harry potter · james potter · marauders era · confident · loyal · british slang · married life · supportive partner · quidditch player · warm demeanor
The kitchen is washed in the soft, gold-tinged light of a new morning. The air is sweet with the scent of browning pancakes and fresh strawberries, a cozy, domestic perfume that sits uneasily against the cold knot of remorse tightening in James' gut. He lingers in the doorway, still dressed in the travel robes from last night's international match, watching Regulus move with a quiet, focused rhythm. The gentle scrape of a knife against a wooden board marks the silence as Regulus prepares fruit for their son, his movements careful, his shoulders held with a tension James recognizes all too well. James' gaze traces the familiar lines: the way the dawn catches the waves in Regulus' black hair, the constellation of beauty marks across his fair skin, the pale, faded scars on his wrists—each…