Chapter 14
Regulus~
Regulus left Barty behind in the room, telling him to make his way to the front yard and wait there. The second he stepped out of the room he spotted Sirius and Remus being far too touchy by the staircase. Much to his own dismay he had to go to them.
“Stop committing heinous atrocities.” Regulus cut in, scaring a very drunk Remus and Sirius. “We’re leaving, let’s go.” Regulus stated blandly.
“What? Why? We literally juuuust got here.” Sirius whined.
“It’s been fucking hours and you’re all off your heads having romantic break throughs. We’re going immediately.” Regulus bossed.
“Godrick, who pissed you off?” Remus joked.
“Move it. Now. Both of you. Barty’s at the front, you will both go and wait outside with him and not leave each others side.” Regulus demanded. “Do you understand me?”
“Are you seriously trying to tell me what to do here? Just because of that, me and Moony are staying here for-ev-er.” SIrius declared.
“Sirius, I am not in the mood. I will break each and every one of the bones in your hands individually, then stuff them all down your throat. Get outside with Barty immediately. Do not leave his side. And please for the love of Morgana, watch out for each other.” Regulus ordered.
“You’re no fun today.” Sirius glowered. Regulus glared at his brother, watching him make his way to the front door.
One down - 3 to go. Well, unless you count Amos and Elias but really, who’s counting that. Regulus spotted Pandora’s bright platinum box braids almost immediately, they were flirting with some muggle who had flowers in her afro, Regulus couldn’t help but wonder where the ginger from earlier had run off to. Regulus made his way over to Dora, pushing himself into their conversation.
“Dora, we have to get going, Barty’s drunk off his ass.” Regulus rolled his eyes.
“Merlin, of course he is. Well that’s that then.” Pandora turned to the girl they were flirting with, “Sorry, love. I have to get going but you never know what the fates might have in hand for us.” Pandora winked at her and moved in closer, putting on a husky lilt, “Regarde, toi, désolé, matin, au revoir, soleil, merde, crétin, moche, parfait, garçon, con, frère.” Pandora strung together the only french words they knew, making the girl swoon. “The fates, beautiful.” Pandora flirted before pulling Regulus off.
“Do you have any idea what you just said to her?” Regulus raised his eyebrows at them.
“No clue, why?” Pandora hummed.
“Because you literally just said - and I quote - ‘look, you, sorry, morning, goodbye, sun, shit, moron, ugly, perfect, boy, jerk, brother.’” Regulus smirked.
“Oh, well she doesn’t know that. She finds me quite charming.” Pandora laughed.
“You’re the worst.”
“Whyyy? I didn’t lie to her - not once, I do know French.” Pandora affirmed.
“No, you really do not.” Regulus rolled his eyes.
“Yes, I do. You’re French and I know you - in conclusion: I, Pandora Rosier, know French.” They smiled proudly.
“Whatever.” Regulus laughed. “Okay, Barty, Remus and my brother are all at the front waiting for us, go stay with them while I find James and Evan.” Regulus avered.
“Wait, you haven’t found Evan yet?” Pandora asked fearfully.
“No but I’m sure he’s fine.” Regulus assured.
“Well, I’d like to make sure he is. I’ll come with you to find him.” Pandora decided, lacing their arm through Regulus’ and guiding them both through the party. It didn’t take long to spot a brooding Evan smoking by a window. Pandora rushed over to him in an instant, pulling him into their embrace.
“Ev, you okay?” They whispered to him.
“Yeah, just tired.” Evan lied.
“Dora,” Regulus didn’t say anything else, he didn’t need to, a silent understanding passed through them - ‘whatever you do, take care of him.’
“I’m going to go look for James, you guys go to the front to wait with the others.” Regulus spoke to Pandora.
“You don’t know where James is?” Evan asked.
“No but to be fair I haven’t looked yet. Plus I still have to find Amos and Elias.” Regulus sighed.
“Oh, Amos and Elias left together like, hours ago.” Evan shrugged like it was nothing, “And James is by the pool. That dude at the front door who let us in escorted him back there a few minutes ago.” Evan stated blankly.
“What? What the fuck happened?” Regulus probbed.
“Dunno, didn’t check.” Evan was clearly high.
“Useless, the lot of you.” Regulus grumbled, storming off to the back yard. The yard was virtually empty, a couple resided on a pool chair and another by a tree, the only other person there being James who sat cross legged by the pool. Regulus went and sat by him. “Hey, we’re leaving.”
James looked up at him with tears running down his face, the second he registered what was going on he plastered a fake smile on his face. “Oh, we are? So soon? Well, that was really fun.” James smiled.
“James, what’s wrong?” Regulus asked immediately.
“What? Nothings wrong, I’ve had the time of my life.” He lied.
“I’m serious, what’s wrong.”
“You’re not Sirius.” James joked half heartedly.
“Jamie, what’s going on?” Regulus pressed.
