbone.

Lily shivered as his lips lingered there, a thrill shooting through her core as he nuzzled her stomach.

"Sirius," Lily moaned, threading her fingers through his hair.

"I think I need to make sure this isn't a fluke, Evans," Sirius said with a smirk, lifting on leg to go over his shoulder.

The move forced her to lean against the shower wall to keep her balance, opening herself to him. His grey eyes fastened on her exposed pussy and she felt her insides clench in anticipation. Feeling boneless with relief, Lily could do little more than moan at the first swipe of his tongue against her cunt.

"Well, it definitely tastes normal," Sirius mused after a few more licks.

"Sirius, please," Lily moaned, her fingers clenching in his hair.

"Ah, ah, Evans. We have to be thorough," Sirius insisted, returning his attention to between her legs.

His fingers joined his tongue in exploring her wet folds, parting her lower lips to allow his teeth and tongue greater access. He flicked the tip of his tongue against her swollen clit, followed by his teeth dragging over the engorged bud. Lily had to swallow a scream as he fastened his lips to her clit and sucked, hard. His fingers curled up to her g-spot at the same time and she fell apart with a muffled cry. Only his hands on her hips kept her from falling to the floor in a boneless heap.

"Well, I think that'll go a good way in proving you're alright, but just to be safe…" Sirius trailed off as he stood up.

Lily returned his smile as he guided her legs to wrap around his waist.

"Hold on, Evans," he instructed as his cock unerringly found its way inside her.

She groaned as he thrust all the way to the hilt in one smooth move. He gave her barely any time to adjust before he began moving, rolling his hips with each thrust. Her legs tightened around his hips, drawing him closer so that each thrust pressed deliciously against her overly sensitive clit. Her nails dug into his shoulder as she held on, her head thrown back in pleasure.

Sirius' lips attached to her neck, suckling and biting the exposed skin with desperate fervor. She understood his desperation all too well and felt her own rising within her as his thrusts increased in speed and force.

"Fuck, Evans. Don't you ever scare me like that again," Sirius groaned into her neck.

"I'm sorry," Lily panted.

"Don't go near him again," Sirius demanded, thrusting particularly hard.

Lily cried out, her walls clenching around him in pleasure.

"Say it, Evans. You won't go near him," Sirius growled, shoving deep inside and staying there.

"Oh, Merlin, yes. Yes, I won't go near him. Just please. Please move!" Lily pleaded frantically.

"If you see him, you run the other way," Sirius continued, thrusting once and waiting for her response.

"Yes, yes, yes. I promise!" Lily cried, clawing at his back.

"And you call one of us immediately," Sirius snarled, thrusting again.

"YES! Fuck, yes! I will," Lily screamed.

"Good girl," Sirius said with a smirk before pounding her pussy with all the fury of a rabid animal.

Lily could do nothing but hold on as he took her over and over, giving her no option but to accept his plundering of her body. She came twice before Sirius even began to show signs of tiring. His breath panted against her neck and his hands shook as he gripped her hips.

"Come for me one more time, Evans. Just one more," Sirius urged, grinding against her abused clit.

"Can't. Sirius, can't," Lily panted.

"Yes, you can," Sirius said, one hand slipping between their bodies.

She felt his finger rubbing circles around her clit, never actually touching the throbbing bud, but teasing her just enough that she felt another climax building in her abdomen. Her thighs clenched around his hips in anticipation and her fingers dug half-moons into his shoulders as her fourth climax of the morning ripped through her, causing her entire body to shudder against his.

"That's it, Evans. Fuck, you're so sexy," Sirius groaned, thrusting frantically inside her.

She moaned in response, incapable of communicating at that point, but it didn't matter. A few thrusts later and Sirius came, groaning into her neck. She felt his cum soak her already dripping cunt. It flowed down her thighs and down the shower drain, but neither she nor Sirius noticed their comingled juices on their bodies.

"You're beautiful, Lily," Sirius whispered against her temple.

"I love you," Lily breathed into his shoulder.

Exhausted beyond anything she'd ever felt before, Lily didn't even bother to help as Sirius dried her off and dressed her in her Muggle clothes. She didn't fight as he led her back to bed, slipping beneath the covers with her and spooning as they waited for James and Remus to return. She closed her eyes as Sirius ran his fingers through her hair, humming tunelessly.

She fell asleep long before James and Remus even thought of returning to the Gryffindor tower.