#regulus haunting sirius' dreams

[stillwithmeisonlyyou]

Dude the choices discourse on tt rn is making me realize how beautifully and tragically written it was

For context, I have read choices once and did find it amazing and a bit diabolical as well, cried like any sane person would but like. Apart from that, it was the worst times of my life and honestly nothing was fazing me. So even though I remember it being sad and all, I don't think I was in a place where I could register the true depth of it. The more I read quotes from it, the more I absolutely lose my shit.

[crescenthistory]

Barty and Potter!Twin!Reader are rivals because Barty, in his own warped perception of loyalty, thinks he just has to hate the Potters on Regulus' behalf. Reader, in turn, is super protective of James and Sirius, so she always fires right back.

One day they're having a spat and he's using the "you're spoiled" argument, to which you reply with your usual "I'm loved, it's not the same". Barty throws out some taunt about "Effie and Monty" instead of "Mummy and Daddy" when he's taunting her and you're all "how the fuck do you know about my parents?"

"Because they haunt Regulus' dreams."

"Regulus would be welcome to come live with us at any time. The only reason he doesn't know that is because he doesn't let himself."

"And the rest of us?" He's hoping it's a gotcha moment where Potter!Reader is forced to admit that there is never enough love to go around for everyone, that you can be spoiled by it, that some people are just born unlucky.

Instead; "You know what, Junior? The rest of you tossers are welcome as well."

You don't let him win and you throw it out without thinking, knowing in your heart of hearts that if your parents would take in anyone. Barty grins wickedly because he thinks you've made a mistake, thinks that he can take you up on it and prove you wrong once and for all.

Fully intending on antagonising you, on making you eat your words, Barty shows up at the doorstep of Potter Manor for summer break. Except that instead of being thrown out immediately or getting to revel in Effie and Monty trying and failing to play along before then at last kicking him out – he's embraced.

Barty is wholeheartedly taken in. And once he's there, no amount of "woah hey no this is not what I signed up for" is going to save him. He gets accepted, doted on, loved. It becomes the best summer of his life.

Instead of him cackling in your face, you get to hold back a smirk as you chew your dinner, multiple weeks into Barty's siege of Potter Manor, watching him smile without thinking about it.

At the end of the summer, maybe after certain feelings have been revealed and established, he's all but toeing the ground with his shoe, looking up at you uncertainly, going: "Did you mean all of us tossers would be welcome?" Queue you thanking Merlin that Potter Manor is already unnecessarily large as you suddenly have three more Slytherins and a Ravenclaw at your doorstep.

[my-castles-crumbling]

A beautiful name

trans!Remus (ftm), wolfstar, based on an anonymous request

"Sirius?" he asked, fidgeting with the blanket, heart beating a million miles an hour.

"Hmmm?" Sirius mumbled, looking up from his book. "What's up, love?"

"You know Regulus?" he whispered, terrified.

"My brother? Yes, we've met," Sirius teased, smirking.

But he couldn't smile. This was too important, too life-changing. Sirius's reaction was something that had haunted his dreams. Made him re-think his entire decision to be true to himself. Because he couldn't lose Sirius. Sirius was everything.

But he knew he had to be honest with himself and Sirius.

"We have a lot in common," he choked out, knowing he'd have to explain more, struggling to figure out how.

"All...alright," Sirius nodded, finally realizing that this wasn't a casual conversation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We...well, he- I just-" But he couldn't do it. He couldn't say the words. He was so scared.

"Are you leaving me for my brother?" Sirius asked, looking almost as terrified as he was, now.

"What?" he shouted, so shocked he forgot to be scared. "No! No, Sirius, I- I'm trans!"

Sirius let out a visible breath, relief clear on his features. "Oh! Oh, well that's- that's much better!" He said, grinning. "Alright! That's great, babe, thank you for telling me! Are you changing your name? Ooo, do you need help picking one? What about Thor-?"

"Remus," Remus mumbled, fighting back a grin. "I'm Remus."

"Remus," Sirius murmured, smiling adoringly. "I love it. Love you."

His name sounded so beautiful when his husband said it.

[lemmesayimyourbiggestfan]

if you love me, prove it

regulus black x fem!reader

when Regulus Black proves to be emotionally unavailable, Y/N decides it's better to end their relationship. In order to get her back, Regulus has to face his own trauma and open up his heart to her.

warnings: angst

word count: 1,9k

requests are open!

When Regulus saw you for the first time, he was smitten. Every time he saw your beautiful hair, heard your perfect voice.... He couldn't even stand to be in your presence, because your perfume smelt like heaven to him. In his dreams, that used to be haunted only by the traumas of his childhood, now, there you were, haunting him in a whole new manner. It scared him, yes. But for you... in that moment he first saw you, he decided he would do anything for you and he hated himself for having this weakness.

What a surprise it was to both of you when you asked him out in your fifth year. Your first date spent strolling around Hogsmeade wasn't the exact definition of a date - Regulus just couldn't figure out how to actually let you know that he liked you. All he knew about love was his now ruined bond with his brother Sirius and that all too twisted relationship with his own mother. He could express it in bits here and there; like when he helped Sirius heal his wounds when they were younger. But never anything more.

And when you were smiling at him so sweetly, he even felt anxious to return the smile. What was wrong with him? He spent years pining after you and when he was actually close to having you, he felt sick with worry.

"Why do you like me?" he asked you on that first date. Has he ever asked someone such a genuine question?

You gave him a perplexed look he couldn't decipher and one corner of your lips rose into a crooked grin. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't?"

He thought about it, then. Yes, he wanted to tell you. Yes, I'm a coward. I'm a horrible person. But insted he just smiled and shook his head. "Nevermind."

And it worked for you for a while.

When you spent time together, just you two without anyone else nearby, Regulus tried to let you in and you were patient and proud of any progress you made in strengthening your whatever-kind-of bond-it-was. You told him of your childhood, of your siblings and your favourite memories from holidays spent oversees. And your openness ispired him so much - if you could, why couldn't he?

So he told you of his own childhood, of his abusive relationship with his parents, how they acted towards his pigheaded brother. How he was the one who helped patch Sirius up every single time and how he always hid his brother’s muggle stuff so their parents wouldn’t be even more angry.

