Chapter 1
Sirius' birthday is coming near, James knows what he will be giving him, but he just doesn't know how to get it. Sirius has been going on and on about some limited edition posters that when he was in his fourth year and left his house, he has left there, James is tired of him going on and on about it, it has been two years, but obviously he won't tell him that, James is too kind for that, instead he plans to get those posters, so maybe Sirius will stop pestering him and Remus about it.
Exactly, Remus too, actually Remus is the one that planned to do it first, James was just happy to help when Remus and him were alone and Remus suggested it. So now it's night, Sirius is sleeping, and Remus and James are in the common room, Trying to find a way to get to the posters.
"Sooo, What if we barge in, we go in his room and we take everything?" James proposed, drinking some butterbeer and looking at remus for an agreeing sign.
"No, i don't think that would do it, we would get a crucio sent our way before we are to his room."
"We fight and we get to his room!"
"That sounds like a good idea!" "Really?" "No." James crossed his arms and ignored the sarcasm, if they can't just barge in, then how will they do it? Remus seems to be wondering that too, but maybe they are searching too hard, and the solution is just under their nose.
"And if we ask his brother?" Remus said, knowing that it would be unlikely for his brother to accept.
"Yeah, we can try, but you do it, he doesn't like me at all, and the idea is yours." James smirked at Remus' way, who looked at him with an annoyed gaze.
"You'll come with me, under the cloack, just in case." Remus smiled, winning the debate automatically, making James give up. "Fine. Let's go to bed, it's late" James got up, making Remus snort in amusement at his mothering. "Sure"
Regulus is minding his own business in the restricted section of the library, the librarian knows, obviously she knows, she gave him permission, since he never messed up and put the books in their place after reading them. The book in question is one for removing dark spells, he is trying to find a way to make the dark mark on his arm disappear, he already tried with a knife, but the only thing he got out of that is his arm hurting, and probably when they will heal completely some scars too.
He would do anything to make the mark disappear, he never even wanted to get it, but he had to act tough in front of his parents, sadly he needs to, it's hard doing the job his older brother was born to do, he understands why he ran away, he had good reasons, and it was, and still is his parents fault for being abusive assholes, and maybe if Regulus realized before that his parenst aren't good people, he would have gone with Sirius.
"Why is he in the restricted section?! Why would he be there?" James looked at the Marauders' map with Remus looking from his shoulder, while both are walking, it's a bit difficult for Remus, since he's overly tall, but he manages in a way or another. "I don't know, maybe to read?"
"Maybe he's doing some Death eater thing!" James accidentally hit Remus in the face raising his arm. "Ouch" Remus rubbed his face in pain. "Oh, sorry! are you fine?"
"Yeah, i'm fine."They continue to walk, still looking at the map, just in case he goes away. "We go to breakfast first though, i'm hungry" Remus said, walking slightly faster. It was a full moon some days before, so James understands that he needs to recover a bit and regain his energy, maybe they will encounter Regulus there and make everything easier, but they don't hope for it too much, they looked at the map around six in the morning too, Regulus didn't move not even by an inch since six, and now it's eight in the morning, so he might skip breakfast.
James wonders how much time Sirius' brother has been in the library, he has never seen anyone stay in the library so much and at a early time too, even Remus wouldn't stay in the library from six to eight, he would never, he walues his sleep too much for that.
They arrive to the great hall, they go to sit on the gryffindor table near Sirius and Peter, it seems they woke up before them, they will have to create an excuse to slip past them after they finish breakfast.
"Hey guys! Where were you?" Sirius asks while pouring some juice in his glass and putting on his plate some bread. "we-" James starts "We were searching for the proffessor of care of magical creatures, i asked James if he could accompany me, i need to ask him a question." Remus covered, making James look at him for a moment, after moving his gaze to Sirius again. "Yeah, me and Moony after this need to find him, we didn't find him before." James kept the lie standing, already proceeding to think of what to say if they propose to go with them.
"We can come with you if you want" Peter proposed. "Uhh, no no, you two can go to transfiguration, we will return shortly after we find the professor!" Sirius looked at Remus and James suspiciously. Sirius thinks that those two are up to something, James is a bad liar, but he won't say anything, since Remus is on it too, if he is on it too, then probably everything will go fine, whatever they are going to do.
