I adored you Madly, Extravagantly, Absurdly.

Chapter 3

Warnings: Smut. If you don't want to read it skip from when Remus enters Sirius' room to "When they are done, sweaty and spent, the bed stained and in disarray, Sirius doesn't know what he is doing anymore."

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"In the gloom, you are my light; in the cold, you are my fire; the frozen wastes of the Pole would be a Garden of Eden for me if you were there" Teleny 113

Life at the manor is calm. They are approaching winter, so Regulus barely leaves the house to wander the gardens. James often pays him company, reading in the library, talking about books, music, art, and Sirius, or listening to him play the piano and the violin. When James is busy with his "Viscount things", as he refers to it, Regulus either spends the time alone or seeks out the servants to keep him company.

Pandora, his maid, is like a dear friend to him. She is a bright young woman, interested in science, herbs, and poisons – something that would have been a concern if she was any other person. Regulus likes hearing her talk.

She is not from this town but a few miles off to the north. She is curious about everything and, at times, bold but still knows when to shut up. She shares gossip about the rest of the servants with Regulus whenever possible.

She once admired one of the jewellery pieces Regulus got from his mother after the wedding, and Regulus gifted it to her at once. He wouldn't wear it anyway, and it looked much prettier on the girl.

It is a cool December morning. Pandora is brushing his hair. "Your hair is long enough for the curls to come out properly again," she says with delight. "Do you want me to cut it shorter?"

Regulus looks at himself in the mirror, wearing his special corset and a wide shirt. The curls frame his face. He always liked them. He just felt uncomfortable with the waist-long hair. His mother would always touch it and call him a "pretty girl" before she went on her tirades about how fat he was.

"I don't know. What do you think? Do the curls suit me?"

"Very. And a little birdie told me your husband likes curly hair."

Regulus rolls his eyes. Pandora always makes insinuations about his relationship with James.

"And who was that birdie?"

"Mr Lupin, of course. He knows such things. The girl the Viscount was in love with had curly hair."

"Yes, she did. ...But I don't need to appeal to Lord Potter visually because we are not really a romantic couple. As I've told you many times."

"Of course, My Lord," she says, smiling at him through the mirror. "So, do you want me to cut it?"

"No," he says quickly, picking at one of the curls. But not because of James' preferences, he says to himself.

"Are you excited because your brother is joining us?" Pandora asks while helping him into the rest of his clothes.

"As excited as one can be at the thought of a coming migraine." Regulus loves his brother, truly. But he knows exactly how this months-long visit is going to go by:

James and Sirius will spend every waking minute together, going to town or the theatre, maybe taking trips to another city, possibly London. They will joke, play, and slap each other's backs while Regulus is either reluctantly dragged along or entirely ignored.

Regulus enjoys every second he gets to spend with James. He is kind and funny and makes him forget that the world out there sees him differently. Sirius will arrive and take him away from him. Or worse: He will have a new plan to end this arrangement. Regulus will most likely have to leave this place and never see James again. He dreads the day that will happen.