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It was nearing curfew, and even so, only two out of the four marauders were actually in their dorms at the correct time, and that would be Remus and Peter. James always practiced until the last possible seconds, sometimes having to run just to make it to Gryffindor Tower just in time, while Sirius had detention, though Remus couldn’t remember why he had detention this time. It could be almost anything at this point.
Peter was in the bathroom, just done with his shower, leaving Remus alone in the main dorm. Remus was far from sleepy, not when the full moon was nearing; he could already feel his body preparing for the night. The inhuman hunger, the rough nights trying to sleep, and sores all over his body.
Well, that last one could just be because his body is pretty shit after so many painful transformations. Maybe the lack of willingness to sleep is what led him to pick up the map; he didn’t know why, after all, most of the students are in their own dorms, and some could be about trying to finish up whatever they need to do before curfew hits.
So it wasn’t very interesting looking over the map when Remus opened it. Like he thought the girls were in their dorms, there was a pair of Ravenclaws hurrying from the library to their dorm, and Sirius was in Professor McGonagall’s office.
Remus checked the Quidditch pitch and field only to find both areas empty of names; there weren’t any names, let alone James’s name. Was he already coming up? But when Remus looked, there was no James Potter in or around Gryffindor Tower.
Now, Remus was really looking, eyes traveling all over the paper to find his friend’s little name walking about. He held the paper close to his face, making sure he looked over at every place. The moment his eyes did end up landing on James’s name, he let out a gasp.
Thanks to Peter’s perfect timing, he came out now dressed in a matching set of PJs, “Okay, Remus, the bathroom is all yours,” but Remus did not get up, instead staring down at the Marauders’ map like he just read a shocking part in a book, a hand covering his mouth and all.
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked now, a bit nervous about what Remus could have found on the map that could be so shocking.
Remus looked up like he was looking at Peter for the first time, still with a shocked expression on his face, but it changed only slightly. Now it's kind of the look Mary wears when she has shocking gossip to share.
“You are not going to believe where James is”, Remus held the map tight in his hand, a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth.
“Um, I don’t know. Where?" Peter could tell from a single look on Remus’s face that it wasn’t a place James usually is in. “Detention?” he gave a guess.
Remus shook his head. “No, he would have told us beforehand, just come over here.” He moved his long legs to hang over the edge of his bed, patting the free spot next to him for Peter to sit. Peter was a bit hesitant, thinking the worst. Could there be a monster in the castle? No, they wouldn’t even show up on the map, and what does that have to do with James?
The shorter boy sat down, leaning over the map, not knowing where he should even be looking. “Um,” he muttered, glancing up at Remus for a bit of help. Remus only laid his finger on the map on top of where the Astronomy Tower is. The finger covered the area, but Peter had a feeling James’s name was right under it.
“Why would he be in the Astronomy Tower? It's a bit late for homework.”
Remus sighed, “Peter, what other reason do people have to go to the Astronomy Tower?” Peter was racking his brain. “Um, it's a couple’s spot?” Remus nodded to the answer, showing it was the correct one.
Peter’s eyes widened, looking back down at where Remus’s finger still lay. “Wait, he is with someone? Like, actually with someone?” Once again, Remus nodded, the smile growing on his face.
“And you will never guess who”
Peter had a few guesses, but was any of them James’s type? He has been in love with Lily for the longest time, so it could be her. Besides that, Peter was pretty clueless about who this mysterious lover could be. He couldn’t think of a single girl James would be with.
“Is it Lily?”
Remus shook his head, “No, and trust me, if I gave you a million years and guesses, it wouldn’t be correct.”
“You can’t say something like that and not show me. Come on, Remus, show,” Peter begged, grabbing Remus’s wrist to move his finger, which got a laugh out of the taller. “Okay, okay, but trust me, it's shocking.”
Peter hoped Remus wasn’t just overselling it or worse, that no one was actually in the Astromey Tower from the beginning.
