James and Regulus had secretly been dating behind everybody’s backs for months,
They had started going out when Regulus confessed his liking towards James back in the winter of his fourth year -James’ fifth. James had been outside in the snow in his big jacket, he was bored and was throwing snowballs trying to hit a nearby tree. He had been watching his friends ice skating on the frozen lake, he couldn’t skate himself and had been rapidly growing bored.
That’s when he had heard a boy whisper his name from behind -Regulus. They had rapidly gotten quite close friends over the month before that, and when Regulus confessed his love for him behind a tree, out of the view of their friends, James couldn’t help but reflect the same love.
Now it was the winter of their fifth and sixth year, almost exactly a year since they started dating, and they were growing rapidly tired of hiding. Regulus had been saving up that entire year to be able to leave Grimmauld place and live with the Potters, and finally had enough money to not need the inheritance that came with being in the Black family.
Regulus and his friends sat close to Snape, where Lily often sat. The Slytherin’s loved Lily, since she often loudly hated James, so her sitting there wasn’t exactly a problem, even though she was a Gryffindor.
That gave James an excuse to often glance over at his boyfriend at the opposite side of the hall, everyone thought he was staring at Lily.
James had stopped asking Lily out when he went out with Regulus, not out of respect, but because he simply lost interest. James became friends with Lily when he came out to her, and she was the only one knowing about his relationship with Regulus. She continued to “hate” him publicly, both to not raise suspicions against her friend, but also for her to be able to continue to sit next to her best friend.
Regulus had been staring weirdly towards James that entire meal, almost anxiously. When the owl’s finally arrived Regulus opened the letter he had gotten, almost immediately flipping the parchment over and writing something on the back. Barty had tried to glance over the parchment but Regulus had tilted it away. When he looked up from the parchment he looked at James with an almost pleading and anxious look, before folding it up into a paper aeroplane and sending it James’ way.
Instead of subtly flying the paper under the tables, he threw it over them, attracting the attention of the other students in the great hall. James jumped up from his seat and catched the paper airplane out of the air. Sirius gave James and Regulus a weird look, and James could see Barty whispering something in Regulus’ ear.
The whole hall started whispering about the two boys.
James opened the letter, tilting it away from the confused sight of his worried friends.
I’m tired of hiding you, we’ve been pushing this up for far too long. I have the money, and if you flip the letter you will realize the little time we have left to act.
I'm sorry for pushing this on you.
/Love, yoursonly, Reggie.
James flipped the letter over and continued reading it with a frown, it was a letter from his parents.
Regulus, you dishonor your family, your name, and everybody around you. You have always been a disgrace, and a foolish second choice of an heir. That is why we have decided you will not come home for Christmas, or ever. We have tried to make you a suitable bearer of the Black name, but you are nothing short of a stupid and foolish slob. You are furthermore disowned from the noble house of the Black, all of your prized possessions are burnt up and your inheritance will no longer belong to you.
/Walburga and Orion Black.
James looked up at Regulus with a sad look, he knew what he had to do, it wasn’t easy but he would do anything for his love. Despite the nerves, James had wanted to share his love with the rest of the world for a long time, though that wouldn’t make anything easier.
James slowly stood up from his place with the Gryffindors, his eyes fixed on the black haired boy at the Slytherin table. His friends tried catching his attention, saying something to him, but he couldn’t hear them from the adrenaline rushing through his ears.
They were really going to do this, they were going to come out to their friends, family and the rest of the school.
James walked towards the Slytherin table, every step seemed to work against him. His knees seemed weak and wobbly, and he felt like dying. Despite thinking that he was walking fairly quickly, the walk towards the other side of the hall felt like an eternity.
He could see Regulus’ sharing the same anxious look on his face, and in no time James had reached the table.
“Are you sure?”
“I have no choice really, I am so sorry for pushing this on you James” he said anxiously.
Everyone stared at them confused, when did Regulus start calling him James?
“You didn’t push anything on me, I’ve been ready for this for a long time, I’ve just waited patiently for you” He smiled.
At those words he grabbed Regulus’ cheek, not hungrily, but softly, lovingly, as if trying not to scare away a sleeping butterfly.
He kissed him. James kissed Regulus in the middle of the Great Hall, and Regulus kissed him back. They kept kissing, not deepening the kiss to a snog in the middle of the great hall, but still kissing deeply.
The only thing breaking the kiss was a loud scream from the Gryffindor table, it was Sirius.
“THAT’S MY BROTHER YOU ASSHOLE” he yelled, standing up from the table.
At those words someone hit James’ thigh from behind, he turned around to spot a slightly wide-eyed Barty. He mumbled the words “run” to them, nudging his head towards the door. They all knew that a pissed Sirius was nothing to play with, but they knew that Remus would eventually calm him down and get him to understand everything, but until then, they needed to run.
James didn’t need another warning, he grabbed Regulus’ hand and ran towards the large door, the other boy stumbling after him.
He felt amazing, he was smiling like a madman, and the cheers and whistling from the tables as they ran away together didn’t help bringing the smile down.
He looked back to spot Regulus sharing the same genuinely happy smile.
He would finally not have to hide his love for his Regulus any longer, he could finally announce his love out loud to the world, and it felt amazing. He was reeling, and he was even more happy that he could share this happiness with the love of his life.