Can't swim huh ?
They arrived at the camping place somewhere in the West o England around 6 p.m.
The air was pretty thick and muggy, as if England had been awash in a rainstorm that had come and gone and relieved none of the dampness.
Singing birds whistled all around, and light rays shone through the tall coniferous trees.
Their tents were almost built up, Regulus felt kind of weird. He was never camping before so he had no idea how to build a tent. Not one of them tried to make him feel bad about it, he still did. He helped Remus building his and Sirius's tent, well not exactly helped obviously, he just hold the stuff so Remus could build it.
"How often do you do this ?" Regulus asked when he saw everyone so involved in the organisation and stuff.
"We're going camping like that every summer since the first year" Remus said with warm smile on his face remembering all the memories. "-well without Sirius, he went last year for the first time- don't worry, he was about as clumsy as you are now" Remus looked at Regulus who hold the entire thing the wrong way.
"Am I doin' it wrong ?" Regulus asked sounding so done with himself.
"a little bit yeah " Remus said gently but jokingly "It's okay though, the first time we were here with Sirius he handed me a screwdriver when I needed a rubber mallet to nail the pins" Regulus laughed lightly even though he didn't know surely what screwdriver was.
James, Peter and Sirius already built the first tent and Remus with Regulus were a little behind but Remus wasn't stressed about it he just continue not really caring that they have done it already.
"So what's the plan for today ?" Sirius asked and Peter who practically organized it all explained the whole program right after.
"Not much today, we can just stay here and tomorrow early in the morning Lily, Marlene and Mary are coming with a lot of boost so you already guessed the evening plan." Peter said sounding so proud of this whole plan.
They went to the nearest lake after. It was almost sunset. Regulus didn't want to go swimming because he never learned to do so. He remained seated on the ground nearby. He was captivated by the sky, it was beautiful, about as beautiful as ever.
Sirius surely noticed, and he knew where the problem was but he probably knew how shitty it felt because Sirius was in his position just last summer.
And now Sirius swam at the depth perfectly fine. Regulus not only could not swim , the deep water scared him on its own
It wasn't really that weird that he wasn't in the water, neither was Remus.
Peter with James and Sirius were in the water playing mermaids or something, it surely looked like mermaids.
"Can't swim huh ?" Remus asked after a while, they both were just sitting there with a book in their hands.
"Yeah" Regulus said, he didn't try to talk out of it they all knew it was no use.
"I could teach you if you wanted you know I'm pretty good teacher, do you see Sirius, fucking mermaid" Remus offered and Regulus knew he meant it but he wasn't really interested in learning such a thing, they laughed when Remus mentioned the mermaids because it almost looked like they were seriously doing it.
"No, thanks though" Regulus grinned and Remus looked at him curiously.
"What are you reading ?" Remus asked.
"Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë" Regulus murmured, it occurred to him that he quite liked Remus he was good, sympathetic, sarcastic and oddly worth of Sirius Black. It was weird seeing Sirius with them so- so happy. He saw them in school staggering around the castle laughing with them but now, that was his future, his family.
Regulus was mad at himself for not finding that kind of friends. He had Barty and Evan and Pandora and now James and maybe even Remus could be considered as his friend.
It was odd, he would never consider someone a friend just because of few small talks.
"That's a good book" Remus says.
"Yeah it is indeed" Regulus agreed and they both looked in the water.
"Why aren't you there ? You don't have to sit with me here just because I'm unable to swim, I'll survive it here on my own" Regulus teased a bit but he meant it.
"Oh I don't find it as amusing as they do, I like to read better" Remus said and showed the book he was reading to Regulus.
"The picture of Dorian Gray ? You read this ?" Regulus asked, it was one of his favourites really .
"Re-reding actually. Have you read it ?" Regulus just nodded, " Oh of course you did " Remus rolled his eyes jokingly as he wasn't same as him.
James got out of the water.
"Hey Lads ! What are you doing here ?" He asks cheerfully.
"Reading mate you should try it sometimes" Remus teased and James looked at him already really to fight over it.
"I do read " He said and sat down between these two.
"You do indeed, but you should try books with an actual story not just poetry" Remus smiled laying down looking at the sky.
"Maybe I'll someday" James said and he lays next to Remus looking at the moon, it's not dark yet but it's getting dark already.
"Ready for tomorrow ?" James asked Remus and he just nodded. Regulus's head was in his book still.
"I'm scared though" Remus whispered as quietly so Regulus couldn't hear it, or maybe he could but he seemed very much interested in the book rather than their conversation
"It's gonna be fine you know" James assured him.
"There will be a lot of people I could hurt, we're not alone this time" Remus murmured.
"We'll make sure you'll be fine" James said surely.
"We should have someone here looking over the others, what if they go to the forest in that time we're there besides they'll wonder where we are" Remus explained, they didn't think about it that much actually. Perhaps it would be weird probably if the four of them just disappeared.
