Disclaimer: All characters belong to the lovely Mrs. Rowling

AN: Hey, it's been awhile hasn't it? But when inspiration strikes one must follow the call. I hope you enjoy this, I had a good time writing it.

Sirius really would have liked to have been surprised when he walked into the flat and found James face first on the rug. He really would have.

But this had just happened so many times. So, true to form, Sirius performed the next part of the ritual: he threw his coat onto the floor, stepped over James (mostly he only stepped on him a little, just to make sure he knew Sirius had arrived) and then he went into the kitchen. Sirius rummaged in the cabinets and considered his choices. Tea was perhaps the best choice, it's certainly what Remus would have chosen. But, seeing as Sirius was certainly not Remus, he returned to the sitting room with a bottle of firewhisky in hand. No glasses, for those would only slow them down.

Sirius flopped down onto the sofa and opened the bottle, "Jim, the whisky's up here if you want it."

"That's not how you're s'posed to greet a man who is clearly having a crisis."

"Alas, that is how I would greet an idiot who voluntarily smells our carpet. I don't even want to know what we've done on that rug. I mean, I know what I've done which has been quite a bit. But I'm sure you and Lily get frisky on occasion when I'm off doing whatever it is I do."

James propped his head up on his elbow and looked over at Sirius, "Why is that the first thing that comes to mind in the face of my distress?"

Sirius shrugged and took his first sip from the bottle, "Habit?"

James nodded pensively and rolled over more so that he could better see his friend. "I really shouldn't be surprised any more.

"Probably not," Sirius agreed, "But we have more important things to discuss. Why have you decided to befriend our lovely, smelly, rug?"

"I'm making choices."

"Always a bad sign."

James ignored the jibe and looked away from Sirius. His eyes glazed a bit as he stared at the wall, "I want to ask Lily to marry me."

Sirius nearly snorted a full sip of perfectly good firewhisky out his nose, as it was he barely managed to swallow it down before his reaction become too violent, "Y- you what?"

"I thought I'd give her my grandmum's ring. My mum kept it and it's really pretty. And Lily likes that sort of thing doesn't she? Things with history and such."

"No, no, no, no." Sirius waved his hands as though to steady himself. "Let's backpedal for a moment or twelve here. You're going to ask Lily to marry you?"

James seemed to snap back out of his reverie, "Should I? I want to to. I want to really badly, Pads. But what if she says no? Or we're too young? Or it's stupid because of the war? Or what if she secretly still hates me and just hasn't gotten up the nerve to break up with me yet and as soon as I go down on one knee she hightails it out of there and I'm left to live alone with you and our twelve cats?"

"First off, why would we get cats, Prongs? I hate cats, you know that. Second off, who says I too will be alone in this dream scenario, I'll be surrounded by women. Thirdly, we all secretly hate you a little, but Lily loves you despite her hatred, which is all one can really ask. I've lost count of my numbers but nextly, James, why do you want to marry her?"

"Because I love her."

Sirius sighed, maybe tea would have been the better choice for this situation, he needed his wits for this one, "No, James that won't cut it this time. You've been saying that since fifth year and it still isn't a real answer. You need more than just blind love for marriage. You need commitment and compassion and all those other big words that Moony likes to spout out from time to time. It's not as though there's any hurry. You should wait a bit for it."

"But it isn't blind love anymore, Pads," James finally deemed the conversation as worthy of him sitting up properly, so he pulled himself up onto an armchair across from Sirius. Now as he spoke he looked right into Sirius eyes, his face dead serious, "I know that she isn't perfect, and that sometimes she drives me mad, and that I'll need to be there for her, and that it means everything will change. But I don't exactly care. I want to make a commitment to her and start our life together and be happy for a while. Everything has been absolute shit for far too long and I need to do something to counteract the awful."

Sirius wanted to have some good words to counter James statements but he couldn't seem to find them. He took a generous gulp of firewhisky to give himself a moment to think. Everything was shit now and even the tiniest light found amongst the rubble ought to be cherished. James was certainly dedicated to Lily and the two made each other happy, but Sirius just didn't know how to respond. It all seemed foolhardy and rushed.

