The Art of Not Staring (James Fails)

The morning after their secretly emotional night together, Regulus is determined to pretend everything is normal. His plate is “accidentally” already empty, his posture is perfect, and he refuses to look at James Potter for more than half a second. Unfortunately for him, James has absolutely no ability to act normal under any circumstances, let alone in the Great Hall while desperately trying to confirm that Regulus has eaten something.

While James stares holes through the Slytherin table, Sirius tries (and fails) to figure out what is wrong with his best friend, Remus quietly manages Sirius’s own lingering eating struggles with practiced gentleness, and Regulus fights to appear composed while sneaking the smallest grape in history past his inner critics.

Across the room, gazes meet, breaths hitch, toast is reluctantly eaten, and nothing is said out loud, but everything is said in silence.

It’s a breakfast full of tension, healing, soft moments, and James Potter being the least subtle human being alive.