Work Text:
James
The first of September 1976 was a Wednesday. It was rainy, cold and long. The wind was blowing so hard you could hear it, and as James sat in the train compartment and watched as the rain drops fell against the train window he thought of the summer holidays.
Mid July James and his friend group ( including the girls - including Lily Evans) decided they meet at James's and swim in the lake near his home.
Everyone was having fun. Remus and Sirius who finaly put an end to the little game of theirs and admited their feelings for eachother. Mary and Peter - who had been together since the start of the 6th year - also made time for each other and decided it was better to snog eachother rather than spend their quality time with the friend group. And Marlene who decided to bring her girlfriend and quickly after, they both disapeared Merlin knows where. Godric, those horny lesbians.
Everyone was coupled up except, well James and Lily. A month ago he would have probably already asked her out 3 times in the span of 5 minutes.
But then, as he watched her auburn hair, and her sage green eyes he used to write songs about in his 3rd year ( those were dark times he admits) he realised that he didn't feel nervous like those previous times.
His heart didn't beat as fast as humanly possible whenever he was around her and his hands didn't become sweaty whenever he just thought about holding her hand. He didn't feel the butterflies in his stomach as he used to. And then, to his utter horror he realised that he wasn't in love with Lily anymore.
James Potter wasn't in love with Lily Evans anymore.
And that didn't sit well with him because lets be honest; who is James Potter without his loud and obvious love for Lily Evans?
And it was at that time that James realised that he had no personality other than quidditch and his love for Lily Evans. It was sad honestly. He spent the rest of the summer holidays thinking about it.
And that brings him to this day, September first, 1976. He's watching the rain drop trail down the window gently. In the backround Peter and Remus are playing wizard chess and Sirius is asleep, the poor sod stayed up the whole night planing their first prank for this year. Meanwhile, James is brooding.
He isn't in love with Lily Evans. What now? That is what he's been asking himself all summer. All those years in Hogwarts were filled with ; quidditch practices, planing pranks and last but not least : thinking about Evans and asking her out.
He was starting his 7th -and final year- and he's sure as hell wouldn't go down in Hogwarts history as James Potter - the bloke whose achivement in all those 7 years was being obssessed with one girl who wouldn't give him a chance. And he doesn't blame Lily for it - not even close. He still wants to be her friend but only a friend.
He needs to snog someone. Immediately.
He quickly stands up, then heads to the door.
" I'm going to go out for a bit, maybe buy some sweets. Want anything?" He wispers to Remus and Peter so he won't wake Sirius.
"Maybe some bar of chocolate?" Wispers back Remus quietly.
" Oh! Oh! I am craving some sherbert lemons Prongs! Could you please get me some?"
Peter whisper-shouts.
"Of course Wormie,"
Says James quickly then heads out the door.
• • •
James knows he's not the hottest person in Hogwarts, but he's certainly not the ugliest either. So finding somebody for a quick snog wasn't very hard.
So that's how he finds himself in one of the train toilets, with some Hufflepuff 6th year against him. Pinned against one of the toilet doors, his leg between her thighs.
He is no stranger to snogging. He had done it plenty of times at parties but of course at that time only Lily Evans mattered.
But now the only thing that is currently important is the distraction. He knows that that's not very nice, but at least he knows the girl's name - Sophie. He is not a brute. Euphemia Potter raised a gentelman.
He drags his mouth down Sophie's neck and her hands tighten around him. He sucks into the skin then presses kissess to the abused part. Just as she is about to grind into James's leg the door suddenly opens and they are met with Barty Crouch.
They quickly jump apart and Sophie runs out of the toilet and what James can guess is into her train compartment.
He looks at Crouch who has a manic grin on his face. He lifts one of his peirced eyebrows but before he could say anything, James walks out of the toilet, and back to his compartment.
As he walks in he gives the sweets he promised to Moony and Wormie and goes back to his seat. He's already in a better mood and they all start talking and planing their prank.
And if his friends notice that his clothes are more wrinkled and his hair more disheveld, they don't say anything.
• ☆ •
Regulus
Regulus Black had a long summer. He finaly found some bravery and decided to leave Grimmauld Place. He was warmly welcomed to the Rosier home, so now he lives with Pandora and Evan and he couldn't be happier.
He misses his brother and loves him still, but Sirius has hurt him and has clearly replaced him with his new and better "brother" ; James Potter.
Gryffindor's golden boy, the quidditch prodigy. The loud, kind, brave boy. He's everything Regulus isn't. So of course the gods hated him because that boy who took his brother away from him is also the boy who made Regulus realise that boys don't need to like and kiss girls. He made him realise that boys can like boys.
