Just another day with the same everything. Severus was getting rather tired of it. His only friend was no longer talking to him and honestly he couldn't really blame her. It didn't ease the pain of her betrayal, but Severus could understand not wanting to be associated with someone like him.

He hadn't gotten the dark mark just yet, but that would change very soon. Lily's betrayal wasn't because she didn't want to talk to him. No it was much worse than that. She was dating James fucking Potter. That's the betrayal that hurt Severus the most.

It might have been an average uneventful day for Severus, but his life was about to get very complicated. Not because of the dark mark. Not because of Lily's betrayal. Not because of his classes. No, his life only got complicated because of one messy-haired smug and foolish Gryffindor who wouldn't leave him alone.

"Hey! Snivellius come hang out."

Severus sighed. James' usual poesie of friends wasn't with him. Severus had thought of that as a bonus, but he wasn't about to just listen to James. He had no interest in ruining his perfectly boring day. James had every interest in spending time with Severus though. One reason was to change his mind.

"Come on. Let's hang." James grinned and grabbed Severus before he could escape. "Don't worry so much."

"Impossible." Severus grumbled.

James dragged him through the corridors and straight to the abandoned classroom. Severus sighed. His heart was began to race. Lily's betrayal had hurt him so much because she had pursued James. There was a secret he and James shared that no one else knew about.

"James." Severus sighed as James let go of his arm.

"What's the matter? You don't usually hesitate to hang out with me." James frowned at him.

"You're with Lily." Severus shrugged.

James grabbed Severus' arm again and this time inspected it. He slowly brought the pale skin of Severus' arm to his lips. He had felt the pull. The moment he agreed to go out with Lily, Severus started pulling away from him. He didn't like it one bit. He was glad that Severus hadn't gotten the mark yet.

"What are you doing?" Severus frowned.

"Giving you a mark of my own." James grinned and gently bit Severus' arm so that it would form a blue mark.

"That hurts even if you're trying to be gentle." Severus deadpanned and pulled his arm away.

James sighed and dropped the happy exterior he had been displaying. He was only ever truely his 100% self with Severus. Severus saw through all the bullshit and never expected anything from anyone. James had to admit that he had been jealous of Severus in the beginning. Now it was different.

They were different. James sighed again and moved closer to Severus. He laid his head on Severus' shoulder and wrapped his arms around Severus' waist. He was taller so he was bending over a bit awkwardly. Still he'd much rather spend the rest of eternity like that than let Severus go.

Severus gently pushed him away and walked to a desk close by. James followed close behind him. He sat down on the desk and pulled James towards him. The embrace was more comfortable for both of them. The desk added a little height to close the gap so James didn't have to bend awkwardly.

Severus had his arms wrapped around james' neck. He felt James nuzzle his neck a little and knew what was coming. Severus knew that he shouldn't let this continue but he just couldn't give it up. It wasn't easy to walk away from the undeniable connection they had. It wasn't easy giving up on something he really wanted.

James softly kissed, licked and nibbled at the nape of Severus' neck. His tentative actions waiting for a response from Severus. He shifted a little higher and earned a soft gasp. Severus had always been sensitive on his neck. His most sensitive spot was just slightly below and behind his ear.

James slowly made his way up Severus' neck. He made sure not to leave any real marks on Severus' skin. Severus let go of James and used his arms as support. He leaned back and tilted his head so James would have more access. James didn't hesitate to take advantage of Severus' action.

Despite knowing that James was now dating Lily, Severus couldn't deny James. The feeling of James' gentle touch always lit a fire in him. James skillfully managed to get a hand under Severus' shirt. Severus groaned and bit his lip as James' thumb brushed over his hardened nipple. He wanted so much more from James.

James bit a little harder when he got to the sweet spot that made Severus melt. Severus moaned and James smiled against his skin. The position they found themselves in at that moment left little room for avoiding the situation if someone walked in on them. James was standing between Severus' legs after all.

"Severus." James whispered against his skin. "Why are you still being so cold towards me?"

