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James was so busy staring a hole into the back of Regulus Black’s head that he didn’t hear his friends approach where he was sitting on a sofa. He had purposely lost them at this party in Ravenclaw Tower earlier in the evening with the sole intent of finding Black and snogging him against a wall until he was unsure of his own name. His plans imploded, however, soon after he had found Regulus at the drinks table. James had cautioned that Regulus might want to pace himself; Regulus scoffed and walked away from him but not after he threw back another shot. Now Regulus was dancing against the chest of a Hufflepuff boy in direct eyeline of where James was sitting on a sofa, which in no way could have been a coincidence.
Sirius snapped his fingers in front of James’s face.
James flinched, looking over to see the three other marauders making themselves comfortable around him.
“I said, what did you do this time?” Sirius repeated, gesturing to where his little brother was putting on one hell of a show for James.
“Bloody hell,” Peter said, following where Sirius was pointing. “Again James?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Please,” Sirius scoffed, in a way that was painfully similar to the one James had received from Regulus not twenty minutes earlier. “Do you think we are stupid?”
“Remus, what the hell is Sirius on about?” James grumbled.
“I’m not going to rescue you here Prongs,” Remus grinned. “Everytime you and your boyfriend get into a fight-”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Fine, friends with benefits”
“I don’t think they would be considered friends…” Peter interrupted.
“Touche. Lovers?” Remus offered.
Sirius and Peter both pulled a face and shook their heads.
“How about fuck buddi-?” Peter started to say, before Sirius interjected.
“No matter what you call it, it's disgusting. And what we are saying, James, is every time you and my brother fight, the same thing happens.”
“Which is?”
“Regulus goes and flirts with someone because he knows you are possessive as hell and won’t stand by, giving him the win by default.”
“That’s not- I’m not” James sputtered, “I’m not possessive of Regulus. Like I said, it's not like he’s my boyfriend. He can do whatever he wants.”
James’s friends exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.
“What are you laughing at?”
Sirius put his hand on James’s shoulder. “My dear, sweet, idiot, friend. You are so possessive of my brother, I am surprised you haven’t charmed “Property of James Potter” on his back.”
James gave a slow blink.
Peter clutched his chest. “Merlin’s balls, he really believes in what he’s saying!”
“James, mate, c’mon,” Sirius said, “What do you call two nights ago at dinner? When Regulus sat at the Ravenclaw Table?”
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“James, will you stop tapping the table with your fork before I lose it?” Remus said, frowning.
“Sorry, it’s just- sorry.”
James set the fork down, but his leg instantly replaced the nervous gesture by bouncing up and down. He took a sweep of the great hall once more for the familiar head of curls.
“Sirius, do you know where your brother is?”
His best friend looked over to him like he had grown a third eye. “Why the bloody hell would I know where he is? If anybody, you would be the one to know where he is considering whatever the hell you two are doing behind my back!”
“Sirius,” warned Remus. “I thought we were done with this. You said that you valued your friendship with James and would stay out of their…relations.”
“Technically they do it in front of your face too,” Peter grinned, causing Sirius to point his fork menacingly in his direction before angrily returning to stabbing his greens.
“I am just saying that out of the four of us, Prongs is the most likely to know where Reggie is at any given time.”
“We got into an argument,” James admitted.
“Shocker,” Peter said, “Considering that’s all you did before you started hooking up in broom closets as well.”
“What about?” Remus asked, slightly more sympathetic.
“He claimed that he was smarter than me.”
His friends stayed silent.
“HE ISN”T.”
James was appalled to see a small crack of a smile on Remus’s face.
“I mean….”
“The only reason that he is getting higher marks is because I don’t apply myself!”
“Is that what Euphemia says to you?” Peter said, leaving Sirius sniggering.
A flush started to creep up James’s neck. “You’ve seen my work, the map itself is a work of genius that I came up with!”
“That we all worked on,” Sirius said, “And who knows if we let Regulus join us that he wouldn’t have done it in half the time.”
“That’s bollocks,” James spat, and then lowered his voice, “You don’t see Regulus being an animagi, do you?”
