French Lessons pt. 2
Hours slid by, and Regulus found it surprisingly easy to talk to James. Once he learned how to tune out the stupid jokes he made every five minutes, he discovered James was surprisingly intelligent, even impressively so. The older boy quickly grasped the concepts Regulus explained, and though his French accent was absolutely atrocious, he was an excellent learner and seemed eager for whatever Regulus had to say, hanging on to his words with rapt attention. That in itself was at odds with the way James’s attention always seemed to be a million places at once, jumping from one thing to the next too fast for Regulus to keep track. All of this, however, disappeared whenever he and Regulus spoke. James devoted all his attention to Regulus in a way nobody had even spoken to him before. Regulus wanted to squirm under the intensity of his gaze, but he didn't find it such a bad thing.
After nearly two hours had passed of Regulus explaining various verbs and structures to a curious James, Regulus decided to teach him a few french incantations.
“In case you want to show off to your friends.” Regulus said with a smirk, pulling out his wand and facing James.
“I don't think it'll impress Sirius much, he speaks excellent French as well, I've been told.”
Regulus snorted. “Try not to believe everything he tells you. Sirius knows about as much French as you do. He gave up lessons when we were ten, and I don't think he remembers a single word.”
Regulus decided to omit how their mother had punished Sirius for weeks after he refused to speak French when he was ten, already a budding rebel. He vividly remembers being forced to speak only in French around the house for nearly a month, in his mothers last attempt to force Sirius into the language.
James, however, looked delighted.
‘That lying--I'll hold that over him forever.” Regulus laughed.
“Enjoy” he said. “You can show Sirius this--” he took a deep breath, brandished his wand, and shouted, “fiet glace”!
A jet of blue light shot from his wand and hit the floor with a crackling sound. Regulus watched James’s astounded expression, rather pleased, as ice spread across the floor, crawling all the way to James’s boots before stopping, leaving a slippery patch in the middle of the classroom.
“Was that French?” James said eagerly. “Can you teach it to me? Where'd you learn it?”
“That,” Regulus said pompously. “Was invented by the great wizard Jaques Allez in the 16th century, later validated by the International Wizarding Confederation in 1703. It is a complex spell that requires intense magical ability and a blood relation to Jaques Allez, who happens to be my great-great-great uncle.”
“Oh” James said, looking disappointed. “So I probably can't cast it then.”
“No,” Regulus replied formally. “Unfortunately you lack the ability to perform such a powerful spell”
James looked slightly insulted. “I could if I was related to the Jaques bloke” he said begrudgingly. “How do you know all that rubbish, anyway?”
Regulus burst out laughing.
“What?” James said. “It's not my fault you’re like a walking textbook”
“I was joking,” he said, grinning at a bewildered James.
“Wha--”
“I have no idea when that spell was invented.”
“So Jaques Allez isn't real?”
“He probably did exist,” Regulus shrugged. “But he didn't invent that spell and certainly isn't my great-great-great uncle.”
“So why--”
“Because the look on your face was absolutely hilarious” Regulus snickered. “Of course there's no spell that you have to be related to some French geezer to cast.”
“I dunno” James said, looking at Regulus suspiciously. “That seems like one of those crazy, pureblood things to do.”
Regulus paused. “Actually,” he said thoughtfully. “That's exactly something my mother would do.”
James laughed, but he couldn't miss the dark shadow that had passed over the older boy's face when he mentioned his mother. Sirius must have told him everything…Regulus shoved the feeling of betrayal away. He didn't want to let it pollute this good memory.
“Anyway,” Regulus said after a breath, “I can teach you the spell, it's pretty easy.”
James leapt off his desk, standing next to Regulus and mimicking his pose exactly. Regulus tried no to think about the warmth he could feel radiating off of James’s body, or the brush of his robes against Regulus’s arm.
“Ready?”
James nodded.
“The incantation is fiet glace. Raise your wand high, then whip it down and point at whatever you want to freeze.”
James nodded again, a look of intense concentration on his face.
“Okay” Regulus said, raising his wand. “One, two, th--”
Before he could reach three, the door to the classroom swung open with a bang. Regulus and James both spun around quickly to face an furious looking professor McGonagall.
“Proffesor--” James said immediately, but McGonagall cut him off.
“What are you two boys doing?” she said sharply. Her mouth was a thin line, her brows furrowed in a hawklike manner. Regulus suddenly understood her reputation for inspiring fear in students.
“Regulus was just teaching me some French…”
“French?” McGonagall asked, the fury not gone from her eye but flickering with confusion. “It's dinner time, you boys aren't allowed to be here after classes end.”
Regulus blinked, glancing at the clock on the wall. The time read half past seven. Had he been in this room with James all afternoon?
“I'm sorry professor” James tried again, giving McGonagall a sheepish grin. “I didn't know--”
“You knew plenty well, James.” the professor snapped. “I just don't think you are too bothered with rules, or following them.”
“But Slughorn said--”
“Professor Slughorn, Potter. I don't know what professor Slughorn said, but he certainly did not mandate the two of you being here during dinner time. You nearly gave the teachers a heart attack. With all that's been happening…”
She trailed off, suddenly looking much older than she was, and weary.
