net wars

Las Vegas is both amazing and terrifying. Regulus understands why they call it the city of sin because when they arrive at night, all you can breathe is money and ambition. The car they’re in passes by the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty, and the enormous casinos provoke more excitement than they should.

Regulus has been here before, for a couple of his mother’s and family’s conventions, although the atmosphere feels different now that Remus is traveling with him. He knows they’ll meet James and Sirius, and all the other athletes, when they get to the hotel; but he wants to enjoy the views a bit, the noise and the action of a city like this isn’t something you see every day.

Even so, he can sense the slight tension the city exudes. A slight warning to be careful, combined with a traffic sign urging to slow down. Regulus braces himself for the next two days.

“You know I’m not upset that you lost the final. We’ve worked hard, and you did great, and you know it,” says Remus when he notices the silence they’re immersed in.

Regulus looks at him. “I know.”

“Now you deserve a break. We can start working on the next tournament when this is over.”

“I don’t want to be here.”

“We already discussed it with Roger, Reg. Besides,” Remus pulls out two small silver bracelets and hands one to Regulus, “I didn’t bring these cuties so we wouldn’t have a little fun.”

Regulus laughs. “We’re not going to gamble, Remus.” But he takes his corresponding little bracelet; a bit of luck won't hurt him.

“Why not? These will bring us luck. They protect you from the devilish vibe of the place.”

“We’re not going to gamble because I don’t want to lose money.”

“You’re a millionaire.”

“And now you’re talking like Sirius.” Remus tenses then, Regulus just wants to laugh. “Totally sure he’d lose all his money for you if you asked him. But you already know that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on, Remus! I thought you were sharper than that. Try to have a bit of fun, okay? I certainly will, since I’m here.”

“That means-”

“No. There are other ways to have fun in Las Vegas besides gambling!”

Regulus is sure of that. But, of course, Sirius makes a scene about it half an hour later, when they’re already at the hotel reception. Regulus pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“It literally doesn’t make any fucking sense, Reggie!” Sirius is yelling so loudly that Regulus wants to punch him. Absolutely everyone, to his relief, seems accustomed to his brother's dramatics and barely pays attention.

“Why wouldn’t it? I think not wanting to lose my fucking money is a totally valid reason, Sirius.”

“But we’re in Las Vegas!” He throws his hands up, turning dramatically to Remus, who is sitting in one of the armchairs. “Tell him, Remus!”

The aforementioned lifts his head from his phone. “I already did. No luck.”

“You know, go convince James and lose money together like the dynamic duo you are.” Regulus declares with sarcasm in his voice, and he catches the barely audible chuckle from James.

“James will be too busy following you around! He’s no use to me!”

“Oi!”

“Then deal with it, Sirius! Lose your fucking money!”

Sirius gets exasperated. Both of them stare at each other, while the giggles of their two other companions become evident, and then each sits in a chair to wait for the room assignments. They don’t have to wait long until a young boy quickly starts handing out electronic cards. Regulus assumed that Remus and he would share a room, as they usually do, but it seems the Federation is treating its competitors well, because each of them gets one to enjoy.

The room is neither big nor small. He can’t complain though. Considering that a hotel in Las Vegas is beyond budget for 80% of the population, it’s perfect. It may not be spectacular, but the views certainly are.

There’s a huge window at the end of the room, and although it doesn’t have a balcony, it’s perfect for observing a city full of nightlife. Regulus feels an intense curiosity about whatever the city emanates, but he restrains himself from feeling too much for his own good.

The message that arrives distracts him.

potter

[21:46] Totally sure my view is better than yours.

Impossible.

[21:46] I’m on the seventh floor, love.

That means nothing.

[21:47] Sure. Come see for yourself.

That’s a damn good strategy,

but I’m not an idiot.

[21:47] But you want to come.

[21:47] And I want you to come.

It’s not working, James.

[21:48] Come on, be nice to me, love.

Regulus smiles. It’s not like he doesn’t want to see James, but Remus is expecting to receive a few things from the doctor to talk to him about, due to the routine check-up after a tournament. And it’s not like Remus doesn’t know there’s something between them, he just has no idea or if he does, he never seems to mention it. Surely he knows that Regulus feels a certain attraction to James, because it’s countless the times he has hinted at it, but maybe he doesn’t realize they see each other quite a bit more than just to compete. And okay, it’s not like he doesn’t want to tell him, but it’s complicated.

So, if he were to sneak out of his room now and wasn’t there when Remus asks for him, it would be a bit awkward and he would have to explain it, which he really doesn’t feel like doing.

