A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! So many of you commented on how sad both Remus and Sirius seem. And they are. They definitely are. And so is James. All three of them have had to deal with a lot of loss. It will take a lot for them all to be able to bounce back. I promise you that one day all three of them will be able to look at their lives and feel genuine happiness. But it's going to take a lot for them all to get to that point. Yes, it sucks that this is where the story had to start but this is where I chose to start it. I know at one point I mentioned that this story was going to be titled Love on the Balcony. But I changed it because I had more ideas swirling in my head. So I started this story about nine months earlier than I thought I was going to start it. So please keep on reading (and reviewing) because while bad things may continue to happen, good things will come to all!

Disclaimer: Sigh. I am not J.K. Rowling. Though I did have a dream once that I was...but then I woke up and looked at my bank account and realized, nope. Not J.K. Rowling...

Goodbyes on the Balcony

By ByeByeBirdie

Chapter 8: Of Rings, Poker, & Coasters

++SIRIUS++

The next evening, I heard my muffled name being shouted repeatedly from downstairs. I rolled my eyes. You would think James would have learned by now that screaming in his giant mansion of a house pretty much did nothing.

Of course, that didn't stop me from yelling back at him. "I'M IN MY ROOM, JAMES!"

He continued to scream my name out a few more times, but I heard his footsteps barreling up the staircase. Moments later, he appeared in my doorway slightly out of breath.

I glanced up from the matrix of upcoming Quidditch matches in my hand to see a goofy grin on his face. "You look creepy," I pointed out. "And why are you home so early? It's not even six o'clock."

He reached into his pocket to pull out a small black box. My mouth dropped open before he could even open it up, revealing a diamond ring inside. "What do you think?" he asked nervously.

Amused, I quirked an eyebrow. "'What do you think?'" I snorted, shaking my head. "Worst proposal ever."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Padfoot!"

"What!?" I cried out, gasping dramatically. "What kind of relationship is this?"

"A platonic one," he said dryly. "Honestly, what do you think of the ring?"

"Seriously, this is the worst proposal ever."

"Fine, I'll work on it before I ask Lily to marry me," he retaliated. "What do you think of the ring?"

"You're cheating on me with Lily!?"

"Padfoot!" he barked.

I grinned. "What the hell changed your mind, James?"

He smiled, a nostalgic look gleaming in his eye, but before he could retort, a familiar voice spoke from the doorway. "I always knew you two were meant for each other."

I glanced over James' shoulder and rolled my eyes. "As James has already established, the ring isn't meant for me."

Remus smirked. "You sound disheartened by that."

I sighed. "Apparently I'm not the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with."

"As long as he keeps a refrigerator stocked with beer and leftover pizza, he will always be stuck with you, Padfoot."

"Oh, great," James sighed.

"So, sorry to be asking what I hope is an obvious question, but is that ring for Miss Lily Evans?" Remus asked, leaning casually against the doorframe with a curious gaze.

James rolled his eyes. "Well, it sure as hell isn't for Sirius," he snorted, shoving the ring in Remus' direction.

He reached for the box and gazed down at the ring that it held so prestigiously. There was a faraway glint of despair in his eyes, but the forced smile on his face told me he was trying his hardest to ignore thinking of Jillian Greene. Remus whistled, glancing down at the ring. "Jeez, this must have set you back a bit."

He shrugged. "Lily deserves it after all these years of me putting it off."

I gestured for Remus to toss the ring my way and he obliged.

"Do you think perhaps we shouldn't be throwing the ring around? Wouldn't want any of the diamonds to fall out," James joked.

"My guess is if the diamonds fall out just by throwing it around, you got ripped off," I teased, glancing down at the ring. I was definitely not an expert on diamond rings, but based on the way it was glimmering at me, I had a sneaking suspicion it was worth more than what was in my bank account. "Seriously, James, what changed your mind?"

"You guys did."

I scrunched my eyebrows, feigning bafflement. "You actually listened to us?" I mused, glancing curiously at Remus before turning back towards James. "That doesn't sound like you."

James shot me a cheeky grin. "I know. I was surprised myself. But after our talk last night, I couldn't come up with one good reason why I shouldn't marry Lily. Sure, I could come up with a million excuses, but that's sorta been my problem in the past as you both so eloquently pointed out last night."

"Eloquently, hm?" Remus said with a smirk. "Didn't realize calling you a jackass could be considered eloquent. I'll keep that in mind the next time I need to get through to you."

"When you going to ask her?" I interjected before James could retort.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet."

"So you just impulsively went out and bought a ring without thinking of the details or logistics of the proposal?" Remus inquired.

James hesitated, nodding slowly. "You make that sound like a bad thing."

He chuckled. "No, not bad. I'm just surprised. You're usually so detail-oriented."

James shrugged, edging himself on to the end of my bed with a furtive smile. "Yeah," he murmured. "But I'm tired of trying to control the future. Maybe spontaneity is exactly what we all need in our lives."

"It took you long enough to figure that out," Remus said with a smile.

I handed James the ring, also pleased that he had finally come to that conclusion. For four years, Remus and I had been trying to explain that the future is unpredictable and it can't be manipulated to the way he wanted it to be. Believe me, I would know. "I say we continue with this spontaneity and head to Blarney's to celebrate," I suggested with a grin.

Remus snorted. "How is going to Blarney's spontaneous? We're there at least five times a week."

I shrugged. "Do you not want to go?"

Remus gave him a look. "Well, that's a stupid question."

I laughed, glancing towards James. "You in?"

"Do you realize that we probably spend half of our salaries at Blarney's?"

"Nah," Remus argued, an amused smile spreading across his face. "Sirius spends at least two-thirds of his buying drinks for girls."

I rolled my eyes. "I can't help it that the ladies like me."

"Apparently they like Remus, too," James chimed in with a cheeky grin. "Or at least Sydny does."

I took it as a good sign that James was joking about it, but I was still in disbelief that Remus took home the most gorgeous girl at the event last night while I went home empty-handed. "That's only because James caught me with her before I could have my way with her," I kidded, shooting Remus a smile.

"Jealous?" Remus teased.

"You still have yet to share with me how she was in bed," I pointed out.

James' hands flew to his ears. "I really don't want to hear this!" he groaned.

I rolled my eyes, turning back to Remus. "You planning on seeing Sydny again?"

Remus shook his head. "There's a reason it's called a one-night stand."

"So you'd be okay with me going after her?" I teased.

"PADFOOT!" James barked.

I grinned. "I'm just kidding!" I said with a laugh, climbing off my bed. "Blarney's?"

James and Remus shared a look and both shrugged. "Blarney's," they said in unison.

I'm sure all three of us had our reasons for our strong desire to get drunk off beer that night. James for being half-excited and half-nervous about the idea of finally finding enough nerve to ask Lily to marry him. Remus for hoping to ignore the fact that his best friend was soon going to be engaged while inevitably his engagement ended in failure. And me? Well, I was just hoping and praying that it would work out for James in the end. Because I certainly knew what happened to those who lost love. Watching not only myself but also Remus go through overwhelming heartbreak, I had no desire to watch James go through the same thing. I personally might have thought that marriage was a barbaric custom, but that didn't mean I believed it was barbaric for Lily and James. I just wanted to know that love was actually real. I was tired of watching people around me get hurt. Lily and James were my last hope. And for a while, I was afraid that James would go and screw it all up. I was relieved to see him finally getting his act together and living the life he was meant to live.

