'If you touch me there one more time, I'll hit you in the monkeys!' Remus yelped.

'Well, then you better hit me in the monkeys!' cried Sirius with an evil grin, and launched himself upon Remus again, whilst Peter stood a few feet away, looking slightly uncomfortable.

James sighed. Some things never changed. Even though they had graduated from Hogwarts several months ago, he and Lily were (secretly) engaged, and they had all started their life in the Big Wide World, the little things were still the same.

Well, almost the same. James couldn't ever look at Remus and Lily the same way. For the first few months after finding out about them, he swore he could see something between him. He was just being paranoid, they both pointed out to him, and in time James began to agree.

James frowned. Another thing that was different. He wasn't sure Sirius always used to touch Remus there when they went swimming.

'Hey, come on, guys.' said James. 'Keep it clean.'

Sirius grinned. 'You're just jealous. You know you want a piece of me.'

James smiled. 'And they say I'm the egotistical one.' he said, turning to Lily.

'See? Isn't this beach lovely?' sighed Lily, contentedly.

'Beautiful.' murmured James, looking at his soon-to-be wife. He still couldn't believe she was actually his. He still couldn't believe after years and years of wishing it had finally come true.

'I'm a bit worried I might get sunburnt, though.'

'Want me to sunscreen you?'

Lily smiled. 'Yes, please.' she said. 'The muggle way.'

James raised an eyebrow, and pouted. 'You mean I have to lather my hands with slippery lotion and rub them all over your gorgeous half-naked body?'

'Something like that.' Lily purred, sleepily. James grinned.

'Sounds awful...but I think I'll manage.' he said, squirting his hands with a generous amount of sunscreen, which he then proceeded to massage into Lily's skin, while she sighed happily.

Meanwhile, whilst Peter was sitting on the beach, picking out his toe jam, Sirius and Remus were having a quiet, serious discussion in the water. Well, as serious as a discussion can be with one participant sitting in the other's lap.

'Come on, let's just tell them!' urged Sirius enthusiastically, bobbing Remus up and down on his lap.

'What...what if they're not ok with it?' asked Remus worriedly, tensing his muscles to try and keep Sirius still, which only created more distraction.

'Of course they'll be ok with it! If they're ok with being seen with us in public doing this,' he said, wrapping his arms and legs around Remus's back, while he began kissing and feasting upon Remus's neck. Remus moaned, and began circulating his hips, which made Sirius give a gasp of pleasure. Then Sirius giggled. 'I can't remember what I was saying...' he said.

'If they're ok with being seen with us in public doing this...' Remus prompted.

'Then they'll be ok with it.' Sirius said triumphantly, and began kissing Remus's neck again.

Remus sighed. 'All right, then.' he said. Sirius grinned.

'Great. Let's go.'

Remus blinked. 'Go? Go where?'

'Go tell them!' said Sirius.

'What, now?' asked Remus.

'No, next Christmas! Of course now!' he said.

Remus sighed again. 'All right.'

Sirius laughed, and scooped Remus up in his arms.

'Hey!' cried Remus. 'Put me down!'

'As you wish.' said Sirius pompously, and with his beater strengthened arms tossed Remus as far away as he could, and sent him splashing into the sea.

Meanwhile, Lily and James were having a similar discussion.

'Let's tell them!' whispered James in Lily's ear.

'Not now.' murmured Lily. 'Sleepy.'

'All the news.' said James pointedly. Lily sat up.

'All what news?' she asked, looking at James worriedly.

'All the news.' he said, taking Lily's hand in his. 'I know, Lily. I know. I saw it.'

Lily gasped. 'You...you know?'

James nodded.

'But...I was going to wait...to tell you!' James smiled.

'What, and do the little dinner thing with the baby carrots, and the baby corn and all the rest?' he teased. Lily smiled sheepishly.

'Maybe.' she murmured. James laughed.

'I want you to know that I think it's great. It's fantastic. I love you so much, and this...this has made me the happiest man in the whole entire world. You said you wanted a new mirror? Let's call Dumbledore and ask for the mirror of Erised, because I swear I could use it normally!' James said. Lily laughed. James's face suddenly dropped.

'What?' asked Lily.

'It...it is mine, isn't it?' he asked, suddenly looking furious. Lily laughed. And they say girls have mood swings, she thought to herself.

'No, it's Remus's. I'm sorry, honey.' she said, with a completely straight face. James leapt up, his face contorting with rage.

'You...and him...I DON'T BELIEVE IT!' he sprayed. Lily picked herself up, and laughed.

'I'm joking, Jamie! Of course it's yours!' she said. James looked at her suspiciously.

