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For three months, Lily Evans had spoken about the restaurant as though it were a holy site.
Not merely a place where food was prepared and served, but a destination. A pilgrimage. A glittering, impossible kingdom concealed behind smoked glass doors, brass fittings and a reservations system apparently designed by sadists.
She had discovered it first.
Of course she had.
Lily had found an article late one evening entitled The Twelve Most Exclusive Restaurants in London, read it from beginning to end, and immediately sent the link to the group chat with the message:
We are going here.
That had been followed by seventeen messages explaining that reservations opened precisely ninety days in advance, tables vanished in under four minutes, the head chef had three television programmes, the building had once been a private members’ club, and several famous actors had been photographed leaving through the side entrance.
Sirius had responded:
Sounds unbearable. Book it.
James had written:
Do they serve chips?
Remus had written:
Please don’t encourage either of them.
Peter had asked how expensive it was.
Lily had refused to answer.
That should have warned them.
The first attempt had ended when the website crashed.
The second had ended when James accidentally refreshed the page at the exact moment Lily reached the payment screen.
The third had failed because Sirius had decided that he could charm the woman handling telephone reservations and spent eight minutes flirting with somebody who eventually informed him that she worked for a dental practice in Croydon.
The fourth had resulted in a waiting-list position so distant that Mary had said they would all be dead before anyone rang them.
Then, after months of alarms, calendars, threats, spreadsheets and Lily treating the booking page like the control panel of a nuclear reactor, they had secured a table.
Not an evening table.
That would apparently have required divine intervention.
But lunch.
A Saturday lunch reservation for eleven people at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.
It had been circled on calendars.
Counted down to in the group chat.
Mentioned at every gathering until Remus had begged Lily to find another topic of conversation before he lost what remained of his mind.
And now, finally, they were there.
Lily sat in the centre of the long table with the radiant expression of somebody who had personally conquered the place.
“This,” she said, looking around at them, “is worth everything we went through.”
Sirius glanced down at the small arrangement on his plate.
It consisted of three delicate pieces of something pale and glossy, arranged around a green smear and topped with a flower so small he suspected it had been collected with tweezers.
“Is it?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“There’s a petal on my lunch.”
“It’s edible.”
“That doesn’t make it lunch.”
“It’s the starter.”
“It’s a suggestion.”
Across the table, James had already eaten his entire portion in one bite and was now staring at the empty plate with profound betrayal.
“That was it?”
Marlene pointed her fork at him. “You inhaled it without chewing.”
“I chewed.”
“You closed your mouth once.”
“That counts.”
“It absolutely does not.”
James looked towards Lily. “There’ll be more, right?”
“It’s a seven-course tasting menu.”
His face brightened. “Seven?”
“Yes.”
“How many of them are this size?”
Lily hesitated.
James narrowed his eyes.
“Lily.”
“The courses are designed to form a complete culinary experience.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“It was a beautiful answer,” Mary said, sipping from her glass.
“It was a threatening answer.”
The restaurant was exactly as polished and intimidating as the photographs had promised.
High ceilings rose above dark wooden panels and cream walls. Enormous windows looked out across the city, though every pane had been angled and treated in a way that made the room feel private despite the view. The tables stood far enough apart that conversation from one could not easily drift to another. White linen covered every surface. The silverware gleamed. Soft music threaded through the low murmur of voices, and the staff moved with such calm, immaculate precision that even the act of setting down a glass seemed rehearsed.
There were no loud children.
No phones ringing.
No one calling across the room.
Even the laughter was elegant.
Their table was the single exception.
Not because they were behaving badly.
Lily had warned them all so thoroughly that even Sirius had entered with the caution of a man walking through a room filled with pressure plates.
But there were eleven of them, and eleven people could only be so quiet.
Especially these eleven.
They had dressed for the occasion.
Some more willingly than others.
Lily wore a dark green dress beneath a cream jacket, her hair loose over her shoulders. Mary had chosen a black jumpsuit with gold jewellery, and Marlene wore tailored trousers and a silk shirt, though she had spent most of the morning complaining that any restaurant with rules regarding footwear deserved to burn down.
Alice looked effortlessly neat in a soft blue blouse and a long skirt, while Frank, beside her, had spent twenty minutes before they left asking whether his shirt was too formal, not formal enough, or somehow both.
Fabian and Gideon had arrived in nearly matching jackets and then insisted this was accidental despite having bought them together.
Peter wore a navy button-down shirt and had checked three times that the restaurant would not reject his trainers.
Remus had chosen a brown jacket over a plain black shirt and looked, as Mary had informed him, like a university lecturer who had recently written a devastatingly successful book about grief.
James wore an open-collared shirt with a dark blazer and had complained about the blazer from the moment he put it on.
Sirius had complained more.
“This collar is trying to assassinate me,” he said now, dragging one finger beneath it.
Remus did not look up from his plate. “It’s a shirt.”
“It’s a trap disguised as a shirt.”
“You chose it.”
“I chose it because James said it made me look expensive.”
James nodded. “It does.”
“I always look expensive.”
“You usually look recently arrested.”
“Expensive people get arrested.”
“Usually for different reasons than you.”
Sirius leaned back in his chair, stretching one arm along the back of it. “The dress code is an abuse of power.”
“You’re wearing black trousers and a shirt,” said Frank.
“Yes.”
“You wear black trousers and shirts constantly.”
“Not under coercion.”
Lily closed her eyes for a moment. “Can all of you please appreciate where we are?”
“We do appreciate it,” Alice assured her.
“I appreciate the chair,” Gideon said. “This is an excellent chair.”
Fabian shifted experimentally. “He’s right. Good support.”
“The chair is not the point.”
“The chair is carrying the experience.”
“The food is the experience.”
Sirius inspected the final speck of sauce remaining on his plate. “The chair has given me more.”
Lily glared at him.
He smiled beautifully.
She pointed her knife towards him. “You were the one who said we had to come.”
“I say a lot of things.”
“You called the restaurant twelve times.”
“One of those calls reached a dentist.”
“Three of those calls reached the dentist.”
“The receptionist liked me.”
“She threatened to block your number.”
“Passion takes many forms.”
Mary laughed into her glass.
Despite the complaints, every one of them had been impressed when they entered.
Sirius had fallen silent for nearly thirty seconds, which Lily considered a personal victory.
James had stared openly at the enormous sculptural light hanging above the bar.
Peter had whispered that he was frightened to touch anything.
Fabian and Gideon had immediately begun guessing which diners were secretly famous.
Marlene had announced that one of the men near the window looked like he owned three islands and had definitely poisoned someone.
Even Remus had looked around with quiet interest, taking in the immaculate room, the view and the near-silent efficiency of the staff.
It was not simply expensive.
Plenty of places were expensive.
This restaurant had the self-contained assurance of somewhere that never needed to explain its prices. Somewhere people waited months to enter, and where the staff behaved as though every guest had been expected personally.
Lily had been glowing since the moment the hostess greeted them.
When the second course arrived, she leaned forward with the delighted attention of somebody being presented with a priceless artefact.
The waiter described the dish.
James listened closely.
The explanation included at least nine ingredients, two different reductions and a method of cooking that none of them had heard of.
When the waiter moved away, James looked at Remus.
“What is it?”
“Fish.”
“Oh.”
