Chapter Text
“You are my daughter. You will marry well and bring honor to this family by bearing your husband an heir!”
Regulus, being the planning plotting little shit that he is even at the very young age of 7 years old, simply responded, “Ah! But think about the many lines that are failing because their Lords are ‘perpetual bachelors’. You and I both know that’s just code for ‘homosexual and unwilling to pretend’. Should I look male but be able to bear children still, you’ve just opened up so many new opportunities for marriage contracts.” Being only 7 means he has to sound out a few of the larger words slower than the rest of words, but he makes it sound measured, not hesitating.
Walburga’s eyes gleamed with greed, “Very well, my son. Do what you must. I’ll send a missive to the goblins. What name shall we call you?”
Regulus smiled, it was sickly sweet, “I shall of course honor tradition, Mother. I have chosen Regulus Arcturus Black.”
“At least one of my sons will have sense.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Of course, none of this would matter.
He approached James Potter on September 16, 1977, right after school started for his sixth year and the day after Regulus turned 17. Well, approached is a loose definition for “shoved him into an abandoned classroom”.
“Regulus, what is the meaning of this?”
Silver-grey eyes studied the messy-haired boy in front of him, heir to a most ancient and noble house. Damn near Sacred 28, not that they gave a damn, “I require a child. You’re the best candidate to give me one.”
“Is… Is this a prank, Black?”
“Why would I joke about this?”
“Has the Black Madness taken over then?”
“No.”
“Imperius?”
“I’ve been able to throw it off since I was 6.”
“That’s a horrifying statement, Reggie.”
“Must you call me that?”
“I’m really not sure what else to call you currently.”
“My name is Regulus. You could start with that.”
James lets out a hollow laugh, rubbing his face roughly enough to dislodge his glasses, “You’re being absolutely serious.”
“Deathly.”
“Why?”
“Should I come to bear your child, I am yours as well. James, if you agree to this, I cannot be Marked. For all of the Dark Lord’s madness, he’s lucid enough to not rid the world of a pureblood child.”
James sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, “You’d be free.”
“And all it would cost me is a Potter child. I can live with that.”
“Truly?”
“Truly.”
“Can I warn my parents?”
“Of course.”
“Can I warn Lily?”
“Did she finally show you attention? I’m impressed.”
James huffed a laugh, “She agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me at the end of last year, but no one was around. I wouldn’t want her to think I was toying with her all these years.”
“How soon can you have an answer?”
“I can get an answer from my parents…. Probably now.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, one moment,” James set his schoolbag on one of the dusty desks, digging around in it carefully before procuring a simple round compact. The lid was engraved with the Potter coat of arms but was otherwise unblemished. “Now let’s see… Fleamont Potter.”
Their reflections in the mirror began to swirl, distorting until the image of Fleamont Potter appeared in replacement, “James? Is everything alright, son?”
“Hey, Dad! Yeah, I just wanted to give you and mom a heads up. Uh, well,” he glanced over at Regulus and sighed, “You’ll need to announce my heir or heiress soon.”
“I’m sorry, James, I don’t think I heard you right. Can you repeat that?”
“No, you heard me correctly. Regulus found a way to get himself out.”
Fleamont sighed, shaking his head, “I’ll get the goblins to write up the marriage contract. What about Lily?”
James groaned, “She will find this hilarious, no doubt.”
The elder Potter chuckled, “I’ll let your mother know when she gets back home. Good luck, son.”
The image of the Potter Lord swirled away as James sighed, “Well, there you have it. Let’s go find Lily. Are you joining me?”
“Will she believe you otherwise?”
James paused, “I don’t know. My reputation precedes me.”
Regulus smirked, “Oh, I know. That’s why this will work.”
James sighed in resignation, “Why did I agree to this…”
The younger boy shrugged, ignoring his pureblood teachings with no one around, “Potters have a saving people thing.”
James leveled him with a serious look, “Regulus. I am going to be absolutely honest with you.”
Regulus looked nervous. A serious James was always a coin toss up and one could never be too sure what the young man would say, “Alright…”
“I have been in love with you nearly as long as I’ve been in love with Lily. I always thought you were as out of my league as Lily, honestly,” one tanned hand came up and caressed Regulus’ pale cheek. “I also didn’t want to ask you to share if you didn’t want to, either of you.”
The silver eyed teen took a hesitant breath, “And Sirius?”
James ran his thumb over Regulus’ lips, “One kiss from you would make his wrath worth it. He thinks no one is good enough for you, even now. But you can make your own choices, Regulus darling, and that is what I will respect.”
“I’ll ask Lily to forgive me later,” he wrapped pale fingers in Gryffindor trimmed robes and pulled James close, pressing their lips together after so long of wanting. James’ hand slid down to Regulus’ waist and pulled him closer, nipping at his lower lip playfully. It turned the kiss more heated, eyes closed to savor the moment. “Merlin, if you fuck like you kiss, I’m never going to stray.”
