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Regulus was sitting in the library. He occupied a desk in the back, shielded from view for the most part.
He was working on an essay for Astronomy. He rather liked Astronomy. - Well, he was good at it, and he liked things he was good at. They made him feel accomplished and adequate, Regulus liked that.
Another thing Regulus liked because it made him feel good, was James Potter.
James has been his brother’s best friend for ages. They were basically attached by the hip.
Recently Sirius was attached to a very different hip in a very different way, which led to James having a bit more time on his hands.
James having time on his hands was, generally speaking, not a good thing. The craziest and dumbest things happened around the castle when James Potter got bored.
It happened last summer. The summer between Regulus' 5th and 6th year.
Sirius had basically kidnapped him from home before this. Thus, Regulus had spent the summer at the Potter house - Sirius, however, had not. Sirius had spent half of his summer in Wales with his boyfriend.
Regulus and James had been alone - short of James' parents.
Things just.... spiralled out of control.
There had been a lot of stargazing and late-night talking. A lot of sharing (and over-sharing by Regulus' standards). They had read together in silence, sitting on opposite ends of the couch, feet touching. Regulus had read poetry aloud for James. They had played chess and Muggle games Regulus had never heard of. James had shown him Music he had not been allowed to listen to.
Mostly, James had just been there. He just existed and it was good. With his mess of hair, his dark skin, his silly glasses, his strong arms, his fit body, and his surprising intellect.
Regulus reluctantly had allowed himself to look. Just look. Just acknowledge that he was handsome and a good person and funny, although he would be caught dead before admitting to anyone, he found his pranks funny.
But what he had seen when he looked and looked and stared, was a smile.
James Potter’s smile had the power to disarm even the greatest wizard, Regulus had decided.
Seeing it made him feel warm all over. It made his skin prickle and his knees weak, and it did truly scary things to his heart.
The world was a better place as long as that smile existed.
It had happened over the course of 2 weeks, but it still had felt very sudden.
One day, James was simply his brother's friend, and one morning Regulus woke up, went downstairs, and saw James at the kitchen table smiling at him, and all of a sudden James was the most precious thing in the world, and Regulus would rather drown that let him be unhappy one day of his life.
Oh, how he wanted to resent the man for this.
But he couldn't.
Because then James had kissed him under the stars one night and Regulus realised this was the best thing that would ever happen to him, and he had to hold on to it.
Regulus was completely lost in his thoughts – James wasn't beneficial for his academic achievements – when someone plopped down in the chair next to him.
Regulus knew who it was without even looking. He could feel his proximity. The warmth emanating from him.
"Hey," James whispered.
"Hey."
Regulus looked at him, James was smiling at him, his hair the same mess as ever, his robes a little dishevelled and his eyes were warm and lovely and fixed on him.
Regulus looked around to make sure they were unobserved, then slipped his hand under the table and reached for James' hand.
James smiled.
He squeezed his hand lightly and stroked his thumb over Regulus’ hand. He propped his other arm up on the table, held his head in his palm and just looked at Regulus.
Had it been any other person, it would have been terribly distracting.
But it was James, so if anything, the things in the world and the sky and his books made more sense with him next to him.
"How was your day?" Regulus asked while turning back to his essay.
"It was fine. Yours?"
"Fine," Regulus nodded, suppressing the intense urge to say better now that you are here.
"It's better now that I get to see you," James whispered to him.
Regulus didn't even try to hide his smile anymore. He turned, just so James could see how it made him smile. The thing with James was, Regulus very rarely had to say anything. They had to communicate in silence, often, so no one would notice it. So, James knew everything he had to know just by Regulus' smile and how he squeezed his hand and how his eyes looked back into his.
He wanted to say so many things.
But Regulus generally didn't talk about his feelings or this relationship a lot.
He appreciated all beautiful things in silence. So also, James Potter and the happiness he brought him.
It was good because James was generally a very loud person and somewhere deep inside of him Regulus found the patience to listen to his nonsense for hours.
That was also a thing that made James so very different from anyone else in Regulus’ life. Even after living with Sirius for 16 years, he still couldn't bear his nonsense for longer than 34 consecutive minutes.
