Chapter 2
Freshers week was easy.
He got a goodie bag with wristbands, maps, condoms, lists of societies, tea bags, protest flyers, takeaway menus, free stationery, and a few more teabags. His week was spent getting to know a few people in pubs each night, eating bad food, and stumbling through his first weeks worth of lessons with a hangover. The real university experience.
He didn’t see anyone he knew around campus, which he was thankful for. Sirius reached out at the start of his second week, telling him they should meet for dinner. It was no doubt Remus’ idea, but Regulus agreed. It didn’t happen. Sirius cancelled it twice before Regulus fully gave up on the idea.
His mother called him to congratulate him on starting his future, which he politely thanked her for before he hung up, thankful the conversation was over. She was paying his fees, that’s all he needed from her. Their small talk was strained, and painful.
The majority of his time was spent in class, though. He went to all his lectures and small group classes. He took notes, did all his readings, organised his thoughts, and managed to get his first essay in a week earlier than it needed to be. His evenings were spent teaching himself to cook new things before going out with his friends. Barty spent most evenings down the pub, so Regulus usually joined, staggering home around 1 am and falling into bed gracelessly. But the whole routine was tedious.
He hadn’t realised how tedious until he saw James.
His backpack, which usually held his books, was filled with his weekly shop. He held his books to his chest, one arm wrapped around them as his other hand dug into his pocket for his key. He didn’t even realise James was there until he jumped up from his spot on the floor, closing the book he’d been clutching so tightly. “Reggie! Want some help?” He rushed forward, pulling the books from his hands. Regulus let him.
“What are you doing here?” He questioned, finally grasping his key. He pulled it out of his pocket, jamming it into the lock. James followed him into his apartment, spinning around as he came through the door in an attempt to see everything.
“This place is nice! Spacious! Very you!” Regulus dropped his bag on the counter of his kitchen, unzipping it to pull out bread, noodles, microwave popcorn, a bar of chocolate, and two bags of Caesar salad mix. He was living off these ridiculous items, mourning the loss of his parent's house chef. James wasn’t watching him, though. He was still eyeing the four walls of his home.
His apartment was open-plan, his living room leading into his kitchen. His living room, along with his bedroom, had floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the town below. His apartment had once been a factory but had been turned into apartments a few years before. They were more expensive than most of the houses in town now. James raked his eyes over the bookshelves on either side of the tv in the living room, still clutching Regulus’ stack of textbooks.
‘Very you’ was really a codeword for spacious, and plain. There was a single photo on the mantle of him and Sirius, taken when they were much younger, and a few posters in his room of some bands, but apart from that there was nothing. Nothing personal was really on show apart from his books.
“What are you doing here?” He repeated the question, trying not to sound rude but not really succeeding. James looked back at him, finally, moving slowly towards him.
“Well, I haven’t seen you in a while,” James shrugged, watching Regulus put away his boring shop. “Thought you’d have come to visit by now. Or at least see Sirius.”
Regulus felt himself stiffen, turning his back as he put away his salad. “Sirius doesn’t want to see me.”
“That’s not true,” James defended.
“He rescheduled our dinner 3 times, James,” Regulus tried not to sound childish. But he sounded a bit too stroppy for his own good.
He turned back to James, watching as he slowly put the books on the counter across from him. “He said you pulled out..” He frowned as he said it, and Regulus hated the sight of it. James Potter had a face that deserved to wear a smile all the time.
“I didn’t,” Regulus sighed. James grimaced.
“Well,” he obviously decided moving on was his best bet. “Still thought I should come and see you. How’s it all been?”
“Fine,” Regulus nodded, trying to sound honest. “How’s Lily?”
He winced after a moment, suddenly concerned he’d used the wrong name, but James was nodding, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “She’s in Spain,” he shrugged. “Family wedding this weekend.” He had avoided the question of how she was, but Regulus nodded nonetheless. The insecure voice in his head wondered if her absence had been the reason James had paid him a visit.
“Still together, then?” He tried not to sound too strangely interested, but he was desperate to know.
“Mhm,” he nodded, offering a weak smile.
“That’s good,” Regulus nodded. He felt uncomfortable, all of a sudden, his hands feeling sweaty as he leaned them on the counter. “Well, I have an essay to do.”
“You should come over on Saturday! There’s a party!” James jumped at the thought.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he looked towards the window, awkwardly.
“No, please,” James said, his voice quieter. “It would be nice. Sirius might not even be there, and if he is, he’ll leave you alone. I promise.”
Regulus’ lips set into a line but he nodded finally. “Sure.”
“Great.”