Chapter 1
PART ONE: REGULUS
Regulus is standing at the entrance of the rink. His black skates tied perfectly, music playing in the background. He’s wearing comfortable clothes, not his uniform that he usually needs to wear to training. Just black, bendable pants and a dark green hoody.
The ice looks flawless. No scratches or powdered ice yet. Technically, the hall wouldn’t even be open yet but Regulus gets along with the young man who works here quite well. And as he needs to be in early on Fridays anyway (to sort and clean the rental skates), Regulus asked him if it would be alright with him if he came early once a week. The man, he already forgot his name, had just shrugged and said it’s completely fine as long as he wouldn’t bother him. Very relatable, Regulus thinks.
It’s a comparatively small building, when you put it next to the hall Regulus usually trains at, at least. There’s only this one rink. Hockey Teams train here, normally only amateurs or kids though. They also offer a few figure skating lessons for children here, but that’s about it. It’s perfect.
Perfect for Regulus to skate in peace. And with peace he means alone. And with alone he means without his mother.
Oh yes, his dear mother. Walburga Black. One of the world's best figure skaters at her time. Her career ended long before Regulus was even born though. Not due to her age, what you would assume, but because of a severe injury she suffered when she was still quite young, which affected her mobility permanently. That led to her being a bitter bitch, or at least Regulus supposes that’s the reason, since he refuses to believe people are just born that way. Or maybe they are, that would explain a lot of things for him actually.
The biggest difference between his mothers bitterness and his own though, is that Regulus deals with it on his own while Walburga tends to let it out on other people. Other people like her children, to be clear.
She has an unhealthy obsession with making her family follow her footsteps and have the career she never had the chance to finish. Narcissa and Bellatrix are already quite known and have won a few prizes as well but no one ever compared to Sirius.
His brother was on a good way to set a fucking world record and go down into history as the worlds best youth figure skater if he hadn’t left. The media loved him. He was in the newspaper and on TV countless times. Teens all over the world practically swooned over his mischievous grin, beautiful hair and godlike performances. So many people looked up to him. Wanted to be like him. Be with him.
Sirius always looked unreal when he was on the ice. You weren’t able to bring your gaze away from him, like he charmed you with some magic you couldn’t quite grasp or understand. He always looked like he loved it like nothing else in the world.
The only person who knew the truth was Regulus. And their mother, for that matter, but it's not like she cared about his feelings, or anyones. The truth is, Sirius never enjoyed figure skating. Despised it, to be completely honest.
Unlike Regulus. Regulus has loved the sport since the moment he stepped on the ice with his very first skates for the first time. He loves everything about it. The gracefulness and elegancy but also the difficulty and the effort you need to put in over and over again. The feeling he gets when he manages a new move after hours and days and weeks of trying and falling and getting up again, is addicting.
But Regulus never got supported like Sirius did.
Yes, he did attend lessons. Lots of lessons. But he never got the professional trainers, the most expensive equipment or the full and unrestricted attention of their mother. Worst part is, Sirius never even wanted all of that. He despised the constant training and pure pressure. He also grew to despise Walburga as he got older.
The thing is, at the time Regulus would’ve been more than happy to take Sirius´ place. To take the pressure off his brother and see him happy again, for one thing, but also because he really desperately wanted his mother to finally see him. To see that he’s got it in him. That he can be just as good as his older brother.
Well, be careful what you wish for.
Regulus shakes his head and steps onto the ice. Effortless and smooth he slides right to the middle of the rink. He only has an hour before it is rented out for some hockey team. He needs to enjoy this time to the fullest. He is so very grateful for this opportunity to skate in peace. Maybe that way his mother won’t be able to shred his love for this sport into tiny pieces. He doesn’t want to forget that it can be like this too. Beautiful and mesmerizing.
Regulus closes his eyes and focuses on the music. He breathes, slowly, feels the beat and starts skating. Without a practiced routine or choreography.
Just him, the music and the ice. He moves the way his body tells him to.
