Loving from a distance

"Oh my god guys, look how cute she looks!"

Potter and his friends really do have a death wish.

Regulus is only lucky that his friends can't see him right now. They would laugh at him and make sure that he never hears the end of this.

Thank you, no, his own embarrassement is already enough.

Potter has convinced himself, that his poor black cat must be really cold on a rather cool spring day, so he has gone to Hogsmeade under his invisibility cloak to buy some clothes for her.

As if Regulus hasn't suffered enough already.

He wouldn't be complaining much about it if Potter would have brought a normal, comfy sweater that may
even look good on him.

But of course his hope was for nothing. Normal? Potter?

Since he is convinced, that his cat is a girl (which was Regulus' 13th reason), he brought all sorts of pink and purple cat wear that seems to erase all of the mysterious vibe that a black cat normally brings.

He really has been trying to refuse the wear as best as he can, he even managed to cut Potter on his hand (which has never happened before), but in the end Potter has won.

Regulus is only glad that he doesn't have a mirror.

He isn't even thinking about the fact how much blood would've been shedded if Sirius were the one trying.

Luckily his brother was smarter than that.

What is that thing in Potter's hands? It looks very weird. And this round glass in the middle is directing at his head. What the-

*click*

Regulus is blind.

A lightning has gotten through the dorm, from this thing.

He is running away as fast as his paws will take him, until he feels familiar hands grabbing him and picking him up.

Against his will he moves closer to the warm body.

"It's okay, Paws. No need to be afraid, it was only a camera. Look, in a few moments we can see the pictures of you!"

Right, the stupid nickname they have given him.

Honestly, it isn't even creative. James was cooing over his 'little and cute' paws, until he decided to call him that from then on.

"Mate, I don't think it's healthy that you're talking to your cat as if she understands you. Y'know, magical or not, it's still a cat.".

Potter glances up at Sirius and looks at him with a determined look.

"It is totally normal to speak to your cat. Or pet, in general. I don't care if she understands me or not."

Sirius shrugs and averts in defeat.

"Now, Paws, looks how adorable you are!"

And Potter holds a square, small thing infront of Regulus, that looks a lot like it was painted.

It takes a few seconds until he realizes that this painting is him at this exact moment.

If he would be a human right now, he would cringe.

It looks even more stupid than he thought it does.

How is this even possible? It has to be this thing that Potter has pushed in his face earlier.

As if Potter has heard him, he starts talking.

"This thing is a muggle device and is called 'photograph'! Lily gave it to me, she is a muggleborn, you don't know her, because I kept asking about it."

Regulus could imagine.

"Normally it doesn't work in the magical world, but Lily put a spell on it so it would work. And, the best thing, it even makes the picture move, look at it!!"

Regulus, after his first shock, looks at the 'picture' cautiously, and James is right. He hasn't noticed at first, but it does move. The black cat in it looks at Regulus with big, curious eyes, until it flashes and the eyes clench.

He has to admit, that it looks rather cute.

Damn Potter and his stupid clothes. And him repeatingly saying that Regulus is cute.

He wants to drop under his blanket and scream in his pillow.

Potter turns around and walks towards his bed, only to hang the picture on the wall above it and charm it there with a sticking spell.

After that he walks with the biggest grin towards Regulus, picks him up until he is safely in his arms, kisses his head and starts petting him again.

Sirius watches waringly.

"Just wait until she is bored of you and treats you the same as us"

"Paws? Never."

If only that wouldn't be true.

"But you wanna know the best thing? It seems like she is staying with us. Since no one has called her their own, it seems like she does not have an owner. We are her parents now!"

"God save us from the demons"

Lupin looks at Sirius blankly.

"You aren't even religious, Sirius. "

"You don't know that! Maybe I am now, after seing what happens when I'm not. "

Lupin rolls his eyes.

"You are not."

"Fine. But I could go on my knees for you, if you would just help me kick this beast out of our dorm."

Everyone stills and looks at him with wide eyes. Regulus jumps out of Potter's grip and walks out of the dorm.

He did not want to hear this about his brother.

It's time to spend some time with his friends again. Lastly he has abandoned them one too many times in favor of observing his brother and the others. It's definitely time to go back to his normal life for quite a bit.

