"Lily!"

Both friends, who had just arrived off the train, spun on their heels. James stood there in a grey suit and his hair looked professionally done. It was tamed from the wild mane it was just a few days ago.

Lily looked up to Remus before James could reach them at the bottom of the steps.

"Please be nice. I know what you said about rebound after…" Lily looked at her hands. Remus wanted to reach down and comfort her, but she pulled together. "…and all that stuff you said on the train. He's just a friend. Not even. I just think he could be a friend."

Remus agreed silently. Lily wanted to have fun. He would be there to make sure that James didn't pull her into dangerous waters. James took Lily's hand helping her up the staircase.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

"Of course. It seems like a once in a lifetime thing. To see such a popular artist."

James stared at Lily for a moment before throwing his head back laughing.

"You'll lose your mind when I tell you I was able to get the artist to agree to a personal tour."

Remus was impressed. The impression quick faded when Lily started complimenting James. Third wheeling had started.

Surprisingly, Remus really enjoyed the exhibit. It had painting inspired by some of his favorite books. Everything about the exhibit drew Remus to the pieces. Remus grabbed his own hands to keep from touching the pieces.

James was explaining some of the pieces. Apparently, he knew the artist personally.

"Sirius seems to get these visions and paints what he sees. That's his big secret if you won't spill it to the media."

Lily giggled at the 'naughty' behavior of James. He would give her insights to the pieces that Remus had read on websites or had read from the information plaque.

Remus' whole body locked when he saw the oil painting of a dark basement and an open door with light spilling down the stairs. The painting was tucked in a corner, yet the piece was so real it was almost a picture. James and Lily who were slightly behind caught up with him. Remus searched for a plaque but didn't find one. He needed to know more about this one. He needed to know how this stranger had reached into his worst nightmares and painted it.

"Sirius is odd about this painting. Almost everyone who sees it wants to know more. He's had some offers but says that the painting is too dark." James glanced between his two guests. Lily had dropped his hand and Remus was locked into the painting. "I have no idea what he means of course. The focal point of this painting is literally light. He won't do it though. Some guy from Maryland offered him over a million for it. Still wouldn't sell it."

Tears streamed down Remus' face. Lily brushed them away before they could fall.

"What is it?"

Remus shook his head. "Just reminded me… I'm not there though."

Lily went white in the face and asked over and over if he needed to go. Remus knew that Lily would want to see the rest. James seemed alarmed at the idea of Lily leaving.

"How about we see if Sirius is able to show us his new exhibit."

"That would be perfect, right Lily?"

Lily seemed concerned still but let Remus alone.

James ran to the crowd of people. Pulling out the artist. Sirius Black, as all the signs read, had his hair pulled to the top of his head in a messy bun. The artist wore a brown suit and embraced James once they were clear of the crowd.

Lily dug her elbow into Remus' side. He was exactly Remus' type. They both knew it, but the question on his lips was not anything related to that. It was how he knew. How the man knew about the dark basement.

"Dear Lily, Remus, this is Sirius Black. My brother and partner in crime. He's the artist of the night."

Sirius took a bow and Lily's hand, kissing it dramatically. "When James jumped up to chase a woman from the restaurant, I didn't believe him when he said that she didn't find him to be a crazy man."

Lily's face flushed. "I appreciated the concern. I was faltered by the tickets. Thank you for getting us in to a private show."

"I told James that flowers wouldn't be enough to woo a girl."

Remus scoffed. Sirius brought his attention to Remus. Their eye contact made Remus squirm. Sirius didn't roam his face like most others did. He didn't settle on his ear trying to determine if it was a trick of the eye. He didn't try to see if the scars went into his shirt or around his neck. It was all just eye contact.

"Please tell me you aren't her boyfriend, or I would feel mortified for my brother here who is pining a little too obviously."

"Just friends. Lily and I are friends."

Sirius seemed to take in the information and glance back at James. They shared a look before he waved his hand towards the next set of doors. "Through here is the 'Reflections' exhibit."

The exhibit was odd. At first glance there were random objects. A bus door, utensils on a table, a model figure in the store window. Sirius led them to the first of the items, the table. A yellow set of footprints were on the ground, indicating where to stand and another yellow dot where to look.

"There's an audio that goes with it all, but since you have the real deal, I thought I'd narrate."

Sirius positions the three just so before starting.

"This is meant to be a reflection on you. You don't always get to see yourself, so look in the reflection and see yourself now. This is meant to be the start. The reflection is hard to see. While the reflection is there, the utensils are so small you can't really see who you are."

To the bus Sirius explained that the you traveled. When it did you saw where you were going. There was more metal surfaces to reflect on. Piece after piece was explained before they got to the last piece.

Remus looked to Lily fast enough to get whiplash. Her stare out of the corner of her eye noted that she saw it too.

The piece was a bathroom sink, draped in a black cloth. Almost a replica to Remus' bathroom.

"This is the end of the day. Where we can choose to reflect or not." Sirius stepped out in front of them all. "What did you think?"

James hugged Sirius with tears in his eyes. "I know you've done some soul searching lately, but this is incredible. I love the message."

Sirius glanced at the two still in shock of the mirror. "The cloth doesn't pull back, but I did hide a secret." Opening the cupboard, there was a blue toothbrush, a bottle that looked like it held pills, and a note that said 'Take when needed' on an orange sticky note. Remus couldn't deny it. Remus couldn't hold it back. He had questions that needed answers.

"The painting you won't sell. What is it of?"

Sirius was not expecting that questions. He stepped back a bit.

"It's ok if you don't like the exhibit. I'm used to being criticized. I'd just like to know what you think."

After prolonged silence from everyone, Sirius awkwardly started. "I like to keep my private life private. I don't share this kind of information with the media." There was a deep breath before he said "I'm pretty sure I see my soulmate through the visions of art I create. 'The Door', the painting your referring to, is not mine to sell. It came to me and I painted it. It seems beautiful, but I know that there's some negative emotions behind it I don't understand."

Remus nodded. "The exhibit was introspective. I see this being quite the talk of the town." He started for the exit before looking back at Lily. "I'll see you outside."

"It was lovely. I have to go though." Lily started to take off her heels to catch up with Remus.

James and Sirius both in confusion stood paralyzed. Sirius could not for the life of him justify what could have caused both guests to run off. He was concerned that James had chosen the most complicated woman to set his eyes on. James rushed to find paper and pen, stating that she needed his phone number, just in case they needed to call.

Sirius rolled his eyes. He walked back out of the exhibit. He tried to walk unnoticed to the corner with the oil painting of pain. Sirius hadn't wanted to paint it, he hadn't wanted to display it either. He never saw the appeal of it. It was just a door letting in some light. The vision with this painting had been so painful that the only way to get it out of his head was to paint it.

Secretly, he was glad to see that someone else had found a negative emotion to that painting.

James after a while found Sirius again speaking with potential buyers. The reaction from his new friends seemed odd. The personalness of the exhibit was not lost on him. At least James was there to uplift Sirius. Cheering Sirius up with alcohol tonight and tomorrow, a good hangover breakfast was the plan.

Maybe Lily would know some good places. He texted the number she had just placed in his phone. Lily had just made it clear outside that she wasn't romantically interested in him. James knew that may have been the case for now, but James had decided that night in the bookstore, that she would be someone who could change his life. Romantically or not, he needed Lily in his life. She was important to him in some way. James would never admit it, but he believed that Sirius would also benefit from the pair of friends' company.