"James." Sirius pulled the curtains aside. "James, you awake?"

Maybe if I ignore him, James thought, he'll go away.

"Oi, James." Sirius flopped on the bed next to him. "I know you're awake, James."

James bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from smiling in response.

"C'mon. Jamie..."

"Don't call me Jamie!" James rolled over at last, annoyed. Sirius propped his head up and grinned at him.

"Knew you were awake."

"I was almost asleep." James stretched slowly. "Wanker."

"Same thing."

There was a pause. James looked at Sirius significantly. Sirius seemed quietly amused with himself.

The pause continued.

James rolled his eyes. "Why're you in my bed, mate?"

"Need to ask you a question."

"Alright."

There was another pause. James waited.

Sirius gnawed on his bottom lip. "It's sort of a stupid question, mind."

"Wouldn't expect much else, coming from you." James yawned. "Will you just tell me and let me get back to sleep already?"

Sirius shifted nervously. "I've a date with Alexia this weekend, you know."

James rolled his eyes. "You've only told us twelve times today, Sirius. I know."

Sirius cleared his throat. "I don't know what to do, James."

"You're studying, I thought." James frowned, confused.

"That's not exactly what I mean, Jim."

"What, then?" James turned to look at Sirius. "And don't call me 'Jim.'"

Sirius leaned forward slightly, one arm bent under his head. "Have you ever kissed a girl, James?"

James shook his head wordlessly, eyes widening.

Sirius swallowed. "Me neither."

"Oh." This was what Sirius didn't know, then.

"D'you think..." Sirius trailed off. "I mean, could we..."

James leaned forward as well, scooting until their heads were on the same pillow. "You want to practice, is that it?"

Sirius looked up, eyes bright. "Would you mind?"

James shook his head. "Course not. Helping a friend, right?"

"Right." Sirius grinned at him nervously.

Neither boy moved for a moment.

"What now?"

James shrugged. "You kiss me, I expect."

Sirius hesitated. "Why do I have to kiss you? Why can't you kiss me, first?"

"I don't bloody know what to do, remember?"

"Neither do I! Remember?!"

"Sirius!" James groaned, pressing his face into the pillow. "If you're on a date with this bird, are you going to stop and ask her to make the first move?"

"...no." Sirius was petulant.

"That's why you go first." James rolled his eyes. "See?"

"Will you at least roll over and look at me, then?" Sirius pushed at James' shoulder, who turned grudgingly and scowled.

"I should be asleep now, prat."

Sirius ignored him. "You going to close your eyes or not?"

"Why'd I do that??"

"Dunno." Sirius shrugged. "Thought it's what you're supposed to do."

"Not like I can see anyway."

"Oh. Good point, then." Sirius wavered again.

James watched his mouth move impatiently before acting. "Oh, will you just do it already!" He leaned in quickly and pressed his lips to Sirius' before even thinking the action through.

Sirius froze, eyes wide. James tried fruitlessly to focus on the other boy's face for a moment before pulling back.

"Umm." Sirius slowly raised a hand to his own lips. "Is it supposed to be like that?"

James settled back onto his pillow. "How would I know?"

Sirius bit his lip. "Sort of boring, wot."

James nodded. "Don't know why the older kids like it so much."

"They do it differently, you know."

James glanced up. "Differently?"

"Tongues." Sirius spoke quietly.

James, who had realised this fact before but never spoken of it, swallowed. "Tongues."

Sirius nodded.

James shut his eyes. "We should try that, then." Sirius made a desperate sort of strangled noise, and James' eyes flew open again. "For your date, wot."

"Oh." Sirius still spoke in hushed tones. "Alright."

"You first, this time." James turned, staring at the ceiling before something else occurred to him. "I'll close my eyes, even." He shot a fleeting look towards Sirius, who seemed shocked, before letting his eyes fall closed.

Sirius stared at James for a moment before slowly leaning over him. He licked his lips once before lowering his mouth to James', inexplicably nervous.

James gasped, surprised, and hesitantly moved his lips against Sirius', closing his mouth around his friend's.

Sirius froze again, but this time kept his face close to James' when he pulled back.

James cracked his eyes open. "That was better, yeah?"

Sirius nodded, wondering when his breath had started to come quickly.

"Again, then." James grinned slightly, and Sirius noted that he was breathing rapidly as well. "This time with tongue."