It only took James a handful of seconds to win.

Lily's mind felt sluggish, his eyes continually darting to Sev. He felt like a child again, full of power with no way to control it, unleashing it at the slightest provocation and scaring Tuney. He had no idea how to cast spells without tapping into Sev's reserves, and Sev's core was still fragile. Lily refused to hurt him again. "I'm allowed a second," Lily protested.

"I sent a message to Rosier. He's on his way," Mulciber said, his dimples deepening as he smiled.

True to his word, Rosier stormed into the chamber not five minutes later and shot twin glares at James and Mulciber. He didn't say anything to Lily as he took his place beside Mulciber; there was no need. If Mulciber was a great duelist, then James was even better. He had spent years honing his ability – often on Severus himself – and the idea that Lily would be able to defeat him without any preparation beforehand was laughable.

Lily was going to lose. He knew that the moment the first spell was let loose from James's wand. He only just managed to dodge it, twisted out of the way in time to miss the the second one, and as he stumbled over his feet a third spell hit him square in his chest. Lily felt his muscles seize and clamp together: ankles pressed against ankles, arms stiff as a board against his sides, completely immobile as he tipped over and landed hard on his shoulder. Petrificus totalus. A fucking Body-Bind Jinx. Sev belonged to James because Lily couldn't deflect a fucking first year spell. Shame and despair welled up inside of him as he watched James approach Mulciber.

"So, how do we do this?" James said to the Slytherin, sparing Lily one last glance as he walked past him. He didn't pay any attention to Sev, the boy whose life and magic he was bartering. It was like he didn't matter at all. "Do you have to disarm me or can I just forfeit?"

Lily, left frozen except for his eyes, looked over at Sev. He was pale, his lips bloodless as he silently watched James speak to Mulciber. His gaze flickered over to Lily, their eyes meeting, and he very deliberately lifted a single hand to his nose. A spark of magic flickered out from his fingertips and the next thing Lily knew, blood was pouring from Sev's nostrils.

Sev gave Lily one last look, before rolling his eyes backward in his head. He tipped back, letting gravity overtake him. He crashed against the stone, and Lily watched, his stomach churning painfully, as his head bounced against one of the carved sigils.

"Snape!" Rosier cried out, pulling James and Mulciber from their talk. He rushed over and lifted Sev's head up to feel the back of it and, apparently satisfied that he hadn't inadvertently cracked his skull open, turned back to James and Mulciber. "Any dueling is postponed. Evans completely drained his core with the last duel, that's why he was in the infirmary for three days. Another might kill him."

"We don't have to duel," Mulciber protested. "Snape will be fine–"

"You don't think two transferences of power within minutes of each other won't have any negative effect on Snape's core?" Rosier scoffed even as he reached down to pick Sev up. He easily hoisted the boy over his shoulder, long black hair and lanky arms dangling down Rosier's back. "I'm taking him to the infirmary. Do what you want after he's healed."

And with that Rosier turned and left, taking Sev with him.

"You mean I'm stuck with this bond until then?" James demanded, his expression full of disgust, but Rosier didn't turn around, didn't bother to dignify that with a response and the sound of the door slamming shut echoed throughout the Dueling Ground. James pulled at his hair and turned back to Mulciber. "You said this was going to be quick."

"I didn't realize Snape was such a delicate flower," Mulciber scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not any more happy about this than you are."

"Why you would want to marry Snivellus is beyond me–"

Mulciber smiled again. "What can I say? I fell in love with the greasy bat. We're made for each other." He too turned to leave. "Just give it a few days Potter, and this will all be over."

James scowled darkly at his retreating back and then moved toward Lily. He cast the counter-curse and managed to speak only a single word, "Evans–" before a fist collided with his jaw.

James landed sprawled on his ass while Lily clamoured to his feet, his knuckles smarting. Punching someone's face was surprisingly painful, but like hell would Lily let that stop him. He was going to kill James Potter.

"Hey! I'm just trying to help!" James helped as Lily grabbed him by the front of his robes, fist lifted to deliver another punch.

"By selling Sev to a monster!?" He screamed, punching him in the cheek this time.

James shoved him off and scrambled to get back up. "They're both monsters!" He yelled back. "They deserve each other as far as I'm concerned! Snape called you a mudblood! He's a Death Eater just like Mulciber, and I won't let him hurt you! Look at what he's done to you!"

"This is me!" Lily shouted. "I'm not whatever fantasy you built up in your head!"

