"Are you even listening to me?"

Sirius looked up into Remus' agitated face and nodded as earnestly as he could. The little Italian restaurant was crowded, noisy…the murmur of other people's conversation and the steady drone of Remus' complaints had allowed his attention to wander to more pressing issues. Tapping out a cigarette, Sirius struggled to listen as Remus ranted: "…well, of course I minded, but I wasn't going to say as much, so I simply said, 'No, love, I don't mind', which wasn't what I should have said, I realize now, but what was I supposed to do with her looking at me like that…" Sirius suppressed a yawn and glanced around the crowded space, giving a few of the waiters appreciative once-overs.

Remus snapped his fingers and said, loudly, "If whatever you're thinking about is so bloody interesting, let's talk about that instead."

"Ha. I don't think that's a great idea," Sirius said, smiling lasciviously.

Instead of smiling like Sirius had expected, Remus frowned. "So I suppose you're thinking about the parade of young men streaming in and out of your bedroom, then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "You know full well what it means. First it was that strange kid, Sapling. Then all the others…do you even know their names?" He shook his head. "It doesn't seem right, doing that to James."

"Oh, but what he's doing to me is fine?" Sirius stood, his chair scraping.

"Sit back down." Sirius didn't budge, so Remus added, politely, "Please."

Slowly, Sirius sank back into his chair. He smoked sullenly for a moment before saying, "When you and Alice got together, you knew she was married. You also knew she wasn't the sort of woman to just run off and shirk her responsibilities. So she missed your one-year anniversary, who cares! She was out doing work for the Order!"

"So she says." Remus stirred his food around. "She tells Frank that, when she's with me. 'Oh, Order business love, gotta run.' What if she's just playing me for a fool?"

Sirius put out his smoke and tossed back his wine, tapping the empty glass and looking at their waiter pointedly. "Remus, honestly." He smiled at his refilled glass and took a big swig. "If you think Alice is having a go with someone else then, well, do the very same thing. If it comes to nothing, she doesn't need to know about it, but if it turns out she is 'making the two-backed beast' with some other dumb lug, at least you're still on even footing."

"I don't even have words to describe how despicable you are." Remus sipped his wine carefully. His words didn't sting, though they could if he'd wanted. Looking at Sirius, he half-smiled and said, "So, I suppose that's your plan with James, then? So that when he really does it, when he really goes through with the wedding, you can hurt him as much as it will hurt you?"

That stung. "Or maybe I'm just enjoying myself, Remus. You ought to give it a go 'round. If you haven't noticed, we're both young, attractive blokes. There's a war on, and everything's uncertain…" He shrugged. "I want to live a little. While I've had the chance."

"And if that means hurting your best friend, who still sleeps in your bed at least once every couple weeks…"

"Then so be it." Sirius swallowed hard. "I still love him, Remus, if that's what you're getting at. But he can't possibly love me. Not like he does her, right?"

"You're so naïve. It's like speaking to a child." Remus laughed. "Grow up, Sirius."

"Oh, piss off." Sirius stood and pushed away from the table again, but this time he pulled a wad of Muggle money from the pocket of his blazer and threw it on the table. He went to walk away and stopped. Leaning in towards Remus, he breathed, "You think you know so much; well, try this on for size. Alice has a husband, and a home, and a career. The only thing she didn't have, before you anyway, was someone to follow her like a puppy and fuck her however and whenever she pleased. You're so lovesick, analyzing every moment…but you're nothing to her but an easy lay that is swiftly becoming too complicated."

Remus looked like he wanted to hit him, and Sirius waited for a moment, giving him the chance. But when the moment had passed, Sirius laughed and walked out of the restaurant, hopping on to his motorbike and speeding drunkenly away.

"I was pissed."

"As was I."

"And an arse."

"Me, as well."

"Should've left well enough alone, I should have."

"Even what wasn't well enough. None of my damned business, anyway."

"The stress from work…"

"…The full moon…"

"…The war…."

"…The very things we were arguing about, even!"

"Right. We're friends."

"Flatmates."

"Marauders."

"Brothers, practically."

Sirius beamed at Remus through the fog of his hangover. "Let's not fight anymore."

"Never again." Remus crossed his heart and grinned.

Weeks passed. Remus and Sirius fought on and off about a great variety of things, as flatmates do. Remus and Alice fought (more often than not) as lovers do. James slept over less and less. Sirius took lovers whenever he wanted, and drank more than he should. Peter appeared, at times, his hair darker and longer each time. There was something about him Sirius found extremely unappealing, even more so than he had in school, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Most of the time Dumbledore kept Peter on guard duty at the Ministry or doing rounds to check on some of the safehouses.

Lily planned her wedding…and planned, and planned, and planned. The Potters were footing the bill, and they wanted extravagance. They had rented a cathedral in Spain (Spain!), arranged for caterers and florists and other seemingly important people who spouted words like "pastels" and "arrangements" and "dripping with pearls". Sirius' mind boggled at the immensity of the thing, and he wondered vaguely how he was going to get through such an elegant ceremony sober.

When he brought up the topic of spirits with Remus, his friend got a positively wolfish look on his face.