“Do you think he’d really want to?” Peter said, “As much as I love being a rat, some people have boundaries when it comes to shitting in the grass.”
Sirius’s laugh bellowed, causing multiple heads turning in their direction.
“Sorry,” Sirius said, “Pete’s got a point there. Regulus doesn’t seem the type.”
“You are smart too, James,” Remus said, patting his arm, “Just in a different way.”
James was full on ready with the same argument he had given Regulus earlier when Peter let out an expletive.
“Sorry,” he squeaked, with his hand covering his mouth, “Found Regulus.”
James spun so fast, his glasses started to slip off his nose. There had been a reason that James had not been able to find Regulus in the Great Hall; Regulus was sitting at the Ravenclaw table next to someone who was very much not Pandora Rosier, the only Ravenclaw that James was aware Regulus was friends with. Instead at Regulus’s side was a red-haired boy that James vaguely recognized as someone who was in the year below him.
James’s brain tried to think rationally for about five whole seconds before it took a deep spiral.
“James,” Remus said, “Nothing is happening. He is just sitting with a classmate.”
“Yeah a Ravenclaw classmate,” Peter taunted, “Probably one that is just as smart as Regulus.”
“He’s just trying to rile you up,” Remus said.
“Who Pete or Reg?” asked Sirius.
“Both.”
Regulus let out a laugh, and it was the fakest shit that James had ever heard.
“He definitely is aware we are watching him,” Sirius said.
Peter nodded in agreement. “I think we should probably stop before it gets kinky.”
Sirius and Remus turned back around, changing the conversation but James was only vaguely aware of what was being said. His mind was completely taken up by every single move that Regulus was doing. To his delight, Regulus said his farewells before dessert. He gave the Ravenclaw boy a clasp on the shoulder and a smile before departing towards the door.
James stood up so quickly that he banged his knee on the table, rattling all the glasses.
“I’ll catch ya later.”
“Aw, before tarts?” Peter said, but James was already striding away.
“Pathetic,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “Reg has him wrapped around his finger.”
“He’s definitely smarter than Prongs gives him credit,” Remus said, “That was manipulation at its finest.”
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“I don’t think that counts as me being possessive,” James said, though digging his nails into the sides of his legs. “Maybe a bit jealous that Regulus thought he could replace me.”
“He should’ve while he had the chance,” Peter said, “Literally could’ve had a Ravenclaw to do all his homework, and yet he chose to shack up with your sorry ass in an empty classroom.”
James dove to smack Peter across the head, but Remus caught James by the arm and pushed him back into his spot.
“Pete’s just taking a piss, mate,” Sirius said, struggling to keep in his own laughter. “He’s just jealous he doesn’t have devilishly handsome Black in his life.”
Peter shook his head. “I’m good, thanks. Clearly there is something in your genes that turn guys daft. I’ll keep my wits about me.”
Now it was Remus’s turn to be offended alongside James. Sirius, however, took it as a compliment.
“That’s some high praise, Wormy, appreciate it.”
“Now wait a minute,” Remus interrupted, “I get where you are coming from with James, but why is my intelligence insulted?”
James looked bewildered at Remus. “What do you mean you get where he’s coming from with James?”
“You,” Peter gestured towards Remus, “got dress-coded for forgetting your tie after your early-morning rendezvous in Sirius’s bed that we all heard because you also forgot the silencing charm. Daft. And you,” he turned to James, "embarrassed yourself and me in Hogsmeade just last weekend. Need I remind you?”
“Please,” Sirius said, as if he was settling in for a movie, “I haven’t heard this yet.”
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“-and then I said to him, if you want to fucking go mate then lets fucking go, my boys are going to show up any moment and then you are going to wish you hadn’t made that comment about my socks-James are you even listening?”
James was, in fact, not listening. The bane of his existence had walked into Honeydukes wearing a leather jacket. James and Regulus, as of the previous Tuesday, were not on speaking terms, so the sight of Regulus looking ungodly in that leather jacket was both very distracting and extremely unfair. It also didn’t help that James knew that Regulus didn’t own a leather jacket which meant someone had let Regulus borrow it. The obvious answer was one of his friends, but James's brain didn’t like to accept the obvious.
