Secrets

Soo before we start as always:

Italics means they are reading or writing something,

Bold is Voldemort

and Bold italics means spells or who’s pov it is

Soo enjoyy!

!!Aaand mentoning de@d and k*lling so if not comfortable, please skip this chapter!!

James' pov

October 31st, 1981

"Take Harry and go upstairs,"

James said hurriedly, his gaze swiftly lifted to the door, alarmed by the aggressive knocking that reverberated through the room.

"What's going on?"

Lily said, interrupting the game as she halted its progress, her attention entirely redirected toward their precious little bundle of joy, baby Harry.

"I think it's him,"

James uttered with a hint of contemplation, his voice carrying a subtle mix of fear and hesitation.

"James, no-"

Lily spoke with a chilling tone, almost whispering to the love of her life.

"Go. I'll answer the door."

James lifted himself up and got to the door, wand forgotten on the side table.

"James, please don't-"

Lily quickly rose, reaching for her wand alongside Harry.

"I love you. Now go,"

James spoke, interrupted by another round of knocking at the door.

"I love you too,"

Lily answered swiftly, heading towards the hallway that led to the stairs.

"I know why you're here,"

James spoke as he smoothly reached for the door handle, effortlessly swinging it open in one fluid motion.

"We don't have much time."

A familiar voice reached James as a small figure entered, closing the door behind them.

"Wait- Regulus? I thought- I thought you were dead? You- you're not Voldemort."

James uttered in shock as he recognized who it was.

"No shit, Sherlock, but I will be in a second if we don't get moving."

Regulus sounded both worried and angry as he caught his breath, likely sprinting just moments before.

"What are you talking about?"

James was genuinely worried now, not only about Voldemort but also about Regulus and the potential consequences if Voldemort were to capture him.

"He's coming, Jamie. And he's going to kill your son."

Regulus grabbed James's arm, a wild horror crossing his pretty face.

"I- I know, but what are you doing here?"

James looked down at shaking Regulus, not believing his eyes as something shifted inside him when Regulus said his old nickname. It was like a soft blanket was laid on James' head, wrapping him into a warm hug. He looked down at shaking Regulus. Oh, how pretty that face was, and how pretty Regulus would be doi-

"I'm here to stop him."

Regulus let go of James's arm. That moment was now just a memory inside James' heart.

"How? Not even Dumbledore can defeat him."

James gazed down to meet Regulus' eyes, those deep gray seas of knowledge. Unlike his brother, Sirius, Regulus' eyes were unforgettable; once you saw them, they would leave an imprint on your mind. James was secretly happy about that fact. He looked down for what felt like hours until Regulus spoke again, now a little more faith in his voice.

"Just trust me."

Regulus gazed back at him, then back at the door, like they could be interrupted by someone that James couldn't imagine right now.

"I will always trust you."

"Jamie-"

Regulus leaned to James like he was going to hug him, but loud knocking separated them. James was now so angry, knowing that their possible end would be standing outside that wooden door and ruin his reunion.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"It's him. Get back,"

Regulus said, showing James to his back and opening the front door just like James did moments ago. James didn't catch that when he was staring at Regulus' beautiful shiny, curly, black hair, that had been washed recently, and for just a small moment, he could smell the sea in his hair, that reminded him-

"Hand me your son, and you will live."

Voldemort's loud and high-pitched voice broke his train of beautiful thought.

"I don't have a son,"

Regulus said, looking casually at the Dark Lord like he was just some old phone seller.

"You're not a Potter-"

Voldemort started with clear confusion in his voice, but Regulus quickly stopped him.

"Nope, I'm Regulus fucking Black, and I'm going to make you regret knocking on this door."

Regulus nearly screamed towards Voldemort, and the two opponents raised their wands in the same rhythm. James was amazed at how fast reflexes Regulus had, he was about to help him, but soon he realized that he didn't have his own wand.

"Avada Keda-"

Voldemort started humming the killing curse like it was his favorite spell (which it was without any doubt). James could see the green light building up on his wand and prepared himself to jump between him and Regulus, but Regulus was faster. He realized that his hand had scooped Regulus' waist and pulled him close to protect him from any harm.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Regulus placed the torturing spell on Voldemort, and the body fell on the front step, kneeling and screaming in pain, revealing a small creature behind Voldemort's back that they hadn't seen before.

"Regulus, what are you-"

James looked down at Regulus in terror and amazement. How could someone be so brave but still so scary? James thought that was just the way Regulus was, brave and scary. That would also be a secret in the back of James' head for the next eternity.

"I want him to suffer the way he made Kreacher suffer."

Regulus' voice was now just pure hate towards the suffering clim on the front step.

"How did you-"

Voldemort seemed to be no longer capable of getting secret information, and good for him, he didn't have to. Regulus gazed to James, and he gave him a quick nod before looking away.

"Avada Kedavra."

"Peter?"

James looked confused at the small creature trying to sneak back into the shadows, attempting to apparate. However, Regulus was fast enough to cast some sort of non-apparatin spell. Tight ropes jumped out, wrapping around Peter and pinning him to the ground on his knees.

"Peter, what are you doing here?"

"I-I can explain."

Pete's voice trembled badly as he spoke, appearing terrified. He faced down to the corpse of Voldemort that lay half-inside.

"What's going on?"

James heard a scared voice behind him, and Lily tugging her aside James, still holding baby Harry, who looked as confused as his mother.

"JAMES!! VOLDEMORT IS COMING. YOU NEED TO GO! PETER IS THE TRAITOR!"

