March- 1973
Tuesday, 27 March, 1973
Regulus was determined to make today a good day. No, better than good— a great day. Today would be the best day he could possibly make it, and he was set on making it a fantastic day.
The universe, apparently, had other plans.
Regulus woke at his usual time. He fixed his bed and went to the bathroom to shower and get changed, taking far longer than he needed as to inconvenience the other boys. He checked his bag, making sure everything was in its proper place, then picked up Theodore before heading out for breakfast.
Narcissa greeted him kindly with a warm hug as he sat down, and that alone was enough to make him feel ten times lighter. There were times at Grimmauld where Regulus had convinced himself that no one remembered him at all and little gestures like these made him feel seen.
He had learned not to expect anything marvelous and so he never asked for it. Just simply acknowledging his existence would be enough for him.
Barty joined them soon after the Great Hall began to really fill up. Mornings were always a different story for him, as some days he would be exhausted and sleep all through breakfast and others he would be up even before Regulus and carried an unnatural giddiness to him. Today seemed to be more of a laid back kind of mood.
The boys played with Theodore, teasing him by dangling a strip of bacon above his head, and all was well until a very loud, obnoxious chorus started up from the entrance of the hall.
"Happy birthday to you!"
Regulus's eyes shoot up, quickly assessing what he sees. Sirius, Remus, and Peter are half-marching-half-skipping into the Great Hall single file, tiny party hats on each of their heads. Sirius leads the way, waving his arms in big circles to signal all remaining students to join their chant.
"Happy birthday to you!"
A surge of panic rushes through him and he feels his face heat up. He's never seen such a grand gesture before and he's not entirely sure how to react. A strange feeling starts to pull at his chest when suddenly all of it gets washed away as he watches the boys walk to the other side of the hall.
They close in near the end of the Gryffindor table, surrounding the fourth member of their group.
"Happy birthday dear James! Happy birthday to you!"
All three wands raise in the air, sending off red and gold sparks above their heads. The rest of the Gryffindor's go crazy, shouting and hollering and congratulating Potter on another year of life. Sirius takes out another party hat, pulling the elastic around the boy's chin as he places it on his head. James looks absolutely radiant, pulling his friends in for a long lasting embrace.
Regulus feels sick.
Rationally, he knows it's not literally his day. He knows that hundreds of people were born on this day. And he's never really had any special attachment to his birthday. Still, he can't help the jumble of feelings his body forces on him.
He thinks maybe if it wasn't James Potter. And maybe if their last Christmas had gone just a little better. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt as much.
But it is. And it didn't. So it does.
"I have to leave," he mutters, scooping Theodore up off the table.
"Where are you going?" Barty still appears slightly dazed from the excitement.
"Library."
"But we've got lessons in half an hour. Reg, wait!" He gathers up his things, shoving another piece of toast into his mouth before chasing after his friend.
Regulus doesn't go to the library. He's not even sure why he said that, it was just the first place he could think of and he didn't expect anyone to follow him there. He should've known better.
Barty catches up halfway down to the dungeons. "You do realize the library is the other direction, right?"
"Merlin, Barty, do you ever stop talking?"
"Don't blame me!" He holds his hands up in mock innocence. "You're the one who stormed out for no bloody reason."
Regulus gives an exaggerated groan, stomping the rest of the way down the stairs.
When they're inside the common room he lets Theodore go, the cat going over to lay in front of the fireplace. Regulus sighs and throws himself down on the couch, hands coming up to hide his face.
Barty manages to hold back his prying for ten seconds, a new record.
"You gonna tell me what that was all about?"
Regulus slides his hands down his face, rolling his eyes, before crossing his arms over his chest. Gods, he's acting like a toddler. "It's my birthday today."
That information sits between them for a while.
"Alright," Barty draws out, then pauses for a second. "Yeah, nope, still don't get it."
Regulus is ready to throw a tantrum.
"It's my birthday!" he yells. "It's my birthday and it's been my birthday the past twelve years and now James Potter comes along and of course he has to have the same exact birthday as me, so now..." He takes a deep breath, settling deeper into the couch. "Now it's his birthday."
Barty thinks, rocking his head back and forth. "Well, technically it was his birthday first."
"But I had Sirius first."
Regulus cringes at the sound of his own voice, petulant and whiny. If Bellatrix were here she would most likely mimic him, her high pitched laugh sharp in his ears.
It goes quiet and for a moment Regulus thinks Barty managed to slip out when suddenly a set of hands are placed directly behind him on the edge of the couch. Barty hoists himself up, swinging one leg over Regulus's shoulder and then the other.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Regulus tries to wiggle away but Barty holds him steady. His seating choice gives the impression that he's never seen a couch before and has no idea how to use it.
