Brothers ~ A Regulus Black Story

Swimming With The Squid

Sirius
We are all sitting at the table in the great hall and things seem normal. Everyone's here and joking around but something feels off to me. I can't put my finger on it but something just feels really off.

Remus is sitting beside me, he's okay. He's listening to Lily explain something that happened in Potions class the other day. Lily seems okay too. She's going on and on about her class and the funny story. She's holding James' hand and smiling. She's okay.

James is sitting beside her, holding her hand and watching her as she talks. Smiling and laughing when she says something funny.

Regulus is sitting across from me with Everleigh but they both look- I don't know. Everleigh is trying to focus on the conversation we're having but she's holding on to Regulus' hand like her life depends on it. He's sitting beside her and looks drained and disconnected. What's going on with them? Something is off with them?

"Can we skip class today and go somewhere together?" I ask everyone and they all just stare at me.

I'm expecting Lily and Remus to say no, they refuse to skip classes. Nerds.

"Why would we do that?" Lily asks, looking at me like she's trying to decide if I'm joking or not.

"Because classes are draining and I want to have some fun today." I say.

"Sirius, they have to pay attention in class for them to be draining." Lily mocks me and laughs.

"Oh shush. I want to skip class and go to the lake."

"I'm in." Remus says to my surprise.

"You're in?" I ask him to make sure I heard him right.

"Yup. I'm in." Remus repeats.

"Cool, Lily and James?"

"Now that Remus is in, I have to be in." James says with a smirk.

"Fine." Lily mumbles. "I'm in too."

"Regulus and Everleigh?" I ask them. They both look up at us.

"Sure, not like we were going to classes today anyway." Everleigh says dryly.

"You weren't going to class? What did you plan on doing all day then?" I ask them.

"Well, we're going to the lake." Everleigh sarcastically says.

"But before that?" I ask. Neither of them respond.

"Well, we could go swimming if you guys are brave enough to." Regulus jokes.

"Yeah... no thank you. I don't think that's something I am willing to do." Remus says, shaking his head intensely. 

"Come on, don't want to go swimming with the squid?" I teasingly ask him and he glares at me. "Sorry, bad joke."

"I thought it was funny." Regulus tells me, holding his laughter in. "And I'm willing to swim with the squid."

"Me too." Everleigh adds. "We're crazy that way."

"You two definitely are something but you know what? I'm in too." James adds, smiling happily while he looks around the table to see who else will speak up.

"I'm in if Remus is." Lily adds. "Only if he does."

"Well thanks Evans, I can't say no now because James won't stop bugging me until I change my mind." Remus complains, glaring at her.

"Are we actually going to go then?" Everleigh asks us in disbelief.

"Sounds like it." James says excitedly. He's so excited that he nearly jumped off of the bench.