- Year Long Scavenger Hunt: E-40 Write a circus!AU with Regulus Black playing a role in some way

- Hogwarts Advent Calendar: Written for Jasmin (TheRottenGirl)

Word Count: 1,099

"You promise you aren't going to laugh?" Sirius Black asked his new friend, James Potter, as he paused apprehensively outside the garish, yellow-and-red striped tent.

"Why on earth would I laugh?" James was ecstatic. He stared excitedly into the opening of the tent, the golden glow from the bright candles illuminating his spectacles. He looked mightily out of place in his beige corduroy trousers and grey shirt, while Sirius was dressed in bright purple and royal blue.

He knew he was out of his depths, becoming friends with the son of the circus family. His mother had been mortified when James had told her several weeks ago, and his father had simply laughed. He knew that the circus would move on before long, and James would no longer see his new friend.

Their fears came from a good place, James knew. The circus held the fear of the unknown for his prudent mother. When she heard tales of lions and tigers and magic acts, she knew she didn't want to be within a hair's breadth of the place, much less allow her only son to venture there too.

But James had assured her he was old enough to look after himself. And, after all, Sirius had been nothing but kind to him. He was seventeen years old, the same as James, and his tales of balancing on the tightrope at dozens of metres high enthralled James. He wanted to visit this strange, magical world that Sirius was part of.

"I have wanted to see a circus all my life," James continued earnestly. "My mother never allowed me to, and even if she would, there has never been one close enough to our village to visit. Then you and your family just dropped out of the sky—like—like…"

"Like Dorothy dropped into Oz?" Sirius grinned devilishly, and yanked his friend's arm, pulling him into the tent. "Let's show you a circus."

oOo

It was everything that James could have dreamed of and more. Sirius had a huge family, and although many of them were strange and aloft in appearance and personality, they were all oddly beautiful and elegant whilst they performed.

Sirius's father was the well-dressed Ringleader in velvet tails and a top-hat, clutching an ebony cane that he brandished in the face of the terrifying lions and tigers which walked around him, merely kittens in his presence. Sirius's mother was a tall, haunting presence, with angled features and dark hair streaked with silver, and she stood over a gilded coffin, which she promptly sawed in half once her apprehensive niece had climbed inside ("Andromeda, do sit still and behave yourself!"). James was wide eyed with disbelief as he watched Walburga Black move the two pieces of the coffin apart, while Andromeda's face smiled from one end, and her feet wiggled from the other. He had clapped wildly when his new friend appeared metres high on the tightrope, wearing a curious skin-tight, glittery outfit. His blonde-haired cousin joined him on the tightrope, wearing a similar costume, and the pair of them had jumped from the wire as easily as though they were diving into the safety of a pool of water, before grabbing the handle of a trapeze each. They began to swing through the air with amazing elegance and agility, winding their limbs around the other to perform a strange variety of tricks in the air.

But James couldn't believe his eyes when an older cousin strolled into the centre of the tent, wearing a revealing black leotard and clutching the hand of a dark haired boy who looked extremely similar to Sirius. James wondered if this was the brother that Sirius had mentioned, and when he turned to point his pale face in the direction of the audience, James was sure of it. Regulus Black looked almost the spit of his older brother, aside from some minor details.

But James found himself very entranced by those minor details. Regulus had softer cheekbones, giving him a slightly rounder face. His hair was shorter than Sirius's, but darker and shinier. His ebony eyes weren't mischievous and open, they were reserved and calm.

James was so distracted by Regulus Black's appearance, that he was surprised when a burst of fire appeared from the mouth of Bellatrix, and Regulus held up his hands. James shrieked suddenly, sure that Regulus must have been burnt to a crisp right there and then.

The audience fell into a lapse of silence; every face in the tent turned to stare at James. Flushing crimson, he sank to his seat, watching as the fire faded, and Regulus reappeared, looking very much alive. He was staring in James's direction, his eyes glimmering with amusement. James jumped to his feet, feeling extremely stupid, and rushed for the exit.

He had barely caught his breath when he was tapped suddenly on the shoulder. "Sorry, Sirius," he said hurriedly, not turning around. "I just needed a minute. The fire trick surprised me."

"My brother is still on the high wire," a smooth voice replied, and James spun around, face-to-face with the fire-eater, Regulus. "I came out to see if you were alright."

James blinked. "You interrupted the show just to see if I was okay?"

"My brother has spoken very highly of his new friend. He wouldn't want me to leave you out here on your own while he was indisposed." He paused, leaning forward to whisper. "No matter how easy he makes it look, Sirius has always found it quite difficult to jump down from that tightrope."

James laughed, and Regulus beamed. "I'm James," he replied. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself."

"I know who you are," Regulus smiled, shaking James's hand. "I'm Regulus."

"I know, too." James tried to ignore the spark of electricity that left his fingertips as their hands connected. "It's nice to meet you."

"I hope you can manage coming back inside to finish the show?" Regulus quipped, raising an eyebrow. "I've seen it before. I promise you I don't die."

James laughed again, and felt something warm unravel in his chest at the way Regulus's face lit up whenever he made James laugh. "That's good. I really wouldn't want that to happen."

Regulus's eyebrow shot higher, disappearing into his fringe. "You wouldn't?"

James looped an arm through Regulus's. "Of course not. I need to get to know you first." He smiled warmly, and Regulus's pale cheeks flushed pink.

"I'm glad to hear that," he murmured, looking at the ground. "Let's go back inside. I have a show to finish."