The courtyard was alive in the way Hogwarts only ever was on weekends—sunlight spilling gold across worn stone, laughter rising in overlapping waves, the low hum of magic and mischief threaded through everything like a second pulse.
Students were everywhere.
Stretched out across the grass, draped over benches, perched on low walls. Someone had conjured a floating deck of cards. Someone else was trying (and failing) to juggle apples. There was a group by the fountain arguing loudly about Quidditch, another sharing sweets, another halfway through what looked suspiciously like a dare that was about to go very wrong.
And at the centre of it all—
Sirius Black.
Of course.
Leaning back against the stone railing like he owned the place, sleeves rolled, tie loose, grin sharp and effortless. There was a girl in front of him—Ravenclaw, judging by the tie—twisting a lock of her hair around her finger, laughing at something he’d said.
“I’m just saying,” Sirius was drawling, voice low and smooth, “if you wanted someone to show you the grounds properly, I’d be doing you a public service.”
“Oh, would you?” she shot back, amused, eyes bright.
“Absolutely. I’m very generous like that.”
Across the courtyard—
Regulus Black watched.
He was sprawled back on the grass with his usual circle—Barty flat on his back beside him, arms behind his head; Evan lounging with one knee up, flicking a blade of grass at Dorcas; Pandora cross-legged, humming to herself as she absentmindedly braided a strand of Dorcas’s hair while Dorcas pretended not to enjoy it.
Regulus didn’t say anything at first.
He just watched.
Grey eyes sharp. Lips twitching.
Then—
He snorted.
“Look at him,” Regulus murmured, almost to himself.
Barty turned his head slightly. “Hm?”
Regulus pushed himself up onto his elbows, gaze locked across the courtyard, something bright and dangerous flickering there now.
“That is embarrassing,” he said lightly.
Evan followed his line of sight—and immediately grinned. “Oh, this’ll be good.”
Pandora tilted her head, already smiling like she could feel chaos building in the air. Dorcas sighed.
“Don’t,” Dorcas said, without conviction.
Regulus was already standing.
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to,” he said.
And then—
He didn’t just speak.
He projected.
Clear. Loud. Carrying across the entire courtyard like a bell being struck.
“Say this the kind of song that makes a man love a man, a man love a man, a man love a man—”
Silence.
It didn’t fall all at once.
It snapped.
Like a thread pulled too tight.
Every head turned.
Every conversation died mid-sentence.
The Ravenclaw girl blinked.
Sirius froze.
James choked on absolutely nothing. “—WHAT?”
Regulus didn’t stop.
Didn’t even hesitate.
If anything—he lit up.
“Say this the kind of song that makes a man love a man, a man love a man, a man love a man—”
“Oh my GOD—” Mary Macdonald shrieked, slapping a hand over her mouth, already laughing.
Marlene doubled over. “NO—no, he did not just—”
Lily’s eyes went wide. “Regulus—!”
Remus pressed his fingers to his temples like he was physically trying to hold reality together. “This is going to end badly.”
Peter was making a noise somewhere between a wheeze and a scream.
Frank Longbottom let out a helpless, strangled laugh. “He’s going to get murdered.”
Alice grabbed his arm, half-laughing, half-horrified. “Oh, he absolutely deserves it.”
Fabian Prewett was already on his feet. “I KNEW TODAY WAS GOING TO BE INTERESTING—”
“Shut up,” Gideon snapped, even as he was grinning like a man watching a train derail in real time. “Just—just let it happen—”
Back at the centre—
Sirius Black was staring.
“Regulus,” he said, slowly, dangerously.
Regulus, standing in the middle of the courtyard like he’d just stepped onto a stage, turned his head—
Locked eyes with him—
And grinned.
Bright. Wicked. Delighted.
“You’re so beautiful, shake it, shake it, and I don’t care who knows, move it, move it—”
The courtyard exploded.
“OH MY GOD—”
“HE DID NOT—”
“IS HE—IS HE CALLING—”
“HE’S CALLING HIM—”
“—GAY—”
“—HE’S CALLING HIM GAY—”
The Ravenclaw girl burst out laughing.
Not just a polite giggle—no, full-on, doubled-over, clutching-her-stomach laughing.
“Oh my—Merlin—” she gasped, looking between Sirius and Regulus, eyes shining. “Is this—does this happen often—?”
Sirius looked like he might actually combust.
“REGULUS—”
Regulus didn’t stop.
Didn’t even look remotely concerned.
“Go up down, up down, up down, go up down, up down, up down—”
James Potter was losing it.
He was bent over, hands on his knees, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “OH, THIS IS—THIS IS—THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE—”
“YOU’RE ENCOURAGING HIM—” Lily snapped, though she was visibly fighting a smile.
“I CANNOT—BREATHE—” Peter wheezed.
Remus dragged a hand down his face. “We are going to be banned from the courtyard.”
