fic: Struck Sharp Through [Lucius, Regulus PG 500 Watchers Challenge]
Title: Struck Sharp Through
Author: txilar
Rating: PG
Word Count: 527. One for each watcher, which is really just a sly way of cheating.
Characters: Lucius, Regulus
Challenge: 500 Watchers
I waited to watch you linger
With foot drawn back from the dew,
Till a sunbeam straight like a finger
Struck sharp through the leaves at you.
Swinburne
///
He crept, stealth-less, as children are, through the garden, past swaying statues, past the fountain, until he was at the edge of a window. He shivered. Eyes wide he searched for faces he knew. He followed Sirius enviously; watched as his cousins performed before the fire like a trio of muses. The blonde and brunet sang, arm in arm, and the redhead played a charmed harp.
The guests clapped politely as their performance ended and scattered. It was then that Regulus saw a gleam: a marble-brilliant face set with eyes that were glittering sharp diamonds.
Regulus stared. The boy’s hair was long and pale. It flowed down his back like liquid. His robes were a summery blue. Regulus was entranced. The boy turned toward the window and Regulus’s heart jumped, but a sudden darkness disturbed his view and the boy was gone. Regulus jumped as Sirius moved in beside him. Hand over his mouth, he held in a yell.
“Took you long enough.”
Regulus caught his breath. “Kreacher wouldn’t leave until I finished eating. I had to eat every bite!” Regulus’s face reflected his irritation of such indignity.
Sirius rolled his eyes in commiseration and sighed. His first year of playing the Black Heir wasn’t going as well as he and Regulus had daydreamt it might.
“It’s boring,” said Sirius. “Everyone keeps looking at me. I can’t have any wine.”
Regulus was about to reply when Mother’s voice rang out. It was the pitch that edged into mania. Sirius took a deep breath and pulled at the stiff collar of his dress robes and left.
Regulus waited a moment before looking again. When he turned, it was right into glittering eyes and a pale face. He gasped and jumped back into his shadow.
“What have we here?”
Regulus knew there was no escape and squeezed his eyes shut. A hand touched his cheek and he looked up.
“Aren’t you pretty?” The glittering eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
Regulus barely resisted the urge to touch the boy’s robes. “Regulus. Sirius’s brother.”
“There’s a brother?” he asked, a faintly amused look on his face, “I had no idea. Come, I’ll take you in.” He pulled Regulus up and turned to walk, but Regulus held fast.
“I’ll get in trouble. I should be sleeping.”
Lucius smiled and pulled, his hand tightening around Regulus’s.
Mother reacted with simpering graciousness instead of anger and Lucius put Regulus to bed.
Regulus disrobed while Lucius looked away politely. He was shocked. He was always disciplined when he followed Sirius. Regulus eyed Lucius suspiciously when he sat down beside on the bed. He brushed Regulus’s hair back from his face and smiled.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m grooming you.” His voice had a turn in it that made Regulus feel breathless and wrong, but he let Regulus play with his hair and didn’t laugh.
“Why?”
Lucius leaned back on the headboard, fingers on Regulus’s neck. “I think you show great promise.”
Regulus smiled as Lucius tucked his hand around him and felt very special. Lucius assured him he’d stay until the end.
As Regulus drifted to sleep, he wondered idly, what end does he mean?
///
end
Author: txilar
Rating: PG
Word Count: 527. One for each watcher, which is really just a sly way of cheating.
Characters: Lucius, Regulus
Challenge: 500 Watchers
I waited to watch you linger
With foot drawn back from the dew,
Till a sunbeam straight like a finger
Struck sharp through the leaves at you.
Swinburne
///
He crept, stealth-less, as children are, through the garden, past swaying statues, past the fountain, until he was at the edge of a window. He shivered. Eyes wide he searched for faces he knew. He followed Sirius enviously; watched as his cousins performed before the fire like a trio of muses. The blonde and brunet sang, arm in arm, and the redhead played a charmed harp.
The guests clapped politely as their performance ended and scattered. It was then that Regulus saw a gleam: a marble-brilliant face set with eyes that were glittering sharp diamonds.
Regulus stared. The boy’s hair was long and pale. It flowed down his back like liquid. His robes were a summery blue. Regulus was entranced. The boy turned toward the window and Regulus’s heart jumped, but a sudden darkness disturbed his view and the boy was gone. Regulus jumped as Sirius moved in beside him. Hand over his mouth, he held in a yell.
“Took you long enough.”
Regulus caught his breath. “Kreacher wouldn’t leave until I finished eating. I had to eat every bite!” Regulus’s face reflected his irritation of such indignity.
Sirius rolled his eyes in commiseration and sighed. His first year of playing the Black Heir wasn’t going as well as he and Regulus had daydreamt it might.
“It’s boring,” said Sirius. “Everyone keeps looking at me. I can’t have any wine.”
Regulus was about to reply when Mother’s voice rang out. It was the pitch that edged into mania. Sirius took a deep breath and pulled at the stiff collar of his dress robes and left.
Regulus waited a moment before looking again. When he turned, it was right into glittering eyes and a pale face. He gasped and jumped back into his shadow.
“What have we here?”
Regulus knew there was no escape and squeezed his eyes shut. A hand touched his cheek and he looked up.
“Aren’t you pretty?” The glittering eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
Regulus barely resisted the urge to touch the boy’s robes. “Regulus. Sirius’s brother.”
“There’s a brother?” he asked, a faintly amused look on his face, “I had no idea. Come, I’ll take you in.” He pulled Regulus up and turned to walk, but Regulus held fast.
“I’ll get in trouble. I should be sleeping.”
Lucius smiled and pulled, his hand tightening around Regulus’s.
Mother reacted with simpering graciousness instead of anger and Lucius put Regulus to bed.
Regulus disrobed while Lucius looked away politely. He was shocked. He was always disciplined when he followed Sirius. Regulus eyed Lucius suspiciously when he sat down beside on the bed. He brushed Regulus’s hair back from his face and smiled.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m grooming you.” His voice had a turn in it that made Regulus feel breathless and wrong, but he let Regulus play with his hair and didn’t laugh.
“Why?”
Lucius leaned back on the headboard, fingers on Regulus’s neck. “I think you show great promise.”
Regulus smiled as Lucius tucked his hand around him and felt very special. Lucius assured him he’d stay until the end.
As Regulus drifted to sleep, he wondered idly, what end does he mean?
///
end