Marlene’s breakup
James Potter likes to think that he is successful. He works for Glamour Magazine and writes a column a month about How to attract, How to dress; or such things like How to make Botox last forever.The ones about dressing, and attracting are the easier stuff that he doesn’t mind that much to write. He gets to test out different methods, and experiment with the choices of clothes and what gets more attention and what not.The Botox is not his forte. He doesn’t like to write about such stuff and therefore he doesn’t like his job.
James would like to write about politics, poverty, or religion. He doesn’t want to sit and write for something he doesn’t believe in. That’s why he has taken a chance this month, he’s written about the declining health in the slums of London. That, he believes in and that, he wants to change. It’s with that mindset he picks up his bag and walks to get Sirius and Marlene, his coworkers and his best friends.
James decides to pick up Sirius first because his flat is near, when he gets there he is not surprised to see Remus. Sirius and Remus have been together for ages. But he is surprised to find Marlene there. Even more surprisingly is that she is bawling her eyes out. Marlene never cries. She didn’t even cry when they were four and she fell off her bicycle and scraped her knees.
Remus looks up from where he is sitting on the couch trying to comfort Marlene. James leans a little closer to Sirius to whisper a conversation with the short man with shoulder length black hair.
“What’s going on?” James finds this picture in front of him disturbing.
“She got dumped..” Sirius answers quickly and continues to stare at the crying blonde.
“—Marlene!?”
“Yes, I know…” James couldn’t believe it. Marlene McKinnon crying over getting dumped. She is the one that does the dumping. Some time later Remus seems to have calmed her down enough to get her to put on some shoes.
…
When they finally get to work they’re called in for a monthly meeting. Sirius takes a bite out of his sandwich and helps Marlene fix up her hair. James is just staring and trying to figure out how they know how to help each other without communicating. Sure James and Sirius do that all the time but they’re brothers. They know eachother on another level. Maybe it’s the connection after having known a person for years that makes everyone understand each other.
They head on into the meeting. Their boss Gilderoy Lockheart is sitting down and motions to everyone to take off their shoes and sit. James is quite nervous for this meeting, he’s going to pitch his article about the declining health in the slums.
Gilderoy starts the meeting by discussing the magazine’s new readers and somehow in the middle of the meeting he is talking about his own beauty. James doesn’t get Gilderoy’s attraction to himself. He is very normal looking. An almost crooked nose and perfect white teeth that makes his hair look yellow. He’s clad in dusty blue robe kind of thing, not that James judges him… but he does.
James’s attention is snapped back to the meeting when Sirius hits him on the arm. Everyone’s looking at James.
“I’m sorry—what… are we talking about?” James looks around confused.
“Your new column this month.” Gilderoy says somewhat aggressively.
“Oh, well—I’m working on something new. Quite different from last month's column.”
“Different is good.” Gilderoy looks intrigued.
“It’s about the declining health in the slums of London. It’s something I’m very passionate about and I want t—“ James can’t finish before Gilderoy interrupts.
“That sounds very interesting, but does it have something to do with beauty?” He sounds kind of impatient.
“Well no, but it’s something I’m ver—“ again he doesn’t get to his point.
“That won’t do. Everything Glamour is about is women’s beauty and fashion. You need to write something else.”
Gilderoy continues with the meeting while James tries to think of something else. The talk steers to Marlene who barely can string a sentence together.
“What happened to you?” Someone says but James can’t seem to focus on who said it.
“She got dumped” that voice James registers. It’s Sirius.
“Good McKinnon write about that, it’s interesting and intriguing.” Marlene just shakes her head violently. “Someone else that want to write about her break up?” Gilderoy asks and somebody raises their hand.That gets James out of his mind and he nearly screams no.
“I need something to write about!” Marlene looks furious. “I can write a column on How to… I don't know. Something like 10 mistakes women make when dating.” James gives Marlene a look and she seems to calm down only a little but she won’t have someone that doesn't know her to write about her break up.
Gilderoy looks up.
