Smile When You Dive In

Chapter 26

June melted away, and all of the summer staples at Hogwarts came around faster than Regulus had expected. The dorm was unusually quiet as all of the boys studied for their O.W.L exams, with the students who were also on the Quidditch team having to balance that with preparing for the last few games of the season. To add his prefect duties and corresponding with Malfoy to the list, Regulus found that he didn't have as much time to spend with James as he would have liked. Since the first time, he had been up to the Gryffindor boys' dorm two more times, though he had not yet found the opportunity or inclination to show James his dorm. While James didn't have exams to contend with, the full moon was edging nearer, which meant that it wasn't at the top of his priority list either.

On the first day of July, the day that also happened to be the full moon, the end of the Gryffindor team's practice coincided with the start of the Slytherin team's. Regulus and James managed to tuck themselves away together in the supply cupboard under the stands, with Regulus listening carefully for anybody who might stumble upon them.

"If anybody comes in, I found your Herbology book." James pressed said book into his chest as his lips latched onto Regulus' neck.

"That wouldn't explain why you're kissing me."

"Want me to stop?" He traced his tongue along the column of Regulus' neck so that a shiver went down his spine. James knew very well that Regulus wouldn't want him to stop. As their time together became increasingly fleeting, Regulus stopped caring how needy he looked, lapping up James' affections when they were offered.

"Could always tell them we drank a rogue love potion." Regulus mused, allowing himself a moment to lean into James' touch.

"Mh, but then they'd make us go to Madam Pomfrey." James dragged his teeth along the spot he'd just kissed, and if there was any doubt in Regulus' mind as to whether they should have been together in that moment, it had suddenly vanished. "Could tell them to mind their own business."

Regulus laughed then, and finally pushed James away with all the conviction he could muster as regret hit him like a wave. James walked backwards slowly, as though he knew that Regulus would be capturing the moment and admiring the way the light broke through the slats beside them to hit his face. If he weren't so openly ogling the boy, he'd be ridiculing his cockiness. Instead, he just pulled up his collar to cover his neck, conscious of the numerous red marks that littered his pale skin after each of their meetings.

Up in the air, it was easy to put the coming days out of his mind. When the wind tore through his hair, he put away all thoughts of James' fingers tangled in his black locks. As he dipped and practiced a feint, he didn't think about the match they had played against each other as seekers, and all that it had led to. And if the others disparaged Regulus for not having his head in the game, there were several things happening in their lives that they would reach to blame before suspecting a secret frolic with their opponent.

Over dinner, Carmen teased him about the way he gave into his paranoia and held one hand over his neck. When he looked up at James with pink cheeks, his swain only winked across the Great Hall as he pushed away an empty plate. Regulus noticed that when it was a full moon, the four of them would sneak out of dinner early, one by one. Lupin would go first, looking irritated and restless. Sirius would follow then, and after a while Pettigrew and James would excuse themselves too. He wondered how many people in Gryffindor tower knew about Lupin's condition, and if he would have ever figured it out without Snape's intel.

Snape thankfully seemed to have gotten over the incident, or at least didn't harp on about it as they trudged down to meet Lucius. Before they had convened, Regulus had given some thought to his outfit of choice. The last time he had gone to meet the Dark Lord, everybody had been wearing black cloaks, so should he have followed suit? Snape hadn't, and that hadn't been his first meeting. In the end, he settled on a black turtleneck underneath a silk juniper shirt, looking in the mirror more than once to make sure his indiscretion with James wasn't visible above his collar. Snape gave him a look as though he disapproved, although the moment Regulus started asking Snape's opinions on fashion would be the moment he had officially given up on his appearance.