one
Regulus had always been someone that gets fixated on things from time to time. It’s how he has a bit of fun in dull ordinary days, as he likes to defend himself when getting called out. However, lately his fixation has become a little more prominent than other times.
For five months now, he has been started responding publicly to James Potter’s advances on dating him, so they were in a fresh and new relationship. Regulus always tried to be subtle and gentle when approaching things with James, he really wanted to be considerate and respect his boundaries (now that he had pushed James to his limit until he agreed to date him). That is why he called Barty, Evan, Dorcas and Pandora for an emergency meeting.
“What happened” Dorcas asked. Regulus had been acting a bit off for a few days now, he spent most of his time at the library studying or hanging out with James, so they haven’t seen Regulus that much the past week “Don’t tell me you’re moving out”
“I can’t really move out” Regulus pointed out “Please, ‘Cas, just sit in my bed with the others I have… something to tell you all”
“He’s lost it I bet” Barty said, “Can you see the madness glint on his eyes? The Black’s have their fame after all”
“Oh family curses, how lovely” Pandora said “Go on, Reg, Dorcas is here now you can say”
“So, you know how last week we started to see more about dragons, right?”
“Oh boy this is going to end up bad”
“Shut it, Rosier” Regulus said “I know it will sound like madness, but listen to me until I’m finished, then you can comment on it” he didn’t wait for a verbal response, he merely continued “What if James is a dragon?”
“WHAT?” Barty, of course, yelled, “You high?”
“Definitely high” Evan said “Pandora you promised to never share your thing with him”
“I never it, he doesn’t even know I have it”
“Well he does now” Dorcas said “What if he is high on something else?”
“He’s too much of a wimp to do something else” Barty said “He doesn’t look sober”
“Maybe he is high on knowledge” Pandora added and they all (except for Regulus) glared at her “He technically is, he spent the last five days on that library”
“Excuse me” Regulus waved at them to gather their attention back to him “Before you ask for a drug test and question my sobriety, I’ll let you know I have evidence that supports my case”
“Which are?” Evan asked.
“Well, I know James is an animagus, I just never knew which animal he can turn himself into” he gathered some piece of papers and got one, from his extensive research on dragons “Do you know dragons are quite stubborn creatures? They can be possessive towards the one they are infatuated with and…”
“And?” Barty was one step from bursting out of laughter
“They hoard”
“They do what now?” Dorcas asked, while Evan and Barty just laughed until they couldn’t breathe and Pandora looked just as concerned as Dorcas “Hoard?”
“What the actual fuck is that” Evan asked
“The hoard may serve as a very long life's worth of trophies and mementos, or as an elaborate mating or power display by symbolizing the dragon's personal success and might” Pandora read out lout from one of Regulus’ papers “So you’re telling us you think James is a dragon because he can be… possessive of you?”
“Well, when you put it like that”
“Oh, I can’t wait to tell Pettigrew that” Barty got up and ran while Regulus ran after him cursing his entire family and even named his future children, just to curse them as well.
two
“Oh this is GOLD” Peter announced when he entered the room, “Sirius, have I ever told you how much I adore your brother?”
“Please not again” Sirius pulled on his own long hair, for dramatic purposes “Please Merlin I already lost the other half of my soul to my little brother, allow me to keep my wormtail please!!”
“What happened, Pete?” Remus asked
“I just spoke to Barty, and he told me that Regulus vehemently believes that James’ animagus is a dragon”
“He what” Sirius laughed “I will never let him forget it, if that’s the case”
“Well, James is a bit territorial and collects many things, those are clear dragon personality traits when you think about that”
“Why didn’t he tell Regulus that he is a stag? I mean, suits him much more than a dragon” Sirius said “Stags are so comforting”
“Well, it’s for us but you know” Remus shrugged, they all had a reason to love stags and relate them to James’ image “But maybe he thought it’d be fun for Regulus to try to guess it”
“He didn’t see that coming I bet” Peter said “Fuck, can actual animagus be dragons? That would be mental”
“I don’t think you can, though” Sirius mused “If I know Regulus he is giving all his brain cells for it, not going to stop until he guesses it”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just tell him?” Peter mused
“Oh, Pete, you share a room with Sirius for almost seven years now you must’ve noticed that you don’t question some things that Black brothers do”
“That is-”
“Mates, I found this really adorable shell right by the lake, maybe I could turn into a necklace for Reg or…?” James barged into the room goofily smiling, he always had that smile on when he was talking about Regulus “Why it looks like you’re having some kind of meeting without me? Is it about Remus snoring?”
