Title: Let Her Go
Rating T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Regulus/Lily, James/Lily (unrequited)
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 1,006
Summary: Lily and Regulus find each other as someone else learns a lesson.
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: July Event - Prompt Used - Being lonely during the summer
Written for Laura (Sable Supernova): Prompts Used -Regulus/Lily, James/Lily, "Let Her Go" by Passenger, and Romance genre
Hogwarts Writing Club: Prompts Used - Downstairs, 1000 (50 words leeway)
Taming the Muse Livejournal Community: Prompt Used - Snowflake(s)
365 Days of Drabbles Challenge: Prompt Used - Time Turner
Lily walked downstairs, bemoaning the summer. She was sick of being lonely during the summer. Even Severus wasn't around right now. Winter break was so much better than summer break.
At home, she had to deal with her sister and parents. Her sister hated magic, and her parents always wanted her to show them magic tricks. They didn't seem to understand she wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school until she turned seventeen. Her sister, on the other hand, never allowed a moment to pass without taking condescendingly to her, as if her being magical made her an ant in Petunia's eyes.
Lily no longer had neighborhood friends since she didn't go to school with them. All of her friends were in Hogwarts and magical, and unfortunately, she never went over to their houses during the summer break.
Winter, on the other hand, was amazing. She stayed at school and so did most of her friends. They had fun in the snow, and Lily always loved trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue. There were snowball fights, games, and all around fun. She couldn't wait to go back to school.
A picture of a boy a year younger than her flashed through her mind. Lily's face turned bright red as she thought about Regulus Black. She never thought she'd fall for a Black, especially after getting to know Sirius. The fact that Regulus was a Slytherin didn't bother her, although Severus seemed to be perturbed by her interest in the younger Black.
Lily wasn't quite sure how it happened, but she found herself entranced by Regulus and wanting to know more about the quiet and studious Slytherin. He did his best to stay off the radar and never had a bad word to say to anyone, except maybe his brother. His best friend was a Ravenclaw, and that alone showed Lily that he didn't have a lot of the same prejudices that Slytherins had, not if he could make friendships out of his own house. It didn't hurt that he never said a bad thing about Lily's blood status or muggle-borns in general.
Sirius talked about Regulus as if he was just like the rest of the Black family, but Lily just didn't see it.
She sighed happily. She couldn't wait to see him again.
Regulus and Sirius stepped onto the platform. The younger Black was immediately left by the older, when his band of troublemaker friends was spotted.
Regulus rolled his eyes, ignoring everyone until he saw the one he sought. Swallowing nervously, hating the jitters that come with evolved feelings, he took a deep breath and approached the pair. "Hello, Lily, Snape."
Snape glared, but grudgingly muttered, "Black."
Lily smiled, her eyes sparkling beautifully. "Hey, Regulus. Are you looking forward to the new school year?"
He nodded. "Even more so now that I've seen you."
She flushed and looked shyly at her feet. "My summer wasn't any real fun, so I'm doubly glad to be back at school.
"Do you two want to share a compartment with me?"
Lily looked pleadingly at Severus, and Regulus hoped he wouldn't be getting any problems from the older boy. Everyone in Slytherin knew of his feelings for Lily and hopefully Severus saw that Regulus was genuine in his affection.
Severus looked searchingly at Regulus, as if he was trying to find deceit, but he obviously didn't find anything because he nodded curtly.
They moved towards the train but were stopped by his brother and the others.
Lily crossed her arms while Regulus and Severus had identical glares, uniting them in a brief moment of solidarity.
"Lily, I can't believe you're associating with two Slytherins now. Have you lost your mind?"
Lily stepped forward. "Potter, I'm going to say this as clearly as possible. Severus is my best friend, my brother."
Regulus noticed Severus wince and hoped the other boy would finally let his dreams of being with Lily go.
"Regulus is a boy I like, a lot. What I do with Regulus is no one's business by mine and his. I'm never going to be with you. You're an immature brat who whines when he doesn't get his way. Let me go and move on with your life. Even if Regulus and I don't work out, I'll never be with you. If you really care about me like you claim, you'll want me to be happy, and I truly believe Regulus could make me happy."
Sirius clenched his fists. "Evans, you can't trust Regulus; he's just like my family."
Lily spoke up as Potter put a restraining hand on Sirius' arm. "I don't believe that. Now excuse us."
Lily grabbed both his and Severus' hands and led them onto the train. When they were safely enclosed in a compartment, Regulus leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I like you, too."
Her answer was to kiss him on the lips, temporarily ignoring Severus.
When they parted, Regulus and Severus looked at each other and the latter smiled a true smile, even while his eyes were sad, and Regulus knew he had Severus' silent blessing.
"Prongs, are you just letting he go like that?"
James eyes were pained. "Yeah."
"But you love her," Sirius argued.
"I do, and because of that, I'm doing what she asked me to do, letting her go. After years of her saying the same thing, I'm finally listening to her."
"But Prongs –"
"If I had a time turner, I'd go back to the moment she fell in love with your brother and change it. Because that's what she did. I saw it in her eyes. She loves him, and I do what her happy, even if it's with someone other than me. She must see something in Regulus that you missed, something worth loving."
He left his friends shell-shocked as he went onto the train, fully ready to finally let Lily go. Maybe he'd even be lucky enough to find someone who looked at him that way that Lily looked at Regulus.