~ I had a dream I was dying but I found nobody there,

And if one last night is all that we've been given let's live it like we care. ~

***

James and Lily had informed their friends about their current situation of going into hiding and so far they had all supported them. But the slight sadness of parting with them that had lingered was soon overcome by their friends' antics, as predicted by James earlier.

"Anyhow, we received our wedding album," James spoke up, a meaningful yet dazzling smile playing on his face, "and I might have a few concerns."

Felicity's face had turned slightly pink realizing what he was referring to.

"Concerns? Why, indeed..." Sirius pretended as if he didn't know what was going on but the spark is his stormy eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh so you don't know, Black? Wasn't it you who slipped that photo in the album?" Marlene piped up, "and as a payback, I did the same with you two."

Peter looked quite confused, "will anyone tell me what's going on?"

"These four have something to confess," James announced, pointing towards Sirius, Remus, Fel and Marlene.

"Yeah, I will go first," Marlene stood up downing her glass of gigglewater before that, "I do have a confession to make."

"Okay, go ahead." Lily too had a smile playing upon her lips, watching the current dramatics cooked up by her friend.

"So the confession, yes..." Her bright eyes twinkled as she caught Fel's noticeably reddening features, "Felicity and I are dating. Yes, it's awesome. We're very happy and... Your jealousy is appropriate." 

"But we're not jealous," Alicia remarked while the others were laughing, "we're genuinely happy for you two."

She shrugged, laughing herself as well, "aw thank you, but I just felt like saying that."

Lily's smile widened as she looked over at Felicity, "I am so happy for you."

"Thanks," Fel spoke up at last, a smile breaking out on her face when Marlene sat next to her, her arm gently pulling her close, "and James, you were right."

"I usually am so you have to clarify what right statement of mine you're referring to," his hazel eyes were twinkling in mirth.

"That night after your first date with Lily when you were being particularly philosophic," she added.

Sirius's jaw dropped open in shock, "James? Being philosophic? As far as I remember, that night James was so stuck in Lily La La land that he might have spent an hour or two composing sonnets in the honor of his Lily flower."

Remus agreed, "yeah I remember very well, he also spent an hour telling us about how marvelous his date went."

James hadn't been expecting the tables to turn on him so suddenly, "hey, you are not supposed to have a laugh at my expense."

"Really? But last we checked you're a walking source of entertainment," Sirius concluded and by then most of them were laughing with James still trying to make them stop.

"Okay enough... What Felicity was referring to was when I had gone to talk to her because you three were being assholes to me."

Peter was shaking his head, "us being assholes? You were the one not letting us complete homework."

"Hey!"

And as the outburst increased, it was Lily who finally put a stop to it, "I'm really curious to know what words of unexpected wisdom James gave to Fel so if you would all shut up please..."

"Point taken," Marlene nodded, making a gesture of sealing her lips shut.

Sirius imitated her and that would have started a row between them if not for Lily's glare focusing on him, silently asking him to stop it. And though he would never have listened to anybody, seeing Lily's glare focused on him actually made him stop.

"So Fel, what had James told you?"

Felicity's smile widened recalling their conversation from that night, "I had told him that I did not understand the whole concept of being in love with someone so most probably I was never going to be in love with anyone either. And he replied with a speech that got me thinking maybe he was high on Firewhiskey." 

"It could always be a possibility," Alicia mumbled.

"Not that night," James interjected, "I was as sober as a judge."

"Shut up," Marlene spoke up, "and let my lovely girlfriend resume with that she was saying."

Felicity resumed, "but then James elaborated and said what I have now realized is completely true. He had said most people are waiting for the right time or the right person. And that's exactly the case with me and Marlene." 

"Awww, that's sweet of you James," Marlene remarked, "and highly unexpected but I'll let it pass."

Remus spoke up, "and this calls for a round of applause for such times are extremely rare when James proves he does have a brain in there somewhere."

The applause was loud enough to muffle James's exasperated remark: "Hey, not again!"

"And what about the other confession?" Alicia asked recalling that there were two confessions James had been referring to earlier.

"Thank for reminding, of course there is one more confession. Padfoot, if you please," James nudged Sirius who stood up at that.

"Yeah I also have a confession to make," Sirius spoke up absolutely loving the attention he was getting, "but most of you know it already. I mean James knows so I won't be surprised if he would have told everyone already."

That got him a cushion right in the face from James, "low blow, mate."

"My sincere apologies," Sirius swept a flamboyant bow which got him another cushion in the head thrown by Marlene.

"Hurry up, Black, we don't have all the time in the world to watch your dramatics."

"Your loss," he winked at her mischievously and she started looking for another cushion to hit him with but he resumed quickly before she could find one, "just like Fel and Marlene are dating and have finally told you all, similarly me and Remus had been dating for, wait, how long it had been Rem?"

"Third year," Remus mumbled.

"Wait, what?" Peter spoke up shocked.

"Nah, I'm kidding. Since the end of sixth year," Remus rectified his sentence, amber eyes lighting up with his laughter.

"But I'm sticking with the third year one, makes us seem like a much more experienced couple."

"Well in that case it would also mean you have been an experienced cheater too since you did have quite a number of flings with people I should not mention... So I would rather not say third year again," Rem elaborated and the look on Siri's face at that remark was priceless.