Besides, he still has to wait for the countless messages from his mother, who must already be getting busy with the preparations for their encounter tomorrow. Because Walburga Black may hate him for distancing himself from her, but she is the most status-conscious person on earth, and reputation comes first. And certainly, he doesn’t want to talk to James about his mother, nor about the lump that will form in his throat when she writes to him.

He just limits himself to briefly feeling the peace of solitude and taking a deep breath.

•

The next day is busy. He barely has time to see anyone except Remus, who accompanies him everywhere. The other part of this big convention, which Roger was so excited about, is the public image aspect. It's not every day you can gather many prominent athletes from all sports in one place.

Regulus is almost grateful he slept perfectly, because otherwise he would have a crappy face and a worse crappy mood too. He literally hates this kind of stuff. James sometimes laughs at him for the irony of being famous and not liking the attention.

"Smile a bit more, Regulus," says the photographer, and Regulus wants to tear his eyes out. He is smiling, too much in fact. No one appreciates his efforts.

Sponsor photos are a must. Remus has to remind him that the 15 million Nike pays him deserves at least a little smile to compensate. But Regulus doesn't like it. He hates the photos, hates having to strike weird poses with the new shoes the brand has launched, and hates that Pandora isn't here to cheer him up. The lucky one got out of the session because she had other matters to attend to.

Remus is sitting on one of the sofas the studio offers, having his second coffee of the morning, while he reviews today's schedule. Regulus prays to be left free.

"Loewe wants the final fitting of the suit for tonight. What time do you prefer?"

"As soon as we finish this. I want to have time to go somewhere else afterward."

"Where to?"

Regulus takes a while to respond because he needs to lie down on some weird squares for the next shot. "To a massage. I don't think I can relax for tonight otherwise. Besides, I’m seeing my mother today, and that alone is torture."

"Do you need me to save you from that?"

"I don't think so. I'll talk with her for a while out of courtesy, take a photo, and leave. Besides, after dinner, there's a city tour."

"Oh, right. A guided tour and blah blah. Boring. I might sneak away; there are really cool things here to miss out on a shitty tour." Regulus can't help but laugh loudly at that.

When the session finally ends, to Regulus's relief, they head to Loewe's studio in the city, a bit farther from the downtown buzz. It takes a while to choose the necessary accessories and critique the pattern on his suit.

"Why can't I just wear one of these elegant black suits?" he asks.

The woman in charge of the final adjustments looks at him somewhat wearily. Regulus remembers her. She used to handle his looks when he was younger, and his mother controlled everything. She's a friend of his mother, and if he had any doubts, her next words clear them up. "You're not like everyone else. I only dress the best athletes, aren't you one of them?"

Regulus bites his tongue. He may indeed be one of the best, but that doesn't mean he has to wear things like this. The suit doesn't look bad on him, but it doesn't feel very much like him. It's clear he'll stand out, but not for being a good athlete, but because the brand dressed him this way.

Still, he's a bit curious about the others she's supposed to dress today. "Who else are you dressing?"

"The Notts." Regulus remembers the siblings. The older sister is one of the best gymnasts, but he's not sure in which category. The younger brother must be a few years older than him, and he's not sure if he plays American football or rugby, or if both are the same thing. He really does not care.  "And obviously the Lestranges."

That doesn't surprise him, but he still finds himself asking, "You’re dressing Bella?"

The woman doesn't look at him, continuing to iron a part of the trousers. "Obviously, kid. She had her wedding dress made with us."

Regulus knows. His cousin is one of the most pretentious people on this earth, and also one of the most psychotic. She's almost as unbearable as her husband, for whom she gave up her surname. At least synchronized swimming keeps her underwater and her mouth shut.

He asks no more questions. It's enough to know that all the people he hates most will be here today, pretending to be good people and hiding their hypocritical morals.

When he escapes the woman's grasp, he quickly exits through the door, and Remus follows him. The car picks them up and takes them back to the hotel. Then he can enjoy his massage before everything descends into chaos.

•

James Potter is probably the hottest thing he’s ever seen in his life. Which is a problem because it distracts him. Not only that, it makes him long to go back to his room, bring James along, and ride him until dawn. But, obviously, that would be indecent and disrespectful. The other problem is that Regulus Black is about to ignore all of that and do it anyway.

However, James doesn't seem to notice. He is happily talking with Mary Macdonald and Sirius about something that makes them laugh. Remus is lost somewhere in the hall, and Regulus has the impression that he's gone off to gamble somewhere in the casino they’re in.

He can even hear the music emanating from one of the disco rooms. Hotel Room Service. Then he catches Andy's gaze. “Hi!”

