Faded with you

“Reggie?” Pandora asked as a huge smile was appearing on her face and Regulus looked at her still.

“You know me?" Regulus whispered as Pandora continued to smile, though something in her expression hinted at confusion.

“What? You're my best friend! Of course I know who you are, you idiot! What are you doing here!?” asked Pandora before throwing herself into Regulus's arms, which for a second froze, but the next moment he wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in the girl's blonde curls who simply laughed at him, the laughter of her resonating in their chests.

“You recognize me.” Regulus said in a low voice as Pandora pulled away from him with a huge smile.

“Okay, are you drunk? Oh! You're messing with me! Very funny. Why didn't you warn me?! What happened? Have you broken up with James? That's why are you here?”

“I—what? James?”

“Yeah? James? Your husband? You're here, and the last time, you said that if you ever came back it would be because James broke up with you, but that man loves you too much, so surely if you broke up it was you for some stupid reason and—”

“Reg! Reg! Look what I—found.” James said, appearing in the next moment behind her Regulus, who was looking at the girl confusedly.

“James!! You're here too! It seemed strange to me that you two broke up!” Pandora said laughing and hugging him too, while James did the same, not after throwing a worried look at Regulus.

“Do you know me?”

“What happened to you two, did the wedding make you forget about me?”

“Wedding?” asked James looking at Regulus, who however hadn't taken his eyes off Pandora.

“Yes? Your wedding? In France? James Black-Potter? Regulus Black-Potter? You're joking with me, right?” asked the girl laughing while the two didn't answer. What the fuck?

“Regulus Black-Potter?” asked James confusedly as Regulus took a slight step back, barely noticeable.

“Yes? It was Regulus who suggested hyphenating his last name after you kept calling him Potter. I still remember when you got into a fight with the professor as a joke and Regulus tried to disappear. Sure, you took a hit, but it was fun.”

“Yeah.” James said, glancing at Regulus, who looked back silently.

“You're being weird. Why are you two being weird?” The girl asked suspiciously as the two boys exchanged a look before turning to her, who opened her offended mouth. “You didn't bring me anything from France, did you?” asked the girl sadly as Regulus took his chance.

“Yeah, exactly. I'm so sorry but we left in a hurry.”

“I will forgive James for the simple fact that I can understand why he forgot about the gift while being with you. But you, Reggie, never.” Pandora said seriously before smiling again. “God, I missed you so much!” Pandora said, hugging Regulus again, who, despite him, held her in his arms while a feeling of wrong settled in his throat, from which, however, no noise came out, while James slowly put down the book he wanted to show to Regulus before her.

“Where are the suitcases?” The girl asked as soon as the three were out of the bookshop, without any purchases after the incident.

“Um…”

“Didn't you even bring your suitcases? You had fun and that's all I can see.” Pandora said before stopping in front of a sweet shop. “How about we have something to celebrate this surprise? And no, Reggie, I'll pay this time.” Pandora said with a huge smile, before giving them both a kiss on the cheek and walking into the store, leaving the two boys alone.

“She knows us. Me, you…us. Then why didn't the others recognize us? And why the hell are we married?” Regulus asked with a shrug.

“And we have a house?” James asked in the same tone of voice as he saw Pandora take out her wallet and talk calmly to the shop assistant, while she received it by wrapping the sweets in a box.

“I don't understand. Is this a dream? Because—I don't understand. First our best friends don't recognize us, and Dora thinks you and I are married? And that we live in France?” Regulus said wearily.

“You and I are married.” James said as Regulus shook his head quickly.

“No. Absolutely not.”

“But we are, my dear husband.”

“No. Shut up, James.”

“I bet that where we live, you have, like, a favorite coffee shop and that every morning you go there, with your books and sit there enjoying the passage of time in silence.” James said with a smile as he moved slightly closer to the boy trying to make him think about something else.

“No, I don't.”

“Oh, you do. And—And would you order some coffee and chocolate brownies, or… oh! I'm an idiot, you would order a croissant, and I said it well because Sirius personally taught me the pronunciation, while you wait for me.”

“Shut up, I won't do that.” Regulus said as James smiled even more because he knew he was right. God, Regulus did that when he went to France on holidays and yes, he also had a favorite café, but never, would he admit it to James Potter.

“I bet,” James said, leaning close to Regulus' ear and then whispering “That you do even now when you go home.” Regulus didn't move though, watching as Pandora pointed something out to him.

