The following morning, Decima and Gwen spent their time together getting ready for class and discussing the details of James's upcoming date with Lily. Gwen took copious notes. She quickly drafted a copy of the schedule and important information which they were going to go over with James at breakfast.

"Darling?" came a voice from the doorway. Both girls turned as they were curling their hair over their wands. It was Sirius.

"Yes, love?"

"Can we talk alone for a moment?"

Gwen nodded and grabbed her bag, releasing her final strand of hair from her wand.

"I'll see you both at breakfast."

As soon as Gwen had ducked out of the room, Decima took one look at the solemn, worried expression on her boyfriend's face and her own face fell.

"Sirius, love, what's wrong?" she whispered, rushing over to him and touching a hand to his face.

"You don't have to do this, CiCi," he muttered.

"Do… I'm sorry, do what, exactly?" she frowned.

Sirius sighed heavily and said, "Force Evans to go out with James. I don't know, maybe this is some sort of guilt you feel over what you used him for, or maybe you're still mad at me for making it worse and then not properly cleaning up the mess, but I'll do a better job. Just… don't get his hopes up like this. He'll be devastated if he ever finds out it was coerced for your own guilty feelings to be assuaged. James is fragile."

Decima blinked, not sure he had just said what she had just heard. Then, when she realized that that was exactly what he had said, she snorted with laughter and kissed Sirius on the cheek before heading back to the mirror to continue curling her hair as they talked.

"For your information, love, Lily basically asked us to set it up. She was freaking out over realizing she didn't hate him as much as she had thought. It has nothing to do with guilt. It has to do with helping two people who are so obviously crazy about each other achieve bliss." She gave him a sly grin and added, "Just think, if someone had interceded on your behalf, we might have been together much sooner."

She thought that would have cheered him up in a way, but instead, his face darkened and he sat on his bed, sighing heavily and roughly massaging his brow with his thumbs. Decima just watched him, wondering and worried, until he said, "If I just could have gotten you before Christmas… If there was some way I could have made you fall for me sooner, maybe you wouldn't be… maybe he wouldn't have… I'm such a failure, Decima. I don't deserve you."

She blinked again. That monologue had gotten very bizarrely escalated very quickly, and had been nearly impossible to logically follow to boot.

"Sirius, stop beating yourself up about it, and get your ass over here, I want you to curl the back."

Sirius took her wand obediently and curled a strand in the back around it, leaning forward to kiss the spot it had bared on her neck. She put on some lip gloss as he worked.

"I don't know why you go through all this trouble every morning," he murmured. "You don't need it. You're beautiful."

"I just want to look my best, Sirius," Decima said matter-of-factly as she curled her eyelashes.

"You know when you look your best?" he whispered in her ear as he let the strand fall and started curling the next one. "When you're writhing beneath me, covered in our mixed sweat and my saliva, moaning out my name in that breathy way you moan when we're on the third round and you're gearing up for the fourth. That's when you look your best. But I never want anyone else to ever see you like that. You know why?"

Decima smiled to herself as she gingerly placed makeup over the last discolorations of the bruise he had given her when he hit her.

"Why?"

"Because you're mine," he growled. "Because there's not a man on this earth who deserves to see that look on your face when I'm fucking you. Even I don't deserve it, but I earn it every time, don't I, baby?"

"Mmm," she moaned as he let the curl fall and nipped the back of her neck playfully.

"What d'you say we skip the world today, darling?" he hissed in her ear. She could feel his erection as he pressed himself against her. "Why don't we just stay up here all day?"

"As soon as breakfast is over," she moaned, "and I've made it through Transfiguration alive, I swear I'll meet you up here and we can do whatever you want for the rest of the day, but we need to make an appearance, at the least, and if I miss any more Transfiguration, McGonagall's going to fail me, forget how much I've improved."

"But that's all so far away," Sirius whined. "I could take you really quick? Just to hold me over until after your class? I promise, it'll be worth your while…"

"Sirius," said Decima with an annoyed sigh, "I just did my hair and now you want me to have sex and mess it all up? I don't think so, you're just going to have to deal."

"Fine," he muttered, picking up both of their bags. "To breakfast we go, then, darling."

Taking her hand and swinging their clasped hands between them as he walked her down to the Great Hall, Sirius was practically skipping. Perhaps it was because he was no longer worried about her actions toward James and Lily being born from her guilt. Perhaps it was because of the promise of getting laid in the near future, as if he needed a promise to know that was coming. Perhaps it was because he was hungry, which she was sure he was, as Sirius thoroughly enjoyed breakfast, always.

Through breakfast, Decima and Gwen explained to James everything he was required to do on his date, as well as the non-required suggestions. Gwen made sure to make a small cheat-sheet for him to study, memorize, and in the case of emergencies, reference. They also gave him a free pass to refresh at any time Lily wasn't around between that moment at the date, and her being around included her being in the room or hallway in which they were located, even if she was out of earshot. Lily was a witch, after all.

