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Once again, in 1977, the Gryffindors hosted their annual Halloween party in their tower. For the past 4 years or so, planning it has been in the hands of the four marauders, since they got known for their big pranks and birthday parties.
This year’s party is an enormous success, with people from all the four houses showing up and mingling together to dance and talk and catch up with each other. There is music playing on Remus’s record player, which he has connected to some speakers James found in the room of requirement, of which the other three marauders do not know, so to them it is still a mystery to how those speakers ended up in the common room.
At the moment, Sirius and Marlene are singing a duet together while they are standing on some tables that were pushed together. They’re going all in really, headbanging and jumping up and down and everything.
James is standing to the side with Remus next to him, though he is more focused on his record player and ensuring no one touches it. So no one notices how James has long lost interest in the small concert on the make-shift stage or any of the other people. Except a small group huddled in the corner opposite of the one he is standing in. It’s the group of Slytherins that consists of Sirius’s little brother Regulus and his friends Evan, Barty and Dorcas. The first three are sixth years, so James doesn’t have any classes with them, the latter, Dorcas, he is sometimes paired with in Arithmancy or divination. He knows all of them very well though, since Regulus is his literal boyfriend and therefore he hangs out with the whole group sometimes during free periods when the other marauders have classes, or the casual get-together here and there on the Hogwarts grounds or the slytherin common room. Most of the time, their friend Pandora, a sixth-year Ravenclaw, is with them, but James doesn’t see her here at the party. She must be dancing somewhere, he thinks.
He focuses on the group again and this time Regulus is looking right at him, with his piercing grey-blue eyes and a small smile, as if he was just looking at him for the sake of looking. Honestly same, James thinks, Regulus is beautiful.
James mouths, “Hey Lu,” to his boyfriend across the room. All his friends call him Reg or Reggie, but James is the only one who has the privilege of calling him ‘Lu’.
“Hi Jamie,” Regulus mouths back, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his friends, who see James too and laugh and wave him over.
“Hey Moons, I’m gonna go talk to some people, see you later?” James says to Remus, still standing next to him and eyeing the record player like a hawk.
“Sure prongs, the party is probably not going to be on for much longer, but I heard Mary say something about getting together, said she brought, and I quote: ‘the good stuff’”.
“Sounds fun,” James replies, starting to walk over to the other end of the room.
He is so sure he’ll make it to the other end without interruptions, when all of a sudden Sirius is hanging on his shoulders, a little drunk, having discarded the microphone because the song was over and James hadn’t noticed.
“Where’re we going Prongsie?” Sirius shouts in James’ ear, because otherwise he wouldn’t be heard over the loud music and voices.
“Oh, just over there, to say hi to our friends.” James can already feel the eyeroll that Regulus is probably giving him, through the side of his head, for bringing Sirius with him.
Sirius and Regulus have a really good relationship, being brothers, that they rebuilt a little over a year ago when Regulus actually began to step away from their parents and began to do what Sirius qualifies as ‘the right thing’. Last summer Sirius actually got Regulus to leave their childhood home to come live with him in Potter manor, where Sirius had already spent two summers before that one.
James and Regulus were already together then, over a year by then actually, but it was really fun for them to be able to see each other throughout the holidays, though not very easy because Sirius was also everywhere, literally, and he didn’t know a thing.
Having walked over to the others, Sirius almost spills his cup of.. something alcoholic, all over Regulus by trying to hug him, which Regulus avoids by stepping aside, also so he doesn’t get previously discussed ‘something alcoholic’ on his clothes.
“Easy Siri,” Regulus says, while guiding him to stand against the wall, so he won’t at least stumble or fall over or something, the lightweight.
They start talking about anything and everything, including the prank James and Barty did last week, which was enchanting all bathroom mirrors in Hogwarts, public and private, to reflect a person’s face full of pimples. Sirius had actually started screaming at 6.30 in the morning and waking all of the other marauders, when he saw himself in the mirror. James had laughed so hard when Barty told him that Regulus’ reaction was even worse because he actually broke the mirror in his dorm. James did check if he was okay though, which he was.
