James slowly made his way out of the bathroom, stretching his tired limbs with a yawn.
He pushed his glasses up enough to rub the exhaustion from his eyes before opening them to see Remus standing beside the dorm door.
James shrieked as he jumped back.
"You've gotten sloppy, James." Remus stated as James noticed the green Slytherin tie hanging from his finger.
James' blood ran cold as he tried keeping his laid back composure.
"You're lucky I was the one to catch your slip-up", Remus started pausing slightly, "Sirius is going to kill you."
"Oh come on, Sirius needs to get over his 'all Slytherins are evil' thing-" James started figuring there was no possible way Remus would know it was Regulus'.
"You and I both know that's not what I mean. I meant he's not going to like the fact that you're sleeping with his little brother." Remus explained.
James nervously chuckled, "What are you talking about Moony? I'm not sleeping with..."
James' sentence fell off as Remus pulled a wand from his back pocket- Regulus' wand.
It was easily identifiable as Regulus', it was black and pristine with a sliver grip of elegant swirls.
"You can't tell Sirius." James spat.
"Of course I'm not going to tell Sirius- I choose life." Remus jeered.
James sent him an unimpressed look.
"Look, you have to tell him James. He deserves to know- and soon because however mad he'll be about you and his brother, he'll be even more hurt that you've been lying to him." Remus explained.
There was a spell of silence as James contemplated his next move.
"I love him." James muttered, the words falling from his lips.
Remus seemed slightly taken aback by this, but tried not to show it, "What?"
"Regulus. I'm in love with him. That's why its so terrifying- because- because I can't lose either of them." James spoke as his voice wavered slightly.
Remus sighed, setting Regulus' wand and tie on the dresser beside him, "Sirius is waiting for me to go to breakfast. Do whatever you need to do."
James let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before nodding at the boy. Anxiously James slipped his hand through his bed head.
Remus began heading out of the dorm before pausing in the doorframe, turning back around to James, "And James, don't forget about your interview with the Daily Prophet today."
James was never more grateful for Moony's pretending that nothing had happened- that he didn't just find out his best friend was into blokes, specifically his own boyfriend's baby brother.
As Remus disappeared out the door, James crawled back into bed.
Regulus had sprawled himself out, his arm almost hanging off the bed.
His mouth was slightly agape as the sound of soft snores escaped his soft pink lips.
James smiled at how peaceful and cute Regulus looked.
He began pressing soft kisses all around the boy's face. He pushed the curls from Regulus' forehead, pressing a kiss to it, before moving to his right temple.
His soft kisses trailed towards the boys jaw, jumping up to his cute button nose, and cheek under his left eye.
Regulus stirred as his eyes fluttered open.
James watched as the boy blinked a few times, remembering where he was.
"Hi, Jamie." Regulus mumbled his voice coarse and rough, like rocks rattling around in his vocal cords.
"Hi, gorgeous", James cooed with a smile, "Wanna hang out with me today?"
***
"This is not what I thought you meant when you said 'hang out'." Regulus huffed as he pouted.
"It'll be an hour, tops, promise", James said as Regulus sent him an unamused look, "And then we can do whatever you want."
"Whatever I want?" Regulus quizzed with a smile.
James furrowed his eyebrows before specifying, "Within reason."
James walked into the empty classroom as Regulus followed closely behind.
The room was cleared of desks leaving a single set of three chairs, with a small table placed beside it- almost like a waiting room.
Regulus spotted Ivan from across the room, he wore a less vibrant outfit than before- it was a light brown.
The long-sleeved shirt split towards the end like a button-up without the buttons, and a belt overtop. Up the shirt towards the collar and to the left was a set of four buttons, that Regulus didn't see the purpose to.
His bottoms were a simple dark grey color and seemed to be basic dress pants.
He was conversing with his sister, their hands both moving exasperatingly.
Much like Ivan, Evangeliya wore a light brown short dress- so short it was practically a shirt. She wore an identically belt and, like Ivan's shirt, the collar supported those four useless buttons.
She wore high brown boots, that made her look taller than she already was.