“James!” Peter snapped, hitting him in the head with a lolly.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“For ogling at Regulus instead of listening to me. C’mon mate, we are in public!”
“I am not ogling,” James said, rubbing his forehead. “Peter, I need you to do me a favor.”
“James I am not delivering any filthy messages, I will not be an accomplice in your sexual escapades.”
“Fuck no. Reg and I aren’t exactly speaking right now-”
“Aw, had another lover’s quarrel now did we? Whatcha do this time?”
“I didn’t do shit, he’s the one that has way too many rules-you know what, I’m not discussing my private matters with you.”
“I think I deserve some of the gossip if you plan on using me.”
“Pete, will you help me or not?”
“Buy me this lolly?”
“Fine.”
Peter smiled satisfied, but steadfastly refused to hear James out until the sweet was purchased.
“Alright, what do you want me to do?” Peter asked, sticking the bribe in his mouth.
“I need you to ask him where he got his jacket.”
Peter looked James up and down. “I don’t know if you’ll look good in leather James, plus it’s kind of Sirius’s thing.”
“Fuck you, I’d look fucking mint in leather. But that’s not why I need you to ask. Regulus doesn’t own a leather jacket, so I want to know who he borrowed it from.”
Peter shrugged. “Probably Sirius, he owns like a dozen or so-”
“It’s not one of Sirius’s, I know what Sirius’s jackets look like.”
“And you are sure it’s not Regulus’s?”
“Positive.”
“Have you memorized all our wardrobes? How many pairs of jeans do I own?”
James answered with a glare. Peter gave a heavy sigh, putting the lolly back in mouth and turned to walk towards the small group of sixth years that were huddled around the pastry counter.
“Wotcha Regulus,” Peter said as multiple sets of eyes snapped up to him. Peter instantly felt extremely uncomfortable. Merlin, Slytherins were so…creepy. How did James see the appeal in this cold stare?
“Pettigrew,” Regulus replied coolly. “Can I help you?”
“Uhh yeah,” Peter said, glancing back to see that James had disappeared. Git. “That’s a nice jacket. Where’d you get it?”
Regulus raised an eyebrow. “Are you in the market?”
“I am. Was thinking of changing…my entire wardrobe.”
Regulus exchanged amused glances with his friends. “Don’t you think that you could ask my brother for style tips? As much as I hate to compliment him, he does have the exquisite Black taste for clothing.”
“You know, his leather jackets are not as…leathery as yours. You must shop at different stores. Where did yours come from?”
Regulus's friend with the blond hair sniggered and Peter really did feel like melting into the floor for a moment.
“I borrowed it,” Regulus smiled, with the look of someone who just admitted that they poisoned your tea.
“Oh?” Peter pressed on, despite his hatred for James growing by the second, “Who from? I’d really like to know where they got it.”
Regulus shrugged and Peter’s will snapped.
“Okay, c’mon Regulus. We both know why I am asking you this. Just tell me whose jacket it is so I can go about my day and you can get railed in the Hog’s Head bathroom.”
The blonde and the dark haired friend burst out laughing Regulus’s cheeks turned the slightest of pink, but the cool expression stayed on his face.
“It’s Barty’s,” Regulus jerked his head towards the dark haired boy.
“And doesn’t he look fucking divine in,” Barty smirked, “But Potter has nothing to worry about. Regulus is not my type.”
“Thank god for that,” the blonde added.
Peter thanked them and hightailed it away from the situation. He found his friend outside, watching covertly from the window.
“What did h-?”
“It’s his friend’s,” Peter spat out. “Now give me two sickles.”
“Why?” James said, but dug in his pockets anyway.
“Because you owe me a butterbeer but I also know you are going to abandon me in like ten minutes to go find Regulus.”
Peter snatched the coins out of James’s hand before James could protest and turned to head down the street.
