Chapter 2
“Why are you staring at me?” Remus said, looking at Peter, who was staring.
“Trying to figure out how to describe scars for a story I'm working on.” He said casually, he wasn’t exactly lying, he was just withholding small details. They’re sitting in the quidditch stands while James and Sirius practice. Mary and Lily are there as well watching Marlene. Writing a story about his friends had been harder than he thought it would be. Does he start from the beginning of school or the beginning of the pining? Whose point of view is it? What he does know is he needs to describe his friends, his godly level, attractive friends.
“Moony, if I were to write a Hogwarts story should I start from the first year or when the main characters started falling for each other?”
Remus stared at Peter for a solid 30 seconds before speaking, “Why ask me?”
“You like reading” Peter motions to the book that is sitting in Remus’ lap, open and almost finished.
“How long do you want it to be?” Peter thought for a second before shrugging.
“Don’t really care.”
“Than from the beginning.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime mate.”
Peter turned and looked at the Gryffindor team. Prongs is the best flier by far, everyone bets he’ll go pro. Sirius’ black curls are held in a bun with his wand as he flies lazily. He knows he’s good and he knows Marlene is good so he doesn’t put as much effort as James. Marlene is a force on the field. Quick, strong, and sharp with every swing of her bat and twist of her broom.
He turned back to his parchment and began writing.
“September 1st, 1971 was the day”
He can’t use their real names. What if Remus or Sirius saw it and Peter recked their entire relationship? How the hell was he meant to give his friends new names?
That night Peter lay awake trying to find new names for his friends. He had already decided for himself. He would be known as Mason. It's what his dad wanted to name him, but of course his mom won that battle. Sirius would be Leo, which works with his family's weird star thing. He should find something that means wolf for Remus. Imagine being named Wolf John Wolf and becoming a werewolf. That makes him laugh, causing a thump outside.
Everyone else should be asleep, what was that? He sat up and peeled the curtains back from his bed and looked to see none other than James Potter standing with the map and the invisibility cloak.
“Whatcha doing Prongs?” Peter's tone is knowing and a smirk spreads across his face. The darkness does nothing to hide the surprise that filters through James’ face.
“I’m uh.. I'm not sure?”
“Use a condom James.” Peter smirks before closing the curtain to an embarrassed and protesting James.
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James POV
The word “Fuck” was the only thing going through James’ mind as he walked under the invisibility cloak to the greenhouse. A small one in the back that's been abandoned since before James came to hogwarts. Peter saw him sneak out. He’s going to tell Sirius and then Sirius is going to ask what’s going on and James is going to have to lie or maybe he will tell Sirius and lose him and-
“Potter.”
James looks up to see Regulus looking around for him, the door to the moss and vine covered greenhouse closing behind him. When the cloak falls to the floor Regulus looks over at James.
“You’re upset.”
“I’m fine, thank you. Just a bit nervous for the game this Sunday.” James lies through his teeth and Regulus knows. He can tell by the way James shoulders set awkwardly and his smile is more sharp than goofy and Regulus knows but he doesn’t push.
This all started at the beginning of the year when James ran into Regulus on the train. His sharp jawline and pale skin framed by his black curls. He looked so elegant and angelic yet so soft. The sun brought out his freckles and his grey eyes had flecks of blue and he smelt of cinnamon and vanilla. He pushed James out of his way and kept walking but one look and James was hooked.
“Stop looking at me like that. You look stupid.” James' smile widens.
“Something is very wrong with you, Potter.” Regulus snaps, eyes narrow and lips twisted in an unhappy way.
“You’ve said it before Reggie.” The smirk on his face disappears when Regulus hits him with a stinging hex. His hand olds his bicep where the hex hit while he returns his gaze to the younger Black, the smile coming back even bigger.
“Why do you keep coming back here? Why can’t you just leave me alone, Potter?”
“I don’t see you leaving when I show up, and you do keep coming back.”
Regulus just rolls his eyes before sitting down. The greenhouse is nice, a hufflepuff who graduated last year was the one who told Regulus about it. There are two bean bags and things James did not recognize when he first arrived at the greenhouse, then Regulus had called him stupid and told him that they were in fact for smoking weed. Then he proceeded to go on a rant- which is still the longest he has heard Regulus speak- about how James claims he’s so much better than other purebloods because he gets along with muggles but doesn’t even know about muggle inventions. He called James a very colourful array of names but James just smiled. The entire time.
James accidentally stumbled upon Regulus here the first day after they got back. The next day was a full moon and Remus and Sirius were arguing. Peter wanted to go to the greenhouses and James had joined him. Quickly he got bored and decided to go for a walk, that's when he stumbled upon Regulus, reading alone in the greenhouse. When he saw the younger black sitting there, James, for some reason, couldn’t breathe or think clearly. Everything but Regulus Black was blurry.
“So, how was your day?”
“Kill yourself.” James laughs and steals a second to admire Regulus.
“Well mine was great. My mum sent me a letter so that was nice, and had quidditch practice which was perfect as always. I was reading that book you had last Thursday and I will admit it's pretty-”
“Why are you reading the book I was reading?” Regulus' perfect eyebrows are furrowed and James just wants to stare for the rest of his life.
“You said you liked it so I wanted to be able to talk about it with you.”
“I’m leaving.” When Regulus stands and begins to walk James doesn’t think, all he knows is he doesn’t want Regulus to leave. That’s how James ends up on the floor in front of Regulus after he physically threw his body in his way.
“I- I actually have no words for this, Potter.” James stares up at Regulus with wonder as small laughs leave his mouth. His mouth went slack as he stared up at Regulus and that made the other boy laugh more.
“I don’t feel like I can insult you for this, you already made yourself look so stupid nothing I could say will compare. Beau crétin”
James could die happy in that spot, on the dirty floor at Regulus Black's feet while he laughs and speaks beautiful french.
“You should speak French more often.” Regulus raises an eyebrow.
“Dois-je ? Je peux dire n'importe quoi et que vous ne sauriez absolument rien.”
“What does it mean?” Regulus rolls his eyes, looking down at James who is still on the floor.
“Learn French and you’ll know.” With one final scowl Regulus steps over James and leaves the greenhouse.
James stays on the floor, rolling onto his back and staring at the stars through the moss covered glass roof.
“Your so fucked.” He says to himself before finally getting up and walking back to the dorm to try and fail to get some sleep.