Chapter 3
When Sirius met up with everyone on the train he was surprised. They had gotten one of the large compartments that could fit eight, instead of the six seater they normally got for the four of them and Sirius knew why when Lily, Dorcus and Marlene showed up.
What Sirius did notice was his ginger friend was carrying more books than necessary, and looked like she was drowning under the weight of them. Sirius, being the gentleman he is , immediately went to help her and was quickly followed by James.
“Do you ever think you go over the top with the amount of books you buy?” Sirius questioned cheekily.
Lily glared back and swatted at him with one of the books causing Sirius to jump out of his skin and raise his arms above his head in defense.
Everyone froze and stared at Sirius with mixes of shock and pity, “sorry,” he laughed awkwardly, “just a little jumpy.”
“These books are yours and James’s for the years coursework,” Lily explained as she handed one half of the bags to Sirius who accepted them gratefully and gave her a sideways hug.
“Was your summer alright?” Sirius asked Lily quietly now his mouth was by her ear. She nodded slightly, and gave him a questioning look, he tapped on her back twice. It was a signal they’d made up mid way through first year and it meant meet at the tower at eleven.
She nodded and walked off to sit next to Marlene which, coincidentally, meant she was also sat next to James Potter. Sirius was sure he was elated and didn’t plan that at all.
Once Sirius had put his new books away, Remus pulled him down so he sat sprawled over Remus’ lap. He didn’t mind, it meant he could press himself into Moony’s warm chest and be enveloped in the scent of petrichor and leathery books. The scent of Remus Lupin.
It was why Sirius frequently stole Remus’ jumpers. And Sirius knew from experience that Remus didn’t mind, not at all, if what his reaction to it suggested. And his reaction usually meant they got the dorms to themselves because the one time James walked in he went to the closet cleaning closet and grabbed bleach. Which ended up with James banned from cleaning supplies and he was given the lecture on why pouring bleach in your eyes was a bad idea and all the things that will happen if you do pour bleach in your eyes.
Sirius smiled fondly at the memory.
“What are you smiling about, love?” Remus asked as he ran his fingers through Sirius’ hair. Sirius leaned into the touch.
“When James walked in on us and then had to get the lecture on bleach.” Sirius replied on a giggle, and he sighed happily as he felt the deep rumble of Remus’ chest as he chuckled at the memory, before placing kissed down Sirius’ throat.
Sirius grabbed Remus’ hand and excused them both while dragging Remus out of the compartment. Sirius spun on his heel and bumped into a lean chest.
“Oof.” The chest grumbled. Sirius knew that grumble anywhere. Grey met grey as their gazes clashed. “You’re alive.” Regulus said seeming to deflate a bit in relief. Sirius took in his brother and the slight tinge of red under his brother’s eyes that showed he’d been crying and the cheek bones that stuck out as a result of not being fed properly.
Regulus grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him back into the compartment.
James eyes shot up as the compartment door reopened not even five minutes after it had last shut and was about to make a sarcastic comment when he saw him. He’d grown up since James last saw him. He held himself in an easily proud way and not the haughty way he used to. His arms were more filled out and his muscular legs stretched the fabric of his trousers taught. James was a sucker for legs. His hair was no longer slightly shaggy but now it was trimmed so it fell perfectly on his brow and around his face. Framing it like a frame might an art masterpiece. Regulus Black had gotten hot, James thought.
James had never thought about a guy like that. Well unless you count Moony, but everyone thought Moony was hot. It was just a fact of nature. Was James gay? No he couldn’t be, he had a huge raging crush on Lily, but Regulus looked almost god like and James wanted to leave a mark on his perfect neck to ruin his pulled together look and stake a claim. James looked from Lily to Regulus. They were both completely stunning and now James’s tongue had stopped working so he was just gawking between two very very hot people feeling more confused than ever.
Regulus walked into the compartment to have a more private conversation with his brother who he thought was dead less than five minutes ago.
He remembered the icy fear that struck his veins when he came down after the yelling had stopped and seen the blood all over the floorboards. There was more blood than Regulus had ever seen and Regulus had seen a lot of blood.
He had turned to his mother his face a mask of calm while inside it felt like he was running a marathon, and asked what had become of Sirius, and he remembered how his world shattered when she let out a cold laugh and said “we don’t have to worry about him now, he’s worm food.” And patted Regulus on the shoulder like that sentence would comfort him.
