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It had become something of a spectacle at Hogwarts: the infamous Gryffindor, James Potter, constantly asking out Slytherin’s Sirius Black. It was almost a tradition by now. James would strut into the middle of a group of Slytherins, usually while they were lounging by the lake or sitting together in the Great Hall, and with a smirk plastered on his face, he would ask Sirius out on a date. It didn’t matter that Sirius always rejected him. It didn’t matter that Sirius’ friends—Avery, Snape, Barty Crouch Jr., Evan Rosier, Dorcas Meadows, and his younger brother Regulus, along with Regulus’ Ravenclaw friend Pandora—were always around to witness it. James did it every single time.
Today was no different. As the Slytherins sat together by the lake, James swaggered up to them, ruffling his already messy hair as he approached. He gave Sirius a dramatic wink, ignoring the sneers and glares from the other Slytherins.
"Oi, Black," James called, his voice loud and overly confident. "Fancy going to Hogsmeade with me this weekend? You and me, we can make it a date."
Sirius didn’t even look up from where he was lazily sprawled on the grass, flipping through a book. Without missing a beat, he replied, "Piss off, Potter."
The Slytherins snickered, enjoying the show as James pretended to look wounded. He placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Sirius. Truly."
"Maybe if you stop asking, you might stand a chance," Evan added mockingly, and the others laughed harder.
James grinned, undeterred, and gave a mock bow. "Another day, then," he said, flashing Sirius another wink before sauntering off.
As soon as James was out of earshot, Sirius allowed a small, secretive smile to slip onto his face. He shut his book with a snap and leaned back on the grass, staring up at the sky with a content expression. None of his friends noticed the fleeting look, too busy enjoying the spectacle James always provided.
Because what no one else knew—not Regulus, not Snape, not Barty or the rest—was that Sirius and James had been secretly seeing each other for months now. The whole routine of James asking him out and getting rejected? It was all an act.
That night, after curfew, James sneaked down into the dungeons, making sure to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris. He slipped into the Slytherin common room using a trick Sirius had taught him and quietly made his way to the boys’ dormitories. Sirius had left his door slightly ajar, a sign that he was waiting for James.
As soon as James stepped inside, Sirius grabbed him by the front of his robes and pulled him in, slamming the door shut behind them.
“You took your time,” Sirius growled, his voice low and possessive, but the teasing glint in his eyes gave him away.
James smirked. “Missed me, did you?”
“Shut up,” Sirius muttered before pushing James down onto his bed, pinning him beneath him. Sirius hovered over James, his taller frame casting a shadow over the Gryffindor. James’ breath hitched as Sirius’ lips descended on his, the kiss rough and urgent.
It wasn’t long before Sirius’ lips left James’ mouth to trail down his neck, leaving a path of heated kisses and bites in their wake. James groaned, his hands fisting into Sirius’ shirt, pulling him closer. He could feel the possessiveness in every kiss, every bite, and it made his head spin.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were panting, their clothes disheveled and their hair a wild mess. Sirius’ grey eyes were dark and intense as they locked with James’ hazel ones. “Your mine, Potter,” he whispered, his voice rough and full of need.
James grinned lazily, running a hand through Sirius’ hair. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
They fell asleep like that, tangled in each other’s arms, Sirius’ possessive hold never faltering throughout the night.
---
The next morning, they woke with a start, realizing they had overslept and missed breakfast entirely. In their rush to get dressed and head to class, they barely noticed the switched ties—James was wearing Sirius’ Slytherin tie, and Sirius had accidentally grabbed James’ Gryffindor one.
It wasn’t until they were halfway through their first class that Sirius felt something was off. He glanced down and realized with horror that he was wearing the wrong tie. He quickly glanced around the room, but no one seemed to have noticed yet. Still, his heart raced. He and James had been careful about their secret, but this… this could ruin everything.
By the time lunch rolled around, Sirius’ friends were beginning to notice. It was Avery who pointed it out first, narrowing his eyes as he leaned over to Sirius. “Mate, why the hell are you wearing a Gryffindor tie?”
Sirius froze. His hand instinctively reached up to touch the tie around his neck, his stomach dropping. Before he could come up with an excuse, Evan joined in, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Yeah, Sirius. What’s going on?”
Pandora tilted her head, her raven-black hair falling over one shoulder. “Maybe he’s seeing someone in Gryffindor?” she suggested with a mischievous smile.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Snape muttered, but he, too, was eyeing Sirius suspiciously.
Evan, never one to miss out on gossip, grinned. “You know what we should do? We should go over to the Gryffindor table and see who it is. Maybe it’ll give us a clue.”
Before Sirius could protest, his friends were already dragging him toward the Gryffindor table. His pulse quickened as they neared, panic rising in his chest.
---
At the same time, James’ friends were noticing something strange about him too.
“James, why the hell are you wearing a Slytherin tie?” Lily asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the green and silver tie around James’ neck.
James paled. In his rush to leave Sirius’ dorm, he hadn’t even noticed. “Uh…”
Before he could come up with an explanation, Marlene and Mary were pulling him up from the table. “Come on, we’re going to the Slytherin table to get to the bottom of this.”
The two groups—Slytherins and Gryffindors—met in the middle of the Great Hall, staring each other down with confusion. Sirius and James’ eyes locked, both of them realizing at the same moment just how badly they’d messed up.
It was Barty who made the first move. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stepped closer to James, grabbing him by the collar. “Let’s see something,” he muttered before tugging the collar down, revealing the dark bite marks littering James’ neck.
There was a collective gasp.
Sirius flushed red, while James looked like he was ready to bolt.
“What the hell…” Regulus murmured, his eyes wide.
James took that as his cue to run. He shoved past the others, dashing out of the Great Hall. “I’m keeping the Slytherin tie, Sirius!” he shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared through the doors.
Sirius, flustered but laughing, followed him out, leaving behind a hall full of bewildered students and two stunned groups of friends.