Into the Ball
“Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed.”
The first thing Regulus noticed when walking into the ballroom was the people. He had never been a people person. Actually, he tended to stray very far away from groups of people. They often tended to make him claustrophobic and growing up, he had never been a fan of crowded places or small places. It was one of the reasons why his bedroom had so much room. Not because he wanted a large room, but because he felt too contained in the smaller room options he had been given.
He felt Barty’s hand disappear off his back which caused Regulus to stand up straighter. He looked over to Barty who already seemed to be scanning the sea of people in front of them.
“Are you going to be fine?” He questioned Regulus, keeping his voice quiet. It was almost as if he was making sure that nobody would overhear them. Though, that was highly unlikely due to the sheer amount of noise that lingered in the room. Voices bounced off the walls, ricocheting right back at one another in mere seconds.
Regulus nodded as if it was instinct.
“I’ll be fine,” He spoke up gruffly, “We’ll be in and out. I do not want to stay here longer than we need to.” He would not have minded staying there the whole night if it had not been for the run-in with an old acquaintance. Even if said acquaintance did not know who he was yet.
Barty shot him a wary look. A look that basically read, ‘I’m here if you need me.’ And Regulus knew that he was. Barty had been there for him in times when he could not be there for himself. Despite all the arguments they had, and despite how the taller boy got on his nerves quite often, he would not change it for the world. Not when Barty had been there longer than anyone else. He trusted the boy, and Regulus did not trust him easily.
“Alright,” The brown haired boy voiced out calmly. “You know how to find me if you need me then.” He finished off, using his elbow to nudge Regulus lightly. The touch made the hairs on Regulus’ arm stand up, and a flash of nerves ran through the smaller boy's body. Barty left soon after that, disappearing into the sea of people. He was anxious, whether or not he’d admit it.
Regulus Black was terrified despite knowing he would be okay. He would be okay, that’s what he kept telling himself. He had Barty alongside him, even if the other boy would be off in the crowd. He had someone to go to if things became too much.
Normally he would never be scared for a job. All of the assassinations he had been a part of always went flawlessly. There was little room for him to mess up in. Yet, walking into this kingdom and seeing the people made him wary. They all seemed like they would be able to tell, even if Regulus knew that was far from the truth. Despite the mask that sat uncomfortably on his face, he felt like the other royals were staring at him. It was as if they knew who he was. He would not be surprised if they did know. An heir to the Black Kingdom, a kingdom that held hatred and a kingdom that could not keep its allies. He knew people would be suspicious of him, even when he couldn’t be seen.
The prince of the kingdom was pretty. He looked smart, and he looked like he knew what he was doing. That was what Regulus had been able to pick up on during their short conversation at the entrance. He knew that the Lupin boy would be keeping an eye on him. He seemed to know what he was doing, like Regulus previously thought. He knew that there was a chance that the dark-haired boy would be suspicious of him. Regulus would be too if the roles were reversed. He came from a kingdom that few people liked due to the rumors that were held in their name.
Now, onto his guards.
Mary Macdonald. The curly-haired girl who had stood on the side of the Lupin boy. With chestnut-colored skin and tight black curls that framed her face perfectly. Despite the carefree sense she gave, Regulus knew he’d have to be careful around her. She seemed calculating in a way. He had picked up on her shy looks, and he had noticed how she scanned everyone at least once when they were talking. It was obvious to him that she was observing the way they moved as if it would be crucial information for later into the night. He could only hope it wouldn’t be.
Sirius Potter. Or as Regulus knew him, Sirius Black. The boy he had once been related to. Regulus would like to think he knew his older brother well, but in truth, he could not say. He had not seen or heard from, the other for some time now. The last letter he had received from Sirius was a bit before he had gotten his job as a guard Regulus presumed. Though he could only assume that because of the contents that were found in the letter. A letter he kept stored away in hopes that his brother would return one day. Yet, seeing him here now made a small thought run through his mind. Sirius had a new life.
But it was all the same. He could tell there were some large differences between them. She looked happier now. Her shoulders had been relaxed, and there was a small slouch that the raven-haired boy had picked up on. There was a spark in their eye that had not been there previously when Sirius lived back in their kingdom. Regulus knew though how strong he could be. Sirius was skilled, although not as skilled as him. They had been at one point, but not now. There was no way he was more skilled than Regulus found himself to be.
They had undergone the same training. And Regulus was forced to train harder once Sirius had left. It was as if they were pushing all their expectations on him now that she was no longer a Black family member. The thought of that though is what made Regulus’ stomach churn. He would have to keep an eye on his older sibling. If anyone could bust him, it would be her. If she remembered who he was after all. His brother wasn’t there for his transition. And as much as Regulus wanted Sirius to notice him, to still notice him as their brother, he knew he shouldn’t wish that. It would be better for his job if Sirius thought of him as just another prince from an entirely different kingdom across the country.
