Chapter 32
Regulus
Regulus is bored. He hasn’t felt bored in a while. It’s strange, almost. Regulus didn’t know he could be bored. He thought he’d gotten rid of all those useless emotions years ago. Yet here he is, bored.
That’s been happening more and more lately. Not boredom, necessarily, but feelings, emotions. Little flickers of happiness, amusement, exasperation, frustration, and a whole host of other feelings. Boredom is just the latest in the set. While this introduction of a new sensation might be a welcome experience after so long of numbness, it turns out boredom is actually rather unpleasant. Unpleasant and irritatingly long-lasting. Regulus has already tried his usual go-to’s, staring at the wall, staring out the window, pretending he isn’t real and therefore cannot feel real feelings, but he’s still bored. Bored, and restless, and irritated, and annoyed. He’s not sure what he wants to do, but if he sits in his room one more second he’s going to start throwing things at the walls just to watch them smash.
With an angry sigh, he wanders out of his room in search of something to do. He debates making some tea, but he’s not really in the mood. He drifts towards Sirius’s room, but the door is closed and it sounds quiet. Remus is at his own flat studying for a university exam he has this week, so there’s no risk of walking in on anything, but if Sirius is sleeping off another hangover Regulus doesn’t really want to interrupt.
Regulus wanders into the living room. James is sitting on the couch reading a book Lily lent him. Something about feminism, or socialism, or socialistic feminism, Regulus isn’t really sure.
James gives Regulus a quick wave when he enters before diving back into the pages.
Regulus frowns a bit. He was hoping James would regale him with some lame story or invite him out on some errand. No such luck, though. It seems Regulus will have to entertain himself. He almost wishes he had his wand so he could transfigure some forks into spiders or something.
Regulus stands in front of the bookcase, skimming the titles. He debates picking one up and reading it, but his brain is buzzing a bit with an antsy energy.
Regulus turns away and is just about to give up and go back to his room when his gaze catches on the guitar propped in the corner. It’s been a while since Regulus picked up a musical instrument, and guitar was never his weapon of choice, but maybe he could tune it. He’s not sure if Sirius will get mad at him for touching the precious guitar, but if Regulus has to listen to one more flat chord paired with Sirius’s crooning voice, he’s going to off himself. He’s quite certain Sirius would have a properly tuned guitar than a dead brother. Or so Regulus hopes.
He pulls the guitar from its stand.
At the hollow echo of the guitar being moved, James looks up from his book and raises an eyebrow at Regulus.
Regulus glares back at Potter, daring him to say something about it.
James takes the hint and shrugs, going back to his book.
Regulus takes a breath and adjusts the guitar in his grip. He’s never been a guitar player, and he isn’t going to pretend he knows what to do with the instrument. Tuning it, though, he can handle. It’s not rocket science. Regulus has perfect pitch. All he has to do is turn the pegs in the right direction to tighten or loosen the string as required. The tighter the string, the higher the note. Regulus debates tuning them all into a different key entirely just to mess with Sirius, but figures with his luck Sirius will love the chaos that creates and will refuse to tune them back.
Regulus pulls on the first string and a rather flat-sounding note vibrates off of it.
James hums the off-key note a bit as he flips the page.
Regulus rolls his eyes and tightens the string, then plays the note again. Too high.
James hums again.
Regulus shoots him another glare, but James doesn’t look up from his book.
Regulus loosens the peg and pulls on the string. Damn. Too flat again.
“Spriiiiiing.” James softly imitates into his book.
Regulus ignores him and fixes the note again. Better.
James says nothing.
Regulus moves onto the next string.
“Spronk.” James mocks.
Regulus tightens the peg.
“Grawp.” James echoes a bit louder.
Regulus looks up from the guitar and glares at James, who is still looking at his book but clearly stifling a grin. Regulus finishes with that string and moves on to the next.
“Broooooing!” James shouts happily.
Regulus pulls the next string a bit louder.
“Gloimp!” James yells.
Regulus feels his fingers tighten, itching to wrap themselves around Potter’s throat.
“Dring!” James gleeps.
Regulus grips the guitar with so much strength it might crack.
“Pring!” James trills.
Finally having enough, Regulus slams his hand down the strings in a rather discordant rush of anger.
James looks up from the book and happily reiterates the sound. “Gromp-ing-drill-omp!”
Regulus sneers at him, daring Potter to make another sound.
James widens his eyes and looks away, raising a hand in defense as if to say “fine, fine, I’ll stop.”
Regulus plays another note.
James is silent.
Regulus adjusts the peg and plays it again.
James says nothing.
Regulus tightens the peg just a bit more.
“Broioioioioioioioiong!!!!!” James yells with unhinged glee.
Regulus slams the guitar down on the couch next to James. “Potter, if you don’t shut the hell up I swear to god I’m going to—” Regulus slaps a hand over his mouth and whispers to himself. “Potter, if you don’t shut the hell up I swear to god I’m going to--”
Yes. It was him. Those words came from him.
James is grinning at him with a devilish look in his eyes.
For half a second, Regulus is tempted to punch that stupid look right off of his face, but then the magnitude of what just happened hits him. Regulus spoke. Yes, the first sentiment in his reentrance to the world of the wordy were “Potter, if you don’t shut the hell up I swear to god I’m going to”, but it doesn’t matter now. He’s back. His voice is back. A huge smile cracks across Regulus’s face and he leaps to the doorway.
“Sirius!” he calls “SIRIUS!!!”
Just those two shouts strain his voice a bit. He can feel a tightness in his throat from days of disuse, but it doesn’t matter. It’ll come back. He’ll come back.
Sirius comes thundering down the stairs, wand in hand and a look of panic and fear on his face.
“What? What is it? What’s wrong?” He stops short at the bottom of the stairs when he sees Regulus’s and James’s smiling faces.
“Reg?” He asks, confusion crossing his features as he realizes who just called his name. He takes a tentative step forward.
Regulus feels pride blossom in his chest. It’s stupid, silly pride. Pride for a dumb, ridiculous achievement, but it’s pride, and it feels good.
“Sirius, Sirius, I—” Regulus realizes that now that he can talk, he isn’t sure what to say, so he finishes his sentiment from earlier. “I’m going to murder James!” He shouts happily.
Sirius remains confused for only half a second before immediately rushing over and scooping Regulus up into his arms.
“Yes! Yes!” Sirius shouts enthusiastically. “We’re going to murder James! James is a deadman!”
He starts spinning and swooping around the living room, pulling Regulus along in some chaotic version of a waltz.
Regulus hates dancing, but he lets himself be pulled around the room. “I’m going to murder James!” he shouts again, just because he can.
Sirius laughs and starts to sing in a childish chant, “We’re going to murder Ja-ames! We’re going to murder Ja-ames! We’re going to murder Ja-ames!”
“Hey! Hey! I thought we were friends!” James yells, but his face is covered in the same delight as the Blacks’, and his voice is filled with laughter.
The merriment continues on for a moment longer, with Sirius and Regulus skipping about the room and James jumping up on the couch to stay out of their way. Then, after one final twirl, Sirius drops Regulus’s arms and steps back with a completely straight and serious face.
“Now then, what the fuck did James do, and how the hell are we going to get back at him?”
Regulus grins even wider, “Ha! Where to begin…”