Faded with you

Regulus's head hurt. That was the first thought that ran through his head when he regained consciousness. The sun was shining directly in his eyes, or rather, on his eyelids, which was strange considering the fact that it was night. It was night and he was grounded. Why did he have his eyes closed then? And why did he have a headache? The boy sat up quickly, not without feeling dizzy, and then opened his eyes. It was definitely daytime. The next moment memories of him came back to him and he turned his head instinctively to meet the gaze of James, who was looking at him in the same confused way, his glasses slightly askew on his face.

“Wasn't it night?” James asked in a confused tone while Regulus rolled his eyes.

“No.” He lied, just to disagree with James, who rolled his eyes as well, standing up, then looking around and making a confused noise. Regulus did the same, cleaning his uniform trousers, before looking up and being equally confused.

They weren't at Hogwarts. That was for sure. The stands had disappeared and the two were now in the middle of a meadow, in a park, while all around them there were people that the two boys had never seen. There were children playing, chasing each other and laughing. Or there were couples of young people, but also old, who were walking through the park talking calmly. While others were sitting on the benches, simply eating something.

“Do you see what I see, right?” James asked uncertainly running a hand through his hair while Regulus shrugged.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“Definitely not ours.” James said as a little girl smiled at him waving. The boy raised a hand and did the same while Regulus looked for something familiar. Anything. Anything other than just James.

“Obviously, that would be too clever a joke for you.” Regulus said flatly as James turned to him offended.

“Most of the ideas are Moo—Remus's, not mine.”

“Remus's? Even the idea of bathrooms?” Regulus asked, turning boredly to James, who shrugged at him.

“That was Sirius's.”

“There, exactly.”

“It wasn't my idea anyway.” James said as Regulus turned and started walking the other way. James turned to him in confusion, before following him the next moment. “Where are you going?”

“To figure out where the hell we are and why we're not at Hogwarts.”

“I—”

“Forgive me if I bother you.” Regulus said in a now gentle tone towards an elderly couple, who were feeding some birds, throwing bread crumbs at them.

“Oh? No problem, boy, what's the matter?” Asked the elderly man while the woman didn't even look at them.

“Do you happen to know where Hogwarts is from here?”

“What?” The man asked confused

“Hogwarts. The school.”

“I don't know of any school called Hogwarts. Honey? Honey!” He then said turning towards her, who was probably her wife, who at the second yell turned towards them.

“Oh boys, I haven't seen two guys in uniform in a while. Nowadays everyone walks around with torn clothes. My nephew says it's fashion.”

“Do you happen to know a certain Hogwarts?”

“What?”

“Hogwarts.” James said with a gentle smile as the woman did the same.

“I have lived here for over 50 years now and I can assure you that no Hogwarts has ever been built here. Is this your school?”

“Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.” Regulus said cordially, smiling as James next to him smiled at the two elders, before following Regulus, who had already left.

“So they've never heard of Hogwarts.” James said as he followed a silent Regulus.

“If I find out that you or my brother had anything to do with this—”

“Reg, look at me. Do you think I know anything about what's going on?”

“I'm just—”

“Can you stop for a moment?” asked James, grabbing his arm instinctively as Regulus tensed, but didn't move away from the touch.

“What?”

“What's the plan? What do we do now?”

“We? There is no we.” Regulus said slowly pulling away from him as James let his arm fall.

“What do you intend to do?”

“I'm going to go find my friends or Hogwarts, like you should too.”

“Wouldn't it be better if—okay. All right. See you here at…7pm? It's 11:11.” James asked looking at his watch as Regulus rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, whatever.” replied the boy, looking around again while James gave his watch a little tap, the hands of which didn't move, he noticed.

“Oh, wait. My watch is not—and he is gone.” James said now looking at the back of Regulus, who had headed towards a wall full of flyers. James looked at him for a few more seconds before approaching a girl who was running through the park and gently stopping her.

“Yeah?” asked the girl, removing a white thing from her ear that James didn't recognize.

“Sorry, do you happen to know what time it is? My watch doesn't work anymore, apparently.” James said with a huge smile as the girl looked at him in confusion.

“Is this some technique for asking me out? Because—”

“What? No, of course not.”

“You don't have a smartphone?” asked the girl with a sigh, but still removing something she had tied to her arm and taking it in her hand.

“A what?”

“You're kidding, right?”

