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It was hard to tell when it had all started.
(Being the romantic he was, James felt bad for not having an exact date but he knew Regulus didn’t particularly mind.)
It was the third summer Regulus had spent at Potter Manor, also the last one before James’ final year at Hogwarts, and they had been left alone for most of it due to James’ parents visiting their family in India while Sirius was staying with Remus.
Sirius occasionally came back and even slept there for a night or two but most of the summer vacation was spent with only James and Regulus in the big, colourful house.
Initially, James had thought it would have been incredibly awkward for him (not for Regulus though, he was rarely fazed by anything) but he told himself to just power through and tried not to resent Sirius and Remus too much for leaving him alone with the younger boy.
So, his plan was to simply stay out of Regulus’ way and make sure to not get on his nerves since he didn’t have his parents or Sirius to smooth over the situation if a fight erupted.
The only problem with that was that James was really extroverted and outgoing and having nothing to do or no one to hang out with for the entirety of the summer… turned out to be tortuous for him.
One day, he decided he just couldn’t hold himself back any longer and he went on a whole rant to Sirius and Remus about how he was going to die of boredom if they didn’t visit him more often before school started again.
Sirius had instantly rolled his eyes while Remus had grimaced, James was glad at least one of them felt bad about ditching him.
“You know, you could talk to my brother. Ask him to play quidditch or something, I don’t know,” Sirius shrugged.
He made a face at that, “Isn’t he just going to tell me to fuck off?”
“Yeah… probably,” he casually shrugged again.
James glared at him, “Right, so back to square one. Look, I- I get you’re dating and you need to snog 24/7 and all-” he briefly registered Remus’ cheeks turning pink as he opened his mouth to argue but James continued, “but you started dating like two years ago. Isn’t it past time you got over the honeymoon phase?”
“Mmm,” Sirius pretended to scratch his chin in thought, “nope! We’re fine with staying in it, thank you very much.”
Remus cleared his throat, “What Sirius is trying to say, is that we’ll all be really busy after Hogwarts and we just wanted to enjoy our last summer break before shit got real after graduation. At Hogwarts we’re always hanging out with you, right?”
James nodded.
“So, for this last summer at least, we just think it’d be nice for us but also for you, to not have you third wheel the entire time, considering we’ll all be together starting September.”
James sighed, “Right.”
“I know that Peter’s…”
The other two boys both winced at that.
They rarely addressed the elephant in the room.
“Well, you know, and him not being a part of the group is changing the dynamic as well and now you don’t have him to hang out with when Pads and I are off on dates and whatnot but the same way that we always made time for the Marauders during the year, after we got together, we’ll still make time for the Marauders this time around, even if we’re only a trio now. The number doesn’t change anything.”
He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah?”
Remus smiled reassuringly, “Yeah. I promise. I swear, it’s just a summer thing since your parents are away and all and can’t tell Sirius off for leaving so often and you’ll both be going into the quidditch field afterwards so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see each other but who knows how often you’ll be able to see me? I just want to hang out more with my boyfriend this final summer because of that, you get that.”
“Yeah,” he let out an exhale, “I do get that. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to- I’m happy for you both it’s just… weird, lately.”
Peter having been caught spying at Hogwarts for the Death Eaters was still something they struggled with even though it had been months since the event and his obvious expulsion.
They had barely felt the relief, in the following period, of Voldemort’s defeat, seeing they had lost their friend along the way.
It was hard to digest not only because Peter was best mates with them, of course, not just a random schoolmate, but also because they had all been prepared for the possibility of Regulus being the one to betray them, not Peter.
Regulus hadn’t been their first suspect upon hearing a spy had infiltrated Hogwarts (that had obviously been Snape)… but he definitely had been on the consideration list and he also seemed to be the most dangerous option considering he was living with the Potters during school breaks.
The younger boy hadn’t taken lightly to that, once everything had been cleared out, which they all completely understood but he surprisingly left them off the hook pretty fast after they had all apologised.