“No matter.” she continued after a pause. “You two better go back to the dining hall. I'll take points, of course. Ten from Gryffindor, and ten from…”
She looked at Regulus as if seeing him for the first time. Regulus shrank away from her fierce gaze.
“...Slytherin. A Black, I see. Well, it must run in the family.” McGonagall sighed. “I don't want either of you wandering around the school after classes again. Do you understand?”
Regulus quickly nodded his agreement, thoroughly intimidated by this small woman. Yet James appeared if he was on the verge of speech, and struggling hard not to say anything.
“James?” said McGonagall.
“I just think, Professor, that it is, ah, unfair, to take off points from our houses.”
“Oh?” McGonagall asked, arching her brows. “And why is that?”
James somehow managed to give McGonagall a smile of boyish charm, while also appearing humbly apologetic.
“You see, Professor, I convinced Regulus to spend so much of his hard earned free time tutoring me in French, so it seems unfair that he must be given points as well.”
“Mr. Black, I'm afraid, knew the school rules as well as you, Potter. It is admirable for you to try to save your friend, but he must take responsibility for himself.”
“It's really okay--” Regulus started, but James interrupted him.
“Of course, Professor. However, Regulus and I have already paid for our misbehavior, to a great extent. Dinner will end in about…ten minutes, if I am correct. Food is one of the greatest incentives you could offer to a teenage boy,” at this he gave Professor McGonagall a wink, who appeared as if was trying very hard not to roll her eyes. “and we are being deprived of it! Surely it is unnecessary to add points being taken to our punishment.”
“I think you will survive--”
“and think of Regulus! He is only in his first year, imagine the embarrassment he will face if he is the reason his house loses points.”
“You don't need to do this.” Regulus hissed, but James paid him no mind.
“I'm sure Mr. Black can deal with that himself” McGonagall said briskly.
“Come on, Professor, have some heart to two, hungry children. We have learned our lesson, haven't we, Reg?” James kicked him rather unnecessarily, and Regulus yelped out his agreement.
“Yes, won't be happening again.”
“Really, it would motivate future bad behavior to dock points” James said, splaying his hands out as if he were explaining something extremely reasonable. “Regulus and I, here, will be driven with the desire to gain the points back with academic excellence, and therefore further likely to skip mealtimes to study, furthering the cycle! You wouldn't want to place that burden on us, would you, Professor?”
McGonagall’s brows were so high they practically disappeared into her hairline.
“No,” she said slowly, “but…”
“Points needn’t be removed, surely you agree, Professor? Please?” said James before she could speak. James’s hazel eyes were wide and pleading, and Regulus had the sudden revelation that if he was on the receiving end of that look, he would find it very difficult to say no to this boy.
“well-I…fine. But return to your common rooms at once!” McGonagall snapped. “If I catch you two again, there will be no question about points.”
“Of course,” James said, bowing slightly and grabbing Regulus’s arm, pulling him with him as he moved towards the door. “That is quite fair of you, Professor. Holding up the ideals of Hogwarts, is what you’re doing, honestly.”
“Just get going, Potter” said McGonagall, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Without another word, James dragged Regulus out the door and into the hallway.
“Blimey, James, that was impressive!” Regulus grinned, shoving James’s arm playfully.
“Oh, it was nothing,” James said, but he looked rather pleased with himself. “I just thought getting ten points docked couldn't be too good for your reputation as the Slytherin Seeker.”
“Nah, I would have just blamed it on you.” replied Regulus lightly.
“Maybe I’ll go back to McGonagall--”
“You wouldn't have the guts,” Regulus laughed. James made a face as if he was terribly affronted.
“Well, I can't have you challenging my Gryffindor spirit” he said slyly. He turned around.
“MINNIE!” he shouted, hands cupped over his mouth. Regulus nearly bowled him over in his attempt to silence him.
“Shush!” Regulus whispered frantically, covering James’s mouth with one hand. James shrugged mischievously, giving Regulus a flirty wink. Regulus suddenly became aware of how close they were standing, Regulus on his tiptoes to reach James’s mouth, their faces only inches apart. James’s lips felt soft against his hand.
He leapt back quickly, putting several yards in between them.
“Let's go” he said, ignoring the confused look James on James’s face. “We’re going to miss dinner altogether as it is.”
“Ah, the tragedy” James sighed dramatically, catching up with Regulus and matching his quick pace.
The two of them walked in easy conversation to the entrance of the Great Hall. Students talked loudly inside, the roar of their voices echoing in the graceful arches and ceiling painted to mirror the night sky. Candlelight flickered around every table, filling the room with a golden glow that Regulus had begun to associate with Hogwarts, with home. James and Regulus stood at the entrance, two boys next to a thousand, listening to the sound of the laughter within. Regulus shifted, knowing he must go sit with the Slytherins but not knowing what to say to James, who was standing across from him equally as awkwardly. Regulus didn't feel uncomfortable, though, as he normally would with the silence between them. He felt like he had known James his entire life, that with him everything he did was okay.
“Well, bye” Regulus forced himself to say.
“Bye” James said, a strange look in his eyes. Silence stretched between them again. “Same time next week?” James said suddenly. “My French still needs a lot of improvement.”
Regulus hesitated.
“Sure,” he said, after a pause. “Same time next week.”
Without another word, he turned away from James and walked into the Great Hall, slipping into the mass of Slytherins and not looking back.