Remus made a dramatic display of lifting his finger (god Sirius had rubbed off on him), revealing the two names that were shown being in the Astromey Tower. One Peter expected to be there, James Potter spelled out in Sirius’s cursive handwriting. The other name nearly made Peter’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.
“Is that? Wait, is that really?”
“Yep, that’s Regulus’s name.”
Close to James’s name was another name written out, “Regulus Black”. Both boys were staring at the name, now questions unsaid passing through their heads.
Why are those two in the same room? Why so late? What could they be doing? Could it be a fight? A talk? Something else altogether? Neither of them knew, but curiosity ate at them as they stared at the names; they barely moved, sat in silence before Remus spoke up.
“So what do we do?”
Peter looked up at him, “What do you mean? What do we do?” Remus shrugged, “Well, should we tell Sirius? After all, this could be something serious. The Slytherins have been getting a bit more…bold lately because of the war,” Peter gulped, “are you suggesting that Regulus could be hurting James?”
“We don’t know that it could be something else, so do we tell Sirius about it?” Peter didn’t know what to say, eyes glued on the names, his fingers messing with the hem of his shirt. “I guess”, he muttered.
“Good, because Sirius is almost here,” Remus tapped the Gryffindor Tower where a little name, moving up the steps, Sirius Black.
It didn’t take very long for Sirius to make it up the steps. “Hey, you lot,” he took a glance around the room. “Where is James?”
Peter took a glance at Remus for him to be the one to start talking. “Well-” Remus starts, “he isn’t doing Quidditch or coming up to the dorm.” Sirius looked confused at this, “What do you mean? Curfew is in just a few minutes, and he is always on time.”
Remus nodded, “Yeah, well, it seems like our Prongs decided to go and take a detour at the Astronomy Tower.” He pointed at the map, but didn’t hand it over for Sirius to see who James was with. Sirius was surprised, “Bloody hell, did he finally get with Evans?” he asked as he took off the leather jacket he always wore over his uniform.
“Nope”
Sirius spun around. “Not Evans?! Well, isn’t that a first? Well, go on, tell me who Prongs is snogging with so I can tease him when he comes back.” Remus and Peter shared a look. Yeah, if Sirius hears his brother’s name, they doubt he would want them to be doing the snogging part.
“First, sit down, I think you might need it.”
Sirius gave a confused look but did as Remus said, sitting down on his own bed across from them. “Well, go on, who is this mysterious person?” he was on the edge of his seat, hoping to hear the wildest name out there. And well…is he somewhat correct?
“It's Regulus.”
At first, Sirius paused, his whole face went still as he processed the name Remus gave, then his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “No, Moony, please tell me you're joking, please, please Moonie pie.” Remus rolled his eyes at the nickname but handed over the map, which Sirius snatched, looking it over.
“Holy shit,” Sirius muttered, his eyes finding the two innocent names together. Peter spoke up his voice a bit higher out of nervousness, “We doubt they are there to do umm those things. I-I mean, come on, a Slytherin? And James of all people, he would never, but Slytherins have been getting bolder with their…hexes and curses because of the war, so we worry that maybe…” Sirius looked up from the map, shock still visible on his face.
“What? That Regulus is doing something to James? I doubt it without his little posse, but I swear if he hurts James…there is only one way to find out.” Sirius got up, his grip tight on the map.
“Wait, you’re going to go up there? Curfew is in just a few minutes,” Remus stated, pointing up at the clock on the wall.
“Who cares, we have gone past curfew loads of times.” Sirius gave a shrug because, of course, he would. Remus sighed, getting up, grabbing his cane, he would probably need it after a horrid day walking about and the stairs getting up to the Astronomy Tower. “Fine, but you're not going alone.”
“Umm,” Peter hummed nervously. Remus looked over at him. “You don’t have to come. Peter, you can go to bed since you are dressed,” but Peter shook his head, “No, no, I will come along, just uhh can I ride on one of your shoulders?”
