CANNONBALL ⇒ jegulus

TWO

"So, James is gay?" Dorcas grins. "Welcome to the club. So far the annual general meetings have only included myself, my dearest, Sirius, Remus and Regulus, but we are more than happy to have another member,"

James rolls his eyes, taking a swig of his pre gig drink. "Yeah, yeah, see you there. I'll bring muffins," He mocks.

Remus scoffs. "But that what we're giving you in your coming out care package,"

Sirius kisses at his boyfriends neck before, "Yeah, that and homophobic parents," He winks cheerily.

"There isn't actually a care package, is there?"

"No, Pete, 'course not," Mary laughs. "Sirius, c'mere, better get started on your lovely face, eh?" She grins. "Before Rems has it covered in kisses,"

"Oi, bugger off," Remus grumbles as Sirius deverts his attention from him, clambering over to a spiny chair in order for Mary to begin her magic.

"Anyone seen my darling brother? Haven't heard from him all day," Sirius comments as he closes his eyes, giving Mary more access to his eyelids. "He texted me yesterday, but nothin' since then,"

James considers Sirius incredibly lucky for even getting a text.

It's been a week and barely any of them have heard from Regulus, Sirius has received a few text messages, here and there, but nothing explanatory. James wonders if Regulus is avoiding him. But his mind wanders to the worst, Regulus' ever deteriorating mental health.

"Er, I haven't, actually," Marlene says softly. "Shit, do you think he's alright?"

Before anyone can answer Regulus in all his half opened button down shirt glory enters the room, a sobbing Lily clung to his hip; her mascara drawing itself down her pretty face in sad, black clumps and streaks.

"Lily!" Mary shrieks, almost poking Sirius' eye out in the process.

Lily shakes her head wildly, her hair tousled and unbrushed. "We b-broke up!" She sobs. "H-he was with h-her and I'm.... I wasn't her!" She whispers, her eyes void and glassy. "He's-"

"A dickhead, alright? He didn't deserve you," Regulus cuts in with a firmly soft voice. "He never did, yeah?"

Lily nods with a small whimper as she looks up to Regulus. She's about to speak when Sirius stands up, not even giving Mary time to fuss over the streak of liner now looming down his face at his movement.

"Fuck him, you're not her because you're Lily fuckin' Evans, you're our Lil, our Lilyflower," Sirius says sternly. "So go out there tonight and when we sing Purple Rain, you better do some damage and seduce some men."

Remus almost chokes on his own air as everyone else seems to laugh. Sirius turns to wink at his boyfriend and Remus blushes. "Stop being such a bloody tease, you wanker," Remus rolls his eyes as Sirius leans in for a kiss, a proper and tender kiss.

Peter claps Lily on the back gently, reassuringly. "You dance your little heart out, alright?"

Lily nods tearily. "Okay, okay I will!" She declares. "But please pretend those drums are his head, yes? You'll do that for me?"

Peter laughs with a firm nod. "I'll do that and then some, Lils,"

"Mary's all booked up doing primadonna's makeup over here but if you want me to dab away that mascara, let's get started, eh?" Marlene offers softly, guiding Lily towards a nearby sofa and kneeling in front of her, already helping her to relax herself, the red haired girl's shoulders shaking every now and then as she details the entire tale to her friend.