James helped lily hobble into the great hall for the feast. She had the crutch, but she wasn't exactly adept at using it yet. Good. the feast hadn't begun yet. Students were still milling in and walking around the room talking to their friends from other houses. James and Lily weren't even that noticeable. James could have sworn they were going to be late, although he didn't plan on telling anyone why. It was nobody else's business where they had been. Although james would love to know-

He sighed and cut himself off. Lily didn't want to tell him and he would just have to deal with that. However much it may bother him…

They walked down the length of the gryffindor table, weaving in and out of the people who had decided not to go find their own seats yet, until they reached where mary, marlene, and alice sat.

"Well, love, this is where i leave you." he said. He tried to keep his voice kinder and less stiff than it had been earlier. Truth is, she had been scaring him, he just wanted to know if she was really okay. He made to move towards his own seat on the Gryffindor table. But lily grabbed him with her good hand and brought him down to kiss her. No shabby kiss, either. Not in the least.

"What was that for?" he asked breathless when she finally pulled away because, bloody fucking hell, he wasn't about to be the one to do it.

"Eh," lily simply shrugged in a casualness that drove him absolutely crazy "it's your birthday." and with that she turned around and climbed onto the bench beside mary like he had never been there in the first place.

James took a second to regain his composure before walking over to the marauders and taking his seat. What kind of mood swing?

"Rawrr." was sirius's only comment

"James, where were you?" peter asked in a harsh whisper, while remus only looked down at his homework with pursed lips.

"I was with lily..." he said, wishing they would drop it but knowing they wouldn't.

"All night?" peter asked, fiddling with his fingers.

"...yes." james replied finally

"Doing?" sirius prompted

"Alright, alright," james sighed and leaned in closer to the middle of the table "come here and i'll tell you." he lowered his voice. Sirius and peter leaned in as told and remus simply looked up from his homework with slightly raised eyebrows

"We did…." james drew out a pause for dramatic effect "this new fangled thing… called… sleeping, you perverts." he finished sitting back in his seat and returning his voice to a normal volume

"You really didn't do anything? Because, mate." sirius shook his head

"No! I mean," he thought of earlier and how she had flipped out on him. Part of him felt annoyed at the fact she wouldn't tell him why, and the other part felt sorry for pushing her.

"No." he declared, shaking his head "nothing happened."

"Are you sure?" peter asked, his voice raising with every word

"Yes." james said curtly

"Did you want something to happen?" sirius asked, with a raise of his eyebrows

"I wouldn't have exactly minded." james gave in "i mean, have you seen her?"

"Eh, not my type." was sirius's reply

"Well, i suppose that's good, seeing as she is my girlfriend and not yours. Speaking of which, padfoot, do you have a girlfriend you're hiding from us or are you just being a lone wolf for a while." he winked at moony.

"What? No. i don't have a girlfriend. I don't- i mean-" he huffed "no."

"Are you sure there, because i don't think you said no enough in a five second time span."

"Oooo," peter sang "paddy has a girlfriend, paddy has a girlfriend."

"Shut up, wormy."

"Paddy has a girlfriend," james sang with peter

"Paddy has a girlfriennddddd." remus joined in, deciding this was a worthy enough cause to break away from his homework.

"So." james leaned towards him "who's the broad, the lucky lady, Mrs. Paddy."

"Oh, shut up!" sirius pushed james away from him "there is no Mrs. Paddy."

"I think there is." remus said, tucking his homework away in his bag.

"Me too." peter agreed

"Me three!" james added

"Oh, bugger off!" sirius said and all was quiet until a quiet tune was picked up by remus across the table

"Paddy has a girlfriend, paddy has a girlfriend."