His eyes scanned over the crowd once more and he straightened out his shoulders. He had to mingle with people and start conversations that would be left unfinished. Remus Lupin would not be coming back inside until all the guests arrived, is what it seemed like. So he had some time to spare. He had time to get an understanding of his surroundings. He had time to make it seem like was a complete and totally normal person. Most importantly, he had time to hear the conversations about his kingdom float around.
Without much more thinking, Regulus pushed himself into the sea of people in hopes to strike up at least one conversation.
『-』
Remus was not someone who was classed as oblivious. He was smart and observant. He kept his eyes on things, even if there was no reason to. He was someone who enjoyed knowing what was happening around him, even if it was difficult to understand at times. The dark-skinned boy was curious, and he knew he would be keeping his eyes on certain people that night. That had been the main reason he wanted to stay at the main entrance greeting the guests. He wanted to know who he would have to keep his eyes on, and he wanted to know who he made sure to steer clear from.
The crowds of guests at the door seemed to die down after a rough thirty minutes after the supposed arrival time. He knew that meant that most of the guests had gotten there and that he would have to go in soon. A part of him did not want to. He did not know what to expect and he hated it. He was not prepared, even if he knew there was nothing he should be prepared for. It was just a masquerade ball. He just had to hold a few conversations, make a few allies, and so on and so forth. It was just like every other ball and dance that took place.
“Alright, Macdonald,” The royal boy spoke up, turning his gaze to the kinky-haired girl by his side. He saw the way she visibly perked, her eyes brightening as if she knew what he was going to say. “You can go and get ready.” He finished off. He wanted her to enjoy the night just like he would, as well as Sirius. If he could, he would let all the guards dress up and join in on the ball. However, he knew that could not be the case. They needed people in case anything were to happen. He didn’t mind if he had to be very wary that night. Kingdoms that he was uncomfortable with had come, and he needed to be wary.
“Thank you, Lupin!” She beamed, immediately surging forward to place a friendly kiss on the other boy's cheek. It was something friendly, nothing that meant anything. That was something they both knew. It was a friendly gesture they had picked up on after only a few months of being friends.
The girl didn’t hesitate as she backed away from the duo. “I’ll see you guys about then. If you need me- I’ll be dancing.” She told both Remus and Sirius. Before she could even hear their goodbyes, Mary was already moving back inside so that she could go get changed. Remus knew she would come out stunning once she did. One thing about Mary was that she seemed to need little time to get ready, and even with a few measly minutes, she would be getting stares from a multitude of royals that night.
“She seemed quite excited.” Sirius concluded, “I’m pretty sure you made her night allowing her to go and do her own thing.” They chuckled, cracking their fingers on habit. Remus nodded a bit at that, pushing some of his locks out of the way.
“She deserves to be happy. Especially on this night. It’s a night for everyone to be happy, I believe.” The prince pointed out, looking back into the building for a moment. He returned his gaze back toward the other guard not even a second later. “You’re welcome to join if you would like, like I already said, Sirius. I doubt you want to be in position all night, and I doubt my parents would say anything if they knew I let you.”
Remus’ parents were not that strict. They only were strict when they needed to be, which was rare. The people in the kingdom behaved well enough, and so did those who resided in the castle itself. So they were not strict. And if Sirius let them know that Remus had given him permission, he highly doubted there would be much of a problem. If there was a problem with it then Remus would be the one at fault and not Sirius. He rather it is himself anyways. However, two guards missing would most likely not be noticed. Especially since they were still there, but just dressed up instead of standing in an awkward position for a few lasting hours.
“I most likely will,” Sirius began, looking towards the party before dragging his attention back to Remus. “I want to stay on guard for another hour at least, just until the party fully kicks off. Then I’ll let myself join in, don’t want to accidentally get in trouble…if that’s alright that is?” Sirius suggested, kicking his foot against the ground. It was a sign that Remus had picked up on during the first few months that Sirius found himself staying in the castle. It was something the other boy did when he was overworking himself, but he knew there was no way to stop it.
Biting back a sigh, the prince just nodded in some sort of response. It took him a moment to get words out though to make up for the small bit of silence. “As long as you join within the hour then yes that is fine.” He finally responded. He watched as Sirius seemed to internally debate those words, and he resisted the urge to let out a small breath of relief when he saw the long-haired raven nod. He was grateful that she was going to be able to relax that night. He knew how often the guards worked, especially the guards he was friends with. He had to hear countless stories about their training, and there were times he stopped by the training rooms and training grounds to see what they were doing. They did not have it as easy as one may expect.
