For Paula. This is my first attempt at Regulus, but hopefully I write him just as gorgeously as you do.
Regulus isn't the luckiest in love.
He is only sixteen when he sees her for the first time. Her, with her shiny red hair and big smile and vivacious laugh.
She is chatting and giggling with his shame of an older brother and his other Gryffindor friends.
Regulus doesn't like to associate himself with the Gryffindors. They are the sort of folks his parents don't approve of.
But she...she holds this sort of regal air around her, and it draws him in like a moth to a candle flame. She burns brightly like a warm fire, and it doesn't look like anything will put her out.
Regulus decides to stay away from all of them.
(It doesn't work for very long.)
He is ashamed of himself; always crawling around, and sneaking behind them to spy on her.
Regulus isn't the type of person to be jealous. After all, he is the only son (Sirius didn't count anymore.) of two members of a very influential Pureblood family. He has everything he could have ever wanted.
Except her. She isn't something he could have, in any kind of reality. They live in different worlds and he had no way of reaching her.
So he would just keep hiding in the shadows, because being near her flame was enough to keep him warm anyways.
She is more than what he takes her for.
"I know you're there," she says, and he realizes that he has been caught. Slowly, he comes out to stand behind her.
"Why are you always following us?" He doesn't reply.
"You're always stalking us. Why?" He remains silent. "Don't I have the right to know?" She turns around to face him, her eyes burning brightly.
"Tell me why!"
"You're wrong," he says.
"I'm not following all of them. I'm only watching you."
A few seconds later, his lips are smothering hers and he's caught up in her inferno.
They keep their meetings quiet for obvious reasons.
One, because Sirius would probably murder him.
Two, because James would probably murder him for kissing Lily, and then sink into a depression because Lily had been cheating on him.
And three, because his parents would blast him off the family tree for fraternizing with a Gryffindor Mudblood.
But nothing stopped them from meeting up in the dead of the night, to snog against the walls near the courtyard, to lay down over the desks in the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom.
She was a fire and she was all his.
But fires aren't meant to be suppressed.
Lily's not any fire; she's a wildfire. And nobody can stop one of those.
So she burns him down and they stop their meetings because they're part of two separate worlds that aren't supposed to cross.
He knew this was meant to happen; fires aren't meant to be held back and all you'd be left with was a burnt hollow.
He tried anyways, knowing full well the consequences.
(Maybe that's why he doesn't feel anything anymore.)
She's gone now and Regulus is left in the darkness without her.
It's a long time until someone comes and lights his lamp again.
Until he comes along.
A/N: This is going to be a two-shot. The next chapter will have a really weird ending...but it's going to be RegBarty, so what did you expect?
Done for:
Camp Potter - History Appreciation (Week 2)
Out of Your Comfort Zone - Regulus/Lily, shadows.
Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Prompt #23: scrutiny
Bookshelf Competition - Pride and Prejudice
Legendary Creatures Competition - Takka-onna