Throughout the following thirty minutes, Pandora, Lily and Mary join the group, after they had danced together all evening, and Peter and Marlene also come back from the dance floor, Marlene’s guitar swung over her shoulder. Remus also leaves his headquarters by the music.
Most of the party-goers have left the common room by now to go to their own houses, or have gone upstairs to their dorms in the Gryffindor Tower.
Another half hour later only a few people are left lingering by the record player.
“Hey, leave that will you,” Remus calls over to them, to which they respond with shrugging their shoulders and ascending the stairs to their respective dormitories.
Only the twelve of them are left now. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Marlene, Mary, Lily, Pandora, Dorcas, Evan, Barty and Regulus.
“Bring it on Macdonald!” Marlene says with a bright smile.
“Bring what on?” Evan says suspiciously. To which Mary holds out a bottle of firewhisky which she puts on the ground and starts walking over to the drinks-table to grab a shot glass for each of them.
“Who,” she starts, “is in for a game?”
“Oh yes, absolutely!” Sirius is the first to respond.
No one objects at first but Regulus and Remus look at each other and both say at the same time, “no, absolutely not.”
“Oh yes you will,” Barty says before pushing both of them on their shoulders to the ground before sitting himself. This prompts the others to do the same and soon enough they’re sitting in a circle on the cosy rug in front of the fireplace, which is still going but only barely.
“What’re we doing?” It’s Dorcas who speaks.
“What do you think babe? It’s ‘Never have I ever,’” her girlfriend Marlene says.
“No, absolutely not,” it’s Regulus again, who says it, “I refuse.”
“Ooh, little reggie, what have you got to hide?” Comes from Sirius. To which Regulus replies a quick “nothing” and goes still.
Sirius eyes him suspiciously but lets it go because he got his brother to play too. “Who’s starting?” He asks instead.
“I say let Reg begin,” Barty replies.
“Oh come on! I’m out,” Regulus says, irritated.
Sirius laughs, “don’t be mean Barty,” he says to Barty, and then to Regulus: “He’s just joking Reggie, Remus can start.”
Regulus goes to sit again, from where he was already half standing up.
“What?! Why me?” Sirius just shrugs.
“Okay then, never have I ever,” Remus begins but pauses because he has to think of something to say, “drunkenly performed magic.”
“That’s no fun,” Marlene says, “say something spicy.”
“Like what.” Remus deadpans.
“Let’s start with this, never have I ever snogged someone from another house.” She looks around the circle to see Barty, Dorcas, Remus, James and Regulus, taking their shot glasses and downing them. Marlene herself also drinks her firewhiskey.
“Ooh Remus, who'd you kiss?” James asks. He only just catches Remus glancing quickly across the circle, where the three slytherin boys are sitting next to each other, but only Barty is laughing.
“What, he’s hot,” Barty manages to say through his giggles.
James looks over at Sirius whom he is sure has jealousy written all over his face. Remus sees it too.
“Don’t worry Siri, love, that was two years ago or something, nothing to worry about.” Remus says before giving Sirius a quick peck on his lips.
Across the circle Barty also has a hold of Evan’s hand.
James feels relieved and when he looks across the circle he sees Regulus mirroring his expression. Luckily Sirius didn’t question his brother and best friend taking a drink due to the distraction of this thing that apparently happened between Remus and Barty.
When Marlene passes the bottle of firewhiskey to Regulus, however, Sirius sees him refilling his cup and asks.
“Wait Reggie, who have you kissed?”
“That,” regulus replies, with a dramatic pause, “is none of your business. And besides, why do you care if I kissed someone, James over there drank too.”
James looks over at him, to see Regulus registering what he just said, because in order to save himself, he probably just threw himself under the bus.
Regulus fixes his expression quickly but Sirius doesn't catch it. He’s already talking.
“Yeah I know, he kissed Fiona Vougn last year, or was it Deana Smith?”
James chokes and starts coughing a lot, “Er, yeah the first.” He manages to say.
He actually kissed neither of them, but he had to make up a quick lie when he entered his dorm sometime last year after spending a free period with Regulus in a secluded part of the library, or in other words, he looked properly snogged, and Sirius was there in the dorm. Of course James couldn’t tell his best friend that his own brother had been leaving marks on his neck.
