Rule #13

They last a week. 

James had been certain that he’d be the one to hop on a plane to Massachusetts and show up at Regulus’ fancy office with a bouquet of roses, make him blush in front of his colleagues. He’d even looked up some flights, itching for one more Regulus fix before both of their school semesters started. 

But in the end, Regulus was the one who caved. 

Regulus is the one flying to LA right now because he misses James! that! much!

“Prongs, come have something to eat.”

James shakes his head, jogging another lap around the couch in the living room, leaping over the coffee table to peer out the window then circling back to the kitchen island where Sirius sits. Her phone is propped up on the toaster with a grainy image of Remus smiling, bemused and exasperated. 

Padfoot and Moony’s daily Facetime has quickly become one of James’ highlights of the day. Like clockwork, he waits—not so patiently—for Sirius to finish hogging Remus before they let him have some Moony time as well. Sometimes James even gets Regulus on the phone so it’s like all four of them are here together, a piece of Hogwarts remade in the city of angels. 

Soon enough, James chants in his head, Regulus will actually be here.

The lovely thought spurs another wave of energy and James has to do a couple of jumping jacks so he doesn’t entirely erupt before he sees Reggie. His campers taught him this trick; a way to tire out the nerves, or in Cormac’s case, show off with pushups. 

James plans to use this genius come the start of school when he makes his hormonal football players jump out their feelings. 

“Sirius is right, James, you should take a breath,” Remus says from the phone, which makes Sirius light up like the star they were named for. Or perhaps more fittingly, perk up like the dog she was nicknamed. 

James chuckles at his own jokes and shoves his face in front of the camera. “Moony, how am I supposed to breathe when Regulus is on his way?!” He throws up his arms, hands falling onto his cheeks with a harsh slap. 

Sirius snorts. “God, you sound like Harry.” 

“He absolutely does,” Remus echoes from the phone. 

The comparison to his son— god , his son—only makes James stand taller. He’d spent nearly all of last night on another routine call with Lily and Harry, the walkie-talkies ditched for Facetime when the nightmares kept baby Prongs, as Harry has proudly named himself, awake. Still, James can barely resist the urge to call Lily or Mary again just so he can hear Harry talk about his day. Which, James realizes with a look at his watch, has barely begun. He’s probably still waking up with the pit bulls or maybe helping Mary make breakfast. 

Lily and James were both worried that Harry would find the campgrounds lonely without all the staff and campers, but so far he’s taken to redecorating Dumbledore’s house, organizing Pandora’s craft supplies, and following around Peter as his “apprentice” without complaint. With total enthusiasm, in fact, according to Firefly’s detailed reports. 

And though Harry’s moving to LA soon, with Lily splitting her time between here and Hogwarts, James’ patience is wearing thin. The three of them have been kept apart for too many years. 

James shakes his head and does another round of high knees, drawing up football plays in his mind to keep the ache from expanding; just like Regulus, Harry will be here soon, and then James will get to shower him with love, maybe even teach him football—

“Catch, Prongs!” 

Without hesitation, James spins from his spot by the window and catches the bottle of pills in mid-air. He looks at the label and sighs. “Oh. I forgot to take my medicine.”

“No shit.” Sirius rolls their eyes. “Pop a pill and sit down.”

James does just that, saddling up to Sirius’ side so they can both gaze at Moony through the phone, who seems to be sitting in something of a cave. It’s classic Remus, hiding in the dark—James has a 24/7 open shades policy in his and Sirius’ apartment, including his bedroom. If their neighbors catch James nude, then that’s their problem; James needs the sun to live. 

He’s like a plant like that. Maybe a sunflower. Or perhaps a fruit like a melon…a tomato? No! A mango, the sweet golden ones from Pakistan that James once ate a whole basket of—

“So I talked to McGonagall,” Remus begins, interrupting James’ spiral of botanical thoughts.  

