True Love Waits
☼𐂂☼
James
☼𐂂☼
It was the morning everyone was going to leave for Christmas Holidays. The Marauders, Lily, Mary, Frank, the three Prewetts, Nichole, Marlene, Regulus, the three Rosiers, Barty, Dorcas, Xenophilius, Kingsley and Alex all sit on the front steps leading to Hogwarts’ reception. The group are all talking amongst each other happily.
“We have to leave if we want to get the train.” Severus says, his voice monotone as he stands in front of Lily, who’s practically sitting in James’ lap, his eyes move over to him with pure hatred in his eyes.
“Ah! Right.” She smiles. “I’ll see you for New Years.” She says, kissing him sweetly and briefly, then getting up to say goodbye to Remus before following Severus through the gates.
Soon, the group’s first car full of parents drives into the graveled car park. Alex’s mum steps out of the car, hugging him and Kingsley before she turns to the Black brothers who are talking amongst each other in French.
“Are these-” She asks in awe, the brothers not even registering her as she stares.
“Andy’s cousins.” Alex grins, finally Sirius looks up to see the woman look at them with a fond smile, causing Regulus to look up and notice her.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Andromeda’s mother-in-law.” She smiles. “She always talks about you, Sirius. It’s wonderful to meet you.” She takes their hands with a fond smile. James can see the hurt cross Regulus’ face briefly before he goes back to being emotionless as always. “You’re just as beautiful as your cousin.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” They grin, clearly thriving off of the attention she’s paying them.
“It would be nice to have you over to meet Ted and Nymphadora sometime.” She offers, never once looking at Regulus as James starts to feel so sorry for the poor boy, always overshadowed by his brother who’s always larger than life itself.
After she leaves, the next car to show up quickly picks up Marlene - her mother not caring enough to help her with her bags, just beeping her car horn and shouting at the very hungover girl to get in the car.
Soon after, Barty leaves the group to get his bus down to Dumfries. Nichole is picked up by her parents and brothers, then Frank, then Peter, the Rosiers, the Prewetts, Dorcas, Xenophilius, Mary and then Kingsley are all picked up by their families. James, Remus and the Black brothers are the only people left on the steps to Hogwarts castle.
A limo finally stops in front of the four boys, a small frail old man stepping out of it.
“Master Regulus.” The old man smiles, holding his arms out to the younger boy who almost instantly jumps into the man’s arms, sinking into them like water. “Your mother will be waiting, we must go.” He says as he breaks away, taking Sirius and Regulus’ empty looking bags without a word.
“See you after the break.” Sirius says with a nervous smile, pressing a quick kiss to Remus’ cheek before moving over to James. “Don’t have too much fun without me.” They grin. “And take care of Moony for me.”
“You have my word.” James grins, saluting at the boy in front of him before breaking, hugging Sirius with a laugh. “And don’t worry, I was planning on it.”
“Are they always this insufferable?” Regulus asks Remus.
“Yep.” Remus replies, a soft tone in his voice.
“Gross.” Regulus mutters under his breath. “We must go, Sirius. Maman won’t be happy if we’re late.” He says, his voice suddenly becoming robotic sounding.
“Maman’s never happy.” They groan, standing and walking over to their baby brother. “All it does is justify the punishments she’d give us anyway.” They shrug, stretching their hands over their head like that’s normal.
James’ heart aches for them when he realises that that is normal for the boys. Life hasn’t been kind to them and James suddenly finds himself wishing it had been him in their shoes. The only crime they committed was being born to the wrong mother and James is the only person here with his perfect parents and perfect life, yet he still finds a reason to complain.
“Bye, see you next year!” Sirius shouts, laughing like a maniac as Regulus huffs at the joke, dragging his brother away from James and Remus and into the limo before their butler drives them away. Back to Islington, back to the torture that James has learned, is Grimmauld Place.
“I have a bad feeling about this.” Remus sighs, watching the car finally leave their view.
