Friends Characters: Sirius, James, Lily Summary: Late nights are for Big Issues
"Where did you get this stuff?" "Oh, I have my Muggle ways." "Because transfiguring my pillow into a hookah is so terribly Muggle." "You are so high." "You are giggling." "Because you're silly!" "I haven't had this in twenty-some years." "Neither have we." "Yeah, but that's less than two years ago for you. It is, really." "A paradox!" "No, just ... magic!" "You're giggling again." "And now who's silly?"
"Do you ever worry about being dead?" "You mean ... dying again?" "No...." "I think he means ... about what it was like? I don't remember." "No, I meant that you should be. Dead." "Well, so should you!" "That's why I wondered." "Do you worry?" "Sometimes. Recently." "I think ... yes."
"There's Harry. Harry shouldn't be hurt, but I can't really stop it. And Gaius..." "What about Gaius?" "He'd miss me." "Poof." "Git." "I wish you two wouldn't." "Oh, it's not ill-meant." "Of course not. But you know, Prongs, you should be careful about making me insecure. If I decide I need to reestablish my heterosexual credentials, your former wife is the most immediately accessible woman." "Former!" "Mm. Didn't your vows include a death clause? You died first, so she's a widow, if you think about it." "I'm as alive as you are!" "Well, now." "Lily! Aren't you going to say anything?" "Should I? It might be fun, having you courting me again." "Relax, James. You know she wouldn't leave you." "Should we have another wedding?" "We could use the presents, if we're ever going to live on our own." "Is that fair?"
"Do you believe in an afterlife?" "Huh?" "I mean, do you ever worry that maybe we were there, maybe someplace where things work out, and everyone knows what's right and don't ki-- go after each other, and we won't ever be able to get back?" "Like not being able to die? That what scares me." "That would be even worse." "I didn't go anywhere." "How do you know?" "I was treading water -- air -- right outside." "Treading air?" "Not letting the current move me, more. There wasn't, you know, motion to not moving." "You're confusing." "No, I'm not." "Oh. Right." "Outside what, though?" "I don't know."
"So why do you worry?" "Harry had dealt with it all, is that it? Adjusted. And now we're people that he'll lose again." "No -- well, that's true -- but it was Stubby." "Your evil twin?" "We're not that--" "Eeeevil twin! Rockstar evil twin, and you're falling because you have his guitar...." "Oh, I like that!" "Stubby tried to pull me through the Veil." "Oh. Yeah. Heard." "He said what we'd done, we shouldn't have done. It made a hole that won't heal, and the magic flows through it. ... Did I mention the current? It's strong there. I think there's a waterfall." "Etherfall?" "How would that work?"
"But everything's all right now, right?" "What?" "Stubby." "Oh. Maybe. But what if he's right, and I did something really wrong?" "Does it matter if you get away with it?" "I'm starting to think ... well, maybe it's not the sort of thing you get away with. Not really." "But then you'd be dead." "Maybe I am and don't know it." "I think we'd see Harry again, anyway." "Would we know it, though?" "Does it matter?" "I see. We could lose a lot of baggage. It might be better." "You know, about that marriage thing...." "You dispute it?" "The thing is, we -- all of us -- swore things for all our lives." "So?" "So, I think it should be something more permanent." "Ah. Always, then?" "Lily?" "Not too specific if it's permanent, I think. I mean, we might want other ways of having it." "It?" "Well, love." "Ah." "She's right, I think." "Of course she's right! Would I marry someone who was less than brilliant?" "And not just us, of course." "Of course. We just said Harry." "And your boy's not here." "Not to mention...." "Yeah, of course." "Love, then. All right. Forever, however." "Forever." "Forever." "Should we kiss?" "Lily!" "Well, cheeks, if you two can't. Shaking hands seems rather silly." "That's in the however, isn't it?" "Exactly. Come over here." "Yes, do." "Had I said no?"