Regulus Black was a parasite. A heart-eating, soul sucking parasite. Of Course for many years Regulus was in denial of this one singular fact, hoping and praying he wouldn't become a reflection of his mother but to no prevail he has morphed into a picture perfect piece of the Black Legacy.
Regulus had learned from a very young age anything good or pure that was near him slowly died, turned brown and mellowed, like a pair of lilies left out on the kitchen counter for a week. That was just who he was. He was a Black after all. Everyone expected him to become like this, his family was known to thrive because of their poisonous fangs and even deadlier words.
Regulus for the last 5 years had been calculating his success, planning to make sure he would be everything his mother needed him to be. He would be everything Sirius could not have been.
His parents had also taken notice of this development and they seemed quite proud of their son's similarities to them, unlike Sirius.
His brother Sirius, had ran away 4 years ago and has never looked back since. He left their father cursing and mother with a grave desire in her eyes as Sirius took Regulus’s dreams with him .
The night of Sirius’s escape his mother had lead 12 year old Regulus into the other room and told him,
“ Regulus, you mustn’t disappoint me like your brother. You are better than that. We both know you are worth more than a life of disgrace like him. Do not fail me like he did Regulus. Promise me you won’t. ”
“I won’t mother, I promise,” Regulus said, blinking away the tears forming in his eyes.
If he was able to, Regulus wishes he could reach through time and tell his younger self to never speak those words , never make that promise because those exact words are what cursed him to be trapped in a house on fire and it was his own doing that got him there.
—
“James, where the hell is my toothbrush!” a clearly agitated Peter exclaims, his tie laying loosely across his neck, as he stood in the frame of their dorm's bathroom.
.
“Merlin peter! Have you checked your desk?” Remus calls out from behind James not even looking up, his eyes still stuck in the pages of “Potions and Precision : a guide”
James found books with fancy dots in the name boring, he also found most things deemed as “useful” by the wizarding education system boring.
“HOLY SHIT! Remus how the fuck did you know it was there?! You mind reader,” Peter shouts.
James snorts, he still is surprised Peter hasn’t realized their dear friend , Remus Lupin has special powers called not being a dysfunctional fuck like James and Peter.
“ yea and next time I’ll mind read what you’ve been doing at 3 am!” Remus replies, his eyes still located on the yellowing pages of his snore of a book.
“I love you too Remus!” Peter mocks back as he appears out of their dorm tying his crumpled red and yellow gryffindor tie around his shirt collar.
James glances down at Lily and Marlene who were currently decorating gryffindor cheer posters.
Today was Hogwarts yearly Frog Cup, where each of the houses fought over bragging rights and candy. Basically it was a magical school field day but taken way too seriously by many . James was one of those many, who painted their face their house's colors and screamed so much they lost their voice for the week after.
“Ready Prongs?” Sirius, his best friend, calls, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his arm around him playfully.
Sirius had long black hair that draped over his shoulders and a lip piercing to match the smirk that usually fit across his face.He was also James’ best friend and brother.
“What do you think Pads?” James retorts, a smile morphing onto his face as well.
“Well then mates and ladies I believe it's time we escort ourselves out!” Sirius says, ushering towards the dorm's exit.
“Oh shut up Sirius, no one likes you when you're cocky!’ Marlene teases back as she stands up to wrap her scarf around her neck and push her blonde hair out of the way.
“Remus does!” Sirius huffs, clearly offended.
“Sirius, stop telling lies about me.’ Remus murmurs back with a smirk slipping on his face as he stands up to grab his cane .
“Ouch Remus! Why must you hurt me dear!” Sirius dramatically exclaims, grasping at his heart before falling over himself in “despair”.
“You really never change huh padfoot? What a shame I’m stuck with you,” Remus says, sighing.
“Oh don’t act so sour, you love me,” Sirius moans back, still laying on the floor
“ I’ll think about it but for now I want to leave so I don’t have to wait in a line for butterbeer,” Remus replies before leaning down and grabbing Sirius’s arm to attempt to pull him up.
“ Well even though you don’t love me which I am very insulted by . I still love you Moony.” Sirius says, his smirk repairing and his cocky self coming back.
“God whatever would I do if you didn’t!” Remus sarcastically says before dipping down and touching his lips against Sirius and kissing him before pulling him to his feet.
That seemed to satisfy Sirius since he didn’t make any cocky comebacks and just happily walked along next to Remus, holding his hand.
Remus and Sirius had started dating three months ago, James knew because the night Sirius asked Remus out he had whined to James for hours about how gorgeous Remus was and how he probably wasn’t even into Sirius.