Her hair was effortlessly curled as it bounced on her shoulders and she had short thin bangs.
Close by the brother-sister duo, Regulus recognized the other champion, Jacques, who spoke to a small girl that looked a lot like him.
She was shorter and her nose was smaller, but otherwise they seemed to share the same features.
Her dark hair was in neat braids and she wore sparkly blue studded earrings that matched the long-sleeved baby blue collared shirt she wore under her grey square-neck dress that stopped half way down her thighs.
She wore knee-high blue socks and grey flats.
Her brother sported an almost identical outfit- wearing a blue collared shirt under his grey waistcoat and grey dress pants.
Instead of a tie, was a dark blue ribbon-like bow that, Regulus thought, was a nice touch.
Regulus felt slightly less confident about his own outfit.
He wore a plain black turtleneck- to, lazily, conceal the love-bites from the night prior- and black dress pants, but he definitely felt better than he would've if he wore his robes.
Soon after they'd arrived James, being the person he was, gravitated towards the other two champions- as they all began talking like they'd been friends longer than twenty-four hours.
Ivan and Regulus' eyes met as they both strayed back.
Regulus plopped down onto the chair, his eyes still lingering on James- he looked completely in his area of expertise and fit in so well with the others, who seemed to smile and nod at what he'd said.
"This feels quite like being banished to the children's table for Thanksgiving feast." The girl that'd been talking to Jacques spoke as she sat elegantly into the empty chair beside Regulus.
Regulus furrowed his eyebrows, "Children's table?"
"Oh- Pardon, I sometimes forget that Thanksgiving celebrations are different for everyone", She explained before holding her hand out for Regulus to shake, "Claudette."
"Regulus." He said as he shook her hand politely.
She then shook Ivan's hand, before he brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "Ivan."
Regulus expected more of a reaction then the nod of greeting she returned after Ivan released her hand.
"Are you here for your brother?" Claudette quizzed as she caught Regulus' gaze on James.
"Oh no we're not-"
"They're lovers." Ivan answered for him, leaving Regulus in temporary shock.
"I- How?" Regulus gaped as he snapped towards the boy.
"You just give off that vibe." Ivan explained.
"I-" Regulus started unable to produce a comprehendible sentence.
Was it obvious?
It if was obvious would Sirius catch on?
Had Sirius figured it out?
Regulus doubted it- since he was alive, but he didn't think it had been obvious either and here he was-
"I'm only kidding, choveche (man). I saw you holding hands on the way in here." Ivan explained snapping Regulus out of his thoughts.
Regulus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Fair shame that is. The pretty ones always play for the other team" Claudette muttered looking from Regulus to Ivan, "Say Ivan, do you prefer the female company?"
"Yes ma'am." Ivan assured.
By then Regulus felt more and more like third wheel.
Not only did he felt slightly uncomfortable, he was not pleased with the reporter who kept flirtatiously placing her hand on James' shoulder as her giggling filled the air.
She had short straight black hair, that was placed in a bun held with a chopstick, excluding the small chunks of hair that framed the sides of her face.
She wore dark scarlet lipstick that popped against the lightness of her skin.
Regulus recognized the reporter as a graduated Ravenclaw, Yuna Tan, and like most girls that'd seen James during their time at Hogwarts- she was about ready to pounce.
Regulus didn't know much about the woman. He knew her father was very influential in South Korea and that she came from a long line of wealthy rulers.
And that she was beautiful and she knew it.
Regulus tried his hardest not to find himself self-conscious, but her dark blue blouse and pencil skirt did wonders for her hourglass figure.
All Regulus could think about was that- no matter how hard he tried, he could never look like her.
She could get any guy she wanted- Regulus would kill for her looks.
Regulus' eyes met James' as the older boy turned to look at him.
James looked Regulus up and down before biting his lip- almost seductively.
Regulus blushed before breaking the eye contact to look down at his fingers, flustered.
James, across the room, smirked victoriously as he turned back towards the reporter.
