The sky was a shade of dusty orange one night in the middle of July. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” James smiled, looking over at Regulus who was next to him on the rooftop. “Yeah, it's great. I love spending time with you.”
It was the summer before Regulus’s final year at Hogwarts and the summer after James’s last. James reached out for Reg’s hand, but he flinched away, checking his watch. “I really need to get home now; mother will be back soon,” Regulus mumbled sadly.
James frowned. “You know you don’t have to keep going back,” James reminded him. Regulus sighed. “What do you mean, of course, I have to. I’m out of Hogwarts now,” James shrugged. “Yeah…” Reg responded, unsure where this was going.
“If we wanted, I could go get us a flat within the hour. You could leave and never go back! We could run away,” James grinned as he searched Regulus’s face for a sign he wanted to.
A smile flickered onto Reg’s face for a second then vanished. “Jamie, I love you and would love to run away with you,” he started before taking a deep breath.
“But I can’t.”
There was silence. James frowned. “Why… why do you keep going back?” James asked. “You sneak out every few hours to be with me. You’re going to go back there tonight, then when your mum falls asleep, you’re going to run off to my place but leave before the sun rises. You’re with me more than you are at your parents' house. Why do you go back?”
Reg froze as he was struck with the fact he didn’t have an answer. “I… Uh… I don’t know,” he confessed. James turned and took Regulus’s hands into his own. “Then leave with me, Reggie,” he asked.
“Jamie, I ca–“ Reg started. “You hate it there, you're miserable. I hate seeing you like that,” James pleaded.
It was true, back there Regulus hated everything: his mum, his room, his life, himself. It was all dreadful, it felt like being crushed in a cold dark void.
But with James, things were different, things were better and happier and brighter. Regulus fought with his inner self, ‘why do I keep going back?!?’
“If you want to keep going back, I won’t stop you, but I know you, Regulus,” James said. They sat in silence for a few moments before James stood up. “Good night, love,” he said softly as he kissed Regulus’s hair before walking away.
“Jamie, wait!” Reg called frantically when James was only a few steps away. “Yes?” James asked, trying to hide the hopefulness from his voice.
Regulus walked over to him and reached for James’s hand. “There is nothing I would love more than to run off with you,” he smiled.
James smiled back. “I know it will be scary, but I'm here for you,” James assured Regulus. “I know you are, love,” Regulus chuckled, pulling James closer for a kiss.
After they finished, Regulus looked around at the sky. “Now what did you say about getting an apartment? As much as I love you, I don’t think I love you enough to sleep in the streets,” Regulus said.
James chuckled. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to sleep in the streets. I’ve been looking at one for a while, and they have been waiting for me to put in my offer. We can go and put my offer in, then I will write mum to say I moved out, alright,” James explained. Regulus smiled. “Perfect.”
They climbed off the roof before Apparating to the apartment building, and before Regulus knew it, he was walking into an empty apartment with big windows and no furniture. “Well, what do you think?” James grinned as he flung the keys around on his finger.
Regulus ran up and hugged James. “It’s perfect,” he grinned. “We will have to get furniture, but other than that, it's perfect,” James laughed.
“As long as you’re with me, it will be perfect,” Regulus said. James kissed him in their new apartment. It was a new beginning for both of them. Regulus felt truly happy for the first time in his life.