Another bad prank
"Where did you go last night" Peter squeaked at James upon him waking up that morning.
"What do you mean peter"
"Well I woke up and you weren't in the common room and when I got up here your bed was made and empty" Peter responded. Crap how was he going to get out of this one.
"Prongs was out snogging girls weren't you mate" Sirius chimed in causing James to go an unruly shade of red "no way. It was a joke. I didn't think you actually. Look he's even got a fat ass hickey. Well Pete looks like your the only one in this room that hasn't gotten any" Sirius was clearly in one of his very annoying moods.
"Who says I've never kissed a girl" Peter retorted.
"Calm down pall. We all know you've kissed your grandma but even then you had to force yourself on her" Again Sirius had gone another lever of 'to far'. James however was struggling not to burst out laughing and was very thankful for the distraction away from his own endeavours, he in fact had been very unaware that the younger black brother had planted a large purple hickey just bellow his left ear.
Remus looked up from his book that he had been reading on his and Sirius's shard bed and said "Come on pad foot is that necessary". Remus was usually in charge of deescalating these situations as he hated the conflict and as the full moon was only 4 days away he really could not be bothered to deal with these bunch of children.
Peter was a the usual target for Sirius's mean streaks because he would just take it, but apparently today he wasn't in the mood and looked at Sirius shouting "levee corpus" this caused Sirius to be strung upside-down by his ankle's, and flop around like a fish out of water.
"I'm telling you right now you fat rat, if you don't let me down this instant, I will personally ensure that every piece of chocolate you put in to that big gob of yours turns in to dog shit for the rest of your life" Sirius shouted down.
This of course got Peter to let him down. He then swiftly turned in to a rat and scurried in to a hole in the wall Sirius's hexes firing behind him.
Sirius then smoothly sat next to Remus swinging an arm round his shoulder clearly trying to act relax after that most embracing situation. "So for this prank tonight we need to figure out the Slytherin password" Sirius stated obviously trying to change the subject.
"Oh I know it, its snake skin" James said remembering Regulus's sweet face saying it the previous day.
"Oh my god prongs, and I thought Moony here was the Casanova of Gryffindor tower. Your telling me you managed to pull a Slytherin and get her to tell you the password. Was it that Pandora girl, if so I want you to know I take great offence to you snogging anyone who's even friendly with my brother" Sirius said sincerely. If this was his reaction to James kissing someone associated with his brother, he wondered what he would say if he knew the truth.
"That's for me to know and you not to" James stated coolly realising this was his way out "anyways I'm starving can we go get breakfast"
Sundays were James's favourite days at Hogwarts as he could fly all day if he wanted to (which he often did). It also meant they could be as late to breakfast as they wanted and there would still be food out.
As they entered the hall James was hit with a "who is it" from Sirius for what had to be the 12th time.
"Y'know if he didn't tell you the first time I don't think he's gunna" Remus shot in clearly agitated. James however wasn't paying any attention at all to the argument around him as his eyes had just locked on the most beautiful figure in the room.
Regulus was sat with barty and Evan on either side of him. "So Reggie baby. Who hoodwinked you last night" Barty wined in his ear. The two had been sat awake waiting for him as they usually did when he went up the astronomy tower, so that they could make sure he got back safe (although they would never make it obvious that they were). So it would be an understatement to say they were both surprised to see him rush in red and flustered. Evan had been the first to point out it was very obvious he had just finished a make out session. But both had been utterly unaware he had any female friends, let alone any that would make out with him. Little did they know.
"As I've already told the pair of you I was almost caught by Filtch and had to run back. That's it." Regulus responded coldly. Regulus was so hard to read, if you didn't know him very well you would never know the difference between him happy, sad, angry, as Barty and Evan did.
"That's why your lips were all swollen" Barty stated.
"baring the uncanny signs of a make out session" Even added.
"We would know" they said in unison, giving each other a sharp side eye. If Regulus actually cared enough to investigate he was sure he would find a list full of girls whom the pair of them had 'shagged' as Barty would say it. But in that moment Regulus couldn't care less about their individual love life's as the most breath-taking man he had ever seen entered his eyeline melting his stone cold heart.
