BLACKSTAR

There was a moment’s relief and then Remus’ heart jumped up in his throat as Regulus suddenly appeared far closer than he had any right to be, freezing up until the face clicked and the other’s words fully processed in his mind – who are we hiding from? Remus barely held back the accusation hovering on the tip of his tongue: you. He didn’t even have to say it; the cheeky grin that flashed across Regulus’ face was statement enough of that particular shared knowledge and for one uncharacteristic moment he was almost irritated with it. Not quick enough, the cogs in his mind jerked back into working order and Remus slowly lowered his shoulders from where they had hiked up to his ears at the shock, eyes darting down to the briefly empty air between his hands Regulus quickly replaced with another text, then back up to the Slytherin who was looking far too self-satisfied to be any sort of reasonable. 

He looked too much like Sirius, Remus thought despairingly, that was the problem. He couldn’t look at him too long without every detail of his features reminding him of that, without seeing Sirius’ face and becoming acutely aware of wrong-bad of this.. thing between them he couldn’t name. But it wasn’t a thing, Remus was quick to correct himself, hastily backtracking on the thought that gave him and Regulus some deeper relationship. It was an accident. The entire incident, it had to be. 

He realized he’d been staring at the younger boy too long to not be noticeable, Remus’ mouth snapping shut as he directed his eyes downwards at the irrelevant text again to collect his scattered thoughts. He couldn’t run away now. And wasn’t talking what he’d been aiming for with the younger Black all along? “.. I hope you don’t make a habit out of creeping up on people like that,” Remus managed, shutting the book but still cradling it against his chest, almost a shield, “I can’t imagine that helps you make friends and meet new people.”

Remus Lupin was not just looking back at him, he was staring. His eyes hadn’t left Reg’s face and Regulus was forced to gulp back nerves that had suddenly risen in his throat. Nobody ever looked at him like that...and perhaps even more frightening was that he didn’t want to look away either. Remus’ eyes finally darted down to the book and Regulus’ eyes instinctively followed, then looking the older boy up and down briefly as Remus mumbled. 

Reg couldn’t help but smile again, pushing off from the bookshelf and pacing around a couple of steps to stand in front of Remus. They were almost the same height, Remus would have only been a couple of inches taller if he wasn’t hunched over. There was something comfortable about that. Regulus exhaled a light laugh -- make friends, meet new people “...Now why would I want to do that?” He grinned, then furrowing his brows with humoured curiosity “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.” He teased, stepping forward and tilting his head to the side, flicking through the pages of the book in his hand.

“I know a lot about you. I mean...for one, I know that you’re super into...” Regulus flicked the book over in his hands “...Magical Lawn Pests..” He laughed, stepping forward, right into Remus’ personal space and reaching past him to put the book back on the shelf next to his head, not breaking eye contact as he did so. “Do you know anything about me? Other than...whatever lies my brother has told you... do you actually know who I am?” He tilted his head, genuinely curious.

That was just the thing, wasn’t it. Nobody knew who he was, nobody had gotten close enough - everyone seemed content with surface value or just...assumed that if they knew Sirius, they knew Regulus too - how could Regulus possibly be any different. Nobody bothered, they didn’t need to. But maybe, maybe Remus would care...or could care.

“You were making an announcement into the air around you, you didn’t specify a name when you were talking. Could’ve been talking to anyone, including me. So I answered.” Sirius swallowed, or at least tried to. He’d once helped Reg get into jumpers when they’d gotten stuck on his head, he’d laughed and so had Reg and- And now they were here. They were here and the Slytherins all looked so suspicious, so angry at him, and Sirius clenched his jaw against it. What had he done to deserve this kind of treatment from Regulus? He’d never sent owls, knowing that his mother would never let them through the door. Regulus had refused to speak with him as soon as they’d come back from the summer, and Sirius had very, very quietly resigned himself to the fact that he’d lost his brother just as much as his parents. But now, here they were, and Sirius flicked his eyes over the ring of people around his brother before pushing forward, grabbing Regulus by the back of his jumper and dragging him up a few steps, away from the rest of them. “What in good Merlin’s fucking pants are you doing, Regulus? You think I haven’t heard about the shit you’ve been doing to the younger kids? Tormenting fourth years? Making first years piss their pants? What the hell has gotten into you?” Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, fuming. It was all coming out now. “We haven’t been talking but we sure as shit are now.”

