A whole new perspective
The boy jumped quickly onto the train just dragging his best friend behind him. The sweet smell of old parchment, new clothes and sweets filled the thick smoky air.
"Slow down Prongs, we almost bumped into about 10 people" Sirius black laughed.
"I know black but this is our sixth year, we have to make the most of it. Only two years left we have to get planning for our next big prank, "James said, swiping a lock of his deep brown hair away from his all consuming grin.
The two boys scanned each compartment until they saw a lanky boy with fluffy brown hair and three deep scars across his face, sitting next to a rather large boy with a mousey look indulging in a box of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans. James swung open the door and sat down opposite the other two Padfoot laying next to him, head leaning against his shoulder.
"Hello lads" James beamed
Remus lupin looked up from his book and gave a nod of recognition. Peter, however trying to respond to his friend quickly, ended up choking on the mass of beans in his mouth, resulting in a rather long coughing fit.
"He.... hello James" he eventually coughed out. James swatted Sirius over the head with his hand causing the boy to stop his fit of laughter in a second.
"Moony shouldn't you be patrolling with Evans" Padfoot said obviously trying to change James's focus.
"Nah I'm sure she can deal without me" Remus said again looking up from his aged book.
"Speaking of Evans" James said causing Remus and Sirius to sigh
"What I know this is the year I can feel it in my bones," James said with a huge smile creeping across his face.
James didn't know why he still said this every year. He knew that he and lily Evans were hardly even friends and to be honest he barely felt anything for her. I mean she was pretty of course but the lust he ones had for her had dwindled.
"I'll believe it when I see it " Sirius scoffed, snapping prongs back into reality.
Lily Evans herself slid open the compartment making Peter let out a little squeak.
She looked straight at moony "Remus I would really appreciate it if you did your duties with me"
"Look Evans I would but Snivilies hanging around and I don't trust myself not to hex him" Remus said with a genuine sigh.
"I don't see why you can't just deal with him" Remus and Sirius shared a look to which lily responded "Remus he only told me no one else I can be trusted can't I"
Remus Lupin didn't mind that Lily had found out about his 'furry little problem' it was more that Snape himself knew thanks to one Mr black.
"Alright I'm coming" Mooney said standing up clearly wincing due to his new fresh wounds.
"Yeh moony best get Evans out of here I think James is drooling" Sirius let out with a yawn.
James in fact had not paid Lily even the slightest bit of attention and had been purely trying to figure out their next prank but propped up and declared "i will have you one day Evans".
He had decided that dung bombs were a great way to start off the term and slipped out the compartment to go looking for one seventh year he was sure would have some. He wandered down the polished metal corridor nearly bumping into the trolly witch in his haste.
"Potter" a second year admirer called waving.
"BANG" James had bumped straight into someone.
"Watch it you mudbloo...oh it's you Potter '' Regulus black grimaced.
James looked him up and down the boy nearly a splitting image of his older brother. James' heart gave an odd flutter when he took in regulus's full person; he was so delicate and refined and yet had a superior glare. The glare of those brilliant blue eyes shining like a cave of sapphire.
"hay Reggie" James smiled " you know how I feel about you using that language" he said in a sarcastic motherly tone which took even him by surprise as James knew Regulus's mother was perfectly fine with saying 'mood blood'.
"piss off potter its none of your business what I say."
"oh but my dear Reg, it is your brother may have given up on refining you to our ways but I haven't" James said with a small smirk and a wink.
***Regulus internal monolog***
Why couldn't James potter leave him alone. he knew his duties and this was not one of them although he yearend for the fun his dear brother got to have, he knew as the now future heir of the house of black such things were strictly forbidden. especially having gay feelings towards one James Flemont Potter who although pureblood had about as much political stance as a mood blood due to his blood traitor status. But that word 'gay', could regulus be he felt something for this tall, dark, handsome man in front of him that he had never felt for any girl. Still its not like they ever spoke it was better to dream off from afar then act on anything. Wait, dream Regulus Arcturus Black did not do that no way.
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James tapped his shoulder as if to say 'can I get passed now'. Snapping Regulus out of hid trance, he hastened to move over and allow potter to squeeze past, leaving them chest to chest for a marvellous second.
James continued to stride down the corridor until he saw just the guy he was looking for tangled in an embrace with a pretty, curvy, black girl. As he opened their compartment door the two fell apart. Marys cheeks were a deep red as she looked up at him clearly embraced. James had only just noticed Marlene sat reading a text book on the opposite side of the carriage, her bleach blond hair blocking her view of the previous scene.
"sorry to interrupt" James laughed.
"finally someone to save me from this hell" Marlene sarcastically groaned.
James smiled his contagious grin and peered past Mary to the seventh year ," have you got any dung bombs?"
"yeah mate" he grinned, pointing up at a big crate above him "t'all cost you though, cos its u we can say 10 galleons for the crate"
James grabbed the money out of his jean pocket and said "lovely doing business with you" handing it over.
"what are you boys up to now" Mary scoffed.
