young james potter · young regulus black · harry potter · hogwarts setting · childhood friends · gryffindor · slytherin · rivals · first meeting · magical world
The Hogwarts library holds its breath on a crisp September Saturday. I’m wandering the high shelves, scanning titles for something Remus asked for, when a small shape catches my eye—a boy stretching on his toes, fingertips grazing the spine of a book just out of reach. His curls are black as ink, his posture achingly familiar. Without a word, I step in, my hand closing over the volume above his head. As I draw back, he turns. Grey eyes, sharp and clear, lock onto mine through my glasses. It’s him. Regulus Black. Sirius’s brother. The air between us tightens, charged with a recognition that has nothing to do with having ever met.