Eclipsed

The days leading up to Sirius' 18th birthday were filled with a flurry of excitement and secret planning among the Marauders. James, particularly, was buzzing with anticipation. With Remus’ help, he had spent weeks perfecting his gift for Sirius, and James knew for a fact that Sirius would love it. 

Although Sirius’ birthday fell on a Thursday, the Gryffindor common room was adorned with banners and streamers, all set up for a big birthday party that evening. The air buzzed with the energy of excited students eager to drink and dance the night away, although as the co-Heads James and Lily did feel responsible for setting some boundaries, and the first and second years had already been given an 11:30 pm curfew and explicit instructions to go nowhere near the alcohol. 

As they were getting ready in their room, James pulled a package out from his side table, and called Sirius over to him with the promise of a present. 

"Happy birthday, Padfoot," James said, handing over the gift with a wide grin.

Sirius took the package, eyeing it curiously. "Thanks, Prongs. What's this then?"

"Open it and see," James encouraged, his excitement barely contained.

Sirius tore into the wrapping paper and opened the box, revealing a pair of small, intricately designed mirrors with ornate silver frames. He looked at James, puzzled.

"They're enchanted two-way mirrors," James explained, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "You keep one, and I thought that I could keep the other. We can use them to talk to each other, no matter where we are. Just say my name into the mirror, and it'll connect us."

Sirius' eyes widened in amazement as he turned one of the mirrors over in his hands. "This is brilliant, James. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you." Sirius continued to inspect them. “How did you come up with the idea?"

James shrugged, a modest smile on his face. "I was thinking about the times we've been apart, and how sometimes you can’t reach the Floo, or send a letter, or what if you need someone to know something right away.  Plus, with everything happening, you know, with the whole blood-purist, terrorist attacks, I thought it would be good… just to be able to reach each other quick if something happens." 

Sirius nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It's perfect. And you're right. Knowing I could reach you anytime... That sounds good."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts. Despite the challenges and changes they had faced, their bond remained as strong as ever.

"You know," Sirius said quietly, "I've never had a real family. Not until I met you lot. And your parents... they've been more like parents to me than mine ever were."

James felt a lump in his throat at Sirius' words. "We're brothers, Sirius. Always have been, always will be. And my parents think of you as their own too."

Sirius nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "Thanks, James. For everything."

James smiled back, reaching for his friend and wrapping him in a huge hug. "Anytime, Padfoot. Anytime."

Sirius pulled away and swiped at his eyes, grateful that James probably didn’t pick up on it. “Alright, enough of that, let’s party!” 

Sirius' 18th birthday party was shaping up to be a legendary event, and the Marauders had spared no effort in making it spectacular. Music blared from a bewitched wireless, casting a lively atmosphere over the room, and the tables were laden with treats and drinks.

"Come on, James! Dance with me!" Lily's voice cut through his thoughts.

James turned towards her, a grin spreading across his face. "You sure you want to dance with someone who will definitely step on your toes?"

Lily laughed, taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor. "I think I can manage a bit of a bruise."

As they danced, James felt a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the crowded room. He and Lily moved in sync, her guidance and his instincts working together. For the first time in a while, he felt like his old self, confident and at ease.

“Lily, do you see Sirius, or Remus anywhere?” James asked, closing his eyes and tilting his head to rest lightly on hers. “Just trying to keep an eye on Sirius’... you know.” 

Lily guided James to turn their dancing in a circle, allowing Lily to scour the room for the other two Marauders. “He’s over with Remus by the windows.” 

Sirius was dancing as wildly as ever, a bottle of something in hand, looking like he was having the time of his life, while Remus, who was typically more reserved, seemed to be enjoying himself too, letting himself be pulled into Sirius’ magnetic orbit for the evening. 

"I think Sirius has had quite a bit to drink," Lily whispered as they swayed to a slower song. “Is that… is he okay? Should we say something?” 

