@jegulus-microfic April 7, Word count 430
Unfortunately, James did not get a scar on his head. He did, however, get a nasty bruise that he refused to let Madam Pomfrey heal it. He was beginning to reconsider this as Sirius kept referring to it as James’s bludger love bite.
He and Regulus were spending some time alone down by the lake. Mainly to get away from their friends for a bit. Sirius kept teasing James and then, as soon as they left Gryffindor Tower, Regulus’s friends found them and Barty was just as bad as Sirius. So they’d escaped outside now that the weather had begun to warm up.
“Tomorrow night, are you ready?” James asked as they wandered along the sandy shore around the lake. Regulus nodded.
“I think so,” Regulus told him. “I know what’s going to happen in the end, but I am a bit nervous about transforming once we finish all the steps,” James beamed at him. He loved that Regulus had opened up to him and shown him a glimpse of his vulnerability. He wrapped an arm around him and pulled him in close.
“Not gonna lie, love. The first time is a bit strange, but by the end of the first transformation, everything just feels right. Plus, I’ll be with you the entire time. We all will, with that many new animagi, we’re going to need all the help we can get,” Regulus let out a breath and James felt his shoulders relax.
“Okay, that makes sense,”
They paused to look out over the lake. James had never realised how beautiful the scenery was. He felt like skipping a stone across the water. He hadn’t done that for ages. He put his hand in his pocket and took out the pebble Pandora had bought him when he was in the hospital wing to toss across the softly flowing water. He looked down at his hand. It was just a normal stone, flat, round and grey. He lifted his arm, ready to throw it, but something stopped him. He looked down at the stone again and put it back in his pocket. He scanned the ground again and found a stone hidden in the weeds at the water's edge. He drew his arm back again, and they watched the stone as it skimmed across the surface of the lake, hopping over the waves. James counted each time the stone bounced. He was up to eight when a tentacle broke the surface and the giant skid stole his stone. He shrugged, pulled Regulus under his arm again and they continued their walk.