To James’ credit, he isn’t that sloppy. Sirius actually had class that period but it ended early, so he couldn’t have known that he would be there in the dorm.
Luckily for James, Regulus knows he never kissed anyone else. James has told him enough times that Regulus is the first person he has kissed, and the last he ever will. James has also told Regulus about the incident so he would know what was going on if anyone ever brought it up, which is the case right now.
“Okay it’s my turn now,” Lily breaks the awkwardness, “get your glasses ready. Never have I ever slept with someone of the same sex.”
“Oh come on Lils, literally almost everyone here.” James hears Mary say, though he doesn’t see her, due to him grimacing at Regulus before drinking his second shot, at the same time that Regulus does.
Peter and Pandora are the only ones who don’t drink, with Peter being straight and Pandora being asexual.
“OH MY GOD REGGIE YOU’RE GAY TOO?!’ Sirius yells, looking extremely happy.
Regulus just smiles at him. “I love that for you!” Sirius adds. But then his mood changes entirely. “Who did you sleep with though? You know, so I’m sure I'll kill the right one.”
“Whoa whoa, don’t you think that’s a little too much?” Evan says, though laughing.
“Yes, what he said, you know I can choose who I spent my time with and what I do in that time perfectly fine myself, right?” Regulus adds to that.
“Alright alright, but make sure they treat you right okay?” Sirius says.
“Don’t you think that if they didn’t, I’d kill them myself?”
“That’s my little Reggie,” Sirius is laughing again.
James sees from the corner of his eye that Evan and Barty are enjoying this whole thing way too much, and he can’t do anything to stop him when Barty says: “Who’s your lover, James?”
“What, I don’t- I didn’t..” James tries, but Barty is already interrupting. “Your cup is empty, we all saw you drinking.”
“Maybe I forgot to refill my cup.” James tries again.
“No, you didn’t James, I wanna know too. How did I not know this, you always tell me everything.” James hears Sirius say.
Barty’s really losing it across from them. The fact that he is probably quite drunk doesn’t help their situation. “Before you answer, please let me ask one more question.” Barty chokes out.
“No.” Regulus says, really glaring now, though he is not actually mad, it’s just one of his standard expressions. James knows that he is secretly enjoying this, because they’ve been wanting to tell Sirius about them for a while now, but they didn’t know how. Regulus quickly glances at James if he is okay with this though, James stays neutral, wanting to see how this is going to play out.
“Never have I ever…kissed one of the black brothers.” Is the one Barty goes with.
“How is this relevant? Also I’ve only kissed Remus so what..?” Sirius protests.
And indeed Remus takes his shot glass and empties it.
James has to do it doesn’t he? It’s the rules of the game, you can’t lie. Sirius is somehow looking at everyone at the same time, very suspicious.
“I’m really sorry Pads,” James starts, “no actually, I’m not.” And then he downs his glass.
Regulus is grinning at him.
“Wait, what is going on?” Is Sirius, “we never kissed James, I know some people probably expect it since we’re so close but what, no, it never happened.” Sirius looks around the group and when his eyes land on Regulus, James can see the exact moment it clicks in Sirius’ head.
“PRONGS, YOU KISSED REGGIE?!” Sirius yells, even louder than the time before when he found out Regulus is gay. Half of the people who had already gone to bed right after the party are now awake again probably. “And this was what? A one time thing, you both got drunk at a party or something?”
“Er, well actually, Reg and I… we’re kind of together.”
“WHAT?!”
Sirius is standing up now so James and Regulus start to get up too. Sirius is pointing at both of them, “you and… you… since when? Over the summer?” Sirius looks pretty mad at the thought and summer was only two months ago, James quickly nods, and sees Regulus doing the same, also being caught up on the fact that claiming summer is safer.
“Yes, over the summer… right.” Says James.
Sirius has always been able to see right through James when he is lying, and this time is not an exception.
“It has not been since summer, has it?” Sirius approaches carefully.
Evan and Barty are literally dying of laughter together, still sitting on the ground, the others are all enjoying the spectacle too.