It had been Regulus who had insisted on keeping this a secret. Sometimes he regretted it.
There were two main reasons why Regulus thought it better to hide what they had.
First, neither of them knew how Sirius Drama Queen Black would react to his best friend snogging his little brother at any given moment.
Second, and probably more important, Regulus was known as a cold, son of a bitch Slytherin brat. Wizard nobility, closed off, icy, heartless. James was so very warm. He was popular, he was kind, smart, a Quidditch star and all-around simply loved.
Regulus was afraid James' reputation might suffer because of him.
It was a devastating thought.
James denied this possibility, even said he would rather be less loved by some if he got to kiss him in the open in return.
James had this one very neat fantasy of winning a Quidditch game, and Regulus coming out to the pitch and then he would catch him in his arms and twirl him in the air and kiss him in front of everyone.
But Regulus didn't want to be responsible for James' reputation taking a hit.
The boy was so infinitely loved and looked up to. Rows of younger students of all houses looked up to him.
Top student, prank master, Quidditch captain, Head Boy. Friend to Everyone.
He was the kind of guy who would date the Head Girl, marry her right out of school and father a bunch of cute babies with her. They would stay together forever and just love each other and then tell their grandchildren stories of their school years together. Much like James' own parents.
Regulus didn't have a place in this scenario.
And he didn't want to destroy anyone's perception of James.
It wasn't even only because he was a guy himself. It was his house, his family, his reputation - he was so different from James. He never helped anyone out of the goodness of his heart (not officially anyways), and he rather proved his superiority than let anyone else shine and have their moment.
Anyone except James.
The fact that he was a guy made it of course worse. James and he weren't Sirius and Remus. Those two were different. People have been secretly rooting for them all through Hogwarts.
Sirius didn't care what anyone thought. He never asked anyone for approval. He did things demanding respect and acceptance. He strutted into the great hall, holding Lupin by the hand, kissed him, and dared anyone to say anything.
And then he would smile, and Lupin would smile back, and Regulus longed for this openness.
James wasn't the kind of guy anyone would expect or want to get a boyfriend. People wanted to see him with the Head Girl Lily Evans. True, James had been crushing on the girl for years, but he didn't want her now. He wanted Regulus.
Regulus could live with this being a secret, as hard as it was. But he was painfully aware at times that James hated secrecy.
"What are you working on?" James asked.
"Astronomy."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"The quicker I finish this, the quicker I can give you my undivided attention," Regulus said, frowning at a passage in the book he had to read for the third time now (okay, maybe James’ presence was distracting but Regulus certainly didn't mind)
"Okay," James said and took to just looking at him and playing with his hand.
Regulus concentrated on his work, feeling James' warm fingers on his wrist and the back of his hand, tapping, stroking, caressing.
Regulus looked up when James stopped moving.
James was always moving somehow, he was barely able to sit still at any given time, except when he was fixating on something and suddenly couldn't be bothered to acknowledge anything else in the world.
James wasn't looking at him, he was staring straight ahead. Regulus followed his gaze but found nothing noteworthy.
"James?" Regulus asked but didn't get an answer.
James was just staring into nothingness, his eyes looked tired, and he looked a little... sad. No, he barely looked like any emotion. A bit empty, maybe, but it made him look quite sad.
Regulus was confused.
As a rule, James wasn't sad – or empty. He was never anything negative, really. Regulus thought he must be the only negative thing in his life.
"Jaimie?" Regulus whispered and squeezed his hand.
James startled slightly and looked at him blinking. Then he smiled.
It wasn't his smile though.
Regulus knew his smile like the handle of his wand.
This was a dirty imitation of it.
"Don't do that," Regulus said frowning.
"Do what?"
"That," He pointed his quill at James' face.
"What?" James said with a small laugh.
"You looked sad and then you didn't."
"I wasn't sad."
"Don't lie to me."
James fake smiled again – Regulus was appalled.
"I don't know what you mean, I was just lost in thought."
"You don't lie," Regulus said, "Don't start with me now."
"I lie all the time. Every time someone asks me about you."
Regulus removed his quill from James' face, looking at him uncertainly.
"Are you sad because of me?"