“I don’t snore!”
“James, mate, that was a private thing not a meeting thing” Sirius said and turned to hold Remus’ face on his hands “He gets offended when we point out his subconscious flaws!”
“I have no such thing as subconscious flaws”
“Sure you don’t, Moons” Sirius agreed and kissed the tip of his nose delicately
“Can I see the shell, Prongs?” Peter asked already reaching out to catch it and James furiously hid the shell from his touch and made an angry sound with his throat “What the-”
“Well, maybe Regulus wasn’t so wrong after all” Sirius laughed while Remus couldn’t believe James was actually hiding the shell.
“What is that supposed to mean???”
“Oh, Prongs, soon enough you’ll know” Remus assured and joined Sirius and Peter in the laughing festival.
three
Pandora was many things, many many things, but she was completely and utterly devoted to her friends to the very end. She was a dutiful woman and when her best friend, Regulus Black, asked for help she didn’t even blink before saying yes.
But her task now was taking her away from spending “girlfriend time” as she called it. Before Regulus (maniacally) asked for her help, she was going to take Lily out on a date in the forbidden forest. She wanted to make a lovely picnic and maybe, if she got lucky, Lily would let her put some flowers on those beautiful red curls of her. That certainly would made Pandora very happy for days.
However, Regulus was desperate to prove his point so there she was. In the yard sitting next to Regulus and wearing the Black family ring on a necklace. According to Regulus, that would trigger James’ inner dragon and would make him come out to protect him.
“Maybe he’s just protective naturally, Reggie, I really don’t think he’s a dragon”
“You’re just saying that because I took you from your date” Pandora pouted at the thought she could be eating sweet treats with Lily now, laying on a blanket and pretending to listen about Lily complaining when all she was doing was admiring her voice and her presence “I’m sorry, but I have to prove it these days I barely slept”
“That’s because you’re not having boyfriend time” Pandora pointed out “But here boyfriend comes” she pointed out with her head. James was really something, he was even more of a something when he spotted Regulus, his eyes got brighter and the second he sees him, it’s like there isn’t anyone around “Hey there, Potter”
“Lovely day, Lovegood” he said a quick hi to her and turned to Regulus, looking at him with so much adoration on his eyes that even Pandora got her stomach twisting “Hi, love”
“Hi James” Regulus smiled and was one of those that he tried to fight, but the smile had a life of its own and took his entire face “Care to join us?”
“What are you two doing? It-” James' voice died as soon as he looked into Pandora’s neck and he saw the pretty little ring shining and he had a funny face “Why are you wearing it?”
“The ring? Oh! Regulus asked me to” Pandora decided then to push a little button on James' brain just to see how he reacted “You're not jealous of me wearing a ring, are you James?”
“No” he said, but kept a frown on his face, Pandora really wanted to giggle, because it didn't seem possible that he was jealous of her because of the ring “But why did you?” he looked upset at Regulus “You don’t even let me use it, unless it’s on match days” and Pandora really thought James had his heart broken. Because of a ring.
“Yeah but Dora asked today for-”
“For what, exactly?” He sounded really annoyed by the fact that Pandora was in the possession of the ring with Regulus’ constellation on it. Then his eyes passed between both of them and he looked a bit sad, Pandora almost gave up on the plan “It- it’s ok, you don’t have to explain it to me. But I gotta get going”
“James, wait I-”
“Whatever thing you need, you should ask Pandora, right?”
And he got up and left. Fuming.
“Well, I believe you now” she took off the necklace and put it on Regulus’ hands “Go to your little dragon”
And Regulus nearly ran after James, he was never one much for putting efforts on people, it was something Pandora noticed often. So, to see Regulus putting time and strength to go after James after a misunderstanding was really something.
