Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling finishes stories before we get to read them, you are reading chapters of my story as I try and finish them. Obviously I'm not J.K. Rowling
A/N: So, for those of you that are reading more then one of my stories, check out my profile. I've explained how I am going to get through each of the several projects that I am working on at the moment, all but one. I wouldn't say I've been in a writers block for a couple of weeks, my mind has just been in a million places at once, so I apologize for the long wait.
Chapter 3: Face Off
I woke up that next morning with a warm body fighting the chill mine tried to shiver from. I opened my eyes for a moment and realized that my bed partner was a cover hog. Laughing, I tugged some of the blanket wrapped around him, and pulled it over me. He tried to roll, but his arm was locked under me, and we just jostled a little. He made the funniest sleeping sound I had heard, and his hand reached to pull the covers around him. I held them in place, and his free hand fell limp against my hip. His nose nuzzled the back of my head; he sighed, and stopped moving around. His breathe was still even, and I knew he was still asleep. With one of his arms locked around my chest, and the other gripping my waist, I couldn't get out. I smiled, I could get used to this
I was just about to fall back asleep, when I felt a light kiss pressed against my shoulder. I feigned sleep, and reveled in the feel of the lips against my skin. I smiled when his tongue snaked out and licked the patch of skin he was exploring. He laughed and nipped at it, and I sighed when he put just the right amount of pressure into the bit for it to be mostly pleasure and little pain. "I know you aren't sleeping," he whispered as he moved his mouth so he could take the lobe of my ear between his teeth.
"James," I sighed, and he hummed against my ear. "What are we doing?" It was a legitimate question. Two blokes that had just spent the night together, and even though it was nice, there was nothing "friendly" about it.
"Right now I would be chewing on your ear," He explained, "and now I'm going to suck on your pulse point." He continued before doing just that. I moaned.
"No," I sighed, he didn't stop, and this pleased me, because I don't think that was what I wanted. "I meant what are we doing? What did we do last night?"
"Do you want the technical answer or the mushy one?" He asked against the spot he had been entertaining his self with.
"Both," I said. I knew that with James that was a bad idea, but I always was curious when he asked this question.
"Technically we sucked each other last night, mushily, is that a word?" I shook my head, I didn't think so. "Now it is," I laughed, "you let me make love to you, and then you did the same thing to me." I nodded accepting this as a good explanation of what happened last night.
"I don't mean to sound like a girl," I started, "but, where does this leave us?" Once more, a completely legitimate question. We were two blokes that sucked each other the night before, or made love if you wanted the mushy answer.
"Well right now we are in bed, and," He lifted the wrist with his watch up to our faces, "since it's Saturday, I'm thinking of keeping you here all day, but I know you have your meeting at ten. I've got two hours to do whatever I want to you until then." He finished his explanation, and kept up his exploration of my neck.
"An hour, I have to get ready too, and I'm willing to bet I'll need a shower once we're done." He groaned, but I knew he was going to consent. "That isn't what I mean anyways. Last night you told Sirius to keep his paws off your boyfriend. Did you mean that, is that what you want?" He stopped his exploration, sat up, and flipped me to look at him.
"I don't know how you feel, or how long you have felt whatever you feel." He started. "I know how I feel Remus, I'm in love with you, have been for a couple of years now, definitely since third. I want to be with you, and if you'll give me the chance, I'll give you everything you never let yourself dream of." I couldn't keep the smile off of my face at that, and he bent so that our lips were barely touching. "Be my guy?" He pleaded, and when he felt me nod, he brought our lips together the whole way.
I'm not sure what he meant by "giving me everything I never let myself dream of." I knew there were things I could never have, ever. It didn't matter if I had a lover that knew what I was, and loved me despite it. I would never be allowed to have a career, and I would never be allowed to have a family. I knew even as I kissed James that morning that I really shouldn't even be entertaining the thought, I would end up hurting one or both of us. The danger of us being together was great, but when his tongue did this thing as his mouth started moving down my neck I couldn't bear to care. I would enjoy what little time I was allowed with him.
An hour and a half later we were walking down the stairs from the boy's dormitory to the Gryffindor Common Room. He and Sirius were going to go do God only knows, while I was in my prefect meeting. Of course Peter would be tagging along with them, but as I've probably already made clear, Peter always tagged along. Honestly, I had to wonder what James did in order for us to get a free moment alone last night. As we finished our walk down the stairs, and I spotted Lily waiting for me, James pulled me to him for one last kiss. As I pulled away from him, I felt all of the air sucked out of the room, and all of the eyes resting on us.