"Marauders business I'm afraid, if I told you I'd have to kill you" James laughed as he swept out the compartment crate of dung bombs in hand.
As he stepped back in to his own compartment he sung "Remus your back, hope you two have been keeping it PG in my absence, don't want to scar poor, little, innocent Pete"
This caused Sirius to burst in to another fit of laughter, seeing this made James wonder what Regulus would look like laughing him and Sirius looked so similar, but their smiles, there smiles would be different he knew it. What was he doing. Why could he not get Regulus black out of his head.
"I saw Reg on the platform y'know Sirius" moony stated, James's ears snapped back to the conversation.
"Ah yes my darling brother, only remaining Black heir"
James could sense this was going to go in to a rant and for some strange reason he couldn't trust himself not to try and stick up for the younger black brother so he did the only thing he could think of, change the subject " I got the dung bombs by the way" and that was all they needed, each boy was now buzzing with ideas of what to do with them.
Peter suggested filling Minnie's office with them but Remus objected saying she was to nice and didn't deserve that, turned out Peter was just still salty for the detention she had given him end of last year for copying one of Remus's own essays. Sirius suggested a repeat attack of putting them in the Slytherin dormitories, which was clearly just meant to be an attack on his brother who had refused to leave with him last summer, both Peter and Remus agreed though so who was James to say no.
After they had gotten changes the train pulled in to Hogsmeade station, leaving there belongings behind for the house elf's to bring up they each left the compartment joining up with their female friends. Mary and Marlene ran strait up to Remus enclosing him between them and began telling him all the gossip from over summer, peter stood behind them nosily obviously ease dropping on their conversation. This left Lily, James and Sirius alone.
"This war seems to be getting serious doesn't it" Lily whispered sadly, both boys knew what she meant, all the newspapers had been reporting on the missing witches and wizards from around the country, and you were lucky to see a front page without Voldemort's name on it.
"no I'm Sirius" pad foot was clearly just trying to bring light to a bad situation but James kicked him under their cloaks, couldn't he see this was not the time. In fact that exact moment was when Severus Snape decided to come out behind them Regulus and crouch along side him.
"Deatheters!" Sirius shouted, which resulted in a series of very unfortunate events.
Snape swung round and glared saying "ooo two blood traitors and a mud blood, great combination"
James of course being the brave, kind man he was raised to be shouted "call her mud blood again and ill hex you".
There was no need for that though as Snape had already pointed his wand at James and said "sectom Sempra".
The pain was immediate deep gashes covering his whole body, Sirius fired the same hex back but instead of hitting Snape it rebounded and instead hit Regulus. Lily was crying as both boys writhed in a pool of their own blood until everything went black.
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James awoke in the hospital wing two days later, slowly sitting up he saw he was alone in the room except from Regulus who was reading in the bed next to him his deep black hair enclosing his icy face. "Potter, your... your awake" Regulus whispered "they were saying you might not make it, you lost so much blood".
James sat with this thought for only a few seconds before of course coming up with a smart ass response "nope not me cant die yet, haven't converted you to our do-gooder ways have we Reg".
Regulus ignored him after that which for some reason James had not anticipated , but it was fine because at that moment madam Pumphrey waked in and cleaned him up. James hadn't noticed how muck dried blood was caked all over his usually handsome face . After telling him he would be left with no scaring she informed them both she would be keeping them in for one more night with no visitors and that they could leave in the morning is she saw them both fit.
At around 11pm James looked at Reg and said "wanna get out of here for a bit"
Regulus looked apprehensive and sneered "why would i wish to spend any more time with you Potter" James was unsure of how to respond, so he didn't, for once James Potter didn't open his big mouth, he just sat there. Really what could he say he couldn't force the younger boy to like him and all the other marauders would be up in the dorm room by now and although James would never admit it he was not very fond of walking around the castle alone, especially late at night.
" I know a place we can go where we wont get caught for sneaking out" Reg stated. And that was that he lead Potter through the castle in the darkness up to his favourite place. The astronomy tower.
Regulus pulled out a box of cigarettes and offered one to his companion " You smoke?" James looked in shock a proud member of the house of black whipping out a pack of ciggies, well that was unexpected " you know that's bad for you right, as a seeker and all that I'm surprised it doesn't effect your flying"
"It does a bit, but its an escape y'know, and don't act like you've never tried anything like this I have herd what happens at those parties you always throw" he had indeed heard what happens at the parties but he himself had never attended, especially since his dear older brother threw most of them, no he was happy to sit and hear what happens at them from Barty.
Silence again.
His brother, Regulus's older brother. He was unsure if he still had one, technically speaking Sirius had been disowned so really Regulus had no brother. But still Sirius had hexed him, added to the many scars their own parents had given to him, did he still love his younger brother? Clearly not.
And as if he could read his mind James whispered "He didn't mean to hit you Y'know"
And with that Regulus released a waterfall of tears soaking his cloths. James pulled him in to a deep hug so that Regulus could smell his eucalyptus shampoo. He breathed it in like it was air, like he did actually need it to survive. In that moment any and all feelings of hate he had ever felt for James potter slipped away.