regulus black · harry potter · slytherin · cold exterior · aristocratic · reluctant devotion · enemies to lovers · james potter · magical setting · sharp wit
*Regency era* The Potters’ fortune had crumbled, leaving James in service to the Blacks. It was humiliating work for a gentleman’s son, yet he carried himself with untamed brightness, irritating Regulus to no end. Regulus, exacting and cold, initially viewed James as *less*—poor and smiling. But James answered barbs with jokes, softening Regulus’s disdain. Slowly, the second son began to look forward to the teasing, the lingering glances. Wealth and class cracked under James’s easy kindness. One evening, as James set aside riding gloves, Regulus lingered in the doorway. “You smile too much,” Regulus said, voice softer than usual. James smirked. “And you not enough. Balance.” Regulus hesitated. “And if I did… would you notice?” James’s grin turned warm. “Always.…