(James was still confused about that, the slytherin would hold the pettiest of grudges over the smallest of things but not over them thinking he was secretly a Death Eater who was betraying them? It made no sense to him.)
“I know you’re happy for us,” Remus pat James on the shoulder, “we were never doubting that.”
“I mean, maybe we could stay for a few more days? It’s fine,” said Sirius.
James shook his head, “No, you’re right. It’s fine. I’ll see you plenty after the summer and honestly, I still feel bad about the whole Regulus thing. Maybe I can uh- help him out? He spends almost every single day in Dad’s lab so, I don’t know, maybe I can play the assistant for a bit and we’ll be… closer to being even and it’ll also pass the time.”
Sirius snorted, “He’s gonna kick you out the second you try to step foot in there.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Remus.
“But you know,” Sirius straightened up, “okay, fuck the potions part, he’s too particular over those, you mess one up and he’ll hex you but you could pretend to need help with a quidditch move or something? If you ask him to play he’s not gonna care but he never passes up a chance to be a condescending prick, which I say with love, of course.”
“I would say that’s humiliating but… well, I suppose I owe him that much. I was the one that got it all in your heads that he was possibly dangerous.”
Sirius grimaced, “That’s not- I should’ve fought harder on that, it’s not entirely your fault. I’m his brother and I let the memories of our parents get to my head.”
“Wild to think Peter was the only one defending him, you’d think he would jump on an opportunity like that, but then again maybe he was too afraid at seeming eager we were suspecting Regulus and not him,” said Remus.
They all let a brief moment of silence wash over them, before Sirius shook his head and tried to lighten the mood again, “Reggie will love feeling better than you, especially at quidditch, and maybe overtime you two can become friends and that’ll make my life a bit easier, if both of my brothers get along. And you’ll also have someone to hang out with when I’m off with Moony.”
“I think there’s just one problem with that.”
They both turned to Remus.
“He’ll think you’ll- that we will be trying to replace Peter with him. He knows you always hung out with Peter when Pads and I had dates. I still think that’s why he refuses to even meet up with us at Hogwarts, things with him and Sirius were too awkward to ask him right after they had escaped so we never did and now he thinks the only reason we want him in the group is to fill the void left by the actual traitor, who was also the only one to not accuse him.”
Sirius cursed in french, “I’ve tried to explain that to him. That we’ve always wanted him over with us even when Peter wasn’t… but it never felt like a good moment to ask, I’m still shocked he agreed to run away with me in the first place.”
“This all blows, I know the two of us have like… nothing in common, but I know how much he means to you Pads and he gets along with Moony okay-ish, it would’ve been really cool to vibe. But yeah, I mean, I’ll at least try the quidditch thing.”
Sirius suddenly got up, “You know what? I’ll go talk to him. It might be more believable that way, like, if you act all embarrassed about needing help and stuff.”
James still had no idea what the older of the Black brothers had said to the youngest but it had certainly worked and soon enough, James and Regulus were spending a few hours every morning practicing one of Regulus’ favourite moves (that James could actually do as well but barely, so he wasn’t lying all that much about needing help).
Slowly, they got more comfortable with each other and James wasn’t having to spend most afternoons alone anymore.
They did homework together (a humbling experience considering Regulus was one year below him yet was able to correct James’), cleaned together (James had been carrying his weight before as well but they were used to doing their chores separately), cooked together and so on.
Eventually, Regulus had even allowed James to join him in the potions’ lab and James stopped missing his friends all together, way caught up in his newfound friendship with the slytherin.
One thing led to another and all of a sudden… James had a crush the size of the Hogwarts castle.
He knew it was obvious to Remus because, after they had all hung out together for probably the first time… ever, Remus had sent him a knowing look and then (in private) asked him if he was now glad at his and Sirius’ absence.
(James had pretended to not have heard the question and then rushed to the lab with the excuse of Regulus calling him.)
