James had to bite down very hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying anything. He hadn't known Peter's family well, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to them, especially on his behalf. That didn't stop it stinging, though.
"I'm not stopping you talking to anyone, Wormtail," he shrugged. The nickname rolled off his tongue without him even realising. "I'm sure she'll be in touch soon, anyway. You know what she's like." James' wife had never been afraid to face difficult situations; it was something they'd both learned during the war, and something he loved about her.
James thought about turning and continuing on down the corridor, but perhaps he better follow Lily's example. After all, what was the point of even meeting with Peter if he wasn't honest? Even with his flaws, James had always had that going for him - everything was out in the open. He took a breath, unconsciously reaching up to push his hand through his hair.
"I don't want to push you away, Pete," he finally said. "I mean, I wish I could move past it all and we could go back to normal."
James' brow creased in an almost pained expression. "I just don't know how, you know? You haven't even done it yet, not really, but... it's all I can think about, sometimes."