Chapter Text
With the Wizarding War won, Jules assumed her final year at Hogwarts would be a piece of cauldron cake, but the defeat of Voldemort doesn’t cancel out the countless assignments and studying before her N.E.W.T. exams arrive in June.
Without having the near-constant distraction of the Marauders and their pranks to give Jules a reprieve from her relentless revising, she decides, shortly after Christmas Break, that she needs a night off. She tells Regulus during supper in the Great Hall to meet her outside the Slytherin common room after curfew.
He raises his eyebrows at that but acquiesces, giving her his customary kiss on the cheek before striding off for the dungeons to bury himself in his Herbology work.
When the time comes, Jules slips out of bed, sliding her jeans back on and throwing on one of Regulus’ jumpers she’d stolen when she visited him over Christmas Break.
She’d told her parents she was meeting Alice in Diagon Alley and staying over at hers for the night, but Jules had a feeling they knew she was lying and let her go anyway.
So off she popped to the Leaky Cauldron, practically strolling out of the flames and straight into Regulus’ arms. They didn’t spend long window shopping and ambling down the cobblestone streets hand in hand, as Regulus wanted to show her the work he’d put into back at 12 Grimmauld Place.
She’d visited a couple of times over the summer, but Sirius, Remus, James, and Lily had come along, and Jules couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t excited to see the place on her own.
When Jules followed Regulus into the long hallway from the blistering wind out on the muggle street, she was immensely glad to find the horrid portrait of his mother, one that had screamed obscenities about how Jules was defiling her son every time she laid eyes upon the witch, was finally removed.
Thankfully, so were the mounted heads of the previous house elves, along with the heavy velvet curtains that blocked out the natural light. Now, the home felt much lighter.
Regulus had even gotten Kreacher to quit mumbling ‘blood-traitor’ at Jules from under his breath, so she had to admit it was a huge improvement from the last time she’d been there.
Telling Kreacher to take the night off, Regulus and Jules hid away in the basement kitchen, with Regulus promising that he could make them an edible supper.
Jules shouldn’t have doubted him, especially if their experience last Christmas was anything to go by, because the meal was one of the best she’d had in a long time, but that might have had more to do with the company than the food itself.
After dinner, Regulus took her on a tour of the rest of the home, explaining what he’d changed while asking for her input, reminding her that in just a few months, it’ll be their home.
Tingles shot through Jules at that thought, and she couldn't help but end the tour short, leading him up the stairs until she came across the door with the “Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black” sign.
Letting herself into his room, she smiled cheekily over her shoulder but stopped shortly after entering to admire the alterations.
It appeared more like the room of an adult than it did previously. The colour scheme was still green, of course, but he painted over the Black family crest and removed the student desk to make way for more bookshelves, a small armchair, and a slightly bigger bed.
Hopping up onto said bed, Jules took in her surroundings and said, “It looks great Reg.”
“Thanks,” He replied, sitting next to her and placing his hand atop her thigh. “It’s helped that Kreacher’s done a lot of the work while we’ve been at school.”
“I really can't wait until I can move in and help you make it our own.”
After that statement and Regulus’ blinding grin in response, it wasn’t long before the two found themselves tangled together beneath the sheets.
Their first time together was special and caring and right, just as Jules always knew it would be with Regulus. They took their time with each other, learning what makes the other person sigh in pleasure, and afterwards, she was certain that she could spend the rest of her life getting to know all the little ways they could make each other happy.
Later, when they were lying together, Jules’ head on Regulus’ bare chest, she whispered, “I love you.”
They’d already exchanged those three little words before, but Jules still felt a rush every time they said them.
She had accidentally divulged her love for him on one of the last evenings of their sixth year, tucked away in the Room of Requirement.
Regulus had gotten there early, bringing some of Jules’ favourite snacks from the kitchen, and already had Rumours playing when she walked through the heavy wooden door.
Immediately, before she could stop herself, she breathed, “I love you,” in a rush, so overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness.
