Sirius poured himself an overflowing mug of pumpkin juice, half asleep he would have spilled it all over his food if Remus had not snagged it from him to ready himself a glass. He shook his head, his thick hair fanning out, he hadn't bothered to run a comb through it that morning. Overwhelmingly tired he simply pushed his food around his plate and sipped from his cup.
The other boys were exhausted as well, as it was the morning after the full moon. Remus seemed pale and ashamed that he had hurt his friends. James had taken a nasty blow during Remus' transformation in the Shrieking Shack but he tried not to complain about it. He leaned slightly on Peter to take some weight off of his right side where he reckoned he had cracked a rib. Peter on the other hand did not seem very tired as he was not required to engage in physical restraint when Moony transforms but this did not stop him from taking another pastry and chomping down on it excitedly.
Lily and her friend joined them soon causing James to wince as she bumped into him causing Remus to put his down. "Hello boys," Lily chirped as she received only grunts in return. "Oh no, out late last night again? You know you really ought to behave, you know that McGonagall is still furious about that hex James and Sirius performed on poor Bertram Avery."
"Poor!" Sirius exclaimed, "He had it coming, he can't really have been surprised."
"He knows what he did," James added.
Lily rolled her eyes when James began to speak, "You two really need to stop bullying other students. Especially Severus and his friends."
"Lil, I'm not really in the mood for a lecture this morning. Severus is a slimy toad, I don't know what you see in him."
Lily looked away from him and began speaking with her friend Stella about when the next meeting for Slug Club would take place, however, in only a matter of moments Lily had turned on James again, "You know it was awfully cruel of you to say what you said to Severus the other day."
James' mouth was full of food but he turned too quickly toward her causing him to wince once more, "What did I say this time?"
"You honestly don't remember?" Lily sighed. "Forget it, you're hopeless. Is something wrong Remus, you look awfully pale."
"Oh," he was caught off guard so it took a moment to lie, "no…I mean no I'm fine."
Lily sighed, "Perhaps it's another cold. You seem to get sick quite often."
Remus shook his head, "No, I think it's the regular amount. I just got a bad night's sleep is all."
"Is that your fault," she slammed her elbow into James, causing him to let out a yelp and grab his side. "Oh you big baby, I didn't hurt you."
He seemed to be searching for air when Remus suggested he go to the hospital wing.
"What for," chimed Stella.
"Oh we got into a row of wrestling yesterday, think I may have slammed him to the ground a bit too hard," Sirius defeated Moony.
Stella rolled her eyes at his, "Remus and Peter are the only civil two of your lot. Why do you get into so much trouble, really?"
"Comes naturally I guess. Really James, I'll take you," Sirius stood and beckoned James to come with him. As the left Lily and Stella slid closer to Peter and began speaking to Remus about their upcoming Charms lesson.
Sirius and James started up the staircase, "He really did get you good didn't he?"
James nodded and slid his shirt up to his chest as the stairs began to move. Sirius dropped his mouth, it seemed that the entirety of James' ribcage was a splotchy shade of eggplant. "I didn't want to make him feel bad."
"What are we going to Madame Pomphrey, she'll never believe I did that to you wrestling."
"Quiddich practice perhaps."
She was not pleased to see them, "You boys, I feel like I see you once a month! What is it this time?"
James merely lifted his shirt to show her his bruised ribs.
Madam Pomfrey gasped, "How on earth… you mustn't have been anywhere near- er the Whomping Willow have you?" She tiptoed thinking perhaps they were unaware of Remus' condition.
"No of course, what would make you think that? I fell of my broom at practice and well, I didn't land so gracefully."
"Well broken bones are no issue, please, lie down."
"Can't you just fix it and I will go on to Charms lesson?"
She looked positively livid, "Of course not James. You must take the day off and rest, Sirius you may leave. Do tell your professors where James has gone."
Sirius nodded and left as Madam Pomfrey forced James down into a bed and prodded him with her wand. He grimaced as he could feel his bones reconnecting and shifting within his body but she was done in a matter of seconds. "You'll be a bit sore from all the poking and rearranging but you should be just fine in about an hour."
"Then can I go to class?"
"No," she put her foot down before covering him with a blanket and leaving the room.
Later that evening Sirius met Stella near the deserted lake. He was splayed out comfortably beneath the stars when she approached and sat next to him, "You mustn't tell Lily I agreed to meet you."
He smirked, "Why do we need to be so secretive?"
"Well, you know how she feels about you and James."
He propped himself up on his elbow and turned to her, "How she feels about me and James? She loves us she just won't admit it."
"She hates how you pick on her friend."
"Please, you hate Snivellus as much as we do."
"He's rather mean. He offhandedly told me that my family is half blood-traitor and half muggle and I don't belong in Slug Club with him and Lily, though I think he was just angry that I take her attention while we're there."
Sirius sat up looking very angry, "I'll make him pay for saying that to you."
Stella shrugged, "Maybe someday he'll learn how offensive he truly is. Lily says he has a tough home life."
"Well shit, so do I but that doesn't mean I go around insulting everything with a pulse."
"Lily says he's really depressed, the other day he threatened to drink a potion that would have killed him if Lily hadn't been there."
"Let him," Sirius sighed. "I don't want to talk about Snivellus anymore, why don't you come here?" He gestured for her to lie beside him to watch the sky.
"I- I don't know."
"I don't bite… unless you want me to," he laughed.
Stella didn't seem to understand the joke and remained seated so Sirius sat up as well. "Why did you agree to meet me, you almost seem scared to be here."
"I just don't want Lily to be angry with me."
"Why would she be?"
"Well I was just," Stella stopped herself. "I wanted to tell you something and Lily told me it seemed like a bad idea."
Sirius looked puzzled but he quickly understood as Stella leaned toward him from where she sat and gently brushed her lips against his. She pulled away and watched him nervously until he closed the gap again and pulled her tightly against him.