“With things.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m here to help.”
Peter took a cautious bite and immediately widened his eyes.
“That’s really good.”
Lily beamed. “See?”
“No one said it wouldn’t be good,” Marlene said.
“Sirius has been insulting everything since we arrived.”
“I haven’t insulted the wine.”
“That’s because you’ve drunk half the bottle.”
Sirius lifted his glass. “It has earned my respect.”
“You said it tasted like an expensive argument,” Alice reminded him.
“That was praise.”
“It didn’t sound like praise.”
“It was extremely high praise.”
At the far end of the table, Fabian and Gideon had begun quietly debating whether they could ask for more bread without revealing that they did not belong there.
“You just ask,” said Frank.
Gideon shook his head. “No. There’ll be a system.”
“It’s bread.”
“There’s always a system in places like this.”
Fabian glanced towards the nearest member of staff. “Maybe there’s a bread signal.”
“What would a bread signal look like?” Mary asked.
“Something subtle.”
Gideon raised two fingers beside his glass.
A waiter appeared at his shoulder almost instantly.
“May I help you, sir?”
Gideon froze.
Fabian stared at him.
The entire table went quiet.
Gideon slowly lowered his hand.
“Bread?”
The waiter smiled.
“Of course.”
He returned moments later with a fresh basket.
Fabian looked at his brother in wonder.
“You found the signal.”
Lily dropped her head into one hand.
“I hate all of you.”
“No, you don’t,” said James.
“I’m beginning to.”
“You’re having the best day of your life.”
“I would be if you’d stop behaving like you’ve never seen bread.”
“I’ve never seen bread arrive that quickly.”
Sirius reached towards the basket. “It respects authority.”
They settled gradually into the rhythm of the meal.
Courses arrived and vanished.
Glasses were refilled before anyone thought to ask.
The complaints became softer and less sincere as even the most sceptical among them began enjoying themselves.
Marlene declared one dish ridiculous and then scraped every trace of sauce from the plate.
James started ranking each course, then abandoned the ranking when the fourth became his new favourite.
Peter asked the waiter three questions about the dessert menu despite dessert still being several courses away.
Alice and Frank shared bites from each other’s plates.
Fabian and Gideon continued experimenting with the bread signal until Lily threatened to break their fingers beneath the table.
Mary took photographs whenever no member of staff was looking, though every picture included at least one blurred hand, half a face or Sirius deliberately staring into the camera with the expression of a haunted aristocrat.
Remus sat beside him, eating slowly and looking far more relaxed than he had when they entered.
“This isn’t terrible,” Sirius admitted eventually.
Remus glanced at him. “Lily will be thrilled by that enthusiastic endorsement.”
“I’m not giving it to Lily.”
“You’re sitting three feet away from her.”
“I’m giving it privately to you.”
“Your voice carries.”
“It’s one of my gifts.”
Lily leaned around James. “I heard you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“You said it isn’t terrible.”
“That could have been anyone.”
“There is only one person here arrogant enough to think ‘not terrible’ is a compliment.”
Marlene raised her glass. “I also think that.”
“You said the third course changed your life.”
“It did. I contain multitudes.”
Lily turned back to her meal with a satisfied smile.
Sirius rolled his eyes.
Then he looked towards the entrance to the dining room.
And froze.
It was so abrupt that Remus noticed immediately.
One moment Sirius had been reaching for his wine.
The next, his hand had stopped halfway across the table.
His expression emptied.
Not dramatically.
Not in the exaggerated way he reacted to minor inconveniences or insults.
He simply stopped.
Remus followed his gaze.
A young man had just entered the dining room behind a waitress.
He was dressed in black trousers that fitted close through the hips and legs, polished boots and a soft charcoal shirt beneath a dark coat. His hair fell neatly around his face, longer at the front, the black strands catching the light as he turned his head slightly to listen to something the waitress was saying.
He moved without hesitation.
Without the careful awareness everyone at their table had possessed upon entering.
He did not look around in awe.
He did not glance at the furniture or the windows or the chandeliers.
He walked through the room as though it were familiar.
Sirius stared.
Remus looked back at him.
Then at the young man again.
Recognition came a second later.
“Oh,” Remus said.
James heard him and turned.
“What?”
Remus gave a slight nod towards the aisle.
James looked.
His eyebrows shot upwards.
“What the hell?”
That attracted everyone else.
Peter twisted in his chair.
Mary leaned sideways.
Marlene followed their gazes with immediate interest.
Lily looked annoyed at the interruption for precisely one second before she saw who they were staring at.
Regulus Black walked past their table without noticing any of them.
He was only a few feet away.
Close enough that Sirius could see the thin silver chain at his throat and the faint, smug curve of his mouth as he answered the waitress.
He looked entirely at ease.
That alone was confusing.
Regulus was Sirius’s younger brother, and Sirius knew several things about him with absolute certainty.
He knew Regulus attended university.
He knew Regulus rarely volunteered details about his life.
He knew Regulus enjoyed appearing more mysterious than he actually was.
He knew Regulus had an infuriating talent for answering direct questions with expressions instead of words.
He also knew Regulus had never once mentioned being able to stroll into the most difficult restaurant in London on a Saturday afternoon as casually as someone entering his local café.
Sirius turned in his chair.
“Regulus?”
Regulus stopped.
His shoulders stiffened.
He turned his head first, slowly, then pivoted fully around.
The shock on his face was immediate and unmistakable.
For one brief, glorious moment, he looked caught.
His eyes moved from Sirius to James, then along the table.
Peter.
Remus.
Lily.
Mary.
Marlene.
Alice.
Frank.
Fabian.
Gideon.
All eleven of them stared back.
Regulus blinked.
Sirius leaned one arm over the back of his chair.
“What are you doing here?”
Regulus’s expression changed.
The surprise disappeared behind composure so smoothly it would have impressed Sirius if it had not been so irritating.
Regulus glanced around the dining room.
Then he looked back at his brother.
“Walking.”
Marlene snorted.
Sirius narrowed his eyes. “I can see that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“What are you doing here?”
“You’ve asked that already.”
“And you didn’t answer.”
“I did.”
“No, you said you were walking.”
“I was.”
“Regulus.”
“Sirius.”
James leaned forward, looking delighted by the entire situation. “You’re eating here?”
Regulus looked at him.
“No, James. I’ve come in to admire the flooring.”
James glanced down.
“It is good flooring.”
Lily elbowed him.
“Ow.”
She ignored him and looked at Regulus. “How did you get a reservation?”
Regulus’s gaze shifted to her.
His mouth curved.
“I asked.”
The table erupted.
“You asked?” Lily repeated.
“That’s generally how reservations work.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Regulus raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“We tried for months.”
“How unfortunate.”
“It took four attempts.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
“The website crashed twice.”
“A tragedy.”
“Sirius rang a dental practice.”
Regulus glanced at Sirius.
“That sounds less like a problem with the restaurant.”
“The numbers were similar,” Sirius said.
“They weren’t,” Remus replied.
Regulus’s eyes flicked briefly towards him, amusement sharpening in them.
Sirius planted one hand on the table.
“Stop being smug.”
“I’m not being smug.”
“You are always being smug.”
“That isn’t true.”
“It’s happening right now.”
“I’m standing.”
“That has nothing to do with it.”
“Neither did your question.”
