#ritardando

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LITERARY: Girl Acacia

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it's been exactly a year since the last chapter of Operation Walburga's Arbitrary No Kissing Ever Rule and I still miss it. This scene is probably one of my favourite things I've ever written and I've wanted to draw it for forever, so now seemed like an appropriate time

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look at that!! i've talked about it so much and now chapter 1 actually exists in real life!!

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Regulus doesn’t keep throwing glances towards the dance floor. He absolutely doesn’t. The fact he ends up spotting James is just because James is a very showy dancer, as enthusiastic about this as he is about everything else. His dance partner looks delighted by it. She keeps touching him on his arms and chest, keeps pressing closer against him than Regulus sees necessary for dancing, and laughs every time James says something to her.

Regulus hates it.

When James leans closer to her to say something else, putting his arms around her waist, Regulus has had enough. He’s seen how these things go with James enough times to be certain that within the next ten minutes he will see the two making out against a wall somewhere.

“I’m going to get another drink,” he mumbles to no one in particular. The remaining friends on the table are currently too deeply invested in a round of Exploding Snap to pay him any mind when he gets up.

chapter 8 of ritardando is here :)

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James really should have known that Regulus would be a great actor. He’s spent all his life being taught how to play the perfect pureblood son, after all. He’d have to have picked up something from that. And somehow it still startles James how quickly he makes the switch, how easily he drops the scowl, props his elbow on the table to rest his chin on his hand, while with the other he holds the straw of his drink to his lips, giving James a soft smile. In fact, it takes James off guard so much, that for a second his brain fails to catch up with the situation and his stomach gives such an intense swoop that it presses a small breath out through his lips.

The second passes quick enough, luckily, and James’ brain gets the memo that this is a fake smile. Regulus is merely an excellent actor who apparently has no problem putting on a mask of pure loving when he looks at James.

chapter 6 of ritardando is here :)

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“Very cute addition to your photo wall by the way,” Lily says casually.

“Mm?” James asks.

“The photo of Regulus? It’s very adorable.”

“Oh,” James says, feeling his face heat up. “Thank you. I’m working on my photography skills.”

“Uh huh,” Lily smirks, “I’m sure Regulus was a very willing model.”

He’s getting properly flushed now. “Shush, go away.” He picks up a pillow and throws it at Lily.

Laughing, she dodges it, then, with a flick of the wand she is still holding, hurls it back at James. “For the record, I think you’re sweet together.”

“We’re not together,” James denies. It doesn’t matter that this is all pretend. He is absolutely flustered at his secret relationship being found out.

“’course not,” Lily agrees lightly. “Well, I think you’d be very sweet together. You should ask him out some time.” James loves her for humouring him. For pretending she isn’t convinced they’re already a couple.

chapter 7 of ritardando is here :)

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“Should we write this down?” James asks unsure.

That actually gets a little huffed laugh from Regulus. Not that he had meant to be funny, but James will take the win regardless. “This isn’t some kind of contract I will drag you in front of court over. Just tell me what you had in mind, it’s fine.”

“Alright.” James nods firmly, bringing himself back on track. “I think we should start by figuring out what our story here is.”

“Our story?” Regulus repeats.

“Yes, like, how did it all start.”

chapter 5 of ritardando is here :)

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Regulus looks ... he looks nervous, for some reason. He’s twisting the rings on his fingers, looking anywhere but at James, his eyes never quite settling on one thing for too long. It’s disorienting, because this is what James is supposed to feel right now. What reason does Regulus have to be nervous here? James gets his answer when Regulus opens his mouth next. “What if we pretend they’re right?” “What?” “Our friends,” Regulus says and he looks like he’s already regretting making the suggestion before he’s even said it out loud. “They think there’s something going on between us. What if we pretend they’re right? Let them believe their assumptions are correct?”

chapter 4 of ritardando is here :)

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“Ah,” Sirius interrupts in recognition. “A rent increase again? How much is it?” “It’s about thirty-two bucks more a month for each of us...” Regulus grinds out. “Fucking hell, what’s wrong with him?” “Capitalism,” Regulus says weakly. “Fucking hate capitalism,” Sirius mutters.

chapter 3 of ritardando is here :)

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out here for the wip game with ritardando

(and to tell u that the snippet for professor reg got me invested i can't wait to read when it comes out !!!

i have not written on ritardando in days due to being miserably sick so i feel very out of the loop with this fic atm and literally just. scrolled to a random part of my document so this is the little snippet you're getting now <33

“Uhm. Did I do something wrong?” James asks carefully, halting in his untying of his shorts. Regulus’ glare disappears and then he’s looking away from James, busying himself with something in his bag. “No,” he mutters. “Stop watching me.” “I’m not watching,” James says immediately while he keeps doing just that. “I can feel you watching me,” Regulus huffs. There is a moment of pause as his shoulders tense, then he says, quieter than before, “It looks like I forgot my towel. I think I might just have to shower at home.”