“I. Do. Not.”

“You do. And we both know it. And every morning I will come there to have breakfast with you, because how could I leave the love of my life there, suffering alone, just waiting for me? I mean, I can already imagine you sulking all day and probably—”

“Oh, shut it.” Regulus said pushing him without really putting any force into it, while James smiled sweetly at him.

“Sooo mean.”

“That's not funny.” Regulus said looking at a James who was smiling widely at him.

“It is, because it's true.”

“Okay, you deserved it.” Regulus said as he raised a hand and was about to hit James, but the boy was faster and expertly dodged it.

“Sirius is my best friend, Reg. I know how to dodge a shot.”

“Stop calling me Reg, Potter.”

“When you'll call me by my name.”

“No.”

“Then, we don't have to deal, my dear sweet husband.” James said as Regulus rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time, but not entirely angry. Tired? Hell, yes. Angry? He was too tired to be angry.

“You have no idea how much you're lucky that I can't use my magic, James.” The boy said turning towards him, who was smiling at him.

“What was that? A declaration of love, Reg?” James said but before Regulus could respond, Pandora appeared next to them, holding a box full of various sweets, smiling hugely as she handed it to Regulus, who despite himself took it.

“Regulus is coming with me, and you, James, will meet us there in your car, what do you say? I don't need you to arrive after hours. Again.”

“Car?” James asked confused as Regulus gave him a quick look.

“We didn't come by car this time.”

“Really? Strange. You usually do anything to drive alone at night.” Pandora said with a half laugh, while Regulus smiled, pushing her slightly.

“Come on let's go, I'm starving.” He said with a slightly forced smile, though nevertheless, it was actually true.

The car ride took about a half hour and was mostly silent. Pandora drove carefully on the road due to the fog that had appeared around them, and the fact that most streetlights, as they moved further away from the mall, gave off less and less light. James had decided to sit in the back seat, stealing a sweet that he had taken from Regulus, while Regulus had sat in the front, with the box in his lap, without the risk of "James eating all the sweets before we arrive" quoting what he had said before, while Pandora had laughed happily. Once they took a road that exited the main one, after a few minutes the car stopped, was parked and the three got out of the car, to find themselves in front of a huge house.

The house was white, big, with two floors, and was illuminated by many lights, which allowed you to see the driveway very well, which was full of flowers and well-kept plants.

“Did you see that Mom took care of your plants well? I told you.” asked Pandora, stroking a flower that was more protruding than the others while she took the keys from her pocket with her other hand.

“Oh. They are mine?” Regulus said softly turning towards the white flowers reaching out to gently touch the petals of the same flower that had touched Pandora earlier, recognizing them instantly, the unmistakable smell stealing his nose. They were jasmines. White jasmines. Numerous and well cared for.

“You don’t come?” Pandora asked the next moment confusedly, while both Regulus, who was looking at the flowers, and James, who was looking at Regulus who was looking at the flowers, had stopped.

“Oh? Yeah, sorry.” Regulus said, quickly removing his hand and entering the house, while James flashed a quick smile at the jasmines, who moved imperceptibly in the night, under the light of the lanterns, before following Regulus into the house.

The inside was hot. Much warmer than outside, where, despite the morning being slightly mild, it was currently much colder. Regulus's gaze fell on the calendar hanging on the wall, which indicated October. They were at the end of October. At Hogwarts it was December. There, it was the end of October. Almost three months difference.

“It's October.” James said softly at almost the same time as Regulus nodded.

“It was December.” He said in response turning to James.

“Was it Christmas?” James said, meeting his gaze and for a second they stayed like that. Staring at each other. While the air of October was now with them, December was cancelled.

“I have good news, and bad news.” Pandora's voice said from another room, and the boys woke up from the little trans they had fallen into and followed her, to find themselves in the kitchen, the girl who had turned towards them, in front of the fridge.

“The good one?” James asked quickly, before Regulus said otherwise, which he was actually doing that.

“My stage, the one I told you about, in New York, went great and I just got back this morning!”

“Your stage?” Regulus asked softly as James glanced at him quickly.

“The bad one?” James asked immediately after as Pandora sighed as she took off the shoulder bag she was carrying.