The waitress beside Regulus had been watching the exchange with a polite smile.
She was young, poised and immaculate in the restaurant’s dark uniform, but there was something noticeably warmer in her expression when she looked at Regulus.
Not merely the professional pleasantness she had shown other guests.
She looked genuinely delighted to see him.
Almost fond.
When Regulus turned slightly towards her, she immediately brightened.
“Would you like me to have your coat taken now, Mr Black?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Of course.”
She accepted it carefully, as if it were more valuable than every jacket hanging in the cloakroom combined.
Sirius watched this.
His eyes narrowed further.
The waitress turned to him with a friendly expression.
“Mr Black visits us often.”
Regulus gave her a warning look.
It came too late.
Lily straightened.
“Often?”
The waitress nodded. “Very often.”
“How often is often?” Mary asked.
The waitress smiled at Regulus.
“He’s been here three times this week.”
Silence fell over the table.
Regulus closed his eyes briefly.
Sirius stared at him.
James’s mouth dropped open.
Peter looked from Regulus to the waitress as though expecting one of them to laugh.
Fabian slowly set down his fork.
Gideon stopped chewing.
Lily appeared personally betrayed.
“Three times,” she said.
Regulus opened his eyes.
“This week?”
“Yes,” the waitress confirmed cheerfully.
“It’s Saturday.”
“Yes.”
“He’s been here three times since Monday?”
“Yes.”
Lily turned to Regulus.
“You’ve been here three times this week?”
Regulus slipped one hand into his trouser pocket.
“I’m aware.”
“We waited three months.”
“I’m also aware of that now.”
“You come here regularly?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Regulus glanced at the waitress.
She looked abruptly interested in a point somewhere beyond the table.
Sirius stood halfway, one hand braced against his chair.
“No, absolutely not. Sit down.”
Regulus looked at him.
“I wasn’t sitting.”
“Then stand there.”
“I have a table.”
“So do we.”
“Congratulations.”
“Regulus.”
“Sirius.”
“Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Saying my name like it’s an answer.”
“It’s often the only answer your questions deserve.”
James laughed.
Sirius pointed at him without looking away from Regulus. “Don’t encourage him.”
“I’m not encouraging him.”
“You’re grinning.”
“I’m enjoying myself.”
“You have no loyalty.”
“I have loads of loyalty. Just not when something’s funny.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“It’s very funny.”
Lily was still staring at Regulus in disbelief.
“Do you understand how difficult it is to get a table here?”
Regulus’s smile deepened.
“Yes.”
“Then how are you here three times in one week?”
“He knows the bread signal,” Gideon said quietly.
Fabian nodded. “That would explain a lot.”
Lily turned on them. “There is no bread signal.”
“There is,” Gideon said. “I used it.”
“You raised your hand.”
“And bread came.”
Regulus watched them for a moment.
“What is wrong with all of you?”
“Don’t change the subject,” Sirius said.
“I’m trying to understand the subject.”
“You. Here.”
“Yes.”
“Three times.”
“Yes.”
“In one week.”
“We’ve covered this.”
“Who are you having lunch with?”
Regulus tilted his head.
“That’s none of your business.”
Sirius’s expression sharpened with immediate interest.
“Ah.”
Regulus’s eyes narrowed.
“Ah, what?”
“That.”
“What?”
“That face.”
“My face?”
“The face you make when you’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“You’re hiding something right now.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m really not.”
“You’ve got the look.”
“What look?”
“The secretive little rat look.”
Regulus stared at him.
“That is not a look.”
“It absolutely is.”
Marlene leaned towards Mary. “He does have a secretive little rat look.”
Regulus turned to her.
“Thank you, Marlene.”
“You’re welcome.”
“That wasn’t gratitude.”
“I know.”
Alice looked past Regulus towards the entrance. “Maybe he’s here for a university thing.”
“No,” Sirius said immediately.
Regulus looked back at him. “How would you know?”
“Because you wouldn’t be this smug about a university lunch.”
“I’m not smug.”
Every person at the table made some variation of an incredulous noise.
Regulus looked offended.
Peter, who had remained mostly silent, glanced at the waitress.
“Does he always come with someone?”
The waitress looked at Regulus.
Regulus looked at her.
She smiled apologetically.
“He usually joins—”
“Amelia,” Regulus said softly.
The waitress stopped.
Sirius’s head snapped towards her.
“Joins who?”
Amelia pressed her lips together.
Regulus gave her a small, pained look.
She looked deeply sorry.
Then a man’s voice behind him said, “There you are.”
Regulus’s entire posture changed.
It happened so quickly and naturally that everyone at the table noticed.
The stiffness vanished from his shoulders.
The guarded irritation softened.
His head turned slightly, and a real smile appeared before he had even fully looked around.
The man approaching him was tall.
Not merely taller than Regulus.
Taller than almost everyone in the room.
He wore a beautifully cut dark suit without a tie, the collar of his white shirt open at the throat. His shoulders were broad beneath the jacket, his build solid without looking bulky. Silver ran thickly through his dark hair, particularly at the temples, and there was a neat trace of grey along his closely trimmed beard.
He looked older than Regulus.
Considerably older.
He also looked, in Mary’s immediate and silent assessment, offensively attractive.
Not handsome in a soft or approachable way.
He had the composed, assured appearance of a man who was accustomed to rooms altering around him. A face made sharper by age rather than softened by it. Dark eyes. Strong hands. A mouth that seemed naturally stern until his gaze settled on Regulus.
Then it warmed.
Completely.
The man came up behind him and placed both hands on Regulus’s hips.
Regulus leaned back without hesitation.
The man drew him against his chest and bent to kiss his temple.
“There you are,” he repeated, lower this time. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“I was ambushed.”
“So I see.”
Regulus looked towards the table with open satisfaction.
Sirius remained standing halfway out of his chair.
His face had gone perfectly blank.
James looked between Regulus and the man’s hands.
Peter had stopped moving entirely.
Remus slowly leaned back.
Lily’s eyes widened.
Mary’s eyebrows climbed.
Marlene looked delighted beyond words.
Alice covered her surprise more politely than everyone else.
Frank stared down at his own plate, then back up, as though the scene might have changed while he looked away.
Fabian and Gideon exchanged identical glances.
The man kept one arm around Regulus’s waist.
His thumb moved slowly over Regulus’s hip.
“Friends of yours?” he asked.
“No.”
Sirius’s head jerked back.
“I’m your brother.”
“I know.”
“You just said no.”
“I was answering a different question.”
“There was one question.”
“Then I misunderstood it.”
“You absolutely did not.”
The man’s gaze settled on Sirius.
Something flickered in his expression.
Recognition, perhaps, though not surprise.
Regulus made a small gesture.
“My brother, Sirius.”
“So I gathered.”
Sirius looked him up and down.
“And you are?”
Regulus’s smile returned.
It was unbearable.
The man glanced down at him.
Regulus looked up, eyes bright with amusement, and the man’s mouth curved as though he knew exactly what Regulus was doing and adored him for it.
Before either of them could answer, Amelia stepped forward.
“Mr Vale, your table is ready.”
The room at the long table seemed to stop breathing.
James turned slowly towards Amelia.
Lily’s lips parted.
Mary stared.
Marlene’s delighted expression vanished into disbelief.
Remus straightened.