“Uh…yeah, of course! I forgot it at home.” James said even though he didn't have the slightest idea what the girl was talking about when she took this kind of light board and turned it around in front of her, the first thing he saw was that inside was a picture of a dog that looked very happy even though he was still and above James saw that the time was written, in large numbers, namely 02 pm. “Is it your dog? It's adorable.” James said as he looked up from her so called “smartphone”  towards the girl who now smiled at him.

“Do you like dogs?”

“I love dogs. Well, I don't love in the sense of loving, I could never think of Padfoot that way.”  James said as the girl looked at him curiously.

“Is Padfoot your dog?” She asked and James couldn't help but laugh openly.

“We can say that.” James said, already imagining Sirius' expression. The girl looked at him and she couldn't help but smile.

“You know, if the technique for asking me out is still valid I wouldn't refuse it.”

“I—what?” James asked as splashes of red filled his cheeks.

“I mean, if you want to, we can drink something together.”

“Like friends?”

“At the start. Then who knows how things will go.” The girl said, suddenly approaching while James glanced in the direction where Regulus had been before, to notice that the boy had now disappeared.

“I'm sorry but I wasn't really asking you out.” James said with a smile that he was trying to convey an apology.

“I'm asking you.” The girl said instead.

“You're asking me what?”

“If you want to go out sometime. I've never seen you here and from the uniform you're wearing I think you're not from around here, so before you leave maybe we can do something together.”

“Oh.” A girl was asking James out. She was a girl he didn't even know. She was a very pretty girl, for goodness sake, but how could he go out with a girl when his heart now belonged to someone else?

“Potter, what are you doing?” He asked a voice that he now knew too well that made him turn around instinctively. That's where his heart belonged. Regulus had now approached and after glancing at the girl in boredom, he turned to James. “We need to go.”

“Where?” He asked curiously as Regulus walked over and gave the girl a fake smile.

“Sorry, we need to go.”

“I didn't know you had boyfriend. Definitely too protective.” The girl said, giving a bored look to Regulus, who shrugged at her.

“Sorry, do you need something else?” Regulus asked in a calm tone as the girl tilted her head.

“Not exactly.”

“I think the road is that way then.” Regulus said coldly as James looked at him in surprise. The girl cast one last look at Regulus before turning to James and putting back on that white thing that she had been holding in her hand all that time.

“Say hello to Padfoot for me.” She said before starting to run again.

“What's wrong with you?” Regulus asked the next second, turning to James, who was already staring at him from before.

“What?”

“We're in the middle of nowhere and you start flirting with a girl whose name you don't even know?”

“I wasn't flirting with her.”

“Oh yeah, sure. That's why she was so close to you.”

“I only asked her the time because my watch doesn't work, because it's apparently 02pm. Then she took out her…her smartphone? and there was a picture of a dog and we started talking about dogs.”

“Of dogs? I—Wait, 2pm? It's 11:11, Potter.” Regulus said, showing him the watch on his wrist, which Narcissa had obviously taken from him when he became of age, as is done among wizards, whose golden hands showed the precise 11:11 minutes, above the starry background of it.

“Mine stopped too.” James said, raising his wrist to show him that his watch also showed the same time but without the hands moving.

“I need to figure out what's wrong.” Regulus said more to himself than to James before turning and starting to walk away. He had to find his friends. Pandora. Barty. His brother.

“See you here at 07, then!” James said loudly as Regulus raised a hand to let him know that he had heard, but still not answering him.

Regulus couldn't figure out where he was. It was almost certain, however, that at the moment he had arrived in a Muggle shopping centre, given the numerous shops and numerous people, especially young people who were walking around laughing and joking without any wand or anything that could even remind them of the existence of Hogwarts. Great. And as if that wasn't enough he was also thirsty, but he didn't even have a galleon in his pocket. Although in the end, he wouldn't be of any use, seeing as they were all muggles there.

Then, as he thought all was lost, his youth, his will to live, his—okay, maybe that was a little exaggerated but he hadn't eaten and he was thirsty so yeah, he heard a laugh he knew all too well by now that made him immediately turning his head, to see from afar a face he now knew all too well. The face of one of his closest friends. The face of Evan Rosier, who was currently walking away towards a coffee shop and entering it, from another boy who Regulus didn't recognize at first, but who then sat down in front of the fountain, taking out a book and oh, Regulus only recognized him then. Just as he couldn't have done it anyway.