Remus nodded. It wasn’t long before the strange trio walked out of their dorm. An upset Sirius that kept looking at the map in a way like he wanted to make it spill out the answers he wanted, Remus and his cane that needed a silencing charm on it so it wouldn’t make a loud clanking sound on the ground, and the rat that was Peter sitting on Remus’s shoulder.
With the map, they avoid Flich and Mrs. Norris with ease, getting up the steps of the Astronomy Tower; however was more of a problem with or without the cane, the steps were still a problem for Remus. “Fucking hell, why do they have to add so many steps?” Remus whispered angrily, “Just go ahead of me, Pads.”
Sirius shook his head, “No, I don’t know how powerful Regulus is or what the hell is going on up there, I need back up,” but even after saying that, he still wanted to, the curiosity too strong, trying to control him, but he didn’t go.
The group got up, trying to be as quiet as possible. The names hadn’t moved out of the tower, and Remus could smell James after so many years; he had all their scents marked in his mind. With ease, there was also this other scent; it wasn't new, he had smelt it before, but not a familiar scent, that must be Regulus’s.
“They are still inside,” he whispered. Peter hid more in Remus’s sweater. Sirius took a deep breath, wanting to slam open the door, but instead opened it just a crack, hoping it wouldn’t creak. They couldn’t see anything; the crack only gave them a view of the wall, but Remus tried to listen carefully.
There were two heartbeats; they were going fast, two people breathing, and there was a slight pant to one of the breaths. The scents seemed to mix together in the room, forming a new smell of its own, like the smell of warm earth and leftover dew from rain.
He couldn’t hear anything that could make him think there was a fight going on. No curses. No movement even. “I-I can hear them, but not a fight?” Remus sounded more confused than confirming what he could hear.
Sirius slowly pushed it open more and more bit by bit. It was going fine until the door creaked. Sirius muttered a curse. Remus could hear movement; it was soft, the sound of fabric, probably the invisibility cloak, because Remus couldn’t spot it before they left. Wait, why would James or Regulus need to hide under the invisibility…unless.
Oh god, Prongs, you better not.
“James?” Sirius called out, pushing the door fully open, stepping inside the open space, with Remus not far behind them. The place was empty of anyone, but the air smelled of them, James’s familiar warm scent and a less familiar scent of morning dew.
“What?” Sirius frowned, looking around before opening the map once more, and once more, those two names sat now with the addition of Sirius and Remus’s own names. They were still in this very room, and not even the invisibility cloak could hide that fact.
Sirius looked up from the map, “I know you are here, idiot. Your name is on the map, now take off that stupid cloak.” Sirius moved forward, arms open, moving through the air like he was trying to catch a ghost as he was trying to find where James could be, and if he was smart enough, then maybe he would stop hiding.
And after a bit, James seemed to get the hint he wasn’t getting out of this so easily, not with Sirius holding the map and Remus still leaning in the doorway. A familiar head appeared almost out of thin air; even after seeing it many times, it still gave Remus an odd feeling seeing the floating head of his friend. James looked a bit messier than his already messy self. His hair was just a bit more tousled, his glasses a bit crooked, and he was chewing on his lip, radiating nervous energy. His cheeks were a tad darker than his usual shade.
“Prongs, you better not,” Remus thought to himself
“There you are, you git!” Sirius crossed his arms, annoyed. “What are you doing up here?” he looked around, “and where is Regulus? Please, for Merlin's sake, did you play a prank on him or something?” Said a bit excited, looking around as if he turned around, he would see some cool prank of some kind, yet there was nothing new.
“U-uh yeah oh yeah something…like that.” James’s hesitation in his voice only confirmed more and more things in Remus’s mind, something Sirius didn’t seem to see. How could he, after all, he probably wouldn’t even expect it?
“Really? What is it?”
“Well, um, it…-” the blush seemed to spread as James got more and more nervous “You have to uh wait until tomorrow.” Now, even Sirius was getting an off vibe. James had never acted this hesitantly before.
“James? You okay, mate?”
“Huh? OH, uh, yes, don’t worry about me,” James said, only getting more and more nervous.