“Mom hasn't done the shopping, and we don't have anything in the fridge at the moment. We only have these sweets. Like, only them. Tomorrow I have to go to conservatory early, because I have to deliver all the papers and all those things form New York, so you will have to go shopping.” Pandora said as the two boys exchanged a quick glance.

“We—”

“You don’t have to pay! Don’t you dare even this time. I know you have money, but It's my fault after all so I'll pay. But it's your turn to go shopping.” Pandora said firmly while the two boys, despite themselves, nodded, because yeah, no money for them actually. 

After eating the desserts, which finished earlier than expected, the two boys quickly followed Pandora together, who had said that she would go into the room to get the sheets.

“Why are you two following me? You're being weird again.” Pandora said as she walked out of a room holding a pile of sheets that her mother, who had passed by about two days ago, had expertly washed.

“We followed you to give you a hand!” James said stepping forward and taking half of the sheets, while the girl turned to Regulus with a satisfied look.

“See, Reggie? That's how a knight should do it.”

“James is more of a jester than a knight.” Regulus said as James gave a hearty laugh.

“I liked that one, mi amor.” Said James winking at him.

Mi amor.

It was the first time James had called him that. He had called him other names, which he personally hated. Baby Black, Reg, Little Black, Little Prince, and even Gus (who he took a big spell against). James had a nickname for everyone, after all. And everyone seemed to agree with whatever he called them. Everyone, except Regulus.

The last two words came out of James's mouth with a soft, natural accent. Regulus never spoke Spanish. That was for sure. But he recognized that term. Almost instantly. For various reasons, including one time when Sirius had made fun of him, calling him that, in front of Barty, who had immediately taken the opportunity and started calling him that for at least a week, before Regulus cursed him. Even though Barty spoke Italian, which was a language similar to Spanish in many ways, the two boys' pronunciation, Regulus noticed, was completely different. Even the tone with which the two had pronounced it. Barty pronounced it as a joke, a joke, even though at that time the two boys were more than friends. James, on the other hand, had a more…personal pronunciation. Obviously, it was his native language. Obviously it sounded more personal. Obviously.

Mi amor.

Now that the boy thought about it, it was a term that also resembled the French one, and Regulus obviously spoke French fluently, so he recognized it by that too. Mon amour. It occurred to him that the Italian term was also very similar and Barty had taught him some Italian years ago, after seeing Regulus studying a piece by Vivaldi on the piano. Amore mio.

Mi amor. Amore mio. Mon amour.

Yes, definitely, the three terms were too similar.

Regulus looked up at James and opened his mouth to speak, to tell him something, but no sound came out. James, as if sensing his gaze, turned towards him and tilted his head confusedly. In response Regulus rolled his eyes and followed Pandora in silence, ignoring the fact that those damned words had left a slight echo in his ears.

It turned out that of course, since apparently in that world James Potter and Regulus Black were soulmates and were married, they had a room in which they slept together.

Their room.

Pandora had helped them make the bed quickly and the next moment, after saying goodbye to both boys, she had gone towards her room, which was at least on the other side of the stairs, on the other side of the corridor, leaving the two boys staring at the well-kept double bed, in silence.

“Who is gonna sleep on the floor?” James asked after a few seconds of silence, while Regulus sighed heavily, heading towards the wardrobe, and upon opening it he was surprised to find it divided into two precise parts, with clothes on one side belonging to Regulus, while on the other, clothes belonging to James.

“There are our clothes.” Regulus said as he reached out and took a pair of black pants and a white t-shirt from the other side.

"Oh? Really?” James asked, quickly approaching Regulus, to recognize that indeed, inside the wardrobe, there were his clothes. “Well, that's my shirt!” The boy said, picking up a red t-shirt while Regulus looked at him, but his mind was far away. How the hell did their clothes get there? Why were they married? Why were they married? Why? Why? Why?

“Reg?” James asked for the third time and Regulus blinked out of his thoughts quickly, his pants and shirt tight to his chest.

“I'm going to take a shower.” The boy said softly as James nodded studying his face, before the boy turned and headed to the bathroom.

After a few minutes however, after James had managed just to unbutton his shirt, the bathroom door opened slightly, and Regulus said “James.” In a calm voice. Far too calm. “Come here.” He then added.

“Reg?” James asked, quickly getting out of bed and heading towards the bathroom, opening the door to find Regulus staring at the tub, on which, surprisingly, there were a lot of hair products on one side, most of them written in French, and on the other side James' shampoo.

