Industry, Baby!

The van ride to the studio was filled with the usual chaos. Sirius had claimed the front seat, feet kicked up on the dashboard despite Frank’s repeated warnings. Peter was snacking on something loud and crinkly in the back, while Remus sat with his headphones in, already halfway tuning out the noise. James, however, sat stiffly, fingers tapping against his knee as the city blurred past the window.

“Oi, Prongs,” Sirius called over his shoulder, grinning. “You look like you’re about to be sent to a madhouse.”

James scoffed, shooting him a look. “And you look like you belong there.”

Sirius clutched his chest dramatically. “Ouch. You wound me.”

“Seriously though,” Peter mumbled through a mouthful of crisps, “I don’t get why you’re acting like this. You knew this was happening.”

James exhaled sharply. “Yeah, well, knowing and accepting are two different things.”

Sirius snorted, turning back to fiddle with the radio. “C’mon, it’s just Regulus. What’s he gonna do? Stare you to death?”

James exhaled sharply, choosing to ignore that. He wasn’t about to explain why this was grating on his nerves more than it should. The entire concept of working with The Old Gods—let alone Regulus—was still something he was trying to digest. He wasn’t dreading it, exactly. He was just… not looking forward to it.

Peter, mouth half-full of crisps, muttered, “I don’t know why you’re acting like this. He’s not that bad.”

James shot him a glare. “He is.”

“Yeah, my good old brother can be a bit of a cunt sometimes,” Sirius laughed

Remus, finally pulling out one of his earbuds, raised an eyebrow. “You just don’t like that he’s good at what he does.”

That got James’s attention. “That is not—”

“Oh, it absolutely is,” Remus interrupted, smirking. “He gets under your skin because you actually have to put in effort when he’s around.”

Sirius cackled. “See, now that is true.”

James crossed his arms. “He’s an arrogant git.”

Sirius shrugged. “Takes one to know one, mate.”

James threw a balled-up napkin at him.

Sirius batted his lashes. “Careful, or I’ll have to start thinking you like my little brother.”

James gave him an absolutely disgusted look. “That is a sick thing to say.”

Remus, who had been watching this whole exchange with thinly veiled amusement, leaned over just enough that his shoulder brushed Sirius’s. “You’re enjoying this too much,” he murmured.

Sirius grinned, not bothering to deny it. “And you love that about me.”

Remus didn’t respond, just shook his head with a knowing smile. Sirius’s grin only widened.

The rest of the ride was filled with bickering and Sirius dramatically singing over whatever song came on the radio, eventually getting James to join in despite his mood’s current state. By the time they pulled up in front of the studio, James had managed to push most of his irritation aside. At least, until he stepped inside.

The studio had the usual energy—scattered cables, unfinished coffee cups, and the low hum of someone tuning an instrument. The Old Gods were already there, spread out.

Barty was the first to notice them, nudging Evan with an excited glint in his eyes. Pandora perched on the armrest of a chair, legs crossed, clearly waiting for the entertainment to begin. Dorcas, relaxed as ever, smirked like she knew something the rest of them didn’t.

And then there was Regulus.

Sitting by the keyboard, flipping through sheet music, looking completely unbothered.

James let his gaze linger, then smirked. This was going to be fun.

Sirius, naturally, was the first to break the silence. “Little Reggie,” he drawled, clapping his hands together. “Excited to see your favorite brother?”

Regulus finally glanced up, looking Sirius over with a mixture of irritation and indifference. “Don’t call me that.”

Sirius grinned wider.

James, meanwhile, slung his guitar strap over his shoulder, tilting his head at Regulus. “Looking forward to working with me, Black?”

Regulus gave him an unimpressed stare. “I’d rather be anywhere else.”

James tsked, shaking his head. “Come on, don’t be like that. We’re gonna make magic together.” He paused, letting the words settle before adding with a smirk, “Musically speaking, of course.”

Regulus exhaled sharply through his nose. “You’re insufferable.”

James leaned against an amp, crossing his arms. “And yet, here we are.”

Pandora bit back a laugh. Barty outright grinned. The rest of The Old Gods were watching with fartoo much interest, like this was their own personal reality show.

James strummed a few chords on his guitar. “Alright,” he said, voice smooth with amusement. “Let’s see if you can keep up, yeah?”

Regulus arched an eyebrow. “Try not to embarrass yourself, Potter.”

James smirked. “No promises.”

The room practically buzzed with anticipation as the first notes of the session filled the air. It wasn’t just a collaboration. It was a challenge almost.

– reg’s pov again  –

“Oh for fucks sake,” Regulus muttered as he watched James and Sirius strum their guitars. Remus and Dorcas had taken to try to organise everything. They were trying their best, but it wasn’t working very well.