This. This right here, right now is where he feels the most free. The most himself. He wishes it could always be this way.
If only he could always feel this way.
PART TWO: JAMES
James whistles as he opens the trunk of his truck.
Well, technically it belongs to his dad but it has practically already been passed on to James, as much as he borrowed it recently. His dad doesn’t even use it so why shouldn’t he.
He definitely needs it to drive around the hockey gears and utensils of his entire team when they have a game. His team mates like to take advantage of him though and so he got two phone calls this morning, asking if he could pick them up and take them to practice.
James doesn't have a problem with that at all, he likes driving the truck as much as possible and he also enjoys getting up early. He likes the fresh morning air and just the feeling that being up before everyone else gives him, that he can't quite describe. It’s peaceful.
„James, stop it with the fucking whistling it’s seven in the goddamn morning.“
Well, usually.
„Come on Marls, breathe in the crisp morning air and smell the scent of an exceptionally good training coming towards us. Can’t you feel it?“ James calls to the backseat from behind, where Marlene, wrapped in the scarf with their team colors, still hasn’t moved.
„If crisp means fucking freezing, then yes, I can feel it James,“ she calls back. James smiles, reaches inside to grab the sticks and ruffles her hair in the same move.
Mary has now joined him and reaches for the sticks to help him carry everything. He gives her a thankful smile and reaches for the helmets instead. Mary knocks against Marlene's window as she goes by and gives her a stern look. Apparently that's all it needs because Marlene, although reluctantly, climbs out of the truck to help carry as well.
When they push the big front door open, James can’t help but grin.
Remus Lupin, who’s the son of the rink’s owner, sits behind the front desk, a blue rental skate in hand, looking even more tired than usual. „Remus, my man, how are you doing on this wonderful November morning?“ James half yells and beams at him. Remus rolls his eyes, but the small smile at the corner of his mouth doesn't escape James’ notice. „Morning James,“ he answers without quite looking up.
James already wants to walk past him to the changing rooms but then Remus frowns, takes a quick look at his watch and lifts his gaze. „Everything alright?“ James asks. Remus seems to think about whether he should tell him something or not. He seems to decide against it. „It’s way too early for that,“ he mutters under his breath, shaking his head. „Yeah, everything's fine, go on,“ he says, now addressed to James and devotes himself back to cleaning the skate in his hand.
James just shrugs and continues his way to the changing rooms. Mary and Marlene are already half changed. Frank, Gideon and Fabian apparently came in at the back door, because they're here as well. James greets them all and starts changing himself.
Just as he wants to go to the rink to prepare everything before the others are done, his phone rings.
„Where are you,“ a sleepy Sirius croaks into his ear as he picks up. „Good morning to you too, Pads.“ James says while putting on his helmet and Sirius on speaker. „Where are you?“ he asks now. James scoffs. „At practice, where do you think.“
A pause and some ruffling, then: „You're an hour too early.“
„Well, my dear Padfoot, how does the saying go? The early bird catches the worm? Anyway, is there anything else you need? I really need to prepare the rink for training,“ James says as he makes his way out of the changing rooms and towards the rink.
„Well, no,“ Sirius admits. „Oh! Does the cute guy with the curls still work there?“
„Yes, he still works here. If you'd be a bit more interested in my life you’d have the chance to see him more often. Maybe talk to him, get his num- woah.“ James halts. He just pushed through the door that leads to the rink and- wow.
„Prongs? Hello?“ James clears his throat and comes back to reality for a second. „Yeah, sorry, I really have to go, see you later,“ he quickly mutters before he hangs up.
He can’t bring his gaze away from the ice. He has never seen something as beautiful before.
The man on the rink is skating with his eyes closed, moving to the music like he’s never done anything else. James is absolutely dazed. He forgot what he was supposed to do, can't help but watch and watch and watch. The way this man moves is inhuman. James is convinced he is witnessing something supernatural here.
He is torn out of his trance when the music turns off abruptly and his brown eyes meet a pair of grey ones.