James turned to face the Common Room, his arm still holding me to him tightly. His cocky grin was firmly in place, and I ducked my head into his shoulder. "Yes, we're gay, together. Who has a problem with it?" He started chuckling, and I turned to see that even though a lot of the guys were looking at us like we were crazy, none of their hands were up. The only people that were raising their hands were the girls. I think their hands were u[, not because they didn't approve of the type of relationship, but because it was obvious James Potter was not on the market. Knowing that our House didn't really care, I shrugged and let James pull me back to him for a quick second.
"I have to go," I sighed as I pulled away. He pouted, but relented. With a smile and a spring in my step I walked towards where Lily was staring at me like I might have grown a second head. "Are you okay," I asked looking at her in concern.
"First, I haven't been imagining the fact that he has been asking me out at least once, everyday, for the past two and a half years, right?" She started, her expression not changing.
"Yes, that's actually been happening." I assured her. "He was hiding behind his "crush" on you, so no one caught onto his crush on me."
"Oh, okay," she said, her look changing a little. "I feel used." I laughed. "Second, do you know what you are getting yourself into?"
"No," I answered truthfully. "I've been friends with him for five and a half years, so I have some idea, but really I don't think I can ever really know what I've gotten myself into."
"Last, are you happy?" She asked. The expression of me having another head had been replaced by a look that I couldn't quiet read. I turned to look at where I had left James to wait for Sirius. He turned when he felt me watching him, and we shared one of those smiles that only couples can share. I turned back to Lily and nodded.
"I'm so, so happy Lily." I answered again. She was smiling now, and nodding that nod that shows a good friend, a best friend, approves of the relationship.
"Hang on; there is one thing I have to do before we go to the meeting." I nodded again, this time with a confused glance at her as I watched her walk towards my boyfriend. I followed her, wondering what she was going to do.
"Hey Evans," James grinned his cocky grin. Her face had turned back into one of stone as she glared at him.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear Potter," she growled and we all looked at her in wonder. "He's my best friend, you break his heart, and I'll break your face."
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "He's my best friend," he said pointing between the both of us so neither of us knew who he was talking to. "You break his heart, and I'll break your face."
"Right," James said nodding slowly.
"Which one of us are you threatening?" I asked my brow rose in question.
"Both of you," Sirius answered, and we smiled. "You two get into a fight, and I'm getting both sides of the story. Whoever I deem is in the wrong, I'm kicking his ass." Sirius was good at taking pieces of stories and figuring out the real picture. I attributed it to his ability to sniff out lies so well. "I am glad my best friends are making each other happy, but I will not allow you two to hurt each other and break up this group. Do I make myself clear?" His tone had switched from over-protective best friend, to that of a disciplining parent.
"Perfectly," I smiled. I was praying that this would be an unfounded worry, and there would be no need for us to understand this threat.
"Sir, yes, Sir." James said, snapping to attention and saluting our friend. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist, just because I could. "You know it was dangerous for her to bring you back over here." He growled as he wrapped one of his arms around my back, pulling me even closer. He was just a few inches taller than me, and I put my head down on his shoulder. "I might not let you go again." A tired request I made of him a few nights ago flashed through my mind. I hummed sadly wishing he didn't have to let me go, and pulled away.
"You're such a love-sick puppy," Lily whispered as we started walking towards the portrait again.
"I'm not a puppy," I protesteh8d. "I'm a love-sick wolf." I growled before bumping my shoulder with hers. She laughed, and I joined her. She knew that if I was making a joke about my "condition" as she and Sirius liked to call it, I had to be happy. As we walked, we turned the conversation away from me. Sure I was used to being near the spotlight, because Sirius and James were always in the spotlight, but I didn't like being in it myself. I knew this was going to be something I faced if I was going to be with James, and I was ready for it, as long as he had my back.
When we walked into the meeting, I could tell that the other Gryffindor prefects had spread the news of James' latest relationship. When the door opened the prefects all turned to look who was coming in, something that was common, but usually lasted the briefest second before everyone turned back to what they had been doing in the first place. When they saw that it was me that was walking in, everybody stopped and stared. A part of me had the instinct to run, flee for the hills before they looked too closely and found out my secrets. Another part of me told that part to shut it, and flashed an image of James wrapped around me in the bed we had shared the night before to keep me calm. It worked; I took a deep breath, and faced off with the crowd. Sure James and Sirius weren't behind me, but Lily had my back in this one.
