A/N: ohmygosh, I'm sooooooooo sorry that this took so long. I had no initiative to fix it until now. I corrected this all by myself, so tell me if there are any mistakes that I missed (hopefully there aren't many). I'm going to work really hard on finishing this story, and tell me if you want a sequel, because I CAN write one.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own it. Really. I mean, Rose, Anabel, Lucas and Stanley are my inventions, but everyone else, and everything else belongs to the lovely Jo Rowling.
"Hey Remus?" Regulus looked up from his book, remembering a question he'd been wanting to ask someone for sometime.
"Mmm?" Remus didn't look up from his own book but Regulus knew from experience that he was listening closely.
"Do you know who Gideon and Fabian Prewett are?" While Regulus waited for an answer (he knew it would be a minute as Remus had to find a good place to stop so he could properly explain), he looked down at the complex diagram yet again. He didn't understand how his brother and James had understood all this by the time they were fifteen. He'd been reading up on texts explaining the process of becoming an animagus and was finding it difficult.
"They're members of the Order," Remus finally replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, the other day when I was at the Leaky Caldron, they came in and everyone seemed to know them." Regulus shrugged. He was playing his usual information gathering game: pretend he wasn't really as interested as he was in the subject to loosen lips.
"You needn't play your little games with me, Regulus. I'll be forthcoming with what information I can share as long as you ask what you want to know," Remus chided. Not for the first time, Regulus found himself cursing the werewolf's ability to read people like a book. His brother did this to him too.
"Well, everyone did seem to know them and Mr. Brown, one of Father's old work friends, said they were a lot like Sirius in that they could get a bunch of people to like them with charisma alone," Regulus expanded.
"Yes, they're quite a pair, those two," Remus agreed. "And a comparison to James and Sirius wouldn't be far off the mark. They're spirited and exceptionally passionate fighters. Their sister, Molly Weasley, says they're quite the influence on her twins, who're a couple years older than Harry."
"They said they'd come back from America," Regulus said, pointing Remus in the direction he wanted to go.
"Yes. I'd heard from Mundungus that they were back, but you must take everything he says with a grain of salt," Remus replied.
"Oh, Mr. Fletcher, Dung's uncle, I think, was at the pub when they came in," Regulus explained. "What were they doing in America anyways."
"I don't know exactly, but I do know it was Order business. Dumbledore most likely thought they'd be a good pair to appeal to the Americans as they share similar characteristics," Remus explained. "The reputation of being obnoxious and the like."
"There was a guy who came in before them, practically announced their arrival, asking Tom about a room for them," Regulus explained. "Who was that?"
"That'd be… Benjy? Benjy Fenwick, I think, is the one that follows those two around, making sure they don't get in too much trouble." Remus looked like he was thinking it over.
"'M home!" Sirius called.
"We're in the kitchen, love!" Remus called back. Sirius entered. "It's Benjy that's been trailing the Prewetts, right?" he asked.
"Ah the Prewetts," Sirius said with a grin. "Yeah, Fenwick hasn't been at the last couple meetings. Off in America with those two. Why?"
"They're back in town," Regulus explained. "I saw them at the Leaky Caldron the other day and everyone seemed to know them, so I was asking Remus about them."
"Bet they caused quite a stir overseas," Sirius muttered. "Those poor, American women." He sighed, shaking his head.
"I hear American women are fiendish feminists who will rip a man to shreds," Regulus replied.
"All women will rip a man to shreds," Sirius said solemnly.
"Why none of them have ripped you to shreds yet, I may never know," Remus muttered.
"My dear Moony, it's the puppy eyes," Sirius explained. He then noticed the book Regulus had in his hand. "The old transformation books? You kept those, Moony?"
"It seemed a waste to throw them out," he replied. "I thought that, maybe someday, we'd need them again. Maybe Lily would want to look them over, maybe Baby Harry will be influenced into it," Remus shrugged, "who knows."
