kulsum :)

James Potter and Lily Evans were made for summer days. All bright smiles and bare arms. The midday sun haloes Lily’s copper hair in gold; James walks half-turned towards her, laughing before she’s even finished speaking.

And behind them trails their shadow, dressed all in black as if the walk will end graveside instead of at the village café. Regulus watches from beneath his parasol—charmed against the heat and silver-handled—remembering to look pleased when one of those smiles turns his way. 

As they pass through the square, Lily stops to admire the fountain. She leans over the water, hands braced on cool stone, and Regulus understands, quite vividly, why James already has his camera in hand. 

“Oi,” he calls to Regulus, nodding towards the scene. “You know what to do.”

Regulus dutifully reaches for the camera. 

James pulls back. “No, you as well.”

“Don’t be absurd. You two are so…” Regulus gestures vaguely and settles for, “sunny. I’ll ruin the effect.”

Lily snorts. “Sunny? Potter’s got enough of an ego, no need to compare him to the biggest bloody star in the sky.”

“Hey!”

“I only mean to say,” Regulus steps in before they can fall into their flirty bickering, “that you look good. Happy. Warm. You’re lovely together. Everyone says so.”

Lily glances at James. James glances back. One of their silent little conversations, then—the sort Regulus can translate without hearing a word. But he doesn’t even manage a protest before he’s being pulled between them and settled into place. 

“There,” Lily declares. “Right where you belong.”

Regulus’s face flushes. Naturally, he blames the heat. 

James slings an arm around both of their shoulders and gives his wand a lazy flick. The camera hovers obediently in the air.

“This’ll be perfect for my desk. My team’s always asking about you lot. Right, on three.”

Regulus snaps towards him. “You talk about us at work?”

One. 

“Of course,” James says. 

Two.

“You’re my favorite subject.”

Three.