Marlene pointed at Sirius, tears in her eyes. “LOOK AT HIS FACE—LOOK AT HIS FACE—”
Mary was literally on the ground. “HE’S FURIOUS—HE’S SO FURIOUS—”
Fabian clapped loudly. “Encore! Encore!”
“Shut up, Fabian,” Gideon said, not looking away for a second.
Evan was grinning like a predator. “That’s our boy.”
Pandora clasped her hands together, beaming. “He’s glowing.”
Dorcas shook her head, but there was a smile tugging at her mouth. “He’s going to die.”
Regulus, meanwhile—
Was thriving.
“Shake it fast, cause it sure look good to me—”
And then—
He pointed.
Directly.
At Sirius.
The courtyard howled.
Sirius snapped.
“THAT’S IT—”
Regulus laughed.
Bright, sharp, utterly unbothered—and then, without warning—
He turned.
And ran.
“OH, YOU ARE DEAD—” Sirius roared, already moving, already shoving past people as he took off after him.
“RUN, REG—” James yelled, completely unhelpful.
“I AM RUNNING—” Regulus shouted back over his shoulder, laughing.
And then they were gone.
Out through the archway—
Vanished.
Leaving—
Silence.
A beat.
And then—
The courtyard erupted.
Everyone talking at once, shouting, laughing, yelling over each other—
“HE JUST—”
“DID YOU HEAR—”
“THE WAY HE—”
“SIRIUS’S FACE—”
“I’VE NEVER SEEN HIM LIKE THAT—”
“HE POINTED—HE ACTUALLY POINTED—”
“I THINK I’M GOING TO PASS OUT—”
The Ravenclaw girl wiped tears from her eyes, still laughing. “Okay—no—forget him—” she said, nodding in the direction Sirius had gone, then glancing toward where Regulus had been, visibly flustered now. “His brother—?”
“Oh, you’re gone,” Mary said immediately.
“Completely gone,” Marlene agreed.
James straightened, still grinning like a man who had just witnessed history. “I’ve never been prouder of anyone in my life.”
Lily smacked his arm. “You’re unbelievable.”
Remus sighed, but there was a smile in it now. “We’re never going to hear the end of this.”
Fabian threw an arm around Gideon’s shoulders. “Worth it.”
Gideon snorted. “Absolutely worth it.”
Across the courtyard, Barty stretched lazily, still grinning. “We should do that more often.”
"Sirius? Sirius is that you?" Regulus whispered into the dark.
"Shut up Reg, you'll get us caught!" Sirius said, panic shaking his voice. "Lumos" Regulus muttered, making his wand tip light up softly.
"I can't believe you came!" Regulus whispered as Sirius stumbled into him and pulled him into a hug. "Of course I came, but what's this about?"
"Sirius," he started slowly and raising his hand beside his face he produced a locket, and Sirius could feel the darkness it possessed. "One by one, one by one, he will fall..." Regulus murmured.
"Reggie what is that?" Sirius said, reeling back a bit but staying within the hue of the light.
"I've got my heart bleeding for a change, Sirius. I- I know I've stood by and closed my eyes in shame. But you'll see them someday, I'll find them again. As the dark will give, the light will take." Regulus' speech was all rushed and his eyes were wild and stormy. There was manic gleam in them that matched his wide grin and hurried breath. Sirius worry increased with the pace of his heart, he was sure Regulus could feel it beating out of his chest.
"Regulus what is that thing?" Sirius pressed again.
Regulus shook his head. "Brother run fast, they're coming your way, they're headed your way," was Regulus' warning. His tone wasn't cold, but the words dropped like ice down Sirius spine. "Regulus you gotta tell me what's going on. I came didn't I? I want to help you just have to tell me what's going on," Sirius was frantic and he was begging.
Regulus again shook his head several times slowly side to side. "It's best you not speak of what you found. Please don't pass judgement on me now, Sirius. Don't seek the truth, they'll make their own rules. So I'm making my own too-" Regulus spoke with somewhat of a glazed over look, like there was only a wisp of fog holding the hinges on, like the wind could be enough to send him screaming and fighting.
Sirius cut him off, pleading: "What does that mean Reg!"
Regulus dropped the locked to his side, and put his other hand on the back of Sirius' neck pulling their foreheads together. Regulus stared into Sirius' eyes, where he was finally about to see the sweet, shy, and caring little brother he knew lived inside. Regulus spoke in whispers, warnings, vague shadows of the facts but the best tip he could give without giving up his place as a spy in both sides of this war. He knew he was going to leave both, a choice he was making. This was the last thing he could do to protect the only person who tried so desperately to protect him despite being only a child himself.
"Brother run fast. When they've come for me. They'll come back for you. Brother run fast. Brother don't break. They're coming... they're coming..." and then Regulus was gone, off on a journey to end the war. Off away from his brother who would hopefully heed his warning.
I feel like regulus would post the craziest things on his private accounts and but he only had barty, evan, Peter and the girls on it so everyone else is so confused.
In the griffendor common room.
Regulus on twitter: I wish I had two boyfriends I would make them kiss while I watch.