'So...so you...and Remus...never...'

'No. Never. And anyway, James, that was three years ago now! Don't you know anything about female anatomy? About birth?'

'Of course I do! But how am I to know you weren't sneaking round with him months ago?'

Lily sighed angrily. 'I wasn't! Why can't you trust me? You're so paranoid! If it's always going to be like this...I don't know if I can do it!'

James's face fell a mile. 'What?' he whispered.

Lily sighed. 'Nothing.'

'You...you don't know if you can do it?' he whispered.

'I didn't mean it...James!' she called, as James turned and started walking away. She caught up with him, and put her hand on her shoulder, and spun him around.

'You know I didn't mean that, James. You know I love you, Jamie.'

James sighed, and gave a weak smile. 'I know. It's...it's just hard, you know? I mean...how would you feel if you found out I'd been sneaking around with...with Amelia a few years ago, pretending that you liked me then, of course, and you find out now she's pregnant, when you're sure she hasn't been with anyone else except me?' he asked, exasperatedly. 'And then you ask her who the father is and she says "James is."! How would you feel?'

'I was joking, James.' said Lily quietly.

'Yes, but you're the perfect little actress. I believed you, Lily. And it hurt. God,' he said, clenching his teeth, 'God it hurt so much. More so...because it's Remus.'

Lily frowned. 'Why does it matter that it's Remus?'

James gave a sad smile. 'Because...if it were another guy, like Sirius or Peter,' Lily screwed up her face, but James continued, 'Then I'd know it'd be ok, because they're arseholes and you'd see that. But Remus...Remus is a nice guy. Everyone knows that. He'd never hurt you, he'd never betray you, and he'd be so...so gentle. And I can understand why people love Remus. And if it was Remus's...I could understand why you'd want to be with him instead of me.' James finished.

'Oh, Jamie.' Lily whispered. 'Why can't you see?'

'See what?' James whispered.

Lily grinned. 'He likes man sex, Jamie!' and Lily laughed at the disgusted look on James's face.

'Well, that certainly lost me my appetite.' he said.

'Aw, come on! You can't honestly tell me, after spending seven years in a dormitory with Sirus Black and Remus Lupin you never did anything! God, they'd have to tie me down!'

James shot Lily a warning look. Lily smiled sheepishly.

'Sorry.' she murmured, and taking his hand, lead him back to their little blanket on the beach, where the plonked themselves down, and, incidentally, reached for the plonk.

'So, James.' said Lily, watching James as he haphazardly filled her glass with cheap champagne. 'Ready to be a father?'

James laughed, and gestured to Sirius and Remus, who were tumbling around on the sand, shouting and yelping. 'I have been for years.'

Lily laughed, then frowned. 'I hope our kids don't get as close as those two.' she said.

James raised an eyebrow. 'Kids? Plural?'

Lily looked embarrassed, then frowned again. 'You only want one?' she asked quietly.

'You kidding? I want a million.' he said, laughing.

'I'm not sure I could do a million...' said Lily, 'But I'm sure we can arrange a few hundred.' They laughed.

'Well, I've certainly got my work cut out for me.' said James, wiggling his eyebrows.

'You bet.' Lily grinned.

'Hey, booze!' cried Sirius. Lily hadn't realised they were so close. She smiled.

'Yes, we have acquired some alcohol.' she said. Sirius snorted.

'"We have acquired some alcohol."' Sirius mimicked in a girly voice, then lifted up the bottle. 'What the hell is this?'

'Champagne.' said Lily. Sirius's eyes widened.

'Muggle shit?' he asked. Lily's eyes narrowed. 'No offence,' said Sirius quickly, 'But where's the firewhisky at?'

'We weren't planning on getting so shit faced we splinched ourselves, Sirius.' said Lily sternly.

'Well, you're no fun, then.' said Sirius, and plonked himself down. Peter scrambled up to get himself some, but Remus cleared his throat loudly.

'Sirius?' he said, pointedly.

'Yeah?' asked Sirius, looking up at Remus, and catching the look in his eyes, said: 'Oh, right. Yes.' and he stood up. 'We have news.'

'Really? So do we!' said James, and Lily elbowed him in the ribs.

'Be quiet.' hissed Lily, then she smiled. 'Do go on.'

'No, what's your news?' asked Sirius.

'You first.' said James, grinning.

'No, you first.'

'No, you first!'

'No, you first!'

Remus and Lily sighed, then, catching the same look on each other's faces, smiled.

'We'll go first.' said Remus lightly. Sirius frowned.

'You just lost me that, Remus.' he said. Remus smiled.

