Our Lovely Home_ Marauders Era Fanfic.

2. Last Moment

He was leaving the second quidditch practice of the day, with a strange anxiety. It was almost as if someone (or something) was watching him. He finished tying his tie and waited for Sirius outside the dressing room, keeping an eye on his environment.

"All in order, James?" questioned Sirius, jolting James, who was still staring down the hallway "You look as if you're guarding the toilets."

He shook his head and sighed. They both left the Quidditch pitch with an incipient hunger. He was already looking forward to reaching the Great Hall to serve himself his dinner.

It was when they crossed the first stretch, that James stopped again and held Sirius by the sleeve of his shirt. Both boys brought their hands to their wands and waited, until James cast an Expelliarmus in the direction he thought the guy spying on them was coming from.

"Wrong place, Potter" exclaimed a husky voice from behind them.

They both turned on their heels but found themselves cornered.

"Sirius and James, alone, just like a couple in love."

He sharpened his gaze and Sirius didn't back down a step. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the annoyance on his friend's face just by the sight of Snape's whole group harassing them.

"I dunno what you want, Snivellus," James said, gripping his wand tightly. "As I understand it, we haven't messed with you since last week, have we?"

That provoked him even more. The smirk instantly vanished from Sirius' face, and he frowned again. It was six against two, and while he recognized that of the Slytherin group, Snape was the smartest; they were still outnumbered, even though they only knew how to conjure a leviosa.

"It was four days ago. You didn't think I was going to forget what you did to me so easily, did you?" Snape replied, clearly annoyed. "Because of you, Lily won't talk to me now."

"Your love difficulties are not my problem. Surely, she realized that, of the two of us, I've always been the better one" James continued provocatively. "Anyone would realize that."

In that instant, Snape's limited patience exploded in a powerful flipendo. Sirius tried to protect both himself and his friend, however it was a complex task, especially when James was recovering from the daze sitting on the grass.

"Come on James, we have to go!"

From Sirius' side a spell hit him. An electrifying wave went up his body, and he began to laugh uncontrollably, disconcerted he squatted on the ground, holding his aching stomach.

They were helpless, and at once Snape's older friends held James down, forcing him to get up. Another was aiming at Sirius, with a Crucio that made him twist on the ground in pure pain.

"Leave him alone!" James exclaimed, getting punched several times. "Don't keep torturing him!"

With a smile, he made his partner leave Sirius alone, who was trying to catch his breath.

"Sectumsem-!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand shot out in the direction of the one who had conjured the last spell: Lily was running in panic, with Lupin and Peter at her back. She looked furious, her cheeks flushed, and her flaming hair had a life of its own.

"Snape! You're such a jerk!" Lily shouted, picking up Snape's wand, tucking it inside her robes.

With teary eyes, she looked at Severus, who was in clear emotional pain. "Leave them alone!"

Taking advantage of the confusion, Sirius managed to attack both his menace and one of the two bullies who had James immobilized, who with impressive strength let go of the second one and kicked him in the crotch. Lupin and Peter were wielding their wands against the other rest, leaving Snape at a disadvantage.

"We need to talk."

It was the last thing Lily said, before grabbing Snape by the arm, with contained fury, forcing him to go with her. Severus' friends escaped in the direction of the castle and Lupin rushed to assist Sirius who was very weakened, while James, followed with his eyes on the pair that had just vanished.

"Are you all right, mate?" James asked, crouching down beside Sirius, who began to be patched up by Remus. "Those Slytherin prats, they think they have the right to use Unforgivable Curses."

"Never mind, Ah!"

Sirius, looked at Lupin who muttered a slight sorry,

"I'm used to this pain, my mom loved that curse," he said, trying to sound disinterested "your wounds, on the other hand, look terrible, bro."

"Yeah, but they'll make me look cooler won't they, Peter?"

The boy looked to the side and started laughing along with the rest.

In a couple of minutes, he could see Snape, who was crying and going to the castle. Then Lily, who was examining the floor depressed, her cheeks wet. James, not at all interested, approached her, but responded surly.

"You're all such idiots!" "James, leave me alone, I never want to see you!"

The girl left in tears. James sighed a little tiredly and then sat down next to Lupin.

"I don't understand how you do it, Moony. She thinks too highly of you, and me, who's been trying to win her over since first grade; she hates me."

"I don't think she hates you. She just needs time, because she seems to have cut off everything that tied her to Snape."

The three of them looked at each other, and Lupin looked stunned. When James thought back on Remus' words, he was so pleased that he hugged each of them.

"You're telling me, you guys didn't notice? My goodness, but it's obvious"

"That's why he adores you so much, Lupin, because you can't avoid noticing the details" Sirius exclaimed, grabbing Remus' hands, causing him to blush. "That's why I adore you too."

"Guys, for Merlin's sake, not now!" "Do you realize what this means? It's finally my time!"

After so many years, the opportunity to win Lily love, had presented itself, and he wasn't about to waste it.

『 °*• ❈ •*°』

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