Regulus was very vulnerable in the moments afterwards and very aware of the fact. But the tears welling in your eyes weakened him way more. But what could he do? He just sat there. There were no wounds to patch up. And apparently, that's all he knew how to do.

"I love you." you cried into his shoulder and he pulled you close. Was he doing this right? The last thing he wanted was to hurt you.

But then the words actually reached him. For the first time in his life, he finally had those three little words aimed at him. All his life, all he ever wanted was to be loved and here it was, this precious little moment with the girl of his dreams being so vulnerable with him that his heart ached. The least he could do was do the same for you.

"I love you." he said and gently lifted your chin and kissed you on the lips. The kiss tasted sweet but salty from your tears.

"I see your worth, Regulus." your whispered into the kiss.

And he was, for the first time ever, home.

...

For a while you two were happy. For a while, you put up with being just his "friend" because Regulus insisted on keeping your relationship quiet. In private, you were everything to each other, but when in public, Regulus couldn't even look at you.

At first, you found it so romantic. Every time you were alone, you were so excited to hold him close. When you walked by him in the hallways, you could only admire him but that was enough. But was it really? None of your friends could know. And especially Sirius, with whom you sat at every meal. As far as you knew, noone had any suspicions, but sometimes you wished they did just so you could be cornered and get this secret off of your chest.

But you could live with it. What you couldn’t live with, though, were the secrets that Regulus kept from you since Christmas 2 months ago. Yes, you understood that spending time with his family wasn’t exactly something ejoyable for him, but that he kept it from you was killing you. You tried to ask but his dry answers – also obvious lies - were useless. Maybe that was the worst part – the lying that he was fine and the: “everything is okay“s.

And when you finally confronted him about it, Regulus just looked like he didn’t know what to say.

“Why are you lying to me, Reg?“ you whispered, staring into his dark eyes as if they could give you the answer.

“Y/N…“ he sighed and tried to reach for your hand. You put it inside your pocket instead and hurt flashed across his features.

“Stop it. I thought we were better than this. 8 months, Reg. 8 months we spent building that bridge of trust between us and you still shy away.“

He sighed, turned his face away from your searching gaze and ran his fingers through his dark wavy hair.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Y/N. I’m just trying to keep you safe and unhurt-“

“But you are the one hurting me,“ your voice broke. “Your lies hurt me, the secrecy hurts me. Are you ashamed of me, is that it?“

“No! Of course not! I love you! What more could you possibly want? I gave you my heart, isn’t that enough?“ He looked as if he wanted to grab your shoulders and shake you until you understood his point.

“Not when you gave it to me in a locked chest and didn’t bother to give me the keys.“

“Y/N-“ he said desperately, searching for any signs of affection in your eyes. But you remained resolute.

“Sometimes, love isn’t enough, Reg.“ you said softly, as if explaining something to a toddler. “You’ve been subconciously sabotaging our relationship while calling it “keeping me safe“. Either I get all of you, or none of you, but I won’t continue playing the fool who is glad for any scraps of love you can provide. If you love me, prove it.“ you gave him a sad smile and tears shone in your eyes. “Come back when you’re ready to let me in.“

With that, you left him standing with one arm outstretched, as if with that move alone he could stop the time.

…

“Sooooo….“ Sirius said and finished his glass of butterbeer. “You and Y/N no longer a thing?“

Regulus froze. Repairing his relationship with his brother was the first thing that came to his mind that could help him become a better person. But at that moment, he was rethinking his decision.

“What?“

“You know,“ Sirius mumbled nonchalantly, “that girl of yours with whom you’ve been with like, hmm, for like over half a year? Something like that?“

“How do you know about that?“ Regulus asked sharply.

“Oh, little Reggie,“ Sirius sighed pitifully. “Everyone knows. I mean, knew. Even, like, McGonagall and Dumbledore.“

Everyone knew. Was he so blind to see it the whole time? He tried so hard to keep you safe, from people knowing that you were the one weakness that could kill him. And, as it turns out, everyone knew.

Regulus put his head in his hands and started crying.

…

The day before the beginning of the summer break, Regulus finally aproached you. To say you spent every day since your breakup waiting for him was an understatement.

“Heyy,“ he said nervously when you two met in the middle of a hallway. You smiled at him warmly.

He took you by the elbow and tugged you near the windows so you wouldn’t get in the way of the other students.

“I just- look, I know I messed up, but ever since, I’ve been trying to-“

“I know,“ you said softly. His nervous gaze moved from his shoes to your eyes. He raised one eyebrow imploringly.

“Sirius told me you’ve been keeping in touch.“

“Oh.“

“And he also told me what happened during the Christmas break; how he ran away from home and left you there. I’m sorry I didn’t understand why you didn’t want to talk about it-“

“No, I’m sorry that I lied about it.“

You two were silent for a while before you both started smiling.

“Oh, I nearly forgot. I wrote a letter for you.” Regulus blushed shily and fumbled for a bit before he took a letter from his backpack.

“You, Regulus Black, wrote me a letter?” you raised an eyebrow in surprise and Regulus just raised his shoulders uncomfortably. “I’m just joking, Reg. Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

Your eyes met again and now you were both blushing.

“So…” he started but couldn’t bring himself to say anything else.

“So I will read it on the train and when we arrive in London I will find you and say my goodbye.”

“Yeah, of course.”

It was time to get to the carriages so you stood on your toes and gave Regulus a soft kiss on the cheek before leaving him standing there like a statue. On the way to Hogsmeade, you couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face.

…

When you were sure you were left alone in your train cabin, you took the crumpled letter from your pocket and opened it. You smiled at Regulus’ neat handwriting.

My Y/N,

When I first saw you, I knew. I just did. And I’ve been hating myself for having that one and only weakness – you. My mother always told me that we cannot afford weaknesses. But what I didn’t get until a few weeks ago is that loving someone doesn’t make me vulnerable but stronger in some ways. It was just hard for me to understand the fundamentals of a relationship itself – I always appreciated your love but never actually accepted it, because I didn’t think I was worthy of you or your love. You gave me your heart so willingly and here I am, finally, offering mine on a golden platter, all of it – the pain and love and hate and happiness. And I hope that just once, all I am is enough.

Yours, Reg

You stared and stared at that perfect handwriting. And when the train stopped in King’s Cross station, you held the letter in your fist and ran out of the train, searching for that familiar face you loved.

