Chapter 2
Regulus wakes in an unfamiliar room, unable to feel his wounds with the walls bright white. His initial thought is that he’s dead, his father killed him and this is the afterlife. It doesn’t bother him as much as it should have, but then he sits up properly and takes in the entire room. There’s a chair in the corner, a deep red armchair that a familiar figure curls up into.
“Sirius?” The other boy jolts up, falling out of the chair as he tries to look around, his view obstructed by the long black hair covering his face. Regulus watches him cautiously, not trusting the situation, wary that this is some cruel trick his fathers playing on him.
“Reg, are you feeling okay?” Regulus nods once, regretting that as soon as Sirius launches himself onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his little brother like he’s trying to keep him there.
“Tell me something our parents wouldn’t know,” Regulus demands, not pushing Sirius off of him but remaining rigid and prepared for this to all fade away. Sirius sighs, knowing all too well why Regulus is asking and hating it completely.
“On your fifth birthday, father was away and mother went to her sister’s, I got Kreacher to make you a cupcake for the first time and we made a fort under my bed, starting the tradition.”
“You remember that?”
“I was thinking about it a lot yesterday,”
“Why?” Regulus asks, rather stupidly but wanting to hear the reassurance that his brother did in fact remember his birthday.
“It was your birthday?”
“I didn’t think you cared anymore,”
“Didn’t you get my letter?” Sirius asks, pulling away from the hug to sit on the bed, watching Regulus with tears in his eyes, a mixture of relief and devastation mixing into the familiar grey iris’
“I waited for one but none came,” Regulus can feel himself crying as well, his head tilted to look at his hands resting in his lap.
“I sent one, I’m sorry it didn’t make it,”
“Where are we?” Regulus changes the subject, focusing his attention on the door to the room, there are no windows and Regulus isn’t sure where he made it to last night
“The Potters, don’t you remember?”
Regulus shakes his head, suddenly very embarrassed, this is not how he wanted to meet Euphemia and Fleamont, the people who took Sirius in and raised him as their own as well as parenting the boy who stole his heart. Sirius nods, wiping away tears as he watches his little brother like he can’t believe he’s really here.
“It was bad,” He laughs slightly, not sure how to explain it, “When you stopped calling for me I thought you were dead,”
“Don’t fucking laugh at that,” Regulus reaches out to smack Sirius lightly, before realising that this is the hand that was in unbearable pain last night. “Did you heal me?”
“Uh, no that was Effie, you weren’t very happy about that, fought her a lot,” Sirius rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly hiding something.
“What did I do?” Regulus’ voice comes out as a horrified whisper, his face falling and a sick feeling rising in his stomach. Sirius rushes to reassure him, a spluttering mess as he takes in the expression on Regulus’ face.
“It wasn’t anything bad you just didn’t really understand that she was trying to help, you screamed at her a lot,”
“What else, I can tell you’re not telling me something,”
“You pleaded with her a lot as well, begging her not to hurt you,” Regulus groans, burying his face in his hands to cover the embarrassed flush crossing his face.
“That’s so embarrassing why would you let me do that,” Sirius laughs, edging closer to him and pulling his hands away from his face.
“Believe me I tried to stop you, I was reassuring you the whole time but it was like you couldn’t hear me,”
“I couldn’t, my head hit the ground then he exploded the fucking fireplace when I dodged a curse, my head was ringing.” Regulus shrugs as if this is normal, ignoring the way Sirius’ jaw has dropped at how casually he’s talking about this, “You should’ve stunned me,”
“I think I should get Effie to check you over again,”
“What’s wrong with you, you can’t just go get her are you insane?” Regulus grabs onto his brother, stopping him from leaving.
“She told me to get her when you were up, it’s fine Reggie,” Sirius gently removes his brother's hands from where they were clenched into his shirt and walks to the door, “She’s nice, I promise,”
Sirius leaves and Regulus immediately panics. It was weird enough not being sure where he was, how he got here and what had actually happened upon his arrival, he did not need to be left alone. He tries to stand, looking to leave before something bad can happen, but he doesn’t even make it two steps before his body gives up on him and he has to clutch onto the side of the bed to steady himself.
He doesn’t even know what’s happening to Sirius right now, he said it was fine but Regulus can’t trust that, his brother could be in danger right now and he can’t help him. He’s stuck being that helpless little kid he’s always been, forced to stay back and out of the way.
