The Day the Music Died | Jegulus, Wolfstar

The Bloody Nose

All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
I'd be safe and warm (I'd be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day.

The greenery of Scotland was impossible to bore, the infinite meadows, the cows in the field, the jewel-blue rivers following the train, and the cloudy sky, always threatening to start a storm, but remaining calm with that characteristic dull grey, it made James remember Regulus' eyes.

Wonder if he's alright.

Sirius was resting his arms on the window, and his legs were spread out over Remus' lap, who was quietly reading a book. Peter was practising a few spells he'd need to remember for the next term by his side, and James was just innocently thinking about a particular raven-haired boy, he didn't see him get on the train, and that alone was something to get worried about.

James suddenly stood up, as if some kind of divine force took over him.

"I've got to go," he mumbled.

Sirius scowled.

"Where to?"

"Er... to the bathroom," he flustered.

Remus slowly lifted his eyes from his book, and then directed them to Sirius.

"Let him go."

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, which returned to the window shortly after, James opened the door of the compartment with no clue where to go, so he started to ramble around, with no particular destiny, avoiding the students that waved at him with a faint sense of direction.

As he was struggling to wander by the narrow passage, a compartment door opened right on his nose.

"Ouch!"

An easily recognizable red-headed girl came out of it.

"James! Oh, sorry, didn't know you were there!" she flushed.

He waved his hand to calm her down while he pressed the bridge of his nose, he felt the blood rushing out of his nostrils, she looked ashen.

"I'm alright Lily, I'm going to go to the bathroom now if y'don't mind," he panted while he struggled to get away from her.

He heard Lily mutter.

"Oh, I'm such a moron" but he didn't have time to reassure her, the blood was already slithering through his cupid's bow, he pushed and shoved students out of his way, when he reached the bathroom, he kicked the door open, but there was a lean figure standing by the mirror with his cheeks glistering, his eyelashes wet, Regulus, and he had obviously been crying.

They both stared at each other, he looked startled from the sudden irruption, James almost forgot the blood dripping from his nose till it reached his mouth with a rather sweet taste, the younger Black frowned and flinched out of disgust, he shoved him in with a groan, closing the door behind him.

"James! What is wrong with you?" he said, quickly wiping his tears with his sleeve.

"Happy accident. Sorry for... er, y'know" James scratched the back of his head.

"For Merlin's sake," Regulus flustered, he took the towel and started attentively tapping the blood out of his nose, James looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks, Reg."

He scowled and tossed the towel to him.

"Do it yourself, wanker. M'not your bloody house elf."

James chuckled and left the towel on the sink, he licked the remaining blood out of his lips and stared at the boy, his cheeks were slightly blushed, Regulus couldn't deny that action had triggered something inside him.

"Are those Slytherin tossers acting nice with ya'? I can beat 'em up if you want me to," James beamed.

A hardly amused Regulus snorted.

"I don't need protection, remember?"

"Mhm," James nodded with a groggy voice, Regulus looked to the floor, he was just starting to notice how close they were, their faces barely a few inches apart.

"I've got to leave, James," he excused himself as he moved to impale the Gryffindor boy, but he didn't move.

"Already? But we barely had time to talk these weeks, I miss your silly star talks," James simpered looking at him in the eye lovingly, Regulus just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible before things got weird.

"James, let me through," he snarled, hoping it would come off as nastily as he desired, and it did, James got away from the door, Regulus walked by him, brushing against his jumper as he did so, he refrained the goosebumps it gave him and went back to his Slytherin compartment, where much less desirable people were waiting for him with a straight face.

***

"Moony, do you know what's up with Prongs? He's acting quite like a complete tosspot," Sirius nagged, looking at his boyfriend.

Remus laughed softly.

"I can remember two guys scurrying off whenever they could, just like James does."

Sirius bit his lip to refrain a smile.

"D'you reckon he's got someone?"

The scarred boy caressed his chin.

"Most probably. I still didn't quite figure out why he would need to hide it from us, though."

"Me neither," agreed the oldest Black, "maybe it's Lily, I can't recall him fancying someone else."

Remus suddenly had a flash of Regulus... no, it probably couldn't be... James? Being one of... them? No way, definitely no, maybe they were friends though, it was just as equally bad, the marauders didn't hide things from each other, that was the rule. Although they did hide themselves from James for a shamefully long time.

"The gears of your mind are spinning, mister Moony, what is going through it?" Sirius mocked.

"Nothing, Pads, jus' thinkin'" he felt uneasy all of a sudden," he's probably snogging in the bathroom with our dear Evans, nevertheless, you should stop thinking about it, not worth it. He'll tell us when he's ready."

Sirius nodded, but he knew Remus wasn't telling him the truth, and he was no idiot, things didn't just 'revolve' around him like people thought. He would find out, eventually.

Suddenly the compartment door opened violently, James emerged from of it, his lips were bright red, Sirius almost snorted.

"You've got some lipstick on your lips, Prongs."

"Ha ha, very funny, Pads," James rolled his eyes while he sat, "It's blood."

The marauders stared at him with arched eyebrows or squinting eyes.

"Blood, you say?" Remus asked slowly, putting down his book.

"Mhm, Evans opened her door and I fully bumped into it," he confessed, realizing how that sounded like a cheap excuse.

Sirius nodded.

"M'kay, so you didn't snog?"

James made gagging sounds.

"Ew! No!"

The older Black raised both eyebrows now.

"Ew? Weren't you going to marry her? I'm sorry to break it down to you mate, but marriage requires snoggin', and a lot else too," he sniggered.

"I fancied her before, not any more," James hissed, they ended up the conversation right there for the rest of the journey.

***