Regulus was already anxiously waiting.

“Oh yes, all you are is enough for me.” You laughed and hugged him tightly and Regulus leaned his face in the crook of your neck.

“Will you introduce me to your parents?” was the only thing he said and there was a new spark in those beautiful eyes.

[stareggie]

something about sirius’ only bright point in grimmauld being regulus. something about regulus’ childhood memories being only those of sirius because everything else is too traumatic for him to remember actively. something about sirius’ only regret regarding his family being that he left regulus behind. something about regulus’ last thought being that of sirius. something about sirius’ dreams being haunted by a dainty black haired boy he failed. something about regulus’ room remaining untouched by everyone after his death, even sirius after he returns to the house so many years later. something about sirius’ thoughts being plagued by regulus’ screams the moment he knew he was going to die in the cave—

in conclusion: i’m unwell.

[iamgonnagetyouback]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀────۶ৎ give up

synopsis: ever since you met sirius, you’ve heard the stories—the lady charmer, the prankster, the ego-filled rebel. but now, as his girlfriend, you’ve met the real him. the one who flinches at loud voices, who has nightmares about his brother hating him, who envies james for having the perfect life. and no matter how hard he tries to push you away, you’re not going anywhere content warnings: angst, mentions of abuse, trauma, insecurities, nightmares, self-doubt, sirius pushing reader away, hurt/comfort, crying, slight jealousy/envy, low self-worth

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ᡣ𐭩 words.ᐟ 972

You had always heard stories about Sirius Black—the heartthrob, the prankster, the arrogant Gryffindor with a wild charm that girls swooned over and boys admired. But that wasn't the Sirius you had come to know. No, the real Sirius was so much more than the façade he wore like armor. He was fragile in ways people couldn't see. He apologized when he dropped a plate, even though you never cared. He flinched when someone raised their voice, his dark eyes clouding with memories he never spoke about.

The nightmares… oh, those were the worst. You'd wake to find him trembling, his breaths uneven, soaked in cold sweat as he mumbled Regulus’s name—his brother who haunted him even in his dreams. You’d hold him through it, tracing circles on his back, murmuring soft reassurances until he fell back asleep. But you knew deep down, the nightmares never truly ended.

Sirius was envious, too, though he'd never admit it out loud. You could see it in the way he looked at James, his best friend who had the perfect life. A loving girlfriend, doting parents who would never lay a hand on him, a family that cherished him for exactly who he was. It was the kind of life Sirius had been denied, and every time James flashed that easy smile, Sirius would clench his jaw, just for a second. You could see the flicker of jealousy cross his face, and it broke your heart.

Tonight was one of those nights. He had barely spoken to you all day, his walls higher than usual, and now he was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. The shadows in the room seemed to stretch toward him, enveloping him in a darkness you desperately wanted to pull him out of.

You cautiously sat beside him, the air between you thick with tension. "Sirius?" you asked softly, not sure how to approach the storm brewing inside him.

He didn’t look at you, didn’t even acknowledge you were there. His fingers were digging into his palms, white-knuckled, as if he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.

"Sirius, please talk to me."

“I can never do anything right, can I?” he muttered, his voice low, almost detached.

You blinked, caught off guard. “What are you talking about?”

His eyes finally met yours, and the pain there was so raw it made your chest tighten. “Everything I touch, I ruin. My family, Regulus, even you… you’re better off without me.”

“That’s not true—”

“It is true!” His voice cracked, frustration leaking into every syllable. He shot up from the couch, pacing the room like a caged animal. “James has everything! He’s got the perfect bloody life, and I can’t even keep my own brother from hating me!”

You stood, stepping toward him, but he recoiled, his expression a twisted mix of anger and hurt.

“I’m a mess, love. I don’t deserve you. You should be with someone who doesn’t—” he gestured wildly to himself, “—come with all this baggage. Someone who doesn’t drag you into their nightmares.”

Your heart ached seeing him like this, so vulnerable, yet trying so hard to push you away. "I won't ever give up on you, I promise."

He scoffed bitterly, running a hand through his tangled hair. "That's funny, cause I gave up on myself a long time ago."

You swallowed the lump in your throat, refusing to let the tears blur your vision. “Well, I haven’t. And I’m not going to. So, stop trying to push me away.”

He let out a hollow laugh, his back turned to you. “I’m just tired… I’m tired of pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not. I’m tired of being this broken thing you feel like you have to fix.”

“I don’t think you’re broken.”

He turned to face you, disbelief written all over his face. “How can you even say that? Look at me! My own parents hated me, they—” His voice wavered, and for the briefest moment, you saw the scared boy beneath the bravado. “They hit me because I wasn’t enough. And maybe they were right. Maybe I’m just… a disappointment.”

You stepped forward, your hands trembling as you reached for him. "If you're letting this hurt you, you're just making them win. Don't give them that power, Sirius. You're better than that."

He shook his head, tears brimming in his stormy gray eyes. "I can’t help it. Every time I think I’m over it, it all comes rushing back. And I—" His voice cracked, and he looked away, ashamed. "I don't want to drag you down with me."

"You’re not dragging me down," you whispered, your hand gently cupping his cheek, forcing him to look at you. "You’re hurting, and that’s okay. I’m here for you, Sirius, always. But you have to let me in."

His breath hitched as he leaned into your touch, his defenses crumbling piece by piece. "I don’t know how," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

You pulled him into your arms, holding him tightly as if you could physically keep the pieces of him from shattering. "I won’t ever let you go," you murmured into his hair. "You don’t have to be perfect, Sirius. You’re enough, just as you are."

For the first time in what felt like forever, he let himself cry. His body shook against yours, all the weight he had been carrying finally too heavy to bear alone. You held him through it, not saying a word, just letting him fall apart in your arms because you knew he needed this. He needed to know that no matter how broken he felt, you would never leave.

And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to start healing the wounds that had been carved into his heart for so long.

© iamgonnagetyouback ⋆.˚ please do not copy, translate, or repost any of my work.

[bradleysass]

Dream - @into-the-jeggyverse - wc: 501

James stabs at his salad with all the enthusiasm of a man who ordered healthy out of obligation rather than desire. Across the table, Sirius watches him with a raised eyebrow, swirling his iced coffee absentmindedly.