"I don't know what you want from me, Prongs, it seems like your mind is made up."

James bit his lip and slumped back in his chair, "I think so too. But then all my doubts start creeping in and I don't know how to handle it. I mean, Sirius, I'm barely out of school and I really want to get married. No. It's like I need to. I need to be with Lily in order to move on and be happy with my life."

"That isn't necessarily healthy, Prongs. You shouldn't rely too heavily on other people."

"You don't understand," James let out a frustrated sigh, "It isn't like that. She just makes me feel whole and important and she gives me a reason to do what we are doing. I mean, yeah there is the whole saving the world business, but she makes the world worth saving. I need to make a world where we can live together in happy peaceful bliss."

"Well that is certainly not going to happen." Sirius said with a hint of a smile.

"No probably not."

"Have you thought about all the stuff? About how this will change everything, and you'll have to make joint choices and you'll not just be you anymore?"

"I don't think that's how it works, Padfoot."

"It sort of is."

James stared at the bottle of firewhisky which had been forgotten on the coffee table, "I mean, I have thought about it yeah. But I'm okay with it. I know things will be different, but I think they'll be better."

"Why do you have to do this now? There's a war on."

James looked back into Sirius' eyes, "That's just the reason I have to do it now. I can't get through this without her. It's made me see that we haven't got time to take things slow and think it through. Sometimes you have to follow your feelings and see where they take you. You have to trust that you know what you're doing."

"Then that's the million galleon question. Do you trust yourself? Do you really truly believe that this is the right thing to do? For you and for Lily?"

Surprisingly James didn't pause. He barely even blinked before spitting out a hasty, "Yes."

"Then that's it then isn't it?" Sirius reached for the still mostly filled firewhisky bottle and took a drink. No doubt, by the end of the night it would be nice and empty. "If this is what you want you have to do it."

James' face took on that annoying "mother hen" expression James was so fond of. "Is it okay with you?"

Sirius snorted, "James, I don't think I really fall anywhere in this equation. Last I heard, the preacher said 'man and wife' not 'man, wife, and man's best friend.'"

"But you matter to me, Pads. I want you to know that this won't change things. Lily respects our friendship, and just because I'll be married to her doesn't mean anything between us changes. You're still by best mate, you know?"

Sirius favored James with a wry, fond grin. The boy was very endearing sometimes. "I know, James. And I expect to be your Best Man too. I'll throw a much better stag night than Remus or Peter. And my speech will be far better than anything they could do."

"We'll see," James grinned, "I think Remus would probably be much nicer to me in the speech."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, "Do you really? It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for, Prongs. They listen far too much and then they just bottle it up and wait until your guard is down. Then they spill every bean you've ever had and you have to go into hiding in Tibet."

"Speaking from experience there, Pads?"

"Don't I always?"

The two shared a familiar smile. One which spoke of years of friendship which had been tested time and again only to always come back stronger and surer.

"So, you will be my Best Man, yeah? And you'll be there with me through it all?"

"Obviously, Prongs. After all, when will I get the chance again? Peter might be a lost cause at this point, and it will take both of us to drag Remus down the aisle once he's found the right bird. He'll be kicking and screaming the whole way. This'll be the easy one. You and Lils are meant to be."

"Thanks, Pads."

"Yeah, yeah, that's enough sap for one night." Sirius brushed off the affection and held the firewhisky out to James, "Take a good swallow, we'll need it."

"For what?" James took the bottle and took a healthy drink.

"Well, if we're going to plan a proposal worthy of a marauder, well need to be a little tipsy. We always do our best work when we've loosened up a bit."

"Not sure Moony would agree."

"We'll have him look it over in the morning. We'll make it good and dramatic and he can add some of that adorable romantic shit that he does. It'll be splendid."

"We'll knock her socks right off."

Sirius nodded in affirmation, "That's the spirit. Mission Maraudette us a go."