A smartass response to a smartass question. If there was one trait that Regulus had grown into thanks to his brother, it was his audacious attitude -- much to their mother’s dismay. If Regulus ever accidentally let a smart comment drop at home, their mother would tie his tongue - ‘Don’t you start speaking like your disgrace of a brother, have some respect’ She’d screech. Her worst nightmare was Regulus becoming anything like Sirius and she’d worked diligently to keep him on a very tight leash. This year though, Regulus had thrown caution to the wind -- mostly in an attempt to draw attention from his estranged brother. It had worked. Regulus stumbled backwards as Sirius yanked his jumper from behind and dragged him up the steps away from the gaggle of Slytherins. His brows raised as Sirius berated him for his behaviour. He’d wanted this, this confrontation...he just hadn’t expected it to...really be like this. Regulus scowled, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance and avoiding eye contact, swallowing hard because even though this had been what he’d wanted... being told off, especially by the person he admired most, made him want to god damn cry. “Yeah well...” He sputtered, shaking his head and wetting his lips, his mouth feeling dryer than a desert, but despite this, he launched into an attack fuelled by the anger that had been bubbling away since Sirius left over summer.

 “How’s it any different from what you do? You’re always pulling pranks, right, you brag about it enough -- only you don’t give a shit about who gets hurt in the process, right? As long as everything is about you, always” Good lord it was all just coming out now, fucking word vomit, and it felt like it too, it rose in his chest and fell off his tongue in chunks of malice. “Am I showing you up? Is that why you’re finally talking to me, cause I might be on the verge of outshining the great and hilarious Sirius Black - hang on, is that even your name anymore? I think you lost the rights to it.”

ATTRACTIVENESS:

repulsive || hideous || ugly || not attractive || unappealing || not unattractive || meh || no preference || ok || mildly attractive || nice looking || cute || adorable || attractive || pleasant on the eyes || good looking || hot || sexy || beautiful || gorgeous || hot damn || would tap that || perfect || godlike || holy fuck there are no words

PERSONALITY:

grating || irritating || frustrating || boring || confusing at best || awkward || unreasonable || psychotic || disturbing || interesting || engaging || affectionate || aggressive || ambitious || anxious || artistic || bad tempered || bossy || charismatic || appealing || unappealing || creative || courageous || dependable || unreliable || unpredictable || predictable || devious || dim || extroverted || introverted ||  egotistical || gregarious || fabulous || impulsive || intelligent || sympathetic || talkative || up beat || peaceful || calming || badass || flexible

HOW LIKELY THEY WOULD HAVE SEX WITH THEM:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending || fuck no! || never || no way || not likely || not sure || indifferent || I’m asexual || maybe || probably || it depends || fairly likely || likely || yeah sure || yes || would tap that || hell yes || fuck yes! || wishing that could happen right now || as many times as possible || we are already having sex

LEVEL OF FRIENDSHIP:

never in a million years || worst of enemies || enemies || rivals || indifferent || neutral || acquaintance || friendly toward each other || casual friends || friends || good friends || best friends || fuck buddies || bosom buddies || practically the same person || would die for them || true friends || my only friend ||

FIRST IMPRESSION OF THEM:

I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them

CURRENT IMPRESSION OF THEM:

I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them

HOW GOOD OF A KISSER:

Severus blinked, wondering when this whole conversation had even started - or what direction it was going in. He could barely follow what Regulus was saying, so he just sat there and watched him until he had finished. He narrowed his eyes at Regulus once the other boy had stopped speaking, before finally speaking up. “No offense, but you don’t really seem like the type of person who can say no to others like that,” he pointed out, knowing that saying no to many of their fellow classmates was a difficult feat. “Although I’d definitely enjoy seeing you begin to tell the professors no when they ask you to do your homework.”

