When the cough first started, Regulus and James assumed it was just a cold. Harry is a rambunctious child so it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. But after two days of constant coughing and a sluggish Harry, they started to get worried. The six year old spent most of his day laying on top of Regulus, picking at the man's shirt and mumbling about dogs and stars.
Regulus sighed as he watched the boy's chest rise and fall, a rasp leaving his lips every time he took a breath. The man had to stop himself from crying as his baby slept. James came up behind him, watching Harry over his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around Regulus. They just stood there, watching their son breath and praying he would be alright.
The peace was broken when Harry had a very sudden rasp and then quiet. Regulus jumped up and rushed to the boy's bed, placing his hand on his chest and trying to feel for breathing. He sobbed when he didn't feel Harry’s chest rise. He turned to James and gasped. “Jamie I don't he’s breathing.”
James rushed to the bed and placed his ear next to Harry’s mouth, listening for a breath. After a few moments he pulled back and lifted Harry from the bed, rushing from the room into the living room. Regulus followed closely behind and stepped into the fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder and immediately calling out ‘St Mungo's’.
The second they stepped out of the fireplace a nurse was rushing up to them, directing James to a bed and giving them instructions. Regulus gripped Harry’s hand and looked to the healer who rushed into the room. “Please… please save my son. Please.” James stood behind him, his head resting on his shoulder and his arms around his waist.
The couple watched as the healers worked on their son. Regulus sobbed as they cast spell after spell trying to help their boy. James just held him tighter, silently crying into the younger man's shoulder. Before they knew what was happening people were leaving the room and the healer was walking over to them.
“Mr. Potter. Mr. Black. I’m healer Jeffries, I’m the main healer on Harry’s case. Your son seems to have a bad case of pneumonia. His lungs were filling with fluid, that's why he was having trouble breathing. We’re treating it now and he should be okay. How long has he been sick?”
Regulus sighed in relief and leaned back into James. “He had a cold on Monday. I brewed a potion to help with the congestion and the cough but he just kept getting worse. I thought it was just the flu.”
The healer nodded and wrote something down on a notepad. He looked back up at Regulus and James and sighed. “Pneumonia can be caused by many things. He may have had the flu and it developed into pneumonia as it got worse. You did everything right, sometimes things like this just happen. We’re gonna give him some potions to help with the pain in his chest and I’m gonna perform a spell that will remove the fluid from his lungs. We are gonna take good care of Harry okay? He will be okay.”
James sighed and rubbed at his eyes, making his glasses sit crooked on his face. “Thank you Jeffries. We really appreciate it. Can we… Can we sit with him?” Jeffries nodded and the two men immediately moved to the bed, standing on either side of Harry, holding his hands. James laid his head onto the bed next to their intertwined hands and just breathed, forcing air in and out of his lungs.
Regulus wasn’t in much better shape, starting at Harry’s face, counting each breath. The two of them sat there for hours. Watched as healer Jeffries performed spells and administered potions. It wasn’t until mid day that they moved when Lily stormed into the room, demanding answers about her son.
James and Regulus stood and led her outside the room, talking in hushed tones as to not wake Harry. Lily tapped her foot on the hard floor, the sound echoing throughout the hall. “Do either of you want to tell me what the hell is happening with my son?! Why is he in the hospital for pneumonia? How could you let him get pneumonia?”
James scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “We didn’t LET him get pneumonia, Lils. He had the flu and that developed into pneumonia. The healer said there was nothing we could have done.” James and Lily glared at each other while Regulus watched from the side, leaning against the wall with his arms wrapped around himself.
“Well obviously you did something, cause our six year old is laying in a hospital bed. Are you so distracted by your boy toy that you allowed our son to almost die?!” Regulus flinched back in shock. James just glared harder. “Do not talk about Reg like he isn’t Harry’s father too! Reggie has been the one to brew the potions and watch him sleep and make sure he is okay! Do not stand there and act like he is a distraction or a simple boyfriend when he cares more about Harry than any of us!”
Lily rolled her eyes and pointed her finger at Regulus. “HE! Is not Harry’s father. YOU! Are Harry’s father. He is just some guy who you are obsessed with for some reason. When the novelty wears off and you break up you won’t feel like he is Harry’s father.” James was about to speak before Regulus cut her off.
“Do not. Do not stand there and tell me that Harry isn’t my son. When Harry was born you decided you wanted to further your career and gave full parental rights to James and I get that. No one has judged you for your choice. But you, haven't, been here. I have. I was here for Harry’s first smile and laugh. I was here for his first steps and his first words. I was here when he lost his first tooth, and his first day of school. And when he got sick, I was the one who watched him sleep because I was so afraid he would stop breathing, just like I did when he was a baby. Harry is MY, SON. I love him more than I love anything else in this world. And for you to stand there and tell me that he isn’t and insinuate that I don’t care about him is utter bullshit!”
Lily looked at Regulus shocked and scoffed. James smiled at him and kissed the crown of his head. “Go back in and sit with our boy. I’ll be in in a minute okay?” Regulus nodded and kissed James softly. Before he opened the door he turned and looked at Lily. “I have never, not once, judged you for your choices. But everyday I thank Lady Magic that what you chose allowed me to be a parent for that lovely, sweet, kind little boy. Harry did not just fall into my hands. I could have decided to not date James. But I looked into Harry’s eyes and I knew. I knew that he was my son.” Regulus smiled and walked into Harry’s room.
He could hear James and Lily’s hushed argument but he paid it no mind, sitting next to Harry and stroking his hair. He smiled when Harry leaned into the touch, breathing softly. He sat there for a long time just watching the boy. Regulus couldn’t imagine a world where this boy and his dad weren't his entire universe.
Regulus was startled out of his thoughts when Harry moved, bringing his hands up to Regulus’s face and smiled. Harry beamed at Regulus and all the man could do was sob softly and hug the boy close. “Oh Mon ange. Mon bel ange. I’m so glad your okay bébé. Mon doux garçon.” Harry giggled and pressed a dry kiss to Regulus’s nose.
“I like it when you speak French to me. And call me all those names. It makes me feel all bubbly.” Harry was speaking sluggishly, like he was tired. Regulus smiled and rubbed his nose against Harry’s. “Well I like speaking french to you so we, my boy, are a match.”
Harry giggled and pulled on Regulus’s shirt, giving him a face. “What is it? What do you want? That's your I want something face.” Harry smiled and pulled on his shirt again. “Lay down with me? Please? I wanna cuddle.” Regulus sighed like it was a large ask but immediately climbed into the bed and wrapped himself around the boy.
It was not much later when James found them like that, wrapped up and asleep in the little bed. He smiled to himself and walked to the side Regulus wasn’t on and climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and son, watching them sleep with a smile on his face.
They could talk about Lily later. Right now, all he needed to do was rest with his family.