Chapter Text
The winds were cool. The type where you have to let yourself go to find out that the cold doesnt bother you much. But there as the static too. It was a friend but not always.
Pandora stayed back at the dorms saying something about sleep needs to care for her. But Regulus was dragged here anyway by both Evan and Barty.
There they were. Dorcas was already falling over for Marlene near the lake, and James was sitting a good few feet away from the water.
“Hey Reggie,” Sirius tapped on his shoulder and Regulus flinched a bit. He knew that Sirius was coming because it was imperative to see James out anywhere alone on an unsupervised trip or exchange. “School robes for swimming? That’s very weird, you know?”
“I’m not here for swimming,” Regulus changed his answer. He was wearing shorts and a swim shirt underneath, but he didn’t want to make a statement right now. “I see evading laws are consistent,” Regulus regarded the bottle of firewhisky which Barty was currently holding.
Sirius smiled. “We’re not underage. We are teenagers with hunger for life,” he said.
Mother will know mother will know mother will-
“If you’re getting drunk, I’m taking my chances at pushing you in the lake,” Regulus looked away to not show how his eyes smile. Even if his lips don’t.
“I’ll take those chances,”
An hour goes by and Regulus has a fake official restraining order against Barty and Evan. Not out of the water even to get a hold of the muffins Marlene brought. There’s an avoidance to Sirius, because he knew he would talk to Regulus about their mother. Dorcas and Marlene have snogged for a few seconds before James threw a sweet small muffin at Marlene. Dorcas and she were now sitting beneath a tree doing God knows what and James approached Regulus.
“Hey,” He simply said before sitting down next to Regulus on the pebbled shore. Sirius was now out in the water with Marlene. “Why aren’t you getting in?”
Regulus shrugged. Didn’t dress for a late night swim.
James laughed. “That’s absurd. You didn’t wear socks,” He stated.
“Yea well I changed my mind then,” Regulus dropped his neck to the side. “I could ask the same about you,”
James thought for a moment and gave him a suggestive glance. “I’ll go in if you go in,”
“This is in no way a compromise,” Regulus said. “I don’t wanna get in and you’ll never meet water tonight. Happy me unhappy you,”
James sighed. “Fine then, you can sulk here—”“Not sulking,”
“—And I can still be happy even if I don’t swim—”
“You look ready to dive in,”
“—and I don’t need a my best friend’s little brother telling me what I will feel and what I wont,” James finished.
“Keep it your way then,”
Five minutes goes by and James retraces his steps to the firewhisky. Two minutes pass and Regulus acknowledges the warmth that left with James. He saw Sirius smile a few times at him and Regulus could only nod. Dorcas came up to him now. Marlene in the water with her muggle clothes and pink ends sticking to one another after being tied up.
“So you’re not coming in?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” He answered and was then smacked on the shoulder.
“The fuck you mean you don’t know?” She laughed. “You have to get in the water. Its the least fun you can do while you’re here,” she looks back to see Sirius collecting shells. “Or atleast do something instead of sitting around. It feels like you’re ruining the whole night!”
Regulus couldn’t help smiling. “Fine,”
After Dorcas rejoined the group, Regulus discarded his robes next to a pile of other jackets and shoes. He felt the chill air hit him instantly and gooseflesh rise.
He slowly neared the water when suddenly Barty pulled him in, cold water assaulting him with its sharp sting.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” Regulus screamed at Barty who just couldn’t stop laughing.
Behind him, he heard his brother laughing with him. Absolutely outrageous.
Regulus didn’t like that people were finding it funny that he got into the water.
—————————————————————————————————————————
“You know they didn’t laugh at you, right?” Evan asked beside him near the fire that James had got going. Regulus was slightly shivering from the cold. “They only laughed cuz they were in the high of it all. They would’ve found the giant squid funny if it had showed up,”
“God, Rosier,” Regulus looked at him. “I’m not blaming anyone but stop assuming,”
A while later and Evan and Barty left saying that they were going to go to the kitchen for food, Sirius left after a few minutes saying that the water is bound to mess his curls and Dorcas was stuck close to Marlene. Regulus went out to sit by the bigger rocks, trying to drown out the feeling of being seen. A few minutes later, James joined him.
“Wow, you left in a hurry,” he laughed. “Any reason why?”
Regulus felt weird. He had never spoken to James. Ever.
Except the time Gryffindor won the yearly game and Regulus was to congratulate him.
Except the time Regulus caught James trying to sneak into herbology to steal a few roses.
Except the time James walked in on Regulus drunk in the bathroom stalls during a party.
Except the time Regulus asked him to deliver the gifts to Sirius on his birthday. Six times.
Except an hour ago when James said that he’d get in the water if Regulus does so too.
“You said you’d join if I did,” Regulus still doesn’t look at him. But James does. Regulus can feel James look at him. Staring at him. “I felt lied to and I didn’t like that,” the winds made him truthful tonight.
“I didn’t have an extra set of clothes. And I’m pretty sure Marlene is going to ask for my shirt cuz she got soaked,”
A few minutes pass and James said that it was one in the morning, looking at the watch that belonged to Sirius. “Let me see,” Regulus took the watch from him.
The leather was worn out. The steel was pulled out and the white wallpaper of the face was growing a bit brown in the dark.
“I saw that design on your thigh,” James smiled and Regulus didn’t reply. “Never knew you had an artistic hand,”
Regulus ran his tongue over his lips and looked at James. “I was bored and Barty had a new book from zonko’s. He prepared a dye and I was left unattended,”
“West Asian scarabs and Chinese cauldrons,” James ran a finger over the blue design on Regulus’ thigh. “I like how you drew em,”
Regulus’ breath caught in his throat when James’ finer brushed over his skin in delicate shapes. Intent stares at the design and slowly moving his finger to trace every pattern.
“It’s a beetle,” Regulus corrected him. “Professor told us it were beetle shaped bowls,”
James tutted, taking his hand away and Regulus could imaging reaching out to guide James to keep tracing over his skin. “Well my mum said they were scarabs. Said they were regional or something,”
Regulus huffed a small laugh. “I should get going,” He said and started to get up, when James suddenly caught his hand, pulling him back down on the rocks. “What was that for?” Regulus scoffed and James hushed.
“Keep this then,” James removed the watch from his wrist. Regulus didnt realise he was checking the watch out while it was on James. “You can keep that,”he said once regulus got a firm grip on it.
Regulus just smiled at him “Thanks,” he didn’t ask why.
James smiled and after blowing out the fire, Marlene asked James to lend her his shirt, which then Regulus was rewarded the amazing moment when James removed the shirt. Fine tanned muscles rolling over one other as Marlene asked him to hurry up. Regulus was too distracted to how James’ arm flexed with his neck muscles when he handed the shirt over. Regulus felt embarrassed. Flushed. Like he had walked into something he wasnt meant to see. He felt like a sin standing face to face to something that was the definition of hole. He cleared his throat to turn to Dorcas.
Dorcas was too busy staring at Marlene.