ch.14
Barty and Evan had interrogated Regulus when he got back to his dorm that night. And were incredibly irritated that he wouldn’t tell them where he was, Regulus had just brushed it off casually, saying that they had just run into a few troublemakers and Filch had to get involved. It was clear that they didn’t believe him but they eventually dropped the subject and retired to their beds. Though the next morning Regulus and Evan regretted their decision to stay up as late as they had arguing.
“Get up,” Barty whined as he continued to poke Regulus on the shoulder. “Get upppppp.”
“Fuck off,” he swore into his pillow, trying to yank the comforter up further over his head.
“Evan!” he screeched, marching over to his boyfriend’s bed before yanking the covers clean off him. “You’ve got to get up! It’s nearly eleven and we still have to go into Hogsmead and find something to wear to the dance!”
“You sound like a teenage girl,” Evan muttered. “It’s like when Bea went through that phase when she had the biggest crush on this kid who lived next door a few summers ago.”
“I’m excited okay,” he complained, forcing Evan to sit up in bed. “I know it's not exactly a date or whatever but it's still fun to pretend it is.”
“You’re such a sappy romantic,” Regulus mumbled as he rolled over onto his elbow. The dorm was still dark thanks to the water obscuring their windows but even the sunbeams got in a bit at that time of day.
“Oh good, you’re up!” Barty popped up from Evan’s bed and proceeded to throw Regulus’ covers off him as well. “Let's get going you two!”
Evan groaned but pushed himself up and out of bed, whereas Regulus was too tired to even move from his place curled up in the middle of his mattress. Barty followed Evan into the bathroom to talk and Regulus finally managed to pull himself up, he knelt at the end of his bed and rummaged through the dresser for something to wear down to the village.
He settled for what he wore most days; a pair of slack and a simple button-down. He changed while Evan was still getting himself ready in the bathroom with Barty. He knew better than to knock and ask if they were almost done, he didn’t fancy walking into anything. Evan and Barty never did anything halfway, if they were dating they’d most certainly gone the whole nine yards already. Instead, Regulus pulled his book off the nightstand and flipped to where he’d left off.
He’d finished the first volume of Lord of the Rings before the Winter holiday, and even though he hadn’t exactly grasped the full idea he’d liked it enough to ask Barty for the second. He especially liked Legolas, though sometimes he found himself envisioning Lucius with the way he was described. He thought that James was a lot like Samwise, he was always trying to make others happy, and never gave up on those he loved - even when they were a bit of a bitch. He’d only gotten to the end of the first chapter when Evan and Barty finally vacated the bathroom looking flushed.
“Thanks for the silencing charm,” Regulus said as he walked past them and into the adjoining room to do his hair and brush his teeth. He saw Barty bury his face into Evan’s shoulder in embarrassment just as he closed the door, he didn’t think he’d ever get sick of teasing them.
…
Hogsmead was busy, everyone was out last minute shopping either for the dance or for their dates. The sweetshop had a line out the door and the clothing shop wasn’t much better. The crowd of people grabbing last-minute things was enough to make Regulus want to back out of his deal to go entirely.
Girls were fighting over dresses, and most boys were simply confused about how to pull off the dress code. Pandora had told them initially it would be black tie and the three boys wouldn’t need anything special for that considering their societal places. However, the official announcement told them that it would be a black tie with a twist. They were meant to incorporate either pink or red into their outfits to match the theme better, and though Barty probably already had something he could’ve gone in he still agreed to accompany Regulus and Evan to the village to pick something with a bit more color out.
Regulus wanted to go with red, mostly due to the fact he knew he’d be matching James to some extent, and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to pull off any kind of pink anyways. Barty had somehow convinced Evan to mix both colors and they were working on finding something suitable.
“What about this?” Barty held up a maroon silk shirt to Regulus.
“It’s not bad,” he shrugged. He almost laughed at how close it was to his favorite color if it had been one shade lighter it would’ve been perfect.
“You could wear it with the black pants that I love and maybe we could get you a more modern jacket? Your family is obsessed with all of the vintage shit.”
“Yeah alright. Do you know any color-altering charms?”