Severus was breathing heavily. He could barely keep his eyes open. James had purposely stayed close while he spoke. The feeling of his breath sent waves of chills down Severus' spine. The way James' lips brushed against his skin gave him goosebumps and sent blood rushing to his groin.

"I'm not." Severus responded.

It was a lie and they both knew it. James gently tugged Severus' ear lobe between his teeth. He let go and faced Severus completely. He knew every button to press to turn Severus into nothing more than moans and heavy breathing. He knew exactly what to do at every moment and yet...

"I'm tired of you always lying to me." James sighed.

"I have to." Severus shrugged.

"Please just be honest with me for once." James frowned.

Severus sighed and shifted so he didn't have to use his arms for support anymore. He ran his fingers through James' hair deciding if it would be a good idea. He knew deep down that the moment he told James the truth there was no going back. James could destroy him completely with just one word.

"You're dating Lily. You shouldn't be so concerned with someone like me anyway." Severus smiled.

It was a sad smile and James could see that. All he wanted was for Severus to open up to him. All he wanted was Severus. The walls around Severus' heart were shaky at best, but James never wanted to break them by force. He had been patient as he waited for Severus to tear them down himself.

"We should get going. My free period is over." James sighed.

"I..." Severus chewed his lip and then nodded his head.

"What?" James asked.

Severus smiled. "Don't worry. It can wait a little longer."

James frowned. "Tell me."

Severus shrugged. His smile was a little more pleasant but still a little sad. He climbed off the desk and took James' hand. There was no way Severus could tell him anything now. At least not when their time was up. If it was the last thing he got to do, no matter the outcome, he would at least be honest.

James had been irritated since leaving the abandoned classroom. He felt like he had just been robbed of something precious. Severus was about to tell him something important. He didn't feel like it was something that could wait. Even still he didn't want to push Severus because he didn't want him to leave.

"Are you listening?" Lily huffed.

"Sorry what?" James sighed.

"It's Severus! He thinks he's doing the right thing but he's making a mistake. We have to stop him." Lily huffed.

James could almost laugh. She had been so brazen asking him out. He honestly found it quite intriguing that's why he had agreed. He regretted it ever since. All she did was complain. At first James didn't mind because she'd tell him things about Severus he didn't know before. Now it was like a stuck record.

"I overheard Lucius Malfoy and some other Slytherin's talking about taking Severus somewhere today." Lily sighed.

James was immediately interested again. "What did you hear exactly? Tell me every detail."

Lily went on for quite some time. She kept getting side tracked and James had to keep her focused. He didn't like what he was hearing and it gave him a very bad feeling. Eventually Lily got to the end of her little story and James stood up.

"Where are you going?" Lily frowned.

"I'm sorry Lily. You're a nice girl and all but I'm just not that interested in you as anything more than a friend." James quickly said. "And there's someone I care about that needs my help."

James left as soon as he was done talking. Lily sighed. She had known that he wasn't all that interested. Sirius and Remus had told her as much. A small part of her had hoped that would change with time, but time only made it worse. She knew and she chose to ignore it. She couldn't do that anymore.

"Where's James?"

"He broke up with me and ran off." Lily sighed.

"Are you okay?"

She grinned. "Yeah. I can't believe I destroyed a friendship over this. I really hope it was worth it."

Sirius and Remus frowned at her in confusion. Yes, she had known from the beginning. She had seen the way he'd stare off into space when she spoke. She had seen how his interest was grabbed when she mentioned Severus. Even before she had asked him out. It took him way too long to dump her.

All Lily could do now was hope James got there in time. All she could do was hope that she didn't lose her friendship with Severus over nothing. If Lucius Malfoy got his way then all her efforts would have been for nothing. Time was running out.

Severus knew that better than anyone. He had hoped he would be able to tell James the truth before anything else happened. When Lucius and Bellatrix cornered him he knew that his time was up. He knew that Lucius wasn't after him because of the Dark Lord. No, Lucius was a puppet in Bellatrix's twisted game.

"Am I going to have to drag you along?" Lucius asked.

"I'd rather die than play whatever game this is." Severus sneered.