"Our anniversary."

I glanced up from my beer when I heard James' voice interrupt my thoughts. "What?"

He took a long swig of his beer, a contemplative look displayed on his face. "That's when I'm going to propose. Our anniversary."

I shared an amused look with Remus. "Well, it didn't take you very long to figure out the details," he snickered.

James shrugged. "I'm trying not to control the future, but I can at least control the proposal, can't I?"

"Absolutely," I urged with a shrug. "Because I'm sure we're all going to have to hear about this stupid proposal from Lily over and over and over again so it better be damned good."

"Oh, gee, is that what you think of this? A stupid proposal?" James said sarcastically.

"Hey, while I think it's about damned time for the two of you to settle down together, any talk of marriage will always be considered stupid in my book," I said with a teasing grin.

James rolled his eyes. "I can't wait for the day that you get down on one knee and propose to whatever crazy girl finally had enough enchantment over you to throw your wild thoughts about marriage out the window."

"That's what we call never-gonna-happen," I retaliated, scrunching my nose. "Marriage might suit you, but it sure as hell won't for me."

Don't think I didn't notice the curious glance exchanged quickly between my two friends. After ten years, you'd think they'd realize that those looks aren't as secretive as they think they are. I knew it was a look filled with wonder. Wonder about the only girl I ever loved. But I refused to go there.

"Oh, just you wait," James said. The awkward tension disappeared just as quickly as it had formed. "One day, there will be a girl that will make you rethink your whole position on marriage."

"Don't hold your breath." And I meant it. To me, it wasn't the girl that was the issue. It was the whole institution of marriage. I don't want someone to promise to spend the rest of their life with me when the future was so unpredictable and unknown. Believe me, I knew that the word forever was a hoax. I lived my life day by day. It's the only sensible thing to do.

"Well, I'm happy for you and Lily," Remus said to James, steering the conversation away from me.

"I never said I wasn't happy for them," I pointed out. "If this is what they want, then I'm grateful to use their wedding as an excuse to pick up single chicks."

"Except all of Lily and James' female friends are in committed relationships," Remus reminded.

I swore. "Damn, what a waste. You sure you want to marry her?"

James rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure."

"Just pretty sure, hm?" I contemplated. "Does that mean it's still up for discussion? Because no need to waste a Saturday night if you're only pretty sure."

"Shut up, Padfoot, and drink your beer."

I snickered and glanced over at Remus, amused. I was surprised to see a deep frown forming on his face. A frown I couldn't read. "James," he said slowly, hesitation in his eyes, "Don't propose to Lily if you're only pretty sure and don't propose to her because it's what you think you want. Make sure you know it's what you want. She deserves to be with someone who's sure of himself. And you don't deserve to go down that road if there's a chance it might be cut short. Don't rush into it if you're still hesitant."

I had no idea what to make of that and by the look on James' face, he didn't either. It almost sounded as if Remus was admitting he had asked Jillian to marry him too soon. "Remus, I was joking when I said I was pretty sure. I am sure. 100%," James said slowly. "It took me nearly four years to realize that I want to marry Lily, but that's where I am now. I can't think about the future without including her in it. I don't want to think about the future without including her in it. "

The frown that had been there seconds earlier immediately disappeared and a giddy grin replaced it. "Good. Now, I say we propose a toast." Remus raised his glass. "To James and Lily."

"Yeah, to James taking almost four years to realize he should propose to the girl he's been in love with for the past ten years," I chimed in.

James glared at me. "How about we just stick with 'to James and Lily?'"

I laughed and raised my glass. "To James and Lily."

++LILY++

I was supposed to go out to dinner with James, our first quiet night away from work and our friends so that we can just be alone together. But Keegan put a major damper in that plan. She apparently lost the lead story to Victor Hans, an incompetent male journalist in her mind, at the Daily Prophet and was determined to get drunk and rant about the opposite sex and their chauvinistic, biased viewpoints. Which meant I somehow got sucked into a Girls' Night Out.

While Keegan skipped into the shower (after already downing one beer), I apparated over to Potter Manor. Not to my surprise, I found James and Sirius hanging out in the kitchen with a few empty beers scattered around the table and a half-empty beer in each of their hands.

"Hey!" James greeted as I sauntered over, kissing him on the cheek. "I didn't think we were meeting until eight o'clock."

I cringed guiltily. "Er…"

He groaned. "Aw, Merlin, you're canceling on me, aren't you."

"Er…"

Sirius snickered. "That's a yes."

I shot him a look as I slipped into an empty chair beside my boyfriend. "I'm sorry, but-"

"There's always a but," James pouted, taking a slow swig of beer.

I scrunched up my nose sheepishly. "Keegan had a horrible day at work and requested a Girls Night Out. Somehow, I got -"

"Ah, yes, and we must all stop everything we've planned to rush to Keegan's side," Sirius drawled sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, swiping Sirius' beer out of his hand much to his protest and finishing it off with a quick chug. "No, not 'we,'" I retaliated. "Just me. And the other girls. She's not exactly in a guy-loving mood at the moment."

"Didn't realize she ever was."

I ignored the slight and turned back to James. "I just figured since I'm moving out next week, I could at least be there for her in the meantime when she wants to rant about the male race."

"And that's new from any other day how?"

"Do you ever shut up, Sirius?" I murmured with a teasing grin.

"No."

I chuckled ever so slightly and glanced back at James. "We will have tons of time to share meals together, just the two of us, once I move in," I pointed out.

"Now wait one minute," Sirius chimed in before James could retort. "You do realize I'll be over here every night for dinner, right? Especially if you'll be cooking."

I groaned. "We are never going to get rid of you, are we?"

He grinned, climbing out of his chair to head to the refrigerator for another beer. "Nope."

I peeked over at James. "How about we sell Potter Manor and find a secluded cottage in a forest somewhere? And we don't tell Sirius where we move."

"I object!" Sirius argued.

"It's not really your decision," I pointed out, wiggling my eyebrows.

"It's not yours either," he pointed out, pulling out two beers. He raised a curious eyebrow, wanting to know if I wanted one. I shook my head, knowing I needed to head out soon. "Considering it's Potter Manor and you're just Evans. For now at least."

I noticed a frantic look pass across James' eyes as he glared at his friend, but I didn't have time to ask him about it as James retorted, "I could put a shield protection charm around the Manor, keeping Sirius from entering."

I chuckled as Sirius' eyebrows shot up in feigned shock. "You'd miss seeing my face every day," he pouted, slipping back into the chair at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, but then I'd just prance around in lingerie and James would suddenly not even remember who you were," I chimed in.

An impish grin formed on Sirius' face. "If you're prancing around in lingerie, I definitely don't want a shield protection charm on the outskirts of the house."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was rare to have a conversation with Sirius without it getting sexual somehow. I couldn't believe that for a mere second, I could have ever considered not wanting to be Sirius' friend. Sure, he could be a seductive player and sure, he could sometimes cross a line, but I had come to the realization that that was Sirius Black. And when he wasn't being a jerk, he was being one hell of a good friend. "Remind me to draw the blinds and double-lock the doors any time you and I are going to have sex in this house," I said to my boyfriend, shooting Sirius an amused look from the corner of my eye.

"That sounds like very exciting foreplay," James murmured.