James and Sirius turn to look at each other with barely disguised grins. Remus has been looking for nurse positions in LA, mainly to see if living here is even an option, and James begged the Principal at his high school to consider Remus for the school nurse position that becomes vacant yearly. 

Remus runs a hand over his face, his thumb pulling at a small scar by his ear. “Somehow it’s even less pay than an ER Nurse.”

James nods in understanding. “We don’t do it for the money, but for the—”

“Kids,” Remus finishes. “Well aware of your philosophy, Prongs.”

Something a lot like sunlight, no, moonlight glows in James’ chest at the nickname—Remus has been using all of the Marauders' names more and more these days, partially because their more than active group chat has made that inevitable, but also because ever since Remus marched up to Sirius and gave her the kiss of their life, he’s finally seemed to accept that they’re all here for the long haul. 

That the Marauders are forever .

“How did the interview go, Moons?” Sirius asks, knee bouncing alongside James’. “Do you think it’s a good fit? I mean I’m sure that it would be, since Prongs coaches there, though I have heard some scary stories about McGonagall—”

“Sirius,” Remus cuts him off. 

“Hm?” 

“She offered me the position.”

James has to suck in a breath so he doesn’t scream in delight. Sirius appears to be doing the same, the both of them stone still as they wait for Remus to finish. 

“I think I’m going to take it…if that’s okay with you?”

“Holy fucking shit!” Sirius blurts, jumping to his feet. “Of course it’s fucking okay with me, we’re going to live in the same city!”

James is equally as overjoyed, his heart skipping at the thought of lunch with Moony in the staff room every day, carpooling to work, trading gossip about the students, coordinating holiday breaks, and maybe even a few pranks to keep McGonagall on her toes. “I think I’m going to have a heart attack I’m so happy,” James croaks. 

Sirius immediately turns to James and squeezes the cardiac arrest right out of him. They stay there, breathing heavily in a tangle of limbs, until Remus drawls, “Hello?”

“Oh!” Sirius reaches over the counter and pulls the phone closer. “Congrats, Moonage Daydream. I’m so proud of you.”

Proud that he’s taking the leap, James knows. It hasn’t been easy for Remus to move on from Ty, and while Sirius has been careful not to rush him, James is certain that living in a place where Remus has loved ones around him, where he doesn’t live alone in an apartment that feels haunted with his ex-husband, will do him boatloads of good. 

And selfishly, James wants his best friend close. He’s already spent too long without Remus. 

“I’m—I’m very excited,” Remus says in a small, adorable voice.

James nods excitedly, breathless. Then his own phone buzzes in his pocket, the chime ringtone he’s saved for one very important person. 

“Reggie.” James whips out his phone and nearly drops it his hands shake so thoroughly. 

loml: Landed. 

loml: See you soon, Jamie.

“And we’ve lost him,” Sirius says to Remus. They keep talking, mumbling sweet nothings and I love yous, and normally James would grin at the lovesick fools, soak up their happy ending like a stalker, but he’s got his own boy to be stupid for right now. 

Regulus is here. He’s here!

James stumbles back toward the window and perches there, looking down at the street corner with the coffee shop he plans to take Regulus to tomorrow, across from the pet groomer he also plans to make Regulus visit for the fluffy puppies, beside a row of parked cars, James’ dirty truck one of them, which he intends to christen like they nearly did on their first date.

He’s going to take Regulus everywhere —stargaze at Griffith Observatory, gawk at him in swim shorts at the beach, take cheesy photos on the Walk of Fame, and maybe even drag him to Disneyland to see him pout.

“Earth to Prongs?” Sirius waves a hand between James’ face and the window. “I have to go to the studio, so you get Reg to yourself for a few hours. When I’m back I expect everyone to be fully clothed.”

Biting back a smile, James shrugs. “No promises.”

“Hey!” Sirius grabs a pillow and thumps James with it. “That’s my baby brother.”

“He’s my lover.”

