A/N: Chapters 57 and 58 go up on March 28th.

Sirius:

"You're awful, you know?" James accused, as they sat down in his sitting room with Remus and Peter at the end of the day.

Sirius grinned, "I've never tried to hide it."

"What's he awful about this time?" Pete poured a goblet from the decanter.

"I'm maneuvering trying to win back Lily and he's in the corridor snogging the life out of Marlene."

Remus' eyes went huge and Sirius braced himself for the fallout.

"Marlene scares me a bit," Peter spoke before Remus could. "She's not much taller than a page boy but I've seen the weapon collection she requested after they got here. I have a feeling she could filet me alive if she found it necessary."

"That she could," Sirius couldn't keep the grin from his face.

Merlin! She was something!

"Just don't upset her, Sirius," Pete shook his head. "I don't want to figure out how to get you out of whatever torture scenario she cooks up."

"Is this wise, Sirius?" Remus asked in what Sirius had dubbed his forced neutral tone - that was anything but neutral.

He rolled his eyes, here it was, the lecture. The Healer in Remus often forgot that he was really only qualified to boss everyone around with their health, not the rest of their lives.

"You have oaths to uphold and she's bound to Lily. If Lily decides to leave, where does that leave the two of you?"

"Can we not talk about Lily leaving as a viable option?" James glared at Remus. "I'm doing everything I can to show her that's the worst option she has."

Sirius kept his face bored. "I'm just making history, Rems, changing my stars, choosing my own destiny, take your pick."

"Sirius, you're playing with a rattlesnake."

"Marlene's dangerous, but she's much more attractive than a snake, Remus."

"That isn't what I meant," Remus started again but Sirius cut him off.

"I know what you're going for here, Remus, and I'm not changing my mind. We're both aware that some hidden consequences could exist, but I spent years digging into the magic of my oath and I'm willing to lay it on the line that we'll be fine."

"You're fine gambling your life? And hers?" Remus shook his head. "Please be careful, Sirius. It nearly killed me when I saw you in Enid. Please don't make me be the one to sign off on your confirmation of death, I don't think I could live with that."

Sirius blinked. That was not where he thought the conversation was going.

"He'll be careful, Remus," James handed him a goblet. "When you see them together, you'll be able to tell this isn't a game for them."

"Right," Sirius cleared his throat, feeling thrown off by Remus' fatalistic viewpoint. But even if this did cost him and Marlene their lives, Sirius found himself rather calm about it. Now that he'd had this time with her, now that he'd given everything to her, life without Marlene was unacceptable. If this killed him, so be it.

"Wait, so why does Sirius being with Marlene make him awful?" Peter set his goblet on the little table beside his chair.

James groaned, "Because he's rubbing it in my face that I can't have that."

"Of course you can," Sirius scoffed. "Step right up next to her and kiss her. It helps if you hold her as well."

James glared at him. "I can't and you know it. I'm not going to make any move until I know she's sorted out her feelings on whether or not she loves me."

"Of course she does," Peter furrowed his brow, "she came back to you."

James fisted a hand in his hair. "I don't know, Pete."

"She wanted time alone with you," Remus added.

"You could always ask her." Sirius reached for the decanter.

"What a lovely conversation topic," James rolled his eyes, "Hello Lily, would you fancy telling me if you've sorted through your emotions yet? I'm going insane not moving this forward."

"You could always suffer in silence." Sirius shrugged. "I'll just keep timing it so you walk out of your study to me showing you everything you're missing out on."

"Please not everything," Peter groaned. "I want to know I can walk the corridors in peace."

Sirius grinned, "Fine, for you Pete, I'll keep it from getting too interesting."

"Play nice, Sirius," Remus grinned.

"You only want me to play nice with James because you don't want him coming to you with a stomach ulcer from all his fussing."

Remus laughed and James groaned just as the runner knocked before coming into the room.

"A note for you Master Sirius." Timothy handed Sirius a folded piece of paper.

Sirius thanked him and grinned at Marlene's crisp penmanship.

"What is it?" James picked up his goblet.

"Brush up on your warming spells," Sirius slid the paper into his pocket after reading it. "Your regular hour with Lily tomorrow will be spent on horseback."

"You're going to freeze," Peter shook his head. "I stepped out this afternoon and could see my breath."

James gaped at Sirius.

"You'll catch flies looking like that, your Majesty," Sirius chuckled.

James glared at him but clamped his mouth shut.