In Vino Veritas

James Potter walked into the Great Hall that morning, his head pounding with the remnants of last night’s chaos. He hoped the commotion of breakfast would drown out the screaming anxiety rattling around in his mind. But, of course, his friends had other ideas. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were already at the Gryffindor table, and the moment James sat down, the teasing began.

“There he is!” Sirius barked, far too loudly for James’ aching head. “Mr. Mysterious, back from his grand adventure in the shadows.” His eyes zeroed in on James’ neck, where the love bites—now painfully obvious—peered out from under his collar. “Or should I say, Mr. Well-Loved?”

James groaned internally. There was no getting around it, not with the dark bruises littering his skin, marks he’d tried and failed to hide that morning. He’d cast a weak Glamour Charm in the dorm, but it hadn’t held up against Sirius’ sharp eyes.

Remus snorted, shaking his head as he passed the pumpkin juice. “You look rough, Prongs. More so than usual after one of our parties.” His tone was casual, but there was a glint of amusement there—he already knew. They all did.

“Yeah,” Peter chimed in, leaning forward. “Not your usual ‘partied too hard’ rough. This is ‘I got thoroughly snogged and shagged’ rough.”

James winced, rubbing the back of his neck. His friends had a way of cutting right through him. “Alright, alright,” he muttered, grabbing a piece of toast and shoving it into his mouth, hoping it would delay any further questioning. “Can we not make a thing out of this?”

Sirius, predictably, was having none of it. “Not make a thing of it?” He raised an eyebrow dramatically. “Mate, who was it? You don’t just disappear for half the night and show up looking like that and expect us to let it slide. We know you. Spill.”

James swallowed hard, his mind flashing back to the party—the dark corner where he and Regulus had collided. His lips tingled at the memory of those stolen, forbidden kisses. It had been reckless, stupid, and yet... thrilling. But the last thing he could do was admit it was Regulus Black, Sirius’ brother.

He shrugged, hoping to play it cool. “It doesn’t matter. It was just a random hookup.”

Peter snickered. “A random hookup leaves you covered in hickeys?”

James forced a laugh, though it felt hollow. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m just that irresistible.”

Sirius leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “So, you’re telling us you just hooked up with some random bird at the party, no strings, no nothing?”

James nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Exactly.”

Remus raised an eyebrow, studying him closely. “And you’re sure you’re not... hiding anything?”

James met his gaze, feeling exposed under Remus’ knowing eyes. “I’m not hiding anything,” he lied, shoving another bite of toast into his mouth. “I just—had a bit too much to drink and things got a little out of hand.”

“Clearly,” Sirius muttered, though the teasing edge in his voice had dulled slightly. “Well, whoever it was, they did a number on you. You look like you’ve been mauled by a lion.”

James shot him a glare, but Sirius just laughed, tossing a piece of bacon onto his plate. “Next time, at least bring her back to Gryffindor Tower, yeah? We missed your sparkling company after you vanished into the night.”

“Yeah,” Peter added, grinning wickedly, “and we’d like to meet whoever’s responsible for turning you into a lovesick puppy.”

James grumbled under his breath, trying to hide his flustered expression as they continued to poke fun at him. He knew they wouldn’t let this go anytime soon. And the worst part? He couldn’t even tell them the truth—that the person responsible for all these marks was Regulus Black.

If Sirius knew, if any of them knew, it would all come crashing down.

Across the Great Hall, Regulus Black walked into the Slytherin table with his usual icy demeanor, though inside he was anything but calm. The moment he sat down, the quiet snickering and side-eyes from his friends told him that they had already noticed the evidence from last night—the love bites creeping up his neck, barely hidden beneath the stiff collar of his robes.

Evan Rosier smirked as he casually reached for a slice of toast. “Well, well, look who’s sporting a new accessory this morning,” he said with a sly grin. His eyes flicked pointedly at Regulus’ neck. “You’ve got everyone talking, you know.”