“You cannot say those things to me!” Sirius mimes gagging while Remus laughs from the phone in her hand. 

“Bye, Moony. Bye, Padfoot,” James says, turning back to his view. He’ll stay there like a pet waiting for its owner until Regulus arrives. 

With the sound of the front door closing, James presses his forehead on the window, grumbling at the LA traffic. He’d begged Regulus to let him pick him up from the airport but Regulus had merely scoffed on the phone, “You can wait a few more minutes for me, Jamie.”

No, James wanted to say—he’d waited much too long already. 

After many, many minutes of doodling Regulus’ initials in windowpane smudges, a huge SUV slows on the street below and Regulus pops out in a black suit, pulling his sunglasses out of his curls and onto his nose. 

“Gorgeous.”

As if he heard James whisper, Regulus tilts his head up and gives James a small wave. Then he’s helping the Uber driver unload all of his luggage, and James sprints out of the apartment and down to the lobby. 

He doesn’t hesitate to sweep Regulus into a tight hug the moment he sees him—Reggie has long since given James full permission to touch him—and the feeling of Regulus in James’ arms makes his heat cool, his heart calm, that heady sense of safe and love trading James’ anxiety for a comfortable joy. 

Easy and right and his . 

James pulls back and takes Regulus between his palms, inspecting every inch of his face—how did he get prettier after a week away?!—before kissing him soundly. 

An awkward cough forces James to stop what he’s barely begun. 

Regulus steps away from James, though he’s sure to intertwine their fingers. “Thank you so much for your help, I know this was a lot of heavy lifting. I’ll be sure to tip and rate you highly.”

If the Uber driver responds, James doesn’t hear it—his head has gone a little fuzzy at Regulus’ polite voice, his touch, his mere presence. Then James blinks and realizes just how many suitcases are waiting on the curb. 

“Reggie..” James spins, counting all the luggage in case he got it wrong, which is very likely, math has never been his strong suit. “I didn’t know you were an overpacker.” 

Regulus kisses James on the cheek as the driver pulls away. “I’m not. I’d say that it’s rather impressive that my entire life can fit into twelve suitcases. Sirius would undoubtedly need fifty, and you love your nicknacks so I’d bet you’d be just as atrocious—”

“Your entire life?” James repeats. 

With a slow smile, Regulus nods. “UCLA got back to me.”

James’ mouth goes dry. 

“I might have burned a lot of bridges at MIT, but it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Turns out they’ve been looking to bulk their computer science department, and I was their ideal solution.”

“You—you—you—” James can’t get the words out, his mind a cloud of shock. 

Regulus tuts. “Did I break you, Jamie?”

“Yes.”

“That’s alright, I’ll put you back together.” Regulus pats his cheek. “But first you have to carry all of my shit upstairs.”

******

“And so Dorcas went to New York and waited in a hotel for Marlene to text them, which apparently took some time—Marlene is as stubborn as Remus, honestly—but when she did call Dorcas, Dorcas was actually already at her door. Isn’t that serendipitous?” Regulus hums. “They’re back together now, to summarize Dorcas’ ten-minute voice message in the group chat, which, for the record, I was involuntarily dragged into by Evan and Barty, and I’m certain Remus feels the same. Anyways, Dorcas is living with Marlene, which is utterly lesbian of them. Way to perpetuate the U-haul stereotype, right? But they seem happy, both of them. Dorcas sent a photo of Marlene and her cats and I’m not an animal person, as you know, but they’re quite adorable—”

“Regulus,” James finally speaks. 

From his spot on the other end of the couch, Regulus shifts, turning to give James his full attention. A pile of sleek black suitcases sits in the corner behind him. “Good. You’re operative again.”

“Barely,” James whispers. “Did you mean—when you said UCLA—”

Regulus nods encouragingly, his smirk beautiful and tempting which is not helping James’ brain capacity one bit. “It’s only—” James grunts at his mess of a mind. “Remus also got a job here, told us this morning, so I can’t help but feel like I’m dreaming.”

