Remus was quiet. Next to him so was Peter. James was looking at them both with a hopeful expression, feeling worried at what they would say.
James noticed Remus look at Sirius, assessing his reaction, but James knew Sirius had a neutral face. He had told Sirius beforehand about this for the very reason of stopping him from lashing out in surprise and protectiveness when he told the others.
“Are you sure you like him?” Remus finally spoke.
James nodded with more enthusiasm than he showed while playing quidditch. James had never been so sure of anything in life as much as he was sure about quidditch and liking Regulus Black.
Peter hadn’t said anything yet and he wore a conflicted expression. It was clear he was confused. James wouldn’t blame him, up until now Regulus black had been a very sensitive topic in the dorm. But after the brother’s had (kinda) made up, mentioning him wasn’t met by directly by a hex from Sirius. For James to directly spew Peter with this new development well- lets just say he understood why Peter took time to comprehend.
“But isn’t he a snake?” Peter finally spoke.
“Oi! That’s my brother you talking about,” Sirius said with an icy tone beating James from saying anything.
“What you say that all the time!” Peter cried out in defence.
“Yeah thats cause he’s my brother,”
Peter rolled his eyes at Sirius but then turned back to James waiting for an answer.
“No he’s not, we thought he was but he-he’s actually really sweet,” James said bashfully, he felt a blush forming on his cheeks.
Remus smiled at the obvious softness of his voice, clearly James really liked Regulus.
“But wait,” Remus inquired, “Doesn’t he hate you?”
Sirius smirked At that, James just grinned.
“That’s just what he says Moony, I’m sure deep down he wants me just as much as I want him,” James replied.
The comment was met with a moment of silence in which James assumed everyone was agreeing with him. That thought crashed as all the three boys burst into laughter.
Don't tell me that Regulus, anytime he saw a cute guy, he would say to one of his friends, "mhm, I'd tap that" in a very nonchalant way. But when he saw James, bro didn't have any words and just walked away.
The Quidditch pitch had been a mistake from the moment the professors decided to combine Gryffindor and Slytherin for physical education.
Not a small mistake, either.
A catastrophic one.
The sort of decision future staff meetings would whisper about in horrified tones.
Madam Hooch stood in the centre of the field with her whistle hanging around her neck and the expression of a woman who had already accepted death.
“YOU ARE PLAYING A SIMPLE MUGGLE GAME,” she barked over the noise. “IT IS NOT A BLOOD SPORT.”
“Debatable!” James Potter yelled back immediately.
“Speak for yourself!” Barty Crouch Jr shouted.
“Rosier bit someone last lesson!” Mary Macdonald yelled helpfully.
“I said I was sorry,” Evan Rosier called, not sounding sorry in the slightest.
“You laughed while doing it,” Dorcas Meadowes said flatly.
Pandora Rosier was sitting cross-legged on the grass making flower chains out of ripped-up bits of green ribbon she’d stolen from somewhere.
“Violence is communication,” she said dreamily.
“NO IT ISN’T,” Madam Hooch snapped.
The entire field dissolved into yelling again.
Frank Longbottom was trying unsuccessfully to explain rules to Fabian and Gideon Prewett, which was impossible because the twins kept deliberately misunderstanding everything.
“So we’re allowed to tackle?” Fabian asked.
“No.”
“But emotionally?”
“Yes,” Frank admitted.
“Excellent.”
Peter Pettigrew was already hiding behind Remus Lupin like a man awaiting execution.
“I hate combined lessons,” Peter muttered.
“You hate all lessons,” Remus replied.
“Correct.”
Near the opposite side of the field, Regulus Black stood with his arms folded while Barty leaned dramatically against his shoulder like a Victorian widow.
“This game is idiotic,” Regulus said.
“Your team’s losing,” Sirius Black called instantly from across the pitch.
Regulus looked over slowly.
“Your face looks inbred.”
“Your whole family is inbred.”
“That’s literally your family too.”
Sirius opened his mouth.
Paused.
“...Fuck.”
James collapsed onto him laughing.
“That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen you lose an argument.”
“I panicked.”
“That was obvious.”
Lily Evans rubbed both hands down her face.
“This is why teachers drink.”
Alice Fortescue snorted loudly.
Marlene McKinnon was already taking this entire thing far too seriously, sleeves rolled up like she was preparing for war.
incredibly competitive sirius and regulus, they’ve been banned from doing games night together after sirius kept cheating (unproven but true) and regulus eventually tackled him to the ground and threatened him with a fork that hadnt been cleared after food
just before james and regulus got together they got incredibly competitive over who could get james to hang out with them, regulus would flirt and act cute and sirius would pretend he’s insecure about regulus and james spending so much time together to steal him back, this also ended with violence but then a truce because they were upsetting james