Something snapped in him then, a feral scream ripped from his throat and he fell to the floor as the weight of grief crushed him. Tears streamed from his eyes in rivers of moments stolen. His mother had snapped and backhanded him across the face and screamed about how Black’s didn’t cry and locked Regulus in his room for the week. Kreacher brought him leftovers but that wasn’t enough he has turned to skin stretched taunt over bones.
Without thinking about it now they weren’t going to be judged, Regulus flung his arms around Sirius in an embrace. The same way Sirius held him when he was scared of the dark when he was younger. Sirius his protector, here in the flesh, and not dead. “Never die on me again!” Regulus hissed.
“I- um- I thought you didn’t care about me.” Sirius chocked out as he clung to his brother just as tightly. “I missed you so, so much.”
Regulus pulled back and wiped his brother’s eyes, “I did care I just have better preservation skills than you and know when to keep my mouth shut. I’m sorry, I never should’ve pushed you away, I thought if you stopped taking hits for me you’d be safer.”
Sirius shook his head at his brother’s idea of logic and pulled him in for another hug before they both pulled themselves together and shot each other looks of disdain. It was good to be back.
Regulus swung his gaze around the room, it landed on the two girls making out in the corner of the room, the small boy who looked at Regulus like Regulus would curse him any second, landed on Sirius’ lover who he shared a brief nod with and then he saw them.
The two most beautiful humans he’d ever seen. The girl had a halo of fire in curls around her face and had beautiful green eyes and pouted lips. A deep red flushed her cheeks, she was flustered. She was beautiful. The boy beside her was oogling Regulus, his gaze trailing from his hair to his legs and back again and then it went to the girl sat beside him and he ran the same course on her. He was obviously confused on where he should look. Regulus reveled in it.
He let his gaze roam over the boys muscles and appreciated the hard planes of the quidditch player.
Lily was already flushed under the appreciated gaze of James Potter, but when Regulus Black came in and looked at her like she was a piece of artwork he could spend his life studying she flushed. Having two stunning men drown her in their attention was an experience at that and she couldn’t help but notice that they also looked at each other with the same kind of appreciation. These boys would be the death of her.
Sirius was completely disgusted. The sexual tension streaming from his brother and Lily and James was choking the air out of the room. He didn’t mind if they all got together, as long as he wasn’t in the room when they looked at each other like that. It was insufferable and it meant his brother was interested in things he shouldn’t be because in Sirius’s head he was still the little boy who needed to be sheltered from the dark.
Remus watched the room with amusement. Sirius’ disgust was clear as day and it made Remus extremely amused. If that’s what James, Lily and Regulus were in to them good on them.
“Regulus Black.” Regulus introduced himself to Lily with an outstretched hand, when Lily took it he brushed a soft kiss to her knuckles and shook James’s in greeting.
“Lily Evans” replied Lily breathlessly.
“Uh-James Potter,” James introduced after a beat.
If James was always this quiet and flushed around Regulus and Lily then Remus wasn’t against having both around at all times.
“Ah, Lily, I’ve heard lots of great things about you, although from all I’ve heard they left out how beautiful you truly are.” Regulus complimented in the way that got him whatever he wished. Sirius rolled his eyes playfully at his brother’s antics. “Sirius, in your letters you didn’t tell me that the James Potter was so well built and muscular.” Regulus chided.
Sirius scowled at Regulus before shooting James a playful smile, “that’s because when I was sending you letters you didn’t know you were into muscular men and James was a gangly limbed eleven year old.” Remus brushed his nose over the shell of Sirius’ ear in warning. “But next time I see a beautiful girl or muscular man I’ll make sure to send you pictures and a full description, your little highness.” Sirius teased.
“Shove off,” Regulus grumbled changing demeanor entirely as he turned to his brother, “or I’ll tell Remus all about the letters you used to send me and Andy about him.”
Sirius went rigid, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just remember I have things I can hold over you too.”
“You wish. Anyway since I said I wasn’t going to see my friends,” Regulus said the word friend with the amount of affection you would a piece of mud on the pavement, “I’ll just stay here with you guys.”
James and Lily nodded eagerly, Peter made a small nod, Remus agreed and Sirius shifted so some part of him brushed his brother at all points as if making sure he was there. Marlene and Dorcas were too in their own world to really notice anything else around them.
The rest of the ride was pleasant. Small conversations were held and Regulus really wasn’t what he was portrayed to be. Everyone had a nice enough time and Sirius promised Regulus he’d stay in touch and they’d meet up, now that the void between them had been closed up and they were back to annoying each other like all siblings should.