The Head Girl walked up to me and Lily, looked at me as though she were trying to see through me, and asked, "Is it true?" I nodded, ready for whatever retribution I would have to pay. I smiled, when she wrapped me in a tight hug. "Congratulations, I hope you two are very happy." She wished before backing away. The Head Boy followed behind her, and stuck his hand out for me to shake.
"No one has a right to judge anybody, my friend," he said as I took his hand. "You do what makes you happy; Carolina and I support you 100%."
"That's disgusting," I heard a snarl come from the other side of the room. The Heads, Lily, and I looked to see a pale boy with a large nose sneering at us, or maybe he was just sneering at me. "He and Potter should both have their badges taken from them. People like that are not good influences for the younger students; they are not fit to lead."
I guess this would be a good place to explain who Severus Snape, or as my friends and I liked to call him, Snivellus was. I only know most of this because I quickly took his place in Lily's life, and very few others truly know anything about Snape. He is not as vindictive as he may seem, but he has allowed himself to follow a very dark path. Lily has a theory that one of the older Slytherins, Lucius Malfoy, led him down this path, and once he got a certain way down it, there was no return. Snape was an abused child, or so Lily believes. When a person believes their best friend was abused, it would be a safe bet to believe that as well. I guess the abuse he was subjected to at home, and the abuse my lover has continued to put him through, did not help matters any. I still see a boy with greasy hair and a snobbish attitude, I guess he is so afraid to be loved again that he must attack all that try to get close to him. Yet I also see him through the eyes of Lily, a scared boy in need of the love he continually pushes away.
Maybe I should take a moment to explain who Lily is as well. Lily is the best witch of our age that I have ever met. Sure she still has a lot to learn, but she will learn it quickly. She is also the kindest, yet fiercest woman I know. All of the young students know that they can turn to her if they need help, and she will gladly put away what she is doing in order to help them. She will fight, and die, for what and who she loves or believes. She tried to fight for Snape, and it almost broke her when he pushed her away. She still continues to fight for him. She cannot stand bullies, and that is her real problem with James and Sirius. When they do simple pranks that end up with even their victim laughing she leaves them be. When their pranks turn vindictive then she turns into the fierce protector of the underdog she is. It isn't that she is rule-abiding, though she would rather stay on that side of the rules then the other, she just can't stand when people try to show others who is superior. Lily is a believer in fairness and equality. I guess this is why she only cares that I am happy, no matter who I find that happiness with.
"There are no rules, no laws in our world, about who a person is allowed to be with." The Head Boy explained to Snape. "How can we, as descendents of people that were burned for things they could not change, how can we judge others? You pride yourself as a pure-blood Snape, and so you must have someone in your family that was burnt at the stake. You have no right to judge others for things that make them happy, and that they cannot change."
"I think there is a bit of a difference," Snape argued.
"No, there is no difference." The Head Boy brushed away Snape's argument. "There are no rules, and no laws, and as a group we will judge each other based on our professional performances, not on our personal lives. Remus Lupin is one of the best prefects we have seen in a long time, and you all will do well to remember that." It felt good to have another person to have my back. Sure, against Snivellus I could easily defend myself, but it was still nice to have our authority figure taking my side. "Now, get in your seats, and lets start this meeting. I have plans for lunch, or you know as much plans as going to the Great Hall can be." We had a laugh at that, and Lily and I took our seats.
I think the Heads talked about the plans for decorating for Valentine's Day, and asked us about our rounds, and checked that we were all prepared for the Hogsmeade weekend. I think this happened, I'm not sure. Once the spotlight was no longer on me, I found that I had an even harder time keeping my mind from thinking about a pair of hazel eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. He hated his glasses, about as much as he hated his raven-black, messy hair. I loved his hair, not that he needed to continually run his hand through it, but it made me think he just got off of his broom. I loved seeing him on his broom. Okay so maybe being in love with the same person since you were twelve and keeping it a secret doesn't help much with keeping your focus on the world around you, especially when you finally get to be with that person. Wait...did I just say I was in love?
A/N: I know I had a bad cliché in there, but it's one of my favorite lines from the Facebook "likes" and flairs. Plus the scene with Sirius threatening them both, I liked that. What did you all think? Don't forget to check out my profile.