“Mhm, no it may have been a little bit longer.” Regulus replies.
“How much longer?”
“February-,” Regulus says.
“February.” Sirius repeats.
“-of 1976.” Regulus finishes.
“Nineteen-, wait what? You’ve literally been dating- is that what this is? Are you guys boyfriends? That’s..” Sirius pauses because he is clearly counting in his head, “twenty months.”
Regulus answers before James can, “yes, we’re boyfriends. What can I say? He’s my Jamie.”
“Aww, Lu,” James replies with adoration.
Sirius getting bombarded with this knowledge on a random night through a drinking game is slowing his thought process down a lot. But it’s his brother, and his best friend, and they’re … dating.
What?
He’s got to hand it to them. The nicknames Jamie and Lu are really adorable. But no.
“You both have 5 seconds to run before I am going to absolutely knock you down.” Sirius says, and he is not completely sure if he’s joking or not.
“Yeah, I’m not doing this, carry me?” Regulus says while looking at James. And at first Sirius has absolutely no idea what the fuck he means by that but then he… shapeshifts?
Holy shit. His brother is a fucking animagus?!
He’s a cat, rather, a fluffy black little kitten. He’s so cute actually. Sirius is dumbstruck once again.
Keep your head in the game, he thinks.
James scoops kitten-Regulus up from the ground and starts running towards the stairs up to their dorm
“Absolutely not you shit-heads.” Sirius starts running after them.
James must know that Sirius is not really all that mad, since further up in the tower is the worst place you could go if you want to escape, since it’s a dead end.
Still he runs after them. In the dorm he finds James sitting on his bed with kitten-Regulus in his lap.
“We need to talk about this okay.” Sirius starts, “I’m not really all that mad, I’m just… in shock.”
Kitten-Regulus, still laying in James’ lap, turns back into his human form, so now Regulus is just sitting in James’ lap.
“Yeah I don’t believe that.” Regulus says.
“Why?” Sirius asks.
“So what, you’re not the least bit mad or jealous that I stole your best friend?”
“You didn’t-,” Sirius starts, “-did he?” He turns to James.
“What, Pads, no of course not!” James reassures. “I can love both of you, you know, I don’t need to choose.”
“You… love him?”
To this Regulus has something to say: “One, I’m literally right here, two, I can only hope that James loves me since we’ve been together for almost two years.” At this he raises one eyebrow at James, who snorts.
“Yes, I love you, love,” James replies.
“Good, because I love you too.”
“And I love you guys too.” Sirius says also.
“You.. approve?” James asks Sirius.
“Well, I want you to be happy Prongs, and if Reggie makes you happy, I guess. And I only want the best for my brother, someone who doesn’t hurt him or lets him down, and I want him to be safe, and you are probably the only person I trust enough to make sure of that. And moony, but he’s mine.” Sirius adds.
James laughs at that, Regulus too.
“Thanks big brother. So now that that’s settled, I think it’s a bit too late to go all the way back to the dungeons right now, the others have probably already left-,” Regulus starts but Sirius interrupts: “Why would they have left without you?”
“-because they know I’d convince you to let me stay here.”
“Here with..”
“Jamie.” Regulus finishes for him.
“Yeah no, you can sleep on the floor.” Sirius huffs.
“You think that in twenty months, James and I have only held hands or something?”
“Ew, please don’t make me think of things.”
“Then don’t make me sleep on the floor, or I’ll say more. You know every Friday when you have Muggle Studies, James and I have a free period and meet up in my dorm-”
“Ew ew ew please stop ew,” Sirius interrupts, before Regulus could permanently damage his brain, “okay, you can spend the night here, but you guys don’t do anything.”
“Take the win, love,” James says from behind Regulus and wraps his arms around him, because Regulus is still seated on James’ lap.
Regulus turns his head and softly kisses James on the lips. When they let go Sirius is gone.
“He probably went back downstairs, think he might spend the night in the common room with Remus,” James tells Regulus.
“You sure?”
“Pretty.”
“Alright,” then Regulus pushes James back on the bed and kisses him, “love you Jamie.”
“Love you too Reggie,” James says before kissing him back.