Late nights, astrology talks
The moon was a night away from being full, the stars were clear, though few; and every window at Hogwarts glistened bright with leaves of frozen dew.
James walked slowly with unsteady steps through the deserted corridor, wand in hand. After Remus informed him and Peter that he would assist a drunk Sirius, who had almost smashed his face trying to get down from the table he had been dancing on, back to their dorm, he felt a little bit discouraged and disappointed.
Looking back at his both hilarious and embarrassing serenade towards the red-head, he couldn't help but feel only a bit of shame. Of course, he wasn't embarrassed one bit. There was no such word as embarrassment in his vocabulary. He thought it'd be hilarious to sing a muggle song infront of an audience as a love declaration, and that he did. He didn't do it because, once more, he felt the need to confess his love to Lily, no. He had been over it. Merlin's sake, he knew were to draw the line and he also knew of boundaries.
Other than that, the party turned out to be a complete disaster. Two underage Slytherin students managed to disarm the age restriction charm for the liquors and were able to sneak out alcohol. Meaning; they all got pretty wasted and caused great trouble.
James didn't know how McGonagall was to handle the aftermath of underage wizards drinking, and he only trembled in fear from the thought.
It had been about half an hour since he had gotten out of the Gryffindor common room and made his way to the astronomy tower. Not being able to ignore the feeling of alcohol running wild in the veins of his body in a way that made his heart flutter and his cheeks warm up, he unbuttoned his shirt, a gesture that received a questioning look from Mary, and got out as quickly as possible. He couldn't stay in the room for a minute longer, he was losing his marbles.
He deeply regretted not accepting Peter's charmed glass of water, a silly attempt to sober up. Now, he was slouching up the stairs of the astronomy tower, muttering drunken words to himself.
Reaching for the door's handle, he scanned the silence, and after making sure no one was behind him, he opened the door.
Though when he did, his whole body went numb as his eyes striked wide with surprise with the sudden and.. unexpected view in front of him.
There was, Regulus Black, feet over the railing of the astronomy tower whilst gazing and smiling at the night sky above.
James studied how the boy smiled stupidly at the night sky. At how the moonlight bathed him and lightened up his face. At how his cheeks were painted with a warm color that went well with his pale skin. Lastly, he gaped at how his dark, silky, curly hair blended in with the darkness of the shadows. One could say that Regulus was the epitome of 'aristocratic elegance' that, unironically, reflected upon his personality.
James quietly shut the door behind him, not wanting to disturb the boy with ethereal beauty.
“Never knew the stars were so close to us. I wonder if any wizard had ever been to space.”
The young slytherin felt his blood run cold from the surprising encounter. Still in shock, he turned his head to face the person whose voice could recognize anywhere. There he was, James sodding Potter, standing with all his might and glory and... an unbuttoned shirt followed by rosy cheeks and foggy, askew glasses, that almost made him look scandalous. Almost.
“Potter,” Regulus whispers at him accusingly, sounding out of breathe. “Only you would be daft enough to believe such nonsense.”
Ignoring the other's insult, James shruged and stepped closer to the railing. “May I?” he asked, gesturing the empty space next to Regulus. The younger only took a second to consider, before visibly rolling his eyes in what seemed to be annoyance and nodded at him. “Had to get some fresh air.”
Regulus snorted and moved his gaze back to the sky once the older was seated.“The humiliating seranade taking the air off of you?”
It was almost as he could see from his peripheral vision, James' mouth hanging open and cheeks glowing even redder. “You uhm—you saw that?”
“Unfortunately, listened aswell. A warning wouldn't hurt next time. Had I known there'd be karaoke tonight, I would've never set foot in there.”
James let out a breathy laugh and shook his head dismissively. “I think the choice of song was not of her liking. Maybe if I sang—”
“You think? Salazar and Morgana both, you really can't take a hint, can you?” Regulus exclaimed, getting annoyed by the topic of conversation that's brought upon them.
“Woah, no need to be so rude, Petit Black. Lily's into me, she's just too stubborn to admit it.. yet.”
The boy snorted, “Keep thinking that way and before you know it, my brother's going to settle down sooner than you.”
“Nah, he's too much of a hoe for that.”
Regulus' eyebrows twitch in interest, “Runs in the family.”
James instantly choked on his own spit, not expecting a word such filthy and vulgar as 'hoe' would ever be vocalize by the quiet, introverted, goody two-shoes slytherin. He really tried hard to shake it off his head, before his mind started to imagine the unimaginable.
It turned out he didn't need to think for long, Regulus sensing his thoughts and opening his mouth to speak.
“We can see Sirius from here.”
“Sorry?”
“Sirius. The brightest star there is in Canis Major” he repeats, this time quite bitterly. He raises his right hand and points at the sky, signaling for James to follow the direction he's pointing at.
“Oh, I can see him!” he exclaims with enthusiasm.
Regulus' lips tip to a smile, seconds before his gaze turns serious again.
“Has he told you about this? About the star he's named after? About the constellations?”
“I'm not sure.. He doesn't talk much about your family's.. traditions. We—I don't know much myself, except from the importance of blood-purity part..”
A sigh he didn't know he was holding escaped Regulusʼ lips. Of course, he knew that his own brother, since a very young age, had despised their family and their family's traditions specifically. After being sorted into Gryffindor, his name lost it's worth. The moment he declared his hatred towards the House of Black, was the moment he lost the title of Heir. What had him blasted off the family tree, though, was his friendly encounters with muggleborns and running away from home.