Regulus didn't even know that it was an option. He just thought that all boys thought girls were disgusting creatures and that he would like them when he gets older. It turns out Regulus is just gay.
It was hard at first, trying to unlearn that liking someone or being attracted to someone who is the same gender as you isn't disgusting or a sin. It was normal. His friends helped him. They were very supportive of him and since then always tried to set him up with someone.
And when his friends found out that he liked James Potter since the first time he saw him, he just wished he could have had a time-turner. He really did. They bullied him constantly for it. And for some time he thought he had gotten over his silly crush, but then.
It happened 2 years ago, when Regulus was in his fourth year. The 5th and 6th years were having a party, mid April, and Regulus's friends decided it would be a good thhng to sneak in. The marauders ( that's what they call themselves, a truly stupid thing to be honest) and some older kids were playing truth or dare and Sirius dared James to jump into the Black lake with clothes on.
Regulus could never forget the scene that he saw.
James Potter in his white wet shirt, which is clinging to his body like a second skin. He still remebers a single drop of lake water going all the way from his jaw to his collarbone, that was when Regulus's thoughts weren't about holding hands with James, or hugging him. No. For the first time Regulus wished he could have come closed and licked that drop himself-
His daydreams are interupted by Barty when he barges in their train compartment.
"You will not believe what i just witnesed!!"
Barty was practicly giggling like a kid on a christmas morning.
" POTTER WAS SNOGGING A RANDOM GIRL"
Regulus didn't know why this broke his heart a little. He knew that James was straight. He knew that even if he wasn't he would never go for his best friends brother. But it still hurt.
"And this brings you joy why?" Questioned Dorcas.
Barty looked at her like she was the weird one.
" This means that he's over that Evans girl and Reg can finaly have a chance to ride his .... broom."
Regulus loved Barty, he really did. People often said that he is just cold and unemotional person who didn't care about anyone, but those who knew him , knew that he is none of those things. He would kill for all of his friends . He loved them that much.
But as Barty finished his sentence Regulus really thought about throwing him off the train.
First there was silence and then things happened all at once. Regulus swears he saw Evan's only hope for Barty vanish and Evan just shook his head.
Regulus just froze and stared at Barty. Dorcas and Pandora had just burst into crazy laughter.
And as Regulus looked around the compartment he realised that he couldn't have found a better family.
• • •
The hat sorting ceremony felf like it took ages and the feast was no different. At least the weather was nice. He missed the rain if he was honest.
Barty, Evan and him made their way to their rooms and soon after slumber took them.
Only Regulus can never sleep for long. He woke up at midnight. Regulus has two options now: either stay in bed and try to fall asleep again ( which won't happen but at least he tried or he can sneak into the Astronomy tower to start reading his new book of poems Pandora got for him because she thinks he reads too "dark and scary" literature.
He makes his way toward the tower. The hallways always seem longer and colder at night.
As he steps into the tower the first thing he automaticly does is to look into the starry sky and searches for the Canis Major constellation and goes to find Sirius.
And as his eyes find the star he quietly murmures the words he hadn't said in a long time.
"Tu me manques, Siri" ( I miss you, Siri )
And that is that. Because nothing he does and says will make things better, make things change.
He opens the book and starts reading the first poem.
The night
has a thousand eyes
by Francis William Bourdillon
The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies
With the dying sun.
The mind has a thousand eyes,
And the heart but one;
Yet the light of a whole life dies
When love is done.
He doesn't know how long he stands there, watching, re-reading the poem but the next thing he knows is that he hears steps getting closer and someone cursing.
He panics and the panic must cause him to shift to his animagus form. As he turns he drops his book ( which is forgotten by his panic) and runs straight to the door.
He only realises that he left his book whem he comes back to his room.
• • •
James
James couldn't sleep. He tried, he really did. But his brain couldn't shut up, so he took his cloak and quietly made his way outside.
He didn't know where he was headed but the next thing he knew was that he was standing in front of the entrance of the Astronomy tower. Just as he was about to head in he hit his foot in the wall. It hurt. A lot.
Next thing he knew he was cursing the walls entire bloodline.
He stepped into the tower and a little black kitten ran past him.
He was tired by that point so he didn't question it and just went inside. And then he saw it. There was a book, wrapped in dark green leather and books tittle was written in gold.
The most beautiful poems
He didn't know what took over him but it felt like the book was calling to him. He took the book and started reading.