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They are sitting at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. There’s a screech, and a hush, and the silence over by the Gryffindor table is broken by Walburga Black’s furious shriek.
“Reg,” says Barty nervously, cautiously, but the boy’s gray eyes never falter from his brother’s face. Sirius looks unbothered, but there is a tightening around his lips and shoulders which tells a different story.
The Howler bursts into flame, and James Potter vanishes it with a wave of his wand. His arm is around Sirius. Regulus looks away.
——
Regulus clutches his book bag closer, staring at the chaos around the hallways. Sparks fly in every color of the rainbow, bubbles nearly blocking his sight completely. He hears a cackle and turns—Sirius. Beside his brother, James Potter stands with his head thrown back, his full laugh echoing down the corridor.
Regulus’s fingers turn white against the dark leather of his bag. He keeps walking.
——
“Can I sit here?”
Regulus looks up. Remus Lupin stands by the corner of his library table, a stack of books floating beside him.
“Where’s your little gang of rabble-rousers?” Regulus asks, returning to his work. Remus sits down with a grunt.
“Detention.”
“Ah.”
A pause.
“James hexed Snape,” Remus adds.
“I know.”
“He was mocking Sirius.”
“I know.”
Another pause. Regulus can feel Remus looking at him. The unspoken why hangs in the air.
Regulus stands suddenly, his chair scraping along the floor. Mutters a quick, “you can keep the table.” He hikes his bag onto his shoulder and walks away, pretending Remus’s curious gaze doesn’t follow him all the way out.
——
They are sitting on a bench, half-hidden in the shadows of the stone cloisters around them. The self-proclaimed “Marauders” lounge beneath a tree. They are laughing again, dappled in sunlight. Regulus watches them over the top of his book.
Pandora follows his gaze. “Reg,” she says softly. Sirius is talking animatedly, and James is smiling while he listens, and Regulus doesn’t look away.
“He would talk to you, you know,” she says. “He doesn’t hate you.”
Regulus doesn’t ask which one of them she’s talking about. He doesn’t respond at all.
——
“Reg! Regulus! Wait!”
Regulus halts, stone-still in the middle of the corridor. He turns. “What, Potter?”
James is breathless, fresh from Quidditch practice. His glasses are crooked. “You forgot this.” He holds out a book. It isn’t a textbook, or a library book. It was a gift from Pandora, years ago; a book of Muggle poetry. He’s read it countless times since.
Regulus snatches the book from James’s hands. He’s beaming, bright as the sun in Regulus’s eyes. Pandora nudges him, a reminder to be polite.
“Thanks,” he mutters, and James’s smile grows impossibly brighter. “And don’t call me Reg again or I’ll hex you bald.”
James chuckled, sounding startled. “Your wish is my command, Regulus.” He chuckles again, as if his little joke was just the funniest thing ever, and brings a hand up to ruffle his hair.
Regulus scoffs. Color high in his cheeks, he turns, walking as fast as he can to get away from James Potter. He doesn’t breathe until he makes it around the corner and out of sight.
——
“Do you ever think about Sirius?”
Regulus glares at James. “We’re supposed to be patrolling. You don’t have to talk.”
“Okay, but maybe I’m just curious,” James replies, keeping up with Regulus’s faster pace easily. “What’s the harm in that?”
“But you’re not, are you? Just admit he put you up to this.”
“He didn’t!”
Regulus flicks his wand at a shadows corner, revealing a hiding student. “Twenty-five points from Hufflepuff.”
The student looks outraged. “Twenty-five? That’s—“
“Thirty, then.”
The student shuts up quickly, pushing past them and hurrying down the hall. James looks impressed. “Wow.”
“Shut up, Potter.”
“Okay! Okay.” He puts his hands up in surrender. “Fine.” A pause. “He thinks about you though.”
“And why would I care? He’s your problem now.”
“Sirius isn’t a problem!”
“Do you really think I don’t know that?”
There’s another pause, surprise clearly reflected in James’s face. “I—“
Regulus sighs. “Potter. Shut up or I’ll hex you.”
James shuts up.
——
“I’d join him.”
“Barty,” Dorcas scolds reproachfully.
He shrugs, nearly smacking Evan in the face as he gestures. “I’m just saying, he sounds pretty cool. And my father would be furious.”
Evan doges Barty’s wild hand motions, readjusting his grip on both their bags. “And you, Regulus?”
“Oh, I doubt I’ll have a choice.” He scowls at a passing third-year who had paused to stare at them
Evan huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “Well that’s bleak.”
Regulus raised a sardonic eyebrow. “You’re an heir too, Rosier.”
“Oh, I know. I’ll join too, if you both do.”
Pandora hums thoughtfully and they all shut up, waiting for her to speak. “I wish you all wouldn’t. Join him, that is.”
“Dora—” Regulus starts, but she cuts him off with a wave of her hand.
“I know, I know. Too much has already happened. Just wishful thinking, I guess. Oh, and boys?”
They all turn to look at her, and she smiles wickedly. “Always go for the eyes.”
——
“You don’t have to! Come with me! My parents could—“
“Oh yes, your precious parents can save the day! Well guess what, Potter—“
“Oh, so I’m Potter now, huh? Come on, Regulus, can’t you just try? Let me—let this be enough to save you! Please—“
“I CAN’T!” Silence falls, and they both stand still, hardly breathing. Regulus looks into hazel eyes, wide and searching. Timid. He sighs.
“I…have a plan, okay? I can’t tell you about it, but I have a plan.”
“Can I help?” James asks immediately.
Regulus huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “No. And it might…not work. You’ll settle down with a nice girl and live a happy life, after this is all over.”
“Reg, what—“
“Just…don’t forget me, okay? And take care of Sirius for me.”
“Of course,” he replies immediately. “But Reg—“
Regulus lifts his wand. James’s eyes widen as he reaches out a hand. Regulus takes a shaky breath. “Obliviate.”
He is gone before James can come to his senses.