Chapter Text
Teen Heartthrob James Potter splits from his long-time girlfriend and co-star, Lily Evans
People Magazine
Rita Skeeter
Yes, you read that headline correctly, dear readers. Our personal favorite couple over here at People has split. For those who are unaware, the world-renowned actor, James Potter, famous for his starring role in the teen drama, Gryffindor Tower, just announced his split with his longtime co-star, Lily Evans. They’ve been dating since the show aired its second season in 2019; their relationship being very public and adorable. Some speculated that it was a PR relationship at first, seeing as their characters are dating in Gryffindor Tower, but the two denied those rumors and proved them wrong by outlasting the show and eventually moving in together last May after their 18th birthdays. I had the pleasure of researching their relationship from start to finish and summarizing it in an article, which you can read here.
I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves whether or not this is real, and I am here to break the news to you, that it is in fact very real. Potter and his team released a statement last Monday after some pictures surfaced of Lily Evans seemingly moving out of their shared apartment in New York. The statement said: “Lily and I have been together for so many years, and I will cherish that time together forever. But the two of us need to grow apart and have the chance to grow up a bit. We had an amicable split, and I anticipate being her friend for years to come.”
So, what does this mean? Our once beloved couple have split, what’s going to happen now? Well, I have some insight, readers. A source was able to capture a photo of Potter eating brunch with a mysterious brunette only this morning. And it’s not a girl that Potter is sitting with. It seems to be Regulus Black, famed pop-star and younger brother of James’s best friend and other co-star in Gryffindor Tower, Sirius Black . They don’t seem to be touching in any of the photos, but what could this mean? Has Potter already moved on?
***
“You’re a fucking idiot, James.” Comes a loud voice from the corner of the room.
James groans, sitting up and squinting at Sirius’s blurry figure. “Hm?”
“You went to brunch with my brother? Seriously?” Sirius says, stalking over to James’s bed. “You couldn’t have chosen anyone else? Or held off on dating anyone while your very public break-up is headlining every major news outlet?”
James is still half-asleep, rubbing roughly at his eyes as he tries to wake up. He knows he shouldn’t be asleep for this conversation. A voice in the back of his mind is screaming at him to defend himself, that this is important. “Brunch? Reggie?”
“Yes, James. Remember him? My baby brother whom you decided to endanger by going to brunch with while the press is hounding you about Evans?” Sirius says, his brows a harsh line across his forehead. “Do you recall that?”
James smacks around his side table until he finds his glasses, shoving them on his face so he can actually see Sirius in front of him. His vision clears and he comes face-to-face with a furious Sirius Black. Right. Maybe he should’ve kept them off.
“I… Well, I can’t deny any of that. It was just that Reggie was free and I was free and I hadn’t seen him in months and…” James trails off, not wanting to say any more.
There’s also the fact that he’s been talking with Regulus every single day for the past two years. And that he might be just a bit in love with him. He might have always been.
And he knows how terrible that sounds, considering that he and Lily only officially broke up a few weeks ago, but you have to understand that he and Lily had been on the outs for a long time. Longer than James has been talking to Regulus, actually.
But being the star couple of a popular teen drama means staying with your co-star of said show until your agents allow you to finally break up. So, James and Lily moved in together after Gryffindor Tower wrapped, and they stayed out of each other’s way. Lily brought home dozens of girls and boys, and James texted Regulus every single day from the other side of the world.
They would have continued like that if Lily hadn’t fucked up and gotten herself photographed making out with a random girl in the world renowned night club, The Leaky, famous for hosting celebrities of all caliber. After that, it was a quick process of staging a break-up, all wrapped up with Lily moving out. Their fans were devastated; James and Lily were thrilled.
She’d walked out of their apartment that day with a beaming grin, tossing her hair behind her shoulder while winking at James. “Catch you on the flip side, Potter.”
James still thinks that she did it all on purpose, and he loves her even more for it.
“Listen, mate, I’m happy that you’re finally free of that bullshit thing you had with Evans, but you cannot drag my brother into this mess. Just wait a bit, will you? I don’t want Reggie getting any more bad press, he’s had enough already.” Sirius, while slumping down on James’s bed, a tattooed hand running through his long curls.
James nods. “No, yeah, I get it. I promise we weren’t trying to do anything, we were honestly just out to brunch.”
Sirius raises an eyebrow. “Sure. For now. But I’ve watched you go stupid every time your phone’s gone off for two years now, James. I know there’s a lot more to it than just brunch.”
