"It's true. I had white ribbon on my dress and my sister cut off the sleeves so there was no white other than her at the wedding."

James and Sirius were laughing so hard that Remus had almost found it amusing too. Being there was a whole other story. Petunia had grabbed scissors and chased Lily down. Lily at the time had thought Petunia meant to cut off her hair. Remus had to help Lily sew the shoulders of the dress to make it look more natural.

The group had been enjoying the café to themselves. Not many people were interested in coffee and sandwiches on a Saturday night. James had taken the seat next to Lily before Remus had even gotten back from the counter leaving him to sit next to Sirius.

"What about you Remus? Tell us about your family."

Remus knew that Sirius meant well, but family was a touchy subject. "My dad no longer with us, and my mom lives in the countryside. I try to call once a week at-least, we just spent the holidays there."

Remus was not enjoying the attention. Lily was always good at reading that in Remus though. She started chatting about her latest job search. She had been looking to waitress or temp somewhere to fill her time. James had suggested that she apply with the company he works for.

"You never did tell me what you did James."

"I work with Sirius investing in people's business and helping them set up their company. We help them out the first few years and then find the next idea."

A real knight in shining armor Remus thought. He couldn't help but note that meant James was most likely super rich as well. Someone who was most likely used to getting his way with a bit of money.

Sirius turned to Remus trying to start a conversation again. "What would you like to do with your English degree?"

Why Sirius was constantly turning the attention back to Remus, he didn't know. He almost felt like it was a person interrogation. "I plan on working in publishing. I've written one book and plan on writing more, but publishing is something a little more consistent."

"Is the book something you think I would find interesting?"

This was a point that Remus never liked to talk about much, but he felt trapped in a corner. "I wrote a book about my experience as a teenager. Someone approached me and said that if I wrote about it, they could sell it." Oh, how Remus regretted that. He would have hung up the phone and gone about his day if he had known what he knew now. "Got a bit of a paycheck, but basically sold my soul and lots of people now know about my personal life."

James and Sirius was obviously waiting for Remus to explain or go on more about the book. Lily tried to jump in and explain. "Remus really likes people to wait and read it until he knows them better if they haven't already."

James looked confused. "Bunch of embarrassing stories about a girl then? Some big party in high school?"

James hadn't tried to set Remus off. He really hadn't, but something inside Remus snapped. He resented that James seemed to try and make light of the unknown situation.

"I was kidnapped for a year by my dad's coworker."

Remus couldn't help but feel satisfied as the playfulness dropped from James face and was replaced with shame. After a beat, Remus felt shame as well. Insensitivity was not James' goal; it just was the result by accident. Before anyone else could speak, Sirius spoke up.

"We'll wait until you gift us a copy of it then." Sirius tried to add some light back into the conversations, and funny enough, it worked. James held up his hand in a fake pledge as well. "Any ideas of what your next book will be?"

"He's writing a children's book, but he hasn't found an illustrator."

Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus' shoulders, an intimate act that Remus and Lily were both surprised by, and he had the smile of the Cheshire cat. "I know of a pretty good artist who might have some free time."

Remus wasn't used to being this vulnerable. "I think I'm good on my own."

"Are you?"

The mood shift made it known that Sirius was alluding to something different entirely. Remus didn't want to approach this subject at all. In public or in private. They were locked in a silent battle of wills. Sirius wanting Remus to fight back and Remus wanting Sirius to back down.

"I'm going to take both bills to the front counter and pay. Lily would you like to join me?"

Lily did not want James to pay for her meal. That would be a little too close to a date for her. Remus had been right about not letting a new friend get the wrong impression. With the two across from her fighting some unspoken battle with their eyes, she felt like she needed to stay and back Remus.

"Leave my bill. I'll take care of it myself."

"I really insist. I was raised to take care of ladies in my presence."

This hit a nerve. Severus would say similar things when they were out. That a man was meant to take care of a woman. Women were meant to be docile and sit back while someone else was in charge. She wasn't going to let this man she'd known for less than a month tell her she couldn't pay for her own dinner.

"I really must insist that I'm not a lady in your sense of the term then. I'll be taking care of my own meal."

James passed his eyes between Remus and Sirius. "How about we go pay together. I'd have something I'd like to talk to you about."

"I won't be convinced to do something I don't want. I'm paying for my meal."

"Lily don't you think we could talk about this over there?"

Remus broke eye contact with Sirius long enough to glare at James. "Anything you need to say to her should be gentlemanly enough to say it in front of me."

Fire lit behind James eyes. The usual carefree man was enraged by the insinuation Remus was making. Lily wanted to reach her hand over to his and calm him down, but the last time she had done that to someone this enraged she had ended up with a black eye.

James went to grab her hand, but so deep in thoughts of her last relationship she instinctively flinched. Lots of things happened at once. Remus shot up fast enough to concern James. James tried to step in front Lily ready to confront Remus. Sirius was trying to talk the boys down. Saying something about how there was no reason to make this more than it was. Lily could see the mistake before it happened. Sirius placed his hand on Remus' chest and all hell broke loose.

If Remus wasn't ready for it, touching his torso was the worst thing you could do to calm him down. In a panic, Remus' fist connected with Sirius' nose. Thankfully no one else was in the café but the waitress. There was no audience for the absolute fiasco this had become.