He pushes himself away from the bed, leaning heavily onto the wall as he tries to make his way to the door. It’s slow and agonising with him only making it halfway across the room before his brother returns with a woman Regulus has only seen from afar before.
“Woah, what’re you doing,” Sirius rushes over, looping one of his arms around Regulus’ waist and helping him back to the bed.
“Mrs Potter,” Regulus starts with a tense nod, trying to subtly look around the room for his wand, they must have taken it from him last night, “My apologies for showing up like this, and for my behaviour last night”
“Nonsense,” Euphemia tuts, keeping a safe distance so as to not scare him, but still trying to look over him and assess for damage, “You have no need to apologise, and I must insist you call me Effie,”
“Your wand is in my room, Reg, I’ll give it back to you in a bit,”
“Ah, yes sorry I had to take your wand last night, we were afraid you might accidentally harm yourself,”
Regulus nods, sensing that that was not the only issue they worried about last night. He hates it, not being able to remember, not knowing what he’s said or done since his arrival. He is not in control of their perceptions of him, and that is terrifying.
“Would you like a calming draught before I start examining you?”
“No, thank you,” Regulus scrubs his hands over his face, and panics when he can’t feel the cooling silver of his ring.
“Where’s my ring?” He asks, trying to keep his voice level, staring at his hand.
“Uh, I took it off, why?”
“Give it back,” Sirius snorts, watching Regulus with a raised eyebrow, clearly not sensing the panic Regulus feels. He hasn’t had the ring for long, but he could use that feeling of connection to his friends as he acclimates to this unfamiliar place.
“Why would you want it, you’ve been disowned,”
“It’s mine, Sirius, I want it back,”
“No, fuck off, Orion nearly killed you and you still want to wear his little symbol?” Sirius snarks, his temper rising as he looks down at Regulus
“It’s our symbol too, even if you hate it, it doesn’t belong to them, it belongs to us, and Alphard, Narcissa and Andy too,” He could just explain the significance of this ring to him, but he does feel hurt at the constant need his brother has to deny any and all relation to him, and the other family members that are actually good to them.
Sirius shrugs, finally not countering with an argument about how his ‘loyalty’ to the family is disgusting. Maybe he is finally starting to understand Regulus’ point.
“The ring is with your wand, you can have it back later if you really want,”
“I want it now, Sirius, it’s important to me,” This angers Sirius again, and he has to take in a deep breath and pinch the top of his nose before responding.
“Well, I don’t want to see you wearing it right now,”
“You can’t just take my stuff and keep it because of what you want,”
“Go get it yourself then,” Sirius counters, ignoring the glare Regulus sends him.
“It’s not my signet ring,” Regulus mutters, looking down at his hands. He hadn’t wanted to say, paranoid that Euphemia may try to take it as a punishment.
“Regulus, dear, are you feeling okay,” She interjects, a concerned look taking over the fond one that had been sent their way as they bickered because this was a safe place to do so. “You may be recalling incorrectly, I don’t want to upset you, but you only had your signet ring last night,”
“No I know, that’s what you were supposed to see,” This doesn’t clear anything up, the two of them look at Regulus like he’s speaking in riddles.
“My friends gave it to me, for my birthday, it looks like my signet ring to everyone but us,” Regulus doesn’t admit that he has the power to allow them to see his gift as well, wanting to keep it between his friends for now.
“Ah, well that’s lovely, I’ll go get it for you,” Euphemia offers with a smile, “You two behave, I won’t be long,”
She leaves, and Sirius stares after her, an awkward silence settling over the room as they’re left alone.
“Come on Reg, take the calming draught, it’s fine, I felt the same when I first came here but it’s totally okay,” Sirius changes the topic after a split-second too long of silence.
“I said no.” Regulus grits out, glaring at his brother as he fights the urge to scream.
“Just take it, Merlin why do you have to be so stubborn,”
“Oh fuck off Sirius, you couldn’t even pretend to care for 10 minutes could you,”
“I do care, Reggie, that’s the fucking problem,” Sirius raises his voice, and Regulus sends a panicked warning look at him, Euphemia is still nearby and that means consequences, “You nearly died, twice,”
“So? I wasn’t even here then” Regulus retorts petulantly, he doesn’t really see the big deal, he nearly died, he should’ve died, he’s alive what does any of it matter?
