Bound By Magic

James and Regulus sat on the couch, the baby nestled peacefully in James’ arms, fast asleep. The flat was eerily quiet now that everyone had left to give them space. James glanced over at Regulus, the weight of the situation hanging between them like unspoken tension.

Regulus, who had been staring at the baby, finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. “I had no idea this would happen. I—I never meant to involve you like this, James. If you don’t want to care for him, you don’t have to.”

James shook his head immediately. “Reg, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. And I want to care for him,” he said softly. “I mean, sure, I didn’t expect to wake up to a baby after my birthday party, but… I’ve always wanted kids.”

Regulus looked at him in surprise. “You did?”

James smiled faintly, his eyes soft as he gazed down at the baby. “Yeah. Always wanted one. My parents struggled for years to have me, and there was always this fear, you know? That I’d have the same trouble someday. But… now I have him.”

Regulus swallowed hard, guilt flickering in his eyes. “I never thought— I mean, I didn’t plan this, James. I swear. I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

James glanced at him and shook his head. “I don’t feel trapped. Sure, it’s not how I pictured things… I always thought I’d get married first, but I love him already. I’m glad to have him.”

James looked up at Regulus with a soft smile. “I know you’re going through a lot, Regulus, figuring things out after your parents…erm, death. If this is too much, you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” Regulus said hastily, cutting James off. “I don’t want to be like my father…” His voice trailed off, haunted by the memories. Distant, forgetful, cold—a ghost in his own son’s life. “I’ve always had this fear of having a child, that I’d be like my parents—never good enough. But… he’s real, James. He’s in your arms, and he’s so small. I can’t even bear to hold him, I’m so scared he’ll get hurt, but nothing would hurt more than not being in his life.”

There was a long pause, tension filling the air between them. Regulus looked torn, his mind racing as he nervously bit his lip. “So… how do we do this? Do we split custody? One week with me, one with you or—” He trailed off, frowning. “That’s going to be hard with a baby.”

James was quiet for a moment, deep in thought, before suddenly looking up, his eyes lighting up with an idea. “Move in with me.”

Regulus blinked, caught completely off guard. “What?”

James nodded toward the hallway. “I’ve got an extra room. The baby can switch between our rooms, or we can make a nursery, and it’ll be easier that way. We can both be here.”

Regulus looked conflicted, a mix of disbelief and hesitation clouding his expression. “But… what happens when one of us gets a partner? It’ll get complicated.”

James shrugged, brushing off the concern. “I don’t have any plans to date right now. Do you? And if it happens, we’ll figure it out. The baby comes first.”

Regulus shifted uncomfortably, his mind swirling at the thought. “No… no plans,” he repeated quietly, almost as if he hadn’t processed James’ words. “James, I—” He paused, glancing down at the baby resting peacefully in James’ arms. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

James frowned, leaning forward slightly. “Why not? It makes sense, doesn’t it? We’d both be here for him, and it’d be easier than switching houses all the time.”

Regulus sighed, adjusting the baby’s blanket, his eyes downcast. “It’s just… there are so many reasons why it’s a terrible idea.”

James tilted his head, waiting for Regulus to explain. “Like what?”

Regulus took a deep breath, clearly grappling with his thoughts. “For starters, you’re used to your own space. You’ve got your life—your friends, your freedom. You don’t need me or a baby intruding on that. I mean, you’ve just turned 21. You should be out there living your life, not stuck in a flat with me and a child.”

James opened his mouth to protest, but Regulus wasn’t finished. “And then there’s me,” Regulus continued, his voice softer. “I’m… complicated, James. You know that. I don’t have many friends for a reason. I’ve spent years cutting myself off from people, and suddenly living with you, with a baby in the mix… it’s a huge shift. I don’t even know if I’d be good at it.”

James softened, but Regulus still looked anxious. “And what about your parents?” Regulus added, glancing up at James. “They love you. They’ve always wanted grandkids, but did you imagine this happening like this? Did you want them finding out that we’re suddenly raising a child together? What are they going to think? What will everyone think? What if they hate me?”

James shook his head, his voice gentle. “Reg, I’m not worried about what anyone else thinks. My parents will understand—trust me. They’ll be thrilled to meet their grandchild, and they won’t care about the rest. Besides, you know they love you. They’ve always been on your side.”

Regulus ran a hand through his hair, still visibly anxious. “But what if it doesn’t work out? What if we fight, or things get awkward? We’re friends, but living together? That’s a whole different dynamic. And what if I mess up with the baby? I don’t even know what I’m doing, James.”

James chuckled softly, giving Regulus a reassuring look. “Neither do I. But we’ll figure it out. Together.”

Regulus stayed quiet, deep in thought. He had never imagined his life turning out this way—always expecting to be alone—and now suddenly, there was this unexpected family, this bond with James. It scared him, but at the same time, there was something comforting about it.