“Same, but we were bound to.” James sighs. “We’re not stupid, we know it’s- we know they’re not going to have a good holiday.” James says, unable to mask the pain just thinking about the fact that James and Remus would be having fun in Folkestone just 55 minutes away by train from the suffering boys in Islington.
“The second I see them again I-” Remus breathes shakily. “I’m scared James…” He admits, looking to James with tears in his honey coloured eyes. “So fucking scared.” He whispers, leaning into James as he wraps his arms around the boy.
“We’ll get through these two weeks and we’ll let ourselves enjoy them, yes Sirius might be at the back of our minds but we’re allowed to be happy, Remus.” James reminds him. “And then we’ll be there for Sirius once we get back here. Whatever they need, whoever they need, we’ll be there.” James says.
Finally, just as James expected, the Potter’s old, beat up silver Mercedes his paapa bought in 2007 - before James was born mind you - rolls up into the car park.
James knows the family can definitely afford a new one but James knows his paapa is too attached to the car as he practically sees it as his first son.
The second the car stops, James’ maa practically jumps out of it to envelop her son into a hug.
Being here is nice but nothing can make James feel more at home than his maa. Nothing and no one can beat her hugs and the permanent smell of hot chocolate with cinnamon that seems to stick to her in its perfect nostalgic aroma.
“Remus.” She smiles once she lets go of her son. “Come here.” She smiles, wrapping her arms around the lanky boy and James catches sight of his paapa.
“James.” He smiles, hugging his son with a smile. “How’ve you been then?” He asks as if James hasn’t called him and his maa every morning while on his run to tell him exactly that.
“I’m good paapa.” He smiles.
“I think you’ll feel even better to hear that your chacha is back home with your favourite guitar.” He grins.
“Thank God.” James grins. “I’ll probably be rusty but I miss it.”
“Wait, you play guitar?” Remus asks with a look of pure respect on his freckled face.
“Yeah.” James nods. “My chacha taught me.”
“Could you… teach me, that is?” Remus asks, a smile on his face.
“Sure Moony, I’d love to.” James smiles, swinging his arm over Remus’ shoulders, walking with him to the car.
✧✩✧
Regulus
✧✩✧
Home was the same as usual once Regulus and Sirius came for Christmas. They acted as performing monkeys for the investors, looking to their parents who both lounged over their chairs, their eyes glinting with approval like Kings and Queens watching their court jesters perform for them. Of course Maman punished them the second they entered the door, Sirius for ignoring her calls and Regulus for hitting Nikoli Mulciber. Though Regulus could see there was more anger in her eyes whenever she looked at Sirius, like she was waiting to reveal what she had at her disposal.
Regulus hoped, for the first time in his life, that he was wrong.
Now it was Christmas day and all of their guests had just left. Regulus and Sirius are made to stand in the middle of the drawing room, hands behind their backs with their heads bowed while their maman circles them, checking to see if they deserve a punishment or not.
“Sirius.” Walburga coos, like she’s talking to a baby, though it’s false with hatred laying under it, like a snake waiting to pounce from under the sweetest smelling flower. “I heard some things about you over the term, care to tell me why I’ve heard that you’re dating a boy.” She says, sickly sweet, but the hatred is seeping in faster than Regulus has ever heard in her voice.
Fuck, Regulus has to get them help because this is going to get ugly so fast.
Fuck.
But what can he do? It’s not like he can possibly take the fall. She’d never let him do that for something like this. Maybe if they’d broken a vase or something when they were kids but this is much more high stake than that so he - like he did back then - stays silent.
“Though, he’s not only a boy, is he Sirius?” She asks, walking closer to her oldest son, grabbing his face harshly.
“Regulus, watch this, you need to learn you can’t make the same mistakes as Sirius.” She orders and Regulus looks up to see his maman hold Sirius’ face in her right hand, her nails digging into their skin, fear in their silver eyes.
“Why don’t you share with us what makes this boy… special.” She hisses, letting the spit fly into their face.