As she swore to herself, Decima went to Transfiguration with Gwen, but she couldn't concentrate. She nearly set her table on fire. If Gwen hadn't put it out before Professor McGonagall had noticed, Slytherin would be down quite a few points from where it had previously been. She just couldn't keep her mind on anything but Sirius for longer than about fifteen seconds.

By some miracle, Decima made it out of Transfiguration without loss of life, limb, house points, or free time (in the form of detention), and as soon as the bell rang, she rushed back up to Gryffindor Tower, ignoring people who said her name, barely apologizing to people she ran over, and not stopping to look back as a person she bumped into fell to the ground, sending Professor Flitwick flying off across the hall. As soon as she got to Gryffindor Tower, she darted across the common room, up the stairs, and straight to the dormitory. When she opened the door, Sirius was laying on the bed, stretched out as though she had just been off to grab something from the common room and had come right back.

He was completely naked, and he tossed the Marauder's Map aside with a smirk as he noted her hungry expression, drinking him in.

"Miss me?" he drawled, but she didn't bother answering the question. Instead, she tossed her bag to the side, closed the door and crossed the room in a record low number of steps. Crawling onto the bed, she didn't bother getting comfortable before pressing her lips eagerly to his. He moaned into her mouth, which made the heat in her core absolutely sizzle. She needed him.

Even though she needed him badly, and she could feel that his own need was just as much, he wasn't letting her be forceful. He was moving slowly, gently, and although she could tell he needed her just as badly, he wasn't pulling off clothes or attacking her with eagerness. This was an odd and new sensation, and she loved it.

They spent the rest of the day making slow, languid love, in his bed, in the shower… even once on Remus's bed, because they had just gotten out of the shower and were two preoccupied to be sure they had gotten the right one. When they finally collapsed in each other's arms, Decima snuggled into Sirius's chest and said, "That was absolutely amazing."

"Better than usual?" he said with a soft chuckle.

"Surprisingly, yes," she chuckled. "But I am a little hungry."

"That's because it's dinnertime," said Remus, strolling into the room with a frown. "You know, if you're not going to wear clothes or use blankets the least you could have done was close your curtains."

"Ah, sorry, Moony," said Sirius, pulling a blanket over Decima's body, but not bothering to cover his own. "We've been moving around a bit and didn't think about it."

Remus winced, maybe suspecting what the damp spots on his own bed were from, but not saying a word.

"Well, if you want dinner, I'd suggest getting clothes on and coming down to dinner. You've got maybe an hour before it's over."

"Good to know," muttered Sirius, and they heard the door close behind Remus. They were alone again.

"As tempting as it would be," muttered Decima, "to melt into your arms to start all over again where we were, my stomach does need food."

"Are you sure about that?" said Sirius with a fake frown. "I was under the impression that you had enough stamina that you didn't require food until tomorrow."

"You keep this up," said Decima with a giggle, "and I'll have no stamina to speak of, you pest."

"Ooh, a pest, am I?" cried Sirius mockingly. "You wound me, darling. And here I thought you loved me!"

"I do," she whispered sincerely, before joking once more, "but I never said you weren't the most lovable pest I've ever met!"

"Ugh, you kill me, darling," groaned Sirius, nipping playfully at her jaw. "What have you two got planned for James and his darling Lilyflower?"

"Only good things, love," said Decima, tapping Sirius's nose lightly. "And that is all you need concern yourself about it."

"More importantly," said Sirius, "what are we doing?"

"We," she said proudly, "have absolutely no obligations but to meet up with the gang for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. Other than that, you can do whatever you'd like with me, Sirius."

"Anything?" he breathed, and she nodded. "Well, I like the sound of that."

Somehow, she did manage to make it to dinner in enough time to scarf down some food before returning to the common room and doing a bit of neglected homework. Sirius tried to coax her upstairs a few times, with absolutely no success, and she managed to get quite a bit of work done, especially since Lily Evans was helping her. That girl was amazing.

"Finally studying for O.W.L.s?" said Remus conversationally, dropping into the free chair at their table. Decima gasped. "I'll take that as a no."

"Oh Merlin, O.W.L.s!" she moaned. "I completely forgot about them!"

"Sirius has that effect on people," said Remus with a knowing smirk. "It's a wonder you remember your own name with how often you shag."

Lily's face scrunched up in disgust, but Decima smirked back and said, "Sometimes I forget, but then he screams it and I remember again."

She winked and Remus laughed, but Lily just slammed her book shut with disgust.

"If you two are quite finished," she sniffed. "We have actual work to do, Remus, so if you're just going to be a distraction, you can leave."

Remus's eyebrows shot up and he shook his head.

"No, I'll help. GiGi's off doing Astronomy homework so I've got nothing better to do."

Decima snorted, but covered the sound deftly with her hand. Lily didn't appear to notice the double meaning of what he had just said, and so much the better, or she likely would have made Remus leave.

"I could use some help with my Transfiguration, Remus, if you don't mind," she said honestly. "Sirius has kind of neglected to tutor me since we got together. Something about not mixing business and pleasure, which is a good thing, I guess, because we'd never get my homework done if he was still tutoring me."