once i figure out what reg teaches i will be actually properly writing the professor reg fic i tell you itll be over for yall

wip game

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oh, okay then

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PLEASEEEE LITTLE SPOILER OF THE NEXT RITARDANDO CHAPTER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

hello!!! i am offering you this cute little snippet of the next chapter :D i hope this satisfies your wants a little for now <33

“I’m just worried about him, is all,” Sirius shrugs. Regulus snorts. So much for their plan of having Sirius not worry about James. “You don’t have to be.” “You’re serious about him then?” “That’s not what I said,” Regulus evades the question. He is serious about James. Their relationship isn’t, however, and there isn’t really much he can do about that. “I know you don’t really do more than casual relationships. And James is the furthest from casual you can be.” There is no judgement to Sirius’ words. He is simply stating facts. “I just don’t want you to break his heart.” “I won’t,” Regulus says. He’d love to be in a position where he even had that possibility.

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fic got so long i had to start writing the plot into a calendar

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I just realised i made marlene a chaser in ritardando?? Which was so not on purpose, she is such a seeker in my eyes, but i accidentally wrote her to be a chaser several chapters ago and funnily enough this is now helping me with a plot point :")

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this is the beginning of chapter 8 from ritardando from sirius' pov. it's mostly the same as in the fic, i just like the small differences to how james and sirius perceive parts of this conversation :)

Sirius calls James the next evening when he’s sure James is home from work. He’s not upset with James, hasn’t been since he was actively shouting at him, but he knows they both still need that reassurance.

When James picks up he sounds immeasurably tired.

“You okay?” is the first thing Sirius asks.

“Yeah,” James says and the smile in his voice puts Sirius at ease. “Just exhausted. I hate Thursdays, they’re so long.”

Sirius hums in acknowledgement. He hasn’t had a particularly long Thursday since Hogwarts. And this Thursday, particularly, hasn’t been at all. He’s not yet used to being out of work. Considering it’s only been two days he thinks that’s fair. Yesterday he was fully on his way to the shop before he realised he’s no longer welcome there. It had pretty much ruined the entire rest of the day for him, which might be the reason he did what he did, calling Barty in a desperate attempt to sort out his own life.

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday,” James says now. “Both about fifth and about your mother, that was awful of me and I’m really sorry.”

“I know,” Sirius says. He doesn’t pretend it didn’t hurt him. “I think I needed to hear it though. I’m not angry with you.”

“Okay,” James says, an audible breath of relief following the words.

“I’m also sorry for shouting at you,” Sirius says. He hates apologising, especially to James, because it means he fucked up enough to warrant an apology. He never wants to hurt James. “I don’t fully remember what I said to you, I just know that it wasn’t nice and I don’t actually think you’d hurt Reggie.”

“I wouldn’t,” James says. “And we’re not hooking up, we really aren’t.”

“I know,” Sirius sighs. Despite what he said to them the previous day, he does realise that’s not what’s happening. He knows James well enough to know that even Regulus wouldn’t be able to push him into just sleeping around for fun. “I’m not going to pester you about it anymore. Regulus is right. Doesn’t matter that he’ll always be my little brother, he still is a grown up and can do whatever he wants with his life. Same goes to you obviously. I trust that you both know what you’re doing and if there was anything important to tell you’d tell me.”

James stays silent for a moment too long, and Sirius wonders if maybe he is misjudging yet another situation. Finally, James says, “Thank you. I love you, you know that, right?”

“I do,” Sirius promises. “I love you too.”

“Are you going to come to our lunch meet up at uni tomorrow?” The now that you don’t have work during that time stays unspoken, but Sirius still hears it regardless.

“No,” he says. “I’m not quite ready to have that be public knowledge yet. And also I don’t think I’d be any fun to have around at the moment.”

“You’re always fun to have around,” James says. “I love having you around even when you’re a miserable git.”

Sirius laughs at that. It’s the first time he’s laughed in two days and it’s only then that he realises how badly he needed it. “Unfortunately not everyone is you and some people actually have normal opinions of me.”

“Thinking you’re great is a normal opinion?” James says, offence resonating in his voice. “Don’t insult my best friend, that’s my job.”

Sirius feels a lot lighter. “Alright,” he agrees. “I love you.”

“I know.”

“Thank you,” Sirius says. “For this. And for yesterday, regardless of how much it sucked. And for still being here for me.”

“I wouldn’t know how to do anything else,” James says. “Don’t think I’d be still me if I stopped being around you all the time.”

“Annoying twat,” Sirius says fondly.

“I love you too,” James says in the same tone. And Sirius knows that everything will be okay.

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hey so. ritardando is now actually longer than operation wanker. which feels vaguely weird even though that was the plan all along. but now it is real and there are more words and the story is still very much not over and i gotta write more