theshabbiestofmen | IC Contact;

Yeah. All right.

[So-- that's sorted, at least. For now. Tomorrow, he'll talk to Remus about it tomorrow, and they'll work it out, and--

He glares at the floor anew. James.]

What did James say when you told him.

He was upset. He went on and on about us not trusting him, about how we were keeping secrets.

It wasn't a secret. We were just-- Merlin, we were trying to help him-- did you tell him that? Did you tell him about all of it, or did Evans?

[If anyone, he expects it from Evans--oh, she wouldn't want the bit about the marriage getting to James, but... she'd tell him otherwise, right? Even though they'd agreed not to. That was her style. It's not a thought or an accusation that makes much sense, not really, but with no one else to blame--]

Of course I told him that-- and I told him all of it. I did, because he asked, because Harry told him he was his son and I didn't want to tell him to wait until you came back from god only knew where--

I was off with Merlin, I wasn't going to end up--

[But who could have said that? He swallows, hard, rubbing a hand over his mouth.]

He knows all of it? All of it, even what-- happens, to him?

All of it, Sirius. About you and me and Lily and Peter. He knows just about everything, and what he doesn't know I simply forgot to say.

[He's quiet a moment--and then, abruptly, he sinks down, his elbows on his knees, his hands gripping at his neck and his head bowed. The silence goes on for a minute--and then he sighs, shaky.]

All right.

[He stares over at Sirius, hollow-eyed, uncertain.]

I'm sorry.

Don't be.

[He rubs hard at his neck with one hand.]

It's not as if you did anything. Right?

Yeah.

[A beat. He sighs and moves, sitting next to Sirius.]

I do wish Harry hadn't . . . I don't know. Run into him, I suppose, and it's not fair to blame him. But I wish James had been kept in the dark for a while longer.