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ess-presso · 2 years ago

Note

HP microfic prompt:

Jegulus, Quaffle

jegulus + quaffle

————

James is lying down , trying his best to pay attention to Regulus.

He loves him , really he does , but he has no clue how Regulus can make shapes out of dots in the sky. As far as he’s concerned , they’re stars. That’s all.

He wouldn’t care for them at all , if not for the way Regulus has his own little stars in his eyes when he talks about them. He gets so passionate over stars , and James is passionate over him - so to him , it’s a fair trade.

Regulus can look at the stars , and James can look at him.

This way , they’re both happy.

They’re lying in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch , and the ground is a little damp beneath them , but it’s nothing a warming charm can’t fix.

Besides , James wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Regulus turns to him , his face split into a wide smile, and suddenly , his eyes flit across James’s face , flickering all over every part of him , like he’s trying to commit him to memory.

“James ,” he whispers , and James nods , his ears following the sound of Regulus’s voice like it’s a melody , “ It’s getting a little cold now.”

James blinks , thinking.

“Do you want to go inside ?” he asks , “Or do you want to just walk around for a while ?”

Secretly, James hopes it’s the latter.

Regulus shakes his head , laughing to himself softly.

“I think we can walk around for a bit. Not ready to let go of you just yet.”

He adds on the last bit as a sort of mumble , and James doesn’t think he was supposed to hear it , but he does , and his heart flutters in his chest. It turns into a snitch , he likes to think , flying and fluttering , painted golden anytime Regulus does anything.

They’re walking - talking about anything and everything.

And , because of the sheer nature of them and where they are - the conversation turns to Quidditch.

“I could be a good a seeker as you are.”

“Absolutely not. No one could ever be as good as me. Not in a million years.”

“Someone’s overconfident about his Quidditch Abilities.”

“It’s not overconfidence, it’s facts. I could be as good a chaser as you.”

James smiles.

“Oh yeah ?”

“Yeah , I could. There’s not much to ‘Chasering’ is there now ? Catch the Quaffle , Throw it in the hoop.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is so easy.”

“Mhm.”

They’re nearing the end of the pitch now , and to their left is the equipment shed. James thinks he can impress Regulus a little with what he’s about to do

“Bet you can’t do this,” he says , turning to the cupboard. Closing his eyes , he puts his wand against it , tapping it slowly three times , muttering an incantation under his lips.

When he opens his eyes , the doors are still closed.

In the background, he hears Regulus snort and say something about being taken down a peg.

But he tries again - tapping it four times now , and this time , it works.

The cupboard is full to the brim with chipped old brooms , and boxes upon boxes of Quidditch gear , including shinpads - which James will need more of he’s sure.

But this isn’t what he’s looking for. At the back of the cupboard , there’s a box. It’s shaped like a treasure chest , huge , and on the side there’s faded gold lettering.

James uses a flimsy summoning charm to bring it to him , and Regulus , to his credit , catches the box with a single hand before it smacks James right in the middle of his face.

Seeker reflexes and all.

“Alright , Potter. What did you want to show me ? Preferably without trying to kill me , please.”

James clicks open the box , and instantly there’s a buzz of magic released into the air that makes him shiver. The snitch is sitting silently at the bottom of the box , but James is looking at the ball in the centre.

The Quaffle .

Lightly , James’s fingers caress it. , making sure to keep his touch feather-like and gentle , as if the ball was a real living person.

Regulus is watching him carefully , his smile twisting in the way it always does when James seems at peace like this , wonderfully serene .

Then , James clips out the Quaffle , shutting the box , and pushing it to the side , and turning to look at Regulus , spinning the Quaffle around in his hands.

He throws it to Regulus , who nearly falls over just from the weight of it , taking a moment to recover.

“Go on then.”

“What are you expecting me to do?”

“Something spectacular.”

