I do not own this. OR you would be paying to read it.

Chapter Two

Toughing it through.

A week later James and Sirius were playing exploding snap while the other two marauders were diligently doing their Charms homework.

"You know, if you did your work you wouldn't get as many detentions." Remus called over to them. Not actually expecting them to listen to him, they never did. Sirius made a rude hand gesture as he flinched while his deck blew. James smiled happily and responded,

"We did it last night Moons. You were too busy sleeping." Remus and Pete had indeed been sleeping, something James had been doing very little of. Sirius in silent support of his best mate had been staying up with him and it showed, on both of them. Their hair was not as shiny as it usually was and even though his bruises were clearing, excluding the one on his ear, which was still a nasty purple and his jaw, a nice tint of green, James' eyes were blackish underneath. Sirius' eyes looked almost dead. Their normal sparkle of mischief was absent and replaced with a dead tiredness. They were both pale and their lips had even lost their color.

Earlier in the day Sirius told Remus that they had slept maybe two hours each night that week and it was now Friday. They were so blatantly exhausted that today in transfiguration Sirius fell asleep with his head in his hands and James' head fell forward and dropped loudly onto the desk with a thunk. It woke neither of them up. It hit so hard he even had a shadow of a new bruise at his hairline, which was tangled and in disarray, more so than usual. Lily had turned around and looked at them both sympathetically which was odd enough but professor McGonagall actually looked right at them with a sad expression in her eyes looked away and continued teaching. Peter dropped his wand in shock and Remus almost choked on his hiss to wake them up. They were now through with classes for the week and were patiently awaiting dinner.

James had worn them all out with pranks this week, from overflowing the prefect bath with never pop bubbles, creating rapids down the astronomy staircase, to gluing all the clothing chests closed in the Slytherin boys' dorms. It seemed to be how he was coping. The odd thing was none of them got in trouble. Not once, not even when Flitwick saw them canoeing down the stairs. Or when McGonagall had to make Pete's wand quit spewing the bubbles. Everyone seemed to realize that the pranks were the only thing keeping James and Sirius sane. Remus found it strange and scary to say the least. He wasn't sure the castle was going to survive this much longer, let alone the student body.

If anything was alarming though it was James' new found relationship with Lily. She was being nice to him. Even flirty at times and James, yes James, while always being friendly back treated her advances with indifference. He didn't even bat an eyelash when she hugged him after he had helped her pick up her things when her bag tore after Arithmancy. Remus was worried that his boisterous friend might be gone. Granted he was performing new pranks at an alarming rate but not adoring Lily was just not normal.

They were now in the common room passing the time when Lily walked up to the hyperactive, over tired, delusional James and Sirius. She tapped Sirius on the shoulder and he turned to scowl at her.

"What Evans. Can't you see I am trying to win a rematch?" he snarled. She shrank back slightly a little abashed. It was obvious that Sirius had not forgiven her for her treatment of James these last few years.

"Siri, really I think she just wanted to tell us something for Merlin's sake. Go ahead Lily." James said politely with his head cocked slightly.

"Sorry," she replied her face going pink. "Uhm, it's just Dumbledore and McGonagall want to see you in the head office. Uhm both of you that is." James' eyes got an even more pronounced deadened look of fear and Sirius glanced at him before responding. Lily looked at them both sympathetically and walked away.

"C'mon Jamie. It won't take us long and we'll be down for dinner." He encouraged his friend to stand up and walk out of the portrait that was still standing open where Lily had left it.

"We'll be back moony, wormtail." Sirius said hollowly trying to put on a brave face for his friend. They walked quietly to Dumbledore's office. Sirius looked at James and saw silent tears sliding down his face. He reached up to rub the sleep out of his own eyes when to his surprise he felt moisture on his own sunken in cheeks.

When they reached the gargoyles they stood back without asking the password, which seemed ominous to both boys but they stepped on the spiraling staircase. It let them off into the familiar circular office, they had both upon occasion, always together, warranted headmaster punishment. Though honestly, his was usually not as bad as McGonagall's. Both of the professors stood facing the door and smiled at the boys.

"Professor" James said flatly. Dumbledore nodded his head as Sirius said hoarsely,

'Hello sir."

"Boys, I was asked to give you a message by Mrs. Potter." Dumbledore said calmly his eyes twinkling like always. Both boys looked concerned but the professor continued on.