Regulus smiles genuinely. Andy is his favorite cousin, the only one who, like Sirius and him, wants to ignore everything related to their family. “Hi, Andy! It’s been a while! I haven't seen you since summer.”

“True, but I understand you’re busy, don’t worry.” She responds with a gentle smile. “How are you? How are the tournaments? I saw you won the big one earlier this year, congratulations.”

“Yeah. It was tough, but I like challenges. I’m good, Remus pushes me hard in training, but I also get to rest well.” He laughs. “You’ve been killing it in the 800-meter freestyle.”

“Thanks! I’m getting a bit too old for the 1500 meters, and I’ve had to take care of my little girl, but I think I’ve been doing great.”

“No doubt, Andy!”

Then Sirius approaches and happily greets Andromeda. Regulus feels a certain relief seeing them both happy, though he's not entirely sure why. Then, Sirius turns his head towards him and smiles. The conversation continues. “And Andy, how’s Ted? I haven’t heard much about him lately. And the little one?”

“Oh, Ted is talking to Dora’s babysitter because she seems a bit restless at home, but Ted will join us soon.”

It’s good to see a couple as happy as Andromeda and her husband Ted, who is precisely why her family disowned her so much. Regulus is surprised by the ironies of life, how your parents plan your entire life, even your potential future partner, and you end up falling in love with someone they disapprove of. He finds it almost amusing. Still, he loves his cousin's love story. How Ted, the owner of a small bookstore, met one of the best swimmers in the world by chance. He gave her a book with little notes, and by the time Andromeda finished reading it, she was completely in love.

It makes him happy to think that love does triumph sometimes.

He doesn’t have much time to think, because Remus appears in his line of sight with a furrowed brow. When he reaches his side, he greets the other two and whispers, “Roger told me your mother is already here.”

Regulus shows a tired expression because he knows what’s coming. “Okay. Thanks. I’ll see her in a bit.”

By now, Andromeda is already saying goodbye to go chat with a couple more people. And it’s just Sirius, Remus, and him left. He can certainly feel the tension. “Hey Remus, maybe you can take this chance to greet those friends of yours while I handle the other thing.”

“What friends?” Sirius asks.

“Oh, the ones from the soccer team. You wouldn’t believe the friends Remus has. They’re so good-looking.” Regulus dramatizes and hides a little smile when Sirius seems at least a bit bothered.

Regulus just wants to see him burn a little. And Remus could use a little push.

“Oh yeah? And how do you know them?” But the question is not directed towards his brother, but to Remus.

Remus is a bit off guard. “Well, from school. The others, well, friends of friends, I guess.”

“Sure.”

"Are you jealous?” Remus seems like he wants to laugh. Regulus knows staying isn’t an option the moment his brother lets out an annoying, sarcastic chuckle. So, he leaves them both there.

He knows it's time to see his mother when he spots her standing in a corner with a glass in her hand and a couple of her old acquaintances. So he walks towards her and stands by her side without looking at her, even though she already knows he's there.

“Mother.”

Regulus remembers his mother very well. He sees her every year out of the corner of his eye at one gathering or another, and very rarely is she in the mood to drop a comment. Even so, the years under her tutelage do not fade away easily.

Sirius was the mama's boy, meant to fulfil that role and succeed. However, his libertinism drove his mother so crazy that the fierce arguments between them never ceased, and usually a third party had to intervene to end the ordeal.

Regulus was not like that. Regulus stayed a little more in the shadows, distant from the world Walburga Black seemed to have. For his own good, he remained unnoticed among his own family members and avoided confrontations at all costs. He followed the rules imposed on him and worked hard at what was asked of him.

He wasn't bad at tennis. Not at all. But he wasn't Sirius. Sirius was the prodigy, the star child, the one who grabbed the cameras at the junior Grand Slam tournaments. Sirius was perfect. And Regulus was not the complete opposite, but for Walburga, they represented exactly that.

During his teenage years, he didn't particularly stand out in anything. He competed in small tournaments, had a coach who wasn't very tough and allowed him certain liberties, and had almost zero contact with his brother. His mother believed that Sirius and his influences could affect him, after some behaviors he had exhibited. And Walburga Black did not take anything lightly and what bothered her most was being embarrassed or humiliated, and according to her, that was precisely what Sirius and Regulus did.

Sometimes, Regulus wished that his mother hadn't gotten injured so that the end of her career wouldn't have tormented her life and that of her children who now had to live up to her. Regulus would have been content to stay out of the whole world surrounding his mother and brother. But then Sirius made a wrong move and tore his cruciate ligament and meniscus in the semifinal of what could have been his second Grand Slam.

The world fell apart.