"Oh, no, that's not what I meant, Reggie. You make me happy, love, so very happy."
James pulled his hand to his mouth and kissed each finger.
Regulus kept looking at him, determined to figure out what was going on with him.
James sighed against his skin.
"I'm just a bit tired," He said quietly, "exhausted, actually... I didn't have the best day."
"Tell me about it."
"No, it's fine."
"James. Tell me."
James went back to playing with Regulus' hand under the table.
"I don't know. I didn't feel amazing when I got up this morning, to start with. I'm kind of stressed with all the duties and homework, barely got 4 hours of sleep. Then I just couldn't get my potion right today, I don't know what I did wrong – it just refused to work! Then McGonagall gave me my essay back I wrote for her last week – it was bad... Sirius asked me to cover for him while he skipped Magical Creatures to snog Remus – and you know I always do when he asks – but I had to work on my own and it was so exhausting and then that stupid creature bit me... well I'm sure I'll have a laugh about it in a week or two, but I didn't like it when Sirius laughed about it.... then I felt bad because I was angry with Sirius..."
James sighed and looked at him, "I wanted to come see you at Quidditch practice. But Peter asked me to help him with his homework, so I did. By the time I reached the pitch you were gone but a 3rd year girl asked me to help her and her friends practice because they want to join the team by next year and get all the training they can get. So, I helped them. Then I went to supper, Moony and Sirius weren't there, they forgot the time again in the dorm, so I brought them supper upstairs. Which reminds me – I brought you some, too."
He took his bag and pulled out two sandwiches, which he had wrapped up in a newspaper.
"Thank you," Regulus mumbled, he tended to forget time and supper, too, when he was studying.
"You're welcome. Anyways all day all I really wanted to do was to look at you."
Regulus smiled at him, "Well, then you shall do nothing else than looking at me for the rest of the day. And kiss me later if you want to. Would that cheer you up?"
James smiled lovingly at him, "Kissing you always cheers me up."
"James, there you are!" A blond Gryffindor girl skidded to a halt next to them, "I hoped to catch you here. Listen, you know how we have that Charms essay due tomorrow? I'm a little stuck, could you help me?"
The fake smile made a comeback and it mildly infuriated Regulus.
"Sure, Marlene, I-"
"No," Regulus said, "He is helping me at the moment."
The girl, McKinnon Gryffindor-Chaser, looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if she only now noticed him.
"Well? Move along. He doesn't have time for you."
"Regulus," James gasped, sounding quite scandalised.
"James, I really need your help, he can ask his bloody brother to help him."
"Did you stick broom wax into your ears? Look for someone else to help you or solve your own problems. Potter isn't your nanny. He doesn't have time for you right now. Leave."
Marlene glared at him. James looked apologetically at her.
Finally, she turned around and rushed off.
"Regulus," James hissed, "What was that? She is my friend."
"So? You spent the entire day helping people. You're done for today. And McKinnon will only be angry at me not you."
James blinked a few times, "Oh," He whispered, "Thank you."
Regulus closed his book and picked up his things.
"Are you done?"
"No, but we're not going to stay here. Do you have your cloak?"
"Yes."
"Then put it on and follow me."
Though Regulus couldn't see him, he was sure that James followed him out of the library. He noticed McKinnon running back to where they had been sitting as soon as Regulus walked towards the door.
Regulus walked downstairs to the dungeons and said the password in front of the wall, which promptly revealed the Slytherin common room.
"Regulus?" James asked uncertainly.
"Just follow me."
James has never been in the common room before. In fact, Regulus had said time and time again he couldn't and wouldn't sneak him in here.
Regulus led him to his dorm room, which was, luckily, empty.
"You said we can't come here."
"It is our first rule to never bring non-Slytherins in here. It is typically the first rule to be broken, too," Regulus said with a smile while James took off his cloak.
"I imagined it colder," He said thoughtfully, "And darker. Like a dungeon really."
Regulus looked at him confused, "Are you aware of the average wealth of the students in this house? Do you think they'd let us live in squalor?"
"Good point," He looked around in the room, "You don't have windows though."
"Wait this is actually quite nice. I always wanted to show you."
