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Regulus was in the potions lab, standing over the amortenia. He’d come to check in on it and add the last of the ingredients before it was due in the morning and it looked perfect so far. He was very pleased with himself and didn’t notice when James entered, only yelping when arms wrapped around his waist.
“Hi, baby,” James said, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
“Fuck off.” Despite his response, he relaxed into James.
“You smell nice.”
Regulus rolled his eyes. “It’s the potion. Amortentia. Of course it smells nice.”
“I know what it is. It smells just like you,” James laughed, turning his head to kiss his neck.
The younger boy hated the deep blush that covered his cheeks but it always made James smile. He looked away and tried to change the topic even though all he could smell was the quidditch pitch and broom polish mixed with James’ shampoo. “What are you brewing?”
James’ face settled back into the crook of Regulus’ neck while he added something to the potion. “Rat tonic. Nothing interesting, needed to check on it and was happy to find you here.” He pulled his arms tighter around him.
Regulus let himself be held for a moment before putting an end to it. “Go check on your potion, Potter.”
James sighed, letting go of his boyfriend and pulling the cauldron off the shelf and onto the table beside him. He pulled off the lid to reveal a putrid black smoke.
“Merlin, I feel bad for the rats,” Regulus commented.
The taller boy shook his head. “It’s not supposed to look anything like this.” He grabbed his potions book from his bag and flipped through to the instructions page that had pictures of the potion at every stage, none of which were a dark black.
Regulus wiped his hands on a towel and hummed as he pushed himself into James’ side to get a good look at the book. “Do you have time to restart it?”
“We only started brewing today so I probably should just scrap it,” James sighed. He’d spent the entire two hour class period this morning working on it and curfew was in an hour. He wouldn’t have the time until after quidditch tomorrow.
“What do you need?” Regulus said, walking over to the wall of ingredients.
“2 burdock roots, some potion standard base, water, essence of chamomile.”
Regulus came back with the ingredients in arm, setting them on the table. “You start prepping and I’ll wash the cauldron.”
“Thank you.”
Regulus shrugged, taking the cauldron to the sink to dump it before casting cleaning spells and returning it back to the lab table.
“You’re the best,” James said with a smile and eyes lingering on Regulus.
“Make your potion, Potter.”
James added the base and the water to the cauldron and began heating and stirring it, all while Regulus kept a close eye, rereading instructions. He jumped ahead, measuring out the essence of chamomile for James so he could throw it straight in and then Regulus began chopping the burdock roots.
“How do you know how to cut them? You weren’t in class when Slughorn was demonstrating.”
“Because it says to chop them. It’s not going to be picky. If it said to slice or dice it would have sizes. If it said mince it would be tiny.”
James blinked blankly at him.
“Those all mean different things. Tell me you know that. James, your dad makes potions for a living and you constantly help your mum in the kitchen when you’re at home. You know those words mean different things.”
“I do now.”
Regulus stared at him, a mix of unimpressed and concerned. James smiled at him, his goofy smile that could make Regulus melt dangerously quickly.
“Is this why you suck at potions?” Regulus asked, sliding the first burdock root into the potion.
“Undoubtedly.”
“Stir,” he told James. “Slughorn definitely goes over all of this with the first years.”
James shrugged. “I’m far more likely to listen to you.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“I’m your idiot. And how lucky you are to have me.”
Regulus rolled his eyes but a small smile made it to his lips. He pushed the last of the roots into the potion with the knife.
“This is a seventh year potion. I don’t understand how you can so easily tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
“Because that’s my job in life. To correct you. And I know I’ll never be out of work.” His lips were pulled into a full smirk now.
James leaned in closer. “How will I repay you?”
“I might need you to bury someone.”
“Could you settle for kisses?”
Regulus seemed to think it over for a second. “I suppose.”
And before he knew it, he was taking a half step back, now against the table. James kissed him and Regulus’ hand instinctively went to hold James’ cheek. James wrapped his arms around him, hands resting on his back to pull him closer and Regulus’ other arm wrapped around the back of his neck, resting on his shoulders.
“I love you,” Regulus snuck in a whisper between kissing and breathing.
James broke into a wide smile. “I love you too, baby.”
A quiet bell rang through the school which reminded students they had five minutes until curfew.
James’ head fell to Regulus’ shoulder with disappointment. “I wish I could take you back to my dorm. I’d hold you all night and keep you from going to classes in the morning.”
“If only you didn’t live with my brother. And if I didn’t live with Barty and Evan.”
James stole a few more kisses, arms still wrapped tightly around him.
“Put your cauldron up, Potter. No use wasting my hard work.”
James sighed, finally letting go of him and packing up the cauldron back onto its shelf.
“Got any more potions to work on tomorrow?”
Regulus shook his head. “No but I have astronomy homework so I’ll be in the tower.”
“Can I join you? I love the stars,” James said with a wink.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Regulus grabbed him by the face, kissing him before running off to the Slytherin common room.
“Cutting it a bit close, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall said as he made it to the portrait.
“Late night in the potions lab,” he shrugged before going into the dorm and lying down with a wide, unfading smile.