Originally, she had wanted to plan the perfect moment to tell him, but she realized fate must have had other plans for them.
Though she knew subconsciously Regulus felt the same, at the recognition that she had just blurted out her feelings, her stomach plummeted, terrified that maybe she’d got something wrong. What if he didn’t feel the same?
Before her anxiety could really get started, Regulus was across the room, sweeping her into his arms and twirling her in the air while her peels of laughter echoed around the spacious room.
Finally, upon setting her down, he leaned his forehead against her own and whispered, “I love you too, princess.”
Later, once Jules was almost asleep in Regulus’ bed at Grimmauld Place, she heard him mumble something incoherent under his breath, and suddenly the room seemed much brighter behind her eyelids. She slowly pried them open and, turning away from where she had her head buried in Regulus’ chest, found the ceiling glowing with numerous constellations and stars.
“Merlin,” She breathed out, in awe of what was floating above her. “Reg, did you do this?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, back in fourth year,” He replied, barely opening his eyes above a squint while trying to draw Jules back in closer. “It reminded me of Hogwarts. Thought it would make it feel more like home.”
As she leant back and tracked the stars above her, she knew in her heart that wherever Regulus was, that was where her home would be. Whether it was Hogwarts, Grimmauld Place, or some unknown future home, she'd be content as long as they were together.
When Jules finally makes it to the dungeons, she finds Regulus already waiting for her, pulling a pocket watch from his robes to check the time. She has to hold back a chuckle at the furrow in his brows, as she doesn’t want him to hear her just yet. He's obviously wondering where in Merlin’s name she is.
She tip-toes silently until she’s standing directly in front of him before pulling off the cloak and delighting in Regulus’ undignified yelp.
Despite not wanting to get caught, she busts out laughing, immensely pleased that her plan worked. Once she’s finally calmed down, she reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss him, but Regulus quickly dodges her, much more interested in the flowy bit of material clutched in her hands.
“Is that an Invisibility Cloak?!” Regulus asks, his tone full of wonder.
“Yep,” Jules smiles, letting him admire it in all its glory. “It was Dad’s, then James had it, and now it’s been left to me.”
“Wicked,” Regulus breathes. “Where did he get it?”
“Dunno, it’s been passed down for generations. Now, c’mon. Get under it with me.”
She throws the cloak back over her head, waiting for Regulus to slide under so they can head off to their final destination.
“Wow. It has held up incredibly well for how old it must be.” Regulus clearly isn’t over the novelty of the cloak, and instead of joining her, he reaches out to where he assumes she’s still standing, grabbing a handful of the cloak and watching as his hand disappears.
“Look,” Jules starts, popping her head back out from underneath the cloak so it looks like it’s floating in midair. “On any other day, you know I’d love to sit around and chat about the qualities of rare magical objects, but there’s a nice broom cupboard upstairs that I was really hoping we could visit.” With her eyebrow raised, she tilts her head, waiting for him to catch on and hurry up.
“Oh! Yeah, ‘course.” Jules relishes the deepness that his voice has taken on at the suggestion and how quickly he flings himself underneath the cloak.
Jules knows they could find much more privacy and comfort in the Room of Requirement, but she sort of felt like snogging in a broom cupboard was a right of passage, and she thought she and Regulus might as well check it off before they leave in a few months.
Trying to keep her giggles to a minimum, Jules slowly leads them up the staircase to the closet with Regulus glued to her back, his hands resting gently on her hips as they walk.
Finally, they reach the cupboard and waste no time in discarding the cloak and latching onto each other.
It’s truly felt like ages since they’ve had a moment alone together that isn’t filled with revision and feet of parchment on this N.E.W.T. topic or that.
But all thoughts of schoolwork vanish as Regulus pushes Jules back against the wall, one hand holding her waist in place while the other tangles in her curls, tilting her head up toward him.
His lips slide along her jawline and down to her neck before focusing on a spot near her collarbone, all the while moving his hands to the button of her trousers.
