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Tweak says, "Peanut butter jelly time!"

Professor Remus J. Lupin (galarusblaidd) wrote in breaking_point,
@ 2010-02-12 08:46:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2025 02, character: james sirius potter, character: regulus black, character: remus lupin, character: sirius black, dead character: albus dumbledore

RP: Remus, Regulus, Sirius, James Sirius
Who: Remus Lupin, Regulus Black, Sirius Black, James Sirius Potter
Where: Hogwarts, Remus' Quarters then the air
When: Friday, 12 February, 2025, evening
Rating/Warnings:
Summary: Remus feels it best, in the interest of Jamie's training, to have a family conference...then he and Regulus are finally going to fly!

Remus had been thinking about his conversation with Dumbledore for the past two days. As far as Remus could tell, an 'inner circle' meant that the Order was going to be divided -- true participants and canon fodder. He couldn't imagine anyone not in that inner circle doing much of anything until they were needed for sheer numbers. They were the people who were not loyal without question, no matter what Dumbledore had said. And if Remus wasn't ruthless enough, how long was it before 'they' decided James Sirius shouldn't be training with him? Everything he'd worked for had been put into question with that conversation because he knew that his place in this war was now irrevocably changed and if he was going to protect the people he cared about, it would have to be even more on his terms.

And he really, really needed a distraction from all of this.

With all of that in mind, he had asked James and Sirius to meet he and Regulus at his quarters that evening -- and to bring a broom he could borrow. They could discuss what this might mean for all of them, the training, any protections or other concerns...and then he was begging Regulus to take him flying after. If he was focused on not falling to his death, he wouldn't be able to think about Dumbledore, Harry, Lily Luna, Snape, any of it.

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 05:40 am UTC (link)

Regulus snorted. James had the uncanny ability to sum things up to their basic level. Of course, he ignored that most people didn't think like that. "Nothing else will come up," he said.

He watched as Sirius and James left, knowing that Remus wasn't as easily pleased, because he did plan and think, and he wouldn't just accept that Dumbledore had changed his mind.

"Should we play a game? I can have Dolan bring my chess set up here," he said, knowing that it was the worse attempt at subtlety he'd ever shown.

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galarusblaidd
2010-02-14 06:17 am UTC (link)

Remus smiled tiredly at his best friend as the two of them left. No matter that he was encouraging a mass exodus from the Order, Remus was grateful for Sirius' support. Especially after the last war. If nothing else, coming back from the dead into this time had given him back his best friends and Remus would always be grateful for that.

He would always be grateful for the chance he'd been given in this time with the younger Black brother as well.

Which was why, when the door closed behind James and Sirius, Remus turned fully to regard his lover with a serious expression. He wasn't taking any chance of letting things go unsaid or giving Regulus time enough to form effective evasions of the questions he wanted answers to right then.

"Sure, chess would be good," he said with a nod. "Of course, before we do that, maybe you can help me figure something out about this chess match conversation we just engaged in with Dumbledore. Because I wasn't expecting that castling move of yours at the end. Would you care to explain it?"

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 06:30 am UTC (link)

"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to," Regulus said with a raised eyebrow. "Castling? And would I be the king or the rook? I like the title of king, but it's to weak in the game. Or would you the king? I'm a little confused about the question since I don't see anyone protecting anyone else."

He grazed Remus' cheek with the knuckles. "You should be involved. You are involved. It's really very simple, and you're looking for things that aren't there. You can stop worrying, and we can move onto more pleasurable things." He leaned in and kissed Remus' cheek. "What is it that James said? We can worry when something happens."

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galarusblaidd
2010-02-14 06:45 am UTC (link)

"Then I had better continue worrying because something did just happen and I think I need to know what it was." Capturing the hand at his cheek, Remus laced their fingers together.

"I may not be as well-versed in the art of double talk as some people," he said with a sigh. "But, I know it when I hear it and you were telling Dumbledore a lot more than merely a confirmation of my own involvement. Nothing is that simple, Regulus. Especially not when you're dealing with Dumbledore.

"He's still not happy with me for keeping you from him. That much was crystal clear. Yet, tonight he's perfectly happy to know it was you I was protecting and offering platitudes of reassurance of my role in the Order. Something doesn't add up. There's blind spot I can't even see the shape of and I can't protect you from his machinations if I don't know what I'm dealing with.

"So, I need to know. What did you just do?"

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 06:54 am UTC (link)

"Something didn't just happen and I just didn't do anything." It was true, considering that the agreement was made in Severus' office. This was merely a verbal confirmation of previously stated terms. The choice of having so many people present was for him, Regulus knew that.

"He might not be happy, but he will include you, because it's in his best interest to have you there, no defections in the ranks. It's better for you, because you'll have the protection they can give you and you will be with your friends," he said. "No one needs to know about what happened with you and Dumbledore, and everything will be fine."

He smiled. "And I'm just that amazing. Even he can't resist me." He leaned in and brushed their lips together. "You don't have to protect me from him, and there are no machinations at play, just... a gentlemen's agreement."

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galarusblaidd
2010-02-14 07:15 am UTC (link)

"I'm nether naive nor stupid, Regulus. So, please don't expect me to believe there wasn't more going on here."

Remus had a list of moments that had passed from the time Jamie and Sirius had arrived to the time they had left, a list of moments when something didn't seem right on the surface. Most of those moments happened during Dumbledore's little visit. And, most of them pointed to some communication happening between General and Slytherin.

Remus didn't like feeling he was being talked around or manoeuvred. And he really didn't think he could take knowing Regulus was keeping something potentially vital in all this from him.

