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Friends.

Then

Regulus and James have been meeting in the astronomy tower night after night. They just sit up there and talk for as long as they can before one of them gets tired. 

They're both sitting on opposite sides of them room, leaning against the wall and glancing out at the grounds of Hogwarts. 

James looks over at Regulus and breaks the silence, "What's your favourite subject?" 

Regulus scrunches up his face and asks, "That's really what you want to know? Out of all of the things you could ask me about?" 

"Yes, that's what I want to know." James says to him with a cheeky grin. 

Regulus shakes his head but answers the question anyway. "Okay, fine. That's an easy question. I like potions and astrology." 

James smirks, "You're a little nerd, aren't you?" 

Regulus blushes and looks away from him. 

"Oh, don't blush. It's cute that you're a nerd." James teases and Regulus shakes his head. 

"My turn. What's your favourite subject?" 

"That's easy," James says to him. "Transfiguration." 

Regulus' face drops from a smile to a straight face. "Because of McGonagall?" 

"Well, of course. She's part of it. I also do find it fun to turn animals into plates and cups." James responds. 

"You're such a child," Regulus playfully says to him. 

- 

The two of them are sitting together in the astronomy tower, not touching, not really even sitting close to each other, but they're talking. 

Laughing and joking around, trying to get to know each other. Behind the masks and reputations. 

The real them. 

"Tell me your favourite colour," James says to Regulus, who's laying on his back with his feet up against the wall. 

"My favourite colour? Merlin, James. Who let you come up with the questions." 

"Just tell me," James asks him. 

"Fine, my favourite colour is green." Regulus tells him and rolls his eyes. "What's yours?" 

James smirks and gives the answer Regulus knew was coming. "Red." 

"Of course it is," Regulus replies. "Why wouldn't it be?" 

"Well, why is yours green?" 

"I don't know," Regulus shrugs his shoulders. "Just is." 

"Right, that's believable." 

"Next question," Regulus says to him. James knows that's his way of moving on from something he's hiding, but he'll allow it for now. 

"Tell me about your friends," James says. That catches Regulus off guard. From a simple question like one's favourite colour, to telling him about his friends. 

People who have very strong reputations. People who are heavily judged by reputations and other people's first impressions of them. 

"My friends?" Regulus asks him. "You hate my friends."

"Maybe I don't know them the way you do." 

"They're assholes," Regulus laughs. 

"I thought you were an asshole, people can be wrong." 

"You weren't wrong though," Regulus adds defensively. 

James laughs, "Right, sorry. I know how you hate to be told that you're not actually the worst person around. Just humour me." 

"Fine," Regulus sighs and sits up. He leans his back against the wall and studies James for a moment. 

"Barty is a sarcastic, pain in the ass. He's chaotic and does things without thinking them through, but I have no idea where I'd be without him. He might be one of the only people to understand me." 

James watches Regulus as he talks about his friends. Watches him try and hide his smile but fail. Watches how his mask falls when he tells James about his favourite people. 

"Most people don't understand Barty. He comes off as arrogant and mean, and yeah, he is but he's also just misunderstood. I think maybe Barty just wants to prove to everyone that he's not like his father. His father is hard on him, and everyone expects him to be perfect because he's the son of someone important. He's just a kid though." 

Regulus glances at James and sees him smiling. He ignores the feeling in his stomach, and continues talking. 

"Evan and I aren't as close as Barty and I are, but he's always fun to be around. He can be really... mean. I don't think he means to be, I think it's just how he was raised. Barty and I are pretty sensitive, but not Evan. He takes everything as a joke. He's really funny, and witty and always quick with a joke. He doesn't understand how maybe people don't find everything funny, but that's just how he is." 

Regulus shakes his head, and James notices the body language. 

"Pandora though, she's kind but brutally honest. She tells it like it is and it's refreshing. She's intelligent too, and good with advice. Pandora can make it sound like it's not reused, which is nice. Most people use the same words, but she makes everything she says hew own. She's unique. We read together and talk about the books. I think in a way, we really need each other but we'll never admit it." 

James notices how Regulus goes soft when he speaks about Pandora. Something goes off inside him. Maybe jealously? Does Regulus like her?

"They seem like decent people," James says when he's sure Regulus is done. 

"They are.. most of the time." 

"Pandora.. she's special to you, huh?" James asks him carefully, trying not to sound too jealous. 

Regulus narrows his eyes at him, and then he smirks. "She's a great person. Odd, very odd, but she's always there."

"She sounds great," James says dryly. 

"James?" Regulus wants his attention. James looks at him. 

"Yeah, Reg." 

"She's just a friend though." Regulus says to him, and feels pretty satisfied with himself when James smiles. 

James Potter. Smiling because he thinks of Pandora as only a friend. 

James Potter. Glad that Regulus doesn't have a crush on someone else. 

"That's good to know," James says. Although, he must admit.. it's more than good to know. It's brilliant. 

He feels so relieved.