“Yes, How to lose a guy in 10 days! Perfect! You need to find a guy and test all the different things to drive him away” James had almost forgotten the part where he tests out everything he writes about before writing all his columns. He needs to find a guy.
When the meeting ends James is told to wait. Sirius claps him on the shoulder and Marlene gives him a kiss on the cheek. Gilderoy stands up.
“Why 10 days?” Is James’s first question, he’s curious. James drags a hand through his messy black hair and straightens his glasses.
“Because on day 11 we finalize the magazine before printing.” It is obvious enough but James still wants to write his original planned column.
“What’s in it for me? I mean I can write this article but, I can also write about anything else” James is brave enough to ask. But he knows he won’t get the answer he seeks.
“If you write this article and it’s good, and I mean if you drive this guy away within 10 days. You can write about anything you want.” Gilderoy smiles with his perfectly straight teeth.
James skips out of the office and heads to Sirius and Marlene to start their work day. Behind him Gilderoy also has left the office to go talk to two unknown men. One with very blonde hair and the other with quite greasy black hair. Gilderoy laughs at something the two said and they continue their discussion. Somewhere in the conversation they point at James and he ducks his head to continue his work.
…
Sirius is quite thrilled with finding James a guy. Sirius has dressed up and is beckoning Remus to put on his finest jumper. Marlene has also freshened up and within five minutes they are out the door.
The whole way to the pub Sirius is clinging to Remus, sneaking kisses like they aren’t married. James finds it cute and is very happy for his best friends. James is walking alongside Marlene, who is babbling about the love of her life. James still doesn’t know their name even though Marlene probably has already said it several times. James is very nervous and is slowly starting to dig deeper into the worries.
The pub is quite nice for London. They have internationally chosen a posh pub in the hopes of getting a well traveled and stuck up prick as James’s guy to break up with him. James thinks it’s easier to get to know a guy and never see them again. Sure both James and Sirius are somewhat wealthy but they never show up in the posh parts of London.
Marlene heads to the bar to order cocktails for everyone. Sirius and Remus have taken a small table only for the two to fit in. Sirius seems to have forgotten the excitement of finding James a guy. James and Marlene have to handle the guy situation by themselves.
Marlene points at a guy sitting at the bar. He has a blue button up shirt and is nursing a drink by himself. James gathers his courage and heads to the bar.
The guy is very difficult, he avoids James’s questions and is more often than not looking down at his drink than responding to James’s flirting. James thinks that he isn’t worth it but just as he leaves a woman wraps an arm around the difficult guy. James takes a quick look down at the guy's left hand and sees a ring. James apologizes fast and walks away. He makes eye contact with Marlene and mouths ‘married’, she shakes her head and smiles.
James is on his way back to Marlene when a guy touches his arm. James turns around. To be frank he is the most beautiful guy, no man, James has ever seen. Slender long fingers that are attached to an arm then to a pale beautiful neck that is attached to the most stunning face in existence. Gray eyes, long pale nose, high cheekbones and the most perfect and plump lips…ever. His hair looks silky smooth and James wants to run his fingers in the black curly hair.
“Hey” James breathes out, very airy and James feels his cheeks fill with colour.
“Hi” The stunning man answers very airyly if James has a say. This is James’s chance to get a guy. James gathers his courage.
“James, my name’s” How stupid is he. Quite if he forgets everything when talking to a god.
“I’m Regulus.” The man, Regulus, replies amused looking up and down. Hopefully, James thinks in appreciation. James is going to do it, he's going to get this man to dump him.
“Unattached?” A breathy question.
“Currently.” Gray eyes shining.
“Likewise.”
“Surprising “ Butterflies are flying around James’s stomach.
“Psycho?” Maybe a harsh question but better safe than sorry.
“Rarely. Interested?" Good, Regulus has humour.
“Perhaps.” James also has humour.
“Hungry.”
“Starving.” James says with a smile.
“Leaving?” Regulus leans closer to ask the question and James feels like he is in heaven.
“Now?” It’s the only thing he manages to say. Luckily Regulus nods with a smirk and James says goodbye to Marlene not bothering with Sirius and Remus before heading out with the hottest man in existence.