“I don't know how exactly, but obviously all my things are here. And I honestly don’t care how. All of them, except that thing over there. So I wonder, James Potter, is it yours?” Regulus asked seriously, pointing to the shampoo that actually belonged to James, who made a confused expression before turning to him and nodding.

“Yeah?”

“Okay. Take that out.” Regulus said not even looking at the boy and not taking his eyes off the tub.

“What?” asked James even more confused as Regulus looked at the bottle with disgust and in that moment James understood. Like he couldn't have done it. It was enough to look at the at least 7 bottles of different brands that Regulus had and look at his 3 in 1 shampoo to understand. And to burst out laughing the next moment.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you're just like Sirius. I mean…I should have known.” James said as he laughed and Regulus looked at him offended.

“I'm not like my brother.”

“You are! The first time he saw my shampoo in the bathroom, I had to endure at least a 30-minute lecture on how wrong it is to buy it and how it is—”

“I believe it! Those things don't make sense! There's a reason why separately created products exist!”

“There's a reason why they created those like that!” He responded to Regulus’ exasperated expression with a laugh

“This explains why your hair is like that!”

“Oi! My hair is beautiful!”

“Quite the opposite.”

“It is not true.”

“Take that thing outside and throw it away.”

“What will I wash my hair with then?”

“Throw it away.”

“If you asked me more nicely.”

“I swear—”

“Fine. I'll throw it away.” James said leaning forward with a half laugh, taking the Shampoo, which also smelled great, and showing it to Regulus. “See? Done.”

“In the bucket.”

“Said-done.”

“And button up your shirt, it's not summer.” Regulus said, casting a quick glance at James' chest, which could be seen through the boy's open shirt.

“Were you looking at me, Reggie?” James asked with a huge smile leaning forward slightly.

“Out.”

“Oh, c'mon, I—”

“Out.” Regulus said in a serious tone as he pushed an amused James out of the bathroom.

“It will be our secret, Reggie!”

“We have no secret between us and don't call me Reggie ever again!” Regulus said closing the door in his face as James laughed. “And stop laughing!”

In the end neither boy could sleep for most of the night. They both remained in bed, neither touching the other, staring at the ceiling in silence. Towards morning, however, James' eyes closed and the boy managed to fall asleep, while Regulus got up and left the room, accustomed to not sleeping, deciding to explore his house better, while Pandora had already left, as she said the note that the girl had left on the table.

Dear Reggie,

I know for a fact that you were the first to wake up and that you will be the first to read my notes. I left the money on the cabinet in front of the door, and the car keys next to it!
Before going to the conservatory I also stopped by the cafeteria, so you have coffee and croissants on the table!!
A kiss, from your favorite person, Dora.

“Thank you.” Regulus whispered with a smile as he took the note and put it in the pocket of the pants he had put on, who was not alone there.

Regulus headed to the kitchen and saw that there were actually two glasses of coffee and a bag containing two croissants on the table, so he took one and began to eat slowly, observing the kitchen in silence. After finishing, James apparently still sleeping, he decided to see what the house was really like. After seeing the living room, the kitchen, a room that probably belonged to Pandora given how it was furnished and seeing the three bows placed on the sofa, because from what Regulus had discovered from the awards and titles, Pandora was a famous and excellent violinist there, and three bathrooms, yes, three, the boy arrived in front of a room that was at the end of the corridor and upon entering it he was decidedly surprised.

The room was of medium size, and was illuminated by the light that came from glass doors that showed a huge garden, in which from afar the trees of the nearby forest could be seen. Inside there was a huge bookcase, full of books arranged in order, without even a shred of dust around, or visible to the eye. But the thing that caught his attention was neither the wonderful paintings that were hanging there and which he knew all too well which were his favorites nor the scores placed in order on the desk that was placed in the corner but the white piano which was in the middle of the room. If the previous one was Pandora's room, this was certainly his. Regulus approached the sunlight-lit piano and reached out a hand to it, stroking the cool surface. It was identical to the piano that the Blacks had at home, which his uncle Alphard had given to his father and on which he had learned to play for the first time.

