I think this happened a lot between James and Sirius.
James may have liked mischief and getting into trouble, but Sirius could be an outright hazard at times. James and the other Marauders (but mostly James) got a lot of detention, but Sirius held the record for most detentions served in the history of the school..
He got into fist fights and duels with students he didnt get along with in the halls, He’d get caught drinking in the bathroom before class and of course there was what happened with Snape…
I think that James sometimes would watch his best friend’s self destructive and reckless behavior and for a split second sometimes, he would wonder why he bothers to put him back together every time…
But then he’ll see Sirius taking notes in class for Remus after a full moon or staying up til all hours of the night secretly learning healing spells to help Remus the mornings after.
He’ll look over Sirius’ shoulder at the horrible words Walburga had written to her son and see the way Sirius’ eyes shine wetly even as he laughs it off and burns the parchment over the candle hovering over the table. Or the hurt look on Sirius’ face when Regulus finally starts to ignore him when they pass each other in the halls.
He’ll defend Peter when he hears a bunch of girls in the hall mocking him for asking one of their friends on a date, telling them that Peter was a real stand up guy and that their friend wasnt worth half a guy like him. Then he’d take Peter and the map and they’d sneak out into Hogsmeade and come back hours later with their schoolbags full of stolen Firewhiskey.
James knows that Sirius is a mess, but he knows that Sirius is a purely good and loyal person who would die for the people who have shown him the love he never had growing up. He knows that Sirius, although he’s loud and energetic and funny, is fragile and could break easily. James knows that he needs to be there to put Sirius back together and remind him of who he is, not what the Wizarding world expects as a product of the House of Black. James needs to remind him that He is his Family.
Wow okay I didn’t mean to cry when I originally wrote this, this was honestly so beautiful what even. Like I’m crying. Literally. Fuck. My heart. FUKC.