James and Hermione Potter: Getting through school without dieing or worse

Mistakes are made and they are regretted

      Regulus sat next to Savia Zabini, she was blabbering on about something in her thick Italian accent.     Regulus couldn't care less about that, he was watching Hermione Potter, as she giggled along to whatever her brother was saying. 

      He hated it.  She was intoxicating.  He could still smell the vanilla smell of her perfume.  He loved that smell, oh how it brought him comfort.  

      But he ruined that.  Oh yes, he did being the stupid git he is.  Letting his bird fly away, to be tainted by his brother.    He saw him flirting with her.  And how she brushed it off.  

      Lupin.  He thought.  He hated Lupin.  Not that there was really a reason to.  The boy had been nothing but nice to the younger boy.  He would try to stop his brother and James from Hexeing him and the others.  He wasn't liked by the other Slythrines, but he was tolerated.  

      But the way Lupin would steal kisses away from Hermione, causing her pale skin to turn red.  How he made her laugh with no filter.    Or the way he would carry her stuff, like Regulus, used to do.  Or open doors for her, letting her go first.  Just like Regulus used to.  He missed that.  He missed her.  

      Her.  He hated her.  But not really.   He hated the way she made him feel.  He felt giddy around her.  He felt happy and loved around her.  He couldn't get her out of his mind.  Its been some months now since he said those awful things about her.  And he regretted every last bit of it.  

      After the last class of the day in mid-march, he put on his big boy pants and decided he was going to apologize.  Something he told himself never to do.  

       He walked right over to her and the redhead- Evans.  Lily Evans.  The girls were talking about something- "Errr."  He let slip out.   The black hair girl turned her head to him.  

      "What?"  She said with a tad bit of bitterness in her bite. 

      "Can I talk to you?"  He asked fumbling around with his hands.  He must of looked like some 1st year.  "Alone?"

       "Fine."  She breathed out, she turned to the glaring redhead.  "See you."  She said giving her a tight-lipped smile.  

        "Thank Merlin."  The boy said walking towards the bench, "Please sit?"  He asked with visible nervousness in his voice.    The black-haired girl looked at him with a loving stare sitting down.  He slowly lowered himself down next to her.  

        "W-What do y-y-you want?"  She said her breathing was unstable.  

       "I wanted to say."  HE said breathing heavily.  "Sorry.  Im so freaking sorry!"  He said quickly grabbing her hand.  "Oh, Hermione please forgive me."  He all but cried out.  "Please."  

       "I- 've missed you."  She wisperd.  She looked down at the pleading face of her friend.  "And this whole time, I've never stopped counting you as my friend."  She mumbled with a small smile.  "But I can't forgive you-  Not yet for what you said.  I love Remus, and I'm not sorry if you're not ok with that."  He looked up at her gloomy.  He really didn't want them to still be dating.  "But I'm willing to become your friend again, just promise me."   She said cupping his face.  "You won't ever speak ill of my friends, including my brother and your brother. Kappese?"  

       He smiled widely if that's what it took for her to forgive him then that's what he'll do.  "Kappese."