Cupping the back of Regulus' neck to hold him in place, Remus did not proceed to kiss him breathless as he might have been tempted to do on another night. Instead he merely looked him in the eyes steadily. "I could spend the next hour dissecting that little interview and pointing out each little inconsistency and how they all seem to point back to your gentleman's agreement."

"Please, Regulus," he pleaded softly, closing the short distance between them then and pressing his lips to Regulus' with gentle desperation that had nothing to do with moving the conversation to the bedroom. "I need to know you're safe or none of this will mean anything to me. And, I can't know you're safe if I don't understand what just happened here tonight."

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 07:30 am UTC (link)

Regulus didn't like to share, wanted to protect Remus from all of this, but he knew that the truth would keep both of them safer in the long run. It didn't stop him from wanting to hide everything.

He put his arms around Remus, staying close to him. "I don't think you're either. I know how smart you are." He smiled a little. "Annoyingly so. You could be like Sirius and James and ignore everything, but I know you won't."

He shook his head. "You don't have to make a list. I'll tell you." He kissed Remus again, the need clear in their kiss. "I'm fine. I'll be fine, and this isn't some code word. I mean it."

He drew his head back. "I wasn't lying. Nothing happened here. This was just confirmation of something previously agreed upon. When I went to see Severus, I knew that something needed to be done. Dumbledore wouldn't have let you leave, not like that, and we were both exposed. I offered him a deal. If he accepted you into whatever he's planning, I'd help the Order, and before you say anything, I would be forced to, even without this agreement. You, Sirius, James, Severus, I'd help despite of everything. It wasn't a big concession, okay?"

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galarusblaidd
2010-02-14 04:26 pm UTC (link)

"I could," Remus agreed with a soft chuckle, holding tightly as Regulus moved closer. "But, you'd have grown bored with me after less than a handful of conversations if I ignored everything."

Listening in silence as the other man spoke, Remus blinked at the admission and little pieces began to fall into place. I'm sure the Professor would understand how far Slytherins can go to protect what the value, Dumbledore had said. Remus will be fine, Regulus had continued to repeat. Regulus, what have you done, Remus thought.

"So, to protect us," he said slowly once he'd finished processing everything, "you'll do something you would have done in any case, but in the process have allied yourself to a man you neither like, nor trust, who you would rather keep as far from yourself as possible, who knows your most dangerous secrets and will not hesitate to use them against you in order to keep you in line with what he wants from you? Regulus..."

Remus couldn't find the words, so he put the rest of what he had to say about that into a heartfelt press of lips, a language that seemed to come so much more easily than spoken words.

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 04:50 pm UTC (link)

"Yes, I would have," he said, laughing. He loved his brother, but being with someone like him would drive him to murder in hours. He enjoyed the conversations and the mental connection as much if not more than the sex.

Gryffindors and their little recaps. They might be accurate, but the raw truth lying so naked between them offended his Slytherin sensibilities, but he didn't want to lie to Remus either. He had gone to great lengths to protect Regulus and he would not betray that trust.

The kiss came as a surprise, just as he was steadying himself for an argument, and he smiled against Remus' lips, relaxing against him. "I told you that everything will be fine," he whispered.

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galarusblaidd
2010-02-14 08:57 pm UTC (link)

"Your definition of fine is seriously skewed," Remus breathed, kissing him softly once more before sitting back with a quiet sigh.

Bemused still that Regulus would have voluntarily allied himself with Dumbledore in order to protect their secrets, Remus was nonetheless already thinking through the ramifications of this development. Dumbledore's words about knowing a thing or two about Defence worried him even more now. Had that been a threat, a hint, something with amorphous meaning they'd learn later? Nothing but smoke to make him worry?

This wasn't going to stop the questioning of Remus' loyalty, of course. If anything, he could see his loyalty to Regulus, and vice versa, being used to keep them in line. But, they had some breathing space to figure a way out of this mess. Or at least to figure out how to keep their secrets safe, as well as each other.

And when had he stopped trusting the old wizard this much?

"Well, I suppose he has what he wants for now, which gives us some time to breathe. You told me before that Harry and Dumbledore both knew about how you died. Does anyone else? Sirius? Severus? I'll need to know who to watch if I'm going to be in these exclusive meetings, now."

Running his hands soothingly over Regulus' back, he couldn't help pressing another kiss to the other man's temple. He knew what it must have taken for him to make a deal like that and Remus had no intentions of berating him for a moment of Gryffindor brash-ness. "We don't have to think about this any more tonight. If you want to call Dolan, we can play a game. Or..."

Remus pulled away to look at Regulus with a grin.

"I told James and Sirius to bring an extra broom when they came here tonight. So, we can go flying if you like."

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te_regulus
2010-02-14 10:17 pm UTC (link)

"Compared to the last two years of my life, this is very fine," he answered, grinning. "In fact, this is relaxing, fun, interesting, laid back, almost boring. It was time for things to happen."

He nodded. "He does, and we're not without power, but you need to stop rocking the boat. Everything is fine, everything is back to normal, nothing happened," Regulus said. "The more you act like something is wrong, the worse it will be, and if you pull the cord too much, he will cut it off, and we can't afford that. Both of us become dispensable, and that would be fine if we could just leave, but we can't separate ourselves from this because there's people we care that are involved. So don't act like a Gryffindor."

He squeezed Remus' leg. "Potter, Weasley and Granger know. Sirius and Severus know. I think Severus knows everything, but not from me, Sirius as much as you. James might know, but I'm not sure. No one else as far as I know."

Regulus grinned brightly. "Chess versus flying? Are you kidding me? Let's go fly." In the air, they could forget all about their problems.

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