"Good luck, Reggie," Sirius smirked. "Dreadfully boring," he added. "Only reason Prongs and I got through them is that we had Moony to think about."
"What about Pettigrew?" Regulus asked.
"Oh, James and I taught him. Shouldn'ta done, but what can you do," Sirius just shrugged. "Back then, he wasn't so bad."
"Sirius!" Remus cried.
"Well he's betraying our trust, Moony!" Sirius cried angrily.
"But he's still Peter," Remus chided.
"He's a coward," Regulus mumbled.
"Gryffindors aren't cowards," Sirius insisted.
"He's not in Gryffindor anymore, is he?" Regulus asked pointedly. "The rules of Hogwarts don't apply out here."
"He's not a coward," Sirius stated. "He just doesn't know how to get what he wants."
"And what does he want?" Remus encouraged the current line Sirius was taking.
"Probably to stop being so invisible," Sirius replied. "He knows better than any of us that he's always an afterthought. One can only stand being an afterthought for so long." His voice was tinged with sadness, like he wasn't talking about Peter anymore.
"Sirius," Remus said in a comforting manner.
"Trust me, Sirius, you were always at the forefront of Mum's and Father's minds. Mum's still raving about you and Remus." Sirius smirked at that. "Mr. Brown, you remember him, was at the Leaky Caldron that night too."
"That bastard? He calls me a blood traitor but his mother's a muggle. His father's Igor Brown, but that's beside the point." Sirius scowled.
That night, Regulus found himself at the center of a terrifying dream that was far too much like reality.
He was four again, and playing with the girl from across the street who was the same age, and also a muggle. He was giggling and having a great time when his father spotted him.
He strode over angrily and grabbed Regulus by the arm. "Excuse me," he'd said, "but Regulus needs to go home now." The girl nodded fearfully and Mr. Black drug Regulus away as they boy kicked and protested loudly.
"You're never to play with that girl, or any muggle, ever again, do you understand me Regulus Arcturus," his father said icily.
"But father, she's my friend!" Regulus protested. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, that Sirius was hiding fearfully behind the banister on the upper landing, next to the stairs, watching Regulus get punished.
"She is a muggle. Filth. Trash. You will not play with her, Regulus." His father's glare was so cold that Regulus shivered under it. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Boys don't cry, Regulus. Now get out of my sight." Regulus was immobile with fear. His father cast a stinging hex on him and the tears started falling. "GET OUT!" he roared and Regulus raced up the stairs and away from his frightening father.
Sirius had quickly gone to his room when he heard his father yell and Regulus went there. "Siri," he sniffled.
"What's wrong, Reg?" he asked like he hadn't been watching.
"Father's really scary," Regulus said and began truly sobbing.
"It's okay Reg," Sirius said, hugging his brother. "It'll be okay. I'll make a big fuss at dinner so he'll stop being mad at you, okay?" Sirius smiled down at his younger brother.
"Really?" Regulus looked grateful. "Are you sure? Mum'll go mad again."
"Good." Sirius wore an impish grin. "And hey, you can even borrow Procyon tonight."
Before he knew it, dinner had arrived. This, however, was where the memory was marred by the nightmare. Sirius, who was suddenly a teenager, though Regulus was still four, was talking about how bad Regulus had been and his parents were agreeing. When Regulus confronted him about it after dinner, he just sneered.
"You're such a baby, Reg," he said. "Grow up." He threw Procyon at Regulus and then locked himself up in his room.
He went into his room and hugged the stuffeddog tight, wishing that Sirius hadn't been so cruel. He was crying again, and then Procyon was biting him and he was crying harder.
Regulus woke up, angry at the dream. He went out to get a glass of water and saw Sirius sitting up, reading.
"Siri," Regulus said quietly.
"You haven't called me that since we were kids," Sirius looked up smiling.
"Do you remember the first time Father got really, truly mad at me?" Regulus asked, sitting next to his brother.
"Was that when you were playing with the muggle girl?" Sirius asked. Regulus nodded. "Didn't he use the Stinging Hex." Regulus nodded again. "How old were we?"