It was on one of those calm days spent in the lab that James, having been caught off guard by the loud outburst of laughter that had come out of Regulus after James had almost tripped over his own feet, decided to use some of that gryffindor bravery by pulling Regulus into a kiss…
…which had been immediately reciprocated.
Maybe that was the day he should consider their anniversary but their first date hadn’t happened until two weeks later and they had had the boyfriend conversation after Hogwarts had already started.
The timeline was messy.
What was important though, was that, one way or another, the two of them had caught feelings for each other and then started dating and James couldn’t have been more excited.
The only downside was that they both thought it best to keep the secret for a while because they knew Sirius would have a lot of thoughts on the matter.
Remus did occasionally remind them he was going to find out sooner or later but neither of them wanted to deal with that conversation (even if James really wanted to be able to hold Reggie’s hand in public) so they ignored him.
Wrong choice.
— — —
“Mm-” he pulled back from his boyfriend’s lips, already puffy from all the kissing, “I don’t think you’re seeing the vision.”
“Your vision is stupid.”
“Our vision and it’s great, actually.”
Reggie laughed, “Yeah? Failing and repeating the year on purpose is smart to you?”
“Under the present circumstances? Yes. I mean, I’m not just doing it for fun.”
The younger boy gave him a quick kiss before replying, “Yeah, you’re actually not doing that at all because it’s stupid and I’ll hex you if you do that.”
He smirked, “I know that’s supposed to be a threat but jokes’ on you because now I’m actually turned on.”
The other snorted, “You got hit with way too many bludgers.”
“Yeah and I’d love to be hit with one of your hexes too.”
Reggie groaned and hid his face in James’ neck, “I hate you. This is like-” he lifted his face up, “you are… so embarrassing. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Hey, you’re the one dating me,” he joked.
“Yeah, I guess there’s something wrong with my brain too. Ugh, I hate you.”
James hummed and rubbed circles on his boyfriend’s lower back.
“I do.”
“Right, yeah, you already said that.”
“That’s because I do. Who else would even suggest failing and repeating the year, willingly, to hang out with their boyfriend at school for one more year? You are so…” he bit his lower lip and James’ eyes directly followed the movement.
“So?”
He didn’t get an answer but he did get pulled into another long and heated kiss but after a while, Reggie shoved him back and James let him do as he pleased.
“This is actually so unfair. You come up with this stupid plan and then you lowkey mean it, which is the scary part, and then I have to play the mature boyfriend who cares about your future and tell you to not do that but it’s so stupidly sweet that you actually wanna do that that I now feel like I’m gonna, like, explode or something if I don’t snog the life out of you.”
The slytherin huffed and playfully glared at James, “You see how unfair that is? Do you see the situation you’ve put me through? You’re the worst. I actually can’t stand you.”
“Would it help if I said quidditch players don’t really need to have the best marks or anything so failing a year would really have no impact on my future?”
“You have to have a plan B if quidditch doesn’t work out or if you end up not liking it professionally or, Merlin forbid, get injured and have to change career path.”
“Are you forgetting that I’m an only child with rich parents?”
Reggie shook his head, “Doesn’t matter. Now stop being the biggest idiot I’ve ever met and start snogging me before I have to leave for practice, if I’m late again I’m gonna have to do extra drills and then I’ll get behind on my homework which means I won’t be able to see you until I catch up and-”
James laughed, “Well we can’t have that, can we? Wouldn’t want to be a bigger inconvenience than I already am.”
Reggie raised himself on his tiptoes and smugly smiled, “Good.”
James quickly got to work, pressing his boyfriend into the wall of the small supplies’ closet, his hands gently travelling down Reggie’s body as the other played with James’ curls.
He always got lost in the moment when he was with his boyfriend so he had no idea how much time had passed but one moment they were making out passionately and the next, he heard a creak coming from behind him and he was suddenly being pulled back by the scruff of his clothes.
