Unfortunately-(Jegulus) √

It Was Different.

After leaving James and Sirius by the pool, Regulus returned upstairs and took a quick shower. He couldn't stand the smell of chlorine.

He checked his phone to see a few missed calls from his mother, but deleted them and then powered it off.

I don't need that right now.

Regulus sat down on his bed and sighed. What even happened out there? The one thing Regulus wanted to know is... What would have happened if Sirius hadn't interrupted?

What did I even want to happen?

Regulus sunk his head into his hands. He hated himself for being even remotely attracted to James. It was his brothers best friend. What would Sirius even say about it?

Sighing again, Regulus turned off the light and got into his bed, wrapping the covers around him tightly.

The moment he heard feet walking up the stairs, he shut his eyes and faked heavy breathing.

Soon enough, James had opened the door and stepped into the room. Regulus heard the click of the bedside lamp and the sound of James shuffling around, presumably putting on clothes.

James got into his bed, the mattress creaking softly. "Are you awake?" he whispered.

Regulus stayed quiet.

James waited for a few moments and then sighed, turning off the light. Just as Regulus was about to open his eyes, James whispered something else, making him close them again.

"Goodnight, Regulus."

Regulus rolled over and laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He tried to calm his mind down and hoped that tonight he might actually be able to sleep.

He was going to need the energy if he was to pretend everything was fine.

Before closing his eyes, he reached over to a pair of his jeans and fumbled around in one of the pockets. Regulus' hand came into contact with a small cardboard box and his lighter.

At least I still have those if I need them.

***

The next morning, when Regulus woke up, James wasn't there. It was a big relief. At least he didn't have to face him just yet.

Ignoring his hunger, he stayed in bed for a little longer before getting up, putting on a hoodie, and walking downstairs.

The Potter's and Sirius were sat around the table eating breakfast. Mrs. Potter smiled at him and Regulus sort of smiled back. "Come sit. There's plenty of food, so have whatever you want."

As usual, there were numerous plates laid out, full of bacon, toast, and pancakes. "It looks really good. Thank you," Regulus said, as he sat down.

James and him made eye contact a couple of times, but it was easy enough for Regulus to ignore it.

After breakfast, Regulus helped Mrs Potter with the dishes and decided to wander around for a bit.

Sometime after lunch, he found another door leading off the living room which opened into a small library.

Regulus awed at it. Sure, it wasn't anything compared to the one back at Grimmauld place, but it was enough to satisfy him.

Carefully, he scanned the shelves until he found a book that piqued his interest. It had a blue spine and a red cover. It was so old the writing on the front had worn away. So, instead, he flicked through the worn, yellow pages and read the title: