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Regulus and James have been dealing just fine. Sure, sometimes it was a bit hard to sneak around the castle. With James being Quidditch Captain of the Gryffindor team and planning all sorts of shenanigans with the rest of his dorm mates, on top of school, there really wasn't much free time that he had. Regulus couldn't say that he was better off though. The Slytherin's were pulling almost the same amount of quidditch practice and therefore they at least saw one another when the teams were switching the Quidditch pitch. Sometimes they ‘forgot’ something to steal away five minutes with their partner. However, Regulus felt like he spend more time in the library than his boyfriend did. He rarely saw James at all in there, to be honest. Remus was there though, and he kept on being pestered by plenty of students. Regulus didn't approach him though. Sometimes they nodded at one another though. In the little bit of free time that James and Regulus had together, they tried to stay together with one another.
Now: Christmas.
Christmas would be amazing. There was no school, two weeks of pure bliss. Regulus would go straight to the Potter's. No, the Blacks did not know about that and especially not Sirius. Yes, he expected his parents to pay him a visit somewhere along the first week but he supposed that they would let him stay nevertheless.
Hopefully.
The train would arrive in King's Cross in ten minutes, so Regulus excused himself from Evan and Barty before he left the compartment. James was already waiting for him outside, hiding away in the corner and having that stupid soft smile on his face upon seeing him. Regulus walked over to him and snaked his arms around his neck in order to pull him closer to himself before kissing him softly.
"You know the way to my house?" James asked once he pulled away and Regulus nodded.
"Do you know when you will come?"
"It depends on when they're going to sleep. I'll be out as soon as the house is quiet and then maybe two more hours and I'm at your window"
"Okay, please be careful"
"You know me"
"That's what I'm worried about" James mumbled "Write me a letter once you go. I'll need a reason to go upstairs without Sirius becoming suspicious"
"He's too oblivious to notice it anyways" Regulus shrugged, giving him another kiss before pulling away from him "Okay, I have to go back"
"Me too" James said and so they parted ways again. Regulus slid back into the compartment, already grabbing his suitcase. He wanted to get out as soon as the train stopped. The sooner he was home, the sooner he could leave dinner and the sooner the house would quiet down and he was off to James.
Once the train station came into view, Regulus got up to pull on his coat. He said his quick goodbyes to Evan and Barty before walking out of the compartment and heading for the next exit. Walburga and Orion Black stood at the corner of the platform, clothes straight, heads high and face blank. Regulus subconsciously straightened up too before he hurried over to them.
"Good afternoon" He greeted as he approached them. His father nodded towards him and his mother reached out her arm, so that Regulus could hold onto her.
"Let's go home then"
Dinner dragged on forever. He didn't have one free moment until way past midnight and even then, it felt like another eternity before the house went quiet.
Regulus quickly scribbled down the letter for James before sending it off per owl. He grabbed his backpack, which he had already packed back at Hogwarts and simply put at the bottom of his suitcase. He shouldered it before quietly heading downstairs. He tiptoed to the base of the stairs before peeking around to see the parlor. The lights were out and there were no other noises except his breathing. Everyone was asleep. He exhaled relieved and made his way over to the front door.
"Master Regulus" Kreacher said, suddenly standing behind him. Regulus whirled around to face him, hand on his heart.
"Kreacher," He whispered finally "you startled me" He added, relaxing his hand and letting it fall down on his side again.
"My apologies, Master Regulus. It is late. You should be in bed. Do you need anything?"
"Yes. Don't tell anyone that you've seen me"
"Will you be returning?"
"I will, I promise"
And with that, he disappeared into the night.
James quickly read over the letter before folding it up and putting it in the pocket of his jeans.
"Who is writing you at this hour?" His mother asked almost immediately. Sirius turned to look up from the board to face him at that as well.
"Do you finally have a girlfriend?"
"Not exactly"
"But you've got someone, don't you?"
"Of course he does. Haven't you noticed him sneaking around all the time, especially between dinner and curfew — or after for that matter when he is with his cloak?" Remus said, shrugging. He didn't even look up from his book, which he had opened to read in between rounds of the board game.
"What?? You've got someone?? And I don't know??" Sirius asked, gasping dramatically.
"Because it's not of importance. It's just... a casual thing" James said, despite knowing that it was anything but casual. It wasn't even two months ago that they said their first 'I love you's to one another.
"Thinking about it. I should actually answer that letter" He added before standing up. He had won the round anyways and was just waiting for the others to finish. James faked a yawn, stretching his arms over his head "And I'm tired, so I'm just going to bed now"
"Are you okay, honey?" Euphemism asked, already halfway up from her chair. James quickly nodded.
"Yes, just tired, really. Besides, tomorrow will be Christmas Eve and we are awaiting some people, so I should be awake enough for that, shouldn't I?"