He remembered that day in his childhood better than all the others, who, except for a few, had a slightly blurred aspect in his memory. One morning he woke up, but strangely it wasn't his mother who woke him up, but his father, who gave him a small nod before leaving the room, making him understand that he wanted him to follow him. Regulus had gotten up quickly, he must have been about 6 years old, and with the help of Kreacher, who kept telling him that that day would be a beautiful day, he had quickly come down, to notice that neither Mother nor Sirius were in home. The only one in the house was his father, who was in the living room, waiting for his youngest son, who appeared the next second at the door, remaining speechless when he saw that his father was sitting in front of an enormous piano, and that he was waiting with a slight smile on his face. And from there it all began. All the lessons, the background music during the parties, and the only moments in which his mother didn't dare say anything to him, while Regulus played when his father asked him to see the progress he had made almost every evening.

He turned his head to observe the door of the room and after a few seconds of silence, he looked at it more closely and in the corner, he noticed a small scratch. The same scratch that his father once pointed out to him, telling him a story about how Alphard had accidentally scratched him, during one of their usual childhood fights. It was his piano. The piano that he hadn't seen for at least a year and something. The piano where Sirius rested his head in his hands and watched Regulus's fingers slide over the keys as if every note was tied to his fingers, with a proud smile on his face. His piano. Yeah, wouldn't have done it. Not at that moment, anyway. 

Regulus decided to leave the room after a few minutes in which he had only stared at the light hitting the color of the piano, his hand raised on it without touching anymore until his vision had gone white at that point.

Returning to the kitchen, he saw that James had stood up, and was eating his croissant while pacing and looking around the kitchen, before noticing Regulus and smiling.

“Good morning.” He said as Regulus gave a slight nod, his thoughts still on the piano with a lump in his throat.

“Hi.” Regulus replied, sitting down on the other side of the table while James finished the croissant that Pandora had brought.

“…did you sleep?” James asked after a few seconds of silence

“No.”

“Okay.”

“Did you?” Regulus asked with a barely audible sigh, even though he already knew the answer.

“Yeah. For like half an hour.”

“Okay.” Regulus said nodding.

“So. What are we going to do?” asked James and Regulus looked down at his hands.

“I don't know.” He said flatly and James wanted him to look at him. Not that he looked at his hands.

“I know what to do.”

“Really.”

“You do not trust me?”

“What gave you the idea that I trust you, James?” Regulus asked, finally looking up from his hands and James grinned.

“The fact that you don't call me Potter anymore.”

“What?”

“You'll have to have some confidence to call me James and not Potter.”

“Yeah, no.”

“Anyway. We are here and I doubt if we sit in silence anything will change.”

“What happened to you, did someone put something in your croissant? Some substance of happiness?” Regulus asked confusedly as James winked at him.

“You are the only substance of happiness that I take.”

“0/10.”

“No, it's not.”

“Yes it is.”

“No it's not.”

“It is.”

“It's—”

“What did you want to do?”

“Isn't that obvious? We have some shopping to do!”  James said standing up as Regulus shook his head, however getting up and heading upstairs to change.

“…tell me you have a license, James.” Regulus said as the two boys positioned themselves in front of the car.

“I can drive.” James replied, reaching out to ask Regulus for the keys, but he was still holding them in his hand.

“You didn't tell me if you have a license.”

“Do you have it?”

“James.”

“Okay, I don't have a license officially, but I wanted to try to take that test for it, and I've been practicing driving.”

“We’ll walk.” Regulus said walking away and James quickly followed.

“You seriously don't want to walk, Reg.”

“That's what I'm doing, right?” Regulus said as he continued walking and James had to step in front of him to stop him.

“Do you remember how long it took us to get here yesterday? And there wasn't even any traffic."

“It will take us even longer if you don't move and if you don't walk.”

“Regulus. I can drive.”

“But you don't have a license. Who has a driving license between the four of you? Don't tell me my brother has it.” Regulus said almost with terror as James smiled.

“Not currently. Peter.”

“Pettigrew? I—okay, yeah. That makes sense.” Regulus said as James slowly reached out.

“The next one who has to take it is me. I studied! And it's far from here. We will never make it back in time.”

“We are going to die. I'm going to die here. And for what? For going to the grocery store with you.” Regulus said turning and walking back towards the car continuing to complain under his breath while James smiled and quickly joined him, taking the keys when Regulus handed them to him, still looking unconvinced, and getting into the car.

Apparently another thing James Fleamont Potter was capable of doing was driving. Driving in the correct way but still too fast for Regulus' tastes, who had put on his seat belt and was staring at the road with a fixed gaze, while James went around the curves as if nothing had happened, slowly increasing his speed.

