Sweatpants, Ice Cream, and Runaways
chapter 4

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Sirius sullenly walked back to the flat, took one look at his three best friends and went into his room with the two plates full of food, slamming the door shut.

In the living room, the other three exchanged glances. "Now, I'm no expert at reading nonverbal cues…but he didn't look happy," Peter spoke up.

James looked up at Remus and Peter. "Is he going to eat all of those waffles?"

Remus hit James over the head. "Could you be any more insensitive?"

"What?" James exclaimed and then shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Go talk to you best friend," Remus urged, practically pushing James towards Sirius's room.

"Why? What's wrong?" James asked.

Remus and Peter just stared incredulously at James. "He's one plate of food away from bawling."

"Oh, Sirius isn't that bad off. He'll be fine," James said.

"Okay James, listen to me. I know what Lily did to you was awful, but that doesn't mean you have to be inconsiderate towards other people's feelings. If anything, you should feel his pain. Obviously his little rendezvous with Kyra didn't go so well…you know what it feels like to get hurt and now you should go talk to Sirius," Remus advised.

James looked at Remus and Peter and sighed. He slowly walked towards Sirius's room and knocked on the door. Of course there was no answer to James slowly creaked the door open. When he peaked in he saw Sirius lying on his bed, stuffing himself with waffles and cookies. And what ever wasn't making it in his mouth, was going into the picture of Kyra he was making out of the food.

"Oh jeez," James whispered to himself and then spoke up, "Hey Padfoot."

Sirius looked up. "Oh, hey Prongs."

"How are you?"

"Peachy keen," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, I can take a sarcastic hint," James said. "You know…there will be other girls."

"Sure there will," Sirius said sadly but still agreeing with James. "I mean, take you for example. After Lily left you, you've been with hundreds of girls." Sirius looked up at James and gave him an I don't-believe-what-you're-trying-to-tell-me look.

"Ooookay, good point," James said, sitting on Sirius's bed. "But you and Kyra weren't together that long."

"What does it matter the length of our relationship? This was the first girl in a long time that I was happy to be with. It not only felt great to be with her, I felt great about myself," Sirius said, throwing down the rest of the waffles. "And now she hates me because I just had to yell at her."

James leaped off the bed, "Okay, what's your favorite ice cream?"

"Huh?"

James rolled his eyes. "Remember the few days after Lily left? I wouldn't leave my room and I just lay around in my sweatpant pajamas. You bought me eight cartons of my favorite ice cream and now I'm going to do the same for you."

"I only bought you eight because there was a 'buy four get four free' sale," Sirius pointed out.

"Well, then I guess this will show that I care about you more since I will be paying for all eight," James said.

Sirius smiled weakly at his best friend. "Mint chocolate chip."

James smiled and started to leave but turned around. "Hey buddy?"

Sirius looked up. "Yeah?"

"Don't get into your sweatpants…you'll never want to get out of them."

Kyra walked into her flat and slumped down in the dining room chair. She placed her arms on the table and buried her head in them.

"Kyra?" Lily whispered, coming out of the kitchen. "Oh boy. What's wrong?"

Kyra picked her head up and looked at Lily. "I broke up with Sirius."

Lily paused. "Were you guys ever actually going out?"

Kyra shrugged. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter anymore because now we are definitely not going out."

"Oh Ky," Lily said soothing, sitting down beside Kyra. "Was it what I said? Because I really didn't mean any of that. I mean, Sirius used to be that way but I'm sure he's changed an-"

"It's not that," Kyra said. "But in case you care, I don't think he has changed. I mean, it's obvious everyone else he's ever been with were just one night stands. But no, the reason I broke up with him is that there's too much history between you two. I mean you dated his best friend and, I don't know. It's just weird."

"It shouldn't be," Lily pointed out. "Sirius and I used to be really close. I don't know why he snapped at me."

"Lily," Kyra said, giving her a look. "You broke his best friends heart and he was left to pick up the pieces. Did you really think he wasn't going to be a little angry?"

Lily sighed. "I know, I know," she mumbled. "But I wish he wasn't angry. Seeing him really made me miss him."

"It just sucks," Kyra pouted.

"You really think you like him?" Lily asked. Kyra nodded weakly. Lily sighed and then she had an idea and got up. But there was a problem with her plan. "Hey Ky, do you know if Sirius lives with James?"

"What?"

"Are Sirius and James living together? Are they still friends?" Lily asked. "Wait, what am I saying. Of course they're still friends."

"I have no idea if they live together," Kyra said. "And why do you care?"

"No reason," Lily said with a shrug. "I'm just wondering."

It took a few days, but Lily tracked down Sirius's flat and was standing in front of the door, praying that James didn't live there. After a few minutes, she got up the courage to knock on the door. No one answered so she knocked again. But this time when she knocked, she accidentally pushed the door open. Slowly, she walked inside.

"Sirius? Hello! Is anybody home?" Lily called out. She sighed when no one responded and started to leave but she heard noises coming from one of the bedrooms. She walked slowly and sure enough, there was Sirius: pigging out on ice cream.

Sirius looked up and practically dropped the carton of ice cream. "Lily?"

"Okay, hi, this may look bad but-" Lily started.

"Ever hear of breaking and entering?" Sirius asked.

Lily looked at him. "Ever hear of calories?"

Sirius looked down at the cartons of ice cream around him and gave Lily a sheepish grin. "Why are you here? Because you can't possibly be here to criticize my eating habits."