Regulus frowned, flicking his head around to look at Snape who had been quiet up until that point. Reg didn’t actually recall asking for his opinion. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He countered, pushing himself up off the sunken armchair and crossing the common room, putting his hands down on the back of a chair that was opposite Severus and leaning forward against it. “So maybe I will.” He shrugged, looking Severus up and down with a frown. “Who are you to say I can’t do something, huh? I’ve been too agreeable and it hasn’t gotten me anywhere, it’s shit. Nothing good comes of it, so my answer here is to just say no. Maybe you should join me on that.”

Sirius often heard Regulus’ voice in the halls. He’d catch a glimpse of the familiar set of his shoulders, see him a few feet away, and it was always like his feet had suddenly gotten caught in a sinkhole hex because he just- He just couldn’t move. He couldn’t step forward, couldn’t close that distance. He didn’t know how. They almost hadn’t spoken since Sirius had been booted from their family home, and Sirius was sure that Regulus didn’t know the full story, because his brother couldn’t- Couldn’t hate him, right? Sirius swallowed, his throat clicking in its sudden dryness. “Actually, the thing about schooling is that the teachers are going to keep asking you to do shit whether you’ll say yes or not and you’ll still have to do it.”

The Black brothers hadn’t spoken since Sirius had up and left 12 Grimmauld Place over summer. Sirius had left. Sirius had not made any attempt to reconnect with Regulus, despite the owls Regulus had sent to the Potter house (where he assumed Sirius was staying). Sirius’ silence was the only answer Regulus was given, and though it certainly wasn’t enough of an answer... it was all Regulus had. And so he stewed, in anger and betrayal and a bitterness that seeped like black tar through his veins. And god, he’d made attempts...he’d done just about everything to try and get his brother’s attention, to try and get Sirius to reach out on his own accord and nothing. Nothing, until now. Until one ordinary day, between classes, loitering around the central staircase. Regulus leaned against the bannister, flocked by fellow Slytherins. Sirius had descended from the steps above, his familiar voice eliciting sharp silence from the few that had been laughing and chattering. Regulus straightened up, unconsciously, adjusting his jumper -- this need to impress Sirius so strongly engrained in every inch of him, even when he didn’t want it to be. “I don’t think you can talk on that front.” Regulus responded as stiffly as possible. Keep it to-fucking-gether. “Plus, I definitely wasn’t talking to you.” 

closed to: @rablackstar location: library

Remus was convinced the past few days were making a conscious effort to unnerve him. Severus was an entire issue in himself, then that moment of weakness with James he was still berating himself for – and now an appearance from the other Slytherin Remus had been doggedly avoiding (though for vastly different reasons), sliding out of his seat at one of the study tables, all hard lines and his strangely familiar brand of cocky posturing that didn’t so much suggest better-than-you as state it. The heat rushing to Remus’ face was practically Pavlovian in its immediacy. It wasn’t that he thought about kissing Regulus Black often (being kissed by might by more appropriate, he’d been as responsive as statue during the actual act), it was just that every time he saw him the memory of that dark corridor came rushing back in a vivid technicolor Remus would rather not relive. 

So he wasn’t the sort to get suddenly kissed, that was one layer of pathetic to the whole thing and there were several more; the primary one being just how easy the power play had been on Regulus’ part, how effective in terms of stopping Remus in his tracks. There had been a time when Remus had played with the idea of reaching out to the younger Black in some attempt to understand Sirius’ history further, to maybe hopefully bridge the gap between the two siblings when they weren’t under the damning gaze of their parents. That had gone out the window in a moment and Remus had done what he’d always found easiest to do – carried out the task immediately necessary, tucked his tail between his legs and ran. The look of Regulus’ face when he’d fled from the door to the Slytherin’s commons was unforgettable. 