"Sure, let me see what you've got."

She handed him the essay on Switching Spells she had been working on for three hours and only seconds into reading it, he winced.

"Um, this is going to take some time to work over. Why don't you go see Sirius while I fix this?"

She frowned.

"How much time are we talking?"

"I just told you to see Sirius, didn't I?"

Decima forced a laugh, but she was worried. If her Transfiguration skills had deteriorated so much in just a short time without tutoring, how was she ever going to pass her O.W.L.? Maybe Remus was right, maybe she was spending too much time sleeping with Sirius.

When she got upstairs, however, all thoughts of cutting him off were driven from her mind. Sirius was asleep, but he was writhing horribly in his bed, gasping, moaning, and crying out. As she moved closer, she heard him mumble, "No, mother, please! It wasn't me, I swear, just please stop hurting me!"

"S-Sirius?" she whispered, moving toward the bed. He looked so helpless, so pathetic, and all she wanted to do was hold him and kiss his fears away, but he was thrashing violently and she couldn't get close enough.

The dormitory door opened again, and Peter came in, looking down at Sirius with horror on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" he whispered.

"He's having a nightmare," hissed Decima. "Get James and Remus, quick!"

Moments later, Remus and James were storming up the stairs and into the dormitory, Peter trailing behind, gasping and gripping his side.

"Merlin," muttered James, seeing Sirius trashing and groaning. "It's bad."

"I don't know how to wake him up," moaned Decima.

"Aguamenti," muttered Remus, shooting a jet of water at his best friend.

Sirius sputtered in his dream, gasping and shuddering, but he didn't wake up. He thrashed even harder, crying out, "No! Please, it was Bella! I didn't do it, mother, please stop hurting me!"

Remus and Peter blinked and James and Decima exchanged dark looks. Instinctively, she ran to him, and promptly got punched in the face by his flailing arm. She fell backward, and Remus caught her as her nose began to bleed. James shot a few non-verbal spells at him, to no avail, and then Peter put him in a Full-Body Bind so that they could get close enough to wake him without getting hit. When they released him and he sat up, seeing Decima's bleeding nose, his eyes filled with horror.

"Oh, Merlin, Decima, I'm so sorry!" he moaned. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare," said Remus with a sigh, "and she tried to wake you and you smacked her across the face in your sleep."

Sirius winced.

"Maybe you're right, Moony, maybe I am a hazard to her health."

"Don't you dare say that," growled James. "She'd probably kill you for saying such a thing if she wasn't bleeding profusely out of her nose!"

"Don't worry, I'll fix it," said Remus casually, and he tapped his wand to her bleeding nose, healing it, then waving his wand and cleaning her face off. "Better?"

"Yeah," muttered Decima, and she pulled herself out of Remus's grasp, crawling onto Sirius's lap and wrapping her arms around him, nuzzling her face into his chest. He tensed uncertainly for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and petting her.

"Privacy?" she heard him whisper to the boys. The other Marauders exited quietly as Sirius gently petted her hair.

"CiCi," he whispered, "what happened?"

"You were crying out," she whispered, "in pain, I think. Something in your dream. And you were muttering, begging your mum to stop hurting you. I couldn't see you like that. It hurt so badly to see you panicking like that and not being able to do a thing."

Sirius sighed and nodded, putting his hand to her chin and tilting her head to look up at him.

"I'm sorry about your nose," he muttered.

"I'm sorry about your nightmare," she muttered back.

"That wasn't your fault."

"And my nose wasn't yours," she countered. "You didn't do it on purpose, darling. Don't you dare blame yourself for it. This was truly a complete and total accident. That could have been anyone hitting me, James or Remus or Gwen or Peter. It doesn't mean anything that it was you, so don't you dream of blaming yourself."

Sirius sighed.

"Yes dear," he said. "Oh, a friend of James's wants to join us for a little while at Hogsmeade next week, not when it's James and Lily alone time," he added hastily, "but when you and me and Remus and GiGi are hanging out in the morning. She's your year and it'll be nice for you two to have a friend in Gryffindor to put you up when we graduate, so we thought you'd like to meet her. She's really a great girl."

Decima's eyes narrowed.

"And you know her how?"

"I've not slept with her, CiCi," said Sirius seriously. "Honestly, I swear it. Tien's not my type. Actually, she is, but she wouldn't have let me come near her with a ten foot broomstick."

Decima's lips twitched at the double entendre.

"Anyway, I met her through James, she's the Gryffindor Keeper. I believe you've failed to score on her many times."

"Hey, I scored a few!" said Decima indignantly and Sirius chuckled.

"Yes dear," he said softly. "Anyway, her name's Tien Vo, and I think you guys are really going to like her. She's Muggleborn, so you don't have to worry about all the politics. And Remus gives her thumbs-up approval, which means she's got to be good."

"I'll meet her," said Decima with a laugh, kissing Sirius on the cheek. "I think I'd like to meet any girl who isn't trying to get in bed with my boyfriend."

"Then I think you'll really like Tien," he said cheekily. "She thinks I'm ugly."