Boys Will Be Boys

"...And so the ferret says, 'Well, it's not like you needed both tails now, is it?'" The group of Gryffindors around Peter Pettigrew exploded with laughter. From his chair across the room, Sirius smirked and shook his head slightly. It was the night before Christmas holidays and the common room was filled with bottles of butterbeer and plates of treats as students toasted each other on their survival of another term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"He never gets sick of that joke, does he?" Sirius turned and saw James Potter standing over him. James's tie was askew and, after a day of their hardest exams to date, the rest of his appearance was as unruly as the mop of pitch-black hair.

Jerking his chin towards Peter, Sirius replied, "He needs this, though; it's the most sociable I've seen him in almost a year. He's enjoying being the hero for once. You can't fault him that."

"Not at all," James said, kneeling down to Sirius's level. "In fact, he deserves this and more for saving that wee Hufflepuff firstie from the Whomping Willow, but you can't say that you're not sick of hearing that awful joke." James narrowed his eyes, leaning in to whisper into Sirius's ear. "I mean really, who ever heard of a thirteen-year-old ferret Animagus anyway?"

Sirius's heart quickened as he felt James's warm breath against his skin. He tried hard to keep his cheeks from coloring, to keep his voice steady as he replied, "Complete rubbish, that. Everyone knows that no less than a fully trained wizard could ever become an Animagus." Their eyes met briefly, exchanging a great deal of mischief.

"Come on, then." James stood up and slapped Sirius on the back. "Need you to come up to my room and help me carry my gifts down to the Gryffindor horde."

"I just bet you do," Sirius whispered in a deep, sinful voice as he followed James up to the Head Boy's private residence within the tower. It seemed to him that James stiffened slightly at the comment, but then continued, ignoring the subtext.

* * *

It started as a joke, really. They had done it on a lark.

During a hot summer evening of their fourteenth year, James and Sirius had been staying at his cousin Andromeda's house, when after a few glasses of Moonshine wine, they'd gotten her talking about her own school days and what it was like to be a teenage girl.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Just bloody awful they were, young wizards in my class." Across the table, her husband Ted Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Oh not you, dear," she said with a dismissive gesture. "You were a whole year older than me, remember? Anyway, that lot I was sacked with were all thumbs and thick-tongued morons when it came to how to treat a lady. A witch was as likely to end up with a sopping neck as she was with a kiss whenever she went up to the Astronomy Tower."

Sirius could still remember the rush of anticipation he felt when Andromeda reached absent-mindedly across the table and filled his glass with wine instead of pumpkin juice as she rambled on. "They had no grace at all, no tenderness, no romance! They just dove in and never considered for a second whether we were enjoying ourselves or not." Her next words led Sirius to where he was today, and he recalled the mixture of passion and bitterness in her voice with perfect clarity. "What young wizards today need, more than Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, are classes on how to be a good lover. Any boy that could learn to take things slow and keep a steady pace could have all the witches in the world waiting at his doorstep."

And so, late that night drunk on half a glass of wine each, he and James had started 'practicing' for their future amorous lives. It had been rough and very sloppy - not to mention embarrassing - but they blundered on until eventually they learned to control themselves in the heat of the moment. James learned that it was better drag one of his long thin fingers slowly around the nape of Sirius's neck and down his chest than to grab and grope; Sirius discovered that mischievously nipping at James's earlobes sent him into convulsions.

Slowly and steadily, they discovered each other and themselves during their secret rendezvous. They learned that playfulness and teasing were much more exciting than just the pushing and insistent hands they encountered from each other on that first long ago night. They never really talked about their liaisons except in technical terms; both dated girls on and off in the time they had been 'training' each other, it wasn't an emotional entanglement. In fact, when Sirius was the first of the two to get a semi-steady girlfriend during their fifth year, James had taken him aside and asked him if he wanted to stop. Of course he didn't! It had never even occurred to Sirius that they would stop. James was his best friend, so much more important to him than any girl would ever be. Besides, Sirius had told himself at the time, they still had so much more to learn.

And so they continued.

"Here, can you carry these down for me?" James filled Sirius's arms with several bags of smaller packages. Into his own arms James lifted yet another bag of tiny gifts and a pile of neatly stacked larger boxes. "Right, then, I think that's it. Let's go back down."

Sirius blocked the doorway, forcing James to stop in front of him. "Most everyone is leaving very early tomorrow," he said in a low voice. "Do you want me to come down after lights out?"

Color rose in James's face, sending the soft scent of apples into the air. Whenever James grew nervous or embarrassed, he gave off that aroma. It was part of his Potter magical heritage, as much as his knobby knees and untidy hair. James took a step back, averting his eyes from Sirius's gaze. "No, I don't want you to. In fact, while we're on the subject..."