Frank’s eyes widened.
Peter looked as if he had forgotten how chairs worked.
Fabian whispered, “Vale?”
Gideon whispered back, “As in—”
“Yes,” Lily breathed.
Julian Vale.
Everyone knew the name.
It appeared on magazine covers, business pages, television interviews and lists of the most influential executives in Europe.
Vale Global had begun in technology decades earlier and expanded into media, property, transport and investment. Its offices stood in several of the largest cities in the world. Julian Vale had been the company’s chief executive for years, known as much for his severe privacy as for the scale of his career.
He was photographed at charity galas beside actors, ministers, designers and royalty.
He gave few interviews.
He owned properties people wrote articles about.
His personal life was almost never discussed publicly.
And he currently had both hands on Regulus Black’s hips.
Regulus looked around the table.
His expression could only be described as victorious.
Sirius stared at Julian.
Then at Regulus.
Then at Julian again.
“You’re Julian Vale.”
Julian’s eyebrow lifted faintly.
“Yes.”
James gave Sirius an incredulous look. “Brilliant, mate. Ask him if he knows.”
Sirius ignored him.
Lily looked at Regulus. “You know Julian Vale?”
Regulus leaned more comfortably into Julian’s chest.
“I should hope so.”
The smugness in his voice was almost tangible.
Marlene pointed between them. “How?”
Regulus looked at Julian.
Julian looked down at him with quiet amusement.
Regulus smiled.
“We’re dating.”
No one spoke.
Not one of them.
The restaurant continued around them.
Cutlery touched plates.
Glasses were set down.
Muted conversation drifted through the room.
At their table, eleven people sat suspended in perfect silence.
Regulus enjoyed every second of it.
Sirius was the first to recover.
“You’re what?”
“Dating.”
“I heard the word.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“You’re dating Julian Vale?”
“Yes.”
“Julian Vale is your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“The Julian Vale?”
Julian looked mildly entertained now.
Regulus nodded thoughtfully.
“As far as I know, there’s only one.”
“Regulus.”
“Sirius.”
“Stop saying my name like that.”
“You keep asking the same questions.”
“Because your answers don’t make sense.”
“They make perfect sense.”
“You’re at university.”
“Yes.”
“And he’s—”
Sirius stopped.
Julian’s eyes rested on him.
“And I’m?” Julian prompted.
Sirius visibly reconsidered whatever he had been about to say.
“Famous.”
Julian’s mouth shifted.
“So I’m told.”
“And you’re dating my brother.”
“Yes.”
Regulus turned slightly in Julian’s arms and placed one hand flat against his chest.
“Can we sit down now?”
“Of course.”
Julian bent and kissed his temple again.
Regulus’s eyes half closed with pleased satisfaction.
Sirius made a strangled noise.
Regulus glanced at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“It didn’t sound like nothing.”
“I’m processing.”
“You should do that quietly.”
James had begun to grin again.
“This is incredible.”
Sirius rounded on him. “Whose side are you on?”
“I don’t know what the sides are.”
“My side.”
“What’s your side?”
“I haven’t decided.”
“Then I’ll choose later.”
“You can’t postpone loyalty.”
“I can if it’s this funny.”
Marlene leaned forward, eyes fixed on Regulus.
“How long?”
Regulus paused.
Sirius looked sharply at him. “Yes. How long?”
Regulus’s fingers moved idly over the front of Julian’s shirt.
“Long enough.”
“That isn’t a length of time.”
“It is emotionally.”
“Regulus.”
“Several months.”
“Several?”
“Yes.”
“How many is several?”
“More than two.”
“Less than twelve?”
Regulus smiled sweetly.
Sirius stared at him.
“You are impossible.”
“I’ve been told.”
Julian’s hand tightened fondly at his waist.
Regulus glanced up.
The expression that passed between them was easy, private and entirely comfortable.
It made the situation somehow more bewildering.
This did not look like a first date.
It did not look like a new relationship still arranging itself.
Regulus fit against him without thought.
Julian touched him with the absent familiarity of somebody who had done so countless times.
Lily stared at them.
“You come here together?”
“Yes.”
“Three times this week?”
“One was dinner,” Regulus said.
“That doesn’t make it less.”
“I didn’t say it did.”
“And the other two?”
“Lunch.”
“You have lectures.”
“Not all day.”
James looked impressed. “You come here between lectures?”
“Sometimes.”
Peter found his voice.
“How do you get a table?”
Julian glanced at Amelia.
Amelia smiled.
“Mr Vale has a permanent table.”
Lily shut her eyes.
There was a faint moment in which it seemed she might scream.
“A permanent table,” she repeated.
“Yes,” Amelia said.
“Here.”
“Yes.”
“A table that is always available?”
“Whenever Mr Vale requires it.”
Lily looked at the ceiling.
James touched her arm. “You all right?”
“We set alarms.”
“I remember.”
“Three months in advance.”
“I remember.”
“The website crashed.”
“Yes.”
“Sirius called a dentist.”
“He did.”
“And they have a permanent table.”
“It seems unfair when you say it like that.”
“It is unfair.”
Regulus’s mouth twitched.
Lily pointed at him.
“Don’t smile.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m being sympathetic.”
“You have never looked less sympathetic.”
Julian looked down at Regulus.
“Were you tormenting them before I arrived?”
“No.”
“Yes,” said the entire table.
Julian’s expression warmed further.
Regulus looked betrayed.
“You’re meant to believe me.”
“I believe you believe that.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No.”
Regulus narrowed his eyes.
Julian bent close enough that his mouth brushed the side of Regulus’s hair.
“Come and sit down, darling.”
The word landed heavily.
Sirius’s eyes widened.
Marlene’s jaw dropped with delighted horror.
Mary turned away, visibly trying not to laugh.
Regulus did not appear embarrassed.
He looked pleased.
“Fine.”
He turned towards the table one final time.
Sirius immediately spoke.
“No.”
Regulus paused.
“No, what?”
“You’re not leaving.”
“I am.”
“We’re still talking.”
“You’re still talking. I’m leaving.”
“You can’t tell us you’re dating one of the most famous men in the country and then walk away.”
“I just did.”
“I have questions.”
“I know.”
“Answer them.”
“No.”
“Regulus.”
“Sirius.”
Sirius gripped the back of his chair.
“Do Mum and Dad know?”
Regulus’s smile became sharper.
“No.”
James murmured, “Oh, that’s going to be good.”
Sirius pointed at him again. “Not helping.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“Are you going to tell them?” Alice asked.
Regulus looked at her.
“Eventually.”
“When?” Sirius demanded.
“When I feel like it.”
“That could mean never.”
“It could.”
“You live on your own. How have they not noticed?”
Regulus glanced at Julian.
Then back at Sirius.
“I don’t live on my own.”
Another silence.
Sirius went still.
“Where do you live?”
Regulus’s eyes gleamed.
“With Julian.”
James slowly covered his mouth.
Marlene whispered, “It keeps getting better.”
Mary nodded.
“It really does.”
Sirius looked at Julian.
“Your house?”
“Yes,” Julian said calmly.
Regulus rested his head briefly against Julian’s chest.
“His main house.”
Sirius looked back at him.
“Main?”
Regulus shrugged.
“He has others.”
“How many?”
Regulus looked thoughtful.
