Chapter 22
It's been a few weeks since the incident at breakfast, and Regulus had not spoken to Evan since. It took him a while before he realized he may have blown it out of proportion and his mother may never find out about Evan's joke. But he was coming to bed late, spending most of his time in the library or the astronomy tower.
He was avoiding Evan -and Barty by association, but not Sirius, he was actually looking for him, yet he'd never seen him. Not during breakfast, in the library or on the Quidditch field and it's not like he hasn't trying to find him, he was looking. He'd seen Peter, Remus or some of the girl he had never learned the names of and James- oh he'd seen James. He'd been seeing James everywhere. Breakfast, the library AND the Quidditch field, well he has been looking for Sirius -so he was bound to find James by association, he just didn't think finding James would be so much easier.
James just had a certain aura to him. It seemed almost magnetic. He always had people around him. Usually some of the girls and Pete. What he had learned though out the weeks of not stalking James Potter was that he always had friends around. He had even learned some of the names.
When he thought about it it might have been a bit creepy if they noticed him basically staring at them everyday. No, it was normal, he has just keeping an eye out for Sirius. But he found himself growing more and more frustrated. It seemed as though Sirius was avoiding him, he couldn't find him anywhere, but he couldn't figure out why.
One day he was sitting in the library, doing his homework paying only half of his attention to it. The other half of his brain was focused on James Potter...again, he wasn't in the room, but he was in Regulus's mind. His freckles, his stupid glasses and stupid eyes. He will never get his homework done like that. He was playing with his quill, drawing stupid little flowers- Aconitum - to be exact, on his scroll, where his Charms homework was supposed to be.
When suddenly the chair opposite of him creaked "Hi! What are you drawing baby Black?" A blond girl sat there throwing her stuff on the ground without a single regard for her surroundings.
"It's a library." He spat back. "And call me that again and I'll rip out our vocal cords."
"Oh wow, you really your brothers brother, huh?" She smirked. "Mind if we join you?" She pointed towards two other girl, one of which he recognized as Lily Evans, the other as Mary -Mary something. "Girls- this is baby Black, baby Black this is Lily and Mary and I -Marlene."
Regulus was just seconds away from cursing Marlene, but he was cut off before he could mutter a single word. "Hi- I'm Lily." She smiled at him, dropping her books on the table.
"Regulus. I don't you even think about calling me baby Black." He growled at them. "I'm trying to study."
"Yeah- I don't think you are really studying are ya?" Marlene smirked at him.
He gave a snappy response. "How the fuck would you know."
"You-em- you have a-" Mary started. "Charms book open-" she avoided eye contact looking down at the table. "You're drawing Wolfsbane. I don't think that's Charms assignment." He smiled at him briefly before she opened her own book and started to read.
"Why are you here anyway?" Regulus asked.
"Well-" Marlene started. "We noticed you haven't spoken to well- anybody since that argument you had with Evan."She smirked." Aaaand- we've been hearing nothing but praise from our professors about the brilliant Black brother and we know it ain't Sirius so. Share your secrets, Black."1 She handed him her Defence against The Dark Arts text book with her homework about Inferni and necromancy.
"That's a nice compliment and all- but DATDA ain't really my thing. Ask Sirius." He smiled sarcastically as he handed the book back and completly ignored the rest of her statement. "He's better at that stuff."
"DATDA? I've never heard anyone say that." Lily laughed. "What's your thing, then?" She nudged him.
Regulus flinched. "Everything and anything. Mostly things that don't include wands."
This became a regular thing. Regulus, Mary, Lily and Marlene studying at the library nearly everyday. He grew to enjoy it, even looking forward to it. Regulus would have never admitted it to himself, but he enjoyed the company of the Gryffindors. He found out him and Mary had a lot common, they both loved Astronomy and Divination, he was determinate to teach Mary everything he could about the stars. Remus Lupin and Pandora sometimes joined them as well, studying long into the night or stopping by to say hi to their friends -Pandora just mostly to Mary. The two were friends for some reason. It blew Regulus's mind. The two were so different. But when he thought about it Mary was different from the rest- at least he thought so at first. He found out soon she was as loud as Marlene or Lily when she got comfortable. In fact, they were all very Gryffindor-y.
"All you you are incredibly annoying." Regulus rolled his eyes after Marlene complained about her assignment again. "Just do it. Xylomancy ain't that bad."
"You actually don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Black." she pointed a finger at him and smiled.
"Point it at me for any longer and i will cut it off." He smiled back.