Sirius's heart rose into his throat. This couldn't be happening! And if it was, why was he breaking out into a cold sweat? His mind felt torn in two as James continued about how he felt the time for practicing was over, and that now that James had Lily, he wanted to be only with her. The time for practicing was over, he heard James say. They were nearly adults after all, and James couldn't imagine how much it would hurt Lily if she ever found out - she wouldn't understand. James wanted to be hers alone. What was unsaid, but what Sirius heard all too clearly, was that Lily meant more to James than he did.

"Actually, if things go right tonight, I think that Lily and I, well..." James smiled, and pushed past Sirius into the hallway. "Wish me luck, mate?"

Confusion and heartache washed over Sirius, but he found himself replying rather hollowly, "Good luck."

* * *

Sirius stood numbly at the far end of the common room as James did his yearly passing out of the presents. The heir to the Potter fortune had a heart as large as his pocketbook and never forgot to get a gift of sweets to even the lowliest Gryffindor.

Memories of heated embraces and low moans fell on Sirius like an avalanche. It was over, whatever it had been; whatever they had shared was done. Sirius was sure that he liked girls, butt as he watched the jovial figure of his best friend he felt a pain in his chest that no woman ever caused him. Why? He thought over and over, wishing it didn't hurt so much.

"All right then, now that the huddled masses have their presents, you lot have to quiet down for a moment and let Santa Potter speak." Sirius turned his head slowly, looking at James across the room. In his hands, James held four remaining presents. "This is my last year at Hogwarts, and consequently, my last Christmas among you. My years here have been the best of my life, but without certain members of this most undistinguished entourage," snickers filled the pause, and James waited until they died down to continue, "my time wouldn't have been nearly as memorable. Peter, this is for you." James held out a box. "Without you, detentions with Filch wouldn't have been nearly as fun. Merry Christmas!"

Peter grabbed the package quickly out of James's hands. "And without you, dear sir, I wouldn't have had nearly as many detentions."

Rolling his eyes at the outburst of laughter, James continued. "For Master Remus Lupin, with whom the many pratfalls of one particularly slimy Slytherin would not have been possible - mainly because he refused to dock points from his own house, of course... " James searched around the room. "Oy, someone nudge him. He's asleep at the study table."

Sirius turned and saw Remus's legs perched on the lip of the table, the rest of his long, thin body positioned precariously in a chair. The chair, in turn, balanced on its back two legs and when a third year girl poked Remus in the shoulder to wake him up, said chair fell to the floor with a loud thud.

More laughter erupted, and someone called out, "Should know better than to sleep like that anyway, Lupin. Those chairs are priceless antiques - Louis the Fourteenth, you know."

"Really?" Remus stood up slowly and cracked his neck. "They feel more like Marquis de Sade to me. Toss me my gift then, Potter. Show off that Chaser's arm while you still have the chance."

James obliged him and then looked to the two remaining gifts. He paused for a moment, as if trying to decide what to do next. Finally, he held up a long, thin package. "Most of you know that I have no siblings," he said in a quiet voice. "At least, none by blood. But there is one person above all others that has been like a brother to me. He's always stood by my side, no matter how stupid I was acting, no matter how cruel I was. He's the first person to dive into a fight with me, and the last person I'd ever want to leave my side." James strode confidently across the room to where Sirius stood, and gave the box to him. "Men aren't supposed to say things like this unless they've had too much Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, but truly Sirius, you are my best friend and I love you for it."

James's eyes were unreadable as Sirius opened the package and pulled out the black velvet scarf. Inlaid with silver thread was the outline of the Dog Star, Sirius's namesake. His tongue caught in his throat and he found himself unable to speak as James smiled at him. James reached up and placed the scarf around Sirius's neck and then, like a whirlwind, James spun around to deliver his last gift. James moved so swiftly away from him that the scarf flew into the air, either end of each reaching out towards James as if to pull him back.

Lily Evans sat in one of the chairs next to the fireplace. To her, James gave the final box. "I've spent several years either hating you or following after you like a lost puffskein. Now that I finally have you, Lily, the truth is simple. You make me want to be a better person than I am, and I love you for that." Schoolgirl sighs rose from the more effeminate onlookers as Lily opened her gift and revealed a bracelet of diamonds and emeralds set against a deep colored gold.

She jumped up and embraced James, telling him that he shouldn't have as tears started to run down her cheeks. Sirius turned away from the happy couple, unable to endure any more pain.

After a moment, he felt someone standing behind him. "I think we've really lost him this time, Padfoot," Remus whispered with a touch of mirth. "But then, we can't expect it just to be us boys forever, can we?"

"No, we can't," answered Sirius with a shaking voice. "All good things must end and all that rot."

Remus regarded his friend silently for a moment, and then reached out and took Sirius's hand in his gently, comfortingly. "And for everything that ends, my friend, something new gets ready to begin."

Sirius turned and stared at Remus, as if for the first time. With a dangerous smile, he replied. "Boys will be boys."