I’ve always imagined Sirius being softer and taller than James. Which was short but well - with a sporty constitution. So, what about cute cuddling with James getting all the warmth and best hugs from Sirius? :)
James threw himself onto his bed with an exhausted sigh, head not quite on his pillow and feet far from dangling off the end. He was far too upset to bother with taking his quidditch uniform off, even if he did smell a little. He was in a bedroom belonging to four twelve year old boys, it's not like he could make it smell any worse.
He moved over a little on the bed to allow space for Sirius, who had paused to change into his pyjamas before he dropped onto the bed beside him. They were exactly the same height, their heads and feet both brushing together, and it made it perfect for their post-game self-pity cuddling. James was always first to wrap himself around Sirius, arms wrapping around his waist, and Sirius was quick to follow suit, head resting on James’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe we lost to Hufflepuff,” James said straight into Sirius ear.
“Better than losing to Slytherin, mate.” Sirius’s breath was warm on his neck and he snuggled further into him for a moment.
“We’ve never lost to Slytherin,”
“Exactly. Can you imagine what it would be like if we’d lost to those slimy bastards today?” He gave him one last squeeze before pulling away, his nose scrunched up like he smelled something foul. “You need a shower.”
“You saying I stink, mate?” James said, but he was grinning so Sirius knew he didn’t really mean it.
“Yeah, you do.” Sirius grinned back, not a little mischief in his pretty grey eyes - James wasn’t sure it was normal to think of his best mate’s eyes as pretty, but they were, and James didn’t like to let other people’s opinions affect him - and pointed his wand at James. “Aguamenti!”
James yelped as the stream of water hit him square in the face, flooding his glasses and soaking down the front of his uniform. Sirius laughed, loud and delighted, and James really had no choice but to chase after him, blinded by the water still clinging to his glasses.
_________________________
James grinned at Sirius, looking down on him though there was barely an inch between them in height. Sirius was frowning at the two small marks on the doorframe of James’s bedroom door, James’s name in Euphemia’s handwriting a small space above his own. For the entirety of their friendship, they’d been exactly the same height, and now at fourteen despite Sirius’s growth spurt over the beginning of summer, here was evidence that James was taller than him.
The expression of deep rooted annoyance on Sirius’s face made James laugh, and he pulled him to him with both hands on his shoulders. Sirius’s arms wrapped around his waist instantly, still pouting into James’s shoulder, and James held him close in mock comfort, the lie evident in the fact that James was still laughing. He only laughed harder when, on his very tiptoes, he managed to rest his chin on Sirius’s head, and Sirius let out an undignified whine.
“Oh mate, I’m sure you’ll catch up soon.” Sirius made a small nullified noise at that, only to shove him away a moment later when he added, “But I’ll take over again for sure.”
“It’s so unfair,” he said, looking like he was just one more comment away from stamping his foot like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.
“Now now boys,” Euphemia said, ruffling a hand through Sirius’s hair then her son’s. “You have the rest of your lives to fight about this, and we need to get to Diagon Alley.”
With that she left the room to collect the last of their things before they headed off, leaving James and Sirius alone in the room. They stood staring at each other for a moment, James with a smile still clinging to his lips and Sirius with the pout lingering around his mouth.
“Come on,” James said, throwing his arm around Sirius’s shoulder. “Think about how much better the cuddles will be now I’m taller.”
Sirius groaned but leaned into him anyway as they followed Euphemia out of the room.
_________________________________
“Are you fucking joking?!”
Sirius did not so much as laugh as he did cackle at the angered look on James’s face. He was staring at the marks on the doorframe of the seventh year Gryffindor boys dormitory, showing for the first time in four years that Sirius had finally outgrown James. Remus’s mark was far above both of theirs, and Peter’s somewhat below, but those weren’t so important, Remus had always been taller and Peter smaller, what mattered was that once James and Sirius had been the same height, then James was taller, and now their roles had been reversed.
“Bit of an extreme reaction there mate,” Remus said with a roll of his eyes. Peter looked almost excited to see what the other two would do, like they were on the verge of a vicious but hugely entertaining fight.
“It’s not fair!” James exclaimed again, turning beseeching eyes onto Sirius. “It’s not even just a little bit.”
It wasn’t either, Sirius had somehow managed to gain a good four inches on him in just one semester. In truth, James was mostly annoyed by how he hadn’t noticed. Surely since he and Sirius were together now, properly, after a couple of years of to-ing and fro-ing, he would have noticed having to stretch up to kiss him.
Sirius pulled him close, not even having to reach to kiss the top of James’s head, and really how had James not noticed? James cuddled into him automatically, pressing his face to Sirius’s shoulder.
“And really,” Sirius began, not bothering to try and hide the sarcasm in his voice, “think how much better cuddles will be now I’m taller.”
James made a low noise at being mocked for something he’d said years prior, but clung to Sirius tighter, which rather lessened the venom of his next words. “I hate you.”
“You love me,” Sirius said and leaned down to kiss him. Which was also true, James guessed.
_____________________
Now that they were older and wiser and had proper jobs, their bodies had changed a bit. Playing professional quidditch meant that James’s boyhood muscles had strengthened and hardened into actual athlete muscles, while the lack of quidditch for Sirius meant that he’d softened up a bit, a little fat on his belly and around his arms and thighs. Of course, James still thought he was the most attractive person to have ever walked the Earth and Sirius quite liked it too.
Sirius was there when practise finished to take James for lunch, something indulgent with lots of little sandwiches and not so little cakes and enough tea to drown a goldfish. Clean and with aching muscles, James launched himself into Sirius’s arms, tucking himself under Sirius chin and squeezing him close, soft and warm and smelling faintly of engine oil and leather.
