Remus had his head on the table. His hands were cuffed to the table. Lily had rushed over to him as soon as the officer stepped from the door. James wanted so badly to rush over as well. He didn't think it was his place though. She spoke in hushed tones to Remus while she rubbed his back. James stuck his head out the door to find an officer. "We need someone in here to unlock the cuffs."

Thankfully, after a few minutes an officer came and removed the cuffs. "You need to stay in the room though. If you attempt to leave, it will be another process."

Remus nodded. Lily was about to lit something on fire with her stare. He made a quick exit to escape the wrath about to come out of her. James didn't know if it would be best to come closer or leave. "What would be best for me to do?"

Remus mumbled something to Lily.

"Are you sure? It doesn't have to be now."

With Lily's obvious reluctance, Remus motioned for James to sit. "This happens once in a while. The scars make me look suspicious. I've sent to mental institutions a few times, so they have to be extra cautious. Don't want a crazy person on the loose for too long."

Another man had entered the room at that point. He was dressed in a purple work suit. "You're new. I do have to make it clear that Lily is allowed in the room while you interrogate."

"Kingsley he's actually a new friend. He gave me a ride from where we were at."

Kingsley seemed to relax with the answer.

Remus seemed to preemptively answer the lawman's questions. "I was cooperative. She thought I had a gun and hit the panic button. I didn't have any weapons and the officer wouldn't question me at site. I haven't missed any sessions with my therapist either."

"Well I'll go talk to them and get everything sorted. Legally, this shouldn't go on record as charged."

After paperwork was filled out at the station, James offered to take Lily and Remus back to their apartment. Remus insisted that it was a Friday night and that they should try to make the most of the rest of it. Lily found what she was looking for in his face, because she agreed.

They entered the building and James thought for a moment what he could do to help Remus for this not to happen again. Another attendant was at the front desk, thankfully. James asked to fill out a permitted guest form. One for Lily and one for Remus. They offered IDs and photos. Both were cleared.

"Now when you come back, you shouldn't have any problems."

Lily's eyes shined with tears. Remus shifted back and forth obviously uncomfortable with the attention. After Remus walked off a bit towards the elevator, Lily grabbed James hand. She pulled him back and mouthed a thank you before running off to catch the elevator.

James had always been taught that doing the right thing was a prize in and of itself, but in that moment, James knew deep down, that Lily was what he needed for the rest of his life. James wanted to be a good man for something more than just the sake of being a good man. He wanted to be a good man to make the world she lived in the best place.

Even if he didn't see that matching mark on her. James' mark had always resided on his right bicep. Lily that night at the gallery had clearly not had a matching one. His heart had dropped into his stomach at the sight of her, but it ached to not see it there. There had been the swirling thoughts in his head that she was his, but that night confirmed that she didn't seem to be.

In the apartment, Marlene was pacing and screaming. Sirius ever the hype man was agreeing to everything she was saying. She was talking about how water isn't wet, or it is wet, or something. Honestly, James couldn't follow. Though her energy matched Sirius' quite well. To the surprise of James, Sirius had a sketch book in his hands. He was sketching something with a passion. Something he hadn't done all week.

Gideon and Fabian had taken to the pool table. Dorcas was cooking something. All acknowledged Remus from the place they were at, but James thought that Remus was grateful not to be crowded at the door.

They all awaited a signal from the arriving party. Lily smiled and nodded. "I think we had a science fiction movie to enjoy." Lily started a party with one sentence.

The night went off without more drama. The movie was good, and the group made commentary on the movie after the credits rolled. Lily had moved to the back row with James after the movie was over to show him something on her phone and didn't move from the seat for the rest of the night, so neither did James. The entire party fell asleep in various places around the house.

James had never felt like his life had missed much, but these people were the addition he didn't think he could live without anymore.