beautiful boy
A fond smile plays on James' face as he watches his favourite people, leaning against the wall while he takes the scene in. They’d been hanging out for majority of the day, although now, pushing late at night, the groups have mingled again.
Remus and Sirius are huddling together by the window, passing a cigarette between them as they giggle about something. Remus' head is laying on Sirius' shoulder with his arm wrapped around sirius' waist tightly.
A few feet before them, Regulus and Marlene are having an argument on the sofa with Lily about why Quidditch is the best sport to exit, better than the muggle 'football'. James smiles fondly as Regulus squints his eyes at her in horror as she offends Regulus' position, seeker.
Barty and Evan are barely paying attention to the others, whispering things into the other's ear and doing weed in the corner of the room. Mary occasionally steals some of it, watching Lily out of the corner of her eye while attempting to butt into the conversation but giving up and sitting at the table with Pandora and Peter.
James looks back at Regulus, admiring the way he combs his hair in a particular way so that there isn't a stand out of place, how he twists the rings on his fingers as he's focusing on the person he's speaking with. The way Regulus steals a glance at James and flushes when he finds James openly staring at him already. Regulus is the most beautiful boy and he'll keep Regulus around forever, he will never let go of him.
“You really like him, don't you,” Dorcas speaks up from next to him, making James jump up ever so slightly. He whips his head to her and smiles as his heart calms down.
“I love him,” James states, looking at her with a huge grin. It doesn't per se falter at Dorcas' intimidating expression but his stomach clenches. Regulus has assured that his friends like Regulus even when they threaten James all the time but he needs their approval
After all how can he marry one day Regulus when his friends don't approve of them?
“If you hurt him even in the slightest I will strip you bare and tear you limb by limb. I will burn you to ashes and make your disappearance look like an accident. Do you hear me?” Dorcas tilts her face, waiting for James' response.
James nods his head quickly before finding his voice and speaking earnestly, “I won't ever hurt Regulus, my intentions are good and I will always love Regulus, in every lifetime, in every universe.”
Dorcas considers him for a full minute before chuckling. “You have my seal of approval as well from the others. They won't tell you, they need their daily amusement from keeping you on your toes, especially Barty, but they approve of your relationship with our Reggie as well. Though don't tell him that, he stands by the fact that the only approval he needs is his own, and maybe Sirius'.”
Dorcas winks at him before climbing on the sofa and sitting behind Marlene, wrapping her entire body around her. Marlene kisses Dorcas on the cheek and leans back into Dorcas.
From next to them, Regulus stares at James, he notes the way Regulus’ wearily looks at the time although he’s still talking with Lily. He seems to end the conversation a minute later.
Regulus motions James over and James immediately pushes himself off the wall and makes his way over. Regulus’ slightly hunched shoulders loosen and Regulus pulls James on top of him, squeezing him tightly though James doesn’t mind at all.
“Well, I’m off, have fun lovebirds. Regulus, it was fun talking to you,” Lily states and then leaves to Mary before Regulus can say anything back. James chuckles, kissing Regulus’ forehead.
“Tired?” James whispers, earning a low grumble from Regulus.
“No,” Regulus denies, fighting the urge to yawn. James chuckles and loosens himself from Regulus by tapping his arm twice. He lets go immediately, taking James’ hand when he offers it.
James hauls him off the sofa, taking his hand and leads them to the Gryffindor dorms, he vaguely registers Sirius’ shout, “Don’t defile my little brother!”
He doesn’t miss the way Regulus freezes, his lips set in a thin line as James sits at the edge of his bed. He’s about to ask about it but his attention shifts to the way Regulus moves around in his space.
Regulus takes his shoes off and neatly puts them by the edge of James’ bed, unlike James who kicks them off and moves them to the wall uncaringly. He takes a shirt, handing it to Regulus who immidiately rushes to the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
James changes in the dorms to long PJ pants and short sleeves. He considers whether he should use an extending charm on his bed so the two of them can fit but chooses against him. A lot of the time, Regulus is either cuddling him already or ends up doing so anyway. Occasionally, Reglus ends up on top of him, hugging him like a sloth does with a tree.
It’s endearing and he can’t get enough of it. Regulus, on the other hand, apologises profusely when it happens.
James looks up and catches Regulus by the archway, watching James with a soft look on his face. He kisses James, resting his hand in James’ curls. James
Smiles against Regulus’ lips and after a minute, pulls away. “I’m going to get ready for bed, love.”