Sirius didn’t believe James when he looked that nervous. “Okay? Well, come out, then you look weird as just a floating head.”
James paused, trying to plan his next moves. God, this was really embarrassing for him; even Peter seemed to get what was going on since his tail was lightly tapping the back of Remus’s neck, probably hoping for Remus to somehow know what to do. Remus almost regretted even touching the map at the moment.
God, out of all the Slytherins, Sirius’s brother?
Remus let out the breath he was holding; it came out more like a sigh, if anything. “Prongs? Is Regulus hiding under the invisibility cloak with you?” he asked, but it sounded less like a question, not when Remus knew the answer.
“What!?” James was starting to sound like Peter now, his voice rising a bit unnaturally squeaky, though he tried and failed to cover it with a cough. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Moony.” his eyes told a different story, one that Remus feared was true.
“Then come out here fully,” Remus tried to keep his face neutral. James paused, the gears were turning in his head as he tried to think through any of his options before it finally clicked that there was no way out of it.
“Fine, I will,” James muttered weakly. He opened the cloak wider, coming out…and Regulus as well. Unlike James, Regulus looked like he had tried to fix himself up more. Cheeks less flushed, hair combed back out of his face, his uniform a bit wrinkled, but nowhere near the mess James’s was. He wore a mask over his face, one that gave a practiced blank look.
“Reggie?” Now Sirius was more confused, the only one who hadn’t, it clicked unless Peter too was on that boat, but from how Peter was trying to hide himself more, that was unlikely. “Wait, what is going on?” Sirius looked between the two as if an innocent reason would appear out of nowhere. Remus knew there was a reason he doubted it was innocent, though.
“Well, you see, uh Sirius, we were just-” James kept trying and failing to find an excuse. Regulus decided to take a much different approach.
“It's none of your business, Sirius,” his tone sharp, far more posh than anyone in this room. His eyes were focused on as a glare at Sirius, making Remus feel like a fly on the wall, only meant to observe rather than to actually be a part of this conversation. He was used to it. It let him look over Regulus more, finding evidence of what could be going on.
He had an idea, a very clear one.
Regulus did good to clean himself up, but evidence was still there. His tie was loose, like someone had grabbed it and tried to undo it, not tied neatly and smoothed out like usual; his collar was pulled a bit too high, like he had hurried to fix it.
Remus couldn’t tell if he was just too observant and dirty-minded or if Sirius was just stupid.
“What? Of course, it’s my business; you are hanging around my best friend, Reggie.”
“That is not even my name, and just because James is your friend doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to tell you everything,” Regulus rebutted.
“Well, can you blame me for being curious? Because why the hell are you messing around with my best friend?” Sirius said sternly, this time his arms crossed over his chest.
There seemed to be a stare-no a glaring contest between the brothers, while a guilty look seemed to fill James' face. They weren’t going to get anywhere like this.
Guess it’s time for Remus to step in…this will be fun.
Remus gently grabbed Peter from his shoulder into his pocket. It would be pretty bad if Regulus sees a large ass rat on his shoulder and starts screaming or something. And quietly cast a muffling charm at the door, not wanting Filch to hear them and get them all in trouble, because there was no way all four of them could hide under the cloak.
“Okay, okay we are not getting anywhere like this.” Remus moved over to them, breaking the glaring contest. “Okay, let’s take a step back, okay, now James, please explain why you are with Regulus Black with your invisibility cloak up here in the Astronomy Tower?” Instead of James, Regulus went to open his mouth, which Remus quickly shushed him.
“Nope, not you. You can lie like it is a sport, James can’t.”
Now all eyes were on James, and even Peter went still to listen. James gulped, combing a hand through his hair though it is already messy hair, glancing over at Regulus, asking- no, begging for help here. And Regulus couldn’t give it, so he had to continue. “Okay, okay, I will talk, but Moony…please hold Sirius back, okay?”
