The strike of a match
Regulus didn't see James again for the rest of the week. He was quite relieved about it, the man was a bit of an annoyance. He had to admit it.
He was currently standing with his mother in the middle of a ballroom, Lucius had approached them already that night, complementing Regulus before asking his father for a private conversation.
He was nervous, and his mother was practically vibrating with excitement.
She held onto his arm tightly, nails digging into his jacket. He knew what they were going to talk about, and it made him sick to his stomach. Lucius wanted to marry him, and while they were some time away from that thank god. He was most definitely asking his father for permission to move further with him. Courtship was the proper name. If he did which he would, Lucius would start to come over to their home, spend more time with him in private with some supervision but minimal. Regulus did not like that thought at all.
He saw Sirius across the room, they hadn't talked at all since Regulus kicked him out of his room. Most of that was because of him avoiding Sirius whenever he could, Glaring daggers at him for no reason whatsoever. Only because he knew his brother would be the one to escape and not him. That he would be stuck here.
Stuck with Lucius.
He knew that the man was not a good one, and treated his servants like garbage. Regulus didn't even want to know how he would treat a partner if he treated servants with no dignity or pardon.
Regulus was snapped out of his thoughts when his mother pulled his arm, he looked up to her. Walburga dragged him back over to his father and Lucius, he smiled as sincerely as he could at the other. as the blonde preened down at him. a satisfied grin hanging on his face. "Regulus, Son, you are going to share a few dances with Mr.Malfoy here." His father told him.
He nodded and reached his hand out for Lucius's, the man placed Regulus's hand on his arm and walked out to the dance floor with him. The music started very quickly, and the two started the dance Lucius bowing to him. He did the same. They stepped closer together and the dance started.
"You're a very beautiful young man," Lucius complimented.
Regulus nodded, "thank you. you're not too bad looking yourself" he said. he was lying of course. Lucius was a troll. but his sour temper knew its own limits. He didn't exactly enjoy getting hit by his parents.
"I'm glad you think so. You know I asked your father for permission to court you" Lucius told him. He knew what was coming, but that did not mean that he was happy about it."and do you plan to do so?" he asked him.
Lucius smiled, "why of course i do, I want to invite you, your father, on a hunt with some of my hunting club members, i thought it would be something you'd enjoy" the older man said to him. It was true Regulus did enjoy hunting only because it was necessary to be quiet and he wasn't forced into meaningless conversation. though he had a feeling that this hunt would be filled with too much talking and not enough hunting. He forced an even wider smile.
"how did you know? That sounds lovely" Regulus said. His father most definitely told him of his hobbies. even if hunting was a normal thing that most men enjoyed. besides Sirius, and a new Baron he had heard his mother speaking ill about, Lupin? That was the name he thought.
Lucius put his hands on Regulus's waist, standing directly behind him. "I intend to know much more about you Regulus" he said whispering into his ear.
Regulus was going to say something back, that was until he saw someone walk out into the door of the ballroom. his jacket was discarded, leaving him in just his dress shirt underneath it was a dark and silky red, reflecting the lights of the candles around him off of it. His sleeves were rolled up to his biceps which were completely filling his slaves to the point where it looked quite tight around his arms. His eyes widened involuntarily looking at him, James Potter.
His hair was a disheveled mess in his face but somehow the look worked for him. Only he didn't look Regulus's way, he went straight to his brother but that didn't stop him from watching him walk across the ballroom floor.
Regulus didn't hear that Lucius spoke to him once more, he didn't even notice the man was still there until he felt a sharp pain coming from his side. Lucius's hand grabbed harshly onto him. He winced and tried to jerk his body away from the pain.
but Lucius kept him in his arms, catching him before he could get away, "im sorry" Regulus spoke quickly. "I'm just feeling light headed," he said. Lucius looked at him and nodded.
"You should sit down." the man said, dragging him over to a seat and forcing him to sit down. his hand still holding onto him tightly. "do not move from this spot until I'm back." he ordered. Regulus nodded and leaned forward in his seat taking a few deep breaths as Lucius walked away, most likely to get his parents.
