Chapter 2
Annie thought things were going smoothly with school. Apart from that one bitch of a teacher, Regulus hadn't gotten into any trouble, and he didn’t seem to have any struggles with his homework.
She seemed to be wrong.
It was a pretty normal Wednesday, Regulus had been at school for nearly two weeks now, and he was supposed to be back home at three.
Annie had tried not to be too strict, she was sure Regulus had had enough of that already, but there had to be some rules. They weren’t the fucking Gilmore Girls.
Rule number one was no smoking, drinking or doing drugs.
Rule number two was no unsafe sex. (Regulus had made a hilarious squawk when Annie said that, eyes wide and cheeks tomato-red.)
And rule number three was always telling her where he was. She didn’t care if he went to parties or boy’s houses or fuck knows what, but she did care that he was safe.
So that one faithfull Wednesday afternoon, when Regulus was more than an hour late, she was freaking the fuck out.
She calls him about 30 times, paces around nervously. She’s called the school as well, but they said he’d already left.
Annie was already contemplating calling the fucking police, when she decided to try Regulus one last time.
Finally, instead of the robotic voice telling her to leave a voicemail, she hears a click and then his voice. Annie nearly fucking passes out from relief right then and there.
“What the fuck are you playing at Reg!? There’s a massive storm outside and you, mister, were supposed to be back an hour ago! Reg, I told you, you can do whatever you want, as long as you tell me. Get home, now.”
She doesn’t care if she sounded mad. She is mad, and worried as fuck.
Annie fumes as she paces somemore. This isn’t normal. Regulus can be clueless, sure, but he’s not reckless. And Regulus is very punctual.
She just doesn’t get what on earth he could be doing.
When she hears people on the porch, Annie storms towards the door and she frowns when she sees not one but two blurry people through the stained glass.
They’re talking, but Annie can’t hear about what, and with an air of grumpy-mama-bear-energy, she pulls the door open.
She freezes when she sees Regulus, soaked, standing next to none other than James Potter. No wonder he was late.
But then she sees Regulus’ bloody terrified face.
“Oh- no, hon, it’s okay-” She steps forward but Regulus steps back, trembling.
Fuck.
Annie watches as he gets lost in his head, his breathing all over the place and tears streaming down his face.
Annie steps closer, reaching out, but she knows better than to touch him right now.
“Regulus,” she whispers, almost desperately.
He avoids her gaze, sniffling.
“Reg, look at me. I will never hurt you. Ever. I swear on my own fucking grave, alright? I’m sorry I yelled. I’m so sorry. But I was worried, Reg, okay? Sometimes people yell and get mad because they’re scared. That’s what that was. I am not angry with you. You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? Nothing you could do would ever make me hurt you. Nothing.”
He inches forward slightly and Annie pulls him into her chest.
He mumbles an apology into her chest, fisting the back of her shirt.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.” She carefully wipes Regulus’ tears from his cheeks, smiling. “Now get your little ass inside, both of you, you’re going to catch the worst colds of your lives. And don’t worry, James, I’ll let Effie know you’ll be staying the night. No way am I letting you walk all the way back in this rain.”
Regulus whips his head around to James, and the two stare at each other for a second before coming inside.
She goes to get the extra mattress from the attic, laying it on the floor of Regulus' room.
When she calls Effie, her friend is already beside herself.
“Please tell me you know where James is,” she says, distressed.
Annie laughs softly, “Yes, Mia, he’s with me and my- and Regulus.”
“He’s… with Regulus?”
“Mhm,” Annie smirks. “They showed up an hour late, both soaked. Seem to be getting along though.”
“Like- like friends?”
“Honestly? More.”
Effie’s quiet for a minute, then: “Oh, thank fuck.”
Annie lets out a surprised laugh. “Did Euphemia Potter just swear?”
“My fifteen year old son hasn’t had a single friend since the giant floating soap bubble that was a ballet dancer he made up in his head as a toddler, yes, I’m fucking swearing.”
“You slag.”
Effie laughs, “They’re really getting along?”
“Yes, I swear. Regulus is being all… soft with him. It’s kind of cute, actually. And James, for once in his life, is actually sitting still.”
“This is a fucking miracle, Annie, you need to take picture.”
“You’re such a stalker, Mia.”
“Damn right.”
“Alright, lady, calm down. I’m going to go spy on the love birds, I’ll keep you posted.”
“Wait, so James is staying with you tonight?”
“Do you want him to walk back in this weather?”
“No, ‘course not. Just making sure.”
“Mhm, you’re just jealous.”
“Sure, love. Have fun.”
“Oh, I will. Bye.”
“Bye-”
Annie hangs up and sneaks down the hallway, pressing her ear to Regulus’ door.
She can hear them talking softly, but not about what.
During dinner, she pretends not to notice Regulus gave James his sleeping shirt, and smirks to herself whenever the boys blush.
Afterwards, she tries to spy on them again, and this time she catches snippets of their conversation. Something about James asking Regulus about his name and Regulus telling him the star is in space even though James meant in which constellation. Annie has to leave after that, her hysterical laughter threatening to spill out of her and expose her.
The next morning, she calls for them to get up and hears them stumbling around and mumbling sleepily. When they come out, their hair is all messy and ruffled.
“Good morning, boys,” she asks, “Sleep well?”
They both only murmur and sit down. She smiles to herself and gets up to kiss Regulus' hair, walking over to the stove.
“Well, good thing I’ve made pancakes for you two.”
She starts placing the pancakes on their plates when Regulus mumbles, “I’ve never had pancakes.”
Annie is about to make an appalled noise, when James screeches, “What!? How?”
“Dunne,” Regulus answers, and Annie’s chest clenches painfully.
But as they eat, Regulus and James’ chairs closer than necessary, their sides pressed together, Regulus looks happy, really, properly happy, and he grins at her with his little toothy smile.
Annie smiles to herself.
Maybe Regulus isn’t okay yet, but he’s getting there.
It’s a marathon, right?