Laughter filled the kitchen. "Well, maybe later tonight we can practice the art of foreplay," I said softly, winking at him.

Sirius' eyebrows shot up. "Perfect. I'll be here, too. Shall we say midnight?"

I threw a bottlecap at him. He ducked, laughing. "Or not," he added.

"Yeah, let's go with that," I said, glancing down at my watch. "Okay, I should head back."

"Fine, go ahead with the girls," James pouted, glancing over at Sirius. "We'll be enjoying a Guys Night In."

"Er...we will?"

James glared at him.

"I mean, we will!"

"Smooth," I snickered, shooting Sirius a look as I rushed out of the chair to kiss my boyfriend's cheek. "You enjoy your spur-of-the-moment guys night. I'll catch up with you later?"

"Who said it was spur of the moment?" James muttered.

I laughed, running my fingers through his hair. "Enjoy playing poker." I winked and headed out of the kitchen.

"Why do you assume that's what we're going to play?" he cried out after me.

"It's what you always play!" I called back.

Sirius hesitated. "I'll get the cards, you get the guys?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. They could be so predictable sometimes.

++ALICE++

I have no idea how I got dragged to Blarney's on a Monday night, but somehow that's where I was. Frank and I were getting ready to order a pizza and enjoy a night in when Keegan and Lily appeared outside my door and James' head popped into our fireplace. The words 'Girls Night Out' were uttered to me and I swear I think James said something about a poker game, so a mere ten minutes later, our flat was left empty.

"This whole Girls Night Out thing was a lot more fun when we were strolling for men," Keegan joked, sipping her cosmopolitan lightly.

"I think you mean when you were strolling for men," Lily snorted. "The rest of us have been in committed relationships for four years."

"Or six," I chimed in with a smile. I sometimes still couldn't believe it had been six years since Frank and I got together. I can still remember the night after Hufflepuff won the Quidditch match against Slytherin and a party erupted in our common room. I ended up on the balcony for some fresh air and much to my excited surprise, Frank was there, too. It was the night he asked me out for the first time. It just so happened to also be the first night we kissed. After hearing a few stories from Lily about the Gryffindor balcony, I wondered if those balconies were laced with some Love Potions.

Keegan made a face. "Please don't tell me this is about to turn into a my-guy-is-cuter-than-yours discussion."

"Nah," I argued, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. "Because we all know I'd win."

"That's why James was chosen as Witch Weekly's 'Sexiest Auror of the Year' last year, hm?" Lily said with a playful grin.

I pouted. "Frank was jipped."

"So was Fabian!" Keegan contested. "You'd think that with me having worked at Witch Weekly for a year would have put Fabian further up than fifth."

"That's what we call biased favoritism, my dear roomie," Lily pointed out. "And do they even know you're dating him?"

She hesitated. "Probably not," she said with a grin. "Maybe I'll put in a good word for this year's contest."

"Cheater!" I whined.

"Lance should have won last year," Kay finally chimed in.

We all turned to her, confused.

"Oh, except for the fact that he's not an Auror."

Laughter spread across the table.

"But other than that minor detail, he totally could have won," she continued with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I hear the ladies really go for the whole bookworm thing," I drawled sarcastically. "Oh, no wait, the three of us would rather go for the whole ruggedly handsome Auror fighting crime thing."

"Ah, yes, but when your boyfriends are working fifteen-hour days or being pulled away on some unknown mission where they have to leave at a drop of the hat and are unable to inform you of their departure, mine will always come home to me every night and still be there every morning I wake up."

I opened my mouth to argue but damnit, she had a point. That was the one drawback of having an Auror fiancé. Sometimes, I had no idea where he was and if he was safe. And being an Auror myself, it was always easy thinking of the worst possible scenario. So many Aurors in the past had been sent on missions never to return. I've been to too many of my coworkers and friends' funerals over the past three years to be naïve in thinking it could never happen to Frank. Or to me.

"Damn," Lily sighed, frowning.

"Didn't mean to depress you guys," Kay murmured guiltily, probably noting the concern in all of our eyes.

"Nah," Lily said with a strained smile. "It's not depressing. It's true."

Keegan sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "What happened to not talking about guys tonight?" It was her attempt at breaking the tension.

"I'm pretty sure you were the one who said you wanted to rant about the opposite sex tonight, hm?" Lily pointed out.

"Yes, rant about the chauvinistic male gender," she muttered with a grunt, "Not discuss our significant others who as far as I know aren't chauvinistic. At least, last I checked, none of you were dating Sirius Black."

I chuckled, thinking way back to my days at Hogwarts. "Been there, done that."

The shocked look on Keegan's face made the rest of us burst into laughter. "To be fair, I was fourteen and every single girl at Hogwarts had a huge crush on him," I added. "Sadly, that included me."

"And you dated him for all of a week and a half," Lily reminded me.

"Please tell me that was the worst week and a half of your life," Keegan murmured, shuddering as she finished off her cosmopolitan.

"Sadly, no," I argued with a shrug. "Though if I'm comparing my past relationships, mine with Sirius was only slightly better than my relationship with Fabian, that's for sure."

"Er, come again?"

I laughed, enjoying the panic-stricken look on Keegan's face. "Oh, yeah, didn't Fabian ever mention that to you?"

"Hm, no, he must have left that part out."

I grinned. "I was thirteen. It lasted six days."

Keegan glared at me. "I wouldn't call that a relationship."

"Neither would I," I admitted with a nostalgic laugh. It was a rare occasion that I felt safe and secure in the wizarding world, but I often felt that way when speaking of Hogwarts. It was easier being naïve and unaware of the turmoil and dangers that Voldemort was presenting to the entire wizarding population when you were at a school destined to show you greatness. Sure, we read about the death tolls and the emersion of the war and the capturing of Death Eaters, but that didn't make it real to us. I enjoyed just being a kid. And the moment I graduated and entered into the Auror apprenticeship, my youth had become something of the past. I had to grow up pretty damned fast. I was just so grateful for Frank for always reminding me how to stay grounded. Without him, I wouldn't know how to smile. "Not when comparing it to Frank at least," I added with a smile.

"Please tell me you were a virgin when you got together with Frank," Keegan murmured.

I blushed slightly but shrugged. Keegan was always so blunt. But seeing as the rest of us aren't, she somehow managed to make our group whole. "Yes," I admitted. "The only thing I ever did with Fabian was hold hands."

"And Sirius?" she teased.

"You really want to know?" I chuckled. Truth was, we fooled around a bit (okay, a lot), but we never had sex. I wasn't about to allow some womanizer make a fool out of me by taking my V-card.

Keegan made a face, staring down at her empty glass. "Good point. Some things are better left unsaid." The waitress came around to our table and we all got another round of drinks. We were probably up to our fourth. Maybe fifth. I lost count.

"In the end, that's why we keep our guys around, isn't it?" Lily chimed in with a cheeky grin.

"What is?"

"Sex," she teased.

Hm, based on that statement, Lily might already be up to six drinks. "Amen to that!" Keegan agreed, clinking her empty glass to Lily's nearly empty gin and tonic.

"This conversation took an awkward turn," I murmured.

"Oh, please, like you and Frank didn't go at it tonight before we rudely interrupted," Lily giggled, sharing a look with Keegan.

My ears turned pink. I wondered what gave it away. "That is so none of your business," I murmured.

Lily and Keegan high-fived, clearly amused by my slight discomfort.