Sirius admits that he is a bit jealous of them both doing something together without him, but he won't take it from them. But he isn't sure if he is more jealous of Remus or of James, and he can't understand why he is jealous of James, he never spent a lot of time with Remus alone in general, so they aren't as close to eachother, it feels strange.
While Sirius was thinking Remus and James finished their breakfast quickly, and got up. "We are leaving, see you later." Remus tells Sirius and Peter before walking away with James, who waves excitedly to them
Remus pulls out the map from his pocket and looks at it. "He's still there. I didn't think he would skip breakfast" He looks at James who has a hand on his chin, probably thinking about something. "So, we need to use the cloack for going into the restricted section, the librarian won't let us go in there" James reasoned.
"And if we go look at what he is doing before asking him?" Remus then asks while putting the map in his pocket again. "You mean with the cloack? we could try...-"
"We're here."
James pulls out the invisible cloack from his shoulder bag and wraps it around them.
They slowly walk in front of the librarian, so they don't alert her, passed her they walk more swiftly, wanting to get to the other part of the library quickly, so they can go to the transfiguration class faster. They stop in front of the restricted section's doors, they are open, like always, the only thing keeping people from going there is the librarian and the piece of paper that is glued to the wall, but the actual reason in reality is that no one wants to go there at night, the librarian is never in the library from midnight to four in the morning.
They enter and silently search for Regulus, he isn't in the principal room, he's further in, probably in one of the darker corners of the library from what they have seen on the map. They halt at the last shelf, they take a look between the two shelves.
There he is, Regulus, he is reading a book. Regulus closes the book and sighs in pure frustration. "Not this one too..." He murmurs. He gets up on his feet and puts the book where it was before he took it. Regulus felt the need to let out his frustation, in any way, he'd like to scream until he can't talk any more, throw something across the room and hit it until it's completely broken, but he can't do none of that, so it seems his body chose to water his eyes.
He released a shaky breath and rubbed his eyes before tears could escape them, he's angry at a lot of things, and one of those things is his body choosing to cry when he is angry instead of actually seem angry, but at least it's liberating. In this case though, his eyes keep stinging because he refuses to cry in the library. He breathes in and out slowly to calm down and regain his composure.
He puts on his poker face again and straightens his shoulders. He resumes his search for the book that has a solution for his problem, he freezes when he is some inches from a book and James realizes that his hand is shaking slightly. Regulus slowly turns his head to James and Remus' way , and the way Regulus analyzes his surroundings reminds James of a cat, and it's almost scary to him how Regulus and the animal are looking so similiar in most of the movements and mannerism used in this situation.
"Come out." Regulus said in an icy tone, putting his arm down and glaring at their direction. Remus uncovered himself from the cloack and pulled James with him, who looked at him in betrayal. Regulus frowned for a moment, unhappy to have his confort zone stolen from him and crossed his arms, he in the end deciced to raise an eyebrow. "What do you want?" He said uninpressed at this point.
"Well, me and Remus would like your help for a gift we'd like to give Sirius..." He started off as charming and sure of himself, but he isnt't even sure if Regulus cares about Sirius anymore. Regulus lowered his hands and softened a bit. "My help? But why would you want my help?" He asked, still suspiscious. "Maybe not here?" Remus scratched the back of his head, really not wanting to die if it comes to that in a library.
"Sure." Regulus said, before taking a book from one of the top shelves and starting to walk away. Remus covers them with the cloak and goes with James behind Regulus, who goes to the librarian and tells her that he takes the book. "Oh, sure dear! No problem." She responds to their surprise. He smiles slightly and nods, then he continues to walk and gets out of the library and he proceeded confidently posture as straight as it could be.
"Do come out now" At that they pull down the cloak and James puts it in his shoulder bag. After that Remus goes to Regulus' left and James to his right accordingly, in that way you could see that Regulus is the shorter one, even being taller then Sirius, his aura is threatening compared to theirs as a difference.
As a lot of people say, the shorter the meaner, but usually just in appearance.