Like Real People Do

Chapter Seven

James caught Regulus gazing down at the potion bottle in thought, and smirked, "Played before?"

Regulus shook his head, "No, but I know how it works."

"Brilliant. Youngest goes first. So drink up, Baby Black."

He raised an eyebrow in jest at James, "I'm the oldest, if you'll remember. So, pass."

James's face fell when he realized that not only was Regulus the oldest, but it was James himself that would have to go first.

He sighed dramatically, acting as if it were a great disservice to have to go first, "Alright, then."

James tipped just enough of the veritaserum down his throat to last around an hour, chasing it down with the Ogden's firewhiskey in front of him. The small vial was passed around the room then, ending with Regulus who easily turned it up to drain it.

"Alright," Sirius winced as the firewhiskey burnt the back of his throat on the way down, "Each person gets a question that the whole room has to answer. If you wish to refrain, you take a drink. Pretty simple."

"James goes first," Remus prompted, nodding at him, "Go on then, Prongs."

"Shall we start easy for little Black over here?" James teased, his lips pulling in to a smile that threatened to turn into laughter, "Who was your first proper snog?"

He thought about the question for a moment, thinking back to Hogwarts. It was no secret that Regulus spent most of his time alone, the accompaniment of books being much more familiar than that of a romantic partner. But there had been a few. One that came to mind immediately. 

He felt himself wanting to spill the answer, but the veritaserum that they had ingested had been weak enough that he could resist if he had to.

But what was the fun in that?

"It was Rabastan Lestrange."

It was comical to Regulus to watch as each of their eyes widened in shock, Sirius even spitting the liquor that was held in his mouth back into the bottle.

"Rabastan Lestrange? He was your first kiss?"

Regulus's mouth pulled up on one side into a smirk, "No, he was my first proper snog. And many more after that, actually."

"But...He's old," Remus looked confused, while dropping a hand onto Sirius's shoulder as he continued to be outraged.

"He's three years older than Sirius."

"Which is four years older than you!" Sirius guffawed, looking at his little brother, "And he's a Lestrange!"

"They're right well crazy in bed too, trust me."

The firewhiskey had given Regulus a pleasantly warm feeling inside of him, and he had began to feel himself relax in the presence of the marauders. He even seemed to find his brother bearable, despite the tensions that they both knew still existed.

"I can't believe this!" Sirius continued to mutter, "My baby brother and Rabastan Lestrange. I'll kill him for that."

"Quite easy to do, actually," Regulus hummed, his eyes closed. 

He found himself not bothering to resist any of the thoughts that wanted to find themselves out into the open air, and he continued.

"He died too, in the end. Didn't have a single thought in that giant head of his that was useful to me."

When Regulus opened his eyes and tilted his head up to look at the others, they were looking at him with a wide-eyed expression. Regulus began to feel his skin crawl with the anxiety of having the attention upon himself.