The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Season 10 Round 11 [FINALS]: You're a Winner, Baby!

Season 10 Reserve League

AN: Finally something that isn't a Muggle AU. Yeah, guys, you heard that right. There's ✨magic✨
CW: Swearing; brief touch on homophobia; mildly sexual content (gets a little spicy for a second); the general humour of teenagers; blood; someone gets beaten up; teen boy bashing lmao

WORD COUNT: 4353

CHASER 3: The Stand-up Challenge - Write about someone showing their appreciation or support for someone else.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS:
[trait] confident
[plot point] arriving to an event/meeting
[location] the prefects bathroom

If anyone was wondering, this is the playlist that I made and listened to when writing for this round!
open dot spotify dot com /playlist/7BIbrAdJweKYJtTbDkhUhk?si=d96999da74704a20 [remove spaces + replace "dot" with "."]

This, like another of my works, has some dialogue inspired by texts. This time, they're from my amazing girlfriend 💞💞

missing something? (brain cells?)

"Yeah, sure I'll do it. I'll help you."

The words were out of his mouth before he had fully thought about them. Not that he had to. Of course he would help. He had to. After all, he was James Potter, the protector of all. Everyone's personal shield. He'd help you through any troubles without needing to know who you were, or the reason behind it.

Honestly, James could do anything you asked. Tutoring, no problem! Covering up a murder… Speak to him in the car park and he'll see what he could do.

But when Regulus Black asked for tutoring, James was shocked.

A Prefect asking an older student for help? A Slytherin asking a Gryffindor? They were natural rivals, so why exactly did Regulus ask him?

Hundreds of ideas came to James, yet he never wondered if this was the beginning of their rivals to lovers arc.

Not that that was the real reason, of course! Why would a Slytherin feel that way about a Gryffindor? Why would a boy feel that way about a boy? No—it just wasn't natural.

It couldn't be.

Right…?

To James, Regulus was just a student. To him, he wasn't anything special. Or evil. He didn't believe that Regulus was a bad person. But he didn't consider him a good person, either.

In his mind, Regulus was just, well… A person.

To Regulus, James was the most beautiful and talented person that he knew. Not that he really knew him at all.

In his mind, James was so good.

Always helping. Always loving. Always so stupidly confident in himself and sure that he'd do well. The fucking optimist. Why did he have to go and fall in love with James? Of all people, he went straight (well, not so much) for the exact opposite of himself.

Regulus was bitter; James was sweet.

Regulus was forever winter; James was summer sun.

Regulus was a Prefect; James was a troublemaker.

The list could go on. And it did.

Sometimes, Regulus would sit and reel off all the differences between them.

There were similarities, of course, but they were mainly stupid things like "We both breathe in oxygen," or, "We both go to Hogwarts," or even the fact that they were both alive.

Maybe, Regulus couldn't help thinking, it was best if he didn't focus so much on James Potter.

But it was no use.

He spent all his time daydreaming about possible scenarios – illicit affairs, clandestine meetings, and stolen stares. Images of James' face floated in and out his mind all throughout the day and night. It seemed that James was living completely rent-free in Regulus' mind, even after he had told himself to stop this stupid crush.

That's it, he had declared. I am forgetting that stupid, stupid James Potter. I am never going to spend another second thinking about him anymore.

But, obviously, that act didn't continue for long.

You see, nothing gets in the way of true love. Isn't that what Shakespeare was trying to say?

Or maybe, it was fate for them to be together. Wasn't Shakespeare also trying to get at that?

Or the inability for teenage boys to get a fucking grip and stop mooning over one another.

Yep—definitely the last one. It doesn't have to be Shakespeare for it to be true. It could just be one of the secrets of the universe that Aristotle and Dante had left undiscovered. Or a tale as old as time.

A toast to teenage boys and their lack of brain cells, please. Without them, Regulus never would've been standing there in front of James Potter, introducing himself, and creating a fool proof way to secure spending more time with him.

Huh. Perhaps, teenage boys aren't that bad after all…

It was the first week of tutoring that James felt it. He felt Regulus' eyes running up and down his body. He felt Regulus' knees rubbing against his own. He felt Regulus' gentle touches on his arm. He felt all of it, and he loved it. He loved it so much that he would sometimes spend his time daydreaming about flirtatious comments that he would tell him later that day.