"Very well." Lucius took out his wand.

Before Severus could properly act his body locked up. He fell to the floor and the Lestange brothers as well as Narcissa seemed to materialize from the shadows. Narcissa looked at him almost a bit too apologetically as he was carried away. They took him to the girl's abandoned bathroom on the second floor.

"Go out with me." Bellatrix smirked. "I'll make sure they don't hurt you if you agree to my terms."

"Not interested." Severus deadpanned.

"Come now you can't still be hung up on that Gryffindor whore." Bellatrix tisked and shook her head.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I never was."

Bellatrix squinted at him. "Then why won't you go out with me?"

Severus shrugged and looked around. He was in a hopeless situation. Tired up with ropes surrounded by crazy people. Narcissa seemed more upset than usual. From what Severus was able to gather, Bellatrix promised Lucius to leave Narcissa alone if he helped her. Naturally he agreed.

"Tell me!" Bellatrix roared.

"Not my type." Severus rolled his eyes.

He couldn't tell her the one he loved was a guy. He couldn't tell her that he was a Gryffindor. Worst of all he couldn't tell her that he was actually in love. Doing any of that would put James in danger and he didn't want that.

The fear only came after he realised the true purpose of bringing him to the abandoned bathroom. It set in like cement as he watched the disgust grow on Lucius' face. He started to panic as the Lestange brothers loomed over him.

"Fine then. I'll just let them break you. I'm not your type but they are at least close enough." Bellatrix smiled like a maniac. "Lucius told me you were into guys. I didn't think it was true."

Bellatrix took out her wand and cast a disappearing spell on Severus' clothes. Severus was in panic mode. He couldn't think of a way out of this situation. They had taken his wand. The ropes were holding him in place. He could squirm all he wanted. He couldn't figure out how Lucius had known.

"How did you..." His voice broke as his throat tightened.

"I saw you with James Potter." Lucius sneered in disgust. "Next time you should make sure that the class is empty."

Severus' mind was racing. He was completely terrified as the Lestange brothers lifted him off the ground. He had gotten comfortable. He had gotten used to the idea that no one would judge him. It wasn't like they had been hiding anything really.

Severus wasn't strong enough to break free even when the ropes were untied. The brothers made sure he stayed put as they undid and redid the ropes. He was more exposed now. They had strung him up like a puppet between the walls of one of the stalls. His feet were barely touching the ground.

"You're lucky you look so petite." One of the brothers grinned.

"I can almost imagine you as a girl."

Severus felt blood as his tooth dug into his lip from the sheer force of the kiss. His head was held in place as he tried and failed to get away. Pain shot though his body as his lip was bitten down on hard. He whimpered and attempted to get away again. He felt sick to his stomach from just being touched.

"Please stop." Severus pleaded.

"I don't think so." Bellatrix smirked. "Look how excited they're getting. It would be rude to stop them."

Severus whimpered and cringed at the laughter. He screwed his eyes shut as tears started to run down his face. He couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't want to believe it. He yelped in pain as something stung his back. Again and again the pain radiated and got worse with each blow.

Then there were the hands. Rough and hard against his skin. He just wanted the torment to end. He wished that someone... That James would come and save him. Save him before he was actually violated. Teeth dug into him and he cried out in pain. They were having fun tormenting him. Making him bleed.

Severus was honestly just praying that they'd be done quickly. Each second seemed to go on for eternity. The torture got worse when he refused to give in to Bellatrix. His fear only grew when he felt one of them press their hard dick against his back.

They were done with their twisted "foreplay" that much was clear. His back was raw and bleeding. They had been whipping him with their belts. He had bite marks all over his torso. Cuts up and down his arms and legs. Now they were going to defile him. They were going to take away what was left.

Then there was a sudden loud bang followed by 3 quickly cast spells. "Stupefy. Obscuro. Incarcarous." The spells were repeated for every person there except Severus. His vision was blurred by tears and pain so he didn't recognise the person immediately.