“I love you so much, you give the best cuddles,” James said into his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his neck. He never had grown to be the same height as Sirius in the end, in fact Sirius had grown even taller, but James’s comment when he was fourteen has turned out to be true; it was better to cuddle someone taller than you.
“So you only love me for my cuddles,” Sirius said, all forlorn.
“I love loads of things about you,” James said pressing closer to his husband. “But yes, the cuddles are very important.”
The pair laughed into each other for a few moments more, before apparating off to whatever restaurant Sirius had booked and filling themselves to the brim.
Three months out of Hogwarts and the Marauders have already managed to make a mess of their lives; idealist James has dropped out of Auror training, Remus has been rejected for every job he’s applied for – being a werewolf surprisingly doesn’t seem to be helping – Sirius has burned through every last knut his mad old uncle left him in his will, mostly on alcohol, and Peter, well, when did Peter ever have his life together? So they’ve done the only thing they can do – opened a muggle pub in a seedy part of London called Moony’s Rest, like that’s funny or something, with the rest of James’s inheritance and hoped for the best.
Unfortunately for the Gryffindor girls, this happens to be right around the corner from their flat, and really, Lily does not want to have to see her ex-boyfriend, James, every morning on her way to work. Especially when he’s still so fit, and likes to jog past her bedroom window with his ‘dog’, who she’s fairly certain is actually just Sirius, just as she’s getting out of the shower. He winks at her, still full of the same arrogance as he was at Hogwarts, and Lily, of course, hates it; or at least, that’s what she tells herself.
Fortunately, at least for a while, the girls manage to stay out of the pub, that is until mysterious noises are heard from it in the middle of the day and Marlene can’t help but drag them all into a mystery.
I hope this isn’t too much to ask of you but could you do one where James and Sirius are married but Sirius is depressed or something along the lines of that? (could it be super angsty then end fluffy but it doesn’t have to be) :3
((Note: Warning for a bit of depression per the prompt))
Sirius never slept for long, that had been true for as long as James had known him. At first he'd simply thought Sirius just didn't need it, content on little more than a quick four hours. It hadn't really been until the third Christmas Sirius spent with the Potters and Sirius slept for a solid fifteen hours that first night that James realised Sirius didn't sleep because something was wrong. Even now they've been married for nearly ten years and Sirius hasn't spoken to the Blacks in far longer, him sleeping for more than a few hours is unusual, awake long after James has fallen asleep and gulping down piping hot tea before he wakes.
Knowing this, James never wakes Sirius if he oversleeps, even during the week when they're both expected to be in the Aurors office before nine. Sirius finally getting a good night’s sleep is more than worth the row James gets from Scrimgeour, and Moody and Kingsley are always there to stand up with him.
So when, on one dark winter morning just before seven, Sirius is still fast asleep, curled against James's side, he's as gentle as possible as he slips from the bed and draws the curtains. It's a mostly pointless exercise, it's still pitch black outside more than a month out from the winter solstice, and it makes no difference to the interior of the room. He feels the draw of his lovely warm bed and his lovely warm husband in it like an ache in his belly, and when he leans down to kiss Sirius's smooth forehead before he apparates away, its almost impossible to deny. He does though, knowing even Moody will have a hard time covering up both of their absences.
He doesn’t really think about it for the rest of the day, not when Scrimgeour shouts at him about priorities and honesty and all that shit, and not when Sirius doesn’t answer his mirror-call at lunch time. In fact, he doesn’t think about it at all until he returns home, and not even a faint mumble from their bedroom answers his arrival. He tries the mirror again, wondering if Sirius has gone out to get some last minute thing, but gives up on the fourth ring when he still gets no answer, his own face still staring back at him, slightly blurry around the edges from the vibration.
“Sirius,” he calls, first into the kitchen then up the stairs. “Padfoot! Sirius?”
He doesn’t even hear the thud of the cat jumping off the bed like she normally does when he returns home, or makes too much noise in general.
Worry sinks like a stone in his gut as he keeps calling on his way upstairs and no answer is forthcoming. He pauses outside their closed bedroom door, holding his breath to see if he can hear anything at all. Nothing. He pulls out his wand, always the auror, and holds it close as he pushes open the door, faint orange light spilling out into the corridor.
The voice is so quiet he barely hears it. “Sorry, love. ‘M just here.”
He lets out a low sigh of relief and pushes the door open fully, walking in to see Sirius still in bed, completely covered by the duvet, the only things visible a fan of black hair on the pillow and a tiny black paw hanging over the bed.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he asks as he pulls off his boots and discards his cloak, letting it fall in a deep red puddle on the floor. No answer comes bar the slight shifting of the bodies under the covered and the appearance of the top of Sirius face, grey eyes red and raw and immeasurably sad.
James’s heart tightens at the look, at the knowledge that he missed just how bad a day Sirius was having. He should have woken him in the morning he realises, should have taken the day off with him, snuggled in their bed.
Sirius slinks back under the covers as James climbs in, pulling them over his own head to enclose the three of them completely. His husband reaches for him instantly, he scoots Elvendork out of the way to pull him into his arms. He doesn’t bother asking what’s wrong, knowing the inevitable answer of ‘nothing’ would be both completely correct and immeasurably incorrect. What is wrong with Sirius has little to do with the here and now, and everything to do with his own mind and the crippling lack of sunlight provided by the British winters.
Though certainly not happier, Sirius does seem more at peace in James’s arms, no longer crying but still sniffling. James doesn’t want to leave him alone ever again. They lie like that for a while, neither sleeping nor fully awake, with Elvendork curled up like a furry hot water bottle at James back, until Sirius’s stomach rumbles loudly enough to rouse the cat from her slumber.