“You’ve been weird since you sat down,” Sirius says, finally breaking the silence. “Not in the fun way, either.”

James sighs, pushing a crouton around his plate. “I had this dream last night.”

“Oh, great,” Sirius drawls. “If this is about me turning into a giant dog and chasing you through London again, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“No, it was about Regulus,” James says, and Sirius immediately leans in, suddenly interested. James rolls his eyes. “Figures.”

“Hey, sue me for wanting to know what kind of weird subconscious nonsense my brother is up to in your head.”

James sets down his fork and rests his elbows on the table. “Alright, so in the dream, we were in this massive house, like a proper mansion, but it wasn’t Grimmauld Place. It was—warmer, somehow. And it had all these winding hallways, secret doors, like something out of a gothic novel.”

Sirius makes a dramatic gesture. “Obviously, my brother would live in a haunted labyrinth.”

James chuckles. “Anyway, we were exploring it together, opening doors, finding all these strange, beautiful rooms. And Reg—he was different. Younger, maybe? But still him. He kept leading me around like he knew exactly where we were going, but when I asked, he said he didn’t.”

Sirius hums, tilting his head. “That’s kinda creepy.”

“It wasn’t, though. It felt… safe.” James frowns, tapping his fingers on the table. “Like he wanted me to see something, but we never got to it. Every time we turned a corner, the hallway stretched longer. The door we were looking for kept moving further away.”

Sirius studies him for a moment, uncharacteristically serious. “And then?”

James sighs. “Then I woke up.”

There’s a beat of silence between them, the usual background noise of the café feeling louder than before. Sirius takes a sip of his coffee, then shrugs. “Sounds like your brain is trying to tell you something.”

“Yeah?” James leans back in his chair. “Like what?”

Sirius smirks. “That you’re so hopelessly in love with my brother, you’re literally chasing after him in your dreams.”

James snorts, shaking his head. “Not exactly a revelation, Pads.”

Sirius laughs, but then his expression softens. “Have you told him?”

James raises an eyebrow. “That I dreamed about wandering through an endless house with him?”

“That you keep dreaming about him,” Sirius corrects. “That he’s in your head even when you’re asleep.”

James opens his mouth, then closes it. He looks down at his plate, at the now thoroughly massacred crouton, and sighs. “I guess I should.”

Sirius grins. “Yeah. Might wanna tell him he’s leading you on an adventure instead of letting you find the end, though. He’d love that.”

James laughs, and the weight in his chest feels a little lighter. “Yeah. He really would.”

[antarescamusxo]

Regulus: My brother is coming to pick me up

Barty: Cool

Regulus: Please don't- ugh...don't say anything stupid and don't bubble in my ear about how much you want to fuck him-

Barty: Wtf, man? Why would I do that? I have never met the guy. Do you think I have 0 respect for myself-

Sirius: Hey-what's up- traffic was painful my bad, you ready?

Barty:...

Regulus: Barty, no.

Barty:....

Regulus: Barty, stop.

Barty:....

Regulus: Barty, I will kill you-

Barty: Tell me how you want me. Anything. Everything. Can we have a sleepover- can I also please smell you hair- no, scratch that- you're invited to haunt my dreams.

[of-yourblazingsun]

Part 2

Regulus, lifting his wand: What have we learned?

James, patting the boils on his face: Not to risk retaliation from Ravenclaws when they're known to stick together against other houses.

Regulus, reversing the curse: That wasn't the lesson-

Sirius, nodding: We should've waited 'til Fenwick was alone in the quidditch change rooms.

Regulus: You shouldn't be sneaking into other teams' change rooms at all.

James: You're right, Reggie. Benjy Fenwick favours the quieter tables at the back of the library. That's where we should corner him next time.

Regulus: Am I speaking to a wall? There's no reason to go after him, period!

James: He was openly flirting with you during the practice match! Letting his lecherous gaze sweep up and down your body as you flew by! He's lucky I waited 'til he was back on the ground to do something about it.

Regulus: So you mean he looked in my direction while playing a game that requires one to be aware of all the other players at any given time.

James: Lecherously!!

Regulus: I'm done with you. Both with reversing the boils and trying to reason with you. Don't curse anybody else with jelly-legs today, it's bad enough that we won't be able to spend time together this weekend because of your detention.

James: Worth it. He'll think twice before trying anything again with you.

Regulus, walking away: Maybe I'll go study in the library with Fenwick tonight.

James: He's joking, right?

Sirius: I don't know. You looked quite awful with boils. It'll haunt me in my dreams. Benjy, on the other hand, has pretty nice skin.

Remus: So you do think Benjy's pretty??

Sirius, startled: Moony! Where did you even come from??

[v7lgar]

@jegulus-microfic | aimless - april 26 | 698 words part 1, part 2 next part >>

James knew the day he married his wife wasn't the end of the thing he had with Regulus. He knew from the moment he caught a glimpse of him. The voice in his head whispered the whole time while he was making his vow to Lily.

It's not the end yet.

He tried to not think much it much, he tried to ignore it. Because how could he even consider that possibility? He was getting married for fucks sake. He got married, he didn't change his mind. But still, ever since then that voice didn't shut up. It was always there, at the back of his mind.

Regulus was at the back of his mind.

The first year went smoothly, everything was perfect. Lily was a considerate woman. He liked to make her laugh, he liked her. He loved her.

But there was still Regulus.

He saw him a couple of times after his wedding day, he was at Christmas and sometimes at the parties they hosted as a Potter family. Regulus was there, but at the same time, he wasn't. He was like a ghost, haunting James in the middle of the day and deep in his dreams.

The time passed slowly, it was as if he was counting every day. He didn't know why he was counting, he just did.

Maybe the reason he couldn't get him out of his mind was his memories with him that left a scar in his heart. They were always there, he was always there. At the back of his mind, at the pit of his stomach, under his skin.

He sometimes caught himself staring at Lily and thinking about Regulus.

It wasn't fair, yes. It wasn't fair to Lily, hell, it wasn't fair to Regulus either.

But it's just, he couldn't help it.

He told himself multiple times that it was just thoughts, he wasn't going to do something about his yearning for his ex. It didn't do anyone any harm, it was just silly thoughts.

Or so he thought.

The breaking point for him happened in the second year of his marriage.

