I adored you Madly, Extravagantly, Absurdly.

Chapter 10

Warnings: description of dysphoria/body dysmorphia (yk I draw inspiration from ED-related body dysmorphia to write these, so maybe it deserves a warning in that direction as well, I'm not sure. It depends highly on how you read & interpret it)
a bit of physical violence
referenced/talked about sexual assault and coercion (it doesn't happen, it's just theory)

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"Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow" The Picture of Dorian Gray 189

February has always struck James as a weird month. It seems like the trickster month of the year. It is randomly shorter than the rest, and every other year decides to be one day longer than usual for absolutely no comprehensible reason. It's utter madness. James appreciates a certain level of madness, but February is a special kind of nutcase. The weirdest things tend to happen in this month:

When he was seven years old, he lost his stuffed deer toy on the 1st of February and only found it again on the 29th.

When he was 11, their entire Manor became the dream destination of every owl living in England for the whole second week of February.

When he was 14, he was absolutely convinced a ghost lived in the Manor. It appeared every day for 28 days straight. Then he vanished. And on the 1st of February the following year, he saw him again. This continued until he was 18. He calls the ghost Peeves and considers him a friend, although he continuously got him into trouble by playing pranks on the servants and his parents.

A few years ago, Sirius was staying during February. Their rooms were next to each other (James insisted on it), and he heard frightful moaning from his room every other night. When James asked him about it, Sirius had no idea what that noise could have been.

The tradition of weird Februarys continues this year when, over breakfast, Regulus opens a few letters and declares:

"Bartemius Crouch wants to come for a visit."

"The Baron?"

"His son."

"Barty? What does he want?"

"It doesn't say. Just that he will be one town over and would like to meet me and stay for dinner next week."

James frowns. Barty wants to see Regulus, huh? James can imagine what for. "Can you say no?"

"It doesn't say how I could reach him. Besides, I don't dislike his company enough to turn down one afternoon and a dinner."

Why not? What does Barty want from Regulus? Nothing good that is certain. That man would try to sneak a peek under Regulus' skirts just to give James a detailed report with that sly grin of his afterwards.

He only comes to flirt and seduce Regulus. James knows it.

"We can always turn him away on our doorstep."

"And why would we do that?"

"Because... you'd have to dress up as a woman to receive him, and you hate that."

"How very selfless of you. I'll survive it for one dinner. I do enjoy his company."

"Why? He just flirts with you and tries to make me look bad."

Regulus smiles at him mysteriously as if James is missing something.

"Just be careful. I know that he will try something unseemly. In fact, I'd like to stay with you when you receive him."

"As a chaperone?"

"You don't need a chaperone because he doesn't court you, and you are not free to be courted."