“Thank you, Remus.” She said with a small smile on her face. It was times like these that Remus could see past Sirius’ walls. Though, that may only be because he was quite good at reading people. He was quiet and observant when it came to other people. He enjoyed knowing what he was working with, so he had to be observant of those around him. Maybe he had grown close enough to Sirius to see through the walls that surrounded him. And there were a lot of walls that surrounded the Potter boy for reasons that Remus did not know, and for reasons he doubted he would be told.
“How many times have I told you that you do not need to thank me, Potter?” Remus chuckled softly, shaking his head a bit. He twisted the bracelet that sat wrapped around his wrist. It had been burned together instead of chained together, no way to remove it unless you broke it. Though, he doubted he would ever want to. The gold chain was simple and sleek, and it matched almost everything he wore. It also never got in the way. It was a perfect accessory in his mind.
“I can’t recall,” Sirius began, a grin forming on their face. “I don’t think you’ve ever told me that actually.” He continued on, a joking tone weaved between his words. It made a smile of amusement filter onto the prince's face and Remus shook his head fondly at the guard he called his best friend. “Though, even if you did tell me, I highly doubt I would remember. After all, I have so much knowledge I have to store somewhere.” She continued on, a laugh sounding from the raven.
Remus rolled his eyes dramatically, playing with the collar of his button-up now. He unfolded it, letting it sit up straight before folding it once more. Without much thinking, he repeated that action a few times over. He finally folded it down one last time before deciding to play with the crocheting that was done around his cane. Despite the conversation at hand, his mind was focusing on other things. There was a loose string on the patterned knit that sat over his cane. He would have to find someone to make him a new one soon.
“Mhm, well I’ll tell you until you remember then,” Remus finally began, looking at his cane now instead of Sirius. Despite the words coming from him, a part of him was still focused on the detailing. “You don’t need to thank me, even if you really feel like it's necessary. I doubt you will ever need to thank me.” He continued on. He brought his attention back to the other once more now, twirling the loose strand of string from the knitting idly.
He saw the look that Sirius gave him and he just smiled in return. He didn’t want people thanking him for quick and easy things, even if that person felt the need to. He had a lot of people who already thanked him for just being a prince, and a part of him was tired of it. “Whatever you want yourself to believe, princey.” Sirius commented, a small huff of amusement leaving him. “Now go enjoy the ball, your majesty.” He joked a bit, bowing playfully at the royal.
Remus smiled softly and nodded once more. “Alright, alright. I’ll be off now, but if you need me then you come to me, understood?” There was a warning tone in his voice, but they both knew he would not be mad if Sirius did not go to him. It was just how they communicated. Sirius did not say anything in return though. She only nodded before sweeping their arm out to motion Remus into the castle once more. The prince rolled his eyes in faint amusement, but he turned finally to step into the building once more.
As soon as Remus had set foot back into the building, his eyes looked around slowly. He scanned over the crowd of royals. Some were already dancing together, others seemed to be talking. Everyone stuck to the rule of wearing the mask, even if they muttered about how silly it was. There was always a masquerade ball, and royal families would have to get used to it. It was the better way to make alliances and form friendships. At least, that’s what Remus’ parents told him countless times he had asked. He had asked ever since he was old enough to attend the balls, which had been at a young age for him.
The dark-haired boy made his way calmly into the ballroom, tapping his cane against the floor as he walked. The pattern was rhythmic, tapping along to the music that floated through the room. The sound of flutes and baritones bounced to one wall before landing on another. The music circled the room, filling his hearing with the sound of songs that he had heard countless times. The slow, yet quick music of violinists sliding their bows against the strings is followed by the sliding sound of a trombone. These were songs that Remus had grown up listening to. His parents had a very common taste in music, and so the same songs tended to be on. The same genre never seemed to leave his ears and his brain.
He moved through the sea of people, smiling gently at those who nodded or smiled at him. It was a gesture of common courtesy. If someone greeted him, then he would greet them back. They all knew who he was seeing as he had been greeting them all at the entrance. Most would class that as unfair as it was meant to be a masquerade ball, but yet he did not see it like that. It was his kingdom after all. He had just been wanting to keep everyone safe, and what better way to do that than to greet everyone he could?
It felt like all eyes were on him as he walked forwards, and he would not be surprised if they were. He knew he would be the center of attention for some time. It would be hard not to be, at least that’s what he was thinking. In reality - he did not know what would happen that night. He could only hope some of the attention would be brought back off him. Having the attention on him from other royals made it feel like there was a heavy weight on his shoulders, a weight that he did not want to carry around all night.
And maybe he would not have to.