At James’ wistful tone, Regulus softens. “I get that, Jamie. The first few days after we got together I thought I was dreaming too.”

“But it’s not a dream? You’re actually coming to LA?”

Regulus’ grin is devastating. “Yes.”

James leaps forward and tackles Regulus to the couch cushions like the football player he once was, the coach he now is. As he peppers his boyfriend—his lover , thank you very much Sirius—with kisses all over his face, something occurs to him. 

“Wait.” He pulls back so he’s in a push-up above Regulus, their brows touching. “You shouldn’t have to move your life here for me. We should—we should at least talk about me moving to you, it isn’t fair to assume that you have to change everything now.”

Regulus nudges James to sit back, and he listens, albeit begrudgingly. Once they’re not on top of each other, Regulus says unceremoniously: “You’re an idiot.”

James flushes—it’s not a compliment, but the way Regulus says it, fond and smitten, it feels like one. 

“First off: your family lives nearby, including your parents. You see them every other day, there is no world in which I’m making you move away from that.”

It’s true, of course, James picked this apartment because it was midway between his parents’ house farther out from the city, and some of his cousins’ apartments downtown. Many of the Potters live in Pakistan, but James is lucky enough to have some family here too. 

“Secondly,” Regulus continues. “Sirius lives here. I know you think they’re your sibling but she also happens to be mine.” 

“I know that,” James mumbles, fiddling with the pilled fuzz on the couch. 

Regulus’ voice somehow grows even more shaper, professional with a pinch of devilry: “Lastly, you and Lily agreed that Harry should attend school here. As I already told you, I think that’s a sensible idea, it will help Harry adjust from homeschooling to public school since you will be on campus to support him, and he’ll be close to a network of people who care for him, specifically Sirius and his grandparents.”

James smiles at the mention of Harry, his kid, his son . Going through the bureaucracy of CPS had been quite the challenge, but thanks to some persistent friends, and a somewhat compliant Petunia, Lily and James had managed to gain full custody of Harry. 

He’s theirs . 

This time, they’re both ready to take care of him—to give him the structure, albeit a nontraditional one, of a stable family overflowing with unconditional love. With the help of James’ parents, Sirius, and Mary, Lily and James will raise him, adore him, and more than likely, spoil him.

For a long time, James couldn’t bring himself to regret giving up their baby, but when he learned that Harry was theirs —that Petunia had kept him in an abusive home where he was taught that he didn’t matter half as much as his brother, well, James had never felt so sorry in his life. 

If he and Lily had kept him, Harry wouldn't have had to go through all of that. 

Regulus takes James’ hand and squeezes it twice. “I’ve lost you. What are you thinking about?”

“You know, the Dursleys.”

“It wasn’t your fault, James,” Regulus says, knowing the depths of guilt James’ mind digs. He said the same thing when he held James after they found out about Harry’s birthday, about Harry’s nightmare of a childhood, about Harry running away. 

“Neither you nor Lily were ready to be parents back then,” Regulus continues. “And now you are. Extremely prepared, in my opinion.”

James sniffs. He won’t let the past ruin the present, not for any of them. Harry will soon get everything he should have before—doting parents, not to mention adoring grandparents, immersion in his Pakistani culture, and a home where he can feel safe and loved. 

And maybe, James can give Harry all of that with Regulus at his side. 

“You’re really moving here?” James whispers. 

“Mmhm. Well, not here exactly. I’ll be looking for an apartment closer to campus. Maybe I’ll ask if Remus wants to be roommates—”

“No, you should both live here! With us!” James gestures to the large apartment around them, the shrine to Sirius’ awards in the corner with an ample record collection, the fridge full of camp photos, the blow-out poster of one of Sadequain’s best works, a sunrise over a forest, and the hallway that leads to Sirius and James’ bedrooms plus two guestrooms for when family, Marauders included visits. 

