Cursive Conundrums

xlv

James's holiday break was spent tending to Regulus's sickbed...and he wouldn't want it any other way.

His breaths were wheezy, his steps wobbly and his skin sallow.

But even sick, he was a sarcastic arse.

"James this water is lukewarm." Regulus complained, "I said I wanted ice water, not bloody room temp."

"Sorry, sorry," James said, taking the glass and tapping his wand to it to remedy the situation, "here you are."

Regulus took a sip, "better. I'm hungry."

"What do you want to eat?"

"Bombolone."

"Reg, I don't even know what bombolone is," James chuckled.

"Well you'll have to figure it out sooner or later." Regulus said, "consider this sooner."

"Fine," James said, "you'll have to come down and sit with me then, I'm not leaving you up here alone."

"Help me up?" Regulus asked.

James scooped him up into his arms.

"Not what I meant but I suppose this'll do," Regulus mused, wrapping his arms around James's neck.

The days before Christmas passed in a similar fashion. 

Regulus's mornings were the best, by night he was weak and sick, unable to fall asleep until the early morning hours.

Regulus experienced his first of hopefully many Potter Christmas's.

Effie made her infamous treacle tart, James and Regulus sat outside, bundled in coats in blankets, hot chocolate between their frozen fingers as the snow fell around them.

"This is nice," Regulus sighed, settling himself practically on top of James's lap, savoring his body warmth.

"We're just avoiding my parents and you know it." James said.

Regulus groaned, "don't bring it up, I'm mortified."

"You can't be more embarrassed than me," James shuddered. "I never want my mother to mention my sex life ever again."

Only a couple hours prior, Effie had sat down with the young couple to inform them that their 'sexual intimacies' would have to be put on hold for four weeks.

Mortifying.

"Boys! Inside!" Effie appeared in the back door as id they had just summoned her. "I told you Regulus can't be out in the cold for too long!"

"We've only been out here five minutes!" James protested.

"In." She demanded, "you two can sit by the fire and get warm."

"Two more minutes?" James asked.

"That's it," Effie warned, "if you're not on the couch in two minutes I'll drag you inside by the ear."

"Yes ma'am." James nodded, "thank you."

The door shut and James turned back to Regulus who was flushed pink. He couldn't tell if it was from the cold or Effie catching him on her son's lap.

"How're you feeling?" James hooked his chin on Regulus's shoulder.

"Fine, tired." Regulus said, taking a sip of his cocoa, "thank you."

"For what?"

"Putting up with me," Regulus smiled, tracing his fingers across James's cheek, "you've been so good to me."