“So? So?” Sirius shouts, pacing alongside the bed with his hands in his hair. “And what do you mean you weren’t even here, I held you in my fucking arms as you nearly bled out on the Potter’s front lawn,”
Sirius frowns as he blinks away tears as if reliving last night, it just makes Regulus feel more guilty, which in turn makes him angrier.
“Well I’m sorry for being such an inconvenience again,” He hates the fact that he can’t even stand right now, too weak to do anything but sit there and cry. “Merlin, I should’ve just let father kill me at the start,”
Sirius stops moving, his hands falling to his sides as a strangled noise escapes his throat, the idea that his little brother went through more than what he saw last night paralysing him. He takes a deep breath, then turns to Regulus with a glare that has no effect due to the tears coating his cheeks.
“Don’t you ever fucking say that, don’t fucking say that,” Sirius points at him, his voice breaking as he talks between sobs. His gaze snaps to the side as the door opens and Euphemia re-enters the room, holding the ring triumphantly, her hand falling to her side as she takes in the scene. Regulus ignores her, focusing on his brother
“I only dodged that curse for you and you still can’t stand me,”
“What curse?” Regulus doesn’t respond and refuses to meet his brother’s eye. “What curse, Reg?”
“What fucking curse Regulus,” Sirius grabs his shoulder, shaking him to try and get a response. Euphemia steps forward to intervene and stop Sirius from touching Regulus but she doesn’t have a chance to before Regulus reacts.
“Our father shot the killing curse at me because he’d rather I was dead than turned out like you,” Regulus shouts, not caring about the consequences anymore, it’s not like Euphemia can do anything worse to him. “And I only came here because you’re the only place that has ever felt like home to me, but clearly that was a mistake,”
Sirius stumbles back like he’s been shocked, staring at Regulus in horror, as if the wounds that mark his skin aren’t because of their father but because of Sirius himself.
“Okay, this is not the time,” Euphemia interjects, clearly unsure of what’s best for the brothers right now, “I think you both need some time to process, Sirius please give us some space,”
Regulus doesn’t really want his brother here anymore, but he isn’t sure he’s ready to be left alone with an unfamiliar woman in an unfamiliar place. “Monty is in the garden, Sirius and please send James in here,”
Regulus tries not to make his relief too obvious at the mention of James but Euphemia gives him a knowing smile and he tries to fight the blush threatening to redden his cheeks. Sirius nods, not looking at Regulus as he leaves the room, wiping away tears.
“Regulus I want to reassure you that you are welcome here, and that is not dependent on anything but you wanting to be here,”
“I don’t want to intrude, I will be out of your hair as soon as possible,”
“My only regret is that we did not get you here sooner, please let me know what I can do to make you feel more comfortable here,”
Regulus doesn’t have time to respond because James tumbles through the doorway, his socks slipping on the hardwood floor and nearly causing him to fall. He’s in his pyjamas, red checkered trousers and a baggy white shirt and his hair is even more of a mess than it normally is. His glasses sit crooked and he still appears to be blinking himself awake when he beams at Regulus.
“Sorry, just woke up,” He yawns, keeping his eyes locked on Regulus.
“Hi,” Regulus whispers, smiling at James softly. James reaches out as if to touch Regulus, before looking between him and his mother as if to check whether it’s okay. Regulus nods lightly and that’s all James needs to surge forward and cup Regulus’ face in his hands, leaning their foreheads together.
“You had me so scared, love, I’m so glad you’re okay,” James takes in the moment, some of the tension sagging out of his shoulders as he feels the steady rise and fall of Regulus’ chest as he breathes, as he feels the warmth radiating off of Regulus, and sees the colour return to his face.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine James, Euphemia was just about to check everything’s alright,” This seems to remind him of where they are as he jerks his head back, turning to send an awkward smile at his mother despite having already acknowledged her presence in the room.
“Hi Mum,” He mumbles sheepishly, moving his hands down from Regulus’ face to grip his hands. “Sorry, did I interrupt you,”
“Afternoon James, we haven’t started yet,”
“Sirius got mad at me after I refused a Calming draught, and you know how we can get,” Regulus provides the information he could tell Euphemia was hesitant to offer without permission. James laughs lightly, not quite removing the worry from his face, and presses a light kiss to Regulus’ forehead.