His mother's scream from the stands was more heartbreaking than his brother's. And Sirius's scream had already been heart-wrenching enough. The world stopped to cry. Everyone knew that was the end, the death of a rising star.

Sirius never played again. He tried a million times, with the help of endless hours of rehabilitation, recommendations from specialist doctors, and his mother's insistence. Regulus never asked him, but he knows his brother was tired then. And that he wanted to quit. But Walburga was not willing to give up everything.

The arguments continued and became even more frequent and worse. For seventeen-year-old Regulus, it was terrifying to approach the halls of the grand mansion or the hospital rooms. He had already accompanied his mother countless times to her leg check-ups, and when he had to do it again but with Sirius, it was almost unbearable.

He hated seeing his brother cry. Because then he had to be strong, and he didn't feel brave enough to be.

And then Walburga Black came up with a chilling idea. Regulus Black would be the new star. It didn’t matter how, but he would be.

For the first time, his mother’s attention was entirely on him, on everything he needed to improve and everything he still wasn’t. His mother spent an entire year repairing every little piece of him so that, if he wasn’t perfect, at least he appeared to be. It was then that Regulus understood Sirius's attitude, his desire to escape his mother’s shadow, even if it had cost him his career.

He remembers little of those months. He doesn’t know if it’s a side effect of the trauma or a defense mechanism, but he remembers little. He knows he trained relentlessly from early morning until late at night and lacked breaks whenever his mother deemed them undeserved. He knows he visited the hospital more than once, for dehydration, strange severe abrasions on his hands and wrists, and minor discomfort in his legs and joints. He doesn’t know how it happened, but he has an idea.

However, despite the physical and mental exhaustion, when his brother recovered and devised his plan to escape from home, away from their mother, and begged Regulus to come with him, Regulus said no. Not because he didn’t want to go with him, but because he felt he owed it all to him, the greatness.

I will succeed for both of us, brother. Someday we will shine so brightly that no one will remember her. Someday we will be great.

And so he did. No matter how atrocious his mother was as a coach, nothing could diminish the strength with which Regulus held his heart in his hands in every match for something that could never be.

But Sirius seemed to have forgotten why he played and why he remained trapped there, because not long after, he declared himself the new coach of James Potter. And how Regulus hated James for that. For stealing his brother. For being able to enjoy him. For being able to heal with him.

Not only had he left his French national position, but now he was training England's prodigy. He had forgotten that Regulus had been left alone because he knew Sirius had to get out of there. And that was how he repaid him? It's not as if he still resented Sirius for it, but it still hurt. He simply preferred not to talk about those things with his brother.

"Regulus." His mother seems to be in a better mood than usual. "Great match by Australia." Of course, Australia.

Regulus just nods. He’s eager for this encounter to be over. He wants to run into anyone's arms, as long as he's away from his mother.

His mother starts talking about tennis again, because what else would Walburga Black talk about? Regulus knows the trouble it will cause if he doesn't listen to her, but he can't help feeling frustrated and averting his gaze towards more pleasant people. Like James.

James stands out among everyone present, despite wearing a black suit with small embroidered black flowers. It's a magnificent sight. He shines like no one else ever will. Regulus has always felt that James has something special, something unique. Something mesmerizing. Maybe all the initial envy he felt towards him was just a form of desire, a twisted form, but back then Regulus knew nothing but hate and resentment.

His mother interrupts his admiration, looking in the direction where James is in clear view. "Encore obsédé par ce garçon insipide? Je pensais que tu avais dépassé cette phase."

Because, obviously, Walburga would know. She was at all the early matches, fought between rivals. And Regulus hated James for different reasons back then. Perhaps Walburga knew much more about his infatuation with James than he did.

"Ne parle pas de lui comme ça."

"Il te distrait. Je l'ai vu. J'ai vu tes erreurs sur le court. Si tu m'écoutais—"

"Mother, I'm the best tennis player in the world. I don't need you to give me lessons."

"Tu es aussi insolent que Sirius, mon Dieu." She says, annoyed. Then she grabs his arm tightly, so tight that Regulus can feel a bit of anxiety. "Don't forget, Regulus, you are great because of me."

Regulus shrinks a little. It's not that he hasn't defended himself countless times before his mother, but there's something about her words that leaves him expectant, afraid that Walburga might keep spewing more words from her mouth. “Maybe, but I'm the one people talk about. What do you think they think when they see me? Not the tragedy that you are, but the potential I have and my 11 Grand Slam titles. You are nobody to these people, and you are nobody to me either.“

She doesn't even let him respond and walks away. To hell with the photos and cordiality. His mother is on the list of the worst people in the world, and her pretentious and unbearable attitude gets on his nerves and several others' as well.