"C'mon, Prongs. Who's the girl?" Sirius teased, prodding James' side. "Don't deny it. You've been pining over someone for the past few days, and it's driving me insane!"

A faint blush covered James' cheeks. "There is no girl," he squeaked out.

"Then who is it that you are obsessing over?" Sirius sighed exasperatedly.

"No-one." He tried to sound casual, but he didn't know if it worked or not.

He knows he's shite at lying, but he can't tell Sirius the truth. He would kill him. James liking another boy? James liking his brother? Sirius would never want to see him again, and there was no way that he was going to lose his best friend over a stupid boy.

"I–" James looked up at Sirius, and he saw the hurt in his eyes for the first time. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

James looked back down at his Transfiguration textbook, which he was using to tutor Regulus. "I know. So can you," he added pointedly.

Sirius stared at James for a minute, before sighing and looking down at his own textbook.

All this feeling left James for another few days, until Regulus asked for longer, more frequent tutoring sessions. James wasn't quite so sure himself why Regulus had asked him to tutor him, when it was so clear that Reg didn't need it. He was one of the smartest in his year, and his scores in Transfiguration were already above average. Not that James was complaining, of course. He secretly loved spending more time with Reg. He couldn't get away from him.

The tutoring sessions themselves were long and boring. It was so tedious, going over and explaining concepts that Regulus had already mastered long ago. Sometimes, James was so wowed by Regulus' knowledge (or so turned on by his flirting) that he had to excuse himself in order to go to the bathroom and scream in one of the toilet stalls.

How can someone have so much talent and so much beauty? It's fucking selfish! Merlin, Reg, give the rest of us a chance!

Despite the screaming, being around Regulus made him so relaxed in a way that James never thought was possible. How could he be so open around him, yet so closed off?

This mutual pining and making eyes at each other at the library continued for a week or so before Reg took matters into his own hands, in the form of a note.

It was post day, as most Saturdays were, and James–to his delight–had received three letters: one from his mum, Effie, wishing him good luck with the upcoming Quidditch final; one from the Daily Prophet, containing the thirteenth issue of the newspaper; and one from Regulus, scrawled onto a piece of scrap parchment, asking him to meet in the hallway near the Prefects' bathroom.

As he opened the last envelope, his face flushed a deep shade of crimson, which Sirius made fun of for the rest of the day. But James didn't care. Regulus had asked him to meet at ten. The whole day, his heart fluttered, and he could barely concentrate in any of his lessons. His mind was so focused on counting down the minutes until he could see Regulus again, that he completely forgot there was Quidditch raining that day, and he was usually the one to run around the castle reminding everyone.

When the time came for James to leave the Gryffindor tower, he was so jittery with nerves that Remus had tried to convince him to take an odd-smelling potion that he was brewing.

James, under the invisibility cloak, snuck around the twisting corridors until he was met with the sight of Regulus Black, who stood directly outside the Prefects' bathroom.

"You're late." His voice was usually crisp and sharp, but James could hear it cracking, revealing a soft whisper. "I said to meet me five minutes ago."

James ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I was, uhh, caught up in the dorm." He shot Regulus a small smile. It was almost as weak as his excuse.

"May I?" Regulus nodded at James' hand.

He stumbled over his words, "Y– Yes. Go ahead."

James wasn't really sure what he was expecting Regulus to do. Hold his hand and look deeply into his eyes? Intertwine their fingers? Something romantic? But, no, Regulus gripped James' wrist roughly, and pulled him into the bathroom.

It was bigger than what James was expecting. The bathroom. But he was sure that there were plenty of other big things out there. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

"James…" Regulus whispered harshly. Oh, Merlin, it was so hot. "You're going to hate me after I do this."

"I– I could never hate you, Re—"

At that moment, Regulus pinned him up against the wall near the sinks. Reg was all over him. His lips were pressed into James'. He could taste the honey that James had eaten at dinner. His hands ran up and down his body, pushing them closer together. Reg needed him. He wanted him. He wanted to leave a mark to show that James was his.

And James was kissing him right back.

And James was touching him too.

And James was feeling things that he never thought he would ever feel. Like love. Like—

"HOLY SHIT!"

James' eyes flicked open. James knew that voice. It was another Prefect, wasn't it? Someone from Gryffindor? Someone he knew?

A secondary shriek alerted James of who it was. Remus fucking Lupin.

"James?"

Remus sounded angry. Why was he angry? He was never angry.