“Indian?” James asks, readying himself to go for the take away place down the street. Lily has introduced them both to many muggle things, both great and small, but take away is definitely the best thing the muggles have ever invented. That, and the telly. They even have a phone, just so they can order it.
Sirius nods, and James slips out of bed to get the phone with the promise that he’ll be back in just a minute. Downstairs, he orders Sirius’s favourite with loads of rice and bread, like carbs will somehow cure all of Sirius’s depression. It won’t, and neither will James’s unconditional love, but neither will hurt him either.
When it arrives, they eat in bed as James tells Sirius how the day without him went, and once they’re done, James runs a piping hot bath and sinks into it alongside Sirius. They end the day back in bed, with James having written a message for both of them to have the next day off, claiming a cough and a cold, and Sirius is feeling a little better, if not a lot. Sometimes, they just need to take it in little bits.
Hey, can you do a prompt where Sirius gets a habit of chewing from padfoot so he chews all the ties of James’ hoodies which irritated James a little so he decides to get sirius a chew toy and they look for one together. Fluff please. Thank you.
James returns to their dorm excited to see his boyfriend. Since being made Head Boy, James has been spending hours upon hours every week with Lily Evans, which two years ago would have delighted him to no end, but now that that delusional part of his life is over, it just leaves him with more responsibility and less time to spend with Sirius. Lily waves to him as she heads up the spiral staircase to the girls rooms as he ascends the stairs to his own room of the past seven years. He’s arranged for their best mates to give them a few hours of boyfriend time, and he can’t wait to curl up with Sirius, just the two of them, for the first time in days.
The room is quieter than James had been expecting; its rare that Sirius doesn’t have the record player James got him for Christmas blaring something yet its silent in its place on the chest of drawers. Sirius isn’t making music himself either, singing and playing the guitar he’s really unfairly good at despite having only got it less than a month ago, nor is he in the shower, or playing Exploding Snap against himself, or chess, there’s not even the rustle of paper as he reads. James frowns, wondering where the other boy has gone to without him when he hears it, the soft, wet sound of a dog chewing a bedcover.
Padfoot doesn’t even look guilty when his huge black eyes meet James’s from where he’s lying on the floor, gnawing on James’s bedcover. James plants his hands on his hips and raises his eyebrows – both, because he can’t arch just one like Sirius – at the dog, giving him the most reproachful look he can standing between their beds. Padfoot gives the cover one final bite before he stands. One moment Padfoot is standing there, tail wagging excitedly, the next James has his boyfriend launching himself at him. James catches him without staggering, because yeah, Sirius is bigger than him, but he has Quidditch muscles, and looses all the annoyance in him when Sirius takes his face in him cupped hands and kisses him, slick and slow and full of just how much Sirius has missed him.
They kiss like that for a while, Sirius supported wholly in James’s arms, until something, hair maybe, disturbs the way James is licking into Sirius’s mouth. He pulls away, ready to simply get Sirius to pull his long hair back, when he sees the red thread sitting on Sirius’s lip. He drops him immediately. Sirius barely has time to get his feet under him and start to complain about being put down so unceremoniously when James gets in first.
“That’s disgusting Si, you’ve got thread stuck in your teeth!”
Sirius reaches into his mouth and tugs, the thread coming free easily. He makes a disgusted face as he flicks it away and slinks back into James’s arms.
“Sorry love,” he says with a sheepish grin. They’ve discussed Sirius having unsanitary things in the same mouth he kisses James with before, plenty times, he knows how it annoys James to no end. It’s a good thing James loves him so much.
“Next time I catch you chewing things, I’m gonna get you a chew toy, like the dog you are.” They both laugh and within a moment are kissing again.
******
After, when they had sex on Sirius’s bed, since James’s is still covered in Padfoot’s drool, and again in the shower and they’re both redressed, Sirius is sitting snuggled in James’s lap, watching Peter as he excitedly describes what he and Remus found when they were out giving them space. James is wearing his favourite hoodie, dark red with long ties dangling right in front of Sirius’s mouth, and well, they just look so inviting.
He can’t pinpoint the moment exactly when the ties end up getting soaked in his mouth as he chews on them incessantly, but he can the moment James notices. He glances down at him, all loving hazel eyes, but the expression shifts to irritation as soon as he sees the red ties in Sirius’s mouth.
“What did I say Sirius!”
The ties are pulled from Sirius’s mouth as James moves back from him and strips off the article of clothing, chucking it straight into wash basket.
“I can’t help it James, it just happens.”
James watches him for a moment, takes in what Sirius is sure is a very convincingly pleading expression before sighing and shrugging his shoulders, all the fight in him gone and replaced with exasperated fondness. He slides back in behind him and pulls Sirius to his chest, only covered now in a t-shirt.
“We are getting you a chew toy.”
******
They quickly discover that Hogsmeade has little to offer in terms of chew toys, all the pets toys being aimed at cats and frogs and owls. James does pick up something for his owl, and Sirius cackles when he managed to find rat training toys, but in the end, they wind up in muggle Edinburgh, winding through the steep, crooked streets, hand in hand, their faces flushed with the thrill of their own open affections and the risk of breaking school rules.
They manage to find a dog toy easily enough, shaped like a bone and smelling of artificial bacon, but James gets the feeling that’s not the only kind of chew toy they’re looking for when Sirius flashes him a grin and leads him up a narrow set of steps, so steep it leaves them both breathless and then down several alleyways until he pulls him into what, by the contents, James can only assume is some kind of kink shop. The woman behind the counter is wearing all leather with a matching collar and smiles brightly at them as they enter. The walls are covered in various objects, some of which James knows the purpose of and much more of which he does not.
They stand just inside for a few moments, James staring wide eyed at all the merchandise while Sirius scans the shop for what they’re looking for. James can only assume he’s found it when the other boy tugs him firmly in one direction.