“I think you should take one, but it’s entirely up to you,” Regulus shakes his head and James accepts it instantly.
“Is it okay if I start now?,” Euphemia moves across the room to a position that makes it easier for her to see Regulus fully and allows him to see exactly what she’s doing. He nods hesitantly and James goes to move, likely to get out of the way, but Regulus stops him, clutching his hand tightly. James immediately adapts, hopping up on the bed to sit next to Regulus, keeping one of his hands tightly clasped with his boyfriends and using the other to trace patterns on his leg.
Euphemia pulls out her wand, a shorter, lighter wand than the one that belongs to his father but the sight still snatches the air out of his lungs. His eyes lock on it, his ears blocking out anything that’s said to him as his head repeats a mantra of ‘run, run, run’
The Potters wait for him to talk, pausing what they’re doing despite only having made it three seconds into the process. Regulus tries not to feel embarrassed but fails, maybe this would be simpler if he was still unconscious.
“I think I need the Calming draught, sorry,” He forces out, heaving in a breath and burying his head in James’ shoulder, trying to get the sight of his father standing over him and cursing him out of his mind.
“That’s okay, I’ll go get one now, and you don’t have to look at me while I run the diagnostic spells if you don’t want to,” Regulus nods, the motion mostly obscured as he’s still trying to hide himself in James’ shoulder, but a moment later the door clicks and the two of them are alone.
“Hey, Reg?”
“Yeah,” Regulus whispers, feeling exhausted and weary despite being awake for less than an hour.
“I love you,” Regulus freezes at the confession, James has never said that to him before, and he’s terrified that he has only said it because Regulus went through something awful.
“And I’m sorry for springing this on you now, you don’t have to respond but I planned to tell you as soon as we got back to school and seeing you last night,” James sighs out shakily, clearly tearing up at the thought.
“I’m sorry,”
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault, it just-” James hooks one arm around Regulus’ shoulders, resting his head on top of his boyfriends and shifting his other hand to feel the pulse point on Regulus’ wrist “You could’ve died, you nearly did and I needed to tell you,”
“You don’t have to say that just because I nearly died,” James scoffs loudly at the response, slightly upset that Regulus thought he would do that but mostly outraged at anyone who has ever made Regulus feel like he is undeserving of love.
“I think I’ve been in love with you since the first time you insulted me,”
“The first time we met?” Regulus asks and James laughs, thinking back to the memory.
It had been the first day of James’ second year and he had been nervous and shaky, searching for his friends and realising their mistake in not setting a meeting point. He had been searching the train for what felt like hours before he spotted a familiar face through a compartment window.
He had let himself in immediately sighing in relief when he spotted Sirius. It took him a moment to notice Regulus, but when he did he smiled and introduced himself. Regulus, without offering his name, had looked between his brother and James and asked him ‘Do they not let you have a hairbrush at home?’
James had burst into laughter, settling into the seat opposite Regulus who had then proceeded to ignore their antics for the rest of the journey. James only knew his name because Sirius had already told him.
“Yeah, from the first time we met,” James presses a kiss to the top of Regulus’ head, “It just took me a while to figure it out, my mum though, she knew before I did, I could never shut up about you,”
“James,”
He hums in response, waiting for Regulus to speak when Euphemia walks back in the room, her wand nowhere to be seen, and a calming draught in hand.
“What were you gonna say,” James prompts quietly, ignoring his mother preparing the potion on the other side of the room.
“Later,” Regulus’ throat is suddenly too dry, his voice cracking as he talks. Although, maybe that’s just the tears.
Euphemia passes him the potion in a tall glass, which he analyses carefully, using his advanced skills in potions to ensure it’s the correct potion. Euphemia doesn’t notice, or she’s kind enough not to say anything and just waits for him to drink up.
When the cup is empty he coughs, his throat dry already and the potion making it worse. Without him having to ask, Euphemia pulls out her wand and fills it with water. It barely scares him this time, the potion working instantly and the comfort of having James’ wrapped around him making him feel safer.
“Okay, drink that and then I’ll run the spell,” Regulus starts to drink while she explains what will happen next.
“I am a Doctor, you will be getting the full check-up, it will take about five minutes and you’ll feel a tingling sensation all over your body, alright,” She keeps her voice calming and professional but her face, just like her sons, betrays her emotions, unable to keep them at bay.
