When the Sun and Stars Unite (Jegulus Oneshots)

Dancing in a Snowglobe (Round and Round)

Just once, Regulus would have loved to experience the warmth he read about in the stories... the all encompassing kind that made one feel as if they were a feather-light snowflake, dancing upon a winter breeze as the stars glistened above them.

But such things were merely a fantasy. And though Regulus was well acquainted with magic and whimsy, he was not foolish enough to believe himself capable of experiencing it.

Happy endings and festive holiday cheer was for the characters in his novels, not him.

(or alternatively, Regulus learns how to love the holidays once more)

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Regulus Black despised Christmas.

Perhaps, if he hadn't grown up in the oppressive walls of Grimmauld Place, he might have enjoyed it, but there was something to be said about the way his childhood shaped the ideals he now held today. In the place he'd once called home, every Christmas would be filled with harsh words and violent curses, devoid of the love and festivities that were so often associated with the season.

Just once, Regulus would have loved to experience the warmth he read about in the stories... the all encompassing kind that made one feel as if they were a feather-light snowflake, dancing upon a winter breeze as the stars glistened above them. He would have rushed down the stairs at the earliest hours of the morning, hand clasped tightly with his brother's as they rifled through the stacks of presents to find the ones meant for them. Then, they would have enjoyed the pastries and warm hot cocoa their parents had prepared in lieu of such an occasion, watching as the snow painted the ornate windows while they waited for mother and father to join them.

But such things were merely a fantasy. And though Regulus was well acquainted with magic and whimsy, he was not foolish enough to believe himself capable of experiencing it. Happy endings and festive holiday cheer was for the characters in his novels, not him.

That was why– on a Christmas eve painted with blistering cold– he found himself locked in his bedroom, his fingers tapping violently against the keyboard as he wrote, words spilling from the confines of his mind onto the document in front of him.

The blissful outpouring of creativity, however, could only last for an allotted time. He cursed as the words slowed, his brain suddenly becoming an aching chasm, empty of the inspiration he so desperately needed. The scene he was in the middle of was the most important one– when the two broken characters found one another beneath a gentle snow, realizing the feelings they'd long kept hidden inside. It was to be romantic and tinged with magic, but all Regulus felt was bitterness.

It wasn't fair that the characters he cherished so deeply could find love, while he sat wasting away in the empty bedroom, nothing to keep him company but a distressed laptop and the now cold cup of coffee seated on his desk. It wasn't fair that they had loving families and warm homes, while all he had were the scars on his back and his mother's vicious words imprinted deep within his mind.

Regulus slammed his laptop shut, trying to forget about the deadline he'd been given last week. His first draft was to be finished by the end of the year, ready to hand off to Mister Crouch– his best friend's father and his too strict publisher. If he allowed himself to be stuck on this scene, he'd risk being let go by the company. And while he wasn't too fond of his publishers, this job was all he had. He wasn't ready to give it up, but he still needed a break.

As he headed towards the quiet kitchen, wincing when he realized his brother had left the windows open, he found himself wishing desperately for January to come again... and soon.