Regulus nods his head and crawls under the covers. James keeps the door open, stealing quick glances to him as he brushes his teeth and washes his face. He hastily joins Regulus, closing the curtains and letting Regulus nestle his head in the crook of his neck.
They’re both quiet and James knows by Regulus’ breathing that he hasn’t fallen asleep yet —not in a creepy way, he doesn’t hover over a sleeping Regulus— and by the way Regulus holds himself rather stiffly. Other times when they’re in this position he occasionally moves to make himself more comfortable or laying his arm over James’ chest.
“Are you okay, Reg?” He asks, concerned when Regulus pulls away and faces James but doesn’t maintain eye contact. The silence last five minutes and James puts a muffling charm on incase Peter, Remus or Sirius walk in.
“I’ve been keeping something from you, and I understand if you’re going to be angry or if you don’t want to be with me anymore,” Regulus says softly, hunching into himself to make him as small as possible.
A hundred possibilities flash through his mind. “I won’t be mad, whatever it is,” James reassures but Regulus shakes his head fast and swallows. James takes his hand, rubbing soothing patterns on the palm of it in the hopes of calming him down.
“I’m asexual,” Regulus eventually whispers, looking at James’ face for a reaction. When he doesn’t receive a visual one, he continues. “It means for me that I have barely no interest and desire for sexual activities.”
When James still doesn’t say anything, though he doesn’t stop rubbing Regulus’ palm, he starts freaking out a bit. “I don’t mind making out and pleasuring you is fine, I think, but not when it’s me whose receiving it. I mean, if you really want that then—“
“No,” James states and Regulus furrows his eyebrows, his throat dry, about to retract his hand from James’ and walk out. “No, I mean, to ‘pleasuring’ you. I don’t care that you’re asexual. Well, I do care but in the way that it doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m with you. I will never make you do anything you’re not a hundred percent comfortable with.”
Regulus shakes his head again. “James, you need to think about this. I may not always be comfortable to pleasure you and you never get to go all the way with me. I don’t want you to expect me to be comfortable with it one day in the future and that’s why you’re okay with it. This is me. It’s going to be like this tomorrow, the day after, and every day that comes after that. Fifty years from now I’ll still feel this way. You can get a sexual partner on the side—“
“Regulus, will you listen to me, love?” James asks, squeezing Regulus’ hand and staring him in the eyes to make sure Regulus understands. “I will never expect you to have sex with me, or to be comfortable all the time with pleasuring me. I won’t get a sexual partner on the side because I don’t care about it. Sure, I do experience sexual attraction but I’l relieve it myself.
“Sexual activities aren’t important to me. Even in fifty years, it will be the same. I care about you, I want to be with you and you only, not for your body. This isn’t some transaction or something, that if I date you I get sexual intimacy in return. I love you, Regulus.”
“I love you too. I talked to Evans a few days ago and she told me what asexuality is. I never knew what it was before that I felt and it just clicked. I’ve been working on telling you and Evans told me what you told me, that you don’t expect that from me but…”
“But there’s always a voice in your head that says: ‘but what if.’ I get it, Reggie, thank you for telling me,” James says.
“Thank you,” Regulus whispers and moves forward pressing his face in James chest as his shoulders shake. Teardrops soak through James’ shirt and he rubs Regulus’ shoulders. Whispering soothing words to him until his breaths have evened out and Regulus is peacefully sleeping on him.
James moves as slowly as possible, careful to not move too fast and risk Regulus waking up. he lays down, keeping Regulus’ head on his chest. He kisses Regulus on the top of his head and yawns, closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him.
The next morning, James wakes up to Regulus’ face angled towards him, staring at him.
“Morning, Jamie,” Regulus says, his french accent coming a bit more evident than normally. James blinks and rubs the sleep out of his eyes.
“Morning Reg, okay?” James asks and Regulus nods his head. They quietly talk to each other about the following days, for their break regulus will obviously spend it at the Potter’s with Sirius. It will be the first time Regulus officially meets Effie and Monty, other than the previous years at the station when they would wave at him and he’d shyly wave back before ducking away to not catch Walburga’s attention.
Then, James realises that he’s never officially asked out Regulus and he nearly shoots up in bed. “Regulus?”
“Hm?” Regulus asks, waiting expectantly.
“Will you be my boyfriend?”
“I thought I was your boyfriend already, or am I wrong and have I been telling people fake news?” Regulus tilts his head in amusement and James shakes his head fondly.