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Sirius looked at James utterly appalled. “Didja really in the Hogshead loo? Mate that is so unsanitary- ”
“No, for fuck’s sake! I have some decency!” James shouted.
“It was in The Quaint Beard Bar wasn’t it.”
“No! Merlin, will you all please stop with this.”
“Stop what? Are we making fun of James,” a new voice approached. Marlene and Lily appeared, drink in hand. “I want to join.”
“We are discussing how jealous James gets,” Peter explained. “In terms of his current situationship.”
“Oh right on,” Marlene said, jumping on to the couch next to James. “You know I love talking about other people.”
“What brought upon this?” Lily asked. In response, all three of the marauders pointed in the direction of the act Regulus was currently putting on. His arms were now around the boy’s neck. James stared at the small gap in between their bodies, silently willing it to widen.
“Ohhhh,” the girls said in unison.
“Yeah that would make me jealous too,” Marlene admitted.
“If only you both could get over yourselves and just admit that you want more, instead of this weird game you play,” Lily said.
“I think they like it that way, Lils,” Remus replied. “At least Regulus seems to get pleasure out of it.”
“Oh for sure,” Marlene said, “Did I tell you lot when we were practicing the other day? Regulus practically had James crawling on his hands and knees for him.”
“No,” came a chorus from the group, as James sputtered, “That’s not true.”
“Oh it isn’t?” Marlene gave a cat-like grin. “Let's let them decide then.”
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“C’mon Potter, is that all you got?”
James shook his head laughing at his captain flying around the posts. It had taken little persuasion to get James out of bed on this Sunday morning for some extra practice before next week’s match against Hufflepuff. The two had been going on for around an hour before the sun had even made its full appearance.
James lobbed another quaffle at the beater turned temporary keeper. This one sailed passed her and through the middle hoop. Marlene whooped.
“That’s more like it! Again!”
James dove to retrieve the quaffle as it fell to the ground when he was distracted by two green clad figures approaching the pitch. He recognized the one instantly simply by the way he carried himself. The other, however, was unfamiliar so James abandoned the quaffle in favor of landing in front of the pair.
“Potter,” Regulus greeted as he dismounted and James immediately bristled at the use of his last name. Regulus tended to use that when he was irritated with James.
“Reggie,” James countered with his own, over-affectionate nickname he used for Regulus. As he wrecked his brain for a reason that Regulus might be angry with him, Marlene landed beside James.
“Baby Black, what brings you out here?” she asked, disgruntled at the fact that their training time was being cut into.
“We will stay out of your way, McKinnon,” Regulus responded. “This is our new back-up seeker since the last one quit with an affront of slander aimed my way.”
James snapped his attention to Regulus, but Regulus did not look back. Marlene gave a little chuckle.
“My condolences.”
“No need. His insults were almost as abhorrent as his flying skills. I have much more hope for Nicolas,” he said, looking over at the boy next to him. Nicolas looked to be younger than Regulus, but only by a year or two. A blush creeped onto Nicolas’s face and James had an immediate dislike for him.
Marlene, ever being the captain that she was, reached out her hand to shake his hand.
“Marlene McKinnon, Gryffindor beater and captain. And this is James Potter, my chaser.”
The boy shook her hand back, but said nothing instead looking over to Regulus. Regulus seemed to revel in the attention he was getting from the younger Slytherin.
“We are going to be practicing on this end,” Marlene said to Regulus.
“We will stick to the other the best we can,” Regulus replied, “But you know how fickle snitches can be.”
“Of course,” Marlene waved him off, “Don’t worry about it. Best of luck.”
Regulus took this as a cue to head off to the other end of the pitch, and the conversation ended without another glance towards James. Nicolas trailed behind.
“C’mon James, let’s bring out the bludgers since we are down here.”
James, however, did not move from his spot. What was it that Regulus was upset about? Why didn’t he tell James about the other seeker quitting?
“James!” Marlene snapped her fingers.
“Sorry, yeah let’s do it.”