Remus also had a crush on Sirius for 4 years prior which James also knew about because Remus complained to him about the same fucking thing.
James was still thoroughly impressed about how oblivious and long it took those two to actually realize they both bloody liked each other. Really! How long does it take to tell the boy who has liked you ages you also like him?! But even though they both had made James lose so much sleep he was still quite happy for both of them. They both deserved each other. Sirius needed to know it was possible for him to love someone without getting hurt and Remus needed to know someone was able to love him even though he was a “monster.”
James hated that was the term people used to describe Remus. Nobody who folds their socks and favorite tea is Earl Gray could ever be a monster in James' eyes.
As James made his way to his assigned seat for the introduction of this year's frog cup, someone caught Jame’s eye.
Regulus Black.
The boy James has had a crush on for 3 years.
And a little side note you might wanna keep for later, Regulus might just perhaps be Sirius’s estranged brother. Its a little tid (a fucking big) problem.
Now James was sure that Sirius would support whomever he loved as long as they didn’t purposely hurt James. But James was also sure Sirius did not think in a million lifetimes James Potter, his best friend, would fall in love with his younger brother.
James sighed before pulling himself away from the brightest star in existence. Regulus was casted away from the groups of gaggling kids, sitting next to Barty Crouch Jr causing James' jaw to tighten.
Barty Crouch Jr. He hated Barty. He had never even spoken a word to him but he hated him. Barty and Regulus always were right next to each other, attached at the fucking hip which James found extremely agitating. Ofcourse James had no room to talk , Sirius and him were constantly together but that was different. Barty, he got to wrap his arm around Regulus' defined shoulder and whisper in his ear, he got to be around Regulus and not be utterly despised by him.
Oh yea another fun fact, Regulus hates James. Like utterly despises him. James never really truly asked Regulus why a disgusted look fitted on to his face when James entered a room because every time he's ever talked to Regulus, it ends with him being laughed at and flipped off and bonus point ,if he's lucky an occasional eye roll.
James was miserably and desperately in love with the prettiest boy in existence who also conveniently hated him. It really was whoever runs this fucked up universes way of laughing right down at Jame’s loser self.
—
“God Reggie! Potter is starring again.” Barty complained as he moped around eating a caramel apple. Clearly irritated by golden boy #2’s existence.
“And?” Regulus replied, not even looking up from his book because he knew if he did, he would never look down for the rest of the day. James Potter had that special effect on his devastatingly sad gay self.
“Come on! Don’t you find it weird that the school's male Regina George always stares at you? I sure fucking do, wonder what his problem is?” Barty said , continuing to whine about the boy.
“Probably lacking a brain” Regulus retorts back, his eyes fixed once again on his book.
Now Regulus could care less what Mr.Potter was doing, he truly could but it did peak his interest in what made Regulus and Barty so interesting to him that he felt entitled to stare at them. One would think he’d be more interested in shotgunning beers or finding a nice cozy closet or bathroom stall to make out with Lily Evans in. But no staring at Barty and Regulus seemed to satisfy him since he gently shook his head and walked away following behind Marlene Mckinnon. He’d have to tell Dorcas about it later since she has a huge crush on the Mckinnon girl.
His brother's best friend was truly a pain in the ass, a pretty one too.
Regulus had first noticed James Potter as something other than the boy that ripped his brother away from him in his 2nd year when he walked in the Quidditch changing room and saw him shirtless. Regulus presumed it was a common queer awakening but nonetheless he fell fast and hard for Hogwarts’ finest prick.
Regulus could never forget that day and almost every day after where James Potter interacted with him. He looked breath-taking to young closeted Regulus , so breathtaking he even wrote about him , in not one, but three of his journals.
You had to be extraordinarily special for Regulus to write about you and to 13 year old Regulus James Potter was.
But now Regulus has gotten over his delusions of ever being in close proximity to James Potter. 13 year old him would be crushed by this but his dreams of ever even kissing James Potter were nothing but a fictional fairy tale to help him forget he leaves Hogwarts every summer to a living hell of horror movie fuel or otherwise known as the Black home.
—
“God! She's gorgeous don’t ya think Lils?” Marlene murmured, half her face buried in Lily's lap.
“Oh sure, yes definitely-” Lily replied back, distracted by the curly haired girl waving up at her.
“Beautiful,” Lily muttered before awkwardly waving back at Mary.
“Oh For merlin's sake Lily! Just ask her out already!” Marlene complained as she had seemed to quickly notice Lily’s distraction.