And not to mention, a large part of why Remus was currently leaning against one of the bookshelves with The Complete Guide to Magical Lawn Pests held in front of his face, staring intently at the word ‘gnome’ for the few moments he hoped it would take for Regulus to keep walking and pass him by completely. 

Kissing Remus Lupin had been an impulse decision. One made after Regulus spent an hour dashing around a quidditch pitch, so the adrenaline had still been firing in his bloodstream and there was the added fact that he’d thought about kissing Remus Lupin more than once before. Of course he had. Sirius’ cool older friends, untouchable, unreachable. They’d been treated like gods since Reg was just a kid, the way Sirius had come home and raved about them endlessly. Their summers together after Sirius started school consisted mostly of Sirius retelling thrilling stories of their adventures together at school -- which made it even worse when Reg got to Hogwarts and things...weren’t quite the same for him. 

In fact seeing Sirius around the halls with these friends Reg had heard so much about...it made him jealous. They were all so happy all the god damn time. And so yeah...maybe Reg had considered just how crazy, how hilarious it would be to steal one of those friends from his spoilt brother. It kind of helped that Remus was the best looking of the bunch (and the most like himself from what Sirius had told him) -- and then there was the fact that they’d been alone, in a hallway, with Remus basically telling him to kiss him. He’d definitely been flirting, why else would he pull him up like that, wander slowly as if wishing for something to happen ...and then not push him away when it did. 

Remus had of course been avoiding Regulus ever since, quite obviously too. More than once, Reg had seen a dull coloured woollen jumper disappear around a corner, into a crowd or in this case, behind a bookcase. Slinking away from his friends (more like acquaintances, lets be real), Regulus snuck around to the other side of the aisle. He sidled up to Remus from behind with every intention to scare the shit out of him, whispering “Who are we hiding from?” 

Regulus grinned, then reaching up directly behind himself to pull down a book, flipping it open in front of his face Podrick Papen’s Encyclopaedia of Parasites - he reached over with his other hand to grab the book Remus was holding, swapping them over “Here, yours is more interesting.” Regulus winked, holding the book upside-down and scanning his eyes over it before glancing sideways at Remus with a smirk. “Do you want to swap back or...?”

Alice was trying very hard not to scream at the younger students who were running around chatting excitedly about the upcoming masquerade. “They are so loud, and how are their voices that high?” She mumbled to herself before placing a hand on her forehead. “Why the hell are they so excited anyway? They’re, what? Twelve? Shouldn’t they be painting black noses and whiskers on their faces for Halloween?” 

Regulus scrunched up his nose, cringing as another high pitched squeal echoed through the room. “They’re....evolving. Not in a good way though. I mean like, I remember thinking I was cool, being at hogwarts and all but the older kids were also like...gods, you know? Whereas I had some giggly first year girl run up to me the other day and ask if I’d go out with her friend. Who was also like... six years old. Like...in what universe would we have ever done that? They’re meant to be terrified of us, is my resting bitch face not enough?? I told them to shut up an hour ago and they just kept giggling! Maybe it’ll work if you do it...”

Sybill turned to the student next to them who asked them the question. “I’m thinking I’ll go as a serial killer, they look just like everybody else,” she answered deadpan before breaking into a goofy grin. “No, I don’t know what my costume might be yet, for once.”

That wasn’t a reference to The Sight. It was more boring than that, it was simply that Sybill liked Halloween and planned her costume in advance but this year, they’ve yet to settle on something.

“Have you? Decided on a costume.”

Regulus had to laugh a little at Sybill’s idea, she had a point. “You’ll have to decide on your method of killing first though, not sure they’d let you carry a knife around” He smirked, then shrugging. 

Regulus used to love Halloween, best time of the year, a time when he gained strange confidence because it meant not having to be himself - he could be something lesser than himself and that would still be okay, it could funny even. He just wasn’t sure he loved anything much anymore, everything he did was just... a way to amuse himself until the next thing came along. 

“I...I’m sure I’ll come up with something. Worst comes to worst, I’ll just throw on a white sheet and some fishnets - slutty ghost, a classic look.”