Regulus put his books on the bed and with a flick of his wand pushed the dark green curtains aside.
Beautiful, high windows came into view. One gave them the feeling of looking out from the Astronomy tower. Another one showed the lands like you would see them from Gryffindor tower, one gave a magnificent view over the lake and a fourth one let him look right into the lake.
"Charmed windows," James said with wide eyes.
"Like the ceiling in the great hall," Regulus explained smiling.
"It's beautiful."
James went to the Astronomy tower window. It started to get darker outside. At night they must have a fantastic view of the stars.
"That one is scary, though," He pointed at the lake window.
Regulus chuckled, "We have a real one in the common room. We play with the merfolk and the squid sometimes."
"Your house is so weird," James said in a loving tone, went over to him, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him.
Regulus loved being kissed like this.
James held his face as if he was a precious, fragile thing he wanted to protect with his life. He felt like he was perfectly safe, like James and his hands and his lips were the only things in the world.
When James kissed him like this, he received the gentlest kisses. As if James was afraid, he might break if he put any pressure on him.
James could be the most passionate person, could crowd him against walls, and the bannister of the Astronomy tour, against bookcases and hidden corridors. He would kiss him, snog him and effectively shut up his brain. He could empty out his head with just his hands on his body.
But the gentle kisses, James pecking his lips again and again - they will be his death.
James eventually ran his hands down his body, down his neck and shoulders, pulling on his tie lightly.
"No," Regulus whispered smiling, James made a disappointed noise, "I didn't bring you here to shag. I brought you so you can relax. Catch up on some sleep. Be not bothered by anyone for a few hours."
James smiled and kissed his forehead.
"I... you are so amazing, Reggie."
"Yes, I am," Regulus smiled, "Lie down."
James dropped himself down on the bed.
Regulus sat down next to him and closed the curtains around the bed. Then he took his essay and his quill.
"You're still not done?"
"Almost. Relax."
"Can we snog when you're done?"
"If you're not asleep by then. You seem very tired."
"Yes, I barely slept."
"So you've said."
"I'm so stressed."
Regulus leaned down and kissed the top of his head.
"I didn't sleep well all week. I don't think I will now."
"Just look at me then. That's what you wanted to do."
"Yes, you're so beautiful. I love... looking at you."
James looked up at him conflicted.
"Merlin, do you even know how to relax?" Regulus asked, "You look like you're thinking about something again. Don't do that."
Regulus put one hand into James' hair and started running his hand through his hair and along his scalp in a soothing manner.
He used the other hand to write the last paragraph of his essay.
By the time Regulus was proofreading his work, James was already asleep. Regulus let him sleep.
At night, he took off James' glasses and put them on the bedside table. He changed into his pyjamas and slept next to him.
They hadn't done this since the summer at the Potter house.
James was a cuddler. Always reaching out in his sleep and pulling Regulus closer into his arms.
They woke up pressed against each other. Regulus back against James' front, James’ arm around his waist, legs entangled.
Regulus knew from experience that James was an early riser. But today Regulus woke before him.
He needed about 15 minutes to pull himself away from James without waking him. It was Saturday and as far as he knew, James had no Quidditch practice in the morning, although there was a game tomorrow. It was possible that he was neglecting some Head Boy duties but in Regulus' mind, he deserved it.
James really must have been exhausted, given that he was still sleeping soundly.
Regulus smiled at him and finally climbed out of the bed.
Barty and Evan, his dorm mates, were standing leaned against the wall across from his bed.
"Morning, Reggie," Barty said with a grin, "Have a visitor in there?"
"Don't you even start. Let him alone you two. Leave."
"The others are going to kill you when they find out you snuck someone in. Especially a Gryffindor," Evan said.
"They won't find out if you don't tell them," He said simply, "I go to breakfast and get something for me and James, it would be highly appreciated if you could make yourself scarce."
Evan and Barty looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Sure, whatever. Have fun getting fucked by the lion," Barty winked, "That actually doesn't sound half bad."
Barty and Evan went to the door.
"Getting fucked by a lion doesn't sound bad?"
"Metaphorically. If he fucks like a lion – like a beast. I gotta use that: Baby I'm a snake in the head but a lion in the sheets."