Severus fell to the ground when the ropes holding him in place were released. He curled up on himself still in pain and still very much afraid. James had made it before anything more could have been taken from him. Before he was ruined completely.

"Are you okay?" James rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Severus shrunk away from his hand. His body and mind still trapped in fear. James sighed. He checked the ropes holding each of the others. They were tight and possibly a little constricting. He thought it only justified though. When he had found Severus he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

If it wouldn't get him locked up he would have probably killed the lot of them. The strength of his spells had been directly influenced by that thought. He loosened the ropes around Narcissa a little when she started gasping for air. After dragging them all to a corner hidden away he went back to Severus.

Severus remained curled up on himself. It broke James just a little. He quickly collected the others' wands and shoved then all into his pocket. Severus hadn't even acknowledged the jacket James had placed over his shoulders. James knelt down next to Severus and summoned some first aid stuff.

"Severus." James said softly. "I'm going to do my best to patch you up and then take you to madam Pomfrey."

"No!" Severus looked at him for the first time. "Please don't. I can't... No one can see me like this."

Severus broke into tears and started to sob. James sighed and agreed. He healed what he could and bandaged the much greater wounds. He helped Severus to his feet and let him sit on one of the toilets with its lid closed. Then he went and erased the others memories of the past day.

"You don't have to stay here." Severus said.

"I'm not going anywhere without you. Never again." James sighed.

"But my legs are too weak for me to walk."

James rolled his eyes. He crouched down in front of Severus. He lifted Severus up on his back. James was honestly too afraid to just carry Severus in his arms. Afraid that he'd hurt Severus more. Severus buried his face in James' neck and gently tightened his arms around James. He was feeling slightly better.

"Thank you." Severus whispered.

James smiled a little and nodded his head. He was glad that he was built bigger than Severus. His jacket covered Severus well enough that he wouldn't be too embarrassed. At least James would be able to get Severus to his dorm without having him too exposed. He silently wished he had brought his invisibility cloak.

When James stepped through the painting to the common room his friends immediately crowded around him. They served as an extra wall of protection for Severus. Severus had fallen asleep on their way to the Gryffindor Tower. Even though his face wasn't exactly visible he was still in a peculiar state.

"Dude what happened?" Sirius frowned. "Why is Snive..."

"Severus." James corrected and glared at him.

"Yeah. Why is he in such a state?" Sirius asked.

James sighed and shrugged. "I don't know the whole story. I just know it was some Slytherins that did this to him."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "We are going to get so much shit for this. We weren't even involved this time."

James rolled his eyes as he laid Severus down on his bed. Severus immediately shifted to his side and whimpered from the burning pain on his back. He didn't wake up completely which relieved James if only a little bit. At least Severus could get some rest.

Severus woke up the next morning to red. He went ridged and stiff as someone nuzzled against his neck. An arm gently tightened around his waist. Careful enough not to hurt him with all the bandages. Another arm shifted under his head.

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you." James whispered.

Severus did relax. He shifted and James gave him room to move more freely. Severus turned to face James and his breath got caught in his throat. James was impossibly close. James smiled at him slowly. Once Severus settled down his arm gently settled over Severus' waist again and he shifted a little bit closer.

"Too close." Severus heard himself say.

James chuckled and his warm breath brushed over Severus. Severus raised his head a little a captured James' bottom lip with his lips. James almost immediately stopped laughing and kissed Severus. Slowly their mouths moved together. Severus gave over complete control to James.

They seperated for air and James ran his fingers through Severus' hair. Severus seemed to realise where exactly they were and started to blush. He shifted closer and buried his face in James' chest. He felt and heard James chuckle. A small smile grew on his face as his memories came back.

"James?" Severus questioned.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For saving me. Although I don't think Lily will appreciate this." Severus sighed.

James tightened his grip just a little and released it. "I broke up with her. So you don't have to worry about that."

Severus traced the outline of James' muscles. He hadn't realised until that moment that James wasn't wearing a shirt. Something about this whole situation just felt right. Waking up next to James and being in his arms. Severus didn't want this to be the end of it. He wanted this to be every day of his life.