"Right. Goodnight then"
"Night, mom"
"Goodnight, Prongs" Both Sirius and Remus called. James waved at them before disappearing upstairs in his bedroom. He took out the letter and put it in the box where he kept the rest of his letters. Most of them were from Regulus but he didn't keep all of them. Only the important ones. Maybe 80% of them but really not more. After that was done, he turned all the lights off and settled down on the window seat in order to keep a lookout and be ready when Regulus would come.
The clock hit 3 before he finally spotted his boyfriend. Once he did, James turned on the little lamp on his nightstand before opening the window. After Regulus had climbed up the tree, he helped him inside, reaching him his hand before pulling him towards him. They landed on the window seat, toppling down on the mattress of his bed and erupting in soft laughs. James was under Regulus, cupping in face in order to pull away the hair from his face to see him better. Regulus supported himself, though then leaned down to kiss him.
"Hi there"
"You are really late"
"Sorry about that but I'm here now — and I'm not going for at least a week"
"Seven days just with you. How do I deserve that?" James asked, chuckling. Regulus shrugged, kissing him again before going to lay down next to him.
"How about we go to sleep? I'm exhausted"
And sleep they did, until 8am when someone knocked on his door, telling James that breakfast would be done soon.
"Regulus," James whispered, hand driving through his hair "Are you awake?"
"Mhm?"
"Breakfast is done"
"I'm too tired, I'm not getting up"
"But aren't you hungry?"
"Not enough to get up for it" Regulus mumbled. Lifting his head, he started grinning though "I have another idea though, how we could spend this time better" He added, kissing him softly. Regulus continued to kiss him, sitting down on top of him at some point.
"Regulus" James called between two kisses. Regulus hummed, showing that he was listening, though continued kissing him, moving down to his neck.
"But breakfast"
"Can wait. Isn't this better?" Instead of saying anything, James just tilted his head to give Regulus more space.
"See? I knew that I could convince you" Regulus grinned, continuing his work on James' neck.
"Your shirt, off" James said, already breathless as he struggled to unbutton his shirt. Regulus nodded, sitting up and pulling off his sweatshirt, which landed on the floor next to him. After that, he went back to kissing James, his hands moving under his hoodie in order to pull it off too, though they got interrupted by a knock on the door. The two froze in their spot and Regulus even stopped to breathe.
"James-"
"Don't come in!" He interrupted, getting up from the bed and ushering Regulus over to the closet.
"James, it's me. We've shared a room for years. Nothing that I haven't seen yet" Sirius said before just opening the door. James just had enough time to close the door to the closet. Sirius looked at him confused.
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing, why?"
"Because you look like a deer caught by headlights. I just came to tell you that your mother wants you down for breakfast"
"Yeah, I'll be there any minute. I just needed to... to wake up first, you know?" James said, leaning on the closet door and trying to look casual, though he knew that he had panicked before and he knew that Sirius had seen it.
"What's in the closet?"
"Nothing?"
"Then why are you guarding it like a dragon protecting his hoard?" Sirius asked next.
"I'm not" James said, purposefully stepping away. He walked over to his nightstand in order to grab the glass of water, which he always filled there over night, and drank out of it.
"Is that a hickey??" Sirius then asked, walking over and just pulling down the neck of his hoodie, though James tried to pull it up again. It was not the fact that he cared about Sirius just going up to him. It was the fact that this hickey was new and that Sirius knew.
"Don't tell me that your 'casual someone' spend the night here" Sirius said, nudging James, who's cheeks turned pink "Bloody hell, Prongs, you did, didn't you?"
"No?"
"Is that what's in the closet?"
"No!" James quickly pulled away, walking around to stand between Sirius and the closet.
"Mate, come on. Think I can't handle the fact that you're shagging a girl while you're supposed to be downstairs with us, eating breakfast?"
"It's not a girl, Sirius" James said through clenched jaw. He wasn't mad. No. It was his own mistake, his own stupidity, that lead them in this situation. He shouldn't have given in to Regulus, not when his mother just called him to dinner and Sirius was staying with them.
Sirius wouldn't drop it just because of the fact that it wasn't a girl though. No, he pushed on — and why wouldn't he? He and Remus were together and outed to all of their friends and family. It would be ridiculous if that was the problem Sirius would have with his relationship.
"Alright? So our Prongs is shagging a boy then. Where is the problem? Wouldn't think that I have a problem with that, would you? You know that me and Moony are together"
"Sirius" James warned as his best friend stepped closer to the closet again "don't, okay?"
"What got you so worked up? It's almost like you have to hide him from me" It wasn't hiding. He wasn't hiding Regulus from him, even if he was at the moment but he wasn't hiding his relationship. Then again, he didn't know what exactly he was doing here.