One of them will be Harry’s bedroom soon enough; James is waiting for his arrival to pick out a color theme, though he’s very much hoping that Harry will go with red instead of green. 

“I vowed long ago that I’m never living with Sirius again,” Regulus says flatly. “And I’m not getting in the way of your…special bond. So for the time being, I’ll live close by.”

James snorts. “You’re going to end up staying the night all the time. Not only do I live here, but Harry will too.”

Regulus’ eyes crinkle. “I do love Harry.”

“And me?”

“Unfortunately.” Regulus tries for a sigh but it comes out all soft and aching, that wonderful sound pulling James across the couch to press closer and closer until their noses brush. 

“I still need to properly kiss you hello. We were interrupted before.”

Regulus swallows. “You should do that then.”

James hovers over Regulus’ lips while his hands roam lower, unbuttoning his pressed shirt and sliding up his chest. He can feel Regulus’ breath catch, his lungs working hard beneath James’ palms, but James doesn’t lean forward and gives him what he wants. 

Not yet. He’s got something else in mind first. 

A groan that’s almost a growl crawls out of Regulus’ mouth and he tries to lean up to James’ lips but James presses him down, tsking. “You know, Remus told me the craziest thing the other day.”

Regulus pupils dilate as James’ hands sweep down, thumbs brushing beneath his waistband. 

“He told me that you actually wrote out that plan of yours to woo me,” James continues. “Thirteen steps to steal my heart.”

“We can talk about his later,” Regulus grits, trying and failing to kiss James again. 

“Nu-uh.” James tilts Regulus’ chin to kiss the tip of his nose. “I wanna see it.”

“Absolutely n— oh ,” Regulus moans as James presses a knee in between his thighs, pulling his pants’ zipper down slowly. 

“What was that?” James whispers over Regulus’ lips. 

“I’m not letting you see that, it’s—” Regulus whimpers, James’ fingers now dipping under the fabric of his briefs, doubling the pressure of his knee with a slow circle.

“Please, Reggie?” James curls his fingers into Regulus’ wet warmth and he gasps. “ Please ?”

“Fine just fucking kiss me!” 

James grins, pulling his hands and face away from Regulus.

“What—what the hell—” Regulus sputters, those lovely cheekbones peppered red. “Where the fuck is my hello kiss?”

“I love it when you swear.” James laughs. “Don’t worry, love. I’m on it.” 

James pulls Regulus’ pants and briefs all the way down in one swoop and bends down to plant a long, deep kiss between his legs.

“ Oh .”

******

They don’t leave the couch, though Regulus does, unfortunately, put on pants and a shirt in case Sirius gets back from the studio early. James steals most of the space, laying out with his head in Regulus’ lap as he reads from his moleskin journal, which is fittingly black. It has Regulus’ name and number on the front cover, plus a note listing a reward if found. The first page is just James’ full name written in Regulus’ perfect cursive, and James spends a good long while tracing those letters, grinning like an idiot. 

Who could blame him? Regulus filled an entire notebook with thoughts and plans for James . It makes him feel special, like he’s Regulus’ prey but in a cute way. In a loving way. 

“Step #1: Have a real conversation with James,” he recites. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Regulus looks down at James with a blank look. “Exactly what it says, use your thinking skills, I know you have at least some. I couldn’t talk to you before this summer.”

“What? We talked all the time?!”

“In letters, Jamie. But I was a complete buffoon with you in person, you got me all…”

“Flustered?”

“Quite.”

James smiles victoriously. He doesn’t remember Regulus being anything other than poised and perfect when they saw each other in person over the years, though now that he thinks about it, there were some stumbled sentences and long pauses; James had just attributed it to the holiday cheer, and more recently, the Hogwarts sun. 

“I made Regulus Black flustered,” he says in disbelief. 

“You make me flustered,” Regulus corrects. “I’m only just better at hiding it now.”