"You two love birds awake yet? I brought breakfast."

"Thanks. You can leave it on the table." James said.

"Well. Remus and I are going to Hogsmead now."

James nodded as he watched Sirius leave. He was grateful that his friends hadn't questioned him too much. Both of them had offered him their beds to sleep on. When he refused and told them why they just shrugged and accepted it.

"Am I going to be in trouble?" Severus sighed.

"No. No one knows you're here. Besides Remus and Sirius." James reassured him. "Oh and Lily."

"Why'd you break up with her?"

James shifted and lifted Severus' head so they were looking at each other. "Because I'm in love with someone else."

Severus swallowed hard. "Oh?"

James closed the gap and kissed Severus. Severus kissed him back. Whatever kind of relationship they had before was gone. This was only the third time they had actually properly kissed. Severus found that he liked this a lot. James was gentle and considerate and it just felt right.

James gently tugged on Severus' bottom lip with his teeth and Severus freaked. Flashes of his memories clouded his vision and he started to shake. James only realised Severus was sobbing when he felt wetness against his chest. He gently rubbed circles on Severus' shoulder careful not to hurt him.

"I'm sorry." James sighed.

James sat up and helped Severus sit. He took the tray with the food from the table. Severus had stopped sobbing at least when James handed him the food. They ate in silence for the most part. Severus was trying not to let what happened scare him.

James brushed the back of his hand over Severus' cheek and Severus cringed away from him. It wasn't because Severus was afraid of him. It was because more memories flooded his mind. His body started to shake from a nonexistent chill in the air.

"I love you." James whispered in his ear.

Severus was snapped out of his spiralling mind. He looked at James shocked. James smiled at him and his memories of the night before were squashed out. Everything he had been wanting to tell James before came rushing to the front.

"What?" Severus asked.

"I love you." James repeated.

"Me?" Severus' jaw went a little slack.

James nodded and leaned over. He kissed Severus' cheek and finished his food. Severus slowly picked at his food as James checked his wounds. James had managed to heal most of the wounds easily. With the help of some "commandeered" healing poitions and a lot of healing spells.

The only major wound was now on Severus' back. James was careful not to directly touch it. The scar it would leave behind would be ugly. Severus sighed as he finished the last of his food. James deserved the truth but Severus had missed his chance.

-----

It had taken a while for the wound on Severus' back to heal. Too long a time for James. James felt like he was going crazy with want and desire. He took his frustrations out on the people responsible for it. He honestly wasn't even sure if Severus felt the same because Severus had never given him an answer.

Severus had actually managed to repair his relationship with Lily. After they both apologised for their wrong doings. That was how he was able to get into the Gryffindor Tower. How he was able to get to James' room. After some extended negotiations with Remus and Sirius, Severus felt as if it was finally time.

He had missed his chance before because he had been scared. Then he had been injured and he couldn't find the courage that was taken from him. When he had spoken to Lily about it she told him to wait. Let the wound heal before moving forward.

That's exactly what he had done. In that time his feelings for James had only grown stronger. Since he knew how James felt it was easy to find the courage once his wounds had healed. It was easy for him to take the initiative.

"I'm surprised to see you here. Is something wrong?" James asked when he saw Severus.

Severus patted the bed and James sat next to him. It was hard but Severus was determined. Severus stood and straddled James. Without giving him a chance to question what was happening, Severus connected their lips. James tentatively kissed him back. Slowly their mouths moved as one.

This time it was Severus who tugged on James' bottom lip with his teeth. They pulled away and James playfully nipped at Severus' lip in return. Severus smiled as his heart started to race. He wasn't scared or plagued by unwanted memories. James was happy Severus didn't flinch away from him.

"I want to show you something." Severus said.

"What?" James frowned.

Severus smiled and shrugged. He slowly undid James' shirt and then his own. James raised an eyebrow in question, but he didn't move or do anything. Severus hadn't gotten off of him yet. James didn't want to scare Severus away.

"Severus?" James questioned.

"I'm showing you." Severus shrugged.

