kiss me, but it's only a prank

socialising is too much work

It was a Saturday and James was up bright and early as per usual. He took a shower, got dressed and brushed his teeth. (Purposely avoiding his hair) And left the Gryffindor tower. From what James had heard from Sirius, Regulus enjoyed his sleep the same way Sirius does. So James, if anything, was on a suicide mission. Okay, so maybe going to see Regulus this early was a bit stupid but James couldn't take it anymore.

He was marching through the halls of Gryffindor at 9:34 in the morning. In James' opinion everyone this was not early at all. Everyone should be up at this time, if not earlier. James was already up at 6:30 but that's only because he couldn't sleep. He awoke hearing Sirius sleep talking and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to go back to sleep.

So James decided he might as well make use of his awakeness. Yes, awakeness is the exact word that he used. It sounded correct so he thought it probably was. Don't get it twisted, James was a smart boy. Very smart really. He got almost the same grades as Remus in his OWLs. But James didn't take his smartness outside of school purposes.

You might be wondering, is James just going to stand outside the Slytherin dorm room and hope and pray someone miraculously opens it. To which James could sneak in with his invisibility cloak. It would be a very good guess. But James already knew the password. And there was no rule, that he knew of, that told him against going into other house dorms, even with the password. But then, even if there was a rule. James wasn't likely to obey it. I mean he's James Fleamont Potter.

"Pure blood" James told the painting
"How do you know the password?" The portrait inquired.
"Never mind how I know it, just let me in"
"You're a filthy Gryffindor, you have no reason to be here."
"Oh stop being dramatic. Let me in. I've told you the password now open up"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're a Gryffindor"
"Yes I believe we've established that already."
"How do you know the password?"
"Don't worry about it!"
"You have no reason to be here, Gryffindor!"
"We're going in circles" James sighed
"Away with you! Be gone!"
James raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms
"You're gonna have to do better than that" He told the painting
Suddenly, the door swung open from the inside, almost taking off James' nose as he was standing so close.
"Dorcas! Finally, someone with a brain!"
Dorcas rolled her eyes. She looked awake. Like she was ready to go somewhere
"What are you doing here, Potter?"
"Wanna talk to Reggie"
"He's asleep. And pissed at you"
"Please Dorcas? I wanna make it up to him"
"You can do that by leaving him alone"
"But then he'll never know I'm sorry!"
"I'll pass a message." Dorcas turned away to leave but James kept insisting
"Please, Dorcas let me in! I swear, do this for me and I'll never change your hair colour ever again!"
Dorcas laughed. She's been good friends with the Gryffindors for a long while, so she found she didn't really mind their harmless pranks sometimes
"That does get quite annoying"
James just smiled, keenly
"Come on then, hurry up" Dorcas said and started walking back towards the door. James eagerly followed her, but before he stepped in he stuck his tongue at the painting who growled in return
"When will you grow up, Potter"
"Don't think that's an option for me Cas"
Dorcas abruptly stopped and turned to James
"He's really mad" She told him
"And he has every right to be. I felt so bad for doing it in the first place"
"So why did you?"
James just shrugged sadly in return. They continued walking until they got to the common room to meet a sleeping Regulus on the couch.
"He fell asleep here, after trying to prove his point that he wouldn't get up to eat in the great hall for a while. Evan put a blanket over him" Dorcas explained and walked over to Regulus, crouching down.
"Hey, Reg?" Dorcas whispered. Regulus mumbled something along the lines of "I told you not to call me that" mixed with a "go away, I'm sleeping"
"Regulus, I've got a surprise for you" Dorcas hummed in a way James knew was her joking
"Unless it's food, I don't want it" Regulus told her
"I can bring you something if you'd like?" James spoke out, causinng Regulus to shoot up at the unknown voice, in shock.
"What the..." He trailed, then turned to Dorcas "What is he doing here?!" He asked clearly annoyed
Dorcas shrugged "beats me"
"I wanna apologise, Regulus" Regulus took his wand out and, for a moment, James thought Regulus was about to hex him. But instead, he casted a tempus spell and spoke up again.
"at 10 in the morning?!" Yes it had taken James at least half an hour arguing with the stupid Slytherin barrier.
"Maybe?" James answered, slightly fearful of the wand still in the younger boys hand
Dorcas got up from the floor and started walking towards the door "alright, that's my job done. You boys have fun" She winked at James and walked away. James called out to her begging her to come back and to not leave him alone with Regulus. But apparently the girl had other plans.
Regulus sat up on the sofa, the blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was glaring harshly at James
"Get it over with then Potter. But only because I know a professor clearly is making you apologise"
"Actually, that isn't why I'm doing this. Yeah, Professor M told me to, but I was going to anyways" James shortened Professor Mcgonagall's name.
"Yeah right. You couldn't give a fuck less about me. If you did, you wouldn't have kissed me in the first place. Which, by the way, could get me killed if word gets out at home that I was kissed by a male. And a Potter, no less" Regulus was attempting to make James feel guilty and it was clearly working.
"That why you're mad at me? Cause your
parents could find out?" Regulus just shrugged at the question. It was half the reason. James make himself comfortable on the sofa, right next to Regulus. "comfortable?" Regulus asked, sarcastically
"Yeah actually." James smiled
"But listen, Reggie" He used the nickname again "I am Sorry, you know. I didn't wanna get you in trouble or anything. I thought it was gonna be well and fine because in the back of my head, I believed you where going to push me off as soon as I kissed you. But that's not an excuse for what I did. I did it and I own up to it. And I am really sorry"
They sat in silence for a little bit. James was considering getting up and leaving. He had done his apology. He just wished Regulus would answer. As soon as he was going to get up to leave, Regulus spoke.
"Firstly, what is with that ridiculous nickname? I am
not Reggie or Reg or anything like that. I am Regulus. Do you understand?" James just smirked at him "Sure thing, Reggie" His words made Regulus roll his eyes "secondly, don't think for a second that because I didn't push you away meant anything. I was just... shocked. Is all."
James shook his head "Then.. why did you kiss me back?" Regulus flushed and did his best to avoid the question
"How did you know I wanted to get you guys back?"
"You guys aren't very good at subtlety. We had so many people coming to us about a thing that was happening in the great hall which had something to do with James and Regulus."
"I kept telling my friends to be quiet about it. But they're just as bad as being hush as they are being smart."
James laughed at the comment "Why'd you come
for me? When you knew the prank was probably Sirius' doing? And also, what was your sad attempt at a prank?" James actually couldn't put his finger on what Regulus wanted to do to James as he cut him short
Regulus shrugged "I knew that anything I do to his friends, would make Sirius annoyed. And annoying Sirius is always a plus. As for the prank... It's need to know. And you do not need to know. You ruined it. You don't get to know what I was planning on doing." Regulus told him, pettily
After another long silence, James decided to break it
"D'you forgive me then?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Of course you do, Reggie"
"Then no. You're a right cunt. There isn't any point in forgiving you because when I'm dead because of you, I'd hope you feel guilty about it"
James frowned "I am sorry Regulus" James attempted to get up to leave Regulus alone. But he was surprisingly stopped
"Oh where's your sense of humour. We're good, Potter"
James looked at him, like an eager puppy "we are?!"
Regulus just nodded. James stared at Regulus. He had time to properly examine him up close. He didn't get the opportunity to before. Regulus looked a lot like Sirius. he had to admit. But his features where much softer and delicate. He was a little skinnier than Sirius was, but that probably wasn't by choice. James could bet his wicked mother had engraved into his brain how much he should and shouldn't eat. His hair was long and wavy. Not as long as Sirius' but longer than his own. He looked back at the boys lips. Regulus, as a whole, just looked so... kissable? No, that couldn't be the right word. After all, James wasn't gay. James liked Lilly. Right?