“Sirius,” he hisses in his boyfriend’s ear as they pass a whole row of human sized dog things, beds, bowls, several dog costumes and hundreds of collars. “How do you even know about this place?”
“Gideon told me.” Once, the name had filled James with green jealousy, but they’ve been together over a year now, and James can acknowledge they wouldn’t have gotten together if not for Sirius’s first boyfriend. James had still been pining for Lily when Sirius had first started seeing Gideon, but the thought of them being together had had James crying into his bed every night Sirius wasn’t in it. It was only when Sirius questioned the constant possessiveness James was displaying, destroying Sirius and Gideon’s relationship that James finally realised it had been Sirius he’d always wanted, and they finally got together.
“Si, we were sixteen when you were together.”
“He never brought me here, just told me it existed. But never mind that, look.”
The wall in front of them has a wide variety of chew toys, all clearly meant for a human mouth. Some are hard, like Padfoot’s bone, some are soft, some could’ve easily been mistaken for dildos. James can’t stop the blush that has formed when he sees those ones and gestures instead to a bright red plush one that he thinks Sirius would like. Sirius isn’t going to let him get away with that though.
“What about that one,” he suggests, grinning and pointing to one of the penis shaped ones a similar colour and size to James. The image of Sirius chewing on it fills his head, and he shakes it away violently.
“Definitely not, think it would give me the fear.”
Sirius laughs and gives him a quick kiss. They agree on the one James suggested and the woman at the counter winks when James buys it and immediately Sirius starts chewing on it.
“Enjoying yourself?” James asks when they’re home and Sirius is still chewing on it.
“Very much,” Sirius says around the soft material.
James grins. “As long as there’s no more thread in your teeth when we’re kissing.”
Sirius spits it out and arches one eyebrow, suggestion written all over his face. “There’s none now.”
They reach for each other at the same time and meet in the middle, lips quickly giving way to teeth and tongue, much to the annoyed groans of their best friends. They don’t particularly care.
Hiya! I'm not sure if I'm doing this write but here's a prompt I was going to write but got too lazy: Sirius going into Slytherin, either because he can't talk the sorting hat out of it or he owes it to Regulus or something and then James goes into Slytherin too because of Sirius. It can be as long or short as you want, really you don't have too. Thank you so much! I love Imagine James And Sirius
((Note: Black-typical child abuse references))
The younger Potters’ house, a small stone built cottage, comfortable for three, or five at most, sitting snugly in Aberdeenshire countryside not so far from the Potter Manse, is filled to bursting with guests, all there to celebrate Harry’s thirteenth birthday. Most of them are packed into the living room, perched on the arms of chairs and sitting in small heaps on the floor, and many are laughing at a story Fred and George Weasley have just finished telling about their misadventures with a ghoul. It’s a new story for Harry, and he laughs until he ribs hurt.
His dads are both smiling at him fondly, James from in front of the fireplace, a glass of firewhisky in his hand and looking strikingly like Fleamont with the flames throwing shadows over his dark brown skin, and Sirius from the floor at his feet, head thrown back to look up at him, his grey eyes full of mirth. Harry likes seeing them like this, happy and without restraint, but it doesn’t stop the groan leaving his mouth when Hermione sees the affectionate glances they share and decides to ask;
“How did you meet, Mr. Potter?”
Neither seem sure who she’s asking, but that has never stopped either of them. It’s a tale Harry has heard so many times before, and James always starts it the way he does now.
“Well, Hermione, you see, everyone always thinks we met on the Hogwarts Express, like yourself and Ron and Harry, or at the moments after our Sortings, but it was not some meeting of eyes across a train carriage or a crowed Great Hall, and knowing we’d found our forever best friends. We met before that. My parents liked to take me to parties they thought would be beneficial to me, so I would know some my classmates, and it was at Regulus’s-”
Here he pauses to wink at his brother in law, like Hermione might not recognise him, despite the uncanny similarity he has to Sirius. Regulus rolls his eyes, having heard this even more times than Harry, and goes back to drinking his wine.
“Seventh birthday party, I think, eighth maybe, that I met Sirius. And yes, I did know I’d marry him someday.”
“But Mr. Potter-”
“Call him James, Hermione, otherwise it gets confusing.”
“Yes Mr. Potter – I mean Sirius. But weren’t you only nine or ten?”
“Absolutely,” James says with a grin, and continues his story.
He did not know the quiet boy with the mischievous glint in his pretty grey eyes would one day be his husband, but looking back, James could say he wanted it, even then.
The night was cold and dark, the stars twinkling high in the sky like crystals thrown wide, stuck there eternally. James looked at them and pulled his heavy woollen cloak closer as he and his parents made their way up to the imposing door to number 12 Grimmauld Place. He had no idea why Euphemia and Fleamont were making him go, why they were even going themselves; he’d heard them complain on more than one occasion that the Blacks were awful blood purists and racists to boot. Yet they’d insisted there would be many children here tonight that would be in James’s year at school, children he should get to know sooner rather than later, and so here they were, despite James’s protests.
The front door swung open just as Fleamont’s knuckles made to knock, the woman behind it wearing a fake smile nearly as obvious as her deep red lipstick. By her side was a small boy, dark and sullen looking, half hiding behind his long black hair and half behind his mother. James smiled at him, his lumos smile Euphemia called it, bright enough to lift a whole room. The boy shot him a dirty look, full of sneering disgust, and James could only hope this was the birthday boy and not the brother he’d may or may not be sharing a dormitory with in the near future.
“Good evening, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter. And this must be little James!” Mrs. Black welcomed them, her tone as false and bright as her smile. James’s parents smiled back, equally fake and James found himself wondering yet again why they’d come here.
