Chapter 7
Chp 7
Regulus had been waiting two hours. He would have waited all night to see her; so really he wasn’t complaining. He deserved to wait. Deserved a sleepless night or two of guilt for his words.
He had already surrendered to his fate when she stepped into the common room.
Her hair windswept, cheeks ruddy and eyes bright. His heart lurches toward her.
“Rory!” He catches her attention, gesturing her over to the spot he’s saved for her next to him. For a second he thinks she’s going to turn around and walk away again, but after a beat of hesitation, she joins him.
He opens his mouth to speak, but before he gathers a breath, she cuts him off.
“I’ve been flying. Just now.” Rory says casually.
“What?” Regulus asks, brows pulled together in confusion.
“Sirius and James just taught me. Problem?” She says, baiting.
He does his best to hide his wince at their names as he meets her eye. Suddenly he feels like prey looking into a predators eye before it’s swallowed whole.
The thought should chill him. Why doesn’t it?
“No… no problem. Just- sorry, fly? Like on a broom fly?”
Aurora nods.
Regulus yanks on the reins of his jealousy. His heart was a barbed thing, with sharp, biting teeth.
He fights to keep his expression flat, but Aurora sees right through him. She should, after all, she is holding his heart in her hands. She could probably feel the blood running down her hands.
He wanted to be the one to teach her. Regulus curses himself for not offering sooner.
For not realizing until it was too late.
He wanted to be the one to show her how to fly, he wanted to be there to watch her soar. It should be his hands guiding hers to balance herself, or place a steadying hand at her back. Her waist.
Regulus gulps thickly.
Her face even closer now, Aurora peers at him, scanning. “Are you… Jealous, Regulus?”
“Yes.” He breathes out tightly.
Aurora covers his hands in his lap with her own, grasping them firmly. “Are you sorry?”
Her hands are so soft.
“Yes. Rory I am so sorry. I had no right to speak to you like that.” He squeezes her hands in emphasis, hoping to convey as much earnest apology as he knows how.
A beat of desperate silence as she considers his words. Considers him.
“Don’t do it again.” Her eyes are searching his, he looks straight back. Not breaking, he slowly lifts their hands to his mouth and places soft lips upon her hand.
“Never” he breathes across her skin. Auroras eyes flutter closed, he wished they were alone. He also thanked the stars they weren’t.
“Reggie, I’m sorry too, I’ve been keeping this from you and it’s been awful-“ he cuts her off, he can’t bear the pain in her face, can’t bear being the cause. She deserved a love that didn’t cut her.
“Don’t do it again.” He parrots, spirits soaring at her shocked laugh.
“Deal.”
——————————————————————
As Aurora dreams of bloody gashes on her palms, Regulus sees the candle, and slips from the common room and into the night-dark halls.
James Is waiting for him in their usual spot, offering a small smile when he sees Regulus approaching. “You put her on a broom?” He whispers harshly, before casting a sound muffling charm around the alcove.
“Who? Rory?”
“No, the Queen. Who else?” Regulus spits, incredulous.
James holds his hands up in surrender “Yes, me and Pads took her flying. It was fun. Is that…bad?”
Regulus scoffs, unwilling to say more; already regretting saying anything at all. James takes his silence as an opportunity. “Reg, I didn’t mean anything by it honestly. If I had known it would upset you I would’ve done differently.”
“Differently. So you still would have done it?” Regulus retorts coldly. James sighs.
“Not to hurt you Reg; never to hurt you.”
Despite himself, he softens.
“Can I?” James asks, holding his arms out.
James always asked him if it was ok before he touched him. Aurora was the only person he really touched. Pandora sometimes, but only for her benefit really.
Aside from purposeful touches with Rory, he avoided physical contact. It wasn’t something he really enjoyed. Until James.
The older boy pulls him into an embrace, he melts into the touch.
He obviously didn’t get enough love as a child. Certainly he got none after Sirius left, he was the only thing that gave that house any semblance of familial love.
So It would make sense that he would feel that hollow place where love ought to have been from years passed; it would make sense that it would take twice the amount to fill it in the present. That had to be the explanation for how he could love them both. Need them both.
James is brushing light, apologetic kisses along his jaw when he remembers he’s mad at him.
“Was she good?”
When James just looks at him quizzically, he expands “Was Rory good? At flying.”
“No” James guffaws “she was awful. Stiff as a board, and she started screaming as soon as her feet stopped touching the ground. Sirius was thrilled, the only reason we were there was to hear her anyway.” He chuckles fondly at the memory. “Anyway I don’t think you have to worry about too many more flying lessons. Like I said, Rory freaks out in the air, and besides she doesn’t have a broom. Not to mention Padfoot’s already had his fun…”
James trails off as the look on Regulus face changes from deep thought, to deep distaste.
Regulus sneers “That ridiculous nickname.”
James sighs. Tonight has been much more sighing and much less kissing than usual.
“Reg, we all have a ‘ridiculous nickname’. Even Rory! Sirius started calling her Batty when she told him to stop calling her crazy. And she does look like a bat sometimes , have you noticed? Like when she squints at lights and wears those dramatic black robes you slytherin lot seem to favor.” James cracks a bright smile as he scans Regulus admittedly black, and maybe a tad dramatic, robes.
“Oh piss off!” Regulus says, pushing James, but he’s smiling. Dammit, why did James Potter have to be so damned charming? He was making fun of him and his best friend as well as his house all at the same time. And it was funny. Damn him.
“I still don’t like it. I don’t like her with Sirius.”
“You’re going to have to get used to it, I think, Reg.”
Regulus nods.
Aurora wasn’t exactly known for her flexible, compromising nature. And then of course there was the matter of his older brothers own will of steel. As soon as he caught wind of Regulus disapproval; he would double down out of pure spite. There was no getting out of this one.
“Besides, there’s also Remus and Peter. They’re good influences. And really what’s so bad about me?” James says, batting his lashes and pouting at the younger boy. And it was working.
Damn him.
“Peter I know nothing about, but he doesn’t look like much to throw around, I’m sure Aurora can handle him-“ James looks affronted at this, but Regulus continues to ramble, negotiating with himself out loud “Remus is a prefect at least. Top marks. And you….” Regulus narrows his eyes and James smiles back at him sweetly.
“She doesn’t know.” James seems to catch his meaning, nodding quickly. “No, not yet but-“
“That’s fine for now. I have to go.”
James catches his wrist, and immediately releases him “wh- where are you going?”
Regulus softens at James expression. So open, so wanting. Regulus presses a soft kiss to James mouth.
“I have some shopping to do.”