Even so, he finds it impossible not to react to her words. Regulus is not a very sensitive person, but there are certain things that hurt him more than they probably should. It's always the fault of his stupid family, who can't respect any decision that doesn't benefit them.

After stopping by the bathroom to hide his few tears and pull himself together, he runs into Lily in the drinks area as they both pour themselves a drink.

Lily Evans. She was another reason why he had hated James so much. Not because of her, precisely, since she was spectacular, a woman with a very good heart and a tremendous tennis player. But he burned every time he saw a headline commenting on the relationship of the golden boy and the golden girl of tennis, the perfect relationship that James and Lily had. The relationship he secretly wanted. While he was striving to climb the world rankings, James was parading through the Grand Slams and the most important cities hand in hand with Lily, without a care in the world because they were both the best in their categories. It made Regulus so furious.

And then, one day it was all over. The whole fairy tale that James and Lily had sold was gone. He never knew why, and he never asked James. Certainly, they had ended things well because they were still friends after years, but the media had smeared both of them terribly.

By that time, Regulus was already dating Barty. Because Barty loved to provoke James and James hated him. That gave Regulus a certain thrill. It was a bit pathetic, but it was the only way to get a bit of James's attention. Barty didn't mind much, because they both had fun in their own way. They enjoyed mocking people as much as making out indecently in any public space. By then, their relationship started to make headlines, and Regulus loved that because he knew his mother would writhe in rage and Barty loved the attention. The press both hated and loved them equally, so much that they nicknamed them countless times, purely for the drama. Oh, the amount of cheating rumors there were. Even when they broke up because Barty had a crush on Evan,  Regulus was still pathetically infatuated with James and they both came to the conclusion that they were better as friends, the drama still wanted to haunt them.

Despite any intrusive thoughts, Lily is the first to greet him with a wide smile. “Hi, Regulus!” Regulus can never come up with a coherent reason to hate her because it’s simply impossible. Lily radiates so much happiness and enthusiasm for life that it’s hard not to be infected by some of her greatness.

In that sense, she’s a lot like James. That was probably why they were initially attracted to each other because they both understand joy in the same way. And he doesn't hate either of them more for it, but he can't help feeling that he’s completely different from what they seem to represent. He can't help thinking that he’s nothing like Lily and never will be, and that poses a hurdle in whatever it is that he and James have.

“Hi, Lily. How are you?” he finally says, with a slight smile.

“Super good! I love these gatherings so we can all see each other! Besides, I haven't seen you guys in months!” Regulus wants to tell her that it’s just the two of them, but out of nowhere, a strong arm gently wraps around his waist.

“We love seeing you too, Lils,” says James with a genuine smile.

Regulus tries to break free from James's grip without much success, and James only tightens his hold. “Piss off, Potter.”

James laughs. “Back to being Potter, I see.” Lily also laughs when James looks at her, and Regulus worries that she might misinterpret the situation or that someone else around might misinterpret it, but Lily just gives a mischievous smile.

“It’s not what—“

“Don’t worry, dear. I’m going to find Mary because I think James has a few things to do with you.” She winks and disappears before Regulus can call her back.

"That was disrespectful.”

“We'll see her later and talk to her properly, Reg, I promise.”

“And get your arm off my waist; the press already has enough with the hand on the waist at the awards ceremony!”

“I don't know why it didn't go more viral! It was a perfect hold and—“

“Revealing.”

“But you liked it.”

“No.”

Before James can respond with something witty and mocking, the speakers around the room announce the arrival of the tour guides. Come and visit Las Vegas and its secrets! Regulus wants to laugh because he's sure they won't see much, as they won't be taken to any indecent or inappropriate places, given that they are all elite athletes with reputations to maintain.

Then he thinks of Barty, who will definitely get caught by the press because his night is going to be fun, despite Evan trying to get him off the street well into the night.

Regulus is already heading toward the stand where the guides are setting up with small wireless earbuds for a more enriching tour, when James grabs him by the wrist.

“You know, it's a stupid idea, but I love those. So, what if we ditch and see the city on our own?” says the taller, curly-haired guy with a mischievous smile that quickly turns nervous.

“It's a stupid idea.”

“I know, but it's cool, don't tell me it's not, love.”

“No, James.”

“Come on, Reg! It'll be fun!”

Regulus doesn't want to agree because it's risky. Not because anyone would say anything if they don't join the tour, but because he distrusts what the press might interpret if they catch them running around Las Vegas together. That would definitely be a problem.

However, James's expression is about to convince him, because James has that ability, that power over Regulus. He shakes his head slightly, trying to convince himself not to give in.

“What could happen?"

And what didn't happen.