He didn’t even have time to register what was happening before he was being lightly hit in the back of his head.
“Hey! That’s-” he rubbed the area and turned around to see what was going on, “fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” Sirius crossed his arms.
He glanced back at Reggie, who was blushing and awkwardly adjusting his collar, though his eyes held a sort of playfulness to them that James was surprised by, and then made the decision to back as far from Reggie as he possibly could in the narrow space but he knew it wouldn't be worth much because Sirius had caught them red-handed and there was no point in lying or hiding anymore.
“Uh- I,” he bit his lower lip, unsure on how to continue, “small castle, huh?”
Reggie snorted, “That’s what you’re going with?”
James didn't know how Reggie managed to not freak out, but then again... James was more likely to be scolded from Sirius than the slytherin was.
“What the actual fucking fuck is going on here?”
Remus, who James now noticed was behind Sirius, let out a chuckle, “I think we can both piece together that part.”
“Prongs? I repeat. What. The. Actual. Fuck.”
He tried to say something, anything but his boyfriend beat him to it.
“Merlin, isn’t it obvious? I know you’re not the sharpest wand around but even you can figure out what we were doing.”
That did not help.
“Why- how- I mean, what the fuck? Why was he eating your face? Why are you snogging him,” he pointed to James, “in a supplies’ closet?”
“Would you rather I do it in the Great Hall?”
“Would I- what the fuck? No! I would rather you didn’t snog my best mate at all,” he gestured frantically. “You’re not even old enough to be doing stuff like that.”
James frowned, “He’s sixteen, you started snogging Remus at fifteen.”
Sirius’ attention snapped back to James, “Stay out of it! Wait, actually, what the fuck were you thinking? What the hell, James? That’s my brother! My baby brother! Why are you- do you even- what the fuck? This is basically incest!”
“That’s not…” Remus trailed off.
“Idiot."
“Yeah, Reggie is my brother and you’re like, my acquired brother which basically makes you both brothers and you’re making out so that’s incest.”
“That’s not how it works and you know that,” glared Reggie.
“Okay but still messed up, what the fuck? Like? Are you drunk? Are you high? Is this the first time?”
“Nope, nope and no.”
“Um, well,” James interjected, “he’s… kinda, totally, definitely, my boyfriend… so, uh, not really a one time thing…”
“Since when? How did I not know that?”
“You’re not exactly the most attentive, are you?” asked Reggie. “Anyway, I don’t know why you’re overreacting like this when this is really your fault if you think about it.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? How did I make you shove your tongue down his throat?”
Remus murmured a “Don’t be crass” as James sent his own boyfriend a quizzical look.
"Do you remember that conversation we had last summer?"
Sirius' face scrunched up, "What? What conversation?"
"You know," he smirked, "when you had that whole speech about how you wanted me to join your group and how you’ve been feeling like that for a while and blah blah blah and then you said I should probably, at least, get to know James better since I was stuck at his house for the summer while you were with your boyfriend?"
The slytherin laughed and crossed his arms, "Well, consider it done."
Sirius bleached and wildly gestured between the couple, "When I said to get to know him I didn't mean carnally!"
Jameds turned redder than his gryffindor tie and held his hands up, "Hey Pads, nonono, we didn't-" he cleared his throat, "uh, we didn't... well, you know- we um, we just-"
His friend closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Please, stop talking."
"Right,” he nodded, “yep. Got it."
Sirius sighed, “Well, I suppose you’re better than some random bloke.”
James raised an eyebrow, “You suppose?”
“But I’ll tail you like a hound during spring break so don’t get any funny ideas,” he waggled his finger in between the both of them.
“I’ll hex you,” said Reggie at the same time that James said, “Deal.”
They all awkwardly stared at each other for a moment before James asked, “Wait, were you two about to make out in here?”
“Mind your business, Potter. You’re already threading on very thin ice.”
They all laughed and left the room.