It was the first time he considered getting a divorce with Lily. It was funny when you think about it, they didn't even argue, yet here he was, considering a divorce.

The more Regulus invaded his mind, the more he became obsessed with it.

Maybe it counted as emotional cheating, maybe it was cheating.

But even the mention of his name made his heart ache under his ribs, he had to take a few minutes to recover himself. He didn't know if Sirius ever caught him on it, if he noticed he was thinking about his brother still. He wondered if Lily suspected the same thing too, she was his wife after all. It led to him feeling guilty almost every moment. He couldn't even drink whiskey on rocks because of the night he met with Regulus he was having that.

As if every road pointed his way, he became obsessed with the idea of him and their memories together.

Here he was, sitting on the balcony on the first floor, drunk as fuck and thinking about Regulus’ soft laugh.

He craved him. He was burning for him.

Maybe it was an aimless effort, but he did the last thing he shouldn't be doing.

He called Regulus.

He never deleted his number from his phone, he wondered if Regulus did. He wondered if Regulus was thinking about him too, from time to time. Did he still have their photos together? Did he delete them already? Maybe he deleted it on his wedding day, maybe it was the day they broke up.

As he waited for Regulus to pick up, he clutched the whiskey bottle in his hand. Praying for him to pick up. It was now or never. He didn't think he could be this brave again. It was wrong, it wasn't fair, yet it felt like he should've done this before.

“Hello?”

James couldn't speak for a moment, it felt like forever.

“Regulus,” he breathed, and he heard something crashing at the other end of the line.

“James.”

Something swelled under his chest. He didn't even think for a second.

“You are unavoidable.”

[deathnguts]

Coraline Bartylus au where Barty moves to the pink palace with his dad after his mom dies and regulus is like the Wibey of the au. I change the plot of the movie a lot in this ti make regulus more involved and I think it’s neat, albeit just a concept and therefore not super fleshed out. Still fun though

So Barty’s obviously utterly not excited to be here because it sucks and it’s causing him and his dad to fight even more than usual, he fucking hates this house and me makes it known. So he’s sent away to go ‘explore or something.’ He goes with a slam of the door and a scoff while inspecting the gray and barren landscape in the wet woods around the house, where he meets the landlord’s son (regulus) and his weird cat (Kreacher) who are both very unimpressed with him. They give him a once over and regulus tells him that his house is haunted and kids go missing there. He seems so sure and he’s so ominous that Barty almost believes him but then he comes to his senses and he’s like ‘yeah right pretty boy.’ This gets regulus frustrated and he promises to prove it, so the next day he finds and gives barty a doll that looks exactly like barty along with pictures and newspaper clippings about the last few missing kids (Evan, Pandora, Sirius) And barty starts to believe it so he explores the house to see where a kid could go missing and doesn’t find anything except a blocked off door that only reaches his knee. But when he goes to bed after fighting with his dad at dinner he has a ‘weird dream’ where he went through the bricked off door to a worm hole to a world where his dad has buttons for eyes and he’s actually nice to him. He talks with this Other Father about his mother and he finds that it’s actually nice to talk about something so hard as grief with a version of his father that will listen.

He wakes up the next day wishing he was there again because his dad is yelling at him to go meet his neighbors. So he trudges up the stairs and meets Slughorn (Bobinskey) who invites him in for tea and talks about potions and magical ailments like they’re real and sends barty to deliver a ‘pepper up potion’ whatever that is, to the basement after chuckling about how barty and the last boy, ‘regulus I believe his name was’ have similar scowls. Barty tries to ask more about him but Slughorn shoos him off all ominous like. Barty then goes to basement and meets Madams Pomfrey and McGonagall (Spink and Forcible) and their many many cats and they old lady complain about how the home owner’s son’s cat Kreacher is truly dreadful and bothers their babies and barty then tries to drill them for info but they instead talk about regulus’ brother who they apparently knew better and leave barty with a whole lot of questions. That night the Other Father goes with him to meeting the neighbors, instead of making Barty do it for him like in the real world, and it’s a crazy sort of magic show that Slughorn puts on with wands and bubbling potions that leaves him smelling the acidic scent even after waking up.

That day starts with regulus outside in the fog throwing pebbles at his window so him and barty wander around the ghost town to do their school shopping because regulus does it alone anyway and Barty’s dad said it would be ok for Barty to do it if he had ‘supervision’ from the more mature boy. While they’re hanging out, regulus reveals that he used to live in that house and he and his parents only moved out because his brother went missing there. He warns barty of a little door that his brother was obsessed with before disappearing. Barty is immediately sketched out and tells him that he has seen it and it’s bricked shut. He leaves out how it’s open in his dreams because he doesn’t want to looks stupid in front of his new friend. Regulus says he’s seen it too and that’s what he thought but his brother had insisted it wasn’t and had even tried to get him ti go with him through it, but he’d refused. That was the night his brother went through and never came back.

Barty is now super scared and when he dreams of his Other father he tries asking about the missing brother and he throughly distracts with a new friend for him. It’s the regulus. With button eyes and he’s smiling. Barty’s only known regulus for three days but he knows that this boy does not smile that softly and freely. In fact, he remembers his number one complaint about him being how serious and hard to read he is. His Other Father sends him away to play with his friend rather than answering any of his questions, so barty tries to drill the Other Regulus for answers but he’s so frustratingly carefree about everything. Barty slips away from him by saying they should play hide and seek, barty will hide first, and while ‘hiding’ he meets Kreacher and discovers that he can talk here and he’s warning him to get out and never come back because he’s being watched and he’s already seen one boy get eaten here. Barty’s freaked out but quickly distracted by the Other Regulus finding him ushering him ‘home’ where he confronts his Other Father. The Other Father tries to quiet him down and quell his worries by saying he merely kept Sirius in his family and he wants to keep Barty too. He’ll even let them play together with the Other Regulus that Sirius had liked so much, it will be fun. All Barty needs to do is sew buttons in his eyes.

