Chapter 2
“Oh no, don’t let me stop you. It was really inspiring to hear you ramble on about being a good person.” Regulus was leaning against the door, with his arms crossed smugly. He was wearing a plain black shirt and red pyjama pants.
James feels his face go warm but refuses to be embarrassed in front of Regulus Black. “Oh for fucks sake. What’re you even doing here? How long have you been standing there, first of all?”
"Just long enough to know that you lead a very sad life. But then again, that was pretty much common knowledge to everyone.”
And James knows that he should leave. He knows that just being in the same room as Regulus would send Sirius on some kind of rampage. But, god, Regulus is funny. He has barely even said five sentences, but James is somehow hooked. He’s just so… himself? And his personality is just so unlike what James was expecting, so of course, he doesn’t leave.
“Mhm. And you’re still here because?”
The way that Regulus looks at James, as if he’s the stupidest person on the planet, really shouldn’t make James happy in any way.
But somehow, in some way, James is fighting back an awfully large grin from spreading across his face.
"Given that the only thing you can do in the astronomy tower is actually look at stars-”
"It’s certainly not the only thing.” James interrupts, snorting a bit.
Regulus scoffs. “Only thing I’m willing to do with you.”
“Only time will tell, sweetheart,” James replies sweetly.
“I legitimately think I just threw up a bit,” Regulus exclaims, a bit dramatically similar to his brother, even throwing his hand over his mouth and making gagging noises. By this point, James has yet to laugh, and even though he desperately wants to, James just doesn’t want to give Regulus that satisfaction. So instead, he looks out to the sky and closes his eyes.
He definitely must be drifting off a bit because he jumps when Regulus actually begins speaking again.
“What are you doing, Potter?”
“Jesus, you’re still here? Do you have nothing better to do on your Saturday?”
“I mean watching you have a massive breakdown is rather exciting. It’s like watching a real-life soap opera play out right in front of me, one the Muggles always go on about.” James can see the smug look that Regulus is wearing, and James suddenly can’t stand him all over again.
“Oh, go suck a dick, Black.”
“I'm sure you’d like that, Potter,” Regulus says confidently, maintaining his eye contact with James. And James is a little flustered if he’d admit that to himself. But he’ll tell himself that it’s in admiration. Because, really, James has yet to meet someone who is so quick with their little insults and so perfectly executed. Except for Regulus, apparently. James probably looked like an absolute idiot, standing there with his eyebrows raised, begging his brain to find a response.
“Oh relax, Potter,” Regulus rolls his eyes at James’s reaction, “my standards aren’t that low.” He turns to leave James alone in the tower, and Regulus' whole demeanor is so smooth and easy, James notes, in how he walks and talks.
“Would you quit it with the ‘Potter’ thing?” James grumbles as the door is closing behind Regulus.
James returned to his dorm after a few moments to himself. He feels a bit lighter, and if he was honest, more cheerful. When he got back, he went straight to his bed, but lay awake thinking. It was during this time that he realized that he has never once seen Regulus smile even though Regulus was able to pull one out of James himself.
And everybody knows James loves a challenge.
The next day, James woke up feeling refreshed. He had a new goal for the upcoming days. Make Regulus laugh. Easy enough, as well as a good distraction from the things clouding his brain. During lunch, James follows him all the way to the library. He waits until Regulus is sitting at a back table that’s so hidden and secluded, that James momentarily thinks someone could die back here, and no one would know. He watches as Regulus finds a book, he gets his food out, and he begins to eat.
He looks like a work of art. He looks like someone carefully chose the colors of him, and he was just created, painted by hand. He looks like magic. James shakes his head, willing the thoughts of Regulus to go away. James walks quietly behind where the Slytherin boy is sitting, crouching down as if he's trying to read the book with Regulus.
“Interesting book you have, Reggie,” he whispers by his ear, causing Regulus to jump out of his seat.
“Fucking hell, Potter,” Regulus whispers angrily, “what the fuck is wrong with you? I legitimately feel like I might've just died a bit.”
James stifles his laughter. "Oh relax, Reg. You act like I actually hurt you.”
“Why are you here?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” James replies slyly.
“Considering you almost killed me-”
“I did no such thing.” James interrupts with a dismissing wave of his hand.
“-I’d say I had a right to know.” Regulus finishes with a glare. James ignores him and picks up the book that Regulus dropped, looking over it.
“The Shining? Isn’t this a Muggle book? From the States?” Regulus snatches the book from James quickly, glaring at him sharply until James is absolutely sure that he is walking right into a hex. Instead of backing down, though, James starts inspecting Regulus’s food and even trying the tiniest bit of it.
“I’m not kidding, you are literally a child,” Regulus whispers at him exasperatedly, pulling the food out of James’s hands, “keep your hands to yourself and off my food.”
“Are you annoyed, Regulus?”
“Me? Annoyed by you? Never. In fact, I absolutely love it when some random guy follows me to my quiet place and then proceeds to take everything I own. Favorite part of my day actually.”
James rolls his eyes. “You are too sarcastic for your own good. Also, why don’t you eat in the Great Hall? Don’t you have friends?”
“Yes, I do. I’m just... peeved with them right now,” Regulus grits out as he sits back down in his seat.
“Why’s that?” James questions as he plops down in the chair right beside him. And for a moment, it looks as if Regulus is actually going to tell him. James can see it in his eyes, how they twinkle a bit like Regulus is thinking back to what had happened. But of course, that’s only for a second before they harden and close off. Leading James to only form one realistic conclusion.
Regulus has no friends.
“You don’t have any friends do you, Regulus?” James asks earnestly before he can stop himself, causing Regulus to turn his head and look at James with an extremely confused expression. “I mean it’s okay, though, because, um, we can be friends if you like.”
And James doesn’t think he could’ve ever been so wrong about anything.
Regulus looks as if he is about to kill him before he starts laughing at him uncontrollably. He’s laughing so hard that he looks like he’s about to cry.
“Sorry. It’s just- just,” Regulus can’t even speak properly he’s so amused. And, honestly, James finds it extremely amusing. He thinks that Regulus does actually have a lovely laugh and smile. And maybe he would appreciate it more if it didn’t feel like Regulus was just making fun of him. Which he totally was.
“Whew,” Regulus breathes out, taking a deep breath to steady himself, “sorry. It’s just- that was the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say. I have friends, Potter, I’m seriously just mad at them. And us as friends? Never going to happen.” He finishes with a slight giggle, causing James to glare at him.
The whole goal of meeting Regulus was to get him to smile, which he succeeded in, but he didn't want to do it by being the butt of the joke.
“Right well,” James scoffs, “that might’ve been something you say before you laugh in my face.”
This makes Regulus giggle more, and now James can really appreciate it. He finds that he really likes how it sounds, how it looks, how Regulus’s hair falls into his face, how it makes James giggle with him, he could go on and on just talking about it.
Because he wants to be his friend, of course, for no other reason.
New goal. Become friends with Regulus Black.