"So even though you work with the guy and are with him nearly 24/7, you still have the desire to have sex with him at every given chance?" Kay asked me, enjoying the change in conversation.

I shrugged, grateful that Melinda, the pretty waitress that all the guys flirted with, showed up with our next round of drinks. I was suddenly wishing I had ordered a shot of tequila instead of a beer. "Of course," I murmured with a shrug. "I'm always going to be sexually attracted to him. Even six years later." I paused and had no idea what possessed me to add with an impish smile, "It's especially fun trying to come up with interesting places at the office to have sex."

Gasps filled the table. "Who knew Alice could be so frisky!" Keegan chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "And here I thought Fabian and I were the kinky ones."

I shuddered, hearing from Frank over the years the ridiculous sexual escapades that Fabian has encountered. "Oh, believe me, I'm sure you are."

Keegan grinned at that thought, wiggling her eyebrows.

"How many times a week do you and Frank have sex, Alice?" Lily asked curiously.

"Why the hell do you want to know that?" I groaned.

"Because I'm six drinks in," she responded almost immediately.

Aha, I knew it was six. "So drunkenness makes you want to know about my sex life?" I snickered, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Oh, just answer the question," Keegan interrupted, her eyes shining impishly.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the curious looks on my three friends' faces. "At least twice a week. Three now that we recently got engaged. Let me tell you, if you want more sex, just get engaged. It really helps."

I noticed the flicker of regret on Lily's face, but Kay chimed in before I could comment. "I can attest to that," Kay giggled, clinking glasses with me.

Keegan shook her head. "No thanks. Besides, Fabian and I have plenty of sex without it. We might not live together, but it makes it that much more exciting when we do meet up."

"Ah, yes, and I can attest to that," Lily murmured with a shudder. "You should really try and soundproof your room more often."

Keegan grinned. "I'm not about to stop in the heat of the moment just to silence the room."

Lily merely shrugged. "Thank Merlin I'm moving out." But there was a smile on her face. "But please tell me that moving in with James won't hinder our sex life any more than our jobs have."

We didn't have to ask her what she meant by that. We all knew that both she and James often let their relationship take a backseat to their relationship. "Oh, no, it just makes it better," Kay argued with a grin. "Because now whenever either one of you are horny, the other is right there."

Lily couldn't help but laugh, a look of relief passing across her face. "Well, that's reassuring," she said, gazing towards Keegan. "Now, remind me why you wanted to rant about the opposite sex?"

She squinted her eyes curiously, chewing on the end of her fingernail like she often did when she was feeling randy. "I've somehow forgotten."

"I say we finish these drinks and head over to Potter Manor," I suggested, suddenly feeling very seductive and in desperate need of Frank to be on the other end of whatever seduction I could muster.

"Amen to that!" Keegan said.

++REMUS++

"Who needs a beer?" I asked, sauntering into the game room with a twenty-four-pack in my hand. I was so grateful when James had popped into work earlier letting me know he was having Poker Night that night. I was in desperate need of a distraction from all that's happened recently. Mainly, I couldn't stop thinking about Jillian ever since James told me he was proposing to Lily. I had meant what I said to him at the bar on Sunday. He better only propose to Lily if he knows it's what he wants. Otherwise, one of them was just going to get hurt in the end.

A chorus of cries broke out as they all eagerly greeted me. Then again, they were probably more eager for the beer. I passed the beers out and left one for myself, summoning the rest into the mini-fridge.

"I feel like this group gets bigger each time we play," Frank joked, opening a bag of pretzels. He grabbed a handful for himself and passed them along to Lance.

"That's probably because it does," Caleb snorted. "It's a good thing Drew's still on that honeymoon of his or we'd need three decks."

"When does he get back?" Peter asked.

"Next Sunday," James responded as he shuffled the two decks together.

"Wow, has it really been a month already since their wedding?" I couldn't help but contemplate.

James nodded. "I know, November went by fast."

Or maybe life was just moving too fast.

"Do he and Dezzy know that you're moving in with Lily on the Saturday before they get back?" Fabian asked curiously, one of his eyebrows shooting up curiously.

James grinned sheepishly. "Not exactly."

"Oh, sure, so they're just going to pop their heads in on Sunday evening and you're hoping to drag them into helping you unpack Lily's stuff?" Frank snorted.

James shrugged. "It's a lot easier getting help from your friends when they're unaware of what's going on."

"That didn't stop you from asking the rest of us to help move Lily's stuff next Saturday afternoon," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.

James chucked a pretzel at me. "I believe you were the one who asked me first to help you move next Friday."

I grinned as James started to deal the cards. Sirius and I were moving into our new flat on the following Friday evening, leaving Saturday wide open for Lily's move. "Yes, because I promised you pizza and beer. I don't remember you promising me anything in return to help you move."

"My eternal gratitude?"

"Yeah, I'm going to need more than that."

A round of chuckles ensued. We all placed our initial bets as we continued to discuss our upcoming moves. I'm not sure how Lily convinced Keegan of it, but somehow, Sirius and I signed a lease for the flat across the hall from their own flat. Then again, if it was anything like my tactic, Lily probably didn't tell Keegan until after I signed. But it was one hell of a deal for the area of town it was in so I wasn't about to turn it down no matter how frustrated Sirius was with me. I had promised him the big bedroom and I told him I'd paid for his drinks for the next month at Blarney's. This was naturally before I remembered how often Sirius goes there.

Only an hour into the poker game, I was losing miserably. I don't know why I thought I enjoyed these games. I somehow always managed to lose. "Y'know James, you're not going to have a lot of opportunities to have Poker Night once your lady moves in," Caleb pointed out as he dealt out the cards.

James hesitated as he took a look at his hand. "Except for those nights when we'll fight and she'll storm out, giving me ample chance to call you all over."

Sirius glanced over at him, amused. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to avoid fighting with her."

He shrugged. "Hey, whatever it takes to make Poker Night happen, right?"

"Aw, so glad you're willing to sacrifice the happiness of your girlfriend just to arrange a silly Poker Night," I snorted. "It's a wonder she's still with you."

"Eh, once she moves in with him she'll realize the past four years were a big mistake," said Lance, laughing as James shot him a glare.

"I'm pretty sure we all thought the same thing when Kay moved in with you but somehow you managed to keep her sticking around," James snorted.

"Sexual favors," he responded immediately.

Boisterous laughter filled the room. "Ah yes, and I'm sure you're bummed that you have to dole those out so often," Sirius retorted with an impish grin.

"Nice use of the word 'bum,'" I joked, betting two galleons on my pair of eights.

Sirius ignored my lame attempt at a joke. "I don't know how you all get satisfaction from fucking the same girl all the damned time. I think picking up the girl is half the fun."

"Hm, and trying to remember what her name is the next morning is the other half?" Fabian joked.

"This coming from the guy who six months ago was also hitting on girls at random bars," Sirius pointed out, as the rest of the group threw their galleons into the pile.

"Yeah, six months ago," Fabian reaffirmed. "Times have a-changed, m'friend."

"For you maybe," Sirius argued, as Caleb passed out another round of cards to us.

"You ever gonna settle down, Sirius?" Frank asked curiously, betting another two galleons.

"And why the hell would I want to do that?" he snorted. "I fold." He tossed his cards over to Caleb.

Frank shrugged abruptly. "Hey, I was just curious. A lot of people who don't think they're ever going to settle down often get married."