"I was four," Regulus replied quietly. "I just dreamt of that. Only, instead of distracting Mum and Father at dinner for me, you were fifteen and made fun of me and they agreed." Regulus was sitting, hugging his knees.
"Oh Reg," Sirius said in a comforting voice. "Just remember, in real life, I did piss off Mum and Father that night. I got more than one Stinging Hex," Sirius informed.
"I know." Regulus scowled. "It wasn't the hex, or the yelling that really scared me though," he added. "It was that cold voice, that icy glare. I was afraid he didn't want me." Regulus shivered just at the memory. "I was afraid no one wanted me." His voice, by now, was barely a whisper.
"Who was it that fixed Procyon when that dog ripped it to shreds?" Sirius asked.
"My accidental magic," Regulus replied, not seeing where this was going.
"Doesn't matter if it was accidental," Sirius replied. "You did it. Reg, you were my little brother and no one was going to do anything to you as long as I was around."
"That didn't last long," Regulus muttered.
"Hey, did anyone jinx you at school? Did bullies go anywhere near you, even though you were scrawny, an easy target?" Sirius asked.
"No," Regulus muttered.
"You want to know why they didn't?" Sirius asked. Regulus nodded, looking confused.
"Because your big brother made sure they didn't get anywhere near you." Sirius fixed him with a serious gaze. "Sure, me and James picked on you. That's my job as your brother. But we were the only ones. If anyone else had gone near my brother, they'd have hell to pay and they knew it. As much as I hated our family, as angry as I was with you taking their side, you were still my little brother. The one who'd always been right behind me, looking up to my example."
"Thanks," Regulus looked up at his brother. "I was terrible to you, Siri and you still protected me."
"Well of course. Without me there, you had no one to help you out when you were at your lowest. I'm named after the dog star for a reason, you know," Sirius said simply. "I'm unerringly loyal."
***
"Hullo Lucas," Peter greeted as he entered the flat. He looked a little worse for the wear, Annabel noted. He came up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sorry Annabel, I really am, but I'm only home long enough to pack."
"Why?" she asked accusatorially.
"Moony, Padfoot and Prongs will know," he replied simply. Order business then, she thought to herself.
"Do be safe!" she called. She then turned to her brother. "Would you mind terribly staying here while he's gone?" she asked.
"Afraid to stay all by yourself, Bell?" he joked.
"Who wouldn't be on this side of town," she muttered. Their apartment was located in a rather run-down area of London and she didn't trust her neighbors as far as she could throw them.
"You're a witch, Bell. Need I remind you?" Lucas looked amused.
"Oh I'm sure MLE will love that," she muttered. "I'm getting mugged trying to get into my apartment and Stupefy one of my neighbors." She rolled her eyes. "But I'm sure they'll be absolutely terrified of my big brother."
"If Pettigrew keeps the baddies away, it can't be that hard," Lucas muttered.
"Oh! I ought to call Lily. You're coming to dinner with me tonight," Annabel ordered.
"You do know it's impossible to say no to you, right?" Lucas shook his head as she dialed the Potters'.
"Oh, hello Severus. Is Lily there?… Lily, it's Annabel… Oh, you'd heard then… Is it all right if I bring my older brother Lucas in his stead?… Of course… Give Harry and Rose massive hugs for me!… See you at six… bye!"
"Did you have a pleasant conversation?" Lucas asked.
"Of course," Annabel replied. There was suddenly a pounding on the door. Annabel answered it. "Regulus." She was shocked.
"Peter still here?" he asked, a scowl on his face.
"He's in the bedroom packing," Annabel pointed him in the right direction.
"Thanks. OI PETTIGREW!" As he shouted for the rat animagus, he sounded startlingly like his elder brother, except that Sirius would have called Peter 'Petey' or 'Wormy' instead.
"You're right," Lucas muttered when he was out of earshot. "He is gorgeous."