He wasn't lying when he said he felt light headed, but he wasn't feeling light headed from not having enough air, his brain was fuzzy, and he had a hard time keeping his thoughts straight. He watched as Lucius spoke to his parents. He saw his mother's facial expression, she was not happy at all, but the moment Lucius pulled his father away from the crowd and his mother's sight he seemed to relax a bit.
He didn't know what Lucius was trying to talk to him about, Maybe to say his father should take him home immediately, but Regulus was not that lucky. He was most likely discussing something closer to their courtship. He straightened himself back up once he saw Lucius begin to make his way back over to him.
His mother followed him this time. she did not look happy.
"What happened, Regulus?" she asked, her voice was low, and her eyes were narrowed.
"Nothing. Just had a spell of dizziness." he told her.
She looked back at Lucius. "Well then we should get you home, I don't need you to faint in front of everyone here, how embarrassing that would be." she said, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him up. He stumbled a bit doing so, before he straightened himself up so no one would notice. Luicus looked at him before nodding.
"Yes, yes that's for the best." the older man said, taking Walburga's hand from his son and replacing it with his own. He was walking towards the doors, and Regulus looked back at the dancefloor, seeing Sirius dancing with a pretty young man, his parents to distracted by him to notice that he was just a baron. he wondered if he would realize that they were leaving. he most likely wouldn't but he always found his way home anyways.
He wondered if James was still here. if he was watching his whole ordeal, if he thought he actually was in love with Lucius.
feeling a wave of nausea take over him he thought maybe he was sick. He was not light headed any more but now his head was spinning, and he felt as if he would throw up, not that he could throw up in the middle of a ball. his mother would probably kill him, then bring him back to life and kill him again. Soon enough he and parents bid the Earl goodnight and made their way back home. He was ordered to go back to his room immediately and fix whatever had made him sick before.
Regulus laid his head down and drifted off to sleep wanting nothing to do with anything that had happened tonight.
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Regulus stood next to his horse waiting for the other men to get done with their conversation before they left for a hunt. They apparently were waiting on one other. but Regulus just assumed that they weren't coming. until he looked up as he saw a man approach them.
James Potter.
His mouth dried up, he had no idea what James was doing here, but he had a feeling that this would not go well. He was dressed in a pair of riding boots, his pants tucked into them, a tight black vest and a dark red riding coat. He greeted the group and said he overslept. Lucius had apparently invited him to be polite and because he wanted to show off the fact he was courting a black family member to other purebloods who were high ranking. especially since James would have never been allowed to court a black even if he wanted to.
He didn't care though. Regulus knew that, so why was he getting so bothered by him being here. Regulus quickly shook his head and mounted his horse.
They set off a few moments after that. Him trailing his father and Lucius very closely. the group was made up of about six or so men including regulus, it was him, his father, Lucius, the marquess, another duke, and James potter the Viscount. he didn't know how he didnt realize it before but it seemed all the men around him enjoyed talking about themselves.
You would've thought you were listening to a medieval viking boast competition. And of course Lucius would have been the winner. He talked about how many animals he's killed and how good of a shot he was. trying to impress probably the most simple minded people Regulus had ever met.
it made him want to gouge his inner ear out so he wouldn't have to hear it anymore.
They were about an hour or so into the hunt when James had slowed down his pace to get closer to Regulus. They were a fair bit away from the rest of the group so it wasn't like anyone would see or hear them talking.
"What are you doing here Potter?" he asked him.
James shot him a look of amusement " I was invited here Regulus" he answered him.
"I thought you were a gentleman, isn't it a bit unbecoming of a gentleman to brag about himself as much as you are doing." Regulus snipped back.
"I could say the same about your suitor," he replied.
Regulus rolled his eyes. James really was an idiot, he always had been from what he heard from Sirius, even though he had only met the man a few days ago during the fencing match. his brother had told him many stories about James being a dumbass in the most simple terms. never thinking about his words or actions in the slightest.
A howling noise interested the men from there talking and Regulus from his thoughts. The group in front of them did not even look back before one of them shouted to go after it and ride quickly towards it. Regulus gripped his reins to follow them before James drove his steed in front of him blocking him from following the party.
"what the fuck are you doing potter get out of the way" Regulus hissed at him.
James looked at him, "they don't have the slightest clue what the animal was, and it's probably a wild dog or wolf. we should stay back" he told him.
