James couldn't help but be grateful for the fact that Remus let it drop. That he didn't try to apologise again. James knew he shouldn't be snapping at Remus. They both knew it. So why talk about it?
Only, there was a big fucking difference, wasn't there, between what James knew and what Remus knew. Remus had years on James. Or, more accurately, a year. Because James only had one left. And not even a whole one.
"Ale," he said automatically, the implicit 'for now' going left unsaid. "So," he forced out, desperately wanting to change the subject, "You and Sirius, then?" Merlin, he just needed Remus to talk about something, anything but Lily. Plus, Remus sort of owed him an... update, or something.