“I mean, I never asked you officially. Regulus Arcturus Black, will you now officially be my boyfriend?” James grins when Regulus rams his elbow in James’ side at his full name, rolling his eyes.
“Of course I will, James Fleamont Potter,” Regulus says back, a small smile tugging at his lips as he pecks James’ lips and detangles himself from James, stretching his arms over his head.
“Wait, Reg, does Sirius know?” James ask, thinking back to Sirius’ comment from the night before and the way Regulus had frozen for a second. “Do you want me to talk to him when we’re home? I won’t tell him why, just to stop those comments.”
Regulus considers it for a moment, “that would be nice, James. Thanks for being thoughtful, though I’d like to tell him the reason myself.”
‘Anything for you,” James playfully pretends to bow his body while still in bed, earning a chuckle from Regulus.
On their way home, Regulus spends the ride with Barty, Evan and Pandora. James with the marauders, they cackle about their pranks and making new plans for over their break. Eventually, there’s a small knock on the compartment door. James looks up and catches Regulus opening the door and poking his head through the door, a serious expression schooling his face.
“James, could speak with you for a moment?” Regulus looks over his shoulder and James gets up, mumbling an “I’ll be back” to his friends. He feels Sirius’ curious gaze on him as he closes the compartment door and gives his attention to Regulus. “Look, Evan and Barty both— well, they don’t really have a good time at home, if you get what I mean,” Regulus starts, his voice hushed, eyes flittering around for any lingering people.
“Could they, if things get too much, stay at yours? Do you think Euphemia and Fleamont will be okay with it?”
“Will they be okay with it? Reg, our house is open for your friends, all the time. Pandora can stay over whenever she wants. Monty and Effie love it when there are people over, especially your friends.”
“Okay, I thought so but didn’t want to assume… are there, like, charms against their parents from being able to get in your house? I mean, I’m not sure if they would,” Regulus trails off and James nods in understanding.
“Safety precautions, of course, I’ll speak to my parents about it so they can put it up when and if Evan and Barty come to ours,” James states and the tension in Regulus’ body deflates.
“You’re the best,” Regulus murmurs, kissing James and then sauntering back to his compartment with his friends.
James returns to his own compartment and steals a piece of Remus’ chocolate, earning a slap from him. James leans his body against the glass and folds his legs over Peter’s. “What were we talking about again?”
An hour later, they arrive at the platform and James spots his parents talking to a few other parents. They look up as the train arrives, scanning the compartments until they find James ’ and wave enthusiasticly at the four of them.
They gather their trunks, making their way out of the train. he catches Marlene, Lily and Mary in front of them.
“Come over some time,” Sirius shouts towards them and they roll their eyes but make promises that they will.
“Pete, come to mine for the start of the summer,” Remus says lowly to peter who gratefully smiles at him and takes the offer. On the platform, James listens to everyone’s shouts and buzzing while he gets roped into a hug by his parents, soon joined by Sirius.
Peter and Remus hang back, offering their greetings and talking to Effie for a moment before making their way to Remus’ mother.
Monty scans the crowd, searching, “where is Regulus?”
“He’s over there with his friends,” Sirius points out, further away from them, Regulus is talking quietly to Evan and barty. He glares at the Rosier family and the Crouches before squeezing their arms and whispering something in their ear.
Pandora tackles them into a group hug and wanders off. Regulus scans the crowd, spotting Monty as he waves at Regulus. Squares his shoulders and comes over, sticking his hand between the two of them in case Monty tries to hug him. James instantly spots the shift and Sirius does as well because he furrows his brows.
“I’m Regulus, I’m very grateful that you’re letting me stay over, Mr. Potter,” Regulus speaks, his posh accent slipping through stronger than James has heard in a long time.
“You can call me Monty, and it’s pleasure, your friends are welcome to come by any time,” Monty assures. “No need for the formalities.”
“Regulus, it’s good to finally meet you,” Effie smiles, the crinkles around her eyes more prominent and Regulus returns the statement. He shifts slightly towards James. “Now, Sirius and James hold on to me, Regulus, you onto Monty. We’re going to apparate home.”
They do as told and they arrive before Monty and regulus. Effie opens the door and Monty and Regulus arrive a moment later. there’s a dazed look on Regulus’ face.
Sirius laughs, “you’ll get used to it, brother.”
Regulus rolls his eyes and walks past them. While Monty gives him a well needed tour of the house.
