You’re Fine
James’ POV
After staring at the three Slytherin names on the map, James made the executive decision to go and spy on them.
Was it a smart decision?
No.
However, James didn’t care. He was much more focused on talking to Regulus as soon as possible, and there were plenty of opportunities to get him alone so long as he was out of the dorms.
James was hurrying down the halls, hidden under the silky fabric of the invisibility cloak. He had taken his shoes off and was walking in his socks, hoping that he would be able to walk faster with less noise. While it worked, it felt weird to traverse the castle in such a casual manner.
He padded down the halls, thankful to not cross paths with Mrs. Norris or Filch. It was an easy trip, and when he arrived at the door to the Astronomy tower, he stopped to slow his breathing.
The three names were still planted in the tower, now accompanied by James’, so he knew they hadn’t left. James assumed there was a silencing charm on the room since he couldn’t hear anything through the door, and realized that probably meant someone had locked the door as well. He tried the handle to find that he was correct.
The Gryffindor sighed with frustration and furrowed his brows when he remembered the door didn’t have a lock. He had previously believed that you couldn’t charm doors to lock without a lock already built in, but apparently Hogwarts had failed to teach that was not in fact the case. Unless it was. James didn’t know anymore.
The sixth year pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the lock, whispering “Alohomora.” He didn’t hear the lock click, and again remembered the Astronomy tower didn’t have a lock. The boy put a hand to his forehead, laughing at himself.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at the situation with some logic. Whatever spell had been used was either too complicated for James to know it, or was modified by Regulus. More accurately, Sirius, James thought. He knew Sirius modified spells all of the time, usually with Remus, and wouldn’t be surprised if he shared some of them with Regulus.
Sirius had shown James a locking charm he’d made in first year. Him and Regulus were still on good terms at the time, which means he probably gave the spell to his brother. James knew he had been taught the counter-spell for it, but couldn’t remember it.
James slumped against the stone wall and bit the inside of his cheek, looking about the dark corridor as if the answer would appear in front of him. An old memory flushed over James then, and he remembered him and Sirius slipping into the tower one night last year, giggling about some genius prank that Remus had come up with.
They were going to charm the telescopes to show close ups of random teachers, and Sirius had insisted they lock the door behind them. He muttered the spell under his breath, and James asked him to show him the spell. Sirius showed the brunette how to cast it, and how to break it, and that was when James remembered how to unlock the door.
He jumped from the wall, immediately pointing his wand to the handle and muttering the counter. The non-existent lock clicked (somehow) and James carefully reached for the handle, turning it slowly.
When the door was open just enough for James to see through, he peaked in to find that the trio of Slytherins were facing away from him. He spent an agonizing amount of time pushing the door open, and was relieved when he was able to slip through a small crack.
Now that he was inside of the tower and past the silencing charm he was able to hear what Regulus and his friends were saying.
“She’ll be here in a few minutes, probably,” Crouch said. He was leaning on Rosiers shoulder, Regulus leaning on the railing nearby.
James carefully shut the door behind him and sat on the cold floor, leaning against one of the tower walls.
“Ten sickles says she’s hooking up with Lovegood,” Rosier said, and James thought he was directing the bet at Regulus.
Regulus turned around to face his friends, now propping himself up with his elbows. He looked rather serene, and James felt his breath hitch in his throat as he studied the boy. “Only ten?” Regulus asked, a smirk playing at his lips, eyebrow raised.
“I’m not stupid enough to up it, Black,” Rosier scoffed playfully.
“Mm, that’s too bad,” Regulus shook his head. The moonlight glowed on his ghastly skin and made him look so damn beautiful. Although still under the cloak, he felt self conscious about the way he was looking at the boy. James just couldn’t help himself, and he had no idea why.
When his chest filled with an unusual feeling and his cheeks heated, he forced himself to look away. The Gryffindor shut his mouth rather aggressively, hoping no one heard his breathing. He tried to push the idea of Regulus, the very attractive man in front of him, from his mind. The sixth year focused on Crouch and Rosier instead, and only then realized their unusual closeness.
