Rotten To The Core

It was their second day at Udiria. Classes had just finished for the day and Regulus wanted to see what the school's library had to offer so he went over with Remus to have a look. Regulus had always liked reading. There hadn’t been many books he could read on the Isle and he was honestly surprised he hadn’t checked out the school library already. Remus liked to read as well, not as much as Regulus but he enjoyed it nonetheless. While they walked, Regulus decided to tell Remus what had happened with James the day before. 

“Hey Remus? I don’t usually talk about stuff like this but something happened yesterday and I want you to know about it before anyone else.”

“What’s up?” Remus asked, he seemed confused and almost scared with the way Regulus started the conversation, but tried to hide it so as to not make Regulus more nervous to talk about it. Regulus was thankful for that, even though he could see right through it.

“Ok so, yesterday I saw James while you were all out and at first we were just talking about how my first day had been and stuff but then it got kinda deep. Like I started saying how I could see whatever he was feeling because he was really bad at hiding it and he asked what I could see then and he was looking..” Regulus paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to say that James was practically looking at his dick. “Down there” Remus tried to hold in a laugh but failed.

“I’m sorry, he what? Oh that’s brilliant, anyway, you were saying?” He said, still laughing a bit but trying to stop for Regulus’ sake. 

“Anyways, after I told him to look up he said he could see what was in me and then he paused and I got kinda scared but then he just said my flies were down,” Remus laughed again, not even trying to hide it that time. “And I got really embarrassed and it was so bad and he was just laughing but not in a cruel way but in like a jokey way. Then I started laughing too! I never usually react like that when I’ve just met someone but with James it just felt, I don’t know, natural I guess? We carried on talking a bit and then I said ‘Careful James, you might start actually liking me’ and he said ‘who says I don’t already?’ and then just left! I had no idea what to do and when he left I just kind of sat on my bed in silence.” When Regulus finished he realised that they had stopped walking now and were just standing in the middle of the corridor. He took a deep breath, then finished with “Remus, I don’t know what to do.”

Remus just stood there not saying anything for at least a minute. Then he finally spoke.

“Wow. I have to say I wasn’t expecting that. To be honest though, there are only two things you can really do here. Either forget it ever happened and do nothing about it, or ask him out because it's obvious you like him”

“I don’t like him! I don’t think. Do I? Oh my god do I like James? Remus what do I do?”

“Woah woah calm down mate, if you’re that confused then just let things play out how they will.” He stopped for a second, looking just behind Regulus. “But if you’re going to do anything now’s the time” Then he nodded in the direction he was looking and Regulus turned around to see James walking towards them. Shit. He shot Remus a look of panic as James got closer and eventually got to them. 

“Hey guys! What’re you doing?” He asked.

“I was just walking Regulus down to the Library but there’s actually some stuff I have to do so would you mind taking him?” Remus said. Regulus shot him another look, this one more on the murderous side, to which Remus just shrugged as if it was out of his hands.

“Yeah sure! See you later Remus” James said. Remus nodded in response, then smiled at Regulus and walked away. Regulus couldn’t back out now. 

“So you wanted to go to the Library? I’m going that way so it’s perfect!” 

“Yeah, we don’t really have much reading material on the Isle so I want to make the most of what there is here.” Regulus replied.

“Oh shit yeah I didn’t even think about that. Oh before we go,” James started, “are your flies down this time?” Regulus sighed before checking. Thank god they were, he didn’t think he could handle three times in a row. Two was more than enough. James laughed then started walking. At first they went in silence but James obviously didn’t like it so he tried starting a conversation. 

“What kind of books do you like reading?”

“Anything I can find really,” Regulus said. “I’ve read a few random ones so I don’t really know what I like but I’ll take anything really.” James just nodded, then there was silence again. Regulus was happy in the silence, it meant he didn’t have to worry about embarrassing himself any more than he already had, but James started talking again. 

“You know, you’re not what I expected you’d be.”

“Excuse me?” Regulus didn’t know whether to be offended, or flattered that James had thought about him.

“I mean, I’ve been friends with Sirius since we were eleven, you know, since he came over here,” James stopped for a moment as if to see if Regulus was ok with the conversation topic. It caught him off guard a bit but he was really good at hiding his feelings when it came to Sirius so he let James carry on. “And he’s like, the complete opposite of you. He’s always talking, he’s very loud,” Regulus laughed at that. “And he just overall acts completely different to you. I guess I just thought you two would be really similar but I stand corrected.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely not like Sirius.” I wouldn’t leave my brother in an abusive household alone for four years he thought, but decided not to say. 

“It’s kind of refreshing, having people so different in my life.”

“Yeah, I get that. I mean I’ve got Remus and Marlene and Mary, but then I’ve also got you.” James smiled at Regulus when he said that, then turned to look at the room they had just stopped outside.

“Well, this is the library.” He said. “Did you need help finding anything or will you be ok?”

“I think I’ll be fine, I mean they’re just books.” Regulus said. James gasped then said in a hushed tone, 

“Don’t let them hear that, they’ll have your head” Regulus laughed and James laughed and for a moment nothing else mattered. Then James checked his watch, cursing. “Shit I’m almost late for a meeting, I’ve gotta go but I’ll see you later! Bye Reg!” He said as he ran off down the corridor, leaving Regulus stood outside the Library. He was so distracted that he didn’t even realise James had called him Reg. Or that the Library was closed.