"Yeah, take me for example," Lance chimed in with an amused smile, throwing his cards back to Caleb as well. "I thought I was going to be a bachelor for life. Then in walked Kay."

"Bachelorhood suits me," Sirius defended with a curt shrug. I wondered if he actually believed those words or if he had just gotten so used to saying them.

"And Remus too, apparently," said Fabian with a snort.

I perked up at my name, matching Frank's bet. "Heh?"

"I hear you went home with a fellow coworker of ours on Saturday night."

"What?" Lance cried out in surprise, throwing his cards into the pile. "Who?"

"Slaughterhouse Syd," Fabian, Caleb, Frank, and Sirius all said in unison.

The tips of my ears turned pink and I stole a glance over at Sirius. I knew that James wouldn't have gone spreading the details of me and Sydny around so that only left Sirius. "Did you tell the entire Auror Department?"

He shrugged, a grin forming on his face. "Would you expect anything less from me?"

"Alas, no," I sighed. Frank and I showed our cards and for the first time all night, I finally won. "Alright!" I said, pulling the pile of money towards me.

"Damn, you've been losing all night," Frank whined.

"So you really slept with Sydny?" Lance cried out in amusement, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I thought we moved past that," I whined.

"So how was she?" Frank dared to ask with a boyish grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Why is it that that's always the first question people ask?"

"Uh, because she's hot," Caleb teased, passing the cards over to Fabian to dole out.

"Careful or I might go telling on you to Shannon," I chimed in.

"Eh, she won't care. She's hot, too."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, yes. Remind me, when is that kid of yours supposed to be popping out anyway?"

"Don't change the subject," Caleb protested. He hesitated. "And two months."

I grinned. I knew he couldn't resist. Caleb was so excited about being a father and honestly, I think the rest of us were just as excited for him. He was the first one out of our gang to be expecting a baby and I think we were all somewhat enjoying getting caught up with the hype of it all. "Can you believe that in just two months, you're-"

"I said don't change the subject," he scowled. "C'mon, we're guys. We dole out details. It's in our nature. Why so secretive?"

"Because it's none of your business," I snorted, flashing him a grin as Fabian passed out the cards.

"I beg to differ. Pretty sure it's the entire Auror department's business," he teased.

I glared at Sirius. "Don't you ever keep your mouth shut?"

He glanced down at his cards with a snicker. "I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that already."

"You can't sleep with Sydny and not expect us to want details, Lupin," Caleb pointed out.

"As in Slaughterhouse?"

All of us turned towards the familiar female voice in the doorway. Kay strolled in, quickly followed by the rest of the girls.

"Shouldn't you still be ranting about guys right now?" Sirius snorted, leaning back in his chair as he finished off his beer.

"It turned into guy-loving night instead," Alice said with a giggle, wrapping her arms around her fiancé's neck from behind.

"Mm, I like the sound of that," he whispered, kissing the back of her hand.

"Ew, not me," Sirius chimed in, pretending to gag.

Keegan rolled her eyes. "Just because you're not getting any lovin' tonight doesn't mean you need to harsh our mellow."

"First of all, who says I'm not?" Sirius retaliated with narrowed eyes. "I've still got time to go to Blarney's. Second of all, did you really just use the phrase 'harsh our mellow?'"

She giggled, summoning a chair and squeezing in between Fabian and myself. "I may have had a few too many cosmopolitans tonight," she admitted, glancing at her boyfriend's cards. "Ooh, a flush, nice!"

Fabian quirked an eyebrow. "The whole point of poker is to not reveal your hand until the last round."

"Oh," she said with a smile. "No wonder I was always so bad at it."

"Well, I fold," James whined, throwing his hand down.

"I'm all in!" Peter said with a grin.

Fabian sighed. "I guess I'm out." He shot Keegan a look. "Whatever happened to Girls Night Out?"

"We got horny," Kay responded immediately.

Eyebrows shot up around the green felt table. "Er...come again?" I dared to ask.

"That's kinda the idea," Lily teased, winking playfully as she slipped on to James' lap with a grin.

The tips of James' ears grew red at the sexual innuendo. "What the hell were you girls talking about tonight?"

"Oh, please, like you guys don't dive into talk of sex when we're not around," Keegan pointed out, all too knowingly.

Silence proceeded, all of us glancing around frantically, hoping someone would have a good response.

No such luck.

"I'm pretty sure you were conversing about a sexual relation of a certain petite blonde-haired female Auror and our friend, Remus, when we walked in," Lily spoke, her eyebrow perking upward.

"When exactly did this happen?" Kay asked, her eyes lighting up curiously.

"Okay, we are officially squashing this conversation!" I groaned, making a face. I wasn't used to my sex life being the topic of conversation with the group. That conversation was typically targeted towards Sirius.

"Dude, you bagged the hottest girl in the room on Saturday and you expect us to leave it alone?" Sirius snorted.

"Hey!" a chorus of female voices cried out.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Er…I meant the hottest single girl," he drawled sarcastically. "Ow!" he cried as a fistful of cards were strewn at his face by Alice and Kay.

"Someone please change the subject," I muttered with a whimper.

James chuckled, kissing the side of his girlfriend's face. "Is it our turn to know what you all discussed tonight at Blarney's?"

"Sex. Haven't we already been over this?" Lily whispered, running her fingers along James' hairline.

"Oh, gee, thanks for being specific," Sirius spoke with an impish grin on his face.

Lily rolled her eyes, kissing the soft skin underneath James' ear. "Do you want me to tell you what we talked about or just show you?" she whispered.

"Well, this game is officially over!" James said, picking Lily up off his lap and whisking her out of the room.

"Hm, I think Shannon is calling my name," Caleb spoke, jumping out of his chair.

"You're whipped, Gilmore!" Sirius called out as Caleb rushed out of the room, flipping him off.

Sirius glanced to his right and saw Keegan and Fabian snogging. I glanced to my left and took note of Kay crawling into Lance's lap with a seductive look. Peter looked across the table and saw the impish look on Alice and Frank's faces.

Sirius sighed. "Blarney's?"

Peter and I nodded. "Blarney's."

I didn't even care that I was stuck footing Sirius' bill that night.

++JAMES++

Before we could rush up the stairs, my lips were crushing Lily's hurriedly. "Why are you so beautiful?" I whispered, carrying her up the winding stairwell.

She blushed, smiling shyly as she ran the back of her fingers up the side of my face. "Why are you so wonderful?"

I chuckled, brushing my lips against the temple of her forehead, my lips pushing a strand of hair from her face. "Nah, you'll probably find out that I'm not so wonderful when you move in here," I teased.

She laughed, pressing her forehead to mine. She got quiet, a nostalgic smile framing her face. "Not possible, Mr. Potter."

I stared into her sparkling green eyes as I reached the top of the stairwell and headed into my bedroom. Soon to be our bedroom. I shut the door behind me and as she wrapped her legs around my waist, I pressed her up against the cool of the door, my eyes never straying from hers. "I love you, Lily," I spoke, pressing my lips fervently against hers. My hands roamed upward on her back, underneath her silk shirt as I hugged her closer to me.

We snogged like two crazy school kids, needing each other, wanting each other. It was as if I was touching her for the first time, my hands unable to find one resting place. They first dug into her hair, then they slid down her shoulders, next they were clutching her tight ass, and they were climbing underneath her shirt. Where my hands weren't touching, my lips were. Her skin was so hot, so fiery, and yet so unbelievably soft. I couldn't get enough of her.

