Their Sunshine

Regulus sat on the couch, an arm wrapped protectively around Lily as she leaned into him. The flickering TV in front of them went unnoticed; neither of them had paid attention to whatever was playing. How could they, when the third part of their soul, their missing piece, was out there, and they hadn’t heard a word from him? The silence between them was thick, a tension born of too many hours spent waiting for James to come home.

“He did say it would take the whole day…” Lily muttered, more to herself than to Regulus.

“You’re right,” Regulus sighed, though it did little to soothe his own anxieties. He tried to remind himself of James’ words earlier that morning. James had kissed them both, a mischievous grin on his lips, before heading out on another mission. He had reassured them, promised that it was simple—a routine intercept. Nothing to worry about, he’d be back before they knew it.

But the problem was, Regulus and Lily always worried. It didn’t matter how many times James went on missions or how easy he claimed they were. The fact that James was an Auror, constantly putting himself in danger, was something neither of them had ever grown accustomed to. As the clock inched toward midnight, the anxiety in Regulus’ chest grew heavier.

He glanced at Lily, watching the way her eyelids drooped, the exhaustion from her long day at St. Mungo’s pulling her toward sleep. But he knew she wouldn’t allow herself that peace, not until James was safely home.

“Lily, love, you can sleep. I’ll keep watch and wake you when he’s home,” Regulus said softly, running his fingers gently through her hair.

Lily blinked slowly, her weariness clear, but she shook her head. “Wake me up the moment he’s back,” she whispered, before finally letting herself drift off in Regulus’ arms. He held her a little tighter, as if holding her close could somehow keep his own fear at bay.

But it didn’t. Every tick of the clock felt like a countdown to something he couldn’t name, a mounting dread that he couldn’t shake.

And then, at 1 a.m., his world shattered.

James’ Patronus, the familiar stag, burst into the room, the silvery figure illuminated by the dim light of the living room. Regulus shot up, jostling Lily awake with a sharp, “Lily, wake up!”

Lily was on her feet in an instant, and together they faced the Patronus, dread pooling in their stomachs. The stag spoke in James’ voice, but it was weak, almost broken. “Help.” Then an address.

Fear like nothing Regulus had ever felt before ripped through him. He barely registered Lily grabbing the medical bag off the mantelpiece. The next thing he knew, they were both apparating into a forest, the darkness swallowing them whole.

The stillness of the forest was suffocating, and then they saw him. James, their James, lay crumpled beside a tree, blood pooling beneath him. Regulus’ breath hitched painfully in his chest. His worst nightmares had never been this vivid, this real.

“Oh my God…” Lily’s voice broke beside him, but Regulus didn’t have time to process the panic coursing through him. His hands were shaking as he dropped to his knees beside James’ body, turning him over, desperate to see his face, to know he was still there.

James was pale—so, so pale—and his body was littered with bruises. A deep gash ran from his belly to his chest, and the blood… there was so much blood. His lips were cracked, a nasty bruise already forming on his cheek, and for a terrifying moment, Regulus feared the worst.

“Jamie…” Regulus’ voice cracked, but he shoved the panic down. He couldn’t afford to lose it. Not now. Not when James needed him.

Lily was beside him, already moving with the quick, efficient precision of a Healer, though the fear in her eyes betrayed her. Her hands were trembling as she worked to staunch the bleeding, and Regulus fumbled with the medical bag, pulling out a potion and forcing it into James’ mouth.

He couldn’t think about the what-ifs—the possibility that they were too late. He almost thought that the last time this happened. When Lily and Regulus started keeping a medical kit for James, full of medical supplies and potions, because James had once apparated into their living room barely alive. The two of them had to scramble to find the right supplies to keep their love stable. It was then and there that Regulus and Lily vowed always to be prepared.

And once again, Regulus’s nightmare has become true. He shook his head, cursing at his thoughts. He had to focus on keeping James alive.

“He can’t stay here,” Lily said, her voice tight with controlled panic. “We need to get him to St. Mungo’s. Hold him, Regulus.”

Regulus didn’t hesitate. He cradled James’ body in his arms, pulling him close to his chest as though he could protect him from everything that had already happened. And with a sharp crack, they apparated straight into the bustling chaos of the hospital.

The moment they appeared, the floor erupted into shouts and panic, healers rushing toward them. Lily snapped into Healer mode, barking orders at her colleagues. Regulus, still holding James close, pressed a desperate kiss to his forehead, his heart breaking with every second that passed.

“Jamie,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t you dare do this to me. Don’t let today be the last time I see your eyes open.”

He laid James down on the bed as the healers swept him away in a flurry of activity, disappearing behind closed doors. And for the first time since they had received the Patronus, Regulus felt the crushing weight of helplessness settle over him. He turned to Lily, who was shaking, her face wet with tears she hadn’t realised had fallen.

“He’ll come back to us,” Regulus murmured, though he wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. The truth was, the thought of life without James—their Sunshine—was a cold, unbearable void he couldn’t even fathom.

He thought back about the morning they had. Lily and James had made pancakes. The two had bickered about whether it was appropriate to put whip cream on breakfast pancakes. Of course, it was James who wanted them and Lily was rattling on about how it was unhealthy. Regulus had watched the two of them, his beautiful lovers, smiling while sipping his coffee. In the end, James won out, a silly, triumphant smile on his face as he dipped strawberries into the whip cream pile on his plate. Lily had scoffed, but by the end of breakfast, both Regulus and Lily had small cream dollops on their plates too. He had then kissed them both goodbye, as they all left for work.

If Regulus knew what would happen at the end of the day, he would have not let them both leave his sight.

He pulled Lily into his arms, kissing the top of her head. They had to hold onto hope. They had to believe their Sunshine would wake up, with that stupid grin of his, ready to pull them into his arms like always. Because without James, they knew their world would never be warm again.