ENCHANTED ⇒ jegulus

SIX

James figures he should give Lily awhile to cool off. So he stays for a late breakfast at Remus and Sirius'. The morning starts off rather well. He and Remus make pancakes for the rest of the household while Sirius sleeps away his slight hang over and Regulus assumedly sleeps.

All indications of that are interrupted when the distinctive sound of quietened retching can be heard. James looks to Remus, startled.

"Who's getting sick? Sirius didn't even drink that much!" James yelps, surprised and cautiously worried.

Remus shakes his head, waving his friend off. "Sirius doesn't usually get sick after drinking, so it isn't him," He sighs. "Regulus' morning sickness has been quite hard on him, he should be okay soon, though,"

"Shouldn't we go check on him?"

"Nope," Remus says. James raises an eyebrow, so Remus continues. "Although we didn't give Regulus any house rules; he gave us some. Rule number one was don't disturb him when he's bloody vomiting,"

"Number one? There were multiple?" James echoes. He glances towards the opened kitchen door. "Surely one of us should go tend to it,"

Remus shrugs. "Reg says he doesn't like people to see him get sick. He said, and I quote, it isn't his most attractive state. Between you and I, I think the Black brothers couldn't possibly have an unattractive state," He hums. "They've got good bone structure, y'know,"

James sighs, standing up. "I'm gonna go check on him,"

"Okay," Remus simply replies, seemingly not willing to argue over it. "But if you get your head bitten off, don't say that I didn't at least give you a warning,"

James leaves the kitchen, slowly tiptoeing his way up the long, winding stairs. He reaches the bathroom door, hesitating a little. Maybe he doesn't want his head chomped off. He sighs, emptying his head of his cowardly thoughts. Regulus is just a bloody person, a very nauseous person at that.

James clears his throat. He reaches his hand up to knock gently. "Regulus? You alright?" James calls softly. He can hear Regulus begin to heave a little.

"Do...do I sound alright?" Regulus rasps in reply, his throat hoarse as a result of his throwing up.

"Can I come in? Remus...Remus says I shouldn't, but-"

"Well, if Remus says-" Regulus is cut off by his own retching. He pants a little bit before continuing. "Then be a good boy, Potter, and fuck right off," Regulus groans from behind the door.

James sighs, shaking his head. Gritting his teeth, he shoves open the door, determinedly. Regulus is hunched over the toilet bowl, still dressed in his pajamas from the night before, his long, thin fingers clutching at the porcelain of the toilet seat. Regulus' face is pale, but his cheeks are flushed a little.

An unusual sight, no doubt. But certainly not the atrocity that Regulus had made it out to be to Remus.

Before Regulus can protest, he's quickly shoving his pale face back towards the toilet bowl and promptly throwing up again.

James tuts a little, approaching Regulus' shaking form. "Hey, hey, take it easy," He utters as soft as he can. "Get it all up, attaboy," He says. Unintentionally, he pats Regulus' lower back, rubbing small circles to soothe him. Regulus is so thin and gaunt that James is sure he could wrap his entire arm around the other man's waist. But then he recalls those gaudy stitches and James fears he may hurt Regulus more than soothe him.