James leans up to give Regulus a peck on the lips. 

“This is torture, I’ll have you know,” Regulus groans when James lifts the journal up again. 

They walk through all the rest of the steps, James breaking into laughter at Regulus’ attempts at chivalry, his sleuthing of James’ secrets, his staring and laughter and exhibitions of ‘prowess’. “You know that I knew all of these things already.” James pokes Regulus. “I’ve always thought you’re the most beautiful and most intelligent person I’ve ever known.”

Regulus’ mouth falls open and James chuckles. “Yeah, I know, I guess I’ve been in denial for a long time.”

The rest of Regulus’ notes are written in code, some numbers, some Cyrillic, and in spite of James’ persuasive and all-together tactile begging, Regulus refuses to translate. 

“No. It’s all horribly incommodious.” One of Regulus’ hands plays with James' hair, the other traces the outline of prongs on his thigh, a tattoo James has come to learn that Regulus very much likes. “Besides, you already have years of my love letters, that’s more than enough future blackmail.”

“I do, huh?” James sinks into the feeling of Regulus’ fingers, his eyes fluttering shut. 

Regulus’ lips find his again, a soft kiss, slow and loving because they have all the time in the world now. James gets to live with two of his best friends, save Lily’s trips back up to Hogwarts on the weekends, his son, and his lover. 

James’ eyes fly open with the realization. “Reggie, will you meet my Ammi and Abba?” 

“I’ve met your parents many times before, James.”

“Yes, but I mean as my boyfriend .” The word feels a little too insignificant for what they are, but James goes with it nonetheless. 

Regulus blinks furiously, and James realizes he’s blushing. “Y—yes.”

Before James can react, the door’s lock wiggles loudly, Sirius doing something that sounds a lot like an Irish-jig outside. “I’m entering the apartment. I repeat, I’m entering the apartment!”

James springs up to run and throw open the door. 

“Padfoot!” he says as he wraps her into a hug because tradition is tradition, and James will take any excuse to hold Sirius. “Reggie has something to tell you.”

They break apart and Sirius turns to their brother expectantly. “That preface is mildly terrifying, but I’m all ears.”

Regulus stands by the end of the couch, hands tucked in his pockets, looking at Sirius with a complicated expression. “Hello, Sirius.”

“Yeah, yeah, we saw each other a week ago, what’s the news?” Sirius comes closer to Regulus, and James follows, bouncing on his heels behind them. 

“I’m moving to LA,” Regulus says simply. 

It’s lucky that James is there to catch Sirius when she bursts into tears. 

******

“I can’t believe you kept it! I was so sure you burned it.” Sirius clutches an embroidered pillow to their chest, the stitching of “Siblings by blood, friends by choice” stretching from how tightly he holds it. 

“Just because it’s an ugly gift doesn’t mean I’d toss it,” Regulus says from his spot by the window. A few old decorations from last Halloween dangle above him—both James and Sirius thought the spinning, shimmering ghosts were too cute to take down. 

James has a feeling Harry will emphatically agree. 

It’s the reverse of a few days before, when James was waiting for Regulus to arrive, only this time, it’s Harry they’re all waiting for. And it’s Regulus who’s an adorable, excited mess. 

Of course, James is more than thrilled to see his kid, but with Regulus here, he’s not stressed or overthinking the orange juice and cookie dough he stocked in the fridge, the hardcovers of Percy Jackson waiting in his room that Peter suggested James buy, the family therapy appointment he and Lily booked for tomorrow. 

James feels a sense of certainty, for once, like the pledge of a harness on the Big Zip to keep him secure in the face of something intimidating. He’s got this. They’ve got this. 

Regulus, on the other hand, has been up since sunrise, looking down at the street, fingers fiddling with his ring while he waits for Mary, Lily, and Harry to arrive. 

James has to take a picture, admittedly his tenth of the morning, and send it to the staff group chat. 