Regulus turns the ball in his own hands , trying to find out why on Earth James would like this battered old ball so much- it’s old and used and it’s not golden like the snitch.

Why would James ever love something like that ?

“Do you expect me to get on a broom and throw it through the hoops right now ?” says Regulus, incredulously.

James huffs out , cold air leaving his mouth.

“No. I s’pose not.”

He steps back then , his feet going further and further away from Regulus - and already Regulus doesn’t like whatever’s happening. Anything that involves James to get further away , Regulus is in disagreement of.

He wants him closer , as close as possible , sticking to him . Let him sew James on to his side , carefully , so he’ll never leave.

James gestures to Regulus , and then shouts out ,

“Let’s play a little game of catch then , Reg. You throw it three times in a row , this far , you win.”

“Win what?”

“Me.”

“Do I not already have you ?”

“So you do. Bragging rights ?”

“Deal.”

The first time Regulus throws the Quaffle , it lands with a mighty heap right near his toes. James gets busy laughing his arse off , and when he’s not looking , Regulus places a feather-light charm on it.

The next time he throws it , It lands straight at James’s feet . He whistles , and Regulus blushes , and they play like this for a few moments.

Catching and throwing , the Quaffle between the two of them , a little like he imagines their hearts would be , throwing themselves into the other’s chest.

He doesn’t even realise that he’s thrown it three times , until James throws it back to him , and begins to come closer , till he’s standing a metre away from Regulus.

“Well,” he breathes out , his voice low , his eyes on Regulus , the side of his mouth quirking upwards in pride – so that Regulus nearly feels bad for his little bit of cheating , “Bragging rights , you have. Should I put the quaffle back ?” He adds , and that’s when Regulus realises he’s become a little too entranced by the beautiful man standing in front of him , and in an attempt to conceal the red rising up his cheeks , he tells James that he’ll put the Quaffle back instead.

“Alright then , Mr Chivalrous. I’ll wait for you over there.”

He walks away , but not before giving Regulus a sweet kiss on his lips , holding it there for just a couple of seconds , but the few seconds that their lips are joined , it’s like Regulus has dipped his toe into paradise.

He’s just about to put the Quaffle back , into the box , when something stops him. Something very real , and raw.

Maybe it’s the fact that Regulus is deliriously in love with this man , and that anything that he’s touched , Regulus considers Holy Ground.

But maybe it’s because Regulus is just a boy in love – and this is a war , and moments like these are so rare , they’re a delicacy , and Regulus has to take them for what they are.

So , after making sure that James isn’t looking , he shrinks the Quaffle , to the size of a marble , and with another spell , he etches a little shape into the side of it – his own little constellation , the one that’s in the sky right now.

Ophiuchus . Serpent Bearer. Because James is Ophiuchus reincarnated . And , as he’s reminded every time they see each other , Ophiuchus is very much in love with his little serpent.

He looks at the mini Quaffle in his hand , his hand twisting and turning it around . It reminds him so beautifully of James. Of all the things he loves.

Of the ability to love something so sly , so cunning. Of the ability to love something tattered and broken.

James calls out to him then , and Regulus pockets the Quaffle , shoves the box in the shed , and locks the door , and runs up to James.

“You alright , then ?” he asks , slightly concerned.

And Regulus is happy now.

Like this , next to the very thing he loves , he’s happy.

Anything involving him standing in the general realm of James Potter makes him very happy. He’d like to call it interminable happiness , but whenever he thinks of it like that , he remembers home , he remembers duties , and he remembers another snake.

The one slithering like poison on his arm , threatening to spread its venom on everything he ever loved.

But for now.

For now , it is okay.

For now , he can pretend.

“Yes ,” he replies , “I’m alright.”

------

Regulus is drowning.

He can feel the bony hands , holding onto him with a titanium grip.

Regulus knows he’s going to die.

He knows James is out there , with his wife , his son.

But the small Quaffle in his pocket weighs him down.

He remembers.