Houses of the Holy

Inhale, Exhale

TW: Panic attack, anxiety, negative self talk (let me know if I missed any!)

You're a shining star

No matter who you are
Shining bright to see - Earth, Wind & Fire, Shining Star

Regulus

Regulus stands in the doorway of the Marauders dorm, Sirius and Remus curled together on Remus's bed, because obviously that's platonic. He rolls his eyes slightly. Peter is out with his girlfriend, and Potter is sitting on his bed, reading a textbook. Regulus frowns slightly, he's never seen Potter study before. He shakes it off, walking into the room.

Sirius looks up, smiling when he sees his brother, "Reggie, hey!"

Regulus nods in acknowledgement. "Where should I put my stuff?"

"Oh, erm, just beside James's bed, he'll move in a sec won't you Prongs?"

Potter looks up, startled, "hm?"

"You're gonna give Reg your bed still right?" Sirius says, tracing his fingers across Remus's hand, bored.

Potter puts him books away, "Oh, yep, sorry, I'll do that now."

Regulus puts his bag down beside Potter's bed, feeling a little bad for kicking the other boy out of his bed.

Potter smiles at him, grabbing his own stuff, and casting a quick cleaning spell over his bed for Regulus. Something in Regulus's stomach twists at the small, kind gesture.

"Thanks Potter." he says, quietly.

"All good, sleep well guys." Potter says, shutting the door quietly behind him. Regulus wonders briefly where he's going to sleep.

After a few too many stories, and glasses of fire whisky on Sirius's part, they fall into bed, Remus and Sirius and not subtle in the way they sneak into the same one, whilst Regulus is left to lay down in sheets that smell fresh air, and cedar, the softest hint of honey and broom polish. It's all distinctly James Potter, Regulus curls into it under the sheets, enveloped in a strange sort of warmth that his tired and drunken brain refuses to acknowledge.

He quickly falls asleep, face pressed into the soft linen.

When he next wakes, it's still dark out, but he's properly awake. He hasn't slept that well since.... well, he doesn't think ever. He slowly slips out of bed, the sound of Sirius's soft snores, and Remus's even breaths indicating that everyone else is asleep. He wanders out of the dorm, bare feet quiet on the stairs down to the common room.

He expects no one else to be there, but to his surprise, James Potter is sitting at one of the desks, pouring over several texts and sets of notes.

"Potter?" He rasps slightly, voice thick with sleep as he steps forward into the light cast from a lamp on James Potter's desk.

Potter starts slightly, looking up with tired eyes. "Oh, hey Reg- sorry, Regulus"

Regulus steps closer, observing the work laid out before the elder boy. "What are you doing? it's like two in the morning."

"Studying, you sound tired, you should be in bed." Potter says, not unkindly.

"So should you, what are you studying for? I've never seen you study a second in your life."

James Potter sighs softly, "Ah, just some extra work that Minnie set me," he smiles, not quite reaching his eyes, "Finally went too far with the pranks eh?" he says lightly, and Regulus can instantly tell it's a lie.

He frowns. "Go to bed, you look awful."

"Gee thanks Regulus, you really know how to flatter a guy." James Potter says, rolling his eyes.