title: Boys Will be Boys
summary: In the midst of war, James and Sirius meet at a pub. Bickering ensues.
disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, my life would be a whole lot more exciting. As it were, I'm just a sadly obsessed student.
The dingy pub tucked away within this dark backstreet of London reeks of lager long since spilt and the acrid scent of cigarette smoke permeating the air, neither of which can mask the decades of filth which must lie there. The heavy front door makes an agonizingly harsh sound every time it opens, and there is nowhere else to enter but the back door to the kitchen.
James sighs heavily as he seats himself down on a barstool and wonders just how long he's been taking note of escape routes every time that he enters a building, even if it's for the smallest amount of time. Too long, he thinks, and far too early. There was a time when he would have burst into every situation, any possible nook and cranny with a wide smile and a joke just waiting to be cracked. Those carefree days seem much too far away. Not for the first time that day, that hour, that minute James thinks that they are just too bloody young for this life.
The door creaks open once more, and James' head whips towards the sound quickly, a hand unconsciously tightening around the wand kept inside his coat pocket. He loosens it without a thought as he recognizes the shaggy dark head which ducks into the pub, almost blending into the grunge of the room. Sirius looks as weary as James feels as he picks his way across to James at the bar, before hurriedly stubbing out his cigarette in an already overflowing ashtray.
"I had a fucking difficult time getting here, you know. Why'd you have to pick such an out of the way place, Prongs?" Sirius mutters as slides on to the stool next to James'.
"You know I had to, Padfoot," James hisses as he motions towards the bartender to bring them two beers.
"Yeah, I know, dangerous times, must be careful, blah blah fucking blah," Sirius rejoins rebelliously. James rolls his eyes. Not even two minutes and he's already contemplating hitting Sirius. They haven't seen each other in weeks, weeks, and it used to be that they couldn't go hours without speaking. Sirius is his best friend, his brother in all the ways that matter, and yet James worries that this war has damaged that bond between them which he had previously thought invincible.
Then again, there are a lot of things that have changed since those far away days of their youth, their youth before it was wasted. James knows that it's been far longer since Remus and Sirius last spoke, knows that any attempt to bring the topic up with Sirius will only result in Sirius making some sort of snarky remark and lapsing into a moody silence.
Bloody temperamental inbred, James thinks angrily, glancing around impatiently for the bartender. The stooped old man finally shows, barely managing not to drop the two pints of beer, and sets them down in front of Sirius and James with an unceremonious slam.
Sirius snorts and points emphatically in the direction of the man. "You know, that right there, that man makes old Aberforth seem like a kind and generous soul."
James smiles, suddenly taken back to a memory long since past. "Remember when we stole his goats and set them loose in the dungeons?" James shakes his head fondly. "Those were some good times."
Sirius physically brightens at the memory, his head perking up and his eyes brightening. "I'm pretty sure that one of them shat on Snivellus's shoes. It was a beautiful moment," Sirius finishes with a mock solemn expression.
James chuckles. "Yes, I remember that now, because Lily was bloody furious with me over it. Not you, even though it was your idea, of course it was always me. Almost got my bits hexed as a result, actually."
Sirius takes a long sip from his glass, before gesturing with it towards James. "Right harpy that you managed to marry, Prongs, old man."
James glares at him before picking up an empty peanut shell from the counter and chucking it at Sirius. Sirius ducks and growls, before kicking James in the shin.
"Tosser," Sirius accuses with a shit-eating grin.
"You kicked me," James whines before punching Sirius in the arm, smirking at Sirius' resulting wince. Sirius looks affronted for a second before bursting into his characteristic barking laugh, a laugh which James has always found infectious. They lean against each other, chuckling, ignoring for the first time in months any possibility of a threat.
"You know, it's been too long since we've done something like this," Sirius remarks quietly.
"Too right it has, Pads," James replies, suddenly sobered.
"We should change that," Sirius continues, determined.
James nods tightly, before seizing his own pint and clinking it against Sirius'. "Cheers, mate."
Sirius shakes his head, amused. "I still can't believe you punched me."
"You kicked me first!"
"Shut it, you wanker," Sirius grumbles.
James sighs and laughs softly. It is comforting to know that in this world which seems to be rapidly spinning out of control, spinning towards some inevitable doom, that some things never change.