"Do you think one of us should stay?" James asked then.
"No, I need all of you if I'm supposed to be here in the woods not locked up, I thought I'd tell someone to look after the others" Remus said not knowing yet how would that work.
"Tell them like tell them? Or just make out some story why we left ?" James asked a little horrified, Remus would probably told Lily, she's the most reliable and stuff.
"I don't know yet, and I don't know who yet but we'll have to do something about it we can't risk that they'll come looking for us." Remus was pretty worried about the full moon this time…
----
Regulus happened to fall asleep on the ground in front of the lake, James stayed there with him and the others went somewhere.
James borrowed the book Regulus was reading, he haven't read it and he didn't start from the beginning but from the part Regulus stopped reading .
Somehow James fall asleep too with the book in his hands.
Regulus woke up first after like an hour, he glanced over at James and noticed that he wasn't awake.
Regulus couldn't bring himself to stop looking at him.
James began to waking up after a few minutes too. "I fall asleep too huh " James murmured when he woke up and for some reason Regulus felt so safe and careless about everything, it was just him and James and the sky full of stars and
the unbearable feeling of love. Was it love ?
James smiled at him and Regulus couldn't just do nothing.
He leaned over to James and kissed him, it wasn't short at all it was long going, they just kept kissing until they had no breath left.
The kiss was lovely and so fucking enjoyable it was just so pure.
James seemed a little bit confused at first but he went along with it.
James didn't touch him at all, his hands stayed on the ground and nowhere else. Regulus very appreciated this, he liked it that way, when he was in charge and had all the control.
He thought that he wouldn't mind James's hands all over him, in fact he maybe even wanted him to lift them from the ground and touch him everywhere.
But he was too afraid to try it, because if it is just presumption and in reality he would hate it, it would ruin the whole moment they just had.
So he was fine with just the kissing.
"Sorry" Regulus murmured as they stopped.
"Are you though ?" James asks teasingly but also quite seriously. -
"No I mean was I - was I supposed to do that ? Are we still like you know ,are we still-" Regulus didn't finish because James interrupted him ,,Yes" James whispered looking right into Regulus's blue eyes. ,,Yes we are " There was no word for what they've been but they understood each other.
""I told Sirius about us yesterday " James said unsurely but sounding very pleased by it.
"Shit what - what did he say?" Regulus sounded a bit scared but not entirely because he saw Sirius today and he didn't look mad or upset with him or James, everything was normal.
"He was a bit shocked but he'll get over it , he isn't mad though I think he's more like - I don't know - glad maybe " James said with a little smile on his face .
"Glad ?" Regulus asked unbelievably but James nodded. " Yeah I think he understands and he wants me to be happy and he wants you to be happy too so yeah I think he's pretty glad."
They heard steps behind them so they look behind, it was Sirius.
"Hey are you doing something incredibly unholy or can I sit here with you ?" Sirius asked as he came closer to them.
"No nothing unholy sit here if you like " James said and made a place for Sirius.
"Remus and Pete fall asleep in our tent so you guys will be okay just together I suppose"
"Yeah " Regulus nodded.
"Hey that s me !" Sirius pointed at the night sky, there was his star - Sirius , he was the brightest , the Greater Dog.
They all looked at the sky , admiring every single star. The moon was almost full.
"There's one other thing I wanna talk to you about Reg " Sirius said with a very serious gaze.
Here it is Regulus thought. He's mad.
"Remus wanted me to tell you actually, because he didn't want to do it himself but you have to promise you won't tell anyone , not a living soul" Sirius said looking at him firmly. James already understood what was all of this about.
"Lupin is a werewolf, I know" Regulus whispered and they all looked at each other.
"You told him ?" Sirius asked but James shakes his head .
"Remus told you already ? God he's fast "
"No, I figured, you always talk about the moon being the love of your life, You all call him Moony and he has a scars all over his body. Come on Sirius you think I'm that dumb ?"
"Oh no but now I'm amused by your cleverness actually" Sirius said looking still a little bit shocked .
"Well the point was that we all are going with him since tomorrow is the full moon and I need you to look after Lily, Marlene and Mary while we're gone, just made sure they won't come to look for us "
"Okay" Regulus agreed.
"Thanks" Sirius whispered as he lays back next to James.
"So you're animagus? " Regulus asked. "Yeah" Sirius nodded
"Dog I suppose ?" Regulus guessed, he didn't really thought he might be right. He thought that when his stars is part of the dog it could be dog but he meant to say it more like a joke.
"How the fuck you know everything, you figured right ? You saw a dog hair on me or what " Sirius said sarcastically.
"I just assumed and James you are what ? Like a lion or what ?" Regulus asked glancing at James.
"Oh no close though It's a stag"
"A stag ?" Regulus almost didn't believe it.
"We call him prongs " Sirius said.
"Of course you do "