Julian said, “Regulus.”
“What?”
“You don’t know.”
“I know most of them.”
“You forgot the house in Geneva.”
“I didn’t forget it.”
“You asked whose it was when we arrived.”
“It was dark.”
Julian stared down at him.
Regulus’s smile faltered into something more sheepish.
“The entrance looks different at night.”
“You’d been there before.”
“Once.”
“For nine days.”
“That was months ago.”
Julian looked amused despite himself.
Regulus patted his chest.
“It’s all right. I remember it now.”
“I’m relieved.”
Sirius stared at both of them.
“You live in his main house.”
“Yes.”
“A massive house,” James added.
Everyone looked at him.
James raised both hands.
“What? We all know it’s massive.”
“Thank you, James,” Sirius said coldly.
“You’re welcome.”
“That wasn’t gratitude.”
“I know.”
Regulus’s smile returned.
Remus watched him carefully.
“You moved out of your flat?”
Regulus nodded. “Months ago.”
“And you didn’t mention it?”
“You didn’t ask.”
Sirius made a violent gesture of disbelief.
“Why would I ask if you had secretly moved into Julian Vale’s mansion?”
Regulus considered this.
“Natural curiosity?”
“No one would naturally ask that.”
“You should be more imaginative.”
“I asked if your flat was all right last week.”
“And I said yes.”
“You don’t live there.”
“I still own the lease.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“I never said I was there.”
“You deliberately made it sound like you were.”
“That sounds like an interpretation problem.”
Sirius turned towards Remus.
“Do you hear him?”
“I do.”
“Are you going to say anything?”
Remus looked at Regulus.
“Nice shirt.”
Regulus looked down at it.
“Thank you.”
Sirius’s mouth fell open.
Remus took a drink.
“I don’t know what you expect me to do.”
“Be outraged.”
“I’m not his brother.”
“You can borrow my outrage.”
“I don’t want it.”
Frank cleared his throat.
“Is the house actually as large as people say?”
Regulus’s smugness returned in full force.
“Yes.”
“How large?” Peter asked.
Regulus glanced at Julian.
“Large.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“There are rooms I still haven’t seen.”
Julian looked down at him.
“There are not.”
Regulus frowned. “There must be.”
“You’ve seen all of them.”
“What about the locked room beside the west library?”
“That’s storage.”
“I haven’t seen inside it.”
“That’s because it contains spare furniture.”
“Then there is a room I haven’t seen.”
“You said rooms.”
“One is still plural in spirit.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Regulus turned towards him more fully.
“It could be.”
Julian’s stern expression lasted less than a second before fondness overtook it.
“No.”
Regulus smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
Julian’s hand spread across the small of his back.
Marlene silently gripped Mary’s wrist beneath the table.
Mary’s shoulders shook.
Sirius looked ill.
“What else?” he demanded.
Regulus turned back.
“What?”
“What else haven’t you told me?”
“A great deal.”
“That wasn’t an invitation to be clever.”
“I wasn’t being clever.”
“You always think you’re being clever.”
“I usually am.”
“Do you work for him?”
Regulus laughed.
The sound was quiet but genuine.
“No.”
Julian’s eyes shifted to him, visibly pleased by it.
Sirius noticed and looked even more suspicious.
“Then what is this?”
Regulus raised an eyebrow.
“A relationship.”
“Don’t be difficult.”
“I’m not.”
“You live with him.”
“Yes.”
“You eat here three times a week.”
“Not every week.”
Amelia looked discreetly away.
Regulus saw her.
“Amelia.”
She pressed her lips together.
Sirius’s eyes narrowed.
“Not every week?”
Regulus sighed.
“Sometimes more.”
Lily looked wounded.
“More than three?”
“Sometimes.”
“How many times?”
“I don’t count.”
“They know your name.”
“Most people know my name.”
“The staff adore you.”
Regulus glanced at Amelia.
She smiled brightly.
“It’s always lovely to have Mr Black here.”
Regulus gave the table an elegant little gesture, as though this settled the matter.
Sirius stared at him.
“You’re being spoiled.”
Regulus smiled.
“Yes.”
The immediate, unapologetic answer caught everyone off guard.
Even Julian laughed softly.
Sirius blinked.
“You admit it?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because—”
Sirius stopped.
Regulus waited.
“Because what?”
“Because people usually have some shame.”
“I’m very happy.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“It’s better.”
Marlene leaned forward. “How spoiled?”
Regulus looked at her.
Sirius said, “Don’t encourage him.”
“I’m not encouraging him. I’m gathering information.”
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Obviously.”
Regulus’s expression became thoughtful.
“What counts?”
“Money,” Marlene said.
Sirius closed his eyes. “Christ.”
“Gifts,” Mary added.
“Trips,” Fabian said.
“Holidays,” Gideon supplied.
“Days out,” Alice said, far more gently.
Peter glanced towards Julian. “Anything he wants?”
Julian’s hand moved slowly along Regulus’s side.
“Within reason.”
Regulus tilted his head back.
“You bought me a boat.”
“I did not buy you a boat.”
“You said I could choose one.”
“I said we could look at boats.”
“You asked which one I liked.”
“That is not the same as buying one.”
“It’s the beginning of buying one.”
Julian regarded him with a look of profound affection and restrained exasperation.
“It was a conversation.”
“It was a promising conversation.”
“You don’t know how to sail.”
“You could hire someone.”
“For your boat?”
“For our boat.”
“We already have a boat.”
Regulus turned to the table.
“We have a boat.”
Sirius sat down heavily.
James watched him.
“You all right?”
“No.”
“You look pale.”
“I’m having a complex emotional experience.”
“Do you need the bread signal?”
Sirius glared at him.
James raised two fingers.
A waiter appeared almost instantly.
“May I help you, sir?”
James looked at Sirius.
Sirius looked at the waiter.
There was a pause.
“Bread,” Sirius said.
“Of course.”
The waiter departed.
Gideon nodded in satisfaction.
“It works every time.”
Lily looked as if she no longer cared enough to argue.
Her attention remained fixed on Regulus.
“Money,” she said.
Regulus looked at her.
“You get money?”
“Yes.”
Sirius’s head lifted.
“What do you mean, yes?”
Regulus’s brow furrowed. “I mean yes.”
“Julian gives you money?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“That is extremely rude.”
“You told us you’re dating him.”
“You forced the information out of a waitress.”
“Amelia volunteered.”
Amelia looked briefly alarmed.
Regulus gave her a reassuring glance.
“She did not mean to.”
Amelia visibly relaxed.
Sirius noticed that too.
“You even have the staff protecting you.”
“They like me.”
“Why?”
Regulus stared at him.
Marlene laughed loudly enough that several diners glanced over.
She lowered her voice, still grinning.
“Sorry. That was cruel.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Sirius said.
“Yes, it was,” Alice replied.
“It was also fair,” Mary said.
Regulus gave all of them a withering look.
Julian touched his waist.
“They like you because you remember their names, ask about their families and once threatened a man for shouting at one of the waiters.”
Regulus looked up at him.
“He deserved it.”
“I agree.”
“You told me not to interfere.”
“I knew you wouldn’t listen.”
“You looked proud.”
“I was proud.”
Regulus smiled.
Julian’s expression softened immediately.
Sirius watched them with narrowed eyes.
