Dangerous Game

 
James arrived to meet Lily outside of her transfiguration class, he did not tell her what was going on though, knowing she would be terribly angry with him, and nervous as well. Walking hand in hand they made their way down to the grounds. Sirius had told Remus, who joined them in their walk once they reached the second floor, and then Peter when they were on the first, Sirius was outside waiting.

“What’s going on,” Lily asked instantly suspicious once Sirius joined the group, she saw James hand delve into his pocket, she knew exactly what he was getting, and stopped in her tracks. “No, James,” Lily said still holding his hand. “It’s not worth it!”

He did not stop, and Lily quit resisting after a few steps, but he knew she was sore with him, the scowl on her face was a dead giveaway. There was no way he was going to let Severus get away with what he did to Lily, and this was a prime opportunity to deal with him. They walked far out onto the grounds, through a small wooded area before coming to another clearing.

“Potter,” Bellatrix snapped when they were a few feet away from where they were supposed to meet. Her hand was on her wand as she looked over the group. “You have brought a mudblood, a half-breed, a blood traitor, and wimp as your backup, you’re pathetic,” she said laughing.

“Shut your mouth,” James snapped. He was probably not the most angered though, Sirius was being held back by Remus who just glared at Bellatrix. “Where is he? Or did he send a girl to fight his battles.”

“I’m here,” Severus said walking up from behind the group, his long cloak billowing behind him. Since it was cold, not many students were outside, so they did not have to worry about being caught or interrupted. “If we are going to duel, it will be proper,” Severus said removing his gloves before pocketing them. “Mulciber is my second,” he replied pulling out his wand as the blonde headed boy shifted

“Sirius is mine,” James said, and heard Lily utter a small protest, before falling silent. Avery was smirking as he sat on a rock, and Bellatrix joined him. He pulled out his wand, and Severus did the same. Rolling her eyes, Lily walked a bit away from the group, unhappy with all of them, she figured at least Remus of all people would have the right sense to not go, but he had.

“One,” Severus said, Lily then rose from her feet and shouted, “It’s not worth it!” It was as if she was not there, “two” James hissed, and they said three together. There was a sudden blast from both wands causing Lily to jump back a bit. Both men were still on their feet though, and they were weaving back and forth, hatred very present in both of their eyes.

Severus was faster and more skilled then James thought, but not fast enough, he had stunned Severus who fell to the ground with a thud. “Ready?” James panted as he glared at Mulciber who pushed up off the tree, and advanced at him. Again the duel commenced, and Severus lay motionless, no one going to his aide. Things then turned dirty, Bellatrix was up on her feet as well as Avery, and they were both going for James, but Sirius interrupted her, and Remus stopped Avery. Lily started to panic, she needed to go get a teacher. She looked over her shoulder as Peter attempted to help Remus, not that it was really needed, but failed miserably as he fell to the ground petrified. She then looked to where Severus was, he had disappeared during the chaos.

“Lily,” James yelled over his shoulder as he saw her break out into a run, he knew exactly where she was going, in one sense he was grateful, but another not so much, he wanted to end this himself. Dodging a disarming spell James turned back to the fight, not noticing Severus was missing.

Severus had woken up, and saw everyone was busy with battle except for Lily, who stood on the outskirts of the field near the woods. He slipped away from the fight when everyone started to duel, and waited for the right time. Opportunity arose when Lily turned and ran for the woods, James was not there to protect her this time.

“Where are you going?” Severus asked her as he emerged from behind a tree.

“To get a Professor,” Lily snipped, her run slowing down a bit. It had just hit her that she was alone, in the woods, with him. Her breathing quickened ever more then it had from running as he approached her, her hand gripping her wand.

“What’s the matter?” He asked her noticing the panic stricken look on her face. “No one here to save you? James is busy, and Regulus…well let’s just say he had an accident and is at St. Mungos.” He laughed his hand on his wand pointing it at her.

Lily moved to disarm him but he was faster, his wand flew from her hand into his own, and he placed it in his pocket, “big mistake,” he said lowering his own wand. “I told you already, your mine.” With that he lunged for her and she screamed at the top of her lungs hoping someone would hear her.

“LILY!” James yelled knowing instantly. His adrenaline pumping, James managed to stun Mulciber finally, and bound him, before unpetrifying Peter. Running at breakneck speed, he went into the woods where he saw her disappear to a few minutes before.

Severus covered her mouth, shoving her against a tree, “no one to help you, poor little Lily,” he said before binding her like he had the night before, also adding a gag. Stepping back, he removed his cloak dropping it to the ground. He was planning on making her pay for what she had done.

Wiggling, Lily watched him move towards her again, just as he had done before, but this time he stopped short, grabbing his face yelling in agony as she saw blood appear from behind his fingers. James had found them.

Quickly he grabbed Severus’ wand as well as Lily’s; it had fallen from Severus’ cloak pocket onto the wooded floor. He unbound her, and turned around to deal with Severus when his three friends appeared as well, unharmed. “They are back there,” Sirius said displaying three wands in his left hand that were not his. “Tied ‘em up.” He said with a smirk.

Leaving Severus to writhe on the ground in pain they went and fetched a teacher. James convinced Lily to tell them everything that had happened, so for about three hours Lily sat with McGonagall and Dumbledore recanting most of her story, to embarrassed about certain parts to tell them.

The students were promptly punished, including the marauders for accepting to duel, except their detention was only two nights, instead of the rest of the year like the other lot.

That night Lily and James laid in his bed in the dark just holding one another and talking, “if we can make it through that, we can make it through anything,” James said laughing a bit. Lily nodded in agreement glad that it was completely over.