Regulus nods, not trusting his ability to talk right now, the calming draught has helped but it was an awful reminder of being forced to drink Veritaserum last night.
The test starts with Euphemia tapping her wand against the top of Regulus’ head, and a cold, almost numbing feeling falling over his body. This lasts for about thirty seconds before it is replaced by a burning sensation, a light tickle all over his skin that makes him want to scream.
“Stop,” he mutters into James’ shoulder, his chest rising and falling too quickly as he fights for air, “Please, stop,”
“Reg, it’s okay, I promise,” James reassures, pressing a kiss to Regulus’ hair as he rubs a soothing pattern on his hand.
“No, I don’t- I need it to stop,” He heaves out the words, bile rising in his throat as his whole body shakes with panic, tears forming in his eyes,
“This is routine, Regulus, I can assure you that nothing bad is going to happen,” Euphemia tries, dropping the professionalism as pure motherly care overtakes her words and expressions.
“I know-” He chokes on a sob as his hands and face go numb with pins and needles from the panic, “Stop it,”
Regulus removes himself from James’ arms, curling in on himself on the bed as the spell stops. He feels guilty, they’ve done nothing but try to help him since he got here and he’s still thinking of Euphemia as someone that is just waiting for the chance to hurt him.
“It’s okay, you’re okay, it’s fine,” James repeats, his hand resting on Regulus’ back as he cries, his eyes pressed into his knees as he hugs them to his chest.
“I’m sorry,”
“You have nothing to apologise for,”
“Please leave me alone,” Regulus’ voice breaks, his hands sliding around the back of his neck to hold his head down as he fights for air.
“Reg,” James starts cautiously, like he doesn’t want to hurt Regulus with his words but he doesn’t know how to say it without it hurting, “We’re not leaving you,”
“I don’t want anyone near me,”
“I know love, but I can’t just leave you like this,”
“Leave me alone,” Regulus tries to command it, but he can’t stabilise his voice enough and it’s not getting anyone away from him. He appreciates their care, and he understands why no one wants to leave him alone but he needs space, he can’t stand the weight of their pity and the suffocation of their love.
“Regulus, you have to understand our concerns about leaving you on your own,” Euphemia takes over trying to explain, still tip-toeing around the point.
“I know,” Regulus croaks, looking up at her with red-rimmed eyes and a look of pure devastation etched into his features. Euphemia wants to bundle him up in her arms, engulf him in all the warmth and love he deserves, she wants to return the pain his biological parents made him feel tenfold, not even caring if that makes her a bad person, she would burn the world for her sons. “But I’ll be okay,”
Euphemia wants to believe him, wants with every part of her heart and soul that he will be okay, that this will all be something he can recover from, wishes she could go back in time and sweep him away before he first smiled up at a cold, unresponsive face.
“You will be,” Euphemia nods, trying her hardest to smile at him, but her lip wobbles and she knows he can see the tears in her eyes, “But you aren’t right now, and that’s okay,”
“If you give me my wand, I’ll call if I need help, I promise,” Regulus tries to bargain, desperate for some space, for a moment to process on his own even though he knows that he’s falling apart enough with support and the lack of it will only make things worse.
“You’re doing it again love,” James whispers, his body turned to be as close to Regulus as he can, his hands fiddling in his lap as he fights the urge to reach out for Regulus, “You never want to let people help,”
“I don’t need help,”
“James, can you give us a moment,” Euphemia asks, and James sends her a shocked look, genuinely confused by the request, “Please,”
James looks at Regulus with a frown, clearly concerned about leaving him, but Regulus nods gently, reaching out for one of James’ hands and squeezing it reassuringly, “It’s okay,”
“Don’t disappear, let us help,” James almost begs as he gets up to leave, slightly scared that this is the last time he’ll see Regulus for a while. It’s irrational, but he had been terrified out of his mind when Regulus had shown up like that.
“Regulus, I want you to know that you are safe here, for you to feel safe and cared for because you are,” Euhpemia drags the chair over from the corner of the room, sitting directly in front of him, reaching out as if she wants to grab his hands before deciding against it and lowering them into her lap.