“I could probably achieve something of the sort yeah, why?”
“Just want to lighten it up a little,” he shrugged. “How’s Evan getting along?” He nodded over Barty’s shoulder where Evan was looking quite distraught with all of the options.
“He wants us to match,” Barty blushed slightly. “But it’s got to be discreet so that's a bit of a challenge. I don’t think he’s ever worn color apart from green and the occasional blue.”
Regulus snorted, “I think you’re probably right. Let’s go and give him an assist before he keels over yeah?”
“Yeah,” Barty laughed, walking over to Evan with Regulus in tow.
“I hate pink,” Evan complained. “Why can’t we all wear red?”
“Because,” Barty rolled his eyes, “you’ll look really fucking hot in pink. It’ll make your eyes stand out and it goes with your hair.”
“You’re infuriating,” he mumbled under his breath as he returned to flipping through the rack of reds and pinks.
Eventually, they settled on matching striped shirts. They were mostly black with alternating stripes of bright pink and red. They all decided to wear just plain black robes and trousers to let the color shine and so they purchased and left.
“Should we get food or wait until lunch at the castle?” Regulus asked no one in particular.
“We’ve got to meet Pandora, Dorcas, and Beatrice in two hours to start getting ready and with how busy the village is I think it’d be better to eat back home,” Evan replied, the way that ‘home’ just fell from his lips made Regulus smile. It was true, Hogwarts was all of their homes more than the places they spent their holidays.
Barty had a neglectful excuse for a father, and a drunken mother, Evan’s parents didn’t even remember his existence unless he was doing something wrong, and Regulus was just completely fucked in the family category.
“Oi! Regulus,” someone sneered from across the street.
“Go fuck yourself, Snape!” Evan called back, flicking his middle finger up at him and his goonies as they continued to walk.
“No need to be rude Rosier!” Avery spat as the group began to follow them.
“He told you to fuck off creeps,” Barty growled, darkness rolling into his eyes.
“Honestly you lot are pathetic,” Mulciber smirked, the three boys were surrounded and they instinctively moved closer together as they quickened their pace. None of them were liked by the older boys, especially since they’d taken Evan in earlier in the year and he’d gone and ditched them after Halloween.
“I thought I told you to leave me the hell alone Severus,” Regulus huffed as the older boy fell into line next to him.
“You did,” he shrugged. “But I thought maybe you’d be more willing to talk now after the holiday?”
“What would give you that idea?” Regulus challenged, turning to meet his eye.
“We’ve all heard the little rumors little Reggie,” the way that the name poured off of Mulciber’s lips made Regulus want to hit him. That was James’s name for him, and on occasion Evan and Barty’s, but he had no right to it.
“I’m not sure what rumors your referring to,” Regulus spat, he felt Evan reach into his pocket for his wand next to him. His friends tended to let him handle confrontations from the group when it concerned him.
“You’re the heir now aren’t you?” Snape questioned, Regulus nodded curtly in response. “Well, then you must be aware of what rumors circulate about a disowned heir and the process that allows a new one to be appointed.”
“I am,” he said shortly. “Though those rumors refer to an ancient, and may I mention banned method of magic. The title can be changed without the inhumane aspects of that ritual.”
“I’m sure it can be,” Snape leaned in closer to Regulus’ ear. “Though I think we both know that your family isn’t the type to change their ways simply because of a law.”
“You must be an idiot if you haven’t caught on at this point Severus,” Regulus growled, and almost on cue Barty and Evan draw their wands and shoved them into Mulciber and Avery’s throats. “I have no interest in speaking to you about my family. Nor about a business that wasn’t yours to mind. Now, I suggest you take your little minions and remove yourselves from my and my friend’s space before we decide that perhaps you don’t need the ability to speak for the next week.”
“This isn’t finished Black,” he spat, taking a step away before storming off back towards the village. Avery scrambled after him quickly and Mulciber a moment later, sending a glare towards the group one last time before hurrying to catch up with his companions.
“Salazar Reg,” Barty huffed. “What the hell did they want this time?”
“Ask Evan,” Regulus mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets and pressing on.
“Ev?”
