Regulus POV
I walk on shaky legs back to the dorms. It’s late enough now that the music has subsided and the common room is mostly empty besides the few passed out drunks. I pass Mulciber on my way up to my own dorm, a bully a year ahead of me and think about punching him in the nose leaving him to deal with it in the morning but I feel my limbs weigh me down and decide maybe I shouldn’t cause mayhem on the first day back.
“So where did baby Reggie go tonight?” Evan, who is sitting in the middle of my bed, asks as I walk through the door.
“Not tonight Rosier,” I shove him off my bed and onto the floor before crawling into bed myself, not even bothering to change.
“Oooo someone had fun tonight,” Barty smirks, coming to lean against my bed post.
“Yeah me,” Evan smirks and I pretend to gag.
“Yes of course, but I was talking about our reggiekins,” he grins maliciously.
“If you ever call me that again, you won’t make it to graduation,” I threaten but he ignores me.
“Do you notice a missing piece of clothing on our boy here Evan?”
I frown and look down before remembering that James took my tie as a way to tell me yes or no. I should tell my friends I honestly should but there's a chance he’ll say no, and I use that reasoning to keep quiet.
“So who’s the lucky chick?” Evan smirks down at me.
“No one,” I grumble, burrowing myself deeper into the pillows.
“No obviously it was a lad, Evan, no chick has made Regulus look star struck,” Barty pretends to whisper and I sit straight up in bed.
“I am not starstruck,” I complain and cross my arms.
“There's our Reggie. I knew we could get to him.”
“Oh bugger off and go shag,” I pout and pull the pillows over my head.
“I mean that’s not a bad idea.”
“No it’s not,” their hushed voices move further and further away.
“In a broom closet,” I shout and they just chuckle before casting a silencing charm around themselves.
I turn and stare at the ceiling of my bed canopy which I enchanted the first year to look like the night sky. I may have lost my brother but this way I would always have him close.
In the halls I ignored Sirius, trying desperately not to get caught in his orbit. Him and James Potter are a force to be reckoned with. Sirius with his obvious charm and bad-boy style. Almost always with a gross muggle stick in his mouth. James was something else entirely with his bright eyes that have not lost the same life that Sirius and I have. The smile that comes to his lips is always big and loud like everyone in this world makes him happy. A heart too big and full for this world.
God, I’m fucked.
I turn over and close my eyes praying for a night where I’m not dreaming of tanned skin and curly hair.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning was the first day of classes and I pulled on my uniform, including the extra tie I have and stare at myself in the mirror. My eyes are cold and gray staring back at me, nothing like the boys eyes I was staring at only hours before.
“Reggie, hurry up!” Evan bangs on the door to the bathroom and I sigh before straightening my robes one last time.
“You know you don’t have to shout dear,” I say cool as I brush past him and walk to the door, “well? Are you coming.”
Barty and Evan quickly trail behind, “what’s got you all twisted up today sunshine?”
I scowl and look down, “must be his new lover,” Evan shoulders him and Regulus pushes him to the floor.
“Jeez touchy subject got it,” Barty helps Evan up and we finish making our way to the great hall. We take our seats at the end of the table and my eyes directly go to the Gryffindor tower. The four marauders still aren’t there so I fill my food even though I don’t eat very much.
“Hello guys,” I can’t help the small smile that appears on my face as Pandora comes to sit with us and not her fellow Ravenclaws.
“Hello dear.”
“Ohh perhaps it was a girl that Regulus was with that night,” my smile falls immediately and I send a jinx towards Barty.
“Pandora is my family Barty.”
“Not like it ever stopped your lot before,” he sniggered. This time I pushed him off the bench but he just got back up. At the same time the great hall doors open to reveal what I’m sure are four members of Gryffindor and yet I only see the one who stares directly at me and it's like someone has cast a silencing charm.
I meet James hazel eyes and he shoots me a wide smile, which I don’t know what to take as. I get pulled out of my daze as Barty places a wet kiss against my temple. Suddenly James' eyes aren’t happy anymore they flash with an emotion I cannot describe and he makes his way over to the slytherin table.
“Potter what are you doing over here,” Evan asks looking appalled but he ignores him and goes straight to me.
“Hello,” before I can say anymore James grabs the front of my jumper and pulls me upwards to meet him in a very heated kiss. He pushes his mouth against mine teeth clacking as they hit against each other. It’s not sweet by any means, it's rough and possessive, as if James didn’t quite think the kiss through before doing it and yet I wrap my arms around his shoulders to hold me up to the threat of my legs collapsing under me too great. After too long or not long enough he pulls away gasping for air and rests his forehead on mine.
“Hey,” he smiles at me dreamily.
“So I guess I got my answer then,” I smirk.
“I guess you did,” he pulls away slightly, “here’s your tie, you forgot it last night,” he pulls away completely to walk away after handing me the tie shooting me a wink before he turns to look at Barty who’s staring at him like he has two heads, “yeah he’s mine now.”
James walks away as if nothing has happened even as every eye in the great hall is turned on him he just joins the Gryffindor table and starts eating. Evan and Barty stare at me and Pandora just smiles, “You make a lovely couple.”
It’s all I can do to look away trying to fight the blush on my face.
It's all for show. I remind myself. But even still I can't help but feel a little light headed. I kissed James Potter. Twice.