1

He was angry. Sirius could tell just by looking at him. Most people wouldn't have been able to, but Sirius knew James far too well. He truly hoped that his friend hadn't been in a fight with Lily, because James' ego and Lily's stubbornness were more than he could take right now. But why else would his friend call him up here so late? It had been all he could do to muster the strength to come to is friend's house.

"What is it, Prongs?" He asked with mock casualness as he removed his toboggan.

James stared dumbly at Sirius for a moment. And with no response from James, Sirius tool two long strides over to where his friend sat on the couch, imprinting snow on the rug. He knelt, and put a comforting mittened hand on James' shoulder.

"Just apologize, mate. She'll understand," Sirius encouraged.

"I'm not in a fight with Lily all the time, you idiot!" James shouted, taken aback and forgetting his immediate problem.

Sirius made an exaggerated study of the clock and glared large, doubtful eyes up at James. James playfully shoved Sirius, causing a large thump as Sirius hit the ground.

"Well you'll be in a fight if you don't pipe down,"Sirius laughed.

The deep smile lines around Sirius' eyes brought back pleasant memories, and James grinned. Not for the first time did the two lock eyes and miss the old days where they saw each other constantly and were the most important people in each others' lives.

Their friendship hadn't diminished, but the days of sheltered life were over, and the boys had been forced into becoming men. They had assumed responsibilities and were not at liberty to spend every waking moment with each other any longer.

Although, if you asked Lily, they saw plenty of Sirius, who, instead of resigning himself to the precedence Lily now took in James' life, adopted Lily as an extension of James. He joined them for dinner almost every night and the guys worked together.

James was quick and vehement in informing Sirius of Snape's appointment as potions master. And their intense rivalry with Severus Snape was renewed.

Sirius, who had always hated Snape and had also been overly protective of Lily since she had started dating James, mimicked the stare of dumbstruck astonishment James' face had displayed upon Sirius' entry. After his initial shock, Sirius didn't take the news any better than James had, and the outburst of colorful language that had been expected, came. But James, though agreeing wholeheartedly with Sirius, kept his aggravation quieter, not wanting to awaken Lily.

"We've got to get Remus and Peter over here immediately," Sirius declared after a few minutes of complaining and stating his general disbelief.

And that is exactly what they did.