Paint It... Potter?

3 years?

Regulus noticed two things after waking up. The first was an insufferable pounding in his head. The second was the warm frame of James Potter sleeping next to him. He damn near fell out of his bed. James stirred at his movement, turning over to face him, not quite awake.

"What the fuck are you doing." Regulus hissed through his teeth. Salazar what was a shirtless James Potter doing in his bed. He had gotten drunk before but he had never gone so far as to black out, and fuck his head hurt.

"Relax," James said, "noting happend you just asked me to stay with you. James said trying to reassure Regulus but Regulus was still panicking. "Look," James started again. "You were wasted, and you were stumbling around a bit. Nothing happened, we just slept."

"That's not nothing, James." Regulus said, looking scandalized. "It's bloody embarrassing. And I can't even remember it." James looked mildly shocked.

"You can't remember anything?" Regulus shook his head.

"Nothing, and my fucking head hurts. Do you have any hangover potion?" James reached over to the nightstand for his glasses, he slipped them on to his face.

"Yeah, I'll go grab you some." James pushed himself off of the bed, stretching. His toned back on display. Regulus was almost salivating at the sight. He reached down to grab a shirt, and Merlin that should have been a crime.

James left for the bathroom. He returned quickly with a small vial for Regulus. He quickly accepted it, downing the contents.

"You should eat. " James said. "It'll help." Regulus nodded, and James left. Regulus stood from the bed. He reached down for last night's jumper, the smell was sickening. It reaked of alcohol. And Regulus never even wanted to see so much as butterbeer  again. He threw it in the basket before pulling open a drawer. He pulled out a suitable black jumper, surely another one of James's and pulled it on before heading down stairs.

He made his way to the kitchen where all four boys were located. "Don't worry. I made it." Remus said as Regulus looked at the food. That was actually calming. Remus seemed to be the only one of those boys with his wits about him.

"Andy and Dora are coming by tomorrow." Sirius said as Regulus sat down to join the other boys for breakfast. Regulus's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Who's Dora." Sirius but his lip. Apparently he had let something slip. James choked on his toast and Peter patted his back. Remus looked away as Sirius turned to him for help.

"She's, shit. " Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Little help here moony?" Sirius asked but Remus was already standing up with his plate.

"Nope this is on you" he brought his plate to the sink.

"Dora is - Andy and Ted- They- she's there daughter." He finally finished. Regulus sat his silverware down with a loud clank.

"Their what." He said, more of a statement then a question.

"Their daughter."

"Fuck, " Regulus said. How could he not know? How could Sirius not tell him? How? "How old?" He asked Sirius. Sirius looked up shamefully.

"Almost three years." He squeeked out

"Three years!?" James and Peter took that as their que to leave. "And you never bloody thought to tell me?"

"You never cared enough to ask." Sirius replied coldly. "You never tried to know either of them. All you were good for was trying to please mummy."

"I always tried, I always cared, you just threw everything away. And then you left." Well, that surely pisses Sirius off, his hair sparked the ends

"Don't do that." He glared. "Don't play the fucking victim, because you could have-"

"What ran?. I did run!" Regulus yelled.

"But not with me. Never with me" Sirius shot back. It was childish, Sirius seemed jealous. What right did he had to be jealous.

"Oh, and what you running off with your neew family was completely fine." Regulus asked throwing his arms in the air. "You left me the moment you got to hogwarts, and I stopped being your brother as soon as you met James Potter." That melted Sirius, and Regulus felt his cheeks heat up.

"You left me." Regulus said, and for once Sirius was silent. "You left me long before that night. All of the summers, and the holidays I spent in that house. You were never there. I've been their little test dummy."

"I always thought. They never hurt you. I always stepped in, and-and you were so good at listening. I thought you liked being there." Regulus was disgusted at that

"How could I ever enjoy them" he sneered, Sirius managed a quiet chuckle.

"I didn't mean that, you just. You never put up a fight." Sirius said waving his hand with a circular motion as he searched for the words.

"Yes well, the cruciatus isn't very enjoyable" Sirius nodded in agreement. Their parents were never easy with punishment.

"Why did you run" Sirius suddenly asked.

"I just, I was trying not to be coward." Regulus said shaking his head

"And why didn't you leave with me." That Regulus didn't quite know. Maybe he wasn't ready. Maybe being forced to take the mark was his breaking point. After all, he wasn't the one who was bound and tortured on the floor.

"I-" Regulus started not really knowing how. "I thought I could take it. It was my duty. I was the heir." Regulus stopped when Sirius scoffed at him. "You know exactly what I mean." And Sirius did. The sense of honoring family above everything was beat into them. Or more accurately cursed into them. "I thought I could take it." Regulus finally admitted. "But she fucking tore me to shreds."

"Yeah well, that's what she's good at" sirisaid taking a drink. "Sorry for not telling you." Sirius said with a hint of genuine remorse.

"Sorry for being a prick." Regulus said back. And that made Sirius laugh as he clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're forgiven."