James smirked, stroking a thumb up and down Regulus’ throat, “I’ve yet to have any complaints. Granted, the selection is small but I’m proud of it.”
“Really? The way you and your crew swagger around, you’d think it’d be half the school.”
James scoffed, “I’m very selective and careful, being an Heir and all that.”
“Yeah? Didn’t want to risk mini-Potters?”
“Well, there are always exceptions to the rule.”
“I’m honored,” Regulus laughed quietly against James’ lips, his body leaning into the taller teens. “You’re sure about this?”
“Your body, your choice, Reg. But! I’m honored you picked me.”
“Well, I had to let the love of my life sire my first child. It’s only right,” his tone was light and playful, but James could feel the way he tensed up slightly.
“Well, now I am truly honored. The love of Regulus Black’s life? That’s an important title.”
“Well, it’ll be Regulus Potter soon, yeah?”
James nodded, humming in contentment, “I like that.”
“I do too,” Regulus whispered then sighed. “Let’s go find Lily.”
James perked up, “I have an easy way of doing that too. Hold on…” James pulled away, diving into his bag again. “Filch has Sirius’ copy- nicked it last year. Not that he can operate it, you need a full magic core, unfortunately. Now where… how is my bag this messy alrea- aha! I found it!”
Regulus raised an eyebrow as the messy-haired boy pulled out a folded piece of parchment, “If you needed parchment, James, my bag is very well organized.”
“Watch and be in awe, darling,” James winked before laying the parchment out on a desk and tapping it with his wand. “I solemnly swear, I am up to no good.”
Slowly, ink appeared as Regulus watched, spreading out from James’ wandtip to form a full map of Hogwarts. He blinked slowly, mouth slightly agape as he stood next to the prankster, “What is this?”
“This, my dear, is the Maruaders Map. It is a fully interactive map of Hogwarts and some of the grounds that shows where everyone is. Its only weakness? The Dungeons and the Slytherin common room. As we are universally hated there, we haven’t been able to map it fully. I keep hoping that one day we’ll be able to, but well, it’s our seventh year already.”
Regulus hummed quietly, plans forming in his head, “I can get Barty and Evan to help.”
“Just let me know, love. Now, onto more pressing business… Locare Lily Evans,” James swiped his wand from the top left corner of the map to the bottom right corner as he spoke the incantation. Slowly, the map shifted until it zoomed in on a sixth-floor corridor on the right-hand side. “Ah, she’s coming from Ancient Runes. Good timing, she mentioned that was her last class of the day when we got our schedules. Let’s go.”
James tapped the Map with a quiet “Mischief Managed” and folded it back up and slid it into a pocket in his bag, “Do you want this to be subtle?”
A raised eyebrow, “What is your idea of subtle?”
James pulled out his Arthimancy book, “Everyone knows you’re top of your year in Arthimancy and Lily is the top of mine. It wouldn’t be unheard of for me to ask for your and Lily’s help, especially since it’s our N.E.W.T year. You could say that Professor Greengrass offered you extra credit until it comes out about you being… well, it all comes out. I’m not sure how you want to handle it, but I’ll follow your lead.”
Regulus melted at the care James was putting into this and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, “That sounds wonderful. We can use that for now until we talk to Lily.”
James let out a relieved breath, “Good, and it might not even be a ruse. This class will most definitely kick my arse this year. You’re studying ahead, yeah?”
James pulled the classroom door open, holding it for Regulus who was nodding, “Yes. I studied it from home and Professor Greengrass felt that I would do best self-studying so I could take the exams with your year.”
“Perfect,” James flipped the book open as they began down the hallway. They were on the third-floor, so to meet Lily they headed towards Gryffindor Tower as she headed up from the sixth floor. “There’s this section I can’t wrap my head around for the project he has us working on.”
The two dissolved into technical talk, James playing the oblivious Gryffindor to Regulus’ annoyed Slytherin as they walked the halls together; eye rolls and blinding smiles on loud display. Finally they made it to the seventh floor, “Wait here, Baby Black. I’m going to grab my lovely Lily-flower!”
Regulus clicked his tongue in annoyance at the nickname, rolling his eyes once more, “Hurry up, Potter. I have better things to do with my day.”
James beamed at the other teen before disappearing into the Common Room with a whisper of the password. He glanced around quickly, looking for long red hair, and found his target sitting on the far side of the room, “Lily, I have a prefect from another house needing help from the Head Girl and Head Boy. Could you join me outside?”
Bright green eyes looked up from the book she was reading and smiled softly, “Of course, James.”
He held out a hand, all gentlemanly charm that she rolled her eyes at but allowed anyway as she stood up and walked beside her yearmate, “Do you know what it’s about?”
“Sort of. It’s a sensitive matter and they’d rather it be discussed privately.”
Lily nodded seriously, never one to waiver from her duties, “Understood. Are we meeting them in a classroom?”
“No, they’re right outside. I have somewhere else we can discuss this that is much more… private.”