Regulus stiffened, his hand instinctively brushing against his collar as if he could somehow hide the marks better. “What are you talking about?” he asked, though he knew exactly what Evan meant.

Pandora, sitting beside Evan, gave him a knowing smile, her voice light but with a teasing edge. “Come on, Reg, don’t play dumb. It’s all anyone can talk about this morning—who managed to make the infamous Regulus Black come undone at a party.”

Regulus shot them both a withering glare, though it did little to stop the smirks spreading across their faces. “It’s none of your business,” he said sharply, reaching for his cup of tea. His voice was cold, but his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the handle.

Barty, sitting across from him, leaned in with a wicked grin. “Oh, but it is our business, Reg. You’re practically a legend around here—always so aloof, so untouchable. And then you show up with... that?” He pointed at the dark bruises peeking out from under Regulus’ collar. “We’re dying to know who was able to get past your ice-cold defenses.”

Regulus’ jaw clenched. He didn’t have an answer that wouldn’t expose him, but the last thing he needed was for them to keep digging. “Drop it,” he muttered, his tone brokering no argument.

But Barty wasn’t so easily deterred. “Come on, Reg. We’re your friends. You can trust us. Was it one of the Ravenclaws? Or someone from another house entirely?”

Evan exchanged a glance with Pandora, his expression more curious than malicious. “You don’t have to tell us,” he said, his voice gentler than Barty’s. “But... you should know people are talking. Whatever happened last night—it didn’t go unnoticed.”

Regulus’ stomach twisted at the thought of more people whispering behind his back. He didn’t need this. Not now. Not when everything was so... precarious. He could still taste James on his lips, could still feel the weight of the moment they shared, but it wasn’t something he could ever admit. Not to himself. And certainly not to his friends.

Pandora seemed to sense his unease and leaned in slightly. “Don’t worry, Reg. We won’t push. Just... be careful. People will say whatever they want, but you don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

Regulus shot her a grateful, if fleeting, glance. He appreciated Pandora’s understanding, even if she didn’t know the full truth. But Evan and Barty... they weren’t going to let this go so easily.

“So you’re really not going to tell us?” Barty asked, his smirk still firmly in place, though there was genuine curiosity beneath it.

Regulus met his gaze head-on, his expression hardening. “No,” he said simply. “And if you’re smart, you won’t ask again.”

The table fell into a tense silence as Regulus turned back to his breakfast, ignoring the stares burning into him from all sides. He could feel Evan’s eyes on him, and Pandora’s quiet sympathy, but he kept his head down, pretending none of it mattered.

But inside, he was anything but calm.

Sirius Black sat at the Gryffindor table, his attention drifting between his friends and the ongoing chaos in the Great Hall. He was still teasing James about his mysterious hookup when something across the room caught his eye.

Regulus was seated at the Slytherin table, his usual composed demeanor slightly frayed as he engaged in conversation with Evan, Pandora, and Barty. But it wasn’t their chatter that drew Sirius’ focus—it was the way Regulus tugged at the collar of his robe, his fingers brushing nervously against his neck.

Sirius squinted, his heart dropping as he caught sight of the unmistakable love bites peeking out from beneath the fabric. They stood out starkly against Regulus’ pale skin, dark and angry against the backdrop of his pristine robes. A chill ran down Sirius' spine.

“Oi!” he exclaimed, interrupting the flow of conversation at the Gryffindor table. His voice was louder than intended, drawing the attention of James, Remus, and Peter, who all turned to look at him, bewildered. “Do you lot see that?”

“See what?” James asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone.

Sirius pointed dramatically across the hall, his voice dropping to a whisper, tinged with urgency. “Regulus! He’s got bloody love bites!”

The reaction was instantaneous. James’ eyes widened, and Remus leaned in closer, curiosity piqued. Peter’s mouth fell open in shock, still chewing on a mouthful of toast.

“Wait, what?” James whispered, suddenly wide-eyed and alert. “Are you serious?”

