chapter 3
James returned to Potter manor with his mother to see his father and Sirius already in the sitting room.
“James you’re back, how was that stuffy old ball,” Sirius gleamed bring James into a hug.
“Alright mate,”
“Did you find any suitable Miss’. Or misters?”
“The diamond,”
“God danm,”
“Language,” called Fleamont looking up from his paper,
“Sorry Monty,” “god danm it James, “Sirius whispered in a hush tone which brought a laugh out of James. “We must discuss this now, Effie, Monty have pleasant dreams,” Sirius said grabbing James’ arm to lead him out the room.
“Goodnight mother, father,”
“Goodnight boys,” Effie said as she found her seat next to her husband.
“So, James the diamond tell me about her?” Sirius said sitting on his bed.
“Lily Evans. Eyes of piercing green and the most beautiful red hair I’ve ever seen,”
“Sounds like quite the catch mate,”
“She is. She’s kind too. She’ll make a wonderful addition to the Potter household,”
Sirius smiled in a solemn way looking at the floor, “Did you see him?”
They both knew who Sirius was talking about, “Yea Padfoot I did. He seems to be fitting heir well,”
“Did he look like he had any bruises.”
“No,”
“Figures. Walburga always had a sweet spot for sweet little Reggie. Did you get a chance to speak with him, did he mention me?”
“Yes and he did actually,”
Sirius’ eyes bulged taken a back by James’ response, “He did?”
“Yea, he asked me how you were,”
Sirius felt warm about that. Ever since he ran away from Grimmauld Palace last season he had felt discarded by his brother. Unworthy, not needed. He never regretted the night he came to the Potters, but he did regret not bringing Regulus with him. I should have asked. That thought followed him long after he left. I should have asked, why did I never ask. However, there was nothing he could do about the past. Effie always said, “the past is past. Nothing with change.”
Euphemia Potter was the Mother Walburga Black ever could be. Effie and Monty had taken him in that night without a worry about scandal or a second thought about what this would mean for their social standing. All three Potters were unnervingly kind people and Sirius’ thought himself indebted to them all.
“So, any other prospects or you really shooting with the Evans girl,”
“Well, there are obviously the respectful ladies of the ton which I will be required to call upon plus a few gentlemen mother has pointed out to me however it really is Evans for me,” Sirius smiled back at his pride full best friend. “One more thing Sirius,”
“Yea,”
“You never told me how hot Regulus was,”
“James ew my baby brother really,” Sirius said making a face and throwing a pillow at his face.
“What, I’m just saying you could have mentioned it,”
“James me and Regulus are probably the only Blacks in the whole family who don’t find our own blood attractive and fuckable,”
“Hey I never said fuckable,” James paused, “well-“
“Potter!” Sirius said throwing, “I do not need that mental image,” James laughed his head off narrowly dogging Sirius’s pillows and minor death threats.
As James fitted himself comfortably on the bed next to his best friend. The thought of Regulus filled his mind. How they danced that night, how close the boy was to him. How the whole ballroom faded away when he was with Regulus. Nothing mattered, not even Lily. He knew his prospect for the season would be the diamond, but he didn’t see what would be so wrong in indulging himself. Just a little bit.
“Hey Padfoot,”
“Yea Prongs,”
“Would you kill me if I called on Regulus,”
Sirius let out a laugh, “Just don’t fuck him or fuck with him James,”
James laughed, “Fuck with him?”
“Yea Reggie he, he’s sensitive,”
“Regulus Black really?”
“Yea things were hard with us after I left. Afraid I might have given him a touch of abandonment issues,”
“But you’re good now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but still, if- if Reggie ends up caring for you then things could get messy,”
“Messy?”
“No one knows this but when Regulus cares he cares intensely. And you James Potter are annoyingly easy to care about,”
“Thank you padfoot,”
“You’re welcome. As I was saying, yea call on him I don’t care,” Sirius leaned in to emphasize his next words, “do not do my brother though,”
“Don’t worry pads,”
Sirius turned over while finishing his words, “Just make you intentions clear, don’t let him get to attached,”
Regulus knew when he was going to be hurt. He was more oblivious to when he was a child, but it always went like his. First came the isolation, this could be for hours or days leading up to punishment. After the ball Kercher was instructed to take him to his room. Then eerie silence. Even though Regulus knew his mother couldn’t control the sounds of the world, things just seemed a little quieter before the punishment. And finally, there would be no sign of his dad. Orion Black wasn’t a good father, not even acceptable, however he was rich and a respectable member of the ton. He wasn’t as bad as Walburga as he never did anything. He ignored his sons most of their lives, only seeing them as a pawn in politics and as his heirs. He had been frustrated after Sirius’ ran away but he knew he had his spare. That’s all Regulus ever was to him. A back up.
His father never really was around but his absence was more prominent before a punishment. As Regulus sat in his cold, empty bed chambers awaiting punishment one thought ran through his mind. What did I do? Regulus normally new when he had messed up. He knew when a punishment was coming but this time. Nothing, he had behaved just as he was expected to. He interacted with only those who been deemed acceptable by his parents. He did everything right. Or so he thought?
Regulus stood from his bed as he heard his mother enter, “Mother,”
“Sit Regulus,” so he sat, “do you know what you have done boy,”
Regulus swallowed the pain, which was building up in his throat, he had always had to watch his words around his mother but especially when he knew punishment was coming. Punishment would never be avoidable, but it could be less painful if he said the right thing.
“Yes Mother,” he lied.
“What have you done?” Regulus ran through the whole night in his head double, triple checking every encounter he had until he finally got it. James. Yes, the Potters had been invited but as a sign of curtesy nothing more.
“I shared a dance with the Potter heir,”
“That you did. Do you think that was acceptable Regulus,”
“No Ma’am,” Walburga let out a slow hum and then it all went black.
“And why is that?”
“Because he and his family are a disgrace,” it killed Regulus to be speaking of James in that manor. He used to be jealous at first of Sirius best friend. He then grew to spite him after his brother ran away to the Potters, yet. Yet, he never forgot how thankful he was Sirius had a place in society to go at all. Somewhere he would be loved, somewhere he would be safe. He won’t ever forget how thankful he was to James and his family for that. And, and he also didn’t want to shake the fact of how James held him tonight. It was just a few hours ago and they only shared a dance, yet Regulus could feel him all over. Regulus knew this boy would cause him trouble if he kept showing up. He just knew it. However, a part of him didn’t care.
Regulus never knew what his mother did to him to make his surroundings fade away and make him pass out. He never woke with bruises but always a pounding migraine. His vision filled with a cloud of blurry smog, and he felt the air fleet his lungs as he collapsed into his bed,
“You shan’t speak to Potter ever again,” that was the last thing he heard before he lost all sense of his bearings.