Cursive Conundrums

vi

"What's with you and the book?" Sirius groaned, "come on, we haven't pulled a prank all week. You've hardly even talked to us."

"Shh," James scowled, "I only have seventy pages left and I need to have this done by ten."

"Why?" Remus asked.

"I've got corridor patrol," James yawned, rubbing his eyes, "please just let me finish this. I have a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time."

"Sure," Remus said, "come on, Pads, let's go take a walk. Maybe find where Wormy ran off too."

"In the first case, the need was to renounce the consciousness of a nonexistent immobility in space and recognize a movement we do not feel; in the present case, it is just as necessary to renounce a nonexistent freedom and recognize a dependence we do not feel."

James shut the book an hour later, a relived smile on his face.

It remained there when he met Regulus in the prefect's office.

He handed Regulus the book with a smug expression.

"Very well," Regulus sighed, "what do you want to know?"

"Why'd the sorting hat hesitate?" James asked.

Regulus scoffed. He wasn't expecting that. "I don't remember."

"Oi!" James frowned, "I finished your stupid challenge. You owe me a secret."

Regulus didn't say anything.

"Sore loser." James taunted.

"I beg you pardon!" Regulus gasped, "I am not."

"Tell me then." James continued, "you were a hat stall. Nearly three minutes. Why?"

"The hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw." Regulus frowned, "is that what you're looking for? Potter?"

James thought for a second, and then nodded, satisfied. "I can see that."

"See what?"

"You being a Ravenclaw," James said, "it makes sense, especially if you read for fun."

"I'm a Black." Regulus said, "we're Slytherins."

"Sirius isn't."

His jaw tightened, "Sirius isn't a Black anymore. He's disowned."

"He's still your brother." James said.

"I don't have a brother."

"You share blood," James argued, "hell, you practically share a face."

"I'd advise you to stop speaking on the behalf of things you do not know, Potter," Regulus said coolly.

"Fine." James huffed and they walked several corridors in silence.

"Why this book?" James asked.

"Because it's long." Regulus said plainly, "and I didn't believe you'd be able to finish it."

"I proved you wrong then," James said smugly, "Well?"

"Well?" Regulus repeated.

"Who's your favorite character?" James asked eagerly.

"I don't know." Regulus shrugged, "I haven't read it."

James froze.

"You haven't read it?" James said slowly.

"No," Regulus shook his head, "it's too long for me."

"You're shitting me right now." James laughed uneasily. "Regulus Black. You better be shitting me."