“Shut it Mckinnon, she's coming up right now,” Lily squealed in Marlene's ear. Lily felt as though she was like a little girl in Disney World meeting Cinderella but in this case, the Cinderella of this story was Mary Macdonald .
“Hey Evans!” Mary said, her brown eyes sparkling in the sun's reflection.
“Well hello, Ms. Macdonald, funny seeing you here,” Lily replied back, trying to stop the smile that was forming on her face that would make it obvious how much she adored Mary.
“I’m gonna go, you two are being weird and shit and anyways Dorcas has to be hiding somewhere around here,” Marlene said before standing up and looking through the bleachers for the slytherin.
“Aww, you two would be adorable together but Mar, I think I saw her down near um, what's his name?” Mary said, trying to think of some boy's name.
“You saw her!?” Marlene screamed out
“ Yeah, she was with like that pale dude who always looks sick or something, Sirius’ little brother, fuck what's his name?”
“Oooh him! Regulus I think? I don’t know but anyways thanks Mary, you're making my little lesbian love story come true!” Marlene called back as she skipped off to find that Meadowes girl.
“We're not gonna see her til tonight when she black-out drunk, huh?” Mary joked.
“Yup and then we're gonna have to lug her up the stairs to the dorms!” Lily groaned before laughing out as she recalled the last gryffindor party where Marlene did karaoke on the coffee table.
“Or we could just leave her on the couch.” Mary suggested as a little evil grin fit her perfect face.
Woah. Lily was so gay. So so so so gay.
“I won’t tell and I’m sure she’ll be too hung up mumbling about Dorcas to care,” Lily replied, laughing.
“Wow, didn't you know you were so evil Evans, what other secrets are you hiding from me?” Mary jokingly interrogated before sitting beside Lily, her thigh gently brushing against Lily’s.
Lily wasn't hiding anything at all except the fact that she has had a huge crush on Mary for 2 years and every second she spent with Mary, her heart began to feel as though it would evaporate. Nothing too special.
—----------------
Normally Remus would avoid crowds and groups of his peers but being boyfriends with Sirius Black entailed him to socialize. Remus stood awkwardly next to Sirius as they chattered away with Frank and Alice. Remus and Sirius had started dating a few months back and Remus couldn’t be happier, he adored Sirius with every molecule in his body .
Sirius laughed before looking back at Remus and saying
“ Moony, we should go get butterbeer before the line becomes to long,”
“Oh merlin, I forgot about that. Yeah we should before the 4 years start coming down.” Remus says, he really didn’t want to stand in line for too long. Remus had started using a cane when he was around 9. His lycanthropy had injured his back to the point where standing for long periods of time and just simply moving around was a challenge. He managed, he always did with the help of James piggybacking him places when walking was too much and Sirius carrying healing chocolate in his leather jacket everywhere they went.
“Moony, you're so warm!” Sirius sighed, as half his body was wrapped around Remus.
“Jesus pad, you’re just really cold,” Remus smiled, peering down at Sirius. They’re long black hair was hanging off of Remus’ shoulder and his head was leaning against Remus’ neck.
Sirius had begun to fiddle around with Remus’ rings as well, turning them and running his finger over the designs on them.
One of the very few gifts Remus’ father ever gave him was a set of rings. He handed them over to Remus on his 14th birthday. Remus’ father had always been very distant from Remus and this was the first birthday since his biting that his father had celebrated and the last.
Soon enough Remus and Sirius had fought through the line of Hogwarts students and gotten their mugs of cider before quickly sitting down as Remus felt as though he’d collapse if they didn’t.
“Sorry pads, I just don’t feel too great today I guess,” Remus mumbled.
He did feel guilty for loving Sirius. He truly deserved better than Remus, he was a glowing star and Remus was a boy that howled at the moon and loathed his own being.
“ What are you talking about moons? It’s fine really. You have nothing to apologize so don’t worry,” Sirius protested back, his eyes narrowing on Remus.
“You’re too sweet Pads,” Remus mumbled, his eyes fixating down on Sirius whose head was sitting on his lap.
And before Remus could even breathe, Sirius sat up and met Remus’ lips. His hand slowly grabbed his jaw as he gently kissed Remus.
“You’re too hot to hate yourself pads, I thought you already knew that,” Sirius murmured, as he pulled away , a tiny smile on his face.
“ oh fuck off!” Remus said as he jokingly pushed the black headed boy off him.
“You’ve been saying that to me for years, that's the one fight you’ve never won,” Sirius said, his eyes staring back at Remus.
Remus adored Sirius. He adored Sirius’ eyes, he adored his long black hair and his bratty little smile. Remus was smitten . So fucking smitten.