As he is walking out of the Gryffindor common room, he looks around and when he sees no one watching, turns to his human form.

He shudders, fixes his clothes and is about to make his way towards his own common room, when he hears panting from inside and sees Potter climbing through the painting of the fat lady.

Regulus freezes, unable to look away, which seems to be a mistake, as Potter's gaze turns towards him, locking eyes and freezing as well.

A few akward moments later Regulus gets a hold of himself, as he averts his gaze towards something behind Potter.

"Why are you running like a maniac?"

"Uh, what?"

Regulus rolls his eyes and looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

Potter shakes his head slightly, catching himself, with a faint blush on his cheeks. Which looks rather adorable.

Regulus tries his best to looks away from it.

"Oh, yeah right. You didn't see a black cat running down the hallway, did you? You know, we adopted one and haven't found the owner since, but sometimes she gets lost for hours, if not whole nights until we see her again. I really wish I would know where she always goes but every time she is gone the map-"

Potter's eyes widen.

"I mean you know we just can't find her. Anyway, sorry for rambling here. So, did you see her?"

Regulus continues looking at him with raised eyebrows, trying not to let him know that he does, in fact, not mind his rambling at all.

"It's okay. And no, I haven't seen a black cat, sorry. Is it the one from the photos that hang around on the walls in the whole castle?"

Potter, trying to hide his surprise of this normal conversation with the Slytherin, who he has thought of as very mean and arrogant, nods his head eagerly.

"Yes, it's that one. Isn't it cute? I swear to Merlin, it is the cutest cat I have ever seen. Maybe I can show her to you one day."

Regulus doesn't dare to crush this hopeful face, so he tries to change the topic.

"Are you sure that it is a she? I'm not very familiar with cats, but the posters looked rather like a male cat to me"

Potter frowns and seems to consider it.

"Well, I wasn't really sure about the gender to be honest, at the beginning I thought it was male, but then something inside of me screamed 'female' so I listened. But now that you say it, it may be a he. I don't want to misgender it. Shit."

"No, it's okay I guess. I mean you don't know the gender and you assumed it, if you'd know it for sure then you would use it."

"Yes, definitely. Thanks for understanding."

"Of course."

Another akward silence. Regulus didn't even know that these were possible with Potter.

He clears his throat just as Potter starts to say "I-".

They look at each other and Potter gestures towards him to start talking.

"Well, since it is rather late and I wouldn't like to get caught by some stuck up prefect, I better get going."

"Oh sure, yeah, let's go then."

Regulus, who already has turned around, turns towards Potter again and gives him a questioning look.

"Oh, I thought I would walk you to your common room so you wouldn't have to walk alone. You never know what awaits you in these dark hallways", he tries to joke.

Regulus only stares at him.

Potter shifts from one foot to another, standing there awkwardly.

"I mean, unless you don't want me to walk you, that would be okay too! It was only an offer."

Regulus tries to hide his smile.

"No, that's okay. It would be kind of... nice."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Potter, trying his best to hide the big grin that is forming on his face, walks towards him, and they both get going.

The walk is silent, they don't talk much and they don't have to. Unlike before, this time it is a comfortable silence that they both rather seem to enjoy. It has something magical, walking around the big castle, the orange lights of the sunset lightning up the hallways, walking next to a boy that makes you feel relaxed like you never have before.

The walk is over way too quick, and Regulus already mourns the peaceful atmosphere. He knows that it will be gone the moment he will be in the Slytherin common room.

When they stop in front of the entrance, they look at each other, not knowing what to say. Again, Regulus feels the need to start the conversation.

"Thanks for walking me here."

"Of course! It was my pleasure."

The smile on Potter's face makes Regulus' soul hurt, he can't look at it without feeling things he shouldn't feel.

He averts his gaze with a genuine smile on his face, waving Potter goodbye.

With his body already being half in the common room, he hears a silent "good night, Reggie" from behind him.

His heart clenches and he has to hold himself from turning around and running into his arms, hugging him as tight as possible, never letting him go.

He doesn't do that though.

He can't.

Instead he stops in his steps, looks in the empty common room, and answers, as quiet as possible.

"Good night, James."

Both boys, unknowingly to the other, smiling as brightly as the sun in the day and the stars in the nighttime.