Chapter 15
James’ head is beating itself with a club as he slowly moves his weak muscles. Feeling hard concrete underneath him, his eyes flutter open. He scans his surroundings, eyes darting all around; people have gathered in a circle around him. What the fuck just happened?
“Everyone leave him alone, surely you’ve got better things to do with your time than look at someone who clearly needs help and do nothing!” A deep voice bellows from the crowd.
People begin to disperse, some returning to what they were doing before, some moving just a little bit so that they can still see what was going on.
Another voice says, “Honestly, it’s like they’ve never seen someone pass out before.”
A man with brown hair and some stubble crouches down to James, “How are you feeling?”
“Um...” James croaks.
“Confused?” A woman, this time, says.
James nods, unable to form words.
“Here,” she says, handing him a water bottle which James gratefully accepts.
“I’m Frank, and this is my girlfriend Alice,” the man explains. “What’s your name?”
“James,” he manages to reply.
“It’s lovely to meet you, James,” Alice says with a smile.
After James drinks some more water, Frank asks, “Do you think you can stand up?”
James pushes himself up off the ground, his body pleading with him to sit back down. The couple lead him to a nearby bench, sitting down on either side of him.
“You don’t have to stay,” James mumbles.
“Nonsense,” Alice says, “we’re staying until we know you are okay.”
James smiles, glad he’s not alone. At that, he hears his name being called from a few feet away. Marlene is walking towards him, arm linked with Dorcas.
“Are you okay?” She asks, and James nods.
“Are you two friends?” Frank asks.
“Yes,” Marlene answers, “and you two?”
“We just met. James passed out.”
“What?”
“I’m fine,” James says.
“And I’m the Prime Minister,” Marlene says sarcastically.
“Come on, James,” Dorcas speaks this time, “let’s get you back to your dorm, yeah?”
James thanks Frank and Alice for helping him, thinking they are a really nice couple, and even better people. He sincerely hopes that he will see them again. Thank them properly. Then, the three of them slowly make their way back to his dorm. Thankfully, they don’t ask him many questions.
***
James wants nothing more than to just lay down in bed for the rest of the day when his door swings open. Sirius, however, has other plans.
“You passed out!” He screams.
“Jesus, Sirius. Let him get through the door first,” Dorcas says.
James looks at Marlene, who mouths “sorry”. He knows she isn’t. She closes the door, shutting the two boys in their shared dorm.
James says, “I’m fine, Padfoot,” as he sits on his bed. “You don’t need to worry.”
“Of course, I need to worry, you’re not taking care of yourself!”
“I am,” James says defensively.
“When was the last time you ate?” Sirius asks.
“This morning,” James lies.
“Liar.”
“How would you know?”
Sighing, Sirius says, “I just want to help you.”
“I know.”
“So let me help.”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” James whispers. “I don’t even really know what’s going on with me.”
“Fine, if you're not gonna talk to me, at least talk to your boyfriend,” Sirius says, admitting defeat. “He really fucking likes you, James.”
“He- you talked to him?”
“Yeah,” Sirius exhales. “What I want to know is why you like him? Obviously, I love him, he’s my brother. But he's so cold and distant. He’s like the complete opposite of you.”
“Cold and distant? Nah, he’s like the sweetest person I've ever met.”
“My brother? Sweet? Never.”
“He asked me to dance to Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted” on our first date.”
“Really? Who knew my little brother could be such a romantic?”
They laugh.
“You know, if you two get married, we’ll be brothers. Legally,” Sirius says.
“Oh my Goodness, you’re planning our wedding already?”
Regulus was fucking right.
“Just know that if you hurt my baby brother, I will kill you.”
James bursts into laughter, “No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will!”
“You love me too much to hurt me.”
“I also love Reggie,” Sirius replies.
“Well, I have no intentions whatsoever of hurting Regulus. I lov-”
Oh. He loves Regulus. James is in love with Regulus.
“I love him,” James finishes, looking up from where he was staring at the floor to find Sirius smiling softly at him.
“James?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll talk to him, won’t you? Please.”
“I will,” James replies. And he truly means it.