THE SCARS ON MY BODY ● JEGULUS |MARAUDERS|

✰TWENTY FOUR✰

"Hiya." He greeted, taking out his Potions book.

"Don't you want to sit with Lily?" He questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

"Nope, I'd prefer to sit with you." He thought Regulus had blushed at that but he had looked away so he couldn't be sure, he was most likely making the whole thing up. "Where's that...um- is his name Miler?"

"Milo. He's ill." James nodded before turning to face the front of the classroom. Slughorn began explaining the process of making a certain potion that James hadn't caught the name of. Instead, he was too busy admiring the boy beside him as he doodled in the corner of his parchment.

He ripped a piece of off his sheet and scribbled down the words, before sliding it towards Regulus. 'How are you so good at Potions if you just draw all lesson?'

He saw Reg read it and then write his reply underneath in his perfect handwriting, after which he passed the note back. 'I already know how to make this one'.

Of course he did, Reggie knew bloody everything. 'I don't get it'. He wrote in his usual messy scrawl. He was rather surprised that Black could actually read it.

'That is because you're not listening'.

'I don't want to listen. Teach me Saturday?'

'Fine'. James grinned in triumph, leaning backwards into the chair. He didn't pay attention to any of the remaining lesson, simply just watching Regulus draw was enough to keep him entertained.

Reg noticed this and sighed, not bothering to tell him off this time.

At the end of the lesson, both boys rose from their seats and began to pack away their belongings. James slung his bag over his shoulder and ruffled Reg's hair.

"See you, Reggie."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" He asked with a groan.

"No, definitely not. I think it's catching on." He smirked wickedly before running out of the room with Peter, Remus and Sirius.

"Where were you two? You were 10 minutes late!" Remus questioned as they walked down the corridor to Transfiguration.

"Just talking in the dorm, we lost track of the time." James answered, throwing both of his arms around Sirius and Peter's shoulders as they continued on their way. Sirius grabbed Moony's hand and started swinging it back and forth rather vigorously.

"Merlin, Pads. Calm down." Peter chuckled, shrugging James' arm off of him when they entered McGonagall's class.

"Ah, boys. Take your seats." She muttered with pursed lips.

"Of course Minnie! It would be our pleasure!" Sirius called out, with a huge, teasing smile. Remus shook his head as Padfoot tugged them all over to the four seater desk at the front of the room. They each sat down in their usual seats - Peter on the left, then James, then Sirius and then Remus. They had all sat in those exact seats for as long as they could remember, every single Transfiguration lesson since 1st year, and that most likely wouldn't change any time soon.

***

Three long and tiring lessons later, the four Marauders found themselves sat in the courtyard as small specks of white fell from the sky. It was only the 1st of December and they were already being forced to wear oversized coats, scarves and hats as the cold breeze hit their faces.

"Hey, is that Reg?" Sirius asked from beneath Remus' very large coat that he had wiggled under earlier on that afternoon since the one he was already wearing 'wasn't warm enough'.

James looked over to where Padfoot was pointing and jumped up. Sat alone on one of the stone window ledges was Regulus in a very thin jumper, very visibly shivering and red faced.

"Reggie, what the fuck are you doing?" He yelled, running over to him. "Bloody Merlin, you're freezing." He ripped off his coat and wrapped it around Reg's shoulders.

"Hi." He murmured through his chattering teeth.

"Don't 'hi' me. Get up, you're coming inside." Regulus did as he was told, standing up and following James inside the castle. Potter had an arm around Reggie's shoulders, rubbing his hand up and down the boy's arm in the hopes of creating some heat while he led them both up to Gryfinddor tower. Ignoring the many gasps from the other students, James took Regulus through the common room and up to their dorm. "Sit down, I'll get you some warm clothes, alright?"

Without waiting for a reply, James made his way over to his trunk which was piled up with the other boys' in the far corner. He pulled out a light pink hoodie, his favourite pair of grey sweatpants and some fluffy reindeer socks that Sirius had bought him as a joke the previous year.

When he turned back around, Reggie was sat crossed legged on the bed, still shivering.

"Put these on, yeah?" He passed Regulus the clothes before turning around to give him his privacy. At the end of Remus' bed was a pile of books that had been there for years, completely untouched. Picking one off of the top, he flipped it over and looked at the cover. "What's this doing here?" He held the book, Romeo and Juliet to be more precise, above his head so that Reg could see.

"Remus wanted to read it so I let him borrow it." Regulus replied in a small voice. "I'm done." James stood back up and turned, trying his best not to blush at the sight of tiny, little Reggie sat on his bed in his clothes. He felt his heart beat slightly faster but took a deep breath to calm himself down.

He came over to the bed, kicking off his shoes and lifting up the covers so that he could lay down. Once he was comfortable, he held out his arms for Reg to join him, smiling as he crawled over on all fours and stuffed his face into his chest. James burried his face in Regulus' soft curls before resting his cheek on the top of his head so he could have a clear view of the book in front of him.

"I'm tired." The younger of the two whispered.

"Sleep then, love. I don't mind." Shit. Did he actually just say that?

"What did you call me?"

"Loser. I called you 'loser'." Regulus smacked him with a very limp hand, it kind of felt more like a tap but James still faked pain to make him giggle. "Sorry. Take a nap, okay?"

"Okay." His voice was slightly muffled by the fabric of their jumpers but it was just about audible.

After about seven minutes of reading out loud, James heard Reg's breathing slow. He was asleep, and it was one of the most precious things James Potter had ever witnessed. The way his hair fell perfectly over his freckled forehead and his fingers barely visible underneath James' hoodie of which was way too big for him. His dark eyelashes tickling the skin of his cheekbones and his beautiful pink, plush lips. He wanted to kiss him. And he would have, if Regulus had not been asleep. Having your first kiss with someone who was asleep wasn't the best idea, they wouldn't remember it. And James wanted Reg to remember it. Not forgetting that Reggie wouldn't have been able to give consent, do you think James Potter is the type of person to touch someone without their consent? Hell no.

James was still in his school robes but he couldn't care less. Reg rolled over, still fast asleep, and ended up laying on top of him, one leg either side of his body. He chuckled and wrapped both arms around his waist.

"What are you doing to me, Reggie?" He mumbled, kissing the top of his forehead.

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✰ "Sleep then, love.

I don't mind." Shit.

Did he actually

just say that? ✰

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