"You should see his brother," Annabel muttered. "Sirius is flawless; Remus is lucky."
"I cannot wait to meet these people." Lucas looked truly excited. "I had expected them all to be about as good looking as Pettigrew."
"He's not ugly!" Annabel cried indignantly. "He's actually rather cute."
"He looks like a rat," Lucas stated with distaste.
"It grows on you," she huffed.
"IT'S A MESSAGE FROM SIRI, DAMMIT!" she heard Regulus shout.
"That must be the infamous Black temper," Annabel muttered.
"Wait, as in the Blacks? The toujours pur Blacks?" Lucas looked amazed.
"I think so," Annabel muttered distractedly, listening for more of the argument. "Why?"
"Stanley, you remember my boyfriend Stanley, said he heard that the heir was disowned," Lucas informed.
"That was ages ago," Annabel replied. "Sirius was sixteen when he left and took up permanent residence with the Potters."
"How do you know all this? The Blacks are notoriously tight-lipped."
"I've been dating Peter nearly a year now," she replied. "The boys give away little details here and there. I very nearly heard the whole story from James and Sirius in one sitting, once. It was quite entertaining."
"Fucking rat," Regulus muttered, coming out of the room. "See you at dinner," he said, noticing Annabel. Then, he left, grumbling to himself as he went.
***
"Annabel!" Petunia cried and smothered the petite girl in a hug. "It's been ages."
"Are Dudley and Vernon here too?" Annabel inquired politely.
"Oh yes. Vernon's out back with James, Black, and Regulus talking about that motorbike and Dudley's in the front room with Rose and Harry. Remus is watching them, I think. Or was it Severus?" Petunia, at this point was rambling. Lucas pointedly cleared his throat.
"Oh right. Petunia, this is my brother Lucas. Lucas, this is Petunia Dursley, Lily's older sister." Annabel smiled sheepishly as she introduced them.
"Lily's in the kitchen with either Remus or Severus. Whichever one isn't watching the children," Petunia informed. Annabel nodded and led her brother to the kitchen. When they entered, she was surprised to see that all six of them---that is, Lily, Remus, Severus, Harry, Dudley, and Rose---were in the kitchen.
"Oh Annabel! I didn't even realize you were here," Lily exclaimed, getting up from feeding her nephew. Remus was trying to get Harry to eat strained peas (it wasn't going very well) and Severus had all but given up trying to get Rose to eat, instead watching her use the baby food as finger-paints on her highchair tray.
"Everyone, this is my brother Lucas," she introduce. "Lucas, that's Lily Potter, James' wife, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter, and Rose Snape." She pointed to each in turn. "You'll find that we often refer to the children with names like Dudders, Baby Harry and Little Rosie."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lucas." Lily extended a hand.
"You too," Lucas replied, shaking her hand.
"Pleasure," Remus said softly, extending a hand as well. Lucas also shook that. Severus just nodded to acknowledge he was there.
"Oh my, Remus, I think it's a miracle!" Lily exclaimed.
"I'm flabbergasted," Remus agreed.
"Which my husband and your mutt would insist is a funny word," Lily added.
"And then point out that funny words should always be pointed out." Remus nodded.
"You two have been spending far too much time with your significant others," Snape drawled.
"Well you acknowledged Lucas. You hardly ever acknowledge the presence of newcomers," Lily pointed out.
"In fact, I believe the first time Petunia introduced you to Vernon, you went on with the conversation like he wasn't even there," Remus added.
"Or Regulus' last girlfriend, whatserface," Lily didn't even try to remember the name. "He comes in with her and every time she says something, you ignore it completely."
"As to the first, I don't know what you're talking about. And as to the second, I knew she wouldn't last," Severus insisted. "Regulus hasn't had a steady girlfriend since he was fifteen."
"Sounds a bit like his brother," Remus muttered darkly.
"Except it's opposite," Lily pointed out. "Of course, Sirius never had a steady girlfriend…"
"Are we talking about me, then?" Sirius said, entering the kitchen. "It's my favorite subject, you know."