“You two make bets far too often, and Evan” Crouch pointed a finger at the boy's chest, “you always lose.”
“It’s fun, though,” Rosier shrugged. “Either way, we have the money for it. One plus to being in a shitty pureblood family,” Rosier ruffled the others boy hair.
“I stand by what I said, too damn often,” Crouch grumbled to himself.
Regulus seemed like he was about to speak when the door to the tower swung open. Pandora Lestrange strutted in, her blonde hair gleaming in the weak light of the moon.
“You best put a lock on that, Regulus,” the Ravenclaw said as she walked next to the boy, who seemed to be in shock.
“I did,” Regulus said carefully, looking around the room. He moved from his spot and slowly circled the tower while his friends watched.
“We never heard anyone enter,” Rosier offered.
“Yes, but the charm’s broken, Evan,” Regulus rolled his eyes. “Someone could’ve peaked in without us noticing and now they’re on their way to snitch to a teacher.”
“Anyone going to the Astronomy tower is just trying to shag,” Crouch laughed.
“Speaking of, what were you up to just now?” Rosier asked.
“Just got caught up with this one Hufflepuff, she’s real sweet,” Lestrange shrugged.
“Ten sickles,” Regulus said with a smirk as he passed the boy, and Rosier grumbled, fishing the coins from his pocket.
“Wait, back to the supposed intruders, wouldn’t they get in trouble too? If they snitched?” Lestrange sat on the floor as she asked this, her back to the railing.
Regulus did one last sweep of the room, getting awfully close to James who held his breath (although not to avoid being caught), and shrugged dejectedly. “Probably just did it wrong,” the Slytherin grumbled, seeming unsure of himself.
“We’ll be fine,” Rosier offered him a comforting smile. “As long as those other charms are still up, no one should be coming up here.”
“I beg to differ,” Crouch said. Evan looked at him, confused, but the others seemed to understand him. James didn’t. “Someone might come up here.”
Rosier gasped and slapped Crouch on the arm playfully, while James threw a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. “Pandora is here,” he hissed at the other boy.
“Oh, I know already,” Lestrange smiled at them evilly and Rosier gaped.
“How?” He managed, earning a laugh from Crouch. James noticed that Regulus seemed amused as well and, yet again, forced himself to pry his gaze from the boy.
“Oh please,” Pandora drawled. “You two were practically making out when I walked in here,” she waved a hand at the two, smiling.
“I wish,” Crouch said as he dragged his boyfriend to the floor, adjusting so that he could lie on his lap.
“Get a room,” Regulus scoffed at them and sat down as well, next to Lestrange.
“This would be said room, but you two insisted on chatting tonight,” Rosier rolled his eyes and began running his fingers through Crouch’s hair.
“That’s because I’ve got boy problems and Regulus is trying to avoid something,” Lestrange said.
“Mm, and what is it that you’re avoiding, Mr. Black?” Rosier asked.
“Something,” Regulus shrugged.
“What something?”
“The something in which I am avoiding.”
“Where, then, might this something which you are avoiding be?”
“I’m afraid this something may have followed me here,” Regulus said, looking about uncertainly.
“And, Regulus Black, why is that?”
“Because this something is rather hard to avoid.”
“What is the something which proves to be such a struggle to avoid?” Rosier was trying so hard to get the boy to slip up, and it was rather amusing for James to watch.
“The something that is so hard for me to avoid is the something which may or may not have followed me to where I have run to avoid it.”
Rosier shook his head, giving up. “You’re impossible.”
“Thank you,” Regulus smiled at him politely. There was an unusual sweetness to his voice which James latched on to and replayed over and over in his head.
Lestrange giggled at the two, and Crouch followed when she glanced his way. After maybe a minute of useless laughter, they began discussing Lestranges boy problems. James was only half listening, mostly picking at a loose string on his robe, or running the silky fabric of the invisibility cloak between his fingers. Anything to avoid the fifth year across the room.