James flushes, scratching the back of his neck. “Well…”
“Don’t say anything else. I don’t want to vomit this early in the morning.” Sirius says, his nose turned up in disgust.
James huffs out a laugh. Sirius is so dramatic. And he’s just like Regulus. God, James’s chest aches with how much he misses the younger Black.
As if on cue, his phone chimes from his bedside table. James scrambles to grab it, eager to see what Regulus had texted him.
Reggie
Did you see Skeeter’s new article
*link attached*
She’s such a fucking knob
James snorts and clicks on the article. He rolls his eyes as he reads through the recap of his relationship with Lily and winces when he sees the mention of Regulus and their brunch. So, Sirius wasn’t lying. They needed to be careful.
James
yikes
she makes it seem like lily and i were some fairy tale romance
Reggie
Well… you sort of were
To your fans at least
James
pshhh as if
that’s a bit dramatic
Reggie
James
There are thousands of accounts dedicated to your relationship with Lily
I just saw an edit of you guys on TikTok the other day
It’s not dramatic. People thought you were soulmates
James huffs out a breath. He knows that the fans are crazy about him and Lily, he’s very accustomed to how insane they are. The amount of #jily posts he’s seen over the years are overwhelming.
It’s not that he despised the way his fans loved him and Lily together. He and Lily did love each other at one point, but things had been platonic between them for years. They hadn’t been dating since the last season of Gryffindor Tower aired, maybe even a bit before that. It’s old news to him.
He supposes this is fresh news for the fans, though. He wishes everyone could just move on. All he wants to do is take Regulus out and show him off to anyone who will listen. It’s all he can think about on the daily, a constant mantra of Regulus, Regulus, Regulus.
James
yea ig
well whatever
what’re u doing today?
Reggie
Miss me that much?
James
ofc
Reggie
You’re ridiculous
I’m not doing anything
James grins quietly. Regulus has a way of revealing himself through his words. It’s something that most don’t pick up on, not unless you really know him. James feels like he knows him better than anyone else.
James
can i come pick u up?
Reggie
Yes
James
i’ll leave in 30
Reggie
Okay
James takes that as his cue to get out of bed and search for clothes to wear. Sirius watches him with an unimpressed demeanor, one of his eyebrows arched up in a way that makes him look exactly like his little brother. James ignores him, grabbing jeans, a button-down, and a navy blue sweater.
“I hope you know how great I’m being about all of this.” Sirius drawls, spreading out like a starfish on James’s bed.
“Yes, you’re a fucking peach, Sirius.” James says, rolling his eyes and stepping into his jeans.
“I really am! Do you know how disgusting it is for me to watch my best friend go all mushy over my baby brother? Because it is! I’m constantly having to control my gag reflex around you with your googly eyes.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m not the one testing your gag reflex on the daily, mate.” James says with raised eyebrows.
Sirius is biting his lip, obviously trying not to laugh. It sticks for half a second before he’s bent over. “Okay, you’re right.”
James smirks in satisfaction, pulling on his button-down and leaving it open so he can find his deodorant, swiping some on before buttoning his shirt. Sirius is still giggling when he pulls his sweater over his head, and James leaves him to it as he sulks his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hopefully tame his hair.
After multiple minutes of trying, he gives up on his hair with a roll of his eyes and sprays a bit of cologne on before calling it a day. Sirius is still on his bed when he comes back, now distracted by something on his phone. James shakes his head fondly, climbing up next to him to try and peek at his phone. Sirius doesn’t try to hide it, displaying the screen for James to see the string of dirty messages between himself and Remus, causing James to grimace.
“You two are disgusting.” James remarks, pushing the phone away.
“Now you know how I feel.” Sirius says, turning his nose up slightly.
“This isn’t the same thing at all! Regulus and I text each other about our days, or about whatever book he’s currently reading. You’re texting Remus exactly what you want to do to him in so much detail it's honestly a bit impressive.”
Sirius smirks. “My vocabulary is quite remarkable.”
James shoves Sirius away from him before getting up again. “I’m leaving. Go suck your boyfriend off or something.”
Sirius hums. “I just might.”
James rolls his eyes, grabbing his own phone and making his way down the hall towards the kitchen. He briefly stops there to put the kettle on and grab two insulated cups from the cabinet. He fills one with Earl Grey, no milk no sugar, and the other a milky, sugary mess. Regulus hates milk and sugar in his tea; James can’t drink it without.
“Ugh, you’re even bringing him tea? Why are you so disgusting?” Sirius groans from the doorway, his phone still in his hand.