“They want an in,” Evan sighed, not appreciating Regulus’ jab at his former choices.
“An in?” Barty raised a brow.
“They want me to put in a good word or whatever with the Dark Lord,” Regulus fell back and let his friends walk at his side again, letting go of the momentary anger towards Evan.
“Oh… I mean it's not like you are involved. You’re only sixteen, it’d be stupid for them to try and recruit a sixteen-year-old right?” Barty stumbled.
“It’s a bit different for some families,” Evan answered for him.
No one said anything after that. They finished their walk back to the castle in uncomfortable silence, it was hard for Barty to understand what position regulus was in, and what position Evan would find himself in eventually. And Regulus knew it wasn’t his fault but he still felt angry. Angry that Barty was allowed to be so innocent still. Angry that even at sixteen he was expected to join the war effort. Angry because he knew that Barty would follow him and Evan into the deep end of the war once he found out they were both being pulled in. He was just angry.
“Hey, guys!” Pandora waved from the Ravenclaw table as the boys walked into the great hall later that afternoon. They walked over and set down with the girls, filling their plates up - still not speaking directly to one another.
“How was Hogsmead?” Dorcas asked as she took a bite of her sandwich.
“Crazy,” Barty answered, obviously grateful for a buffer. “I mean who leaves their shopping until the last minute?”
“Us apparently,” Evan smirked.
“What’d you guys end up getting?” Pandor asked between sips of pumpkin juice.
“It's a surprise,” Barty shrugged, sneaking a smile Evan’s way as a peace offering.
“Oh I love surprises,” she beamed. “Is your sister joining us, Evan?”
“Yeah, she got asked by a few people but she wasn’t interested,” he laughed to himself.
“More like you haven’t let any guys near her all month,” Regulus rolled his eyes. He found it entertaining how protective Evan was over his sister, even though they only had a nine-and-a-half-month age gap and they’d ended up in the same year at school.
“She’s my baby sister!” he whined, “no one is ever going to be good enough for her.”
“Oh don’t be dramatic,” Dorcas scolded. “I’m sure if the right guy came around and asked her you’d be fine with it.”
“No I’m pretty sure if a fucking saint came and asked her out Evan would tell it to fuck right off,” Regulus laughed.
“She doesn’t even want anyone to ask her,” Evan defended. “She’s happy coming with us.”
“Well I’m happy she’s coming with us,” Pandora smiled, “I’ve never really gotten to know her before.”
“I think you’ll like her,” Barty said, “she's a lot like you.”
“She’s meaner,” Regulus remarked, taking another bite of his pie.
“Who’s meaner?” Bea appeared behind him.
Regulus choked on his water, “Merlin’s tits Bea!” he coughed.
The others burst out laughing and Barty scoot over across the table to make room for her.
“Oh did I tell you that I got asked out again?” She snorted, picking a strawberry off of Evan’s plate.
“Who?” Evan’s brows shot up.
“Fucking guess,” she smirked, “you’ll hate it.”
“Snape?” Barty asked, and Evan cringed.
“Nope.”
“Oh was it one of Regulus’ brother’s friends?” Pandora guessed.
“No, though that would have had an equally horrified reaction from my brother.”
“Was it that hot Hufflepuff boy in the year above mine? The quidditch player?” Dorcas laughed.
“Amos? The seventh year?” Bea raised a brow and Dorcas nodded excitedly. “Number one he’s far from attractive, and secondly no way.”
“He is too attractive!” Dorcas argued and Pandora gave her a skeptical look while patting her shoulder.
“Well considering your brother’s mortal enemy already asked you out I’ve got to go with option two and say, Avery?” Regulus asked, knowing that Evan had been complaining that Mulcber had had the audacity to ask Bea to the dance earlier that week. Though she’d just laughed in his face and told him to go and suck his own dick.
“There’s a reason you're the clever one Regulus,” she smiled and looked to Evan for his reaction.
“What the hell did you say?” He demanded, “because if it was any less humiliating than what you told Mulciber then I need to have a few words with him.”
“Oh trust me I handled myself perfectly,” she rolled her eyes. “Though I don’t think mum and dad will be overjoyed with the month's detention I received for slapping him.”