James sighed, but then Lily glanced over at Remus, who caught her eye and gave a subtle nod of reassurance. "Wait- actually, Remus says he's keeping an eye on him. He'll be okay then?."

James relaxed slightly. "He’s with Moony, he's fine. Let’s dance, Lils."

They continued dancing, the music and the company easing his concerns. As the party began to wind down, James found himself sitting with Lily, their fingers intertwined. Sirius, though still lively, had been subtly guided to a quieter corner by Remus, who was whispering something in his ear, making him laugh.

The Gryffindor common room slowly emptied, leaving only a few stragglers. Sirius, despite his drunken antics, had managed to remain relatively composed, thanks to Remus' watchful eye. The Marauders, Lily, Marlene, and Mary, as well as their other roommate Isabella, whose friends had all graduated the previous term, lingered, sharing stories and laughter until the early hours of the morning.

Dreading waking up for class in the morning, they all decided to head to bed, exhausted but happy. As James lay down that night, he couldn't help but feel grateful, and hopeful, for things to keep getting better and better. 

The following Saturday was Hogwarts’ first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. James found himself nervously preparing for his date with Lily, asking his friends’ advice on what he should wear and where he should take her, and largely ignoring anything that came out of Sirius’ mouth, instead trusting Peter’s tastes and opinions on all things romance. 

He and Lily had agreed to meet in the common room, and while he’d collapsed his cane and put it in the pocket of his heavy winter robes, he’d never really gone out in a crowd and used it, and was hoping today he wouldn’t have to. 

Just as he was spiraling into a daydream where he whacked an ice cream out of a child’s hand with his cane, he heard Lily’s voice, snapping him back to reality. 

“Hey, James,” she called out, her tone cheerful and bright.

“!Lily,” he responded, turning towards the sound of her voice and seeing the blur of red and green around her with a smile. “Are you ready for our adventure?”

“Can’t wait,” she responded eagerly. “The Three Broomsticks is calling our names.” 

“Lily, just one thing–” James took a deep breath, suddenly nervous again. “I was thinking you could maybe guide me today, if you don’t mind? I just, well, I’ve not really used the cane out in a crowd yet, and don’t feel like today should be the first time, you know? I really want to focus on having a good time with you, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Lily said reassuringly, and took a step closer to him. “How should I do this?”

James explained, “It’s pretty simple. You just walk beside me and let me hold onto your elbow. That way, I can follow your lead, and you can kind of direct me without saying too much... but if there’s something I need to know, like stairs or obstacles, just give me a heads-up.”

Lily nodded, gently taking his arm and positioning it around her elbow. “Like this?”

“Perfect,” James said, feeling a sense of relief. “Let’s head out, shall we?”

As they made their way through the castle and down to Hogsmeade, Lily guided James with ease, pointing out steps and changes in terrain. They chatted comfortably about their plans for the day, and James felt his nerves gradually dissipate.

When they reached the bustling streets of Hogsmeade, the noise and energy of the crowd hit James all at once. He squeezed Lily’s arm slightly, and she gave him a reassuring pat on the hand.

“There’s the Three Broomsticks,” she suggested. “We can get a butterbeer and go from there.”

They made their way to the pub and found a cozy corner table. Lily and James took their seats and they ordered their drinks, settling in comfortably.

“So, Lily,” James began, his eyes twinkling with curiosity, “what made you decide to ask me out?”

Lily blushed, and looked away. “Well, I’ve enjoyed our time together as Head Boy and Girl. You’ve surprised me, you know.”

“Surprised you?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lily reached across the table and took his hand. “You’re a lot smarter than I thought you’d be, no offense, and you really do listen. You care about people, and even though you didn’t always do the right thing, I think you really try to do the right thing when you can. I see the person you are now, James, and I wanted to get to know you better.”

"I guess I'm glad to be smarter than I seem," he laughed, and as she tried to defend herself, James shook his head and smiled. “ Seriously though... I’m glad you wanted to do this… I thought after being such a prat for so long I’d have missed my chance but… yeah. I feel grateful for you, Evans.” 