Barty Crouch Jr., his best friend. Except… it was different than usual. He certainly seemed more tired, but it was definitely another version of him. Barty usually wore unbuttoned shirts with his hair pulled back slightly with a touch of gel and a smile on his face. He was handsome, and he knew he was, and of course, as he had once told Regulus himself, why couldn't he use him to his advantage? It was Barty's way of being in the end. He flirted with everyone, even though everyone knew he was completely in love with Evan, who obviously played along with him, because in the end, what was wrong with that? Entertained. Except this version wasn't the Barty Regulus was used to. First of all, Barty never read in public, even though he actually read a lot. And he certainly wasn't wearing pleated pants, like he was doing at the time. Except once at a Black party when they were maybe 10 years old, Regulus had never seen him wear those types of pants. And he certainly never put his shirt in his pants. But what surprised Regulus was the fact that Barty was wearing glasses. A pair of black, round glasses, similar to James's. Because yes, Barty had to wear glasses, that was true, but he had never worn them. He had simply worn contact lenses his whole life because Barty hated wearing glasses. So why was he bringing them? And why was the boy's hair in order?

Regulus took a light breath before quickly joining him, while Barty didn't look up from his book until Regulus positioned himself in front of him, also ignoring the two times he called out to him. Barty looked up from his book and crossed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Barty? What are you doing? If I find out it was you who pulled this whole joke—” Regulus began but Barty didn't respond. His gaze was fixed only on Regulus's lips, who stopped himself from speaking. “Barty? Are you even—”

“Stay the fuck away from him!” Evan said suddenly appearing and throwing himself at Regulus, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pushing him hard before pushing him again while Regulus remained petrified for a second, his hand ready on his wand as his body tensed instinctively. No one had ever pushed him. No one except his mother. And for a moment, he could even feel that sensation again.

“What's your problem?” Regulus asked coldly as Evan looked at him…furious. Seeing Evan furious was something Regulus, again, had never seen.

“What the fuck do you—” Evan began, starting to lunge at Regulus again, but at that moment Barty rose from the bench and stood in front of him, raising his hands and beginning to communicate as if…he knew sign language? Since when did Barty and Evan know sign language? Why were they communicating with sign language? And why did it seem like they both didn't know Regulus? What was happening?

“Barty says he knows you. I don’t. Get that close to him again and—” Evan said after the brief sign language conversation, before Barty gently placed a hand on his chest and Evan instantly closed his mouth and looked into Barty's eyes as if it were the thing most precious in the world, before the boy with glasses pointed to the coffee pot. “You have 10 minutes before I came back, so tell him what you have to tell him and then disappear.” He said coldly before Barty gave him a light kiss on the cheek and Evan left them alone, not after shooting a murderous glare at Regulus, who was now breathing heavily. Barty looked at him confusedly for a second before gesturing for him to come sit on the bench with him. And Regulus did it, because what else could he have done?

After Regulus sat down next to Barty, he took a notebook from inside his shoulder bag and then handed it to Regulus, as he also handed him the pen.

“From what I've noticed you don't know sign language so I'd say we can at least communicate with writing, because sometimes I tend not to completely understand the lips, I'm sorry. I told Ev I know you, but I don't think that's the truth. Do we really know each other?” Barty said gently.

Regulus took the notebook in his hands and he turned towards his best friend who was looking at him kindly at that moment. In a kind way, like looking at a person you don't know well enough. In a kind way, how you look at a person you practically didn't grow up with or exchanged your first kiss with. In a kind way, how you look at a stranger. Barty didn't recognize him. He thought it was a stranger. Regulus shrugged and wrote on the paper.

I’m sorry. I can try to speak more slowly, if you feel betterthat way.

Regulus wrote as Barty smiled at him again shaking his head. “No, it’s fine. I can understand better the writing.” Said Barty while Regulus nodded not exactly knowing what to do. If that was real…

You really don't remember me, Barty?

he wrote before his thoughts distracted him not knowing what else he could have write it.

“What's your name? Maybe I remember that” Barty said after a quick read, adjusting his glasses, while Regulus took a soft, barely audible breath.

Regulus Black.

“Ah. No, sorry. If I knew someone named Regulus, I'm sure I would at least remember the name. I'm sorry. Wasn’t that a star?” Barty said again in a gentle tone as Regulus stiffened his shoulders.

