The Start of It
James:
James Potter was decisively a morning person. He loved nothing more than being awake when nobody else was, the feeling of having a time that was just his, no one else’s. When he got up that morning he went on a run to clear his head.
James wasn’t sure why he had agreed to Sirius’s plan. Regulus had never even batted an eye his way, he'd gone out of his way to avoid James after Sirius had run away. Not that James was looking for him. He had just started to pick up on some things. Like what times he would pass Regulus in the hallways from one class to another. It was just to make sure Regulus was alright.
Sirius had told him that people were making fun of Regulus for having a Gryffindor brother and James wanted to be sure no one was hurting him. After Sirius ran away James hardly ever saw him in the hallways. He felt the absence of Regulus when he walked to class. Maybe that was why he agreed. Maybe James hoped that Regulus would stop avoiding him.
James had finished his run by this point and he was heading to The Great Hall for breakfast. None of the other Marauders would be awake at this hour but occasionally he would see one of the girls and chat with them instead.
This morning Marlene was the only other one awake and slowly sipping out of a mug looking tired as could be.
He slid into the seat across from Marlene. When she made no indication that she had seen him he snapped his fingers in her face, “Hello? Earth to Marls.”
She started, “ Huh? Oh sorry, I’m barely awake right now”.
James chuckled, “Yeah I guessed. Why’re you up this early then?”
She groaned and dropped her head into her arms, “Dee wants to do something. Don’t know what it is that we couldn’t do later in the day but whatever.”
Dorcas and Marlene had been together for about seven months now and were disgustingly cute.
They had been partners in Potions and then after a month of them pining for each other but refusing to admit it and everyone else dying, Remus had somehow convinced Marlene to ask Dorcas out, and well, the rest was history.
“Hey Marls”, James thought out loud, “ Dorcas is friends with Regulus right?”
Marlene gave him a weird look as she sipped her drink, “ Yeah she and him are friends. Why?”
James grinned, he might be the smartest man alive. “Because I want to be Regulus’s friend”.
Marlene laughed over her tea before she realized that he wasn’t joking, “ James the man hates you. Remember the last Quidditch game?”
James ran his fingers through his hair, “So? I bet I can win him over.”
Marlene scoffed, “Well don’t get me involved. Regulus just started to warm up to me and I’m not jeopardizing that just because you want to ‘be his friend’.” She put air quotes over the last few words before grabbing some toast and beginning to butter it.
“Please Marls, I need an in. Can’t you just invite me to hang out with them or something?”
“Yeah no. Did you not hear what I said, Regulus barely likes me and if you do something to mess that up for me”, she drew a line across her neck, “You’re dead. Find your own in”.
Dorcas strode up and wrapped her arms around Marlene, kissing her forehead, “What’s James done today, darling.” Marlene melted into her girlfriend's arms with a smile, “Being a prat as usual”
“Ah so nothing out of the ordinary then”
James looked up from the toast he’d been buttering, “Oi! I’m right here” Dorcas pulled back from her girlfriend and put her hand out, “Shall we”. Marlene stood up, “We shall.”
While she walked away, hand in hand with her girlfriend, she blew an air kiss to James who caught it with an eye roll.
James and Marlene had grown up together and even with how annoying she could be they were still close friends.
Suddenly James caught a glimpse of Regulus who had entered the hall and then immediately turned around. He sprung up, his half-buttered toast instantly forgotten, and went after Regulus.
James chased after him and finally caught up, “Regulus, wait up!”
Regulus paused and tensed his shoulders before continuing to walk.
“Hey! Can I talk with you”
Regulus turned around abruptly so that James almost bumped into him, “If I let you say it will you leave?”
James grinned confidently and ran his fingers through his hair, “I want to be friends with you”
Regulus spoke instantly, “That’s easy. No.” Suddenly he turned around and started walking away.
James started walking again trying to catch up and called out to him, “ Why not? I could be a great friend!”
Regulus picked up the pace and continued to walk away, “Piss off, Potter”.
James eventually lost track of him and stood, slightly out of breath, in some random hallway. He felt himself slightly grin. He was winning this bet.