The courtyard was alive in the way Hogwarts only ever was on weekendsâsunlight spilling gold across worn stone, laughter rising in overlapping waves, the low hum of magic and mischief threaded through everything like a second pulse.
Students were everywhere.
Stretched out across the grass, draped over benches, perched on low walls. Someone had conjured a floating deck of cards. Someone else was trying (and failing) to juggle apples. There was a group by the fountain arguing loudly about Quidditch, another sharing sweets, another halfway through what looked suspiciously like a dare that was about to go very wrong.
And at the centre of it allâ
Sirius Black.
Of course.
Leaning back against the stone railing like he owned the place, sleeves rolled, tie loose, grin sharp and effortless. There was a girl in front of himâRavenclaw, judging by the tieâtwisting a lock of her hair around her finger, laughing at something heâd said.
âIâm just saying,â Sirius was drawling, voice low and smooth, âif you wanted someone to show you the grounds properly, Iâd be doing you a public service.â
âOh, would you?â she shot back, amused, eyes bright.
âAbsolutely. Iâm very generous like that.â
Across the courtyardâ
Regulus Black watched.
He was sprawled back on the grass with his usual circleâBarty flat on his back beside him, arms behind his head; Evan lounging with one knee up, flicking a blade of grass at Dorcas; Pandora cross-legged, humming to herself as she absentmindedly braided a strand of Dorcasâs hair while Dorcas pretended not to enjoy it.
Regulus didnât say anything at first.
He just watched.
Grey eyes sharp. Lips twitching.
Thenâ
He snorted.
âLook at him,â Regulus murmured, almost to himself.
Barty turned his head slightly. âHm?â
Regulus pushed himself up onto his elbows, gaze locked across the courtyard, something bright and dangerous flickering there now.
âThat is embarrassing,â he said lightly.
Evan followed his line of sightâand immediately grinned. âOh, thisâll be good.â
Pandora tilted her head, already smiling like she could feel chaos building in the air. Dorcas sighed.
âDonât,â Dorcas said, without conviction.
Regulus was already standing.
âOh, Iâm absolutely going to,â he said.
And thenâ
He didnât just speak.
He projected.
Clear. Loud. Carrying across the entire courtyard like a bell being struck.
âSay this the kind of song that makes a man love a man, a man love a man, a man love a manââ
Silence.
It didnât fall all at once.
It snapped.
Like a thread pulled too tight.
Every head turned.
Every conversation died mid-sentence.
The Ravenclaw girl blinked.
Sirius froze.
James choked on absolutely nothing. ââWHAT?â
Regulus didnât stop.
Didnât even hesitate.
If anythingâhe lit up.
âSay this the kind of song that makes a man love a man, a man love a man, a man love a manââ
âOh my GODââ Mary Macdonald shrieked, slapping a hand over her mouth, already laughing.
Marlene doubled over. âNOâno, he did not justââ
Lilyâs eyes went wide. âRegulusâ!â
Remus pressed his fingers to his temples like he was physically trying to hold reality together. âThis is going to end badly.â
Peter was making a noise somewhere between a wheeze and a scream.
Frank Longbottom let out a helpless, strangled laugh. âHeâs going to get murdered.â
Alice grabbed his arm, half-laughing, half-horrified. âOh, he absolutely deserves it.â
Fabian Prewett was already on his feet. âI KNEW TODAY WAS GOING TO BE INTERESTINGââ
âShut up,â Gideon snapped, even as he was grinning like a man watching a train derail in real time. âJustâjust let it happenââ
Back at the centreâ
Sirius Black was staring.
âRegulus,â he said, slowly, dangerously.
Regulus, standing in the middle of the courtyard like heâd just stepped onto a stage, turned his headâ
Locked eyes with himâ
And grinned.
Bright. Wicked. Delighted.
âYouâre so beautiful, shake it, shake it, and I donât care who knows, move it, move itââ
The courtyard exploded.
âOH MY GODââ
âHE DID NOTââ
âIS HEâIS HE CALLINGââ
âHEâS CALLING HIMââ
ââGAYââ
ââHEâS CALLING HIM GAYââ
The Ravenclaw girl burst out laughing.
Not just a polite giggleâno, full-on, doubled-over, clutching-her-stomach laughing.
âOh myâMerlinââ she gasped, looking between Sirius and Regulus, eyes shining. âIs thisâdoes this happen oftenâ?â
Sirius looked like he might actually combust.
âREGULUSââ
Regulus didnât stop.
Didnât even look remotely concerned.
âGo up down, up down, up down, go up down, up down, up downââ
James Potter was losing it.
He was bent over, hands on his knees, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. âOH, THIS ISâTHIS ISâTHIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFEââ
âYOUâRE ENCOURAGING HIMââ Lily snapped, though she was visibly fighting a smile.
âI CANNOTâBREATHEââ Peter wheezed.
