Chapter One
“You bitch!” Remus exclaims, jumping up in his seat to bat a hand at Sirius’ head after he spilled his container of ink on Remus’ paper.
“…would it be sexist for me to take a offense to that? I am a dog now,” Sirius asks, dodging Remus’ hand.
“I’m going to murder you.” Remus says, and James can’t tell if his words or his glare are more dangerous.
“Be gentle with me Moony!”
“You little- c’mere!” Sirius leapt off of the bench and takes off down the aisles of bookshelves, the sound of Remus tackling him to the ground quickly follows, and then the sound of Madam Pince’s voice kicking them out.
“You two!” Pince rounded the corner, her glare almost as sharp as her shoulder pads. “Out!”
“What?! We didn’t even-“ Pete starts,
“Out!”
Pete tried and failed to suppress a groan, before he starts gathering his things.
“You coming?” He nudges James, and nods to his still open textbook and notes.
“Oh yeah, sorry,” he breaks his gaze away from the table at the end of the aisle, where Regulus Black is writing. Peter followed his gaze, before chuckling slightly to himself and closing James’ book and staking his notes for him. “What?”
“Nothing! Nothing..” he looks like he’s about to laugh, but James is too distracted to care.
“I’ll be right back Pete.”
“Sure you will.” James ignores the comment and beelines for where Regulus is sitting by himself.
“Reggie! Hi!” He crouched down by the side of the table and rests his head on his arms. “What are you writing?”
“Nothing of your concern.” He doesn’t so much as spare a glance at James.
“Lemme see!”
“No.”
“..please?” He pleads
“Nope.” Regulus still hasn’t looked at him yet, but his ears are almost as red as the notebook he’s holding- scratch that, there aren’t any lines on the paper -it’s a sketchbook.
“Oh! Your drawing!” He reaches for the book, but regulus is took quick for him. Cursed seeker reflexes.
“I think that’s the most accurate observation you’ve made all year.” He murmured with a glare (probably meant for James) directed into the desk.
“Well that’s quite alright, it’s only the second week anyways,” he flashes a smile at Regulus, who promptly ignores him and returns to his sketch, erasing something. “Cmon Reggie I wanna know!”
“Didn’t Madam Pince kick you out?”
“I-“ he starts.
“Mr Potter!” As if she could tell they were talking about her, she appeared in the archway, this time with a glare *much* sharper than her shoulder pads. “I distinctly remember telling you to leave just a few moments ago.”
“Yes Ma’am, apologies.”
Pince let out a littlehmph! before turning on her heel and retreating back to her desk. “Alright, bye bye Reg-“ Regulus is gone.
“Fucker” he mutters under his breath.
“Potter!” Madam Pince exclaims, pointing at the exit to the library. He stands up and pushes open the double doors. “Detention with Filch today at five.” The door is shut behind him before he can argue.
“Ugh that was horrid” James collapses into the space next to him in the bay window. It’s raining hard out, and Regulus decided to stay in today, instead of his usual spot outside on the field.
Regulus tried his best to ignore him, he really did, but curiosity won over; as always.
“What?” He asked, furrowing his brow.
“I had detention with filch, stuck cleaning cauldrons all afternoon. No thanks to you.” There was no bite in James’ tone, but he did a pretty good impression of Regulus’ glare (if you were half blind, that is). James lays his legs out in front of him, his and Regulus’ intertwine. Regulus’ gaze snaps to the contact, silently willing his face not to show how happy the touch makes him; even if it really means nothing at all.
“Well someone wouldn’t stop harassing me.” He muttered, mimicking James.
“Woah woah, I was not harassing you! It was mere conversation. I’m incapable of annoyance.”
“Uh huh, sure. Because when have you ever bothered anyone in your entire life?” There was so much sarcasm dripping from his words that even James could pick up on it. Probably.
“What ever do you mean?” He leans forward, resting his arms and head on his knees. Regulus gives a very pointed nod to James’ left, where Lily Evan’s is walking with her two other friend to a bench underneath the awning of a different window, despite the rain pouring down outside.
James groaned desperately at this. “I just don’t understand why she doesn’t want me!” He exclaimed, turning back to Regulus, either ignoring or not noticing the icy stare directed at his words.
“Have you ever thought that *maybe* she just likes someone else?” Regulus says, motioning again to the three girls.
“I- what do you mean?” He turns his head again, and answers his own question. Lily is draped across Mary’s lap, their fingers intertwined. “ ..I don’t get it.”
“Of course you don’t.” He gives James a very pointed glance, “you don’t seem to understand anyone’s feelings.” It was a risk to say, he knew that, but there’s no way James could pick up on it.
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Regulus was shaken from his thoughts to a very angry looking James. He wasn’t sure what he had said wrong.
“Uhm, nothing?” He tried.
James paused for a few moments.
“If you’re going to insult me, at least be clear about it.” With that, he got up and left Regulus to his now downward-spiraling thoughts.