Chapter 9
"So you and my brother what's that about?"
"What's what about Pads?"
Jem didn't even glance up from his book, "Merlin! Prongs your little brother had been snogging my little brother!"
James ran into the room, "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"That you've been snogging Regulus Black?" Jem shrugged not really an answer either way and James tipped his head back with a laugh.
"You wouldn't with me but my brother?!"
"I don't kiss and tell unlike you idiots." A lazy grin tempting Sirius to groan dramatically and fall down onto Jem's lap.
"Please?"
"Not telling."
"No fun, who's everyone taking to the Yule Ball?"
"I'm not going."
"No! Jem you have to!"
"I can't." Business. A meeting.
- - -
"Merlin, is that Jem?" The two followed Barty's gaze, dressed in a dark green button up, sleeves rolled up to his elbows showing the dark mark, hair tied up in a complicated number of braids, ripped black jeans showing off the mountains and stars tattooed on his knees, black boots, jewelry and glitter decorated his exposed skin.
Regulus reached out tapping on his mind, eyes flitted around the room until he found the three. I'm a bloody dress up doll. It'll take hours to get this glitter out of my hair! An eye roll had Regulus smiling, No, don't smile! This is serious Reggie. Look at me!
"What is it?"
"He's very put off." Regulus answered Evan. "He's more worried about getting glitter out of his hair than the meeting which I suppose is a good thing."
A good thing?! I'm a guard dog he's using to hold up appearances. Hopefully he'll settle for making me play the entertainment for the night. I'm dressed for it.
"You can hear us?"
I'm pissed not deaf, don't worry if I wasn't an animagus I wouldn't be able to. He shifted his weight around slightly, the shirt half way undone slipping to reveal the lion on his shoulder.
"Isn't that my shirt?"
Isn't that my shirt? Yes it bloody is, he barely let me keep the lion, I don't think red and gold would've been my best choice tonight.
"Keep it what does that mean?"
You don't wanna know. The shirt slipped further as he walked revealing toned muscle and bright red, blood.
"You're bleeding." He glanced down at the shirt, bringing it back up over his shoulder and buttoning it up a few.
Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. Regulus bit back his reply as out came Voldemort. You know I swore to myself, in Paris, I wouldn't get on my knees for anyone. Now look at me. And he fell so gracefully too, Playing guard dog for someone that could kill us all. Very fun. Sit down and stop staring, also close your mouth you'll catch flies at this rate. Regulus snapped his jaw shut sitting down with Barty and Evan.
Not even bothering to say it out loud he just hoped whatever Jem was doing so he could talk to him was two way, I wouldn't mind seeing you on your knees more often. Though not in this setting, maybe a bedroom. The look he got in return was fantastic, a mix of disapproval and interest.
Well tonight might be more bearable than I thought. I wondered when you'd figure out the link. That...wasn't what I was expecting.
Too out of turn?
Merlin, no. Jem smiled ever so slightly before dropping his head, breaking off the eye contact.
Keep on the glitter when we get back.
Regulus how exactly do you expect me to explain this to your brother or mine?
You won't. Regulus didn't give any further explanation getting a confused glance before he shrugged. Standing up when told and nodding to something Regulus couldn't hear. What the hell are you doing? An almost lazy swing of Jem's hips was Regulus's answer before he was gone. Jem?
Relax. Nothing bad. Regulus's shoulders dropped, the reassurance clear enough. His exact words were; Make some noise. Which roughly translates to; play the distraction. He came back into view with a guitar a few minutes later and stretched out on one of the armchairs no longer at the table but significantly closer to Regulus as if it comforted Jem as much as the other three.
He hummed softly while absently plucking at the strings for a few minutes, "When I was a child, I heard voices. Some would sing and some would scream. You soon find you have few choices, I learned the voices died with me. When I was a child I'd sit for hours staring into open flame, something in it had a power, could barely tear my eyes away. All you have is your fire and the place you need to reach." Death eaters milled about and Jem had an almost dazed look in his eyes at he smiled lazily at the few who were brave enough to get close.
Jem you still with us? No answer, Regulus repeated the thought and then took him in a second time. He hadn't just come back with just the guitar but a glass with what could've been firewhiskey if it wasn't shimmering. Jem! Nothing not even a glance in their direction.
"Don't you ever tame your demon, but always keep 'em on a leash. When I was 14 my senses fooled me, thought gasoline was on my clothes. I knew that something would always rule me, I knew the scent was mine alone..." his voice was light and dipped in something that made it too alluring, all muscle and skill reduced to a play thing, who smiled and laughed at the ones who risked Voldemort's wrath to try and play with the wizard in the chair.
"Something's wrong with Jem," Evan whispered noticing it quickly after Regulus had.
"Don't you ever tame your demon, but always keep 'em on a leash. I thought it ended. When I knew love's perfect ache but my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my way..."
"Something's in the firewhiskey," Regulus answered just as quietly, immediately setting his glass down, watching the spell come to life in his own cup, the amber liquid shimmering.
"What do we do?"
"What can we do?" They glanced back at the chair but the man was gone, the guitar sitting there along with the glass.
Bastard, the word was slurred but there, Jem back in his head, the three glanced under the table when a dog laid down in front of them. Hurts to think, I'm scared Reg. A whisper of a thought before the link shut back down, Regulus meeting a wall of hard stone when he reached out. I wanna go home. Home. But they couldn't leave yet, it'd be a miracle if they could get Jem out, dog or man- fuck.
Voldemort walked in with Severus Snape. They were screwed, if he saw Jem and made the connection, this was all going to crumble. The dog as if sensing his unease whined slightly, Evan reached under the table, laying a hand on Jem's back, risking it to help comfort his friend.
It was gonna be okay. It had to be. He'd send for Lupin when the meeting was over, the only sensible one of his brother's friends, he'd know what to do. Hopefully.
They just had to make it through the night. Suddenly, Regulus wishes he was at that stupid Ball. Wishes he could hear Jem sing something that didn't quite go with the setting but got everyone moving and laughing none the less. He wanted to go and do something incredibly mundane as long as it wasn't here.
Another hour and they were home free. Just one. They could do this.