"You don't need no dumb Gryffindor's, Baby Black! From now on, you've got me."
Regulus sneers but doesn't say anything.
He thinks about Sirius, and how in his first year he had said James was like a brother to him. Regulus had tried so hard not to be jealous but now it was impossible. And how could he not be? Sirius said it himself, he saw Regulus as a coward, and who in their right mind would want a coward as a brother.
Fine. If Sirius could run off and find himself a new brother, so could Regulus.
He tilts his head back so that it's resting in Barty's lap. Barty looks down at him, face upside down.
"I'm really stuck with you, aren't I?"
"Like glue. Now," Barty pushes Regulus forward. He leans to his side, falling down to sit on the couch next to him. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in extending this pity party till the end of class?"
He laughs. "In your dreams. Come on, Teddy."
Regulus leaves Barty on the couch, ignoring the complaints being shouted at him as he heads back to their dormitory, Theodore following closely.
——————
The rest of the day went smoothly for the most part. Regulus attended all his classes, much to Barty's disapproval, and kept to himself much of the time.
There had been a slight bump in the road when it came to potions, though.
All throughout the lesson, Regulus could feel his brothers eyes on him from across the room. Sirius tried to catch his gaze every time he looked up but Regulus would quickly turn away or pretend to busy himself with his ingredients. On top of that, James had managed to snag the seat directly behind him, and so every few seconds Regulus received a sharp poke in his back to try and get his attention.
At one point, he looked down to see a folded up piece of paper had landed on their table.
"Give it up, Potter. I dinnae want anything to do with you," Lily had scolded as she snatched up the note.
"I'm flattered, Evans. Truly. But it wasn't for you."
"Oh..."
Lily's face had turned a faint pink as she handed the paper to Regulus. He took it cautiously, turning to look behind him.
James sat with his hands folded politely on the desk, leaning forward far enough that he rose out of his seat a little. When he made eye contact with Regulus he gave him a gigantic smile. He pointed at the note and nodded.
Regulus had stuffed the paper into his pocket, ignoring it for the rest of class.
He went to the library during lunch. He didn't consider it running away from the problem, he just didn't want to subject himself to more of the marauders' awful singing. And plus he was being productive and getting his transfiguration work done early. A whole week early, as they had been given the assignment that morning.
Nothing much exciting happened after that. He took notes in History of Magic, labelled plant diagrams in Herbology, and raced the platinum haired girl around the quidditch pitch as usual. He spent dinner in the dorm room reading and playing with Theodore, and when the other Slytherin boys made their way up to the room he was already in bed with the curtains drawn. He listened to them shift around outside and get settled for a long time before everything finally went quiet and he allowed himself to drift off.
A few hours later, Regulus finds himself being shook vigorously in his sleep.
"Regulus! Get up, you prat!"
Opening his eyes, he sees the room is pitch black. The hands on his shoulders are relentless.
"Let's go!," the voice whispers. "We haven't got all night!"
"Bloody hell, Barty."
The shaking stops. "Oh, good, it worked. For a second I thought you'd gone and died."
"How the hell would I have died since you last spoke to me?"
"Dunno. Seems like something you'd do, though."
Regulus rolls his eyes knowing full well Barty can't see him. "What time is it?"
"How should I know?" He feels around in the bed and grabs Regulus's hands, pulling him out. "Come on. I've got something to show you."
Barty leads him down the stone steps to the common room, freezing cold against his bare feet. When they reach the bottom he skids to a stop, not fully believing what's in front of him.
Covering every table is a mountain of cupcakes, each one carefully and beautifully decorated with a swirl of rainbow icing and dotted with mini marshmallows. The ones on the coffee table in front of the couch have all been topped with red letters that when put together reads 'Happy Birthday Reg'.
"I had to wait till the common room was empty so technically it's past your birthday now, but it's the thought that counts."
Regulus is speechless. He looks up when Barty comes to his side, holding one last cupcake with a lit candle sticking out of it.
"Make a wish," he says, presenting it to Regulus.
Regulus reaches out slowly, taking the cupcake in his hand. He's so amazed by the simple act of kindness Barty has shown him he can barely form a coherent thought. All his brain can really think is when, how, and most importantly why? What had Regulus done to deserve something as nice as this?
Whatever it was, he knows he'd never take it back.
Regulus conjures up a wish, focuses on it with all his might, then closes his eyes and blows out the candle.