Stars
Regulus:
Regulus sat in his dorm room with his friends. Barty, Evan, and Pandora. Dorcas was off with her girlfriend doing heaven knows what so she wasn’t there. Evan laid in his bed with Barty’s head in his lap, he was stroking it, petting Barty like he was a cat. Pandora was in Barty’s unoccupied bed doing some complicated thing with her hair. Regulus sighed, James Potter had flirted with him yesterday and he was still thinking about it. It sure seemed like flirting to him, calling someone ‘love’! How much flirtier can you get? “Why’d we get called in here”, Evan said. Regulus decided just to say it
“Because James Potter called me love yesterday ”. Barty sat up straight, almost hitting Evan’s chin, “What?” Pandora’s eyes turned towards Regulus, “Oh that's amazing. I can’t believe you didn’t tell us before Reg.”
“We’re not dating-”
“Like hell you aren’t”, Barty pumped his fist in the air, “Does this mean we get invites to Gryffindor parties? Please say yes, they have the best drinks there.” Evan whacked Barty in the arm,causing him to clutch it in fake dramatic pain and roll around. “Reg, I think what Barty meant to say”, here Evan looked pointedly at Barty, who instantly stopped fooling about and sat up straight, “Is that we’re very happy for you.” Regulus frowned a little, “We’re not dating. That’s the issue. I was minding my own business, going out to Quidditch practice yesterday evening when I bumped into him. He wouldn’t let me get past him and then he called me love and I managed to get past him”. Barty whistled, “And you’re sure you aren’t dating?” Regulus stared at him with death in his eyes until Barty got the memo, “Ok! No amnesia. You’re not dating.” Regulus fell back, staring up at the ceiling,”He talked to me yesterday morning too. I was leaving the great hall and he saw me and thought ‘That looks like a boy I can have some fun torturing’ Then he came up to me and asked to be my friend.” Evan scoffed, “Why would James Potter want to be your friend?”
“That’s what I’m wondering too!”
Pandora shrugged, “Maybe he just wants more friends.”
Barty, who had settled back into Evans lap, looked at her incredulously, “ James Potter? Quidditch Captain, massive party thrower, part of the Marauders! Are we talking about the same James Potter?” Pandora nodded, “I find sometimes the people who seem like they have the most turn out to be the most lonely” with this she looked at all of them, who shrunk a little. “Besides”, she added with a smile, “He seems nice.” Regulus scoffed, “Maybe he is, but why is he being nice to me? I'm Sirius's little brother, I play on Slytherin, and I’ve been avoiding him.”
“Who knows why”, Evan said, “Do you want to be friends with him”.
“Obviously not, that’s why I’m telling you guys so you tell me how to get him off my back”.
“It’s only been twice Reg, chill out, he’s probably just joking around”, Barty said. Reg started to respond but was stopped by Dorcas striding through the door, Marlene close at her heels. They both sat with Pandora. “So”, Dorcas said with a look at everyone, “What’d we miss?” Pandora spoke first, “Regulus is obsessing over James Potter”. Regulus sat up, “Not obsessing! Just…thinking”. A grin grew across Dorcas’s face, “Does Reggie have a crush?” She leaned forward to try and pinch his cheeks but he swatted her hand away. “It’s not a crush”, he scowled. She sighed with a hand over her heart, “Ah of course. How could I have been so blind? It’s obviously love”. Barty burst out laughing, and Regulus’s scowl grew bigger, “It’s not an obsession and I’m not in love. It’s just… strange. Why would he suddenly be obsessed with trying to become my friend? I’ve never been nice to him, in fact I’ve been pretty rude to him. He’s just messing around and trying to get me to fall for his ‘nice act’”.
Marlene finally piped up, “I’ve known James since we were in diapers and while he might joke a lot he’s not one to pretend to befriend someone then stab them in the back. If anything he’s annoyingly loyal.” After a pause she added, “Even if you’ve been a total bitch to him”. Dorcas whacked her.