James felt his stomach churning. He could feel the anger boil in his blood, his mind suddenly becoming foggy from the overwhelming thoughts. “So what if your family didn't want Sirius or if they thought he was worthless? At least, now he has friends who appreciate him and love him for who he is!”
“Wow, how touching, shiver me timbers. A thoughtful friend you are, James Potter, looking after the pathetic and the weak.”
“Hmph.”
“It's not that simple. There's at least one disowned Black in each generation. One black sheep. Except the generation of Cygnus the first, Arcturus the first and Misapinoa. Marius was a squib, therefore not a Black. Phineas also got disowned, for supporting Muggle rights..” he exchanged an uncertain look with James and sighed once more. “It's always been like that.”
“Only men?”
“Women too, of course. Mostly for marrying Muggles, like my aunt Andromeda or Cedrella Black. It cancels the whole point; inbreeding.”
James tried to keep a calculated expression, he truly did. But all the blood-purity talk, the inbreeding tradition that was followed by most pureblood wizards like himself, got to him like a sharp arrow to the heart.
“A great and dammed gift it is— to be named after the great. I can't but envy those named after the Greeks.” Regulus mumbled quietly, though James managed to hear him loud and crystal clear. “Sure, stars are great, but not greater than Achilles. Or Odysseus. Or Perseus. Or Theseus..”
James frowned at that, not being able to understand the worth of names. Why did it matter if once was named after a star or a Greek hero? As long as the personʼs morals were right..
“Surely, being named after the brightest star in the Leo constellation can't be that bad, acuitance.” he said teasingly, in an attempt to lighten up the mood.
“You know about the Leo constellation?” Regulus flushed red and gaped at the other.
James shrugged it off, “I know this much. Always knew you were a Gryffindor deep down.”
Regulus scoffed and turned his head to give the older one his best deadly stare. Realizing that'd just make the other want to wind him up more, he returned his gaze to the sky.
“See those stars over there? The ones that create a y?” He asks, scooting closer to James so that their shoulders and heads touch. Raising his hand and pointing with his finger once more, he continues speaking.
“That's the Virgo constellation, did you know that aswell?”
James suddenly feels very tingly, and surprisingly the cause isn't the alcohol. “Er—No, no I did not.”
“Do you want me to tell you?” he whispered, hot air blowing almost directly to Jamesʼ ear.
“Tell me.” the other boy mutters instantly, sounding out of breath.
Regulus side eyes him quickly, making sure he's actually paying attention, then returns his eyes back to the sky. “His name was Ampelos, and he was a beautiful young boy who became one of Dionysus' most beloved ones.”
“The moment Dionysus saw him, he was entrapped by his beauty, his grace and his kind spirit. He gave him the choice to be loved by him, and Ampelos obviously agreed. The two bonded instantly and spent as much time as they could together in the fields, rivers, and sacred lands.”
“But something happened, didn't it? It always does—”
Regulus takes a moment to nod and then lets out a long and contempted sigh. “They were picking fruits. Ampelos had climbed too high on the ladder to reach a few grapes. His foot climbed higher and when he tried to step—he slipped—which sent him into the ground.”
James gasps and croaks, “But isn't Dionysus a God? Couldn't he like—I don't know—heal him or bring him back from the dead?”
“He had no healing abilities, nor the power to arise the dead. He was the God of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness and wild frenz. He could do nothing.” Regulus, realizing the other getting upset by a mere myth, informs in a much softer voice. A tone that he usually kept reserved for Pandora or Barty, on bad days.
“That—”
“—sucks. I know. He was so distraught that he transformed Ampelos' body into the first grape vine, and made wine from his blood.”
“Oh, Merlin,” James lets out a strangled noise, choking onto his very own tears. Regulus looks at him unfazed.
“After mourning his dead lover, Dionysus lifts Ampelos' soul to the sky. There, he was turned into the Vindemitor constellation, where their love would live forever with the Gods..”
“What?! That's it? He just, what, accepts it and moves on?”
Regulus snickers and moves away from the older boy, stretching and yawning. And all of a sudden Regulus felt really tired. Like the world has drained him for everything that he had.
“Well, what sappy ending did you expect? Dionysus killing himself so that he can be with his mortal lover? Gods can't die” he serves nonchalantly, as a matter of fact.
James sits unmoving, gaze falling back into the dotted y in the sky. He gathers his hands to his face to wipe away the moisture from his eyes, not giving a sickle about Regulusʼ gaze that's been piercing his back.
He could feel rustling next to him and from the corner of his wet eye, he sees the younger boy finally rise up.
His eyes flicker up to the boy, then down to the empty bottle of firewhiskey on the ground. His eyes suddenly open wide at the realization. He could feel the alcohol exit his body right at that moment.
At first, Regulus looks at him in confusion. Then, he follows his gaze and, once he connects the dots, he smiles innocently.
“You—the age restriction charm—”
“Goodnight, Potter. I heard they're serving fruit for breakfast tomorrow morning. So, sleep well.”
Before James could protest any further, Regulus quickly opened the door and walked down the stairs, completely unbothered, leaving only James and an empty bottle of what had been firewhiskey, behind.
The next morning, when James walks to the Great Hall with an aching hangover and in need for breakfast, he feels his body experience a mental Petrificus Totalus. There, on the table before him, were large bowls filled with grapes to the brim.
His breathing staggers and his eyes flicker towards the Slytherin table, only to find Regulus Black already smirking at him.
Oh, and how he wanted to turn him into a vine.