Chapter 3
They didn’t talk much after that, but their silence was a comfortable one.
James eventually had to leave, unfortunately for him. For the first time in a while, he’s actually distracted from all of his ongoing problems. He’s starting to feel like himself again.
This does not mean that he doesn’t randomly smell roses, and has a little breakdown because Lily loves them. Because he does. Occasionally. It just means, for some reason, being with Regulus is easy, and temporarily keeps him from being sad.
James is absolutely set on becoming Regulus’s friend, and he even momentarily considers asking Sirius for advice. Until he remembers that the two hate each other, and everything would be ruined if Sirius knew that the two had any contact with each other at all.
A couple of days pass since his last meeting with Regulus, and James is laying on the couch in the common room thinking. It’s quite peaceful until all of a sudden all of his friends rush into the room very dramatically. First Sirius, then Mary, Peter, Marlene, Remus, and finally a very uncomfortable Lily Evans, who he spots first and who he is actively trying to avoid even looking at.
“What’s going on?” James questions, looking around as the group gets comfortable in their seats. For a split second, he makes eye contact with Lily.
Just taking one look at her was enough for James to lose his breath.
She broke up with you, James reminds himself.
She broke up with you, James reminds himself as only two seats are open, one by him and one by Mary.
She broke up with you, James reminds himself as she chooses the one next to Mary.
“Planning a party, Prongs, get with the times,” Marlene answers from her spot sprawled out on the floor in front of Peter.
“For?”
“For Halloween and Padfoot’s birthday!” Mary groans. “Don’t tell me you forgot!” Everyone looks at James, waiting for his response.
“I didn’t forget! I’ve just been… busy,” he defends.
“Busy with what?” Peter questions, not really wanting to let this go.
“Things,” James replies with a glare.
“And by ‘things’,” Sirius whispers very loudly, “he means some bird.”
And the awkwardness in the room was nearly enough for James to leave it completely.
“Not the time, Sirius.” Remus tells him and attempts to change the subject, “Anyways, I was thinking we have a combined party, for Halloween and your birthday. Save some time and money.”
“Absolutely not!” Sirius and James say at the same time, both equally offended at the mere idea.
“Halloween is sacred, a very fun time, and deserves its own party.” James huffs.
“Exactly. And my birthday is never to be touched with. I deserve a birthday as extravagant as myself.”
James and his friends spent the majority of the night trying to plan the two parties which, unfortunately for them, meant they all got considerably less sleep. So, it was no surprise that everybody was grouchy all day, excluding James who was in a shockingly amazing mood. He doesn't even know how he made it through the whole day without someone biting his head off for simply laughing.
That night, as always, he checks the map, and when his eyes drift to Regulus’s name, he is a bit disappointed to see that it’s in the dungeons.
Which is fine, actually, because James just wants to be alone.
Once he hears silence in the dorm room, except for a light snore from Peter, he takes only the cloak and heads to the astronomy tower.
James really hates being alone, he thinks as he’s standing, looking out of the astronomy tower. Everything just seems a bit too real as his thoughts tend to consume him when he’s by himself. Luckily for him, he’s not alone for long, before he’s looking, once again, into Regulus’s stormy gray eyes.
James can’t help but grin at Regulus’s annoyed expression. He also can’t help but grin at the fact that, despite the glare on Regulus’s face, he still closes the door behind him as he enters.
“Oh, you’re joking? Again?” Regulus asks while pinching the bridge of his nose as if being in the vicinity of James just brought on the worst migraine.
“Aw Reggie, did you miss me? It was quite a bit of time, I suppose”
Regulus crosses the room to sit on the bench in the room, “Yes, I missed you so much. The worst time of my life. I wept tears of sadness, thinking I'd never see you again.”
“You are so nice Reg,” James replies, laughing at how both Regulus looked offended when he heard he was nice and the nickname that followed, “And how are your friends that you were pissed about?”