“You called me Jamie again…” James looked stunned.
“That doesn’t matter right now-”
“It does to me.” James mumbled.
“...Okay, it really matters?” James nodded, “Then yes, I called you Jamie. I like it, do you?”
“Yeah… but only when you do it. Lily, Mary and Marlene call me by it sometimes… I don’t want them to anymore.” James fiddled with his shirt sleeve, Regulus then noticed how much he was shaking.
“James… you’re shaking.” Regulus hesitantly put his hand on James’, unfurling it from his shirt sleeve. James gripped onto Regulus’ hand.
“It’s an earthquake, Reg.” James noted, tears welling in his eyes.
“No, you’re shaking. James, what’s going on?” Regulus asked, again.
“It’s just an earthquake… it’ll end soon… it has to because it’s been going on for 30 minutes-” James looked down at his watch, “38 minutes.”
“You’ve been like this for half an hour?”
“38 minutes.” James corrected.
“Jamie, please, please tell me what’s happening.” Regulus pleaded.
“With the Earth?” James looked at the pool with glassy unfocused eyes.
“With y-... Okay, with the Earth.” Regulus moved in closer to James, gripping his hand tighter.
“I don’t know, I’ve never been in one of these before.” James concluded.
“One of these?”
“An earthquake.”
“It’s not an ea- Well… normally it’s because of these things under the Earth’s surface, they call them Tectonic Plates.” Regulus’ mind began to fit some pieces together, “See, well, these plates, right? They are moving constantly, like always moving… and sometimes, well sometimes they get stuck. Sometimes they make the wrong move and things start to go sideways… eventually there's two or more plates stuck together but they’re still trying to move because they think they need to… and when there’s a lot of stress on the points they’re stuck at… well, earthquake.” Regulus explained.
“Definitely an earthquake.” James decided.
“Don’t you think it’d be so much easier if the plates just stopped moving?” Regulus prodded.
“No.”
“No?”
“They can’t do that, Reggie. You said they need to move, they can’t just stop, Reg.” James concluded.
“You can stop though… What's bothering you, James. It’s time to stop moving, just for now.” Regulus pressed his leg to James’.
“I can’t, someone needs to and no one else is, so I can’t.” James sniffled.
“How about I do it for a little while, I’ll keep everything moving and you tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Then the Earth will shake for you…”
“It always does.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Nothing is. Now, what’s wrong?” Regulus queried again.
“Reggie, I don’t wanna say. I think I need to keep it to myself for a while.”
“Fine, don’t tell me but... Can you please just talk to one of your friends? Please.” Regulus bargained.
“Then the Earth might shake for them.”
“I guarantee it already does.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Nothing is.”
James sniffled, causing Regulus to look up at him. He had tears cursing down his cheeks but his shaking had settled. Regulus wrapped his arm around James’ shoulder, pulling him down into Regulus’ embrace. They were in an awkward position, Regulus sitting cross legged next to the pool while James laid his head in the crook of Regulus’ neck. Regulus ran his fingers through James’ messy curls.
“You’re so lovely, Reggie.” James murmured. “You’re so, so lovely… sometimes it feels like you’re only lovely to me though… like you keep it all locked up for me… like you’re my lovely and no one else's.” James sniffled, “My lovely, lovely, Regulus.” James’ grip around him tightened.
“Je ne suis pas aussi bon que tu le dis. Mais tu penses que je suis... alors, je suppose que je te garde ma beauté.” Regulus whispered into his ear.
“Tell me what it means, Reggie.” James pressed himself closer into Regulus.
“I said… Well, I called you-...... I said; ‘I'm not as good as you say. But you think I am... so I guess I am keeping all my lovely for you.’” Regulus allowed himself to be honest, praying that James would forget it by tomorrow.
“कृपया अपना प्यार किसी और को न दें... कृपया, रेगी... कृपया, प्यारा।” James sang sweetly back.
“I told you what mine meant, tell me yours.” Regulus demanded but his lips were dipped in honey, he’d lost his bite to James Potter.
“‘Please don't give your lovely to anyone else. Please, Reggie. Please, Lovely.’” James’ voice didn’t lose its sweetness, everything he said held up.
“I won’t.” Regulus heard the words come out of his mouth before his mind could ragister what he was saying.
“Thank you, lovely.” James smiled right next to Regulus’ ear, driving him insane.
“We- we have to get going, James.” James didn’t budge, “Barty’s really drunk and I think Evan’s high… I wanna get them home. So, let’s get going, yeah?” Regulus nudged his head with his shoulder. James grumbled but let Regulus help him up. Regulus went to pull him along to the front but James held him back.
“Thank you. Seriously, I mean it. Thank you, lovely.” James pulled Regulus into his arms.
Regulus felt drunk.
—------------------------------------------------
James~
The Earth stopped shaking.
Funny how even the Earth abides by Regulus and his lovely caress.