Regulus heard Evan chuckling at that before the door closed behind them.
Regulus got dressed and wrote a quick note for James that he should not move out of the bed and just wait for him.
He was back less than half an hour later.
James was awake when he came. He smiled relieved.
“I was afraid your dormmates might find me before you come back.”
“Don’t worry about it, they said they’d give us the room for a few hours. I brought you breakfast.”
Regulus sat next to James, both leaning against the headboard while eating in content silence.
“I’m skipping Head Boy duties right now,” James mumbled.
“Good. They can do without you for one day. Did you have one day to relax since this year started?”
James snorted, “That sentence from the least relaxed person I know. Remus Lupin seems laid-back next to your schedule. How is it going being on the top of your classes, plus being prefect plus playing Quidditch plus Slug Club?”
“It’s going well, thank you.”
James smiled and kissed his cheek.
“Besides, I have no assignments for Slug Club, it is merely a social club.”
“A social club that takes time with you away from me,” James pouted.
“You’re pouting. James don’t pout.”
James pouted even harder, bringing his face nearer to him.
Regulus frowned at him, then pecked his lips, erasing the pout instantly.
“It would be easier if we were out,” James said almost accomplishing sounding nonchalant, “You could simply take me with you as your date.”
“Didn’t you deny Slughorn’s request to join us for years?”
“Yes, but that was before you were even in the Club and before we were together.”
Regulus smiled at the word together.
“My point still stands; it would be easier to see each other altogether if we were out.”
“We’re doing fine.”
“We could do better. Like, aren’t your friends going to ask questions why they can’t enter their dorm for hours?”
“They know why,” Regulus shrugged.
“They – they know?” James looked at him surprised, “About me?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve told them?”
“Yes.”
James was scooting away from him now. Regulus didn’t like this development.
“Why are you allowed to tell your friends, but I’m not allowed to tell mine?”
“Simple: my brother isn’t part of my friends. Also, they would rather die than tell anyone about me being with a Gryffindor. Sirius would make a scene and spread it through the entire castle.”
James nodded in agreement, “Then let the entire castle know, I don’t care, Reggie.”
James took his hand, “You make me so happy. I am so glad to be with you and I want to boast about what an amazing boyfriend I have.”
“Hardly anyone would think of me as an amazing boyfriend.”
“Okay, fuck what they think then.”
“James, don’t make this harder for me than it is.”
“Now you are pouting.”
Regulus rolled his eyes, “I just don’t want to make any negative impact on your life, your reputation and all that. People perceive you as perfect and a role model – the ultimate balance between good student and fun person.”
“Reggie,” James said sincerely and took his hand, “You could never have a negative impact on my life. As of now, you are the best thing in my life. I don’t care about my reputation; I don’t care about other people’s perception of me-“
“Then why can you never say no?”
James looked at him seemingly confused.
“Sirius asks you to cover for him so he can snog Lupin, you say yes. Pettigrew asks you to do his homework, you say yes. Students ask you to practice with them, you say yes. I bet my wand your essay for McGonagall wasn’t great because you put more work into the assignments of other people than your own. And after all that when you just want to spend time with me, Marlene asks for help, and you say yes. You care what they think of you. You care that they see you as a good friend and a good person.”
James looked away from him and shrugged, “Well, yes… it’s important to me that my friends count on me.”
Regulus sighed
“Jamie,” he said softly, “You are still a good friend and a good person when you say no once in a while.”
He reached out and ran his fingers through James’ hair. James leaned back into his touch.
“I slept calmly for the first time in a long time last night,” James mumbled and lay his head in Regulus’ lap, “You are a wonderful, calming presence in my life. People simply must know. You make me so happy; I want to scream it to the world… and I hate secrets.”
“I know you do. I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t keep secrets from my friends since… ever, really. We blatantly over-share at any given moment.”
Regulus was not surprised.
“And I think, I need you to say no to people for me,” he added in a whisper.
Regulus chuckled, “Gladly. Then I have you all to myself for as long as I want.”
James reached up to him and pulled him down to kiss him.
Suddenly the door was thrown open. James and Regulus pulled away from each other.
“Regulus!”