“Alright, let’s start simple,” James said, picking up his guitar. “We could go with something anthemic—big chorus, something stadium-worthy.”

Regulus, arms crossed, groaned and raised an eyebrow. “Predictable.”

James frowned. “Okay, what do you have, then, if you know so much?”

Regulus sat at the piano and played a dark progression. “Something more subtle. Melodic. Actually interesting.”

James exhaled through his nose. “Yeah, cool, but maybe we want something that people can actually sing along to?”

Regulus narrowed his eyes. “If you think I’m going to put out some generic—”

“‘Generic’?” James scoffed. “Right, because your stuff isn’t completely pretentious?”

Dorcas leaned toward Barty. “Ten minutes in, and they already hate each other.”

Barty smirked. “Beautiful.”

Sirius, meanwhile, looked at Remus. “Do we step in, or…?”

Remus shrugged. “Nah. Let’s give it another five minutes.”

James set his guitar down, giving Regulus a challenging look. “Look, if you have a better idea—”

Regulus rolled his eyes, his hands ghosting over the piano keys. Then, without thinking, he started playing something different. Something sharper, but with more depth.

James blinked.

“…Wait.”

Regulus stopped. “What?”

James grabbed his guitar, playing a counter-melody to Regulus’s progression. “Do that again.”

Regulus hesitated. But then—slowly—he did.

The room went quiet as James and Regulus played—an odd contrast to the bickering from moments ago. The two locked into an unspoken rhythm, James’s guitar weaving through Regulus’s melody like it was meant to be there.

Dorcas nudged Barty. “Are we witnessing a miracle?”

Barty grinned. “Nah, just two egos momentarily aligning.”

Sirius, watching with his arms crossed, muttered, “I don’t like this.”

Remus tilted his head, smirking slightly. “Why? Because they’re not killing each other?”

Sirius frowned. “Because James looks like he’s actually enjoying this.”

James, completely ignoring the commentary, played another variation on Regulus’s melody. He glanced up, eyebrows raised. “Huh. Not bad, baby Black.”

Regulus was going to strangle him with his own guitar strings, he didn’t dignify James with a response. Instead, he adjusted the way he was playing—leaning into the moment, letting the music shift into something neither of them had planned. The tension between them had changed.

Remus, watching closely, chuckled under his breath. “They’re ridiculous.”

Sirius groaned. “Oh, now you see it?”

Peter, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. “So… are we just gonna let them pretend they don’t work well together?”

Pandora grinned. “Obviously.”

James pulled back, fingers slowing on the strings. “Alright, we might actually be onto something here.”

Regulus sat back as well, eyes still sharp but considering. “Shame that it took you this long to keep up.”

James smirked. “See, this is why people don’t like you.”

Regulus rolled his eyes, but he didn’t argue.

Sirius clapped his hands together, breaking the moment. “Great, wonderful, you two have managed to work together for five whole minutes. Can we actually put something down now before you start fighting again?”

“Shut up,” Regulus said, though a small smile was breaking through.

“Right,” Remus clapped his hands together. “James and Regulus, go figure out some lyrics and rhe rest of us, we’ll work on the melody. I have a voice memo of it so we have somethinf to work with,”

“Oh thank god,” Barty groaned.

“Sooo,” James began. “ I was thinking it would be like a cute song. So it would be much more y’know appealing to people.

“Mhm.” Regulus twirled with his hair, James watching him intently. “Stop fucking looking at me,”

“ I’ll stop once we get started,”

“ Okay,” Regulus replied, pulling out his notebook.

“ A notebook?” James questioned, seeming confused. Oh so this was the cherry on top for Regulus, James Potter was a total twat.

“ Yes, Potter, a notebook,”

“ Why don’t you just use notes and well, your phone,” Regulus didnt bother to respond.

“So a cute little song then, that also goes with that melody,”

“Yeah,”

“And we both sing?”

“I mean, if you want. Anything that makes you happy,” James smirked.

“Stop,”

James smirked, leaning back slightly in his chair. “Fine. Let’s hear those lyrical genius thoughts of yours.”

Regulus tapped his pen against his notebook as he thought. “Something cute, you said?”

James nodded. “Yeah. You know, something people can scream in a car at 2 a.m. Something that hits.”

Regulus gave him a flat look. “That’s a bit different from cute, Potter.”

James shrugged. “Alright, fine. Cute but with bite. I don’t do soft, but I can do... fun.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “You are insufferable.”

James grinned. “And yet, here we are.”

Regulus sighed, flipping to a fresh page. “Fine. Let’s start with a theme.”