“Money,” he repeated.
Regulus did not look away from Julian.
“What about it?”
“How much?”
Regulus finally turned back.
“I’m not telling you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s none of your business.”
“I’m your brother.”
“That doesn’t make my bank account your business.”
“It makes this situation my business.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“You’re living with a much older man who gives you money.”
Regulus’s eyes sharpened.
Julian’s expression remained calm, though the hand at Regulus’s waist stilled.
Regulus looked directly at Sirius.
“He is my boyfriend.”
“I know.”
“You keep saying it like you don’t.”
“I’m trying to understand.”
“Then understand quietly.”
“You expect me not to ask questions?”
“I expect you to remember that I’m an adult.”
Sirius’s mouth tightened.
Regulus held his gaze.
The smugness had not entirely vanished, but something firmer had appeared beneath it.
Julian said nothing.
He did not step between them.
He simply kept his hand on Regulus’s waist and waited.
After a moment, Remus spoke.
“He looks happy.”
Sirius glanced at him.
Remus nodded towards Regulus.
“He does.”
Everyone looked.
Regulus’s expression shifted under the attention.
Not into embarrassment.
He was too pleased with himself for that.
But his shoulders eased again.
Julian’s thumb resumed moving against his side.
Sirius looked between them.
“I can still ask questions.”
“You can ask,” Regulus said. “I can refuse to answer.”
“That’s irritating.”
“Yes.”
“You enjoy being irritating.”
“Yes.”
James leaned towards Sirius.
“At least he’s honest.”
“No one asked you.”
“No one ever has to.”
Regulus’s grin reappeared.
Sirius sighed through his nose.
“Fine. Does he pay your university fees?”
“Yes.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
Regulus added, “And my rent.”
“You don’t pay rent,” Julian said.
“My former rent.”
“You insisted on keeping the flat.”
“I like the flat.”
“You haven’t slept there in four months.”
“I could.”
“You have clothes there.”
“That means it remains functional.”
“You left three shirts and a lamp.”
“It’s a very good lamp.”
Julian looked down at him with helpless fondness.
Regulus smiled.
Sirius rubbed one hand over his face.
“He pays your university fees.”
“Yes.”
“And gives you money.”
“Yes.”
“And buys you gifts.”
“Yes.”
“What gifts?”
Regulus glanced down at himself.
“This shirt.”
Sirius looked at the shirt.
Then at Julian.
“How much was it?”
Julian said, “That’s irrelevant.”
Sirius stared at him.
Regulus looked delighted.
“He’s not going to tell you.”
“I noticed.”
“He bought me the coat too.”
“The coat Amelia took?”
“Yes.”
Sirius looked towards the entrance as though he might be able to see through walls and determine the price by force.
“What else?”
Regulus counted lightly on his fingers.
“Clothes. Jewellery. Books. A new laptop. A watch.”
He pushed back his sleeve.
A slim, elegant watch gleamed at his wrist.
Peter leaned closer.
“That’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Sirius looked at it.
His expression changed.
He knew enough about expensive things to recognise that it was not merely expensive.
It was absurd.
“How much was that?”
Regulus covered it with his sleeve again.
“You ask a lot of vulgar questions.”
“It was more than my car, wasn’t it?”
Regulus smiled.
“Regulus.”
“Yes.”
“More than my car?”
“I don’t know how much your car cost.”
“You insult it constantly.”
“That doesn’t mean I know its value.”
“You called it a second-hand coffin.”
“It feels like one.”
“It’s a classic.”
“It leaks when it rains.”
“Only sometimes.”
“It rains constantly.”
“That isn’t the car’s fault.”
Julian looked towards Regulus. “Is that the car you refused to get into?”
“Yes.”
Sirius turned sharply. “You refused to get into my car?”
“The passenger door didn’t open.”
“It opens.”
“From the outside.”
“That’s still opening.”
Regulus looked at Julian.
“Do you see what I grew up with?”
“Unfortunately.”
Sirius stared.
“Unfortunately?”
Julian’s expression remained perfectly polite.
“Regulus has described the car.”
James laughed so hard he nearly knocked his glass over.
Sirius pointed across the table.
“I’m surrounded by traitors.”
“You brought us,” Mary said.
“I made a mistake.”
“You make loads of those,” Marlene told him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“That wasn’t gratitude.”
“I know.”
Regulus looked increasingly pleased.
Sirius noticed.
“Stop enjoying this.”
“No.”
“What else does he buy you?”
“Whatever I want.”
The answer was soft and unbearably smug.
Julian glanced down.
“Within reason.”
Regulus looked up.
“I’m very reasonable.”
Julian’s eyebrow lifted.
“I am.”
“You ordered a marble bathtub from Italy because you liked the shape.”
“It was an excellent shape.”
“You had never seen the bathroom.”
“I knew it would fit.”
“It did not.”
“It nearly fit.”
“It was six inches too wide.”
“You changed the wall.”
“I had the bathroom renovated.”
“For the bath.”
“For you.”
Regulus beamed.
Julian’s stern expression softened again.
“Yes,” Regulus said to the table. “Whatever I want.”
Lily slowly set down her fork.
“You had a bathroom rebuilt around a bath?”
Regulus nodded.
“At his house?”
“Our house,” Regulus corrected.
Julian’s gaze warmed.
Sirius looked pained.
Regulus continued, “The old one was ugly.”
“It was not ugly,” Julian said.
“It was beige.”
“It was limestone.”
“It looked beige.”
“It was designed by an award-winning architect.”
“He was wrong.”
Julian laughed.
The sound was low and brief, but it transformed his face.
Regulus watched him with obvious delight.
Julian looked back down at him.
“You were very persuasive.”
“I was correct.”
“You sulked in the doorway for twenty minutes.”
“I was demonstrating the room’s emotional failure.”
“You said it looked like a luxury prison.”
“It did.”
“And now?”
“Now it’s beautiful.”
“Because of the bath.”
“And the wall.”
“And the tiles.”
“And the heated floor.”
Julian touched his cheek with the backs of his fingers.
“And the heated floor.”
Regulus turned his face slightly into the touch.
Sirius looked away.
Marlene leaned towards Mary.
“I’m going to die.”
Mary whispered, “Quietly.”
“I can’t.”
Sirius heard them.
“Neither of you is helping.”
“We’re not trying to help,” Marlene said.
“We’re witnessing.”
“This is private.”
“You called him over.”
“I didn’t know this would happen.”
Regulus looked at him. “What did you think would happen?”
“I thought you’d explain why you were here.”
“I did.”
“You revealed a secret life.”
“You asked.”
“You could have lied.”
Regulus stared at him.
“You would have complained about that too.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It seems relevant.”
Alice looked at Julian.
“Do you travel together too?”
“Yes,” Julian said.
Regulus brightened.
“A lot.”
“Where?” Peter asked.
Regulus’s smile widened.
“Paris.”
Lily glanced at him. “For how long?”
“A weekend.”
“Rome,” Julian added.
“Ten days,” Regulus said.
“Two weeks.”
“It felt like ten days.”
“You slept until noon.”
“I was tired.”
“You stayed awake until three every morning.”
“We were on holiday.”
“You complained when I opened the curtains.”
“The sun was aggressive.”
Julian’s hand slid around his waist again.
“It usually is.”