"Fair enough," James backed him up, "so since the end of sixth year?"

"Yeah as if you don't know anything..." Sirius rolled his eyes dramatically but then straightened again to resume with his so called confession, "even though I would like to say something that could top Marl's confession, I hate to admit it that I can't do that. So anyways..." He did not pause much longer because he knew either one of them would comment on the unlikeliness of Siri accepting defeat, "yeah me and Remus have been a couple but we didn't tell you guys earlier because of reasons that are not very necessary to bring up right now."

"Just admit it, Black, you chickened out!" Marlene remarked.

"Hear hear," Alicia and Lily joined in.

His stormy eyes narrowed but he chose to avoid the comment, "but since I really have to do something that would leave an impression... Rem, I require you to stand up as well please."

Remus had no idea what he was up to but he stood up nevertheless. Sirius fished out his bike keys from his pocket and took out the metal ring from the key chain, then approaching Remus he bent down on one knee holding the ring up.

"Oh come on," Rem's face had gone an adorable crimson because seeing the posture and the brilliant smile on his face, it was evident that Sirius was going to propose to him.

"Remus John Lupin, you are the love of my life, the Moony to my Padfoot, the Forever to my Always and the reason I wake up smiling even in such dreadful times... Will you be my partner in crime for eternity and commit the deed of marrying me?"

It was an adorable sight watching Remus nod his head and then Sirius slipped the ring onto his finger. A loud applause followed shortly after along with a congratulatory whistle from James and a pat on the back to Sirius from Peter. 

"You know normally I would have hated you for stealing my limelight and topping it off with a speech of yours," Marlene addressed Sirius after the noise had subsided, "but this time, I'll let it slide."

But since it was Sirius Orion Black on the other hand who could never miss an opportunity to tease Marlene, he remarked, "thank you for being so generous but I am warning you beforehand; the day you will propose, I'll still think of something to top it off so don't blame me later on."

"Hey, don't you dare, you bludger head!"

His eyes widened in alarm, "bludger head? From which angle do I look like a bludger?"

"From your head as I clearly stated."

"Marlene, I swear..."

"Guys, dinner's getting cold!" Their chaos were finally put to a rest when Lily remarked and all of them headed to the kitchen where the table was laid out and thankfully here was no risk of Sirius and Marlene getting into an argument again for they were all hungry and food was the topmost priority right then.

However, James had noticed that Peter had been unusually silent throughout the stay and he felt as if the boy was worried but trying to hide it. Then there was quite visible tension between him and Alicia; the two had gotten together after graduating from Hogwarts but right then it seemed as if something was not well between them too.

So while everyone else was having dinner, James thought of taking Felicity aside and ask her as there was a high chance she would know. Alicia was her best friend and might have told her something about it.

"Fel, got a minute?"

"Sure," she accompanied him out to the living room.

James glanced back in the kitchen seeing that all of them were still eating and hadn't noticed the two step out. "I wanted to ask you about Alicia and Peter. Is something wrong?"

Felicity sighed, "they broke up."

"Oh, when?"

She shook her head, "it's been a few weeks."

James could not get why he did not now of this before. Peter wasn't the kind of guy to keep secrets, he had always been open with his friends before and as far as James knew, him and Alicia had been quite happy together. "What happened?" 

"She won't tell me what happened exactly. And then you know I am not as frank with Peter as you guys are so I didn't ask him. But what I know is that Alicia is worried for him even now. He has been very disturbed probably due to the war and the pressure of the Order missions. I talked to her and tried to make her understand that they should talk things out between them, try to make it work..."

Her voice trailed off and James knew what she would have said next, "but that's not an option between them anymore?"

"Yeah."

His brow furrowed as if pondering upon the situation, "but Pete had never discussed any such thing with us. That's why hearing it from you is such a shock."

"Maybe he doesn't want to discuss it. Give him some time," she suggested, "I mean, everything's in such a turmoil for everyone. That's exactly what I had said to Alicia too. They should not have broken off that quick but... You know..."

"But still," James could even then not wrap his mind round that fact, "why did they break up?"

Felicity knew he was concerned for his friend and withholding anything from him would be unfair, "Alicia says he has not been himself. He has... Changed."

"Changed?"

"I don't know," she admitted truthfully, "and I would stick with my point of giving him time. I think that he didn't tell you all because he doesn't want to trouble you all further. Alicia hadn't told me at first either. I pestered her until she did."

"Oh." But James was still thinking thoroughly about it. If his friend was in trouble, he would do all it took to help him out, he just had to figure out the right way to do it first.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Marlene joined them so they left the conversation there and did not resume with it. Turning to Felicity, she added, "Fel, you have to try the dessert. Lily is excellent at baking and those rich creamy pastries? They're to die for."

James watched as Marlene took Fel back to the kitchen where the desserts and a home baked chocolate cake, was laid out. But his mind was elsewhere for he was thinking about how to take Pete into confidence and ease his problem.

He felt bad that he hadn't noticed it earlier but now that he knew, he would do all in his power to make Pete come back to his cheerful and lively self. He was his best friend after all and friends had to be there for one another.

***