"Potter? What are you staring at me like that for?" Regulus tilted his head in a way James thought was adorable.
"Nothing. But, uh... you didn't answer my question. Why did you kiss me back?" Regulus looked everywhere except James' eyes.
"James..." He started
"I'm James now?" James asked, confused but shocked
Regulus shrugged "D'you mind?" James shook his head and smiled "Course not, Reggie" He was going to get Regulus to love his new nickname.

Regulus shifted his body ever so slightly. He had to be just a little bit closer to James. James leaned in, dangerously close, his arm keeping him from falling. Regulus' lips parted so slightly but James noticed. He slowly held his chin, so gently as if Regulus could break if he did anything harder. He heard Regulus breathe in quietly and he leaned in to the younger boy further. Regulus tilted his head. James wasn't sure if that was his cue. But if it was, he didn't take it. He just kept his gaze on Regulus, not daring to blink. As if he would disappear as soon as he took his eyes off him. James leaned in closer. Regulus' lips where gently brushing against his own. Somehow, this moment felt so much more intimate than before. So much more real. Regulus, out of no where leaned back, pushing James away, and cleared his throat. Damn it. James lost his chance. That's what he assumed anyways.
"Right well..." James started and pushed himself up "Um, yeah. Sorry again, Regulus. This was... um.. refreshing..?" James stuttered slightly
"yeah. See you round, I suppose." Regulus didn't dare look James in the eye
"See you Reggie" James replied
"See you James" Regulus said, as if attempting to get the last word. And with that, James walked out of the Slytherin common room. Leaving Regulus to his thoughts. He wondered if James would have kissed him if he didn't lean back. He wondered if he would have let James do it, like last time. But most of all, Regulus wondered if James really would have meant it this time. But Regulus couldn't risk it. He couldn't actually risk getting hurt over a boy he knew almost nothing about. So... Regulus made a deal with himself, he would figure out exactly what type of person James Potter really was.

•______________________________•

• I think you might have realised by now, I've made Dorcas a Slytherin. Why? Because I feel like the story just wouldn't work as well with her being a Gryffindor. I get that the whole point of Dorcas being good friends with the Slytherin Skittles is that it shows that they can accept anyone to be their friends if they can be trusted.

Buttt, in this case, Slytherin Dorcas is much more useful 😭
Also Dorcas definitely woke up earlier to go see Marlene ;)

Heheh I loved that this whole chapter was just Jegulus. It warms my heart. 😪

You know, I was honestly planning on making this like 2-3 chapters long but ideas keep popping into my head. So I think this might get a little bit longer than intended 😭

I honestly am not sure how long this fic is gonna be but hopefully, fingers crossed, I get more people who like the it. Either way I'm probably gonna keep posting whenever I get ideas. I've surprisingly got a lot of motivation 😭