Remus didn't take it too badly when Sirius managed to tell him the night before was only a one-time thing. He even seemed to agree that it was for the best, which Sirius was incredibly grateful for. He was already spending too much time trying to avoid James, although hopefully as inconspicuously as possible, and he didn't want to have to do the same to Remus. Now that he knew he still had feelings for James he couldn't bear being with him for too long, especially if Lily was there too. Which she almost always was.

A side effect of not spending much time with his best friend was that Sirius was actually getting decent marks on his school work. The Professors were pleased, but if they thought this change would bring Sirius's mood up they were wrong. He was constantly sullen and sat towards the back of the class brooding. Peter and Remus had noticed the change in their friend, but as neither of them knew what had happened between him and James they couldn't place the reason for Sirius's moodiness.

James, on the other hand, only just realized there was something off about his best friend when he didn't show up for a Quidditch match one Saturday. It had been an important game, Slytherin against Ravenclaw, and it had been an exciting one too. Both teams were incredibly well matched, and the outcome would decide who would take the lead for the Quidditch Cup. When the game first started and Sirius wasn't there James was sure he was just running a little late, but as the match went on and his friend still hadn't arrived James was slightly worried, but mostly annoyed.

He stomped into the Gryffindor Common Room and looked around, but it was deserted. Everyone was still making their way back from the pitch. James started climbing the stairs, his temper rising, and he actually started hoping Sirius had been kidnapped or grievously injured somehow. How he could willingly miss such an important match was beyond James. Unfortunately when James threw open the door he saw that Sirius was lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling, no noticeable misfortune had befallen him.

Sirius saw James shove the door open and sat up slowly, wondering what could have upset him so badly.

"All right, Prongs?"

" 'All right'?" James thundered. Sirius stared wordlessly at his friend. "You missed the match! Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin!"

"Oh," Sirius said.

" 'Oh'? That's all you have to say?"

"James, calm down. It was just a match."

" 'Just a match' he says! 'Just a match'! This match decided who would be in the lead! Why didn't you go?"

"I just didn't feel like it."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then what do you mean you 'didn't feel like it'?"

"I just wasn't in the mood, James," Sirius was starting to get a little annoyed now. Everything revolved around Quidditch with James. Well, Quidditch and Lily. "All those people, yelling and cheering, it just didn't sound appealing this morning."

James stared incredulously at his friend. "What's gotten into you, Padfoot?"

The nickname felt like a needle to Sirius, but it was a sign James was calming down at least. "Nothing, just – nothing."

James walked over to his bed and sat down, still watching Sirius. He tried thinking about what could possibly be upsetting him so badly, but he didn't know anything that was going that could make him feel like this. Then it hit him: he didn't know anything that was going on with Sirius anymore. He spent all his free time with Lily nowadays, and he'd been neglecting his friends more and more. Remus and Peter hadn't said anything, of course, but Sirius was his best friend. It would affect him more than them, and James should've realized.

Suddenly James felt ashamed for his outburst. He was entirely to blame, but how could he correct it? "Hey, Padfoot, what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, I was walking along the fourth floor the other day and I think I found a corridor or something that isn't on the Map."

This seemed to do the trick. Sirius looked over at James and his expression was a little more alert. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, wanna check it out tonight? We can't go during the day, too many people."

"Sure, should we tell Moony and Wormtail?"

"Nah, I thought just the two of us, so we can take the Cloak. And we got some catching up to do." James winked at Sirius before he got up and left. Sirius remained on his bed, feeling real excitement and happiness for the first time in a long time.

"No one there, let's do it now," James whispered to Sirius as he draped his Invisibility Cloak over them. They walked quietly down the corridors, making their way to the fourth floor. Sirius hadn't remembered it being so difficult to move under the Cloak, but then again it had been some time since they had had reason to use it.

James knew this was a good idea from the instant he saw Sirius's face when they met in the common room at midnight. He actually looked younger, and he was beaming across his face like James hadn't seen him do for such a long time. They didn't talk much as they roamed the halls, not wanting to be heard by the Prefects on duty. As they arrived at the fourth floor James stopped Sirius in front of a blank wall that looked the same all down the corridor.

Sirius frowned. "You sure about this?"

"Sh, hang on," James checked the Map, making sure no one was nearby, and he pulled off the Cloak. "It was down here a little, just watch the Map while I look for it."

Sirius took the Map from him and watched it, as James studied the wall. "What are you looking for?"

"I just barely noticed it, but there was a section that looked like just a slightly different color from the rest of the wall."

"How will you be able to tell at night?"

"Yeah, well…I hadn't really thought of that. I was mostly concerned about opening a secret passage in a wall in front of a bunch of people."

"Okay, okay. Just hurry up."

James searched the wall for the section he had noticed, but he couldn't seem to find the exact spot. He couldn't quite remember where he had noticed it. Fortunately they seemed to be having some good luck on the Prefect front: not a single Prefect had come by on patrol. This was lucky for several reasons, because this particular branch of the fourth floor was extremely narrow, really only meant as a shortcut to the fifth floor and not as a means to get from class to class.

While he looked, James kept asking Sirius questions about different things. Pointless small talk, which Sirius wished he would stop making, but he thought James actually wanted to talk about this. So he answered his questions about his school work and various things about Remus and Peter.

"Say, you know Sarah, that fifth year?" James asked.