Once inside, an old house elf, twisted and gnarled like an ancient tree, look their cloaks and immediately vanished with them, muttering something about foreign blood under his breath. Affronted, James looked to his parents, but they were still exchanging pleasantries with the Blacks and hadn’t noticed the rude little elf. As long as the older brother wasn’t as sullen as the younger – Regulus, he remembered suddenly – nor as subversive as the elf.
As his parents talked and talked, and Regulus hid further and further into his mother’s skirts, James took the time to look around the house. It wasn’t anything like the Manse, not with its enormous stair ways and wide halls, but looking up the staircase, James guessed it might be of a similar size overall, he couldn’t even see where the stairs ended, up and up, round and round. His eyes followed the banister, trying to find the end, and instead, near what James could only assume had to be the very top of the stairs, he found a face looking down at him, nearly identical to the ones in front of him, except for in place of derision, there was an emotion James knew far better; mischief.
The shark’s grin on his sharp, surprisingly pretty, face was unmistakable even from such distance as he lifted what looked like some kind of ball, heavy and wobbly like jelly over the banister. He caught sight of James, pointed towards the ball, and winked. He knew where this was going and flattened himself against the wall by the stairs, hitting his head on some knife edged plaque, displaying what he thought might be a house elf’s head. The boy on the stairs, who could only be Sirius, dropped the ball silently and hid down behind the banister as it fell, almost in slow motion, towards the dark green carpet.
Walburga Black let out a scream of rage like no other James had ever heard as the ball exploded upon impact with the ground, releasing a wave of foul smelling green slime that splattered Mrs. Black, the whole hallway, and many of her guests, drowning out the sound of his laughter. Any humour he might have felt, and he’d felt rather a lot of it, vanished with the sound, and the look of fury that twisted Walburga’s face, dark grey eyes immediately going to exactly where Sirius had been standing. Most of the guests were making horrified noises themselves, trying to wipe slime from their robes and hair and glasses; they all stopped at the sound of Mrs. Black screaming her elder son’s name.
“Walburga,” Mr. Black hissed, “Do not cause a scene.” He went back to making placating noises at his guests, saying how sorry he was, how much of accident it must have been, but all eyes were on Mrs. Black now as she positively flew up the stairs.
James had expected to dislike the Blacks, even to hate them, but he hadn’t expected the fear that gripped him as it did then the closer Walburga got to her elder son. He had never even spoken to the other boy, yet somehow he felt the need to protect him from his mother’s rage, a need he would find would never go away.
“Mum,” he said, almost a whisper, certainly desperate. Euphemia looked at him, covered from head to toe in dark green as she was, and there was irritation in her face, but also understanding. She shook her head.
The party ended not long after that, though Cygnus managed to clean everyone and everything with just a command to his house elf, supremely apologetic and offering everyone, including James a large glass of champagne to wash off the memory. The Potters might even have stayed had Walburga not come down the stairs moments later, looking completely unruffled bar the small stain of blood on her left sleeve.
James thought of Sirius often after that, though it was a long time before he saw him again. He thought of the mischievous grin, the pretty face, the almond shaped eyes now he couldn’t remember the colour of; were they brown, blue? Hazel, likes James? He couldn’t remember much, except that he wanted to see him again.
The McKinnon’s Christmas parties were legendary, or so Fleamont decided when he announced they would be attending the affair one afternoon in the early winter before James turned eleven. He’d been to plenty pureblood parties since the one for Regulus’s birthday and now, and yet he’d never once seen Sirius again, much to his disappointment. He’d heard his name plenty times though, in the whisperings of other children and parents. The party had left the Blacks veritable pariahs, what with the mess they’d made, and the overreaction of Walburga, but the wedding of Bellatrix Black and Rodolpus Lestrange had managed to lessen the effects somewhat, and James was finally getting his chance to see Sirius again. Euphemia and Fleamont both seemed a little perplexed by their son’s reaction to getting to see a boy he had never technically met, yet they said nothing.
The ballroom at the McKinnon’s town house was decorated all in gold and green, matching the dress Mrs. McKinnon wore when she led them into the room. There was so much to look at from the enormous tree with tiny green fairies fluttering about it to the small gaggle of children at the top end of the room, most familiar now from all the parties. Marlene was there looking pretty as ever in a glittery gold dress that matched her hair, but James’s eyes skittered over her and the other children there.
Grey. Sirius’s eyes were grey, James realised when his gaze landed on the other boy. He didn’t even realise he was walking towards him, grin on his face, until he was before the other boy, holding out his hand.
“I’m James Potter.”
Sirius raised his eyebrows, amusement clear in his eyes, but took James hand anyway and shook it once. “Sirius Black.”
“I know. I saw you at your brother’s party.”
Sirius grinned at the mention of the party. “That was good wasn’t it. I remember your face.”
“Your dad gave me champagne,” James told him.
Sirius rolled his eyes exaggeratedly but his grin stayed in place. “He does that. Wanna see if we can make the tree fairies start screaming?”
The boy Sirius had been talking to balked at that, his mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish stuck in a too-small bowl. “I-I-Well I don’t think you should-”
“Maybe if we spin them?” James asked, and led the way over to the tree, glancing over his shoulder to check Sirius was following.
They did manage to get the fairies to scream, and to turn all the green baubles red, and to make the tinsel slither around the guests throats like snakes. After the look of rage on Walburga’s face when a tinsel snake wrapped a touch too tight around her neck, the two boys ran as fast as their gangly legs would carry them out the ballroom, down a spiral set of stairs and out into the garden, cold biting at James’s cheeks as soon as he set foot outside. For a moment they stood still and silent in the dark garden until a burst of laughter bubbled from Sirius’s lips.
