Voluntary Apnea
Regulus and James visit a hidden part of the black lake and share ‘fun’ facts
based on a headcanon/ edit by skylarihardlyknowher on tiktok posted on July 14, 2022 and a stiles quote
tw: mentions of drowning, angst ???? (icl not 100% sure what that means)
word count: 1,192
a/n: here’s the Marauders oneshot !! Sadly the Stranger Things one didn’t get finish but once I return from my trip it will be the first thing I post after this :))
Regulus Black was often called the second ghost of Slytherin House.
It was rather easy for him to move from place to place making little to no noise, his feet practically floating above the ground beneath him.
No one would ever see him enter a room but his presence would be known and acknowledged as soon as he spoke.
Despite how easy it was for him to get around unnoticed, James Potter always noted how he’d run off down the same particular path almost every day.
He never saw him return, but he’d always see him go.
If James had been closer to the boy he’d probably have asked him where he was going, but seeing that he only knew him through Sirius for now he’d just have to wonder.
__________
“I think I know a spot,” were the first words out of Regulus’ mouth when James recommended they hang out.
They’d become acquaintances a bit ago and James wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to make someone else his friend, so they needed to spend some quality time together.
“Right, ok,” he tried to hide the smile on his face as he followed Regulus down the path he’d seen him traverse for so many days.
It was so beaten he would’ve believed it was put there purposely if he hadn't known the younger boy had formed it himself.
“How’d you discover this place?” James’ asked, as they were now entering sections of the school grounds he didn’t even know existed.
Regulus shrugged, “Every day I just walked farther and farther away from everyone else until I found a spot I liked, nothing too special.”
James’ didn’t believe anything Regulus did could not be special, but that was just his opinion of him.
Curling around another bend, James made work out of avoiding the branches and brush that threatened every moment to knock glasses off his face with their springy nature.
Soon after he heard and honestly felt the new squelch of the mud beneath his feet, accompanied by a view of a lake. Well, not a lake, the black lake.
Somewhere along the way, they must’ve looped around, because there was no mistaking the murky ominous aura of the most well-known body water at Hogwarts. Either that or James’ had been too busy focusing on the twigs in his hair versus paying attention to where they were going.
Regulus had also not been paying attention, but that was because he knew the area better than he knew the manor he, unfortunately, had to grow up in.
As to what he was using the free time to think about, well, to sum it up quickly, water.
Water was all he could think about.
It consumed every thought without mercy or hesitation.
“I have to let it in,” he muttered to himself as he came to a stop, “I have to-”
“Wow!” James unknowingly interrupted, putting his hands on his hips, a wide grin spread across his face, “it’s beautiful out here.”
Even though the lake was intimidating, it always smelled like a mix of the earth after rain, and whereever you called home.
“So what do you do here, just sit?” He looked over at him.
“Sometimes yeah,” Regulus took a seat and James followed after him. He was unsure whether to tell him the truth. “Just to think things over.”
“Alright,” James looked back at the water, “I’m not the kind to sit and think, but I’ll give it a try.”
Regulus had never seen James look as calm as did during those fifteen minutes he was sitting there.
All the while he would occasionally share a random fact he knew that he found wonderful.
“Did you know humans like the sound of rain, because our brains see it as a non-threatening noise,” his voice slowly trailed off at the end, his lips once again forming a small smile.
“Hm, no I did not know that.”
Despite how bothered others were by it, James never really minded how Regulus’ reactions to things were, lackluster, as some would say.
“Why don’t you tell me something?” James had run out of fun facts.
“My facts aren’t really, I guess, light you would say.”
“It's alright, I don’t mind.”
Regardless of what Regulus might’ve thought, James honestly didn’t mind.
Somewhere along the way the two of them had moved closer to the water.
Instead of stuttering, Regulus just stayed silent for a moment, mulling over what he was going to say.
“You know when you’re drowning you don’t actually inhale until right before you black out,” he started running his hands along the surface of the water.
James made no response but Regulus knew he was listening.
Pausing for a bit, he put his feet in the water, half hazardously deciding whether or not he wanted to stand in it.
“It’s called voluntary apnea.”
At that point, he had lost all regard for the dryness of his shoes and pants and had resolved to wade at his pleasure.
His wandering thoughts brought him back to what he usually did in the lake.
Forcing himself under, purposely preparing to let the water in, as would inevitably be needed.
“It’s like no matter how much you’re freaking out,” he was simply speaking from experience, “the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won’t open your mouth until you feel like your head’s-.”
He struggled to find an accurate adjective.
“Exploding,” eyes still closed, James spoke barely above a whisper, but Regulus heard it.
Either the famed James Potter was also an astute mind reader, or Regulus was just that easy to understand. Or at least easy for him to understand.
“Then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting.”
Regulus had never gotten to that part. If he ever did, there would be no one around to save him.
“What do you do here, Regulus?” James was looking at him now, but Regulus wouldn’t meet his eyes.
There was no way he was going to. Telling that to anyone was a death sentence, and he tried to avoid those.
“I practice,” he finally looked up at him, trying his best to make his face seem warm.
Regulus had never seen James look so cold. He surely would’ve been frozen to the touch.
He knew, and Regulus knew he knew. But neither one of them would ever form the words to confirm or deny the suspicion they both had.
Just silence that would leave both of them dissatisfied.
__________
Regulus never took James back to that part of the lake, and James never went back.
Not because Regulus didn’t trust him, but because he didn’t want to associate James with that part of his life.
James was the only thing still connecting him to the land of the living, and he didn’t need that sentiment muddied up by his funeral planning.
Plus it wouldn’t have been fair for him to know, James didn’t need another thing to worry about, and Regulus wasn’t going to be the person to give him another.
James worried about him anyways.
__________
Tysm for making it to the end and I hope you liked it :) (James saved Regulus by the way and everything was fine no more sadness)
Have a nice day and night !! 🌸