Barty immediately says no and the Other Father tries to manipulate him by bringing up how his real father will never love him like he does but Barty is firm in his refusal so to try and show Barty that he’s not like his real father, he drops it before it becomes an argument. Barty wakes up at home and eveyrthing seems normal, his father’s home and Kreacher is scratching at his window- wait why is Kreacher here without regulus? He opens the window and Kreacher’s grumbling at him, trying to meow or talk like the other world but his mouth won’t open. Barty rushed downstairs with the panicked cat in his arms and finds his father arguing with a man that must be regulus’ father about his is missing son, and he’s sure it has something to do with this house. Barty immediately feels dread and horror build up in him and later ventures through the now open little door to look for the missing regulus with Kreacher refusing to follow.

The Other Father is waiting and seeming very pleased with himself. Barty is angry and demands to know what happened to the real regulus. the Other Father smiles and says that isn’t important because they’ll both be together again soon. When Barty asks what he means he gets thrown into a mirror where he meets two other ghosts and regulus’ angry ghost brother who demands to know if Barty left the door open. Barty is obviously very overwhelmed and freaked out by meeting ghosts and he has no idea what they mean until the person who pulls him out of time out is the real regulus, real mercury eyes instead of shiny buttons, who claims Barty’s been missing for a few days in the real world so he went looking for him through the door. Barty realizes just as the Other Regulus finds them and drags them over to see the Other Father that the world he ‘woke up’ in was still this one and he never left, he’d been played and now he’s just trapped them both here.

The Other Father is positively overjoyed to see the real regulus and gushes about how he almost didn’t think Barty as the bait would work with how his own brother didn’t, this young love is so sweet it will surely taste just as good when he devours them both. But it’s two against one and Barty and Regulus are both just as desperate, so they make a deal with the Other Father to gamble their way out.

I’m not exactly sure what the quest would be in this AU, because finding the ghost kids makes sense but I don’t think they care about the parents part. And having two players would surely change the game so maybe the Other Father makes Regulus one of the prizes ti find since he knows this world less and the Other Father would have less influence on him? That could be cool, Rosie twins as a dual headed marble and then Sirius and then the real regulus as the final showdown… yeah I’m not sure. But they would win obviously and make it out and lock the door and throw away the key.

Later Barty would dream one last time of the ghost children giving their thanks, Sirius giving him a goodbye and an apology ti pass on ti regulus, before they tell him that actually teh journey isn’t fully over yet. Barty wakes up ti regulus in his room, scaring the shit out of him, but regulus shuts him up with showing him he’s the one who has the key for the door. He took it with him when he moved out, he thought it was cool. But now he knows what it is and they band together ti get rid of it for the rest of the night.

I feel instead of the lemonade party thing that implies the relationship with the community and the parents is better now, the scene showing life is better now would be Regulus and Barty heading to the school - which Barty wasn’t excited at all about earlier - together. Like this life is less than ideal and even teh dream turned out to be a nightmare, but they had each other then and they have each other now.

[midnightstargazer]

Taylor Swift lyrics for the Marauders Era characters

James

The tricky thing is yesterday, we were just children, playing soldiers, just pretending, dreaming dreams with happy endings

It turned into something bigger, somewhere in the haze, got a sense I'd been betrayed

Lily

So you were never a saint, and I've loved in shades of wrong, we learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts, but this love is brave and wild

The whole school is rolling fake dice, you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger, and it's so quiet in the world tonight

Sirius

I've been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted, your dad is always mad, and that must be why

I rewind the tape, but all it does is pause on the very moment all was lost, sending signals to be double-crossed

Sometimes giving up is the strong thing, sometimes to run is the brave thing, sometimes walking out is the one thing that will find you the right thing

Remus

You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding

You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for? You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart

I've been having a hard time adjusting, had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting

Peter

We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde, until I switched to the other side, it's no surprise I turned you in, 'cause us traitors never win

Narcissa

I want you to know, I'm a mirrorball, I could change everything about me to fit in

And I feel my castles crumbling down, and I watch all my bridges burn to the ground, and you don't want to know me, I will just let you down, you don't want to know me now

Andromeda

Holding my breath, slowly, I said, you don't need to save me, but would you run away with me?

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

And I can still see it all in my mind, all of you, all of me, intertwined, I once believed love would be black and white, but it's golden

Bellatrix

They say I did something bad, then why's it feel so good?

The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey, most of them are true

Regulus

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts, memories feel like weapons, and now that I know, I wish you'd left me wondering

I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone

Snape

I don't trust nobody, and nobody trusts me

All these people think love's for show, but I would die for you in secret

You're on your own, kid, you always have been

[starsandmarsbars]

Regulus woke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down his face, and hands clenched in the sheets, trying to ward off the pain of his recurring nightmare. Walburga and Orion, obviously, were main characters in Regulus’ suffering, and when he thought he had finally gotten out of it, the dream came back to haunt him. Two years away from home, two years sharing a room with Sirius again, but this time in a home, not a house. James, Euphemia and Fleamont were the most welcoming hosts in the world, but it didn’t deter from the feeling that Regulus was intruding.

He pulled the sheets off his legs, and quietly snuck out of the room and down to the kitchen. The counter was bathed in soft moonlight, with shadows of clouds dancing around the walls. He opened the fridge, and pulled out some water, but as he was going back down the hallway to his room, he had a second thought.

The door creaked open, and soft brown eyes gazed down at him, looking slightly confused. “Hey Reg, what’s up? Why are you here? Are you sick? Hurt-”

“James!” Regulus cut in, putting a hand out. “It’s fine, I just had a bad dream and didn’t want to wake Sirius because you know what he’s like” James nodded in understanding, then pulled Regulus into his room, shutting the door behind him. “Do you want to talk about it?” He looked worried, and it caused a slight flutter in Regulus’ chest, but he didn’t know what for. “Can I just sit here for a bit?” “Of course Reggie, don’t worry about it”

[overdueforarevival]

The Astronomy Tower

When Remus and Sirius first start dating, Sirius doesn't want anyone to know. Not even James. Remus has been out and proud in front of the whole school since 4th year and has been caught kissing boys in broom closest more than once. The whole school knows he likes boys. So now that Sirius wants to be the one kissing Remus, he can't risk the broom closet, doesn't dare even look at Remus in the dorm and can't guarantee his continued anonymity in the Quidditch changing rooms. They need to find somewhere else.