He leaned forward and kissed James again. His fingers traced over the skin of James' chest. James leaned back, using his arms for support. He let Severus do what he wanted. Severus removed his shirt and dropped it next to the bed. He felt James shift as he also got rid of his shirt. Neither of them breaking from the kiss.

Severus pulled away and his bottom lip was captured by James' teeth. He smiled as James let go. He watched James lick his lips and mimicked the action. He was more sure of what he wanted with every passing second. He wanted James more than anything.

"Will you... Will you..." Severus stammered.

"Will I?" James asked.

"I want you to have sex with me." Severus looked away a little embarrassed. "I mean if you..."

James kissed him. He was done taking the backseat while he let Severus take control. How could he take a backseat when Severus said something like that? He pulled Severus closer to him and shifted onto the bed more before laying down. Never letting Severus escape from the heated kiss.

James effortlessly flipped their positions. He broke away from the kiss only to kiss Severus' neck. He went straight for Severus' sweet spot and earned a moan in return. He gently kissed and sucked on the spot as one of his hands explored Severus' body.

"James." Severus moaned. "I love you."

"Finally." James whispered against his skin. "It's about time you stopped lying to me."

Severus laughed a little as James shifted to move down his body. Severus moaned under him as he found each and every spot that sent pleasure through Severus' body. James knew exactly where to touch and exactly how to touch him. Even if they had never gone all the way before. Their relationship was a bit special.

In the beginning James had just been toying around with Severus. In the beginning it was just fun and games. A challenge to make each other crumble. Then James had fallen in love and it became more than that. James wanted Severus to feel the same about him. James has wanted Severus exactly like this.

"Move faster." Severus groaned.

James chuckled and obliged. He removed both of their pants and fished some items from his nightstand. Severus watched and waited. James kissed him and squeezed some of the lube onto his hand. Severus gasped at the cold liquid touching his entrance. James wasted no time stretching him out.

"More." Severus moaned.

"So impatient." James teased and nibbled his neck.

"James. Please." Severus said a little breathless.

James sat up to prepare himself. He tore open the condom packet and put it on before adding some lube to his dick. He lifted Severus slightly and lined himself up. He leaned down and kissed Severus before pushing into him. Severus groaned into the kiss.

James waited a little bit before moving slowly. Severus moaned and broke away from the kiss. He couldn't concentrate on both things at the same time. It felt like James had been sucking the life out of him. James moved faster and faster as he pushed into Severus more and more until he was all the way in.

He lifted Severus' leg over his shoulder and slammed into him. Severus cried out and panted as he felt electricity course through him. James repeated and got the same response. Severus' mind was going blank. All he could think about was how good it felt.

James groaned as he felt Severus tighten around him. He moved faster and more desperately. Severus' moans encouraged him further. He felt amazing and knew Severus was feeling the same. He shifted slightly and Severus moaned. The exotic look of pleasure was driving James crazy for more.

"Fuck! James!" Severus moaned out. "I'm going to..."

James wrapped his fingers around Severus' dick. He held it tight enough to stop Severus from cumming but not too tight to hurt him. Severus desperately tried to remove James' hand. Each thrust sending waves of unbelievable pleasure through him. He wanted to cum and James was stopping him.

"Not yet my love." James whispered in his ear.

The new position forced Severus into a more open position and introduced a different wave of pleasure. He could feel James pulsing inside of him. It seemed like James was reaching impossible places inside of him. The pure bliss was turning him into a mess under James.

"I need to..." Severus panted like a dog in heat. "James!"

James released his hold on Severus' dick and Severus came almost immediately. James still slammed into him as his body was wrecked by waves after waves of pleasure. His mind was nothing more than white space and his vision was speckled with stars. He would have never believed such pleasure existed.

James moaned and with one final thrust he came. He let Severus' leg off his shoulder as he gently pulled out of him. He collapsed on the bed beside Severus after disposing of the used condom. Severus moved a little closer although his body was telling him to stay still. He was sure James probably broke him.

"I'm going to need a walking stick now." Severus sighed.

James burst out laughing. "Really?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You probably destroyed my back."