“James, slow down.”

“I'm within the speed limit.”

“James. Slow. Down.”

“If I slow down we'll never get there.” James said turning to Regulus, and taking one hand off the wheel.

“Look at the road!”

“It's a straight road!” James said with a smile as Regulus looked at him panicked.

“Put both hands on the wheel and look at the road, Potter!” Regulus said turning towards the road and seeing a car in front of them that was braking while James continued to look amused at a panicked Regulus glancing a few times at the road.

“How could I—”

“I swear to God, James Potter. If I'm gonna die here because you're looking at me and not to the fucking road, I'm gonna come back from the dead and kill you myself. Put that hand on the wheel.”

“Merlin, and I thought Sirius was the dramatic one of the two.” James said with a half laugh, placing his hand on the steering wheel anyway.

“I should have gotten the license myself. I knew it. I shouldn't have let Barty get the license between us.”

“Wait. Is Crouch the one driving among you?” James asked, turning back to Regulus, who however glared at him so quickly that the boy turned his head towards the road quickly, then stopped the next moment at the traffic lights.

“Yeah.”

“I thought Rosier would be the one to get it.”

“Evan is a terrible driver. Barty on the other hand is one of the best drivers I've met.”

“Oh, really?” James asked flatly as Regulus shrugged.

“Don't tell him I said something like that. He would never stop.”

“Yeah. well, don't need to worry about that.” James said before starting the engine again once the light turned green.

“Wait, my brother was okay with Pettigrew getting the license between you?”

“Well, it wasn't really a choice. Remus stopped him.”

“Oh. That also makes sense.”

“They argued for at least a week. But in the end Sirius gave in.”

“Obviously. My brother would do anything Remus asked him to do.”

“Because he is in love with Remus.”

“No. Because he is an idiot.” Regulus said as James rolled his eyes with a smile. After a few seconds though, as James finally pulled into the mall parking lot, Regulus added, “But yeah. He is in love with Remus.”

“Can we take them? I'm sure Pandora likes them” James asked, taking a pack of chocolate Ringos and enthusiastically showing them to Regulus, who confidently checked the list he had made, seeing what was missing and what wasn't.

“No.” replied Regulus not looking up from the paper.

“You haven't even seen what I’m showing you!”

“Okay.” Regulus said looking up and James raised Ringo's package higher, then added, “No.”

“Oh, come on. Why not?”

“Because we have a list.”

“We have your list.”

“Whose list it is is not important. What is important is that we must respect it.”

“I bet Pandora would be happy if we got them. And even if I had had that tea.”

“We have a list.”

“Who cares about the list.”

“Don't you dare.” Regulus said as James, who was carrying the cart, lifted Ringo's box to put it in the cart.

“Why not.”

“Because it's not on the list!”

“We can add them!”

“We'll not.”

“Yes, we will.”

“No.”

“But I want them.”

“We have a list.”

“Can't you break the list for me?” James asked pouting as Regulus looked back at the list in his hands.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“It's your list, right? It works the way you want it to work.”

“Okay, but—”

“Please. I want them so so much. Or tea.”

“James, I—okay, you know what? You can choose one thing. From all over the shop. All right?”

“Yes! Wait, in the entire store?”

“One thing.” Regulus repeated as James quickly put Ringo's box down.

“Okay, okay. I will be right back.” James said before giving him a huge smile and then quickly walking away with the cart as Regulus rolled his eyes and added to the list in beautiful handwriting: "James' «necessary» purchase."

While James was apparently taking his time to examine what was inside the shop, Regulus headed towards the last things he was missing from the list, marking what he had already taken and what he hadn't, only to end up bumping into someone, while both the list, the pen, and the box of tissues fell to the floor. Regulus bent down to pick up his things, but the person he had bumped into was faster, and he beat him to it, quickly getting to his feet.

“Forgive me, I should have been much more careful where I put my feet. Here's your…list?” asked a voice that Regulus knew with an amused tone and when the boy looked up he remained silent for a second, staring at the person in front of him, straightening himself up. The boy in front of him had a smiling look, his brown hair fell in locks on his forehead and his light eyes now looked at those of Regulus, who shrugged slightly at him. He was slightly taller than him, of course, and he tilted his head. Or rather, not a boy. Benjy Fenwick. Benjy tilted his head.

