The first one-shot was written as part of Jilytober in 2015.

One-shots will be published in the order they were written here and starting November 1st will be published for seven days on Tumblr (fanaticfandom) in timeline order.

November 3, 1993.

She had always known his birthday. For as long as Sirius Black had existed in her world she had been privy to his birthday celebrations. The marauders had seen to it.

James had seen to it.

Lily stared worriedly at her husband. James sat twitching with anxiety as he leaned his body out into the night. In the darkness of the midnight hour, his whole body seemed to be fading.

"James…" Lily whispered.

"He will be here." James whispered back stubbornly.

Lily stood anchored in the shadows of the astronomy tower. She wanted to argue with him. She had always wanted to argue with him when he was being so willfully stubborn. But it was just his steadfast headstrong notion that had brought them here at all, on this night, for this moment.

"…James." Lily whispered again.

He tilted his head back and stared at her crookedly. Lily fidgeted under his gaze as she twisted her once vivid red hair studying how it faded into a pale rose.

James smiled at her. He wanted to tease her. He had always wanted to tease her when she was being impatient. But years of experience had taught him not to tease Lily when she was keyed up with worry.

"He will be here." He sighed, swinging around completely.

"But James…" Lily started worriedly.

"Did you know, I didn't always know Padfoot's birthday," James mused quietly.

Lily frowned. She had never thought – never realized – that there had been a moment when James didn't know what day Sirius Black had been born. But of course, no matter the legend, the marauders had not always been mates.

"But you knew first year…" Lily answered stupidly.

"… We got lost looking for cakes, we didn't know which staircases went up and which went down back then." James chuckled. "But well, if you'll remember we didn't go missing until the afternoon."

"You lot were lost for hours, McGonagall had just called for a search party when you prats walked back into the common room covered in frosting and crumbs." Lily smiled at the sharpness of the memory, as if it had happened yesterday and not a whole lifetime ago.

"It was the only year we didn't have a full day celebration for his birthday."

James sprung out of the window, landing perfectly next to her. She leaned into his shoulder, immediately, seeking him in a reactive movement.

"That's right." She frowned. "It was the mildest celebration you lads ever had. Marauder birthdays were day, even week, long affairs… March 27th, March 10th… the whole bloody month of March sometimes and then…" Lily bit down on her lip.

James blinked. He reached out instantly wrapping his arm around her, pulling her close to keep her safe. They didn't speak about the fourth marauder.

"He'll be here." James repeated firmly. "And then, we'll check on…"

The words remained lost between them as a large black dog trudged through the door. Meticulously, cautiously, so very unlike any Sirius Black that James could remember, Padfoot checked the hallway and closed the door.

"He's so thin." Lily choked. James could feel her breathing hitch but he couldn't remove his eyes from his best mate.

Padfoot was still a large black dog but even in the moonlight James caught the glimmers of gray hairs.

"Not enough to be old, in any case." James muttered to himself.

Using his nose, Padfoot clicked the locks on the door and James noticed the slowness of the movements. But it wasn't until a moment later, when in a fluid flourish of practiced magic Padfoot became Sirius that James noticed all the years between them.

Sirius stumbled, as if he wasn't use to walking on two feet anymore and James reached out. But the younger man's hand passed right through his mate's elbow, transparent and mockingly gleaming.

"He can't see us." Lily barely moved her lips as she reminded him.

"Right." James replied through gritted teeth. "Who's ever even heard of ghosts you can't see!"

"Muggles." Lily offered apologetically.

The couple watched as Sirius moved across the room, straight to the window where James had been perched before. He stood starring at the window for a full minute before he rested his torso on the sill, leaning in peculiarly echo of a younger Sirius.

"Cheers Prongs." Sirius murmured as he smuggled a tiny bottle out of the rags clothing him. The spicy smell of rough fire whiskey filled the night air as Sirius gulped down the entire drink.

"Cheers Padfoot." James whispered back reflexively.

Sirius smiled, as if he had heard him. The man relaxed as he slid down to sit on the ground. His black hair was as tangled and unkempt as his fur had been and James found himself counting each of the silver strands.

"You were a prat, you know." Sirius mumbled into the night.

"I do." James replied. Lily had moved out of her shadows but James remained rooted. She floated to the man, studying his every wrinkle and sad weariness.

"I had come up with this whole tale, coming up here to watch the Rugby game England was playing in Australia." Sirius sighed moving to push back the clumps of hair in his eyes.

"Check facts for your lies, Padfoot. Every marauder knows that." James half-heartedly chastised.

"But you bloody little know-it-all, went and checked all about Rugby and found out there wasn't a game at all. Ran up here to find me just sitting here." Sirius knocked his head back against the wall.

Lily had settled next to him. She was close enough to touch him, if only she could. James stared at his best mate and was struck with how much bigger this Sirius was to the first year one he had first seen here.

"I asked you what was wrong." James nodded. Remembering little Sirius with the round cheeks and bright dark eyes that sat on his school cloak with the same sadness as this man.

"Couldn't just leave it be, could you James?" Sirius laughed.

"You didn't mind, bugger. You wanted me to ask." James defended hotly.

"I didn't think you would care. I didn't know Flea and Euphemia then, not yet anyway, otherwise I would have known better. There was no way a Potter wouldn't make a fuss." Sirius inhaled deeply.

"What did he tell you?" Lily asked.

"That it was his birthday." James quirked a smile, remembering how exasperated his best mate had been. Sirius had been put out with James for being so nosey.

"You started pacing like McGonagall use to when we'd try to get out of detention by pleading innocence. I thought you were going to knock me a good one, for not telling you sooner." Sirius chuckled softly. He still had his head pressed against the wall and his eyes were shut so tight, Lily wondered if the man was trying to bring the memory to life.

"Didn't give me decent time to plan, you git!" James threw his hands up into the air and then did start to pace. Lily laughed at both men, having a conversation even when they didn't know it.

It was minutes or maybe even hours, Lily was never quite sure how time passed as a ghost, before Sirius spoke again.

"You know, I bought Harry a Firebolt for his birthday, it's a broom. World Class. Fastest one on the market." Sirius announced.

"Sirius Black, you bought my son a racing broomstick!" Lily jumped. She went to smack the man in the shoulder, only to have the force of an impact less blow send her tumbling. James laughed but moved quickly to help her, moving to just above Sirius.

"Had to make up for all the birthdays I missed." Sirius whispered apologetically. James stilled, holding Lily's elbow.

"It's all right mate." James said thickly.

"And here I am turning 34. It's been 13 years since I even thought about my birthday." Sirius had tears running down his cheeks now.

"I'm sorry Padfoot." James fell to the ground, sitting as close to Sirius as he dared without expecting to be able to feel his friend's warmth.

"I'm so sorry Prongs." Sirius choked back a sob.

"Whatever are you sorry for you stupid mutt?" Lily cried reaching out to Sirius.

"He promised to always celebrate his birthday, because he was important to me…" James explained weakly.

"No one else remembers anymore. How could I celebrate something for you?" Sirius wondered.

"I remember." James insisted.

"We remembered." Lily repeated.

"I suppose you do remember." Sirius smiled. "Lily too."

"Happy Birthday Padfoot." Lily and James said together, closing in on either side of Sirius hoping fervently he would feel their presence.

Sirius wiped his face with the rags that wrapped his wrist and stared around the dark room, right through his best mates. He took one last deep breath before transforming into a dog once again.

"You aren't alone, ever." James whispered.

"None of us are." Lily added quietly.