Regulus & the Chocolate Factory | a crack story tbh |

6: A Visit from a Welsh Werewolf (oh if blood purist parents could see him now)

Regulus eyes Lupin curiously. "Do you say that because of you and Sirius?"

"I'm Welsh and in love with your posh brother, so yeah."

Regulus snorts. "Then maybe it is."

Lupin studies Regulus for a moment, like he's considering something important. "You should let me run this place for a bit and go help the others."

"I work better alone."

Lupin hums, suggesting he probably doesn't believe that. "There's another thing."

"There's always 'another thing.'"

"James and Lily are having a child."

Regulus drops the large spatula in his hand. It clatters to the ground with a loud, startling clang.

"Just... thought you should know."

"Why?" Regulus snaps, not looking at Lupin. "So they're idiot Gryffindors — I mean, having a child during war? But that's nothing new. Doesn't have anything to do with me." At last, Regulus glances over at the scarred man judging him from three paces away.

Lupin's lips twitch, amused. "Right. And because we're idiots, there's no chance of us finding out about..." He raises his eyebrows, and it's suggestive enough that Regulus interrupts him before he can spell it out.

"I can't imagine why Potter would've told you, of all people," Regulus mumbles. His heart is pounding crazily in his chest. "Actually, I've never imagined — never ever — having this sort of conversation with you."

"He never exactly told me. Some of us Gryffindors are just smarter than the others," Lupin jokes. He smiles awkwardly, but it falls into a frown almost immediately after. "I really meant it. You should go help them. I've done my dirty work with the werewolves already."

Regulus takes another peek at Lupin. "How come you trust me with your little secret?"

"What, you mean the werewolf thing?" Lupin grins, and it's incredibly wolfish. "Trusting people ain't all that hard when you realise they're just a scared little boy on the inside."

"Do shut up." Regulus scowls, turning away completely in an effort to divert his attention and train it elsewhere. "I told you, I work better alone."

There's a pause. Regulus is sure everything is sinking; his mind, heart, and insides, fading into oblivion. Memories come back in watery flashes; James's honest brown eyes, always so trusting, their tongues tasting of warm Butterbeer on a breezy day, snowflakes in James's forever unruly hair, his rough hands making a grab for Regulus's waist.

Fuck. Regulus can't breathe.

"Well, that's too bad." Lupin smacks his lips together. Distantly, Regulus realises there's something underlying his tone.

"Why?" Regulus says before he can stop himself. He bites his tongue unnecessarily hard, the taste of blood following the pain not long after.

"They need you, we need you, the whole gist of what Dorcas probably said to you."

"Well, yeah, that's nothing new."

Lupin cocks his head to the side. "Yeah."

"... What?" Regulus deadpans. He can hear that Lupin has more to say.

"Nothing."

"I know you want to say something."

"And I said something." Lupin smirks, cheekier than what Regulus could remember him being like in school.

"Don't be a smartass."

Lupin shrugs. "Eh."

"What. Is. It."

"James."

Regulus snaps his mouth shut, any capable string of words dying on his tongue.

"James needs you."

The way Lupin says it, oh-so-self-satisfied, has Regulus grinding his teeth together.

"Consider it, okay?"

Regulus huffs an unamused laugh. "Sure, if he's not too busy looking after his apparent baby with Lily Evans Potter."

"They're not married." Regulus hates the fact that Lupin still sounds so assured (and absolutely unbelievably fucking amused).

"Yet."

Regulus can hear the spreading grin in Lupin's next words. "But you're still alive, and James and Lily never loved each other the same way you did him and she did Pandora. We all know that."

"Pandora is having a child of her own now, too," Regulus says suddenly. "Plus, how are you even on first name basis with her?"

"Love," Lupin answers. "Lily brought her around a couple of times."

"Love." Regulus snorts. "That's the worst answer I've ever heard."

"It's also one of the truest."

Fuck everything, Regulus thinks, feeling suddenly like he's going insane. Fuck this, fuck chocolate, fuck James Potter, yes and thank you and please, and fuck everyone else not-so-literally.

James Potter needs you. The sentence echoes in his head.

Fuck James Potter indeed.