"The Prefect?"

"Yeah, her. She sure has been hanging around Remus a lot lately."

"I guess," Sirius hadn't really noticed, as he had been absorbed in his own misery for the last few weeks.

"Lily reckons she fancies him."

Sirius's face hardened. "Yeah, well he's pretty fanciable," he said before he could stop himself.

James took a second to glance at Sirius. "Really? Moony?"

Sirius knew what he was getting at and tried to correct himself. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I was just saying…never mind. Poor Sarah, though," Sirius chuckled to himself as he remembered the one night he had spent with Remus.

"Why? What are you talking about?" James was thoroughly confused.

"Well, she's fairly innocent, isn't she?"

"I dunno, is she?"

"You know, innocent."

"Oh, I guess so, yeah. Never seen her with anyone before." James couldn't figure out why Sirius was finding this so amusing.

"If anything happens with them, she certainly won't be innocent for long." Sirius couldn't help but laugh a little again.

James frowned and crossed his arms. "How would you know?"

"Well," Sirius shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't meant for this to come up at all tonight. "We sort of – snogged a bit."

"You and Moony?"

"Yes, why is that so hard to believe?"

"I just never thought he – when was this?"

"Um, during the Christmas party."

James looked like he was trying to solve an extremely difficult jigsaw puzzle in his head. "Is that it? You two just snogged?"

"Well, no…"

"Did you shag?"

Sirius was surprised at the suddenness. "Why does it matter?"

"Answer the question, Sirius."

"Yes, but so what? Nothing came of it."

James turned back to the wall and started studying it again. Sirius didn't know what to make of his friend's reaction. Then James laughed a little and Sirius relaxed.

"Who was better?"

"What?"

"Come on, Padfoot, just between us. Who was better?"

Sirius could tell James was trying to lighten the situation, so he followed his lead. "Well, Prongs, he is a werewolf. He's pretty animalistic."

James looked hurt but Sirius could tell he was faking. "You bastard!" James yelled.

"James, be quiet!" But they were both finding it hard to stifle their laughter. Sirius glanced down at the Map and saw a Prefect approaching.

"Damn! Under the Cloak, quick," James said, throwing the Cloak over them.

"Do we have time to get out of the corridor?" Sirius asked, but a Prefect appeared at the end of the hall before James could answer him.

Sirius was standing in front of James, both of them watching the Prefect slowly make his way down the corridor, wand alit. Sirius glanced at James as James looked back at him, both of them smiling at the sudden adrenaline rush they had missed so much. As the Prefect neared, however, they realized that as seventh years they took up much more room in the corridor than they did when they were younger. Sirius pressed himself against James and James pulled him as close as possible, trying to allow enough room for the Prefect to walk by. Of course he had to walk down the middle of the corridor, no one ever walked off to the side.

The Prefect paused, examining a stretch of wall and a painting. Sirius had to stop himself from sighing anxiously, and settled for putting his head on James's shoulder. James was chuckling silently at Sirius's action, his arms still around Sirius. While leaning on his shoulder, Sirius realized how good James smelled, and as he breathed in deeply he realized in horror that he was getting hard. That damned Prefect hadn't moved yet, but Sirius knew James would notice his erection soon. He tried to think of something, anything, to get his mind off of James's muscular shoulder and the fact that he was pressed against him more tightly than he had been in months.

But everything about this position felt so wonderful. Sirius didn't want it to end, but he didn't think James would feel so comfortable if he knew what Sirius was feeling.

Except… no, that couldn't be… was James getting hard too? Yes, he definitely was, Sirius could feel it. He didn't dare look James in the face, there could be any number of reasons why James was getting aroused right now. Just the memory of them together like this, perhaps. Or even something completely unrelated to Sirius – he could be getting off on the danger for all Sirius knew.

The Prefect had finally started moving again, and as he walked past them Sirius breathed out a sigh of relief. He felt James's arms tighten around him and realized that, in his position, he had breathed across James's neck. Sirius started to pull away now that Prefect had gone by, but James didn't drop his arms.

Sirius finally looked at James just as the Prefect left the corridor. James had a gleam in his eyes Sirius hadn't see in such a long time, but he knew exactly what it meant. That was the look James got when he was turned on. Sirius swallowed and tried to pull away again, but James's arms were locked around him.

"James," Sirius whispered, but that's all he got out before James's lips were crushing down on his own. They were kissing like they hadn't done in months, and Sirius certainly wasn't complaining about the way James's hands were tangling themselves in his hair and pulling. He gripped James to him, possibly pulling him closer to him than he had been when the Prefect had gone by.

James spun them around so he was pushing Sirius up against the wall, grinding his hips against his friend. He couldn't believe he was feeling like this – there was so much more passion than there ever was with Lily –

Lily.

Suddenly James stopped and pulled away. He couldn't do this to Lily. Sirius was taken aback at the abruptness but didn't say anything, not knowing exactly what to say. They both stood there panting, trying to catch their breath.

James spoke first. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I can't do this. Lily… I can't do this to Lily. I love her."

Sirius nodded. "I know. I'm sorry too, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It was nothing, right? Just adrenaline from almost being caught."

Sirius definitely didn't feel that way, but he nodded regardless. If that was how James felt, then he didn't need to know what Sirius was thinking.

"Just adrenaline," James muttered to himself.