Author's note: This is a short story (I expect in 3 or 4 chapters) I am writing for the Masquerade Ball challenge on the Reviews Corner forum. I am using the OC I created, Venusta Vance (though she does not appear in this first chapter). She's in a few of my stories including one called I May Lose Everything. You don't need to have read that other story to read this one.

This story is told entirely from Sirius's POV and is proving to be fun to write, hope you will find it fun to read, too.

Rating: M, for occasional cursing, references to sex.

Genres and pairings: General, romance (Sirius/OC with background James/Lily), humour

Part One: How to Keep the Flame Alive

"Can't my hair look like yours for once? Just for my wedding day? Is it really too much to ask?"

Sirius ran a hair through his glossy hair and grinned at James, who stood in front of the large mirror of his parents' living room, looking dismayed. Sirius had recently cut his hair shorter than it had been in years, ditching the rock star look for a more respectable one. And it still looked better than James's, no matter what amount of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion James used.

"I'm sorry, mate," Sirius said gravely, as if delivering some particularly bad news. "But, you know, she loves you anyway. She'll marry you, in spite of everything."

James rolled his eyes and chuckled as he put on his suit jacket. It seemed strange to Sirius to see his best friend look so grown-up, about to get married while he was only nineteen years old. Not for the first time, Sirius repeated to himself that whatever happened, he had to be happy for James, and not question his choices. No matter how alike they were on some aspects, they were also fundamentally different on others. Just because James was about to do something that would have made Sirius scream in panic if it was him, didn't mean it was the wrong thing for James to do. And if James was going to marry anyone, it might as well be Lily Evans.

"Kidding, you look great, Prongs," Sirius said, smiling.

Sirius and Remus joined James in front of the mirror. Sirius could barely recognise Hogwarts's infamous troublemakers in the three dashing young men in the mirror. It was like they had borrowed adults' suits for the day.

"So do you, and Moony. I just can't believe I'm marrying her, you know, and that you're all here with me."

James looked like he had something stuck in his eyes; he kept blinking, and there was a funny look on his face, like the night when they had told Remus they had become Animagi.

"Oi, don't go all cry-baby on us, Potter," Sirius said gruffly, feeling his own eyes stinging. "Otherwise Moony'll start crying too and then what am I supposed to do? I'll just have to join in, won't I? And that's not acceptable. Get a grip on yourself."

"All right, all right." James nodded, and threw his hands in the air. It seemed he had given up on trying to tame his hair. "You're lucky Peter's already at the venue sorting out the flowers and table decoration at the moment, otherwise he'd be crying, for sure."

Remus looked down at his dark blue suit, identical to Sirius's, and made a face. Sirius recognised it as Remus's 'something's-not-right-in-Remus-Lupin's-world' face.

"How come my suit's all wrinkled and yours looks amazing?" Remus said. "I'm the tidy one and you're a mess."

"Nah, I'm not, and that's the proof."

Sirius laughed at the look on Remus's face, which was now set to 'stop-pulling-my-leg' mode.

"Sirius, I literally lived with you for seven years."

"Can't I have my secrets?" Sirius said dramatically. "My aura of mystery. Gotta keep the flame burning."

"What flame?" James said.

"The flame of our friendship! Like we still have stuff we don't know about each other, the four of us."

"I always knew you were a romantic at heart," James said, grinning.

"After you peel the hundred layers of sarcasm and wit, of course," Remus said.

"Oh yeah? What about your layers of sarcasm and wit, Lupin?"

Absent-mindedly, Sirius muttered an anti-creasing spell aiming at Remus's suit. Remus examined the results of Sirius's work, looking impressed.

"Thanks, Sirius, you'll make a great housewife one day," Remus said, smirking.

"That's if he finds someone to peel the hundred layers," James said, and he glanced at the clock on the wall, as both Remus and Sirius stood in front of the mirror again, finishing to get ready. "OK, we've got some time yet before we need to go. Just checking, you've got the rings, Padfoot, right?"

Sirius stopped fiddling with his bow-tie and froze. He had a bad feeling about this, and a shiver ran down his spine as he realised he wasn't sure at all where the rings were. What he knew for sure is he had not seen them in a while, perhaps weeks. He had not been worried about it, because he had been sure that someone else had them. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"No, Moony's got them."

Remus, who had been fighting with his own bow-tie, turned away from the mirror to look pointedly at James. Sirius hoped the look didn't mean, why did you choose Sirius as best man again?

"No, you have them. You're the best man, Sirius. It's your responsibility, we've been over this."

"You had one job!" James started pacing, shaking his head. "Please tell us you were only kidding, and you've got them."

"I think my brain just froze after the word responsibility." Sirius smiled sheepishly at his friends' annoyed faces. "But not to worry, I'll just pop by my flat and get them. It's absolutely fine."

It's an absolute fucking nightmare, Sirius thought. But I'll fix it, I just have to.

"I'll be back before you know it," Sirius said.

"You'd better," James said. "If it takes you more than half an hour then meet us directly at the venue, ok?"

"Got you. I'll see you in a bit. Don't worry, Prongs. Everything'll be fine."

Sirius shrugged at Remus.

"I'd tell you not to worry, too, but that's always been rather counterproductive. We all know how you get."

"And we all know how you get," Remus said. "You try to drown us in words when you've got something to hide."

"Damn it, what happened to the flame, Moony?"

Sirius cursed under his breath as he left. It wasn't often that he hated himself, and he didn't quite care for the feeling. He would do whatever had to be done, and he knew just the person to ask for help.