She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck as we pulled apart, desperate to breathe. She smiled shyly, stopping her lips only centimeters away from mine. "Damn, I am never breaking a date with you again," she whispered.

"Oh, yes, that will teach you to blow me off for Keegan," I teased, planting my lips on her nose.

She giggled, scrunching her nose up. "Never again," she said, shaking her head hastily. "Absolutely never-"

I didn't let her finish, cutting her off with another kiss.

++KAY++

"I have something I need to tell you," I whispered later that night, laying naked in the arms of the most gorgeous fiancé in the world.

He pressed his lips to my cheek. "Alright."

"You can't tell anyone."

My eyebrow arched curiously. "You've officially intrigued me."

"I told James I wouldn't tell anyone," I continued hesitantly. "Though to be fair, he had to assume I would tell you since you're my fiancé."

"Are you trying to work me up?"

"But I promised it would be kept under wraps, so please keep it a secret. Even from your brothers."

"Are you actually going to tell me or just continue pontificating until you decide against it?"

I grinned, turning around in his arms and running the back of my fingers down the side of his face. "James is going to propose to Lily."

His eyes widened in shock. "What?"

I smiled. "You heard me."

"I thought that kid was going to forever be against marriage!"

"I know."

"What changed his mind?"

I shrugged slowly. "I can't be sure," I admitted. "All I know is that he showed up at the hospital last week begging me for ring advice."

"Begging?"

I chuckled. "Maybe not begging, but he was clearly clueless and yet on a total high. He knew I would be able to help. So we went ring shopping."

He smiled, leaning over to kiss me. "So you helped him pick out the ring?"

"Of course. No man can ever choose a diamond ring without the brilliant help of a woman's intuition."

He glanced at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"So which female in your life helped you pick out this gorgeous rock?" I teased, fingering the diamond my own engagement ring.

He laughed, kissing my shoulder. "You have no faith in my ring-choosing abilities?"

"Lily? Your mom? Alice? Dezzy?"

He pouted. "Do you love the ring?"

I smiled. "Almost as much as I love you," I whispered.

"Then does it matter who in the end chose it?"

I hesitated curiously, eventually shrugging. "So Lily? Your mom? Alice? Dezzy?"

He laughed, showering me with kisses. My cheeks, forehead, neck, and eventually his lips crashed with my own. Kissing Lance never got old.

"So when is James going to propose to Lily?" he asked, his lips kissing my jawline right below my ear.

I smiled, running my fingers through his hair. "I have no idea. Actually, I'm pretty sure he has no idea. The engagement ring was definitely an impulse buy."

"That's a pretty large impulse buy," he teased.

I laughed, shrugging. "He needs more impulse in his life."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sad smile. "He does. I just hope he starts enjoying his life instead of fearing it."

"You noticed that, too, hm?"

He nodded.

"Marrying Lily will be a step towards that," I muttered.

"I agree. I'm glad he's finally proposing to her," he whispered, brushing my hair out of my face with his lips. "It's about time he realized that love can actually conquer all. If you let it."

My heart skipped a beat at the adoration twinkling in his eyes. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he responded almost immediately, pressing his forehead to mine. "I know that no matter what is going on in my life or what's going on in the wizarding world, I can come home to you and suddenly everything can feel safe again. I love you so much, Kay."

My heart melted at the sincerity of his words. "Sometimes I wonder what I ever did to deserve someone like you," I murmured. "I look at James and Lily and see how fear controls their lives instead of the other way around and I watch Fabian and Keegan walk on eggshells around each other afraid to discuss the past or the future and I notice that it took six years for Frank to propose to Alice and…and I realize how lucky you and I are. I don't want to turn out like any of them."

"We won't," he reassured, propping himself up on his elbow curiously. "As long as we continue to believe that love can conquer all, we'll never end up like any of them."

"Promise?"

"Always," he whispered.

I hated to admit it but there had been times in the past where I wondered if my relationship with Lance was boring. But hell, I'd take boredom over fear any day.

++LILY++

I loved waking up to James. I loved feeling his strong arms wrapped around me and I loved that feeling of security when I gazed up at his restful eyes. It was one of the few times he ever looked completely comfortable and peaceful. Every time he opened his eyes, that comfort and peace seemed to be replaced with pure fear and panic. There were so many times I just wanted to preserve those early morning moments where for a split second everything felt as if it might turn out alright. Those early moments that occurred right before the fear of whatever the rest of the day could bring us inevitably settled in.

"I can feel you staring at me."

I jumped at the sound of his voice and grinned sheepishly, not that he could see it. His eyes still remained shut, but he wrapped his arm tighter around me, drawing him into the nook of his bare shoulder as he kissed my hair.

"I can't help that my boyfriend just so happens to have one smokin' body," I teased, pressing my lips lightly against his shoulder blade.

He smiled as his eyes fluttered open. He turned to stare down at me, running his fingers through my knotty hair. "You're not so bad looking yourself," he whispered, his voice sincere and caring. He kissed me, letting his lips dance playfully against mine. "This never gets old."

"What doesn't?"

"This," he repeated with a smile. "You and me. Waking up naked next to each other. Holding each other. Kissing each other."

"Loving each other?"

His eyebrow rose curiously. "Do you even have to ask?"

I immediately shook my head, a sad smile creeping on my face as I gazed up at my boyfriend, nostalgia suddenly rushing through me.

"What?" he asked, probably sensing my hesitance.

I shook my head. "Is it weird that…" I slowly trailed off, searching for the right wording.

"Yeah?"

I shrugged, letting my fingers graze his chest sensually. "I don't know," I mused. "Is…is it weird that it's almost been four years since we first got together and yet I love you just as much now than I did back then. Probably even more. Is it weird that sometimes it's hard to believe we've been together for four years? Is it weird that…that being with you has never been weird?"

"What about the first six years of our acquaintance?"

I chuckled. "Hating you wasn't weird. It was natural."

"Oh, gee, thanks!"

"Back then, it was natural," I corrected with a grin. "But don't worry. I'm almost totally over that feeling of hatred now."

"Oh, that's how you want to play it, hm?" he teased, laughing as he swiftly drew his arm from underneath me and turned to blow a raspberry on my bare stomach.

I couldn't help but shriek, breaking out into a squealing laugh. "That tickles!"

"That's kinda the idea," he said, winking as he left his fingers creep slowly up my midriff towards my exposed breasts.

He pressed his lips softly against my cleavage, letting his eyes dart up to meet my own sensual gaze. "What do you think of playing hooky today?" he murmured, twisting his free hand in a lock of my hair.

"Hah! Come find me when that's a real suggestion," I snorted, knowing that James Potter would never take a day off work for any reason. He wouldn't take an hour off work.

He slowly sat upright, tucking my hair behind my ear as he gazed into my eyes. "I'm serious, Lily."

I couldn't help but what I said next. "Ah, well that explains it. Sirius Black certainly does know how to play hooky." Yes, I know a play on the word 'serious' and 'Sirius' was the lamest joke in the book.

He laughed, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Not exactly what I meant."

"I know," I said, kissing him. "But I also know that you have never once taken a personal day off work in the entire three years that you've been an Auror. In fact, you usually choose to work weekends on top of those already five brutal days a week."