"Fuck," Reg whispered into his ear. "I'm so sorry, James. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean for anyone else to find out. And now you hate me, don't you?" A sob escaped Regulus' lips. "I'm sorry for loving you so much." He started to slip away from their embrace, but James took his hand and gently tugged him closer.

"No."

Damn. That felt good.

Everything stopped. Remus stopped shouting; Regulus stopped crying.

That one word, that one syllable, contained so much confidence that James almost gasped at himself.

"No, Regulus. You do not get to say that after you did that to me." Thankfully, he had reduced his voice to a near whisper.

"I know. I know you ha—"

James shook his head. He nearly laughed, but he decided against it. It's best not to when you're about to confess your true feelings for someone. "No. Reg– I… I really like you."

Regulus' arms snaked around his waist. "I like you too."

Remus drew his wand. "James. I swear to God if he has you under the Imperius Curse, I am going to fucking kill him," he hissed. "Step away from him, Regulus. Away."

"NO."

Oh, fuck. There it was again.

A chill ran down James' spine.

He had control.

He had power.

He had confidence.

"Remus, leave it. Don't you dare hurt him," he growled.

Regulus started sobbing into James' shoulder, feeling hopeless.

Remus lowered his wand slowly, although he still gripped onto it for dear life. "James, I'm not joking. Whatever this pathetic, evil, little dickwad did to you, I don't know, but you don't deserve to be treated like mud on his shoes. Don't let him do this to you, James. Please."

James thought it was funny. Remus always made fun of him being protective, but here he was begging James to not get hurt by Regulus.

Regulus opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Remus. "Not a word from you, Black, or I'll tell your brother about this whole ordeal."

Regulus' eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head. "Lupin… Please…" he breathed. "Don't tell him. He'll hate me."

Remus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Like he doesn't hate you already, Black."

"Don't tell him." Regulus sounded choked, like he was drowning. James thought for a split second that Remus might actually drown Regulus in the large bath behind them. Why the designers put that massive bath right in the middle of the room, James would never know. He wasn't sure that anyone would ever use it, since it was in such an awkward spot.

He shook his head to free these random thoughts. He mustn't let his mind wander, not if he wanted to help Reg.

"Rem, please." He softened his voice, hoping it would persuade Remus. "You know how Sirius would be if he found out. How hurt, how upset, how angry—"

"James. You would be the one to hurt him, to upset him, to make him angry. This is really not proving your point." Remus folded his arms.

Shite. He hadn't thought about it like that before.

"Lupin, James," Regulus' voice softened a little as he addressed James. "I have a… Proposal of sorts."

Remus snorted as James nodded.

"I'll tell Sirius, but you both have to forget about this. I'm not worth fighting over."

James opened his mouth, but Regulus shot him a look as if to tell him to shut the fuck up. Instead, James mumbled a response.

However, Remus wasn't so convinced. "How do I know that you're going to tell him the truth?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I'll be under Veritaserum." The words spilled out of him like how his secrets would the next day.

Remus eyed Regulus before deeming it acceptable. "Alright then. Tomorrow morning. Here. Don't be late, Black."

"Where are we going to get it? Just steal it from a teacher? Are you insane?" James hissed, biting his nails aggressively.

Remus laughed coldly. "Bold of you to assume that I don't have a collection of potions hanging around the dorm."

James frowned. "Why?" he asked, not unkindly.

He laughed and shrugged. "You never know when you need blackmail material on someone."

Regulus suppressed a grin.

"Alright, what is it?" Sirius finally asked, slamming his textbook down on his desk. "There's something going on between you two and I can't fucking stand it."

Remus and James exchanged alarmed glances.

"Well, actually…" James began, but Remus cut him off.

"We need to tell you something. Something regarding Regulus Black."

Sirius' jaw dropped. "My brother?" he asked dumbly.

Remus nodded gravely. "We have agreed to meet within the next ten minutes. You, me, James, Regulus, and a vial of Veritaserum."

A smirk danced across Sirius' face. "Why? Is someone having an affair?" he teased.

James and Remus shared another look.

Sirius' lips drooped. "You're joking, right?" Silence. "Guys. Why can't you keep it in my pants when it comes to my fucking brother."

"I think it was more like fucking your brother," James giggled.

Sirius shot him a death stare.

"Too soon," Remus told James in a stage whisper.