James reached for him, as though to hug him – or worse, kiss him – and Lily took another wild swing, forcing James to back up. Lily didn't stick around to see what he might do next. He took off in a run, bursting through the heavy double doors. He sprinted through the dungeons, heading straight toward the Slytherin common room entrance. He needed to find a way to break this bond fast, before Mulciber could get his hands on Sev again. Rosier would help, Lily knew that, but Rosier needed to stay with Sev. That left one other person: Regulus Black.

Lily was loathe to go to him, but Regulus knew what was at stake. Lily might detest the Black family runt, but at least she knew he held some morals. He had never harmed Sev, had even cared for him; he would hate to see Sev back under Mulciber's thumb.

He stopped in front of a bare stretch of stone wall and started kicking at it furiously, knowing that whoever might be inside could hear it. After several long minutes, the stone bricks shifted, revealing the door that led into the Slytherin common room. A prefect stuck her head out and started saying, "Did you forget the pass–" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Lily and sneered. "What do you want?"

"I want to speak with Regulus Black."

"I'm sure he doesn't want to speak to mudbloods like you."

"I'm sure he does. Tell him Lily Evans is waiting for him. Go on, run along!" He shooed her. "He won't be happy to know you kept my visit a secret from him, and you're not important enough to go against House Black."

Her face purpled and the door slammed shut, but she must have considered what Lily said because after a while Regulus Black stepped gracefully out into the hall. "I don't know who–" He began, but Lily swiftly cut him off.

"James won Sev," he blurted out. "And he's planning to hand him over to Mulciber. Hate me all you want, but we both care about Sev. We can't let him do this."

He looked at him narrowed eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to break the bond. Without it Mulciber wouldn't dare lay a hand on Sev. He's too powerful."

"But I'm supposed to marry him–" Regulus closed his mouth, his lips screwed tight, afraid to let his dealings with You-Know-Who slip.

"I already know," Lily said. "Sev told me everything. You-Know-Who wants you to marry Sev? Then do it right. Woo him, make him fall in love with you. You're charming, handsome, rich, a Pureblood. Do that and no one can take him away from you, because he'll have chosen you."

Lily felt his stomach twist in knots, the bile creeping up his eosphogus as he watched Regulus carefully consider his words. There was a gleam in his eyes, a romantic hope, and– and he was everything a man was supposed to be. Maybe he wasn't tall, but he still had at least half-a-foot on Lily, and… and he was charming and handsome and rich and a Pureblood.

"You two figured out how to break it?" Regulus asked.

"No, not exactly. We did a Dark ritual, a spell, and it showed that there was something behind one of the walls in the Dueling Ground chamber. Maybe a hidden door or something. It might help us break the magic sigils carved on the stone. That's how the contract gets its power, right? From the sigils?"

"Those sigils are very old and powerful," Regulus said. "I don't know if there is a way to break them, or if there ever was that knowledge has long been lost…"

"We have to try," Lily said and Regulus nodded.


Severus opened his eyes as soon as Rosier had carried him out of the dungeons. He wiggled in his grip and Rosier set him gently down on his feet. "Thanks," Severus mumbled, scrubbing at the blood still pooling along his upper lip with his sleeve.

"What's the plan?" Rosier asked.

"Dumbledore." At Rosier's sharp look Severus sighed. "He doesn't know about the Dark Lord's involvement and I have no plans on telling him, but he does know about the duels. He wanted to hide Lily and I until we were old enough to marry. He was willing to expel Sirius Black just to get me to agree." Severus shook his head. "He might help." Though not without a price, Severus thought. He didn't know what Dumbledore was getting out of his "marriage" but he was sure he wasn't doing it out of the goodness of his heart.

Rosier still didn't look convinced, but he followed Severus toward the Headmaster's office. The last time he had been there was after the Black's werewolf "prank" and he'd hoped to never set foot in it again. He stopped in front of the statue and, not knowing the password, knocked on it.

After a few moments, it leapt aside, and there stood the Headmaster looking vaguely alarmed at the dry blood coating Severus's face. "What happened?" He demanded as he ushered the two Slytherins inside.

"Potter dueled Lily, won, and now he's planning to just hand me over to Mulciber," Severus explained.

Dumbledore's face darkened and Severus felt a stirring of hope. "I cannot allow that to happen. Wait here in my office. I will speak with Mr Potter. You needn't worry." And he swept past them, almost rushing out the door. Severus sighed and slumped in one of the chairs, Rosier taking the other next to him. He felt the tension slowly ebb, safe in the knowledge that whatever Dumbledore might want from him down the line at least he wouldn't be returned to Mulciber.

It took the Headmaster almost an hour to return, and when he stepped inside his office, he was beaming. "It's handled. You won't be forced to marry Mr Mulciber. James has agreed to keep you."