Only the Brave

Chapter 3: Quidditch Changing Rooms

Summary:

It was quite a shock to the system to discover that Regulus could have an intense crush on someone he hated. He's held both truths in his mind ever since—I hate James Potter; I have a debilitating crush on James Potter—a complex contradiction that he wishes would cease to haunt him but that simply will not. Neither of these truths have got any less significant over time.

Notes:

Hello! This chapter is a little longer, and I'll try to keep them at similar level throughout but I'm more focused on the content than the wordcount, so I can't guarantee chapter length :)

TW for this one:

References to Reg's insomnia
Mentions of Reg's dependency on the sleeping draughts
A lot of swearing
References to child abuse (Sirius's backstory)
Brief violence between siblings (someone's shoved against a wall)
Mentions of underage drinking
Mentions of homophobia

I think that's it! Enjoy :)

James is early for practice because he's the Captain and it's his duty to lead by example. He also likes to change in peace, without the rest of the team bantering around him. It's the little bit of alone time he gets, and he savours it.

Nobody would guess that James Potter likes silence. If you asked his friends, he's happiest in the middle of a party, capturing attention. Telling jokes and making people laugh. This is correct. But James also likes moments alone. Quiet. A break from the expectations that come with all eyes on him.

It's different for Sirius, because Sirius can't be left alone. James knows and gets this. Sirius has demons perched on his shoulder and if he's alone they whisper in his ear. He's got better at fighting them, but James suspects Sirius' battle with trauma is for life.

He wishes he could erase it all. Protect him from it. Blast Grimmauld place from the earth and all its inhabitants from existence. But he can't, so he's loud with Sirius to keep the demons at bay.

And the few pockets of quiet he gets here and there are nice. A respite. A few moments to put himself together so he can keep fighting for his friends.

But this is not the thing to be thinking about before their first practice of the final year, so James redirects his thoughts. Focuses on how he's going to motivate his team to give it all. He wants to leave Hogwarts with the Quidditch cup. He's won it twice, but third time's the true charm. He wants to be a legend and his team will get him there. They'll be legends together.

He takes off his school uniform and drops it into a pile, wasting no time putting his quidditch gear on. James thinks highly of himself at all times, but when he's wearing his quidditch stuff he feels positively invincible. He's just tying the buttons on the front of his pants when he hears the unmistakable and frankly disturbing sound of a shower.

There should be no one here. No one at all.

The previous team to have practice finished ages ago. He schedules this on purpose. There's absolutely no reason for anyone to still be here. This is his quiet time. Reflection time, prep time. He's a Captain, and he needs time to strategize.

Who the hell is disturbing his quiet? Absolutely unacceptable.

Yanking his boots on and tying them takes longer than he'd like, so he's only just about managed to take a step forward when the intruder emerges from the showers.