"We know Padfoot. Everyone knows," Remus remarked dryly. "I think that tree out back knows."
"Sirius," Annabel jumped in before the conversation could get out of hand, "my brother Lucas. Lucas, this is Sirius Black, Regulus' older brother and Remus' boyfriend."
"Annabel says you're gay," Sirius opened conversation. Lucas looked sheepish. "No worries, mate. Me and Moony have been dating for four years now. And James isn't a stranger to that world either. See, Snapey over there and the Lilster---"
"I told you not to call me that, Black," she said in a warning tone.
"---are sharing my best friend James, actually," Sirius continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. It was safe to assume that he was interrupted enough that he was no longer bothered by it. "Really, you needn't be shy about anything in this house."
"Merlin knows you aren't," Lily muttered.
"Your husband isn't exactly humble either," Sirius sniffed.
"Yes, and there are days when I can't believe I married the prat," she replied.
"Those are the days you leave Snape to deal with him, am I right?" Sirius asked with his impish grin.
"Are you sure you want to leave your bike in the hands of your younger brother, Vernon and Prongs?" Remus asked, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, those three gave up on Suzette long ago. Now they're all marveling over Prongsie's Cleansweep," Sirius replied off-handedly.
"Has he got one of the new models?" Lucas asked intrigued.
"Apparently his uncle owns the company so he didn't even have to pay for it," Annabel explained to her brother.
"Lucky man." Lucas looked jealous. "I've been saving up for ages for a nice broom."
"I'm sure Prongs would give it to you," Sirius said. "He wants the Nimbus 1994 that comes out next month."
"That man would spend his entire fortune on Quidditch nonsense," Lily muttered darkly. "And leave me and Harry with what? Harry'll have nothing to grow up on at this rate."
"He's actually spending a month's pay from the diner on it," Sirius corrected. "Says that's why he works at the damn place. The Potter fortune is for you and Harry. He's afraid Sniv won't take any of it, nor will he let Rose use it."
"Snapes don't take charity," Severus insisted.
"Blacks always take bribes!" Sirius cried enthusiastically.
"That's probably why Narcissa married Lucius Malfoy," Regulus said, entering the kitchen (and the conversation).
"Regulus, you were never properly introduced to my brother Lucas," Annabel gestured. "Lucas, that's Regulus."
"Can't believe Bella married Lestrange," Sirius laughed. "If she has… spawn---can't really call them kids, can you?--- they have no chance of mental health."
"Andromeda's the only one who didn't marry for station," Regulus added.
"And now you know why Andie's my favorite cousin," Sirius replied.
"Who's the stranger next to Annabel?" James asked as he and Vernon entered the overstuffed kitchen. It was times like these when Lily wondered why they hadn't bought a bigger house.
"That's my brother Lucas," Annabel declared proudly. "Lucas, that's James Potter and Vernon Dursley. Vernon gave a gruff greeting and James smiled.
"Is that everyone then?" Lucas asked.
"Well, Wormtail's off on some mission, but I suppose you've already met him," James replied.
"Of course he's met Wormtail, Prongsie!" Sirius cried as if James had said something ridiculous like the sky was green or some such nonsense. "I mean, our little Wormy is dating Lucas' sister, poor chap."
"Who, me or Peter?" Lucas asked, looking confused.
"Peter. Sirius is convinced that all women are evil," James explained.
"And to think, you used to spend as much time as you could with one woman or another," Remus said, reminiscing. "And the time you didn't spend with them, you'd go on about your exploits with them."
"And then, of course, I met a devilishly handsome werewolf, he seduced me, and I haven't looked back since," Sirius narrated.
"Werewolf?" Lucas looked scared. Vernon, who also hadn't known about Remus' affliction was shocked.
"Moony's harmless 96.4% of the time," Sirius insisted. "And, you'll be happy to know, the moon is waning. So he'll grow increasingly more harmless as the night wears on." He wore a bright smile.
