James put down his guitar with a tired sigh and a silly grin. Finally, the day was over. They'd had a calm day, mostly writing bits and pieces of lyrics, with one of them occasionally trying out a tune on the piano, or bouncing ideas off one another.
"They're going to think you're an alcoholic, you know."
James jumped at the sound and turned to see Moony. He was still there, though Sirius and Peter had left as soon as the studio closed. "Going to the pub every night, the press'll be all over it."
"I'm not–" James muttered.
"I know. You're going to see the waitress, Lily Evans, wasn't it?"
James said nothing. "Well, I've got to go," Remus said.
"Again?"
"They've got me going every month now," Remus said, his voice suddenly sounding breakable.
They left Dumbledore Records together, and James felt worry constricting his throat as he noticed the slight tremble in Remus' left hand as he walked away to the bus stop. James watched him as he hid his face with a hat, walking hunched into the Penny Lane bus.
For a moment he was five again, walking to Penny Lane and taking in everything wide-eyed, the barbershop where he'd get his hair cut, the seemingly perpetual blue skies, and the roundabout, all etched into his mind. Then he was waiting for the Penny Lane bus with Remus, when everything was still fine with him, and they'd talk and joke over fish and chips while waiting for the bus to take them to the center of Liverpool.
The sky was darkening, and James decided it might be a bad day to break his tradition, and clenching his fists that were deep in his jacket pockets, he started to walk over to the pub, fighting against the early January wind.
James took Remus' advice at the pub. "Another beer?" Lily guessed when she came over to his table.
"Four of fish," James said.
"A change in the routine," said Lily appreciatively. She jotted it down on her pad, and walked back to the kitchen. A few minutes later she reappeared with a plate in her hand.
She placed it on the table, the chips still releasing heat, and after a furtive look around the place, she sat opposite James and took a chip. "He's not looking," Lily assured him.
A smile quirked James' lips and he took a chip closest to him. Lily took this as permission and she took another one. Soon they were both eating form the plate and talking.
"How's the album?"
James nearly choked on a piece of fish. He swallowed with difficulty.
"Bee's knees," he said, not sounding convinced.
Lily decided not to press it. She looked down at the empty plate. She picked it up and got up from her seat.
"If he's still het up, say I've got signed pictures," James called to her. She laughed and waved at him to be quiet. James watched her disappear into the kitchen.
That night he lasted until one in the morning before he had to leave, exhausted.