His laugh was deep and throaty, and James decided then it was the best sound he would ever hear. He couldn’t help they way he joined in until they were both gasping for breath, gripping onto each other’s shoulders.
“Did you see mum’s face?” Sirius asked between bursts of laughter. “She’s gonna be so angry.”
“Not as angry as the fairies!”
“Or indeed the McKinnons.” The sound of his father’s voice didn’t stop James’s laughter, yet suddenly Sirius was standing straight, no humour in his face, only defiance.
“Who’re you?” Sirius snapped, glaring at Fleamont.
“That’s my dad,” James said when he’d collected himself enough.
“Indeed.” Fleamont’s eyes met Sirius’s for a moment, as if Sirius was sizing him up. Fleamont didn’t even look properly angry, just annoyed.
“James, we’re leaving.” He waved off James’s protests and ushered his son out the door, abandoning Sirius in the garden.
Just as they were getting ready to apparate home from the front of the house, Sirius appeared and grabbed James’s sleeve.
“Mum won’t let me go to any more parties now. You’ll be at Hogwarts with me though, I’ll see you there?”
The boy looked worried almost as he examined James’s face. Merlin’s beard, he really was so pretty.
“Of course, Sirius,” James said. “We’re friends.”
From that night, James and Sirius began to write to each other, and though they didn’t see each other again until they met on the Hogwarts Express, they quickly became close friends. They planned pranks and wrote of the Quidditch stars they’d be, of how they’d rule the world.
When it came to their Sorting, there was no doubting they’d be in the same house. Sirius would go first, being a Black, and James would follow him anywhere, same as Sirius would have.
The house shouted, “Slytherin,” nearly as soon as it touched Sirius’s head, and James had no fear when he sat on the stool.
“Want to be in Slytherin, ey?” the hat said in his ear. “All for that boy? Gryffindor would suit you better.”
“I want to be with Sirius.” James thought.
The hat laughed, all unsettling but shouted “Slytherin!” all the same.
Sirius grinned and hugged him tight when he slipped into the seat beside him.
“Told you we’d be together,” James told him. He’d known since they’d first met, of course.
James grins as finishes his story, stopping only briefly to press a kiss to Sirius’s lips. Harry rolls his eyes at their affecting.
“So you should’ve been in Gryffindor then, Mr. Potter?” Hermione asks. Harry has never thought about that before, about how his dad could’ve been in his house. Or maybe if he had been, Harry wouldn’t exist at all.
“Never,” his dad says. “I was meant to be where Sirius was.”
Just James in a quidditch match and Sirius commenting and cheering his boyfriend on. James wins the match.
“Oof! Bones has a near miss from that bludger sent her way by that scumbag Avery-”
“Black!”
“What, Professor? Anyway, she’s got the Quaffle and she’s speeding down the pitch. Quick pass to McKinnon, well done, well done. She’s so close she’s gonna score but Selwyn’s gaining on her, he’s right at her tail. And Potter comes zooming in – he’s good at that, look how well he flies – she passes to him and YES JAMIE SCORE!! A beautiful shot from my beautiful boyfriend. That’s eighty – forty to Gryffindor! Fuck you Slytherin!!”
The Gryffindor stand erupted as Sirius whooped loudly, completely ignoring the lecture he was getting from McGonagall. James had known it would be a mistake, as far as old Minnie was concerned, to let Sirius be commentator since his broken arm from their last game hadn’t quite healed up enough to hold a beater yet, but he loved hearing his boyfriend’s voice booming out over the pitch. Remus would call him egotistical, yet he would love having Sirius shout to the skies about how amazing he was for all of Hogwarts, perhaps even all of Scotland, to hear too, if he had the chance. They’d tried it once, from the Astronomy tower, and Remus had objected loudly, but they’d all seen the pleased grin on his face.
Either way, James didn’t really have time to think about it as the game moved on and he snatched the Quaffle inches from Mercer’s grasping fingertips. He swooped low around Avery and spun around completely to miss a bludger heading for his head, his exhilaration at flying like this only compounded with Sirius’s praise for his every move.
“Look at the way he took that corner!! Ladies, gentlemen, Slytherins, that is how you fly.”
He passed quickly to Marlene as she headed for the goals, a quick flash of her eyes all he needed to see to know she was going for it. She passed to Bones, who passed straight back as Llewyn neared her. He let out a celebratory crow himself as Marlene scored and the Gryffindor stand started singing her name. Regulus was hovering somewhere above him, waiting for some sign of the snitch, no doubt making that screwed up face he made every time Sirius was loud or vulgar or said anything nice about James, like he’d just sucked on a particularly sour lemon. The idea made James laugh and then he was back in the game, scoring within seconds.
The game went on with Slytherin scoring three times and Gryffindor a further five. Eventually, with Sirius’s voice hoarse from all his screaming, he screeched his approval that their seeker, Smythe, only a second year mind you, to Regulus’s fifth, had caught the snitch, winning them the game and the cup. James did a few celebratory moves before practically throwing himself to the ground and hugging the little girl. She coughed and blushed, which she always did when James so much as looked at her.
“Well done kid!” he shouted in her ear as the rest of the team piled up on top of them.
“You too Captain,” she squeaked.
She opened her mouth to say something more when arms wrapped around him, lifting him straight up into the air. He twisted in Sirius’s arms to face him and hug him back fiercely.
“Put me down, you’ll hurt your arm,” he shouted over the noise of the Gryffindor’s still celebrating. He’d meant to sound stern, Sirius really would hurt himself, instead he sounded rather breathless. He couldn’t say whether it was from the exhilaration of the match or at the way Sirius was holding him.
“I’ll be fine,” Sirius insisted, setting him down anyway only to slide his arms around James’s waist. “Congratulations.”
