Chapter 10 - Past, Present, Future
Regulus was in class when the news came.
He should've known the second a message arrived for McGonagall.
It must have been important for her to pause teaching- and big enough that her face dropped.
Regulus' morning had been odd.
When he woke, he was alone.
Which wouldn't have been so peculiar- if Regulus didn't have such a weird feeling.
He had a weird sinking feeling in his chest that he couldn't calm no matter how much he'd tried.
Ivan and Claudette had acted as they always had and their normalcy had him ignoring his gut.
Class ended soon after and Regulus was just happy to be done with classes for the day.
He stood up from his seat, collecting his things to follow Claudette and Ivan out.
"Mister Black." McGonagall called.
Regulus stopped in his tracks, before turning around to face the woman.
The boy had nothing against the teacher, but if he was being honest he had way less interaction with her throughout his time at Hogwarts as James and his brother did.
Regulus looked back towards Ivan and Claudette as to silently say not to wait up.
The pair were the last two out, leaving McGonagall and Regulus.
"Is there something you needed, Professor?" Regulus asked.
"No", She sighed, almost internally debating something, "I'm not suppose to tell you this, but I got word about an attack."
"An attack?", Regulus quizzed, he looked around before lowering his voice, "By death eaters?"
"I'm afraid so." She muttered.
"I don't understand, why are you telling me this?" Regulus asked- his voice had grown small.
"There was a magical explosion and James got hit with it." McGonagall explained.
Regulus wasn't sure he'd ever heard the woman called James by his first name, but it made the news all the more eerie.
"James...?" Regulus breathed.
He'd blinked.
James.
His James.
In an explosion.
Regulus had so many questions- he needed- he needed-
"Is he okay?!" Regulus heaved, suddenly it was hard to breathe, "I have to see him."
"I'm afraid it's not possible. The explosion was full of dangerous magic. James is being quarantined until they know it's safe." She muttered.
Regulus wouldn't hear it, "I have to see him- I have to- I can't-"
He stumbled back a bit.
"Regulus-" She started.
"I have to. I'll- I'll quarantine with him- it'll be fine. It has to be fine." Regulus huffed.
"I can't allow you put yourself in danger like that." McGonagall spoke.
"You can't stop me!" Regulus spat as he spun on his heels.
And then he was running.
His feet were working, but his mind was fuzzy.
All he could think about was James.
Suddenly Regulus was Dot- slipping through secret passages and running as fast as he could.
Dot made it all the way to the entrance of St. Mungos, before he returned back to a sobbing Regulus.
The hospital made Regulus sick.
Regulus didn't make it very far.
He tucked himself between a plant and a waiting chair before falling to the ground in a ball.
He didn't know where James was.
After awhile, the tears had come to a stop.
A hand found itself on Regulus' shoulder.
He looked up, droplets of tears visible on his eyelashes.
"Can I help you?", The girl asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Regulus had seen her before, but he'd never met her.
"James Potter." Regulus croaked.
She seemed to have a moment of recognition.
"You must be Regulus." She started.
He nodded and she helped him to his feet.
She guided him down a hall.
The lights were fluorescent and the wall were a pristine white.
"I wish I had better news, but I'm afraid it's all been very out of our area of knowledge", She explained, "He's been out since he arrived and kept in quarantine."
Regulus found it all too much to take it.
They'd traveled through hallway after hallway, passing identical room after identical room.
Finally Regulus spotted a familiar figure at the end of one of the halls.
"Oh...Regulus..." Lily mumbled with sympathy as she pulled the small boy into her arms.
As they broke apart, Regulus watched as the nurse, who Regulus recognized as Mary, gently pecked Lily on the lips.
"I have to see him." Regulus piped up.
"He's in quarantine, they're not letting anyone see him." Lily explained.
"I have to, I don't care- I'll- I'll quarantine with him." Regulus exclaimed.
"Regulus-" Lily started.
"I have to see him!" Regulus cried.
Mary sighed, "Okay, alright. He seems stable and we haven't sent anyone in without-"
"Mary, no", Lily cut her off, "James wouldn't want his boyfriend acting as the lab rat."
"I'll do it." Regulus spoke.
"Regulus, no-" Lily started.
"I'll do it." Regulus repeated.
Regulus moved towards the door.
He looked back at the two women, a green barrier between them and him.
Opening the door he stepped inside.
The room was sickeningly white and the lights seemed to flicker as he entered.
