((Sorry it's short, guys. I haven't had much time, but I have some better ideas for the next chapter, so it should be a lot longer lol ;) ))

It was a little loud, so James didn't hear him come in and sit next to him on a bar stool. Neither of them spoke for a minute until Sirius turned to James and broke the silence.

"Where were you? I mean, I was back at Remus's and you never showed…."

"I'm sorry… I forgot…." James muttered and sipped at his drink.

"What happened?" Sirius said, starting to feel genuinely concerned now.

"Lily-."

"Oh my god, did she kick you out?"

"No….I left after-."

"Damn, you didn't leave her did you? I'd have to kill you-!"

"Sirius! For the love of God, shut up!" James said, raising his voice, but not his eyes. He wouldn't look Sirius in the face.

"She wants us to…to stop going around with Moony every month…. She thinks we ought to 'grow up'…." He said the last bit sarcastically.

"What?" Sirius gave the same reaction that James had originally; disbelief. "Did she realize she was talking about us? Lord knows, growing up just isn't our thing!" He joked.

James did not laugh. He didn't even smile. He just took another drink and Sirius gaped at him.

"What, you're serious? Well… what did you say? You said 'no' right?" Sirius just stared at James, waiting for a response, hoping that he hadn't taken Lily seriously. It seemed however, from his expression, that he had indeed taken her very seriously.

James finally sighed. "I told her that I wasn't going to leave Remus to deal with that alone…."

"Great-!"

"But, Sirius…. I'm kind of siding with her…."

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Sirius… come on, listen to me. She has a point! I-I can't risk doing anything that would hurt them- they're my family… But I mean… you guys are my family too…. Still… I can't let them get hurt in the process of all of this just because it's something I want to do."

"But we're careful! That was just an accident! It wasn't even that bad; I'm perfectly fine. And you said it yourself; you would never be that stupid!"

"Try tellin' that to her…." James muttered, bitterly.

This was followed by silence in which neither man looked at the other, but stared straight ahead. Sirius shook his head after a minute.

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"Hell if I know…" James shrugged and shook his head.

Sirius shook his too, finding it equally difficult to sort this out. Was there a safe solution? It seemed not, but that wouldn't stop them from trying. Besides, what's life without a little risk?

Sirius stood to leave, but put a hand on James's shoulder. "You need a lift home, or are you good?"

"I'm fine… I walked here… thanks, though."

"Just don't drink and apparate…."

"What? Who says that? That sounds like a stupid phrase mothers tell their kids."

"I don't know… but it just doesn't sound like a good idea…." Sirius winced, trying to picture it.

James laughed and watched Sirius leave. He sat only for a moment more, knowing what he had to do. Still, he was trying to put it off for as long as possible. This was not a conversation that he wanted to have. He paid for his drink and started out of the pub.

He probably could have apparated, but he needed more time to mull over this conversation. It was a scary thought; that it would all be over.

He arrived at Remus's door, far faster than he had wanted. Still… he knew what needed to be done. He knocked three times- half hoping that Remus would be sleeping, and wouldn't answer. But, alas, the door opened.

"Hey." Remus said, letting him in. Then seeing, James's sullen expression, said, "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk." James began to pace. Remus watched him with interest and went to sit across from him on the couch. James couldn't sit; not with all this on his mind. No, he needed to be standing for this.

"About?" Remus prompted him. He thought he knew what was coming, and he was ready for, even relieved.

"Lily… well Lily and I were talking- argueing, really- about … about your little fury problem…." James said quickly.

Remus rolled his eyes and motioned for James to please continue.

"Anyway, she and I… well she… said that she thought maybe you were right when you said we shouldn't do this anymore- But I told her that the answer was no. I told her that- that I wasn't going to leave you to do this alone… but-!" James stopped, running a nervous hand through his already untidy hair.

"But I think she's right…. Don't get me wrong- I'm not scared or anything… well I am… but for them; her and Harry. Maybe we do need to grow up. I just- I feel horrible about the whole thing! Because you don't get a choice! You don't get to say no! You don't get to say that you don't want to do it anymore and-!"

"JAMES!" Remus said loudly, trying to make him shut up. It worked; James looked at him, shocked to see him smiling. He stood and crossed the room, putting a hand on James's shoulder.

"James… look, you're right, I don't get a choice. I'm not happy about it, but I'll live with it. Okay? The thing is, you do get the choice, and honestly, I'd want you to choose 'no'. For once in your life, make the right choice over what would be more fun. It would actually be less of a stress on me if we did stop."

Both men stopped talking. James nodded, but sadly so. Remus was still smiling. Finally, James was showing some sign of growing up. He walked into the kitchen and James followed, sitting at the table.

"So… this is it, Moony? The end of the Marauders?"

"I believe so, Prongs." Remus said, sitting across from him with a glass of water.

"Great… now all we have to do is tell Wormtail…."

"And Padfoot…."

Remus and James looked at each other at the mention of Sirius, panic in their faces.

They both had the same thought…"Oh, Shit."