fade into you

A lose cigarette hung loosely from Regulus’s nimble fingers, the pale bone of his neck stretched out towards the blank sky above. The darkness of the sky captivated Regulus, engulfed him and manipulated his mind into a sense of security, the beyond holding secrets no man could ever come close to comprehending. He liked that about he sky. So free, a vast canvas painted by the billions of brightly radiating stars, surrounding themselves into the pitch black. Each star has a story.

Only a few days prior did Regulus and Sirius Black flee the most Noble and Ancient house of Black, after a screeching match between the beloved Walburga and Orion Black and their eldest son. Sirius was to engrave the dark mark onto his skin. They should have known their son would not have been interested in joining the Dark Lord ever since he had been appropriately placed in the house of Gryffindor during his first year at Hogwarts. Sirius had scrambled to his younger brothers room, covered in blood and tears, and had grabbed Regulus at once and weakly tugged on his arm, a silent plead for him to follow Sirius towards the fireplace.

“Reg, please…, we must leave now!” his scratched voice echoed into every nook and cranny of Regulus’s butchered room.

Regulus withdrew a short breath, terror flushed his pale face, “What do you mean leave? We can’t leave Sirius! Have you even thought about what that would mean?” he expressed earnestly, tucking a short strand of hair behind his ear.

Sirius shook his head, making him look as though he were insane, “There is no time for that Reggie… please just come with me.”

Regulus pulled back from his deathly grasp briskly, staring at Sirius as if he were mad. “And go where, Sirius?”

“James’s” , he had stated it as if it were a fact that James would let them stay at his house without questioning.

Before Regulus had a chance to reply, he was reaching over to a prehistoric jar of floo-powder, grabbing a handful and throwing both of them over and into the unhomely confines of the fireplace.
“The Potter Manor.”

Thinking back on that moment, Regulus does not regret it one bit, only a couple more days in that dreaded house would have surely made him lose his sanity, will to live and any sort of emotion that had been bestowed upon him. The Potter Manor was a truly beautiful abode, a landscape of impeccable charm , a place thought to only be envisioned through hundred year old books. A warm sense of pleasure soared its way through the home, but then again the Potter family was the same.

Fleamont Potter is an affectionate jolly man, usually seen clad in sandy slacks and pointed shoes alongside a sweater vest in a variety of colours. This was if he was not going to work, where he would wear his ministry robes and straight-faced manner, nothing compared to when he is surrounded by his family.

Euphemia Potter is a wonderful, warm-hearted woman in contrast to her being brave and bold being just like her son. Regulus normally saw her in pretty floral dresses, to match her considerate personality. Effie treated Regulus as if he was one of her own, and having a mother figure to him was an uncommon gesture that did not go unnoticed.

Regulus dangled his legs dangerously out of the guest bedroom of the Manor. It was nothing special, but still had the Potter touch to it, like many particular aspects of his life at the current moment.

“You alright?” A low voice suprised him, causing him to jolt out of pure shock, nearly knocking himself over onto the cream-ridden coloured carpets. Regulus looked up to find a smiling James Potter, dressed in his PJ’s of a dark burgundy colour and pink slippers to match.

“Careful, wouldn’t want you taking a tumble would we now.” James remarked, strolling over to where he regained his balance and was perched on the edge of the windowsill.

James took a seat beside Regulus, where they both sat staring out into nothing specific, an empty above sky for all to see.
After about 30 seconds of calm silence, James spoke up, “They’re bad for you you know.” Gesturing to the half- smoked cigarette placed carefully between his two fingers.

“I’m aware.” Regulus muttered in return, not too sure as to why the older boy was here and not in his own room to sleep.

James sensed the discomfort at once, but his curiosity got the best of him,
“Are you okay, Reg?” Regulus had not been expecting this question of all things the boy sat next to him could have asked.

Regulus shuffled uncomfortably beside him, the two so close now their thighs touched. It had been like this over the past few days, James would walk on eggshells around Regulus, knowing damn well he would walk through fire for the younger boy.

“M’fine.” Regulus mumbled, clearly not wanting the conversation to continue.The conversation stopped after he replied, James not wanting to push him into the deep end, or feel as though he is forced to answer the questions he query’s.

Regulus’s recently down mood had followed him through to the Potter Manor, he wasn’t sure why he felt the way he did, something constantly twisting and turning on the inside, making him feel like every day is a curse and not a blessing. It seemed like something out of a crappy romance novel, Regulus pondered, maybe the reason James was here was to save him from his immediate misery like a knight in shining armour has come to save the broken princess. But then again, those novels are a work of fiction. No one came to save the princess. The knight in shining armour does not exist.