“The ones you thought didn't exist? They’re fine. Not mad at them anymore, I guess.” James can tell that it’s all Regulus is willing to share, and he doesn’t want to make him upset by pushing further.
“I did doubt their existence, but it was for a good reason.”
Regulus scoffs, looking more annoyed by the second, “What reason is that?”
“Because I think, and promise not to laugh again-”
“I’m not going to be your friend, Potter.” Reg cuts in icily.
“You didn’t even let me finish.” James grumbles, frustrated, “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”
“Sirius.” Regulus shoots at him, momentarily stopping James.
“Okay, there’s only one reason we shouldn’t. There are more reasons why we should be friends than shouldn’t.”
“Like?” Regulus questions, waiting impatiently for an answer.
“Like, um, well. We both play Quidditch, for one.”
“Mhm.” Regulus sounds almost bored.
“There’s um. We, uh, both play Quidditch well? For two.”
“Well, I play Quidditch better, but go on.”
“Just gonna pretend I didn't hear that.”
“And for three?” Regulus asks, evidently getting more and more impatient.
“For three? Yeah, um, three is a tricky one. You know I love the number three, actual-”
“So,” Regulus cuts in, “you’re only reasons why we should be friends is that we both play Quidditch and we both play it well? How does that trump Sirius?”
James rolls his eyes and scoffs as if Regulus was wrong in the slightest, “Well if you’d actually let me finish then you’d know that my third reason is better than everything.”
“Continue,” Regulus says after a few moments of silence from James whose trying to come up with something on the spot.
“Well, I certainly don’t need your permission. My third reason is that we’d just work.” He waits a moment before continuing, thrilled when Regulus hasn’t shot him down yet.
“See, we’re so different that we will just mesh perfectly. I’ll be the best friend you ever had,” James continues, “think about it.” James is surprised to find Regulus actually is. It really was a shit reason to be friends with someone. Yet, right now Regulus seemed to be leaning toward yes.
“No,” Regulus states not even a moment later before he gets up and starts to look out the astronomy tower, his back facing James.
James watches Regulus, he watches how he moves so effortlessly. He’s looking at Regulus studying the night sky, both of them lost in thought.
And it dawns on him.
He can't force Regulus to be his friend, by pushing it onto him, like he might’ve done with Lily.
No.
He just has to spend enough time with him, to the point where Regulus can’t even deny their friendship.
He just has to be there for him.
Regulus turns around, facing James, at this point, James is just watching Regulus. He’s studying him longer than he probably should be, but he honestly can’t help it. It’s easy to notice certain things when his guard is down, and James really wishes that he could see Regulus like this all of the time.
But the really unfair bit is that, no matter what Regulus is doing, where he’s at, who he’s with. He will never not manage to send James into a massive reverie.
This is obviously very bizarre to James, but he prefers not to think too much about it. Thankfully for him, he doesn't have to, because he’s snapped into the present when he realizes Regulus has been talking to him the whole time.
“-and honestly, she had it coming. Don’t you think so, Potter?”
“Definitely.” He replies, automatically, even though he definitely doesn’t know what he’s agreeing to. “Also, would you please quit it with the ‘Potter’ thing? I have a name, you know.”
“Oh, my apologies! Is Jamie better for you?” Regulus asks in a sickeningly sweet, accentuating the name Jamie, poking fun at the nickname.
James can't help but grimace a little at hearing the name again. He really only likes it when his parents say it, but it was something Lily used to do all the time that he never really enjoyed, but he never bothered to tell her he despised it.
“Unless you’re my mum or dad, absolutely not.”
James can’t help but relish in Regulus’s small smile playing on his lips.
“Yes, it is quite stupid, isn’t it? Quite fitting for you, I guess.”
”Now that was just unnecessary.” James scowls, however, it takes quite a bit of effort to not break into a grin at his words.
James saunters toward the door and nods at Regulus, “Until next time, angel face.”
“Wouldn’t count on it.” James hears Regulus reply just as the door is shutting.