Effie sits Sirius and James down in the kitchen. She boils water in the kettle and takes out teabags and setting them in the cups. Once the water is done, she pours it in the cups and sets them down in front of the two of them.
“How has your school year been?” Effie asks, even though the two of them sent regular updates to Effie and Monty. Though they conveniently left out their pranks until months later and they would pretend to be surprised.
Sirius tells Effie how his and Regulus’ relationship has improved —James guesses he told Effie this a thousand times already— but Effie listens intently, humming every so often with a bright smile on her face.
Sirius’ happiness and pride when talking about his younger brother, even when cursing him for being rather difficult occasionaly and the way Regulus avoided James like the plague.
They leave out the fact that James is currently dating Regulus already, as they had forgotten to discuss that matter with Reg himself.
Effie refills their cups and sips on hers, “it’s good to have Regulus here.”
James and Sirius nod in agreement, after Sirius left, they hoped that Regulus would follow soon after—though in a better state than Sirius had been—, they had worried about him, especially when he had been forced out for the entire Wizarding world to read in the daily prophet.
Monty and Regullus join the three of them two hours later, receiving cups of tea as well. Regulus sits next to James, sitting close enough for their arms to occasionally brush against each other.
Regulus glances at everyone around the table before leaning towards James’ ear and whispering, “can we tell them about us?”
James shivers at Regulus’ raspy voice and breaks out in a grin at the question. He taps his fingers on the table in anticipation, impatiently waiting for the conversation to die down.
Regulus nudges James in the ribs but the tapping doesn’t cease so Regulus decides to take the matters into his own hands. He clears his throat and waits for everyone’s eyes on him before he speaks.
“James and I have an announcement to make,” Regulus declares, taking a sip of his tea to make it more dramatic. James rolls his eyes and fondly stares at his boyfriend.
“We’re dating,” James adds grinning so widely that he can feel his mouth aching. He shakes his hands in the air as if it’s a surprise for any of them at the table.
“We already knew that,” Sirius deadpans, earning a sharp jab from Regulus.
“Yeah but officially,” Regulus says and smiles sweetly at James, earning a dramatic gag from Sirius. Effie and Monty congratulate him and Regulus. Effie winks at James while Monty mouths, ‘finally!’
Regulus retires to his room after, though James has the feeling that Regulus is either waiting in James’ room already or will sneak in after late at night if James hasn’t done so already.
Sirius slips out for a moment to check on his brother and James turns to Effie and Monty. “I know Reg’s friends are allowed to stay over because you told him but what if they would need protection and stay longer?”
“Then that would be no problem, you know that better than anyone,” Effie assures.
“It’s what you and Effie have in common, taking in strays in need of help,” Monty winks at James and Effie, kissing her on the lips while James looks away and clears the table.
“Goodnight,” James says before fleeing upstairs and bumping into Sirius. They stabilise themselves and Sirius smirks amused at James.
“Your parents going at it?”
“Ew, Pads, shut up!” James groans, pulling Sirius into a headlock until Sirius starts pleading him to let go of him. Sirius hastily fixes his hair and crosses his arms.
“Reg is in your room, no funny business,” Sirius says sternly and James purses his lips.
“Listen, Pads—“
Sirius gasps dramatically but shuts up when James glares at him. “I need to ask you a favour and you have to obey without questions,” James starts, receiving a suspicious glance from Sirius.
“Depends what it is.”
“You need to stop making those types of jokes. I know you find it funny but it makes Reg uncomfortable. He’ll tell you more about it soon.”
“I’ve been making him uncomfortable?” Sirius asks softly, a dejected look, like a kicked puppy.
“I didn’t realise until he told me, don’t beat yourself up for it Pads. Just don’t make those jokes anymore, not with me either,” James lays his hand on Sirius shoulder.
“Okay,” Sirius says, wanting to ask more but respecting his little brother’s wishes. he doesn’t ever want to make Regulus uncomfortable. “Goodnight, James.”
“Night pads,” James pulls Sirius in for a hug and then tiptoes to his room, opening the door and catching sight of Regulus huddled in his blankets, fast asleep.
A few days have flown by, Sirius kept himself busy by playing quidditch with James against Regulus, diving with the marauders from high rocks after sneaking away from Effie and Monty. During the full moon, Remus visited the Potter’s and they ran in the woods, ushering Remus upstairs and tending to his wounds as best as they could.
Around that time, Barty and Evan arrive, giving Regulus the shock of his life. He runs towards them asking a million questions and scanning for any injuries.