When Regulus glances at his phone, he scowls. “Jamie, you have to stop sending photos of me to everyone. It’s creepy.”

“How is he supposed to take you seriously when you call him Jamie?” Sirius taunts, still clutching the pillow on the couch.

“Fine. James Fleamont Potter, stop it.”

James beams at his full name, a thrill darting through his body. “But you’re adorable!”

Sirius and James both laugh at Regulus’ indignant expression. He turns back to his view with a huff. “Being around you both is like I’m back in fucking high school.”

“Are you calling us immature?” Sirius scoffs. 

“Yes, juvenile, jejune, inane, vapid, you take your pick.” Then Regulus straightens, jumping from his seat. “HARRY IS HERE.”

James watches Regulus run down the hall in shock. Besides a few well-timed jump scares and a couple of intense moments in the bedroom, he doesn’t think he’s ever heard Reggie scream before. 

“And we’re the immature ones?” Sirius tsks, then jumps up themself, rushing after Regulus. 

With one last look around the apartment to make sure everything is perfect, James follows them. 

It’s time for Harry to come home. 

******

Neither Lily nor James knew how well Harry would adjust to his new home, so they had been careful not to set expectations, to give him the time and space to grieve his old life with Dudley and Petunia, not to mention transition from his summer at Hogwarts to an apartment in a huge city. 

But as Harry so loved to do, he shocked them all. 

Every day he was so excited that he woke up before the sun and took his sweet time to follow the sun to bed—when he wasn’t helping James and Sirius decorate his new bedroom or shopping for new school supplies with Lily and Regulus, Harry was bouncing off the walls, begging all of his many caretakers to take him out to explore LA. 

His one, singular complaint was small but persistent. 

“When can I see Draco, Prongs?!” Harry sighs from the other side of the kitchen counter. 

“Soon, I promise. Once Reggie has moved in Narcissa and Draco are going to come down to visit.”

Harry sets his chin in his hands with a scrunched expression, and James’ heart does a little shimmy at the sight. He’s such a cute kid. 

On cue, Regulus comes in, hair freshly showered, and sets his phone in front of Harry. “Go on then. Draco has his mom’s phone.”

“You’re the best, love!” Harry runs to his room with Regulus’ phone. 

Regulus shakes his head, though his smile betrays his affection. “He has got to stop using your pet names for me.”

The front door unlocks, Lily and Mary filing in with bags of party supplies, and unsurprisingly. bickering over the amount of balloons Mary ordered. “It’s not enough, Mary, in what world is a dozen balloons sufficient for a birthday party?”

“This apartment isn’t that big, Red.”

Lily throws her arms up and gestures around them. “Yes, it is! A Grammy-award winning producer lives here, it’s huge .”

Without a word, Regulus and James take the bags from them, organizing the decorations and the food for tonight. They had all agreed that Harry deserved a real birthday party after all the drama on his real birthday, not to mention eleven years of only secret presents from Petunia at midnight. 

Now Harry’s going to get a rager . He deserves absolute revelry. 

By the time Lily and Mary return to reality, James is on a ladder hanging streamers, Regulus on the phone with Effie to start prepping ingredients for dinner. 

“Oh. Can we help?” Lily asks, holding Mary’s hand. 

“Yeah, Firefly. Wanna go check on Harry and make sure he’s not planning a heist with Draco?”

Lily winks. “On it.”

She marches down the hallway, red hair swishing behind her, and Mary watches her go with a stricken expression. 

“What is it?” James asks, stepping down the ladder. 

“Nothing, nothing it’s just...” Mary scratches at her tight curls twisted into a bun. “We’re all so domestic now.”

James waits for her to finish her thought because there’s more there, he can see it in her nostalgic eyes. He’s been seeing the same look in his reflection these days.

“I didn’t think I wanted this—I’ve been running from this life ever since my brother passed.”

“And now?”

Mary turns to look at James. “I’m so goddamn happy.”