After a couple more minutes of deafening silence, white noise of the birds tweeting their usual tune in the oncoming sunrise. It was Regulus’s turn to speak up now.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” it came out in a near to nothing whisper of noise, drifting out into the hollow sky.

James turned his head to face Regulus, staring at the perfect features that formed the curly head boys side profile, “Could ask you the same thing Reggie, you are a naughty boy for being up so late…..tut..tut…tut.” A small smirk played on his tan face, matching the small breath of laughter Regulus accidentally let out at James’s joke.

“Oh my Godric.”

The sudden change in manner caused Regulus to turn to James, and quickly put out his nearly distinguished cigarette out the window. As the smirk disappeared from his face and was replaced by a straight thin-lipped expression, the two boys stared, into one another’s eyes, a soft moment shared between themselves.

“You, Regulus Black, just laughed at one of my jokes.”James stated it proudly, holding his head up high before his famous Potter grin spread across his endearing features.

Regulus opened his mouth in shock, one eyebrow raised, looking a James in complete disbelief, “Did not!” he lamely retaliated, not accepting defeat just yet.

“Oh but you did, Reggie-pie.”

The shorter boy gasped in surprise, as James swooped him up into his arms, and tackled him down to the ground in one quick blow. He continuously tickled the squirming boy under his arms, who was desperately fighting back breaking out into loud fits of laughter. The sound of Regulus’s laughter acted as music to James’s ears, a sound he would do anything to hear for the rest of his life. Regulus had no chance of escaping James’s firm grip on him, which only tightened once James’s began straddling his lap to tickle him from a better angle.

A knock on the already open door disrupted the attack, as stood in the hallway from Regulus’s room stood Effie Potter in her floral nightgown. She was casually leaning against the door frame as if she had been standing their for hours. Both boys looked up to meet her eye.

“Everything alright in here? It’s nearly morning, have either of you slept?” she questioned sleepily, her calming voice dull with sleep.

James cleared his throat, whilst Regulus lay under him unmoving, not being able to form a sentence.

”Yeah everything’s great here mum, I was just about to head back to my room”

She eyed him warily, like she was trying work out if what he said was true. “Okay sweetie, everything okay Regulus?”

Regulus barely registered that she was talking to him, James’s weight above him, “Yeah, Great…thanks”

Her amused expression said everything they needed to know, as she closed the door on the two boys leaving them alone once again.

Their eyes met, and everything stopped. Regulus could feel James everywhere, from where his hands lay loosely on his lower hips where he finished tickling him, his legs straddling him, and his eyes burning their way through his, eating him out from the inside.

The split-second moment didn’t last too long, as James began shuffling off of him awkwardly and heading towards the door, leaving him laying on the floor propped up on his elbows. Regulus watched James reopen the door, muttering a simple ‘See you in the morning’ before closing the door after himself.

He felt himself physically blush as he climbed pathetically off of the floor and threw himself into the comfort of the cotton sheets provided for him. He would now have to wait for the sun to rise, knowing himself well enough that sleep with not be waiting for him for the next couple of hours.

The next morning did not come as quickly as he would have hoped, instead the hours seemed to elongate themselves just to make the morning somehow even more miserable for him. The embarrassment of the earlier moments between James and himself stuck with him as he lie there, staring up to the vacant ceiling, silently anticipating for the mattress to swallow him hole in one gulp, with nothing of him left on the surface. When that moment did not come, a wave of disappointment washed over Regulus. Perhaps he cared to much about the insignificant things that happened around him, for all he knew James could have forgotten it by now, and is sleeping complacently , tucked away into the confines of his bed dreaming about the world being a better place than it is.

Excepting that he would not fall asleep within the next 3 hours, he tentatively glanced over to the rustic clock that sat beside his bed frame, the time reading 6:34. Despite the urge to stay in the cozy bed provided for him, Regulus found himself dragging his aching limbs to approach the bathroom connected to his room. The over enthusiastic mirror told him all he needed to know, the appearance in the mirror reflecting his personal doubts and feelings.

Curly black hair strands poked out in every which way, even an attempt to sooth the out of control mop resting on his head somehow expanded it greatly. The drooped bags under his gunmetal grey eyes accentuated the exhaustion he felt wordlessly hauling his shoulders and arms to rest on the counter. Exceptionally pale skin could be seen poking out of the oversize navy jumper he had thrown on the day before. He was now thinner than he had ever been before, the unnatural scenery unsettling his stomach every now and then.

Hastily, he turned away from the mirror and strolled carelessly towards the window where he had been previously been earlier, and sat down on the white scarred ledge. The cigarette packet had emptied itself out, Regulus instantly remembering he would need but some more at the local muggle shop. Only a couple more hours to the sun rises, and the simulation of life can begin again.