“He- he-”
“He- he-” She mocks with a vile laugh.
“He’s a fucking used up, deseased monster! Isn’t he, Sirius?” She laughs, her eyes glinting with satisfaction when she sees the anger enter Sirius’ eyes at her words. “Your boyfriend told the whole school he has aids, didn’t he?” She coos. “Now think about the consequences, think about what it says about our family’s morals if our heir is going around kissing it?” She shouts, shoving them to all fours at her feet. “Do you understand all the work I’m going to have to do to fix this, Sirius?” She asks.
She sends her boot straight into his face, landing with a horrendous crack accompanied by Sirius’ loud cry of pain.
Blood starts to go everywhere. The hand Sirius holds to their face to try and stop the blood rushing as fast as it is is doing nothing other than getting coated in it, blood pouring between the barely there gaps in between their fingers.
“Pathetic.” She spits, pulling a steak knife from the table next to them. It’s still covered in the dinner they had a few hours before as she crouches down to the floor in front of Sirius.
“I’m- I’m s- sorry Maman.” They sob as she pushes them onto their back and hovers over them while using her elbows to hold her up. The sound of blade piercing skin fills the room.
It feels like it never stops. Regulus can see the blood starting to accumulate in a pool around the two. It sinks into the carpet.
Kreacher will hate having to clean that up. Regulus thinks hysterically. Regulus will help the butler, he doesn’t want him to ever see his maman’s wrath after what he’s seeing.
Sirius is still begging for mercy but it’s getting more and more messed up and it’s starting to make no sense at all. They’re sobbing too heavily to be understood and Regulus can see the blood from their nose seeping into their mouth, getting caught up in there. They keep swallowing it so they don’t choke, strings of red slipping down their throat.
Finally, she stands and Regulus sees the rest of Sirius’ body.
Their clothes have been partly ripped from their body to make room for hundreds of little cuts all over them. They’re soaked head to toe in blood and Regulus feels sick.
“Goodnight my children.” Maman smiles with such sick satisfaction that Regulus is surprised he can keep the rising bile in his throat under her gaze.
“You’re such a good boy.” She coos, patting Regulus’ cheek, almost cementing the fact that all this had been done, not to punish Sirius but as a warning to Regulus.
She’s going to let his big brother die.
They can’t die here. They need to know what a real home feels like. They need to be smothered with love by someone they can call a mother and father. They need to find love in a place far away from the joyless halls of 12 Grimmauld Place.
She leaves the room and Regulus knows this is a test. Will he stay loyal to his maman and let Sirius die on the floor of the very place they always dreamed to run from or will he betray his family to ensure they survive?
Regulus reaches into Sirius’ pocket, finding their phone tucked away in there. He holds it out, pleasantly surprised it’s not covered in blood as he uses the same code Sirius has used since they’ve had a password for anything:
Regulus’ birthday.
It unlocks and he heaves a sigh of relief and finds James’ number quickly texting, not bothering to copy how Sirius would text his best friend. He doesn’t want credit for them getting out but he doesn’t want to waste time on stupid little things.
Sirius:
James, please get here as fast as you can. I’m in grave danger. If you don’t come now you are letting her kill me. She will win and I can’t die in this house. You can’t let me die in this house.
Please come quick.
Regulus pockets Sirius’ phone before he calls for Kreacher.
“Master Regulu- oh my-” He gasps, falling to his knees in front of Sirius’ stationary body.
“Make sure they don't die. Someone’s coming to save them. Please make sure they live until they get here.” Regulus orders.
The boy hates ordering Kreacher around but he can’t afford to let Sirius die because he wants to be nice to his butler. Once this is done he can apologise to Kreacher, if Regulus doesn’t order the old man around he won’t get the chance to apologise to Sirius for not doing what needs to be.
“I’ll- I’ll do what I can.” He nods, rushing to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. He starts to try and patch up Sirius’ wounds.