"Guess I'll just have to pound it back into place." James smirked.

"You'll definitely break me if you do." Severus smiled.

James gently ran his hand over Severus' body. "You're right. You're like a porcelain doll. Fragile and beautiful."

Severus blushed. "Don't say something so stupid."

"I mean it. Your skin is beautiful. I love every inch of you."

"I'm not that special."

James shrugged. "You're a priceless pearl."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Stop being so corny."

"Fine. I'll just show you." James smirked.

He kissed Severus before he could protest. Severus instantly kissed him back. His fingers glided over Severus' skin gently teasing Severus. They ended up having sex twice more. Severus' body cursed him for falling for James' sweet words and gentle touch. Still he couldn't deny that it was amazing.

James wrapped them up under the covers and nuzzled Severus' neck. Severus turned to face him instead. He knew full well that they'd have sex again if he laid with his back against James. If it weren't for the condoms Severus would assume James was just trying to get him pregnant.

Wizards and witches could bare children after all. So even same sex relationships could produce a child. Not that Severus was against having children. He was against having them while he was still at Hogwarts. Even if it was their last year there.

"I love you." Severus sighed happily.

"I love you too." James said and pulled him a little closer.

They fell asleep like that. Wrapped up in the blanket and each other. James had woken up a bit when his friends entered the room. He sat up only to close the curtains around his bed. From what Remus and Sirius saw it was enough to determine what had happened between the pair.

The next day Severus was in more pain than he expected. His back ached like all hell. His butt throbbed and stung when he sat down. After all it had been his first time and James didn't go easy on him. He had a limp in his step as he walked and his legs felt like they would give out under him at any second.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself doing something?" Lily asked.

"Yes. I hurt myself doing someone not something. Or rather he just destroyed me." Severus sighed.

Lily fake cringed. "Too much info. But couldn't you guys have waited until the weekend?"

Severus shrugged. "Things just got out of hand."

"My poor friend is broken! Oh no!" Lily yelled dramatically.

"What happened?" James asked as he joined the pair.

Lily pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You! You happened. You overgrown jungle monkey."

Remus and Sirius started laughing. James rolled his eyes and sat down next to Severus. They were outside in the courtyard passing time. Severus shifted and laid down. Their relationship was still pretty much a secret so he laid his head on Lily's lap.

"What was it I did exactly?" James asked.

"You broke my friend!" Lily huffed and ran her fingers through Severus' hair. "Seriously do you not have a brain?"

James was more interested in the fact that Severus was laying on Lily's lap and that she was playing with his hair. He was more than a little jealous. The look of annoyance he gave her was evidence enough. Severus had his eyes closed so he didn't see the dirty look James was giving Lily.

When she stopped playing with his hair he opened his eyes. It had only been there for a second, but he caught the death dagger glare James was giving her. Severus sighed but didn't move. It was up to James to decide if their relationship would be public or not and James had chosen to keep it quiet.

They had only spoken about it that morning since James had only asked Severus to be his boyfriend that morning. Severus wasn't going to force James to come out like he had. So James had to deal with what he was doing.

"Sevy. I think maybe you should sit up." Lily said tentatively.

"No can do." Severus sighed and closed his eyes. "My body hurts way too much and so does my ass. I told you, he destroyed me."

"Then use me as a pillow." James deadpanned.

Severus shook his head. "Can't do anything that will expose our secret. You said you didn't want the whole school knowing."

James sneered. "Fuck that. Come here."

Severus smirked. He was kind of enjoying this. James was squirming because he was jealous. Severus was relishing in the moment. He took Lily's hand and placed it on his head. He didn't have to open his eyes to feel the tension. James knew he was being a little childish though.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Severus. Please can you not lay on her lap. People will get the wrong idea."

Severus shrugged. "I'm comfortable thanks. If you have a problem with it then figure out your own solution. Or I could lay on Remus or Sirius if you prefer."

James gritted his teeth. He glared at Remus and Sirius daring either of them to agree. He watched as some passing students giggled and pointed. Others around them were whispering. He hated it. The idea that people would think Severus was going out with someone that wasn't him.

