Only the Brave

Chapter 6: Forest Party

Regulus doesn't like being drunk. He remembers wanting to know what it felt like. Now that he does, he thinks he'll never do it again.

His limbs feel too loose, and his balance is off. His face has a life of its own and seems to just do things without permission, which is alarming. Barty keeps making fun of him because apparently he's softly grinning at Pandora and Dorcas dancing like idiots.

Alcohol makes him sloppy. He's already slipped up. A few minutes ago, Evan randomly decided to hug him and he allowed it for a full two seconds before shoving him away. Honestly, very poor performance on his part.

He's scowling. He knows. He's doing it on purpose because he thinks if he forces his face to do something specific, it'll stop misbehaving.

"Reg, come with me," Pandora shows up, takes his hand, and drags him with her.

Regulus is distressed to discover that his body is also apparently doing things without his consent, for he's following Pandora, who's on her way to Dorcas' side.

"No," Regulus says, but he's already standing there and the girls are dancing around him. He wants the ground to swallow him whole.

Barty is watching him like he cannot believe his eyes. He's barely even blinking. Evan's laughing so hard he's in danger of falling backwards into the bonfire.

Pandora throws her arms up. "Dance with us, Reg!"

"I'd rather die."

"You're no fun," Dorcas says, bumping her hips with his.

Regulus glares at her, and she relents. Regulus is aware enough to understand this slip up—as well as Evan's hug—are a side effect of his inebriation, hence why he's sworn he'll never do it again. But right now, he's drunk and a little out of control, and there's nothing he can do about it but wait for it to pass.

The problem is that he's dying for a cigarette. He'd do truly horrible things for one. But he doesn't have any and none of his friends smoke.

He purposefully walks away, but not towards the log. No. That's dangerous because Barty and Evan have discovered tonight that they just love to try and trick drunk Regulus into doing shit. Instead, he moves a little away from the bulk of the crowd so he can observe the party and decide who to bully into giving him a cigarette.

Not many people are smoking, because cigarettes are a muggle thing and they haven't really caught on at Hogwarts yet. He sees a couple sharing one, standing so close to each other Regulus feels awkward just looking. No way he's asking them.

He considers two Ravenclaws hovering just outside of the main circle of the party. Yes. They will do. Regulus walks towards them, practicing his request in his head. What to say. How to say it. Not too mean, not too nice. He's almost reached them when he notices Lupin. He's alone, leaning against a tree at the edge of the forest. And what do you know? He's smoking a cigarette.

Regulus will blame the alcohol for his feet changing course and heading towards him. Lupin notices him early, and to Regulus surprise doesn't react to find the Slytherin coming. Lupin simply waits, like Regulus approaching him at a party is a normal thing.

Regulus is enormously glad that Lupin isn't making a big deal of it. The guy gets it, he supposes. There's an air of quiet and darkness around Lupin, something simmering just below the surface. Yes, he's a Gryffindor through and through but also... Regulus gets the feeling that Lupin hasn't had the easiest life.

Regulus kind of likes him, he decides. In another life, they could have been friends. Before the cold, and the cage of bones, and the breaking of all things that made Regulus a semi-decent kid. They could have been something. Two quiet kids sitting in the dark letting the silence speak for them.