Regulus was pretty much done with humanity. Throughout his life he had gone through different names, Amor, Eros and, that horrible one associated with a flying baby, Cupid. Personally, he preferred Regulus, one he had adopted after several centuries on Earth, and had somehow ended as a star’s name. He didn’t mind sharing.
He’d seen many love stories come to life, being the one to give birth to them through different means and tactics. Sometimes they were long-lasting, beautiful creations, others resulted in horrible trainwrecks that he couldn’t be arsed to fix anymore. At first, when he was young and still believed he was special or something, he’d whined and suffered when his masterpieces were destroyed (be it cheating, death, or his fellow gods and goddesses fucking up), but after millennials of watching humanity tear itself apart, he didn’t mind that much, one less love story wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Tonight, however, was supposed to be a simple affair. He was always able to see two people were meant to be together a long time before they met, and he’d finally set the perfect encounter. His bow and arrow, both hidden in the shape of rings around his fingers, were ready to make love and passion derive. He waited by the bar, doing his best to look unapproachable (his good looks were a horrible disadvantage when trying to work) and sipping an Old Fashioned while he waited for the show to begin. Regulus checked his watch, a shiny silver, obnoxiously expensive thing because after years on Earth he’d become shallow, that told him he had 15 more minutes before getting to work.
The lights around the place dimmed and people instantly started shouting with excitement. On the far side of the room stood a small stage where several instruments laid, waiting for the infamous Marauders to play them. The indie band, which had launched into fame with a not-too-mediocre EP called Up to No Good, about a year before, were “returning to their roots” in a dingy London pub on a Friday night.
Regulus waited patiently, enjoying his not so bad drink and dreaming of going back to his peaceful flat in Islington. At 22:34, half an hour later than they were meant to come on stage, but right on time as Regulus had predicted it, the Marauders finally appeared.
Their frontman, James, or Jack, or Janice Potter, introduced the band with some cheesy remark about how much they missed home or something of the like. Soon after, they started playing. Regulus had to give them credit, they weren’t that bad, and that Potter fellow had a certain charm.
When his watch marked 22:50, he unsuspiciously transformed his rings into an actual bow and real arrows, invisible to the human eye. He raised it, still feeling a thrill run through his spine, and without a second hesitation shoot until the arrow stuck on the person’s heart. His satisfied smile only lasted a second before he realised, he had messed up. Fuck, he hated millennials and their social anxiety! He had shut the wrong person. Instead of the pretty redhead he was supposed to shoot, there stood a curly-haired man, who looked slightly out of place in his huge jacket and his nervous stare. Where was the redhead? He truly hated undecisive people. Lily Evans (someday—or now, never—Potter) was supposed to be there, but apparently, she had passed her ticket to her best friend, Remus Lupin. (Regulus knew this because Remus was meant to be Lily’s bridesman at her wedding, where he would finally declare his undying love to Sirius, James' best friend.) (He had really fucked up.)
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered under his breath. It was such a rookie mistake, and the stupid fog coming from the stage wasn’t helping him focus. Even gods needed glasses after a certain hour and he could feel a migraine starting.
In the spur of a moment, unwilling to leave poor Remus to die of a broken heart and unrequited love, Regulus raised his bow and an arrow flew until it hit Sirius Black in the centre of his chest, six months before it was meant to. The guitarist, who so far had been focused on his instrument and tumbling from C to Bb with steady fingers, stopped playing altogether and raised his head. As if an invisible thread united them, Remus and Sirius looked intensely at each other, until a huge smile illuminated the latter’s face and he threw a wink in Remus’ direction. James nudged his best friend unkindly after several seconds with the song lacking the guitar’s melody, and Sirius finally seemed to recover control over himself, not before noticing the adorable blush that stained Remus' cheeks even in the low lighting and the thick fog.
Only then was Regulus able to breathe peacefully again. He’d have to concoct a new plan to get James and Lily together, but at least he hadn’t fucked up both couples. Not yet at least, he thought. He walked among the fog towards Remus, because, if he was going to have to see this whole thing unfold, he might as well get front row seats.