“Barty!” Regulus hissed, “What?”
Barty was slightly out of breath, he had been running, “Your brother and a bunch of his friends are in front of the common room, insisting that we kidnapped your boyfriend.”
“Fuck, the map,” James muttered.
“The what?”
“Don’t worry about it. What are we going to do now?”
“Nothing, tell them he isn’t here.”
“No, Reggie, they know that I am here,” James said.
“How?”
“Just believe me they do. So, what now?”
“Oh, are we going to get Reggie’s big coming out?” Barty teased.
James stood up, put on his shoes, and pulled his robes straight. He looked scarily determined.
“James, what are you doing?”
“Do you care about being outed?”
“Uhm… no?” he sounded unsure.
“Do you want to be with me?”
“Yes,” this sounded a little surer.
“Then I will fight drama with drama now. Because I also don’t care about people knowing.”
“What?! James, wait!”
James was already half out of the door.
“No, Reggie, I want this. And you want it, too,” he stopped and turned around again, “Do you?”
Regulus bit his bottom lip.
Yes, yes, fucking hell yes! Let me be with you in front of everyone! One part of his brain was screaming. The other, quieter, and usually smarter part was saying: This is going to end badly. Your brother will freak out. His friends will think less of him. Because of you.
“Do you?” Barty asked now, looking way too interested in this relationship he was not part of, he turned to James, “He does. He only told us about you to be able to complain about how unhappy he is with not seeing you often enough.”
“Barty!”
“What? It needed to be said. You’re pathetically in love with him,” Regulus' eyes went wide at those words, and so did James’ “I, personally, am against the entire ordeal. A Gryffindor really, have you no self-respect – that is what I said.”
Regulus and James were just staring at each other, tuning Barty out. Regulus for his part was certain he was in love with James – pathetically in love – but they hadn’t said it yet. James blinked at Regulus, then he smiled wildly and with a new determination made his way to the common room.
“I will bloody murder you,” Regulus hissed at Barty and ran after James.
“I know he is in there!” Sirius's voice was audible before they even reached the common room, “Let him go! Or we will burn your entire fucking dungeon down!”
“For the last fucking time, Black, we did not kidnap Potter! It is quite a brilliant idea though. We will be sure to actually kidnap him once you found him and then we will pop him into the fucking lake and let you look there!” a 7th-year Prefect called Flint was yelling back at him.
Way too many students had their wands out and ready on both sides.
This isn’t good. Regulus thought.
James was now strutting through the common room, parting the group of students like the red sea. Regulus was walking behind him.
“Prongs!” Sirius exclaimed, “I fucking knew it!”
“Nobody kidnapped me,” he said loudly, “I was here on my own accord.”
Fighting drama with drama, great. Regulus thought.
The Slytherins were staring at the Head Boy first in surprise then in anger.
“What the fuck is this Gryffindor doing here? Who let him in?! 7 centuries without a non-Slytherin in the commons! SEVEN CENTURIES!”
At that point Regulus would rather pop James into the lake than tell his housemates he let him in.
“James, what are you doing here! We were worried!” Sirius screamed.
“I was with Regulus!” James grabbed Regulus, who was sort of hiding behind him.
“Black! Did you let him in?”
“He did,” James said proudly, “Because we are Lovers!”
A stunned silence followed.
Regulus opted for hiding his face in his hands.
“What?!” Sirius and half of the Slytherins yelled, Sirius was louder than all of them. His voice was nothing more than an undignified shriek.
“James Potter! You get out of there and you get your ass back to your dorm!” Sirius was screaming now, “And take your hands off my brother!”
“No!”
“That wasn’t a suggestion!”
He sounds like Mother. Regulus thought, No, not Mother, like Mrs Potter.
A mixed group of Slytherins and Gryffindors started pulling James away from Regulus and pushed him out of the common room.
“No! I love him!” Regulus heard James shouting theatrically.
Regulus looked up from his hands to catch James’ gaze. He couldn’t help but smile.
This changed when the common room was closed again and the mass of Slytherins was glaring at him.
“If it helps, he was barely in the common room. Also, honestly, seven centuries is definitely exaggerated.”