Remus dragged a hand down his face. âWe are going to be banned from the courtyard.â
Marlene pointed at Sirius, tears in her eyes. âLOOK AT HIS FACEâLOOK AT HIS FACEââ
Mary was literally on the ground. âHEâS FURIOUSâHEâS SO FURIOUSââ
Fabian clapped loudly. âEncore! Encore!â
âShut up, Fabian,â Gideon said, not looking away for a second.
Evan was grinning like a predator. âThatâs our boy.â
Pandora clasped her hands together, beaming. âHeâs glowing.â
Dorcas shook her head, but there was a smile tugging at her mouth. âHeâs going to die.â
Regulus, meanwhileâ
Was thriving.
âShake it fast, cause it sure look good to meââ
And thenâ
He pointed.
Directly.
At Sirius.
The courtyard howled.
Sirius snapped.
âTHATâS ITââ
Regulus laughed.
Bright, sharp, utterly unbotheredâand then, without warningâ
He turned.
And ran.
âOH, YOU ARE DEADââ Sirius roared, already moving, already shoving past people as he took off after him.
âRUN, REGââ James yelled, completely unhelpful.
âI AM RUNNINGââ Regulus shouted back over his shoulder, laughing.
And then they were gone.
Out through the archwayâ
Vanished.
Leavingâ
Silence.
A beat.
And thenâ
The courtyard erupted.
Everyone talking at once, shouting, laughing, yelling over each otherâ
âHE JUSTââ
âDID YOU HEARââ
âTHE WAY HEââ
âSIRIUSâS FACEââ
âIâVE NEVER SEEN HIM LIKE THATââ
âHE POINTEDâHE ACTUALLY POINTEDââ
âI THINK IâM GOING TO PASS OUTââ
The Ravenclaw girl wiped tears from her eyes, still laughing. âOkayânoâforget himââ she said, nodding in the direction Sirius had gone, then glancing toward where Regulus had been, visibly flustered now. âHis brotherâ?â
âOh, youâre gone,â Mary said immediately.
âCompletely gone,â Marlene agreed.
James straightened, still grinning like a man who had just witnessed history. âIâve never been prouder of anyone in my life.â
Lily smacked his arm. âYouâre unbelievable.â
Remus sighed, but there was a smile in it now. âWeâre never going to hear the end of this.â
Fabian threw an arm around Gideonâs shoulders. âWorth it.â
Gideon snorted. âAbsolutely worth it.â
Across the courtyard, Barty stretched lazily, still grinning. âWe should do that more often.â
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"Sirius? Sirius is that you?" Regulus whispered into the dark.
"Shut up Reg, you'll get us caught!" Sirius said, panic shaking his voice. "Lumos" Regulus muttered, making his wand tip light up softly.
"I can't believe you came!" Regulus whispered as Sirius stumbled into him and pulled him into a hug. "Of course I came, but what's this about?"
"Sirius," he started slowly and raising his hand beside his face he produced a locket, and Sirius could feel the darkness it possessed. "One by one, one by one, he will fall..." Regulus murmured.
"Reggie what is that?" Sirius said, reeling back a bit but staying within the hue of the light.
"I've got my heart bleeding for a change, Sirius. I- I know I've stood by and closed my eyes in shame. But you'll see them someday, I'll find them again. As the dark will give, the light will take." Regulus' speech was all rushed and his eyes were wild and stormy. There was manic gleam in them that matched his wide grin and hurried breath. Sirius worry increased with the pace of his heart, he was sure Regulus could feel it beating out of his chest.
"Regulus what is that thing?" Sirius pressed again.
Regulus shook his head. "Brother run fast, they're coming your way, they're headed your way," was Regulus' warning. His tone wasn't cold, but the words dropped like ice down Sirius spine. "Regulus you gotta tell me what's going on. I came didn't I? I want to help you just have to tell me what's going on," Sirius was frantic and he was begging.
Regulus again shook his head several times slowly side to side. "It's best you not speak of what you found. Please don't pass judgement on me now, Sirius. Don't seek the truth, they'll make their own rules. So I'm making my own too-" Regulus spoke with somewhat of a glazed over look, like there was only a wisp of fog holding the hinges on, like the wind could be enough to send him screaming and fighting.
Sirius cut him off, pleading: "What does that mean Reg!"
Regulus dropped the locked to his side, and put his other hand on the back of Sirius' neck pulling their foreheads together. Regulus stared into Sirius' eyes, where he was finally about to see the sweet, shy, and caring little brother he knew lived inside. Regulus spoke in whispers, warnings, vague shadows of the facts but the best tip he could give without giving up his place as a spy in both sides of this war. He knew he was going to leave both, a choice he was making. This was the last thing he could do to protect the only person who tried so desperately to protect him despite being only a child himself.
"Brother run fast. When they've come for me. They'll come back for you. Brother run fast. Brother don't break. They're coming... they're coming..." and then Regulus was gone, off on a journey to end the war. Off away from his brother who would hopefully heed his warning.
I feel like regulus would post the craziest things on his private accounts and but he only had barty, evan, Peter and the girls on it so everyone else is so confused.
In the griffendor common room.
Regulus on twitter: I wish I had two boyfriends I would make them kiss while I watch.