He knows Remus is pissed about it, but he's a good enough man to never bring it up. In the end, they decide on the astronomy tower, up so high in the sky nobody can see it from the ground and in the dead of night, nobody would ever find them here. So there, leaning against the railing with the cool night air rustling about them, Sirius learns every ridge and divet of Remus' lips, learns how his fingers feel in Sirius' hair, learns how nothing else matters when he has Remus Lupin in his arms. The astronomy tower is their place.

Nobody will ever find them and his parents will never know just how much of a disappointment their heir truly is. Regulus will never see how disgusting his brother is. James will never regret being his friend.

And then, three months later, Sirius is standing on James Potter's doorstep, church bells ringing in the distance, hailing the birth of the Son of God on Christmas morning as the clock chimes midnight. There's snow in his hair and blood on his face and James is pulling him inside, shouting for his mother and the rest is a blur.

He's the talk of the town when school starts up again, but this time Sirius finds he doesn't mind. In fact, if they want to talk about him, he reckons he should give them something to talk about. So during breakfast on their third day back, he drags Remus up onto the Gryffindor table with him and snogs him like he's the very air in his lungs, the water for him to grow and the fire that keeps him warm. They get detention for a week, but it was worth it. It's all worth it for Remus.

The Astronomy tower becomes less used, Sirius no longer feels the need to hide and maybe it doesn't matter if he's gay? Maybe the grin on Remus' face when he can tell some nosy Hufflepuff why he's not running off with a new person every other week is because there's only one person he'll be running off with, and his name is Sirius Black.

A year later, James can't sleep, too anxious about the war and his parents ailing health to shut his eyes and so he walks. He walks and walks, threatening the fifth year Prefect that tries to give him detention with a nasty Stinging Hex he's perfected as he goes, and suddenly James is at the top of the Astronomy Tower. He is there too.

Regulus Black.

A boy who hates him like the stars hate the sun, though he's never been sure why. Even less sure is he of why he can't get the image of the boy's face out of his head or why his sharp features haunt his every waking moment and the soft bounce of his short curls grace his every dream.

Regulus turns around. They lock eyes and there's something there. James doesn't have time to decipher it, doesn't have time for anything really because suddenly his back is against the railing and there are hands on his chest. Cold hands. For a moment, his heart is in his throat and he's sure that this is it, this is the moment Regulus can't take his hatred of James any longer. James will fall to his death and nobody will be any the wiser.

But none of that happens. Instead, there are warm lips on his, furiously pressed against his mouth and it's only by pure muscle memory that James knows to follow the motion with his own lips. He's never been so grateful for his bold instinct reactions.

He's kissing Regulus Black. James Potter is kissing Regulus Black.

And it's rough and messy and there are teeth and tongues, scraping and pushing and his hands are in Regulus' hair, he's being pulled in by the waist and nothing has ever felt like this. All the girl's he thought he's loved, all the nights pining for Lily Evans... nothing compares to this. Nothing compares to Regulus Black.

They never speak about what happened that night, not for a while at least. But every night, without fail, James finds Regulus there, and every night without fail, there are rough, bitten lips on his and long fingers tracing underneath his shirt.

By now, Sirius and Remus rarely hide away in the Astronomy Tower, in fact it's been months since they were there, but it's Remus' birthday and Sirius wants to do something fun, something with just the two of them. So he drags Remus up to their special place, giggling with excitement and bursts happily through the doorway, arms thrown wide to present the surprise to his boyfriend.

The surprise they get is not the one Sirius had intended. Sirius intended for a romantic candle-lit dinner Hallie the house elf is bringing up in ten minutes time. The surprise they get is Sirius' half-naked brother pinned against the railing, apparently trying to meld himself into Sirius' equally half-naked best friend.

All four boys freeze, three going impossibly red in the face while the fourth bends over double, shaking with poorly timed and outrageously roaring laughter. Remus is nearly on the floor, right next to Sirius' jaw which he thinks may have detached from his face.

James and Regulus look like they've been petrified, still wrapped around each other, but both staring in horror at their unexpected guests. Mortification might be one word for the events of the night, trauma might be another and either way Sirius knows the image will forever be seared into the backs of his eyelids and haunt his every thought.

'Merlin, Pads, let's leave them to it,' Remus wheezes around his laughter and grabs Sirius by the arm, dragging him back down the stairs.

Safe to say, neither pair uses the Astronomy Tower again.

[adiraargent]

Slytherin Boys (Taylors Version)

This is part 2 - the other boys are on part 1 summary: Slytherin boys (Taylor's Version) x Reader warnings: swearing, smoking includes: Regulus Black, Blaise Zabini, Lorenzo Berkshire wc: 1532

Part 1

seven - Regulus Black

The air in the Black family manor was heavy with tension, a suffocating weight that seemed to press down on Regulus Black's shoulders with every passing moment. "Don't you dare walk away from me Regulus Black! Get your ass back down here right now before I'm forced to do something I won't like."

His fathers voice echoed through the halls around him, Regulus flinching slightly at the tone, memories of endless nights where his father had used the cruciatus curse on him.

He moved through the grand halls with a sense of unease, his steps hesitant as he navigated the labyrinth of memories that haunted the very walls of his home. Part of him hoped that Sirius would come out, maybe comfort him or something... but then he was harshly reminded that his brother was gone. He had left, found a new family and left him behind to deal with their awful parents by himself.

As he entered his room, Regulus couldn't shake the feeling of dread that clung to him like a second skin. He knew what awaited him beyond the closed door, the looming presence of his father casting a shadow over everything he did. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to face the inevitable confrontation that awaited him.

It was then that he heard your voice, a beacon of light in the darkness that threatened to consume him. You were sitting on his bed, your eyes filled with concern as you took in the sight of him standing there, a mere shell of the man you knew him to be.

I've been meaning to tell you

You bit your tongue, trying to think of the best thing to say to him as you pushed yourself off the bed, walking over to your boyfriend.

"Reggie..." your voice soft with empathy. "I think your house is haunted. Your dad is always mad, and that must be why."

Regulus's heart clenched at your words, the truth of them hitting him like a blow to the chest. His father's anger was a constant presence in their home, a dark cloud that hung over them like a curse. And yet, he had never dared to voice his fears, never allowed himself to admit just how much his father's rage had shaped his life.

But you saw through the facade, saw the pain and the fear that lay hidden beneath the surface. And in that moment, Regulus felt a flicker of hope ignite within him, a glimmer of light in the darkness that threatened to consume him.