“You what?” the group chorused.
She just shrugged, picking up another piece of fruit from Evan's plate, “someone cover Evan’s ears for me real quick.” Barty clamped his hands over Evan’s head and she spoke quickly before he managed to pry them off.
“He tried to grab my arm and so I hit him once. He’s got the rest of the semester in detention thanks to McGonagall, she’s the best honestly.”
Evan got free only to hear the end of the statement.
“The fuck did he do to make you resort to violence?” he demanded.
“It's nothing Ev,” she insisted. “I handled it.”
“If he tried anything I’d kill him.”
“That’s why she won’t talk to you dude,” Dorcas pointed out. “Besides, we girls can stick up for ourselves can’t we?”
Bea smiled and gave her a high-five before turning back to her fruit.
“You’re a bad influence,” Evan pouted.
“Nope,” Dorcas countered, “you’re overprotective and need to chill out. Your sister is a total badass. Appreciate that.”
Evan shut up after that and Dorcas and Beatrice started talking with Pandora about their newts, while Barty comforted a sulking Evan. It was moments like this that made Regulus forget about all of his pain, moments where all the tension was gone, moments where he could be happy without the worry of something going wrong.
…
The great hall was decorated in red and pink, balloons floated around, and there were small tables set up around the hall with food and drinks set out. Couples littered the dancefloor and there were a few small groups of friends occupying the tables. Regulus immediately took notice of his brother and his friends lounging at a table near the back, none of them seemed to have dates though there were enough people that he couldn’t quite tell. James was alone though, laughing at something Pettigrew said.
“How did you get me here again?” Regulus groaned as his friends found a table close to the dancefloor.
“Because you wanted to prove you’re not boring,” Barty replied.
“Regulus isn’t boring!” Pandora exclaimed.
“Oh we know, this is just proof,” Evan smirked.
“You’re the one who called me boring in the first place,” Regulus grumbled.
“Oh drop it,” Dorcas commanded, “let's all have fun tonight! I heard some of the seventh years spiked the punch too.”
“If it isn’t I think I’d keel over on the dancefloor out of boredom.”
“Ugh,” Dorcas groaned, “okay let's spice things up a bit. Everyone here has to slow dance with someone tonight, preferably whoever you fancy but that's not a requirement.”
“Oh you’re on,” Barty smirked at Evan.
“Sounds fun,” Pandora and Bea nodded.
“Reg?” Dorcas looked his way.
“Oh alright, but I don’t exactly fancy anyone,” he lied.
“Just dance with anyone then,” she shrugged. “Maybe you’ll even meet someone.”
“Yeah maybe,” or maybe I’ve already met someone who makes the world feel brighter. Maybe I’ve met someone who makes me feel like the world is ours.
“Give me some of the punch Doe,” Bea reached for a cup from the center of the table, and Dorcas spooned a cup for her. Everyone else followed suit and raised their glasses together.
“Here’s to being single on Valentine's day,” Bea teased, her eyes set on Barty and her brother.
Regulus smiled at the thought. This was his first time not being alone for the holiday, typically he didn’t even pay attention to the day, he just let it pass like any other and avoided any romantic gestures that he could. But this year he had James, and sure they couldn’t dance together or be all sappy but he could at least say he wasn’t alone.
As they all took a sip of their drinks Regulus felt the familiar burn of alcohol as it slipped down his throat. “That's much better,” he smiled.
“That’s strong too,” Pandora laughed, “I’m glad we set an age limit.”
“Me too, watching a load of eleven and twelve-year-olds try to be romantic might make me physically sick,” Evan chuckled.
“I think it would make anyone sick,” Dorcas pointed out.