With her eyes closed, her head resting against the cupboard wall, and her arms thrown around Regulus’ shoulders, Jules sinks into the feeling, relishing finally being together again.
But suddenly, their moment of peace is interrupted.
“Jules, I know you’re in there. Come on out,” Comes the voice of one Remus Lupin before he lightly raps against the closet door.
Regulus groans at the intrusion, reluctantly pulling away from Jules and resting his head against her chest.
“Seriously?!” She yelps, pushing Regulus off her and quickly rebuttoning her jeans before yanking the door open and shooting Remus a dirty glare.
Leaning against the doorframe with a sly smirk gracing his handsome features, he taps his wand against a spare bit of parchment as Regulus straightens his clothes and appears over Jules’ shoulder. He glances down at the blank paper in confusion and opens his mouth to say something, but Jules beats him to it.
“That should have been mine,” Jules grumbles indignantly, put off that Remus is using the Marauder’s Map against her.
“You didn’t make it,” Remus quips, his smirk turning into a full-blown grin at her annoyance. “Now, what is McGonagall going to say when she hears the Head Boy and Girl were found in a broom cupboard after hours?”
“Remus,” Jules groans. “Come off it. You wouldn’t have even known we were out if it wasn’t for the map. Just piss off.”
“Now, I can’t do that, Jules,” He teases. “And you really shouldn’t speak to a professor like that.”
“A professor’s assistant,” She corrects.
“Hold on, how did you know we were here?” Regulus asks before Remus and Jules can get into it again.
“You haven’t told him about the map?”
“Well, I would have if it had been given to me! You don’t even need it now!”
Remus’ smirk seems to grow wider every second Jules becomes more peeved off.
“Obviously, I do if our own Head Boy and Girl are getting off in broom cupboards. And I assume you were using the cloak, too. That’s quite a disregard for the rules, Miss Potter.”
“Oh my god. I should have known you’d let this power go to your head.”
"Just think Jules, next year we'll be able to patrol together again once you're assisting Professor Babbling."
"I'll be sure to ask Dumbledore to partner me with Snape. I think I might find that preferable."
“Is someone going to explain this map to me?” Regulus looks at Jules in bemusement, waiting for an explanation.
As the two share the story of the map’s creation, Remus insists on escorting them back to their dorms, and as they reach Gryffindor Tower, he promises, despite his new job as Professor Mason's assistant for Defence classes, that he won’t tell on them to McGonagall.
But of course, Jules can’t expect to live down the embarrassment for long because Remus, instead of tattling on her to the staff, reenacts the entire encounter to her brother, Lily, and Sirius on their next trip to Hogsmeade.
The three of them had come to meet Remus, Jules, and Regulus during their weekend visit, and Jules is sure her face has never been redder, though, in mortification or anger, she really couldn’t say.
“Oi, Lupin! Shut it!”
"It's Professor Lupin, to you."
"I told you I am not calling you that."
Sirius and Lily just laugh, while James looks slightly sick at the story.
“As much as I was hoping you weren’t using the cloak for those purposes, I am at least proud that being Head Girl hasn’t stopped you from causing a bit of mischief.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Lily says, sending Jules a covert wink over her mug of butterbeer. “I knew the moment we saw you two in Hogsmeade together that you were perfect for each other.”
Remus laughs openly at Jules’ further reddening cheeks.
“Just think,” Regulus jokingly tells her. “If you never agreed to pretend to date me, we’d never be here talking about getting caught snogging in front of our family.”
Jules frowns playfully at her boyfriend, “Mm, well, now I’m reconsidering my past actions.”
Despite her words, she threads her fingers through Regulus’ under the table and drags their joined hands into her lap, quickly morphing her joking pout into a loving smile.
“Pretend? What the hell are you on about?”
Jules’ eyes widen as she meets James’ expectant glare across the table.
“Umm… Well, it’s a funny story!”
✨