"You know, it seems to me you'll all bark and no bite." Said Marlene teasingly.
Lily disrupted the bickering. "Speaking of biting, I'm so fucking hungry." She groaned and shut her book closed.
"Noted. We are leaving." Mary stood up so fast it made her head spin. "Next station. Dinner."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Marlene agreed and started to pack her things.
"You coming with us? Reg? Remus? James?" Asked Lily.
James answered for all of them. "Nah, we good."
Right. James Potter and Remus Lupin was here with them today. Remus wasn't so bad. He was quiet, smart, handsome. Fuck, he was handsome. Not as handsome as James, but damn that boy was pretty.
Marlene turned to him with a smirk. "You know, for a Slytherin, you're not so bad, baby Black."
Regulus raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."
"It's a compliment," Lily chimed in. "You've been hanging out with us and you haven't turned into a toad or tried to steal anything from us yet."
"Fuck you." Regulus couldn't help but chuckle. "But I'll take that as a compliment then."
"Oh- for sure do!" Marlene slammed her last book into her back, took Mary's hand and walked away, Lily followed close behind.
Regulus shook his head. He wasn't sure if he should believe their hospitality and friendliness. But why would be so friendly just to mess with him? Regulus just couldn't help but wonder if it was just a part of some sick prank.
"Hey, Reg." Remus spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "Penny for thoughts?"
Regulus nodded, trying to shake off his melancholy. "A what? I'm just thinking."
"About what?" James asked, looking up from his book. Damn those stupid eyes.
"Just stuff, nothing too serious. How is my brother anyways?" He nodded to Remus, avoiding James. He'd probably turn red the second their eyes would meet. And he didn't want to take that chance.
"Busy with detention, lying on his bed, studying and complaining about everything that comes his way. So everything as usual." Remus smirked.
"So he's fine?"
"Yeah. He's fine. I mean." Remus paused. "I mean- I guess I can tell you. He's... different. Ever since he came back from the holidays. I-I- mean can't explain how." Remus sighed, rubbing his hands together, he was flustered. Almost as if he was emberessed talking about Sirius.
"It's like it's him but something off, I can't put a finger on it, but..." James smiled at him, his hand reached for Regulus shoulder, gently squeezing it. "I know what you mean."
"Speaking of Sirius." Remus noticed something, he wasn't quite sure what, but took the hint and decided to leave. "I should, probably go check on him."
Remus left and so only the two of them were left. It was awkward, at least to Regulus. He didn't know what to do with his hand, eyes or anything.
James noticed the discomfort and tried to break the silence. "So, you're not so bad for a Slytherin, huh?"
Regulus rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face. "I guess not. You Gryffindors are alright too."
They fell into a comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Regulus couldn't help but sneak a few glances at James... again, studying the way his messy hair fell over his forehead, the way his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, the way his lips curved into a smile when he laughed. He was beautiful, in a way that made Regulus's heart ache.
"Hey, Reg." James's voice broke him out of his reverie. "You okay? You're staring."
Regulus felt his cheeks heat up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay." James smiled at him. "I like it when you look at me."
Regulus's heart skipped a beat. Did James just flirt with him? Or was he imagining things? He couldn't be sure. It could have been a set up.
"J-james-" Regulus decided to drop whatever none-sense he was about to blurt out.
James noticed the hesitation in Regulus's voice and immediately regretted his comment. "S-Sorry," he stuttered himself. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just... I think you're really cool, Reg. He smiled at him, the same way as always does.
Fuck, how can Lily resist that? If James smiled at him like that everyday... he would have probably already been weak on his knees.
Regulus's mind wondered to place's where it probably shouldn't. It was James -again ,he was always the one who made him feel this way, the one who made him question his own thoughts and feelings. He couldn't deny that there was something about James that drew something he couldn't resist in him, but he wanted to. "I-I- think i should go. It's getting late."
"Let me walk you to the common room, then." James smiled and closed his book, getting ready to leave.
"No- James, there's no need." Regulus only said so he could get away from James.
"Reggie, I insist." He stopped packing, looked at Regulus and smiled at him.
Oh, there wasn't a single galaxy, where Regulus was able to resist that. His eyes were filled with warmth and affection. It made Regulus feel like he was the most important person in the world. There was something about the way James's eyes sparkled when they looked at him, like he was seeing something special. It was a dangerous feeling, though, because he couldn't be sure if James's looks were just friendly, or something more. And what was the most dangerous thing? Regulus didn't know if it was real or if he was imagining it.