“Because I am nice and thoughtful.” James says, screwing lids on the cups before pocketing his phone and walking towards the front door.
“You’re the worst.” Sirius protests.
“You know, most older brothers would be happy about this outcome. You know me, you know I would never do anything to harm Regulus. I will treat him with respect and kindness. Why does this bother you so much?” James asks, genuinely curious.
Sirius frowns. “Well, I… I suppose it is nice that I know you so well. But you can’t go replace me with him. I was here first.”
James rolls his eyes hard. “So, you’re jealous.”
“Yes! You’re my closest friend, James. I can’t lose you to my younger, less-attractive brother.”
“You’re insane, Sirius.” James remarks, balancing both cups in one hand so he can snatch his keys in the other, twirling them around so he can find his car key and unlock it.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Have fun with the worse brother!” Sirius replies, his tone grumpy.
“I will!” James grins, saluting him before pulling the front door open and walking out.
He has to walk down to his building's parking garage to get to his car, gently setting the tea in his cup holder as he starts up the engine. He texts Regulus that he’s leaving while plugging his phone in and starting up his favorite driving playlist. It’s got a bunch of Regulus’s own music, as well as some older music that Monty used to play in the car when James was a kid. Music that makes James happy.
He pulls out of the garage and drives through the busy New York streets, turning and swerving through late morning traffic in the direction of Regulus’s apartment in Manhattan. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel as he drives along, quietly singing to some parts and smiling in silence for the rest.
His mind drifts to the article that Skeeter wrote, and he frowns. She made it seem like his break up with Lily was some huge thing, whereas for James it just felt inevitable.
Growing up on a TV show was unique. His and Lily’s characters were written to be together since the show was first created, so they always knew that they were leading up to that. And acting with someone for so long, pretending to be in love with them, well it blurs the lines. James thought he was in love with Lily when he was a teenager. They hung out constantly, they went on dates after filming. Hell, they lost their virginities to each other. For a long time, James thought that she was it for him. That is, until they grew up a bit and realized that their feelings were more friendly than anything. They didn’t have the spark, the passion and desire to be with one another long-term. They’d just grown comfortable.
He feels that desire for Regulus, though, and it grows stronger every single day. James wakes up and thinks of Regulus. He goes to bed thinking of Regulus. Every waking moment he walks around hoping for Regulus to text him, to send him silly selfies of himself in the studio, to catch a glimpse of him on social media.
He’s never felt like this before.
It’s funny because the entire reason he and Regulus started talking in the first place was because of Sirius. James was lucky enough to have parents that cared about protecting him while being a child actor, and he saw the way that the Blacks did nothing to protect Sirius. If it weren’t for Effie and Monty, Sirius could have fallen in with the crowd of corrupt celebrities that his parents associate themselves with. But instead, Sirius started living with James when he was 15, and emancipated himself at 16.
But he left Regulus behind, and he wanted to get him out. So, James and Sirius hatched a plan with Effie and Monty and got in contact with the younger Black. Regulus was wary at first, angry that Sirius had abandoned him with their parents, but once he realized that Sirius and James intended to get him out he was immediately on board.
Regulus left with them in the middle of the night, and his emancipation was legalized a year later after many, many days spent fighting it out with Walburga and Orion in court. They put up one hell of a fight, but so did Regulus.
The press had a field day with it. Both Black brothers emancipated within a year of one another, what a scandal. Hundreds of articles were written, and the brothers were hounded by the press for years to come. Some thought it was the brothers’ fault; they weren’t appreciative of their parents' wealth and fame, so they selfishly left. Others thought it was Walburga and Orion’s fault. No one knew the truth.
Ever since, Regulus and Sirius have hated the press. They refuse to do interviews, even though it would be beneficial for both of their careers. Neither of them trust journalists to depict them truthfully.
James is determined to do everything in his power to keep Regulus from being attacked by the press again. Just that Skeeter article alone has his skin crawling. He remembers how much Regulus had hidden away during that first year he lived with Sirius. James never wants Regulus to feel that way again.
He arrives at Regulus’s apartment before he realizes, his mind still swarming with overwhelming thoughts as he parks out front, admiring the modern-style building with sleek walls and tall windows. He turns off the ignition and hops out, balancing the two cups in his arms while jogging over to the front door. He nods at Regulus’s doorman, Ethan, before walking over to the front desk.
Regulus lives in a swanky luxury apartment building, fit with doormen, multiple security measures, and a front desk to buzz up to the occupants. It’s all so Regulus that James has to laugh. The first time James ever came here he was so in awe that he didn’t know what to ask Ophelia, the front desk girl, once he’d arrived. She had been very patient, though.