His eyes scanned James admiring his strut as he ran his fingers through his hair, as he always did to make it look as though he had just got off his broom. He wondered what him and James were, they had to be something to do what they had done the previous night. In fact he had spent the entire night sleepless contemplating that very notion.
A quick glance and a flickering smile, he was sure James had sent it his way. And he couldn't help but smile back.
"Regulus are you feeling alright, I could have sworn I just saw you smile" Even said lunging at him to feel his head as Regulus swatted his hand away.
"I'm perfectly fine, I just think the porridge is particularly nice today" he lied blankly.
"The porridge is nice" Barty laughed thumping him on the back.
"Come on Reg, that's got to be the worst lie I have ever heard in all my life" Evan coughed out after chocking on his own cinnamon roll in a fit of laughter.
"Will you to shut up, I would not make up such a ludicrous lie" He said knowing full well it was the most terrible lie in the history of humanity.
"He was looking at his brother" Pandora said sitting opposite them swiftly "Its so obvious, to anyone who isn't as daft as you two"
Regulus supposed she was closer then either of the, but he couldn't think of any reason to be smiling at Sirius. He had hardly noticed him as he entered the hall in his leather jacked shouting something in James's ear. Honestly though who wore a leather jacket at 9 o'clock in the morning? No he was certainly not looking at Sirius.
"Why would he look at that group of" Barty raised his voice "Blood traitors". The marauders as a whole turned their heads to look at them. James made direct eye contact with regulus but instead of retorting, he did the most ludicrous thing and winked.
At the same time though Sirius was yelling back "You fucking group of death eater scum". Luckily the ringing in Regulus's ears covered up this horrid notion. He only realised anything had been said when professor McGonigal was escorting Sirius out of the hall yelling about his use of obscenities. Jus before she was out of earshot she had turned to James and said "Oh and Potter, cover up that thing on your neck. I expect better from our star chaser"
After James and the other two left sat down he caught his eye one more time and saw James mouth sorry, and although it was against his best interest he mouthed sorry back.
"Did you see that Potters neck" Evan cackled "looks like after all this time he finally got in old Evans pants, how'd that feel Severus" He said to Snape who was only a few seats down from them.
Regulus felt his insides boil. He obviously knew that he himself was the one who had given James the hickey, but he had somehow forgotten James's love for the stunning ginger girl who was sat with him. He looked over at Snape who had turned a nasty shade of red but was clearly ignoring the comment to the best of his abilities. Without a second thought he was stood up walking out of the hall. Pandora was trailing behind him shouting calmly at the other two to stay sat down.
After getting a safe distance away from the hall she grabbed his and and looked him in the eyes. Pandora had always been like a sister to regulus, she knew him better then most people and could tell something was wrong.
"I know" she said staring daggers in to his eyes. Regulus's heart dropped "Before you run of or deny it I need you to know I wont tell anyone and you can love who you want to love." How did she know so quickly".
"how did you. How did you know" he whispered.
"For one, I've never seen you look at a girl like that so I've had my suspicions. I also saw the wink, come on Reg it couldn't get much more obvious. But to top it off you walked out upon the mention of Lily" she said soothingly but also quite smug upon her discovery. She knew he was gay and she didn't care. she knew he liked James and she didn't care. She wasn't shouting slurs at him like he expected his friends to do.
"Please don't tell the others. I don't want them to know" Regulus said breaking his strong façade.
She stared lovingly, motherly in to his soul "Reg honey of course I wont. But behind all their homophobia, you might want to have a look at their relationship because I'm sure there is something going on there". She then pulled him in to a deep hug that warmed him from the inside. He was accepted. he had one supporter in his love for James. with that they both wondered back to the hall to collect their stuff and finish their breakfast.
When he entered, he noticed Sirius had re-joined the Gryffindor table and was immersed in a chat with James.
"Ye, no prongs I'm telling you he was out there hugging your girlfriend". After being screamed at by McGonigal and informed he had detention that evening, Sirius had made his way back to the great hall and seen his little brother in a deep embrace with Pandora. James felt an unruly level of jealousy. He wanted to go over and kiss the smaller boy in front of everyone. To show them he was his. "Cant believe I'm gunna be out the prank tonight though" Sirius wined.