“Look!” Sirius insisted, his gaze locked on his brother. Regulus was now attempting to eat his breakfast, clearly unaware of the impending storm brewing on the Gryffindor side. “Someone’s deflowered my baby brother!”

James looked back at Sirius, then quickly shifted his focus to Regulus, squinting to confirm the sight. The bite marks were definitely there, stark and undeniable. He felt a rush of anxiety and something else—protection? “But who...?” he started, his mind racing.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to kill them!” Sirius hissed, a fierce protectiveness rising within him. “Regulus is barely fifteen! He’s too young for this!”

“Pads, he’s sixteen,” Remus corrected gently, trying to ground Sirius before he launched into a full-blown freak-out. “He can handle himself.”

Sirius shook his head vigorously, eyes still glued to his brother. “That’s not the point! He’s my little brother! He shouldn’t be out there getting... getting—” He struggled to find the right words, the reality of it hitting him harder than expected. “Deflowered by some random—”

“It’s not a random, Sirius,” James interrupted, a knot tightening in his stomach. “It could be someone from our year or even—”

“No, no, no!” Sirius said, panic rising in his voice. “If he’s with someone from our year, they could be taking advantage of him! I can’t believe this—he’s so innocent! What the hell is going on?”

“Calm down, Pads,” Remus urged, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world. Maybe it was just a fling. You know how parties go.”

“But it’s Regulus!” Sirius nearly shouted, leaning across the table, his frustration palpable. “I’ve spent my whole life keeping him safe, and now he’s out there doing... this? I can’t just sit here!”

Before he could spiral further, James grabbed Sirius by the arm. “Sirius, listen. You need to approach this carefully. If you freak out in front of him, it could just push him away more. We need to talk to him when he’s alone, away from all of this.”

Sirius nodded reluctantly, but the anger and protectiveness simmering beneath the surface were still very much alive. “Fine. But the moment he gets within reach, I’m going to have a serious chat with him.” He glanced back at Regulus, who was now caught in the middle of laughter with his friends, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in the Gryffindor section.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” James replied, watching Sirius. “Just don’t scare him off.”

“Scare him off?” Sirius scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “I’m going to kill whoever did this to him.” sirius said not actually planning to say anything but still.

The gossip surrounding the party was far from limited to just Gryffindor and Slytherin. Across the tables, students from all houses were buzzing with speculation, some more outlandish than others.

In Gryffindor, a group of sixth-year girls were chattering animatedly about the various romantic entanglements from the night before. “Did you see the way Marlene was all over that Hufflepuff?” one of them giggled. “I swear, by the end of the night, she could barely walk.”

Another girl, her eyes glinting with excitement, chimed in. “What about Potter, though? He totally disappeared after the first few rounds of drinks. I wonder who he snuck off with. I heard he’s been eyeing some Ravenclaw girl.”

“Please,” a third girl scoffed. “Potter’s always chasing someone. Probably just another one-night stand.”

Meanwhile, over at the Slytherin table, a similar conversation was unfolding among the older students. “I heard Black didn’t come back until this morning,” a seventh-year boy remarked to his friends. “And he looked... well, different.”

“What do you mean, different?” another boy asked, intrigued.

“Like he’d been thoroughly... entertained,” the first boy replied with a smirk. “He wasn’t the only one, though. I’ve heard there were a few surprise pairings last night. Makes you wonder who’s been sneaking around.”

The murmurs of gossip rippled across the hall, interwoven with speculation and half-truths. For both James and Regulus, the party had left its mark—quite literally—and the whispers only served as a reminder of how easily secrets could slip through the cracks.

As the morning wore on, the Great Hall buzzed with chatter, students still reveling in the afterglow of the wild party. But for James and Regulus, every word felt like a ticking clock, each conversation a reminder of how much they had to lose if the truth ever came out.

They might have been sitting at separate tables, surrounded by different people, but in that moment, they were bound by the same fear. Neither of them wanted to face what had happened—or what it meant—but the morning after was a stark reminder that nothing stayed hidden forever at Hogwarts.