All that James got out of the conversation was this; Lovegood seemed to be interested in Lestrange, but had apparently said yes to a girl who asked him out the other day. Lestrange was taken aback by this and was hoping that he did so to be polite, but was now doubting every sign she’d picked up on (endless flirting, seeking her out at lunch everyday, all sorts of body language, a sudden surge of compliments, and more stuff that James didn’t care to remember). She had been asking them over and over if he really liked her, and all of them just kept insisting that he did.
Of course, none of them knew for sure if Lovegood reciprocated the fellow Ravenclaws feelings, but even James assumed he did. It seemed like common sense at this point.
Not long after, Rosier and Crouch had decided to turn in for the night and were waving goodbye to the other two. James scooted, very slowly, closer to where Regulus was sitting since there was more space for him. Just in case they whisper, he told himself.
When the door was shut behind the leaving couple, Regulus immediately turned to Lestrange and said “I’m not going back to my dorm.”
Lestrange laughed. It was airy and sweet, and fairly feminine compared to even her earlier giggling. “I don’t blame you, wouldn’t want to walk in on those two either.”
Regulus shivered at the thought of it, almost as if he’d just eaten a very disgusting food. “I don’t wanna think about that.”
Lestrange nodded, “Then let’s think about something else. Who are you avoiding?” She turned her whole body towards him, and stared Regulus straight in the eyes.
“How’d you know it’s a who?” Regulus raised a brow challengingly.
“I know you, and I know you have a history of avoiding the people you like.”
“Fair,” Regulus shrugged and looked away from her, resting his head on his palm. “I don’t even think I’m avoiding them, I just want to be.”
Lestrange furrowed her brows, “What do you mean?”
“They're not Slytherin, Dora. I’m more likely to run into them here. In fact, I have run into them here.”
Her brows knitted inward in an impossibly tight manner, numerous wrinkles forming above them. “Why- wait. Why would you go here then?”
“Because,” Regulus over enunciated the word, “I want to see them. Even though I don’t. I do. I shouldn’t,” he sounded like he was whining. “I don’t know!” He threw his hands up, his head falling forward as they reached his lap. “Fuck, dude,” he pushed his palms into his eyes and grumbled to himself.
James wished he could just scoot forward and hug the Slytherin. It would be so easy. He was so close, they had been closer earlier.
Merlin, did he need to stop thinking like that. He shut his eyes tightly and wished away the unusual thoughts from his mind, as if that would work.
And it didn’t, not really.
The Gryffindor took a few breaths, and looked up when he next heard Regulus’ voice. Lestrange was looking at him with sad eyes. “Feelings suck,” Regulus frowned. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispered.
Lestrange didn’t tell him what to do, she didn’t give him advice, didn’t tell him it’d be ok, she simply placed a hand on his knee and gave him a weak smile. “I know,” she whispered back.
Regulus looked her in the eyes for what felt like forever to James. He eventually hung his head again, and brushed her off. “Can I be alone?”
The Ravenclaw bit her lip with hesitation, “Sure, Reggie.” Lestrange stood slowly, watching him as she walked to the door. Regulus did not lift his head to watch her leave, he just sat there, and when the door shut he folded in on himself.
James waited a moment, unsure if he should reach out. No one else was there, anyway, and he’d been wanting to comfort the boy this whole time. But last time Regulus ran, and he had to talk to him about that before making all of this worse.
The sixth year watched as Regulus breathed unsteadily, squeezing his hands together, and when the Slytherin let out a shuddering sob James gave in. He pulled the cloak from himself and fell to Regulus, who might as well have screamed when it happened.
He fell back and stared at James with wide eyes. “What the fuck, James!” Regulus shouted at the boy who was leaning over him, arms stretched out to support himself. He couldn’t help but smile goofily at the use of his first name.
“James, is it?” He asked as he moved into a more comfortable position, still leaning over Regulus, who seemed very repulsed.
Regulus glared at him, finding that he could not move any further back as the railing was now in his way. “It never will be, Potter,” he hissed.