A few minutes later, Remus picked himself off from where he was laying on the carpeted floor. "We should start heading to the Prefects' bathroom." He picked up a small, leather pouch and tied it around his neck. James assumed it contained the Veritaserum.

Sirius complied, but James groaned into his duvet. He didn't want to leave his bed. It was too early, even if it was nine a.m. on a Sunday. He didn't sleep at all last night. He couldn't. Besides, he was scared for Regulus. He knew that Regulus was worried about telling Sirius. He had told him so once Remus had left the night before.

"I'm scared, James," Regulus whispered. They were sitting on the edge of the bath, and they were so close that James almost considered doing the cliché thing of counting Reg's eyelashes. He had stopped himself by the time he had got to twenty.

James put an arm around Reg and smiled brightly. "Don't be. You've got me. I've got you. We're going to be okay."

"Stop putting up this front, James. I know you're scared too. Don't hide behind fake confidence. Don't hide it from me." Regulus' breath hitched in his throat. James wondered what he was thinking about. Sirius, maybe?

"I– I'm sorry, love. I just don't want you to think that everything's going to go wrong, because it won't."

"How can you be so sure?" It was barely a ghost of a whisper, but James could feel the emotion behind it.

He took a moment to think about it. "Because I love you. And I love Sirius. He tells me everything. Like… Like how in love he is with Remus." This, of course, was bullshit. Sirius had never told him anything, but James could see the way they looked at each other. He wasn't that blind, you know. He could tell when his best friends were in love with each other. Remus and Sirius weren't Achilles and Patroclus: they were absolute shite at hiding whatever was going on between them.

Regulus inhaled sharply. "He's… Queer?"

James' smile momentarily dropped. He prayed Regulus didn't notice. "You'll have to ask him yourself, I'm afraid."

"You're a good friend, James," he responded sleepily.

Reg had fallen asleep on James' shoulder. Not that he had minded, but it meant that he had returned to the dorm at five in the morning. Obviously, he had to let Reg sleep for a little bit.

When Regulus had eventually woken up a little, he was pretty startled to be in James Potter's arms. Not that he had really minded either.

James had tried to take an exhausted Reg to the Slytherin common room, but came across a mystical door that he had never seen before. He pushed as far open as he could with a Regulus in his arms. Inside was a large bed with the thickest blankets James had ever seen.

He placed Reg on top of the bed, and went to explore the room. There was a fire for heating, two sofas, artwork in silver frames, and a cracked mirror. The light from the fire hit the mirror and a soft glitter covered the room. It was like the dappled light between the leaves of his favourite willow tree back home.

A whimper turned his focus back to Regulus, who was shaking on the bed. Was he having a nightmare?

"Shhh… I've got you, I've got you," James soothed him. "Don't be scared. I've got you, I've got you. I'm here."

He lay next to Regulus for a while, synching their breathing. It was all great until James woke up and discovered that it was half four.

"I'm sorry, my love. I have to go. The others will be wondering where I am." He kissed Regulus' forehead. Then his nose. Then his neck. Then Regulus' tongue filled his mouth, and James could taste him again. A taste so sweet that it never got old.

At last, James reached the door. He said his goodbyes to Regulus, and reassured him that he would be there when Reg was going to tell Sirius.

As he left, James bit back an "I love you". His brain formed the words so subconsciously that he almost didn't notice. Almost.

What's wrong with me? He screamed at himself in his head. Love? I barely know Reg. We've been 'friends' for less than a month! I can't love him!

But we all know that James wasn't going to listen to himself, right? Come on, we know that I'm always right. Why am I even asking at this point? Of course he wasn't going to stop loving Regulus! This would be one shitty romance story if he did. Besides, teen boys. We've been over this. Inability to get a grip? Can't stop mooning over each other? No way was James going to go against the wave and give up Regulus. It just ain't happening, honey.

James could tell something was wrong when he saw Remus' hands shaking as he handed Regulus the vial of Veritaserum.

Was he nervous? Why? It was Reg who was potentially going to damage several relationships, not Remus. He had nothing to be worried about.

"Ready to begin?" Sirius asked, his tone serious.

Remus nodded, giving him the all-clear.

"So, Black, there's been a report of you engaging in certain activities, shall we say, with one of my friends here." He eyed James and Remus expectantly.

"That is correct," Regulus answered. James had to hand it to him. For someone who knew how panicked Reg was right now, he could barely tell.