“I know the feeling.” 

A few hours later, after a lengthy discussion between Lily and Regulus regarding cake toppers, and a batch of punch that Sirius made then tragically spilled, the party is in full swing, people from James and Lily’s lives are scattered around the apartment, waiting for their turn to get to know Harry. 

He’s the star of the show. 

“So then Draco and I found this picture in Dumbledore’s office of the talent show, right, and we were both superrrrrr shocked because Dr. Moony was in it. How could Dr. Moony be in it?!”

“Dr. Moony?” Fleamont asks from his seat beside Harry at the dining table. 

“That’s Remus,” Harry informs him. “Remus is Sirius’ love and also a Marauder. He’s going to move in with Regulus soon.”

Fleamont looks up and meets James’ eye with a smile, then shifts his attention back to his grandson. “I’ve heard all about this Remus, I’m so glad that he’s back in all of your lives. Sounds like you had a big part to play in that?”

“Oh, well.” Harry’s brown cheeks flush with pink, and James bites back a smile from his spot eavesdropping in the kitchen. “At first I was really really really worried that I messed it all up but I think it worked out!”

“Anyone want seconds?” Effie calls from beside James. She made Sindhi biryani, with a little less spice than normal for Harry’s sake—though she told James in no uncertain terms they would be training his palette little by little—and a Californian spin on fruit chaat with apricots, grapes, and berries, plus a never-ending pile of Peshwari naan. 

Regulus had followed Effie’s every move all afternoon, memorizing the recipe so he could replicate it later, which is utterly endearing given he’s not a foodie whatsoever—-save when James feeds him and his taste miraculously improves. 

“I’d love some, Effie,” Lily says, piling her plate with another load. 

Effie pets Lily’s hair adoringly, whispering something in her ear that makes her laugh loudly. James doesn’t think he can smile any wider at the sight of so many people he loves here, celebrating Harry. He’s so overwhelmed he stumbles into the living room, searching for a place to sit. 

“PRONGS!” 

James quickly runs over to Harry, who meets him halfway, throwing himself into his arms. 

“Everything okay?”

Harry nods into James’ neck, snuggling closer. “Yeah, Baba.” 

All the air whooshes out of James’ lungs and he pulls back a little. “Where did you learn that word?” 

“Mr. Flea taught me!” Harry smiles at James crookedly. 

“I’m so happy you want to call me that, but you don’t have to, Harry. There’s no pressure for you to call me and Lily anything other than Prongs and Firefly.”

Harry grips James’s neck tighter. “Okay, Baba.”

******

Later that night, when the cousins and friends and grandparents have left, when the food is packed up and decorations are mostly taken down, when the presents are opened and Harry is blinking sleepily, James and Lily tuck him in for the night.

“Prongs? Firefly?” Harry whispers, gazing at the glow-in-the-dark stars Sirius put up on the ceiling. 

“Yeah, baby Prongs?” James asks. 

“I like it here.”

James has to flex his hands to keep from squeezing Harry in delight. “I’m—I’m so glad, Harry. You have no idea how happy that makes us.”

Lily meets James’ eye above Harry’s pillow. “We’re so happy you’re here, Harry.”

“I do miss Dudley though. And my mom. I wish they could be here too.”

Though James understands why Harry loves Petunia, it’s hard for him to swallow the possibility of her staying in his life. She had let him down in so many ways, let Lily down in so many ways, but if it’s important to Harry, it’s important to James. 

“They’re going to visit, Harry, but what’s important is your safety,” James insists. “You’re safe here.”

“They should be safe too though.” 

“I agree,” Lily hums. “But Petunia has to make some hard decisions. It’s up to her, all we can do is be there for her.”

Harry nods and repeats, “We’ll be there for her.”

They fall into silence then, and James thinks that Harry’s starting to fall asleep when he rolls on his side and stage-whispers: “When can I see Draco?”

Lily and James burst into laughter.