“That was the dinner where I got there and there was one camera guy in front of the restaurant. I thought ‘all right if I sprint, they’re not going to get me’ but there was one picture of me with the dumbest sprint. I got a double chin poking out. I don’t look athletic. Anyway.”
ok this wasn't meant to be another multi-prompt story but here we are 🤣
CW- someone is tortured but it's not described but you know it's going on.
First part
Sirius had blindfolded him once they’d cleared the building. He could feel Sirius’s face still close to his.
“We’re going to apparate in a second. Are you going to behave, or do I have to stun you?” Sirius growled into his ear. Regulus tried to twist his head away from his brother.
“Stunning it is.” Sirius sighed before Regulus felt a spell hit him, and then…
***
“Did you have to do that, Sirius?” James huffed as he rearranged Regulus’s limp body on his shoulders.
“If he messed around, he would have splinched himself, and you might have as well. This was easier.” Sirius shrugged at James as he explained. “Come on, Mad-Eye will want to question him.” Sirius held his hand out to James, and they disapparated to their designated safe house.
***
Regulus’s body felt stiff like he’d fallen asleep sitting up. Slowly, he cracked his eyes open. He was in a dark room, possibly a cellar. He wasn’t sure. If magic was being used, he could be anywhere.
He tried to move and found he was strapped tightly to a wooden chair.
“Ah, so you’re finally awake?” A gruff, gravely voice said from the shadows. Alastor Moody moved so he was just visible in the low light.
Regulus supposed it was meant to be an intimidation tactic, but it wasn’t strong enough to work on him. The Auror clearly hadn’t asked Sirius for input, as he’d know that after dealing with Walburga Black, nothing these silly little men could do would get to him.
“Hmmm, braver than you look, hey, Black? Let’s see how brave the lionhearted star really is.” He raised his wand, pointing it directly at Regulus’s chest, and all Regulus could think was this man was an idiot. The Regulus star wasn’t lionhearted. It was the heart of the lion, and as it was, his heart belonged to only one lion, a Gryffindor lion.
He used thoughts of James to get him through the waves of torture Moody was about to perform.
***
Above them, in the kitchen, James and Sirius paced. Frank Longbottom had his wand on them, and they had been warned that if they tried to get into the cellar, he’d stun the pair without hesitating. So they paced.
James flinched at every scream, and Sirius ranted and raved about how torture wouldn’t work on him because Walburga had made it her life’s mission to torture her sons until they could endure anything.
“Just talk to him like I said to. He’s a twat, but he’ll talk more if you don’t piss him off with spells first.” He bellowed at the door.
James couldn’t speak at all. Every cry emitted from Regulus broke a piece of him. If he’d have thought even for a second that the Order would do this to him, he’d have taken him and run.
Eventually, it went silent, and familiar clunking footsteps pounded up the stairs. The door to the cellar opened, and Mad-Eye walked out, looking tired and not at all satisfied. James and Sirius went to step around him, but he shot his arm out, blocking them.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” He growled at them. “No one is to go near the prisoner.”
“What the fuck Mad-Eye?!” Sirius cried as he tried in vain to get around him.
“He’s not talking yet. But don’t you worry, he will.”
“No, he won’t! I’ve already told you, Moody, you won’t break him like that. All you’ve done is piss him off. He’ll never say a word to you now. Let us try. I know we can get through to him. He’ll talk to James and I. Please let us try.” By the end of his tirade, Sirius was pleading with the older wizard. James was glad Sirius had taken over. He was in no fit state to fight Mad-Eye.
“Go on, Mad-Eye, it won’t hurt to let them have a crack at him.” Frank offered as he tried to defuse the situation and get the head Auror to see reason.
The grizzled wizard grunted something incoherent but nodded before he stomped out of the kitchen. They all understood he meant that James and Sirius could go down to Regulus.
James stared at the cellar door. He felt sick at the thought that whatever had happened to Regulus was his fault if he hadn’t picked him up. None of this would have happened.
@jegulus-microfic | february 7: star | word count: 453
Regulus’ heart quickened as he read once more the note that James had given him. The parchment contained only time and place with his initials scribbled at the end and a heart attached to them.
He was nervous, he always was with James. They hadn’t been dating for long, but Regulus was unable to contain his longing every time James slipped through his mind.
He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, hoping he looked presentable enough for whatever surprise James had planned. Regulus dabbed a drop of James’ favorite cologne onto his fingertips before pressing them against the warmth of his neck, a familiar ritual he started when he witnessed the effect it had on the Gryffindor.
Regulus’ steps faltered as he arrived at their meeting spot. He lingered at the door before allowing his body to walk towards the room. Their room.
“James, are you-“
Regulus stood in silent awe, his lips parted but not a sound was made. He yielded at the sight of James patiently waiting for him as he took everything in. There were hand painted stars on the wall next to their bookshelf. They had started to fill it long before they even shared their first kiss, the wood was now decorated with lights softly glowing around the room. And there, by the couch, sat a record player, surrounded by his favorite albums.
James kept his attentive gaze on him as he wandered around their familiar room. Still unable to believe what his boyfriend had done, he cautiously started walking towards him. “What is this?” His voice barely more than a whisper.
“It was your birthday, and I didn’t know.”
Regulus felt the warmth of a blush creeping up his neck as he confessed, "We weren't dating yet." He closed his eyes as James’ hands delicately held his face between them. “I already wanted you then, love.” Regulus instinctively reached for the other’s boy shirt as he basked on the sound of James’ voice.
“I want you, too,” was all that his body allowed him to respond. The words felt simplistic in comparison to the deity that James Potter was to him.
Regulus felt the gentle touch of James' hand as it left his face, its absence replaced by the warmth of James's palm against his waist. “I want you to look at me.” He always spoke softly to him, and Regulus obeyed any of his commands. He started back at James, knowing he will never feel as warm as he does between his arms.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
There, within the sanctuary of their shared room, where every corner held memories and promises, they wove a new pledge between kisses—a promise of forever.
Cool Facts- The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest jellyfish hands down. Fully grown lion’s mane aren’t threatened by much outside of climate change. Staying close to the surface of the waves, these giant jellies drift with the current to travel massive distances on their constant search for food. Being solitary reduces competition and allows them to grow to their huge size. Their 30 meter (or longer) stinging tentacles drift behind them and reel in any prey that’s unfortunate enough to get tangled up. The lion’s mane jellyfish’s venom isn’t strong enough to kill a human, but it can certainly cause pain and panic which can lead to drowning.