Dragon or no dragon, there was a very particular fire to the way both of them acted around each other.
four
Ever since Regulus made James a bit jealous with the ring situation, he had been sulking. And if there was one quirk little thing that James did when he was sad, that was to do some… nesting.
Remus thought it was kinda funny and a bit adorable, how James simply rearranged the blankets and refused to talk to anyone when he was upset. Only the comfort of the arranged blankets could make him happy now. But he knew he wanted Regulus there to cuddle with him.
Contrary to popular belief, Remus wasn’t one to nest, but he knew the symptoms because Sirius did a lot of nesting for some reason. Not even James had a reason to nest really.
However, the nesting incidents between the four of them was a secret (James and Sirius were the only ones to do it), and they all sworn secrecy to their odd habits. Sometimes Remus did enjoy the nesting episodes because that meant lots of cuddling with Sirius. He wasn’t a big fan when Sirius and James were in that same mindset together because Remus had to cuddle both of them because Peter refused to be used as a human pillow for sulking reasons.
Only four of them knew. Until now.
“Where is he?” Regulus asked, barging into the door and Remus froze. He had so many questions. So many things went through his head and all he did was open his mouth, but no sound came “James?”
“Not here” he buried his face deeper into the pillows, he was down bad because he didn’t seem bothered that Regulus could simply open the curtains of his bed and show what he was doing and Regulus was about to see it “Leave please”
“I just want to talk” Regulus' voice was small and Remus felt like he should leave the room, but he didn’t know if he should leave James and his habits unprotected “Please, Jams?”
“That’s such a cute nickname” Remus said
“Still here, Lupin?” Regulus blushed furiously “Could you leave for a second, I have to talk to James”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sorry”
“Why is that?”
“I really can't, you don't want to see in there”
“Oh but I really do”
“You're not sure about that”
“You've seen it so why can't I?”
“Because Remus loves me and respects my wishes, my hopes and dreams” James said from the bed, still not a single movement and he sounded very hurt. He had a thing about family jewelry, the heirlooms and all that. So it was a bit understanding why he was feeling like that “I-I’ll talk to you later, Regulus I can’t right now”
“Please? I just want to give you something and hug you” Regulus walked slowly towards the bed and Remus ran to be in the middle of the bed and Regulus “What is happening?”
“I-i’m”
“It’s ok, Moony, you can let him pass” James said, still without moving, but Remus backed off from the bed and allowed Regulus to go inside the curtains “My bed is messy, I d-do that sometimes when I’m upset”
“It’s all good, Jams” Regulus sounded like he was smiling “I’ll give you what I promised now, ok?”
“Can I have the hug first?” James asked softly and Remus left the room before he got more into their privacy, it already felt weird that he heard them starting to speak.
five
James was radiant, shining like he had bathed in sunlight and smiling like he found a million pounds under his bed in the morning, he was annoyingly in a good mood.
Now he was wearing Regulus’ ring, and he wore it like it was a crown. Maybe it was like a crown to the whipped lands, he was the king of that. The monarch when it comes to being a man pathetically in love. But at least he is free, and he is loved back.
Because James was treating the ring like a prize and it brought back the debate about him being a dragon or not. Regulus hadn’t really discussed it with James, but he was enjoying that now he had the time to see his boyfriend glowing just because of a ring. He didn’t really want to bring the debate, he was almost giving up on finding out what James really was. James did have the qualifications to be a dragon, that’s for sure, but Regulus couldn’t really imagine it.
“He hoards, he nests, he’s protective and quite possessive of you, he’s brilliant and is too fucking proud” Barty said like it was a scientific debate “What more do you need to confront him?”
“I don’t want to confront him” Regulus said, his head resting on his wrist while he admired James across the room, eating at the gryffindor table giggling and shining like he had swallowed the sun “Maybe I got a bit obsessed with it and went overboard”
“You think?” Pandora asked “James nearly killed me with his sad eyes when he saw me wearing the ring”
“Poor bastard, he’s so in love it must feel hard” Evan said
“I don’t think so” Regulus grumbled “He’s never complained about weights”
“I mean” Dorcas said “Seeing him parade around the school grounds with that ring does make me believe that he could be a dragon”
“He’s a dragon, or he’s madly crazily in love with Regulus” Barty concluded “That doesn’t help us, both options now are quite believable”
“After what we’ve seen this week, I’d believe both” Evan said “But the second one sound more appealing”
“I don’t think he’s a dragon anymore” Regulus said, finishing his cup of coffee “But I don’t have a clue, he could be a rabbit for all I know”
“Would you still love him if he was a rabbit?” Pandora joked.