“Sorry.” Regulus said taking the list back into his hand as Benjy slowly handed it to him, a smile forming on his face.

“Oh, don't be. I'm not.”

“Of course you're not.” Regulus said to himself as Benjy looked at him carefully.

“So. I'm Benjy.” He said holding out his hand, which Regulus looked at for a few seconds, before shaking it.

“Hi, Benjy.” He said flatly. This Benjy was identical to the Benjy he knew. Same smile. Same look. Same eyes.

“You're not gonna tell me your name? I mean, I told you mine.”

“Why do you know my name?”

“Cause I want to know who I'm talking to.” Benjy said shrugging with a sincere smile.

“Regulus.”

“Oh, I see. I had to understand it.” Benjy said with a crystalline laugh as Regulus looked at him in confusion.

“You had to understand, what?”

“That you're literally a star. I mean, just look at you.”

“I—okay, really? That was…” Regulus asked with a half laugh

“Yeah? I mean. You're quite gorgeous. And you know it. Of course your name is a star. And one of the brightest stars if I don't remember wrong. Am I right?” Benjy said as his smile grew hearing Regulus' laughter. “Did I just make a star laugh? Oh, God.” Benjy added as Regulus looked up smiling. This Benjy and Benjy from Ravenclaw were practically the same person.

“Laughing is a bit much.”

“You’re joking? It was 100% a laugh and—oh, sorry, I have to answer it. Give me…two minutes.” Benjy said, being interrupted by music, pulling what Regulus now recognized as a "phone" and answering the next moment, while he didn't know whether to actually stay there or leave. “Hey, B. Yeah. I'm talking to a star.” Benjy said after a moment of silence winking at Regulus, who said in a low voice,

“Stop it.” But of course Benjy, after giving him another wink, only smiled.

“No, you're not the only star. Yeah, you're still my favorite.” Benjy said on the phone and then mimed to Regulus an "it's not true" while, again, Regulus looked at him both confused and with a raising of the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, I know. No. Okay, I will take it. Yeah, I know. Nope. Yeah, yeah, love you too, B. See you outside.” He said with a smile, ending the call. “Sorry, that was my best friend. While he went to flirt with some guy on the other side of the mall, I had to buy him a can of coke.”

“Oh.”

“And toothpaste.”

“Toothpaste?”

“You understand? And he also told me to hurry up.”

“Unbelievable.” Regulus said as Benjy nodded.

“Exactly! You really understand me, Lus.”

“I guess.” Regulus said with a nervous half laugh as the nickname Benjy called him was used again. It was strange. It was…almost wrong. Again. Even if he was the same Benjy.

“I have to go, now. Because you know…”

“Toothpaste, of course. I understand.”

“I'm sure we'll meet soon, my dear Lus.” Benjy said as he bowed slightly before walking past Regulus, brushing his shoulder and walking away, while Regulus stared confusedly before heading the other way, not seeing that Benjy had turned to him and smiled, before heading towards the toothpastes.

“James. Where were you? I've been looking for you for at least five minutes.” Regulus said as he managed to spot James, who was intently looking at a box of Ringo’s, the same one he had put down earlier, and a box of Oreos. “What are you doing?”

“I'm deciding. Oreo or Ringo?”

“It seems quite simple as a choice to me.” Regulus said simply, as James stood upright from where he rested his arm, turning to Regulus, who stared back.

“You don't like one thing among these.”

“I—yeah. That's right.”

“Which one?”

“I don't know. What do you think is what I don't like?” Regulus asked as James smiled before tilting his head and turning towards the two packages.

“A challenge. I like it. I love challenges.”

“I noticed it.”

“Clue?”

“James.”

“Okay, let me think.”

“One minute. I gave you more than 10 minutes to choose.”

“Okay okay. I have decided.” James said after looking first at the biscuits and then at Regulus.

“What is your final decision, wonderful Potter?” asked Regulus flatly while James took Ringo’s package in his hand and placed it in the cart.

“The Ringos. Obviously. Right?”

“Yeah.” Regulus said surprised while James nodded in satisfaction.

“I knew it.”

“Luck.” Regulus said starting to walk while James quickly followed him with the cart.

“Or I know you, Reg. All too well.”

“Like I said, luck. You're lucky, Potter.”

“Not yet. But I'm trying.” James said as Regulus rolled his eyes. 

“Let’s go to pay, mister lucky.”