Author's Note: This is dedicated to my lovely big sis mew-tsubaki, for her birthday. Happy Birthday, mew, and I really hope you like this! Parts of it are definitely compliant with your Jamestins :) There's definitely some brotherly JamesAl too, although it's angsty, as you'll see.

JamesII/Justin is an M&MWP, obviously, and so is Lily/Roxanne, which is vaguely implied in this (it could be taken as friendship or a relationship, depending on your femslash goggles).

Also being submitted to the As Strong As We Are United Competition, One-shot A Day Competition, Dark Side Competition (Helga Hufflepuff's Cup - write about a Hufflepuff, which Justin is canonically and Albus, who plays a pretty major role in this, is in my head-canon), and the Freeverse Competition.

Yes, I realize that technically, some things should be capitalized that aren't, but it's all done for stylistic freeverse-y effect.

The rating has been upped to T for a slightly-inappropriate comment in this chapter.

jamesIIjustin - after all

Justin tells me that everything will be all right.

You want to be(lie)ve him. You really do.

How can you?

Al - your own brother, your own flesh and

B

L

O

O

D

hasn't accepted us, accepted you.

Because (he's so old) and (he's a professor) and (I thought you fancied women, James)

Because...oh, hell, you can't rationalize Al's behavior.

He's wrong, and you KNOW it more than you know ANYTHING else.

(but it hurts)

(you hate to admit it, but it hurts)

Can't Al just accept love?

You're so in love with Justin. You want to "SCREAM" it to the

W...O

L...R

D

(no, you think - you want to scream it to Al, make him understand)

"James," Justin says, "I love you."

"Love you too." And you do, you truly, truly do, but that only takes away some of the !pain!

Justin is your everything, your true love.

Those o.b.s.t.a.c.l.e.s. don't matter.

(age is but a number, after all)

(he's no longer your professor, after all)

(and who cares whether you like men or women now, apart from the stupid tabloids?)

And you know all that, and you no longer feel guilty for fancying Justin, like you felt back in sixth year.

Your relationship is wonderfulamazing, fantasticbeautiful.

Your brotherly relationship with Al...isn't.

(it's screwed-up and dysfunctional - after all, he. doesn't. accept. you.)

If you were Lily, you'd never put up with this.

You can just picture her now.

("Screw you, Al." "Nobody can tell me how to live my life - after all, it's my life." "I hope you realize, beyond all shadow of a doubt, that you suck.")

But...you're not Lily.

(hell, who is?)

You don't want to say things like that to his face, to make things even worse.

And Lily's too caught up in Teddy and Roxanne and trying to do decently well at Hogwarts, and she can't defend you to Al.

(she's on your side, thank Merlin, because being on the opposite side as Lily can be freaking scary)

"Don't let Al bother you," Justin says. "He'll come around."

(but will he?)

(really, Justin, he will? are you sure? never realized you could predict the future, love.)

Your days are spent at your job, where thankfully, you're too busy to focus on anything but work.

Your nights are spent in Justin's bed, doing things that would make Al even more shocked and disgusted.

And whatever time you have to yourself is spent thinking.

(will Al write?)

(oh, stop it, you're being ridiculous)

(he definitely won't)

Maybe someday, Al will come ((around)), like Justin says.

Maybe someday, you can have a normal family again.

Until then, you'll try to focus on what matters - Justin especially, but also your other friends, and the members of your family who do accept you.

(like family members should)