His legs wobbled as he approached the curtained-off section.
With shaky fingers he slid open the blue curtain.
The image was so vivid in his mind.
The monitor echoed James' heartbeat- the only thing that brought Regulus any comfort.
James couldn't sit still for two minutes and there he was lying so lifelessly on the hospital bed.
Regulus wanted to throw up.
Suddenly he was beside James' bed.
He hadn't seen James that morning- he didn't get to say goodbye.
James probably kissed him goodbye before he left, like he did every morning.
Regulus refused to let their last kiss be one he didn't remember.
He grabbed for James' hand, against his better judgement, letting his fingers just barely graze the surface.
Regulus jumped back, pulling his finger to his chest. It almost felt as if a jolt of energy shot through his body.
He would compare it to static shock, but deeper.
Regulus shook as a random chill shot through his body.
He blinked and then again.
Within the blink of his eye, Regulus' span of vision changed entirely.
He was in some type of plaza, only if he leant forward he could still feel James' bed.
His eyes scanned the area for any explanation before locking onto a certain brunette- his brunette.
James was walking in step with Sirius.
"The last time I've seen you this excited to plan something, we were school boys and it was a prank." James quipped.
"What can I say, Moony brings out the hopeless romantic in me." Sirius joked.
James chuckled, "I get that."
"You really love him, don't you?" Sirius muttered.
"More than the air I breathe." James quipped with a smile that could make even the most mistrusting person believe him.
Sirius playfully bumped into the boy as they passed Regulus- as if he wasn't there.
James had moved so that he was walking backwards in front of Sirius.
"Who would've thought that Sirius Black would be a happily married man." James quipped.
"Not me, that's for sure. If things were different I'd probably be forced to marry one of my cousins." Sirius grimaced.
Regulus snickered at the thought.
"Well let's both pray to Merlin that things weren't different." James muttered.
"I'm really happy, James." Sirius admitted.
"I'm happy for you- as long as you’re using protection, we don't need any little Sirius' running ramped." James teased.
"As long as there are no little James' running around." Sirius retorted.
"Oh, so little Regulus' are fine?" James quizzed.
"Don't push it." Sirius scoffed before shoving James forward.
They'd arrived at what looked to be a bookstore.
"I'll just run in, you'll be fine out here?" Sirius quizzed.
"Always." James gleamed.
Sirius disappeared in the store as James began to slightly wonder down the street.
The sky had seemingly darkened, which seemed to be a detail only Regulus took to notice.
A strange silence filled the air and then a bang so loud it shook the ground.
James snapped towards the sound.
Regulus watched as a huge explosion erupted and it was almost as if a huge green mass crashed right into James.
The explosion crashed into the surrounding buildings and even shattered the glass of others.
Regulus had lost sight of James, even as the green cleared up.
Sirius came rushing out of the bookstore, covered in small cuts and bits of glass.
"James?!"
Regulus felt a weird pulling sensation before suddenly he was back in the hospital room.
James was still unmoving on the bed before him.
The lights were no longer flickering and the machine began to beep at a nicer pace.
Regulus squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before popping them open, allowing himself to get a grasp on reality.
He grabbed James' hand, intertwining their fingers before he pressed his lips to James'.
To his surprise, the boy instantly kissed him back.
James even went as much as to push himself up just to keep Regulus from breaking the kiss as he backed up.
When Regulus finally managed to pull away, James gleamed.
He looked so alive, Regulus couldn't believe it.
"My Prince Charming, you've finally come to wake me up." James joked with his signature smile.
Regulus glared at him, with so much hatred it could almost re-kill James.
He tore their hands apart and stepped back.
All he could see was red.
"I could kill you right now." Regulus spat.
"Aw, come on, I just woke up. Can't I get some love?" James questioned.
"No." Regulus pouted, trying to stay angry, but his lip began to quiver.
Suddenly he felt a trickle down his top lip.
Regulus swiped the back of his hand against his nose, smearing the blood across his face and hand.
He tried to keep up his angry front, but in all honesty he was so so scared.
Regulus hated feeling scared.
"It's okay, I'm okay." James assured, holding his arms out for Regulus.
No.
Regulus wouldn't cave.
James looked at him with a soft expression that clearly displayed his intentions.
"Please. Just let me hold you." James begged.
Oh- who was he kidding.
Regulus crashed into James' arms.
There were so many unanswered questions, but it could wait.
What Regulus needed was to be held.
Everything else could wait.