#this is a prequel to a Jeguly story on my Wattpad account

[wendynoire]

Cutie

James had to admit he really didn't understand the relationship between the Black brothers. Sirius put everything about Regulus before him, except explaining.

It was Regulus that Sirius had asked to have stay at the Potters, he was so surprised when James told him both of their rooms were sorted and to come whenever.

Besides, after getting together Remus and Sirius were awful company. Yes, James knew everything about Remus' body, the two had had sex for crying out loud! They only did it once and decided to forget it happened, never telling anyone. Sirius, though, seemed to want to talk about everything to do with Remus, up to and including his body during sex.

James had had enough, he was going to read a book in the old, unused classroom on the way to the Astronomy tower. It had a large window ledge which was comfortable to sit on and had the best view of the grounds. Apparently some students had hexed the window several years ago causing the window to always let the air flow even when it was closed. James didn't mind though, he, like every Quidditch player, loved the feeling of the wind on his face and through his messy, fluffy hair.

But when James got there, he found there was already someone there. They were rather smaller than him, with short, black, dead straight hair that made it look like they had never had a bad hair day in their life. Their eyes were a greyish blue, and their cheeks had similar high cheek bones to Sirius. They were wearing robes with a Slytherin crest stitched on with neat, black thread. The light shining in through the window seemed to bless the person with more beauty than James thought anyone but Lily could hold.

"Hello." The person had moved to fix their eyes on James, making his breath hitch. Though they were clearly looking at him with mistrustfulness, their eyes were truly a beauty.

"Hi, mind if I sit here too?" James tried to breathe as the wind caught the individual's hair perfectly.

"as long as you don't mind sitting with a Slytherin." They gestured for James to sit. "Why is James Potter in a place like this, alone, anyway?"

"It's not like we're all joined at the hip." James grinned, sitting down. Conversation was better than reading, so long as it wasn't coming from Sirius right now, who seemed to decide that this week was tmi about Remus, or complaining about his relationship with Regulus. "I just wanted some time away from our star complainer."

"Oh," The Slytherin nodded, they were really cute.

"By the way, what's your name?" James wanted to know, he wasn't a stalker like Snape, but it was nice to know the name of crushes.

The cute Slytherin looked James up and down, before turning to the window again.

"Why should I tell you my name? You'll probably just use it to annoy me." Their cheeks were a little flushed as they spoke though.

"Oh come on, you know my name." James pouted and leaned forwards towards the Slytherin.

"Literally everyone knows your name, Potter. You make it damn hard not to know about your group." The cute Slytherin rolled their eyes.

"Fine, then I'll call you 'Cute Slytherin'." James also turned to look outside. Though cold, it was a sunny day, the serene lake looking like it was trying to trick the viewer into thinking it's summer.

"The fuck did 'Cute' come from?" The Slytherin snapped, their cheeks really going red.

"Well," James folded his arms as he grinned mischievously. "You are adorable."

"Ugh."

"Your cheeks are so pokeable."

"Fuck off."

"And your voice is also cute."

"I swear on Merlin I will find something to hit you with."

"Then tell me about yourself." James had moved back so he was leaning against the wall he was in front of, avoiding Cute Slytherin's swats at him.

"How about you tell me about your 'Chief complainer'?" Cute Slytherin sat back, sure they weren't going to be able to stay in silence, though they had known that when they let James join in the first place.

"Oh yeah, Sirius," James missed Cute Slytherin's slight flinch at the name, biting their lip in an attempt to keep their face neutral. "I mean, I know I don't have siblings, but I feel like it shouldn't be as complicated as he makes it."

"From my side, as a Slytherin, I don't think it seems that complicated." Cute Slytherin looked everywhere but James. "Sirius hates his brother and avoids him?"

"That's exactly the problem!!" James yelled, tossing his book across the room. "Everything Sirius does in front of his brother makes it look like he hates him, but when we're in Gryffindor he's always complaining about how his brother doesn't like him. I have told him to talk to him, but he refuses."

"What is it you want them to talk about?" Cute Slytherin looked interesting.

"Everything Sirius complains about to me. How he stopped talking to him while at home because he was suddenly being the one punished after watching what their parents did to his brother and was now taking the blame for everything. How he literally only thinks about his brother and not even himself. You know he was surprised when he realised that I had asked for him to come to mine too? But does he tell his brother about that? Nooo! 'I don't know which students are Death Eaters' 'I don't want to put him in more danger from our parents' bla bla bla. He has a place to stay that's not their parents!" James hadn't realised quite how angry he was with Sirius, or rather Sirius' situation, he guessed that explosion was good for him.

Cute Slytherin seemed to be scared of James' explosion though, staring at him with wide eyes that didn't seem to know where to look and an open mouth.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have put all of that on you." James deflated, looking out the window.

"I need to go." Cute Slytherin looked away from James, standing up and summoning his book. "And Regulus Black is actually nonbinary, they/them."

"Oh thanks, sorry." James took the book, watching Cute Slytherin walk away.

"And... It's probably not good to keep all of that to yourself. I come here every Friday, you can talk to me any time." Cute Slytherin finally slipped out of the room.

"Well fuck." James muttered to himself, cheeks warm. Yes, he definitely had a new crush, not that he wasn't still in love with Lily. Perhaps he wanted a polyamorous relationship?

Over the next month, the two met every Friday, talking about whatever. There were a lot of discussion about the Black siblings, almost all from Sirius' side, but it did seem Cute Slytherin knew Regulus.

"Cutie!" James called, opening the door dramatically, arms wide.

"'Cutie'?" Cute Slytherin raised an eyebrow at the new nickname.

"Eh, it's shorter than 'Cute Slytherin', so now it's 'Cutie'." James shrugged, plopping down on the window sill.

"Whatever. Fuck you." Cutie rolled his eyes and looking out the room again, cheeks very red.

"Awww, aren't you a cutie." James laughed.