Thank you, thank you for the reviews! I never imagined that I'd get ten reviews again just for one chapter. It means a lot to me that you seem to like my story, no matter how strange it sometimes is. Anyway, many of you have asked why Sirius is acting so strange. I now reveal the answer here………

Chapter 8

Fights Over Friendship

James found Sirius pacing the floor of his flat angrily, a furious expression on his face. "Padfoot, what's wrong with you? You've been acting all weird this week, and I want to know why, it's not like you! You haven't cracked a joke in a week, you didn't want to meet the rest of us for a drink and you've been shooting nasty looks at Lily ever since she arrived at the Order meeting, what's up?"

"What's wrong with me?" Sirius asked, his fists clenched as he turned to face James angrily, his expression clouded over in fury. "You want to know what the hell is wrong with me? Well then, why don't you ask your precious Lily? I think she knows perfectly well what's wrong with me!"

Now looking troubled, James countered, "Sirius, what are you talking about?"

"Oh don't play dumb James!" Sirius snapped. "I bet she ran off to you the second I left her office. What she tell you, huh? That'd explain everything!"

"Look Padfoot, Lily didn't tell me anything, nothing at all. Why are you acting like this, why are you being such an overbearing prat!" James snapped, trying to keep his voice even. Sirius couldn't take it anymore.

"I'M NOT THE ONE ACTING LIKE AN OVERBEARING PRAT, JAMES, YOU ARE!" He yelled.

"YOU KNOW WHAT SIRIUS INSTEAD OF SHOOTING INSULTS AT ME YOU COULD AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN BUGGING YOU!" James yelled as well.

"FINE! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S BEEN BUGGING ME?" Sirius ground out. "IT'S THE FACT THAT I SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT STILL KEEPING OUR FRIENDSHIP TOGETHER!"

James was taken aback. What? He couldn't believe that his best mate had said that. "Sirius, mate, what are you talking about, all of us still care about keeping our friendship together, what is wrong with you?"
"You think, James?" Sirius gave a harsh laugh that James did not like one bit. "Evaluate yourselves, and look. All of you changed, we're slowly drifting apart, and not one of you seems to care!"

"Drifting apart? Sirius, that never happened, your being completely ridiculous!"
"Am I? No. When we became friends, all of us swore that there'd be no secrets between us, no time spent apart unless necessary, and most importantly, the Marauders first over girls! All of you have broken our pact, you know. Peter isn't telling us a lot of things anymore, Remus hardly spends time with us because of his job, and you are too busy gallivanting with your darling Lily to make time for your friends! I supported you all the time you wanted to get Lily, but now that I realize what kind of an effect she has on you, I've had it!"

"Padfoot is that what you think? For goodness sake, Sirius, things are different now! We're not at Hogwarts anymore, damn it!"

"Things wouldn't be different, James, if you lot hadn't changed! I'm the only one who's remained the same, and I don't think I like seeing the new you!"

James had had enough. "DAMN IT SIRIUS, WE DID NOT CHANGE, WE GREW UP! WE STOPPED BEING CHILDISH, BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN WE'D STOP BEING FRIENDS! WE'RE NOT AT HOGWARTS ANYMORE, SIRIUS, WHERE WE CAN PLAY PRANKS JUST FOR LAUGHS AND FEEL SAFE! WE'RE IN THE REAL WORLD, WITH REAL DANGERS, AND BEING CHILDISH ISN'T GOING TO HELP ANYONE, SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST GROW UP AS WELL!"

James slowed down and gasped, hardly believing in what he had just said. Never, in his life, had he yelled to Sirius like that, and frankly he was apprehensive about the repercussions that would come with his words.

Sirius looked pale, shocked from James's outburst. He was struggling with himself, looking like he wanted to hit the person in front of him, but refrained himself, but seeming as if it took all his willpower to do so.

"Fine," Sirius said in a deathly quiet voice. James didn't like his voice, it unnerved him, and he would have preferred if Sirius had yelled. "You probably think that I'm overreacting. But you want to know why this upsets me so much? Because all my life, your three have been the only family I've known. I couldn't care less about my real one, and obviously they don't give a damn about me too. But you guys, you accepted me for me, and not for my name, and I'd never forget that. I care so much because you guys have been the closest to family I've got, and I don't think I can bear the thought that I might lose that as well".

James was struck. Guilt weighed down on him like a thousand bricks, and his head was reeling. He tried to speak, but Sirius beat him to it. "James just go. Go home, go to Lily, I don't care, just leave me the hell alone" he said in the same voice.

Knowing that he couldn't talk to Sirius anymore, James simply turned and Apparated out of his best friend's flat.

He found himself in front of a mahogany door. He knew exactly where he was and, taking a deep breath, he knocked thrice. On the third knock the door opened.

"James? What are you doing here, it's ten thirty in the evening," Lily Evans said in surprise when she saw James Potter standing in her doorway, looking grim.

"Lily?" James replied sadly. "Can we talk?"

..------..

They found themselves in a nearby neighborhood park across Lily's apartment building. They sat on the swings, swaying softly, basking in silence, which James broke.

"Sirius and I fought tonight," he said softly, not looking at her and instead staring into the night sky.

"Oh no……." Lily said just as softly, her heart wrenching with guilt as her worst fears were confirmed.

"He took the fact that we were now friends the wrong way. He thinks that the Marauders are slowly drifting apart, and he doesn't want that to happen," he said, the pain and sadness in his voice unmistakable to mask.

"But that's not happening…….." Lily said carefully.

"Of course it's not, and I told him that. He wouldn't listen. We fought, and I told him to grow up. Then….he told me that the only reason why he was so upset over this was because we've been the closest to family he's got, and he feels as if he's about to lose us. Peter's been very secretive these days, Remus is busy with work, and he's afraid I'm losing myself to you, not that it's true," he added hastily as he saw Lily's guilty expression.

"Is that what he told you? I mean, did he tell you the same things he told me?" James asked her suddenly.

Lily looked up from the ground. "What? No. He didn't say that, he said something entirely different. But I don't think you should know, it's between me and him, don't worry about it". She glanced at James and she had a suspicion that James already knew exactly what his best friend had said to her.

They sat in companionable silence for awhile, James looking up at the ground and Lily looking at the stars. Finally, Lily said softly, "Hey. Don't worry, he'll come around. Or you could apologize first, whichever. I know the both of you well enough, and you know better than to just throw away ten years of friendship over some fight".

James smiled at Lily's soothing voice. This is why he loved Lily so much; she could make the best out of nay situation, make things seem alright even though it wasn't.

"Listen James, I have to go. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, and we need some sleep. I suggest you do the same. I'll see you in the morning, alright?" she said firmly as she gave James a quick hug and went to her flat, leaving James in the playground.

Once Lily had reached her flat and shut the door, she slumped to the couch, suddenly not feeling so sleepy. She tried to sort out her feelings, all her guilt and sadness, not to mention her feelings for James, which had recently confused her to no end, since, whether she knew it or not, they were changing slowly.

Back in his own home, James sat on his table, nursing a cup of coffee, trying to think and hoping that everything would turn back to normal soon.

There! So sorry for the short chapter, I don't seem to have anything else to add as of now. You see, I'm quite busy writing a new book to occupy myself, and my concentration is more on it. I'll try to update soon, but I can't make any promises. Until then, hope you liked this, read, and review please!