'As Sirius was saying...we have news. An announcement to make.' he paused.

'And?' urged Peter.

'Sometime next year, we're leaving the country.' he said.

'What? Why?' cried the others.

'We're going to Hawaii.' Sirius said pointedly. James and Lily made little 'Oh' noises, but Peter looked confused.

'Why?' he asked. 'For good?'

'No,' said Sirius exasperatedly. 'We're...well, we're going to get married.' he said. Peter's jaw dropped.

'Did I know they were gay? Did I know they were together?' he asked, not quite looking at Lily and James. James had noticed he didn't often look them in the eyes anymore.

Lily nodded. 'Yip.' she said. Peter frowned.

'Oh.' he said. Sirius and Remus smiled.

'Good for you!' said Lily, belatedly.

'Yeah.' James agreed, still looking slightly strange.

'So? What was your news, then?' asked Sirius. James grinned.

'Well,' he said, smiling at Lily, 'We're not going to Hawaii. But...' he said, grinning even wider, 'But we are getting married.' he said. Sirius laughed.

'That's great!' he said. Remus nodded.

'We're happy for you.' he said.

'And we're happy for you!' said Lily. Sirius smiled, then looked down at Peter.

'I suppose you're a little bit of an odd one out now, aren't you Peter?' he said. Peter shifted uncomfortably.

'I suppose so.' he said, looking down at his hands, where he was pulling the wings off an insect.

'Ah, well. I'm sure one day you'll find someone crazy enough to love you, Peter.' said Remus. 'I know I did.' he said, looking at Sirius. Sirius smiled, and leant forward, and the two men began kissing.

'Come on, guys.' said James, looking slightly uncomfortable. Lily was staring at them, goggle-eyed.

'That is so hot.' she murmured. James stared at Lily.

'Lily!' he hissed. Lily shook her head, then smiled at James.

'Joking!' she said, though there was still a hint of a pink tinge lingering around her cheeks. James cleared his throat loudly. Remus pulled away.

'Sorry.' he murmured, looking very embarrassed.

'We have another announcement to make.' said James.

'Two in one day!' cried Sirius.

'Three, if you count ours.' said Remus.

'Three announcements in one day! A world record, surely!' cried Sirius pompously. James laughed. Then he looked at Lily.

'Do you want to tell them, or should I?' he asked softly. Lily smiled.

'You can, sweetie.' she said, and James grinned, turning back to his friends.

'It's not so much of an announcement as a warning.' Lily frowned, but James continued. 'I'm warning you that if you come to our house in, say...nine months time, you'll have to be prepared to see a little surprise waiting for you.'

Lily smiled at the frowns on the Marauders' faces. 'I'm pregnant.' she said. Sirius gasped.

'Oh my God!' he cried. Then he looked at Remus suspiciously. 'It is James's, isn't it?' he asked. James gave an embarrassed laugh.

'We have had that discussion, and yes, it is mine.' he said. Sirius smiled.

'Great!' he cried. 'Oh, I'm so happy for you guys!' Then he pulled a face. 'Urgh, just imagine it.'

'Imagine what?' asked Lily.

'Miniature James' running around with big green eyes.' he said. Lily laughed, and James gave an excited chuckle.

'My dream come true.' he said, staring at Lily, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear.

'Ugh, heterosexual lovin'.' said Sirius. 'Come on, race you to the beach, Remy!'

Remus mouthed 'Sorry bout him!' and leapt up to follow Sirius.

So there is was. A picture in time. Lily and James Potter sitting next to each other, staring lovingly into each other's eyes, similar thoughts of children and weddings running through their mind. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black frolicking in the sand, ecstatic grins on their faces.

And Peter Pettigrew, sitting in the soft, golden, sand, staring down at the writhing insect twitching on the edge of it's life, smiling softly to himself. It was one of those pictures, those moments in time, where everything looks perfect.

But we all know what happens. James and Lily drift off later, have a child, and are viciously murdered because Peter, who was really a Death Eater, betrays them, kills a whole street of muggles, and then leads the world to believe it was Sirius, who gets locked up in Azkaban for twelve years and then gets murdered by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. Remus Lupin lives a pitiful life, because of all the anti-werewolf legislations being put in place, and also because for the first part of these lonely years he believed his lover to have betrayed them, and then the second part, when he finds out his lover didn't betray him, his lover is killed.

But there's still that picture, on the tip of the ice burg, the edge of the cliff, the end of the plank...looking so wonderful, so crystal clear, so dazzling in it's purity and sincerity and sentimentality, so real in it's raw emotions and life, and so...so...

...so staggeringly beautiful.