"Sirius, come on, trust me." James Potter batted his hazel eyes at his best friend. Sirius hated to admit it, but he would give in to him. He always did, in the end.

"James, I really don't think this is a good idea, I just have a bad feeling in my gut." James laughed

"Oh, come on Paddy, knowing you, that's just your stomach telling you you're hungry. I mean, the last time you ate was what… 20 minutes ago?" James' eyes danced as he taunted his best friend, and Sirius growled.

James could be annoying at the best of times, but what was most frustrating for Sirius now was that James didn't seem to comprehend the importance of the situation. No matter how hard Sirius tried he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

James, realising he had not gained the desired reaction, sighed. He knew he had to say something to put Sirius at ease, but how best to phrase it? He wasn't sure.

He paused for a few seconds, and without even realising it, his hand went to his hair and ruffled it, causing his already unruly hair to jut out all over the place. Sirius couldn't help but let a shadow of a smile appear on his face as James did this.

After what seemed like an age James put his hands in his pockets and began to sway slightly. As he started talking, he lifted his eyes from the floor and found himself avoiding Sirius' gaze, not wanting to see his reaction, for fear of seeing the upset in his eyes.

"Look, Sirius, it isn't anything to do with the fact that I don't think you'd be brilliant. I know you would be! I know you'd put your life on the line for us. I just think it's too…" James hesitated, trying to find the right word, while Sirius winced, slightly unsure as to whether or not he wanted to hear the next sentence.

After a few seconds, James continued, "Obvious. And I have Lily and Harry to think about now. Plus, Wormtail will be brilliant! No one will suspect a thing."

Those last few words filled Sirius with dread. That's it. That's what he'd been feeling all day. Dread. Sirius' stomach dropped and at that moment their eyes met for just a second. Sirius swallowed and blinked. He did not want to take in any more information, he was struggling enough with the fact his worst fears had been confirmed. His stomach twisted uncomfortably, and both his mind and body were screaming that this was not the right decision.

Desperation setting in, Sirius tried once again to change James' mind. He was unable to keep the worry from his voice when he said, "James, please, just- "

"No, Sirius." James' answer came back firm and fast, making Sirius flinch. "This is my final decision and you can't change my mind."

At James' words Sirius' head spun and he felt like his whole world was going to fall apart. Unable to speak for fear of breaking down further he slowly nodded.

The silence that filled the next couple of minutes was uncomfortable for both of them. They knew this would be the last time they'd see each other in a while. James couldn't stay mad at Sirius. He could tell Sirius had only stopped arguing out of respect for him. He knew that his best friend was only trying to help him. After all, James thought, Sirius was only trying to protect him and his family and for that, he would be forever grateful.

A few seconds later, fists clenched, Sirius took a deep breath, looked up, and murmured, "I'd better go…"
Grey met hazel and James nodded slowly. Nothing was said for fear of the overwhelming emotions coursing through them coming to the surface. Sirius smiled at James - his best attempt at his old lopsided, easy going, Padfoot grin. As he turned to reach for the door handle however, his smile faltered. Memories of the last 10 years flashed through his mind. The sorting, the Marauders' pranks, the 5thyear incident, graduation, James' wedding – everything they'd been through together.

Taking a shaky breath, he pulled the door open, but before he could exit the building, he felt warm arms engulf him. That was all they both needed as silent tears began to fall. James rested his head on Sirius' shoulder just long enough to whisper, "Trust me Padfoot," To which Sirius replied,

"Always."

And then he was gone.