James waves at her now. “Hiya! How are you on this fine Saturday morning, Ophelia?”
She smiles, her long pale hair falling over one of her eyes. “Hello, Mr. Potter. I’m well, how are you?”
“Just fantastic! Could I bug you to buzz me up to Reggie?” James asks with a wide grin.
“No problem at all, sir. He’s expecting you.” Ophelia says.
“Thanks! You’re amazing!” James praises as he walks over to the elevator towards the back of the lobby.
James rides up to the fifth floor in silence, occasionally filling it with mindless humming. He’s had a melody stuck in his head for days now, though he hasn’t been able to turn it into a full song yet.
After finishing Gryffindor Tower, James had been at a loss for what to do next. He’s always loved acting, and knew he wanted to continue, but his love of music and songwriting was what he really wanted to pursue. He’s released a few singles, and they’ve done fairly well, though nothing like Regulus’s career.
Regulus is currently the top streamed artist on all music platforms. His debut album went platinum in a few months, and he’s toured internationally twice now. He’s so fucking talented, James is in awe of him.
He’s jolted out of his thoughts when the elevator doors slide open. James steps through, his feet carrying him down the hall on muscle memory. When Regulus’s door comes into his vision, a smile lifts his lips unconsciously. He speeds up his pace, eagerly knocking and stepping back to clasp his hands behind his back.
It opens, revealing a head of soft curls framing a lovely, flushed face. Regulus smiles a bit shyly, his bright green eyes twinkling as he takes James in. “Hey.” He breathes out, his voice low and melodic.
“Reggie.” James greets, so fucking pleased to see him.
“That was fast. Come in, I’m not ready yet.” Regulus says, opening the door and nodding for James to step inside.
James does, beaming as his shoulder lightly brushes Regulus’s as he walks past him. His eyes scan the breezeway he’s walked through so many times, relaxing into the familiarity of it. Regulus is a bit of an art snob; his entire apartment is filled to the brim with unique artworks and original pieces that James has never heard of. He’s such a nerd.
“Ah, take your shoes off. Fucking barbarian.” Regulus shakes his head sternly, rolling his eyes as he sets a hand on James’s chest to prevent him from taking another step forward.
James ducks his head sheepishly. “Sorry. Forgot.”
“Yeah, yeah. C’mon, I’ve got breakfast.” Regulus says, his lips twitching upwards, his eyes lingering on the cups in James’s hands. “Is one of those for me, or are you hogging them both for yourself?”
“Oh, shit.” James laughs, having completely forgotten about them. “This one is for you.”
Regulus takes it, pushing the lid back and lightly sipping the drink. His eyes brighten when he recognizes his favorite tea, his cheeks coloring a little. He says nothing, but that reaction is enough to have James walking on fucking clouds for the next week.
The kitchen is drenched in sunlight when both boys walk in. Regulus has the most gorgeous kitchen that James has ever seen, truly. It’s smaller than you would expect, but it’s all dark green cabinets, and cream tiling. Regulus is a true lover of anything silver, and it’s blatantly clear in his own space. Silver utensils, silver handles, even a silver kettle. In another life, he would have made a wonderful interior designer. He still could, James thinks.
“Here. Eat while I finish getting ready.” Regulus pushes a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon towards James before disappearing down the hall.
James just grins and sits down at the counter. He especially loves Regulus’s kitchen because he has one of those counters that opens up to his living room, stools on one side of the counter so you can sit and watch the other person cook. James has admittedly watched Regulus from this very spot more times than he can count.
His plate is cleared and washed by the time Regulus reemerges, clad in a loose-fitting white button down, grey trousers that cut off right above his ankle, and black loafers. James’s eyes trail upwards, lingering on the mass of silver chains all layered artfully atop each other, matching the silver rings glinting on his slender fingers that are still holding the tea James brought him. Christ, he looks practically edible.
Unaware or uncaring of James’s internal floundering, Regulus merely arches an eyebrow at him. “Ready?”
James springs up, trying to shake himself out of his stupor. “So ready. Are you?”
Regulus rolls his eyes in response. “Let’s go.” He mumbles before stalking to the front door and throwing it open, only slowing to pocket his keys before he’s gone.
James huffs, stumbling over his feet as he jams them into his shoes and gently shuts the door behind him. Regulus is already at the end of the hall when James finally makes it out of the apartment. “How are you so fast when you’re barely pushing five feet?” He calls out teasingly.