Lily sighed. "I talked to Kyra and I heard what happened."

"So you came here to gloat?" Sirius snapped.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked.

"You're the reason she broke up with me. Because of all the horrible things you said that aren't true an-"

"That is not why she broke up with you," Lily exclaimed.

"Fine, but you can't deny that you are part of the reason we broke up."

"Yeah, but you are the other part of the reason," Lily said. "She doesn't want to be stuck in the middle of us."

"Well now you get her all to yourself. Congratulations," Sirius retorted.

"That wasn't my plan!" Lily exclaimed.

"Oh really?" Sirius sneered. "Saying no no no, you can't date him he's a player, etc wasn't trying to break us up? What was it? Small talk?"

"I was mad at you so of course I said those things. I didn't think she'd actually listen to me," Lily said. "And anyway, she didn't break up with you because of that."

"I've changed you know," Sirius said stubbornly.

Lily gave him a look. "Name your last girlfriend."

"Kyra," Sirius said immediately. "Wow, that was easy."

Lily gave him another look.

Sirius sighed. "Fine! I haven't dated since third year. But that's why Kyra was special. Because oddly enough, I wanted to date."

"Are you honestly telling me that you were bored of the one night stands and having sex with bimbo's that mean nothing and that you aren't afraid to commit and settle down with Kyra?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes," Sirius said without skipping a beat.

Lily was taken aback. "Oh, wow. You didn't even have to think about that."

"I've gotten smarter since you've last seen me," Sirius said.

Lily gave a nervous laugh and then looked down at her hands. "It's been awhile huh?"

"Four years, one week, and five days," Sirius said and then shrugged. "But who's counting?"

"I'm guessing it's not you," Lily said. "James?"

Sirius sighed. "Oh believe me, he can tell you down to the second how long it's been since he's seen you."

"Look, I came over because Kyra is miserable," Lily said and then looked down at Sirius in his sweatpants, the empty cartons of ice cream, and a lovely picture of Kyra made in waffles and cookies. "Looks like you're not doing much better."

"Hey," Sirius snapped. "I'm doing just fine. This just happens to be my Wednesday afternoon ritual."

Lily gave Sirius a look and sighed. "I know you're angry at me and hell, you have every right to be. But I can't stand seeing Kyra, or you, like this so I came over here to see if maybe we could work things out."

"Oh, just like you and James tried working things out?" Sirius sneered. "I guess you skipped the working things out part and went straight to just working."

"The relationship you and Kyra have, or can have, is totally different from the relationship James and I had," Lily said, trying to be calm.

"Actually, it's quite similar," Sirius said. "You ran out on James when things got rough, and now Kyra's doing the same thing."

Lily tightened her fists. "You're impossible to get along with."

"Well thank you. I try," Sirius said with a cruel smirk.

Lily threw her hands up in frustration. "You're so aggravating! Here I am trying to help you out so you have the chance to be with Kyra and you act like a five year old. You know what? I'm sorry I tried." Lily started leaving until she heard Sirius speak up.

"Why do you care?" Sirius asked sincerely.

Lily turned around. "What?"

"Why are you being so nice? I was two seconds away from throwing you out the window the other day and yet you come back and attempt to my nice to me. Why?"

"Because whether or not you want to remember this, you and I were friends once. And I can't stand being the one who's stopping you from actually being in a relationship," Lily said with a shrug.

Sirius looked at her apprehensively. "It's one of my favorite memories."

"Huh?"

"You said that I may not want to remember being with friends with you," Sirius started. "And I am saying that of course I remember it. It's probably my favorite memory. All of us at Hogwarts; carefree, having fun, not worried about the real world. Life doesn't get much better than that."

"Well Sirius," Lily said, sitting down on the bed beside Sirius. "You and I actually agree on something."

"You know Lily," Sirius said, turning to face her. "We've all missed you. I didn't mean to yell at you when I first saw you, it just came out. I don't know what came over me because I really have always wished you'd come back."

Lily smiled. "Did Sirius Black just say something nice?"

"Yeah," Sirius said with a shrug. "but don't spread it around. It could ruin my reputation."

"So how 'bout you go talk to Kyra?" Lily suggested.

"What? Nooo way. She dumped. The dumpee cannot approach the dumper. It doesn't work that way," Sirius said, "It would make me look desperate."

"I think five empty ice cream cartons pretty much screams 'desperate,'" Lily pointed out.

Sirius laughed and threw a pillow at her. "Yeah but-"

"I brought more carton of ice cream Padfoot!" a voice exclaimed, closing the front door.

Sirius and Lily both froze. "Damn, you do live together," Lily muttered to herself.

Sirius mumbled, "Uh oh. This can't be good. He doesn't even know you're back."

Lily's eyes grew wide. "You didn't tell him?" Lily hissed.

"Oh yeah, it's real easy to tell your best friend that in case he hadn't gotten the memo, his life can't possibly suck anymore because the girl who broke his heart four years ago is back."

"Yeah but-"

"Hey buddy how-" James started, but all words flew out the window. He dropped the ice cream to the floor and his mouth hung wide open. "Lily?"

"Um…surprise?" Lily exclaimed.

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ooooh, cliffhanger (i'm sorry I'm so evil) How will James react? Review to find out!

And thanks to all of the people that have reviewed the other chapters, I really appreciate it!