“We snuck away, we’re fine, Regulus. We’re here for a few days because they’re gone on a businesses trip,” Barty explains, amused at Regulus’ reaction until he refuses to talk to them for not sending an owl in advance.
“I thought it was fine to come by,” Barty mutters and Evan claps him between his shoulder blades and laughs.
“Yeah, until you started banging on the doors as if your life depended on it and you were being followed,” Evan says and rolls his eyes, searching for Effie and thanking her.
Sirius brings them to their room, winking at the two of them. “I’m sure the two of you won’t mind sharing.”
Barty and Evan blush bright red and Sirius leaves them sputtering behind them, not intending to stay for the ‘we’re just friends!’
After three hours, Barty and Evan annoy Regulus into going outside with the two of them. James and Sirius sit on the patio, staring at the three of them to make sure Regulus doesn’t hex them.
There’s a lighter mood to Regulus now that two of his friends are around. The way he carries himself is less uptight than the last few days. Because of what he still has to tell sirius and his friends being in shit situations.
James and Sirius eventually get dragged into the kitchen to help Effie when the owl arrives with letter. Sirius immediately recgnizes it, Narcissa’s owl. he tenses for a moment, wondering why Narcissa is owling and then sees Regulus’ name scribbled on it with her elegant handwriting. “How did she know Reggie is here?”
Effie unties the letter and sets it down on the corner of the table. “Narcissa sent me a letter asking if Regulus was staying here. I didn’t specify where he was but that he’s safe. Either she’s guessed he’s indeed here or she wants me to pass the letter along to him.”
“Oh.”
“Apparently Regulus hasn’t been answering her last twenty or so letters since everything went down,” Effie says, glancing outside to where Regulus is pulling Evan into headlock.
“Knowing Reg, he hasn’t even opened any of them yet,” Sirius scratches his chin and wonders if this is bothering him as well.
After dinner, Sirius follows Regulus into the room he was assigned to by Monty. The bed is untouched and his trunk is hidden under the bed but it’s clear as day that Regulus has been spending time with James.
He opens to his mouth to make a dirty joke and then remembers the talk he had with James and he clamps his lips shut, cursing himself for nearly slipping up.
“Since when does Cissy send you letters?”
“Since I got outed, haven’t ready any of the letters,” Regulus answers, crouching down to the trunk and laying the pile of unread letters on the bed. He pulls a letter from the bottom and hands it to Sirius, motioning for Sirius to sit down.
Sirius leans against the headboard, one of his legs pressing to his chest and the other stretching out. Regulus sits the same as Sirius other than that both his legs are pressed against his chest.
The letter is worn out, the corners have creased and coloured.
“Pettigrew mentioned that letting someone read it out loud might help,” Regulus mumbles, staring straightforward and gesturing at the letter and then Sirius.
“You want me to read it out for you?” Sirius breathes out, his chest tightening in happiness. He’d expected Regulus to go to James for that.
“Are you going to read it or not?” Regulus snaps and Sirius opens the letter, taking a deep breath.
“Dear Reg,
You’re back at Hogwarts by the time this reaches you, I hope you don’t mind my silence until now, I hadn’t a clue where you went off to. I apologise for the last couple of days, it mustn’t have been easy for you to go through. I wanted to reach out to ask if you’ve been safe for the last couple of days or if you’re in need of money for the holls to get by. Perhaps you should consider talking to Sirius and mending your relationship with him, I’m aware you miss him terribly, though you won’t admit it.
This letter is to tell you I don’t care about the photo’s. I may be part of the Black family but we don’t share the same ideas. Get yourself a good boyfriend who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated and I hope that you will send a letter back to let me know. Unless you state your thoughts on these letters, I will continue anyway.
Love,
Cissy”
Sirius cocks his head to Regulus, gauging his reaction. Unshed tears simmer in his’ eyes as his fists clench the sheets tightly, his pale skin even paler by the tension.
When Regulus speaks, Sirius nearly misses it. “I thought she would hate me, I’ve always loved her most out of all our cousins and I couldn’t bare her reaction if it were scolding me for being gay.”
“I get that, I had the same with Bellatrix after I ran away but she never sent a letter,” Sirius confesses, thinking back to how close he and Bella were when they were younger. Now, the only cousin he sometimes owls is Andy.