James opened his mouth to reply only to find it immediately otherwise occupied with Sirius’s as his boyfriend dipped his head slightly to kiss him, slick and happy and easy. James gripped his shoulder with one hand and slid the other to grasp the back of his neck, keeping their mouths together so he could stay in the ever-blissful state of kissing Sirius. Not so long ago, Sirius would have flinched away rather than let James so much as hold his hand in the common room, and here they were kissing for all the school to see. He pushed himself forwards so there was no space between them as Sirius licked his way into his mouth.
“Enough of that now!” Marlene shouted as she pulled them apart to hug her captain herself, laughing all the while. Sirius flicked at her forehead and draped himself over James’s shoulders.
“You two really need to learn when it is not okay to have a full out snogging session,” Bones said, their Keeper Vance’s arm around her shoulders. “Like now.”
“I think its cute,” Smythe said, her blush deepening as Sirius winked at her.
“Potter, Smythe, the rest of you – yes, yes and you Black, you are part of the team – come up here and receive the cup.”
The whole team were guided by a beaming Professor McGonagall back up into the stands where Dumbledore stood with the Quidditch cup in his hands, smiling nearly as broadly as Minnie herself.
“Congratulations to our young Captain Potter and indeed his whole team,” he said as they arranged themselves into two rows. James stood in the centre of the first now, Smythe on his left and Marlene on his right with Bones on her other side. All the others were on the row behind them, he knew without looking it was Sirius’s hands on him from behind, resting on his shoulders, even though the beaters were supposed to act as brackets at either end. He wondered for a moment where Vance had decided to stand, given that his rightful spot had been stolen before Sirius’s fine boned thumbs, which really should not have held a beater so well as they did, rubbed against his neck, giving James a full body shiver and making him forget about everything else. Merlin’s beard, sometimes Sirius could melt him completely whilst barely even trying.
McGonagall gave him an exasperated look but returned to grinning as Dumbledore placed the cup on his hands. His whole team let out a deafening roar as he held it above his head, laughter bursting out of him along with his pride, at himself, at little Smythe, at Sirius and his whole team, the sound mimicked by the handful spells Minnie cast, a lion roaring above their heads. A man from the daily prophet appeared to take a picture, and just as he did, Sirius pulled him back to smack a wet kiss onto his cheek. The photographer spluttered and took several more pictures, but really, James hoped he used the first one.
Hi! Could you possibly write something with a very angsty love confession that then turns into complete fluff? With maybe a forehead kiss?
It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and as such curfew wasn’t in effect. Not that curfew had ever stopped James and Sirius before, but it was certainly more convenient to know that they couldn’t get in trouble. They had a room at the Three Broomsticks to get out of Peter and Remus’s hair, and also because officially, alcohol was prohibited at Hogwarts. Since they were of age and not on school grounds though, it was fine-- legal, even.
They were sat on the bed, passing a bottle of Firewhiskey spiked with a truth potion they had brewed back and forth. “Alright,” James said, throwing his glasses on the bedside table. “Who was your first kiss?”
“Benjy Fenwick.”
James narrowed his eyes at him. “When?”
“Third year.”
“You little sneak!” James shoved at Sirius’s shoulder and took the bottle from him. “You told me it was Mary in fifth!”
Sirius was grinning unrepentantly. “I was afraid to tell you I was bent back then.”
“You lied to me.” James took a swig. “Not to mention that you told me about the thing with Mary, y’know, when it happened, which was only a year ago.” Well, closer to two years, but it was the principle of the matter. He peered at Sirius suspiciously. “Did it even happen or was that a lie too?”
“No, it happened, I just didn’t like it very much.”
James snorted. “‘Didn’t like it very much’,” he repeated. “Unbelievable.”
“Not all of us like birds the way you do, Jamie.”
“I don’t like birds,” he said, rolling his eyes.
Sirius frowned at him. “Then why are you always going on and on about Evans?”
James shrugged, shifting his legs on the mattress even though he was perfectly comfortable. They were getting to the area James desperately wanted to be in when he initially suggested this. He hadn’t had the balls to tell Sirius how he felt about him on his own, but now… “It’s what you were expecting to hear. I’m supposed to be head over heels for someone like Evans, so.” He spread his arms in a ‘and I delivered’ sort of pose, before taking another pull from the bottle. ‘Liquid courage’ people called it. He wasn’t so sure about that, but it did give him something to do other than sit there awkwardly and hope Sirius asked the right questions.
“Ohhh,” Sirius said, getting a shit-eating grin on his face. “Does that mean there is someone you’re head over heels for then?”
“Course there is,” James said casually, though his heart was pounding. If Sirius asked, then James would have to tell him, and he would know it’s the truth. He had a smile on his face, partly nervous, partly excited, mostly enjoying himself because finally-- finally-- he would know and then they could be together and ridiculously happy and sappy and disgusting.
“C’mon Prongs, cough it up. Who is it?”
“You.”
...Sirius laughed. He was laughing and he shook his head like James had just told a hilarious joke.
The smile slid off James’s face until all that was left was hurt.
Sirius grabbed the bottle from him and took a sip. “Looks like we need to keep working on this truth potion.” He shook what was left in the bottle and winked at James. “It could use some work.”
“It’s working fine you arse.” James scooted off the bed and grabbed his glasses, then stood to try and find his shoes. He’d kicked them off earlier, not paying attention to where they landed.
“Wait, where are you going?” Sirius asked, frowning.
“Back to the dorm.”
“Why?”
“Because you think the idea of me being in love with you is laughable and I just-” he found one of his shoes “-I can’t be around you right now.”