"Well its got to be tonight" Remus stated "I'm already getting weaker with the full moon coming up, and its a Sunday so the password will change tomorrow"
Remus was right it wasn't his fault Sirius had lost his temper so why should he have to sit out. James was hardly paying attention but he agreed "Alright yeah were doing it tonight".
After that he went outside to play quidditch for the rest of what was bound to be a shitty overthinking day.
Even in the air, the only thing he could think about was regulus. His smile which he knew would be different to Sirius's. His hair when it had brushed against his own cheeks. his cool grey blue eyes. His legs wrapped around James. The small broken boy he had held. Regulus had infested his brain filling every millimetre.
After flying for what he deemed long enough he wondered back up to the common room with Remus, who had been sat on the stands reading while James practiced. Sirius and peter had been upstairs enchanting the dung bombs to be motion censored to everyone but the four of them so that they would go off at the perfect time. It also meant that Sirius could feel included.
"There's something on your mind" Remus said. He had always been to good at reading James.
"Just Sirius y'know. Him and Reg, we all know he loves him really but the stubborn prick wont admit it" This was sort of part of what was plaguing his mind so it want a complete lie.
Remus took a deep sighing breath "I know what you mean and I'm working on it the best I can." This was comforting to James, Someone besides himself trying to restore the black brothers bond.
Later that evening after they had all eaten their fill in the great hall for an early dinner (where James realised Regulus wasn't present) Sirius headed of to his detention and the prank begun.
Peter turned in to a rat and perched on Remus's shoulder and James covered all three of them in his cloak. Pulling out the map Remus directed them to the Slytherin common room with ought bumping in to anyone, while James carried the box of dung bombs.
"Snake skin" He whispered to the blank wall which swiftly turned in to an entry way. It was empty everyone was clearly still at dinner. After checking the map they realised this was true.
They pulled off the cloak and peter turned back in to himself. Each taking a 3rd of the bombs they spread out, as James ran along a corridor he saw peter hiding them under the sopha in the common room. James had been left with the map, after looking at it he had to double take. Shit. They were wrong there was someone still here and it was none other then regulus. And he was just about to walk out of his room strait to Remus. Putting a scattering spell on his dung bombs he sprinted to Regulus's room slamming the door behind him as he entered.
"James what are you doing here. How did you get in" Regulus questioned to an upside down James who was swinging by his ankles after Reg had casted Leve corpus on him.
"I came to see you silly" James said trying to act smooth from his emasculation position. "Come on love, let me down."
Regulus couldn't move, James Potter had just called him love. It had been so casual yet meant so much.
After he had been zoned out for a mint or so James whispered "Reg darling please, I'm starting to feel light headed"
"Oh yeah sorry, libero corpus," Regulus mumbled still contemplating James's words.
"So this is your room?" James took in the cold bland room, one that no child should have to live in "looks... lovely. Nah what am I saying it looks crap. Feel free to come cuddle in my bed whenever"
Flirting was clearly James potters special ability. Regulus couldn't help but lean in and kiss him again.
"Reggie honey" James said after pulling away "why aren't you down at dinner"
The answer was simple "I ran in to peeves with party and Evan earlier, he was shouting about me snogging you. And well I couldn't face seeing you with them after denying it"
James's heart froze. Reg had denied it he didn't want people to know about the stuff they had done. That was fine. "Its fine, if we both deny it no one would guess anyway" He could play this game to.
So that's what James wanted him to be his little secret, "Your right, I don't even see the point of this anyways. Its to much effort for just a bit of fun" just a bit of fun. what was he saying. He had fancied James ever since he could remember. But he would not be the one to look hurt in this situation. He was strong.
"Reg. What are you saying". This hurt. He guessed the saying was right, you only know you love them when you let them go. But he couldn't let Regulus go when his heart was burning for him. Greater then it had ever done for lily.
"James I think you should leave" He spat holding in the tears. James had seen him break before. But he wouldn't again. Not now.
"But Reg, I don't want to" James wined trying to pull Reg in but being hit by an invisible barrier Regulus had cast around himself.
"I said go!" Regulus shouted sternly his magic pushing James out the door and locking it behind him. Only when he was sure James could not re enter did the tears start. They pored down his face stopping his breath. He wanted James to hold him. He usually loved being alone, but being alone wasn't nice anymore unless James was there with him. That was when Regulus Rlack realised he was in love.