"I love you like an alcoholic"
“I can’t be with him! He’s a death eater!” James said as he flopped dramatically onto his bed. Sirius and Remus had just left the dorm room to ‘go for a walk’ which was code for making out in a broom closet because they were making James and Peter uncomfortable so they wouldn’t be back for another hour or two giving James ample time to rant about Regulus for the millionth time that week. It had been a whole week since James and Lily broke up and he still hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to Regulus yet. “Ok, and why does him being a death eater mean you two can’t be together?” Peter asked. “Pete, death eaters are evil, remember.” James said with a confused look on his face. “Ok, but you said yourself that his parents are death eaters too, isn’t it possible that he was forced into it?” Pete suggested. “Huh; I guess I just assumed when Sirius started yelling that it was his choice.” James said. “First of all, you should never believe that something is a big deal just because Sirius thinks it is, that man is the most dramatic person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and second of all, you never thought he was evil before, so why would one little tattoo automatically make him evil?” Peter asked. “Because that tattoo is the dark mark, it shows that he’s a blood purest and that he is potentially a murderer.” James said, sitting up in his bed. “Look, all I’m saying is that you should ask him why he took the dark mark.” Pete said as he grabbed a book from his nightstand and walked out of the room.
James sat in the empty classroom he had asked Regulus to meet him in with a bad feeling in his chest. He had given Marlene a note to give to Dorcas which eventually passed on to Regulus that said “Meet me in the old abandoned classroom at 2 - James”. Suddenly the door creaked open and Regulus walked in, closing the door gently behind him. James stood up and began to walk closer to Regulus. “Stop. The only reason I met you here was to tell you to leave me alone. You don’t just get to decide you want to be in my life again and expect me to go along with it!” Regulus yelled. James stopped walking towards Regulus and opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t find the words to say. “Regulus, I…” James gapped out before Regulus grabbed his tie angrily and pulled James close to him. “James, I love you, but I can’t keep letting you hurt me like this.” Regulus said angrily. “You.. you love me?” James said sakiley. “Merlin, is that all your little pea brain got out of that?” Regulus asked, “Marde, J’adore un idiot.” Regulus said to himself under his breath “Hey, I heard J’adore. That means I love, did you just say you love me?” James asked. “James, listen to me, I don’t want to see you ever again. Have I made myself clear?” Regulus asked. “Yes.” James said simply. “So, can I ask you what I was going to ask you before you started threatening me now?” James asked. “Fine.” Regulus said, letting go of James’s tie.
The pair stood in silence for a moment. “Well, go on, I don't have all day!” Regulus said in an impatient tone. “I wanted to ask you about the mark. When you showed up with it I didn’t really catch the full story since you and Sirius just kind of started screaming at each other in french, and as you’ve seen by the fact I didn’t understand that you were insulting me earlier my french is shit.” James said simply. James’s deminer shifted and Regulus could tell he was nervous, it had never occurred to Regulus that James didn’t understand what was going on that night that he got the dark mark. Regulus inhaled sharply before responding. “My parents forced me to get the mark. They said I would never be able to leave that house ever again, they said I’d never be able to see you or Sirius ever again and I knew that I would rather see you two hate me than not see you at all.” Regulus said in a somber tone.
Suddenly James’s wild thoughts got the better of him and suddenly he pulled Regulus into a giant bear hug. “James!” Regulus protested, trying to wiggle his way out of James’s arms. “I’m so sorry. Me and Sirius both overreacted and we should have given you a chance to explain.” James admitted. Regulus felt a wave of emotion rush over him as a tear streamed down his face.
Regulus wiggled out of James’s arms and pushed the boy away from him. “No! You don’t get to come to me and just be forgiven like that. You can’t take back what you said, you can’t take back the fact that you moved on immediately and started dating her! I will not stand here and let you treat me like shit just for you to waltz back into my life again!” Regulus shouted, as he turned away from James and began walking to the door. “Reggie, wait!” James yelled, stepping closer to Regulus. “This conversation is over James.” Regulus said calmly as he reached for the door knob. “Reggie.” James pleaded as he grabbed Regulus’s wrist and pulled Regulus towards him. Suddenly before James or Regulus could stop to think the boys were lip locked.