Severus' was his and no one else's. They were together not with other people. James shifted a little closer and roughly pulled Severus towards him. Severus winced at the pain he felt from the sudden movement. Before he could complain or say anything James captured his lips.

It was a clear cut display. When he pulled away Severus raised an eyebrow. James smirked ever so slightly. He had made the mistake of saying he didn't want people to know. He was correcting that mistake. He'd even yell out the truth if he had to.

"Now you can lay on me instead." James said.

"What happened to not wanting people to know?" Severus asked.

"You're mine." James deadpanned. "I'll be damned if I let anyone think to say otherwise. So don't go doing shit that will make others assume you aren't mine."

Severus raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Who knew you were quite the jealous person. Also you're quite possessive."

James squinted at him. "Is there a problem?"

Severus shook his head and grinned. He shifted so that he could lay comfortably and rested his head on James' lap. The atmosphere brightened significantly after that. James wasn't glaring at Lily anymore. He was smiling instead of frowning.

"Oh boy." Lily, Sirius and Remus sighed.

"I can only imagine the hell to come if anyone tries messing with Severus now." Lily shook her head.

"I never thought James would be so... Brazen." Remus shrugged.

Sirius nodded and smiled. "Well they do seem very happy."

Severus and James grinned at each other. "We are."

James ran his fingers through Severus' hair. Severus hummed and closed his eyes again. He wished to stay like this until the end of time. Just spending time with James and Lily. People he cared about and who cared about him.

James grinned even more. "I guess I was the one who lost in the end."

Severus smirked. "I tricked you so you were never going to win. I was already in love with you before agreeing to the bet."

James sighed. "I knew you were always lying to me."

Severus shrugged and sat up. "Just so you know. You aren't allowed to touch me for the next month. That's your punishment."

James frowned. "That's a bit cruel. You're going home for Christmas so it'll be more like 2 months."

"It's fair." Severus squinted. "I'd like to be able to walk to my classes without feeling any pain. Besides..."

"Yeah I know." James sighed. "I shall accept my punishment."

"I'm afraid to ask. What are you talking about?" Lily frowned.

Severus leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. She glared at James and sighed. She definitely agreed with Severus. She was happy for them but James was still an idiot. Severus spent the rest of the time shifting between laying down and sitting. It wasn't much time since he had a class that the others didn't.

"I've never seen you so over protective." Sirius frowned after Severus left the group.

"I'm scared." James sighed. "If I leave him alone for too long, will someone try to hurt him again? That's all I think about when he's not within my line of sight."

"That's surprising." Lily frowned. "I didn't think you would admit that so openly without a fight."

James shrugged. "It hurt when he shrunk away from me. All the things I had put him through before seemed to dominate my thoughts. He had never tried to get away from me before and I felt guilty."

Remus patted his shoulder. "How did you two end up like this anyway? I'm curious about what happened."

James laughed a little. "You guys were busy with homework and I was bored. I found Severus in the abandoned classroom. He was reading and I thought that he looked so at peace. He was the one who came up with the idea. He said that if I could get through the term without falling for him he'd do whatever I said."

"Strange." Sirius frowned.

"I thought so too. I was also curious about what he'd let me do." James shrugged. "So I agreed. We didn't actually do as anything too serious. I enjoyed turning him into clay in my hands. I guess I had expected him to cringe away from me. When he did that after I realized that I loved him, it actuall broke my heart."

"Wait." Remus frowned. "Didn't he just say that he tricked you? So he was always going to accept whatever you did."

James smiled and nodded. "Yeah. That's how he got me hooked on our deal."

James thought back to the first time he kissed Severus. The first time Severus moaned softly in his ear. He had wanted more of that every time he got a reaction from Severus. It really had been an unfair deal, but he wasn't mad about it. Severus had won his heart regardless.

James spent the rest of his day waiting outside of Severus' classes. Since Severus refused to skip class, James essentially became his chaperone. Severus honestly thought it was a sweet gesture although a bit stupid.

(7000 Words)