Work Text:
"Come on, Regulus, you can't be serious," James whined, clinging to Regulus' arm, shaking him slightly. "You know I can't see without them." He gestured to his face, glasses noticeably absent. Instead, they sat on the table, a padlock keeping them firmly shut.
The younger sighed, and promptly removed James' hands from his arm, then going back to what he was way previously doing.
"Yes, you'd be correct, I'm not Sirius, my brother is." Regulus replied, not looking up from the book he was reading. James could hear a hint of a teasing lilt hidden in the other's reply. Bloody git, he thought to himself.
Regulus looked up, sighing at the pitiful expression his boyfriend’s face. "You do realize you only have yourself to blame, right?" He closed the book, turning his body to fully face James, who seemed to not take too kindly to the notion.
"My fault?" He exclaimed, receiving a sharp sush from Madame Pince in return, along with harsh glares from seventh years revising for their NEWTS. "I didn't do anything to deserve my glasses being padlocked." he huffed as he collapsed into a chair, nearly missing it completely. Causing Regulus to hold back a snort.
"Oh?" His tone was patronizing. "So it wasn't you who charmed my ink to vanish a mere week after use, essentially ruining all the notes I've taken in the past week?" If the notes were half-hearted, Regulus probably wouldn’t have minded. Unfortunately for James, Regulus puts effort into his notes, his precious time. An outrage really, in Regulus’ opinion, James is getting off light.
He huffs, and confidently begins to stride out, right before walking directly into the wall next to the door, stumbling backwards for a second and then rushing out of the door. His ego definitely bruised, not that he’d admit it later. Regulus couldn’t believe that this was the person he’d (somehow) fallen in love with.
Serves him right, Regulus thought, as James could be heard crashing into something out in the hallway.
—————————————
As James recounted what happened in the library that morning, Sirius laughed. James glared at him, clearly unamused. Sirius quickly stopped laughing, clearing his throat.
"Can’t you just use—"
"—No, don’t tell him, love." Remus said, quickly interrupting Sirius. "We learnt the spell in our first year, if he’s forgotten it, that's his own fault. Plus, we have our OWLS this year, and we all know they cover everything from the past five years, maybe this’ll get him to revise."
"How am I meant to revise if I can’t even see?" James grumbled, flopping onto the red sofa in the common room dramatically. Glaring into the lit fireplace as if it had personally offended him, he let out a huff and crossed his arms.
Remus hummed. "Then maybe you’ll finally start revising after this whole thing is over." he replied.
James groaned. "I haven’t been able to get anything done today, it's not fair."
"Perhaps you shouldn’t have messed with Reggie's things, Prongs." Sirius snickered, ruffling James’ hair. The hand then being swatted away by James, who was grumbling about Sirius being a traitor.
—————————————
An hour had passed, and James left the common room to hopefully find answers elsewhere. If only Remus would help, or let Sirius help him. He thought to himself as he was now struggling through the hallway, Merlin knows how he even made it down the stairs.
As he was trailing the wall with his hands, he’d promised himself that tomorrow, he’d buy Regulus whatever he wanted from Hogsmeade and that he’d never get on Regulus’ bad side again.
The castle was rather empty for a Saturday, as it was one of the weekends students were permitted to go to Hogsmeade. Only a few students could be seen lingering in the corridors, casting James curious glances. Many of which were giggling, finding his disorientated behaviour amusing.
"Mr. Potter." A voice echoed down the corridor, making him wince in embarrassment, as well as freeze in place. James reluctantly turns around to face who he thinks is Professor McGonagall. (It really is hard to tell without glasses.)
"Yes, professor?" He asked sheepishly. He would've rather been caught by a different professor, maybe Slughorn would’ve been the better person to run into.
"Why, may I ask. Are you not wearing your glasses?" She was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, although she was used to James’ nonsense, she still found herself exasperated almost every time.
"They’re kind of… padlocked, Professor. And I don’t have the key, so I can’t really unlock them." He pulled out the glasses from his pocket, showing her their current state.
"And you haven’t tried the unlocking charm?" She asked flatly, folding her arms.
"Well, I’ve forgotten it." he admitted, unable to meet her gaze. It was embarrassing to admit he’d forgotten something that he’d learn’t in his first year. Maybe Remus was right about needing to start revision soon.
"The charm is Alohomora Mr. Potter." She says before adding on a stern reminder, "You are aware that you have your OWLS coming up soon? I do hope you haven’t forgotten anything else, lest you fail them."
"Yes Professor, thank you Professor."
With that, McGonagall gives him a brisk nod and continues on her way, shaking her head fondly as she turns a corner.
—————————————
"Ah so you remembered the charm then?" Regulus looks at James amused, as the latter flops down next to him on the empty quidditch stands, now wearing his glasses.
"Yes, I remembered the bloody charm." James groaned, leaning back against where he’s sat. The silence persists for a few seconds before he hesitantly begins to speak again.
"Listen… I’m sorry, about the ink thing and all your notes. I didn't think it through. I thought it’d be funny, you know?" He paused for a second before continuing. "Let me make it up to you for being a wanker? We can go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, I’ll buy you however much of anything you want." By the end of his apology, he’s avoiding Regulus’ gaze slightly.
Regulus pretends to think. Before replying, a hint of fondness in his voice. "A day of you fawning over me? Doesn’t sound too bad, I suppose I can accept your apology." He clears his throat. "But do anything like that again and I swear I’ll hex you into the next century"
James grinned, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I promise."
He then shuffled slightly closer to Regulus, voice dropping to a whisper. "I’m serious, you know, about buying you whatever you want tomorrow. Anything you like, I mean it."
"You’re such a sap, James." Regulus teased, wrapping an arm around James’ neck.
"I love you, you idiot."
At that, James grinned, his heart fluttering.