"Sirius, please, just give me a moment, okay? I'll be right outside with you and then we forget about this situation"
"Why? Think I won't like him?" No, not that. It was more like the opposite.
When Regulus was a first year, the two Black brothers were close. However, they got even closer after Regulus helped Sirius escape the Black family. It was the prior Christmas, James got a letter first and not even a minute later, Sirius stumbled through the fireplace, barely able to keep his eyes open anymore. That's when things changed. That's when Sirius became even closer to Regulus. Since Sirius was staying at his now, it also meant that James got to see Regulus more. But he didn't know how he could ever tell Sirius about that.
Apparently he didn't have to.
Sirius' flickered to the floor beside the bed, to the shirt, next to the backpack, back to James and then to the closet.
"Don't tell me..." Sirius exhaled long before calling out his brother's name. Something moved in the closet, fell on the ground, followed by a silence "Are you in the closet?"
"Yeah..." Sirius nodded.
"Are you dressed?"
"No..."
"Get dressed and please come out here" Sirius instructed. While there was shuffling inside the closet, Sirius turned to face James, who did his best to not face him. Finally the door opened and Regulus stepped out, quickly having thrown on a hoodie from James, which was too small for him, and some jeans pants that barely reached his knees.
He felt ridiculous.
Sirius turned to face him, nodding to himself.
"Hey there, Reggie"
"Hey, Sirius..."
"Sirius, look, we were going to tell you but-"
"Breakfast is ready, we are all waiting for you and you- you just- I can't believe you right now" Sirius shook his head, turned on his heels and left the room. Silence filled James' bedroom and neither James nor Regulus moved for a moment.
"That... went better then expected..." Regulus mumbled at last. James hesitated "Maybe I should go..."
"What? No" James walked over to him and reached for his hand "No, you stay here. It's Christmas, you can't go back there. You're staying here with me, okay?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, now please pull on some of your clothes before we go downstairs" Regulus nodded and got rid of the hoodie to pull on his own shirt. Then he picked the black dress pants from the prior day and wore them instead of the jeans. The two walked downstairs, holding hands. His father was about to say something when he saw them, though Euphemia shushed him and simply laid out another set of dishes for Regulus to join them at breakfast.
"Regulus, dear, when did you arrive? I must have not heard you"
"Oh, I just came early in the morning"
"Then you must be hungry, come eat"
"I'm sure that he's quite alright" Sirius mumbled, not turning around to face either of them. Remus glanced at the scene, then at their joined hands before turning to Sirius, whispering something in his ear. The older Black turned to look at him, then clenched his jaw and returned to eating breakfast without saying anything else.
"So, are you going to stay over today?" Fleamont asked at some point. James hummed, biting into his toast. Regulus chewed, nodding before he answered.
"If it wouldn't cause any inconveniences to you, than that would be great. I know that this is kind of short notice and that we should have informed you sooner but I was afraid that you wouldn't let me stay if I wrote to you sooner and my parents couldn't know before I was gone"
"Do they know that you're here now? I don't want a repetition of Sirius’ first Christmas here and an angry Walburga searching for her son"
"No, I didn't run away like Sirius. They know" Kind of. They knew that he was gone by now and Kreacher saw him leaving on his own, that had to be enough to not start a search for him, right?
James nudged Sirius under the table with his foot, trying to get his attention, though Sirius didn't react at all. He simply continued to eat. As soon as they started to clear off plates and cutlery, Sirius headed upstairs without another word. James and Regulus glanced at one another before following him.
"Sirius, can we talk?" James asked, knocking on the door to his room. When no answer came, Regulus drove a hand through his hair. He exhaled and stepped in front of James, knocking on the door as well.
"Sirius, please"
"I don't want to talk to you two"
"Sirius, mon étoile brillante, s'il vous plaît, parlons-en. Je ne voulais pas que vous le découvriez comme ça. James ne voulait pas que vous flipper et je ne voulais pas vous blesser. Je sais qu'il est votre meilleur ami et que vous avez l'impression de prendre des choses de vous, je ne voulais pas prendre votre meilleur ami aussi. Tu es mon grand frère, Sirius, je ne veux jamais faire ça. C'est arrivé juste"
"Qu'est-ce qui vient de se passer?"
"Que j'ai attrapé des sentiments pour lui"
"Qui a avoué en premier?"
"Sirius..."
"Qui a avoué en premier?" He repeated.
"Je l'ai fait, d'accord, ne lui sois pas en colère"
The door opened and Sirius walked out.
"Just to be clear, I'm not mad about you stealing my brother. I'm mad that neither of you two told me" Sirius said "How could I be mad about the fact that my beat pal is dating my brother, the person that I love the most? If you hurt him though, James, I’ll hurt you in the most suffering way, understand?”