Sirius searched Reg's face for extra details, but Regulus wasn't giving anything else away. "May I ask whom you are currently seeing?" he continued after a minute of dead silence.

Reg visibly fidgeted and anxiety flashed across his face. His cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson and he broke eye contact with Sirius. "I– I– I don't think…"

James took a step forward. He didn't care what Sirius would think. Regulus needed him, and he had to be there for Reg. "Me."

James strolled over to where Regulus was sitting cross-legged on the tiled floor, and put an arm around him.

"Don't worry," he whispered so quietly into Regulus' ear that Reg could barely hear it. "We have each other. Always."

"Siri, don't," Remus said thickly. It was then that James noticed a tear roll down Remus' cheek. There was fear in Remus' eyes. A fear that he had never seen before.

Sirius took a few steps forward until he was standing right in front of Regulus. He raised his hand, sighed, and lowered it. "I fucking hate you," he spat.

James launched himself in front of Regulus. "Don't you dare touch him. Don't you dare, Sirius."

Sirius laughed and pushed James. James tripped on the leg of Regulus' chair and hit his head on the marble floor. He lightly touched the back of his head and felt blood running down his arm.

That was it for Regulus. Something in him snapped.

He stood up and shoved Sirius against the wall. The same wall that he had so passionately kissed James the day before. Regulus punched Sirius in the jaw, not flinching when he heard the unmistakable crunch of his brother's jaw breaking. The sheer force that he had applied had broken two of his fingers, but Regulus didn't notice the pain in the moment. All he wanted to do was hurt Sirius for doing such a thing to the man that he loved.

"This is for James," he hissed, as he slapped Sirius' face so hard that the red mark was still there after an hour. "And this… This is for me," he added, punching Sirius in the gut, so he keeled over. "I hate you too, you pathetic coward." And he kicked Sirius for good measure as he turned away.

Big mistake.

Never leave your back to Remus Lupin, especially when you've just beaten up the most important person to him.

"Crucio!" Remus yelled.

Remus didn't know what he expected it to feel like, using an Unforgivable, but he had no idea that it would feel so damn good. The power coursing through his veins gave him an insight into why people performed such curses.

"Stop it! STOP IT!" James screeched. "Remus, how could you do this? Look at yourself." He conjured a small mirror, which made its way to Remus' face. "It's funny how I've spent so long protecting you from the dangers of the words, when you are clearly a fucking monster yourself." He turned and fled, sobbing as he pushed open the door.

James sat with his knees to his chest and cried.

"Hey," Regulus whispered softly, sitting beside him. "I'm sorry for what happened."

"Don't be," he replied almost instantly, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "It's not your fault, Reg."

Regulus took in a shaky breath. "I… I love you, you know?"

James felt his heart stop. He had forgotten to breathe for a second from pure happiness. Not that a boy would make him feel that way, of course.

Mhm, totally not. "Love is for losers," isn't that what he had told Sirius?

Like, whaaat? Imagine feeling that way about someone else? Totally not what James Potter would feel, right? Pffffffft. As if.

James Potter, loving someone other than himself? Impossible.

In fact, I would bet all my money that the feeling wasn't returned. I mean. There's no way—

"I love you too. So much, Reg. So much. I don't want you to get hurt, ever. I love you too much. I love you. My heart both stops beating and beats faster than it should whenever I see you. I didn't know how to say it before, but it's true. Regulus Arcturus Black… I love you."

"How do you even know my middle name?" Regulus muttered.

James leaned forward and their lips met, creating the softest kiss that they had yet to share.

When they broke apart, there were tears in Regulus' eyes. "I love you too, James. I'm here for you no matter what. I never want to see you hurt. When Sirius pushed you, I…"

James placed a finger on Regulus' lips. "It doesn't matter, Reg. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have you, and you have me."

Regulus nodded and giggled a little. "This stupid Veritaserum is making me such a bummer."

James cradled Regulus' face, and Reg allowed himself to be kissed by James, over and over again. It didn't matter who walked along the corridor; they were so in love that they didn't even notice when they were no longer alone. All they needed was each other's touch, and the world drifted away, leaving just them.

Well, shite, there goes my money, I guess. This is the last fucking time I bet on teenage boys and whether or not they'll get together. We've already established that they don't have the brain cells to stay just friends.

I'm sure I'll work to get the money back soon. I hear Hogwarts is hiring for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher…