Chapter Text
Regulus never liked attention. It probably had something to do with his mother rarely even sparing him a glance if it wasn’t for something she needed from him growing up. So, as a result of his awful upbringing, he was unsure of how to react to it.
He was once again reminded of this as he helplessly stared into the barrage of paparazzi and journalists calling out his name and asking invasive questions relentlessly.
“Only three days to the royal cotillion!”
“Ever think someone like you would be with the crowned Prince?”
“How does it feel to be the most envied boy in Auradon?”
“Is your mother still a lizard?”
Thankfully, he was soon put out of his misery by James making his way through the crowd.
“Okay..alright—excuse me,” He cleared his throat.
He put his arm around Regulus’ middle, his touch a grounding and comforting presence.
“We will let you know if and—when that particular situation changes.” James concluded, addressing the crowd.
“Did you ever think you would be with a villain kid?” A lady pushed a microphone into James’ face.
James chuckled half-heartedly. He leaned in close into the microphone, “We’re done here.” He spoke lowly.
Although, the paparazzi didn’t seem to get the message as the onslaught of noise increased tenfold.
Fortunately, Fairy godmother stepped in as she controlled the situation. James turned to Regulus, pulling him in tighter by his waist. James pressed a kiss to his temple as he made sure Regulus was okay.
Fairy godmother shushed the crowd as she led them away from the couple and school grounds.
“This is still a school so if you’re here, you’re either skipping or trespassing,” She smiled tightly.
The interviewers moved away, albeit begrudgingly. The headmistress turned to them with another smile, although much warmer this time, and left with a nod of her head.
Regulus exhaled sharply, the pit and unease at the foot of his stomach slowly subsiding as he started into sweet caramel eyes.
Gray met brown.
James chuckled quietly, “Try not to pay any attention to them, yeah?”
Regulus placed his arms around his neck, effectively pulling him closer. “Well, that’s a lot easier said than done.” He whispered against James’ lips.
“I know, I know.” He replied. “Y’know, why don’t we do something? Go somewhere, get away, hmm?” James asked, searching his face.
Regulus smiled, “That sounds nice.” He said.
Suddenly, James pulled back in panic. “Oh–wait. I have a council meeting, I’m so late. So sorry, love.” He rushed.
Regulus laughed softly, “Don’t worry, James. Maybe later, yeah?”
James grinned, pulling him in quickly, but they were interrupted by a pale hand matching his own dragging him away.
“If we don’t do a fitting for your suit right this minute you’ll be dancing in your bathrobe.” Sirius stressed.
Sirius paused for a second to spare a glance at James. “Hey,” He smiled, quickly turning back to Regulus. “Come on, Dora’s waiting for us.” He pulled at his wrist.
Regulus stumbled after him, “I’ll see you later!” He yelled at James.
James stood with an amused expression., “Bye, love.” He grinned.
—
Regulus huffed as Pandora pulled back his shoulders, cinching his dress shirt beyond human capabilities.
“Okay–Panda? I cannot breathe.” He hissed, glaring at Sirius who had the audacity to laugh at his misery.
“Well, you can breathe after cotillion.” Pandora smiled.
Regulus bit his lip, “I sincerely doubt that.” He muttered, “I have at least 20 more events directly behind it and I can’t even remember a single one of them.”
“You’ve outdone yourself, Pandora.” His brother complimented, smiling as he glances up from his phone where he was presumably texting Remus.
His eyes seemed to move on their own as his gaze landed on his green leather jacket hanging off of a coat hanger. He hadn’t worn it since the coronation.
Regulus sighed. “Dora?”
She hummed, making some adjustments to his coat.
“Do you ever think about what we’d be doing if we were back on The Isle?”
Sirius chuckled as Pandora looked up at him, confused. “That’s funny.” His brother mumbled.
Pandora gasps as she looks up to the side, “Look who’s on TV!” She grins.
Regulus groans inwardly as he looks at the TV. It was playing footage of the dinner he and James had with Aladdin and Jasmine.
“As the royal couple continued their tour of the kingdom, they dined with Aladdin and Jasmine. Six months ago, no one thought King James and his boyfriend from the wrong side of the bridge would last.”
Regulus scoffs, “No kidding.”
The audio continued. “Regulus must be counting the days until the Royal Cotillion, when he—,”
Regulus didn’t hear much after that. A quick glance towards the clock had his body flashing cold in panic. He rushed to grab his spellbook and quickly read a spell.
Pandora huffed and narrowed his eyes at him, “I know Regulus’ secret to fitting in and James wouldn’t like it one bit.”
Sirius’ eyes softened as he looked over at him, “Haven’t you guys had enough secrets between the two of you already?”
Regulus bit his lip, “You remember what I was like before I started using my spell book.” He glanced at Sirius, “I mean, I was a complete disaster.”
Pandora walked over to him, “Well, personally, as your best friend, I strongly believe that this spell book belongs in the museum, along with my mirror.”
She picked up the book from his lap as he pouted, resisting the urge to snatch it back immediately.
Her gaze turned stern, “Don’t give me the face. Put the pout away. You know I’m right.”
Regulus sighed, exasperated. “You don’t ever miss running wild and just…breaking all the rules?”
Sirius scrunched his face, “Stealing and lying and fighting?”
Regulus huffed, “Yeah,”
“No!” He exclaimed, “Why would we?”
His brother got up from his bed and moved over to his own. He sat down next to him, placing his hands on Regulus’ shoulders, “Reg, look at where we are! We’re in Auradon.”
Sirius placed a hand on his jaw and titled his head towards the screen, where the TV was still playing. “This is the land of opportunity. We can be whatever we want to be here.”
Sirius pulled him closer, “So let’s just leave the past in the past, okay?” He whispered.
—
“Regulus!” He looked up and saw fiery red hair jog up to them.
“Lily! Hi!” Pandora exclaimed excitedly. Lily returned the greeting with a smile before her gaze returned to him.
“I hate to keep bugging you, but the decorating committee needs more answers. So as much as I hate to um, you know..” She trailed off.
Regulus huffed a laugh, “Bug me?”
Lily smiled awkwardly, “..Yeah.”
“Listen, I would love to, I just have to..get to class.” He tried making a quick escape but Lily Evans was a force to be reckoned with when she needed to get her way.
She pulled him back, “It’ll take just a second, don’t worry!”
Regulus resigned himself to his fate.
“Alright, so..entry banner, fairy lights, napkin design, and you still haven’t picked the party favors yet.”
Regulus had no idea how she finished that all in one breath. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “Honestly, Lily, whatever—,”
She apparently wasn’t done yet as she started up again, “I mean we could do key chains or charms, pen toppers. I kind of love the pen toppers, but I mean we can do all three if—,”
Her voice turned into relentless ringing into his ears as his breathing quickened. He didn’t know anything about parties, let alone planning them. He was so overwhelmed by everything going on that he was unsure if his brain was even functioning properly at this point.
“…gulus? Regulus?”
Regulus inhaled sharply, “I say pen toppers, yeah?”
Lily grinned, “You won’t regret it!“
One of Lily’s friends strolled up to them. Mary, maybe?
“I can hardly wait to see what your wedding will look like.” She gushed.
Regulus hummed offhandedly, “Yeah, me too.”
Then, her words processed in his ears.
“Wait—what?” He exclaimed, blinking in surprise.
“The royal cotillion is like getting engaged to be engaged to be engaged,” Lily explained.
“Everyone knows it.” Mary added.
Regulus pulled back, clearly caught off guard. “Well, I didn’t know it. How come nobody told me that? Is my entire life just planned out in front of me–?”
His panic is interrupted by a familiar pair of hands wrapping around his waist.
“Hi, James.” The girls in front of him chorus simultaneously.
Regulus turns to face him, hoping his inner turmoil isn’t too obvious on his face. Thankfully, James doesn’t get to look at him for long before he’s pulled off to the side by Lily, probably to be tortured like he was moments prior.
“Alright, you’re almost finished with Regulus’ surprise at cotillion.” Lily whispers excitedly, flipping through pictures of previously made stained glass windows, each from a different fairytale. “But the one you designed for Regulus is definitely my favorite.” She says as he stops on it.
James stares at it, smiling softly. “Make sure his eyes are gray.” He says.
James turns around, watching Regulus leave. “Uh–see you later, love.” He calls out.
Regulus shoots him a tight smile before walking away.
James turns his attention back to Lily as she holds up three different shades of gray for him to choose from.
He runs his eyes over the colors, stopping at the most vibrant one. “This one.” He mutters, smiling fondly.
—
Regulus rushes to his locker. It’s like all he’s ever doing lately is running late.
“Hi, Regulus.”
He almost jumps out of his own skin as he looks to the side and sees James leaning beside him on his locker.
“Hi,” Regulus replies shakily.
One of James’ hands reaches up to brush his hair out of his face. “I have a little surprise for you.”
Regulus blinks in surprise. “Again? Wow, that’s like..every day now.”
James shrugs, “Well, every other day. Even days.” He leans in closer, “Because you’re even more perfect than I thought.” He grins.
Regulus scoffs. “James, please never again.”
“Come on,” James pleads, “Let me spoil you. You didn’t have a lot growing up.”
Regulus looks to the side into his locker, where his spell book was. “We managed.”
James follows his gaze. “Hey, didn’t you donate that to the museum?”
He shuts the locker shut immediately. “I guess I just forgot to give it away.” Regulus replies nervously, placing a hand on James’ jaw to turn his gaze away from the locker and back to him. “I have to get to class. I don’t wanna be late.”
James protested immediately, grabbing one of his hands, “Nope. Come this way.”
Regulus groaned, but let himself be led away.
“First off,” James points in front of them, where a dark green moped stood, complete with a bow tied on the front.
Regulus gasped. “James!”
“Do you like it?” James asked, standing behind him.
“Do I like it? This is amazing.” He replies. Regulus turns to face him. “I didn’t get you anything, though.”
James shrugs, “You’re taking me out on a picnic with all my favorite foods, remember?”
He furrows his eyebrows, smiling in confusion. “No, that’s Thursday.”
James laughs. “It is Thursday.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not!”
James takes out his phone, showing him the date. “It is.”
Regulus blinks, feeling his stomach drop with panic. “I knew that.”
“I mean, if you forgot about it, that’s totally fine. We can always–,”
“No, I was just..messing with you.” Regulus replies. “I just have one more thing to bake and then I am all yours.”
“Well, what about class?”
Regulus shrugs, “He multitasks.”
“He dabbles.” James replies, grinning.
“He dabbles!” Regulus repeats, walking away.