"Really, Padfoot, you ought to watch your tongue." Remus glared at the dog animagus.
"I've got better ideas for my tongue," Sirius smirked.
"Your tongue will stay in your mouth for the rest of the night," Remus scolded.
"As you're my better half, does your mouth count as my mouth too?" Sirius continued to grin.
"No." Remus glared.
"Do I get to spoony with my Moony tonight, at least?" Sirius had gone from smug to pleading in less than a minute.
"I've half a mind to say no to that too," Remus replied.
"But Mooooooooonyyyyyyyyyy," Sirius whined.
"I doubt I could withhold that from you," Remus conceded. "Damn your puppy eyes."
"James is rather proficient at the deer-in-headlights," Lily piped in. Remus, Sirius, Regulus, and James all giggled along with her.
"Damn them and their inside jokes," Petunia muttered.
"I understood," Severus pointed out. "I just didn't find it funny."
"Well that's because you have no sense of humor, Snivellus," Sirius sneered.
"I'm sure that's it, Black."
***
"I see why you like them so much," Lucas remarked after he and Annabel had returned to the flat that evening.
"Entertaining, aren't they?" Annabel replied with a smile.
"Sirius was right about not needing to be shy about anything. He'll talk about anything."
"Well of course. Sirius needs to be the center of attention at all times," Annabel explained.
"Stanley would like them," he added.
"It's hard not to like them," Annabel pointed out.
"I'm sure Stanley would fit in, though," Lucas clarified.
"Oh, he would, I'm sure." Annabel flicked through the mail she'd been too lazy to check earlier that day.
"There was something, though, that I don't quite get."
"What was that?" Annabel muttered distractedly.
"James, Sirius, Remus, Lily and Severus seemed to be part of this private joke that no one else was allowed to be a part of," Lucas explained. Annabel chuckled.
"Had Peter been there, you would have seen the truth," she explained. "They were all in the same year at Hogwarts. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter have been the best of friends since their first train ride. They call themselves the Marauders and they used to be the prank kings. Apparently, James spent most of their time in school trying to convince Lily to go on a date with him. The spent an equal amount of time picking on Severus. Of course, there were underlying things as well, but that's the basic story."
"Then why is Severus so close to them now?" Lucas looked confused.
"Somehow he and James ended up dating for a few years," Annabel replied. "I don't know the details though."
"Interesting group," Lucas said in reply.
"I like to think of them as eclectic." Annabel wore a large grin.
Lucas was off on a date with Stanley and Annabel felt far too alone for her liking. He'd said not to wait up for him; he probably wouldn't be back until morning. And of course, Peter would be gone for at least another week, the boys said. She sighed, not knowing what to do with herself.
There was a knock at the door, and she was pleased, if only for the promise of someone to talk to. She opened the door to see Regulus Black.
"Hey Annabel, is Peter back?" he asked.
"No. Remus said he wasn't expected back for another week," she replied. "What do you need."
"I've a message from… his boss."
"You mean his Lord," she spat with distaste.
"You know then?" Regulus looked sheepish.
"Come in. I'll make you tea or something," she replied, opening the door.
"How do you know?" Regulus pressed.
"Oh please, you think Peter's any good at Glamours?" she asked with a snort. "And I'm not exactly stupid, Regulus."
"I suppose the rat wouldn't be exactly good at hiding it," Regulus muttered. "I still can't see why they keep him around."
"They've been friends far too long to give up now," Annabel said simply. "They can't imagine life without him."
"Well, give him this envelope when he gets back." He handed over a thick envelope. She figured it was heavily charmed so that Peter was the only one who could open it, but she wouldn't have anyways. It's not that she respected his privacy, or anything. No, she just pretended like that part of him didn't exist. Just like she sometimes liked to pretend he didn't cheat on her. And then, an idea popped into her mind.
Before she could stop herself, she'd leaned up (on tiptoes, as Regulus was quite a bit taller than she) and started kissing him. He was shocked at first, and then gently pulled away.