Turns out that bludgers and a distracted mind were not a good mix. James found it very difficult not to watch what was happening on the other side of the pitch. Regulus and the new kid were huddled close together for a time, not even mounting their brooms. James was watching them intently, his mind going through what they could be talking about when a bludger clocked him in the side. The wind was knocked out of him, and he almost pitched over the side of his broom.
“Bloody hell Marlene, we have a game soon, are you trying to kill me before then?”
“I’m trying to get you to PAY ATTENTION!” Marlene shouted back. “Stop watching those two, or I’m going to keep hitting you with bludgers until you won’t be able to watch anything with your eyes swollen shut.”
“Fuck you,” James spat, but knowing that she would, he tried to pay more attention to what she was doing.
He avoided her swings, but about every thirty seconds or so, he would look over to see what the Slytherins were doing on the other side of the pitch. The two were up in the air finally, and Regulus was showing the younger seeker scanning techniques. Regulus reached out to touch the boy’s side, moving him to where he wanted. Marlene hit another bludger in his direction and James narrowly avoided it.
“I’m calling it,” Marlene shouted, and James could hear the irritation dripping from her voice.
“Sorry, I’ll focus,” James turned to her, seeing now the frustration on her face.
“No. I am about two seconds away from knocking you off and I don’t want my star chaser getting injured.”
James followed her to the ground, dismounting and helping her wrangle the bludger back into the case.
“I’m sorry Marls,” James said again, “He just-he’s angry and I don’t know why.”
Marlene let out a puff of air. “When isn’t he, James?”
“He actually likes me most of the time, if you can believe it,” James offered, sheepishly. “Ninety percent of the time we get on.”
Marlene raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Is that because ninety percent of the time you are doing things other than talking?”
“No, he likes me even when my tongue isn’t down his throat!”
“...thank you for that image,” Marlene grimaced, “Are you sure he’s not just in his normal pissy mood? He is acting no different than when I usually see him.”
“I am positive. I know Regulus’s tells.”
As if he was summoned by the two Gryffindors talking about him, Regulus landed in front of them, the new Slytherin seeker a bit behind him.
“Ending already?” Regulus asked. “I hope it wasn’t on our account.”
“Not exactly,” Marlene muttered, then added a little louder, “It’s an off day for James. Got to rest him up.”
Regulus looked over at James with feigned pity.
“Oh no, I hope you are not feeling sick, Potter. We wouldn’t want Hogwart’s best to miss a match, would we?”
James had a half a thought to grab Regulus by the wrist and drag him to the equipment room until Regulus was no longer thinking of whatever James had done. One look at Marlene’s face, however, gave him pause.
“Thanks for the concern, but I will be right and ready by this weekend.”
“Of course you’ll be. Nothing throws off the great James Potter, does it?” Regulus sneered.
James had a response, a pitiful one to be honest, on the tip of his tongue when Marlene interrupted.
“Oh for fucks sake. What did James do to piss you off, Black, so we can all get back to our lives?”
“Why would you think I’m mad at him?” Regulus said, still staring straight at James, “In fact I should be thanking him. The only reason that Slytherin won against Gryffindor this year was because I fucked him. At least I was loudly told that in front of everyone on my team.”
James froze. There it was. It wasn’t James himself who had done something wrong, he was just collateral in the embarrassment that Regulus was put through. James felt his own anger rising.
“Who said that to you?”
“Let me guess, your backup seeker?” asked Marlene. Regulus’s lack of response confirmed her suspicion. “Black, you know he was just spewing shit because he was jealous you are first string. We played ace, but you outflew our seeker. That’s it.”
But the words had clearly bothered Regulus, and it was not going to be easy for him to let go. This other seeker had challenged his Quidditch abilities, and knowing who Regulus was, it was going to take a lot of convincing to get him to see otherwise.
“Reggie,” James took a step towards him, but Regulus took a step backwards, bumping into the doe-eyed young Slytherin. Regulus looked over at the kid, as if he had forgotten for a moment that he was there. Then he smiled at him.
“I don’t care what he said, Nicholas here already has three times the skill that he did. Probably more than me, right Nicky?”