James heard a loud pop, and then Sirius screamed at the top of his lungs. You couldn't tell how happy James was seeing that all of his real friends were finally together, and Voldemort was dead.

"Sirius. SIRIUS! Calm down; it's ok. Voldemort is... is dead."

James almost laughed at his relief, feeling so happy now. Lily tucked on his side, with a protective arm around Regulus, who quickly covered the hem of his cloak, not wanting to put it away. That made James' heart feel even warmer.

"What- how-"

Sirius looked for the first time down at the shivering Peter and dead Voldemort, absolutely not believing his eyes, looking back and forth.

"Wait, what happened?"

"Regulus killed him."

James spoke up, pulling Regulus closer secretly, not wanting anyone to know.

"We are safe."

Lily said in relief, looking happily at everyone.

"Regulus?"

Sirius looked at his little brother for the first time that night, a small confused look shifting over his face as he looked at the position, then James, and then to Regulus.

"Your welcome?"

Regulus replied without moving an inch.

"Fuck."

All looked back to Peter.

"Peter? What are you doing here?"

James was the first to speak up after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Oh, I can tell you that."

Sirius said, sounding frustrated.

"So can I."

Regulus said in unison, as brothers often do.

"Would you like to say then, brother?"

Sirius said, gazing at Regulus, then looking shocked as if he really just realized that Regulus was there.

"...Brother... Regulus- you're alive! Fuck, I'm so sorry, I-"

Sirius uttered, turning bright red as he looked away.

"It's ok, Sirius. We can discuss this later."

Regulus said with a little smile on the corner of his mouth, bringing a small dimple on the right side of his face, something that James found quite cute, something that James didn't think anyone except him had get to see earlier.

"Ok, ok, anyways back to the rat."

Sirius said, turning back to the others, now a little less red, but his voice still lower than usual.

"Sirius, I swear, it wasn't like that, please just-just listen to me-"

Peter tried to speak but got hit on the nose by frustrated Sirius, and Remus had to keep him in a tight hug-like pose so he wouldn't do more damage.

"You sold your friend out to be killed."

Regulus said with such a cold tone of voice that the warm autumn evening felt at least ten degrees lower.

"You dirty rotten TRAITOR!"

Sirius shouted the last word so loud that everyone jumped a little, and baby Harry covered his ears in terror, looking at his godfather.

"Peter? Is this true?"

James said with a warmer tone than the Black brothers, but still with a sharp look.

"He was going do kill me! You don'd undersdand!"

Peter squeaked, trying his best to cover the thick blood that was coming out of his mostly broken nose.

"Peter? Why? We trusted you."

Remus sounded so disappointed that James had to fight the urge to go and hug his best mate's boyfriend. Instead, he ended up hugging Regulus tighter, if it was possible. Regulus let out a small gasp, but just so that James could hear it. James had to really try and centralize the conversation in the room, not letting his Reggie interrupt them.

"We trusted you, Peter, and you betrayed us."

James said finally with a cold and disappointed tone, gazing at Peter.

"Y-you don'd undersdand."

Peter was about to cry. How many times had James saved the rat's ass when they were at Hogwarts? He had seen Peter cry at least a hundred times when some older Slytherin bullied him in the corridors. 'So this is how you pay back, bloody traitor,' James thought, looking disgusted towards Peter shivering on the ground.

"Oh, I think we understand enough."

Sirius, now less aggressive, and Remus finally let go, pointed his wand at Peter's back.

"How could you, Peter."

Remus spoked quietly and his tone warned, if he woud do one wrong move, he would en up dead.

"I can kill him. If you want me to."

Regulus requested little too happily, and Remus looked little suprised.

"Yes."

"No."

All of them spoked at the same time, but Regulus just looked Remus as he stepped in front of peter.

"What! After all he's done!"

Sirius dramatically threw his arms in the air and fell towards Remus, so he had to catch him before he fell to ground.

"Death is too good for him."

Remus said calmy, speaking mosly to Sirius, who laid in his arm lookin up to the seling.

"He can go to Azkaban."

James suggested, and all of them nodded, feeling satisfied.

"P-please, please no, I-I won'd survive-"

Peter started to scream-cry, but this time Remus muttered a quick silencing spell, and the room went free from the scream.

"You should have thought about that."

Sirius spoke up, looking nasty at the silently screaming Peter.

But then, they heard a loud pop, and all of them quickly turned to look outside at a tall and old man. Dumbledore was a man of impressive height and advanced age, distinguished by his lengthy and snowy-white beard. He wore a weathered dark purple cloak that complemented his attire, and top of his head rested a matching hat.

"What happened here?"

Dumbledore spoke with a calming but suprised tone, his bright and piercing blue eyes looking at each Marauder one after another, like they were got cauch doing another prank.

"Pettigrew was the spy. He betrayed us,"

Sirius spoke up. He was always the first to speak up after they had been caught, trying to seamlessly flirt his way out of tight spots, but he was serious now.

"What of Voldemort?"

Dumbledore walked towards them as they gathered in the Potter's front step, leaning over and examining the shaken Peter and the lifeless Voldemort. Dumbledore looked so surprised that his half-moon-shaped glasses almost dropped onto the tip of his long nose.

"He is dead. Reg-"

James realized that the warm body had vanished from his hold. He was sad but understood Regulus in the sense that he wouldn't have liked being caught by the most powerful wizard if he were a Death Eater either.

"He is dead."

"How?"

Dumbledore gazed at them all, and James was trying not to show any emotions, which was hard due to Dumbledore's piercing gaze.

"No one knows,"

Sirius said, looking and sounding as innocent as possible.