When Regulus really thought about it, he didn't need to look like Yuna. Because as long James looked at him like that he felt... pretty.
***
Soft beams of sun shone through the leaves hitting the two boys.
They sat by the tree trunk, the one that overlooked the rolling fields behind Hogwarts.
Regulus' head rested in James' lap, looking up at the boy as he ran his fingers through Regulus' curls.
"Got any idea what you'll do with the winnings?" Regulus questioned.
James chuckled looking down at the boy, "You have that much faith in me to win?"
"Of course, James. You're fast and determined and ridiculously brave", Regulus said with a smile, "And even though you're not the brightest- you have me."
"True. What would I do without you?" James quipped before bending to pressed a soft kiss to Regulus' lips.
"Cute, but you still haven't answered my question." Regulus jeered.
"If I-" James started.
"When." Regulus corrected smugly.
"When I win", James corrected, "I'll buy a small cottage along the coast, like you've always wanted, and we'll spend the days buried in the sand and nights staring up at the stars. There'll be a big library and brick fireplace- for us to curl up by during the winter."
Regulus hummed as he closed his eyes, "Sounds lovely, James."
"Why do you say that like it won't happen?" James quizzed as he furrowed his eyebrows.
"I can't exactly just run away with you. I have responsibilities as the sole Black heir." Regulus explained.
"Screw your family. What have they ever done for you?" James jeered.
"Even if I did run- they'd look for me." Regulus explained.
"They'd never find you. I'd make sure of it." James assured the boy.
Regulus sighed, "Why do I get the feeling you've thought a lot about this?"
Regulus wanted so badly to say 'not everyone can run away from their problems', but he bit his tongue because the last thing he wanted was to start a fight.
Instead he just let the feeling of James' touch calm him.
"You haven't even told Sirius." Regulus muttered.
"Me?! I thought it was a mutual agreement not to tell him." James exclaimed.
"Yeah so he wouldn't be mad at you- Sirius hasn't spoken to me in years, the most he'd do to me would be to trip me in the hall more than he usually does." Regulus explained, his eyes still closed as he relished in the suns warmth against his face.
"What?" James muttered in disbelief causing Regulus to pop his eyes open.
"What? The Sirius hasn't spoken to me in years or the casual hallway tripping?" Regulus reiterated.
"Sirius trips you?" James asked with a frown.
Regulus sighed, "Remember when I broke my nose?"
"Yeah you told me you'd accidentally walked into a wall while reading." James remembered.
"Never happened. Sirius and I were passing each other in an empty corridor, I didn't see his leg and ended up hitting the ground at the wrong angle", Regulus explained watching James' growing frown, "I don't think he meant to hurt me. I'm pretty sure he was the one who took me to the hospital wing since he was the only one there, but there was a lot of blood and the pain was terrible."
"Why did you lie about it?" James quizzed.
"Because he's not perfect. He makes mistakes and I just didn't want you to get mad at him", Regulus mumbled softly, "Besides it's embarrassing."
"He's an idiot. He does nothing but cause you trouble and all you ever do is protect him, why?" James quizzed.
Regulus sat up before shuffling to straddle James. He pushed a piece of hair out of James' face with a soft smile.
"Because I love my brother. Because you know what he's like. Because with all the bad comes the good moments- the ones you hold onto", Regulus explained softly, "Because I love him at his worst as much as I would at his best."
Regulus' finger trailed down James' jaw to his chin before tilting it up and pressing his lips to James'.
"I will tell him. Not today- probably not tomorrow, but I will before the summer", James explained, "I want you to come spend it with me- small cottage or not."
"I don't know James..." Regulus said.
He wanted so badly to spend the summer with James. Hours of uninterrupted kissing. Nights spent falling asleep in each other's arms.
Backyard quidditch, stargazing, nights out by the fire, shirtless days spent tanning, peaceful morning coffee- the list was endless.
Anything was better than another Summer spent as Walburga's personal punching bag.
"I'm not taking no for an answer. Last time you went home for the summer, you came back with more broken ribs then unbroken." James insisted.
"We'll see." Regulus said.