I hate it when James and Lily fight. But there is a purpose.

Chapter 25: Argument

Lily handed James his jacket. As she had approached they had abruptly stopped talking. James smiled up at her sliding on the coat. He patted the spot next to him in the snow. Lily, not wanting to get her butt wet, sat on James. He laughed wrapping his arms around her waist. Sirius gave them a disgusted look. Clearly over the romantic crap.

"Well?" Sirius asked.

"Not yet." James replied.

"You two should learn to talk in full sentences." Lily told them.

"Okay." James agreed.

"See, that was not a full sentence." Lily said.

"Sorry."

"Again, sentences!"

"I'm sorry for my lack of full sentence use." James apologized.

"That just sounds so dorky."

"You tell me to use full sentences, then when I do you call me dorky." James complained, teasing.

"I know!" Lily laughed.

"Your so silly." James told her.

"I'm silly?" Lily asked.

"Yes. You are silly." he repeated. Sirius, feeling left out, coughed loudly.

"Just making sure you don't forget about me."

"Never." Lily promised. James smiled at his friend. Lily turned to James. "So what did I miss?"

"Nothing much. Just guy talk." James answered.

"Guy talk? Sounds manly." Lily said in a flirty voice. Sirius ran his tongue over the top of his mouth as if his saliva tasted disgusting. James couldn't help but smile as Lily ran a hand over the back his neck to his shoulder.

"Guy talk." he repeated. Lily laughed remembering the last time they had done this ending up with them making-out in the kitchen.

"Couples." Sirius scoffed. "Hey Prongs. How about filling her in?"

"Padfoot. Shut up." James instructed.

"Filling me in on what?" Lily asked.

"Nothing." James said. Lily frowned knowing he was lying to her.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." James repeated.

"Don't lie to me." Lily warned.

"I'm not lying." James said, then deciding that wasn't what he meant, "I mean, it's something, but I'm not ready to tell you yet. It's not bad, it's just not the time."

"So you're just keeping something from me?"

"No. Well, yeah, but I plan on telling you." Lily moved off his lap. "Lily, really, it's not important and I plan on telling you."

"So just tell me."

"Not right now." James said running a hand angrily through his hair. "Later."

"Just tell her mate." Sirius suggested.

"Not now." James growled.

"Why not?" Lily demanded. James rubbed his face.

"Please, not now."

"James,"

"Not now! Do you have to gang up on me!" James demanded. He stood up storming into the house. If he could have slammed the sliding door he would have.

"Do you know what it is?" Lily asked Sirius. He opened him mouth. Then closed it nodding instead.

"He's not sure how you'll take it. He's afraid you'll take it bad."

"What is it?" Lily asked worrying about what it could be.

"That's up to him to tell you." Lily looked at the house.

"But it's not bad?" She asked.

"Oh, it's pretty bad." Sirius told her. "But don't worry too much about it."

"Thanks. Sirius." Lily said slowly. He shrugged.

"Anytime."

"Should I talk to him?" Lily asked. Sirius sat in the snow picking at his teeth. He looked at something on his finger flicking it away.

"I wouldn't."

"Then what would you suggest I do?" She challenged.

"I suggest you help me."

"Help you?" She asked.

"Yes. What do I do about," He paused, "Mary?"

"Sirius honestly! Do have no regard for anyone but yourself?" He blinked at her.

"James needs to cool down. Help me." He patted his chest. "Help Sirius."

"Unlike James, you haven't changed a bit." Sirius looked around for a second.

"No, I have. See, the old me would have barged in on James, got in a row with him. He would have punched me, I would have punched him, then we'd talk about our girl problems like real men." Lily raised her eyebrow waiting for the part where he explains to her how he's changed. "The new me, however, has gone to a girl who would know better how to help me. And instead of having a death wish, I wait."

"What problems could you have?" Lily asked. Sirius smiled.

"Mary problems."

"She's at her house with her family. How could you two be having issues?"

"She's being clingy." Sirius told her.

"She's at her house. Do you have any idea how far away that is? How is she being long-distant-clingy?" Lily asked.

"The letters." he whispered.

"Letters? She's being clingy through things she writes?"

"Yes." Sirius nodded once.

"Sirius," Lily began slowly. "You will be single the rest of you life." Sirius frowned at her. "Because there is no way you will ever find a girl who is crazy enough to marry you. Ever. Listen very closely. You. Are. INSANE!"

Sirius scratched his neck, scowling. "That's a bit harsh."

"Harsh?" Lily asked. "Harsh? You are being completely mental! Mary is not clingy. Ever. She tolerates you! If anything you should be worshiping the very ground she walks on."

"But I can't."

"You can't? Are you serious? Mary is an amazing girl? You don't deserve her." Sirius was clearly getting fed up with her insults.

"So you wanted to talk to James?" He asked.

"No. I want to know what he's keeping from me."

"Fair enough. He'll be up in his room. This way." Sirius stood up leading her into the house. On the third floor landing was a door covered in Quidditch posters and James' name. Sirius knocked on the door.

"Prongs." Sirius called through the closed the door. "Talk to Lily." James opened the door.

"I'm not going to tell you." he warned. Lily deciding he'd never tell her if she argued, agreed with an, "Okay." James let her pass. His room was large with trophies and posters, a big bed with a blanket of his favorite Quidditch team neatly laid on it.