James propped his chin on his hand, watching Regulus’s pen hover over the paper. “Something about—” He paused, tilting his head. “What if it’s about two people who don’t want to admit they love eachother?”

Regulus stopped writing.

James smirked. “You know, opposites attract, that kind of thing.”

Regulus scowled. “Oh, how lovely.”

James chuckled. “It’s a good idea, though.”

Regulus exhaled through his nose. “Fine. Something biting but catchy.” He tapped his pen. “Lines that feel like they’re mocking but still—”

“Still something people can feel,” James finished.

Regulus glanced up at him, a little surprised.

James simply grinned. “Go on, Regulus. Impress me.”

Regulus rolled his eyes again, but this time, he looked a little less annoyed. Just a little.

And, as he finally started writing, James leaned in closer, pretending not to be watching too intently.

Eventually, they had finished with the song. The process had been suprisingly quick. Somehow they all just, clicked in a way. It was time to record.

The studio was dimly lit, the kind of place where magic was supposed to happen. Supposed to.

At the moment, however, James and Regulus were locked in a silent battle of wills from opposite sides of the recording booth.

“You’re coming in too stiff,” James said, arms crossed as he leaned against the mic stand. “It’s not a school performance, Black.”

Regulus, perched on the piano bench, narrowed his eyes. “And you sound like you’re trying to seduce the entire audience. Maybe tone it down you arse.”

Sirius groaned from the other side of the glass. “Oh my God, this is worse than I thought.”

“Shh,” Dorcas whispered, grinning. “They’re about to kill each other. Let’s see who wins.”

Pandora, lounging across the couch with her feet in Barty’s lap, tilted her head. “I don’t know… This might be the most fun we’ve had in a while.”

Frank, being the sound engineer for the session, looked mildly panicked. “Uh, guys? Can we just—”

James ignored him. “You do realize this song is supposed to sound like actual emotion, right? Not whatever cold, calculated thing you’re doing.”

Regulus exhaled sharply, tilting his head. “And you do realize that not every song needs to be drenched in whatever your thing is?”

“My thing?”

“Yes. Your insufferable, smug, overconfident—”

“Boys. Hurry up and get started,” Remus cut in, voice deceptively calm through the intercom. “Some of us would like to finish recording before we die of old age plus im bloody knackered,”

Regulus huffed but turned back to the piano. James rolled his shoulders, shaking out the irritation, and gestured to Frank. “Just roll it.”

The track started, the melody threading in like a heartbeat.

Regulus sang first, voice low, controlled. built my walls, brick by boring brick… His voice was smooth, steady—but there was something else underneath it, something James had to admit worked perfectly for the song.

James came in after, his voice rougher, pressing against Regulus’s smoother lines like a challenge. You don’t care, you say, but I see through…

Something shifted.

Even through the glass, the rest of the band could tell.

Sirius, who had been aggressively picking at a hangnail, suddenly sat up straighter. His eyes flicked between James and Regulus, brow furrowing.

Remus noticed, lips twitching.

Pandora grinned. “There it is.”

“Uh oh,” Barty muttered. “I think he’s catching on.”

“Not yet,” Dorcas whispered. “Give it another verse.”

James and Regulus continued, something electric threading between their voices, an unspoken push-and-pull in every word. It wasn’t even a conscious thing—they just worked.

By the time they hit the bridge, James had shifted closer to Regulus, their voices tangling together, rising, breaking, pulling back. The way Regulus nearly spat Tell me it’s different, but you never fucking change made James bite back a grin. And when James came in after, smirking as he sang Maybe the fight just leads me to you, he swore he saw Regulus’s fingers stiffen ever so slightly on the piano keys.

By the final chorus, the rest of the band had fully abandoned their pretense of casual listening.

Dorcas and Pandora exchanged wide-eyed looks.

Peter whistled low under his breath.

Barty muttered, “Well, shit.”

Sirius, however, had stopped moving entirely, staring at the booth with an expression that suggested a sudden and unwanted realization was dawning on him.

Remus, beside him, barely held back a smirk.

Frank’s voice crackled through the intercom once the last note faded. “Uh. That was… wow.”

James exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Regulus turned to look at him, unimpressed. “I hate you.”

James just grinned, taking the headphones off. “Yeah, yeah.” He shot Regulus a quick, knowing look. “Sing it again, baby Black?”

“ Just fuck off,” Regulus scoffed, but there was color on his cheeks when he turned away.

From the control room, Sirius made a strangled noise. “I hate this.”

Pandora beamed. “Oh, I love this.”

Remus patted Sirius’s shoulder, looking entirely too amused. “Oh, I know.”