No, I'm sorry. I probably made a mistake with a guy who looks like you.

Regulus wrote quickly and handed him the notebook, before getting up. Barty didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he was, and Barty didn't recognize him. Regulus doubted it was all a joke now.

“No wait. But you knew my name.” Barty said the next moment, standing up to try to help Regulus in some way.

“And you didn't know mine.” Regulus said before smiling gently at Barty, hiding his hands behind his back, while Barty hold out a hand in the air, which he however left suspended between the two of them, not knowing exactly what to do. 

“I’m sorry that I can’t help you. Are you sure that you’re okay? Anything we can do for you? I mean, I feel like you don’t know this place and—” Said Barty again, feeling somehow the need to help the boy in front of him, who had said he knew him

Regulus nodded at him before saying “I’ll be fine. Sorry if I bothered you. Say hello to Ev for me.” Before turning and walking away, while he clenched his hands into fists, so that they stopped shaking while Barty continued to watch his back until Evan joined him with the drinks.

“Are you okay?” Evan asked in a slow whisper as Barty looked up from his lips to his eyes.

“I don’t know. I feel like I really know that guy. But he is gone, now.” Barty replied as Evan put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a light kiss on the temple.

It was now past 8pm and James was still sitting on a blanket that an elderly gentleman had given him on the lawn, waiting for Regulus, who unfortunately had not yet shown up, so he took off his tie and began to turn it over in his hands silence, as the stars above him watched, until two figures approached him slowly.

“Boy, are you okay?” asked the older woman who James and Regulus had asked about Hogwarts that day.

"Oh? Yes, yes, of course.”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“Currently yes. Remember that guy from today?”

“The guy with black hair, yes.”

“I'm waiting for him, yeah.”

“Did you eat anything today, boy? I didn't see you leave the park today and unless your boyfriend brought you dinner I doubt either of you had dinner or lunch.”

“He's not my boyfriend. At least, not yet, you know?” James said with a nervous laugh as the woman smiled sweetly at him, handing him a paper bag which James tried not to take at first but eventually accepted when the woman practically placed it in his lap.

“This is some food for you two. There are some hamburgers, salads, muffins, brownies, french fries, some sauces, water and some juice. I hope none of you are allergic to gluten. If so let me know so we can go and order more. Hope you like it.”

“I—thank you.” James said feeling the heat coming from the paper bag containing everything listed by the woman who leaned against her smiling husband.

“No problem, dear. If you need anything, let us know. We come here every morning.”

“Thank you.” James repeated still surprised as he realized how hungry he actually was as his stomach made itself felt.

“Say hello to that handsome boy with the black curls, huh?”

“I'm James.” He said, starting to get up but the lady made him stay where he was.

“I'm Mirabel and he is Oliver.”

“They are beautiful names.” James said kindly as the woman smiled at him.

“What's the other boy's name?”

“Regulus.”

“Regulus and James. Two names that seem to be made to fit in the same sentence, right, dear?” asked the woman with a huge smile at her husband, who smiled sweetly at her.

“Better go, darling, before the neighbors start worry.”

“See you tomorrow, James.”

“I think so. Thank you again. Really.”

“No problem dear.” The lady said before her husband pulled her to go home, finally, as James smiled as he grabbed a bag of chips and began to eat a couple in silence, watching the park slowly get darker and the raspberries light up.

About ten minutes later or something more, James heard someone approaching him and when he looked up, he couldn't help but smile softly as he saw Regulus looking at him curiously from standing.

“What is that?”

“Hi, Reg.”

“Don't call me that. How did you get food? Did you have any money?”

“Sit down first and then I'll tell you while we eat together.”

"I—”

“I know you haven't eaten anything, Reg.”

“During a punishment I didn't eat for at least three days, so I can resist.” Regulus said as James looked at him sadly.

“I'm sorry. That's horrible.”

“It's fine, I guess. Are those french fries?”

“They're still warm.”

“Where did you get all these things, James?”

“I'll tell you as soon as you sit down, come on.” James said as his stomach, in good time, rumbled slightly. “I have brownies and muffins for dessert.” James said as Regulus rolled his eyes, but still eventually sat down and took what James offered him from the bag.

“Where did you get all this from? Did you find anyone? Sirius?”