Sirius blinked, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Hey okay so the potion’s fucking up, it’s fine, we can fix it. Don’t-” he stood up when James found his other shoe and started to put them on “-don’t leave.”
“The potion’s working fine.” James whirled around. “But you want proof? You do? Alright, what’s one thing you never plan on telling me?”
“I slept with Remus over the summer,” he answered, then froze, the blood draining from his face.
James stared at him. “You-” He huffed out a laugh that could never be mistaken for being happy. “Wow.” He pressed his fingers to his eyes under his glasses to stop himself from crying. “Wow.” This was supposed to be the best night of his life to date, and instead it turned into one massive fuckup.
He cleared his throat, lowered his hands and walked out without glancing at Sirius.
Sirius stumbled back to the bed and dropped down. “Shit,” he said, shaking. “Shit.”
~~~
Remus was still awake when James got back to the dorm. “Where’s Peter?” he asked.
“Doing homework with Lily,” Remus answered cautiously. “Why? Where’s Sirius?” he added when he noticed James was alone. “I thought you were staying at the Three Broomsticks tonight.”
“No. Why don’t you go and keep him company?” he sneered. “I’m sure you’ll find some way to occupy yourselves.”
Remus blinked and slowly closed his book. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh you know,” James said in a lofty tone, not showing any of the vitriol from a moment ago. “You, Sirius, privacy, a bed, a lot of free time, your dicks. Any of this ringing a bell, my dear Moony?”
Remus was staring at him, a little pale, but evenly. “He said he wasn’t going to tell you.”
“He didn’t volunteer the information, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“So you were fucking around with a truth potion, and you’re upset that he told you the truth about something,” Remus summarised.
“I’m mad that he never told me. He was never going to tell me. You two buggered over the summer, when me and Sirius were seeing each other every merlin cursed day, and he wasn’t going to say anything.”
“That might be part of why you’re mad,” Remus allowed. “And I don’t think you’re actually mad at me, so maybe fuck off and yell at him for a bit.”
James glared at him, but Remus pointedly opened his book back up and ignored him. Banging around uselessly and tugging on his hair for a minute, he stalked out of the dormitory and started making his way back to the Three Broomsticks.
He kind of expected/hoped that he would run into Sirius on his way, that maybe Sirius had followed after him and wanted to talk it out, but he didn’t come across anyone. He entered the Three Broomsticks and made his way up the stairs, coming to a stop outside the door to the room they’d rented. He shifted his weight uneasily, unsure if he could walk in or if he should knock. Maybe knock as a warning and then walk in without waiting?
He was still mulling it over when the door opened suddenly and he jumped back in surprise. Sirius looked equally surprised to see him there. James almost asked what he was doing, but it was pretty obvious: he was going to go find James. Most of his anger hid away and left him feeling embarrassed.
“You came back,” he said hesitantly, as if James would decided to leave at his words.
James shrugged awkwardly, and walked in when Sirius held the door a bit wider in invitation. The click of the door shutting was loud in the silence hanging over them.
“I’m not going to apologise,” Sirius said.
“Yeah.” James slumped onto the bed. He shook his head. “It’s stupid for me to get mad.” He still was, mind, but now that he was thinking about it for three seconds, he knew it was stupid. “It’s not like we’re together or you’ve ever shown me any interest so.” He shrugged again.
Sirius leaned back against the door, his hand resting on the doorknob though he clearly wasn’t planning on leaving. “You’ve never shown any interest in me either, you know.”
“I doubt that,” James said, resting his head in his hands. “Do I get to hear the story of how it happened or is that story for people who didn’t tell you they love you and then storm out?” He was surprised when Sirius actually started talking.
“It was right before the full moon and he was feeling restless. Probably the only reason he agreed.”
“Not only did you shag, you asked him,” James muttered. “This keeps getting better and better.”
“Shut it,” Sirius said, but there was no bite to it, he just sounded tired. “I was feeling lonely--”
“I was right there!” James interrupted.
“Yeah ‘right there’ talking my ear off about Evans and her hair and her breasts and her eyes and how she was going to be Head Girl so you two would have so much time together! You wouldn’t shut your damn mouth about her, and I didn’t know you were fucking lying about it all yet. So yeah I was feeling lonely and me and Remus were talking, and I asked him if he would fuck me because at least then I would know one of my mates gave a shit about me.”
“Great,” James said hollowly. “Anything else I buggered up beyond repair you want to tell me about while we’re here?”
“You didn’t bugger up beyond repair,” Sirius said, moving to stand in front of him.
James snorted and looked up at him. “You’re a shite liar, I don’t know how I didn’t notice before.”
“And you’re a twat who doesn’t see what’s right in front of him.” He put his hands on either side of James’s face and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “I love you too, you idiot.”
“No- no you don’t.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want me to drink the rest of that?” he asked, pointing at the mostly-empty bottle of firewhiskey/truth potion. “Cause I will.” He didn’t wait for James to respond, just walked over and drank. “Alright,” he walked back over and knelt in front of James, “ask me.”
“Sirius, this is--”
“Ask me,” he ordered.
James sighed. “Fine. Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
James narrowed his eyes at him even as the rest of him started to rise with hope. “Are you… in love with me?”
“Yes.”
James blinked at him. “Oh.”
“Yeah, ‘oh’. Can we-” he grabbed one of James’s hands in both of his “-can we stop being stupid and try this?”
James was nodding before Sirius finished asking the question. Sirius beamed at him, which made him automatically smile back. “So, er, can our first act as boyfriends be to go the fuck to sleep?” James asked, giving a sidelong glance to the bed. “I’m knackered.”
“As long as you promise to still be here in the morning.”
James rolled his eyes. “Of course I’ll still be here, you know I hate getting up early.”
“Just making sure,” Sirius said, kissing his cheek.