“How is that supposed to help?” Flint yelled at him, “You are a disgrace to this house, Black! This isn’t your family! You and your brother can’t just shit all over our reputation!”
“Oh, calm down, Flint,” the Prefect girl said, “Black, this will have consequences. But for fuck’s sake, he did not sneak in a bloody chimaera and let it wrack havoc in the common room.”
James and his friends did that once. It hadn’t been a real chimaera, just a dear dressed up as one. It had been hilarious though.
“It was still awfully irresponsible! Especially that one!”
“The Head Boy, you mean?” Regulus asked, he was tired of this already, “I’ve seen so many students sneak in other people – don’t make me point you out! At least this had been the first time I sneaked him in. So, you can stick your seven centuries up your tight virgin arse.”
Regulus heard Barty and Evan snicker behind him.
“I bet he only seduced you to spy on us! Oi, he surely spied on our Quidditch tactics!”
“I don’t keep the Quidditch tactics in my trousers.”
Barty and Evan laughed louder now; others chimed in.
“Yeah, you jealous, Flint? Potter’s quite fit, you want him to fuck you or why are you so pressed?” Evan asked.
“You want the lion to suck your dick?” Barty yelled; Regulus chuckled.
***
Regulus didn’t see James until supper.
He was escorted into the great hall by Sirius, Remus and Peter, who were shielding him from the Slytherin table.
They made him sit with his back to Regulus, and Peter forcefully turned his face away, whenever he tried to look back at him.
Barty and Evan found this terrible amusing – so did Regulus, to be perfectly honest.
“Looks like your boyfriend got three new babysitters,” Barty commented, “Maybe we should do the same with you. I’m sure Flint would gladly shadow you to make sure you’re not getting dicked down by any lion ever again.”
“I thought you understood that calling him a beast in bed isn’t the insult you thought it was,” Regulus said and winked.
Evan gasped, “Did you just wink? Barty, he just winked!”
“I noticed.”
“It has happened, Potter influenced you! Oi, where is Flint, you need him as bodyguard.”
“Shut up,” Regulus smiled.
“What are you going to do now, though? About your brother trailing your boyfriend like a guard dog?”
“You’ll see, tomorrow is the Quidditch match Gryffindor against Ravenclaw. James is right, you can only fight Sirius Black’s drama with more drama.”
“Wink,” Evan demanded.
Regulus winked.
***
The match against Ravenclaw wasn’t an easy win but a very satisfying one.
After the match, the Gryffindors ran on the pitch to celebrate their team and their captain. They were carrying the seeker on their shoulders.
Regulus came out too.
He walked up to the team, to James, who was surrounded by his team- and housemates.
James caught sight of him. Like a magnet being drawn away from the masses and to him.
Regulus could see how James was trying to get the people away from him – or himself away from the people and to Regulus.
James was so nice, so accommodating and so devastatingly unselfish.
Regulus was the opposite, and he was selfish enough for the two of them.
Regulus pushed the people aside, getting weird looks and shouts until he was in front of James.
“Regulus!” he exclaimed, sounding as happy and relieved as if he had just come back from war alive and well.
Regulus grinned, then he wrapped his arms around James’ neck, James dropped his broom at once and wrapped his arms around Regulus, lifting him up and then he kissed him.
He kissed him on the lips in front of the entire school. He kissed him in front of his friends and his house and his enemies. He kissed him in front of the teachers.
Audible gasping came from around them – mainly from the Ravenclaws, he imagined the news already made the rounds in Gryffindor.
Regulus kept the kiss quite innocent to not scandalise their houses any further.
James was laughing against his lips and finally let him down again after minutes of this.
James was laughing again when he looked into the faces of his team.
“Come on guys, we won the match, party in Gryffindor common room!”
The group around them cheered as if they had already forgotten about their captain kissing the Slytherin.
“Come with us?” James asked Regulus.
“You think they’d let me?”
“I’m Head Boy and Captain. They can bloody well try stopping us.”
Regulus chuckled and kissed him again.
James looked into his eyes afterwards, open and honest and so full of adoration.
"Now, they know. Are you happy?" Regulus whispered.
"Yes. I'm the happiest person alive," he said, “I love you."
“I love you, too.”