Paint It... Potter?

Empty.

Regulus slid into the open space glaring at Barty. Barty smirked at him she shook his head cursing slightly. He sat as far away from James as the booth allowed. James offered him a small smile which he held onto for far too long. He was stolen away from it

"Tell them Reg," Sirius was saying

"I'm sorry" Marlene said  " I just can't picture bad boy Sirius Black with dainty little handwriting."  Mary was giggling along with her.

"I'm telling you 12 bloody years of calligraphy lessons." Sirius said."I docudrama make a living writing wedding invitations." Sirius moved his had throughout the the air as if he had a quill.

"I just can't picture it." Said Marlene putting her head on the table with laughter.

"It's true." Barty added in. "You should see Reg's notes. It's so bloody fancy." He took a drink, his nose wrinkled up a bit.

"He does have frilly little handwriting." Evan said. It was true

"Jesus, you posh boys." Lily said sipping on her own drink. "Caligraphy and dancing lessons, what else? Bloody French lessons?" Sirius and Regulus made eye contact and said at the same time

"oui" the girls gasped a little bit and lily just laughed.

"Oh my god, tell me you aren't that bad." Lily said turning to James and Peter. Peter shrugged.

"Well, I can speak Spanish." James told her.

"And I can speak Welsh." Remus said piping up.

"You never told me that." Sirius said turning on Remus.

"Well, my mom taught me, she was Welsh." Remus shrugged it off. Secretly Regulus thought it was cool. Regulus brought his glass to his lips. He felt something brush against him. He looked down to where his knee brushed against James's. James seemed to pay bo attention.m to it, but at that moment Regulus's world was revolving around it.

"Oi." Sirius said snapping in front of his face. "I've been talking to you." Sirius told him pouting.

"Sorry, I was a bit spaced out." Regulus said, he pushed his hair behind his ear a d looked back at Sirius

"Emmeline Vance is over there looking at you liek you're a bloody meal." Sirius said pointing ti the other side of the bar, the girl was looking at him. Regulus really didn't like that for some reason.

"Oh" Regulus said shifting a bit uncomfortable.

"Merlin, when did you become the bloody ladies man.?" Sirius said clapping him on the shoulder.

"I don't know, I don't even fancy girls." And that's when Regulus knew he was drunk. The table went quiet and everyone looked at him. Sirius sat back eyes wide. Barty and Evan had known. The two remained unchanged. Lily didn't seem to care much. None of the girls actually seemed to care.

But James, James went absolutely ridged. His knee moved away from Regulus.

"Well, alright then." Lily said setting her drink down. "I'm going for a smoke." Everyone else either decided to join her or that it was time to leave. For some reason he decided to join Lily.

"Lend me one?" he asked Lily leaning on  the wall next to her.

"only if you say it in French." She teased. He rolled his eyes at her, but she handed him one anyway. She handed him a muggle lighter. He lit his cigarette and took a long drag.

"You look good Black." She said leaning against the ways. "Dressed to impress then?" He felt for the first time self conscious.

"Yeah, it's all Dorcas though." She snorted at him.

"Oh what ever." She laughed. "You've got natural beauty Black." He knew that. Generations of selective inbreeding had insured that . It was absolutely disgusting.

"I know you like him."  Lily said blowing out a puff of smoke. Regulus was taken aback. He was panicking. "And I'm still not sure how I feel myself, that's why I went on this date, well it wasn't really a date." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm giving it a shot, and if that doesn't work." She shrugged. "To be completely honest I'm not sure if I like him myself. Just testing the waters you know?"

"Yeah" he said because he did know. He understood what he was saying, but that didn't stop him from feeling jealous.

"And God, I know you must hate me, but there's no hard feelings on my part."He couldn't hate her. She was too bloody nice to hate.

"I don't hate you." He told her and she seemed relieved. Letting more smoke out of her mouth as she sighed.

"I really though you did. Reg, you've been giving me the 'I'm going to kill you' look all night."

"You see that's where you're wrong, I was giving you the 'I wnat to kiss your boyfriend' look." She laughed at him, a smile speead axcross her face. He knew then why James liked her. As she stood infront of him, her cheeks rosey  snow suspended in her hair lips parted with laughter.

"I'm, I'm really glad you don't hate me, if you ever need someone in Gryffindor. You know if Sirius is pissing you off, I'm there." It was his turn to laugh.

"Sirius always pisses me off."

"See, it's perfect then." She said trying to convince him.

"Thank you for the offer" he said, taking on final drag off of his cigarette. "I'll keep it in mind." With that he swept out of the alley in search of his friends.

They were still at the bar, he found. And the were sufficiently pissed. Apparently Rosmerta had been giving them drinks while he was out to smoke. At some point James had left the bar as ghe booth he had occupied minutes ago was now empty.

"Oh sweet Merlin," Regulus hissed as he approached the two boys. It wasn't like them to get drunk in public. "Come on he said pulling on Barty" Regulus led him out of the bar and Evan followed close after them.

It took some work getting them out of the village. Barty wanted to stop at every shop, he stopped looking into every window display. He had actually begged Regulus to go inside. Twice.

"Please" he asked again. Regulus had to stop him from getting down on his knees to beg at his feet.

"Oh my- fucking- get up." Barty looked hopefully at him. Regulus rolled his eyes at him "fine you can go in." It was a potions shop bit that didn't matter to Barty. He skipped his way in there. It had taken them nearly 40 minutes before Regulus had gotten them all the way through the store. Barty had picked up every vial, and Evan seemed to be flirting with the shopkeeper. As they left the store Evan stumbled a bit falling into Barty.

"Merlin, what are you trying to do, shag me again?"