“Would love him if he was a ducking lizard or something, he’s just too amazing too lovingly for me to stop now”
“Oh, Reg, stop people will listen” Barty put a hand on his mouth “We have a reputation to uphold”
“Oh Merlin forbids anyone in these school finds out that Reg has a heart or that he is capable of feelings”
“Towards a gryffindor even” Dorcas sighed “But don’t worry, Reg, soon you’ll find out”
the real one
A few weeks after the ring episode, James had a talk with his mates, because he knew something was off with them since Regulus started to act a bit weird around him too. So he found out that Regulus was convinced that he was an animagus dragon and gave it a good laugh, it was certainly funny to imagine himself turning into such a big animal. Turning into Prongs was already so tiring, and a stag isn’t that big of an animal if you think about it.
Peter said that some moments he actually thought James was actually a dragon, he behaves exactly like one.
“I do not behave like one”
“You almost bit my hand off because I touched the shell you picked for him”
“That was because the shell was delicate and could break!”
“Pandora told me you almost killed her with sad eyes when she wore that ring on your finger” Lily completed and laughed. James really didn’t have an excuse for that one, so he just looked at her apologetically.
“That was a very hard moment of weakness, I find it utterly romantic to wear one’s family heirloom when you’re in a relationship” James explained “I was thinking about asking my mother for her necklace, so I can give it to Regulus, but when I saw Pandora with the ring I did get quite sad”
“Well, at least you didn’t explode” Sirius said “If it was me I would’ve yelled at her until I got my ass back in Minerva’s office”
“I don’t doubt it”
“Me neither” Remus said and gently kissed the crown of Sirius’ head “You’ll show him, then?”
“Certainly”
It was hard now, for James to choose a moment to tell Regulus his animagus, it wasn’t a big of a secret and he did want to tell him. But it always seemed like the wrong time.
That, until the perfect time, showed himself to James on a saturday morning at the forbidden forest.
He had left a note to Regulus, there was no better way to tell him than letting him see it, that sounded perfect for James. He saw Regulus coming into the woods and remained sit like a dog would be.
“Fucking Merlin” Regulus said after jumping from being scared of a rather big spider he faced on a tree nearby “I’ll end James Potter as soon as I land my eyes on him and-”
He approached the stag slowly and curiously, somehow he looked like a cat which was adorable, his head was slightly tilted and he approached slowly, careful to not scare away the animal.
“Oh hello there” he waved “Have you seen a tall man, brown skin and completely beautiful eyes? He told me to look for him here, but the ass didn’t tell me where like this isn’t the size of a country and-” the stag got up and came closer to Regulus “Oh stay there please, bad stag! go back there no NO” when he was about to jump on Regulus and the younger Black thought his life was doomed, all he felt falling in him was the weight of a human being crushing him into the ground “JAMES”
“Hi, love” he kissed Regulus slowly, to appreciate the moment and engrave it on his mind forever and even if Regulus tried not to kiss him back, he always lost those battles. His fingers intertwining on James’ curls and gripping on them like his life depended on it. He was satisfactorily humming sounds into James’ mouth and he was gladly eating those sounds, trying to capture every vibration wave that came from his lover.
They kissed for what felt like an hour, but it was merely minutes, unfortunately James and Regulus’ lungs weren’t that efficient, for their utter displeasure.
“So you’re a stag” Regulus said, not minding at all the weight of James crushing him into the ground, like they were one thing going back to earth together “You're really big”
“You…. liked it?”
“Well, I never had an actual opinion on stags, but I have a feeling I’ll enjoy them a bit now”
“Better than a dragon?”
“That-” Regulus face was beet red and James laughed loudly “You weren’t supposed to know that!”
“But I did like knowing” James mused “Like I enjoy knowing everything about you”
“You’re a prick” Regulus pouted “Kiss me again now”
“Everything to my mystery solver”