““Yeah,” Lily said, giving his hand another squeeze. “Me too.” 

They spent the next hour talking and laughing, discovering shared interests and bonding over their mutual love for disco music and hatred for black olives. James found himself relaxing more and more, enjoying the easy rapport between them. The conversation flowed naturally, filled with light-hearted banter and genuine curiosity about each other’s lives, their families, the places they'd grown up... James wanted to know everything about her. 

As they finished their drinks and prepared to leave, Lily reached out and took James’ hand. “I’m really glad we did this, James.”

“It’s not over yet!” James replied, feeling a warm glow in his chest as he stood. “Let’s see what else we can do before curfew- although I think we’re meant to be back a bit early and help check students back in.”

“That’s right,” Lily said, before guiding his hand gently towards her elbow with a smile. “Maybe… Oh, I know! Let’s get to Honeydukes before we get caught in the rush.”

They made their way around Hogsmeade and back to Hogwarts, their hearts light and spirits high. 

It had been a good day, and to James, seemed like a favorable omen. Hopefully the universe felt the same. 

After his date with Lily, James made it his mission to settle into a new routine, hoping that the structure and predictability it would provide might serve to help him ease some of the anxieties and insecurities he’d developed in the first half of the term. If Lily though he had it all together, James wanted to at least make it somewhat true. It took some time to adjust, but with each passing day, James felt a little more at ease, both with his self-imposed schedule and with himself. 

Every morning began with a run. Sirius and James would head out into the crisp morning air before most of the school was awake. They used a short tether to stay connected, allowing James to feel the changes in pace and direction through Sirius’ movements.

“Ready, Prongs?” Sirius asked, a hint of mischief in his voice.

“As I’ll ever be,” James replied, gripping the tether.

Running together was more than just exercise. For James, it was an outlet for his pent-up energy and emotions. After a lifetime as an athlete, adjusting to the pressures of school without having Quidditch to fall back on had made James feel restless and distracted a lot of the time. 

For Sirius, it was a way to keep him away from alcohol. He’d experienced a bit of a relapse after his birthday, which all three Marauders had picked up on pretty easily after Sirius tried to slip away almost every evening, falling back into old, bad habits, and nobody wanted a repeat of fifth year Sirius again. Forcing him into waking up early every day was one way to try and solve the problem without directly addressing it; James’ rationale was that if he had something to wake up stupidly early and do every day, there’d be no energy to stay up and drink every night. 

After their run, James would shower, and if there were no morning classes, he’d head to the library after breakfast for a study session with Remus. These were some of his favorite times, to be honest. Remus was an excellent student, as well as a great tutor and friend, content to work alongside James in silence, provide explanations or context for something if the teacher hadn’t outlined it clearly enough, or even to debate and discuss different topics they’d learned in class. They’d set up in a quiet corner, spreading out their books and notes. James found that studying with Remus was productive and almost enjoyable; they had a rhythm, a way of working together that made even the most complex subjects manageable. 

Once classes were over for the day, afternoons and early evenings were dedicated to Head Boy duties with Lily. They shared an office, where he and Lily had developed a good working relationship outside of their personal, romantic one, balancing each other out and getting things done. 

Evenings were for unwinding with friends. Whether it was a casual game of chess with Peter, a heated debate about house-elf rights with some of the sixth and seventh years, or just lounging, listening to music, these moments were precious too. 

This new routine brought James a sense of stability he hadn’t felt in a long time, and each part served a very specific purpose. ​​The morning runs with Sirius kept him physically fit and emotionally grounded. The study sessions with Remus sharpened his mind and bolstered his confidence. The Head duties with Lily gave him a sense of accomplishment and teamwork. And the evenings with friends reminded him that he wasn’t alone.

After spending the beginning of the term retreating into a shell, becoming a shadow of who he used to be, his new routine wasn’t just about getting through the day; it was about reclaiming his life, one step at a time.