Remus rolled his eyes but nodded while Sirius looked between the three like he was searching for the missing pieces. “Hold me back for what? I'm not going to bloody punch you, mate.” He might once he hears what James is going to say.
“Yeah, okay, I hope. Well, the reason why me and Regulus are here late at night…alone, well, we were. We might have been. Okay, just all in one go, you can do it.” That last line was more for himself than anyone else.
“Wecameupheretomakeout”
James said in a rush, letting it all go so fast, almost hoping Sirius would miss it and give up, as if that would ever happen. And for a second, it worked. Sirius looked confused at the fast words, but then his brain decided to work today as he mentally thought over the words, almost trying to slow them to a normal speed.
It wasn’t long until the look of confusion turned to horror and anger, looking at James’s guilty face, hair a mess (or more so than usual), and darkened cheeks, and Regulus, who, for his luck, managed to keep his best blank face like his life depended on it. And it probably does.
“You WHAT!?” Sirius exclaimed, making Remus glad he had placed the muffling charm beforehand.
James was quick to put up his hands, accidentally dropping his invisibility cloak onto the floor. “I know it sounds bad, but-”
“But!? But what? You are kissing my brother. Eww no no no NO this can’t be happening.” Sirius started to pace, shaking his head, which made James winched, knowing it's his fault Sirius is acting like this. Sirius turned to Remus. “Moony, please slap me, I must be dreaming-no this isn’t a dream this is a bloody nightmare!”
Remus sighed, leaning onto his cane, “As much as I would love to slap you, Sirius, this isn’t a dream, honestly, I'm surprised you haven’t noticed.” Remus gestured as the two slightly messy states, one far more messy than the other.
“How am I supposed to jump to “oh Merlin, my brother and best mate are seeing each other” when I see them together? Wait, did you know? Please don’t tell me you hid this from me, Remus.”
Remus had to hold back an eye roll. “No, Sirius, this is the first time I am finding out about this, too, but I kind of clocked it the moment I saw James and remembered Regulus was up here too.” Sirius let out another groan, gripping at his hair, pulling at it. “Merlin, okay, you two tell me how long this has been going on?”
There was no way out. The truth was said. Both James and Regulus knew that Regulus kept his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “Two months,” he muttered, not looking at Sirius in the air, looking anywhere but Sirius.
“Two months!?” Once more, Sirius exclaimed loudly, looking at them with eyes wide in shock.
“Oh, don’t act all dramatic,” Regulus rolled his eyes, “we are both old enough to make our own choices, it's fine.”
“It's not fine! I don’t care if you can make your own decision, you are my brother, and James is like my brother, it's just ugh, no no. I can’t believe this is even happening.” Sirius chewed on his lip, going back to pacing; he just couldn’t accept this hell; he didn’t even think this would ever happen. He paused, turning to James, gripping his shoulders.
“What about Lily? You have been in love with her for years. What is the sudden switch-up for? Why my brother!?” He shook James slightly in his panic. Remus had to gently pull him off.
James let out another nervous laugh, coming to his hand through his hair, making it more of a mess than it already was. “About that, I don’t know when, but it kind of went away. I didn’t want to believe it at first, I mean, I still like Lily still, she is nice and kind, but it isn’t the same as it used to be. And then I well I started to notice Regulus more and how pretty he is and smart and…you know. I swear to you it just happened, I can’t control how I feel, and I'm sorry.”
Sirius wanted to throw up his guts hearing his best mate talk about Regulus as ‘pretty’. Okay, so James fell out of love with Lily, okay, that can happen sometimes, but Regulus? Regulus??? He was nothing like Lily; he is cold and mean and sassy…okay, the sassy part both Lily and Regulus have, but still, his point still stands.
Sirius took in a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I get that, okay, now what about you, Reggie?”
“Regulus”
“Whatever now answers the damn question,” Sirius said, his arms crossed, mimicking Regulus as he tapped his foot. There was no way out unless Regulus wanted to duel and alert the teachers.
