Sirius was a dead man walking.

Despite his exhaustion after the nights events, he hadn't slept at all, and hadn't eaten the next morning. His usual confident gait had turned into an awkward slouch, and the jovial grin he usually carried made way for dark circles and a nervous frown. He had so far been successful in avoiding everyone.

But, in all honesty, it was all for the sake of avoiding James.

It was difficult, as they had coordinated their classes at the beginning of the semester so they wouldn't have to lose any time either attached at the hip or sending magical notes to each other across the classroom. Today, however, the only things Sirius was receiving from James across the room were long stares that held equal parts pity and amusement.

He couldn't avoid him forever, though. He was cornered trying to slip unnoticed out of the great hall after lunch.

"How are you feeling, Padfoot?" James linked arms with him and Sirius stiffened, trying to walk faster. James sped up.

"Fine." Sirius mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I really, really, really don't want to talk about it."

"I think you do."

"I really don't, James."

James sighed heavily. "You're such a pain."

Sirius wanted to hit him, hard, but ground his teeth and suppressed the urge. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Yep. Potions. Let's take a walk." He steered Sirius toward the open door of Hogwarts. Sirius tilted his feet backward to attempt and create some sort of traction, but James was cheerfully undeterred.

Out on the front lawn, Sirius was finally released, and James faced him, gripping his shoulders and making uncomfortable eye contact. "You're overreacting."

"Screw you!" Sirius hissed, then bit his tongue in frustration as James gave him a slow smile. He would really, really like to hit him. A few people walked past them and Sirius lowered his voice. "I don't want to talk about this, James. Not here, not now, not-"

"Ever?" James implied.

"That would be nice."

"You're acting like a child."

"Don't tell me how I'm acting!" It became increasingly hard to control his tone. Glancing around nervously, he took a step away from the trail down to the Black Lake and James followed. "You're the one who's acting…." He struggled to find a word as James stared at him patiently, a single eyebrow raised. "….Different!"

"Different? That's what you've got? Plenty of perfectly lovely words you could've picked, and you go with different. I'm disappointed. I thought maybe you were at least half listening to one of the thousand lectures Moony tries to give us."

Sirius made a few half words, then finally managed "I don't have time for you right now!" He attempted to storm off. The attempt failed.

"Come on, Sirius, please." James gripped his arm like a vice. "I was joking. Hear me out."

Sirius winced at the touch, and, seeing the look, James squeezed tighter. Sirius gave a small, doglike yelp and caught the glint of guilty pleasure pass over James face.

"Sadist." Sirius spat, finally, and wrenched his arm away. The second attempt to storm away, to his relief, succeeded.

+THE DAY PREVIOUS+

"Stop pushing! What are you so suspicious about, anyway?" Peter rested his chin on the brick wall and pushed away some blonde hair.

"Mind your business." Remus said smartly, crossing his arms. "James just said something weird to me."

"Yeah? What?"

"Didn't I just tell you to mind yours?"

Peter shrugged. "I'm no peeping tom."

"Oh yeah? So why do you have those?" Remus gestured to the Omnioculars with a plastered grin. Peter ignored the question and lifted them to his eyes.

"Stop fidgeting, Moony. It's making me anxious."

Remus averted his eyes. James' words had left him with a nagging anxiety that wouldn't drop. Stay out of the boys dorms for awhile, Moony. I don't want to be disturbed.

"There they are." Remus peered upward, squinting, at the wide bay window into the boys dorms. He could vaguely see fuzzy shapes. The settings on Peter's omnioculars adjusted as the smaller boy held them up to his eyes.

"Hm. Would you look at that." Peter said passively.

"What? What are they doing?"

"Screwing."

Remus lost his footing and toppled, flailing, nearly bashing his knee against the brick. He caught himself, but his mouth was open dumbly. He stuttered. "W-w-what?"

"That or something similar."

Remus wrestled the omnioculars out of Peter's hands and smashed them against his eyes. He paled. His fingers trembled on the contraption. He couldn't exactly see, but it could easily be inferred. "Blimey."