"I think you should come live with me," you continued, your voice filled with determination.

And we can be pirates. Then you won't have to cry or hide in the closet.

You stand in front of him, your hand reaching up to swipe a tear off his cheek. Regulus's heart swelled with gratitude at your offer, the warmth of your love washing over him like a wave. To leave his home, to escape the clutches of his father's tyranny and forge a new life with you by his side – it was a dream he had scarcely allowed himself to entertain.

But as he looked into your eyes, he knew that it was a dream worth fighting for, worth risking everything he had ever known. F

And just like a folk song Our love will be passed on

"I love you," Regulus whispered softly, leaning forward to kiss you softly on the head before resting his forehead against yours, "I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

false god - Blaise Zabini

The air crackled with tension as you stood face to face with Blaise, your heart heavy with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

We were crazy to think Crazy to think that this could work

"I really thought that this was going to work," you whispered, your voice barely audible, the memories of happier times flooding your mind. "Fuck, I really was crazy to think that this could work."

Blaise's eyes flickered with pain as he took in your words, the echoes of your past mistakes hanging heavy in the air between you. He felt guilty, he knew it was his fault. He knew he shouldn't have joined the death eaters, but his parents had raised him to do it from the moment he was born.

He reached out, his fingers trembling as they brushed against your cheek, a silent plea for forgiveness that left your heart aching with longing.

"Remember how I said I'd die for you?" he asked, his voice trembling with emotion. "I really did mean it darling, I still do. I'd die for you."

We were stupid to jump, to believe that our love could conquer everything.

"Really?"

Blaise's expression softened at your words, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes as he dared to believe in the possibility of redemption. "I still do it for you, babe," he whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of love and regret, "this is killing me, please just trust me. We can get through this, I promise."

But you couldn't shake the feeling of doubt that lingered in the depths of your soul, the fear of repeating past mistakes casting a shadow over your heart. "They all warned us about times like this," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "They say the road gets hard, that we get lost when we're led by blind faith."

Blaise's hand tightened around yours, a silent promise to stand by your side through whatever trials may lie ahead. "But we might just get away with it," he murmured, his voice a gentle reassurance. "Even if it's a false god, we'd still worship this love. We'd still worship us."

I know heaven's a thing I go there when you touch me

You reached up to his cheek, he leant into your palm, his eyes shutting lightly at the touch, savouring the feeling he got from your skin incase this was the last time he would get to experience it.

Make confessions and we're begging for forgiveness

"I'm so fucking sorry," Blaise choked out, looking into your eyes, begging you for forgiveness. "Please please please, im sorry."

Still worship this love Even if it's a false god Even if it's a false god Still worship this love

midnight rain - Enzo Berkshire

The rain fell softly against the windowpane, a gentle rhythm that echoed the tumultuous emotions swirling within your heart. You watched the droplets cascade down the glass, each one a poignant reminder of the choices you had made, the paths you had chosen to walk.

Lorenzo Berkshire stood beside you, his presence a comforting warmth in the cold, lonely night. But despite the solace he offered, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at your soul, the ache of regret that lingered in the depths of your being.

Rain, he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain

"You always loved the rain," you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper, the word heavy with meaning.

Lorenzo's brow furrowed in concern as he listened to your words, the lines of worry etched into his features. He reached out, his hand coming to rest on yours, a silent gesture of understanding that spoke volumes more than words ever could.

He wanted a bride I was making my own name Chasing that fame He stayed the same All of me changed like midnight

"I should have said yes," you continued, your voice tinged with bitterness. "But I was too busy trying to get stronger, just for some fucking fame. And in the process, I lost sight of what truly mattered."

"You know you never did it for fame my love," he whispered, "you did it to get stronger and protect the people you cared about most."

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain He wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain

You fought back a sob, eyes staring out the window, the coldness od the room beginning to make you shake. "You always saw the best in me, even if there really was nothing good to see." Lorenzo's grip tightened around you. But despite his unwavering support, you couldn't help but feel the weight of your decisions pressing down on you like a burden too heavy to bear.

"All of me changed like midnight," you whispered, the words a lament for the person you had once been, the dreams you had once held dear. "And now, I'm left wondering if it was all worth it."

The silence stretched between you, heavy with the weight of unspoken truths and shattered illusions. And as you stood together in the dim light of the room, you couldn't help but feel a pang of longing for the simplicity of the past, for the love you had left behind in pursuit of something more.

So I peered through a window A deep portal, time travel All the love we unravel And the life I gave away

You look up at the window, glaring at your reflection... the only reflection shown on the glass. You were alone. He wasn't here, you hadnt seen him for years.

You thought about him every now and then, drinking to try and numb the pain, to try and convince yourself that you had made the right decision... or maybe that one day things would go back to how they had been.

But deep down, you knew that there was no going back, no undoing the choices you had made. And as you watched the rain continue to fall outside, you couldn't help but wonder if, somewhere out there in the darkness, he was thinking of you too.

I guess sometimes we all get Some kind of haunted, some kind of haunted And I never think of him Except on midnights like this (midnights like this)

written by @adiraargent

Requests and tips open :)

[my-castles-crumbling]

comb - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 195 - NSWF but not explicit - (thanks @heartshiii for expanding on my idea from this microfic and allowing me to write it!)

Click. Click.

It was a sound that haunted James's most mortifyingly delicious dreams.

The sound of Regulus Black, moving a lolly slowly back-and-forth in his mouth, clicking it against his teeth.

Click. Click.... Click.

They would meet with Sirius and Remus and the others for drinks, and there he was: moving the small candy in his lips, mouth bulging slightly. Their eyes would meet, gazes combing over each other.

Gods, it was infuriating.

His tongue, moving slowly, sinfully, along the red sphere. His mouth curling into a smirk. And still, not looking away.

And Merlin, Regulus's grey eyes bore through him, singing holes in his soul, making his knees weak.

He stifled a gasp as the other man grabbed the white plastic stick, languidly guiding the red candy back, back, back into his mouth, until it was basically down his throat.

And then- a wink.

Because it was fucking deliberate.

So when they met in the alleyway a few minutes later and James's first words were not a greeting, but instead a choked murmur of "Get on your knees"?

Well, Regulus looked just as good with other things in his mouth, to say the least.