Regulus takes the letter from Sirius, his hands trembling as he rereads the letter. Then, he grabs the most recent letter and opens it. Sirius shifts to the end of the bed, ready to leave but Regulus’ fingers wraps around Sirius’ wrist.
“Stay?” Regulus looks up with a hopeful expression and Sirius sits back down. “I’ll write a letter back later,” Regulus says absentmindedly, adding the two letters to the pile and staring at the wall.
The two brothers sat in silence, though it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Sirius hummed a song of Bowie’s under his breath as Regulus works out whatever he wants to say.
‘I sometimes need to say what I want to say in my head first before speaking,’ Reg had told him once at age seven.
Now, Regulus runs a hand through his hair, clearing his throat lightly. “I’m sure James has told you about— about the comments?”
“He has, I’m sorry, I never wanted to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t know, I didn’t tell you.” Reguls shakes his head fiercely. “Have you heard of the term Asexual, or Ace? It’s muggle.”
“I vaguely remember Lily talking about it, I must say I was a bit overwhelmed to actually listen,” Sirius hums, remembering the time he had talked to her about Remus and she had thrown a lot of terms around and explanations.
“Asexual means having little to no sexual interest. Some can still get turned on and stuff but sex doesn’t interest them,” Regulus explains and Sirius lays his hand on Regulus’ shoulder in encouragement
“I talked to Lily and she made me realise that that’s me. This isn’t something that can get cured or something, even in fifty years I’ll feel this way. I’m not broken,” Regulus licks his lips, his throat cracking on the last words.
“You’re not broken,” Sirius agrees, his mind running a thousand miles an hour. Storing the information in his mind.
“I told James about it a few days after I found out, to give him an out, you know. He reacted well and told me he didn’t care as long as he was with me, hat he loves me regardless. I offered him that he was allowed to have sexual partners on the side but he refused so,” Regulus shrugs his shoulders and Sirius’ heart breaks at his admission. Did Regulus think relationships were solely based on sex? That sex was the most important thing?
Sure, he enjoys it himself and moony does as well but if Moony were to tell him the same he wouldn’t care either if only he could be with him.
“A sexual relationship isn’t important in a relationship. Don’t ever force yourself to do something like that.”
“Says the one who has sex nearly every day,” regulus states and Sirius rams him in the ribs.
“That’s just me and Moony, if he were to tell me what you told me I’d react the same as James.”
“So you wouldn’t be disappointed ?” Regulus asks curiously. Sirius thinks about, would he be —?
“It would be an adjustment for me but it would be worth it, I love Remus for him, not his body.”
“That’s good. The comments, not your fault by the way, you didn’t know, shouldn’t make me feel that uncomfortable but they do,” Regulus clenches his jaw and Sirius wraps his arm around him.
“If it makes you uncomfortable then that’s it. There isn’t a right or wrong way to feel and I’m grateful that you told me. Thank you for trusting me with this,” Sirius smiles at Regulus and ruffles his hair, earning the famous glare from him.
“Yeah, me too, thank you for being a good brother,” Regulus murmurs. He stretches his arms and stands up, scooping the letters into his arms and putting them back into the trunk. He takes out some parchment and quill and sits at the desk. “I’m going to write a letter back to Cissy.”
“I’m sure she would appreciate it,” Sirius says and leaves the room, closing the door softly behind him. He barges into James’ door and flops onto the bed.
“Also hello to you, Pads,” James grins at him. He searches Sirius’ face and then, “has Reggie told you?”
“Mhm, were you serious— shut up— about what you said to him? That you’ll love him no matter what and that you won’t expect sex from him or seek it from others?”
“I meant what I said.”
“Good, because even though he offered it, he would be heartbroken by the fact that he can’t give you that.”
“I promise you, Sirius,” James says, looking Sirius straight in the eyes and Sirius can’t detect any lies so he nods and switches the conversation to an idea for a prank when they get back. James eagerly attributing to it.
The next morning, Sirius yawns as he trudges downstairs. Effie and Monty sit at the table. Reading the daily prophet and sipping on tea. He kisses their cheeks and joins Effie’s gossips.
From the kitchen, Sirius can vaguely hear James say: “by the way Reggie, us marauders have a map of the entire school. We can see everyone on it, that’s how I was able to find you all the time.”
Followed by Regulus loud, “James Fleamont Potter!” The kitchen door opens and James runs out, glancing behind him laughing brightly as an affronted Regulus runs after him.
Sirius and Effie exchange smiles, he was happy, surrounded by his loved ones and Regulus was finally safe and home.