“Well. Not exactly. Remember that older couple we asked where Hogwarts was?” James asked as he realized that he was literally having a picnic with Regulus and a smile appeared on his face.

“Yeah?”

“This is from them. They've seen me here all day—”

“I told you to go find someone familiar!”

“—and they saw that neither you nor I ate or drank anything, so they brought all this to us.”

“Why?” Regulus asked in a thoughtful and suspicious tone as he smelled before starting to eat.

“Don’t know.”

“When has anyone ever bought so much stuff for two guys that he doesn't even know?”

“Apparently them.”

“And they didn't say anything else.”

“Nope.”

“If it is poisonous, I swear that after we are dead, I will kill you again, Potter.”

“Thank you.” James said with a half laugh as Regulus rolled his eyes.

“How did the search go? Found anyone?” James asked as Regulus turned to him to study him for a few seconds and decide whether to tell him the truth or not. James Potter didn't know how to lie, or at least, Regulus understood when he did. And at that moment, nothing told him that he was doing it. So he took a breath and nodded.

“I met Barty and Evan.”

“Really? What did they say? Where?"

“They—well, apparently, they didn't know who I was.”

“What?”

“They didn't know who I was. My name, the fact that we are friends… nothing. And they were different.” Regulus continued looking at his hands while James looked at him carefully.

“Different?” He asked after a moment of silence.

“Yeah. Evan had tattoos and Barty… Barty wore glasses, which he had never done and—”

“Does Barty really have to wear glasses?” James asked curiously as a half smile appeared on Regulus' face, who continued to look down.

“Yeah. But, you know, he wears contact lenses. He's too cool for glasses.”

“Oi! I have glasses!” James said offended as Regulus gave him a quick look

“Exactly.” replied Regulus while James smiled at that. For once Regulus didn't sound insulting. Was a joke. A joke you make to friends. Were they friends now?

“Did they say something?”

“No. Evan was quite…protective and Barty…he wasn't Barty that's it. He was kind, sweet, and wore pleated pants. Oh, and apparently he's deaf.”

“Deaf?”

“Yeah. That's why when I approached him he didn't answer me, he hadn't heard me, and Evan thought I was doing something to him.”

“I'm sorry, Reg.”

“It's fine. I mean, this can be a dream, so.”

“You finally admitted that I'm in your dreams, huh?” James said as Regulus rolled his eyes, before looking down at his hands and turning to look at James. The next moment, Regulus hit James hard on his arm. “Oi! What was that for?!”

“I just wanted to verify that we weren't some kind of ghost or in a dream.” Regulus said taking a muffin as if nothing had happened while James rubbed his shoulder.

“Hitting me?” He asked in surprise as Regulus nodded looking straight ahead

“Yeah.” Says Regulus with a little smile that quickly disappeared before James would notice.

“You hurt me.” James complained pouting as Regulus took a sip of water.

“Didn't you fall off a broom years ago?”

“What does it has to do with it?”

“Well, that sure hurt more than a little blow.”

“Small blow? I will definitely have a bruise tomorrow.” James said as Regulus rolled his eyes and took his wand, whispering an anti-pain spell, but that didn't work. “You're kidding me now.”

"No? I literally put an anti-pain spell on you so you stop complaining.”

“I didn't hear anything, Reg.”

“I—fine, I'll try again.” He said, placing the tip of his wand on the fabric of his shirt and still failing to do anything.

“Still nothing.”

“My magic…my magic doesn't work.” Regulus said, pointing his wand at the bottle, which however remained intact.

“Oh?”

“Take your wand Potter and try it.” Regulus said with a now worried tone as James did as he was told, not wanting to get different results than Regulus.

“Mine doesn't work either.”

“Oh Salazar.” Regulus said as he tried both wands but nothing. Neither worked. Their magic didn't work.

“That's not good.”

“No, it's not, Potter. For fuck's sake.” Regulus said as James adjusted his glasses on his nose.

“Let me get this clear. Are we trapped in a world where Hogwarts isn't there, where everyone is Muggle, where Barty and Evan don't know who we are, where we don't have any money, we don't know anyone but the two of us, and our magic doesn't work?”

“What is your conclusion, exactly?” 

“That this joke isn't funny?”

“For fuck's sake.” Regulus said nervously before throwing his head on the blanket and closing his eyes hoping that in the morning it would all go away and that this was a bad dream as James glanced at the sky and sighed wearily.