Regulus leaned against him.
“New York,” he continued. “Vienna. Geneva. Copenhagen.”
“Copenhagen was work,” Julian said.
“You took me.”
“Yes.”
“So it counts.”
“You spent most of the trip shopping.”
“That was work.”
“For whom?”
“Me.”
Julian gave him a look.
Regulus smiled.
“We’re going away again next month.”
Sirius looked sharply at him. “Where?”
Regulus shrugged.
“Julian won’t tell me.”
“It’s a surprise,” Julian said.
Regulus looked up at him. “You could tell me now.”
“No.”
“I hate surprises.”
“You’ve asked me about it every day for three weeks.”
“Because I hate surprises.”
“You’ve also guessed twenty-seven countries.”
“I need to narrow it down.”
“You guessed Australia.”
“You said it was warm.”
“I said you’d need something warm.”
“That could mean warm weather.”
“It means a coat.”
“You could be misleading me.”
“I am misleading you.”
Regulus looked scandalised.
Julian smiled.
“You’re impossible.”
“You adore me.”
“I do.”
The words were simple.
Immediate.
They settled over Regulus with visible warmth.
His smug expression softened.
For a moment, he looked almost shy.
Then Julian bent and kissed his forehead.
Regulus leaned closer, one hand curling into the front of his jacket.
Every person at the table saw it.
There was no uncertainty in Julian’s voice.
No hesitation.
He adored him.
The evidence of it was everywhere.
In the hand that never left Regulus’s waist.
In the attention with which he listened to every absurd complaint.
In the way his expression altered whenever Regulus looked at him.
In the fond patience of a man who had apparently rebuilt a room because Regulus disliked the colour.
Sirius studied them.
Some of the tension left his shoulders.
Not all of it.
Enough.
Regulus noticed.
His eyes gleamed again.
“You can stop interrogating him now.”
“I haven’t interrogated him.”
“You’ve been doing it for ten minutes.”
“I’ve mostly been interrogating you.”
“That’s worse.”
“It’s my right.”
“It isn’t.”
“You disappeared into a mansion.”
“I changed from a flat to a house.”
“That is intentionally misleading.”
“It was factually correct.”
“Do you hear yourself?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I’m very articulate.”
James laughed again.
Sirius looked at Julian.
“Does he do this all the time?”
“Yes.”
Regulus looked up, offended. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side.”
“That answer wasn’t.”
“It was honest.”
“You could lie.”
“You just criticised your brother for suggesting that.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I like you.”
Julian’s eyes softened.
“That is an excellent argument.”
“I know.”
Regulus lifted his chin.
Julian kissed him.
Not dramatically.
Just a brief kiss at the corner of his mouth.
Regulus smiled against it.
Sirius made another strained sound.
Regulus looked over.
“You’ll survive.”
“I don’t know that.”
“You’re very resilient.”
“I’ve never had to watch my younger brother flirt with Julian Vale before.”
“Then this is growth.”
“I don’t want growth.”
“No one does,” Remus said. “It happens anyway.”
Sirius looked at him.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Still not yours.”
“Unbelievable.”
The waiter returned with bread.
Sirius took two pieces.
Gideon gave him an approving nod.
Regulus looked at the basket.
“Is that the bread signal?”
“No,” Lily said.
“Yes,” Gideon said at the same time.
Regulus raised two fingers.
Amelia immediately stepped closer.
“Yes, Mr Black?”
Lily stared.
Regulus glanced towards the basket.
“Could we have bread at our table as well?”
“Of course.”
She smiled.
“The usual?”
“Yes, please.”
Amelia walked away.
Regulus looked at Gideon.
“You’re right.”
Gideon sat straighter.
“I knew it.”
Lily slowly turned towards him.
“There is not a bread signal.”
“Regulus just used it.”
“He asked.”
“I asked.”
“You said one word.”
“I said bread.”
“Exactly.”
Fabian leaned across his brother. “It’s a powerful system.”
Lily looked around the table as though searching for anyone sane.
She found no one.
Julian glanced towards their table across the room.
“We should sit down.”
Regulus sighed.
“You keep saying that.”
“And you keep staying here.”
“They’re entertaining me.”
“You told me you were ambushed.”
“I recovered.”
Julian’s hand slid from Regulus’s waist to his hip.
“Our lunch is waiting.”
Regulus looked up at him.
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“You should have said.”
“I did.”
“You said the table was ready.”
“Which usually implies food.”
“It could imply chairs.”
Julian stared at him.
Regulus’s expression remained innocent.
Marlene whispered, “He’s insufferable.”
Sirius looked at her. “I’ve been saying that for years.”
Regulus heard both of them.
“I can hear you.”
“We know,” Marlene replied.
Julian’s thumb moved over Regulus’s hip.
“Come along.”
Regulus looked at the table one final time.
Sirius immediately lifted a hand.
“Wait.”
Regulus sighed.
“What now?”
“One last question.”
“You’ve said that before.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“You’ve implied it.”
“How do you imply one last question?”
“With your face.”
“My face doesn’t say that.”
“It says many things.”
“Regulus.”
“What?”
Sirius hesitated.
His gaze moved briefly to Julian, then returned to his brother.
“Are you happy?”
The question changed the air between them.
Regulus’s expression stilled.
Behind the amusement, behind the satisfaction of shocking them all, there was a pause.
A real one.
Julian did not answer for him.
His hand remained at Regulus’s waist.
Regulus looked up at him.
Julian met his eyes.
There was something calm in the look.
Something private and steady.
Regulus turned back to Sirius.
“Yes.”
No sarcasm.
No cleverness.
No smug evasion.
Just yes.
Sirius watched him.
Regulus’s mouth curved.
Then, because he could never leave sincerity undefended for long, he added, “Extremely.”
Julian’s arm tightened around him.
Sirius nodded once.
“Fine.”
Regulus raised an eyebrow. “Fine?”
“Fine.”
“That’s all?”
“You complained when I asked questions.”
“I expected more drama.”
“You hate drama.”
“I hate your drama.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Mine is elegant.”
Sirius snorted.
Regulus’s smile widened.
“Enjoy your tiny food.”
James looked offended.
“It gets bigger.”
“It doesn’t,” Lily said quietly.
James looked at her.
“What?”
She gave him an apologetic expression.
“The courses don’t get bigger.”
He stared down at his plate.
Regulus laughed.
James pointed at him.
“Your boyfriend has a permanent table.”
“Yes.”
“You could bring us sometime.”
Sirius turned on him. “Have some dignity.”
James ignored him.
Regulus looked thoughtful.
“No.”
James’s face fell.
“Why not?”
“You’d embarrass me.”
“You’ve known me for years.”
“That is how I know.”
“I’m dressed properly.”
James looked betrayed.
Regulus grinned.
“Perhaps Lily.”
Lily brightened immediately.
“Really?”
“No.”
Her face dropped.
Regulus looked delighted.
“You are horrible,” she said.
“I know.”
Julian touched the back of Regulus’s neck.
“Enough.”
Regulus looked up at him.
Julian’s expression was firm but affectionate.
Regulus sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
He turned towards the others.
“Goodbye.”
“Wait,” Peter said.
Regulus paused again.
“What?”
Peter looked hesitant.
Then he glanced at Julian.
“Do you actually get whatever you want?”