"I just want to spend time with you," he urged, his voice filled with a strange sense of pleading.

I glanced up at him in surprise, realizing he was actually being sincere. "You really are being serious, aren't you."

He nodded, showing me he was serious by pressing his lips to mine hungrily, almost aggressively. "C'mon, let's go somewhere," he urged, twirling a lock of my hair in his hand absentmindedly.

"I-I can't today," I said remorsefully, my heart sinking. "I have-"

"Fine, not today. I get it. Kinda last minute. But what about this weekend? Let's just…get away from it all. What do you say?"

I glanced at him hesitantly. It was the same hesitance I always had flickering in my eyes. I was worried about James. Always have been, always will. And I knew that there had been times that James called me out on it, told me he hated that look of sympathy I couldn't help but offer him frequently. I tried not worrying about him. I tried just letting him live his life, no matter how constricted that life appeared to be. But eventually, James slowly grew to appreciate the overwhelming concern I clearly had for him. Maybe because he was afraid that the moment that concerned glint in my eyes deteriorated was the moment that our relationship would deteriorate. Because how could I not be concerned for him after everything he has been through? I tried so hard to not be so foolishly worried, knowing there wasn't I could do to change the past. To change what has happened to him. The only thing I could do was try to make him less concerned about his own life. I tried so desperately to make everything better. I tried so hard to just make him feel safe and good about his life. I just wanted the world, his world, to be a nurturing one once again.

Unfortunately, I was coming to the realization that that nurturing world was never going to make its way back into James' life.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked ultimately, my eyes growing soft with adoration.

"Anywhere," he responded with a deep sigh. "I just want to be with you. That's all I could ever want."

I blushed. Four years later, and I was still blushing at his endearing compliments. "Is this going to be a trip where we just spend most of our time in the bedroom?" I teased.

He grinned. "Good Godric, I hope so!"

I laughed before kissing him. "Then I think it might be possible for me to tear myself away from work for a weekend."

"Oh, gee, don't strain yourself over the decision to spend time with me than in the office on a Saturday," he teased.

I shot him a look. "Tell me when the last Saturday was that you didn't do work."

He cringed, chuckling. "Dezzy's wedding?"

"You spent two hours in the morning at the office practicing advanced wand spells."

"Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't remember that."

I laughed and he instinctively smiled. Which pleased me. I knew that even in the darkest of times, my laugh could always uplift his mood. "I remember everything about you, James Potter."

I could see the adoration in his eye as he leaned over to kiss me. "I love you, Lily Evans. Did you know that?"

My heart flickered with so much love for him. But I merely shrugged. "I thought it might be a possibility. I am rather loveable," I spoke casually.

"You are indeed," he responded with a wink, his telltale boyish grin spreading along his jawline. "As long as I'm the only one doing the actual loving of you."

I shrugged coyly. "Mostly you. Sirius and I do our loving while you're at work."

He let out an overdramatic gasp before mussing up my hair playfully. I shrieked, ducking at his touch. "Alright, alright!" I squealed, smacking his arm. "You, and you alone, can do the actual loving of me."

He smiled, planting a kiss against my lips. "That's what I like to hear."

I smiled and nestled my head against his chest. "So where are we going this weekend?"

"I don't know. Somewhere in the country? To the coast? Italy? France? Who cares. The world can be our oyster."

"Muggle phrase?" I said in awe. "I'm impressed."

He grinned. "I've been around you enough to pick up a few Muggle phrases here and there."

"Now tell me what an oyster is and I'll be even more impressed."

He cringed. "A thing you put your beverage on to prevent rings on the table?"

I roared with laughter. Merlin, his ignorance about Muggle ways made me laugh far too often. "That would be a coaster."

"Ah. I knew that didn't seem right. Why would anyone compare the world with a cloaster?"

"Coaster, dear."

"That too."

I giggled, propping my chin up against his chest to gaze up at him with a curious expression resting on my face. "James, you do realize that I'm moving in with you next weekend, right?"

"Yes, I have realized that," he sniggered. "Considering I'm the one who asked you to move in with me, it's not something I can easily forget."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help but grin at his jesting self. "So exactly why, per se, are you so desperate to get away for a weekend with me when starting next week, we're going to be spending an awful lot of time together?"

He shook his head. "This getaway is in no correlation to our plans to move in together," he urged. "I just…" he frowned, shrugging as he reached over and ran his fingers lightly up my hairline, playing with a stray piece of my hair absentmindedly. "I love you, Lily," he said with so much sincerity. "And I feel like I don't tell you or show you nearly enough."

"I don't need you to tell me or show me anything in order for me to know how much you love me, James," I said softly, placing my hand over his and leaning into his soft touch against my face.

He didn't say anything immediately, merely grabbing my attention with his smoldering hazel eyes. "I just want to spend an entire uninterrupted weekend with you where we can just forget about everything and everyone else and just focus on what's important. Which right now, is just you and me."

I kissed the tip of his nose lightly before resting my lips against his. "Don't be getting all mushy romantic on me, Potter, or it might ruin your reputation," I teased.

"Eh, I don't care about a reputation," he spoke with a wink. "I just care about you."

"It's things like that I'm going to have to repeat to Alice, Kay, and Keegan. Who will then repeat it to Frank, Lance, and Fabian. And then you're just going to be the butt of everyone's jokes for weeks. Months probably."

"Ah, but you forget that with Sirius around, no one else will ever be the butt of everyone's jokes for long."

I laughed, knowing he was right. "So once again, I must bring up the fact that I'm moving next week."

"Yes, we've established that already. Don't tell me you're having cold feet," he teased, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"No," I quickly urged, shaking my head. "But I'm pretty sure a better use of my time this weekend should be on packing."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. You have the evenings of rest of this week and all of next week. That's plenty of time."

"For you maybe. I'm a girl. Do you know how long it will take to just pack my shoes?" I teased, flashing him a smile.

He sighed overdramatically, rolling his eyes in an ostentatious way. "Well, I guess I could help you pack."

For some reason, that thought amused me so. "Oh, right, because that wouldn't end up with us ignoring the need to pack so we could shag senseless?" I teased.

"Exactly why I offered."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head incredulously. Was it really possible for me to be this happy? I sighed, realizing in that moment that I could care less about the many boxes that needed to be packed full of my things. If James wanted to get away for a weekend with me, I was most definitely going to jump on it. "Y'know, I think Kay's family has a cabin up in the mountains. I can see if maybe she'd let us use it this weekend."

He smiled at me. A real smile filled with love and devotion. I didn't realize how much I had missed that smile until now. "That sounds perfect," he whispered.

For the first time in a long time, it looked like things might turn out okay.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

++JAMES++

Where did the impulsive weekend getaway come from? I couldn't be sure. But the moment I ran frantically into St. Mungo's and requested Kay's help to buy a ring, I've felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Lily wasn't just a part of my life. She was my life. And for so long I took that for granted. I expected her to be there for me in so many aspects yet I haven't exactly been emotionally present for her. For us. And I knew that one weekend wasn't going to change the wary distance I had put between myself and Lily at some point during the past four years. But it was a start. And Lily and I deserved a fresh start. I didn't want to let the turmoil occurring in a world that ws far bigger than me control the things I did.

Unfortunately, the world had an entirely different idea planned for us.