“What? I didn’t say any names!” Dorcas sighed but nevertheless kissed her girlfriend. Barty threw a pillow at them, “Hey! No funny business”. Evan looked at him then smirked and tilted Barty’s head up to his, “No funny business huh?” Barty looked at Evan with wide eyes and licked his lips before Evan dropped Barty’s head, “I guess no more kisses for you then”. Barty’s mouth dropped open in shock, “I take it back. All the funny business can ensure. Carry on Meadows, don’t mind me”.
“Well then”.
Evan pulled Barty into a kiss and before too long another pillow was thrown at them. They broke apart and got back to work ‘comforting’ Regulus which mostly consisted of making fun of him being head over heels for Potter, which he wasn’t. He just couldn’t be.
He lay back on his pillows again. Stupid James Potter with his terrible hair that he always felt the need to run his hands through as if he was showing off, his eyes which were brown, but not like a weird sludge, like chocolate. He was always nice to the younger years which was just plain annoying of him. Regulus had seen him helping a group of 2nd years who really ought to have known better out of a trick instead of leaving there, he didn’t even pretend to leave them for a second. He was annoyingly kind. He always smiled at Regulus for some absurd reason and looked nervous- he was like the king of this school. What did he have to be nervous about? He was good looking and all of those stupid girls always wanted him but- oh no. “Fuck”, he said outloud. Pandora looked at him and said in that airy voice of hers, “I think he’s realized”. “Fuuuuck”. “He’s definitely realized”, Barty laughed obnoxiously.
“Shit I like him don’t I? Fuck.”
Pandora patted him on the arm, “Don’t worry love, we’ve all liked a Gryffindor at some point”.
Dorcas raised her hand, “Guilty” and Marlene blushed. Barty looked at her with indignation, “Oi I haven’t”
“I haven’t either”, Evan said trying not to laugh, “I think it’s just you three”. Marlene cleared her throat, “Er four” Dorcas looked at her, “Marlene!”
“We hadn’t even met yet and I had no classes with you, You can’t blame me for liking someone in my house!”
“Who was it, McKinnon?”Barty asked with a mischievous glint in his eye, “I’m betting that one girl, Lily.” Marlene rolled her eyes, “It was Mary for your information”.
“Is she better than me then?”Dorcas asked.
“Well I’m not dating her, am I?“
Regulus made a muffled scream into his pillow. He couldn’t like James. He was gorgeous but no. It just wouldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let it happen. He sat up straight, “I’ve decided I don’t like him. That’s easier”. Pandora looked at him sympathetically, “Reg that’s not how that works. You can’t just decide that you don’t like him”
“I just did”
Pandora sighed, “I give up. Sure, you definitely don’t like him. You wouldn’t want to kiss him and you definitely wouldn’t want to do anything else…” She shot a pointed look at Regulus and he felt his breath catch in his throat, “Ok fine, maybe I like him”. Pandora nodded, “Yes, you most certainly do”. Everyone else nodded in earnest.
“It’s very obvious Reg”
“We’ve known for a while”
“You go on rants when he smiles”
“Or laughs”
“Or anything about his hair”
Regulus buried his head in his pillow and screamed, “Why does it have to be him? Of all the fucking people I could’ve liked- him.”
Later that night, Regulus went up to the Astronomy Tower. He often went there when he needed to think and now he needed it more than ever. He sat down and looked up at the stars and took a deep breath, “Hi Sirius. It’s- uh- it’s been a while. I realized I like James today. I don’t think you would like that but I don’t really care what you think”. He paused, “Actually I do care, I think you know that. I couldn’t say that if you were actually here but right now it’s okay. I don’t think I told you last time about Barty and Evan. They got their shit together finally” Regulus laughed, “You probably know that since they’re not really hiding their relationship. Um- I miss you. I know I say that every time but I mean it more and more. Mom and Dad are still mean. Nothings really changed except we don’t talk about you at all and I’m the heir now. I want to leave so bad Sirius, I-'' Regulus felt his throat choke up and he blinked away the tears that had started to fall. A voice sounded from behind him, making him start. “Hi Regulus”.