“Let's go dance,” Barty suggested, already grabbing Evan’s hand and Regulus’ wrist. Evan grabbed his sister and Regulus held onto Pandora and Dorcas as they snaked their way through the tables to the dance floor. There wasn’t any live music but the acoustics of the great hall was more than perfect. None of them knew the song but it wasn’t hard for his friends to fall into a rhythm of jumping and swaying to the beat. Regulus never liked dancing like that very much, it didn’t feel natural to him, but Bea and Dorcas grabbed his hands and forced him to move with the crowd. Eventually, the confidence from the alcohol kicked in and he eased into the movement more and more. They went back and forth to the table every once in a while to breathe and drink more, but the first time they all found themselves there at once was about two hours in and it was obvious they were all a bit tipsy. Regulus and Dorcas seemed the most stable, only teasing the line of influence while Barty, Evan, Pandora, and Beatrice had crossed it at various stages.
“Okay okay, who are you all going for tonight?” Bea asked, nibbling on the edge of a fairy cake.
“You all know Xenophilius Lovegood?” Pandora sighed dreamily, “I’m not sure what it is exactly but I think he’s the one you know?”
“I’m quite sure your parents would murder you,” Dorcas snorted.
“Considering I haven’t seen my death I’m sure I’ll be alright,” she laughed. “Besides he really is quite good-looking.”
“I suppose,” Dorcas scrunched her nose. “I think McKinnon’s way prettier though.”
“Marlene McKinnon?” Bea asked.
“Yeah,” Dorcas blushed. “I mean we’ve kind of been talking lately but I’m not sure if she thinks about me the same as I do her y’know?”
“Just ask her to dance,” Pandora shrugged. “That's the best way to tell no?”
“Wise words Pans,” she smiled.
Regulus glanced over at Barty and Evan who were discussing something quietly across the table.
“What about you guys?” Dorcas nodded over to the whispering boys.
“Well uh…” Barty looked up nervously. “Muffliato,” he muttered.
“Oh, shit,” realization washed over Regulus as he watched his two best friends grab one another’s hands.
“If anyone whos not in the circle finds out I will murder each and every one of you,” Evan threatened.
“Our lips are sealed we swear,” Bea smiled proudly at Evan.
“Evans-my-boyfriend,” Barty said quickly.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Pandora squealed, pulling them both into a tight hug.
“I know a spell so you can dance!” Dorcas jumped up and down excitedly. “It's just a basic privacy charm but I modified it so no one will want to look at you, and if they do your faces are just blurred and no one will know it's you.”
“Regulus have I ever told you how much I love you for introducing us to Dorcas?” Barty laughed as he beamed at the older girl.
“Once a slow song comes on I’ll cast it alright?”
They both nodded and thanked her profusely.
“Regulus said he didn’t fancy anyone, so what about you Bea?” Pandora asked. “Who do you want to dance with?”
“No one really,” she smiled slightly, Regulus could tell she was lying as she looked down at her shoes. “Oh, there’s a song! Go and get it, everyone,” she laughed.
Dorcas cast the spell and Barty and Evan ran off together, Pandora and Dorcas set off to find their respective partners and Regulus found himself alone with Beatrice.
“Why don’t you want to dance with someone Bea?” he asked gently as they watched everyone in the hall pair up and come together.
“Well,” she sighed, “I don’t think Evan quite understands yet. I mean he knows what I’m like but I don’t think he gets that it's not so easy for me to go and dance with whomever I want. Our parents have Andrew as their heir, and me as their perfect little business deal to be made, they don’t care as much about how Evan turns out. But if I were to go and dance with Vivian Aisling then I think they’d decide to homeschool me next year rather than face the embarrassment of having a lesbian daughter. And I know he wouldn’t mean to but Evan would probably be the reason they’d find out.”
“Vivian Aisling?” Regulus cocked his head, “that Hufflepuff girl with the pink streak in her hair?”
“Oh don’t be a judgemental asshole,” she scoffed.
“I’m not,” he threw his hands up in defense, “Evan wouldn’t care you know? I know sometimes he can be a bit…”
“A total dick,” she offered. “Yeah well, as much as I love him it’s sometimes hard for him to see what’s right in front of his face.”
“He’ll come around,” he smiled. “Want to dance?”
“So long as you’re up for facing my brother's wrath afterward then sure,” she smiled, taking his outstretched hand. Regulus lead her to the dancefloor and gently took her hand and waist. He wished he could be dancing with James, but Bea was a good second place. He’d always loved the girl, even when they’d just started Hogwarts and she refused to leave Evan’s side most days. Even as she’d grown up and apart from the boys, he always felt like part of him would be her big brother.