Regulus feels a buzz in his pocket. He opens it to see three missed calls and a text from James.
James:
we’re on our way to get you, can you hold on for an hour and a half
i know it’s a long time but paapa’s trying to speed
you know he’s scared when he speeds
the man’s always too scared to break the law
so hold on if not for me but for my paapa because he’s breaking laws to get to you
please hold on
I love you Sirius.
Regulus doesn’t know what to say so, like a crazy person, sends a picture of Sirius being patched up by Kreacher to James in an attempt to hurry him up.
Sirius:
[Opened]
Hurry up Potter. We’re trying but they may not have that long.
James:
fuck
paapa’s going faster now
i don’t know when we’ll get there but we’re trying to go faster
update me if it gets any worse
“I think this is the best I can do Master Regulus.” Kreacher calls and Regulus sees Sirius - who’s drifting in and out of consciousness. They’re covered in bandages, the occasional plaster and still, horrendous amounts of their own blood.
The plasters are the ones with little cats on them that Kreacher bought for Regulus out of his own - very empty - wallet when Regulus was 5 and refused to wear the normal plasters because he thought they were putting other people’s skin onto him. Regulus can understand now that that's not a normal thought for a 5 year old to have but can you blame him when this is how he grew up?
“Thank you Kreacher. I will bring them outside to be picked up.” Regulus says, noticing how robotic his voice sounds and he hates it.
“I hope they’re ok.” Kreacher smiles, the very same man who hates Sirius’ guts for speaking out. The very same man who’s never loved Sirius like he ever loved Regulus.
God, Regulus hopes Sirius is ok.
Regulus carries - with a bit of difficulty - his brother out of the house, bridal style. He goes out of the gates surrounding the cement and brick hell hole his family has made for itself.
Regulus sits against the wall blocking the house from the rest of the world, laying Sirius’ head on his lap. Regulus watches as the cars zoom past the boys without a care in the world.
If only they knew what was going on in the large house just a few feet away from them.
Regulus sings that lullabye Sirius used to always sing to him when he’d have a nightmare about Maman when they were younger as he strokes their hair like they always used to do for him.
“Reg… come with me.” Sirius rasps, their eyes full of pain are locked onto Regulus’ with a begging look in them, Regulus didn’t even notice they were awake until now.
“I can’t.” Regulus whispers. “I love you, be happy for me because everything I’m going to do now will be so you can be happy. So enjoy it.” He whispers into their hair.
A while later Regulus sees a beat up silver mercedes zoom towards the house and he smiles fondly.
“You’ll be ok Sirius.” He whispers, pressing a kiss to their forehead before laying them - as gently as he can - onto the pavement for the Potters to find, placing their phone next to them before leaving back into the house.
“Oh Sirius!” A voice gasps from behind him. “Oh darling, let's go.” They coo and soon there’s the sound of car doors closing and the engine starts.
They won’t die in the suffocating halls of Grimmauld Place. They never have to come back and be the heir, and force kids into the life they feel miserable in themselves. Regulus feels joy but it’s all squashed by the thought that Regulus will have to have those things.
But at least it’s not Sirius.
When he steps into the house again his maman is standing there, a look he doesn’t understand on her face.
“You are the family’s heir now, my son.” She smiles but it looks… sad?
Isn’t this what she wanted? So why is she sad? Regulus is the one who just had to give away the person he’s always loved more than anything else in the world and she’s sad?
“You must not associate with those friends you have. They are not pure like our family. They do not deserve to share the same air as the Black heir.” She says simply. “If I hear you’re spending time with them I will kill them all and I’ll make you watch.” She spits. “Heirs cannot afford to make mistakes, take tonight as a warning.”
“Toujours pur, Regulus.” She reminds him before turning on her heel towards her room.
Not only does Regulus have to give up his brother but everyone else he loves too? Regulus fears that him drowning to death in the darkness of Grimmauld Place will come sooner in his life than he expected. He might not even make it to 18.
But at least Sirius will.