James pouted. “That’s too bad.” He studied Regulus’ face and saw a shimmering trail left by a tear, which he promptly reached out to wipe away. He couldn’t stop himself anymore. He didn’t care that Regulus would want him dead after this.
Once he’d brushed away the tear streak with his thumb, James let his hand linger on Regulus’ face a few seconds longer. He noticed the other boys breathing speed up as he tried to become one with the railing at his back.
“Stop it,” Regulus pushed him away with little effort. Although James was no longer hovering over the boy, he did his best to keep close to the Slytherin.
“Who were you talking about?” James asked with cautious curiosity.
Regulus stiffened. “Did I fuck up the silencing charms too?” He groaned in frustration.
“Oh,” James realized that Regulus hadn’t seen him just appear from thin air. “Uhm,” he ran a hand through his hair and shrugged, “guess so?”
The Slytheirn threw his head back and said “Fucking hell.”
James’ frown deepened.
“I assume you unlocked it as well? Peaked in to see who was all up here?” Regulus looked at him, his expression bored.
The other boy coughed awkwardly, “Uh, yeah, I did.” A half truth was good enough.
Regulus muttered something under his breath angrily, and James did not hear what it was.
“I actually, uhm,” James hesitated. Maybe it was a bad time to bring this up, but he had to. It was the only reason he had come up here anyway. “About earlier, in the library,” he trailed off.
“What about it?” Regulus said through gritted teeth, and scooted away from James, to which he responded by scooting closer.
“What happened?” James whispered, scared to let the words leave his mouth. He watched Regulus as he awaited a response.
The other boy, however, didn’t respond. He stared at James, and after sitting in a thick silence for who knows how long, James could see some sort of pleading in his eyes. So he let it go. For now.
Even if he could not fulfill this trip's intended purpose, he could find a new one for it.
“I’m sorry,” James offered quietly.
“For what?” Regulus’ expression immediately changed to that of confusion.
“For being a nuisance,” he sucked in a sharp breath, and went on. “I keep following you around because you intrigue me, and I want to get to know you, I really do.” James waited, although for what he did not know. “No matter how much I want to befriend you, however, I shouldn’t be making you so uncomfortable. I shouldn’t, I know, and yet here I am,” he gestured to himself with his hands, “not making anything better, am I?” His lips fell into a tight line.
The Slytherin said nothing. He studied James, his eyes flicking over his face, eventually trailing his body and lining his figure. It made James squirm, and he could feel a warmth on his neck.
They sat there a while longer, the previous silence between them now being a comfortable one. James could feel something growing in his chest as the other boy watched him closely. Whatever it was, he knew he’d felt it earlier, and he wished it would just stop.
James’ throat felt almost sticky as he awaited something, anything, from the other boy. And, eventually, Regulus met the Sixth year's gaze. The boy's gray eyes glimmered brilliantly in the moonlight, looking almost tear-filled. “You’re fine,” he said quietly.
James' eyes widened a moment, he’s what? “Huh?” Dammit he sounded helpless.
“You’re ok,” Regulus restated, “I don’t mind you chasing me about.” His words were quiet, but sure.
“Oh,” James scolded himself for even thinking Regulus had meant- well, not that. “Ok.” He knew his response sounded dumb, but he didn’t know what to say. He just stared blankly at Regulus. The fifth year stared back at him, a smile inching its way onto his face. He started laughing, then. It was quiet and sweet and breathy, and James couldn’t help but lean ever closer to the sound.
The innocent smile covering the boy's face turned into a much more sinister smirk when his laughter died down, which filled James with a curious dread. “Take it both ways,” Regulus said breathily, and quietly. He moved just slightly closer to James, and even though there was plenty of space between them the Gryffindor felt as though there was no room for air. “You’re hot.”
Then he stood, and he left. He walked right out of the tower. Straight through the door, without a response from the other boy.
James was left on the cold stone floor, gaping, while his face flushed with a heat more aggressive than he’d ever experienced.