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When James was a young boy, a couple members of an orchestra came around and showed off their instruments and James, already enamored by the sound, was immediately drawn into the idea of Violin when the violinist showed off how high pitched the violin and his entire school flinched.
That night, he went home and begged Effie and Monty to put him in the program that the demonstrators were holding. They rented out a Violin and put him in the program, unsure if he would actually like it because the Violin was hard and James had a tendency to get easily frustrated when he's not good at something immediately.
And, despite James wanting to play purely for the reason of making people flinch when he played the E string, he found that he really enjoyed it. Despite not having lessons any more, James will occasionally grab out his Violin and go play from the Astronomy tower to play. He goes up and plays to calm himself down, to silence his mind for once, and to help him focus. Only Pete and Marlene know about this and his Violin is hidden in the bottom of his trunk.
One day, Regulus heads up to Astronomy tower to spend time alone and in silence but stops short when he hears... music?
Normally, hearing people at the tower makes Regulus turn and immediately go back down to the dungeon but there's something about the music that draws him nearer. It's beautiful, enchanting... someone is playing the violin with more passion than him and Sirius ever could--Regulus enjoyed piano more than Violin even if he was forced to play both--and its...
He needs to know who's playing.
The absolute last thing that he expects is for James to be sitting in the middle of the Astronomy tower, eyes closed and body swaying with his bow, left arm shaking with a beautiful vibrato. Regulus couldn't figure out the name of the song, or even the composer, off the top of his head but James clearly knows it well.
Regulus thought he knew what James looked like relaxed, thought that he was entirely relaxed when happily interacting with Sirius and Remus and Peter but he was wrong. James is now sitting in front of him, shoulders entirely relaxed in a way that Regulus has never seen on him. There's also a small smile on his face and...
His heart flutters... James is completely at ease and smiling and Regulus is sure that he can hear him vaguely humming to the notes he's playing and-
Regulus, having spent hours upon hours nearly making his fingers bleed perfecting the songs his mom wanted him to play, could appreciate the ease the Gryffindor was playing with.
Regulus was also one that could appreciate art and this... the scene in front of him is a Renaissance painting and Regulus, no matter how good he is at painting, isn't sure that he could capture the beauty of what he is seeing even if he tried.
James finishes the song and, before Regulus has time to notice the final notes and slip out of the door, is breathing out a sigh and opening his eyes. The violin falls from his collarbone and his right arm falls to his side, bow now resting on his lap.
"How did I do?" James asks, staring out at the sky. Regulus had been silent and James still hadn't turned to look at him so how he knew the Slytherin was there, Regulus isn't sure.
The words fall from Regulus' mouth before he can stop them, or even think about them, "Amazing." He regrets the words as soon as he's said them, especially when James' eyes widen in surprise.
But the older recovers from his shock quicker than Regulus can over his own words and he smiles, "Thank you. I sometimes forget you and Sirius know how to play... He doesn't like talking about the instruments he plays, doesn't really like playing them."
"I prefer the piano." Regulus hums, deciding that since he's already gotten this far, he might as well commit, "I didn't know you played."
"Well, you're the third person in the school to know so..."
"Who else knows?"
"Peter and Marlene." James shrugs, pulling the violin back to his collarbone and playing a quick scale, "I come up here to play in private."
"Sorry for the intrusion then."
"Don't be," James says, closing his eyes, "I like your company. Just don't make fun of me if I get a note wrong."
"I wouldn't." James doesn't verbally respond to the words, just hums and settles the bow on the D string. He taps his feet for four measures before taking a deep breath and beginning to play on his exhale. The Second Waltz. It's one that Regulus knows well, enjoyed playing it in his free time--it's the one song that his mother couldn't taint with her wretchedness.
Once again, James plays with a true peace and serenity that makes Regulus fall in love with the instrument he never had his full heart on.
Regulus stays silent for the entire time James plays, moving to sit down nearby and watch the older play. The Gryffindor sighs when he pulls his bow from the strings for the last time and, unlike last time, he opens his eyes and smiles softly at Regulus, "What'd you think."
"That's one of my favourites." Is what he says in lieu of an answer, "You've just reminded me why."
"What high praise." James smiles, a laugh in his voice. His eyes are sparkling and bright in a way that Regulus has only seen glances of when facing against him during quidditch.
Regulus feels his breath hitch in his chest but he ignores it, "Why do only three people know? I mean, I assume your parents know but..."
James shrugs and pulls his legs up onto the chair so he's sitting cross-legged, resting his instrument on his legs, "Dunno. It's just something that I want to keep to myself, a hobby just for me. It's silly but it feels like everyone knows everything about me and I just want something for me and only me..."
"It's not silly." Regulus shakes his head, he closes his eyes and leans his head back, "You're allowed to be selfish about a hobby or two of yours." He opens his eyes once again and makes eye contact with the Gryffindor.
James offers him a small, half smile that makes his heart do backflips in his chest, "Thanks. I mean, I'm sure that Sirius and Remus have seen the case while digging around in my trunk but neither of them have made comments on it."
"Thanks for letting me know about it."
"I didn't have much choice, you did come up here while I was playing." James teases, tilting his head a bit in a way that reminds Regulus of a dog.
"But you did have the choice of playing another song for me."
"I guess I did." James shrugs. He accios his case and takes extreme care in putting his violin away and stands up, closed case in hand. While moving the chair he was on to the edge of the room, he throws over his shoulder, "You want me to take you down to the dungeons? It's after curfew."
Regulus shrugs, eyes following James' movements, "Sure." He takes the hand that James offers him and is pulled to a stand, close enough to James' chest to make his heart flutter. Before he knows it, James is throwing an invisibility cloak over their shoulders and guiding them out of the tower and into the rest of the school.
The walk to the dungeons is quiet, comfortable. Regulus takes the time to bask in James' warmth against his body and they're at the entrance to his common room before he knows it--before he's ready.
James turns to him and offers him a small smile, "Here you are, sir."
Regulus feels himself return the smile with a small, wary one of his own, "Why thank you." And because James' presence and what James has let him see tonight has him both relaxed and reeling, he gets on his toes and presses a gentle kiss to James' cheek. He only takes in James' wide eyes for a moment before he slips from under the cloak and James disappears into a ripple of fabric.
Regulus heads into the common room and quietly makes his way up to his room, where Evan is hunched over a parchment and Barty is snoring next to his legs. When he walks in, Evan glances up at him, "You're back early."
The ravenette hums and starts preparing for bed, "There was someone up there."
"Unfortunate."
"Truly." Regulus says, turning away from his friend to hide his smile.