Regulus flips him off, his pace unrelenting as James actually runs to catch up. The side of Regulus’s mouth is curled up slightly when James peers down at him, his heart jumping when he spots it.
“What are we doing today?” Regulus asks, slowing down as they approach the elevator.
The doors slide open silently and the boys step in, James standing a bit too close to be friendly. Regulus doesn’t seem to mind, taking another sip of his tea as he waits for James’s response.
“Isn’t it about time I teach you to drive?” James asks.
Regulus grins.
***
“I still don’t understand how you’ve gone eighteen years without taking a single driving course.”
Regulus huffs, his eyes focused on the parking lot in front of him. James has driven them out to Scarsdale, a more secluded part of New York, about an hour outside of the city, so Regulus could have a more empty space to learn. James is an annoyingly patient teacher, which only serves to piss Regulus off.
He’s not used to doing things and not instantly being good at them. He’s not instantly good at driving. It’s infuriating.
“Because my parents were fucking neglectful and I’ve always lived in places where public transit was accessible, Potter.” Regulus bites, wincing when he slams too hard on the brakes. He groans, flopping his forehead down on the wheel so the horn goes off. “This is pointless.”
A warm hand settles between Regulus’s shoulders, gently rubbing up and down and easing the tension there. “Hey, hey, don’t talk like that. You’re not going to instantly get the hang of it. We’ll keep practicing.” James murmurs, his tone soft in the quiet of the car.
Regulus turns his head, peering over at him. “I hate this. Why can’t this just be easy?”
James chuckles. “You are so fussy.”
Regulus sputters, sitting up from his slouched position. “I am not.”
“You are. It’s adorable.”
Well… Regulus doesn’t really have a response to that. And now he’s blushing. Great. “I hate you.”
James hums. “That’s alright. Let’s try again. Get your foot on the brake and put the car in reverse. Don’t slam on the gas or the brake, just ease into it.”
Regulus glares, but does as he’s told. He reverses out of the spot he’s parked in, and lets the car ease backwards, only lightly pressing on the gas as he turns the wheel. Once he’s facing the direction he wants to go, he presses on the brake so he can switch gears to drive, and slowly starts moving forward. James is beaming in his peripheral vision, and Regulus can’t help but grin back.
“Now, that’s what I’m fucking talking about, Reggie! Good job.” James praises once Regulus moves forward and parks in a different spot.
Regulus flushes. “All I did was park the car.”
“No, you reversed out successfully and drove us to another spot. That was brilliant.” James says, looking more excited than Regulus feels.
“It was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
James nods. “Very good. I’m proud of you.”
“You’re too easy to please.” Regulus scoffs, ignoring the quickening of his heartbeat.
James shrugs, his dimples poking his cheeks as he continues staring over at Regulus. “Everything feels easy with you.” He says, his voice soft but so loud in Regulus’s mind that he can barely process the words.
He’s genuinely speechless. Every time he thinks he has James Potter figured out, he goes and says something like that and completely turns Regulus’s world around. Who the fuck even comes up with insane shit like that? Insane, overly soppy, romantic, things that make Regulus’s palms sweat and his ears burn and his mind to stop functioning.
“You…” Regulus trails off, shaking his head in amazement. “You’re driving us now. Consider our lessons over.”
James’s jaw drops, his eyes bright with amusement. “Oh, we’re done, just like that?”
Regulus nods sagely. “For now. I’m done with this.” He says before opening the car door and walking around to the passenger side where James is still occupying. Rolling his eyes, Regulus pulls the door open and bodily grabs James by the biceps and tugs him out. “Come on, O Wise One, show me how it’s done.” Regulus says, his hands lingering once James has fully straightened up.
He has to crane his neck to keep looking James in the eyes. He internally curses the older boy, because he’s not pushing five fucking feet, but compared to James, who stands a couple inches above six foot, Regulus is quite a bit shorter. He’s fucking average, but James acts like he’s the shortest person he knows. It would be aggravating if he didn’t know that James secretly loves it,. sSo, he tolerates the comments.
“Oh, I will.” James says, leaning down so their faces are only a few inches apart.
Regulus’s teeth pull at his bottom lip as he studies James’s intently, his throat constricting as he attempts to swallow around the dryness there. “Right. Um. Please do.” He croaks.
James smirks, finally pulling back so he can walk around to the driver’s side, climbing in and shutting the door behind him. Regulus takes those precious few moments to catch his breath. A sly voice calls out from the open door beside him.
“Coming in?”
Regulus huffs and slides into the car. “You’re paying for everything for the rest of the day.”
James just laughs.