Chapter 8
Regulus doesn’t remember exactly when James and him took up the tradition of meeting every night but it has been a while since they've met up here. The astronomy tower is cold and dark when he enters, making him tug his jumper closer around his chest. He can easily tell someone is here by the slight giggle and the movement of feet. Just as it has become a tradition for him to meet James, it has also become a tradition for James to try and scare Regulus when he walks through the door. He's only ever succeeded once.
“James, I can hear you,” he says, making his way over to the ledge. When he turns back around James is standing there looking mildly disappointed.
“How do you get me everytime”
“I have this thing” he looks James in the eye, face smug “it's called common sense, you may not have heard of it.”
James sits down next to him with a huff, bringing his arm around Regulus. “I still remember the time I did get you though, remember it like it was yesterday”
“Shut up James” he snaps, cuddling closer to James. It really is getting colder and while he would usually hate freezing his ass off in the middle of the night, he doesn’t quite mind it when he’s with James. “How's things with my brother and Lupin”
“Oh, yeah them” James says as if just remembering. “They stopped talking”
“What!” he says, spinning to face the older boy.
James looks down to him nodding “they've completely started avoiding each other, no bickering, no squabbling, they barely stay in the same room anymore”
“And you didn’t think to tell me this before now” he asks looking at him with concern.
“Didn’t seem like that big of a deal”
“Merlin” he says, finally turning to face away from James, “how long has this been going on for?”
“About a week and a half” James replies, seeming slightly ashamed.
“A week and a half?”
“I honestly didn’t think it was that important!” he says, flailing his arms about. Sometimes Regulus honestly wonders why he loves James but then he looks down at him again this time looking as if he had made the biggest mistake known to man and well.. Who couldn’t love this boy with his adorable eyes and his will to always do right by Regulus? He truly did have a heart of gold. It often made Regulus wonder whether he deserved James or not.
“It’s alright” he says as it looks like James is about to cry, “They'll figure themselves out when their ready”
They stay there like that for a long time, not talking, just enjoying each other's company. When they leave for the night Regulus already misses the warmth and the comfort he gets for just being around James. The walk back to the dungeon always makes him feel colder after it.
***
It’s at breakfast the next day that Regulus truly sees how bad Remus and Sirius have gotten.
He’s sitting at the Slyrtherin table with Barty and Evan who are talking animatedly about who would win in a fight; a hippogriff or a werewolf, so it’s easy enough for him to tune them out and enjoy his toast and jam in peace.
This peace is quickly shattered by Barty who leans in closer to Regulus, to ask his opinion on the argument, to which he replies “dragon”. This leads Barty and Evan to start fighting about whether a hippogriff and a werewolf would be able to take down a dragon or not.
Like every other morning his eyes drift over to the Gryffindor table where his brother, James and their friends are sitting.
Remembering what James said the day before Regulus looks more closely at his brother and Lupin, the two of them are facing the opposite way. Sirius is talking to James, with his back turned to the taller boy but making sure that they do not touch, Remus is doing much the same with Lily Evans who is sitting on the other side of him.
Looking at the two of them almost makes him sad, that they are able to sit next to each other without being bullied and ridiculed as he and James would but are doing nothing but add more tension to their already tension filled relationship.
Deciding that the two of them are too depressing Regulus turns to James instead who is smiling at him from across the hall, Regulus smiles back before turning back to his friends who have now moved on to discussing the best technique to ride a dragon.
He rolls his eyes at the two boys before saying “since neither of you have rode a dragon I think your best technique would be a tuck and roll”
With that he gets up from the table and leaves the great hall, looking back to check the Gryffindor table to see James’ eyes following him out of the hall and his brother and Lupin still sitting facing away from each other, and for once Regulus decides to focus on the positive and smiles back at James.