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Regulus felt the brush of that stupid invisibility cloak on his wrist before the hand gripped him and he was pulled into the alley by Zonko’s Joke Shop. James was quick to remove the cloak once they were far enough down that their friends wouldn’t see them.
“Hey.” The grin James wore split his face from ear to ear. “Finally caught you, felt like a right letch waiting there.”
“What were you going to do if I didn’t come this way or if I hadn’t come to Hogsmeade?” Regulus couldn’t help but point out the flaws in James’ plan.
James took a moment to answer. “Wait outside your common room I suppose.” He finally said with a shrug. “Merlin, that makes me sound awful doesn’t it.” James ran his hand down his face. “Like a right creep. I promise I’m not, by the way. Not that creeps admit to that sort of thing.” James could not get his mouth to stop, no matter how much he wanted it to.
“Did you need something Jamie?” Regulus prompted with a sigh, conscious that his friends would be wondering where he could have gotten to soon.
James ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath before he spoke. “Yeah actually I was, um, okay, I was.” He breathed out a puff of air, “This is harder than I thought.”
“James.”
“Okay, I was wonderingifyouwatedtogoonadatewithme. Whoo there did it.” James looks pleased with himself considering that no-one with a comprehension of the English language would be able to understand what he had just said.
“Unfortunately, James, I don’t speak mumble so you’ll have to repeat that, slowly.” Regulus spoke like he was speaking to a child.
James took no notice of the attitude that Regulus displayed, if anything it made him more fond of the boy.
“I was um, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me…?” James trailed off as he got to the end of his question in response to the unimpressed glare that Regulus levelled him with.
With a scoff, Regulus turned to walk back out of the alley and return to his friends.
“Wait, don’t go!” James grabbed his wrist once more.
“Please James,” Regulus said with a roll of his eyes, “did you really think I’d fall for something as obvious as this. Where’s my brother and that horrible tag along that trails behind you two? I know Lupin would never be a part of something like this.
“Regulus, this isn’t a joke.” Regulus had to give it to James, he really knew how to play a part.
“A bet, then.” Regulus waved his hand in the air as if to show that the details were beneath him.
Confusion shon on James’ face as he began shaking his head. “Reggie-”
“Don’t Reggie me, Potter!” Regulus pointed a finger at James. “This whole thing is cruel even for you lot.”
“It’s not-”
“What if I was some moon eyed fourth year unaware that I was about to-”
“I swear, if you just-”
“about to embarrass myself for the amusement of a group of fifth years? Stop interrupting me, James. This is important.”
“Regulus, I’ve been in love with since I was eleven years old.” Neither of them said anything for a moment in response to James’ rushed confession.
“Don’t.” Regulus broke their silence with a voice hardened by hurt.
“Regulus.” The pleading in James’ voice and the wary look on his face was almost enough to soften Regulus’ resolve.
“Don’t say that if it isn’t true. It’s cruel, it takes cruelty to a whole new level, Jamie.” Regulus looked down at the ground as he softly shook his head.
“I didn’t know what it was at the time.” James took a breath to steady himself and ran his hands through his hair once again. “All I know is that I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Stood on that platform, wearing that stripy jumper. You held onto Sirius so tight I remember thinking that his head might pop off.” James huffed a laugh and Regulus lifted his head to meet his eye. “You were all puppy fat, grey eyes and gelled hair. Not half changed now though. Then you came to Hogwarts and I was suffocating.” The despair in James’ voice made Regulus’ stomach curl.
“Every year it just seems to get worse and I fall deeper and deeper into this pit. And now you’re at the cottage.” James took a steadying breath. “I don’t want to carry on pretending that I don’t feel the way that I feel and I’m not saying this to try and persuade, or, or guilt you into saying yes, because even if it’s a no, it’s a no and I’ll get over it. And I just want you to say something because I don’t think you’ve been this quiet for this long since you were in the womb.”
“Have you told Sirius any of this?” The question caught James off guard so he answered completely instinctually.
“Merlin, no. I don’t fancy waking up cuddled up to the giant squid.”
“I’m not going to be the one to tell him.”
“Oh, okay. Errr, yeah thanks. I’ll uh, I’ll go now, I s’pose.” He thrust his thumb over his shoulder back towards the dead end of the alleyway and Regulus had to fight not to roll his eyes.
“James, I’m not going to tell him.” Regulus repeated, just like before, slowly and like he was talking to a child.
“Yeah I understand, thanks for hearing me out.” James was taking small steps backwards and had turned his face to the floor as colour rushed to his cheeks.
“James.” Regulus grabbed onto James’ wrist. “I’m not going to be the one to tell him. About this.” Regulus leant up and gently pressed his lips to James’ unprepared ones for a moment.
James only began to react as Regulus pulled away, one brown hand gripping the back of Regulus’ head and pulling him back into his lips as his other hand came to rest on his hip. Regulus allowed himself to be pushed back against the wall as he and James’ continued kissing.
“I’ll tell him.” James panted against Regulus’ mouth. “I’ll be the one to tell him.”
James smiled as Regulus pulled him back in with a roll of his eyes.