KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU ⇒ jegulus one shots

REGULUS BLACK'S EYES AND WHAT THEY TELL JAMES POTTER

They continue to meet regularly at the library. It is ritualized, as is habitual for them now, after a month of doing so.

James is reaching his fifth month, almost diving head first into his thrird trimester. He feels his baby grow and kick daily, his belly now distended outwards, his years of elite quidditch playing seems to have kept him small and lean. But Pomfrey had confirmed several times that the baby is growing as they should be.

Regulus hums softly, flicking through the pages of his novel, some muggle literacy genre that Ted Tonks had insisted that he read. Regulus had secretly disclosed to James that he had been visited Andromeda much more frequently, distancing himself from Bellatrix and all the unwelcomingness that follows her, still holding dear Narcissa close to his heart regardless.

"What're you reading now?" James muses as he scribbles away at his Charms essay.

Regulus had completed crafting James' potions essay so quickly that James is certain that Slughorn will know there is no way that James wrote it.

Regulus shrugs, his stormy eyes never leaving the page before them. "It's a muggle play. Hamlet," He offers with a glance.

James scrunches his nose in curiosity. "Who wrote it?" He wonders.

"William Shakespeare," Regulus replies. "With a name like that, I'm not so sure that this is a muggle written play," He adds.

James smirks at this. He continues to ramble about the importance of the ingredients in a healing potion for another three paragraphs before Regulus clears his throat. "What do you think about the name Ophelia?"

James hums, musing. "It's nice," He says plainly. "Why?" He looks up to view Regulus, observe him the way Regulus so often does to everyone else. Ophelia.

Regulus shrugs nonchalantly, bashfully biting his lip. He lacks the ability to enforce the contact as of now. "It's the name of one of the women in the play," He elaborates.

"Oh," James comments. "It's...it's very pretty," He adds. Ophelia. He likes it.

Regulus glances at James. "Yeah," He agrees.

James sighs. "Regulus..." He trails. "Why can't you ever just be straight forward with me?" He wonders aloud, half joking, half firm. "It's a beautiful name. Do you want me to add it to the list that Peter and Mary have started?" He asks.

Regulus hums, unamused. "Erm, no...no, uh, it's probably best that you don't, James," He rasps. He feels silly now. He didn't even know a list had been drafted, how could he expect to have his contestants be winning contenders?

James shakes his head. "They're your baby too," He mumbles. "They aren't Marlene's, or Peter's, or Dorcas', or Lily's and for Merlin sake, they certainly aren't Sirius' baby. You get a say here, you're allowed to contribute and pick out a name, fuck, you're going to be the one to cut the cord. Regulus, you're their father. So for my sake will you please stop doubting everything you say concerning the baby?"

Regulus closes his novel. "You just don't get it!" He huffs, folding his arms over his chest. Major emphasis on the 'it'. "You don't see the way they all look at me,"

"You say 'they' like it's a naughty word," James deadpans.

"Yeah well they say 'Regulus' like it's a forbidden word, James," Regulus clicks his tongue.

"Lily likes you," James insists. "Marlene talked about quidditch strategies with you despite you being the opposing team." He follows up with. "I think everyone's just still getting used to this. I'm still getting used to this,"