What if ? - Marauders Starchaser -

PROLOGUE

James POV:

"James, you're telling me that you're over Lily, just like that?" Padfoot asked in disbelief, though for once, I didn't think it was just dramatics. I mean, sure, I've obsessed over Lily Evans for the past six years. Everyone knows that. But recently, I've been thinking. Noticing more people, mostly ones I most definitely can't have—cue Sirius' brother, wink wink—but you can't blame me, okay?

I was eleven, I saw a pretty girl with green eyes, and I thought, yes, her, that's it. Pledge my allegiance, and she'd fall for me in no time. But... she didn't. And that's that. I still think she's brilliant, beautiful, smart—deserves the world, really. But I think I fell in love with the idea of her, not her. And someone like Lily shouldn't ever be a last resort, she deserves better than me.

"He's delusional. Moony, grab the thermometer." Peter placed his palm on my forehead, checking for a fever.

"Prongs, are you messing with us, or...?" Remus slowly lowered his book, eyes narrowing as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah, okay, I get it's a shock to the system, but—" I began, already bracing myself for what was coming next. This was the first time I'd told anyone, and this? This was the reaction I deserved, to be honest.

"SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM?!" Sirius shouted, flopping to the floor dramatically. "Prongsie, I nearly FAINTED! Feel my heart, it's stopped."

I sighed, rubbing my face. "No, seriously, I think I fell in love with the idea of her. Not that she's not amazing and brilliant—"

"James, calm down. It's fine. Just... y'know, a surprise." Wormy put a hand on my shoulder like he was comforting me, but it felt like he was pitying me instead.

"Okay, I think you're all missing the point here!" I raised my voice before Remus could cut me off again. "WHAT am I going to do with my LOVE LIFE?"

Remus sighed (he does that a lot—don't worry), Peter pulled out a cigarette and laughed, but Sirius was deadly silent. And that? That never happens.

"... Oh my god. Merlin. James, you're... you're... bitchless," Padfoot spoke slowly, like he was unraveling a great mystery.

"Oh, SHUT up, Pads!" I laughed, tackling him to the floor. A minute of hysterical wheezing from Sirius and aggressive tickling later, we all ended up sprawled across Peter's bed, debating my next romantic move.

"Me, the most hopeless hopeless romantic, has no wench to chase anymore," I said sadly, the weight of it finally sinking in. Sirius, of course, chirped up in his usual tone.

"Yeah, mate. You're doomed."

"Just accio a girlfriend... or boyfriend... and leave me alone," Remus muttered, hopping off the bed and heading to the bathroom, locking himself inside. Probably the safest bet.

I flicked my wand in a mock gesture. "Moony, I can't just Accio a soulmate. It has to be—"

But before I could finish my brilliant sentence, a sudden burst of magic shot from my wand. Green light filled the room, crackling with energy. And even before the light faded, I knew exactly who it was.

"-kill me? I'd like to see you bloody try, you fucking bas—" The voice cut off as the figure blinked, looking around in confusion at the four of us crammed into Peter's dorm.

Remus walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand, freezing in his tracks. "...What's... oh."

"The fuck do you all want?" Regulus Black stood before us, hand on his hip, an irritated scowl twisting his stupidly gorgeous face. Merlin, I am so screwed.

Peter was shocked for all of a second before he burst into giggles, practically rolling off the bed. "James, you're so red, mate!"

I could feel my face burning as Peter doubled over, his laughter echoing off the walls. He clearly thought it was all bloody hilarious. "This is priceless! You summoned him, Prongs! Accio soulmate, huh? Worked like a charm!"

Sirius, meanwhile, hadn't stopped laughing since he hit the floor. He didn't seem to grasp the situation at all—just thought it was another one of our stupid jokes. "Reg, mate, you good? Prongs here has lost his mind, that's all. Nothing new!"

Regulus glared at me. And I? I was in full-blown panic mode. He had to realize why he was here, right? He had to. The magical mishap, the awkward tension, the fact that my face was probably the color of a Weasley jumper...

"Merlin, Peter's right, you're so red," Remus added, smirking to himself. He leaned casually against the doorframe, giving Regulus a small, apologetic smile and wave, like oh, sorry, my mate accidentally summoned you to our dorm. No big deal. Regulus shot him a glance, clearly confused but not angry. At least, not yet.

Meanwhile, Sirius was still grinning, oblivious to the fact that his little brother being summoned here in the middle of the night was a bit more than an accident. He didn't realize the weight of it. Thank god.

Regulus sighed, folding his arms. "It's past curfew. I can't get back to the Slytherin dorm now." His tone was sharp, but there was a hint of resignation in his voice. Great. Just bloody perfect.

"W-well, you could... stay here?" I blurted out, immediately regretting it. Regulus turned his sharp gaze to me, and I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat. It's 11:34 p.m. There's no way he can leave without getting caught. The logical thing was to offer him a place to crash.

Sirius, of course, found this all the more hilarious. "Yeah, mate, stay over! We've got plenty of space! This is brilliant."

Brilliant, indeed. Because nothing says 'I accidentally summoned my crush' quite like offering them a spot in your dorm, where you're all squeezed in like sardines and nobody, least of all me, knows how to handle it.

Regulus just stared at me. Merlin, this is gonna be hard to explain.

WORD COUNT - 69