“So who do you fancy then?” She asked as they fell into a rhythm.
“I’ve told you I don’t have anyone,” Regulus rolled his eyes. He knew she would see through his lie but honestly, he didn’t care and knew she wouldn’t push it.
“You blush when you lie,” she laughed. “But if you insist then I suppose it must be true.”
“Aww you're cute,” Dorcas teased as they moved past one another. She looked perfect in Marlene’s arms, they complimented one another in every way possible. Dorcas was wearing a deep maroon dress that hugged her body and went right to her knees with a slit up the thigh, while Marlene wore a short hot pink dress with a deep V-neckline. Together they just fit.
He looked around to find Pandora and Xenophilius swaying at the edge of the group, oddly fitting together as perfectly as Dorcas and Marlene had. They both had fine blonde hair and wore loud colors and patterns that seemed to both clash together and fit at the same time.
He already knew what Barty and Evan looked like together, I mean even apart from the matching outfits they fit. Evan was the perfect compliment to Barty, Blonde hair and Brown hair, Blue eyes and Green eyes, Tall and not-so-tall.
“You still here?” Bea asked gently, squeezing his hand as the song began to close out slowly.
“Yeah,” he muttered, pulling his brain back to the moment.
“Let's go and regroup shall we?” she smiled, pulling him off the dance floor as another upbeat song started up.
Everyone trickled back to the table after saying their goodbyes and Dorcas poured everyone more punch.
“That was amazing!” Dorcas exclaimed, her cheeks hot with excitement. “Merlin she was so perfect. I mean that dress… wow.”
“You two looked perfect together,” Regulus smiled, his eyes unconsciously scanning the crowd for James.
“You and Xenophilius looked nice Pandora! I think he likes you,” Dorcas’ voice faded into the background as he found James near the door. Alone.
“Hey I’ll be back in a few I need to go get some air,” he murmured to no one in particular, making his way towards the doors.
James caught his eyes about halfway there, they widened as if to ask if he was meant to follow and regulus just gave a short nod upwards hoping he would catch on to what he’d meant.
He walked up towards the old tower quickly, making sure to leave the door open so when James came up a few minutes later he wasn’t locked out.
“Hey,” he smiled, closing the door softly behind him as he stepped into the space. Regulus’ eyes grazed over his body; he was in an outfit nearly identical to Regulus’ - his shirt was a bright pink though and he had a rose tucked into the pocket of his dress robes. Regulus had ditched his earlier that night and would have to trust that Evan or Barty would collect them for him.
“You look… wow…” Regulus stumbled, taking a step closer.
“You look wow too,” he smiled, closing the space between them with a soft kiss. “Happy valentines day Reggie.”
“Happy valentines day l’amour,” he smiled.
“I like your hair,” he commented, pushing a small curl out of Regulus’ face.
“I think yours looks stupid all jelled back,” he teased. Though he really didn’t like the way it looked. He was so used to the messy black hair that stuck up every-which-way that he wasn’t too fond of the smooth jelled hair he was sporting tonight.
“Meanie,” he shoved his arm playfully.
“James?”
“Yeah Reggie?” he cocked his head slightly.
“Do we fit?” He asked shakily.
“What do you mean?” James asked slowly.
“I mean I saw all these couples tonight and they just…. Well they fit, and I don’t know… maybe I want us to fit too you know?”
“What exactly does it mean for us to fit?”
“We should compliment one another I guess…” Regulus felt stupid saying it aloud. “I mean I think it should be enough to me that we accidentally came wearing almost the exact same thing tonight just in different colors. But I don’t know I just thought I’d ask.”
“Reggie…” James smiled. “We’re perfect. We fit together, whether or not it's in the same way that everyone else ‘fits’. Everyone else is boring anyways. I don’t want to be boring.”
“Me neither,” regulus chuckled.
“Good,” James smirked, pulling Regulus in again. Their lips crashed together and Regulus tasted the same thing as always; cherry and mint, and it was his favorite.