"we're supposed to be hunting, Potter, I will not let you ruin this for me." Regulus growled at him.
James laughed "oh yes, because hunting is all that matters to you. I dont think it's a good idea to go after Lucius" he said, shaking his head.
"i dont give a damn what you think. I'm going whether you want to or not." Regulus told him.
"do you ever listen? I think your ears are only there for decoration?" James scoffed at him, " why do you even do all of this? you're not the heir Sirius is, you don't have to do all of this?" he told him.
" And what else would I do james?" Regulus said.
" I saw you've got a knack for fencing, you could put more time into that" James said to him. clearly not taking the conversation that he started seriously. It was infuriating. who did he think he was questioning his decisions. really his parents decisions but his all the same. he didn't have a choice like he seemed to think he had.
" and I see you have a knack for being the most annoying person I have ever had to meet. now stay away from me Potter" Regulus spat at him pulling on the reins to get the horse to move.
James went after him "oh so you can go back to that man who is years older than you that your parents are forcing you to marry" James told him.
"You do not know a thing about me." Regulus was borderline seething.
"I know you are not happy," James smiled.
Bang
A loud gun shot rang through the air, the group must've found whatever they went after. but the gunshot was so unexpected he never prepared his horse for it, the steed had gotten spooked and thrashed around so hard that Regulus couldn't hang on and it sent him topping to the ground before the horse ran away.
It hurt , not as much as he had been expecting it to but it was more than just a small shock.
The horse would probably run back to the castle so that was not a problem.
He felt James's arms pick him up off the ground. He didn't know how he dismounted off the horse so quickly. Maybe his initial shock had lasted longer than he thought.
"Are you okay?" James asked.
"fine. I'm fine." Regulus replied, shrugging his hands off him.
James took a step back and watched Regulus stand up. His back ached from where he landed and he looked around seeing his horse had long run away and there was no hope in calling the thing back. He would most likely have a bruise tomorrow over the entirety of his back, not that he wasn't used to bruises.
"you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong," James told him. He had a determined look in his eyes and Regulus was sure that if he did try and get away James would grab him and hold him until he confessed.
"I'm stuck, James. I'm stuck and I can't get away, '' he admitted, his voice low and his head hanging.
"what are you stuck on, what do you need to get away from?"
"my family you bloody fucking idiot. Sirius may be able to get away but I will never be. I will never be able to like him. I am held to a higher standard because I am the only one who can handle it. I'm trapped and I don't know how to get out"
"So that's why you're acting like this. You don't know how to feel" James said
" I don't want to get married, not to him, not to anyone, and not to a 24 year old man." Regulus said. "at least not right now, I do not know anyone Potter. I do not know what it is like to live a life that is mine and not my mothers and I fear I never will. I will forever be stuck with them because I am a black , because I am the second born, I have no agency over my own life. I was hidden for years not just because of tradition but because of control. They basically own me. I have never been at a party alone or unattended, or been able to roam the streets of the town, the closet things to privacy i get is my fencing lessons. I have to perform and I have to be perfect because I am a black and it is what we do. I have to make up for Sirius's downfall." Regulus spoke, he just let it out.
James was quiet for a moment, and Regulus feared he had scared him off. "Come with me" he said after a moment.
"What?"
"I want you to come with me." James said. "I want to take you away. not forever, just long enough that you can figure yourself out"
Regulus stared at him. He was crazy. Absolutely bonkers. James Potter needed to be checked into a mental asylum.
" I cannot." Regulus said.
James sighed, "i knew you wouldn't"
"You can't tell anyone."
"Who would I tell?"
"my family."
James rolled his eyes, "they wouldn't believe me" he said.
They would, Regulus thought. He knew there would be hell to pay if they ever knew, he had never said those words out loud before. He had never poured his heart out like that even to Sirius. but then again James was just a stranger. He could be more open with him than anyone.
"Still," Regulus looked down at the ground. "I think we should be heading back."
James nodded and hopped back onto his horse, he offered his arm out to the younger man. He took it , James pulled him up onto the horse in front of him and the two began their ride back to the hunting party.
Regulus felt James's body pressed against his back, and it was almost comforting, like a weighted blanket or a warm fire. It was something new. something he wished he would one day get used to. that he would one day have. even if it was with Lucius.