James crossed his arms leaning against the now closed door. After a second he hit the door with his fist. There was a loud, "Ow!" from the other side. James took out his wand flicking it toward the door so Sirius couldn't ease-drop. James walked over sitting at his desk.

"You wanted to talk?" He asked her.

"More like Sirius wanted me to talk to you." she corrected. He nodded.

"Are you going to tell Mary?" He asked. Lily shrugged.

"It would hurt her either way." It was quiet for a long time. Eventually Lily sat down on his bed.

"I'm sorry I tried to pressure you into telling me." she apologized.

"I'm sorry I overreacted." More silence. Lily realized that there wasn't usually this much silence between them. James turned his chair so he faced his desk. He pulled out a piece of parchment from the stack that cluttered his desk and a quill from a drawer. He scribbled something out on it. Lily couldn't see what it was.

She stood up walking her fingers up his back looking over his shoulder at the parchment. He flipped it looking up at her. She bent over him, kissing his lips.

"What are you writing?" she asked softly.

"You'll see." He grinned turning his chair back around. He seemed to realize that keeping things from Lily wasn't the smartest thing to do at that moment. His smile faltered. "It has to do with the other thing. So please just wait."

"Fine." Lily agreed sitting back down on the bed.

"Lily, I don't want to fight."

"Who said we were fighting?"

"It feels like fighting."

"Well it's not." Lily looked at the clock near his bed. It was only two thirty. She should be home by the time her mom came home.

"Do you have to go?" James asked. Almost as if he'd read her mind.

"Yeah." James nodded handing her the parchment.

"Don't open it until you forgive me."

"But there's nothing to forgive."

"Then don't open it until you're not mad. Promise?"

"Promise." Lily took the paper folding it so it could fit in her back pocket. James leaned over kissing her cheek.

"I am sorry. And I will tell you." He said.

"Okay." Lily stood up leaving. She could hear James exhale before she shut the door.

"Did you two make up?" Sirius asked. Instead of answering Lily just looked at him. He got the hint. Lily didn't want to go home, so she walked to Jamie's house. She lived nearby and Lily had visited a few times over the summer, so she knew where it was. Her mom answered the door.

"Hello Lily. What a pleasant surprise. Come in, come in."

"Thank you Mrs. Heart." Lily said entering the house.

"Jamie's up in her room." Mrs. Heart told her.

"Okay." Lily went up the stairs to Jamie's room. She knocked on the door twice before just walking in. Jamie was sitting in her bed playing wizard chess. Lily assumed Jamie was playing against the pieces themselves.

"Hey!" Jamie said looking up.

"How are you?"

"Good you?"

"Okay." Lily answered.

"You weren't just over at the Potter's were you?"

"I was, actually." Jamie nodded grimacing.

"What happened?"

"We just got in a fight. Not a big one, but..."

"I'm sorry." Jamie said.

"It's your bloody turn!" Jamie's opposing king shouted. Jamie looked down at him.

"Give me a second."

"No! It's my turn to win! Go!" the king yelled.

"It is not your turn to win. Look around buddy, you're loosing."

"I am not! It's apart of my plan!" Lily cleared her throat.

"Sorry." Jamie said placing the board on the floor. "We get a little competitive sometimes."

"Which isn't weird at all. Smack talking a chunk of rock." Lily teased.

"Not at all. All wizard children do it." Jamie laughed. Lily rolled her eyes. "So what did you guys row about?"

"Sirius brought up that James wanted to tell me something, but then when I asked him,"

"James?"

"Yeah. Anyway when I asked him about it, he just said he didn't want to tell me."

"Ever?"

"No. He'd promised to eventually. But I think he's hoping I'll just forget."

"I'm all for you breaking up, but give him a chance. From what I've seen he loves you. And it pains me to tell you that if he says he'll do something for you, he will."

"This pains you?"

"I don't like him. I'm only civil for you sake." Jamie told her. Lily smiled at her.

"Thanks."

-o-O-o- . . . . -o-O-o- . . . . -o-O-o-

"You should've kept your big mouth shut." James said to Sirius shortly after Lily left.

"You should've just told your that your an animagus." Sirius replied.

"I will."

"When? Because take it from the expert, if you let this go on too long she'll be gone. Forever."

"You're the expert now?" James asked.

"Laugh now. But who got the two of you together?"

"We got together on our own terms."

"No. You are dating Lily Evans because of me." Sirius told James.

"No. I'm fighting with Lily Evans because of you. Maybe I'm just not cut out to date her."

"Don't talk like that! Who are you?" Sirius demanded standing up off the couch they'd been occupying. James just looked at him.

"I said, 'Who are you?'"

"Padfoot,"

"No. I'm Padfoot. Good God man. You are James Potter! Say it. 'I am James Potter'."

"I'm not going to say,"

"Say it!"

"I am James Potter."

"Mean it!"

"I am James Potter."

"MEAN IT!"

"Sirius,"

"SAY IT!"

"I AM JAMES POTTER!"

"And what are you going to do?" Sirius shouted. James waited. "You, are going to tell your girlfriend that you are an animagus!"

"I'm going to tell her!" James agreed.

"But not right now." Sirius advised.

"Why not?"

"Because that would just look desperate."

"If you haven't noticed I am desperate."

"But you don't want to look it."

I know you guys probably don't want me to end there. But I really wanted to get something posted and it's as good as spot as any to stop. Don't you just love Sirius? Tell me what you think & Review.