Marauders age regression one shots

The Great Catspiracy

James Potter should have known something was wrong the moment he stepped into the Gryffindor common room and heard maniacal giggling.

"Reggie?" James called out cautiously, scanning the room.

There, perched on the back of the sofa, was Regulus Black in full chaotic glory. His hair was a mess, his cheeks were flushed, and his hands were covered in chocolate smudges. Surrounding him were a collection of hastily drawn schematics involving cats, stick figures, and something that looked suspiciously like a castle made of marshmallows.

"JAMES!" Regulus screeched, waving a crayon in the air like a sword. "You're just in time for the unveiling of my MASTER PLAN!"

James blinked, resisting the urge to laugh. "Oh, no. What master plan?"

Regulus jumped down from the couch, his energy resembling that of a dozen sugar-rushed toddlers. "I am going to take over the world... with CATS!"

"Cats," James repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why cats?"

"BECAUSE THEY'RE PURRFECT!" Regulus exclaimed, dissolving into another fit of giggles at his own pun.

At that moment, Sirius sauntered into the room, looking far too pleased with himself. "Oh, hey, Prongs. You found him. Isn't he adorable?"

James whirled on his best friend. "Sirius, what did you do?"

"Me?" Sirius asked innocently, gesturing to himself. "I just gave him a few chocolate frogs. He looked like he needed a sugar boost."

"A few?" James asked incredulously, pointing at the empty pile of wrappers on the floor.

Regulus, meanwhile, was now using his crayons to add detailed battle plans to his schematics. 

"First, we recruit the cats," he explained. "Then, we—oh no! We need tuna! James, we're out of tuna!"

James pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sirius, I'm going to kill you."

"Relax," Sirius said with a grin. "He's just having a bit of fun."

"Fun? He's one crayon away from trying to summon an actual army of cats!"

"TO THE CAT APOCALYPSE!" Regulus declared, throwing his hands in the air.

James groaned. "Alright, that's it. Bedtime for you, little evil genius."

Regulus gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Bedtime? But I haven't finished the blueprints! You'll ruin my empire!"

James scooped him up despite his protests, carrying him toward the dormitory. "The empire will still be here tomorrow, Reggie. Right now, you need to sleep off all that sugar."

As James carried him away, Sirius called out, "You're welcome for the entertainment!"

Regulus, now squirming in James' arms, tugged on his sleeve. "James?"

"Yes, Reggie?"

"Can we get a cat?"

James chuckled. "We'll talk about it after you sleep, okay?"

"Okay," Regulus said, already yawning as his sugar rush began to fade. By the time James reached the dormitory, Regulus was fast asleep, still clutching one of his crayon-drawn cat blueprints. James smiled, tucking him into bed.

"World domination can wait, little one," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from Regulus' face. "For now, sweet dreams."

Back in the common room, Sirius was laughing to himself. Little did he know, Regulus' Catspiracy wasn't over yet—because James wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of a cat.