James
September 1st 1972
Wow.
James was staring, but he couldn’t help it. He had never thought he would see someone as beautiful as Lilly, he had spent the past year professing his love to her, but here in front of him…
Wow.
James knew Sirius was talking, but for the first time ever, he wasn’t listening. James already knew everything there was to know about Regulus of course. Sirius had talked non stop about the younger boy the last year. But Sirius had never mentioned how adorable Regulus was.
Regulus had the softest looking curls ever framing his dark face. James wanted to reach out and touch them. To sink his hands into them.
He gives Regulus his best smile, trying to put the boy to ease. He looks downright horrified, reaching up and touching those soft curls with his hands. James runs a hand through his own curls, which were messy and all over the place, completely different to prim Regulus.
“Hi. I’m James. You must be Regulus…?” James eyes flick between the two brothers. They looked eerily alike. All high cheekbones and dark hair. Though Sirius stands slightly taller than Regulus. James towers over them both. He’s tall for his age, but not as tall as Remus who was definitely the tallest out of their little gang.
“Yes.” Regulus replies to James, his voice curt and slightly cold. He straightens his back and pushes his shoulders back, raising his chin in an adorable manner.
James immediately recognises it. It was what Sirius had done too last year, to make him seem more impressive. James had thought he was rather like a bird then, puffing himself up to intimidate others. Regulus was just the same of course, but unlike with Sirius James felt a fluttering in his stomach at the sight.
“Smile, petit!” Sirius says with an eye roll, looking at his younger brother with so much affection. He pushes Regulus slightly, and Regulus responds by sticking his tongue out at him.
“Petit?” James asked, tilting his head to the side. He knew Sirius spoke French. Whenever Sirius spoke French by accident, James would speak Spanish back to him to remind Sirius that he was speaking a language James couldn’t understand.
“It means small in French!” Sirius says, giving James his mischievous grin. “Reg is tiny, so he’s petit.”
“Oh, ok.” James gives a boyish wink to Regulus, before saying to him. “Petit.”
“Don’t call me that.” Regulus snaps at James, scowling at him. How could Regulus still look so adorable with a scowl on his face? As if he was a hedgehog in a ball.
“Right, sorry…” James mumbled. He desperately wanted Regulus to like him. Sirius had basically spent the entire of last year boasting about his younger brother, so James had to make a good impression.
He straightens his glasses on his nose so he could look at Regulus clearer. Regulus was scowling back up at him, still all puffed out. James cracks a grin, it’s the boy's natural instinct. Smile. He’s always smiling. His parents think he’s a complete ball of sunshine, hence the necklace he wears with a gold sun on it.
“How was your summer, Jamie?” Sirius asks, flinging an arm over James shoulder.
“Alright. I’ll tell you about it later. C’mon, we should go get a compartment. Where’d Remus go?” James, being the tallest, stands on tip toe to try and see through the crowd. Boarding the Hogwarts express hadn’t been a great experience last year. It meant he had to say goodbye to his parents and deal with all of this.
“He’s over by his -” James begins, but Sirius has left his side.
James' parents had just arrived, and Sirius had left James' side to go stand protectively in front of Regulus. James knew about their history with their own parents, but Ephumia and Fleamont Potter were not like the Blacks. They knew all about Sirus of course. Of all the friends he had made, Sirius was the one he had never shut up about.
Sirius had declined all invitations James had made to him, offering him to come for the holidays. But Sirius had insisted on going back to Regulus, telling James quite firmly nothing came before his younger brother.
“Sirius, it’s ok. These are my parents.” James explains gesturing at Ephumia and Fleamont.
“Hello dear. You must be Sirius. James has talked so much about you.” His mum says first, stepping forward. She opens her arms, offering a hug to Sirius. Sirius eyes her with apprehension, but Regulus' small hands push him forward into his embrace.
James watches as Sirius reluctantly hugs her back, watching him glance at his younger brother. Regulus gives a smile and a small thumbs up to him.
“How are you son?” Fleamont asks, clapping James on the back in greeting.
James looks up at his father, pushing his glasses further up his nose again. “Hi dad. Uh, I’m alright. We were about to find a compartment.”
“Oh yeah did you find Remus?” Sirius asks, appearing at James side once more.
“Yeah, I did. Peters probably running Late but he should be here soon.” James replies, looking at his mother and Regulus. Regulus was hugging her, and his mum was whispering soft words into his ear. He catches Sirius staring at Regulus, looking ready to pounce to protect his baby brother.
“Ok. Well, let’s go get a compartment. Then…” Sirius trails off, not resuming talking until Regulus has come back to him. “Then, we’re back off to Hogwarts! Second year James! First year for Reggie!”
James gives a loud whoop, which attracts some attention and stares. But James couldn’t care less. As much as he hated being away from his parents, he loved Hogwarts and all his friends. Him and Sirius high five, but Regulus tugging on Sirius' sleeve distracts him. Regulus came before everything for Sirius, James had to get used to that.