"What about Peter?" he asked. Such a simple question, and he hadn't seemed unhappy that she was kissing him. He had no respect for the man and yet here he was, reminding Annabel that she had a boyfriend and that she really shouldn't be kissing other men.
"He's been cheating on me," she stated dramatically. "And it's not exactly fairytale happy around here, either."
"So you're going to lower yourself to his level and cheat?" Regulus asked.
"It's not just that," she replied. "I don't love him."
"Are you certain you want to do this? Take it from someone who's been there; once you cheat, nothing's the same. The relationship is ruined." Regulus fixed her with a serious look.
"He won't be heartbroken in the least," she insisted.
"You'll feel terrible afterwards," Regulus stepped forward and looked down at her softly, tucking a few loose hairs behind her ear.
"Please?" she pleaded. "Just do this for me?" He didn't need to be asked twice. He leaned down and kissed her. One of his hands was twisted in her hair, and the other rested on the small of her back, pushing her closer. She wound her arms around his neck and the kiss deepened.
At some point, she felt herself falling downwards, and landing on the lumpy couch. They shifted to get more comfortable with the new position, not once breaking the kiss. After that, it got hazy. She blamed the lust. But when they'd finished and Regulus stood to get dressed, she didn't stop him. After all, she didn't want to think about what her brother would say if he came home to find the two on the couch together. And she really didn't like to think about what Regulus would have answered when his brother asked where he'd been all night. No, it was much better this way.
He'd been right about the feeling terrible part, but thoroughly wrong about the reason. She was still certain she didn't love Peter. But there were new emotions bubbling within her, and she didn't like the direction they were taking her one bit. She couldn't possibly be falling for Regulus. It was a one time thing. This wouldn't, couldn't happen again.
***
Regulus couldn't believe what he'd just done. He didn't sleep with girls who had boyfriends. Especially if those boyfriends commonly used Unforgivables. He was a former Slytherin, after all, and not above cowardice.
And yet here he was, lying in his room after being with Annabel. He didn't even like Peter. The man was betraying Regulus' brother (something he wouldn't forgive), he was cheating on Annabel (something no decent man would ever forgive), and, to top it all off, he was tangling Annabel up in his mess. The man was less than scum in his book.
Regulus scowled, knowing he ought to talk to someone about it. But, of course, he had no one to talk about it. He couldn't tell Sirius, because, like it or not, Sirius cared more about the rat than he cared to think. Remus and James were out for the same reason. Lily, well, she too was probably close to Pettigrew. Severus was too close to James at this point. And besides, Regulus already knew what he'd say.
It didn't help, of course, that Regulus couldn't stop thinking about it. For someone who was incredibly good at spending one night (maybe two, if she was lucky) with a girl and then never speaking to her again, Regulus couldn't drive Annabel from his mind.
What is it, he asked himself, that I'm so caught up on? By all accounts, it probably shouldn't have been as memorable as it was. But that first kiss… it must have been the desperation. Or so he told himself. Or maybe it was the fact that he'd been looking for a way for ages to crush Peter. But then, he was guilty, because this wasn't what he'd wanted. Not really. Sure, he would've given the Black family fortune to be able to Kedavra the little rat into next week (hell, stunners would work too!), but this, this felt dirty and underhanded. This wasn't what he'd wanted.
He knew, it'd been in her eyes as he was leaving, that this wasn't going to happen again. He really ought to just forget it'd ever happened and move on with his life. And he really wanted to. But somehow, somehow, he knew it wouldn't be the same.
But then, when had anything gone right for Regulus Arcturus Black? Never, he thought. Things had been going too perfectly for him. Sirius forgiving him. The Dark Lord having no clue why all his missions continued to fail. Being accepted into the family Sirius had built for himself. No, it was probably better this way. This was the best way to make things imperfect for him. He was happy, he really was. Or, that's what he kept telling himself. He could have been killed by the Dark Lord for spying, right? No, this was definitely the best way for things to go.