“And it’s not that we don’t trust you,” he doesn’t meet her eye, feeling an overwhelming sense of despair, he can tell what she wants to say, what she’s tiptoeing around afraid it will break him to hear,
“But?” He prompts, scrubbing his hands over his face, ignoring the shooting pain it sends up his arm. Euphemia breathes out slowly, her voice cracking as she speaks, watching Regulus with so much care that it winds him.
“But I am frightened,”
“Of me?”
“No, never,” She steps forward and Regulus looks up at her. She reaches for his hands again but hesitates once more not wanting to intrude into his personal space. Regulus extends his uninjured hand, an offer that she accepts instantly. “I’m frightened for you,”
Regulus nods dully, Euphemia’s grip on his hand the only thing grounding him as he gets lost in his own head. She cries quietly for a moment, watching the mixture of emotions that flit over his face as he tries to make sense of the last 24 hours.
“Oh,” He means to say more than that, but the sentences never form, getting lost in the jumbled abyss of his mind.
“I think it would be best if we get you set up with a mind healer as soon as possible,”
“No, thank you but I can’t,” Regulus panics at even the mere idea of having to recall and detail every moment of the mistreatment at the hands of his parents.
“You are obviously more than welcome to talk to anyone here, and we can get your friends to visit, but you have been through a terrible ordeal, much more than any child should have to go through and it is too much for you to carry on your own,”
Regulus opens his mouth to respond but instead lurches to the side, spewing bile all over the tiled floor of the medical room. It burns his throat and makes his stomach groan in agony, he doesn’t have anything to throw up but his body still retches and suffocates him in an attempt to expel anything.
Euphemia rubs comforting circles on his back as he tightens his grip on her hand, his body shaking from the effort it takes to try and stay conscious with the aftereffects of everything still taking their toll. He sobs again as this ends, feeling drained beyond what he believes to be possible from doing nothing but sitting there.
He can hear Euphemia talking to someone, unable to make out what either of them are saying due to the numbness he feels all over and the ringing in his ears that makes them a muffled, distant noise.
“You’re okay,” Euphemia repeats over and over, her voice strained but calm in a way that’s typical of healers as she vanishes the mess without a word about how he’s ruined everything.
All Regulus wants is to sleep, so he doesn’t have to think about any of this anymore, so he can disappear into his dreams and try to find something, anything that lets him feel love and experience happiness without the overwhelming feeling of guilt and despair that comes with it.
Maybe he really wishes he never had to wake up.
The door creaks open, and another figure backs into the room with a tray clutched tightly as they hum a small tune. Steam tendrils drift off of a bowl in the centre of the tray, a smell that makes Regulus’ stomach growl filling his nostrils as the tray gets placed on the small table attached to the end of the bed.
“Thank you,” Euphemia nods as the man comes over to kiss her on the forehead, turning to look at Regulus with that same concerned, caring glance that makes his skin crawl. He almost wants Barty here, just because he knows that Barty would hide concern between snarky comments and a front that everything is normal.
“Hello Regulus, I won’t intrude too much,” The man smiles, looking exactly like James just older, and Regulus can guess who he is before he finishes his introductions, “I’m Fleamont, most people use nicknames so call me whatever you’d like.”
Regulus nods gently to acknowledge him, not wanting to be disrespectful while they allow him to seek refuge in their home but too nauseous and light-headed to try and talk. Fleamont smiles at him softly, clearly not expecting a result and leaves the room quietly after giving Euphemia’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.
“I think I would like to get some rest now,” Regulus whispers after a prolonged silence, not daring to look up in case Euphemia reacts badly.
“Okay, someone will stay in here with you but it’s up to you who,”
“I’ll be fine on my own, thank you, I don’t want to intrude,” Regulus flops onto his side, good arm wrapped around his ribs as he tries to ease his pain and make himself comfortable. Euphemia tuts at his continued resistance to support, and Regulus assumes she is going to leave him when she stands.
Instead, she grabs the edge of the fluffy duvet, draping it over Regulus’ shivering form in a movement that confuses him greatly. He isn’t sure why she feels the need to do that, maybe she feels he is too weak to do it himself?
“Try to get some rest darling,” She measures his temperature with the back of her hand, humming thoughtfully before flipping her hand and brushing his hair back comfortingly, “I’ll be right over here, you’re safe now,”
That’s all Regulus needs to hear to close his eyes and let the darkness wash over him.