Bad luck, Prongs

Disclaimer: The characters all belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor James, nor Lily, nor the puppies are mine…What a shame ;)

Special thanks to Gaby Black for having beta-ed this story !

Warning: this fanfic contains slash !

' Pad…'

James stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth wide, as the door sprang open. It had finally happened. He had waited for so long, that he had given up the hope that they would one day get a move.

After months of watching them mourn secretly, torn apart by the feelings that they didn't dare to express, days of catching quick glances or longing faces whenever they became too close, he had often thought that they were near explosion. But every time, they had shun, too scared or too shy to face the truth.
James had tried to entice them to confide in him, but his attempts had remained vain. If Remus was skilled at lying, Sirius couldn't hide any secret from him, and this time they were both completely obvious. Seeking each other's closeness, craving for the touches which they shared more than any other of the Marauders, and becoming angry whenever someone else captivated the other's attention.

The tension between them increased until it reached its climax, then they would end up having a row, moping during three days, and the pattern would begin all over again.
James was tired of it, and often wondered when they wouldn't be able to bear it any more. But time passed by, and as nothing changed, he had no other choice but to get used to the situation.
Something was obviously restraining them, and although he could only guess what it was –shame for one, pride for another, along with the fear of being rejected for both –he wasn't going to interfere if they didn't want him to.

But there they were. Sirius was leaning against Remus's lithe body, their chests pressed together. The Animagus was whispering something in Remus's ear, and whatever he told him was making the werewolf's cheeks blush. Sirius's hand absent-mindedly stroked the brown hair that had just fallen into Moony's eyes.
Warily, Prongs closed the door, his eyes following his friends' movements. He peered one last time to notice that, at his great pleasure, Remus had apparently decided it was time for action, rather than for talk–something which James could only support. Gently, Moony closed Sirius's mouth with his own, tickling the parted lips with his tongue. Padfoot wasn't long to reply, and moved his arm to Remus's waist, holding him tightly.
Grinning, James left them to their intimacy, casting an Insonorisating spell to the room and a Locking one to the door.

Still bemused, and slightly flushed by the sight he had just witnessed, he went downstairs on to the Common Room.
' What are you up to, Potter ?'
Evans. Always here when he didn't need her, never here when he wanted her to…
' Nothing,' he answered truthfully.
She glared at him, unconvinced.
'Believe me, for once,' he teased.
'I'm not going to. Where are you three sidekicks hiding ? And what is this smile for ?'
'I'm asking you, Lily. What d'you think I'm looking like ?'
She frowned.
' Erm…Dunno… Like a selfish arrogant who has just found a new way to annoy the whole school for an entire week ?'

That was exactly why he loved her. If she ever agreed to live with him, he was sure his self-confidence would never be the same any more –and, after all, an ego-explosion was all he had ever feared in life. Grand cause of early mortality in the Wizarding World, this disease was. In her company, he would always remain safe.

'Wrong,' he sang. 'But as I'm in a very good mood, despite everything you can say about my being selfish, I'm gonna tell you. But you must promise to keep it a secret, first.'
That dumbfounded look on Lily's usually contained –or angry –face ! He couldn't suppress the laughter that escaped his lips. She hesitated, but curiosity took the better of her, and she gave in.
'Okay,' she accepted. 'I promise.'
'To marry me ?' He asked, winking.
She sighed.
'No. To keep the secret, you prat !'
Oh, those dearest insults…Maybe he was a bit of a masochist, after all ? That would explain loads of stuff, now that he thought about it. Deciding he should go no further on this dangerous path, he gazed at Lily. Her stunningly beautiful eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

'Come on, tell me !'
Those pleas ! He enjoyed the role of the sadistic, too. Interesting to know.
'Well… I'm looking like a guy whose best friends just got together,' he announced proudly, no longer able to resist the urge to share these astonishing news with someone.
'What ?' asked Lily, startled. 'You mean… Remus and Sirius ?'
'Of course ! Who else ? Not Peter and the Giant Squid ! Though this could probably happen, too,' he added on second thoughts.
He contemplated the abashed face which might have been his a few minutes ago.
'It's not as if it was a big surprise, I suppose ?' she asked tentatively.
He shook his head.
'No. I have known how they feel for each other for more than a year now, still the timing was quite unexpected. I was starting to think that I would become a grandpa before those two would have their undying loved declared,' he told her.
'Who knows ? She smirked. If you had had children very young…'
'Oh, I don't think I will. You don't seem too eager, do you ?'

Lily didn't answer, obviously disturbed by the day's revelation.
'You know, I thought everybody had noticed. At least, those who are a little bit observant.
I mean, the stares Remus was giving Sirius whenever he got near or wasn't looking at him ! The way Padfoot always cares too much about Moony and reacts excessively to anything he does!'
'Yeah…I suppose that fits. It makes sense, then,' she uttered, rather dreamily.
'Are you shocked ?' he asked, wondering why she was acting so weirdly.
'Certainly not !' Her eyes landed on him, a malicious glint within them. 'Turned on, more like.'
'W-What ?'Why were his ears betraying him at times like these ? He couldn't have heard what he thought he had.
But Lily's devious grin told him the opposite.
'Two handsome, smart and mysterious men together,' she went on, obviously delighted by the look of confused horror on James's face. 'What could be more arousing ?' She concluded, casting him a lopsided smile.

'What are you thinking about ?' she asked a few seconds later in a pretend-to-be-innocent tone which reminded him a lot of Sirius's.
'Well…' he answered, sounding numb. 'I'm considering becoming gay, now.'