++KAY++

I think I spent more time at Blarney's than I did at my apartment. That Thursday, we all found ourselves there. Keegan had been hanging out at Lance's bookstore editing an article when Fabian walked in to meet up with her. They were going to go to dinner but naturally Lance convinced us all it would be better to grab a few burgers and pints at Blarney's. To none of our surprise, Sirius, Remus and Peter were already there when we wandered in. It only took a few seconds to reach out to James and Lily who apparated to the bar in just a few short seconds. They were mid-pack (both for their weekend trip and for Lily's move next week) and were happy to have an excuse to take a break.

Three hours later, we were all a few beers (and perhaps a few shots) in and were just enjoying living in the moment for the first time in what felt like eternity. "I am not playing a drinking game based off of Sirius' conquests!" Keegan groaned, making a face.

"Yeah, we'd all be drunk within five seconds," Lance said with a teasing grin.

"Just help me figure out which girl to hit on," Sirius whined, his eyes flitting around the room curiously at all of the women.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You probably have the best shot with the blonde hanging out in the corner of the bar, Sirius," Lily urged, sipping her sloe gin fizz. "She's been staring over at you all night."

Sirius grinned, his eyes focusing in on the busty blonde. "Oh, c'mon, have you seen me? I have a shot with every single girl in this bar," he teased. "It's just a matter of who I plan on setting my sights on."

"Well, the redhead at the round table looks like a contender for you," Fabian chimed in with a shrug.

"Eh, redheads don't do it for me."

"Oh, phew. That somehow makes me feel quite reassured," James joked, winking at his beautiful girlfriend sitting beside him.

"Like I'd go for Sirius anyway," Lily snorted, shaking her head.

Sirius puffed out his chest with his usual haughty smirk. "Oh, please, if I hadn't backed off of you in Hogwarts in fear of James castrating me, you and I totally could have hooked-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," James grunted, stuffing a handful of pretzels into his mouth.

He couldn't help but laugh as he attempted to swallow the dry pretzels. "Okay, so if we're not going to start a drinking game surrounding my potential hook-ups, what are we going to surround this drinking game around?"

"Here's a mature thought," I chimed in with a shake of the head. "How about we don't start a drinking game?"

Eight pairs of blank stared looked back at me.

"You're right, what a crazy thought," I drawled sarcastically with a light laugh.

"So how goes the packing, Lily?" Remus asked.

"Whoa!" Sirius interjected. "Not only are we not going to play a drinking game, but you're actually going to talk about packing? How boring have we gotten?"

"Dare I ask how your packing is doing?" Lily snorted, shooting him a look. "You do realize you're moving next Friday, right?"

"That's what the weekend is for. Not all of us have boyfriends who whisk us away to the mountains for two whole days," he teased.

"Aw, you disappointed you don't have a boyfriend?" Keegan said with an amusing smirk.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Can we pick out a girl for me now?" he whined.

The table couldn't help but laugh.

"So where are Frank and Alice tonight?" Lance questioned. "Whenever there's talk of drinking games, I usually expect him to be one of the guys behind it. Other than Sirius."

Sirius grinned while James answered the question. "Frank and Caleb are back at the office on on-call duty. And of course Alice can't go anywhere without Frank," he joked.

"Weren't they at the office on Monday night, too?" Lily asked, confused.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I think Caleb is trying to put in as much time as he can now before the baby comes."

Smiles spread out across all of us. Talk of babies somehow did that. "Can you believe he's going to be a father?" James murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "I remember as kids when he would try to get all of us to play hide and seek and when it was his turn to seek he would blow us off, laughing as we all stayed hidden for hours thinking we were just that great at hiding."

"I'm pretty sure you did that to your younger siblings and mine as you got older," Lance chimed in with a teasing grin.

James hesitated. "Damn, I forgot you were here."

Lance laughed. "But I feel your sentiment. I can't recall when we all started growing up."

"Oh, don't worry," Remus chimed in with a coy smile. "Sirius hasn't started yet."

Sirius scowled. "Seriously, can we get to that drinking game now?"

"We're going to need another round," I pointed out, noting the numerous empty glasses lining the table.

"I'd hold off on that if I were you."

We all whirled around at the familiar voice and were shocked to see Alice standing there. "Wow, didn't realize you left the apartment without Frank attached to your hip," Peter teased.

She didn't even crack a smile and that's when I noticed the pain in her eyes and the pale color of her face. And I knew she was there to tell us something we probably didn't want to hear.

"I-I had a feeling I'd find you all here," she said softly, her eyes avoiding all of ours as she stared reflectively down at the ground.

Taking a look around the table, I wasn't the only one who noticed that the tension had drastically changed just by a single expression and the grief in her voice. Frowns replaced all of our prior smiles as we stared intently at the clearly shaken girl in front of us.

"Alice, what is it?" I interrogated hoarsely when I realized no one else had the courage to ask.

A tear slid down her face as she tried opening her mouth to speak to us but it was clear she couldn't form the words. Without realizing it, I stood up and reached out my hand to hers. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly reminded of all of the good times we spent at Hogwarts together. The late night study sessions in the library, the laughs we shared in Hogsmeade, the breezy Autumn days we spent out on the grounds, the Quidditch games we cheered at, the list goes on. I tried focusing on those moments, knowing that whatever she was about to say there was absolutely no going back.

Eventually, Alice spoke. "There was an attack in Surrey tonight," she whispered slowly, her voice barely audible.

Silence immediately fell over the table, a hush of fear and hesitance exploited in our expressions, until James broke it with a single word. "Frank?"

I put two-and-two together, realizing that if there was an attack it was guaranteed that Frank and Caleb were called to the scene as they had been the two on call.

Alice didn't say or do anything immediately as her bottom lip began to tremble uncontrollably. Slowly, she shook her head but I couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad sign. "He's…he will be okay I think," she said shakily. "He's heading to St. Mungo's now. But…" she trailed off, trying to catch her breath.

I wanted to scream at her to spit it out but the words caught in my throat. Because as I did the math once again, I knew that if her grief wasn't related to Frank it could have something to do with Caleb. Based on the ashen color that paled across my friends' faces, they had done the math, too. Beside me, Lance started trembling and shaking his head in denial. I could feel hid body grow rigid at the numerous possibilities.

Alice's gaze turned towards Lance and suddenly the tears were pouring down her face as she slowly shook her head. "Oh, God, Lance. I'm…I'm so sorry. Caleb…" she trailed off, the sobs overtaking her. She brought her hand to her mouth to try and calm herself with very little success. No one reached out to her, all too frozen to provide any sense of comfort to her. She hiccupped before whispering, "Caleb didn't make it."

A/N: Aaaand we have our first cliffhanger. You probably all hate me right now and I can't help but hate myself a little bit, too. But it's a war. And more than half the people in this story are either an Auror or part of the Order...or both. Death is inevitable in this story. And it unfortunately had to strike with Caleb first. But putting that aside for just a moment, I loved writing the rest of this chapter. With James finally moving past his fear and starting to move forward both in his life and in his relationship, and with the Girls Night Out, and Poker Night, and the clear love that Lance and Kay have for each other, and OF COURSE James finally buying an engagement ring! Lots of information and character development. I guess you'll just have to keep on reading and reviewing to get more.

Coming up: How does everyone deal with Caleb's death? Will Lily and James still plan to move in with each other? And what will happen when Dezzy and Drew return from their honeymoon?