James’ voice broke the silence again, quieter this time. “You don’t have to do this alone, Reg. And I don’t either. Moving in isn’t going to make things worse—it’ll just make it easier for both of us.”

Regulus looked over at James, his defenses wavering. “I don’t want to be a burden,” he whispered.

“You’re not a burden,” James said firmly. “You never were.”

Regulus let out a slow breath, glancing down at the baby sleeping peacefully in James’ arms. Despite everything, there was a strange sense of peace in the idea. Finally, Regulus nodded, still hesitant but accepting. “Alright,” he said softly. “I’ll move in.”

James glanced at the baby nestled in his arms, still fast asleep, before shifting his gaze to Regulus. "If we're going to register him with the Ministry, we need to pick a name," Regulus said, breaking the silence.

"Right, good point!" James grinned. "Any ideas?"

Regulus hesitated for a moment. "I was thinking... maybe a star name? Or a French name, something like my family tradition. But not Orion. Definitely not Orion."

James scrunched up his face, thinking out loud. "Star names, huh? Like, uh... Sirius Junior?" He smirked at the thought, then started rattling off random names. "What about Hercules? Or... Steve?"

Regulus sighed. "Steve is not even remotely an option."

James chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "Alright, alright. What about... Harry?"

The baby stirred and let out a soft giggle at the sound of the name. James' eyes lit up with excitement. "Look, he likes it! Harry! Harry!" He repeated the name, his voice gentle and playful, trying out a French accent just to tease. "‘Arry!"

Regulus stared at him, unimpressed. "Harry? Seriously? That’s terrible. Why on earth would you pick Harry?"

James grinned wider, pointing at the baby’s full head of hair. "I mean, just look at him! He’s got a head full of hair! It makes sense!"

Rolling his eyes, Regulus folded his arms. "That's not how names work, James."

"Come on think about it—Harry James Black-Potter?" James added dramatically, trying to sound official, only for Regulus to shake his head immediately.

"No," Regulus said firmly. "Leo Sirius Potter."

James raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Potter? You don’t want him to have your last name? I mean, we’re not married. I just assumed you’d want—”

Regulus' face flushed bright red, and he quickly shook his head. "I don’t want him to be associated with the Black family. I... I want him to have what I never could. To be a Potter."

James’ teasing expression softened, his heart warming at the vulnerable admission. He looked at Regulus, part of him in awe of the weight behind those words. For a moment, he just stared, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Reg…"

James suddenly grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, you know, we could always get married. Then you’d be a Potter too."

Regulus' eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly. "Don’t joke about that."

"Who's joking?" James replied with a wink, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Regulus just rolled his eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips as the baby giggled again at James' antics, still happily responding to "Harry."

"Traitor"

James glanced at the clock and then at Regulus, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "You know, I was actually supposed to go to a birthday dinner at my parents' later tonight. Perfect timing, right? We can reveal Harry—" he paused as Regulus shot him a look, "— I mean. We can reveal the baby then, and get their advice and help. They'll have loads of baby stuff, I bet."

Regulus shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the baby. "Leo’s going to need food before then, though... We don't have any formula or anything. So unless you plan on conjuring some, we’re going to have to find some soon."

James snapped his fingers. "Mrs. Prewett! My neighbor—she’s got loads of grandkids. I bet she has extra stuff lying around. Hold on." Without waiting for Regulus to respond, he carefully handed the baby over, making sure Regulus had a firm grip, and bolted out the door.

In what seemed like minutes, James was back, grinning ear to ear and carrying a small bag of baby supplies. "Mrs. Prewett came through! She said we’re in luck—her daughter just had another baby, so she has extra formula and a few nappies." He chuckled. "She’s super sweet too, told me we should come by anytime if we need advice."

Regulus raised an eyebrow, looking half-relieved and half-nervous. "How many grandkids does she have?"

James laughed. "Six! Can you imagine?"

Regulus shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips, but his nerves were still visible. His gaze drifted back to the baby. "What if your parents... don’t approve? What if they hate me for this? I mean, I just show up out of nowhere, with a baby, and dump it all on you. They’ll think I’m... irresponsible or—"

"Reg," James interrupted, walking over to sit beside him on the couch, his expression soft. "My parents will love him. And you. I promise. They already think the world of you. And trust me, they’ve wanted a grandkid for ages—they’ll be over the moon."

Regulus swallowed hard, still uncertain. "But what if—"

"No ‘what ifs.’ They’ll adore him, just like I do," James said firmly, his voice filled with reassurance. "And besides, this isn’t all on you. We’re in this together."

Regulus nodded, though the fear hadn’t quite left his eyes. "Together," he echoed quietly, glancing at the sleeping baby in his arms. "I hope you’re right."