The boy shook his head vigorously and James didn’t know whether he wanted to thank the kid for boosting Regulus’s self-esteem or threaten him to stay in his lane.
“I am nowhere as good as you,” Nicholas said.
“You’ll get there,” Regulus replied, putting his hand on the other Slytherin’s arm. “Just stay away from Gryffindors and you’ll be fine.”
Marlene snorted and continued to pack up her stuff. James started to say something else, but Regulus turned and mounted his broom, flying away before James got the chance.
“I’m starved, want to grab some breakfast?” Marlene asked, hauling her Quidditch bag onto her shoulder. James, however, was still watching the sky where the Slytherins were now dots against the dawn.
“I think I'll stick around until they're done,” James replied, “I should talk to Reg about this. It’s bothering him.”
“They just started not that long ago, James. It could be a couple of hours.”
“It’s no big deal,” James waved her off, “I enjoy watching him fly anyways.”
Marlene rolled her eyes, leaving her pathetically in love friend to spend his morning waiting on the pitch.
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“Is that why he’s upset with you?” Lily asked James as Marlene finished recounting the previous Sunday’s events. “Because of what the other seeker said?”
Now the six of them were watching as Regulus and the boy from Hufflepuff grinded against each other to the beat of the rock-ballad blasting from the speakers. Both seemed oblivious to the onlookers, but if James knew Regulus (and he very much did), Regulus was not only aware but enjoying the fact that he was performing for an audience.
For this reason, and to prove that he was not as possessive as his friends made him out to be, James was not going to interrupt him.
Sirius angrily looked around the room. “Where is that git who said that anyways? I’m going to knock his fucking teeth in.”
James waved him off. “I already hexed him into never looking Regulus’s way again.”
“Is that why he’s mad?” Remus asked. “Because you interfered in his fight?”
“Why didn’t you tell the rest of us, Prongs?” added Peter, “I love a good hexing when I am not at the receiving end.”
James didn’t answer, as the song switched to a slower, more sensual tune. Regulus’s movement slowed too, as the other boy’s fingers gripped harder on his waist.
“James, it’s getting a little heated, I think you should go over there,” Lily said, watching as James’s face contorted into a pained expression.
“ I don’t care ,” James gritted out. “If what you all said is true, then Regulus is only doing this so he can get a reaction from me. I am not going to prove him and you all right by going over there.”
Regulus said something and the boy laughed. Regulus looked up at him and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a grin.
“Now’s the time to be possessive,” Peter said, “Or you are going to be soon watching Regulus snog another guy.”
“I’m not going over there,” James stated firmly.
The boy pulled Regulus flush against him, Regulus’s arms tighter around his neck.
“Are you sure? If that was my boyfriend, I’d be so mad.” Marlene said.
“He can do what he wants,” James stated again. “We are not dating.”
The older boy bent down to whisper in Regulus’s ear, apparently still oblivious to half of the Gryffindor seventh years watching him do so.
“James, we won’t judge you for it,” Remus said.
“I will a little,” Peter admitted.
The boy’s hands slid down Regulus’s back, settling on his ass.
“Oh for fuck’s sake Prongs,” Sirius snapped, “Just go!”
James bolted up.
Remus looked over at Sirius amused.
“It was getting pitiful,” Sirius shrugged.
James stalked up to the two, grabbing Regulus by the wrist without a word and pulling him out of the surprised Hufflepuff’s arms. Before the other had a chance to react James had Regulus flush to his chest and captured his lips in a bruising kiss. James felt Regulus smile against him before Reg’s arms wrapped around James’s neck and he deepened the kiss even more. James, well aware that his friends were laughing a few yards away, only felt relief as Regulus responded to him in a familiar, enthusiastic manner. James was the one to pull away first, feeling the need for air after his whirlwind of emotions.
“Why do you do this to me?” he asked, looking Regulus in the eyes.
Regulus smirked, replying sweetly, “Because jealousy looks so good on you.”
James groaned, his head banging against Regulus’s in resignation.
Maybe his friends were right.
But when Regulus pressed his mouth on his again, James didn’t care that he was wrong.