Regulus considered the question.
Julian watched him.
Regulus smiled slowly.
“Yes.”
Julian’s eyebrow lifted.
Regulus reached up and touched his jaw.
“Don’t I?”
Julian looked down at him for a long moment.
The severity of his face softened into complete surrender.
“Almost always.”
Regulus looked back at Peter.
“See?”
Peter nodded, visibly impressed.
Sirius groaned.
“Go away.”
“You called me over.”
“I regret it.”
“You regret most things.”
“Only conversations with you.”
Regulus’s smile was bright and triumphant.
Julian guided him away with a hand at his waist.
The table watched them cross the dining room.
Their own table stood near the windows in a quieter section, set for two despite being large enough for four. A fresh basket of bread already waited there beside a bottle of wine and two glasses.
A member of staff pulled out Julian’s chair.
Julian thanked him.
Regulus moved towards the chair opposite.
Julian caught his wrist.
Regulus turned.
Julian said something too quiet for the others to hear.
Regulus’s face lit with amusement.
Then Julian sat and drew Regulus down onto his lap.
Sirius inhaled sharply.
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
Marlene twisted in her seat for a better view.
Mary grabbed the back of her jacket.
“Don’t stare.”
“Everyone is staring.”
“No one else is staring.”
“They should be.”
At the other table, Regulus settled against Julian without the slightest resistance.
One arm curled around Julian’s shoulders.
Julian kept an arm firmly around his waist and said something near his ear.
Regulus laughed.
He looked softer from a distance.
Still smug.
Still unmistakably pleased with the chaos he had left behind.
But relaxed.
He clung easily to Julian, fingers playing at the collar of his shirt.
Julian looked delighted by every movement.
He reached for Regulus’s glass, handed it to him and watched while Regulus took a sip.
Regulus said something.
Julian smiled.
Regulus leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Julian turned his head and caught his mouth instead.
Sirius looked down at his plate.
“I’m not looking.”
“You are looking,” James said.
“I’ve stopped.”
“You looked first.”
“I was checking.”
“For what?”
“Threats.”
“Did you find any?”
Sirius glanced over again.
Regulus was now resting his head against Julian’s shoulder while Julian broke a piece of bread and offered it to him.
Regulus accepted it directly from his fingers.
Sirius looked away once more.
“Yes.”
James looked towards the table.
“What?”
“Everything.”
Remus picked up his glass.
“He’s happy.”
Sirius sighed.
“I know.”
“He’s safe.”
“You don’t know that.”
“You asked if he was happy. He answered.”
“He lies.”
“He didn’t then.”
Sirius went quiet.
Remus looked at him.
“You know he didn’t.”
Sirius glanced across the room again.
Regulus had begun telling Julian something, animated now, one hand moving as he spoke. Julian listened with his entire attention fixed upon him, his hand resting securely on Regulus’s thigh.
Regulus pointed briefly towards their table.
Julian looked over.
Sirius immediately narrowed his eyes.
Julian’s mouth curved.
Regulus followed his gaze and waved.
Not politely.
Smugly.
A small flutter of his fingers that somehow managed to communicate both triumph and mockery.
Sirius lifted his middle finger.
Lily slapped his hand down.
“We are in a restaurant.”
“He started it.”
“He waved.”
“You don’t know him like I do.”
“I know that was a wave.”
“It was hostile.”
Regulus laughed from across the room.
Julian looked at him with open adoration.
Sirius saw it.
He exhaled slowly and reached for his wine.
James leaned closer.
“You’re going to interrogate him later, aren’t you?”
“For hours.”
“Are you going to tell your parents?”
“No.”
Regulus looked over again, as though he had somehow heard.
Sirius pointed two fingers towards his own eyes and then towards Regulus.
Regulus raised his glass in response.
“You’re definitely telling them,” Mary said.
“I’m not.”
“You look like you’re planning six separate phone calls.”
“I’m planning questions.”
“How many?”
“Hundreds.”
Remus said, “He won’t answer them.”
“He’ll answer some.”
“He’ll insult you.”
“He does that anyway.”
“He’ll leave.”
“I know where he lives now.”
Sirius paused.
Everyone looked at him.
He looked slowly towards Julian and Regulus.
“A massive house,” James said.
Sirius smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
Regulus saw it from across the dining room.
His own smile vanished.
He sat up slightly.
Julian followed his gaze.
Regulus pointed at Sirius and said something urgent.
Julian looked amused.
Regulus shook his head and continued speaking.
Sirius waved again.
Regulus glared.
Marlene began laughing.
“What?” Lily asked.
“Sirius has just realised he can visit.”
James’s face brightened.
“So can we.”
Regulus, somehow understanding this from across the room, looked appalled.
He turned towards Julian and spoke faster.
Julian’s shoulders moved with quiet laughter.
Regulus caught his face between both hands and forced him to look serious.
Julian kissed one of his palms.
Regulus tried to maintain his glare.
He failed.
His mouth curved.
Julian kissed him again, this time at the temple, and pulled him closer into his lap.
Regulus relaxed against him.
Sirius watched for a moment.
Then he sat back.
“Fine,” he said.
Remus glanced at him. “Fine?”
“Fine.”
James smiled. “You’ve said that twice now.”
“I’m allowed.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
“I will be.”
“When?”
“After the interrogation.”
Lily shook her head and turned back to her plate.
“Our next course is coming.”
Everyone looked towards the approaching waiters.
James brightened.
“Finally.”
“It’s been nine minutes,” Alice said.
“I’ve lived a lot in those nine minutes.”
“You discovered Regulus has a sugar daddy,” Marlene said. “We all have.”
Sirius choked on his wine.
Regulus looked over from across the room.
Marlene waved.
Regulus’s smug smile returned.
He lifted his glass.
Julian said something against his hair.
Regulus tipped his head back, laughing, and Julian looked at him as though there were no one else in the room.
The next course was placed before them.
The waiter began describing it.
Lily listened with fierce concentration.
James tried to listen.
Peter looked interested.
Fabian and Gideon checked whether more bread had appeared.
Sirius heard none of the explanation.
He was still staring across the restaurant at his younger brother, who had somehow built an entire hidden life involving a mansion, international holidays, designer clothes, permanent restaurant tables and one of the most recognisable executives in the country.
Regulus caught him looking.
He smiled.
Then, with Julian’s arm secure around his waist and his head tucked comfortably beneath the man’s chin, he mouthed one word across the room.
Jealous?
Sirius stared at him.
Regulus’s grin widened.
Sirius lifted his glass.
Then he mouthed back:
Dead.
Regulus laughed so suddenly that he nearly spilled his drink.
Julian caught the glass before it tipped.
He took it from Regulus’s hand, set it safely on the table and drew him closer.
Regulus clung to him, still laughing.
Julian kissed his temple and murmured something fondly into his hair.
Regulus settled against him with a pleased hum.
Sirius looked down at his new course.
James was already examining his.
“What is it?” he whispered.
Remus looked at the plate.
“Duck.”
“With things?”
“With things.”
James nodded.
“Good.”
Lily closed her eyes.
Across the room, Regulus sat in Julian Vale’s lap at the table no one else could book, eating bread from his hand and smiling like a prince who had successfully deceived an entire kingdom.
The others had waited three months for lunch.
Regulus, apparently, only had to ask.