Curse Breaker (or how to find answers)

The portrait you'll need to see and the questions you'll need to ask - pt.2

***

The way back to the beach was longer than expected. But they eventually made it back there, after a dozen minutes.

Regulus had been struggling a bit, since evolving underwater didn't seem like a second nature, but James was patient enough to wait for him. Of course. He paid attention not to go too fast. Regulus probably thought he was making fun of him again, or looking down on him, by waiting for him like this, but James didn't care. He didn't want to leave him behind.

When they made it back to the surface, James sprinted to it; from under the water, the rain was visible, making lots of little circles echo each other, and creating a nice view. However, he was starting to feel tired from being underwater for all this time. His Magnas Bulla had been quite surprisingly strong and resistant enough to keep them alive all this time, allowing them to breathe underwater. James was proud of it — and on top of it all, he had won his bet against Regulus, the one where Regulus didn't believe they would be able to breathe underwater to go ask the questions directly to Leif. At least his part of the plan hadn't failed.

No, what didn't work was Leif. The ghost had become crazy with years of solitude. And so, they hadn't been able to ask him questions. But at least they had a lead; or sort of. James wasn't sure of anything anymore, but Regulus looked like he knew where he was going.

So he reached for the surface first, soon joined by Regulus. The bubbles didn't disappear until they were able to walk on the floor again, even if they still had water to their waist. Then they disappeared properly, without wetting the upper part of their bodies; their legs however, were completely in water. And the rain, abundant, was soaking their heads and shoulders. James looked up at the sky, dumbly, watching as the rain was falling on his face.

"Putain de merde," Regulus let out, suddenly, with a I-can't-believe-what-just-happened tone, to James' side, as soon as both their Magnas Bulla disappeared. Immobile in the water, with water to his thighs, he was staring into nothingness. His jaw was clenched, and his fists were a bit too. " Putain de merde ," he repeated to himself, in a sort of chuckle. " Qu'est-ce qu'il s'est passé, là? " Regulus continued, in French, as if words were escaping him without thinking. (Fucking hell. / Fucking hell. / What just happened?)

James didn't know what he had said, however, he was able to hear the disbelief in his voice.

"Putain ," Regulus chuckled. He had a wry grin on his face. "Fuck."

James chuckled too. "Are you swearing in French, right now?"

Regulus looked at him, smugly. "That's possible."

James only stared at him with a grin, poking the inner side of his cheek with his tongue. He couldn't believe he was friends with Regulus. And that they had just experienced something like... like this — it was probably what Regulus wasn't able to believe either. It was something crazy, and James wasn't able to realise yet what they had done.

However, there was something else James couldn't believe. The kid was just... casually swearing in French like this. Regulus Arcturus Black. The posh kid. James wondered if he was doing it with him because he was feeling relaxed enough; just like friends did. Because James knew Regulus' parents — and so, Sirius' too — didn't let them curse at home. Of course, Sirius ran away and he wasn't following these stupid rules anymore, but Regulus was still living with them. James guessed Regulus only did it with friends; and so, it warmed his heart. Regulus was feeling good enough with him to do this. It was nice to realise.

"What?" Regulus asked after a while, when James realised he was still looking at him without saying anything.

"Nothing. Just thinking."