“Fine if you must know everything about my personal life…I had a crush on James.” What? Sirius is still because Regulus hates James, or so he has repeated over and over and over again, because James was the reason Sirius was able to get free from that dump. “I know it's shocking. I hated myself in the beginning, trust me, but I did. I kept it hidden before James started to flirt with me.”
Sirius rounded on James the moment he heard flirting. “I'm sorry you did what with my brother?”
Regulus frowned but continued, “But over time, I couldn’t help it, okay. It sort of just happened.” He didn’t explain any further; he didn’t want to, but Sirius needed him to, and he needed to make sure this wasn’t just some prank being pulled one over on him.
“Just happened? What, no, explain what happened?”
James and Regulus shared a look they couldn’t explain the whole story of how two of the most opposite of people got together in a simple sentence or two, but they can just skip the whole months and months of pining phase.
“Honestly, Sirius… It's because James kept infecting my mind with his stupid voice, and I couldn’t get him out of my head, so I just had to date your best friend.”
“Hey!” James gasped far too dramatically to be taken seriously, “You like my stupid voice,” he insisted.
“I never said that, so who says I do?” Regulus taunted with such ease that it was nearly startling, making Sirius do a slight double-take.
James made a big gesture as he crossed his arms, “Well, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t let me go on and on about whatever I am interested in, so there I got you. You love me,” he said so proudly like a puppy who finally got a bone.
To Sirius’s shock (and disgust), Regulus was struggling to hold back a smile, “Fine, maybe I do, but us getting together is still your fault.”
Remus was no longer regretting showing Sirius the map. This was far more fun watching James playing around with Regulus of all people, who was returning it back at him…and also Sirius in the middle of all this, looking like he just woke up in a nightmare where everything is turned on its head.
Well, maybe that part for him is more true.
Sirius had to hold himself together by basically duct tape and a hope that this wasn’t happening. “So let me get this straight, you two are the most opposite of people, not only that, but my best friend and my brother are telling me that you have been dating!?”
James and Regulus shared a look, “Uh yeah, sorry Sirius.” At least James had the decency to look sorry or have some shame. Regulus held a proud smirk on his face that Sirius wanted to burn off.
Okay, so James and Regulus are dating, James and Regulus have been dating for two months without telling anyone, and James and Regulus have been sneaking around and could have gotten away with it if Remus hadn’t checked the map. What would have happened if they got away wi-nope! Sirius doesn’t want to even think about it.
Sirius nearly facepalmed but stuck to taking a deep breath “You do understand this is a lot to hear?”
Regulus shrugged, “Why? It's not like it's your relationship or anything. It's just us dating, nothing else.”
“That doesn’t mean anything! It's still my little brother dating my brother from another mother, just ugh, and nothing else? For all I know, this isn’t some innocent affair…though for that part, please keep to yourselves, I don’t want to know.”
Sirius combed a hand through his hair, feeling like he aged a few years in one conversation. Remus leaned into his cane, feeling Peter wiggle in his pocket a bit, “How about we call it a night? Curfew is in a few minutes, and we can think over this.” There was nothing really to talk about, but Sirius looked seconds away from either choking James or Regulus or possibly both.
“Yes, Moony, let's do that before my head explodes,” Sirius muttered. Even though this must be one of the most awkward sleeps in their lives, it was something.
Regulus shrugged, “Fine, James can come with me if it makes you comfo-”
“No, no no in no way in hell am I letting you two sneak off together once more. Not on my watch.” Sirius picked up the invisibility cloak that lay lonely on the floor and took James by the wrist. “Go to the Slytherin dorms now, Reggie.”
“Regulus-”
“To your dorm now,” Sirius pointed at the door. Regulus wanted to argue or maybe fight back, but found no point to it, so he turned and walked out.
“And you, Prongs, tomorrow morning you'd better explain like your life depends on it, got it?” Sirius frowned, hands on his hips, but still the news was a bigger surprise than he would admit, not at the moment.
James nodded, following his friends as they left the Astronomy Tower, knowing tomorrow he would be lucky to be left alive.