"James, your father is awake, and he is home. They want you to come home for the weekend. And myself and your head of house think it would be a good idea." He smiled. James was instantly not only ready to go, he was excited, but stopped to look with a frown at Sirius. Dumbledore laughed at both of their faces. "I am sorry boys, Sirius, they asked for both of you to come home. They specifically told me to send their sons home to them. They really didn't leave any of us room to say no. Although as I said we all think you need to visit home." He continued to smile at them as they each had renewed smiles and moved happily towards the fire.

"Boys." Professor McGonagall called before they stepped into the flames. "When you get back, no more pranks, I am serious." Sirius snickered at the word and she shook her head. "And get some rest." They both nodded and jumped into the fireplace just as Dumbledore threw powder in.

They stumbled out of the fire and landed securely in Morgyn Potter's hands.

"My boys!" she practically yelled as she wrapped each of them in one of her arms. They were each at least 7 inches taller than her now and she could barely hug them both at the same time anymore but that didn't stop her. They smiled over her head at each other as she went on fussing over them. "I knew I should have brought you home at the beginning of the week when I sent word. Look at you both! You have obviously not been eating, or sleeping, James! What on earth happened to your face? Sirius Black, look at your mess of hair, I would, and do, expect that from James but you? And look at your eyes, you two; I could flay you where you stand." She continued on worriedly until she had fretted herself out leaned back and smiled at them. "Your father is awake. He would like to see you both. Then you are both eating and going to bed. No arguments you look dead on your feet!"

Sunday night Sirius stood in Dumbledore's office waiting for James to appear. He had just stood up and finished dusting off his biscuit tin Mrs. Potter sent him home with, when James tripped out of the fire after him holding three more tins, one for each of the other marauders.

"Hey professor!" Sirius said happily to McGonagall as James tried to grin and echo him through a mouthful of biscuits.

"hgmghm prffsommmff." He blushed as he spit crumbs on the head master's floor.

"Well you two look marginally better." Dumbledore beamed laughing at the dirty carpet in front of him. They both nodded.

"Come on you two I am going to take you through to the common room since it is almost curfew." McGonagall said briskly as she beckoned them to the stairs.

"Fanks professssssor." James spluttered as he tried to swallow the remaining food in his mouth as he jogged to keep up with his friend and head of house.

"Padfoot! Prongs! You could have sent a message you gits! We didn't know where you went. We stayed up all night! Are you ok is Mr. Potter ok?" Remus actually shouted as they came into the common room. They both smiled and started to talk at the same time. James passed around biscuit tins.

James felt so much better. He was happy. Well almost. It was hard to be happy when there was a dark wizard out in the world killing others. But with all things considered he was happy. His family was ok; he and Sirius had spent a whole weekend at home and honestly slept for a lot of that time. Granted they fell asleep while talking on James' bed and woke up practically snuggling each other. James' head was even on Sirius' shoulder but they were pretending that, that particular incident had not happened and were not mentioning it to the others. It was bad enough that his mum apparently had got a picture of it. They had fallen asleep like that many times over the years but not since at least fourth year. James shook his head at the memory but it still couldn't mess up his good mood.

It was just then that he saw a flash of red hair and felt an unfamiliar pair of arms grab around his waist. The top of her head came even with his lips so he mumbled into her hair.

"Err, hey Lils." Remus and Peter looked intrigued and Sirius looked irritated with this turn of events. James felt a very familiar swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach but pushed it down.

"Why are you hugging me?" he asked as he disentangled his arms from hers and stepped gently away from her. She looked nervous, her face was red and her eyes were slightly shiny.

'Well, you left the room and you never came back and I didn't know what was going on with you, Pete and Remus didn't even know! What was I supposed to think?" she spluttered as if it was obvious. When in fact this was so in obvious that even her friends were looking at her as if she had grown a second head. Lily was voluntarily hugging James Potter? What was more James was voluntarily stepping away from Lily Evans?

"Uhm, sorry Lils but you never know what is going on with me. In fact I am pretty certain that you don't normally think anything about me. Let alone worry. I mean I appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but, erm… You don't care what I am doing, you never have, and in fact you have told me you never will so uhm I didn't know to tell you. I am sorry for not telling you two though." He added to the two stunned boys sitting on the floor playing chess. Lily looked at him rather embarrassed.

"Right, I know it isn't like anything has ever been, well you know but, uhm, I know you were upset so I was worried, I am glad you are ok though." And with that she turned and ran out of the room. Alice, Lily's best friend looked at James scathingly.

"Potter! There's a time to just be nice and not honest." She said as she followed Lily up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. James merely shook his head, confused, and looked at Frank.

"Don't ask me mate. I have been dating her since last year and I still don't get those two." He grumbled as he too shook his head.